Unusual Avenger

Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue.

AN:Thank you to everyone. I love you guys. I am always happy to see it when reviews and favs and story alerts pop up in my inbox. I think you all deserve some nice cookies. :-) And as for the issue of pairing Jason/Clint up with someone, I haven't decided if I will yet or not, though there are definate hints. So please do keep with me and giving me your thoughts on it. I always love to hear from my readers and sometimes the suggestions that I'm given even make it into the story. ;-) Anyways, enough of my babble... on with the story.

Baby, you're so unusual
Didn't anyone tell you, you're supposed to
Break my heart?
I expect you to, so why haven't you?
- Unusual You - B. Spears

X Unusual X

Aloha Second Squad, be advised that Dispatch is officially declaring Friday Hawaiian Shirt day, because, yah, that's the kinda power I wield.

X Unusual X

Two and a half weeks was all the reprieve Jason was able to get from Natasha's curiosity before she managed to corner him in the precinct break room. He had spent the whole time ducking into bathrooms and shimmying out of windows and down drainpipes to get away from her whenever he saw her. His whole division had decided that he was insane one day after he spotted her coming into the building and hid under Sergeant Brown's desk. It was not his proudest moment. He really should have known better than to underestimate her resolve and curiosity.

"So this is where you've been hiding Clint."

Jason started and nearly spilled the day old coffee he was pouring himself down the front of his nice suit. He had had a hectic morning. He never did like having to go into court to testify about cases. Carefully placing the pot down on the counter he took a deep breath and sighed before turning to face her. "Miss Rushman."

Natasha glared at him. She was not pleased that he fallen back to addressing her by her cover name. He damn well knew who she was she could see it in his eyes as well as the panicked calculation as he looked past her at the door. "Is that how you are going to play it Clint? Like you don't know me?" She rolled her eyes when he stumbled back away from her and fumbled as he pulled his mobile out of his pocket. Grabbing his tie she pulled him close, so that they were nose to nose. "What the hell is going on Clint?"

Jason shook his head. He really didn't want to have to tell her this way or try and take an easy out, not that she would give him one, but he was slowly running out of options. The Director was already upset with him over bringing Pepper into things, but at least he understood Jason's need for a new handler. Especially once Jason had explained that with the resources that Pepper had at her fingertips and the fact that she had been Phil's friend, it was probably easiest for her to do the job, rather than someone who was career SHIELD who wouldn't necessarily understand where he was coming from. "Classified." He cringed when her eyes turned from fiery upset, to icy rage.

"Bullshit. You will tell me what is going on Clint Barton or so help me, not even Fury will be able to find all the pieces."

He opened his mouth to reply when she shoved him backwards into the table, his phone flying out of his hand to slam into the wall. Somehow it didn't really surprise him to find that Natasha had been pulled back by a glaring Sergeant Brown, his partner standing to his boss' right side gun drawn.

"I'm hoping that you weren't just assaulting an officer in my division, because if you were I just might be willing to let Detective Walsh's partner here have her way and just shoot you." Brown's voice was ice as he spoke slowly. "If you weren't I'd be willing to forget this, so long as my detective is willing and you stayed out of my precinct. Are we clear?"

Natasha took in the scene before her, unable to believe that Clint could keep a whole life hidden from her. He was standing, leaning against the table where she had pushed him, half fallen, his pale eyes startled and apologetic. His tie, since when did he even own one, askew from where she had held him. The sergeant was standing between them now, glaring down at her. And the other officer, Detective Schraeger the one who had interviewed her, was in the doorway with her weapon at the ready. The loyalty these two were showing Clint could not be something new. This was the sort of loyalty that only came with long hours working together and nearly dying together. It was the sort of loyalty that Clint had earned from her by saving her and fighting alongside her. It meant that he had possibly not been lying about this part of his life being classified, especially since this sort of deep cover was not unheard of in SHIELD. "Clear, Sergeant." She turned to leave but was halted by Clint softly calling her.

"Tasha. Please understand."

Sighing she let her head fall forward. "I need time to come to terms with this."

"I'm sorry." Jason's voice held a note of pleading that he knew she would pick up on. They had been partners even longer than he had been partnered with Casey, surely that counted for something. Throwing caution to the wind he moved past Brown and took her by the wrist. He knew better than to try and get her to face him, he didn't have a death wish. Speaking low enough that only Natasha could hear him regardless of the others proximity, he rushed out, "Talk to Pepper, maybe she can talk to the Director and get you clearance."

Nodding the ginger haired woman pulled away from Jason and walked out the door leaving him to try and explain to his sergeant and partner why the hell she had attacked him.

"Jason?" Casey placed a hand on his shoulder after a moment, after holstering her sidearm. "Are you alright? She didn't hurt you did she?"

He shook his head. She hadn't physically hurt him, but he was confused by her actions. Natasha usually didn't have any issues with classified information being kept from her. But then he supposed he had never had to keep something this big from her either.

"So ex-girlfriend?" The Sergeant's voice was a touch amused when he spoke.

"No." He turned to look at his partner and boss. He really was grateful that they had stuck up for him, even if he hadn't really needed it. "She's…" he didn't really know how to describe her to them without giving anything away, so he just shook his head. Let them think what they will, they were going to anyways. Spotting the wreckage of his phone on the floor behind Brown, he groaned loudly, it was brand new too. "She broke my phone." Moving past his boss he carefully picked up the pieces, there was no way the battery was going to fit back into the casing, not to mention the facing was cracked. "Ah shit, I just got this phone last week."

"You want to press charges? We can bring her in on assault of an officer."

"Thanks Sarge, but no. She's a witness from the Stark Tower break-in. It's not going to look good if we arrest one of our own witnesses before the trial's even started."

Brown shrugged, it wasn't like he didn't know that, but still he wanted to offer.

A few hours later, after his shift ended, Jason sat at the Apolo, staring blankly down at his twice cooked pork, wondering just what the hell he was supposed to do about Natasha. He knew it wouldn't be long before she came at him again. Telling her that his identity issues were classified would only work for so long after all. He had saved her life and was the one who had brought her into SHIELD after all, against Director Fury's order's no less.

"You must be seeing something really profound in that food for you not to notice me Agent."

Jason's head snapped up to see Fury sitting directly across from him at the little table. The Director did not look pleased to be sitting in a midtown Manhattan Chinese food joint, noticeably filled with NYPD officers. "Sir."

Fury leaned forward so that his elbows were resting on the table and his chin was resting on his joined hands. "Do you know why I'm here Detective Walsh and why I'm not happy about it?"

Jason nodded as he looked down at his plate again, unable to meet the Director's eye. "Tasha."

"Yes." The older man leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Agent Romanoff was not happy to find out that you have a classified identity."

"Did you explain sir, or…"

"No." The Director shook his head. "I've given her clearance to be informed by your handler however. So expect her to come to you afterwards for further explanation."

The detective nodded, still not raising his head. He really wasn't sure what Fury was going to do about informing the rest of the team. Especially since he doubted that Stark would accept 'classified' as an explanation, unlike Banner and Rogers who probably would, Thor would be a whole other issue that wouldn't be addressed until his return from Asgard. "And the others sir?"

Fury stood, satisfied that Jason understood the import of the decision to bring Natasha in on his secret. The more who knew about it, the less likely it would be able to stay a secret and the less likely it would be for him to continue on as he had been. The Avenger's team however, likely needed to know due to their proximity to the issue and the fact that they would be working in very close quarters with Jason, hopefully for many years to come. "As needed."

"Yes sir."

X Unusual X