Thank you for the reviews. Not as many as usual but I appreciate them as always! Also please know I live on the west coast and therefore did not realize that my updates were not coming to some people until the next day. I apologize for this happening again but I dont have the opportunity to update until late.
Are you ready for the decision and... the real twist?
Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers. But I will own the DVD Septmeber 25th :D
For the next few weeks after Clint got back Natasha tried not to let him bring up keeping the baby because every part of her brain told her it was a bad idea, but her heart had begun to talk for the first time in years . Love was for children. Did it count if you were loving a child? No. Because anyone she loved was sure to die or be hurt. It's what she told herself everyday when she woke up and before she went to sleep.
Meanwhile she and Clint were back to their usual. Paper on Sundays and laughing at what newscasters thought was going on around the world on the evening news. He'd only been back for a week when Natasha was out when he came home from SHIELD. A small note was taped to the fridge- craving Italian. Be back with dinner in less than 30. 6:15. Whenever they were trying to keep track of each other they always left notes to say where they'd be, how long it would take, and what time they left. He glanced at his watch, it was 6:34. If she wasn't back within 11 minutes and she didn't answer her phone he'd have reason to worry, but for know all he wanted to do was get out of his stupid suit.
Because he only wore them in and out the front doors of SHIELD maybe two or three times a week he only owned three suits, three button up shirts, and three ties. Any he needed for undercover missions were picked out and sent to him by SHIELD.
As he started to hang it up on his small part of the closet (no more than he'd needed) he noticed a small bag in the corner on the floor under the shelf that usually housed Natasha's extensive shoe collection, but she'd lent some to Jane for a New Years Eve Gala she was attending in New York that had revealed the package.
Clint figured if Natasha really didn't want him to know what it was she'd have hidden it in a better place than in their closet so he reached down for the small package. It was a Christmas present from Pepper. After being dragged to Stark tower for an apparently weekly dinner with the Starks and Steve it had become apparent to Clint that in his absence, and her boredom from desk work, she had actually made some new friends. So when he read it was a Christmas gift from Pepper he wasn't surprised. Then he pulled the gift out and thought maybe Natasha had been trying to hide it.
It was a pair of yellow baby pajamas with a duck on the chest. It was softer than any material he'd ever felt and all he could do was stare. Was he missing something? It was probably just Pepper playing for his team and trying to convince her to keep the baby, but then why was she keeping them? If Natasha was still as attached to the idea of adoption as she said she was then surely she would have gotten rid of them. He wanted to ask Natasha about them, but since their discussion when he got home as long as she didn't come to him with a list of families to prescreen for adoption he was going to let her have the time to herself.
It was then that Clint heard the door open and Natasha drop her purse on the counter, "I got Lasagna for two. I suggest you get out here before I finish it myself." Clint quickly put the bag back just the way he'd found it making sure Natasha wouldn't notice.
Entering the main area of the apartment he noticed the subtle smile on her face, "What are you so happy about? Did they accidentally give us extra?" Natasha raised an eyebrow at him but he just smiled back and took his plate.
For the next few weeks as said they continued their routine, which included dinners at Stark Tower, they began to tense again feeling the impending assignment of Clint to another country or state for another mission. Normally she and Clint had barely days between most missions, but right now Natasha knew Fury was trying to keep Clint out of the field unless completely necessary.
Natasha was nowhere near her due date, but if Clint left now and was gone for as long as he had been before she may have to pull through by herself in the delivery room and make the decision of a couple to adopt to without Clint's consent. He wouldn't agree to that and she didn't blame him which meant they would have to keep the baby until they did find someone and that meant bonding and when your goal was to give up your child bonding was bad.
It was then why the cab ride over to the Starks' was tense after Clint had gotten a call from Fury about a seek and destroy mission in Croatia. It really was simple, three days tops, but Natasha didn't like how calm Clint was about shipping out the next morning.
As they arrived at the tower any remnants of their argument was hidden. They arrived at the Stark's personal floor to see Tony, Pepper, and Steve all on the couch as Tony tried to explain to Steve how the controls for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 worked.
"This is nothing like a real war zone. I can't do anything but shoot," Steve said looking at his controller more than the screen.
"That's why it's called modern warfare Capsicle," Tony said trying to pick up the slack for Steve.
Pepper meanwhile was due in a little less than two weeks and looked more tired than she'd ever been in her entire life. She sat half asleep near Tony's side, but perked up as her two favorite agents walked out of the elevator, "Dinner is ready whenever these two decide to turn the game off."
"I haven't beat this on veteran yet Pepper!" Tony said trying to make her understand why it was more important than eating.
That's when Clint crossed the room, snatched Steve's controller, and fired quickly through three waves of infantry wishing Tony had better skill with the clearly fake predator drone. The level was beat in a time no one even thought possible and Tony turned to Clint slightly impressed, "When did you start playing?"
"I didn't," Clint said tossing his controller on the couch. "I guess I just have good aim."
Tony tried to act like he hadn't just been shown up by helping Pepper over to the table as everyone else took what were apparently their normal seats. Once they were seated a simple steak dinner was served and the five chatted casually about popular news and telling short stories from their own lives. They all found out there was a girl Steve apparently had a date with the following night. A bit shocked, they learned she was from a small old fashion town in the Midwest working as a waitress while trying to get hired as a journalist of some sort and it all made more sense.
Pepper was the happiest of course which was why when Steve excused himself to go home and to bed so he could get to work early and make sure none of his paperwork at SHIELD for training recruits caused him to be late for his date, she practically shooed him out the door.
Although Clint and Natasha both liked Pepper, and at moments Tony, neither wanted the evening to turn into an assumed double date so they too tried to excuse themselves, but it turned out the Starks had something important they wanted to talk to them about. They all settled on the couches and Pepper started, "We know that you both like to keep your personal lives very private and we can pretend this conversation never happened at the end if you want, but Tony and I had an idea."
Neither Natasha nor Clint liked where this was going as Pepper continued, "We know what happened two months ago before Christmas with that man. I didn't want any more detail than I needed but Fury briefed Tony since Natasha was spending more time here. We know that must have made you two realize that your child can't be safe with just anyone. If you've already found a family then obviously this wouldn't work but-"
Natasha had been tense since Pepper had mentioned the man that tried to buy their child, but now Clint could feel her calming down next to him. He however was the opposite knowing what Pepper was about to say. "-Tony and I have talked about it and we're already going to have one soon ourselves… we were thinking we may be the best option for adoption if you would let us. There are few places safer than Stark Tower and the baby would have an older brother…" Pepper could tell she still had their consideration but the logistics were what they wanted, not the happiness and fluff. "The point is if you wanted to use adoption we know the hardest part would be finding a couple that can protect your child and we can. So Tony and I, if you want, will adopt your baby."
Clint knew where he stood. He didn't want his child leaving his or Natasha's sight ever, but this was the one thing Natasha was still wary about. She didn't want her child going to someone that couldn't protect it but now sitting across from them was one of the most loving people they knew and the one that could buy an army for protection. He could tell she wasn't opposed and when she spoke he knew when they got home they'd be having a long argument, "We'll think about it."
What followed after that were simple goodbyes and a very quiet cab ride home.
As they entered the apartment Natasha made her move to the bedroom as if she was about to go to sleep and Clint was not going to let this conversation sit anymore, "Are you really going to ignore this?"
Natasha paused, leaning slightly on the door frame before she turned to Clint. She didn't say anything, but he could see it in her eyes again. She couldn't decide and there was no compromise. She couldn't guarantee her child's safety without letting it into her heart. "They're probably our best option."
Clint made a move towards her taking her face in his hands, "Natasha what I said… that we could be parents. I wasn't lying. And I can't do it. I can't put the safety of our baby into someone else's hands even if its friends I just-"
His sentence was stopped when she put her lips against his and when he looked back at her he could see the words forming on her lips, "Clint I'm not-"
"You could be a mom Nat. It doesn't mean you'd have to bake cookies and smile all the time, but you could love them. I know you could," he said seeing the fear in her eyes grow and yet ebb at the same time. He wouldn't dare say it. Over the years of being her partner he'd given up and let his feelings for her invade his heart. On missions he'd kept his mind separate, but now looking at her he just wanted to say it: those three words. He kept them inside though because he knew it would be too much for her after everything she'd been through.
"Well I sure as hell wouldn't let Tony Stark anywhere near our kid. He'd probably try to make it one of those suits," Natasha said becoming more of herself again.
But it was something about the way she'd said it that made Clint's eyes get a little wider; it wasn't just a no to Tony and Pepper's offer but… "Nat… I thought you said they're our best option…"
"Then I guess we don't have any other options," she said as she saw him trying to fully comprehend what was going on. She herself was still trying to understand what she was saying, but it was starting to make sense in her head too.
"Nat… are you saying?" he said watching her eyes start to light up with his. If there was anything that did make Natasha smile it was Clint's happiness. Maybe she could do it after all. She just nodded.
It was late at night when Clint woke up sensing something was off. After Natasha had finally let her feelings make a decision for her they'd kissed their way into the bedroom laughing and making a list of things they'd need to do over the next two months in between breaths. Getting a bigger apartment, once again telling their friends, and buying supplies like a crib and stroller were all amongst the mentioned things. Eventually she had just let him hold her smiling as she so rarely did. The Black Widow wasn't the family type, but maybe Natasha could be.
But he knew as he woke up that something wasn't right. He could tell Natasha sensed it too. One of his arms was draped around her and he slowly moved it to reach under Natasha's pillow to reach for the knife when he sensed movement. Automatically the two sprang to life Clint with a few knives to throw, Natasha reaching into the bedside table for her gun, but the men were closer than they anticipated.
Two had already grabbed for Natasha and nearly had her subdued as Clint fought off another four with knives continuously wishing he had his bow and arrows which sat with his other packed gear for the mission near the front door. The men were well trained and he had no way of reaching Natasha as they created a wall between him and her. Two were down near Clint when the two men fighting Natasha had her arms and legs securely tied together. Normally they would have been no problem but at seven months her usual fighting skills were nowhere near where they needed to be. At one point she could see the men were threatening the baby every time she was about to break the bonds and eventually she gave up.
Clint was wondering where the SHIELD agents were as the men begun to drag Natasha out of the apartment onto the deck. By now he'd been able to get a hold of a gun hidden throughout the room and easily shot down the other two men in two shots leaving both alive enough for later questioning. Already the men had hooked themselves and Natasha to some kind of contraption pulling them up to the roof and he didn't spare a second.
Grabbing his bow and arrows by the door he rushed for the staircase seeing one of the SHIELD agents down in the hallway. He quickly grabbed the earpiece and switched it to the SHIELD base's main comm-link without halting his run, "This is Agent Barton. Agent Romanoff has been apprehended at her apartment. There were six men; two have taken her to the roof. Other agents are down. I'm in pursuit."
He got a response signaling that a team was immediately being dispatched to their location as he burst onto the roof top. Already he had a grabbling head attached to the arrow. He'd already deduced they'd be taking a helicopter. Blowing it up would kill his partner so the best he could do was try to go along for the ride. When he got to the roof the helicopter was taking off, doors shut, and widows blacked out. He kept up his run as he shot an arrow for the steps attached, but they knew better and the hook wasn't big enough. They'd planned for Hawkeye.
So then as he heard SHIELD asking for a check in he simply said they had her heading north and watched his happiness slowly disappear into the distance.
I know. I'm mean. They're gonna keep the baby then Natasha goes and gets kidnapped. Well I mean I said 21 chapters and I just don't think Clintasha is full of that much fluff. Though there will be some!
So reactions, thoughts, ideas for flashbacks, and predictions please! And I'll write a little note at the top of the chapter. Also I am thinking about a sequel. Obviously you guys have no idea yet how this may end but from what you know so far would you read? Maybe Pepperony?
Again sorry for the techniqually Saturday update on the east coast. Monday morning here will be the next update!