Thanks for sticking with me, y'all! I hope you're still enjoying the saga. This one will be more of a team chapter with a little bit of angst. I mean, I wouldn't be me if there weren't angst. Credit in advance to Bruno Mars for Just the Way You Are. Remember, feedback is always appreciated, and, in case I haven't said it already, thanks to Katie for the idea of the water contraption Tony created for Mikayla.

When they walked into the common living area, they found Tony already waiting on Pepper hand and foot, refusing to allow her to do anything. "Just until I get a suit made for you, Pep."

"Tony, I don't need a suit. Do you know how many millions upon millions of babies have been born, and their parents didn't have a suit? How do you think cavewomen did it? Without a suit." Pepper was getting exasperated, and they still had several months to go before Baby Stark made his or her appearance.

"It's going to be fun the next several months," Clint said under his breath, where only Mikayla could hear him.

"She'll reel him in. Pepper's been handling him for this long, and I'm sure she'll have a solution." Mikayla leaned over and kissed Clint's cheek. "I'm going to go find Bucky and give him his gift. Clint went off to join Bruce and Nat at the island.

Mikayla found Bucky and Steve sitting on the couch, talking about some girl they both dated when they were teenagers. "You're looking better, Mikayla," Steve said as she sat down in a chair across from them. "Did you get a chance to use the new room?"

Mikayla nodded. "I did, thanks. It helps to clear my mind, to refocus it. Thank you both for helping me out during the rainstorm."

"No problem, Mikayla."

She handed the sack to Bucky. "My way of saying how much I appreciated your help, Bucky."

With a confused look on his face, Bucky took the sack from her, then removed the book. "The Hobbit. I remember reading this when it first came out."

"I happened to overhear you one time talking about it," Mikayla said.

"You didn't have to do this, Mikayla."

"I know. It's just what I do. Always happy to help people feed their reading habits. I mean, you don't know me all that well, yet you rescued me from the storm. Not everyone would do that."

Bucky blushed. "Oh, don't sell everyone else around here short. They would."

"Yeah, but I don't know that they would've had the same results. The only thing that brought me back to reality was your arm."

Steve elbowed him. "See, I always knew something good would come out of having a metal arm."

Bucky grinned. "Since when do I listen to you?"

Mikayla sat back and listened to the two best friends argue. Not having any siblings, she figured that was what brothers would sound like. Mikayla also checked in with Pepper. "Are you ready to strangle him yet?" She joked as Pepper kept shooing Tony away.

"Not yet. I think I'll keep him around for a while. I'm sure he'll be helpful once the little 'Pepper Sprout' arrives."

Mikayla laughed. "Pepper Sprout? That's priceless. I love it!"

Clint watched Mikayla, perking up when he heard her laughing. After everything she'd been through, she finally was comfortable enough to laugh again. She had a well of strength not a lot of people had. The things she'd overcome would break lesser people, but not his Mikayla, not his kick-ass fiancée. He listened and realized Tony had asked Friday to start playing music. Natasha looked at him, knew what he would do, and shook her head in amusement. Clint bounded over to Mikayla and held out his hand. "Dance?"

"Sure." Mikayla smiled, took his hand, and led her to the area of the room closest to the windows. She continued smiling as he twirled her slowly around, then brought her close and put an arm around her waist. She placed her left hand on his right shoulder, and they effortlessly danced around the open area. If Mikayla closed her eyes, she could easily picture the two of them back in Philadelphia, dancing in the club after they got engaged, though it was to a different style of music.

Clint was thinking the same thing. So he leaned and whispered, "It's not Nat King Cole, but it'll do." He continued whispering as he sang along with the tune:

When I see your face,

There's not a thing that I would change.

'Cause, you're amazing,

Just the way you are.

And when you smile,

The whole world stops and stares for a while,

"Cause, girl, you're amazing,

Just the way you are.

"You do know you're just as beautiful to me as you were that night, don't you?"

Mikayla laid her head on his shoulder. "As long as you think so, that's what matters. You know what I see when I look in the mirror?" Clint didn't answer, letting her talk it out. "I don't see me anymore. I see a monster or at least a broken monster. I'm covered in scars, and I swear the inside is just as scarred as the outside. The important thing in all of this is that, somehow, you still find me beautiful. I'm hoping someday I'll feel that way again about myself."

Clint stopped dancing and pulled her head away from his shoulder. "Mikayla O'Hara Coulson Fitzgerald, listen to me. You are not what my asshole brother said you are. If you believe the lies, then he's won. Babe, you've come so far in such a short amount of time. Remember what I've told you that you can do nothing to make me not love you. No matter what, you will always be the most beautiful woman I've ever met, and I'm looking forward to showing you how I feel for the next hundred years. In fact, why don't we go back to our rooms and I'll demonstrate how beautiful and sexy I think you are?" Not waiting for a reply, Clint took Mikayla's hand and they disappeared up to their room, not returning for several hours.

Natasha witnessed the couple while they were dancing and could tell what their conversation was about. She tried to remember a time when she didn't have the self-confidence she had now. It was probably when she was first in the Red Room. 'Of course, it's hard to tell if those memories were mine or if they were planted. Mikayla is getting flashes of herself back, but we need to figure out how to work on her self-confidence,' Natasha thought to herself.

"Penny for your thoughts? Though," Steve said as he approached Natasha, who was leaning on the island, "with inflation, it's probably at least a quarter now."

Natasha chuckled. "Thinking about ways to help Mikayla. She's becoming herself again, but the times she's not seem to be…darker, I guess."

Steve grew concerned. "Are you worried she'll do something? Try to harm herself, maybe?"

Natasha shook her head. "No, I don't want her to get stuck in that frame of mind. Wouldn't want her going down a dark path."

"Have you talked to Clint about it?"

"Nope, just something I've observed. She was talking while they were dancing. She thinks she's a monster. This is all new to her. She's used to being on the outside looking in, and now she's been thrown into the fight. We need to remind her she's come out the other side stronger than ever and that the scars will fade, even the internal ones."

"Do they fade, or do we just not think about them as much, or put them somewhere we don't focus on them?"

"Good point." Natasha turned to Steve. "I think I know someone that can help. She's done it before."

"Wanda?"

"Wanda. She and I went up to the farm after Mikayla was attacked, shortly after Wanda started SHIELD training, and she was learning how to channel her power. I know she offered again when Mikayla was in the hospital. So it's probably a good time to give her a call."

"Good idea. I think it might help, too, once Misty returns. They've known each other longer, and it's always good to have your best friend around."

"Yeah, but sometimes said best friends could be a pain in the ass."

"True." Steve was quiet for a moment, remembering when he thought his best friend was dead. He knew Natasha and Clint had been through that as well. "Seriously, though, what would we do without our best friends?"

Natasha nodded, thinking back over everything she and Clint had been through, knowing that, without him finally catching up to her, she probably would be dead and not be here even to have a best friend.

"Captain Rogers?" Friday announced. "Mister Wilson and Miss Randall have arrived at the tower."

Steve grinned. "Did Misty know we were talking about her?"

A few minutes later, Sam and Misty entered the room. "Look," Bucky spoke up, "the long-lost travelers are back. Thought maybe you'd fallen off the face of the earth."

"Funny, Barnes. I didn't realize I was supposed to report my itinerary to you."

"Welcome back, you two."

"Thanks, Steve," Misty said. "I've already tried to call Mikayla to let her know we were in town." She held up a hand. "Before anyone says anything, I already figured out why she didn't answer. She's spending time with bird brain. Sam was going to drop me off first, but thought we'd stop by and check in, see what we've missed."

"Well, no alien attacks, no evil person trying to set the place on fire or take over the world, so it's been a reasonably quiet time. And, to top it off, Tony hasn't succeeded in imploding the tower, which is always a positive."

"Thanks for the update, Nat," Sam replied as he and Misty went into the living area and sat down. They filled the group in on their trip. Everyone avoided the topic of Mikayla, assuming Misty had talked to her.

"I think I recognize that voice." Everyone looked up to see Mikayla flying into the living room. "Misty!" Mikayla almost bowled her over with her enthusiasm. "Welcome back! Sam treating you okay? Do I need to take him out? Because I can, you know." Her words were tumbling out of her mouth. Natasha looked over at Clint, who just shrugged his shoulders and had that aw-shucks look on his face.

"All good, bestie," Misty laughed. "Looks like you're doing fine. Okay, better than fine." She noticed a trail of small lip-shaped bruises along her neckline, even though Mikayla had tried to cover them with makeup. Misty linked her arm with Mikayla's. "Let's go get caught up." The two friends retreated down the hall and up to Mikayla's room.

Clint went into the kitchen, followed closely by Natasha. "Mikayla seems to be doing better."

Clint opened the fridge. "Yep."

"I was going to call Wanda for reinforcement, knowing how she helped after the attack."

Clint nodded. "I'm sure Mikayla would love to see Wanda. But, unfortunately, I don't think she's seen her since she got discharged."

As soon as he pulled his head out of the fridge, Natasha slammed the door. "Care to explain?"

"Nope, but thanks for asking." Clint looked over to find the ex-Russian assassin glaring at him, a glare that would bring any normal man to their knees and spouting off the information they didn't know they had. Clint, of course, was not a normal man. "Some details are private and between a couple. Suffice it to say I performed my version of cognitive recalibration."

Natasha grinned. "Good. I just need to remind her to use darker concealer in case she needs another recalibration session." Natasha left the kitchen with Clint smiling, picturing Mikayla's next round of therapy.

Up in Mikayla's suite, the two friends were sprawled on her couch. "So, how have things been going since you got home from the hospital? I'm not gonna lie. I've never been more worried about you in my life." Misty shivered, remembering what it was like watching her friend lying in that hospital bed, not knowing if she'd ever have her best friend back.

Mikayla looked down and started twisting her engagement ring. "To be honest, there were times I didn't think I'd ever see you, or anyone else, again. I did okay during the day, but at night the doubts would start speaking to me. I was able to fight them most of the time, except for the last couple of weeks. It's not like I gave up hope. I knew Clint would never stop looking for me, but I was beginning to doubt he would find me in time, and his asshole brother would win." She lifted her head. "Don't know if you ever heard, but I killed him. Misty, I killed him." She sniffed. "I struggled with that for a bit, but then I talked to Steve and Thor. They reminded me why I killed him, that if I didn't, he would've killed me and probably Clint. It was a choice I made, the only choice I had." Without a word, Misty reached over and ran her hand up and down Mikayla's arm. After several minutes, Mikayla took a deep breath, then continued. "Anyway, fast forward past the hospital, mainly since you know more about that time than I do." She chuckled. "I had a breakdown on the way home because of the rain."

"The rain?"

"Yeah, can't handle it." Mikayla's voice dropped so much Misty had to lean in to hear her. "He tortured me, waterboarded me, and tried to drown me in a horse trough." An involuntary gasp came out of Misty's mouth before she could catch it. "I use earbuds when there's rain in the forecast." Mikayla filled her in on the attack she had on the roof when Bucky rescued her.

"OK," Misty held up her hand, "changing the subject for a moment. Don't get me wrong, I love Sam, but how in the hell is it you not only have the guy with the best arms in history as your fiancé but then you get rescued by the guy with the coolest arm? Life just isn't fair."

"Leave it to you to bring out that angle. All I have to say is, just lucky, I guess." She squeezed Misty's hand, then told her about the contraption room Tony built for her, along with the shower. "I'll still be dealing with the water issue for a while, I'm sure."

"How does it feel to have inherited a large family?"

"Sometimes it's still surreal, not going to lie. But, you know you're a part of it now, dating Sam? You're grafted in. And, speaking of Sam, tell me about your trip and what your big news is."

Misty shared with her about Sam's family, his sister, and her two sons. "They're little versions of him, to be honest. Their dad died several years ago, so he's helped his sister raise them. They worship the ground he walks on, and they think I'm pretty cool, too."

"I could've told them that. Now, I'll ask again, what's your big news?"

"We're moving in together. To be more specific, Sam's moving in with me."

Mikayla hugged Misty. "That's awesome! I know that's a big step for you. I'm so happy!"

Misty beamed. "Me, too. It felt like the right decision at the right time."

"Does he need help to move? I happen to have connections to someone with a fantastic set of biceps." Mikayla smirked.

"He's already trying to rope him into helping."

"Probably by bribing him with pizza. That'll pretty much get him to do anything."

"Speaking of," Misty pointed to her neck, "pizza involved in those?"

Mikayla blushed. "Therapy."

"OK, Fitzgerald, I've heard of sex therapy, but I didn't think you needed help with that."

"Misty!" Mikayla playfully slapped her. "My insecurities were kicking in, began feeling like I wasn't good enough for him, that there was no way he could love me anymore with how I looked."

"So, let me guess. Archer Man decided to show you how he felt?" Misty wiggled her eyebrows.

"Yes, and we'll leave it at that." The two friends continued talking until their significant others appeared in the doorway. "Hey, RH."

"Hey, Sharky." Clint leaned against the door jamb, arms crossed across his chest. "Did you tell her about the cruise yet?"

"Cruise?" Misty asked. "What cruise?"

Mikayla jumped up and ran over to Clint. "They're coming, too?" She flung her arms around Clint. "Damn, I didn't think I could love you any deeper, then you pull something like this."

Clint caught her in his arms. "Figured it wouldn't hurt to have more backup."

Mikayla turned back, arms still around Clint's waist, and looked at Misty. "The mission I told you about with the oil companies, remember? There's a cruise ship involved. It sounds like you and your birdie are coming along for the ride."

"Sam and I talked it over, decided Red Wing would come in handy. We'll invent a cover story for the two of you." Clint's phone rang. He wormed his way out of Mikayla's grasp to step away and answer it. After a brief conversation, he returned to the trio. "Looks like we have a timeline. The ship leaves in two weeks. They've changed up the plans a bit. The bombing will happen at the end of the cruise, so we'll get to play tourists for a few days." His phone pinged. "There's the details of the cruise. I'll need to get with Fury, get working on your dossiers." He leaned down and kissed Mikayla's temple, then said under his breath, "Forgot to tell you. Congrats on making out into the city today." Mikayla squeezed his hand, and then the two men walked down the hall.

"What's so big about that? You love the city."

Mikayla thought about the best way to tell her closest friend, then figured Misty deserved an honest answer, no matter how brutal it would sound. "I'm, I'm not the same person I was before being captured. I lost a part of me, Misty, and now I'm on a journey to find my way back. Clint's helped to restore a lot of my self-esteem. He's finally convinced me there's nothing I can do or that can happen to me that will cause him to stop loving me. So now I'm working on trust again. I couldn't trust that everyone out there wasn't trying to get me, that they weren't all somehow connected to Barney." She stood up. "I need to show you something. You're my best friend, Misty. You've known me longer than anyone, so you've earned the right to see the good and the bad, the whole me. Well, be prepared for the bad." Mikayla lifted her shirt and turned her back toward Misty. "This is what the bastard did to me. It's a lot better than it was, but I'll be scarred." Mikayla turned around and pulled her shirt back down. "Bye-bye, backless dresses. I have a feeling my insides look about the same way." She sat back down.

"I always knew you were strong, Mikayla. I said when you were out, you were the strongest person, and this just proves it."

"Miss Fitzgerald?"

"Yes, Friday?"

"A rainstorm is approaching and will be here in approximately 20 minutes."

"Thanks, Friday."

"Anytime, and the room is unlocked."

"So, it appears Friday is now a meteorologist. Time to go see my new toy." Mikayla led Misty up to the new addition. Mikayla opened the door, and Misty followed her inside. "Welcome to my therapy room."

Misty trailed Mikayla as she approached the troughs and started moving the levers. "Can I?"

"Sure, go for it." Misty walked over to another trough and adjusted the lever. "Well?"

"I can see how this is calming."

"Not just calming. It helps to remind me I'm in control of the water, that it's not in control of me. So at this point, anything that will help me regain myself, I'll take it."

After several minutes, Misty stepped back and watched Mikayla as she moved from the different areas. "Who knew that would work?" Misty turned around to see Clint standing behind her. "She's on her way back."

"Thanks for loving her, Clint." Misty's phone buzzed. "Looks like I've got an assignment." She kissed him on the cheek. "I'm glad she's in good hands." Misty smiled. "Not as good as Sam's, though." She lightly patted Clint's cheek then left to meet her boyfriend.

Clint chuckled as Misty left. The two women were a lot alike. He could see why people thought they were sisters and how they ended up as best friends. He leaned against the door jamb and watched Mikayla. Clint knew from experience building trust again would be the most challenging and longest part of her healing. "Tasha was right. She's living with a bunch of control freaks, so between all of us, we should be able to help her."

Mikayla was oblivious to the fact Misty had left, and Clint was watching her. Instead, she focused her attention on distributing the water to the various channels. This was her new headspace, a place where she was in control. 'If I can control things here, I should be able to control things out there,' she thought to herself. 'If I'm in control, then no one can hurt me.' Mikayla started violently moving the levers, almost breaking some of the handles. Clint figured she'd had enough of the contraption, so he walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Mikayla snapped, brought her elbow up, and cold-cocked him under his chin. Before Clint could react, she whirled around and took Clint's legs out from under him. When he slammed to the ground, Mikayla straddled him and put her hands around his throat. "You will not hurt me again, do you understand? I will not let you hurt me again."

"Mikayla," Clint calmly talked to her in a low voice, putting his hands next to his head, holding them face up in a position of surrender. "It's me, Clint. I'm not going to hurt you." For the next few minutes, the two were at a standstill. Clint wasn't willing to move, and it was as if there was some force holding Mikayla in place.

Eventually, Mikayla looked down and saw her hands around Clint's neck. She released him then immediately jumped up. "What the hell, Clint? What did I do? Why did I do that?" Mikayla backed up, leaned against a wall, and drew her knees up to her chin. "What the hell is wrong with me? Don't tell me I have another damn trigger to overcome." She bit her lip as she concentrated, remembering back to her captivity.

Clint got up and went over to Mikayla, sitting down on the ground next to her. "Do you remember him ever touching you like that? Putting a hand on your shoulder and not saying anything?"

She continued worrying her lower lip, wrapping her arms around her bent legs. "I'm thinking." Clint noticed Mikayla starting to rock back and forth slightly. "He'd put his hand on my shoulder and shove me forward or drag me backward. From there, things didn't usually go well for me." Mikayla dropped her head. "Exactly how many damn things am I going to have to relearn, Clint?"

"Friday? Send Agent Romanoff down here, please."

"At once, Agent Barton."

"Hey, look at me, Mikayla." She turned her head, still propping it on her knees and arms. "As many as you need to. I'm calling in reinforcements." The door opened, and Natasha entered. "The queen of remaking herself. We've both had experience in this arena. Anything you need, we'll do it." Clint brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. "You've got this, Mikayla. You've come so far, and you won't stop now. Use that determination and stubbornness to your advantage."

"Hope you don't mind," Natasha said as she knelt, "brought along a friend." The trio looked at the door and found Bucky standing just outside the room. "We were sparring when Friday summoned me." Natasha looked at Mikayla, who nodded, so Bucky came in and joined them against the wall, standing slightly away from them. "How can I help?"

Mikayla was staring off into space, focusing on a spot on the opposite wall. "At night, when I couldn't sleep, I'd stand and limp around whatever hole he'd stashed me in, looking for any possible way out, for anything I could use as a weapon. I had to keep moving, feeling like if I stopped moving, I'd go batshit crazy. Finally, he'd walk up behind me without making a sound and put his hand on my shoulder. The first time he did it, I had a flashback to November. That's how those guys got me to the ground. Now I can place the first time it happened. I've been wracking my brain, trying to get it to remember, and I finally did." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, steeling herself for what she was about to say. "My brain somehow shoved it away so I wouldn't remember. Most of the water torture happened in Iowa. He used other forms of torture before then, mainly beatings and verbal abuse. In Iowa, though, something turned inside him, like he channeled your dad, which is probably why we have matching scars now." She chuckled wryly, then grew somber again.

"My first night in the barn, I'd gotten out of the stall and was wandering about the barn, again trying to figure out how to get out. I'd found a pitchfork and shovel, figured I could use those to attack him, then get the hell out of there. Guess while I was walking around, he found them and took them away without me hearing him. I was standing at the barn door, looking out. He put his hand on my shoulder and spun me around. He put his other hand over my mouth, told me it wouldn't do any good to scream because there was no one around for miles. Said he knew because no one ever heard his screams or yours." Clint clenched his jaw. 'Damn you, Barney. I figured once you were dead, I wouldn't have to deal with you again. Are you ever going to stop proving me wrong?' He felt something and looked to see Mikayla had grabbed his hand and was squeezing it as if to gain courage from him.

"While he had me against the door, he started…." Mikayla began to hyperventilate. After a few moments, she was able to speak again. "He put his other hand up my shirt, then moved down my pants. When I didn't react, he ripped off his pants, growled at me, said he'd make me forget there ever was another Barton." Mikayla put her head down and started sobbing. "I tried, Clint, I tried to get away. I kicked him, kneed him, even bit his arm. Nothing worked. He threw me to the ground, and I tried crawling away. I remember he grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the wall. I must've been out for a while because the next thing I remember was being back in the stall. Guess that's where that trigger came from. From then on, I knew when he put his hand on my shoulder, and torture was next." Mikayla collapsed into Clint's arms.

"Not the reason I called you in here. She discovered another trigger besides the rain, the hand on her shoulder. She wondered how many things she was going to have to relearn. I figured you could help her out better than anyone, Tasha."

"Of course," Natasha said softly.

"Thanks," Mikayla said weakly. "I'll take all the help I can get." She sat up, and her voice sounded a little stronger. "I know I've talked about this before. I just need reassurance, I guess. How do you relearn and remake yourself?" The more she talked, the stronger her voice became. "I liked myself the way I was. Can't I just get back to that?"

Bucky was the first to reply. "Unfortunately, no. You'll never be that person again. You've had experiences that have helped to shape who you are. Remember who you used to be, then build on that. Eventually, you'll be a different version of yourself. However, your core persona will still be you. That won't be lost."

Mikayla sniffed. "I remember Nat telling me that at one point."

"It's okay. We all need reminding of things sometimes."

"Now, onto the next issue, since that one won't be solved right now. How to deal with my new trigger."

Clint spoke up. "We'll make sure anyone who approaches you from the back announces themselves before putting a hand on your shoulder."

Mikayla breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, guys. I couldn't ask for better friends or a better fiancé."

"Second half of that statement's debatable," Natasha joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hey, now," Mikayla smiled. "No besmirching Clint. He's my Hot Guy Hawkeye."

Bucky and Natasha groaned. "Not another nickname," Natasha said.

"Hush, Nat. I'm enjoying the moment."

"I'm sure you are, Barton." Natasha stood up. "What say we go watch some movies? We can go to my room. I've got the better movie selection."

"We are not watching Doctor Zhivago, Nat."

"Barton, I have more than Russian movies in my collection."

"If I have a vote, I vote for Beauty and the Beast," Mikayla said as Clint held her up.

"A Disney movie? Really, babe?"

"Hey, what girl wouldn't want that library?"

"Sharky, if that's all you want, I'll build you the biggest damn library you could ever dream of."

"Sweet talk will get you everywhere, RH." Mikayla leaned over and nibbled Clint's ear.

"Nat, I see what you mean," Bucky grinned. "I think the sweets may cause the joints in my arm to rust just being in their presence." They all laughed. When they got to Natasha's rooms, she started the movie, then sat down in the chair, leaving the couch for the others.

At the end of the movie, Natasha was the only one still awake. She looked over at the couch and saw Mikayla curled up into Clint's side, with his arms wrapped around her. Bucky was at the other end, head propped up on his metal arm. She got up, grabbed a blanket, draped it over the trio, then took out her phone and took a photo. "I'm sure that's someone's dream, to be the middle of a Clint/Bucky sandwich." Natasha chuckled, shaking her head as she went to her bedroom.