A/N: Umm, so it's been years. Let's just say it was tough to get back into the swing of this story, but it's not dead! I hope this chapter flows well. It felt a bit choppy to write.

Pepper held Clint's hand while they stood in line for their hot chocolate. She trusted Steve stay by her side, but not so much Clint. Clint fought it for a moment, twisting his hand. "Hold my hand so we can have hot chocolate, Clint," Pepper said calmly. Her tactic worked and Clint immediately stopped his plight to free himself.

She ordered two kids' not-so-hot chocolates and a double shot latte for herself. The barista smiled at the boys. "You have two very adorable sons, ma'am," she said, handing Pepper her card back.

Pepper bit her lip. She wasn't sure what to say, so she just thanked the lady and led the boys to the pick-up counter. They only had to wait a few minutes for their drinks. During that minute, however, Clint grew restless. He renewed his attempts at getting out of Pepper's grasp, succeeding only to crash into Steve. They both went sprawling. Steve looked shocked but quickly stood up and Clint had an unreadable expression on his face. It looked as though he would cry or laugh and just hadn't decided yet.

He opted for neither. He shut down, and Pepper could actually see him retreating into himself, refusing to look at anyone. He started to crawl into the corner. Pepper quickly knelt down, gave him a reassuring look, and picked him up. She held him in her arms and while he was rigid at first, he gave in and laid his head on her shoulder.

"Steven, are alright?" she asked, looking down at the young boy.

"Yeah. Is Clint okay?" Pepper smiled. The kid had a heart of gold.

She nodded, but Steve looked unsure. "Clint? Steve wants to know if you are okay. Are you okay?" she asked softly. Clint waited a moment before nodding quickly. He didn't relinquish his grip on Pepper, though.

Shortly after the drama subsided, their drinks were ready. Pepper tried to set Clint down, but he just tightened his hold. "Clint I need you to walk, so you can carry your hot cocoa," she told him. And just like that, Clint snapped out of it and squirmed to get down. She handed the boys their drinks with warnings to be careful.

The walk to the elevators and into the conference room was relatively uneventful. Once inside the room, Pepper scanned the area for an ideal location for her and the two boys. She found a seat in the corner that had a bit of area on the floor with relatively few hazards.

"Okay, boys. I need you to sit down here on the floor. I have to talk to some people, and I need you two to be as quiet as you can, okay?" The boys nodded, though Clint wasn't looking at her. She gave the boys a stack of scratch paper she had taken from the apartment and some markers.

Meanwhile, Phil and Maria had somehow gotten Tony, Thor, Natasha, and Bruce into the car and Happy was driving them to the airport. Natasha was asleep in her car seat, while the boys chattered non-stop.

The drive was uneventful and peaceful. The difference two kids can make was astounding. And with Natasha sleeping, things were even more peaceful. Natasha was a bit of an instigator. She and Clint both.

Maria held the drowsy Natasha in her arms while Phil held Thor's hand as they walked into the airport. "Bruce and Tony, stay close, please. If you run off, I will make you hold hands," Phil warned. Happy was doing laps, because even Tony Stark's personal chauffeur can be ticketed for loitering at the airport.

Fortunately, the flight was on time, and Jane and Darcy would be arriving any minute. Unfortunately, there were numerous tempting items in the 'arrivals' area of the airport. The baggage claim became an instant draw, and Phil had to use his serious voice when Tony took off towards the rotating deathtraps.

"Who want's a snack?" Phil asked, knowing that the food would hopefully distract them long enough for the flight to get in. All the kids were thrilled at the idea, and they went to stand in line at the small store. While the selection was minimal, the kids seemed happy. It didn't take long for them to select their overpriced snacks. Phil and Maria herded them to a corner where they were easily corralled.

After a few minutes, Phil heard someone call his name. Darcy and Jane were approaching, bags in hand. Phil stood, starting to clean up the mess. Natasha stared at the newcomers warily. She grabbed Maria's hand. "How was your fight?" Phil asked.

"It was fine," Jane answered.

At the same time, Darcy stated that they almost died.

"Just a bit of turbulence. Nothing major," Jane supplied.

Tony, Thor, and Bruce were quietly staring at Darcy and Jane. Tony spoke first. "Who are you people?"

"Tony, these are my friends Darcy and Jane. They're going to come stay with us for a while. Ladies, this is Tony, Thor, and Bruce," Phil introduced.

Darcy nearly squealed. "Mini-vengers!" she said, ruffling Thor's hair. Jane rolled her eyes. Darcy cleared her throat. "I mean, nice to meet you, younglings," she corrected.

"Shall we go?" Maria interrupted the awkward greetings. They began walking towards where Happy would be picking them up, Maria holding Natasha's hand and Phil keeping his eye on the boys, who were walking by Jane and Darcy.

Pepper carried Clint to the car, Steve holding onto the hem of her shirt. The meetings had almost gone off without a hitch, but at the very end, Steve did something to make Clint angry. Pepper didn't know what it was, but she did know Steve didn't mean it, whatever it was. Clint shrieked and shoved Steve, who was trying to keep him in the corner where they were supposed to stay.

Clint ripped away from Steve and ran under the table. At this point, the meeting was a lost cause. Men and women in suits huffed and rolled their eyes as Clint climbed around their legs towards the exit. Just as he stood on the other side of the table, a man grabbed his shirt, yanking him away from the door. The man opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off when Clint kicked him in the shins and tried to bite his arm. He let go of the screaming Clint, who resumed his attempt to get to the exit. His escape was barred by Pepper, who had gotten to the door just in time.

Luckily for the man, Pepper was too busy to give him a piece of her mind regarding how he treated Clint.

She scooped Clint up and headed out the door, Steve in tow.

Clint was writhing and Pepper couldn't get very far with him. She ducked into a quiet hallway. Knowing that Clint was likely overwhelmed, she took out his hearing aids and tucked them into her pocket. She also found the light switch and turned it off, leaving them in a dim light. Clint's screaming had morphed into sobs, which were wracking his small body. She tried to put him down to reposition her hold on him, but he wasn't having any of that. He gripped Pepper around the neck tightly, causing her to wince as he pulled on her hair.

Pepper stood there for several minutes, and eventually Clint calmed enough for her to set him down on his feet. Up until this point, she hadn't said a word. She reached into her pocket and grabbed the hearing aids, which Clint surprisingly allowed her to put on without a fight.

"Why did you try to run away, sweetie?" she asked.

Clint didn't answer. He just looked at the wall. "Clint, you can't run away from me. It's not safe. Do you understand?" she pressed. No response. She reached for his hand so they could leave, but Clint recoiled violently, dropping to the floor with a shriek. Pepper was going to give him a moment before engaging again, but he started to bang his forehead on the ground.

"Stop! You're going to hurt yourself!" Pepper said, immediately dropping down and holding his head with her hands. He stilled, and Pepper stroked his forehead, feeling for damage. "Are you ready to go to the car?"

Clint nodded, allowing Pepper to scoop him up. He held tightly to her and they swiftly exited the building.

Once they were in the car, Pepper took several deep breaths before starting the ignition.

They arrived at the tower at the same time as Happy pulled up with everyone else.

One look at Pepper's face and Phil knew something had happened. Pepper quickly shrugged him off and focused instead on their guests. She greeted Darcy and Jane and left Phil to get the boys out of the car. Steve had tears in his eyes and Clint was sound asleep. He picked up Clint who barely registered the change in position.

Eventually, they all made it up to their level of the tower. Phil carried Clint into the bedroom and placed him under the covers, taking out his hearing aids.

It was nearly dinnertime, and Jane and Maria graciously offered to cook for them. Darcy got them all settled onto the couch and turned on the television.

Phil pulled Pepper aside. "What happened today?" Pepper took a deep breath and explained.

"Poor kid. Are you okay?" he asked. Pepper nodded. They rejoined the group. Pepper motioned for Steve to come and talk with her.

"What happened earlier, sweetie? Why did Clint push you?" she asked, realizing she'd never gotten to the bottom of what triggered the 'event'. Seeing Steve's eyes well up, she quickly assured him that he was not in trouble."

"He was trying to draw on me. I tried to get him to stop but then he stood up and I tried to stop him from running away," Steve explained. "I'm sorry." He was looking at the floor.

"You're not in trouble, honey. You don't have to be sorry," Pepper said, hugging him. Steve nodded and went back to join the others.