"What do you mean you are getting a divorce?" Natasha's face was filled with shock

"What do you think I mean?" Clint asked angrily "Laura and I are no longer together."

Natasha wanted to know why and how this happened but she could see that Hawkeye was getting emotional and that this conversation could be continued later. This situation was confusing to her. She thought back to when she stayed at the farm whilst Ultron was causing havoc. Clint and Laura looked like they were really in love and nothing between them seemed wrong. They had three children and everything seemed like it was the ideal family life.

"So what now?" Natasha asked.

"I need some time to clear my head." Clint told her "I went to Washington to do just that."

Natasha bit her lip. "So are you coming back to work now?"

"I wasn't intending to go straight back into it." Clint explained "But after what just happened I see that this world needs me." He changed his sad expression to a smug smile as he said this.

"I am returning to New York soon as the mission to protect the president is over." Natasha explained "I'm hoping Fury can find out who the guy who shot the general is whilst I'm there."

"Can I come with?" Clint asked.

"I'm not sure you are allowed to." She said "We have a new secret headquarters."

"Are you saying you don't trust me?" He said "After all you did think I was the killer."

"That was just a theory." Natasha tried to explain "And how did you know that?"

Before Clint could speak something in his pocket started beeping. He took a high-tech phone from his pocket. His eyes squinted as he seemed to read a message carefully.

"I have to go now." Clint said "Divorce problems." He tried to smile as if he said it as a joke but the expression went away quickly.

"Ok." She said "I'll be leaving for New York tomorrow at 9am so if you want to come with….."

"Noted." He interrupted "I'll try and be there." Before Natasha could say anything Clint waved goodbye and quickly left. Natasha stood silently reflecting on everything that was just said.

"Natasha." Someone said from behind her. She turned around and saw Nick Fury walking towards her.

"Yes sir?" she answered.

"What did Barton have to say," he asked.

"He told me about the divorce."

"What divorce?" Fury looked confused.

"He and Laura are splitting up." Natasha said "I thought you knew everything about everyone."

"When Hawkeye showed up in Washington I checked his file and nothing about it has changed." Fury explained.

"Well he said he was getting a divorce." Natasha said "It hasn't actually happened yet."

Fury nodded. "Anyway thanks for informing me of this." He continued "And have a fun trip back to New York."

Natasha waited for Clint at the Washington airport. She was being taken privately from there to the new headquarters and she had texted Clint where the plane was going to take off. But it was time for departure and Clint had yet to show up.

"Madam I'm sorry but we need to leave now." An air official told her.

"Can you wait a few more minutes please?" Natasha gave her cutest facial expression that never failed to persuade a straight male to do something for her. She tried it on Clint once and he didn't kill her.

"Okay madam I'll give you five minutes and that is it." He told her. Natasha smiled and went back to looking for Clint. She checked the phone to see if she'd received at text for him but there was nothing. As the time began to tick by Natasha shook her head in disappointment. She'd been looking forward to interacting with her old friend.

"We have to get on the plane now." The official told her. Natasha nodded and began to walk up the stairs to the plane.

"Wait!" she heard someone shouting from nearby. She turned around a saw Clint running towards them. Clint was out of breath by the time he walked up the stairs to where Natasha was.

"You need to improve your endurance." Natasha smiled playfully. Clint smiled back and walked onto the plane with her. The two sat silently during take-off but afterwards Natasha noticed that Clint was wearing an earpiece. "Why are you wearing that?" she asked.

"My hearing has been acting up again." Clint told her "I used to be able to go without them but I'm getting older."

"Is that why you were late?" she continued the conversation.

"No I just slept in a little." He looked embarrassed "I had a longer night out then planned."

Natasha nodded. "Is it too insensitive to ask about what happened between you and Laura?" She tried to not look at Clint as she said this as not to put too much pressure on him. He was her best friend after all and she didn't want him feeling uncomfortable. After a few seconds she looked up to see Clint's facial expression had changed. He was now just gazing out the window like he didn't know she was there. "Clint?" she tried to speak louder.

Clint seemed to get out of a daze and said "No it's fine." He told her. Natasha waited patiently for a response and saw Clint breathing in and out slowly.

"It was all good for a while having Laura and the children around all the time." He began to explain "But I began to miss my work. I've been trained for years to do this and it just has become part of my nature. I told Laura this one night when the kids had been put to bed and she became angry with me because I did promise her to not do that anymore. I agreed with her but the dynamic between us changed since then. I began sneaking my bow and arrow out at night to practice and she noticed one night and thought I was cheating on her with someone. I told her about how I was going out to practice and we got into argument about what was more important and she stormed out the house angrily. The next day she said she'd had enough and that it was too stressful to be married to a thrill seeker, especially with three children to look after, so she said she wanted to get a divorce."

Clint's face started to flood with tears. Natasha wrapped one arm around him to console him "I should never have gotten my arrows out again." Natasha was holding back tears as she knew if she cried that it would make him cry even harder.

"Laura will realise she has made a mistake." Natasha tried to find a positive. "She was just reacting spur of the moment."

"Then why hasn't she returned any of my calls or texts." Hawkeye said between breaths.

"She is just taking time away just like you were." She began "It'll take time."

"Thanks for understanding Nat." Clint tried to smile.

The rest of the flight was Natasha comforting Clint. She knew that any of the other Avengers would give him a hard time for crying so she thought it would be best for him to stop before they arrived. Hawkeye managed to stop crying and began to feel better. Once they arrived the two of them left the plane and Clint saw the new headquarters for the first time.

"I prefer the old tower." Clint told Natasha.

"Because it was a luxury mansion?" Natasha asked.

"Yeah exactly." He explained "And it was really tall."

The two walked into the base and after a security check planned to meet up with Captain America. When they walked into Steve's room they saw someone else who was also familiar. Tony Stark and Rogers both turned around to look at them as they entered.

"Clint?" Steve and Tony said in unison.

"It is me." Clint said "I have officially returned."

"This isn't a sitcom." Tony laughed.

"Nice to have you back Barton." Steve said politely. "How was your mission Natasha?"

"I'm sure you saw on the news that a general got shot by an unknown assassin during a speech." Natasha said "Luckily Clint was there to catch him but then he took a suicide pill and we are still running the details we know about him through our databases."

"So you failed at your mission?" Tony smiled.

"No my mission was to protect the president and I accomplished that mission." Natasha explained vigorously.

"Don't try to argue with that one." Clint said quietly to Tony as he remembered he made similar points to her the day before.

"So what are you doing here?" Natasha tried to change the subject.

"I'm personally delivering some new technology here." Tony Stark stated to brag. "It is a…."

"Confidential matter." Steve interrupted "Which cannot be discussed with them." Natasha nodded knowingly whilst Hawkeye looked slightly disappointed.

"Do you want us to leave?" Natasha asked.

"That would be productive." Steve said. Natasha nodded and left the room. Clint followed her slowly.

"So what now?" Clint asked.

"Until those results come in I might as well catch up on my training." Natasha told him. Natasha playfully punched Clint's shoulder.

"Ow!" Hawkeye said louder than expected "Don't do that."

"That wasn't hard at all." Natasha was confused "Is there something wrong with your arm?"

"No…nothing." Hawkeye began to stutter nervously "I can still shoot straight and punch hard and eat breakfast without anything…"

He looked at Natasha and saw her glaring at him.

"Why are you lying to me Clint?" Natasha asked angrily.

"I'm not lying!" Clint began to shout.

Natasha grabbed for Clint's long sleeved shirt and quickly pulled it up before he could react. She saw a large bandage with several bruises around it.

"Clint….." she was almost out of words "Please tell me what happened….."

End of another chapter! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter as much as the first. Thankyou oreo8u9453, Fury-Natalia, Lucy Annabeth Potter and Niom Lamboise who gave feedback for the previous chapter and I hope that I continue getting reviews in the future. Please also follow and favourite if you liked. I'll be away for a few days so I won't be able to update but please don't lose faith or anything. :D