Thanks for being patient while waiting for the next chapter, and here we are! A big thank you to Katie, who provided outstanding inspiration for this chapter and the contraption Tony designed for Mikayla. I couldn't have written this chapter without you! Without further adieu, I present to you the next chapter in our saga!
Clint held Mikayla, absentmindedly stroking her arm, her head on his chest. "Did you just sigh?"
Probably. That's what people do when they're content, don't they? At least they do in those cheesy romances Misty forces me to read. Ugh, I hate those. The girls are always helpless and need the man to rescue her, then reward the guy by having sex with him."
Clint chuckled. "Uh, babe? You do realize we just had sex, right?"
Mikayla rolled her eyes and lightly slapped his chest. "Of course, silly. Those books are ridiculous, though."
"Yep, because you, my kick-ass woman, definitely do not need anyone to rescue you. You've shown you're more than capable of getting out of any scenario or trouble."
Mikayla raised her head. "What? Don't you think I need you? Clint, God, I wouldn't have made it this far without you. You've rescued me more times than I care to count." She leaned up and kissed him. "I will never stop needing or wanting you."
Clint smirked. "Care to prove that?"
"Why, Agent Barton, are you propositioning me?"
"Nope, just hoping for a repeat," Clint said, pulling her in for another, longer kiss.
"Well, when you put it that way."
"Agent Fitzgerald? Mr. Stark is requesting your and Agent Barton's presence in the hallway. He wanted me to remind you that it is his tower and, if need be, he will use any force necessary to break down the door."
"Ugh," Mikayla groaned, putting a pillow over her head. "Tell him we'll be there, Friday."
"Of course."
"You know, you keep talking about this apartment you have," Mikayla mentioned to Clint after he got done showering. "Don't you think it's time you introduce me to it? We could at least have some privacy."
Clint knew she was right. They were going to be married, so he knew she could be trusted. He guessed it was just a little piece of himself he wanted to hold back. "I'll take you over later." He leaned down and kissed her as he strode by the bed. Mikayla had already changed clothes and was wearing a light grey t-shirt with a purple target on it and a pair of jeans. After Clint got dressed, he met Mikayla in the living room, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her close. "Damn, if you don't look sexy in my shirt." Then he whispered, "Even sexier out of it."
"Later, arrow guy." She kissed him and nibbled his earlobe. "I don't want to be interrupted by Tony."
"Good thinking." They got to the door and, upon opening it, found the rest of the team standing in the hallway.
"Well, thank you for gracing us with your presence," Tony said.
"Like we had a choice," Clint growled.
"I know, I'm persuasive like that. Anyway, please follow me. I have a present for our resident female birdie." Mikayla looked over to Clint, who had a blank look on his face, and shrugged his shoulders. They tagged along with the rest of the group, following Tony to what was once an open floor between the floor they were on and the roof. After opening the door, he bowed to them. "After you, Hawkeyes."
Mikayla held Clint's hand as they walked in, and Tony turned on the light. What they saw before them was hard to describe. There was a colossal funnel just under the ceiling leading water into various troughs, which directed the water throughout the room. Levers were attached at different points, controlling the flow and direction of the incoming water. Mikayla looked over at Tony. "What is this?"
"Power to control the water. I've soundproofed it so she can't hear the storms. The water will come in through the funnel. Once it hits the channels, you can use the levers to direct and control the water, that way, you'll know exactly where it is and where it's going. It will drain into the area over there and be reused elsewhere in the tower, so it's environmentally appropriate. And, in between downpours, the water will be stored for you to release any time you want."
Mikayla didn't say a word but went over and started moving different levers, trying them out to see how the contraption worked. Natasha nudged Clint to look out the window just below the ceiling. He looked up and could see storm clouds and the rain pouring down, yet Mikayla continued moving around. She was using the various levers to control the water, focusing on how to manage the speed it traveled depending on the size of the channel and how she maneuvered the levers. The tension had disappeared from her shoulders, though that could partially be due to their earlier activities, Clint surmised. "She's finding herself again, Nat. My kick-ass woman is returning." He was becoming prouder of her by the minute, knowing the strides she was making to recoup what his son of a bitch brother had tried to take from her, from them.
"Psst, Katniss," Tony whispered. Clint looked over, and Tony was motioning him to the side of the room. Clint strode over to him. "Wanted to show you this." He pointed to what Clint thought was just a glass wall. Tony typed in a set of numbers on the wall panel, causing the glass to slide open and reveal a huge walk-in shower with a brushed nickel shower system, complete with a rain ceiling shower head and hand shower. "This should also help her get used to rain again. The glass is frosted. No one can see in or out, so it's completely private. There's a light overhead that turns on when the shower is occupied. Only two other people will have the passcode – you and Maid Marian." Tony looked at Clint. "Six digits, her birthdate. Towels are in the locker over in the alcove." He patted Clint on the shoulder. "Anything to help our girl out, right? Pepper was beginning to miss her." Tony started to walk off, then turned around. "Oh, I like her new haircut." Tony exited the shower.
Clint took a moment to take in everything. "She is going to love this. I'll show it to her later." He smirked. "We'll need to christen it, after all." He chuckled to himself as he rejoined the group just in time to see Mikayla throw her arms around Tony's neck.
"If you don't stop doing this, I won't be able to convince people you don't care." Mikayla kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Tony."
He put an arm around her, placing his lips next to her ear. "Ask Legolas about the added bonus only he knows about." Mikayla nodded, then let go of him. "Thank you all for coming to my presentation today. Now, if you'll follow me, there will be refreshments in the kitchen." Tony strutted out of the room, the rest of the team following behind, leaving only Clint and Mikayla.
Mikayla went back to operating the levers as Clint leaned against the wall and watched her. She continued moving smoothly among the various channels, only turning around when she had tried every lever several times. She asked Clint, "What was Tony talking about? A bonus?"
"Here." Clint clasped her hand, taking her over to the hidden room, punching in the code and allowing her to walk in ahead of him. Mikayla gasped as she saw the vast shower, then turning around to face Clint. "You and I are the only two who know about this."
"Clint? This is the largest shower I've ever seen. It's larger than my college dorm room. Tony doesn't believe in subtle, does he?"
Clint smiled. "I'm not sure he even knows the definition."
Mikayla walked over to the showerheads, lightly touched the hand shower, then started shivering. "I, I want to." Her teeth started chattering.
Taking several long strides, Clint grabbed Mikayla before she sank to the floor. "I've got you," he said, gently easing her to the ground.
She turned and buried her head into Clint's neck. "I can't do this." Clint felt the shoulder of his shirt becoming wet with Mikayla's tears.
"Hey, hey, it's okay." Clint ran his hands through Mikayla's hair. "You don't have to use it now. It'll be here when you're ready." He held her tight against him, rocking back and forth. "You've come so far, Mikayla. We'll overcome this, too." Clint put a finger underneath her chin, drawing her face to look up at him. "Mikayla, I promise. No one is going to force you to do anything. Move at your own pace. Okay?" She nodded. Clint kissed her temple. "Good."
"Clint?"
"Hmm?"
"Thanks for being patient."
"It's my job, remember? Plus, you're so worth it, Mikayla. As I'm always saying, anything I can do to get you through this, I will. If I have to tell Fury – "
Mikayla sat up. "No, Clint, you're not going to abort the mission. You started it, and we're going to finish it. Besides, it'll help me get my mind off myself, will give me something else to focus on. Now," she sniffed, "we need to go over my background and our stories."
Clint grinned. "That's my kick-ass fiancée." He stood, holding out his hand and helping her to her feet. "Let's go, Hannah Grace Alvarez Rockwell."
"You got it, Joshua Rockwell. What?" Clint had a surprised look on his face. "I was trained by the best. Did you not think I could read upside down? My real last name's Coulson, remember?" Mikayla lightly slapped him on the cheek. "I need to go find out more about Hannah." As they left the shower, Mikayla stopped, biting her lip. "I know I'm going to regret this, but what's the code?"
"Six digits. It's your birthdate." Mikayla nodded, and the couple left the new room.
"Let's go see what there is to eat. I'm famished." When they arrived back in the kitchen, Steve had made several batches of waffles, and someone had put out various bowls of fruit. Clint and Mikayla filled their plates, grabbed glasses of orange juice, and went to the love seat as the stools around the island were already spoken for.
"I'll be right back." Clint kissed Mikayla's cheek, leaving the room, returning a short time later with a manila folder. "There you go."
Mikayla opened the folder and read the information. "Wow, my dossier." She leaned back into the love seat. "Who would've thought this would ever happen?" Leaning forward, she laid her plate on the table and picked up the folder. "Hannah Grace Alvarez Rockwell, born in Arizona, met Joshua in middle school when his family moved from Texas to be closer to his grandparents. They started as friends, going on their first date to the freshman dance. By the end of the year, they were an item, never to look back. She broke his heart by deciding to go to college in New York City as he went to work at his father's oil company, preparing to take over the mantle of CEO. They lost contact and didn't see each other again until two years ago when she returned for her mother's funeral. They got engaged shortly after that and are now celebrating their first anniversary." Mikayla rifled through the rest of the documents, then leaned back and smiled.
"What?" Clint asked.
"Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Thanks for not making me learn an accent."
"You could do it. We'll work on those. You'll also need to learn some languages. I know we talked about that before, but we should get started on that. You won't need any for this mission, but better to learn when you're not under pressure."
Mikayla nodded. "Thanks for giving me a fairly simple backstory. We all know I have outstanding computer skills, so while on the ship, I could conveniently pull up information on them to see if they're contacting anyone onshore."
"Damn if I don't love the way you think, Fitzgerald." Clint leaned over and kissed her temple. "He'd be proud of you, you know."
"I know." She stood, picking up her plate and glass. "I'm going to the gym. I think I'm ready to start working out again. Coming with me?"
Clint immediately jumped up to follow her. "Of course. Someone's got to be there to make sure you don't overdo it." He smirked.
Mikayla ruffled his hair. "You're such a caveman. I love it." She leaned down, kissed him, then headed toward the gym.
Upon arriving at the gym, Mikayla went to her locker and grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. After changing clothes, she went to the main floor and started stretching. After loosening up, she sat down on a bench to work on her arms, figuring that exercise would put the least amount of strain on the cuts that were still healing. At some point, she heard repeated thunks coming from the next room, quickly identifying the noise as arrows from Clint's bow striking various targets. She didn't realize how much she missed archery. "Maybe I'll go over there after my workout, see how much I can do. I need to keep up my skills." Once she finished with the arm weights, she moved to the leg press machine. "Plus, this will help build the strength back up in my ankle." After finishing with that machine, she decided to walk on the treadmill, knowing that would help with endurance. "Friday? Please play my workout mix."
The A.I. started the music, and for the next 45 minutes, Mikayla concentrated on the music. She was keeping her mind occupied with the mission details, becoming familiar with her new persona, making sure she knew it inside and out, coming up with possible stories to fill holes, answers to questions that may arise when Clint wasn't with her. After cooling down on the treadmill, she grabbed a towel and wiped her face. "Man, I'd love a shower right about now." Mikayla tensed up, realizing what a shower would entail. "Damn it. I've got to get over this." She tossed the towel in the laundry bag and went up to the room Tony had created for her, then walked over to the troughs and began maneuvering the incoming water. "I can do this. If I can control water this way, I can do it with a damn showerhead." For the next several minutes, Mikayla made her way around the contraption until she stopped shaking. "Okay, Fitzgerald, close your eyes and focus. Take some deep breaths." As she did, she pictured the new shower and the handheld shower arm. "I've got this. The water won't be coming down onto my head, so it's a different situation."
Mikayla took a deep breath, walked over to the keypad, punching in her birthdate, then watched as the glass slid open, revealing the massive shower. "Okay, here goes nothing," she said to herself, stripping off her sweat-soaked clothes and putting them in the locker installed at the far end of the shower. Mikayla tiptoed back across the tiles and stared at the showerheads. Before turning on the water, she disengaged the handheld from its bracket and moved it around as if she were taking a shower. Looking over to the right, she saw a shelf containing various bottles of body wash and shampoo, along with a couple of loofahs hanging from brass hooks, which were the same brushed nickel as the showerheads. Against the wall next to the showerheads, she noticed a lever with two words inscribed on it, 'handheld' and 'overhead.' "Tony, you big goof, you thought of everything." She turned the lever to 'handheld,' holding the wand out in front of her until she got it at the right temperature. One other thing she noticed was when she turned on the water, the frosted walls turned a pale blue color. "Yep, thought of everything." Once the temperature was hot enough, Mikayla tentatively held the showerhead behind her and let the pulsing water massage her back, directing the showerhead along her upper and lower back. "Damn, I forgot how much I'd missed showers." She caught herself before she started moaning.
Downstairs, Clint finished his shooting set, then headed back into the main gym, hoping to catch Mikayla. When he got there, he couldn't find any sign of her, not even after looking in the locker area. He quickly ran up to their suites, but still no sign of her. Not wanting a repeat of the previous night, he looked out the window, only to see the sun shining, not a cloud in the sky. "Friday? Where is Agent Fitzgerald?"
"She's up in the new shower, Agent Barton."
Clint smiled. "That's my girl. Here's hoping she doesn't have a relapse since she didn't seem to take too well to it earlier." He leaped up the stairs to the new room, stopping when he saw the pale blue glass. "Hmm, Tony didn't tell me about that." Clint stood for a moment, realizing Tony was right, that he couldn't see through the frosted glass. He punched in the code on the keypad and waited for the wall to slide open. When it opened, and he stepped inside, the color of the glass changed to a pale lilac as it slid back into place.
Was that singing he heard? Clint smiled as he listened to her deep, sultry voice. 'Another step in her healing. God, I can't remember the last time I heard her singing. Guess I didn't realize how much I've missed that.' Of course, that wasn't the only thing catching his attention, and he knew damn good and well how to respond to that. He removed his clothes, put them in the locker next to Mikayla's, then made his way over to her. She had her back to him and was rinsing off her front. Clint stood behind her, lightly placing his hands on her shoulders, massaging them, and kissing the back of her neck.
Mikayla jumped in surprise, immediately bringing her breathing to normal as she leaned back into him. "Hi," she whispered.
"Hey," he whispered back, continuing to massage her neck and shoulders. "You're using the shower."
Mikayla chuckled. "That's my ever-observant Hawkeye, never misses a thing."
"Shh." He reached around her, put his hands underneath the streaming water, ran his fingers through her hair, then reached over to the shelf, grabbing a bottle of shampoo. Clint squeezed some shampoo into his hand, replaced the bottle on the shelf, and gently shampooed Mikayla's hair. Mikayla melted beneath his touch, softly moaning as his fingers went through her hair and massaged her scalp. When he finished, he took the handheld showerhead from her. "Do you trust me?" He asked softly. She nodded. "Lean your head back toward me." As she did, he directed the spray of water over her hair to rinse out the shampoo. She started shaking, so he immediately replaced the showerhead and held onto her to keep her from falling. "I've got you. We're here in the tower. You're safe. Listen to my voice, Mikayla." As he was talking to her, he finished rinsing her hair. When he finished, he turned her around to face him. "You did it. You conquered your fear and took a shower." He trailed soft kisses across her face. "I'm so proud of you, of how far you've come."
"Don't let go," Mikayla said shakily as she gripped his biceps.
"Never." Clint drew her close and held her with one hand, reaching behind her to turn off the water. He continued holding her until he was sure her panic attack had passed. "You good?"
"I am now." Mikayla looked up at him and kissed him. "Thank you." Before he could get out, "you're welcome," Mikayla had moved her hands from his arms to the back of his neck, drawing his head to hers. Their lips met, and their kisses started slow and sensual, but the passion quickly increased. Clint backed Mikayla up against one of the walls as their hands traveled over the other's body. Mikayla leaned her head back, allowing Clint to attack her neck with his lips. She gasped as, without hesitation or warning, he entered her and began thrusting back and forth. Mikayla could do nothing but hold on to him as he brought her closer to her release point. "Clint, yes!" She screamed as she climaxed. After a few more thrusts, he followed with a release of his own. He continued holding her as they came down from the moment and could catch their breath. Once her heart started beating at a normal rhythm again, she ran her fingers through his hair. "Well, think we officially christened the new shower."
Clint leaned in and kissed her. "We did. Now, let's put it to use again." She nodded, so they made their way to the shower and rinsed each other off, then went back to the locker cabinet and found it stocked with robes. They each donned one, grabbed their clothes, and returned to their suites. Clint looked and saw Mikayla yawning. "We never did get that break from the others. Friday? Unless there's a life-or-death situation, please make sure we're not disturbed."
"Of course, Agent Barton." The couple retreated to Clint's bedroom, where they stayed until the next day, with Mikayla sleeping and Clint holding her when her nightmares became too much, catching catnaps in between her episodes.
The following day, Mikayla woke up to a tray of pancakes, fruit, and a steaming cup of coffee next to her on the nightstand. "Aw, coffee, yes." She sat up and downed the coffee in one gulp. She picked up the tray and carried it to the living room to sit down at the small table. Her phone pinged. She picked it up, and there was a calendar reminder to call her doctor. "I can't believe it's been six months already. I'm glad I set the reminder." She called the doctor and scheduled an appointment for later the following week. After finishing her breakfast, she changed clothes into another one of Clint's t-shirts and a pair of her jeans. She also threw on a hoodie and went down to the communal kitchen. "Morning, all." Mikayla was greeted with a chorus of "good mornings" as she put her dirty dishes in the dishwasher. When she stood and turned around, she saw Clint and Natasha walking into the kitchen. "Thanks for the breakfast tray, RH."
"Of course, Sharky." Clint walked over to Mikayla and kissed her. "You were sleeping so soundly and peacefully that I didn't want to disturb you. Had to go debrief with Fury and Hill."
"How'd that go?"
"They're on board with the mission. Just waiting on the bad guys to decide on the ship and the date."
"Which reminds me. I'll do an internet search and see if I can find any updates. First, though, I have a favor to ask, continuing with my theme of getting on with my life." She smiled.
"I can get on board with that. What's up?"
"I've checked the weather, and no rain in the forecast. Could we take the bike out? I'd like to do a little bit of shopping."
A wide grin crossed Clint's face. He knew how she was still struggling with being among crowds and was so proud of her for taking this step independently. "Sure thing. Where did you want to go?"
"The bookstore. I want to pick up a thank-you gift for Bucky."
"Let's go, then." Clint took Mikayla's hand, and they went to the garage. He grabbed their helmets, they climbed on the cycle and weaved their way through the city traffic to arrive at the bookstore.
As Mikayla was taking off her helmet, it hit her what took place the last time. "Clint? Clint? Where are you?" She began reaching out for him.
"I'm here, Mikayla, I'm here." Clint jogged over to her and held her close, enveloping her until her panic attack passed. "What happened?"
"Just realized what happened here before."
That's when it hit Clint. This is where she was when Barney's goons took her and raped her. "They won't hurt you again. I promise you that. They're locked up and will never see the light of day."
Mikayla nodded. "I know. I think my emotions are on edge. I forgot to take my meds this morning, and I got a reminder it's time for my six-month checkup."
Clint kissed her temple. "You've got this. You'll take your medicine when we get back to the tower, and then you'll get to work hunting bad guys on the computer."
"Good plan. Now, let's go book shopping." The couple walked into the bookstore and were greeted by Winston and Oscar.
As Mikayla stooped down to pet Winston, Oscar came up to them. "Clint and Mikayla, correct?" They nodded. "Welcome back. How may I help you today?"
Mikayla asked him about the book she was looking for. "I was hoping you had a first edition."
"Let me check my inventory." Oscar went back behind the counter and punched the information into his computer, then smiled. "You're in luck. Let me go to the back and get it for you."
As they waited, Clint and Mikayla walked around the shop. Mikayla grinned as she discovered a book. "This will come in hand."
Clint smiled when he saw the title. "101 Things to Do on a Cruise Ship. Let's get it. We can never have too much research." Oscar returned, rang up the two books, and wished them well as they exited the shop. "Anywhere else?"
"Your apartment? You said you'd take me there."
"Yep, I did. Just keep in mind, it's not the tower.
Mikayla kissed his cheek. "No, but it's yours, so I'm sure I'll love it." They climbed on the cycle, and he drove to his Brooklyn apartment. "It's not on SHIELD's radar. Nat's the only other person who knows about it. I bought it a while ago in case I needed a place to go and not be found." They took the elevator up to the apartment, where Clint pushed on a brick, which slid to the side, revealing a keypad. He punched in a code, the door unlocked, and he opened the door, walking in with his arm around Mikayla's waist. "Welcome to Casa de Barton."
Mikayla walked around, nodding her head. "Now, this is the type of place I pictured you living in."
"Homey?"
"Homey." She sat down on the brown leather couch as Clint went to the kitchen, returning with a couple of glasses of water. "Figured it was too early for wine or beer."
"Good thinking." Mikayla looked around. "I like this place. I can sense you here like I'm enveloped by you, but not in a creepy way. I can feel your presence here." She looked over at Clint, who had sat down next to her on the couch. "Do you use this place a lot?"
"Before coming over here after our argument in the hospital, last time was after the battle." She knew he meant the alien attack led by Loki. Mikayla had never asked him questions about that time but waited for him to share what he felt comfortable sharing. "After watching Thor leave with Loki, then everyone else going wherever it was they were going, Nat and I got back in the car. I sat behind the wheel with no idea where to go. Nat finally got tired of me just staring off into space, so she shoved me out of the car, and we switched places. She drove us straight here. I think she thought SHIELD authorities would be coming to look for me and try to hold me accountable for my actions. Not that they would've been wrong for doing that, but Nat knew I didn't need that, knew that it wasn't me in control, no matter how much I tried to convince her otherwise. She knew SHIELD didn't know about this apartment, so off we went. Once we settled, she contacted someone safe in SHIELD, gave her an update, then advised her in no uncertain terms I was not to be messed with, or they would have to deal with the wrath of the Black Widow. For the first week or two, I would sit and shiver, and when I tried to sleep, all I could see were the faces of the people that had died at my hands. I kept hearing his voice in my head directing me what to do. I felt like a trained monkey, with no thought about what I was doing. Nat found out I wouldn't be held legally responsible as long as I went to my scheduled psychiatric appointments, so she dragged me off to those. After about a month, the nightmares had faded into no more than regular nightmares, and I knew I could live with those." Clint quieted down, reflecting over that time. Mikayla sat back and watched him, ready to be there for him when he needed her. Finally, he let out a soft chuckle. "I remember when Nat showed me your business card. She joked she couldn't believe I'd had time to hit on someone in the middle of a battle. I think I took a swing at her for that comment. We retraced my steps and figured out where I'd picked up the card. She used the card as motivation for my recovery, wouldn't let me see it until I'd completed recovery, and she was sure I was back from 'the blue land,' as she called that time."
Mikayla put a hand on his arm. "I'm glad she made you wait 'cause I probably would've used cognitive recalibration on you myself at that point."
"Well," he smirked, "you did swat me with a broom."
"Don't think I won't do it again if I think you deserve it."
"I don't doubt it."
Mikayla curled up next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "I like it here. It's quiet, and we don't have to worry about anyone barging in on us."
The couple sat enjoying the quiet until Mikayla's phone buzzed. She picked it up from the table. "Hello?"
"Mikayla, it's Pepper. I have some news. I hope you're sitting down."
"I am." Mikayla straightened up, turning to Clint, who had a worried look on his face. "What's up?"
"Mikayla. Tony and I, we're pregnant."
"Oh," Mikayla gulped before continuing. "That's awesome! Congratulations, I'm so happy for you."
"Thanks. We wanted you to be the first of the group to know. I know it's early, probably too early, but we wanted to ask you and Clint to be the godparents."
"Uh, uh, I don't know what to say, Pepper."
"Just say yes. There's no one we'd rather have than the two of you."
Mikayla smiled. "Well, since you put it that way, then yes. How far along?"
"We're due around the same time as your wedding. Not the best timing, I know."
"Well, it's not like you could control that, Pepper."
Pepper chuckled. "True."
"I'm happy for you. I am. That is so exciting."
"Thanks, Mikayla. We'll be telling everyone else shortly. I didn't want you to walk in unaware. Yes, Tony, I told her…yes, Tony, I'll make sure they don't give us a bow and arrow set for a baby gift." Pepper turned her attention back to the phone. "Sorry, Tony's being Tony."
"No worries. Congratulations again, Pepper. Tony, too. You sure you can handle raising the two of them?"
"I think I can handle it. Well, Tony's motioning for me to go with him to tell everyone else. Thanks, Mikayla." Pepper ended the call.
"Let me guess," Clint said. "There's going to be another Stark roaming the universe."
"Yep. I hope the world's ready for that. Oh, they want us to be the godparents. I, I couldn't tell her no."
"It's okay, babe. At least he or she will have some semblance of normalcy."
Mikayla laughed. "If so, the baby will be the most normal person there. Tony's probably already started working on a suit for him or her." Mikayla stood up and began walking around the apartment.
"Bathroom is through the door if that's what you're looking for."
Mikayla shook her head. "Just stretching my legs, but since you pointed it out, I'll be right back." She leaned down, kissed him, then found the bathroom. As she was washing her hands, it hit her what Pepper had announced. "I can't deal with that right now. I've got too much other stuff on my plate." She allowed herself a moment to tear up, then splashed some water on her face, took a deep breath, and strode back into the living room. "Didn't you say one time you had a car here?"
"My baby? That's right. I said I'd introduce you."
"Should I be jealous?"
"Nah, I've just known her longer, that's all."
Mikayla laughed as she shook her head. "Boys and their toys. They never outgrow them. The toys just get more expensive."
"Come on," Clint grabbed her hand. "We'll take the bike over to the parking garage." It was a short ride, and the weather was still cooperating. Once they disembarked from the bike, Clint led her over to a tarp-covered vehicle. He cautiously removed the tarp. "There she is, in all her glory."
"Wow, she's beautiful."
Clint walked up behind Mikayla and put an arm around her waist. "Would I lie about beauty? I think not. Hop in, and we'll go for a drive." He held the passenger door open, and Mikayla slid in. Clint climbed in behind the steering wheel, turned the key in the ignition, and started driving. "Anywhere in particular?"
"Maybe just out of the city?"
Clint nodded and went on autopilot. During the drive, Mikayla slid closer to him, and he propped an arm along the back of the seat. A couple of hours later, he pulled off at a small seaside restaurant. "Hungry?"
"Yep. How often do you drive to the Hamptons to eat?"
"It pays to be aware of your surroundings in case you need to get away. My call sign's Hawkeye for a reason, and not just because I was born in Iowa." Smirking, Clint got out of the car, then went and opened Mikayla's door. "I discovered this place on a whim, and ever since, it's been my go-to seafood restaurant." As they were about to enter the restaurant, one of Clint's phones buzzed. "Hold on." He put the phone to his ear. "Joshua." Mikayla watched his change before his eyes. He became Joshua Rockwell, altering not only the drawl but the cadence of his voice; he shifted his weight and even changed his mannerisms. She realized she'd never seen him at work before since the only mission she'd been on was the one in which he'd been shot. It was fascinating watching him take on another persona. "Later, y'all."
"Y'all?"
"Joshua's lived in Texas for a while, picked up an accent along the way."
"Gotcha. Bad guys calling?"
Clint nodded. "Checking on my family emergency. You're fine, by the way."
"Well, that's good to know. Do you have to go back to Texas?"
"Nope. I think they were just checking out my story. The signal's blocked, so they won't be able to tell where I'm at when they call."
"Sounds like they're getting antsy. When we get back, I'll see if I can find anything. Did you want to eat or head back?"
"Let's head back. I'll bring you out here another time."
"I'm holding you to that, RH." They returned to the car, drove back, switched to the bike, and then rode back to the tower.