Clint jerked awake, sitting up, eyes searching for the threat his body was telling him was there. But the room was dark, there was nothing. His eyes fell on the bed and he noted the way that Dani was currently sprawled out on her back, the blankets twisted around her legs. Picking up his phone to check the time he groaned seeing that it was only a few hours after he fell asleep.
Sighing, he reached over and picked up his hearing aids and put them back in. Then he stood, keeping his steps light so as not to wake Dani and moved over to the table, pulling her journal towards him to continue reading it. He'd realized when he was flipping through it the first time he found her that it was a chronicle of her hunts and other things related to what she did. Her handwriting was messy and her writing style was chaotic but he was able to follow along pretty well. There were sketches, random notes, names of useful contacts, things that he suspected wasn't exactly code but he had no idea what it meant so it might as well be.
The longer Clint read the more he realized that she had gone through a lot of trauma. The journal started with the death of her parents, she had to have been about 16. She had fought so many different things. Vampires, werewolves, wendigo, ghosts, witches, demons, something called leviathan, gods, even angels. Every entry seemed to detail something terrible. And she wrote about things that were happening with what he assumed were other hunters. She wrote about losses suffered.
He smiled when he got to the entry the day he met her. She detailed taking out an easy vamp target but having to deal with an 'average Joe' who saw it happen. She wrote of her annoyance and frustration at him finding her again and then tracking her to where he had lost her in Kansas only to pick her back up as she left the state.
Clint's eyes tracked over to the bed when he heard an odd sounding tone and she startled awake. Dani rolled towards the table with her phone and answered it.
"Special Agent Jones speaking."
With half an ear he listened to her half of the conversation as he shut her journal and leaned back in the chair. Sipping at the coffee he had let grow cold as he got engrossed in the reading he listened to her tell whoever was on the phone that she would be in to see them in two and a half hours. When she hung up the phone, she tossed it back on the table with a groan and rolled out of the bed.
Clint caught sight of the tips of some kind of tattoo above her hip bone as the shirt she was wearing pulled up some as she stretched. She grunted at him by way of greeting as she shuffled into the bathroom and shut the door with a snap. Two minutes later he heard the shower running. Getting up, Clint set up the coffee pot before he returned to the table.
When she came out fifteen minutes later he opened his mouth to ask her a question but she held her hand up to forstall him and said, "No talkie before coffee."
Amused, Clint watched her shuffle over to the coffee pot, picking up a cup that she had used yesterday and sniffing at it before she dumped coffee into it and sipped at it. Finally, Dani came over to the table and sat down.
"Okay. What?" she asked.
Leaning forward a little, Clint asked, "Who was on the phone?"
"Huh? Oh. The sheriff. Wanted to know if I came to any conclusion in my investigation." She answered.
"And what do you plan to tell him?"
Lifting a shoulder she said, "That at this time there is inconclusive evidence to determine if the bodies are linked and therefore the FBI will not be coming in to investigate further unless further bodies show up and can provide enough evidence for that kind of conclusion."
Clint was impressed, it sounded just like something the federal government would say. And when they met with the sheriff two and a half hours later that is exactly what she told him. Once they were back in the car, he asked her what the plan was now.
"Now, we have to find where the wolf is hanging out. It's possible that it's moved on, but I don't think so, that body was fresh when it was found." Dani said as she drove them back to the motel.
"So, we just what? Blunder around and hope we stumble upon it?" To Clint it seemed like a pointless venture.
Dani rolled her eyes at him, "Of course not, we set up a map, add the four dump sites along with the last known location of the most recent victim and triangulate from there for a potential den zone."
"And you think it's just one?"
"Well, if we were dealing with a pack or even just two, there should be more bodies. Since there isn't, and there aren't actually many missing people from this area I'm fairly sure that there is only one." She looked at him when he seemed skeptical and said, "Experience teaches you to recognize certain patterns that point to certain kinds of baddies."
Clint just hummed as they pulled into the motel lot.
The next day, Clint and Dani headed out early to the area that Dani wanted to start looking. She eyed his bow again when he pulled it and his quiver out of the trunk.
"Are you sure you don't want a gun?" she asked him as she tucked her own into a shoulder holster she had put on.
Clint shook his head, "No. I'm good."
"Do you have a silver knife?" She asked as she tucked a knife into her boot.
"Uh. No I don't any of my knives are made of silver." Nodding she reached into the trunk and pulled out a weapon the likes of which he had never seen before. Handing it handle first to him she reached into the trunk and pulled out another.
"What the hell is this?" Clint asked as he examined it. It seemed to be some kind of fancy three sided dagger honed to a sharp point and made of metal that didn't look like anything he had seen before. Not even vibranium.
"That, my good sir, is an angel blade." Dani answered as she tucked her own into a thigh sheath.
Clint looked up at her, "I'm sorry what?"
"An angel blade. Weapons carried by most angels, supposedly touched by God himself. Which may or may not be true. Doesn't matter. What does is that an angel blade can be used against all sorts of supernatural beings; including werewolves. Since you don't have a silver knife and I don't have an extra right now, you get my spare angel blade."
"If these belong to angels," Clint paused as he considered those words. Of course he had read about angels in her journal but he was still trying to wrap his head around all this. Shaking himself out of his thoughts he continued, "If these belong to angels how did you end up with them?"
Dani shut the trunk, "Well, let's just say that since the angels came back to walk among mortals a lot of them have died. Making it possible to get your hands on their weapons if you are clever or lucky enough."
Dani started to move away and Clint quickly stuck the knife into his boot and followed. Once he caught up to her she continued, "And since we have our own personal angel, we've been luckier than most to end up with several."
"Wait, your own personal angel?" Clint wondered if that was a euphemism for something.
She hummed in agreement, "Yep, his name is Castiel—we call him Cass."
He recognized the name. He'd seen it several times in her journal. Without thinking he said, "Is this the same angel that let those Leviathan things in?"
Dani looked over at him, lifting a brow, "Reading my journal again Clint?"
Unashamed, he responded, "Yes. It was very informative. Have you really been hunting since you were a kid?"
She made a sound in her throat but didn't answer. Clint figured she wouldn't but then she said, "I had skills that my parents found useful. So, yeah, technically I've been actively involved in hunting since I was a kid."
Curious, he asked, "What kind of skills could a kid have to help with hunting?"
"I'm a whiz at research. And I've been a hacker and counterfeiter since I was about 11."
"How the hell did you learn to be a hacker that young?"
Dani sighed fondly, "My parents crossed paths with a computer expert named Frank Devereaux who was aware of the supernatural. He was a master at counterfeiting and hacking. We spent enough time around him that he was able to teach me a thing or two and I took to it like glitter to glue."
"What happened to him?" Clint asked as they continued to move through the forested area they were walking through.
"Presumed dead. Pretty sure Dick Roman had him killed."
"Oh."
Dani lifted a shoulder again before she crouched at the side of the path, examining marks that he missed. Admittedly, his tracking skills were a bit rusty. When she stood back up she headed in a new direction, Clint following.
They had been at it for a couple of hours when they were ambushed. Dani was sure if it wasn't for the fact that Clint seemed to have preternatural reflexes they would have both been dead immediately. It wasn't one werewolf. It was four. And since they were all in changed form, Dani was right that they were pure blood. Which means they were even stronger than the average wolf.
A muted snap of a twig was the only warning that Clint had before the creatures attacked. He was already moving as they came at them, drawing a knife arrow and sending it straight through the eye of one as he used his body to knock Dani out of the way of a second.
There were four of them and they were on him in a blink. Clint had drawn another arrow but didn't have time to shoot it, so used it as a stabbing weapon instead. Using his bow to shove back two of them as he stabbed the third, he spun around quickly. With a flick of his wrist his bow flattened into a fighting staff and he drew the blade Dani had given him.
Dani's breath caught in her throat as she drew her gun and tried to find an opening to shoot something. Clint had knocked her out of the way of the headlong rush at the same moment he had shot one through the eye. Now he was fighting three of them in a violent dance of hand-to-hand combat. His bow no longer looked like a bow, instead it was a staff and she had a moment to wonder at that as she watched him stab an arrow through one of the three on him before he drew the angel blade.
He stabbed one of the wolves with the blade and turned to face the final two. Dani was still trying to find an opening to shoot but nothing was coming up and she started to wonder why in the world they were so focused on him.
With a snarl and a yank, Dani flew backwards as a fifth werewolf made itself known. She didn't have time to form words but she made enough of a sound that she saw Clint glance at her before she was spun around and looking into a face that seemed vaguely familiar. It was the last thought she had before her world went dark.
Dani's eyes flickered open, her head throbbing as she attempted to take in her surroundings through her pain. She was tied to a post, in what she thought might be an abandoned barn. She was trying to figure out what happened and where Clint was when she heard a sound to her left and her head snapped in that direction.
"Ah, good, you are awake. I worried I might have been a little too rough in knocking you out." The voice was a low growl and she watched as a shadow shifted and a man walked into the hazy light.
"You were at the bar." Dani said, now recognizing the face. It was one of the two men that Clint had said made some kind of crude remark to each other while he had gotten them new beers when they were playing tourist couple.
"I was. You know, if I hadn't already known you were the hunters that had rolled into town, I would have never suspected you and your boyfriend were anything but tourists. So, bravo on your acting chops."
"Clint's not my boyfriend." Dani had no idea why that was what she chose to say.
He laughed and moved closer to her, his eyes feral, "Really now? Does he know that?"
Tilting his head as he regarded her, he corrected, "Or rather did he know that. I'm pretty sure the pack has managed to finish him off by now."
Dani looked up at where her hands were currently tied to the post above her, trying to figure out if there was a way to get out. Strangely enough, the man let her. When she brought her eyes back to him, she found herself saying, "I didn't suspect a pack. I thought it was a solo thing." She hopes by keeping him talking she'd find a way to escape. She could feel that her angel blade and her silver knife were still on her. Strange he didn't disarm her completely.
His lips turned up as he walked closer to her, picking up a strand of her hair and twisting it around his finger, "Yes, well, that's because my pack doesn't hunt in this area."
"Then why have they found four bodies recently?" Dani asked, even as her heart galloped with fear.
He laughed, the sound low and dangerous, "Ah, well, there was a pup who thought he could encroach on our territory. We took care of it. Unfortunately, it did bring you and your boyfriend into town. But we figured we could handle you."
Dani snorted, "Then why did you bring me here instead of taking me out at the site of the ambush?"
Running his nose along her neck, which sent panic shivering down her spine, he inhaled deeply, "Originally the plan was to finish you both off, but then I caught your scent in the bar. And a new plan was formed."
Still trying to stall for time in order to formulate a plan to escape Dani three out, "Did it now. And what's that? You kill me slowly? Torture me?"
One of his fingernails dragged down her arm, scratching it deeply enough to bleed as he said, "Oh, no. You see, I need a new mate. And you? You have the right scent."
Dani's pulse jumped and her breath caught as her body flooded with sheer fear at his words. Oh no, this was not good. Not good at all. He laughed as her mind started to race, "Ah, there is the right kind of fear."
Breath coming in shallow, pupils shrinking to pinpricks, Dani tried to tug on the bindings on her wrists. Even through her fear she managed to get out, "Oh yeah? Then why didn't you change me while I was still knocked out?"
He ran his nose up her neck again as he said, "Because I like the fight beforehand."
Reaching up, he tore apart the ropes binding her to the post, shoving against her side with his other hand so she stumbled as she was let free. She caught herself and yanked her knife and angel blade out as she turned to face him, he had already shifted into his wolf form and she had never seen a shift that smooth or quick before. It caused her stomach to drop away. Was this the alpha werewolf?
He crouched slightly, balancing on the balls of his feet as his yellow eyes stared into her, "Well, come on then. Try and beat me. Make it a good fight."
Dani was frozen in place. As she hesitated, trying to decide if she should just run, he attacked. She responded instinctively, bringing her arm up to defend and attempting to strike out with her blade. He kicked her squarely in the stomach, and when she stumbled back he didn't press the advance. Instead, he let her get her bearings again before he attacked again.
As she defended herself, she suddenly realized that he was literally toying with her. Anger started to replace the fear and when that switch was flipped she started to go on the offensive. The werewolf growled in satisfaction. But when she managed to actually cut him with her knife, he apparently decided he had enough playing. In a blink, Dani found herself knocked down, her hands pinned next to her head.
"Well, that was fun and all, but I think it's time you take your rightful place." His yellow eyes gleamed as he leaned down to her.
"No—" Dani started to say, knowing it was useless, knowing this was it for her.
The werewolf suddenly jerked up, howling in pain. As his grip on her hands loosed, she managed to stab her knife into his eye and when he reeled back further she stabbed the angel blade through his heart. She watched as the life faded from him, his features returning to human as he slumped against her.
Grunting with the sudden dead weight on her, Dani shoved his body off her and scrambled out. When she had gotten far enough away she looked at his back. Sticking out of the middle of it was an arrow.
Her head jerked up to where Clint was standing in the loft, slowly lowering his bow as he stared down at her. He looked a little worse for the wear, scratched and torn up, but he was alive. Dani scrambled to her feet as he climbed down from the loft in a move that was incredible nimble.
Rushing over to him, Dani threw her arms around his neck, "Oh my god I thought you were dead. He was certain you were."
Clint laughed, "Sweetheart, it's gonna take more than a couple of werewolves to take me out."
When he patted her awkwardly on the back with the hand that still held his bow she suddenly grew embarrassed and pulled away. She watched as he moved over and yanked his arrow out of the body. As he examined the tip, Dani noted that it didn't look anything like what she knew arrowheads looked like.
When Clint's blue eyes caught her own, he lifted a shoulder, "Trick arrow. This one had hydrochloric acid in it. I figured it would do enough damage to cause him to make a mistake and let you get some stabbing in."
Dani's mouth dropped open as she stared at him. As he wiped the tip of the arrow off on the man's clothes and returned it to his quiver. He met her eyes again and asked, "What?"
With a shake of her head, Dani rubbed a hand over her face, "I guess bows and arrows do come in handy after all.
Clint laughed as he settled the bowstring across his chest, "Told you."
As they started to leave the barn, Dani jerked her thumb over her shoulder, "How the hell did you get up into the loft in the first place?"
"Climbed up to the roof and dropped in."
"What are you? Some kind of acrobat?" Dani started to laugh but stopped when Clint said, "I used to be, yes."
"What?!"
Clint nudged her arm with his elbow, "Yep. I ran with a few circuses when I was younger."
Incredulous, Dani repeated, "Circuses?"
Smile flashing as he looked at her and winked, Clint said, "Where do you think I learned how to use a bow?"
They returned to their motel room, Dani bringing the first aid kit from the car in with them. Clint tried to shoo her away when she insisted on cleaning up and dealing with his wounds but she wouldn't be deterred. Deciding it was easier to just give in, Clint sat on the edge of the bed as she carefully cleaned and stitched up the more severe cuts he had sustained in his fight.
He tried to ignore the way the closeness of her body and the way her fingers brushing against his skin caused his stomach to flip and clench. Considering his reaction to her to be silly, Clint chalked it up to leftover adrenaline and fear. When he had seen her being dragged away, fear he didn't think he would have experience considering their short acquaintance had gripped him tight. Finally managing it to take out the final werewolf he hadn't even stopped to consider what he was doing before he was dashing in the same direction that she had been taken. Even though he knew it was likely fruitless.
But it hadn't been. He had arrived at the barn, the trail the werewolf or man or whatever he was had been easy to follow. Clint wasn't sure what he was as he hadn't gotten a good enough look. He just knew he had Dani and he couldn't leave her to whatever fate he had for her. When he looked into a split in the door of the barn and had seen that Dani was not only still alive but was bound he searched for a way to sneak in. For him, it was easy enough for him to get up on the roof, and once there to get into the loft. By the time he did, his heart had clutched as he watched as the werewolf goaded Dani into a fight.
When he had pinned her, he took his shot and thanked all the things out there that the one arrow with acid he had in his quiver had actually done something. He watched as Dani finished the creature off and scrambled out from under him.
Clint hissed, being yanked out of his memory of the event as Dani prodded at another cut with the disinfectant. She made a sound in her throat and said, "Oh, don't be a baby."
"Your bedside manner could do with some work." Clint groused as she poked and prodded at other cuts and scrapes. Pleased when she laughed at him.
Dropping the cloth she had been using onto the pile of used gauze and other debris she stood up, "Done." She threw his shredded shirt at his face, and he caught it.
"What about you?" Clint asked.
"I'm fine." Dani said dismissively as she gathered up the garbage.
Clint gripped her hand and when her eyes flashed at him, he gave her a bland look and turned her arm over to expose the long cut on her arm, "You aren't fine."
He examined it carefully, before he said, "This is gonna need stitches."
When she squirmed and tried to yank her arm free he looked up at her surprised. Her face flushed pink and she stared up at the ceiling, "I don't like needles."
"You literally just gave me stitches." Clint pointed out.
On a huff of breath Dani said, "That's different."
Clint rolled his eyes, yanking her back down to the bed and pointing a finger at her nose when she started to complain, "Hush. I'll take care of it."
She whined about it the entire time. Clint shook his head and muttered, "And you called me the baby."
When he finished she tugged her arm free and stood up from the bed quickly, "We both need showers. And then sleep. We can leave tomorrow."
Not missing the plurality, Clint said, "We?"
Dani shot him a look, "Turns out you were pretty useful. So, if you still want to join me. I'm cool with it?"
"I absolutely still want to." Clint hastily responded. He needed this. He needed a purpose. He needed a way to make a difference. A way to save people again. Without all the other bullshit he had been dealing with in recent years.
Dani nodded curtly and then asked, "Are you gonna keep your jeep and just follow me as we travel?"
Standing and tossing out the bag with the debris of their first aid Clint thought about it for a moment, then he said, "I imagine if we are going to work together it will probably be more efficient to travel together. So, I'll sell the jeep."
"Good. So, we'll shower, get some sleep, and then get out of dodge. Find a place to sell your jeep somewhere between here and Hibbing." Dani said as she gathered fresh clothes and walked to the bathroom.
"What's in Hibbing?" Clint asked.
There was fondness in her voice as she answered, "Family. I promised I'd stop in after the job was done for a visit."
As the pair pulled up the long drive towards a ranch style house Dani swore quietly as she pulled in behind a black truck. Clint glanced at her, "Problem?"
She blew out a breath that fluttered the hair that had fallen into her face, "Ah. So, it looks like Jody is here too. And uh, if I had to guess at least Alex too and possibly Claire too."
Dani opened her door and climbed out, grabbing a bag from the back as Clint followed suit, "And that's bad?"
"Eh. You're about to meet the full female half of my family."
Clint sighed and then caught sight of the vehicle the black truck was parked behind. Stopping dead on his tracks he asked, "Wait. Is Donna a sheriff's deputy?"
Dani tossed a casual look over her shoulder, "No she's the sheriff. Jody is a sheriff too actually but in Sioux Falls."
Moving forward quickly, Clint tugged on her arm to stop her from continuing towards the house, "I don't think coming here is a good idea."
Dani turned to face him, confused, "What? Why?"
Clint was incredulous, "Seriously? Dani, I'm an international fugitive."
"And?"
"And, they are law enforcement. Do you really think bringing an international criminal into a house with two sheriffs is actually a good idea?"
She still looked like she didn't understand what the problem was and Clint let out a frustrated sound as he rubbed his hands over his face for a moment before he dropped them to his sides. Drawing from a well of patience he didn't think he had right now he said slowly, "Dani, their jobs are to arrest criminals."
Getting it now, Dani rolled her eyes and blew a raspberry, "Pftt. Clint, they support hunters. Hell, they are hunters. They overlook certain things all the time. Hell, they've literally participated in breaking the law when it is necessary. I promise, they aren't going to arrest you."
Clint searched her face for a moment, seeing that she believed her words. Sighing even heavier than before he shoved his hands into his pockets and followed her in. He couldn't help but think this was an incredibly bad idea. Sure maybe they would be willing to overlook certain things that hunters did. But would they, could they , overlook him?
"I'm here!" Dani called out as she pushed through the side door.
The two women who were standing in the spacious kitchen the door opened into turned to face them, and Clint saw as both their eyes sharpened as they spotted him. They both came over to greet Dani with hugs before their eyes focused hard on Clint, who was just standing there with his arms tucked into his pockets and wishing that he hadn't agreed to this.
Dani smiled, "Clint, this is Donna Hanscum and Jody Mills." She gestured to the blond and then to the brunette. Both who were still looking at Clint with steel in their eyes, "Donna, Jody, this is Clint."
Clint moved forward to offer his hand, both women shaking it with what took to be great reluctance. This was going great, he thought to himself as Dani looked around the room and asked, "What are you doing here Jody? Is Alex or Claire here too?"
"They both are, and it's Labor Day. Since I had off, I figured I'd come over here as Donna said you'd be stopping in and I haven't seen you in a hot minute. We got there in about two hours. Didn't expect you to be bringing a friend."
"Yeah, I picked him up recently. We're gonna be working together for a bit. He's actually pretty handy in a fight." Dani said casually.
"Well, there will definitely be enough food for one more. I'm just gonna go and get the grill started." Donna said before she shared a look with Jody and started to move away.
"Hey Donna, you mind if I use your shower? I feel super gross and need a refresher." Dani called out to her.
Without turning around Donna called back, "You betcha."
Turning back to Jody, who was still appraising Clint with hard eyes, she said, "I'm gonna go catch that shower." Then she flicked a gaze at Clint, "Make yourself at home. I'll be back in a bit."
Clint opened his mouth to protest but when he caught the look in Jody's eye he shut it again just as quickly. Dani moved further into the house with her bag as Clint continued to stand there awkwardly.
"Beer?" Jody asked suddenly.
"Uh. Yeah sure."
Jody turned, following the path Donna had taken, saying, "C'mon then."
Resigned, Clint followed her out. He found the women on a patio, Donna standing over a large charcoal grill and Jody reaching into a cooler for a beer that she handed to Clint before taking out her own and sitting down on a chair.
Donna turned around with her fists on her hips, "Clint why doncha sit yourself on down and we can have a talk."
Clint found Donna's midwestern twang comforting somehow, even if her words sounded a little bit like a threat. He moved over and sat down on one of the chairs, watching as Donna took one next to Jody and the pair of them continued to look at him.
"So." Jody began.
But before she could say anything further a teenager with long blond hair came hurrying around the side of house saying, "Hey! I saw Dani's car where is—holy shit." Her eyes had bugged out, "You're Clint Barton!"
Jody and Donna both turned to look at the teenager and Jody asked, "How do you know that?"
Claire rolled her eyes, "Geez Jody get with the times. He's an Avenger. Hawkeye!"
Clint felt his shoulders hunching as the older woman turned back to him and he found himself shaking his head and saying, "No. I'm not."
"Oh bullshit, you are Hawkeye." Claire shot back.
"Claire." The admonition was clear in Jody's tone.
"What? He's the one claiming to be something he's not." All sulky attitude, Claire threw her hands up.
"No. I mean, I'm not an Avenger. Not anymore."
Three pairs of eyes focused on him. Donna asked the question that was on all their minds, "Why not."
And this was the moment that Clint didn't want to happen. But considering the way he felt like a bug pinned to a cork board right now he knew it would be best not to lie. Letting out a long sigh, Clint rubbed a hand through his hair, "Because some of us disagreed with turning over control of us to the governments of the world when those governments could be infiltrated or worse just want to use us in ways that wasn't right."
"So, you just up and quit?" Jody said, clearly not believing it.
Claire supplied, "A bunch of them got arrested in Germany for breaking some big law thing."
Jody and Donna shared a look again before Jody said, "And what you made bail and decided to take up a new hobby?"
"Hey Jody can I have a beer?" Claire suddenly asked.
"No. You aren't 21 yet." Jody responded without taking her eyes off Clint, waiting for an answer.
Shaking his head, Clint said, "Not exactly."
Crossing her arms across her chest Donna said, "Well, then what exactly?"
Feeling like he was signing his doom, he said, "We broke out and went on the run."
Silence fell. Long minutes passed and then Donna stood up to tend to the grill, saying as she did, "So, you broke out of prison and decided to just pick up a new hobby instead of being a superhero?"
Clint laughed, "I was never a superhero."
Claire sat down, "Oh c'mon you were an Avenger! Of course you were a superhero. You all were."
"I was just an agent with S.H.I.E.L.D. when the Director activated what he called The Avengers Initiative. I'm not an enhanced individual, I have no superpowers. I'm just a good shot and a good fighter." Clint said shortly.
"Uh-huh. And you just decided hunting was a better pastime?" Jody said.
Clint started to answer but got distracted as the patio door opened again and Dani stepped out with another teenager, this one with long dark brown hair. She was wearing a bright blue sundress, her hair loose and wavy down her back. He felt an odd twinge in his chest as he watched her laugh at something the girl had said.
Both Jody and Donna's eyebrows rose in surprise as they watched the look that crossed over the face of the man that their Dani had brought home. They shared a look before Donna turned away to put the meat on the grill.
When she reached them, Dani smiled and said, "Looks like you already met Claire. Clint, this is Alex Jones."
The girl smiled at him before Claire said, "I can't believe you brought an Avenger here!"
Dani shook her head, "He's not an Avenger."
"Whatever, it's still cool."
Suddenly clearing her throat, Jody said, "Hey girls could you go get all the fixings and bring 'em out here? You know the burgers aren't going to take long to finish."
Dani, Alex and Claire all headed back into the house without complaint. The moment the door closed, Jody turned to look at Clint, "You didn't answer. Why are you traveling with Dani?"
Clint lifted a shoulder, "I thought I was going to retire. Then I learned what was going on all this time under my nose and decided that I needed a mission instead."
Donna looked over from flipping the burgers and said, "And you need Dani for that?"
He felt like there was something that they were trying to determine here and he wasn't exactly sure what it was yet, so he said, "I work better with a partner. Right now, she's agreed to work with me."
Neither of them responded, as the other three had come back out arms full of bowls and other things. Clint stood up and moved over to take some of what Dani was balancing. Jody moved over to Donna and spoke in an undertone, "You caught that look right?"
"You betcha. And if he hurts her, I don't give a hoot who he was before, I'll make sure he can't hurt anyone else." Donna responded to Jody's approval. They both smiled as the other four started to set the stuff they were carrying down on the table.
The six of them were finished eating and just sitting around the table and catching up. As dinner progressed, both Jody and Donna had decided Clint was a nice enough guy. He seemed honest and like someone with a strong moral compass who just wanted to do the right thing. But they weren't sure how they felt about Dani working alone with him.
Jody tipped her beer in Dani's direction, "So, how'd you end up working together?"
Dani's eyes slid towards Clint before she answered, "He thought he was going to be a white knight—"
"Hey. No, I didn't. I thought there was a young woman who needed help." Clint interjected.
Dani rolled her eyes, "Like I said, he thought he was being a white knight. And instead what he got was a sight full of me taking the head off a vamp."
Donna held up a hand, "Wait are you talking about that case you did in Iowa?"
"Yep. Anyway, I gave him the quick and dirty monsters are real talk."
"Uh, I wouldn't call what you did a talk. You didn't let me get a word in, you just spewed this whole thing on me and disappeared." Clint interjected again.
It earned him another eye roll, "He decided that the talk wasn't enough and stalked me across the country—"
"He did what now?" Jody said.
Dani continued, "Stalked me across the country for weeks. Broke into my motel room a couple of times. And then up in Mohawk he said he wanted to hunt. I gave him a test run and it turns out he's pretty handy. So, I decided to keep him around for a while."
"You know you make me out to be some kind of weirdo." Clint complained.
She snorted, "Well, you are a weirdo."
"Rude."
"Oh, so you didn't stalk me across the country?"
Waving the words away, Clint said, "I just wanted to talk."
Dani looked triumphant, "Like I said weirdo."
Jody and Donna shared another look as Claire asked, "Do you really always fight with a bow?"
Taking a long sip of beer Clint answered, "Usually."
"Isn't there better weapons to fight with out there?" Alex pointed out.
"For other people. But for me?" He shrugged.
"He's got trick arrows, so it's not exactly like you are thinking Alex."
That spawned a whole new set of questions from Claire and as she started asking them, Dani excused herself to go to the bathroom. She had barely disappeared into the house before Donna and Jody both stood under the pretext of clearing off the table. Clint watched as they disappeared into the house too and suspected it was because they wanted to talk with Dani—likely about him.
Coming back into the kitchen, Dani was unsurprised to see Donna and Jody leaning against the counter.
"Dani, wait." Jody started, using her mom voice.
Sighing, Dani leaned against the counter across from them, "What?"
"We don't know if it's a good idea for you to be traveling with this guy." She said.
Dani rolled her eyes, annoyed, "Ugh, Jody. Come on."
"We mean what do you really know about the guy?" Donna asked.
Dani threw up her hands, "I know that he's literally the best fighter I've ever seen. I know that he's desperate for a purpose."
Pausing, Dani pushed her fingers into her eyes for a moment before she dragging them up and through her hair and said, "I know that if he hadn't been there I'd be some plaything of a werewolf bastard."
"What do you mean?" Donna asked, her whole demeanor changing to a different kind of concern.
"That job? It had every indication of being just a single werewolf. Instead it was a pack of five, led by what I'm pretty sure was the Alpha wolf."
"What?!" Both older women said in unison, looking stunned. Then Jody said, "I thought most of the monster Alphas were taken out during that whole thing with Eve? Except the Alpha vamp?"
Dani shrugged, "Well, either they missed this one or he was one of the first ones after the Alpha. His shifting occurred in a blink. He just shook off the silver knife I tried to use on him like it was nothing. The only thing that slowed him down was this hydrochloric acid arrow that Clint just happened to be lucky enough to be carrying. It gave me enough time to jam the Angel blade I was carrying through his eye."
"Dani, what do you mean by plaything?" Jody asked softly.
Swallowing thickly, remembering the feel of his claws on her skin. His thick voice telling her the plans he had for her, Dani felt her body start to tremble. When her breath started to hitch Donna moved over and wrapped an arm around her, "Hey now, it's okay sweetie. You're safe."
Dani felt tears springing to her eyes, as she rested her head against Donna's shoulder. Quietly she said, "He said he was going to change me. That he needed a mate. Said that I fit what he wanted perfectly."
"Sweetie—" Donna began, but Dani shook her head and gently disengaged herself from Donna's embrace.
"I'm fine. I just. It was scary there for a moment. We had been ambushed by four. They all went for Clint. Man you should have seen him. Like I said, I've never seen someone fight like that. I was trying to get a shot or something in, but couldn't. And then the pack Alpha grabbed me. Hauled me away to this abandoned barn they'd been using as a den as he called it. Clint fought off four werewolves by himself and then came after me."
She fell silent, her eyes downcast, as the other two women continued to look at her. When she looked up again, her eyes were red but fierce, "I owe him my life. And if I can repay that by letting him come with me as I hunt? Well, I consider that a fair trade. And you should too."
Jody moved over and pulled her into a hug, "We get it. You have to know we just need to look out for you."
Returning the hug Dani murmured, "Yeah, I know. Mom ."
It was said teasingly but it was true. Jody had fallen into a motherly role with them all just like how Donna had fallen into the role of kickass aunt. Or how Bobby had been their fatherly type. Or Dean and Sam were her brothers and Alex and Claire her sisters. These people were her family. Her found family. Sniffling a little, Dani pulled away and excused herself to go back to the bathroom to get rid of the evidence of her tears.
Jody and Donna moved back outside, bringing the dessert that was their see-through excuse for what had taken them so long in the house. Clint's eyes tracked to the house, concerned when Dani didn't immediately follow them out. He excused himself and went to find her. She was just coming out of the bathroom when he entered the hallway, and she blinked at him in surprise.
"What are you doing?"
Eyes looking her over he asked, "Are you okay?"
"What? Yes. I'm fine." she responded, brushing past him and heading outside. Clint watched her go. He wasn't convinced that she was fine and he was wondering what had transpired between her and the two women she said were part of her family.
Once he returned outside, he got drawn into another discussion with Claire about his exploits as an Avenger. Dani gave no indication that she had been upset, talking and joking with everyone like normal. At some point during the evening, Donna had lit a bonfire and they had all been sitting around it. Clint enjoyed himself. He liked these people. He noticed that after they returned from talking with Dani, both Donna and Jody were a lot less suspicious of him. Their questions seemed less like a grilling and more like natural curiosity.
Eventually, people started yawning and Donna said, "Y'all are staying right?"
"Do you have enough room for everyone?" Dani asked.
"You betcha. I've finished the basement finally. There are two guest rooms down there now instead of just the one on the main floor."
They started to discuss who would sleep where and Clint said, "I can just bunk on a couch or something like that."
"Don't be ridiculous, there are enough beds for everyone." Donna said before she glanced at Dani.
Speaking up, Dani said, "I'm cool if you want to put him in with me, we shared a room over the past few days and I'm sure we will in the future too."
Donna considered her for a moment. Clint could tell she wanted to push at that but what she said was, "The larger guest room downstairs has two full sized beds."
She looked at the two teenage girls and then Jody spoke up, "The girls can have the upstairs guest bedroom, it's got the king sized bed so they should have enough room to sleep without touching."
Donna nodded and everyone started to get up and head to bed. Clint followed Dani and Jody downstairs, seeing that the main space of the basement had been turned into a kind of library/weapons storage with two bedrooms branching off it.
Jody laid a hand on Dani's arm, whispering something in her ear before Dani drifted off towards one of the doors. She called out to Clint as he started towards the same room, so Clint paused and turned towards her.
"You should know that if you hurt her, you'll have to answer to a lot of people. Myself and Donna included." Jody said.
Clint felt surprised, "Why would I hurt her?"
"There are a lot of ways that a young woman can be hurt by a man and they aren't all physical." With that last word Jody pushed through the door on the opposite side and shut it softly behind her.
Clint rubbed the back of his neck for a moment, confused over the threat before he decided he was too tired to deal with that right now and headed over to the bedroom Dani had disappeared into.
