Second Chances 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers, only Drew Barton and Maya are my creations ;)

Authors Note: This chapter is super long and I'm so sorry for how long it's taken me to post this. I just couldn't get the ending right.

There is angst, hurt/comfort and action in this chapter. Hope you all enjoy and thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter – sammygirl1963, blackangel150, kimbee, Lollypops101, AmethystSiri, VioletBrock, DBhawkguy30.

Also I just want to let you know I'm still working on the other stories, I have a few that I'm tackling right now, but I just need to try and focus on one at a time though lol...my head just keeps sprouting new idea's ;) I have posted a list on my profile of what has been written and what is still to come...


Drew's eyes scanned the large park for his little cousin with ease. There were lots of little kids playing, chasing each other and laughing as they slid down the massive slide that was aptly named, the twister.

Once he spotted the blonde pig tails, he smiled and made his way over to her.

"Drew!" She screamed excitedly, running towards him with her arms spread wide.

The seventeen year old laughed as he scooped the little girl into his arms, spinning her around twice before lowering her back down. Maya stumbled back a step but was grinning up at her big cousin.

"Are you having fun?" he asked, following her towards the swings.

"Yes. Come push me on the swings Drew," she ordered politely.

The young archer chuckled, she was so much like her dad it was scary sometimes. He helped her into one of the kiddie swings, making sure she was gripping the chains tightly. He started pushing her slowly at first, then getting a bit higher.

"Not too high Drew!" Came Peppers voice from one of the nearby benches. The young archer nodded at his aunt and gave a wave to Natasha as she joined Pepper.

"I know." Drew stopped pushing when he deemed it high enough for the little girl, smiling as she squealed in delight.

"Higher Drew, higher."

The teen laughed, shaking his head. "That's high enough Maya. We don't need a trip to the hospital before your dad's birthday. Do we?"

Maya bit her lip. "No," she said quietly.

The nearly four year old had already gone shopping with her mum to get her dad's present. She just knew he was going to love it. Although he always told her she never needed to get him anything, having her and getting hugged was more than enough. Maya smiled as she remembered the massive hug she received, for doing absolutely nothing.

Drew obediently followed Maya around all the various attractions at the park. She headed back to the slide after leaving the swings, then moved to the roundabout. Making the teen spin her around numerous times until she was laughing so hard she almost couldn't breathe.

"Come on Drew, I want to do that next." She pointed to the monkey bars and Drew's eyes widened at the height. It wasn't that bad for someone a bit older, but for Maya, it would be dangerous.

He started to shake his head when he noticed her giving him the puppy dog eyes. The ones she usually reserved for when she wanted something. Drew sighed, taking her hand and made his way towards the climbing frame.

"You'll be there to catch me," she told him confidently.

Drew stayed close as she gripped the bars and pulled herself up. He stood close by, ready to catch her in case she fell. But as usual, she surprised him by making it all the way to the monkey bars herself. Smiling triumphantly at her big cousin, she reached up for the first bar but her small fingers barely brushed it and then she was falling forward.

Steady hands caught her and lifted her onto his shoulders, then he stood underneath the bars so she could pretend she was travelling across. Her huge smile and laughter brought a grin to Drew's face. That smile was almost wiped off when he caught the look from Pepper. He shrugged sheepishly, lowering the tiny girl to the ground.

"Come on munchkin, where to next?" he asked, already following her to the next adventure.

Maya ran ahead to another smaller climbing frame, but instead of climbing up, she made her way through the bars and sat in the middle. "This is my house now Drew, you need to knock before I can let you in."

Drew smirked, crouching down next to the 'house' and pretended to knock. "Am I allowed in your highness?" he asked, with a mock bow.

Her little face brightened, nodding. "You may." Then she giggled as Drew climbed through and gave her a hug, his fingers tickling her of their own accord.

"S-stop….Drew…" she laughed, squirming away.

Drew held his hands up in defeat. "Okay munchkin, I won't do it anymore."

Maya smiled, nodding then laughed as her big cousin started tickling her again. "Noooo…."

The young archer chuckled. "I'm sorry, I'll stop." He climbed back out, stretching his back from being in the cramped space and noticed a young woman watching him. He gave her a small grin, then turned back to help Maya out. The little girl gave him a kiss on the cheek then ran back towards the chute.

Drew watched her go shaking his head, he loved that little girl; he really did. Turning back to the young blonde that was watching him, he offered her a genuine smile. "Hey."

"Hey," she replied, "You're really good with her."

Drew shrugged. "She's my little cousin and she has everyone in our family wrapped around her little finger."

The blonde laughed. "I don't doubt that." She paused then added, "I'm Lola."

"It's nice to meet you Lola, I'm Drew."

Lola moved over to give him room to sit next to her. He thanked her and sat down, his eyes still watching Maya as she played.

Within the next five minutes Drew had learned that Lola was in College studying to be a teacher. She was also a single mum, which the teen would never have guessed. She pointed towards the three year old boy who just happened to be following Maya around like a lost puppy.

Drew chuckled, "I think there friends now."

Lola laughed lightly, nodding. Drew decided he liked her laugh, it was soft and warm. Like moms were supposed to sound like. Pepper's sounded like that, too.

He also knew he was being talked about, he could feel Natasha and Pepper's gaze on him. He didn't even bother to shoot them a dirty look.

What happened next would haunt the teenager for the rest of his life.

He heard someone scream and everything inside him froze, Pepper. Turning towards his aunts he noticed a man walking up behind Natasha, but the red haired assassin was already crumpling to the ground pulling a small dart from her neck. The man started towards Pepper, her eyes met Drew's and she motioned towards Maya.

Drew was already moving, sprinting as fast as he could towards his little cousin who was watching what was happening with wide eyes. She turned to see where Drew was. When she noticed that he was on his way to get her, her bright eyes widened as her mom used a Taser on the large man who was trying to manhandle her towards the van which had pulled up. The man went down but not before he managed to fire another dart. Pepper's eyes widened in shock as she crumpled to the ground.

The teen could feel his heart thumping in his chest when he noticed two men were already heading to Maya, he wouldn't let them take her. He pushed himself harder, his legs burning as he ran up the slide, grabbing Maya's hand and pulling her close to him. He slid back down the slide just as the men caught up to them. The first made to grab the little girl but she was trained by her aunt and uncles too. She screamed, then bit the large man's hand when he gripped her arm.

Drew was fighting the other man, desperation fuelling his actions to get Maya away from these people. The teen swiped the larger man's legs out from under him. Then moved to the other, who was still gripping Maya but now with his other hand. Drew kicked the back of the man's leg and smirked when he tumbled to the ground. Reaching for his little cousin's hand, he heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.

"Drew?" Maya whispered, her whole body was trembling in fear and Drew pulled her closer, trying to protect her as best he could.

The young archer slowly turned his head, his eyes flickered towards his aunts who both seemed to be unconscious now. The man that attacked them was laying on the ground twitching. Drew's eyes narrowed at the small dart imbedded in Pepper's neck. Damn it. He saw the other parents trying to get their own children out of harms way. The teen couldn't blame them, he just wished someone might try to help them.

"We just want the girl, kid. Let her go." The man's voice was gruff, showing very little concern for what he was attempting to do.

"No chance in hell!" Drew spat, feeling Maya wrap her arms around his leg. He knew she was terrified, he was scared too. But he was more concerned about these guys taking her without him there to watch out for her, if he got shot because he tried to take these guys on and was too slow, and Maya ended up hurt. He'd never forgive himself.

"Hand her over kid, I will shoot you," the man threatened, his finger twitching to pull the trigger.

"Take me instead," Drew proposed.

"No Drew," Maya cried, her small fingers clinging to him.

The man made his way forward, slowly. The gun still aimed at Drew. "Why would I do that?"

"I'm Tony's godson."

Surprise lit up on the man's face, taking a moment to consider the offer then he smiled. "Alright, we'll let her go. Take you instead."

Drew should have known not to take the man at his word. Just when he was about to tell Maya to go to her mum and use her cell phone to contact Tony, the large man brought the butt of the gun down on the teens head with a crack. Barton crumpled to the ground in a heap, Maya's cries echoing in his head before the lights went out.

His last thought before the darkness claimed him, he'd failed.


No one said anything on the drive to the park, no one knew what to say. Tony was unnaturally silent, his hands clenched into fists. They were all affected by this situation but they also knew how much this would affect the billionaire. Someone was using his daughter and his godson as ransom, wanting money in exchange for their lives. Tony felt sick.

Clint kept his eyes focused on the passing scenery as Bruce drove them to the park where Maya and Drew had been taken from. He swallowed the urge to vomit in Stark's car as he remembered the call coming through. Natasha had woken up first, finding Pepper still unconscious next to her. A large group of people had crowded round the two of them and the young woman Drew had been talking to told Natasha that the police were on their way.

When the Russian realised that both her niece and nephew were missing she wanted desperately to hit something, or kill someone. She'd secured the still unconscious man that attacked her and Pepper. Forcing herself not to kill him right then and there.

She'd called Clint immediately, telling him to bring the others. That Drew and Maya had been kidnapped.

The archer pushed the fear that was building up inside him back into its box where it belonged. He needed to keep calm, he needed to focus and bring the kids home. These kidnappers had definitely messed with the wrong family, Clint had no doubt they'd soon be shown the error of their ways.

Steve sat up straighter when the park came into view, opening the door and getting out before Bruce had even fully stopped the car. Rogers watched as a man was pushed into the back of the police car, he felt anger surge through him. Knowing this was one of the men responsible. The others joined him, making their way towards the two woman. Natasha's red hair standing out in the large crowd that had formed.

Tony made his way quickly to Pepper who threw her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment, the fear and helplessness that had seeped into his heart was now overflowing, and Tony was finding it hard to breathe. Pepper seemed to notice the change in her husband, pulling him towards the bench and sitting down next to him. Pepper whispered words of comfort to him, telling him to breath, to be strong. They'd get them both back.

Steve stood next to Tony and Pepper, offering silent support. There was nothing he could say now, nothing to ease their suffering, all of them were affected by this. This was their family and someone had taken those most precious to them.

Bruce stood to the side watching. The Hulk was raging inside him, pushing and almost pleading for the Doctor to let him free, the rage monster would hurt those who dared take his family. He'd pound them into the ground, much like he'd done with the 'puny god'. But Bruce persuaded him that right now he wasn't needed, they would make sure the kids were safe first before he let the Hulk anywhere near the men who'd done this. The Hulk growled inside the Doctor's head but didn't push any further. Bruce breathed a sigh of relief.

Clint stood next to Natasha, running his hand up and down her arm in a comforting gesture as she filled him in on what happened. She explained to him that she'd noticed the van pull up and had been instantly on alert, even nudging Pepper to point out a possible threat. But they had someone else come from the opposite side and take them by surprise. He'd gotten Natasha with a tranquiliser dart before she'd even saw him there. It was only with the help of the other parents at the park that they found out what had happened next.

Clint's hands were clenched into fists at his side as he listened to a young woman named Lola tell him that Drew had tried to get Maya away from the men but had been knocked unconscious and thrown into the van along with the little blonde girl. The archer felt like the ground was opening up beneath him and there was nothing he could do about it, he'd promised to keep Drew safe, it was his brother's last wish before he died that Clint take care of his son. Barton's shoulders sagged in despair, he'd failed. If anything happened to either Maya or Drew, he'd never forgive himself.

Turning to Tony who had started walking towards him, Pepper glued to his side. He noticed the billionaire was more confident in his stride. The blonde next to him must have said some pretty powerful words.

"Can you trace Drew's cell phone Tony?" Clint asked, hoping the genius would say yes.

Tony's eyes widened, then he slapped himself on the head. "Shit. I should have done this earlier." He pulled out his hand-held device. "Jarvis, I need you to trace Drew's cell. If it's been switched off, just tell me his last known location. It'll at least give us something to work with."

"At once, sir." Came the AI's polite response.

The Avengers all stood round waiting, needing to have any bit of information that would lead them to the kids. It felt like hour but in fact was only a minute before Jarvis' voice came baring the news. "The cell has been switched off sir, but I do have the address of the location before it was switched off."

"Thanks J." Tony ran his hand through his hair in frustration. They needed help, and he knew exactly who to call.

"Stark, to what do I owe the pleasure?" came the gruff voice of SHIELD's Director.

"Maya and Drew have been kidnapped, we need your help tracking their whereabouts. I'm going to send you the last known location before Drew's cell was switched off. Can you get your guys to go through the street cameras and find us a location of where they were headed?"

Fury was as always, professional. "Of course Stark. I'll let you know as soon as we find anything."

Tony turned to the rest of the team, pulling Pepper to his side. "We'll get them back, and then we'll show these bastards why you don't mess with family."


Drew felt small hands on his face, poking and prodding him. It was only when he felt something wet hit his cheek that he forced his eyes to open. A blurry figure was above him, talking quietly while playing with his hair. He started to relax, it was just Maya. Then he bolted upright, the memories of what happened at the park returning to him.

"Ahhhh…." His hand drifted up to the back of his head, and when his fingers touched something wet he groaned. Damn it.

"Drew, you okay?" Maya's voice quivered as she spoke, he could tell she'd been crying for a while and was probably terrified.

"Yeah. I'm okay Maya, you alright? They didn't hurt you did they?" he asked, already checking her over with his eyes. Although everything was still a bit blurry at the moment.

She nodded, then reached forward and wrapped her small arms around him. Her shoulders started to shake as she sobbed uncontrollably into her cousin's chest. Drew rubbed his hands up and down her back, trying to sooth her, telling her without words that everything would be alright.

"Shhhh, munchkin. Everything is going to be alright. You know who our family is, right?" he smiled at her then, trying to show her he wasn't scared.

Maya nodded, smiling when Drew wiped her eyes with his thumbs then rubbed noses with her. "Your dad is Iron Man, your Uncles are Captain America, the Hulk, Thor and Hawkeye. Then there is your aunt who is the Black Widow. Your mum is pretty scary too, and she'll keep your dad in line until they find us, okay?"

"Thank you Drew." Maya stared up at him with those beautiful brown eyes.

"What for?" he asked as he took in their surroundings. The room was small, no furniture and the only window was too small to fit through and had bars on the outside. The door would be their only way out.

"For trying to save me." Her voice sounded so quiet that Drew barely heard her.

"I always will Maya, I'm your protector." Drew stood slowly, his head was still spinning as he used the wall to get to the door.

"What are you doing Drew?"

The teen winked at her then. "I'm gonna try and get us out of here munchkin."

Maya smiled at the use of her nickname, she really liked it when he called her that. It made her feel safe, even with everything that was happening, she knew Drew wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Drew made his way unsteadily back to her. She was going to ask what was wrong when she heard their voices, they were getting closer. Her protector pulled her against his side, whispering soothing words and trying to make her smile. It worked until the door opened with a bang, making her jump. Maya gripped onto Drew's hoodie as if her life depended on it, but the leader simply stood a few feet away and smirked down at them.

"You got some fight in you kid. But I'm gonna need the girl for a minute."

Drew glared at the man in front of him. He wasn't much taller that Tony, but he was built solid with greying hair. The teen shook his head. "You're not taking her anywhere."

The man grinned and motioned the other man inside. Drew felt sick to his stomach, they weren't taking her, no way in hell. He waited till the first man got close enough and kicked him in the knee, the guy grunted, lifting his sore leg. Then found himself on the ground when Drew swiped his legs from under him. The second man managed to grab Maya's arm and started to pull her away, but the young archer wasn't about to let him. He lashed out at the leader with a high kick, knocking him back a few steps then dived at the man as he tried to drag his cousin toward the door. Gripping the man's wrist, pushing the pressure points that Natasha had shown him, the man let Maya go with a cry of pain.

Drew pulled Maya behind him, her grip on his hand almost painful. But he didn't mind.

The leader wiped the blood from his lip where Drew had kicked him, his eyes narrowing at the teen. "You're becoming a pain in the ass kid. Maybe more trouble than you're worth."

"Just wait till our family gets here, then you'll be sorry." Drew spat at the man, his eyes darting between the two men in front of him.

"No kid. It's you who will be sorry." The leader pulled his gun from the back of his jeans and aimed it at Drew's head. Then he lowered the gun slightly and fired. The bang seemed to echo around the small room for an eternity, along with Maya's screams for Drew as he slid down the wall coming to a rest on the floor. Glancing at his arm where the burning pain was coming from, he watched as his blood poured from the small hole. His head was fuzzy, like it had been stuffed with cotton wool. But when reality seemed to snap back into place, Drew watched as Maya was pulled from the room, her screams ringing in his ears along with the loud bang as the door shut.

Drew was left alone in the room, with only the sound of his blood dripping onto the dirty floor. He closed his eyes as silent tears slid down his cheeks, he'd failed again.


Clint watched Bruce with concern. The Doctor's eyes kept flashing green and the archer knew he was having trouble keeping the Hulk at bay. They'd been searching for almost two hours now, one hundred and twenty minutes since the kids had been taken. It seemed so much longer.

Fury had given them the last known location from one of the street cameras before the van disappeared, but didn't reappear on the next. So they had a general location. The problem being that there were still a lot of buildings in that area. So the director had offered to send more agents to help with the search. Nick Fury might not show it much but he had a heart of gold when it came to the kids. Tony had thanked him, then split the Avengers into teams.

Tony and Pepper, only because she refused to be side lined when it was her daughter and god son who needed help. Tony nodded, knowing better than to argue.

Clint and Natasha would search the next building. The red haired assassin was itching to get her hands on these men. Clint didn't envy them one bit, of course he'd be helping her with their punishment.

Then there would be Steve and Bruce. Even Steve looked worried about the Doctor but Bruce assured them he had the Hulk under control. The green rage monster was apparently just very worried and Bruce had never felt such strong emotion coming from the beast before. It was nice to know the Hulk felt something other than rage.

They would check the building they were assigned and report back if they found anything.

Nodding to each other, they quickly separated. They would find the kids, or the Hulk would be unleashed and god help whoever tried to stop him.

Tony was only half way up the stairs of the first building when his phone started ringing. "Jarvis, record this call."

"Yes, sir."

Tony glanced at Pepper before answering the call. "Who is this?"

It was silent for a moment, then Tony was sure his heart stopped beating. "Daddy, help. Please, daddy…. I need you..."

The cell was pulled away from Maya, and the leader started talking. "Mr Stark, I have two things that belong to you. How much are you willing to pay?"

Tony gripped the phone with so much force, his knuckles turned white. "They are not things you ass hole! You better not have hurt them or I swear to god, I will rip you to pieces with my bare hands."

The man on the other end started laughing. "I believe you Mr Stark, but I'm afraid this is how this is going to go. You give me how much I want and only then will your precious daughter and god son be released." He paused, then continued, "How much are they worth to you?"

Pepper squeezed Tony's arm in support, knowing he was barely keeping himself together. "How much do you want?"

"You're a billionaire Mr Stark. I'm sure you can come up with a high enough number." There was a scuffling sound then the voice came back. "I will contact you soon, Mr Stark. You better have a pretty good number in mind."

"Wait! Please, let me talk to her. Let me talk to them both." Tony pleaded, not caring that tears were spilling down his cheeks.

"Daddy…" Maya cried.

"Maya, its okay sweetheart. I'm coming to get you. Is Drew there?" the billionaire asked softly, trying to keep his daughter from hearing the strain in his voice.

"They hurt him daddy…..they hurt him bad."

Tony closed his eyes, breathing deeply and pinching the bridge of his nose. Pepper gasped beside him, unprepared to hear that one of them was injured.

"Are you hurt baby?" Tony pleaded with whatever god there was that she said no.

"No….Drew saved me…" Maya started crying, then the phone went silent.

Tony felt Pepper's arms wrap round him, comforting him and needing comfort. "We need to tell Clint and Natasha," Pepper said quietly.

"Yeah, I just don't know how."


As it turned out it went just about as bad as Tony expected it to.

He called Natasha, letting her know the kidnappers had made their demands. Then he told her he'd spoken to Maya, who told him that Drew was hurt. He'd been injured trying to protect Maya. Tony stared at the phone when it went quiet, but it was still connected. Then he heard what sounded like a fist hitting a wall, Natasha trying to calm the archer down before Clint was grabbing the cell from her and practically growling down the phone, "how bad Tony?"

Stark didn't say anything about the tremor in Barton's voice.

"I don't know Clint, I'm sorry. Maya said badly, but she thinks a paper cut is bad." Stark tried to calm the archer down knowing he was just as angry with this situation, but he'd been managing to keep a level head. Not anymore it seemed.

"Whoever hurt him is mine Tony." The billionaire almost shuddered at the deadly serious tone from his team mate, his brother. He could almost feel the darkness flowing from Clint through the cell and wished there was something he could say to make it better, but only one thing came to mind.

"You got it, let's get these guys."


Maya was shoved roughly back into the room, almost tripping over her feet. She managed to stay upright though, but froze when she saw Drew. He was lying on his side, blood covering the arm of his hoodie and the floor. He looked really pale, like the last time he'd been really ill and she'd made him chicken noodle soup with her moms help. She wished she had soup for him, but didn't think the bad men would let her make some.

Making her way closer to her cousin, she gently touched his cheek. Frowning at the heat she felt coming from him, that wasn't good.

"Drew," Maya said softly, tugging his good arm.

"Please Drew, I need you." The blonde haired girl wiped away the tears that had fallen. "I'm scared," she whispered.

Blue eyes blinked up at her and she wanted to jump up and down for joy. "M-ya?"

"I spoke to daddy, Drew. He's coming to get us, just like you promised."

Drew pushed himself up with his good arm, biting down on his lip to keep from crying out. Once he was vertical, he realised his mistake. His vision started swimming and he promptly threw up on the floor, away from Maya. He almost slid back down the wall but a small hand wrapped around his arm.

"I've got you, Drew." The little girl stared at him with those big brown eyes. "We need to put a big plaster on your arm."

Drew chuckled lightly, lifting his good arm to wipe his mouth. Then gazed at the bloody mess his arm was in. He was definitely going to have to do something about that. It was a painstakingly slow process but with Maya's help he managed to get the hoodie off, then tore a strip from his t-shirt and wrapped it around the sluggishly bleeding wound. His little cousin looked really pale as she helped tie a small knot, and Drew wished she didn't have to see him hurt but he'd rather it was himself bleeding than her.

"Thanks munchkin."

She nodded but stayed quiet, her brown eyes brimming with tears. Drew pulled her closer with his good arm, hugging her as tightly as he could as her small arms wrapped round him. She cried into his chest, her tiny shoulders shaking. The young archer rubbed his hand up and down her back, whispering words of comfort.

"It's gonna be okay Maya, the others will get us out of here. I promise." Drew tilted her chin up and wiped away the tears. His blue eyes were full of love for the little girl in front of him. "I'll keep you safe."

Maya wiped her nose with her sleeve, nodding slowly. "I know Drew. I just don't want you to get hurt more."

The teen shrugged, hiding the wince when the pain flared in his arm. "I'm okay." He tucked a stray hair behind her ear, his finger brushing against her cheek. Smiling when she leaned into the touch. "We'll get out of here, and these guys are gonna get their asses handed to them."

Maya giggled, then frowned and gave Drew a light tap on the cheek. He gave her a questioning look. "You're not supposed to say bad words in front of me."

Drew chuckled. "Sorry Maya, the bad men are gonna get their butts kicked. Better?" he asked smiling.

"Much better." The little blonde nodded.

She knew her mum and dad would be coming for her, as well as her uncles and aunt. Her family definitely kicked butt, these guys wouldn't know what hit them. She snuggled into Drew's side and waited. It wouldn't be long now, her dad was known for his timing.


Clint was beyond frustrated, he and Natasha had cleared two of the buildings and were on their way to the last building on the block. Fury had sent three teams of Agents to help with the search. The archer would thank him later, knowing that the director had a soft spot for Drew and little Maya. So far they hadn't found anything and Barton was getting pissed.

He knew Drew was hurt from his conversation with Tony, but now he was getting impatient. The longer it took them to find the kids the more chance there was that it might be too late. No, he shook his head. He wouldn't go there.

A hand was suddenly squeezing his forearm in a familiar show of comfort. Clint turned to face Natasha, her own eyes filled with concern, for the kids and for her partner. She knew the archer well enough to know what sort of thoughts were circling around in his head.

"They'll be okay, Clint. We'll get them and show these guys exactly who they are messing with." Natasha watched as Barton nodded, he turned to face her before resting his forehead against her own. He took a few calming breaths then pulled back.

"Thanks, Nat."

She nodded, motioning him towards the last building. "Come on. Let's not waste any more time."

Nodding in agreement, they headed to the front door of the apartment building. Clint pulled it open and let Natasha enter first. Making their way silently through the complex, keeping their ears attuned to anything that might alert them to kid's position.

It was after they'd climbed the fourth flight of stairs that Clint stopped Natasha with a gentle touch on her arm. She paused and stared at him, seeing his eyes narrowed and his head cocked to the side as if listening to something only he could hear. But the Russian didn't question him, knowing Barton's hearing was just as good as his sight. It had saved them on a number of occasions.

Clint motioned her closer to the door on their left, pausing outside with his finger to his lips. Natasha listened carefully, hearing a child's cry after a minute or so. It sounded like Maya.

After hearing a man's gruff shout, then a loud bang, both assassins moved. The door was burst open with a kick, Clint taking aim at one of the surprised men, while Romanoff aimed her own weapon at the second man. Both looked caught off guard, and took a few extra seconds to reach for their own guns. Natasha was moving before they even managed to grip their weapons, never mind aiming them. She kicked the nearest man in the chest, knocking him back before dropping down and swiping his legs out from under him. The large man landed heavily on the floor, gasping when the red haired assassin was straddling him with her forearm against his windpipe. The man grunted, looking terrified for a moment at the deadly glare he was receiving from the Widow.

While Natasha was taking care of him, Clint felt the rage flow through his veins as he moved on the second man. He was taller than Barton but that meant nothing to the trained assassin. He'd taken down much larger men for doing much less. One of these men had hurt Drew, kidnapped Maya. Clint knocked the weapon out of the man's hand, then grabbing the guys hand and twisting it roughly, almost smirking at the sound of bone breaking. The man cried out, trying to pull away but Clint's grip was like a vice. Pushing the taller man face first into the nearest wall, Barton growled in his ear.

"You're going to wish you were dead by the time I get through with you." He glared at the man's head, before turning to Natasha and the other kidnapper held firmly against the ground. "Who hurt the boy?"

Neither men spoke, so both assassins took great pleasure in causing more pain. Natasha backhanded the man below her before gripping his throat with her hand. Clint abruptly let go of the taller man, making him stagger away before punching him in the face, kneeing him in the gut, then finishing with an uppercut to the jaw. The guy dropped like a stone, blood pouring freely from his nose.

Both assassins froze at the sound of a child crying, Maya!

Natasha met Clint's eyes and gave him a nod, she had this covered. Barton nodded and ran towards the door at the back of the room, he tried the handle but it didn't budge. He turned to Natasha in time for her to toss the keys she's taken from the man groaning beneath her. Clint gave her a grateful smile then opened the door. His heart froze in his chest at the sight of his niece cradling Drew's head on her lap, blood covered his nephews arm and an expanding pool on the floor.

"Uncle Clint! Help!" Maya cried, her eyes red and puffy but filled with relief at the sight of her rescuer.

Clint's feet were carrying him forward before his brain caught up. He needed help, he needed Bruce. Barton dropped to his knees and placed shaking fingers against Drew's neck, closing his eyes in relief when he felt a pulse.

"He's going to be okay Maya. We've got you both." Clint turned to the open door. "Nat, I need help in here. Call Bruce."

"I'm on it. How bad is it?" she asked while she secured both the men.

Clint swallowed down the fear building up inside him at how pale Drew was and answered Natasha truthfully. "He's lost a lot of blood. But his pulse is strong."

Barton heard Romanoff call the others and turned to focus on Drew and Maya. The little girl was terrified but she was trying to be strong. Clint couldn't be more proud of her. "I need your help Maya, okay?"

The blonde haired girl nodded, biting her lip. She wasn't even bothering to try and stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks, she was scared, but her cousin needed her right now.

"I need you to try and wake him up while I check the wound. Can you do that?"

Maya frowned, looking down at her big cousin, stoking her small fingers through his short hair and started talking. Telling him about the present she got her dad for his birthday, then about her plans for her birthday which was coming up and what she wanted from him. A hug was all she ever needed from Drew, and all she ever wanted if he promised to be okay.

Clint smiled sadly as he listened to Maya talking quietly to Drew. He winced as he took the crude bandage off and ripped a strip off his own t-shirt then wrapped it around Drew's arm. He was worried about the lack of response and the heat that was emanating from the teenager. He had to be okay, he just had to.

It didn't take long before Clint could hear Tony's voice then Peppers as they entered the room. Maya burst into tears when her dad walked in, but she didn't move from her injured cousin's side. Tony knelt beside the archer, placing a kiss on his daughters head before giving her a hug, careful not to move Drew who still had his head pillowed on the little girls lap.

Pepper choked back a sob as she entered, then ran towards Maya. Dropping to the opposite side and hugging her just as carefully as Tony had. "Its okay baby girl, we're here now. You're safe."

Bruce entered next followed by Natasha. The mild-mannered doctor's eyes flashed green at the sight before him and he had to restrain the Hulk from surging forward, from going into the other room and smashing those two men into the ground.

Steve stayed in the room with the kidnappers, making sure they didn't try anything stupid. Because right now he would be happy for them to try and escape so he could knock them down again. These men had hurt their family, taking the two most precious people in their world away from them. Steve didn't want to think what would have happened if they didn't arrive in time. It was better not to imagine that outcome.

Bruce crouched on the opposite side from Clint and checked the teen over. "Has he woken up at all?" he asked, frowning at the heat coming from Drew.

Barton shook his head, then glanced up at Maya. "Has he been awake Maya?"

She nodded quickly. "He was awake for a little bit, told me you were all coming for us and that he'd keep me safe." She paused, then choked back a sob. "He said you'd all kick their butts."

Bruce smiled sadly before leaning over the teen, resting a cool hand on the teens warm cheek. "Drew….Drew can you hear me?"

A soft groan was the response.

"Drew." Clint tried this time, his hand gripping his nephew's tightly.

"U-cle….C-int?" Drew mumbled, struggling to open his eyes. When he finally managed to peer up at the blurry figures above him, he gave Maya a soft smile. "T-ld you th-y'd come."

The blonde haired girl smiled and nodded. "You never break your promises Drew."

"Nev-r, ever."

SHIELD agents burst into the room, one of the teams took the two men into custody while the other team moved in to help with Drew. "Do you want to take him back to SHIELD, Agent Barton?"

Clint glanced at Bruce who nodded in reply. "Yeah, let's get him back." The archer knew that SHIELD had the best medical doctors, but as long as Bruce was still involved in his nephews care, he'd be happy. It also meant he'd be able to pay a visit to the men in custody.

Barton looked up to see Tony glaring daggers at the men being hauled out of the doorway towards the transports waiting down stairs. He was pretty sure the billionaire would be joining him for a visit to the holding cells.

Clint watched as Drew was lifted carefully onto a stretcher, then followed behind as the agents moved out. Natasha was beside him, squeezing his shoulder affectionately. "We got them back."

"Yeah, we did." He smiled, tiredly. The worry he'd been feeling over the past few hours was slowly fading to relief at having them both safe. He would finally be able to relax once they were all safely back home at the Avengers Tower.


Three days later

Drew stretched out on the comfortable couch, Kiana lay on the floor beside him, licking the teen's right hand, which was draped over the side of the couch. Showing his affection for the boy in his own way. Maya lay tucked snugly on his left side, her head pillowed on his chest.

The young archer smiled at how protective the little girl had been since they'd returned home. No one could get her to leave his side. Not that he wanted her to. Drew realised just how much he needed her by his side, even if it was just to prove to himself that his little cousin was okay. That he'd kept her safe.

No one had told him about what happened to the men that kidnapped him, and Drew hadn't asked. He figured if the dark looks his uncle's and aunt's had cross their faces any time someone mentioned it, it might be better not to know.

He glanced down at his bandaged arm with a frown. It didn't really hurt anymore, but Bruce had gave him pretty good painkillers. The doctor had told him it was a through and through. He'd developed an infection and lost a lot of blood, but with a lot of rest, he'd be good as new in a few weeks. Drew still remembered as Bruce was talking, seeing his Uncle Clint's eyes flash dangerously, his hands clenched at his sides. It wasn't hard for the young archer to notice the subtle tremors through his uncle's usually steady hands.

"You hungry, Drew?" Clint asked as he made his way into the main room.

As if in answer to his question, Drew's stomach started growling. "Um….yeah. Thanks."

Clint nodded, making his way over to the kitchen. Pulling out pans and ingredients he'd need to make the breakfast, he still kept one eye on his nephew. Clint knew there was always a possibility that something could happen, every one of them did. But this had been the first time they'd came close to losing the kids. That was not acceptable.

Tony was now working on ways to keep a tracker on the kids, just in case anything like this was ever to happen again. It was also the first time that Bruce had admitted to wanting to let the Hulk loose, and for the doctor to admit that was scary enough.

"Are you okay, Uncle Clint?" Drew asked, appearing behind him.

The elder Barton spun around to face his nephew, spatula gripped tightly in his hand. He would never admit that he wasn't paying attention, he'd just tell himself the kid was getting that good.

Nodding slowly, he gave Drew a tight smile. "Yeah. I'm good."

His nephew surprised him then, turning to see Maya still sleeping on the couch, and Kiana watching the two of them from his spot next to it.

"That's crap and you know it!" Drew snapped, quietly enough so as not to wake his cousin.

Clint almost took a step back in shock. "What?"

Drew leaned against the worktop at the opposite side. "I know I haven't asked and no one has wanted to talk about it, but I'm old enough to know what happened back there. You're always trying to protect me Uncle Clint, but I need to know why."

Clint watched the various emotions flash across Drew's face, hurt, anger and finally determination. He couldn't possibly think where the kid had gotten that look from.

Barton suddenly felt much older, he'd wondered how long he could keep Drew from finding out about the evil in the world. The kid knew about all this stuff from stories they'd told, his family was the Avengers after all, but apart from the men that broke in to the tower a few years back. Drew had never been involved in any of it. They'd managed to keep him safe, until now.

Sighing, then placing the spatula on the worktop. Clint walked over, pulling Drew into a gentle hug. Not wanting to hurt him any more than he was, but needing to prove to himself that his nephew was alright, he was still here. Barton had never felt fear like that before. After a moment, he pulled back. Drew was watching him patiently, he'd wait till his uncle got himself back in control.

"You want to know why they did it?" Clint asked.

Drew nodded.

Clint forced out a calming breath before he began. "Everyone knows who we are, especially Tony. He's not afraid to get in front of the screens. But ever since we brought you back to the tower then with Maya, Tony managed to keep both of you from the spot light. As far as I know there are only a handful of pictures of you, and none of Maya." Drew frowned at that, so Clint explained it to him. "There are pictures of you and Tony when you go for your favourite restaurant. But I'm sure that's it, he's also managed to keep Maya from the press. Didn't want anyone being able to use her against him."

"So how did they figure out she was Tony's daughter?" Drew asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

"Pepper might not be in front of the television as much as Tony, but some people still recognise her. The three guys involved are petty thugs, they rob banks. But one of them recognised Pepper when she started taking Maya to the park. Apparently they'd been watching for a while, waiting to make their move. They thought it would be better to wait till Tony's birthday, make him suffer more that his little girl wouldn't be there. They thought that would make for an even bigger pay out." Clint watched as Drew's expression became outraged at the thought. He placed a hand on his nephew's arm and squeezed gently. "They didn't account for Natasha showing up that day, or you for that matter. They had hoped to take Pepper too. That didn't work out to well and Natasha is still pretty pissed they managed to knock her out."

Clint watched as Drew took all that information in. Watched as his nephew made his way over to the couch and placed a soft kiss on Maya's cheek. She woke at that, smiling up at Drew before wrapping her small arms around his neck. He hugged her back, whispering something to her that made her giggle. Clint couldn't have been more proud.

Maya gripped Drew's uninjured hand as they both made their way into the kitchen.

"Morning Uncle Clint," she smiled, her nose twitching at the delicious smell. "What are you making?"

The archer squeezed her nose gently, smiling at the face she pulled. "Whatever you want, sweetheart."

"Pancakes, bacon, eggs, sausage….." she paused thinking, the smiled when Drew whispered something in her ear. "Syrup."

Laughing, Clint bowed before turning back to the stove. It didn't take long for the smell of the breakfast cooking to bring the rest of the Avengers to the living area. Tony walked through first, scooping Maya into his arms and lifting her up high, her happy squeals filled the large room. Once he held her against his chest, Tony used his other arm to pull Drew into a hug.

"How you feeling kid?" Tony asked, concern still filling his features.

"I'm good," he replied. Giving Clint a glare when the older man, scoffed.

When Pepper walked in, Maya started struggling to get down. Tony immediately set her down and watched with a smile as she launched herself at her mom. His eyebrow arched at the sight of the large package in his wife's hands. Maya took the present and hurried back to her dad.

"I didn't get to give this to you because of what happened. But mom helped me wrap it last night." Maya gave Tony a shy smile, handing the gift over. "Happy Birthday, daddy."

The rest of the Avengers crowded round to see what the billionaire had gotten from his little girl. "I know you said all you ever wanted from me was a hug, which I promise I will do every day. But I wanted you to have something to open."

Tony smiled as he ripped the paper off, seeing what was hidden underneath. Holding the large frame in both hands, Stark couldn't help but grin appreciatively at the picture. It was a rare occurrence for them to have a picture taken with all of them in it. But Jarvis had done just that a few months back.

"It was her idea." Pepper told him with a bright smile.

Tony pulled Maya into an embrace, holding her tightly. "Thank you sweetheart, I love it."

Steve, Bruce, Drew, Natasha and Clint all nodded in agreement. It was the only picture they had managed to take with everyone present, and with Clint and Tony smiling, not making stupid faces that caused them to get hit by either Pepper or Natasha.

This was their family and nothing, nothing would take that away from them. Not if they wanted the Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, a very pissed off mom or Thor who was back on Asgard, from knocking on their door.

"Is breakfast ready Uncle Clint?" Maya asked. The rest of the Avengers turned to the archer with the same question in their eyes.

Clint nodded. "Yeah, it's ready." He laughed at the whoops he received in response and started serving the food out. Natasha appeared beside him, her shoulder touching his own in her usual show of comfort.

"You alright?" she asked softly.

Barton smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, I am now."

Natasha nodded and together they walked over to the table, the sound of laughter filled the table when Maya started telling Tony what she wanted for her birthday which was coming up.

A pink Iron Man suit.

Everyone groaned when it looked like Tony was seriously considering it, an elbow to his side from Pepper had him thinking otherwise.

Tony smirked, little did they know he was already working on something. Something that would keep Maya and Drew safe. He just had to work out the right time to tell the others. Sharing a grin with Barton, Tony nodded to himself. They could finally relax now, their family was safe.

No one would get near the kids without having to go through a suit of Iron.

Tony would make sure of it.


Just a note, I had already named the girl in the park Lola before finding out that was Coulson's cars name...freaky huh? LOL