A few days later, Jane and Darcy went to the park with Allie, since the superheroes were all on a mission and they needed to distract the anxious little girl. Allie had already panicked once because they'd left the TV on the news and she'd seen the Avengers fighting the yellow-suited AIM people. She'd started crying and asking if they were going to be all right, and then she'd begged JARVIS to help them because she didn't want to be alone again. Her tears had just about broken the AI's virtual heart, and he'd promised her that they would be safe.
She'd curled up in Clint's old sweater with her Cap plushie and her Bucky bear, and refused to move or eat or even watch Mulan, her favorite movie. Darcy, left to babysit her, was getting frantic, and then suggested the park. Allie perked up slightly, and stuck her head out. "Park?" she asked tearfully. "We can go play?"
"Yeah," Darcy said. "We can play at the park, whatever game you want."
"You gonna play lava monsters wif me?" Allie asked.
"Yeah, we can play lava monster." Darcy sighed in relief as Allie climbed out of her bundle of sweater and picked up her toys. "Let's ask Janey if she wants to come with us, okay?"
"Okay." Allie ran around looking for her shoes. She pulled them on, did up the Velcro straps, and grabbed her Bucky bear. "Ready!" she said.
"All right." Darcy grabbed her and swooped her up on her hip. "Let's go pry the scientist out of her lab."
Jane agreed to come only when Allie pulled out the puppy eyes and the pleading pout, and the three of them headed out to the park. They were well away from where the Avengers were fighting AIM, and there were a few kids at the park.
Darcy and Jane played lava monster with Allie, and then they played house. They'd set up the "house" on top of the play structure, and Allie insisted they needed flowers to stick in the holes of the plastic to make it pretty. "I get those," she said, pointing at the patch of dandelions on the other side of the playground. "Just two flowers."
"Fine, just two," Darcy sad. "Go and get them okay?"
"Yeah. C'mon, Bucky bear." Allie climbed down to get them, and ran across the playground as Darcy watched her.
Jane poked her to show her an update about the Avengers fight. "They're almost done," she said.
"Good," Darcy said, appreciating the picture of their brave heroes. She turned back to look at Allie. The little girl was gone. "Allie!" Darcy called, standing up in the play structure to find her. "Allie, where'd you go?"
No answer from the little girl.
Darcy's stomach dropped into the center of the earth. "Jane," she said numbly, "I think we lost Allie."
They jumped off the play structure and checked everywhere. The bathrooms were empty, the nearby stores hadn't seen her, and the kids playing on the swings hadn't seen anything. Darcy was practically crying. "I lost her!" she freaked out. "What are we going to do! We have to find her or Black Widow's going to literally kill me!"
"Chill," Jane told her firmly. She picked up her phone and dialed the tower.
JARVIS answered. "What can I do for you, Dr. Foster?"
"Allie's disappeared," Jane said. "We were in the park, glanced away, and she was gone. Can you use cameras, or something, to find her?"
"Doing so now," JARVIS said, sounding slightly panicked. "Alerting the Avengers."
On the battle field, Steve was systematically knocking out a tank, when JARVIS paged him. "Captain Rogers, Allie is missing," he said urgently.
Steve missed his swing, and nearly got exploded for his efforts. "What!" he yelled through the comm. "How?"
"Camera feeds suggest she was abducted."
"WHAT!" Steve yelled again.
"Ms. Lewis and Dr. Foster are returning to the tower," JARVIS said. "I am scanning for Allie now through all available resources, captain."
"All right." Steve's eyes narrowed. "We'll finish up here and be back at the tower ASAP."
"Understood sir." JARVIS signed off.
Steve returned to the main comms. "Avengers, listen up. Allie's been abducted from the park."
"WHAT!" Clint yelled from his sniper perch.
The Hulk let out an inarticulate cry of rage.
"SO," Steve said loudly, "we're going to wrap this up in the next five minutes. Go."
Within four minutes, thirty seconds, the fight was over and the AIM minions were astonished at how quickly the Avengers packed them up and left them for the authorities. Astonished and extremely terrified, to be precise.
The Avengers made it to the tower in record time and found a pacing, red-eyed Darcy and Jane in the living room. "I'm sorry!" Darcy said as soon as they came in the room. "I didn't mean to lose her!"
"We know, Darcy," Steve said distractedly. "JARVIS?"
He pulled up the footage from nearby traffic cams of the park. A white van was speeding away from the park. "I could not get an accurate picture of the driver," JARVIS said apologetically. "The car is a rental but I am scanning for records now."
"Keep on it," Tony ordered.
Coulson suddenly spoke up, his eyes lighting up with an idea. "Darcy, did she have her Bucky bear?"
"Yeah," Darcy said, "we didn't find it in the park."
Coulson grinned. "JARVIS, begin program Collectible-Tracking O9. You'll find the frequency in my files."
A holo screen popped up with a map and a blinking red dot.
"There she is," Coulson said, grinning.
Clint stared at his former handler. "You put a tracker in her toy?"
"I put a tracker in my Captain America collectible," Coulson corrected. "When I gave it to her, I never took it out."
"Location reads as a semi-abandoned truck stop," JARVIS reported. "Ten occupants. Based on the size of the heat signature, Allie is in a closed room by herself."
Clint picked up bow. "What are we waiting for? Let's go."
A~A~A~A
The Avengers were swift and ruthlessly efficient. Within ten minutes they'd arrived at the truck stop, captured all the kidnappers, and Thor had pulverized the lock on the only closed door.
Allie was in the corner, holding her Bucky bear tightly in her arms, tear tracks on her cheeks, her eyes and nose red from crying. As soon as the door opened she started to scream, but it broke off in a sob when Natasha burst through the door.
"Allie!" Natasha knelt to scoop the little girl off the ground and hold her close. "Shh, it's okay, malyshka, everything's okay now, we've got you," she murmured, carrying her swiftly from the building and shielding the little girl from the sight of the unconscious men. She walked up the ramp to the quinjet and set Allie on the nearest seat.
Bruce was there waiting with a med kit and a scanner. "Are you hurt, sweetheart?" he asked gently, kneeling in front of her.
"I scawed," Allie sobbed, reaching for Natasha pitifully.
"I know, baby, I know," Natasha said, picking her up and pressing a kiss to her hair. "But the scary part's over now. No more scary stuff." She sat down with Allie in her lap, relief flooding through her body and replacing all the adrenaline.
"She's fine," Bruce said, sighing in relief. He put the medical scanner away and sat next to Natasha, the tension flooding from his shoulders. "Can I hold her?" he asked quietly, the Hulk still growling in the back of his mind.
Natasha passed her over reluctantly, and Allie cuddled into Bruce with a sniffle.
The reassuring weight and warmth of the child in his arms calmed Bruce's anger, and he reached up to card his fingers through her tangled hair. She sniffed and rested a damp cheek on his chest.
Natasha left Bruce to take care of Allie and went to interrogate the kidnappers. Thankfully, but also at the same time, horribly, the kidnappers were simply that. Kidnappers. They'd snatch kids from parks, hold them at the truck stop, demand two or three thousand dollars from the parents, and threaten to harm the kids if they involved the cops. Because the sum was so low, the parents always paid, and they'd never harmed a child.
"Not that that's going to help you any," Clint said darkly, shoving the men into a locked room till the cops arrived.
"All right, let's go," Steve said, as sirens were heard.
Clint was the first one on to the jet, and he made a beeline for Allie. "Hey, there's my baby girl," he said softly, reaching for her.
She latched onto him gladly and put her face in his shoulder. "I wanna go home," she sniffled.
"Yeah, we're going home, baby." He pressed his cheek to her hair and felt honest-to-goodness tears spring to his eyes in relief. He hadn't cried since Coulson's supposed death and even then only in private.
The others politely ignored his emotions, and Tony went up to fly the jet home.
Clint was grateful no one asked to hold her because he didn't think he could let go right now. He sat down on the bench and watched Allie fall asleep as he smoothed her hair. It had only been a couple of months but he realized he loved this little girl more than he'd ever loved anything or anyone in his entire life except- he looked up at Natasha. She was sitting next to him and leaning against his other shoulder.
She gave him a soft, knowing smile, and nodded.
He nodded. "I'm going to adopt her," he announced quietly, and tightened his grip on Allie as the others looked up at him.
"You want to?" Steve asked.
"Yeah. I may not be the best person, but, I really want to. Unless, you know, you or Tony want to, cuz you've got more-"
"You'll be great," Steve interrupted, giving him a wide grin.
Clint relaxed again. "Thanks, Steve."
"We'll get the paperwork started when we get home," Tony called, from the front of the jet. "Pepper's already got most of it prepped."
"Awesome." He looked at Natasha and raised an eyebrow.
She nodded.
He cleared his throat. "Natasha and I are going to do joint custody."
Then they looked a little surprised. Not a lot, just a little. "Don't you have to be, uh, married, to do that?" Bruce asked, tugging at his collar.
The superspies shared a smirk. "Technically we're already married," Natasha said casually.
The jet swerved as Tony jerked the plane. "What!" he yelled.
"Seriously?" Steve asked.
"It was for an op about five years ago," Clint said. "It had to be a real thing, so we got married in a courthouse. Hill and Coulson were witnesses. Then we did the op, finished up, and never really got it annulled."
"Why not?"
They both shrugged. "Married partners get better benefits," Natasha said simply.
"You guys are married," Steve said.
"Technically yep."
"Then how come you have two separate apartments and aren't, you know, together?"
"Because we're only technically married," Clint said. He looked down at Allie and then smiled at Natasha. "Would you like to get married for reals, Princess Wed Hair?"
She smirked and reached out to smooth Allie's soft hair. "Sure, Prince Purple Bow and Arrow." And she leaned over to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
Tony yelled from the front of the jet. "Did you just get engaged in the back of a quinjet!"
Thor laughed. "May Odin bless your union, my friends. Allie could not have better parents than you two."
"Thank you," Clint said, unable to stop grinning.
The ride back to the quinjet was brief, and as they filed out of the jet Steve stopped him in front of the elevator. "Let me take her, Clint, you need to go to medical."
"No it's fine, I got her."
Steve shot him a 'disappointed Cap' look. "Clint, you have to take care of yourself if you're going to take care of her, and I saw you take at least one bad hit." He held out a hand. "Let me take her, or Thor."
Clint reluctantly passed Allie over to his leader, and went to medical. He and Natasha walked away hand-in-hand, and had the satisfaction of watching Coulson do a double-take, drop his papers, and then have to sit down. "We're getting married," he informed his ex-handler. "And then we're adopting Allie."
Coulson put a hand to his face. "I turn off the comms ten minutes early and I miss all the good stuff," he lamented.
Natasha leaned over to kiss his cheek. "You can review it all on tape. JARVIS has it."
"Oh I will," Coulson said. "I want to see Barton's idea of a proposal."
Steve ignored them all and headed to the living quarters. He stopped by his own first, putting Allie down on the sofa for five minutes while he changed out of his uniform into sweats and a T-shirt. Then he took her to her room and started to tuck her into bed.
Allie woke up as he was pulling her shoes off, and she grabbed at his neck. "No," she said, hugging him tightly, "don't leave."
"Don't you want to take a nap, baby?" he asked, trying to tug her arms away.
"No," she said stubbornly, and wrapped her legs around his torso like a leech. "Stay, Steeb."
He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, letting her sit on his lap. "All right, fine. How about a bath? That way you can get clean and play with your sailboats, okay?"
She eyed him suspiciously. "You won't leave?"
"I won't leave," he promised.
So Steve sat on the closed toilet lid and wrote his report on the mission while Allie played in the bathtub with her sailboats and water fairy squirt gun. She drilled him in the ear with soapy water and giggled. "Sorry Steeb."
He rubbed at his ear with a towel. "It's okay, baby doll. You all clean?"
"Nope." She squeezed some strawberry-scented shampoo into her hands. She'd learned to lather and rinse her own hair, albeit sloppily, and they let her practice. This time though, she held her soapy hand out to Steve. "You wash my hair?" she asked.
"You can do it, Allie."
"No," she said, pressing the soap into his hand, "you do it."
He very, very gently washed and rinsed her hair, and watched in amusement as her eyes closed and she leaned against the side of the tub, almost completely boneless.
"It makes me sweepy," she complained, and then yawned.
"When you get out you can go to sleep, okay?"
"Kay." She yawned again.
He drained the water from the tub and turned the sailboats upside down to dry while she dried off and changed into a pair of flower print pajamas. "All right," Steve said, picking her up. "Bed time?"
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're not going to leave?" she asked.
"I promise I won't," he said, rubbing her back soothingly. "You want to watch some TV? Mulan?"
She nodded.
He sat down with her in the beanbag, and they shared Cheerios straight from the bag. "Allie, can I ask you a question?" he asked gently.
"Mm-hm," she hummed, involved in the story of the epic girl warrior.
"Why didn't you turn into a bird, or a snake, and run away?" Steve asked gently.
She turned big, beseeching eyes up to him. "I was scawed they'd catch me and tink I was a fweak and den hurt me. So I didn't. And I gave them JARBIS' phone number when dey asked but dey didn't beliebe me." She started to cry again. "I was really scawed."
"No, shh, baby doll, it's okay." He cuddled her close. "I know it was very scary but you were so brave. You were so brave, sweetheart, you made us all very proud. I'm so glad we got you back safe."
"You saved me," she whimpered.
"Yes we did," Steve said, smoothing her hair. "We will always save you," he whispered fiercely. "No matter what happens, we will always be there for you. I promise." He kissed her cheek. "I promise."
She rested her cheek on his shoulder and sniffed a couple more times. Then, she was out like a light, worn out from the emotions of the day.
He changed Mulan to a documentary about the Beatles' and let himself finally relax out of 'Captain America leader protector' mode. Now he was just Steeb, taking care of his best friends' soon-to-be-adopted child. He smiled as he thought about it. Clint had found her and loved her first, and Natasha had loved her second and most fiercely. Steve decided that he came in on a pretty close third, and bent to press a kiss to Allie's head. He sighed wistfully. If things had been different, maybe he would've married a nice girl (Peggy, his mind supplied), had a couple kids, and be able to do this full-time. If Clint hadn't spoken up, he would've adopted Allie, and gladly. But Clint and Natasha needed her more than he did; he'd settle for favorite uncle. He grinned. There was going to be stiff competition for that spot. Of course it all depended on Allie's decision.
He glanced up at the ceiling. "JARVIS?" he said, sotto voce.
"Yes Captain?" JARVIS asked quietly.
"Can you ask Clint and Tasha how they want to break the news to Allie about adopting her?"
JARVIS was silent for a few moments, talking to the others, and then replied, "They would be grateful if you could broach the subject with the little miss and get her opinion on the matter before they ask her directly."
Steve nodded. "I'll do it."
"Thank you Captain."
Then J added, "I, for one, am very glad that she is unharmed."
"Us too JARVIS, us too."
True to his word, Steve didn't leave Allie alone for a second. Halfway through the documentary she shifted from child to kitten, and curled up into a ball, her head resting on his sternum. When he stood up to get some food, he carefully shifted her to his sweater pocket. She didn't even stir.
It wasn't until the end of the documentary that Allie woke up. She dug her tiny kitten claws into the fabric of the shirt and yawned.
He carefully lifted her from the pocket and held her up face to face. "Feel better?" he asked gently.
She gave a little cat chirp, and tried to curl up in his palm.
He shifted her to his chest, and let JARVIS put on Mulan again.
She watched the screen with rapt attention, and when the song 'I'll Make a Man Out of You' came on, she changed from kitten to girl to be able to sing along.
Steve smiled, watching her copy the motions of the cartoons. He'd have to talk to Natasha about getting Allie started on some basic self-defense moves so that nothing like this ever happened again.
The song finished, and Allie flopped onto his knee, resting her back against his chest. "Steeb?" she asked, picking up one of his hands and tracing the lines in his palm.
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Where's everybody?"
"Well, Thor is taking a shower, and Bruce is very tired so he's sleeping, Tony is fixing his suit, and Clint and Natasha are at the doctor's."
"Are they hurt?" she asked worriedly.
"Just some bruises," Steve said. "They're okay. They'll be done in a little bit and then they'll be back, okay?"
She sighed. "I don't wike it when you go fight, Steeb."
He sighed and pulled her close. "I know, sweetheart, but we've got to."
"Why?"
"To protect people."
"Me?"
"Everybody, doll." He smoothed her hair. "Do you remember when you decided to come find us?"
"Yeah."
"Do you remember why you decided to come find us?"
"Because you're the Avengers! You help people!"
"Exactly. And we helped you, right?"
"Right."
"So what if somebody needed help from bad guys but we didn't go? What would happen?"
Allie's eyes grew wide. "Bad stuff," she breathed in horror.
"Exactly. To protect you and everybody else, we have to go. But I promise, Allie, that I'll try my hardest to bring everybody back home safely."
"And you too," she said.
"And me too," he echoed.
She nodded. "Good. Everybody needs to always come home. Clint and Natasha and Bwuce and Tony and Thor and Steeb. The Avengers!" She punched her little fist up in the air triumphantly.
He smiled. "And Allie, the littlest Avenger!" He tickled her ribs gently.
She shrieked with laughter and tried to get away.
He stopped tickling her, and let her settle back onto his lap. "Hey Allie, you like living with us, right?"
"Yeah." She tilted her head back to smile at him. "I loves you all, lots."
"We love you too, Allie. And remember how Mrs. Riker talked about adoption?"
"Yeah. That I stay forever and ever."
"Yep." He took a deep breath. "How would you like it if Clint and Natasha adopted you?"
Her eyes grew wide. "Both?" she asked eagerly. "Both of them adopt me?"
"Yeah. A daddy and a mommy. What do you think?"
She looked dazed. "Daddy and mommy. Mommy and daddy. But...they need to get mawwied first," was the first thing her little brain came up with.
Steve laughed. He couldn't help it. "You're right, doll, but after that? Would you like that?"
She nodded. "And you 'dopt me too, Steeb? And Tony and Bwuce and Thor?"
Steve winced internally, but just shook his head. "That's not how it works, baby girl."
"Oh," she said sadly. "But we still be a family?"
"Yes," he said, holding her close. "We can be uncles, though. How's that?"
"Okay, Uncle Steeb," she said, and then made a face. "No. Just Steeb. Still uncle, but just Steeb."
Steve grinned. "Okay."
At that moment Clint and Natasha came in, the former sporting a discreet bandage on his forehead.
Allie jumped off of Steve's lap and ran towards them. "Daddy! Mommy!"
The two spies froze in their tracks and it was only Clint's honed reflexes that caught her and swooped her up in his arms before she could crash into their legs.
Allie hugged him tightly. "You be my daddy?" she asked.
Clint's eyes turned suspiciously bright. "Yeah."
She turned to Natasha. "And you be my mommy?" she asked.
"Would you like that?" Natasha asked, almost awkwardly.
Allie answered the question by leaping from Clint's arms to Natasha's, and hugging her tightly. "Yes," she said, "yes yes yes yes yes."
Natasha hugged her close and smiled. "Okay."
Clint hugged both of them.
Steve grinned. "JARVIS, picture," he whispered.
That picture remains in the Avengers photo album to this day.
A/N: This is all I have written so far. I'm going to finish up the story with another chapter or so, and then maybe a couple of one-shots for future life. Stay tuned!