Chapter 25

"Clint how would you feel about moving?" Tony asked me after he finished working on the programming. I shrugged, I knew they'd get rid of me eventually. Tony sighed, "with us. To a new avengers facility". I smiled with relief. "That's okay, as long as I can make nests there and have access to the roof". My stomach growled, I looked at Tony with pleading eyes. "Can we order pizza?" Tony matched my expression and smiled warmly at me, "no". I pouted at him. I walked towards the lift, "I'll get Thor to get me a pizza". Tony laughed. "Thor is not here ", Jarvis informed me. Dammit.

"How were you even going to get Thor to get you a pizza?" Tony questioned me. I smirked, "follow him until he makes even a mild accomplishment and shout 'this calls for a feast'. Then he either gets poptarts or orders a pizza." Tony laughed.

"Can I go find Tasha?" I waited for a response. "No sir" Jarvis replied to me. Tony laughed slightly. I frowned, I didn't ask him. "Are you hungry? I could bring you to the kitchen. I make killer waffles. You can find Natasha later." Tony asked me getting up and leading me into the lift. He pressed the button for the common floor. I sat at the counter waiting on waffles. "Jarvis where is Natasha?" I asked him. "No sir" Jarvis replied again. "Tony he's broke", I mumbled as I got some blueberries out of the fridge. "Can you pass me the milk too please?" Tony asked me. I took it out and offered it to him. Tony took in a sharp breath and glanced towards the counter. "I don't like being handed things", he explained. I placed it on the counter. I stole Tony's Stark pad and scanned through Jarvis's code. "What are you doing?" Tony asked wearily. "And Jarvis how did you not pick up on the hacking?" I ignored him as I scanned the code. "He's using your tablet sir, and you gave him access, Lord Stark" Jarvis responded to Tony. I laughed, I've read too much game of thrones. Tony smirked, "I kinda like it". Tony served me the waffles. "I found the problem", Tony's face dropped, "Tasha is..oh". I looked down, blushing as I ate the waffles. I shouldn't have checked for a bug in Jarvis. "So who is she with?" Tony smirked as he took the tablet. "She's with falcon, she has a thing for birds", Tony snickered. Natasha and Sam. I frowned, "isn't she pregnant? Does it not hurt the baby?" I asked Tony causing him laugh. "Ask Natasha that, no wait ask Steve. Please I'll pay you. Ask Steve. I'll get you pizza if you ask Steve", Tony grinned. I shrugged, "alright I'll ask Steve, but you owe me a pizza." Steve doesn't even live here anymore though.

"Jarvis inform me when they're done", Tony asked Jarvis. "Will do Lord Stark", I grinned at Jarvis. Tony turned around to me. "Wait you shouldn't be reading game of thrones", he warned me as he took a sip of his coffee. I grinned. "Too late?", he answered his own question. I smiled and nodded. "You're stuck with me for the day, so what we doing?" I asked Tony. "I've a board meeting, Pepper will kill me if I miss it. Sorry but there will be press and they'd have a field day if they saw me with a kid", Tony informed me. I pouted. "Am I going to be alone?" I mumbled looking down at the floor. "No I'm not leaving until they're finished. That's why I asked Jarvis to tell me when they're done. I was being perverted." Tony told me. I relaxed. "Now do you mind if we go up to my floor? I need to get ready", he asked as he felt his goatee. I took his hand and led him to the lift. "No problem Lord Stark", I said with a laugh. The lift opened on Tony's floor. I watched tv in Tony's room while he got ready. I wonder when I go see Natasha. "Why do people have sex?" I blurted out. Tony looked at me seriously. "Clint this really isn't something you should be asking me, but people have sex because they enjoy it. You won't really understand it until you're older", Tony answered me. "Do you like having sex?" I asked just as Pepper walked in. Tony smirked at Pepper blushing. "Why are you having the sex talk with an 8 year old Tony?" Pepper asked him. "Natasha and Steve are doing it and Clint found out by hacking Jarvis. He was asking questions, I told him to ask Natasha and that people have sex because they enjoy it that's all", Tony explained to Pepper. Pepper frowned at him before smiling at me, "Clint save your questions for Natasha and don't the ask the playboy". Now I have more questions, what's a playboy?

"Lord Stark, Ms Romanoff and Mr Rogers are in the common floor", Jarvis announced. Pepper glared at Tony. "Lord Stark?" She looked fed up. "In my defence, it wasn't me this time", Tony stood up. He looked good in his suit, freshly shaven and showered. "You're ready? On time?" Pepper sounded sceptical. "He wants sex", I blurted out as I ran for the lift. Tony and Pepper laughed as they got in the lift with me. "No more of this rude talk, okay Clint?" Pepper instructed me. I nodded, "okay Pepper".

The lift opened on the common floor. Natasha and Steve were lying on the couch together. I took a step forward then stopped, standing in the doorway of the lift. Steve has his arm around Natasha. "We're just dropping him off, we have a meeting", Pepper told them. Tony nudged me forward. I glared at Steve. My Natasha. "Come on over Clint we're watching a movie", Natasha smiled at me. I pressed the button for the lift. "Clint you're staying here", Natasha told me, I shook my head but there's no where else to go. "Is us cuddling making you uncomfortable Clint?" Steve asked me. I'm not answering that. Don't complain. I sat down on the opposite couch and focused on the movie. "Clint, please talk to us", Natasha begged. Natasha never begged. I stood up and knelt beside them, I placed my hand on Natasha's stomach. She smiled at me. It moved. The baby kicked me. "Did you feel that?" Natasha asked me with a smile. I nodded. Steve went to put his hand on her stomach, I swatted it away. I shouldn't of done that. I stumbled to get to my feet, "I..I'm sorry sir". I backed away from them. Don't scream, don't scream, don't scream. I'm scared. Natasha groaned as she sat up. I want Tony and Pepper. I ran into Peppers office. Only Tony and Pepper can get in. I relaxed slightly but they're still on the other side. Natasha banged on the door. "Clint come out please", Natasha called to me. "Steve is gone, he went up to his floor".

"Jarvis where is Steve?" I asked him, he confirmed what Natasha told me. "You don't trust me Clint?" Natasha asked. "I'd be an idiot to take an assassin at her word", I responded before opening the door. It automatically closed behind me. Natasha's expression never changed, at least it seemed that way but I saw it. For a split second her arm dropped, the one she's offering for me to take. I motioned for her to kneel down to my height. I hugged her, letting silent tears flow. "Clint you've been a bit of jerk since Tony and Pepper left you off. Steve and I did nothing wrong", Natasha hugged me back and ran her hand through my hair. "I missed you, but you were having sex with Steve." Natasha pushed me back so that she could see my face, "who told you...I'm going to kill Stark". I laughed, "Tony didn't tell me, I figured it out through Jarvis's code". Natasha led me to the couch. "What made you uncomfortable when you came in here though?" Natasha asked me. "I wanted you but Steve had you", I responded honestly. No lies. Natasha smiled, "you were jealous?" I shrugged. "I'm sorry, you deserve adult company. Steve is nice". I cuddled into Natasha. I wiped the tears with my sleeve.

"Can we do something fun?" I asked her. Natasha nodded, "we need to go shopping for the baby?" I sighed, shopping isn't fun. It's weird to think that baby is technically mine. I followed Natasha to one of Tony's cars, Sam is coming with us. "Natasha?" I asked to get her attention. She glanced my way through the mirror in the car. "Are shield still considering re ageing me. Like getting me back to the age I was. I'm just wondering because when I was first deaged Bobbi, Coulson and Hunter kept discussing how to fix me." Am I being fixed right now? Natasha thought about it for a while before answering me. "No they're not going to re age you. Coulson and his teams intent was to wipe your memory of hydra. Instead they some how reversed ageing. It scared them at first, scared all of us. We wanted to find a way to fix you, not realising the you were fixed. You don't remember hydra and have no connections to it", Natasha answered me. "Why me? Why not save someone else?" I don't have any special abilities.

"Kid you never miss, literally. I seen you shoot planes down with a bow and arrow 15,000 ft up in the air. You can do astrophysics questions in your head and then apply it to the shot within seconds" Sam answered me. I smiled I could do a lot. "What were they trying to fix in me? I mean what's so bad about hydra" I have been told so many times that hydra is bad and they deaged me because I was hydra, but no one told me what it is. Natasha smiled at me, "it's a bad organisation Clint, but like I said you don't have any connections with hydra and you don't remember it anyways." I nodded thinking about that for a while. "So I'm fixed?" I asked Natasha. She smiled at me, "yeah, you're fixed".

"Clint we're home wake up" Natasha gently shook me. I groaned as I turned away from her. I had been asleep and intended on staying asleep. "Will I carry him?" Steve asked Natasha. Natasha didn't answer, probably not knowing how I'd react. I lifted my arms up so that I could wrap them around his neck. Steve lifted me up and walked along side Natasha. "At least I know you're strong", I could hear the smirk in Natasha's voice. "What's for dinner?" I yawned as I leaned into Steve. "Spaghetti and meatballs", Steve answered me. I closed my eyes again. It felt good to be held. I drifted back into a light sleep.

I woke up just as Steve put me down on a bed. I sat up and glanced around. My room, my bed. "Were you awake the whole time?" He asked me. I shook my head. I really was asleep. I glanced at the door and sighed as I got under the covers. "What is it Clint?" He sat on the bed beside me. "Where's Tasha?" I glanced at the door again. I don't want to be alone but I also don't want Steve. "She's making dinner", he tucked me in before standing up and heading for the door. "Stay", I mumbled. I curled into a ball. He didn't hear me.

I shivered from the cold. I drifted back into a light sleep. "Hail hydra", I heard Jazz whisper to me. I smiled, "what's that mean?" He grinned, "my history teacher thought me about hydra? Did yours not?" I waved my arm which was in a cast at him. He nodded knowingly as he glanced at my black eye. Jasper's was a safe haven compared to being home. I glanced around the lake and back up to the house. No one was home. "Do you have anything to eat?" I asked him. Mom was in hospital and dad spent the days and nights at the pub. "Yeah, here. Hail hydra." He handed me a sandwich. I sighed with relief, "hail hydra". I ate the sandwich as Jazz did his homework. "Ugh, I forgot my calculator. Clint what's 256 divided by 18", Jasper asked me. I grinned, that's a easy one. "14.222 and so on". Jasper shook his head and smiled, "Clint 5 year olds your age can't even add 10 plus 10". I shrugged, no one likes a smart ass. That's how I earned the broken arm. I stared out at the lake for a good while. Jazz checked his watch. "It's getting late, shouldn't you be getting home". I nodded. I waved goodbye as I started walking home. It was an hour walk but it helped relax me before entering WW3.

I woke up to Natasha rubbing my back. A familiar smell of spaghetti and meatballs hit me. I smiled. She held a bowl full of it out to be as I sat up. "Thank you", I felt weak. I yawned as I ate dinner. "You look very pale Clint. It's a pity Bruce isn't here anymore", Natasha placed a hand over my forehead. "No doctors, please Tasha." My eyes drooped. I felt Natasha take the bowl out of my hands. I pouted, I hadn't finished. "I'm sorry but we need to get you to a doctor", Natasha informed me. "Tomorrow", I mumbled as I laid back down. I gripped onto Natasha's shirt. She rubbed her hand over my white knuckles. Natasha laid beside me. I smiled, cuddling into her. Natasha keeps me safe. I could feel the baby moving.

I finally arrived at the front door to the house at 10 o'clock at night. I jumped as I heard creaking on the porch. I hadn't noticed dad sitting there. "Sit", he ordered me. It's best to indulge him. I sat beside him. "I was with your mother today. She's getting better Clint", I smiled slightly. There was times when he was nice. "That's good. I miss her", I admitted. He wrapped an arm around me. "Where were you?" I hesitated, "at a friends". He nodded. "Up to bed now", he smiled at me before kissing my head. "Yes sir", I headed up to my room.

My mind drifted to another memory, not as happy as that one. I shifted in my bed, covering my ears to muffle the screams coming from my parents bedroom. I felt the tears flow down my cheeks. Barney got into bed with me. "Clint don't cry, it makes him angrier", he whispered to me. "I want mom", Barney pulled me close to him. "Be quiet", he put a hand over my mouth to keep me from talking anymore. I screamed into his hand as dad came in.

Natasha shook me awake, I shivered as I clung to her. My breathing slowed down as I realised I'm safe. I felt the hate for my dad build up. He raped her every night. "It's okay, I've got you", she ran a hand through my hair. I don't want this to end. I relaxed into Natasha. Natasha continued whispering sweet nothings into my ear. "Do you want to talk about it?" I shrugged at her question. "Does rape hurt?" Her grip on me tightened. "Yes", Natasha whispered. I felt the tears coming back. "Clint what's wrong? Who was raped?" Natasha sat me up as she talked to me. I shook my head. "Mom", I pulled my knees up to my chest. "I..I should have done something, anything. Her screams terrified us. Anytime we tried we got hurt though. But we...we could of.. We should have done more" I sobbed into Natasha's arms.

"You did more with me. I learnt how to trust men because of you", Natasha admitted to me. I sighed, "yeah but then I betrayed you by being a member of fucking hydra. Being a fucking traitor. I'm just a worthless piece of shit that never should of been born." I pulled my self out of her arms. I don't deserve Natasha. Dad was right about me, I'm a mistake. "Clint don't you dare talk about yourself that way. You are an amazing person. You're a genius. You saved my life Clint. Now yes the whole hydra traitor thing wasn't great but now we fixed you. You're not hydra", Natasha pulled me back into her arms. I yawned and shivered slightly. "Clint you really don't look well, come on I'm getting you to a doctor", Natasha sat up. I wiggled out of her arms and laid back down. "I'm just.." I drifted in and out of sleep. Natasha stood up, she came back shortly with Steve. He lifted me up, carrying me to the car.

"He's malnourished, probably a result of his kidnapping", I heard a doctor say as I woke up. Where am I? I started to panic. "Shh shh Clint it's okay. You're in hospital. You're on a drip, leave it in okay?" Natasha instructed me. I nodded. She held my hand as I drifted back to sleep.

"He's awake", I heard Pepper beaming as I opened my eyes. She gave me a light hug. It felt nice. "You scared us Clint", she held onto my hand just as Natasha had. I glanced around the room. There was a picture of a duck on the wall. Tony sat on the other side of me. I smiled at him. "G'mornin", I yawned. He smiled at me. "Good morning to you too". I feel weak and hungry. "Where's Tasha?" I attempted to get up. Pepper held me down, stopping me from sitting up. "Clint she's gone to the canteen. We had to force her away from your side", Tony told me. "Any chance of breakfast?" I asked them. Tony nodded coming back with a doctor. "Hi Clint, I'm Dr. Platton. You can call me Rebecca. I'm a dietician. I want to talk about introducing some new foods to you", she told me as she pulled a chair up so that she was facing me. I looked at Pepper who nodded in encouragement. "Okay", I said as I turned my attention back to Rebecca. She smiled at me. "Good, how about you start by telling me some foods you love and some foods you hate", she suggested. "I love granola, pizza, pancakes and waffles and I hate eggs, fish, chicken and chow mien". I listed off different foods I like and hate. Rebecca asked me a few more questions. Natasha came in half way through, Tony and Pepper leaving. "Okay that's everything, are you his mom?" Rebecca asked her. "Foster mom", I mumbled as I glanced out the window. When am I getting breakfast? "Right, here's a food plan. If he sticks to it you should notice a difference in his energy levels and weight within a week. Are you going to stick to it Clint?" I shrugged, "we'll see". Natasha sighed at me. "He's a bit stubborn", she smiled at Rebecca as she led her out and thanked her. "Is granola on it, I'm not sticking to it if granola isn't on it", I asked her causing her to laugh. "I wouldn't expect you too. Yes granola and milk for breakfast every day", Natasha smiled as glanced over it. She left the room for the minute before returning with Granola and milk for me. "Thank you Tasha", I ate the granola. Nothing is better than granola.

"Can we watch a movie?" I asked her. Natasha got her laptop and pulled up a movie. I didn't pay much attention to it, falling asleep at the start. This was going to be a long week.

I shifted around in the bed. Apparently I needed a weeks rest. I can't handle it anymore. It's been 6 days. Coulson sat beside me. "Can I just go now?" I begged for the hundred time that week. "No", he didn't even look up from his paperwork. I had followed the food plan, and kept the drip in. That didn't keep the nightmares away. "Can I use your phone?" I asked him. He frowned at me. "For what?" He responded with his own question. Coulson never fully trusted me. Maybe I hurt him the most by being a traitor. "To call Bobbi. Being in here reminded me of the last time I was in hospital. I miss her", I admitted to him. He smiled at me. "I miss Bobbi and Hunter too unfortunately I can't call them unless it's an emergency", he told me. I pouted at him.

"Can we go to the roof?" I asked him. He sighed, "no Clint". He returned his concentration to his paperwork. I sighed. "I'm bored", I dragged out the word bored. "Coulson I'm bored". He laughed, "you never changed". I smiled slightly, "were we close?" He nodded, "I was your handler. I comforted you though a lot." Coulson told me. "I don't believe it was your choice that you were hydra." He told me after a moment of silence. It wasn't. I smiled, "thank you". Coulson got me my breakfast. I ate it in silence. I relaxed in Coulson's company.

"But seriously can I go home?" I asked him after watching a few movies. "Tomorrow Clint", he reassured me. "Where's Tasha?" I asked him. I hadn't seen her since the first day I was brought in here. "She hasn't visited?" He sounded surprised. I shook my head as I wiped the tears away. Natasha doesn't want me. "Clint it's okay, I'll make sure she's here tomorrow to bring you home", Coulson rubbed my back. I want Tasha. I nodded taking in quick shallow breaths. I have to be strong.

Coulson brought me in my dinner. "Thank you", I ate it while watching another movie. I put the plate to the side, glancing over at Coulson. He was asleep, he's getting old. I took the IV out of my arm and put my sneakers on before escaping to the roof. I shivered from the cold but it felt good. I don't like staying still for too long, hence why I hate hospitals. I looked over the edge, feeling my whole body relax. I watched everyone go about their business, not realising I was watching them. I grinned as it started to get dark, I couldn't see the stars though. It's too bright. I missed Iowa for that. Seeing the stars at night is relaxing.

"Clint, you okay?" Natasha stood behind me, wrapping her arms around me. I smiled, it felt nice. "Yeah", I couldn't but think about she hadn't visited in a week. "Where were you? I haven't seen you in a week", I asked her. Natasha ran a hand through my hair. "I was there every night Clint", Natasha smiled at me. I vaguely remembered someone holding my hand. "I wanted to make sure you didn't have nightmares", Natasha said as she let go of me. I pouted. "You're freezing", she commented as she took my hand and led me downstairs. I sighed as we reached my hospital room. "I wanna go home", I climbed into the bed. Natasha held my hand after tucking me in. "One more night Clint. We moved house while you were in here. Tomorrow I'll bring you to the new avengers facility. I hope you like it, you have your own room. It's right next to mine", Natasha informed me. I smiled and imagined what it would look like. "Go to sleep, I'll check you out first thing in the morning. You can go home then", Natasha ran her hand through my hair. "Night", I whispered as I drifted into a deep sleep.

I smiled with relief as I reached Jasper's. I sat by the lake, I don't go inside ever. I skidded stones while waiting on him. Each one hitting the same spot, skidding exactly 3 times. It's all maths. "I still don't get how you do that", Jasper commented. I turned around and noticed his father standing beside him. "Clint you've great aim", he smiled at me. I kept my eyes trained on the ground. "Thank you sir", I spoke loud and clear. "Clint look at me", he ordered me. I looked up at him. "That's better. I want to know how you have such good aim. Jasper has told me about your maths skills. I want to offer to something but nothing comes without a price", he informed me. He had my interest. "I will get a teacher in to teach you physics and maths, in return all you have to do is be thankful for hydra providing it to you." He wanted me to hail hydra. I would be able to go to school. I nodded, "hail hydra".

I woke up in the morning, with hydra on my mind. I still don't see what is so bad about the organisation. They schooled me when mainstream school wouldn't. They fed me. What's bad about that? Natasha smiled at me. I wish I could ask her what hydra did. I can't ask anyone, they'd get suspicious. As far as they know I don't remember hydra. They know that I was friends with hydra that's all. They can't ever know. But I'm not supposed to lie, right? I'm scared though. They killed older Clint for being hydra. "What's on your mind?" Natasha asked me.

Thanks for reading xx