Thanks for still being here and making your presence knows! See, I told you they weren't breaking up. This chapter will include another Renner reference which will be explained in detail in a later chapter. I hope you like the chapter, plus it's got my second favorite couple to write for - Tony and Pepper!

"I can't top that, Mikayla." He took a knife and handed it to her. "Want to do the honors?"

She put her hand on top of his. "We can practice for the wedding." They cut the cake into slices and everyone took a slice, except Thor, of course, who took two and came back for a couple more. Clint and Mikayla took their slices and walked out to the balcony. "Good cake. Not as delicious as the one at the restaurant, but it's not all chocolate, so it does have that going for it."

Clint nodded his head in agreement. He stared at her, then without saying a thing, took his thumb and ran it across her cheek and over her lips. "Frosting," he whispered.

"Always helping me to be presentable."

"Always helping you to look more stunning." He put his hand behind her neck and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Can't leave you two alone for 5 minutes," Natasha joked as she appeared in the doorway shaking her head. "Hate to interrupt your moment, but Fury wants to brief us on the mission."

Clint sighed. "Duty calls, Sharky." He kissed her again. "Catch up with you later."

"Counting on it, RH. Besides, I have to meet with Tony. He wants to talk to me about my apartment." Clint and Mikayla embraced, and he walked off with Natasha. Mikayla returned to the kitchen, stopping along the way to talk to various people. Tony met her at the bar. "What's going on with my apartment?"

"Conference room, Pepper's there, too." He turned around and went to the room.

"This is not boding well," Mikayla said to herself. She followed Tony into the conference room she'd just exited earlier and sat down across from Pepper. "Spit it out. What's up with my apartment?"

Pepper reached out her hand and placed it over Mikayla's. "It's been deemed a total loss. What wasn't damaged in the initial explosion was ruined by the water and smoke. I'm sorry, Mikayla."

"But don't worry. Since it was my building," Tony uttered in a nonchalant, flippant tone, "I had excellent insurance, so everything's covered."

Mikayla sunk back into the chair. "Well, this is turning out to be one hell of an emotional day. I go from having everything to losing almost everything. Talk about a life of extremes."

Mikayla," Pepper spoke up, "we'll help in any way we can."

"At least I've still got the house. I can work from there if that's okay. If not, I can move in with Misty. She won't mind. It wouldn't be the first time we've shared a place."

"Option C, Fitzgerald," Tony said, "move here, to the tower."

"Tony has a good idea. There are plenty of rooms and suites here. You've already got one sort of set up next to Clint's. I know it's not ideal, to be in a relationship with someone and be with them 24 hours a day."

"Hey! I thought you loved me."

"I do, Tony, but why do you think I take so many business trips?"

"Well, uh, I…"

"Exactly, Tony. Anyway," turning her attention back to Mikayla as Tony was still stammering to himself, "the decision is entirely up to you. You're more than welcome to stay here as long as you need to. If you decide to move in here, we can go shopping and get things to make it more your own."

"Pepper, thank you. You, too, Tony. I'll stay here for the time being, at least until Clint gets back from the mission. That will give me time to consider my options. For now, let's get back to the gathering, shall we?" Mikayla stood up.

Pepper came around the table and gently hugged her. "You are welcome here. As you said, we're your family, and family takes care of their own."

"What she said," Tony uttered and left. The two women chuckled and left the room.

Misty met Mikayla as she came back to the living room. "Everything OK? I'm getting used to you disappearing on me, bestie."

"It will be. Just found out my apartment's a total loss. Gotta find someplace to move to, again. Feels like I just did this."

Misty linked arms with Mikayla and brought her over to one of the small sitting areas. "You know you're welcome to stay with me. I can always leave when Clint shows up." She smiled. "I know you don't particularly want to move to the house, that would take you farther away from arrow boy. Would they let you move in here?"

Mikayla nodded. "That's what Pepper and Tony were talking to me about. I stayed here while recovering from the concussion, so I sort of already have a suite of my own."

"There you go. I'm an interior designer, I can help you decorate, it's what I do."

"I told them I'd stay here, for the time being, talk it over with RH, and go from there. He and Nat are due to leave for a mission, so the talk will happen when he gets back."

"I still can't believe you're dating, uh, engaged to a real-life superhero."

"I know, I'm still pinching myself."

"That's my job," Clint said, seductively whispering.

Mikayla jumped. "I will never get used to that. It's like I'm engaged to a ninja." She playfully slapped him. "Welcome back," she ruffled his hair. "We need to talk."

Misty stood up. "And that's my cue to vamoose. Archer boy," she hugged Clint, "good to see you again. Remember what I said."

"Yes, ma'am," he smiled as he hugged her back.

"M, congratulations and I am glad you're better. Everything's going to work out." The two friends hugged.

"I know, and thanks. Need me to walk you out?"

Misty shook her head. "Nah, I can find my way out. If I get lost, I can always call for Captain America to come to rescue me. Love you, M."

"Love you, too, M." Mikayla watched her friend walk through space, say goodbye to the others, then head out.

"What's up, Sharky?"

"First off," she replied, "get your mission details?" She sat back down in the chair.

"Yep, nothing we haven't done a thousand times before. We're taking out someone who stole Russian nuclear codes. Some other government agency was supposed to intercept it, but they screwed up, so they've called in the cavalry."

Mikayla began humming the Mission Impossible theme. "Guess we need to get you two your own theme song. Not thinking a western song, though, even if you are the cavalry."

"Ha, ha," Clint sat down in the chair vacated by Misty. "What did you want to talk about?"

"My apartment's a total loss. I've lost almost everything…again. Getting tired of that. Before you say anything, I know I still have you, which is most important, and I know a lot of stuff is still at the house." She turned to look at Clint, biting her bottom lip. "I feel like I've been violated, Clint. I mean, someone tried to kill me! I was trying to shove that down and not think about it, but I'm going to have to deal with that, and deal with the loss of everything in my apartment, my safe haven." She did what she always did before she began to fall apart. She drew her knees up to her chin and began rocking.

Clint immediately recognized the action, she was going to start shutting down, so he did what he always did. Rubbing her temples with his index and middle fingers in a circular motion usually brought her back. "Mikayla? It's Clint, I'm here. It'll be OK." She slowly stopped rocking, released her legs, and leaned into him. "I've got you, babe. I've always got you."

"I know, thanks. Guess I just needed to hear that, things were getting overwhelming." She took several deep breaths to give herself time to focus by concentrating on her breathing, which she matched to Clint's calmness. "OK, putting on my logical side now." She sat up. "The easiest choice and the one that makes the most sense is to move in here. If, or when, I need space, I can always head up to the house. Pepper's already said she'd help me go shopping, and my best friend's a decorator who offered her help. Most importantly, I've got my supportive and extremely fit fiancé who can help move things." She turned her face up to look at him. "Gotta put the biceps to use, you know."

He kissed her on the top of her head. "That's my fiancée. Welcome back to reality, babe. I like the idea of you moving in here." He spoke softly in her ear, "If you're lost you can look,"

"And you will find me," she replied just as softly. She turned around to look back into the suite. "Looks like the party's winding down. Good thing, too. I'm beginning to fade."

"Come on," Clint stood up and held out his hand, "time for bed. It's been an eventful couple of days."

Mikayla nodded and allowed him to help her up. As she stood up, the stress and emotions of the past few days hit her. Her legs felt like lead. It took all her effort to put one foot in front of the other.

"Screw this," Clint muttered. He picked Mikayla up and carried her through the common area and into her new living quarters next to his, their teammates watching as he made his way through the room. He softly laid her down on the bed and kissed her, stroking her face. "If you fall, I will catch you," he whispered.

"I will be waiting." Mikayla put her hand over his. "See you when you get back from taking care of the evil men," she whispered back.

"You got it." Clint kissed her again, then left to go over last-minute planning with Nat. Mikayla was asleep within 5 minutes after Clint left. Clint went through the adjoining door and laid down on his bed and he, too, fell asleep shortly after his head hit the pillow.