Yep, we got our girl back! Now for the repercussions - didn't think she was going to get out scot-free, did you? Exactly how long have y'all been reading this story? On that note, thanks to everyone who's hung with me, whether from the beginning or recently. Each of y'all makes my day by reading, writing, favoriting, and following.

Please let me know what you think!

Natasha went straight to the tower to update the team, while Clint and Mikayla took the bike to his apartment. "Have a seat, babe. I'll get us some food."

She sat down on the couch and thought about the events of the last few weeks. 'Why did I run away? What did I think I'd accomplish? Am I that much of a coward? I know he came after me, but does he still love me that much?'

After several minutes, Clint appeared carrying a bowl filled with hot, steaming soup. "Clam chowder, figured it would fit the Boston accent." He smirked, sitting down next to her. "Oh, and the answers to your questions? Because you were scared and didn't know what else to do, you thought you'd get outside of yourself and be able to forget about me, no, you're not, and yes, I do."

"Damn, I didn't mean to say all that out loud." Before she could say anything else, she slurped some of the soup from the spoon.

Clint responded by remaining silent and watching her eat. He hated the way he'd treated her and wondered if she'd ever be able to forgive him. He replayed those stupid lines in his head, usually at night when he couldn't sleep and couldn't find anything else to occupy his mind. Mikayla was right, he had been a cocky bastard. It was no wonder he was hooking up with the kinds of girls he'd dated back then. She had every right to leave if he was going to keep acting like that, even if he wasn't in control of himself thanks to HYDRA. God, how he detested having his brain played with. If he thought about it, though, deep down he was a little disappointed with her for skipping town. Hopefully, she'd have a reason for it.

"Clint?" He heard his name and saw Mikayla waving the empty bowl of soup in front of him, the spoon clinking against the bowl. "You okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, just thinking."

Mikayla nodded. "Been doing a lot of that myself. Be right back." She pushed herself off the couch, carrying the bowl to the kitchen, then returning with a glass of water. "I know we need to talk, which is probably something I should've done instead of snapping and running."

"Okay, but we need to set some ground rules. No should of, would of, could of statements. What's done is done, so what we here to do is to figure out how we're going to handle the results of our actions, and how to make damn sure we don't do them again. Agreed?" She nodded. "Now, back to what you were saying."

Mikayla was biting her lip and running her finger over the rim of the glass. "I left you. You were injured and I ran. I guess it was because I was scared you didn't know me, and you'd already been given an antidote that was supposed to work, but it didn't stick, so what proof did I have it was going to work this time?" She was speaking slowly, making sure he was understanding everything she was saying. 'Of course, knowing him, he's understanding what I'm not saying, too.' "I guess it comes down to the fact I was scared. Scared of the unknown, scared when you got your memory back you wouldn't remember me, scared of losing us. I thought the only way to deal with it was not to deal with it, so I ran. The escaping helped my mindset for a brief time, but once I stopped, then I got hit with what a stupid and not well-thought-out plan I had. Once I got to the house and had time on my hands, it hit me how much I missed you, missed the team, missed my life."

Clint was listening to her and taking everything to heart. "Why didn't you come back?" He said softly.

"Pride, mainly. I wasn't sure that, if your memory returned, you'd still want to be engaged to me, that you'd still want me around. To me, that was scarier than taking off and not ever knowing. So, I guess I thought I was saving myself from pain, when come to find out, I wasn't." Mikayla had spent the entire speech avoiding Clint's eyes. She knew there was no way she could talk about this and look into those bright blue eyes, eyes that knew her better than she knew herself, that could see things she couldn't see, and that always saw right through her. "I know it was wrong to desert you. I panicked and didn't see another way out. I ran because I didn't know how to deal with things. I had so many thoughts going through my head and couldn't get them to stop, couldn't focus on anything specific."

Clint absorbed everything Mikayla was saying. He recognized himself in some of her statements. Running was how he avoided dealing with things during much of his lifetime. Her uncle was the first person in his life to let him know it was okay to not run away from things, but to talk them out, making the problems much easier to handle. Phil wouldn't force him to talk about his problems or his issues. Phil would sit with him, ply him with coffee, and wait, staying in a holding pattern until Clint was ready to talk. Once Clint figured out what he wanted to say, discovered the words to express what he was feeling, then Coulson would sit back and listen without judgment, not voicing anything until Clint was finished. Only then would his handler make any comments after considering what Clint had shared. Mikayla was a lot like her uncle in that respect. When they first met, she never asked anything about Loki, but waited for Clint to share, continuing that behavior throughout their relationship. He owed her that. "I'm not gonna lie, Mikayla. After this last injection from Doc, when I got my memory back for good and found out you'd left, I was pissed. You were the first person I thought of, and the first person I needed to talk to, and you weren't here. After ranting to Nat, I decided to focus my energy into finding you. I used every avenue I could think of and came up empty. Nat kept reminding me at the heart of everything that was happening, you and I love each other and wouldn't be able to stay apart." Clint kept quiet, letting everything he said soak in. "At night, I'd think about why you ran, and I came up with you're still healing from the whole Barney incident. It hasn't been that long since that happened, so apparently there are some buttons that can still be pushed. I'm guessing the concussion from Sleepy Hollow didn't help any. Believe me, I know head injuries affect everyone differently." Mikayla nodded. "I had another thought, too. Wondered if during our extracurricular bedroom activities, you ended up with some of the serum. We were quite passionate, as usual." Clint smirked.

"I hadn't thought about that, so guess it's a possibility. I'm beginning to realize, though, that the whole thing with Barney had more of an effect on me than I originally thought." Mikayla finally looked into Clint's eyes. "How can he still be having this much of an effect on me when he's dead? I thought once we were rid of him, everything would be fine." She sank back into the couch. "Are we okay? Are you sure you still want me back after I disappeared on you?"

Clint smiled, then hovered over her, putting his arms on each side of her, essentially pinning her to the couch. "You're not getting rid of me that easy, Mikayla." He leaned down, but before their lips met, he smirked. "First, though, we're going back to the tower, have Doc check you over, get some blood samples. Don't want you going through what I did."

"Tease," Mikayla lifted her head and kissed him, "but you're right this time."

"This time?" Clint joked as he moved, allowing Mikayla to sit upright.

"Yep, this time. Don't let it go to your head."

"Never." Clint kissed her on the cheek, then helped her stand. "Now, let's head back home. I'll give Doc a heads up."

"You got it, RH." Mikayla followed Clint to the bike, then they drove to the tower.

Once they got to the tower, Clint bypassed the main room and took Mikayla straight to the med bay, having alerted Friday to let Bruce know he'd be needed. "Welcome back, Mikayla." Bruce smiled as Mikayla hugged him.

"Thanks, good to be back."

"Not planning to do that again, are you?"

"Nope, I'm a quick learner." Mikayla sat on one of the beds.

"Good. This place is never the same when you're not here." Bruce turned around, donning a pair of latex gloves. "I hear there's some concern about possible transfer of the serum Clint was injected with by HYDRA?"

Mikayla nodded. "Just to be sure. I don't need any more reasons to snap."

"No problem." Bruce had Mikayla hold out her arm so Bruce could draw some blood. "Since you're here, I'd also like to go over your medication list, see if we need to make any changes, in case that was the issue." Mikayla nodded, trying to stay as still as possible while Bruce was getting the blood sample. When he finished, he had her hold the cotton ball down and wrapped a purple bandage around it to hold it in place, causing her to smile. "Everyone has their own color. Tony likes to make it not so boring."

"Sounds about right," Mikayla chuckled. "How long before the test results are back?"

"Give it about 15 minutes. You can stay in here if you'd like or go say hi to everyone else. Your adoring family missed you."

"Thanks, Doc," Clint spoke up, "I'll take her to see the gang."

"Good. I'll see you in about 15, then." Bruce turned and put the vial filled with blood in a machine.

The couple held hands as they went down the hall. "Clint, I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

"I know. I just like knowing you're here." He leaned into her and murmured, "And knowing you're mine."

Chills went up Mikayla's spine, scared she'd never hear his voice again. At least, not his adult voice, anyway. "Always, Clint." Mikayla was beaming as they exited the hallway into the main room.

"Lady Mikayla!" Thor exuberantly picked her up, hugging her and spinning her around. "We are so happy to have you back with us. Are you well? You look like you need some food. What can I get for you?"

Mikayla couldn't help but laugh. "I just had a big bowl of soup, so I'm good now, Thor." He seemed to be disappointed. "As soon as I'm hungry, you'll be the first to know."

"Thank you, fair Mikayla." Putting her back down, he kissed her temple.

"Welcome back, Mikayla," Steve said, gently hugging her. "Looks like you held up okay while you were on the run."

"As well as could be expected, I guess. Thanks for letting me come back."

Steve pulled her away from him, holding her arms in his. "There was no question you were coming back. We don't give up on our family, remember?" He nodded to Bucky, who was leaning against a wall.

"Point taken." Mikayla kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for being stubborn and persistent."

"Truer words have not been spoken about him," Bucky quipped, still leaning against the wall.

Mikayla strode over to him. "Or you, Bucky. It must be something about people born at the turn of the century." She smiled. "Would it be okay if I gave you a hug?"

Bucky seemed startled. He still wasn't used to being able to make choices. "Uh, sure." He knew she wasn't fazed by the metal arm. In fact, in her own way without even knowing it, she was helping him become more comfortable with it.

Mikayla wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thanks for taking care of Clint for me. I heard you cold cocked him with the arm. Best use for it, in my opinion."

Bucky grinned as he returned the hug with both arms. "Thanks for helping me to get comfortable in my own skin." When she stepped out of the hug, he continued smiling. "Remind me to tell you sometime about my younger sister Becca. You remind me a lot of her."

"You got it, Bucky."

"Ahem, I heard someone has returned to my tower and not greeted me yet."

Mikayla turned around to see Tony and Pepper standing in the kitchen. "Funny, I didn't know you changed your last name to Avengers. Missed that on the news, I guess."

"It's good to have you home, Mikayla," Pepper said, elbowing Tony out of the way to hug her friend. "You were missed."

"You all were, too. It was stupid and I'm sorry."

"Hush, you're back now, and that's what matters."

"Enough, Pep, my turn." Tony looked down, glaring at Mikayla, who returned his glare. "Maid Marian?"

"Metal Man?" Mikayla couldn't keep scowling at him for long. She broke the gaze first, then hugged him. "Thanks for helping Clint. Made it easier to come back."
"Well, I've told you how we hate having mopey Clint around, tends to bring down the mood."

"Sure, we'll go with that." Mikayla kissed him on the cheek, then whispered. "I may have missed you most of all, other than Clint. Don't let it go to your head." She spun around and returned to Clint's side.

Clint put his arm around her waist, kissing her temple. "Welcome home, babe."

Mikayla wrapped her arms around Clint's torso. "Thanks for coming to get me." She felt a tapping on her shoulder and turned around. "Hey, Bruce."

"Can we talk?"

A look of panic crossed her face and she gripped Clint even tighter. "Sure. The med bay?" Bruce nodded, so Clint and Mikayla followed him. After making herself comfortable on a table, she finally spoke again. "Results?"

"There seems to have been a small amount of the serum that is running through your body."

Gulping, Mikayla asked. "What can be done? Can you flush it out?"

"Should be able to. I'll also give you some of the injection I gave Clint. Not as strong, of course. I've checked with Shuri, and we've calibrated the formula to match your specific parameters. Once I administer it, I'd like to monitor you for 24 hours, make sure everything's okay and the injection worked without any side effects."

"Geesh, Bruce. Had I known you were going to do that, I would've stayed off the grid." Clint opened his mouth to protest, but before he did, Mikayla put a finger over his lips. "I'm kidding, Clint. Of course, Bruce. Whatever you need to do. Can I at least go change clothes first?" Bruce agreed. "Be right back." After kissing Clint on the cheek, she darted out of the med bay and up to her room.

Clint ran a hand through his hair then scratched the back of his neck. "She going to be okay, Doc?"

"Don't see why not. The dose she received was a miniscule amount compared to what you received. I let Shuri know about her recent coma, so she figured that into the equation. You can have her all to yourself this time tomorrow." Bruce clasped Clint's shoulder. "You can stay with her if you want. I know you've been apart for a time. I'm going to get her room set up. Just let me know when she gets back."

"Will do." Clint plopped down into a chair, thinking back over the times he thought he'd lost her. At this point, he was considering having Stark implant a tracker in her, especially after she'd gone off the grid so easily. She'd probably hate that. So, he doubled his resolve to make sure she stayed close.

The door opened and Mikayla walked in, having changed into a t-shirt and pajama shorts. "OK, ready as I'll ever be, I guess." Clint stood up to see her biting her bottom lip. "Stay with me?"

"Not going anywhere, babe. Bruce is getting your room ready." Mikayla nodded. "Doc?"

"Back here," Bruce replied. The couple walked back to meet Bruce. "Ready?"

"Sure," Mikayla's voice not matching her answer. She pulled the covers back and climbed into bed, holding out her arm for Bruce to start the IV. Once the IV was in, Bruce made sure the line was clear, then injected the antidote. "This is going to work, right?"

"I don't know why it wouldn't. Friday will be monitoring your vitals, and I'll come back in a few hours and draw some more blood. Be sure to let me know if you feel weird or something feels off."

"I will." Mikayla sunk her head into the pillow., trying to forget the last time she was here.

Clint could sense her apprehension. "I'll be right here. We've got this."

"I know." Mikayla yawned. "Who knew going on the run could be so tiring?"

Clint rubbed his thumb in circles over the back of her hand. "Did you get any sleep?"

"I dozed, nothing too regular. Couldn't get my mind to shut down, was trying to figure out my next move. Plus, kept thinking about you, wondering how I was going to go on without you."

"Hold that thought." Clint put his free hand in his pocket, pulling out her engagement ring. "Give me your hand. I think it's missing something." They both smiled as Mikayla held up her hand. Clint reached over and put the ring back on her hand. "There. Now everything's where it's supposed to be." He lifted her hand to his mouth and softly kissed it. "God, I missed you, Mikayla."

"I missed you, too. I've learned my lesson," she yawned again, "not going anywhere." Mikayla turned to face him, and murmured before she drifted off to sleep, "Love you."

"Love you, too." Clint continued caressing her hand while watching her sleep. Before he knew it, Bruce came into the room to draw some more blood. "I can move."

Bruce shook his head. "No need. I can get it from the other arm." He drew the blood, capping the vial and laying on the table before wrapping a bandage around the puncture site. "How's she sleeping?"

"Calm, so far." Clint looked over at Mikayla, who looked like she was at peace, not struggling with anything. He knew he'd do anything in his power to make sure she had more of these nights than the ones waking up screaming. He continued watching her until Bruce broke through his thoughts.

"Good news, Clint. No trace, it's out of her system."

Clint's shoulders released the tension they'd been holding and slowly exhaled. "Thanks, Doc." Bruce nodded his head, patted Clint's shoulder, then left the couple in silence, the only noise being the beeping of the monitors, giving Clint heart's some comfort after the past few weeks.

Mikayla woke up the next morning, seeing Clint's blue eyes lovingly staring back at her. She yawned. "Morning. Well?"

Clint's smile lit up the room. "All clear."

Mikayla's smile matched Clint's. "I want to cry tears of joy, but I think I'm all cried out."

"Another step on your recovery path, babe." Clint squeezed her hand.

"Another step," Mikayla repeated.

"Morning, guys," the couple looked up to see Bruce coming through the door. "Assuming Clint told you the results?" Mikayla enthusiastically nodded. "Let's get you out of here, then." Bruce came over and removed the IV, then added yet another bandage to her arm. "OK, you're good to go." Bruce held out his hand, helping Mikayla out of the bed. Clint was waiting at the door for Mikayla, taking her hand and leaving the med bay.

"Clint?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Would it be okay if we spend the day together, just the two of us?"

Clint put an arm around her shoulders. "I'll never turn down one on one time with my kick-ass fiancée." They walked down the hall to the elevator. "Anything specific you have in mind?"

Mikayla shook her head. "Just that I want to spend it with you. I'm still having trouble with crowds. The noise clogs up my head. Could we go back to your apartment? Maybe go eat at that seafood restaurant in the Hamptons?"

"I've got a better idea." Clint pulled out his phone and texted someone. After a flurry of texts and replies, he puts the phone back in his pocket. "Let's go pack some bags. We're going away for a few days."

"Ooh, secretive. I love it. Nothing like having a spy for a fiancé."

Clint smirked, opening the door to his suite. "More plans abound, babe. Now, go get packed and meet me back here."

Mikayla nodded and went to her suite to pack. "I think this will give me a chance to get grounded again. I won't feel like there are so many pairs of eyes on me, waiting for me to fall apart." After finishing packing, she went through the connecting door, finding Clint just returning to his suite, carrying his bow and quiver. He handed her a box.

"Think you might could get some use from this." Mikayla opened the box, discovering a collapsible bow and smaller quivers than she normally had. "Start built it. It'll help take the pressure off your back. He's been working on it since you got back home from the hospital."

Mikayla picked up the bow and held it, moving it from hand to hand, getting comfortable with holding it. "I think it'll work. Will I be able to test it out where we're going?"

"Yep, and that's all the information you're getting," Clint smirked. Picking up their bags, he carried them out to Mikayla's car, Mikayla following behind carrying her purse and archery implements.

"I'd almost forgotten about the car," Mikayla said, getting into the passenger side as Clint held open the door.

"Don't worry, it still runs," Clint commented as he slid behind the wheel. "I've made sure of that." He pulled the car out of the garage and began driving. "We'll be on the road for a bit, so if you want to put your earbuds in while we get through traffic, I'll understand." Mikayla dug her earbuds out of her purse, putting them in her ears, leaning back in the seat, and closing her eyes to focus on the music. As he drove, Clint would shift his gaze over to Mikayla, enjoying seeing the lack of stress on her face and how relaxed her body looked. He hoped this mini getaway would be good for her, would help her to get back to being her. Clint knew the team would miss her, but knew they'd understand. After all, they wanted to see her back whole as much as he did.

Before she knew it, Clint had pulled the Audi into a vast driveway with a flagpole to the right of the driveway. As soon as she stepped out of the car, Mikayla's first words were, "Tony's?"

Clint grinned. "What was your first clue?"

"Gee, I don't know. The immense size of the house, maybe? Who has more safe houses, you, him, or Natasha?"

"Babe, how many times do I need to tell you, a spy never reveals his secrets." Clint took the bags out of the trunk and carried them up the massive front steps. Mikayla stood back and took in the massive structure. The covered porch wrapped around the entire first floor, with the awning covering just the doorway. It was painted a greyish brown, but it could've been wood, too, appeared to have four fireplaces based upon the number of chimneys she counted. The door, windows, and railing were painted white, and the entire house sat on a foundation of what appeared to be very sturdy cinder blocks. She also noted there was landscaping encircling the house, giving it a reassuring sense of privacy. "You know there's an inside, too?"

"Sorry, just trying to take it all in."

"It is a bit overwhelming, isn't it?" Clint held out his hand and helped Mikayla up the steps. "I put our bows and quivers in the entry closet." Mikayla nodded. "Here's the first area I wanted to show you." Clint continued holding her hand, leading her through the living room and informal dining room overlooking a wall of windows, resembling the living room at the tower. Clint brought Mikayla out to the back porch, down the stairs, and through a hard to spot trail carved out in the hedge, opening to a sandy beach. Mikayla watched the water, its whitecaps rolling onto the shore. "It's a private beach, no one to disturb us. The kitchen is fully stocked, so after eating at the seafood restaurant, we won't have to leave the house." Clint stood behind Mikayla, wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his hands on her abdomen. "Quiet enough for you?"

"It is." Mikayla leaned back into Clint, laying her head in the crook of his neck. "I never realized how calming the ocean could be."

"One of the reasons I brought you here." Clint kissed her temple. "You okay?"

"Getting a little hungry since we didn't have breakfast."

"Let's go inside and see what there is to fix for lunch." The couple held hands as they walked back up the stairs. "Go ahead and look around. I've got lunch covered."

Mikayla nodded, leaving the enormous chef's kitchen to investigate the rest of the mansion. There were three bedrooms on the ground floor along with a massive library. A door led from the library to the wraparound deck, and Mikayla discovered a small veranda with a round table and chairs. When Mikayla went back in the house, she found a set of stairs and climbed them to the second floor, where she discovered four more bedrooms, a theater/game room, and lost track of how many bathrooms. She opened a door, finding a smaller staircase that led to a fully finished attic. She stood at the windows and looked out over the scenery.

"I figured I'd find you here." Mikayla turned around and Clint was standing in the doorway. "Thought it'd be nice to eat on the veranda." Mikayla nodded and followed him back to the first floor and through the library. "Go ahead and sit and I'll bring our lunch." Clint kissed the top of her head before going back to retrieve their lunch.

Mikayla sat down and looked out over the ocean, enjoying the cool breeze. 'Clint was right,' she thought to herself. 'This was what I needed. I'm feeling calmer already.' She felt her phone vibrating in her pocket but chose to ignore it, even though it continued buzzing. Mikayla didn't want anything to interrupt the sense of peace she was enjoying. She was concentrating so much on trying to stay centered, Mikayla didn't hear the door open or Clint walking across the wooden deck. She almost jumped out of the chair when he set the tray down on the table.

"Sorry, baby. Didn't mean to scare you." Clint smiled as he put a plate down in front of her, then handing her a glass of tea.

"Thanks, Clint." Mikayla returned his smile as Clint sat down next to her. She looked at the plate to discover he'd fixed Salisbury steak with brown gravy and some green beans.

"Tony apparently has some food delivery service and someone who keeps the place stocked. All I had to do was warm it up."

"We shouldn't be surprised. We're talking about Tony Stark here." Mikayla took a few bites. "This is good."

Clint nodded. "I thought, if you're up to it, we could go to the seafood restaurant tonight. Figured we'd play it by ear. If we don't, there's plenty of food here." Clint started eating and the couple were comfortably silent as they enjoyed their lunch.

"That was delicious, Clint," Mikayla said, picking up their plates and taking them to the kitchen. When she returned to the veranda, Clint wasn't there. Mikayla's heart started racing and she began breathing sharply until she walked around the corner to the rear of the house and saw Clint standing, looking out toward the water.

Sensing Mikayla, Clint turned around and saw the panicked look on her face. "Babe? You okay?" He hurried toward her and wrapped his arms around her.

She hugged him and was shaking. "I didn't see you, I thought – "

"Shhh, Mikayla, it's okay." Clint was smoothing down her hair. "I'm sorry, I should've stayed and waited for you."

Mikayla sniffed. "I'm, I'm sorry."

"For what?" Clint pulled away from her.

"For thinking you were gone, for falling apart."

"Hey, don't ever apologize for that. You're still recovering, remember?" She nodded. "You'll get there, and I'm going to be there every step of the way, understand?" Mikayla nodded again. "Good." Clint kissed her temple. "Let's take a walk, go enjoy the scenery." He took her by the hand, leading her through the opening in the hedge and out to the beach. "It'll be easier barefoot." Clint leaned over, taking off his socks and shoes, then knelt and removed Mikayla's. After that, the couple walked along the private beach, Mikayla letting the breeze help keep her calm. Clint watched her as they walked, drinking in the sight of her. He knew how lucky he was to still have her with him, and he would never take his fiancée's love for him for granted.

"This has to be the most peaceful place I've ever seen," Mikayla said softly, as if speaking any louder would cause a shift in the universe and ruin the moment. "How do you always know the cure for what's bothering me, when I don't even know?"

"Because I've been through enough to know what helps me. You and I are wired the same, so I figured it would help you, too." Clint held her hand up to his lips and softly kissed it. "Plus, it'll give you a chance to clear your head and think about other things."

Mikayla nodded. The couple continued walking, enjoying the comfortable silence, broken only by the birds which would occasionally land. "Clint?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you have anything specific in mind you wanted me to think about?"

"It's your decision. Whatever you want to think about."

"You." They were still walking along the shore and holding hands, with no one else in view.

"You know the rules. You're going to have to be more specific."

Mikayla abruptly stopped and stood in front of Clint. "Fine. You and me, bed, now."

Clint smirked. "Yes, ma'am." Clint picked her up, carrying her bridal style into the house and upstairs to their bedroom, returning downstairs later in the day.

"Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?" Mikayla said, laying next to Clint and running her nails along the veins in Clint's hands.

"You might have screamed it a few times," Clint smirked. "But I'll never get tired of hearing it, or of saying it to you." He combed his fingers through her hair. "Is this working?"

"Helping me to refocus? Yep, better than any therapy session could."

"Babe, it still wouldn't hurt to see a professional."

Mikayla sighed. "I know. I think I'm afraid that I'll find even more triggers to deal with. I'm fairly sure I've got enough already."

"Then we'll deal with those together." Clint kissed her temple. "I'm so damn proud of you."

Mikayla lifted her head to face him. "For what?"

"Your skills you used when you went to D.C. I mean, I hated the reason why you went, but your training came out and you knew what to do. I'd go on the run with you any day and not worry about being found. You're almost as good as Nat."

She snickered. "I'll take all of that as a compliment." Then, she grew serious. "At that point I think I kicked into survival mode, did the only thing I could think of to do, run. How did you find me, anyway?"

"Misty, of all people. We ran down everywhere we thought you would go, then Misty told Nat about Tim."

"I'm going to hear about it from her, about how much of a dumbass I was for running."

"I've had a few of those talks from Nat. Good luck."

The couple laid in bed for a while longer. Mikayla tracing patterns over Clint's chest, Clint running his hand up and down her arm. Eventually, Mikayla dozed off. Clint stayed in bed and watched her, not willing to leave her for a moment. He had an idea, hoping he had enough time to pull it off. Without disturbing his fiancée, he slowly rolled over, picking up his phone and making a couple of phone calls. After the calls were completed, he slid back next to Mikayla, who nestled next to him as if he'd never moved. Clint hated to do it because she looked so peaceful, but he softly shook her about an hour later. "Mikayla? Babe?"

"Go 'way, sleeping."

"Gotta get up, we have a date."

"Can't we make it a date in bed?"

Clint smiled, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "We can do that tomorrow."

"Holdin' you to that." Mikayla sat up and stretched her arms over her head, then swung her legs off the bed. "Uh, Clint?"

"I'll help wash your hair."

"Thanks. Sometimes it's irritating you know what I need before I do, but this is not one of those times."

"Love you, too." Clint smirked, following Mikayla into the bathroom.

After the shower, the couple got dressed and walked out to the car. "Where are we going?"

Once they got into the car, Clint looked over at her. "The seafood restaurant we missed out on last time."

"Good. I've been looking forward to it." Mikayla's phone rang. "Here comes the ass-chewing."

"Fitzgerald, what the hell did you think you were doing?" Misty's shouting came through so clearly, Clint swore the voice was on speaker even though it wasn't. "You are not a runner! You don't run away from your problems! You fight, you see them through! Has anyone slapped any sense into you? If not, they sure as hell need to. This is Clint Freaking Barton we're talking about! You know, the Avenger? Someone who's good friends with Tony "I have all the money in the world" Stark? Did you not think he'd figure out a way to bring your man back to this decade? Good God, Mikayla, I'm so disappointed in you. Hello? Are you even there?"

"I'm here, Randall. You're on a roll, didn't want to interrupt."

"Sure, now you have manners."

"You do know everything you said is right, don't you? I know I was an idiot. That was probably about the stupidest stunt I've ever pulled."

"You're damn right it was. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I couldn't handle being around Clint and he not be my Clint anymore. I was worried the second injection would fail like the first one did, and then the Clint I knew would be gone forever."

"Well, okay, that makes a little sense, but, still, running away? I'm glad I knew everything about you and gave them enough info so you could be found."

"Me, too, Misty. I owe you big time."

"Damn right you do." The two friends were silent for a few moments. "I am glad you're back."

"I know." Mikayla knew her best friend enough to know most of the tirade was because Misty feared losing her.

"Are the two of you okay?"
Mikayla smiled. "We're fine. We took a little getaway, seemed I needed to get my focus back."

"I should've known you'd turn the situation into a sexcapade." Mikayla could picture Misty shaking her head.

"Think whatever you like, Misty," Mikayla replied, blushing as Clint snickered. "We'll be back in a few days, then you and I can hopefully have some girl time while our guys go and do whatever it is they do. Oh, and hey? Thanks for the dressing down, I deserved it."

"Of course, you did. Love you, M."

"Love you, too, M." Mikayla put her phone back in her purse. "Well, that went better than I thought it would."

"I'll check your ass later to make sure it's all still there and she didn't take a chunk out of it."

"Nothing I didn't deserve."

"Babe," Clint reached over and clasped her hand, "we've talked about this. I've forgiven you, now you need to forgive yourself." Mikayla nodded in agreement. "Trust me, that's the hardest thing to do." He pulled the car into the parking lot. "Now, let's go have a nice dinner and not think about that." The couple went into the restaurant and were seated. Their table was at the rear of the restaurant, with views of all the entrances and of the coastline. Since Mikayla wasn't familiar with the menu, she trusted Clint to order for her. Once the order was placed, Clint reached across the table and took her hand. "I owe you."

"For what?"

"Valentine's Day. We never got to finish our date. That's what the flowers were for, the ones you got the day I was forced to relive my horrible 20's." Clint grew quiet when the waiter brought out the champagne, followed by their salads. Shortly after finishing their salads, their entrees were delivered. "Did you want any dessert?" Clint asked.

"Nope, I'm full." Mikayla answered, placing her napkin on the table.

"Check, please?"

"Of course, sir." The waiter took away their empty plates.

"You're getting your appetite back. Didn't have any leftovers."

"Good, that means I'll be able to wear the wedding dress without having it taken in."

"And signifies you're getting healthier. I've noticed, by the way."

Mikayla smiled. "You would."

"What can I say?" Clint smirked. "I'm observant like that."

"Miss Fitzgerald?" Mikayla looked up. "These are for you." A server handed her a vase with two dozen blue roses.

"Oh, uh, thank you." Mikayla reached out and took the vase from him, setting it down on the table. "These may be more beautiful than the ones you gave me on Valentine's Day. Thanks, Clint."

"Still not as beautiful as you."

Mikayla looked around the restaurant. "Making sure Nat's not here to slap the sappiness out of us."

"Don't care. Spent too much of my life not telling people how I feel about them. I sure as hell am not going to make that mistake with you, so I'll spend our lives telling you and showing you how much I love you." Mikayla blushed. "Especially when it gets that reaction from you."

'I just hope I can live up to the image he has of me,' she thought. What she said was, "I love you, too."

"Ready to head back to the house?" Mikayla nodded, so Clint paid the bill then drove them back to the house. As they drove up, he looked over and caught her yawning. "Long day. Ready for bed?"

"Yeah, I am." Once Clint parked the car, Mikayla got out. "If you want to stay up, go ahead." She kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for the best Valentine's Day do-over I've ever had." Mikayla put the vase in the middle of the kitchen table, then headed to the bedroom.

Clint didn't want her to think he was becoming a mother hen or hovering, so he went outside and looked out at the beach. He always enjoyed anything involving water. Being from the landlocked state of Iowa, his only exposure to water was the pond on their property, which dried up decades ago. The water had a way of refreshing him, almost cleansing him, as much as he could be cleansed from his past deeds. He tried not to dwell on his past, but there were times he turned maudlin and looked back, wondering if there were things he could've done differently, choices he could've made, actions he could've taken, that wouldn't have muddied up his life. When he started thinking that way, Mikayla came to the forefront of his mind, realizing that maybe some of the things he went through he could turn into a positive and help her through her struggles. As he was leaning on the railing contemplating things, he heard a blood curdling scream coming from the bedroom.