*Please notes, this story features depictions of the horrific events of September 11th, and the lasting impact it has had on people's lives*
I initially wanted to write a soldier coming home type story, but this background story developed following reading the heart wrenching book 'The Only Plane In The Sky' by Garrett M Graff.
Clint smiled to himself as he stood in his front yard, bathed in the midday summer sun; moving out of the city had been one of the best decisions they'd ever made. Clint looked proudly at the life he'd worked hard for, never having thought he'd have all of this. A nice house with yard and a driveway, a wonderful wife, a beautiful daughter. This white picket fence life of his...
He sipped his coffee as Katie ran towards him, strawberry blonde curls swinging freely as the five year old in the purple dungarees wrapped her arms around his leg. Her loyal dog, and best friend, Lucky running alongside her wagging his tail happily. The red scooter she'd been riding a few moments ago lay on the grass, now abandoned as she looked up at him, asking him to push her on the swing instead. The rope swing that he'd made last year hung from a large oak tree in the middle of their garden, next to the half-completed treehouse he was in the process of building for her.
Placing his coffee down on the porch steps, Clint pressed a kiss to her head as he picked her up and she laughed as he swung her over his shoulder and carried her to the swing, upside. Lucky lay beside him as he pushed her on the swing, Katie begging him to go ever higher and faster.
"Daddy, who's that?" Katie asked, letting go of the swing rope with one hand to point towards their driveway. Clint worried for a moment that she'd lose balance and fall, but the little girl had no problem staying seated despite the movement of the swing.
He looked up to see a black SUV with tinted windows had just parked on the road outside their home, and Clint's heart wrenched painfully. His knees weakened as he reached to steady himself on the tree trunk as Katie's swing slowed.
No...
A Captain dressed in full Army uniform stepped from the driver's seat and Clint's vision faded to black, the only thing he could hear was his heart pounding as he stared at the car in disbelief.
No.
"Daddy?" Katie repeated, sat on the now stationary swing, twisting to peer back over her shoulder at him.
No!
Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff met when they were in High School, she had been fourteen while he was sixteen. Clint had seen a bully pushing around a smaller kid, but before Clint could step in to help, Natasha had given the bully a broken nose. They'd been friends ever since, and starting dating the year after. Following graduation, Clint decided to sign up to the Police Academy, and Natasha followed the same path two years later. As soon as they each had an income, they rented a crappy apartment together in the centre of Manhattan that they could barely afford, and the two of them they were happier than they'd ever been.
Not long after Natasha's eighteenth birthday, Clint proposed and she gladly accepted.
Officer Romanoff was the most junior member of NYPD on duty assigned to the early shift of Tuesday, September 11th 2001.
That day had started like any other; bright blue skies and a cool autumn breeze. Clint had to nudge Natasha out of bed after she'd turned her alarm off and fallen back to sleep. She had pressed a kiss that tasted of coffee to his lips before she'd finally rushed out of the door, always on the last minute... He had grinned to himself as he watched her leave. Tuesday was his day off; he had planned to go on a run, grab some groceries and cook a nice diner for when Nat got home...
Nothing had been the same after that day.
Natasha had been one of the first officers on scene, arriving to witness the smoke billowing out of the North Tower just minutes after it had been hit. She had seen hundreds of people lose their lives that day. Natasha held the hand of a Fireman as he took his last breath, had been forced to take cover under an Ambulance as the second plane hit and showered down burning shrapnel around them. She had helped pull countless victims, both alive and dead, from the rubble.
And all that time, Clint didn't know whether she was still alive. The news had broken not long after and Clint had rushed to help, virtually every off duty policeman, fireman and paramedic did. In the chaos Natasha's radio had been damaged, and their Chief, Nick Fury, had no update on her location or condition.
Clint's usual partner was Officer Phil Coulson, a fantastic Beat Cop who had been a true friend and mentor to him since he had joined the Force. Today, he had been assigned to work with Natasha, Clint always felt better when they worked together, knowing they had each other for backup. But this day, his heart had broken as he'd watched two other Officers carry Phil's body from the wreckage of the South Tower. Clint worked a further 20 hours without hearing a thing about Natasha...
It was the next morning when Clint's radio sounded with the familiar voice of Deputy Chief Hill. "Barton. We have her"
Over 6,000 people lost their lives on that day. Parents, siblings, partners, sons, daughters and loved ones. The devastation was immeasurable.
That day affected them both, as it did every emergency responder, every New Yorker, every American. That was the day they became known as heroes.
The world changed that day, Natasha changed that day...
In March 2002, Clint and Natasha got married in a small ceremony with their closest friends in attendance. Clint chose not to have a best man, since that position should have been Phil's. The day was bittersweet, with so many friends absent. New York was still healing, and it felt important to both of them to look towards a future, together.
In May 2002, Natasha officially signed up to the Army after months of careful consideration and discussion. She had found it difficult to cope with the fact that of the seven police officers she had arrived with that day, she had been the only survivor. The people there that day had seen atrocities no one should ever have to, and Natasha couldn't make sense of her survival without taking action to help ensure nothing like this could ever happen again. As always, Clint supported her in every way he could, but kissing her goodbye when she left on her first active tour was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do.
Tour after tour of active duty, Clint had recurring nightmares of those dark windowed vehicles turning up to tell him that she was never coming home...
After Katie had been born, Clint had hoped that that would be it for her. He had worked his way up through the NYPD to Lead Detective, they had the money they needed to get out of the city and live comfortably. There was no doubt in his mind she could walk into almost any job she wanted. He was looking forward to their life together as a family. Natasha continued with the Army, working stateside for the next four years, and the three of them settled into a new routine.
But last year the call came. One more active tour, six months and she would be out. Honourable discharge with full benefits. This was it, they were almost home...
He knew leaving this time was harder for her. Leaving Katie... But she knew her duty, she knew that she was sacrificing to make this world safer for her daughter. Clint remembered vividly wiping a tear from Natasha's cheek as he kissed her goodbye for the final time.
"Daddy?" the distress in his daughter's voice brought Clint back to the present and he forced a small smile onto his face, brushing her hair back gently. "Stay here, okay? I'll be right back" he promised as he moved towards the SUV, dread filling every ounce of his body. This couldn't be it...
Three months. She had three months left before coming home forever... Not this close...
"Mommy!" Clint heard Katie squeal, he glanced back to her as she jumped from the swing and sped right past him. He turned back to look at the car in disbelief to see Natasha stepping out of the backseat.
Clint watched in shock as Natasha dropped her bag and scooped their daughter into her arms, hugging her tightly. He watched as the Captain gave him a small, imperceptible nod and climbed back into the car before driving off, leaving the three of them alone. He watched as Nat peppered Katie with kisses while she laughed in delight, small arms wrapped tightly around her Mom. And he watched as Natasha's green gaze looked back to him. Staring back at her, he took in every detail; her hair was longer than before, as vivid and wild as ever as it blew in the breeze from under her cap. Her skin was a little tanned, freckles littered the bridge of her nose from the prolonged exposure to the sun, and her army uniform sat loosely over her thin frame.
He stood and stared at the woman he loved, that he had loved with every fibre of his being for the past twenty four years, and he knew without a doubt that he loved her more now, in this moment, than he ever had before. His thoughts were broken by a familiar voice;
"Clint?"
His eyes met hers and he finally allowed himself to believe this wasn't a dream. He smiled, which she returned with a grin he knew so very well. Clint stepped forward, his own smile broadening as he wrapped his girls in his arms. Holding them close, he pressed a kiss to Natasha's lips, knowing in that moment, he held everything he'd ever need.
