A/N: Hey all! Sorry for such a extended pause after a cliffhanger. This chapter was giving me problems left and right and took forever and a day to write. But I hope you like it :)
Waiting Rooms
Natasha hated waiting rooms. They made her anxious. They were always too cold and the seats were never comfortable. And when the doctors finally came out, they never could tell her everything she wanted to know.
"Nat. Please sit." Kate called out to a pacing Natasha pleadingly as she patted the seat that was between her and Wanda.
Natasha looked over at Kate as she continued in her pacing "I can't, Kate." She snapped as she shook her head slightly before turning her gaze back to the door where all the surgeons have periodically been coming out of.
"Nat" Wanda said quietly, her voice thick with unshed tears.
"Please." Pietro finished pleadingly as he gestured yet again to the empty seat.
Natasha paused in her pacing as she looked at the two teenagers. For some reason they looked even younger to her in that moment. "Alright." She sat down and quickly pulled Wanda into a tight hug.
It was that moment that two surgeons walked out and approached the group of Avengers.
"Can we assume you are all here for Clint Barton?" The taller of the two surgeons asked.
"You would be assuming correctly, sir." Steve said as he stood up and shook both surgeons hands, unaware of the piercing glare Natasha threw his way.
Tony spoke up then, as he gave Natasha a sideways glance "So, Doctors… what exactly can you tell us about our dear Legolas?"
"We have some good news and some bad news." The other doctor answered, face holding an unreadable expression.
Wanda let out a whimper as she gripped Natasha's hand tightly.
"Well, please, start us off with the good news please." Bruce prompted, concern evident on his face as he looked at Natasha and Wanda.
"Mr. Barton made it out of surgery and is currently in a recovery room. He is doing surprisingly well for the amount of internal bleeding he had. We expect that he'll make a full recovery." The first doctor said smiling slightly.
"That's fantastic!" Tony grinned "but whats the bad news?"
"He had severe damage to his inner ears. He will be lucky if he recovers half of his hearing when fully healed. We are expecting that he will be seventy five percent deaf." The second doctor said bluntly.
"Will he be able to use hearing aids?" Tony asked seriously "Because I'll start work on a pair tonight if so."
"He should be able to obtain a normal level of hearing with hearing aids once he is fully healed." The first doctor nodded.
"When can we see-" Kate began to ask a question but was interrupted when Natasha stood abruptly and began walking towards the elevators.
"I'll see whats wrong." Steve said reasonably as he followed Natasha.
"Does he not realize…?" Pietro whispered loudly to Kate once Steve was far enough away. Kate simply shook her head as she rolled her eyes and watched.
Steve barely caught up to Natasha before the elevator doors opened. He grabbed her arm lightly "Natasha! Where are you going?!"
Natasha whirled around and glared at Steve as she yanked her arm out of his grasp.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm headed back to Clint's apartment complex so I can interrogate Barney." Natasha said snippily as she continued to glare.
"Don't you think you should.. uh…stay here?" Steve said hesitantly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Natasha's eyes seemed to flash as her glare intensified "No. The doctors said Clint is out of surgery and is going to be ok. Now I need to go and make sure that the only people Barney recruited to torture and attempt to kill Clint this time were Swordsman and Trickshot."
"Couldn't you… I mean… couldn't I do that for you?" Steve asked nervously.
Natasha huffed as she rolled her eyes "You?" She gave a quick shake of her head "No. I don't trust you one bit after you let the man I love get beaten half to death."
Steve was stunned as he allowed Natasha to get onto the elevator and leave.
1 ½ hours later
"How did you know how long he'd be out from the anesthesia?" Wanda asked Natasha as they both settled into chairs on either side of a still unconscious Clint.
"We've been partners for years. We both have had to wait through plenty of surgeries. I can't tell you the number of times I have sat by Clints bedside… waiting for him to wake up." Natasha looked at Clint as she reached over and carefully took his hand in hers."It always takes him at least two hours."
"So, what did you find out from Barney?" Pietro asked from his place in the corner.
"No one else was involved. Barney said that he baited Clint by saying he had something of their mothers in hopes of being able to get ahold of Clint arrow designs." Natasha sighed "He brought Trickshot and Swordsman with him to make sure Clint would give him all the designs."
"Do you know what of his mother Barney was baiting him with? Does he really have it?" Kate asked.
"No. Barney wouldn't say. No matter what I did to him… and unfortunately there is a line I can't cross being an Avenger." Natasha spat out.
"Do you think he really had it?" Wanda asked.
"When Clint took possession of the farmhouse… most all his parents things were still there. Clint got rid of all his fathers things and a good number of his mothers. But kept a few things. He had told me that there were things missing that he was sure Barney had taken before he could change the locks." Natasha said seriously "I don't know what it is that Barney said he had that Clint wants so badly… but Barney could very well have it somewhere."
Wanda stayed quiet as she looked sadly at Clint, but immediately became excited when she noticed Clint stirring "Nat! Nat! He's waking up!"
Everyone was quick to focus in on Clint, who once awake quickly focused in on Natasha.
"Nat. What happened? Where's Barney? Shit! Why can't I hear anything? Nat!" Clint immediately began to panic.
Natasha laid a calming hand on his arm before picking her hands up and signing as she spoke "It's ok, Clint. We got Barney and the others. They hurt you pretty badly. Your ears especially. The doctors said you'll be lucky if you get 50% of your hearing back once your healed. They're predicting you'll get closer to 25%. But don't worry Stark is already working on making you hearing aides."
"Did Barney take my mom's necklace back?" Clint said loudly, fumbling slightly as he attempted to sign as well.
"Your mom's necklace?" Natasha asked "I don't think so. He didn't have anything on him when Daisy caught him."
Clint sighed in relief. "It should still be in my pants." He smiled slightly before panic set in again. "Shit! Nat! Where are my pants!"
Natasha laughed "Relax. The doctors put everything you had on you in a bag. Pietro, hand Clint the bag that's on that chair." Natasha pointed at the chair that Pietro was leaning up against.
Pietro was quick to do as he was told. As he handed Clint the bag he spoke as he signed clumsily "Me and Wanda are really glad you're ok, Clint."
Wanda nodded solemnly in agreement.
Clint smiled slightly. "Thanks you two. And I should say, that I am really sorry for scaring you all. I didn't mean to at all."
"We forgive you. This time." Kate replied snarkily, signing sharply.
Clint smiled at his protégé before turning back to Natasha.
Natasha gave him a half smile before turning towards Kate, Wanda, and Pietro "I need to talk with Clint about a few things. Can you guys give us some privacy? Maybe go tell everyone who's still in the waiting room that Clint is awake now."
Wanda's eyes went wide as they glowed slightly scarlet "Yea! Of course! Lets go you guys!" She was quick to usher her brother and Kate out of the room.
As the three teenagers walked out of the room, Clint dug into his bag of personal belongings and was quick to pull out a beautiful sapphire necklace.
"So, that's what you were willing to risk your life for." Natasha said calmly as she signed each word she said carefully.
Clint looked away from her "It's my moms, Nat."
"I know. And I know she meant a lot to you. But you mean a lot to me, Clint." Natasha took a breath before continuing to sign "I love you, Clint. I know I've said love is for children and our feeling go past that… but Clint… I love you and Barney nearly took you away from me."
Clint blinked owlishly at her for a moment before quickly saying "I love you, too."
At that Natasha smiled before leaning in close to him so she could kiss him. As she pulled away from him she brought her hands up yet again to sign as she spoke "By the way… I decided. I want to get married. Preferably sooner rather than later."
Again Clint looked at her, completely dumbfounded and stayed quiet for a moment before he grinned impishly as he signed "So do I get to propose to you? Or did you just decide that we're engaged?"
Natasha thought for a moment before signing "You can propose."
Clint laughed as he shook his head."Anything else you wanted to talk about with me?"
Natasha grinned before she signed "I think you should adopt Wanda and Pietro."
Clint looked thoughtful for a moment "I agree"
A/N: And that's the chapter! Hope you liked it! And just an FYI if it comes up in the story which it very well might… I will then explain why Clint Natasha Kate Wanda and Pietro all had varying knowledge of ASL. Hope you liked the chapter :)
