Chapter: 14

"She's gone Barton!" He shouted through the comm unit. Not even five minutes before Natasha had shouted that their recent mission was compromised. She made it known that she had walked into a trap, right before the whole building had collapsed and she went silent. Clint had left his spot, the rooftop across the street, and was down on the ground faster than what Coulson could keep track of. He was rushing toward the building that was now covered in flames. Natasha wasn't responding and Phil wasn't about to lose both of his agents. He could feel a deep pang in his chest as he called out to Barton. Pain filled him at the belief that Natasha was gone and at Clint heading for the same fate. "Barton you'll get yourself killed!"

"I have to get Nat!"

"She's gone!"

"She's not!" His agent screamed back at him and continued on his way. Men poured out from around the building but it did nothing to slow the archer's pace. He was driven to protect his partner and was lost in the single thought that she needed his help. The men working around Coulson got videos up and he could now see him. A dark look had fallen over Clint's face, over his entire being. At that moment Phil couldn't see the kid he had dragged into SHIELD all those years ago. His eyes were blank as he killed each man who dared to get between him and the path to his partner.

"Get men in there now!" Coulson shouted and a team hastily got together and made their way to help provide backup for the archer. Coulson sat glued to the screen. He stared at what was left of the building that Clint was so determined to get to. No one could have made it out of that building. He watched as Clint killed without a second thought, barely blinked as he ended one life right after another.

In the end Clint had made it to the burning structure and much to everyone's surprise, and relief, he stumbled out with his partner in his arms. As she floated in and out of consciousness she alternated between curing the faulty information that had put them in the situation and her partner for risking his life like he had.

Coulson watched as Barton laughed it off with his usual humor but Phil knew how serious it was. He had seen just how far Clint would go for Natasha. He had seen just how compromised he was for the woman and he knew right then and there that he should put an end to their partnership. However, as he watched Clint reach for her hand as she slowly drifted off, how she had let him take her hand, he knew that it was already too late for that.

Coulson glanced at his watch after pulling himself out of his thoughts. He sighed at the time and pushed away the paperwork he had been doing. Looking up from his desk he glanced over at the couch in his office and the man who was fast asleep on it. Clint had said little when he had showed up unannounced. After explaining that he had a hangover Coulson had pointed towards the couch and Clint was out a few minutes later. Now, it was nearing ten o' clock and he knew that it was time for Barton to stop avoiding and go home to his wife. He was sure that Natasha was worried sick and she definitely didn't need the stress.

He wasn't angry or upset with Clint. Coulson didn't pretend to understand what Clint was going through but he knew how the younger man's mind worked. Natasha's life was in danger. That alone did things to Clint's mind. He didn't like anything that caused his partner harm. This situation was made worse by the fact that there wasn't anyone he could fight and make it all better. There was no bad guy, no evil plan, no nothing that Clint was trained to handle. He couldn't even go after the men who had experimented on Natasha as a child because they were long ago taken care of.

However, there was one thing that the archer could do and Coulson didn't plan on letting Clint forget that anytime soon. He knew the man was hurting but it was time for him to stop running. Clint may have been like a son to him since the moment he pulled him into SHILED but Natasha had quickly fulfilled the daughter like roll as well and she needed him. His "kids" were hurt and they needed each other, because no matter how much Clint wanted to fight it at the moment, he needed Natasha as well.

Silently he walked over to the couch and gave Barton a little push on the shoulder. When the archer didn't stir he pushed harder and called out his name but all he got was a groan in response.

"Barton it's time to wake up," he said louder and with another hard shove.

"Five minutes."

"Up Barton," he said "I'm not staying here all night to watch you. It's time to go home." Clint sighed and finally opened his eyes to look up at his handler.

"Any chance that you're going to tell me that I've been dreaming this whole time?" Coulson's face turned sympathetic at that.

"'fraid not kid." Clint closed his eyes for a moment as if he were trying to process that then reached up and rubbed at his eyes.

"Nat's going to kill me."

"Have you even called her Barton?"

"Ugh…no."

"Can't say I'll blame her." Coulson said and stepped back as Clint swung his legs off the couch.

"Gee thanks buddy." There was a silence then, filled with a bit of awkwardness, before Coulson spoke up again.

"You need to go home Clint."

"Yeah," he replied rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah I know."

It was a stupid thought to have, but the bed felt too big without his presence. The air was too still without the slight snoring sound he usually made, the area around her felt too cold without his body heat, and the room too dark but she didn't see how that had anything to do with him. Mostly, Natasha wondered just when she had allowed herself to be so dependent on a man that she had troubles sleeping if he wasn't there. She couldn't believe she had allowed this all to happen.

She sighed and pushed the blankets away from her then sat up in the bed. The coolness of the air around her swept across her newly exposed skin and she shivered a bit. After a few seconds she got up and made her way to the kitchen. Natasha set about pouring herself a glass of juice when the air around her shifted. The years of training went so deep into her senses, and the apartment so familiar to her, that she could feel that there was someone else there with her. Without showing any indication that she suspected anything out of the ordinary, Natasha closed the juice carton and placed it back into the fridge, also taking out the knife she had stored in there. She shut the door back and grasped the blade in her right hand. The slightest of footsteps caught her attention and when she was sure they were in the same room she spun. The fact that he was able to say her name a second before she released the blade saved him from having it embedded into his chest.

"Clint! What the hell!?" she yelled at him after the shock of almost, probably, killing her husband.

"Glad to see that you still have complete control of yourself," he said as he stared at the blade that was sticking out of the wall, inches from where he now stood.

"What do you think you're doing!?"

"I thought you'd be asleep! I didn't want to wake you up!"

"After all these years you thought it'd be a good idea to sneak up on me like that!?" she said, frustrated at him, the light came on and he could see her glare mixed with shock and relief. "I could have killed you just now!"

"Please my reflexes are still good enough that you wouldn't have killed me," he said shaking his head. They looked at each other then, for a few moments, then she was crossing the room in quick strides. Clint held his arms open and pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.

"Where have you been?" She asked and Clint was surprised at the emotion in her voice.

"I'm sorry Nat," he said "I'm sorry I was stupid and got drunk, I woke up with a hangover and you didn't need to deal with that."

"You could've called." She said and held him just a bit tighter.

"I'm sorry Nat." It really hit him when he felt her shake slightly. He pulled her away just enough to confirm that tears were starting to fall and he quickly brought her back against his chest and held her close. "I'm sorry Nat, I'm so sorry." She didn't respond but he felt his shirt dampen a bit with her tears. "Tell me," he said "tell me what's wrong."

"I…I'm sorry….I…"

"Tell me Nat,"

"I….I heard the heartbeat and I…I'm sorry this is happening….I…" that made his own throat tighten and he didn't know what to say about it. He didn't know how to express that he wasn't angry with her for the definite sign of life that was growing in her. He was mad about the situation, the people who had done this to her, and the things he couldn't control, but he wasn't really angry with her. Clint cursed himself for her pain and for his inability to help her.

"It's ok Tasha," he whispered soothingly. "You're going to be ok."

"I thought you were done." He tightened his hold on her and shook his head slightly before pressing a kiss to her head. He might not be completely ok with her recent decisions but he still loved her with all of his being.

"With you," he said with as strong of a voice as he could muster up "not even close."