Yes, our girl is on the road to recovery! There are still some sad moments here, but overall a much more pleasant chapter than late. Thanks, everyone, for following me on this journey. I hope you're enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it. I'll continue to write until the characters tell me to stop, and I don't see that happening soon.

Now, onto our next leg of the Fitzbarton journey!

Thankfully, Bruce's concoction worked again, and Mikayla slept through the night, only stirring a couple of times. Each time, Clint tensed up, waiting to help her fight through another nightmare, then breathing a sigh of relief when the moment passed. He noticed Mikayla stirring and her eyes fluttering open. "Morning, beautiful." Clint leaned over and kissed her temple.

Mikayla blinked her eyes to get them to focus. "You're still here, even after last night."

"I said you couldn't get rid of me." He stroked her face. "How are you feeling?"

She yawned. "Alive. Did you stay all night?"

"Yep."

She studied his face and lightly ran her fingers over his nose. "How's that feeling?"

"It's fine. You've taken your training to heart. You throw a mean punch."

Mikayla leaned her head against his chest and stared into the distance, then took a deep breath. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course."

She bit her lip. "I need to talk about what happened. Not last night, but when I was away from you."

Clint's jaw tensed up and swore if he had to, he would find where his brother was buried, dig him up, and kill him again. "Okay." He replied and held her a little tighter.

"Someone dragged me away from you during the melee after the fire, and I heard the guy call for Barney. They slapped duct tape over my mouth, tied my hands, and threw me into a car trunk. I was terrified, but I calmed down when I reached my phone and heard your voice. I think I was more scared of the unknown at that point. After ripping my phone away, they put something like a bag over my head so I couldn't see anything. I kept listening to your voice in my head and pictured you rubbing my temples to keep me from having a panic attack. When the car stopped, someone dragged me out and down some stairs, then tossed me on the ground." Mikayla's voice got quiet. "Barney then announced himself. He grabbed my chin and thrust my head up to look at him. I still had the bag over my head so I couldn't see him, but I felt his hatred, and then he ripped the bag off my head." She bit her lip and shook at the memory. "He didn't…, said he had guys to do that, but they were locked up. If there's anything to be grateful for, that's it." Her voice became monotone, and she moved even closer to Clint. "He kept me in the dark, enclosed spaces, away from everyone. I usually only had a ratty blanket and maybe an old pillow. I felt like an abandoned animal. He kept my hands and feet tied most of the time. I caught myself focusing on the pain in my broken wrist and ankle." She looked down at her feet. "I guess they had to rebreak it, thanks to him. I wondered if it would heal right." She went back to staring straight ahead. "He'd have people feed me providing they remembered. He kept calling me his little birdie and making jokes. At one point, he threw some hay at me and told me to lie down in my nest. I don't think he had a well-thought-out plan as to what to do with me. All he was concerned about was hurting you for abandoning him. He wanted to make sure he left you with nothing. I wondered if he would go after the team after he finished with me, but I knew I couldn't let it get to that point. I couldn't let that happen."

'She was willing to sacrifice herself for the team and me,' Clint thought. 'Another debt to add to the list.' Clint didn't say anything, just held Mikayla a little closer and tighter. "We wouldn't have, either."

Mikayla nodded. "I was doing okay, holding up well until close to the end. I can still feel the sting of the belt on my back. By that point, I'd been beaten so much I was almost naked. I'd gone numb by the time he brought out the board." She began tearing up. "There goes backless dresses and bathing suits now. I can't imagine what my back looks like." She snorted. "Think I've caught up to you in scars now." She sniffed and turned away from him. "Clint? How can you still love me when I look like this? I feel like Frankenstein's monster with all these scars. Am I ever going to be whole again?"

Clint could feel her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. This reminded him of a lesser degree how she was after Barney's goons attacked her. When the shaking calmed down, he stroked her hair. "You're not the monster, Mikayla. My brother was. You are still the same woman I fell in love with, but a much stronger woman. When I look at you, I don't see scars. I see beauty, grace, and strength. The scars will fade. You've seen my back. Believe me. It was a lot worse at one time. It wasn't easy, but I got to where I accepted them as a part of me. You'll get there, too. Right now, everything is too fresh, and you're still in the early stages of healing."

"Thank you," Mikayla said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for loving me and for being patient. I knew you'd never stop looking for me."

"Always told you when you fell, I'd catch you." Clint kissed her head.

"Never thought you'd take it literally," Mikayla snickered.

"Good morning. Glad to see you back." Jennifer, the nurse from the previous evening, walked into the room. "Here you go." She tossed some tape to Clint. "Looks like your nose could use it." He nodded and smiled. "The doctor will be in later. I wanted to let you know your vitals look good, so he'll probably take you off the heart monitor today. Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"I'll get you a small breakfast tray, and then I'd like you to try some more walking. We'll probably remove the IV, too."

"I think that sounds like a plan." They turned their heads to see Dr. Sullivan enter the room. "I understand the surgery was a success. "Let me see." Clint got off the bed and moved away so the doctor could examine her. "How's the back feeling?"

"Spine is better. Skin's tender."

"That's to be expected. You had some deep wounds. I'll make sure you go home with some cream to aid in healing. You should be able to take over-the-counter pain medicine for the pain. I'll also get you some cream that will help minimize the scars. They'll fade in time, don't worry." Clint smiled at her as if to say, 'I told you so.' Mikayla stuck her tongue out at him. "I heard you walked some last night, which is what we want to see. How are your eyes?"

"Clear as can be."

"Good. I'll go ahead and take out the IV since you won't need it for nourishment. If all goes well today, we should be able to get you discharged tomorrow, with a recommendation for physical therapy to help you build up your back and leg strength."

Mikayla grinned. "Home." She looked over at Clint. "I'll get to go home, Clint. It feels like forever since I've been back home."

"It's been a while for both of us, babe." Clint looked toward Dr. Sullivan. "So, tomorrow, right?"

"Providing all goes well today, yes. You'll need to watch overdoing it. I am going to send you home with some crutches and braces. I expect your legs will be weak for a bit until you get your strength back up. From what I've gathered, your feet were tied up most of the time, am I correct?" She nodded. "I don't think there will be any atrophy, but I'd like you to keep an eye on any struggles you may have since you didn't use them for some time, then followed up with successful back surgery." Dr. Sullivan stepped away from the bed as the nurse entered to deliver Mikayla her breakfast tray and take out the IV. "I'll be around later today to check on you. Let us know if you have any questions." Clint and Mikayla nodded as he left the room.

The nurse set the tray down on the table, took out the IV, then looked over at Clint. "You may want to step out while I remove her catheter." Clint kissed her temple then left the room, returning about 15 minutes later to find Mikayla sitting up eating oatmeal. "All done," the nurse said. "Call me if you need anything." She left and returned to see her other patients.

Clint sat down and kept an eye on Mikayla as she finished her oatmeal and eggs. "I can't wait until I start feeling like myself again. I finally recognized the old me, then this happened. I guess I need to figure out the new me or re-invent myself."

"I can help with that." The two looked up to see Natasha walking into the room. "How are the lovebirds this morning?"

"Well," Mikayla answered, "if all goes well today, I get to go home tomorrow."

"That's great news, Mikayla."

Natasha looked over at Clint, who stood. "I'm gonna let you have some girl time. I'll head down to get some breakfast." He kissed Mikayla. "Later, babe."

After Clint left, Natasha took over his chair. "What's this I hear about reinventing yourself?"

Mikayla sighed. "I was just getting the old me back after getting attacked in November, and now this. I'm afraid each time something happens that I lose a little of myself. When will I stop being me?"

"I've got experience with that. You never lose yourself completely. You bring parts of you forward that you may have never known were there. At your core, you'll always be you. I know what you're afraid of. You're afraid of not being the Mikayla Clint fell in love with, and you think if that happens, he won't be in love with you anymore. Am I right?"

Mikayla nodded. "That's it. If I don't know me, how can he know me? I've been the same person since I was born. Sometimes now, I don't recognize myself, and it scares me. I've never been once to put up a front. What you see is what you get. But I guess you can't do that as a spy. As a spy, you're required to become another person. The only problem is, I'm not a spy. How do I not lose myself?"

"You don't. There's a little piece of you in every mission, every persona, every experience you go through. You stay grounded to that and to people who know the real you." Natasha leaned back in the chair. "Clint helped me with that. I spent too many years of my life not having anyone to ground me. I was sent from mission to mission without any debriefing or downtime. My handlers didn't care how I was affected, just that you did the job. SHIELD recognizes their agents are human and need the time between missions to deconstruct. Clint showed me the humanity behind the machine." She leaned forward. "I asked him one time what caused him to disobey his kill order. He said at one point, I turned around, and he saw life in my eyes, so he knew I wasn't just a robot, and he thought I was worth saving."

"Yep, that's me," Clint bragged as he strode back into the room, "your friendly neighborhood Russian assassin savior." He plopped down into Natasha's lap. Mikayla giggled as Natasha shoved him onto the floor and then got up from the chair. "Ouch, way to be abusive, Romanoff. Didn't we talk about that?"

"We did, but that was to make you stop abusing me. I'm Fury's favorite, don't forget."

"Wrong, I don't have favorites," Fury announced as he entered. "And, Barton, if I did, it definitely wouldn't be you."

"Aww, love you, too, Nick."

Fury ignored him. "Good to see you, Fitzgerald. The team was kind of worried about you."

"You know me. I'm like a basketball. I'll bounce back."

"Good to know. I'm here to remind you to follow the doctor's instructions. We'll need you back on the team sooner than later."

Mikayla saluted. "On it, boss."

Clint and Natasha stifled chuckles as Fury rolled his eye. "Great, Barton's sass is rubbing off on you. I should see if they have surgery to remove that." He glared at the two SHIELD agents and silently ordered them to leave the room. Once they left, Nick put a hand on Mikayla's arm. "Talk to me, Micki. How are you doing?"

"I'm hanging in there. I get to go home tomorrow, providing I don't tank today." She paused, and her voice got quiet. "I knew Clint would find me. I always hoped it would be sooner than later, and it was just on time, of course."

"Heard you took care of him yourself. Your uncle would be proud."

Mikayla knew that was his way of saying that he was proud of her. She knew he'd never utter the words himself. "Thanks, I hope so."

"Did you need anything?"

Mikayla shook her head. "They're sending me home with crutches and braces and a plan for physical therapy. I'm sure I can use some of the machines in the tower's gym or the facility at work."

"Good. Make sure you follow what they tell you. The stricter you are in following it, the quicker you'll heal. I'll use you on some intel missions. I won't need your archery for that, but not before you're ready. I'll be monitoring your progress, so don't think you can hide anything from me, Micki."

"I won't. I want to heal as soon as I can."

He nodded. "Keep thinking that way, and you'll be fine." Fury squeezed her arm, which was just as good as a hug to Mikayla. "Let me know if you need anything." Fury spun and exited the room as quickly as he entered.

"Ready for your morning exercise?" Clint asked as he walked back in and smiled as he stooped to look at her. "Nat went back to the tower. Hey, you're getting color back in your face. You're on your way back." Moving even closer, he kissed her. Mikayla brought her hand up and placed it on the back of his neck. He heard her softly moan as she leaned into him. Clint pulled away before things got too uncomfortable.

"I've missed that," Mikayla whispered, catching her breath.

"Me, too."

"I'm not gonna lie." Mikayla leaned against her pillow, holding Clint's hand. "There were times, mainly at night, I didn't think I'd make it, didn't think I'd ever see you again. That's when I was the most terrified, so I'd try to think of something else. I'd wonder what you were doing, how you were holding up. I'd play my playlist over and over in my head, hoping you were listening to the same songs." Her eyes became watery. "I knew you'd find me. I never doubted that. I just hoped it would be in time." She sniffed. "And it was." Mikayla looked up and smiled. "We won, Clint. We beat him."

Clint ran his fingers through her hair and wiped away a tear with his thumb. "Yes, we did, babe. You'll never have to worry about him hurting you again." The couple sat for several minutes, grateful to be back together. "OK, let's get you walking." Once she stood up, he asked her, "How far?"

"To the nurses' station and back, please."

"You got it." They made the loop to the desk and back, and, of course, Mikayla wanted to go further but knew she had another walk coming in the afternoon, so she decided to rest until then.

A physical therapist visited and gave Mikayla exercises she could do on her own and set up a schedule for after she was discharged. "I know you're frustrated about your lack of strength," the therapist said, "but you're in good physical shape, so you'll bounce back. Remember to give yourself time." Mikayla nodded her silent assent. "OK, I'll see you at our first appointment next week. I'll give you the weekend to get settled at home."

The couple waited for the therapist to leave before saying anything. "Clint?"
"Yeah, babe?"

"Can you hold me? I don't want ever to forget what that feels like."

"No problem." Clint had her move, and he settled down next to her, putting one arm behind her head and reached across to stroke her arm with his other one. "Good?"

"Good." Mikayla leaned into him. "I don't think I realized how much I missed a human touch after not having one for a month. I felt so isolated. It was probably a good thing I was in a coma. I think I would've been shell shocked with all the stimulation, between the lights and the people."

Clint let her talk. He knew she needed to get things out of her system. She'd said before if she didn't, it would eat her up inside. He felt like they were back at the farmhouse, and she was recuperating from the previous attack. 'You may have won that battle, Barney, but we won the war,' Clint thought to himself. Never again would they have to worry about Barney invading their lives. He kissed her temple. "I love you, Mikayla."

"I love you, too, Clint. That is something I never doubted. I kept that in the forefront of my mind." Mikayla thought about the bond between the two of them. She'd never felt anything stronger, not even with her parents or uncle, and surely not with Tim. The saying 'love conquers all' had turned into reality for her, and she knew she could face anything in life knowing Clint loved her. 'Man, I am a sap,' she thought to herself and grinned.

Clint saw her smiling. "Thinking about anything or anyone in particular? He smirked.

She slapped his arm. "Going over how much of a cliché I've become. I was rescued from the big, bad villain by my Prince Charming, who I'm hopelessly in love with."

"Let me make a couple of corrections. You had a hand in said rescue, and no way in hell am I a prince."

"No, but you are charming, which makes you my Prince Charming, and you're my personal Avenger."

"Such a joy to see young, honest love!" Thor announced as he walked in. "My Jane and Miss Darcy send their best. How are you today, fair Mikayla?" He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"I get to come home tomorrow."

A big smile crossed Thor's face. "Splendid news! We shall celebrate. How may I be of service to you and young Barton?"

"Right now, nothing I can think of," Mikayla answered. "It's good to see you, Thor."

"As it is you, Miss Mikayla. Are you faring well?"

She looked around the room and over at Clint. "All things considered, as well as can be expected. I'll be a little slow moving for a bit."

"Take as much time as you need. We will be there with you for every part of the journey." Thor smiled. "Speaking of journeys, I've come to ask you and Master Clint to take a journey with me after you've recovered."

Clint and Mikayla looked at each other, not sure where this was going. "To where?" Mikayla asked.

"To my other home. To Asgard."

Mikayla blinked and shook her head. "I'm sorry. Did you say to Asgard?"

"Yes, your ears do not deceive you. My father, Odin, has requested your presence. He would like to meet with you and talk with you about some things, especially you, young archer."

"What could your dad possibly want to talk to me about?" Clint asked.

"He wants to apologize for the actions of my brother personally. Odin knew you were the most affected, and he wishes to convey his feelings in person."

"Thor, no offense, but I really don't care to have anything to do with your brother again."

"I understand, and you will not be required to be in contact with him. He is locked up, away from others as part of his punishment, so you will only be meeting with my father and, if all goes well, my friends. It would give me great pleasure to introduce you to them. They are fellow warriors, and you can share many tales."

"Thor?" Mikayla spoke up. "I understand why your father would want to meet Clint, but why me? I wasn't in the picture when your brother was here."

"The two of you are a matched set, a pair of equals. You are a warrior in your own right. I've shared some of your battles with him, and you remind him of my mother. Therefore he would be honored to make your acquaintance after you've recovered, of course. This is not a decision that needs to be made at this moment. Our priority is to get you home and well again."

Clint and Mikayla were quiet as they absorbed the request Thor had made. "We'll, uh, think about it, if that's okay."

Thor smiled. "Master Barton, that is all I ask of you and your betrothed. Now, I'd like to change the subject and talk about Harry Potter." Clint and Mikayla laughed, and the trio spent the next couple of hours talking about those movies and many others.

"If you'd like," Mikayla said, "I have the books at the tower, and you are welcome to read them at any time. I also have them on my tablet."

"Thank you, Miss Mikayla. I will take you up on the offer. I hope they are as fine as the movies."

"You're welcome. I also have the audiobooks, which I'll be taking advantage of until my eye strength improves."

"Good choice, Mikayla." She turned toward the door as Dr. Sullivan entered. "I happened to be walking by and heard a strange noise coming from this room, so I thought I'd stop in and check it out. It's good to hear the laughter."

"Thanks, Dr. Sullivan," Mikayla replied.

"Don't sell yourself short. You did a lot of the work, so you'll need to continue that after leaving here. I don't see any reason to keep you any longer, so I'm sending you home this afternoon. I'll get the paperwork started, which will give you time to get ready to leave. I'll include instructions on when to follow up with the other surgeons, as well." He patted Mikayla on the shoulder. "I wish you the best of luck, and I'll remind you again to follow all the instructions I give you."

"I will, Dr. Sullivan. Who were the other surgeons?"

"Dr. Lampley did your eye surgery, and Dr. Strange performed the surgery on your back."

"Dr. Strange, that's a good one," Clint said.

"It is, but he's the best in this part of the country." The nurse entered with Mikayla's lunch tray. "Go ahead and eat your lunch, and I'll go write up your discharge orders. Oh, and before you go, we have one more thing to take care of. We get to take the cast off your wrist." Dr. Sullivan took her to the casting room, removed the cast, examined it, pronounced it healed, then returned her to her room and left.

"Wonderful news, Fair Mikayla! You're coming home today. Did you need a ride back? Not from me, of course." They all chuckled.

Clint answered for her. "Yep, she will."

"No worries. I shall travel back to the tower and advise the rest of the team. Is there anything I send back with them?"

"Clothes," Clint replied. "All she has here is the hospital gown and her robe."

Thor nodded and went outside to fly back to the tower.

Mikayla smiled. "Thanks, Clint. I honestly didn't think about that."
"Which is why I'm here for you, so you don't have to think about everything."

She sighed. "Guess that's why I keep you around." She had Clint roll the tray table over to her so she could eat her lunch.

About an hour later, Natasha and Steve appeared. Natasha handed Mikayla a bag. "I brought you some fresh clothes. Let's go in the bathroom and get you changed."

"Um, I believe that's my duty, Nat."

"Clint, in this case, let me." Natasha looked at him and stared for a moment. Eventually, he nodded in return and let Natasha go into the bathroom to help Mikayla into her clothes. The two women returned a short time later, with Mikayla wearing a SHIELD sweatshirt and matching pants. "How do they feel?"

Mikayla was quiet. "I never thought I'd have to get used to wearing clothes again. It feels like forever." She shuddered, thinking about her captivity again. Mikayla started sinking to the floor, but Natasha was able to catch her. Clint and Steve rushed over and helped Mikayla sit down on the bed.

"Stay with us, Mikayla," Clint said. "Stay in the present, focus on my voice." He rubbed his fingers in circles on her temple. "Pay attention to my breathing, Mikayla." As he massaged her temples, Mikayla held onto his arms. "Come on. You've got this." He continued helping her through her panic attack until she started breathing normally. Clint lifted her head, forcing her to look him directly in the eyes. "You good?"

Mikayla nodded. "Thanks."

"Always, babe." Clint gently hugged her. "We're here for you."

"I know." Her voice was still quiet as she recovered from the attack.

Soon, the nurse came in with her discharge papers and the equipment being sent home with her. "It's been a pleasure to be a part of your journey. Good luck going forward."

"Thanks for everything," Mikayla softly said as she signed the paperwork. Once she handed the clipboard back to the nurse, the nurse put a copy of the paperwork in Mikayla's sack with her belongings and gave it to Natasha. Clint and Steve carried the braces and crutches as the nurse pushed the wheelchair down to the lobby. She helped Mikayla get into the backseat, then Clint got in next to her as Natasha and Steve sat in the front, and Natasha drove them back to the tower.