"We've all missed something," said Tony drily. "and as much as I want to know what it is, I think the more pressing matter is getting these knocked out super assassins to the Tower and locked up in the Hulk room. Though it's going to be a pain and a half to do so."

Clint, disentangling himself from Thor's hug, spoke up. "Actually, we have a quinjet parked outside."

Tony chuckled. "Course you do. Next you're going to pull out a tray of chocolate chip cookies that you baked on the way over."

Steve started dragging the one man out from the chandelier. "We should get moving. The longer we wait, the more we risk one or more waking back up." Everyone else moved to help, with the exception of Brock who merely watched from the bar.

"Comfortable?" asked Bucky, raising an eyebrow. Brock tilted his glass to him.

"Fairly."

As they stepped out of the museum, there were already a few reporters down the block, though the area directly in front of the building and around the jet had been blocked off by police. Inside the jet, Strucker still remained, restrained to the chair. His eyes opened wide as he saw the unconscious Soldiers and he spat something in Russian, that made Natasha raise a brow.

Steve turned to Clint. "Who's this?"

"He's the one who sent the Soldiers."

Thor, Tony and Sam all flew to the Tower, since the jet was already fairly full with everyone else. It was a silent but short flight. As Clint set the jet down on the Tower's landing pad, and stared through the cockpit's window at the building in front of him, his stomach gave a lurch, and he struggled to push the memory of his last time here, out of his head.

He undid Strucker's restraints and pulled him to his feet, while several of the others grabbed the unconscious Soldiers.

As they crossed the roof towards the glass doors, Bucky hung back.

"Hey Steve, could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course Buck, anything." Steve handed the Soldier he'd been carrying over to Thor. As the others headed inside, he walked to Bucky, who'd moved over towards the edge, and was staring out across the New York skyline.

"It's crazy," said Bucky after a minute, nodding towards the view. "It sure doesn't look like our city anymore does it?"

"No." Steve turned away from the city suddenly, to study Bucky. "So you remember what it used to look like, then?"

"Yeah. I remember. I remember everything. The good…and the bad." He suddenly let out a snort that sounded so exactly like the old Bucky, a Bucky Steve hadn't seen in decades, that it felt surreal. "The bad includes that 'prank' you pulled me into playing on the Pollack brothers in fourth grade."

"It was the only way. We had to do something to stop them bullying the little kids."

"We were little kids ourselves. And all I remember is having to explain to my mother how I'd gotten a black eye. Of course I didn't tell her the truth."

"Course not. But I did."

"Yeah, and suddenly she wasn't mad anymore."

"I knew she'd never be mad at you for doing the right thing. After all, you got your heart from her."

For a moment Bucky dwelt on the image of his mother. It hurt, but there was something beautiful and good there that also eased the pain a little. Bucky turned to Steve. "I need to apologize to you."

"What? Bucky you have nothing to apologize to me for."

"Yeah I do. I know you've been looking for me. And I had my reasons for running. But at the end of the day…I owed you better. I promised you till the end of the line. And that line ended up being a lot longer and a lot more crooked than either of us ever imagined. But that doesn't justify me breaking that promise. And I know if our roles were reversed…I'd have gone through hell and high water to try and find you. And been hurt when I couldn't. Or desperate with worry. I know when I heard the Soldiers were after you, I was terrified we wouldn't be able to reach you in time."

"…so why did you do it? Why did you hide from me?"

Bucky shrugged. "I told myself it was because Hydra was still in my head. Before Wanda got it out, everything they put in there was still very much there. I could have been turned into the Winter Soldier again. Used against you. I told myself staying away was protecting you. Then after that, I told myself I was protecting you from having to choose between me and Stark. And finally I told myself I just wasn't ready. That I needed time…but the truth, Steve, is that I was just ashamed."

"Buck…you have nothing to be ashamed of. What was done to you, what they made you do, you had no choice."

"I was still the one who did it though. And sometimes…sometimes remembering who I used to be before all that, who in some ways I still am, makes the bad parts worse to remember. I thought being around you would make it that much worse."

"…Bucky…"

"I was wrong."

Bucky held out a hand. Steve took it without a moment's of hesitation, and Bucky pulled him into a hug.

Thor, Tony, Sam, and Clint, deposited the Soldiers and Strucker in the Hulk room. As Clint pushed Strucker inside the man whirled around, angry and livid. "You think Hydra stops here?" he snapped, "You think you've won?"

Clint shrugged. "I think this is the first of many cells you're going to spend the rest of your life in. So, I'm at least winning more than you are right now." And with that he stepped out and slammed the lock button as the doors shut.

The lift ride back up to the common room was silent. Clint focusing on the floor numbers rising, trying not to be aware of the three other men, trying not to think about the last time he'd ridden in this elevator. But when the doors slid open and he stepped out, he couldn't help it. He couldn't keep back the memory of that day, months ago, stepping out and surveying the Avengers, knowing that they now knew the truth, knowing that the jagged, twisted world he'd built had shattered around him, shards drawing blood.

It was the sound of Bucky and Steve coming in from the roof that pulled him back to the present. Right. He had responsibilities. He had to navigate this coming interview and then get his team out of this and to safety before they could rest. And they all needed to rest. He himself was bone tired.

Brock had made his way over to the bar already and had poured himself another drink. He couldn't hide the exhaustion as he leaned his elbows on the marble surface and stared down into his glass. Wanda had perched on the arm of a chair that Pietro had sunk into. Those two had at least gotten some sleep on the jet flight over, but it had been their first real fight, and the strain was evident on both their faces.

Natasha was just getting off the phone. "Fury's already on his way," she said, turning to Clint. "He said he'd pick up the Soldiers. He also said you had something for him?"

"Yeah." Reaching back into his quiver, he pulled out Loki's scepter and set it down on the coffee table.

There was a surprised silence around the room.

"Okay," said Tony, firmly. He'd stepped out of his armor, and now stripped off his crumpled tuxedo jacket and tossed it aside. "I'm done waiting. Story time now Barton. What the hell has been going on? What are you doing with that thing? What are you doing here? What are those guys doing trying to kill us for? Just…what everything?"

Clint chuckled a little dryly. He didn't want to sit. He didn't belong here anymore. And sitting seemed like it would be taking some kind of liberty. But exhaustion had him by the throat so, he propped himself against an end table. "Fury asked me to retrieve the scepter a few months back."

"That's the mission he gave you?" asked Natasha.

"He told you?" Clint was surprised. Fury hadn't mentioned that.

"Only recently."

"Wait, wait, wait. Clint's working for Fury again, and you knew, and you didn't say anything?" Tony stared at her.

She shrugged. "You didn't ask."

Tony rolled his eyes, and turned back to Clint. "Why would Fury approach you with this? Last time I saw him with you, he seemed more ready to shoot you than ask a favor."

Clint stared at the tip of his boot. "He decided to give me another chance."

"Why?" asked Steve, the tone more curious than accusatory.

Clint shrugged. But there was a snort from the bar and everyone looked over at Brock. "Couldn't have had anything to do with you running around wiping out all those Hydra agents, could it?" Clint shot him a look that said all too clearly shut up, but Brock merely grinned back.

"How did Fury lose the scepter in the first place?" asked Bruce. "Didn't we give it to Shield?"

Steve nodded to Brock. "We gave it to him."

Brock raised the glass of Tony's very expensive whiskey. "Hail Hydra."

A flash of memory hit Clint. Standing in this room, and saying those exact same words, glass in hand, as the others had demanded to know the truth. He frowned, and thought he detected just as much bitterness in Brock that had been in himself; different bitterness, but just as difficult to carry.

"Ah," said Bruce. "I see."

"So Fury asked you to get the scepter back from Hydra?" Sam prompted.

Clint nodded. "I thought Brock would know where it ended up after it left New York, so I went and asked him. He directed me to Strucker and a base in Sokovia. He was running experiments with the scepter, using its power somehow to give or unlock abilities in people. He ran those experiments on humans. All of them died. Except for Wanda and Pietro here. They're not Hydra," he said firmly, drawing lines early. "They from Sokovia. Hydra took advantage of them. Anyways, I infiltrated the base and nearly got the scepter. But I messed up. I got captured. Wanda and Pietro here got me out. Unfortunately by the time I'd recovered-"

"Recovered?" Nat cut in.

"There were…complications. It's not relevant."

"He was tortured," said Wanda firmly.

"We don't need to go into all the details. It's not important."

Nat raised an eyebrow but he refused acknowledge it, pushing on with the story. "Once I got back to the base, Strucker was already gone, along with the scepter. The twins agreed to help me track it down again, but we didn't really know where Strucker could have taken it. The Sokovia base was off-books. It seemed reasonable that he'd have gone to another, similarly hidden base, but finding it wasn't going to be easy. I went back to Brock, and he suggested the one person who'd know the most bases: Bucky."

"Ah," cut in Brock. "By suggested, I think you mean called it an absolutely insane idea and suicidal to go ask him?"

"Hey, you agreed to help me find him."

"Well no one ever accused me of being sane."

"Wait," Sam cut in, "you just went and found Barnes? How? I mean Steve and I have been spending months on it. We have contacts all over the world helping us: military, government, business. And you just…found him? Just like that?"

Again, Clint studied the tip of his boot. "We were Hydra. He had Hydra training. We knew how he'd hide. We knew where he'd be likely to go. Plus…Brock had worked with him several times."

"Interesting definition of 'worked with'," said Steve, for the first time since the conversation started allowing a flicker of heat into his voice.

"You're right," said Clint, meeting his gaze levelly. "I didn't mean it that way. I just meant…we were able to find Bucky a little easier than you because we had some experience with how he was likely to be thinking. That's all. And we did find him. Wanda here has some fairly remarkable abilities. She was able to get into Bucky's head and pull out the last of the Hydra programming as well as helping to heal some of the damage to his memories. After that he agreed to help us find the scepter."

Tony moved to the bar. "Hey, would you mind pouring me some of my own whiskey? If you're not too busy drinking it all yourself, that is."

"I suppose there's enough in the bottle for two," said Brock dryly, and reached for a second glass.

"What happened then?" asked Thor. He actually looked excited, as if the whole thing was a jolly good story.

"We searched a bunch of bases. All of them abandoned. Got lucky this morning. Found Strucker at a base in Siberia. We managed to retrieve the scepter, download files off the server, and capture Strucker. The base was where the Winter Soldiers were kept in cryo. Bucky noticed the other Soldiers weren't there and that they'd recently been woken up. We didn't know where they were though until we'd nearly reached New York. We had a rendezvous point with Fury, to hand everything over to him. But Brock found evidence in the files that Strucker had used the scepter on the Soldiers. And then Strucker let slip something about sending the Soldiers after Hydra's greatest threat. That's what he'd called the Avengers in Sokovia. I realized he must have sent the Soldiers after all of you."

Natasha had been watching him intently this entire time, never taking her eyes off his face. Now she cut in. "That's why you were tortured, wasn't it? For information on us."

"I didn't give it to him," he said firmly. "I swear to you Nat on-…on everything that's important to me." They both knew what he meant: on Laura, on Cooper, on Lila. An oath they both knew he'd never betray, even with everything else that he had betrayed.

"I believe you."

He stared at her, and suddenly she smiled at him. And something inside, something that had been broken from the moment he received that first message from her, letting him know about the Shield files leaking, seemed suddenly to be fitting itself back together. There were still cracks…but the pieces were no longer cutting and jagged, slicing into him each time they were touched.

"As soon as I realized the danger," he said, "I contacted Jarvis. He told me where you all were. I realized it was the perfect location for an attempt against you. I didn't think the Soldiers would pass it up. So we came." He shrugged. "And that's everything."

Tony snorted and turned to Bruce. "And to think, you made me all worried about Clint, out there on his own. Instead, while we were all moping around the tower, he was just putting together a whole new team. That's the last time I listen to you."

Clint frowned. "Worried?"

"I just…was concerned about you," said Bruce. "I'm glad you had people watching your back."

"…I saw what you all told the press," said Clint, carefully. "The story you gave out…thank you."

"It was Tony's idea," said Steve. There was a beat. "And it was a good one."

"It was much, much more than I ever deserved."

Thor reached out and clasped his shoulder. "We all of us make mistakes. When there is a relationship worth preserving, you must learn to accept those mistakes and build from them."

"Yeah, while you were gone, Jane taught Thor to be sensitive. Other highlights: Steve is dating Peggy Carter's niece."

Bucky blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Oh yeah. It's weird." Tony actually grinned at Bucky.

"Sharon is much more than just Peggy's niece," cut in Steve. "You know what? We're not talking about this right now."

"I was just giving Clint the recap of what we've been up to, while he was off putting together Team Ex-Hydra."

"We're actually called The Rogues," said Wanda brightly.

Clint cut in firmly with: "We are not."

She turned her most innocent gaze on him. "You were the one who said to always call us that when Brock was around."

"You've been encouraging this?" snapped Brock. "How would you like a bullet through the brain?"

"I don't know?" said Clint idly, "how'd you like an arrow in the eye?"

Brock opened his mouth to respond, and then shut it again as the elevator doors opened and Fury entered the room. He looked around. His gaze took in Bucky, took in Rumlow, took in the twins, took in the Avengers very much alive and unhurt, and finally, landed on the scepter on the table. He nodded to Clint. "Well done, Agent Barton. A job very well done."

Clint was by the elevator, talking in a low voice to Fury, giving him a brief report. Brock, the twins, Bucky, all sensing that they'd be leaving soon, had started gathering together, ready to head out once Clint was done.

Thor was the one who gathered the Avengers together, along with Sam. "We must speak," he said.

"I think I know what you're going to say," said Tony.

"What?" Bruce looked between them.

"I do not want Clint to leave," said Thor flatly. "Both his actions tonight, and the story he has told, surely has proven that whatever mistakes he has made in the past, he does regret them. He is one of us."

Sam raised his arms. "This is between you all, not me."

Tony shrugged. "Call me crazy, but I'm with Thor…I never thought I'd want to see Clint again. I twisted his lies up in my head with other betrayals. But…things aren't easy. They're not black and white. I had to accept that with Barnes. I can accept that with Clint. Look, tonight, when I saw him at the party…it just felt right, to be fighting alongside him again. I didn't even have a second thought. When those illusions filled the room, he was the first one I thought to go to. And when I saw him knocked off the balcony, I flew in to catch him because he was my teammate and I wasn't going to let him fall. And I reckon that was the same reason we put out that story to the press: we weren't going to let him fall."

"Tony's right," said Bruce. "Whether Clint is here with us or out there, I think we all know he's always going to be one of us. And we can't just cut him out…even though I think we all gave it a good try these past months."

"Nat?" Steve turned to her.

"He let us down. But we don't have to return the favor," she said simply.

"There's just one thing," said Tony. "I've got a feeling; Clint's now a package deal." He looked over at the small group by the windows. "I mean, Sonic the Hedgehog and Red over there pack some seriously cool powers that I got to say, I'd love to see integrated into the team. Plus, Cap, we both saw the way Barnes was looking at her, and the kiss. I think it's fair to say he's not about to go anywhere without her. You want Barnes back, you've got to take her, and with her, her brother. That leaves Scarface over there. You've got more of history with him than I have. Can you work with him?"

Steve blinked. "Rumlow? That man would have killed me, Nat, and Sam, if he could have."

"Yes, I know. So I get if you can't make that work. Maybe we can get the others without him. But maybe we can't. So I'm asking: can you work with him?"

"I…" Steve sighed. "Can you really work with Bucky?"

Tony considered the question. "Yeah. For Clint. For you. For the team. I can make it work. And maybe one day I can make it work for his sake too. Who knows? Crazier things have happened."

Steve looked over at Rumlow again. "One chance," he said firmly, "I'll give him once chance if it means getting Bucky and Clint back."

"And if he betrays us again," said Nat confidently, "we'll be ready."

There was the sound of footsteps, and Clint approached them. "Hey," he said, "Fury's just left. We'll be heading out now, but I just…I wanted to say one thing to you all." He was tense but determined. "What you did for me, with the press, I can't ever repay. Nor can I ever tell you how truly sorry I am. I let you down. I wish, I will always wish, for the rest of my life, that I had done the right thing. That you hadn't learned the truth from those files but because I'd come to you with it. I made plenty of mistakes in my life. I did things for Hydra that will always haunt me. But letting you all down…it's one of the biggest regrets I have. But working with you, living with you, fighting with you, was also one of the best things that ever happened to me. And I will always be there if you ever need anything."

"Actually," said Tony brightly. "We were just having a team meeting. We were wondering if you'd like to come back."

There was a stunned silence. "Excuse me?" asked Clint. "What did you say?"

"Well truthfully we've been a bit of a mess since you've been gone and Bruce is getting tired of having to shoulder all the heart to heart emotional talks, and-"

"What Tony is trying to say," cut in Steve, "is we miss you and we want you back."

"…after everything I did?"

Thor cleared his throat, and with intense concentration intoned: "'Love is not love which alters it when alteration finds'."

They all stared at him.

"Who taught Thor, Shakespeare? Confess!" demanded Tony.

"Uh, think that was me," said Brue.

"I love it. He's a natural." Tony turned back to Clint. "What Thor said, only most of us are too insecure for that. We did vote and it was unanimous."

Clint smiled, and all the tension seemed to leak out of his body. He closed his eyes for a long a moment and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, they weren't exactly wet, but they looked pretty damn near to becoming it. "Thank you. I-…just…thank you." There was the sound of laughter behind him and he glanced over to see Pietro chuckling over something Wanda had just said. From the look on Brock's face, they were probably teasing him again. He turned back to the Avengers. "I mean it. Thank you. I can't tell you how much I've missed you all and how much this means to me. But I've got people to look after. I let down one team. I can't and I won't let down another. They need me. I just…hope you understand."

"Actually it's what we figured," said Tony, "which is why we're extending the invitation to them too. I've been converting some warehouses into a new compound for the Avengers. I thought it might be a good idea to have a base that's not in the heart of a city. It's still under construction but there'll be plenty of room there for everyone when it's done."

Again Clint looked stunned. "You can't be serious."

"We are," said Steve.

"I-" Clint glanced at Tony. "Bucky?"

He nodded.

"Brock?"

It was Steve's turn to nod.

"I…" Clint stared at them all, speechless. "…thank you. I-…I'll talk to them. I don't know- but thank you."

Ten minutes later, once he'd managed to martial his thoughts, Clint approached the group by the doors.

"We ready to head out?" asked Bucky. "I'd like to say goodbye to Steve before we leave."

"Actually there's something I need to talk to you guys about first." Clint crossed his arms and studied them each, trying to assess their reactions as he told them. "They've invited us to stay…join the Avengers."

Bucky looked skeptical. "They're actually all on board with that?"

"Yes. Look, this isn't something that has to happen. We can just leave. That's perfectly fine all around. But the offer is on the table."

Wanda looked torn, glancing between Bucky and Pietro, obviously convinced the two would have opposite inclinations.

Clint added, looking between the twins, "I wouldn't ask either of you to work with Tony if you can't. And I'd understand if you can't."

Pietro met his sister's gaze. "I…don't…I don't want to kill him anymore," he said, almost apologetically. His tone more appropriate for admitting he wanted to kill him, than that he didn't."Back in Serbia…to rescue Brock, I shot men. I don't think I liked it very much. And," he looked at Clint now, "if I don't want to kill him, I suppose for you, I can work with him."

Wanda sighed in relief and nodded. "I think I'd like to be an Avenger…well a Rogue Avenger at any rate," she added a little mischievously. She looked round for Brock but he wasn't there. He was out on the roof, heading towards the jet.

Clint swore and ran after him, leaving the others behind. A light rain had started to come down, and a breeze caught his words and carried them as he called out: "Brock, wait!"

Brock did wait, and turn, but his expression was forbidding. "Go back inside Clint."

"Brock, it was a discussion, that's it."

"A discussion with a very clear decision. It's a natural fit all around. Barnes isn't going to pass up a chance to team up with Rogers again, and the Avengers will be good for the twins. It'll be a home for them. Stability they sorely need. End of story."

"Right. It will be good for them. But if you don't want to join, we don't have to."

"I'm not going to be the single vote that keeps them out."

"No. But Bucky, the twins. They don't need us. They'll fit in fine with the Avengers without our help."

"Clint, don't be stupid. You're going back to the Avengers. Let's be honest: you never stopped being one."

"You don't join then neither am I. I've made a lot of mistakes, Brock. I've let so many people down. I'm not doing it again. I've learned my lesson. I'm not letting you go off alone, to slip between the cracks. You walk, I walk with you."

Brock stared at him. "I can take care of myself," he said, iron in his voice.

"Sure you can. And I'll be right there with you to give you notes as you go."

"Clint," snapped Brock. "You can't pass on this. We both know what the Avengers mean to you…they're not just your team."

"You're not just my team either."

"Clint."

Clint's shoulders set. "I'm not letting you down Brock. Not again. We can board that jet right now if you like."

Brock let out an exasperated sigh: Clint and his bloody stubbornness. He looked over Clint's shoulder, through the glass windows into the common room and towards the Avengers, back to Steve and Tony and the whole damn goody two shoes set, and then back at Clint.

Once upon a time, he'd done atrocities to protect his men. His men, was now one single man: Clint. And as much as he hated the very idea of it, he supposed he could put up with the Avengers for his man.

After all, all those years ago, in that damn, forsaken village, he'd made harder sacrifices from the men under his command. Or maybe he hadn't. Maybe trading your world view for someone else's, was the biggest sacrifice you could make.

"Fine," he snapped. "But don't expect me to sing kumbaya with Rogers and Wilson."

"Don't worry," said Clint, the lightness of his tone belied by his expression of sheer gratitude. "You only qualify for the kumbaya team bonding retreat once you've been in a year."

"Then I hope I die in action before that, because I'm pretty sure that would kill me."

"Yes," agreed Clint seriously. "That is how we lost our last six recruits. Steve takes kumbaya very seriously."

Together, the two headed back into the Tower. Wanda looked up hopefully, from where she'd been having a quiet, intense conversation with the other two.

"It's unanimous," said Clint. "We're all in."

"Oh!" Wanda actually leaped forward and hugged Brock, who stood there more than a little stunned. She beamed up at him. "Thank you. The Rogues couldn't split up."

"I have to admit," said Brock, "I'd rather be a Rogue than an Avenger. So let's stick with that name."

"Yes," agreed Wanda, "always."

It was late. Or rather it was early. Three in the morning before a place to sleep had been found for everyone in the Tower. The Soldiers and Stucker had been removed by Fury, Maria Hill, and a few other former Shield agents. The scepter handed over.

Clint was dead on his feet, but while Tony had said something about his room still being there for him, he'd sent Pietro to it and made his way back to the common room. As he entered the room, he found Pepper sitting on the couch with Tony. Whatever they'd been saying, as soon as he came in she stood up.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," he said.

"It's okay. I'm heading to bed. It's good to see again," she said, and her smile was so genuine, so sincere, that it still hurt a little. There was still a feeling of not deserving this welcome, this forgiveness.

As she left the room, Tony came over to him. "I thought you'd be asleep by now."

"No…I actually…I actually have to go do something."

Tony blinked, surprised. "What?"

Clint pulled his phone out of his pocket, found a picture, and handed it to Tony, who stared down at a photograph of a dark head woman, her arms wrapped around a boy and a little girl.

"What's this?"

"My family," said Clint simply.

Tony looked up, shocked. "What?"

"That's my wife, Laura…and my kids, Lila and Cooper. I know there's a lot going on here. There's going to be the press to deal with after tonight and we've got two groups of people who have got to learn to get along but…they need me too. I go home regularly, and my last visit's been delayed. Like I said: I've let down one team…not letting down another. I'll be back by Wednesday."

Tony stood there for several seconds in continued shock. "I'm sorry…I'll be honest, I stopped listening after 'wife and kids'. You have a family?"

Clint chuckled. "Yeah I do. And next visit, you've got to come meet them. I'm pretty sure Pepper and Laura would get along like a house on a fire and will make the most terrifying team the universe has ever known. We've just got to hope they don't become super villains together. Or we're all lost."

Tony laughed and handed back the phone. "Any other secrets we don't know about?"

"Well…baby number three is on its way."

"…Okay. I don't think I can take any more excitement. I'm going to bed. See you Wednesday. And you'd better be back by Wednesday. Because I don't hold out high hopes for being able to stop Brock and Steve from killing each other for much longer than that."

Clint chuckled, and as Tony headed off, he went out on the roof and boarded the quinjet. He was tired but home and rest was just in sight. He could make it a little longer.

As he sat down in the pilot's seat, Jarvis's voice came over the coms. "Agent Barton?"

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to say thank you for tonight…and welcome back."

Clint smiled. "Thank you for trusting me."

He clipped on the seatbelt, and just as he was reaching for the switch to shut the cargo door, heard footsteps coming up the ramp. He swirled around. Nat had changed out of her evening dress into dark jeans, t-shirt and a leather jacket. She dropped a bag onto one of the abandoned chairs.

"Nat?"

She came over and took the co-pilot's seat.

He stilled. "Nat, I-"

"You don't need to say it Clint."

"I do though. You gave me your trust and I know how hard that was for you. And then I broke it. I…Nat…it breaks me that I did that to you."

"Clint. I've owed you a debt for a long time. The way I see it…you gave me another chance once. And now I give you one. The debt's cleared. And we start new. We start even. And maybe that's a better way to move forward anyways. A stronger way."

"…I don't deserve it."

"Neither did I. Come on," she smiled at him. "I think it's time we headed home, don't you?"

He stared at her for a moment and then returned the smile. "Laura said you'd come home again."

"When are you going to learn? Laura is always right."

He grinned, suddenly not feeling nearly as tired. He shut the cargo door, and he pulled back on the throttle. The quinjet rose into the air.

The sun had risen by the time they reached the farmhouse. They landed a little ways off, and walked towards the house in companionable, comfortable silence. There was no strain, no tension. It was exactly as it had always been. Exactly as it should be. It was home.

There were still broken fences to mend, Clint reflected, there'd probably be doubt in the future. And yet, he didn't think it would be between him and Nat. And anything else could be faced and fixed. It would require work, but work he was prepared to put in.

The two mounted the front steps and he was reminded forcibly of the first time he'd brought her here. He should have been scared. Scared of what it would mean if he'd been wrong in her. But he hadn't been scared. He'd known in his soul that he knew her, just as now he knew in his soul that she knew him.

He opened the door for her and she entered the house. As he followed her, he raised his voice: "Honey, I'm home!"

From the kitchen came Laura's call, and also a cry of delight from Lila. There were running footsteps and suddenly a gasp, as his little girl exclaimed, "Auntie Nat!" And Natasha was crouching down, arms wide.

Cooper and Laura were not far behind. Laura beaming at the sight of Nat. As Clint came over to greet Laura, she gave him a look that spoke so loudly of 'I told you so' that he couldn't help but laugh a little.

Laura kissed him, tenderly, and then moved forward to hug Nat. "I'm so happy to see you again."

"Me too," whispered Nat. "Me too." She turned to Cooper. "Hey." Her voice was soft and full.

He'd been holding back, hesitantly, uncertainly, but at this he shot forward and wrapped her in a hug. "You came back," he said.

She held him tight. "Of course I did. This is home."

He looked between her and Clint, doubt back. "You…you both are okay again?" he asked.

"Yes," said Nat, suddenly feeling an overwhelming relief as the last vestige of an agonizingly heavy weight lifted and vanished from her. "We are. Your dad saved my life tonight you know."

Cooper's face lit up in pride and delight. "He did?"

"Uh-huh. And the rest of the team's. He did real good tonight."

"Does this mean you're an Avenger again?" Cooper asked his dad hopefully.

Clint smiled a little sheepishly. "Yeah Cooper. I guess does."

Laura stared at him and then wrapped an arm around his waist, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Natasha bent down to Cooper's ear and, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, said, "Between you and me, I don't think your dad ever stopped."

The End

AN: Thank you everyone so much for reading, and specially thank you everyone who commented. It meant a lot. I've been home since March, with most of my work put on hold, so being able to work on this was a delight during a difficult, stressful time, and knowing people were reading it, and getting lovely positive comments meant so much. I love writing, and writing in itself can be a delight, but knowing people are actually enjoying what you are writing is such a lovely feeling. I hope this ending didn't disappoint anyone.