Author Note - I have no self-control so I have a finished story that I start posting on here and I think 'here, have 8 chapters a day'. I'll try to slow down.

"Clint, we're gonna need you to calm down." Steve put his hand on the man's trembling shoulder. Clint had been sitting on the couch for several quiet minutes just rubbing his face and hair angrily. "Tell us what happened. What's wrong with Tony?"

"I just went to his house to check on him. See if he was sick or something, like Bruce asked me to do. Deep breaths, Brucie. Don't worry, he's safe now." Clint looked up quickly to look at his teammates all standing around him. Bruce looked terrified for a moment before nodding and sat down in the chair across from him.

"I just went to see if he was okay, see why he didn't come in. God, you should have seen him when he opened the door. He looked terrible. He was covered in bruises, you could see the impressions on his arms where someone had grabbed him too hard, some of them were weeks old. His face was just so busted up and swollen in some places. And there were these…" Clint trailed off but made a motion around his neck. He looked back to his teammates, gauging their reactions. They were silent except for Bruce's loud and quick breathing from his chair, but he was keeping it together, clenching his fists and nodding to Clint firmly. Steve's whole body was rigid and he looked at the exit with a cold expressions. Thor had obtained Mjolnir from its spot by the couch. Natasha started twiddling her thumbs, Clint knew she only did this when she was resisting the urge to go out and kill someone, but other than that she looked entirely calm.

"He looked so disappointed when he opened the door. Like he was upset that I saw him. I know what abused kids look like. I shouldn't have grabbed him, I felt him tense up like he expected me to hit him, but I had to get him out of that door. I was just so angry I charger into that apartment and his dad was sitting in front of the television drinking. I asked him if he hit Tony, he yelled at me to get out, I grabbed him and asked him again. You know what that bastard said to me? He said, 'What do you care? The fucking shit needs discipline.' I didn't punch as hard as I could have, but I did throw him against the wall and knock him out. I went to his room to pack him some things because he wasn't going to stay there anymore. I talked it over with Tony, I told him he could stay here. That alright, Steve?" Clint looked up at everyone. The room had grown still and everyone was lost in thought.

"Yes, of course. Hell, he can stay here forever." Steve nodded furiously and looked around at the group before leaning towards Clint. "Where is he now?"

"He's sleeping in my room." With that they all stood and started walking towards the room. "No, guys. Sleeping. He's sleeping. He looks like he's had a long weekend so leave him. He said he didn't want to see anyone anyway." They all came back with sullen expressions on their face. Bruce breathed deeply and rubbed his face. Steve and Thor still stood, angry and ready for a fight. Natasha brushed a hand through Clint's hair and sighed.

"We should probably get Coulson down here." She said. "He should be informed immediately."

Clint nodded and excused himself when the agent arrived. He didn't feel like retelling the story. He walked swiftly to his room while they called down Coulson. He took a few quiet steps into the room and stopped. Tony was fast sleep, snoring lightly and curled up in a large bundle of blankets. He walked over and grabbed the pizza box from the nightstand grabbed the stack in the corner and left the room, relocking the door. He went to the kitchen and set the pizza boxes down by the trash can before going back to the living room where Coulson had joined them.

"He's fine. Out like a light." He looked over at a livid looking Coulson. Coulson actually liked the kid, once Steve had finished updating him on the situation he sent out to arrest the boy's parents. As he had said before, the safety of his agents are a top priority.

"So here's what's going to happen. In the morning I'll take him to fill out the paperwork to make him a legal ward of SHIELD. We'll get him a full medical exam to make sure he isn't seriously injured, move him into more secure housing and put some trustworthy agents with him until he turns eighteen." He crossed his arms and looked at the team, who were glancing at each other waiting. Natasha cleared her throat and looked at Thor.

"Nay!" The god said firmly. Coulson lifted an eyebrow. "The young one was betrayed by his family. I will not let him go off alone so easily."

"What Thor is trying to say, Phil, is that we already talked about this and we are completely into your plan, but we think it would be best if Tony stays with us." Bruce said, moving to stand next to Thor. His breathing was evening out but his fists were still clenched, shaking slightly. "You put him with us because he was too smart to be unsupervised. We can handle him."

"He's locked in Barton's room refusing to see anyone. He's in a delicate situation right now. We have people trained to handle this." Coulson sighed.

"But they're strangers. He knows us. We've only known him a week, but every day he was here we let him leave and go back there and get hurt. We're not going to let that happen again." Steve walked up to the agent and put a hand on his shoulder. "He doesn't need to be surrounded by strangers. He needs to feel safe and who if safer than the Avengers?" Coulson groaned.

"Fine. I'll allow you guys to have custody of him. We'll send for his things and prepare one of the spare rooms on the floor." Coulson smiled when the team did a silent cheer. "Barton, Rogers. My office tomorrow for paperwork. I'm making you both legally responsible for him."

"What? Wait, why me? I get Rogers, but me?" Clint asked.

"Rogers is team leader and Tony seems to trust you. He needs someone he can trust looking out for him."

"Congratulations guys. It's a boy!" Natasha said. She stood up and grabbed one of her guns from its hidden spot behind the bookshelf. "Now if you'll excuse me."

"Romanov, you can't kill him. I already sent agents to make the arrest." Coulson said to her, hiding his smile as the assassin groaned loudly.

"Damn it, Phil. The bastard was mine!" She put her gun back and sulked back to the couch. She frowned slightly and looked up. "What about his mother?"

"When I was there she was asleep in her room. I walked in looking for Tony's room. I don't know anything about her." Clint shrugged.

"When Tony's ready, we'll ask." Steve said. "Everyone should get some rest, it'll be an interesting day tomorrow."

"Alright. And everyone, the kid really enjoys fast food." Coulson left the Avengers and went back to his office and started pulling files on Tony Stark. Everyone else started picking up the living room, putting away their plates from dinner while Clint swept up the vase he broke.

"Well, goodnight everyone. I'll just be crashing on the couch since I let our much beloved child take my room." Clint said as everyone else started walking towards the rooms.

"God, Barton. You're like a baby!" Natasha said. "Come on and don't you dare hog all my blankets."