Hey, sorry about that long wait. I haven't had any energy to write so sorry about that. But I didn't want to leave you with nothing, so I scrounged together this super short chapter. And it's going to be the last one for a while. I might pick this back up someday, but for now it's on indefinite hiatus. So yeah! Enjoy this last little bit, and hopefully more will be added eventually. But if not, goodbye and thank you for reading this far.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters

"You want to do what?!" Agent Coulson's furious voice rings out from where his hologram stands, arms crossed and glaring daggers at Natasha. She smiles sheepishly, making sure to keep her hands in his view and appear as non-threatening as possible.

"I want to recruit her!" Hawkeye says, eyes shining and smile wide. He reminds Natasha of a little kid on Christmas - not that she ever got to enjoy one herself.

"Barton, you had one job." Coulson responds, sighing and pinching his brow like an exasperated parent.

"Tch, 'Barton'?" Natasha asks, chuckling. She laughs even harder as 'Barton' blushes and looks at the ground in embarrassment. She's definitely heard worse during her missions, but it makes her happy to watch him fluster so much. Huh, maybe Mason won't be the only friend she gets out of this.

"It's my last name, shut up," He says before looking back up at Agent Coulson defiantly, "Now are you going to help Natasha join or not?"

"Hmmm," Agent Coulson murmurs, watching Natasha intently, "How do I know I can trust you? How can I know you're not going to stab us in the back?"

"Well, I guess you can't be one-hundred percent sure. But trust me when I say I want nothing to do with the organization that tortured me for years and kept me from having a normal life. I want to watch the Red Room burn."

"That can be arranged," Agent Coulson muses, lost in thought. Natasha glances at Barton and he smiles brightly. How he can be so trusting, she'll never know. Either he chooses to see the good in people, even when they can't see it in themselves, or he's terribly naive. Natasha fears it's the latter, and she knows Agent Coulson won't have any qualms disposing or arresting her if she can't prove herself. But Barton's smile gives her hope for the future - hope that she hasn't had in a long time.

"Please, I'll do anything. Just help me get away from them for good." Natasha stares at Agent Coulson as she pleads, trying to give him her best puppy-dog eyes. Though seeing as she's literally murdered his coworkers before, she doubts it will work. Agent Coulson finally sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose before speaking again.

"If - and only if - you can bring down the Red Room for good, will I allow you to apply to join S.H.I.E.L.D. Though knowing your history, I'm not guaranteeing that you will get in."

"No, I get it, I wouldn't trust me either. But thank you for the chance to prove myself nonetheless." Natasha says, smiles gratefully.

"Give me a few days to get the paperwork straight, then I'll give you info of your mission. Until then Barton," Hawkeye nods, "keep a close eye on her." Barton salutes as Agent Coulson's hologram fizzles out and disappears.

"Well," Barton says, shrugging as he turns to Natasha, "Are you ready to get started?"