Y'all know me- consistently inconsistent! I absolutely adored the Hawkeye series, and I am 100% back on my MCU bullshit. All kinds of new stories coming in hot. Thanks for the continued support, even in my random absences! As always, reviews are appreciated :)

Slightly AU for the obvious reasons now, and more AU as the story progresses if I take it in the direction that I am planning. Rated for language and future pairings.

Kate's fingers tapped out a frantic beat against the kitchen table as she stared absent mindedly out the kitchen window. Laura stood at the kitchen sink, a plate in sponge in hand, cleaning up after the morning's breakfast. The kids had retreated outside to take care of their daily chores and Clint had gone to work on his forever malfunctioning tractor, leaving the two women alone inside. Kate had helped Laura clean up, but Laura insisted on doing the dishes. Rather than retreating to her room or outside to help, Kate had lingered behind at the table as she tried to sort out the thoughts going through her head.

It had been just a little over the year since Kate had unofficially moved in with the Barton's. While she still had her own apartment in downtown New York, she spent the majority of her free time on the family farm in Missouri. Clint's family had become like her own in so many ways that she sometimes wondered how she'd lived all these years without them. Laura had stepped in to fill the void that her mother had left in what was appearing to be a permanant absence.

Laura set the plate she had just rinsed off on the drying rack next to the sink and cast a sideways look at Kate. She could tell that something was weighing on the young woman's mind, but she knew Kate well enough to know that she would open up whenever she was ready. It was unlike the young woman to linger behind rather than be outside with the kids, so she knew that Kate was close to divulging.

"How well do you know Clint?" Kate blurted out into the silence as Laura picked up another dish. Kate regretted the words as soon as they had left her mouth; she had been trying for half an hour to word her question right and that was not how she had intended to phrase it.

"Oh, you know, just a little bit." Laura finished up with the last plate before wiping her hands on a dish towel and turning so that she could lean against the counter to study Kate. The young woman's brow was furrowed as she tapped her fingers against the table top, her gaze focused on one of Nate's drawings pinned to the fridge.

"Sorry, that was a dumb question." She groaned and dropped her forehead to the table. "A really dumb question. How well do you know your husband Laura? God I'm an idiot."

"Easy there killer. I have a confession: Clint is my cover up. I don't know him at all. Who are you? Who are these kids?." Laura teased as she crossed the room to sit down at he table across from Kate. She reached out to muse the girl's hair and tapped the top of her head.

"What's troubling you missy?"

"Sorry." Kate mumbled as her fingers retrieved a bottle cap off the table and began fidgeting with it, her forehead still pressed against the table top.

"You know you can talk to me if you want. But if you aren't ready, you at least know I am here." Laura's tone was gentle as her hand reached out to still Kate's. She had grown quite fond of Kate over the last year as she had grown from a friend to family.

"I know. It's just that, um..." Kate bit her lip, her brow furrowing as her mind raced. In the past year she had come to rely on the Barton's in a way she couldn't quite put into words. After her mother went to prison and disowned her, she had floated around feeling lost. Clint and Laura had slowly pulled her in and included her until she really had felt like part of the family. The smallest thought of revealing anything that could jeopardize that bond put a twist in her gut, but she could not put off telling Laura any longer. She needed to tell someone, and more importantly she needed advice. Plus it just didn't feel right to keep something as important as what was on her mind from the people who were most important to her.

"I have a problem. Well, not really a problem. I guess it could be a problem, though." The words rushed out as her eyes fixed on the table where Laura's hand was still on hers.

"What kind of problem slash not a problem?" Laura's tone was kind as she squeezed Kate's hand softly.

"Who's got a problem?" Clint's voice from behind her made Kate jump and she twisted in her chair to watch as he entered the kitchen. His hands were covered in black grease and he had several grease smudges across his cheek. He bent to kiss Laura, but she recoiled with a wrinkle of her nose.

"I thought you were going to fix the tractor, not to make out with it." She protested.

"The damn thing won't start. Again. Useless piece of shit." Clint muttered as he moved to the sink and used his elbow to flip the water on. "I think we may have to get a new one."

"I thought the whole point of that one was the old time value?" Kate smirked at her mentor.

"Clint Barton, I KNOW you are not washing your nasty hands over my dishes!"

"They are dirty, aren't they?" He shrugged, throwing a wink at Kate.

"I'm not getting in the middle of this." Kate held her hands up, a smile playing at her lips. "Because I can't side with you, I have to eat off those plates."

"See?" Laura scowled at him. "Kate agrees."

"Nope. Switzerland." Kate laughed as Laura threw her dish towel at her husband.

"A little dirt never killed anyone. Builds character." He caught the towel and wiped his hands dry. "So, who's got a problem?" He moved to stand behind Laura, one hand resting on her shoulder. Kate watched as his thumb rubbed small circles there and she felt that familiar longing that had recently cropped up any time she saw the two sharing a quiet moment.

"No one has a problem." Kate groaned. "Well, you do, actually; don't you have a tractor to fix?"

"Very convincing kid. Spill it."

"Clint." Laura's voice held an edge of warning. Clint frowned as he studied Kate before he sat down in a chair.

"What's wrong Kate? Is everything okay?" The teasing tone had vanished form his voice and been replaced with concern.

"No. Yes. Ugh!" Kate let her head fall back and she studied the ceiling. This was not how this conversation was supposed to go at all.

"Are you in danger?"

"No." Kate paused, trying to collect her words.

"Well," Laura held up her hand before Clint could speak again. "If it is something you want to talk about, you know we're here for you."

"I want to talk about it, it's just…" Kate frowned at the table, her words tumbling around in her head. She finally couldn't stand it anymore and the words began to tumble out without pause. "It's just that you guys are, like, family, or at least that's how I feel, and I have something to tell you, because I don't know what to do, but if I tell you I'm afraid of what might happen, because if your own mom can walk away from you what stops someone else from doing it, but I know that isn't fair because you guys are good people, and maybe you won't even care because I'm not important, but-"

"Whoa, easy there, hot shot." Clint interjected.

"Slow down, take a deep breath." Laura suggested in a gentle tone. "First of all, of course you're family, silly girl."

"No kidding. Do you see me letting anyone else hang around and annoy me all the time? Except the dog…you do eat my pizza too. Hmmm. You two are a lot alike come to think of it." He made a dramatic face as he pretended to really ponder the thought and Kate felt herself relaxe just a bit.

"Very helpful dear." Laura rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "But he is right. We consider you one of the flock.

"Flock?" Clint groaned. "Is that supposed to be a bad joke? Hawkeye and his brood?"

"Oh, shut up." Laura elbowed him playfully.

"Secondly, I can't change what your mother did to you, but I can promise you that I'll always be here. You aren't getting rid of us that easily."

"Right." Clint agreed. "She stuck around for me and I've done some bad shit, ya know? Been the occasional pain in the ass."

"I guess that's one way to put it, but again, he is right."

"Sorry." Kate sighed. "I didn't mean for this to go this way."

"It hasn't gone any type of way." Laura reassured her. "If you want to talk, we're here. If you need more time, we'll be here when you're ready."

"I don't have any more time." Kate sighed.

"What?" Clint frowned at her as concern and protectiveness flared inside him. "Who's ass am I about to kick?"

"What? No. Not like that." Kate leaned back in her chair to study them. "I just need advice on something. Or maybe not advice, but just to tell someone. Well, I wanted to tell y'all."

"Is this about your 'field trip' from last week?" Clint was referring to the two days she had slipped away on an unofficial mission. Unofficial because she was supposed to be laying low and keeping her head down, not that she had very good at that part of things. She'd gone on several 'field trips' recently, all courtesy of Yelana. It had turned out that they made an exceptional team, something that Clint hadn't failed to notice. The two had managed to clean up several loose ends that had popped up around New York and Clint hadn't even had to lift a finger.

"Kind of?" She bit her bottom lip before taking a deep breath. "I have…"

"Do we need to hide evidence? Get rid of a body?"

"You're ridiculous." Laura elbowed him again. "Let her talk."

"I have…a date." The words finally fell out of Kate.

"A date?" Clint echoed, dumbfounded. "This is about a date?"

"Don't look at me like that!" Kate protested, her cheeks reddening. "This isn't my thing."

"Isn't your thing?"

"There is an awful echo in this room." Laura rolled her eyes. "So you're nervous about a date?"

"Maybe? I don't know that nervous is the right word." Kate admitted.

"So you aren't in danger? I don't need to-" Laura held up her hand to stop Clint's questions.

"No, she isn't in danger. If you aren't nervous, how do you feel about it then?"

"I don't know. I am nervous, but not for the reasons you're probably thinking."

"Let's start with an easy question then: do you even want to go on this date?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation in Kate's reply.

"Well, that's a good start." Laura smiled. "Have you been out together before?"

"Kind of?" Kate grimaced. "Not on a date though. We work together. Kinda."

"Work together?" Clint interjected. "Like one of the goons at your mother's company?" He groaned. "Not a suit and tie, pencil pusher."

"Clint Barton!" Laura scolded him.

"What?! They are the worst. She can do so much better than that. Kate, you can do so much better than that."

"Well, seeing as how I haven't worked for that company in quite some time…"

"Oh, right." Clint visibly relaxed, but Laura sat up in her chair. She studied Kate, a seed of suspicion growing in her mind.

"Work with them you say?" She raised a brow, asking the unspoken question. Kate nodded slowly in reply, her body tensing. She didn't know how they would react to the news, especially given their history.

"Am I missing something? Did you get a new job?" Clint scratched his head, looking lost. "Wait, your trip last week- that guy that came by to debrief you?" He was doing his best to hide his expression, but he was obviously disappointed. Kate shook her head and was trying to finally blurt it out when Laura spoke.

"Well it is about time!" She laughed as her face broke into a smile. "And I understand now. Come here, goofball." She got up and pulled Kate into an embrace. "Stop worrying, because you have nothing to worry about, you hear me?" She gave her a squeeze.

"I hear you." Kate returned her embrace, but she didn't allow herself to relax yet. Of course Laura would be more accepting; there wasn't the complicated history there.

"Clearly I didn't hear something. What in the hell are we even talking about anymore?" Clint groaned.

"We are talking about Kate's date." Laura grinned.

"Her date that she works with…" Clint frowned. "Who else is there? We haven't worked with anyone recently."

"You haven't worked with anyone recently." Kate corrected him. "Yelena…Yelana and I are going out to dinner."

"You and…Yelana?" His eyebrows shot up.

"Yes…" Kate shot a nervous glance at Laura, but she was still smiling.

"I…thank god." Clint groaned in relief. "Of all the goofy, no good people running through my mind, that was not one of them. Work with them- got it. I got it. I got you." He ran a hand through his hair. "I can live with that."

"You can live with that?" Kate asked cautiously.

"Sorry, that sounds bad huh? No, that's good. Real good."

'You're really okay with it?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because…well, she's a she, she tried to kill you, well, technically us, at one point. There is the whole messy thing with my mom-" Kate held up a third finger, ready to make another point, but Clint waved his hand dismissively.

"Yelene is a good kid. You both are. Well, you're not really kids, but you get the point. As for the rest…as long as you're happy, I'm happy." He shrugged. "I thought we were about to have to hide a body or something serious."

"No bodies. Sorry to disappoint. I just…" Kate shrugged. "I haven't dated a lot. Well, hardly at all…maybe twice? But, I wanted you two to know, and because it was Yelena…"

"You two work well together. We might've had our speculations, but it wasn't really our place to say anything."

"Mostly Laura." Clint shrugged. "But, you two just have this chemistry. It happens sometimes."

"Like it happened to you two?"

"Something like that." Laura smiled.

"Just don't hurt her, Kate. She's been through a lot. You two are good for each other, but you can also hurt each other easily."

"I know." Kate swallowed nervously. "Trust me, I know." Clint studied her for a long moment before getting up and musing her hair.

"Don't go worrying about stuff like this. GlaZAH baYATsa, a RUki DYElayut. The eyes are afraid but the hands are still doing it."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nat used to say it all the time. It means you're afraid, but you do it anyway."

"Huh…I like that."

"Nat would've liked you.

"Now, I am not too proud to admit that this isn't my area of expertise. I'll leave you with the expert." He kissed Laura on the cheek. "Besides, I've got a tractor to fix. Or burn. I haven't decided yet."

"Yes, you go do that. We have a date to discuss." Laura smiled at Kate, and Kate finally let herself feel the thrill of excitement that she had tried to keep tamped down all week: she had a date with Yelana.