A/N: I don't own The Avengers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,or Thor. Also, the time line has been skewed to allow for the preceding oneshots. Everything from Captain America: the Winter Soldier forward is a year after it happens in the cannon, except Steve met Sam, and Sam joined the team (sort of) before WS. R&R!
Splash! Water made contact with Clint's face, and all he could do was laugh. Since about 1 o'clock that afternoon, the Coulson-Barton family had been by the Beach Pool at the Grand Floridian. At the moment, he was in a furious, yet small scale, splash war with Skye. Natasha had been trying to stay out of the splash war by sunbathing on one of the lounge chairs. Phil and Darcy were with Roger, trying to begin teaching him to swim. Trying being the operative word, as the nearly-three year old seemed to want to join the splash war.
So, naturally, when Clint turned around, he expected to see his brother or his sister. The last person (in his family) that Clint expected to have splashed him was Natasha, yet there she was behind him.
"Gotcha!", she told him with a triumphant smirk.
"How did you even get in this war?", he asked her in addition to his own smirk as he looped his arms around her waist.
"I decided to join up because some of the teenaged boys out here keep checking me out.", Natasha answered with a fake smile, and Clint chuckled.
"You know you can't exactly blame them for starring. You're a really hot redhead, and an even more beautiful woman than their girlfriends would probably ever amount to.", he said as he looked around at said teenaged boys.
"Even when I'm this huge?", she asked, looking down at her baby bump with a soft smile.
"No matter how huge you might thing you are, you will always be beautiful to me. I love you Nat-", but Clint was cut off by Skye splashing him.
"Sorry to ruin the moment, because that was so sweet I almost got a cavity just listening to you, but Dad says it's time to go back up stairs to get ready to go. We have two hours before we have to meet the others at the Market Place in Downtown Disney, soon to be Disney Springs, and you know how Pepper is when things don't run on schedule.", she said all of this at a fast enough speed for Clint and Natasha to understand her, but she was also out of breath.
So, the three headed back to their villa, none of them noticing the dark haired, fair skinned man watching them from the other side of the pool.
At 5 o'clock sharp, the four groups met up at The Market Place in Downtown Disney. They had two hours to shop before their 7 o'clock dinner reservation at The Rainforest Cafe, which J.A.R.V.I.S. had selected based on its close proximity to the bus stop. Almost at once, all of them headed towards the large World of Disney store. The last person to walk in was Clint, and his hair was wet.
"What happened between the Market Place archway and the store's door?", Skye asked him as she laughed at her older brother.
"Stitch decided to get in on our splash war, only we ended the war!", Clint exclaimed.
"Wait, so the figure on the top of the building squirts water? Why wasn't I informed of this?", Tony asked childishly.
"Because none of us realized that until Clint's misfortune popped back up. We didn't really pay attention to Stitch when we were here the other day, so none of us saw it happen.", Darcy said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Before another word could be said, Emma ran to one of the shelves filled with familiar logos. Six of them let out sighs and groans before they all followed the three year old, who had already gotten into a verbal altercation with another toddler.
"Girls can't like super heroes!", the boy toddler told her.
"Yes they can!", Emma snapped back.
"No they can't!", he said again.
That was when Tony walked up.
"What's going on here, Em?", he asked nonchalantly.
"This idiota keeps saying girls can't like superheroes, Uncle Tony.", Emma said, and the boy looked up.
"You're Iron Man!", he said breathlessly.
"Yes, I am. Emma, what did I say about saying mean words in Italian?", he said to the boy before turning back to Emma.
"Not to, because saying mean words is meaner than being physical with the person you called a name. Physical is the right word, right?", Emma replied, and Tony nodded.
"How about this: I, as a superhero, can safely say, young man, that girls can be superhero fans just as much as boys can, especially Emma.", Tony said to the kid, who could not be older than five.
"Okay, I guess girls can like superheroes too.", the boy said before skipping off to where his parents were, looking at Star Wars toys.
When the others decided to walk up, Emma had turned back to the toys and clothes in front of her. She was looking at a t-shirt with Steve's shield on it, complete with scratches and scorch marks from the Battle of New York, though Tony was positive the t-shirt shield's scratches were digitized on the shield's image for dramatic effect.
"So, what happened here?", Steve asked, looking between Tony and Emma.
"I had to explain to a young man that is completely appropriate for girls to like superheroes just as much as boys do. I couldn't let my, so far, only niece get told she can't like her own father, uncles, or aunt, now could I?", Tony responded with a smirk.
"You pulled the 'Iron Man' card on the kid, didn't you?", Steve asked as he helped Emma find a shirt small enough for her.
"Oh, naturally. I felt that, as a super hero, I had the authority to rule on who can be a fan and who cannot.", Tony's natural arrogance was back, but no one minded too much, if only because they were all distracted by the Avengers merchandise.
"Remind me why Nat and I agreed to let anyone make Avengers stuff, if we're the ones that get continuously left of of stuff.", Clint said as he inspected an Avengers t-shirt.
"Well, Tasha's is mostly a good thing, because it makes her harder to recognize. As for you, my friend, I honestly have no idea, whatsoever, why you get left off. Maybe it's because you and Tasha are kind of like a matched set? Mostly, I think you two agreed because without your normal source of income, and the fact that my company gets attacked almost as much as I do, we needed a failsafe for money.", Tony pondered this as he spoke, and Clint merely shrugged, deciding to drop the issue.
For the next hour, not that it felt like it, the 21-member family went from room to room in the giant store. The last room they entered was the Princess room. While Emma tried to determine her favorite princess, the adults watched as child after child exited the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in princess dresses or knight attire.
"That looks like something Emma might enjoy.", Pepper said to Caroline.
"We'll have to look into booking appointments on our next trip.", Natasha said, and the women blinked before Skye said the one thing they were all thinking.
"You're having a girl!"
"Yes, I'm having a girl. Clint and I found out at my last appointment, the day before we flew down here. I didn't want to know at first, but Clint did. When I saw the goofy grin he had when the doctor told him, I had to know. Do you know yet, Caroline?", Natasha responded, and the blonde nodded with a small smile.
"Steve didn't want to know, but I did, so none of you can tell him or any of the guys. We've discussed names for both genders, just incase the doctor turns out to be wrong; as of right now, my child is to be named James Steven Rogers.", she whispered to the other women, all of whom awed and giggled.
"I've still got a few more weeks before I know if I'm having a boy or a girl.", Reggie said, and Pepper remained silent, as she and Tony had still not told anyone other than the perspective godparents of their child.
"How is it that you all managed to get pregnant around the exact same time?", Skye asked as Emma hurried over to Steve with a Cinderella music box.
"Easy, within the last five months, we've had so much going on, so many times the guys and Nat almost got killed, that there have been a lot of fights and, ahem, making up.", Jane answered, trying not to think about how she and Thor spent their morning while Loki and Trip had gone to the pool (mostly to test the theory that women are just automatically drawn to Loki; it was true by the way).
The women continued to talk, and the men continued to distract each other to keep from going insane inside the Princess room, not noticing the same man from the Grand Floridian Beach Pool that morning watching them again from the other side of the room.
By the time 7 o'clock rolled around, the entire family had large bags in their hands, each filled to the brim (almost) with Disney merchandise. They had bought everything from Christmas stockings to charm bracelets. While they could have sent the items to their rooms, Steve, along with Thor and Phil, thought it would be gentlemanly for the men to carry the bags.
Dinner was a fun-filled family affair, complete with animals and thunderstorms inside the restaurant. They were seated at a group of tables lined up together across from the bar, which made Darcy feel as if she had to go over the rules again. Everyone agreed to continue following the rules, and Tony commented that he might have to find barstools similar to the ones in the restaurant and buy them to put in their home theater. There was only one small problem they faced at dinner.
"Is there a rule against shooting people at dinner?", Clint asked as another Sparkling Volcano dessert went behind them.
"Yes, Clint, it is against the rules, even at home, to shoot anyone during family meals. I know that the servers shouting 'Volcano!' is annoying, but you can deal with this for now. I mean, you live in the same building as Tony, so you have to have a high tolerance for annoying people and things.", Darcy replied, and Tony just nodded, accepting the fact that he could be highly annoying when he wanted to be.
"What's the rule on physical assaults?", Melinda asked darkly.
"Unfortunately, they're not allowed either. By the way, where are we going tomorrow?", Skye replied, and Melinda let out a sigh as she went back to eating.
"We're going to EPCOT tomorrow.", Steve said, yet still, no one noticed the man watching them.
After dinner, the family boarded the busses back to their hotels. Phil, Darcy (who had Roger sitting on her lap), Clint, Tasha, Tony, Pepper, Leo, Jemma, Bruce, and Reggie had all found seats together, but there was no seat left open for Skye.
"Guys, it's fine. I'll sit towards the front, and if when we stop at their hotel, I'll move back here. It's not a big deal.", Skye assured them, but Clint grabbed her arm before she turned away.
"I'm going to sound a little paranoid and over protective, but take this, and you can give it back to me when we get inside the room.", he whispered as he handed her his pocket knife.
"Okay, and thanks, Clint.", she whispered back as she pocketed the knife and made her way to the front to find a seat.
She found one, and sat down, not realizing who was beside her. It was the same man who had been watching the family all day. When she looked towards the window and saw his face, her hand flew to the knife.
"What the Helhiem are you doing here?", she whisper-hissed.
"Well, in finding my own path, I found a way to use my skills to make enough money to get me by. My latest contract was to forcibly obtain information from a woman with legendary skills. Unfortunately, I am human. I would never hurt a pregnant woman.", he replied.
"Funny, because I could've sworn you were a robot.", Skye said dryly.
"I thought you grew up, somewhat.", he said coolly.
"Fair enough. Just know this: you touch one hair on her body, or endanger her child, and I will personally see to your end. How did you find us, anyway?", she asked, not daring to glance back at her sister-in-law like she wanted to.
"I didn't. Sergeant Barnes did. He said he wanted to know where an old friend of his was, and that Romanoff would know."
"If 'Bucky' wants to talk to Captain Rogers, he can do it himself. The guy lives in a tower with a gigantic A on the side of it, so finding him is no Labor of Hercules.", Skye remarked, filing the information away for later.
"I'm stuck here for the rest of the week, now, and I have no way of contacting Barnes until I can leave Florida. How do you suppose I tell him that?", he asked.
"You don't have to tell him now, and I wouldn't tell him about your target being with child at all. To be completely honest, for about a month now, Natasha Romanoff hasn't even existed.", she said, thinking about the last name change from "Romanoff" to "Barton."
They both went silent until the bus pulled up in front of the Polynesian. Skye stood, prepared to tell her father that he was on the bus with them, as ironic as it sounded, but she stopped. Her older brother's voice, telling the story of how he joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and how he recruited Natasha came flooding back to her. As furious as she was, and as much as he had hurt her, Skye knew this man could be of use to them, to the new S.H.I.E.D. She could kill him right then and there, or she could be like her brother and make a different call.
The doors closed, and the bus continued down the road. Skye sat back down next to him. When the bus stopped at the Grand Floridian, she spoke again.
"I understand what you're going through, sort of. Someone I love dearly told me a story once, about a night where he made a different call, and he saved a life instead of taking one. I should hate you, and I know I should have already stabbed you or something, but I can't. Truth is, your target was just like you once upon a time. She used her skills for whomever was paying her, and she was the one who was saved. I am going to do this, not because I still have feelings for you, but because I feel that you could be of use to us. Don't even think about leaving the bus stop, or else I'll send my favorite assassin after you. And, by the way, my favorite assassin hates your guts almost as much as his wife does. So, what do you say, Grant Ward; do we have a deal?", Skye asked the man beside her, and Grant finally faced her.
"Depends on who 'Us' is, Skye."
"You'll see.", and they got off the bus.
Skye rushed over to her family, quickly telling them everything she knew. Clint was dumbfounded that he had inspired his sister so much, and Phil was proud of her decision. The two men walked with Skye over to where Grant stood, Clint calling Tony.
"Okay, this is 'Us', or at least part of it. Yes, this is Agent Barton, and yes, the Avengers knew our favorite boss was alive the whole time. When Tony Stark gets here, if you accept our offer, we will be, basically, inserting a micro-chip into your body to help us keep tabs on you until we have a place to put you. Your turn to talk.", Skye said, turning to Phil, who nodded.
"Let me tell you, Grant, I would've killed you tonight without a second thought if I had been the one to sit down beside you on that bus. My entire immediate family was on that bus, and I will do whatever I have to in order to protect them. Skye, however, made a different call; and for that, I have never been more proud of her than I am this night. I believe you can help us track down any remaining H.Y.D.R.A. cells/agents, which is why I won't take your life or had you over to one of the many people who wish to torture you to death, namely every female in my family, starting with my wife. You make one wrong move, and I'll let all of them at you at one time. The only question left is this: Do you want to take the deal and be an asset, or do you want to die?", Phil spoke clearly, and stopped just as a portal opened up behind him.
"I'll take the deal as long as you don't let Agent May near me. I like being able to talk, walk, and possibly have children in the future.", Grant answered as Tony pulled what looked like an ear-piercing gun out of his pocket.
"Stick 'em.", Clint said, and Tony fired the "gun" into Grant's lower back.
"Congratulations, Grant Ward. You have officially been micro-chipped. Now that we've settled that, Skye is like a sister to me. If you ever hurt her again, I will use you for target practice, and I definitely won't be alone. Right, Clint?", Tony said with an evil smirk.
"Right, Tony.", Clint replied with an equally evil expression.
Phil smiled at the boys, his boys. He knew that they would protect their baby sister even if and when she did not need them to. That was the thought that helped him sleep at night, as it would that night. Well, that and he was eager to see what would happen if you put Melinda May in the Chinese pavilion, Tony Stark in the Italian pavilion, and Steve Rogers in the American pavilion at EPCOT.
A/N: So, they have a day to relax. What could possibly go wrong? Even though I am the one writing this, it should be interesting. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you stay tuned in for more! R&R! P.S., I do not own Disney World. Believe me, I would not be writing if I did; I would probably be on Space Mountain if I did.