Chapter 13: Family Vacation

The Bishop girls were so excited to go to the circus — and honestly, Clint was ready to go, too. Even if it had been a little while since Sinister had grabbed everyone, he could still tell that both of his parents were more than a little on edge about the whole thing, and Scott was a little more grumpy than usual. He knew it was because everyone was worried, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

So he was looking forward to finding Barney and having a birthday party and doing something normal for a little while. He really, really didn't want to stick around and watch Logan make that face that Clint was sure meant he was upset whenever he thought about Sinister. And he really didn't want to try to explain to Katie — again — that everyone was okay and they were just sad because of supervillains, not anything world-ending.

(Of course, she argued that supervillains were the worst, which was true. But still.)

Anyway, Clint was finally feeling normal again when he sat down with his family to see the performance. It was a lot like when he and K had just been starting out as a family - going to the circus to check on Barney, eating lots of junk food…

"We need to go to the circus more," Clint told K in an undertone as the performers started up their opening act.

"Because you like the show, because you miss your brother, or because you're taking a sudden interest in the tight outfits on the trapeze women?" K shot back without missing a beat.

Clint rolled his eyes. "You're confusing me with Barney. He's the one with a crush on Ana the Acrobat."

"Maaaybe," K said, tipping her head up. "But … that little redheaded one has been smiling at you."

Clint paused and then looked toward the acrobats, turning a brilliant red when he saw the girl with red hair and freckles looking his way — and then looking away when she saw that she'd been caught. "Oh. Yeah. She's… she's pretty cute I guess."

"I'm just wondering if you're going to have a type," K said.

"I'm nine, Mom. I'm not old enough to have a type."

"Yeah, but it starts early," K said.

Clint shook his head and shoved K lightly in the shoulder. "I just like seeing my brother."

"Oh. Okay. I'll make sure he knows how much you missed him."

"Eww, no. You can't go all mushy!" Clint said, shaking his head.

"Squish, squish, quack, quack …"

"Why are you like this, Mom?" Clint giggled.

"I thought you liked me like this."

"I mean, I do, but how come you are like this?"

"I don't know," K said, shaking her head. "Probably something wrong with me."

Clint sighed and shook his head. "Nah. You're just weird."

"I'm sure that's exactly what every girl wants to hear. Don't ever forget to use that."

"Hey, Dad says I shouldn't lie. And you are weird," Clint said, smirking up at K.

"Mmm. If that's the case, then I should tell you he's got a surprise for you tonight."

"Yeah?" Clint sat up a bit straighter. "But it's Barney's birthday!"

"Well, it's for both of you — and Katie and Susie-Q, too."

Clint grinned. "Oh, good, because I think they need something to make them happier since they're not getting a sister." He leaned closer. "I told Katie you had a brother just for me because I was here first and you like making me happy. She was so mad."

"Oh, so that's why she was giving me dirty looks and hit Logan."

Clint's grin got even wider, somehow. "Hey, she was bothering me."

"I'm not mad."

"Yeah, because it was funny watching Dad try and figure out why Katie was mad at him when she was being all snuggly before."

"She wouldn't tell him either, you know," K said.

"She's funny. I like playing with her and Rachel." Clint paused. "Only don't tell them that, because sometimes I can't get them to stop following me, and I don't want to play with them all the time. They're so little!"

"I think they know you like them," K told him.

"I guess that's good then," Clint said with a shrug, though he held up a hand to shush K when Barney and Miranda stepped into the ring.

It was fun to watch Katie and Susie, too, because they had never seen Barney do his thing before. Katie was enjoying herself generally, but the look on Susie's face was nothing short of pure awe — which had Logan and K sharing smirks, since they both knew about her very obvious crush on Barney.

When Barney and Miranda had their big "final fight," Susie was almost holding her breath, wincing with every blow and letting out little noises… and then when Barney "defeated" Miranda, she started outright cheering. "Wow! That was really close!" she breathed out.

"Yeah, they're really good, huh?" Clint said

"Uh-huh."

Katie giggled. "Susie liiikes Barney," she informed Logan as she grabbed a handful of popcorn.

"Yeah, we all know that," Clint told her, which got Susie to turn a brilliant red and Katie to dissolve into giggles.

"Nothing wrong with being able to spot cute, Susie Q," K promised her with a little smile.

Susie scrunched her shoulders up. "My Dr. Blue says I've got good taste," she said quietly.

"Sure do," K agreed.

"He says when I get bigger, he'll help me snag guys," Susie said. "He says he'll… he'll 'screen' 'em. Which is good, I think."

"Oh, well. Just remember that," K said, trying to keep from laughing at the situation. "That it's good."

"I will," Susie said, then gasped in delight when the horses came out and got completely distracted — giving K a chance to catch Logan's gaze so she had at least a little outlet for how completely entertained she was by Hank being a total marshmallow over Susie.

Once the show was over, the whole family made sure to hang around until Barney was able to get away and tackle Clint in a hug. "Saw you in the audience!" he declared as he took Clint to the ground and the two of them started a wrestling match, as they usually did.

"I saw you do that cool hand switch," Clint said once the two of them had picked themselves up. "You've been practicing both hands."

"Well, yeah. Kurt does both hands, and I gotta change things up sometimes, right?"

"Yeah. He's showing me how to get better with my right."

Barney nodded. "Miranda has some cool tips, too. You should talk to her before you guys head back."

"Okay, but we have to have your birthday dinner and cake and stuff first."

"Yeah, duh," Barney said, grinning widely as he looped an arm around Clint's shoulders. "Italian, right, Mom?"

"If that's your pick, sure thing, birthday boy," K agreed easily.

"I really want some spaghetti and meatballs," Barney admitted. "I like the kind you make, but we can get some at a restaurant too."

"We've got a cottage set aside if you'd like," K said.

Barney grinned. "Lead on."

K and Logan were hand in hand as the boys goofed around and the girls followed, grinning — though Susie was clearly much more charmed as she watched the brothers roughhouse.

Once they were in the house, Clint was quick to show Barney the movies they'd picked out to go through — if he wanted — while K and Logan headed to the kitchen to get dinner going, letting the boys get a little space and a chance to really show off for the Bishop sisters, of course.

By the time dinner was done, the boys had somehow talked the girls into a sort of on-the-spot sword lesson. Clint and Katie were clearly just having a blast as Katie tried to take Clint down with her stick and Clint tried to stop laughing long enough to show her how to hold it… but Susie was actually very concentrated as she listened to all of Barney's tips on how to hold it, even if it was just a stick from outside the cabin.

But when they saw Logan and K, all four of them tumbled their way into the kitchen — even if Katie did need to be negotiated with to convince her to relinquish her "sword."

Of course, this time around, the sauce wasn't quite as garlick-y as Barney remembered, but it was still a whole lot better than the on-the-go fare he was used to — and tired of.

Susie nudged Barney's shoulder. "We got your favorite cake too," she told him with a shy smile. "For your birthday."

Barney grinned. "This is why I love birthdays," he said. "Mom always makes the best stuff."

"Just try to make it the way you want it," K said. "Part of the whole 'happy' on the happy birthday."

"Mom's the best," Clint agreed, though he paused and caught K's gaze to sign out, And you have a surprise, right?

K nodded and looked like she was holding her breath. "And … we figured this was probably the best time we had to let you know what we're naming your little brother."

Barney's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"Well, your clothes and things are on your bed, as always," K said. "But yeah. Didn't want to tell them without telling you at the same time."

"Guess it's only fair, even if I found out he even existed before anyone else," Barney teased.

"You're part of the group; you were just quicker to spot it," Logan told him.

Barney smiled at that. "So, what'd you decide?"

"James," K told the little group, watching each of them for a reaction. "Boys, you already know that 'K' isn't my real name, but 'Logan' isn't really your dad's name either. But … since he wasn't using 'James' … we thought someone should get some good use out of it."

"Not an action hero," Logan said, looking at Clint. "But 'Arnold' kinda fell in the same group as all the 'nopes'."

Clint was slowly starting to grin. "It's totally an action hero name," he said before he rushed over to hug Logan. "'Cause it's yours."

Logan was sure to return the hug just as strongly as Clint had given it. "Little bit of a stretch there, kiddo."

"Nope. Not even a little bit."

"He's right, you know," Barney said, though he had gone right to K to hug her. "First time I met you, you saved all our lives. Totally counts."

"You three wouldn't have been in trouble with that creep if I wasn't involved," Logan said, sure he was correcting them.

Barney and Clint glanced at each other before they shook their heads in tandem. "Totally an action hero," they said — almost completely in tandem.

K leaned over to steal a kiss from Logan. "Just accept it, love." Which at least got Logan to stop arguing it. For now.

The girls made their way over once the boys had gotten in their hugs, with Susie hugging K and Katie practically climbing up Logan until he had no choice but to pick her up. "I like James," Susie said.

"It's okay," Katie sighed dramatically. "For a boy."

"What would you have liked?" Logan asked.

Katie grinned and leaned forward until she was touching noses with Logan. "A sister."

"Well, you can't have one this time," Logan said. "You'll have to live with it."

"Okay, well, you gotta get me one next time," Katie informed him.

"I don't get to pick, kiddo," Logan told her.

"That's not what Susie's dad says!" Katie sang out.

"Then he's stretchin' the truth," Logan said, smirking at her.

"No, he only stretches words," Katie said, making a face. "Biiiiig words."

"He stretches the truth when he's tryin' to get me in trouble," Logan told her.

Katie giggled. "My Clint says you're always in trouble and that's how come you're so much fun."

"That's what Kurt says," Logan replied, shaking his head at her.

"Well, that must be where he gotted it from," Katie said with an easy shrug. "Kurt says funny things allll the time."

"Cause he wants me to swing 'im around by his tail," Logan told her seriously.

Katie clapped a hand over her mouth. "But that would hurt!"

"He can be a weird little Elf."

"Yeah, but you shouldn't hurt 'im just because he's weird," Katie said. "My Clint says we shouldn't hurt people even if he showed me how to hit people. He said it's only for bad guys like the one that grabbed him and your K."

Logan didn't really have an argument for that, so instead, he quietly agreed and pulled her into a little one-armed hug. "You're smart as a whip, Katie-girl."

Katie smiled and snuggled in. "I love you too, Daddy."

Of course, that was only met with a little kiss on her forehead before she could slip away to her seat again, since Barney was all set up to cut his cake, and she was ready for more sugar.

And Clint had to grin when he heard that Katie was on board with being part of the group. Things were shaping up better for their family. And the parts that weren't good… they could weather the rest.

Notes: This is it for this volume! We wanted to end it on a high note, after all. Keep your eyes peeled for the next volume, "Who Needs Powers?" That should go up next week. :D