Chapter 14: When the Peace Goes

Clint was in the yard doing work while Natasha was keeping Lily occupied. "Swing, momma!" the little girl answered.

"You want to go on the swing?" Natasha asked smiling as she lifted the little girl up off the ground.

It was springtime and it was perfect. Clint glanced over at his family with a smile as he was working on the truck that sat in the grass. Lily ran over to the tire swing and Natasha helped her up on it. Lily was giggling as Natasha pushed the swing. "Sing, momma," she pleaded, "Pease?"

Clint smiled as he was listening to his new wife sing to the little girl. "I wuv you, momma," Lily told Natasha. The redhead froze with tears in her eyes as she held onto the rope of the swing. "Momma?" Lily called to her.

"I love you, very, very much," Natasha answered, kissing the top of the four-year-old's head.

Lily smiled at Natasha, her arms reaching out for her. "You're my world," she whispered to the little girl, holding her close. She kissed her forehead, humming softly as she started pacing the yard. Lily reached for Clint who smiled at her.

"Hey, baby girl," he said smiling as he walked up.

"Daddy," she said smiling.

Clint kissed her forehead as he hugged both his wife and daughter. Lily smiled as she rested her head on Clint's shoulder. She sucked on her thumb, making her parents smile softly at her. Natasha stroked her sandy-blond curls, kissing her temple lightly.

Natasha set her down, watching her run away to play. Clint wrapped his arms around Natasha, kissing her temple. Natasha wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. "Do we have to go back?" she asked. Clint kissed the top of her head.

"I'm going on my own, you stay here with Lily," he whispered into her hair.

Natasha held him tighter. "I love you," he whispered, "I will never let anything happen to you." Natasha nodded her head slowly before she tilted her head back and kissed him. Clint kissed her back, his hand resting on the back of her neck.

The next night, Clint got off the jet with his sunglasses over his eyes. He saw Fury and Coulson standing there.

"Welcome home, Agent Barton," Coulson commented.

Clint removed his sunglasses from his eyes. "Coulson, Fury, quite the welcoming party," he commented.

"You know what would happen when you came back," Fury answered.

"Can we do it where it's not public? Hate for my wife and kid to see this on the news back at home," he commented.

Fury nodded as he and Coulson led him down the hall. Once they were alone, Clint faced the wall. "Clint Barton, you are under arrest for aiding and abetting an international criminal. You have the right to remain silent," Coulson recited as he cuffed Clint's wrists, "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to attorney, if you cannot afford an attorney we will provide one for you. Do you understand your rights?" Clint looked at Fury.

"Perfectly," Clint replied simply.

Fury rubbed his forehead as Coulson led him out of the back where there was an SUV waiting. This was going to be a long night, he could feel it.

Clint was led into SHIELD Headquarters, keeping his mouth shut but his eyes were consistently moving.

They pulled him into a room and sat him down in a chair where Coulson reluctantly handcuffed his hands and feet to the chair. "Welcome back, Agent Barton," Rockwell greeted as the council appeared on the computer screens.

"Hope you are comfortable," Yen stated.

"Well you know you could've at least put a cushion on the chair, my ass is going to feel this chair for the next few days," Clint answered sarcastically.

"I wouldn't be laughing so much, Agent Barton, you are in some hot water," Councilwoman Hawley stated.

"Did you bring your daughter with you as well?" Yen asked.

"Thought it'd be a nice family affair, have the wife and kid all cuffed up," Clint answered.

The council was silent. "Where is Natalia Alianovna?" Rockwell asked.

"Dead last I knew," Clint replied.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I know nothing about this Natalia Alianovna you are asking about," he commented.

"The international fugitive you were supposed to kill over two years ago," Singh answered.

"Oh her! Yeah, she's dead," Clint told them, "Deader than dead, I mean if she was anymore dead I think she'd be ash."

He could see he was irritating them. "Where is she?" Hawley asked.

"She's dead," Clint answered.

"You were supposed to kill her," Yen told him.

"I made a different call, a better call for an eighteen-year-old woman who was more broken than any other assassin that ever existed," Clint answered.

"She is a killing machine, devoid of human emotion," Rockwell told him.

Clint stared at them. "The woman that I had to pin to the floor because all doctors wanted to do was give her routine vaccinations was NOT a human devoid of human emotion. That was a traumatized person who needed help," he answered. He stared at them. "You know that she rushes to my daughter's side when she just trips over a rock and scrapes her knee like any other little kid? That the one thing she hates most in this world is seeing a child in pain?" he asked. He shifted in his seat. "She's terrified of needles, because of what the Red Room did to her. She hates it when you touch her from behind because that's how Ivan Petrovich took control of her," he told them.

The council sat silently. "All of you are attacking the wrong person! She is a victim of heinous crimes! Used like a sex slave and used her Ivan certain did! You saw her fucking medical records I know you did. You saw that the doctors wrote in there that she had several miscarriages and a half-assed cesarean section! This man has tested her so much like a motherfucking lab rat that she is incapable of having anymore children! The one child that did survive birth died three months later because I can bet you that sick son of a bitch smothered that child while it slept because he gave Natasha hope!" He snarled.

"What else has she told you?" Hawley asked.

"Does it matter what I say? You'll still prosecute her instead of helping her! She's an asset to SHIELD!" he exclaimed.

The council was silent. "You won't tell us where she is?" Singh asked.

"Not if you're going to have her prosecuted, all of you can go to hell," he answered.

Back on the farm, Natasha was setting up an art area for Lily who sat in the chair giggling up a storm as she started painting. Natasha kissed the top of her head. The phone started ringing, Natasha walked over and answered it. "Barton residence," she answered.

"Hello Mrs. Barton, how are you today?" a familiar voice greeted.

"Oh, hi, Dr. Sutton, doing alright. Just having a little art class here at the house," she replied.

"Well, I'll make this quick so you can go back to your art class," he commented.

Natasha sat down at the counter. "What can I do for you?" she asked.

"Your test results came back from your recent visit. It looks like you haven't caught the stomach flu like everyone else," the doctor replied.

"Oh? And what is it I have, doctor?" she asked, looking over at Lily.

"Well according to these tests, I guess I should extend my congratulations. You're pregnant," Dr. Sutton replied.

Natasha's eyes grew wide. "That's not possible," she told him.

"Sorry?" Dr. Sutton asked.

"That's not possible, I'm unable to have children. I had several doctors before you tell me I'm not capable of having anymore children," she answered.

"Well tests don't lie, my dear. You are in fact pregnant, looks like miracles do happen," he commented.

He told her about what she should do next and Natasha hung up the phone. She rested her hand on her stomach, her body trembling a bit from the shock. "Momma?" Lily called out. The redhead suddenly stood up. "Momma, what are we doing?" Lily asked, running after her.

"We're going to go see daddy," Natasha replied.