A/N: So, this is a very short chapter, just to take off the edge of suspense.

Of course keeping the Avengers part of the tower on complete lock down raised more red flags than a presidential assassination. Fury was on their doorstep, banging on the bulkhead, before twenty-four hours had passed. "SOMEBODY START TALKING OR-"

"What can we do for you director?" Tony asked blandly, opening the door.

"You can tell me what the-" Fury paused when he saw Allie sitting on Tony's shoulders. "What is going on," he amended, when Tony glared.

"Come on in," Tony said. "We've been waiting for you."

"All you needed to do was call," Fury grumbled, following Tony into the conference room where all the Avengers were assembled. "You didn't have to put half the planet on alert when you locked the tower down."

"Mood swings," Tony said. "Sorry." He ushered him into the conference room, where the other Avengers were assembled, and closed the door. "JARVIS?"

"Blackout initiated," JARVIS said.

"What's this about?" Fury asked.

"HYDRA," Steve said simply.

Fury raised his eyebrow.

Coulson explained to him exactly what was going on, and the Avengers had the satisfaction of watching the blood drain from Fury's face as he realized exactly what was going on in his organization.

"I can't believe I didn't see this," Fury said, scowling furiously.

"Well of course not, you've only got one eye," Tony said blithely.

Allie smacked him on the arm. "Dat's mean, Tony."

"Sorry."

Fury smirked briefly, and then sobered. "How did you come by this information?"

Natasha spoke up. "We managed to turn one of HYDRA's principal assets."

"Who?"

"The Winter Soldier."

Fury's jaw literally dropped. "Did you just say what I thought you said?"

"Putty-tat," Allie said, and giggled hysterically to herself before turning into a kitten. She crawled into Clint's lap and meowed.

"The Winter Soldier," Fury repeated. "Russia's most famous ghost. You have him."

"Yep."

"I would very much like to know how you managed that."

"It was Allie," Tony said. "Apparently not even brainwashed assassins can resist cute puppies."

Fury rubbed his temples. "All right. So what's your plan? I'm assuming you have one."

The plan was to do nothing. Yet. On the surface. Underneath, like ducks, the loyal SHIELD agents were going to be paddling in frenzy.

A~A~A~A

Allie found the next couple of months trying. Her parents and Coulson were busy at SHIELD, trying to determine who was HYDRA and who was not. Steve and Tony were trying to root out HYDRA strongholds that Bucky had identified. That left Bruce working from the Tower and taking care of Allie. And Allie took care of Bucky, as much as she could.

"He needs a therapist," Bruce told Steve over secure vid-link. "I'm not qualified to treat him, and Allie doesn't need to be exposed to his worst moments either."

Steve scrubbed at his face with one hand, and sighed. "I know. But we can't get anyone from SHIELD and there's no way a civilian therapist can handle someone with Bucky's training."

"Well what about somebody from the VA?" Bruce asked.

Steve paused. "Well, I guess, technically he is former military."

JARVIS spoke up. "With your permission, Captain, I can screen qualified counselors and therapists."

"That would be great JARVIS thank you."

"My pleasure captain."

Allie popped her head into the picture. "Steeb, when are you coming back?"

Steve sighed apologetically. "I don't know sweetheart."

She pouted and disappeared from the screen.

Steve looked at Bruce. "What's up with her?"

Bruce sighed. "The super spies are working seventeen hour days and come home only to eat and sleep. They're taking as many missions as they can get their hands on to scope out the lay of the land. Allie is feeling a bit neglected. But she hasn't complained at all. She just gets quiet and goes to sit with Bucky."

Steve sighed. "Give Allie a hug for me?"

"Will do."

Bruce signed off and went to give Allie her hug. He found a pouty-looking kitten on one of the bookshelves, her head resting on a stuffed toy. "Hey Allie. Steve wanted me to give you a hug."

She meowed plaintively.

He picked her up off the shelf and she snuggled into the crook of his neck. "Are you hungry?" he asked, taking her to the kitchen.

She shook her head and meowed again.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

He made a sandwich and poured some applesauce into a bowl. "You sure you don't want to eat some?"

She hopped off his shoulder and lapped at the applesauce disinterestedly, and then she crawled back into his sweater.

Bruce ate his sandwich and left the applesauce out in case Allie changed her mind. As he was wiping the counters, Clint and Natasha entered the kitchen, looking grim and exhausted. "How'd it go?" Bruce asked.

"Ugh." Natasha slammed back a shot of vodka and sighed. "We've discovered twenty HYDRA agents within the upper echelons of SHIELD and the WSC. And those were the obvious ones."

Clint shook his head. "If I had to spend another twenty seconds in that room with Sitwell I would have punched his face off. Is there pizza?"

"Yeah, in the bottom of the fridge."

"Where's Allie?" Natasha asked.

Bruce opened his mouth to answer, but tiny sharp kitten claws tapped his neck. He closed his mouth. "Somewhere around, napping."

Natasha sighed. "All right, good."

Clint kissed his wife gently. "I'm going to bed, hun."

"Okay. If you find Allie, ask her if she wants to come cuddle with me." Natasha sighed. "I'll be in the gym."

Bruce stayed quiet until both the super spies were well out of earshot, and then asked quietly, "Allie, don't you want to go cuddle with your mommy?"

Allie jumped onto the counter and transformed into a little girl. "No."

"Why not, baby? Don't you miss her?"

"No," she said stubbornly.

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Are you positive?"

Allie's eyes filled with tears and she shook her head.

"Okay. We're going to settle this." Bruce picked her up and took her to the Barton-Romanoff floor. "Clint? Tasha?"

"In here."

He went into the bedroom and plopped Allie on the bed. "Found her," he said. "And, the three of you need to talk." He quickly walked back out the door.

Clint and Natasha looked at Allie. She looked back at them and crossed her arms petulantly. Clint sat down on the bed next to her and held out a hand. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Nothing." She frowned down at the blanket. "I'm tiwed. I wanna go to bed."

"Do you want me to read you a story-"

"No stowy." Allie hopped off the bed and went into her room. "Good night."

Clint and Natasha stared after her in absolute shock. "She's never refused a bedtime story," Natasha said. "Not ever."

"What did we do?" Clint asked. "JARVIS? Is she okay?"

"Miss Allie is in perfect health," JARVIS said crisply.

Natasha went after Allie, and gently knocked on the open door. "Allie?"

Allie was poking at a tablet, doing multiplication problems of her own free will. "I'm doing maff mommy."

"Yeah. Do you like maff now?"

"JARBIS taught it to me, like puzzle." Allie held up the tablet. "Is not twenty minutes, I need to finish."

"I thought you were tired."

Allie pouted.

Natasha reached out and took the tablet away gently. "All right baby, what's going on?" She reached out to gently lift Allie's chin. "C'mon sweetheart, tell mommy."

Allie sighed. "You has work tomorrow mommy, you need sweep. I'm fine."

Natasha frowned. "Are you mad because daddy and I are working a lot?"

Allie's eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. "No. You gonna save Bucky and Cou-son and Fuwy and Steeb and de whole world. You gotta stop HYDRA. I's not impowtant for right now. Is okay."

Natasha's heart broke and she pulled Allie into her arms. "No, no, baby, it's not okay." She cupped Allie's face with her palm. "For me and daddy, you come first, always. I'm sorry we haven't spent much time with you, but I promise, you are what's most important to us. I love you, so much." She kissed Allie's cheek softly. "I'm sorry, baby. Forgive me?"

Allie threw her arms around Natasha and squeezed tightly. "I missed you so, so much mommy." She started crying.

Natasha held her close. "I missed you too, little one, so much." She noticed Clint standing in the doorway with a stricken look on his face and motioned him over.

He knelt in front of Allie. "I'm sorry too, sweetheart. I promise, we'll make it up to you." Allie reached over to hug him, and he pulled her into his arms, and kissed the top of her head. "I love you," he said.

"Stowy?" she asked.

"Definitely."

After that, Clint and Natasha made sure to leave time each day for their daughter. No matter the threat, they had to put family first.

A~A~A~A

A/N 2: Stay tuned for more Marvel canon bits being tampered with, and fluffs galore :)