I know, a cliffhanger! I wouldn't be a writer if I didn't do that from time to time. Have to give readers a reason to keep reading! And now, we go back to protective team mode! Thanks for the reviews and the feedback!

Clint hurried to the phone. "Yes? How is she? When can I see here? Thank you." He hung up the phone and turned around, color slowly returning to his face. "She's in recovery. They'll let us know when we can see her." He ran his hands through his hair. "Surgery was a success, they're confident they got it all. They expect her to make a full recovery." He leaned back and propped his arm on the table behind him. Nat was the first one to him and took his hand. "Nat, she's going to be okay. She made it."

"Told you she was one tough woman," she said, glad to know she wasn't going to be losing one of her friends.

The rest of the group approached and patted him on the back and shoulders, except Thor. He grabbed Clint and enveloped him in a bear hug. "This is great news! I am glad your Lady Mikayla will be fine! We will celebrate once she is back home with us. That is always a good reason to celebrate."

Clint replied, "Yes, it is, Thor."

One of the nurses came out to the waiting room. "Mr. Barton, we've moved her to her room. She's resting, so we'd like to limit her visitors to 2 at a time for the moment." Everyone turned their attention to Clint and Nat. "If you all will follow me, please. There's a waiting room up on her floor." The group followed the nurse back down halls and up an elevator. She pointed out the waiting room to the group, then Clint and Nat followed her down the hall. The nurse opened the door to Mikayla's room and motioned them in. "She's not in any distress, so there's no time limit on visitors unless the situation changes." She walked out and shut the door behind her.:

Natasha stood near the door and let Clint approach his fiancée. Mikayla was hooked up to an IV and a pain pump and was wearing a nasal cannula for oxygen. "She looks so pale, Nat, but she made it through. My kick-ass woman beat it."

"And you were surprised, why? She's beat the odds up to this point, her making it through this is a no-brainer." Natasha sat down in one of the chairs.

"Tasha, she scared me, this situation scared me. I heard the word cancer, and my mind went to the worst possible place." He clasped one of Mikayla's hands between his and started caressing the back of it. "Why? Why do our brains go there?"

"It's our training, Clint. We're taught to not have attachments, attachments can be a weakness, a reason to be compromised, so our minds have trouble seeing good things happen to those we care about and we prepare for the worst."

"Stupid way to think," Clint said.

"I agree, but I've noticed, especially since Mikayla's been around, my way of thinking is slowly changing. It probably started after the alien attack."

"Which alien attack?"

"Good one, Barton." She slid another chair behind Clint so he could sit down and watch Mikayla recover, then went back to the other side of the bed to sit back down. Her mind went back to after the attack on New York, wondering if her partner would recover from being controlled by a mad…whatever he was. That was the most worried she'd ever been about him. It was easy to deal with the injuries you could see, the unseen ones caused the most problems. She knew he spent many nights on the roof at his old apartment, the one he'd shared with Bruce and Steve, and knew that Bruce had been there to lend an ear when she wasn't around. She remembered having to force him to attend his therapy appointments, even if it were to just give the therapist a go to hell look. Natasha knew once he opened up, his healing would truly begin. It was a good thing he didn't try to contact Mikayla then. He wasn't ready and thankfully he realized that. If he had tried, Natasha didn't think they'd be here now. 'It's all about timing,' she thought. She looked back up at her best friend, noticing he was also regaining his color and she smiled.

There was a movement in the bed. "Hey," Mikayla said weakly, looked through barely open eyes at Clint.

"Hey," he smiled at her.

"You're here. Does that mean –"

"They got it all. You're going to be fine."

She slightly nodded. "Hate being weak, really tired of hospital beds."

"And another reason the two of you get along."

Mikayla moved her head. "Hey, Nat. Thanks for being here."

"And get a chance to see mushy Clint? Wouldn't miss it."

"Romanoff."

"Barton."

"You two…better…Laurel and Hardy," Mikayla said.

Natasha stood up. "There are more people that want to say hi, so I'll give them a chance." She walked over and patted Mikayla on the shoulder. "Glad you're okay."

"Me, too, Nat. Thanks."

"Of course." Natasha walked out and patted Clint on the back as she left the room.

"How are you doing, babe?" He continued caressing her hand and arm.

"Doped up on pain meds, so fine at…moment." She looked over at him. "How are you?"

He smiled. "Now that you're fine, I'm fine. We'll get through this, Mikayla."

"I know."

There was a knock at the door. They looked toward the door and watched as Fury and Hill came in. "Micki."

She inwardly groaned. "Nick."

"Really should stop making this a habit. Some people might start thinking you're an Avenger."

"Working on it." She could see the concern in his eye, so she knew the 'lecture' was a front. "Hi, Maria."

"Hi, Micki. I would ask how you're feeling, but I see the pain pump, so I'm assuming you feel fine."

Mikayla grinned slightly. "Yep. Thanks…for being…here."

"Of course," Hill replied. "Have to check in on our favorite non-SHIELD employee who should be a SHIELD agent."

"And a kick-ass one at that," Clint added, squeezing her hand.

"Thanks, but one…smart ass…enough."

"Hey!" Clint protested.

"Wouldn't have…any other…way." She started yawning.

"That's our cue to vamoose. Clint, call if you need anything or have any updates."

"Will do. Like Mikayla said, thanks for being here."

"Always," Fury said. The director and deputy director left the room.

"You are still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Clint lifted her hand and kissed it.

"Need…eyes…checked…birdbrain."

"You managed to come up with a new nickname. I'm impressed, and my eyes work fine. I wish I could describe how I see you."

"Like a female version of Barton," Tony announced his presence, "except for different hair color, different eye color, different body parts. Other than that, you could be the same person."

Mikayla looked puzzled. "Weren't you…vacation?"

Pepper chimed in. "Maria called us. We can always visit a tropical island. Family comes first." She leaned down and kissed Mikayla on the cheek.

Tears began to form in Mikayla's eyes. She was getting so choked up it was hard to speak. "Thanks for…here."

"Nowhere else we'd rather be, Mikayla. We'll make sure you have whatever you need." Mikayla nodded her head.

"Barton, doing okay?" Tony stood behind Clint and asked him.

"Better now. Thanks, man, for coming back, means a lot."

"Well, like Pepper said, family first. If it were you, we wouldn't be here."

"I know, and I wouldn't expect you to be."

"As long as you know that."

"Yep."

"Tony?" Pepper asked.

"Yes, dear?"

"Let's head out so the others can visit." She walked around to Clint and Tony. "We'll finish getting her suite ready." Pepper hugged Clint.

"Thanks, Pepper. We appreciate it." He looked down at Mikayla, who nodded in agreement. She was struggling to stay awake.

"Anytime, Clint. Tony, let's go." She linked her arm with Tony's and the couple exited the room.

"Mikayla, going to be okay to see the others?"

"Yep." She looked over at Clint. "Call Misty?"

"I will."

The last three team members entered the room. Steve approached her first, leaned over, and kissed her cheek. "We've got to stop meeting like this. Clint's going to get suspicious." She chuckled. "Seriously, we're glad you're okay."

"Thanks. Me, too."

"Anything we can get for you? Anything you need?"

"Nothing…can…think of, thanks." She looked over his shoulder and saw Bruce. "Owe you again."

"No, you don't," he replied. "You do what you can for friends without asking for anything in return." Mikayla smiled.

"Lady Mikayla, wonderful to see you and so glad you are doing well. We shall look after your young man for you while you recuperate."

"Thanks, Thor." Listening to him speak always brought a smile to her face. "I'll get to hear…more about…Asgard."

"Of course! I shall be pleased to share more tales with you during your recovery."

"Yay," Mikayla said. It was obvious to everyone she was beginning to fade.

"We'll head out and let you get your rest. We'll be back later." Steve said. "You good?" He asked Clint.

"I am now, thanks, Cap."

"As are we all," Thor added. "It pleases us to see your Mikayla on the road to recovery. We shall return at a more opportune time with more regaling." He patted Clint on the back as he left. Steve and Bruce did the same, leaving Clint and Mikayla in the room, surrounded by the steady beeping of the various machines.

Clint pulled out his phone and sent a text to Nat, asking her to let Misty know, then turned his focus back to Mikayla, who had drifted back to sleep. "I don't want to think how close I came to losing you," he said to the air. "For the first time in my life, I have someone who loves me, cares for me, won't let me down, and does all this despite my past. How could I not help but love you back, Sharky?" He brought her hand up to his face and kissed it, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles, putting his fingers to her wrist to feel her pulse, confirming she was still there. He knew the noises from the machines would tell him that, but he had to confirm it for himself.