2000

When Clint turned up to the safe house with the Black Widow in handcuffs, Coulson knew his agent had finally lost his mind. On the other hand Clint thought he might simply pass out or shoot him right there and her to boot.

"I know what you're thinking" Clint said trying to ease the situation.

"Really?"

"You're thinking I've been seduced, that this was her idea and it will all end in her betraying us and we'll end up dead or SHIELD will be invaded by a swarm of her friends"

"Well now that you mention it, I'm even more worried that you've completely lost it!" Coulson practically shouted, beginning to pace but not taking an eye of either of them. Clint looked at Coulson as he paced and knew exactly why his handler and friend was subtly freaking out, this went against ever order given and most importantly ever fiber in either of their bodies.

"Second chances" was all Clint said to have Coulson halting in his tracks. He looked over at his agent but all her could see was the young man he had brought into SHIELD 4 years prior. Desperate and all but defeated.

"In the other room now. And make sure she's locked to something cause I really don't feel like dying today." Coulson sighed as he moved to the back room to wait for Clint.

Back in the kitchen Clint took the handcuffs and looped them around a pillar to the side of the room. After he secured them he bent down to where the widow had decided to sit, back leaning against her momentary prison.

"I'll be back in a minute, please try not to do anything stupid or our previous arraignment, I'll have no real choice in the matter."

Leaving her sitting on the ground Clint made his way over to the room Coulson had disappeared into not moments ago. As he stepped into the dimly lit room something hit him from behind.

"What the hell Coulson!" he moaned, rubbing the back of his head where the briefcase had hit him.

"Fury's going to have your bow for this and Lola just because I was here you know."

"Just hear me out Coulson." He went onto explain everything that had happened in the ally way from the two little girls to the moment he knew she wanted out. "She's just like I was, doing it to survive, I have no doubt that at some point it was her job or even her duty or whatever those Russians see it as but the way she was fighting it wasn't someone who really wanted to escape it was someone trying to find another way out. So I did it, I did the same thing you did. I see potential in her Coulson and I plan on sticking with her. No matter what Fury probably already has in store for me when we get back"

"Why? Why do you only ever make this much sense when it comes to things this risky and potentially fatal to both of us?" Coulson asked sinking onto the chair behind him.

Bump

"What was that?" he asked looking towards the door. They both rushed into the kitchen only to be surprised by the fact the Widow was still there, still secured to the pillar looking bored.

"What was that sounds?" Clint asked looking around the room looking for the source of the sound.

"I don't know, I've been a bit busy sitting here. But I think it came from outside" she replied looking out the window across the room.

Coulson grabbed his gun and Clint his bow and the few arrows strew across the tabletop to his left.

"Stay here I'm going to go see what it is." Clint edged towards the back door and made his way around the house.

Back in the house Coulson turned to the woman on the floor, "Who's out there?" he demanded turning the gun on her.

"How am I supposed to know I've been with the archer or chained to this pillar for the last couple of hours." She snapped. Though he couldn't tell the Widow was worried, worried that her chance at freedom from the Red Room and the KGB was about to be taken from her. It was the truth she really didn't know who was out there but if they were after her they were as good as dead. Whereas she would be forced back into a life of servitude which to her was worse than death.

A few more minutes passed and nothing had happened. IF the archer was dead she would most likely be taken in and made to disappear of his handler would finish her off. The archer was the only one of these men who seemed to actually want to help her, she didn't care but if he died she wouldn't be getting the second chance he had somewhat promised her.

Coulson was about to check the window to see if Barton was still alive or even close to the house anymore when the door flung open and he walked in, slightly limping with a woman following up behind him.

"Hill?" the statement phrased more like a question came out of his mouth at the sight of his fellow agent walking in with a cut lip and what he knew would turn into a nasty bruise in a few hours' time.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"You missed your past 3 check ins, weren't picking up your radio so Fury called me to make sure you and bird boy over here were still alive."

"Nice to see you to Hill," Clint said walking over to the fridge and pulling out what looked like a sack of ice and handing her some in a towel.

"So since I see you two are still alive I just have one question. Who the hell is that?" she asked pointing to the red head still leaning against the pillar, who for some reason looked equal parts relieved and wary.

"That Hill is the elusive Black Widow. And guess what? I'm bringing her in."