During the time between Natasha and Steve's engagement and Peggy's pending arrival, Clint finally had a moment with Nat. Steve offered to be with her but she said, no, she could handle Clint by herself.

Clint was less mad than he had been but that didn't mean he wasn't serious about getting Nat's undivided attention. They met at his apartment in the city. Clint had Laura on Skype and she chewed Nat out as well. The two women understood each other perfectly. Laura loved Natasha like a sister and vice versa. After that conversation, Clint closed the Skype window and turned to Nat.

"Anything you want to tell me other than what I heard in Asgard?" Clint folded his arms and waited.

"Clint, I'm sorry," Natasha admitted, "I really wasn't thinking of all the potential consequences. I just wanted Steve to be happy."

"What makes Steve happy and me happy, for that matter, is you in one piece." Clint snapped at her.

Nat nodded, "I know. I may have taken a few chances but it did all work out."

"What fucking part of 'you could have been lost in time' do you not understand?" Clint stepped closer, taking her by her shoulders and shaking her lightly.

"Freya and Frigga assured me that wouldn't happen." Nat pushed his hands off. "Why are you and Steve in particular so pissed off about this? I take bigger risks all the time in our line of work. Neither of you has ever bitched about me taking a bullet or a hit for someone else but I go on a time travel mission and suddenly it's an emergency."

"Because then, one of us is generally with you so we can haul your ass out of there, get you medical if you need it, take you to safety if we have to. We're there to protect each other, Tasha. I know and Steve knows that you have our backs. Why you can't muster up the trust for me and for him to protect you back, I really don't understand." Clint turned and paced the room.

"I do trust you, and Steve. What I don't need is protecting, Clint. I haven't since I came through the Red Room. Why can't you understand that? Shit, I can't get Steve to understand it either. Who the fuck do you think protected me then?" Natasha paced as well, on her side of the room.

"No, Nat, you don't get to draw the Red Room like a gun every time you're losing an argument," Clint wheeled back around grabbed her arm.

"Stop it, Clint." She pulled back but he wouldn't release her.

"Not this time." Clint wasn't as tall as Steve but he was every bit as strong as Nat was. He was also more pissed off so it was a fair almost-fight. He hauled her over to his couch and dragged her across his lap.

"Come on, Clint!" Natasha squirmed but he held her fast.

"You could have taken a few minutes to explain to either Steve or me what you were thinking of doing or let Thor explain it when he got back. Hell, even if we disagreed with you and you did it anyway, at least we would have had some idea of where you were, not to mention 'when' you were." He punctuated every few words with a smack on her butt.

"It was an impulse, okay?" Nat protested and bit him on his calf. That earned her a hard stinging slap across her ass from the archer's hand.

"Keep it up, Natasha and you will be here awhile. I got nowhere else to be." Clint kept up a steady cadence on her bum.

"What you did not learn in The Red Room was how to work and play well with others. That is what this is about." Clint gave her a final whack then sat her up on the couch next to him.

Natasha was blushing and furious with him plus her butt stung a lot more than it had with Steve. However, Steve had been holding back on his strength. Clint didn't need to since he was as non-enhanced as she was. She opened her mouth to let him have it.

"Not a word, Tasha or I'll put you right back over my knee." Clint warned her. "You told me how grateful you were to have a real family here with all of us after I brought you into S.H.I.E.L.D. You need to think about that and what it means to be 'family'. Family supports each other, looks out for each other and is the soft place to fall when things go to shit in the field." He took her hand in his and patted it.

"Judging by that ring on your left hand, I would say that Steve wants to have a family with you as well. He's a good man, Nat. He is everything you should have in your life and everything you deserve to have in your life. You are not expendable to Steve or to me and Laura and the kids. We all love you; we'd appreciate your considering all of that next time you decide to go off half-cocked without letting anyone know." Clint reached over and turned her chin to face him.

"You hear me?" He asked her when her eyes met his.

She pulled away and looked down but she nodded. He gave her a one-armed hug. "I am always your friend, Nat. Steve is too. Okay, he's more than that but he was your friend first. Don't take him for granted, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered. "I'm really sorry Clint."

"Me too, Nat." He turned and gave her a full hug. After a moment, she hugged him back.

"One other thing, I talked to Steve while you were away. I am to tell you that this here, today, is just between us and will remain just between us." Clint kissed her forehead. "I love you, Nat."

She nodded, "I love you too."

In the end, she stayed and talked to Clint for a long time. He was her best friend after all and she felt like she'd left him out of a very significant development in her life: her relationship with Steve.

They parted, still best friends. He took a quinjet and went home to his wife and children for a quick visit; she went home to her handsome fiance' who welcomed her with open arms and a kiss that made her tingle down to her toes.

She ended up telling Steve everything. He turned out to be a very good listener and very pleased that she had elected to share something in relation to Clint with him. He knew they were tight and had been before he came along. He was glad she had a friend like the archer and that Clint had become his friend as well.

Steve listened to Natasha's story, she was blushing and embarrassed so he pulled her into his arms and held her while she continued. As always, she was amazed at how safe she felt in his arms and how comforting he was. She realized with a jolt that she trusted him without reservation. From the time she met him, throughout her WWII expedition to the present, doubt had never crossed her mind in relation to Steve Rogers.

"I really am safe with you, I just realized." Natasha shared her epiphany with the man she loved.

Steve looked down at her, reclining in his arms, "Of course you are, Natasha. Did you ever think you weren't?"

"I actually never thought about it to be honest. It just occurred to me that you've never given me a single reason to doubt anything about you, your feelings toward me, our relationship. Any hesitation or fears I had were in my own mind because of my own experiences from before."

"Before what?" Steve echoed.

"Before I met you." Natasha smiled up at him and he had to kiss her.

"I will always be there for you." Steve said into her hair as he nuzzled her neck.

"I hope you can trust me to be there for you as well." Nat whispered.

He heard her plainly. "Nat, I do trust you. I hope that you will learn to share your burdens with me just as you freely share your joys."

"Working on it." She kept her head on his shoulder and hugged him tighter.

"We'll work on it, together." Steve said and captured her mouth in a kiss that conveyed his love and passion quite clearly. Natasha melted into his kiss. The only thing she could do was cede control and enjoy where he took her.

The next day they waited with Bucky in Asgard for Peggy to show up. They'd all agreed on a date which would be after an appropriate mourning time for 1945 Steve had passed. Peggy would have to tread carefully since she would be the only one who knew the truth – that Steve was alive. Lost but alive. She also had told Bucky that she had an idea and wanted to see if she could get one more thing accomplished before she would vanish during a deep cover mission.

After a few hours of sightseeing with Thor, Heimdall contacted him to let him know that another woman had arrived. They all clamored over the bifrost to welcome their friend. Peggy was there with a big bag stuffed full of her things. Introductions had to wait while she and Bucky said hello. From the lip lock they were in, that might take awhile.

"I still can't believe that he's safe and here," Steve told Natasha. "Watching him with Peggy; they're so happy together. Just like we are." He hugged her close.

"You don't know what a relief it is that I managed to get him off that train. I thought he and I might both wind up dead. I was really worried about you if that happened." Natasha admitted.

Steve looked at her sharply, "Natasha...do we need to have another talk?"

"No," She said quickly, "I thought at first, if I missed grabbing him, I'd jump out of the train too, then grab him and yell for Heimdall. But it all worked out just the way it was supposed to."

Steve stared at her, "You do realize that you are digging yourself in deeper and deeper the more you explain, don't you?"

"Um...oops?" Nat grinned up at him.

"You'd better be just teasing me, Agent Romanoff," Steve warned her, but his mouth quirked up on one side.

She gave him a saucy smile and pulled away to hug Peggy, giving a little hop as Steve swatted her on her butt.

"Hello, darling," Peggy said. She hugged Nat with one arm since the other was still around Bucky.

"We're so glad you're here, Peggy," Nat said as she moved aside to let Steve in.

"I'm glad you're here for Bucky, Peggy. It means a lot to me that he is so happy. I can see how much you love him in your face." Steve smiled, delighted that his friends were a couple.

"I'm glad she's here too," Bucky said.

"Listen, while I've got you all right here, I wanted to share something." Peggy's bright brown eyes were sparkling. "I thought about a conversation Natalie...er...Natasha and I had back in the camp. We talked about what our plans for the future might be, remember Natasha?"

"I do remember that," Nat said.

"Well, I went a little further. I talked to Howard and Phillips about the same thing, what to do after the war. What I came up with was an organization dedicated to protecting the earth, investigating any phenomena that can't be explained...sort of like the FBI but with more powers."

"That sounds great," Natasha said. "What's the name of it?"

"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division," Peggy said. "SHIELD for short."

"Shield?" Natasha asked.

"S.H.I.E.L.D., after Captain Steve Rogers, aka Captain America who always shielded and protected us, down to his last moments on earth." Peggy said. "I put the announcement in the eulogy I read at your memorial service, Steve," Peggy told them.

Steve was stunned. "Peggy, thank you. I don't know what to say except that I'm honored."

Peggy handed him a copy of the Articles of Incorporation for S.H.I.E.L.D., to read the founders list: Captain Steven G. Rogers (Captain America); Agent Margaret (Peggy) Carter, SSR; Howard Stark, Sergeant James B. Barnes (Bucky); Agent Natalie Rushman; Colonel Chester Phillips.

Natasha read over the document with Steve then pulled out her SHIELD ID and sure enough, all the names on the document were on the back of her ID card. She felt a little weak in the knees and felt a rush of nausea came over her. The act of bringing Peggy forward could have been disastrous for all of them if S.H.I.E.L.D. had not been founded by her, Howard and Col. Phillips.

Steve noticed that she was a bit wobbly. "Nat? Are you all right?"

"I need to sit down." Nat was still processing. She had thought she'd covered every contingency when she went back in time. Obviously she'd forgotten one very important thing. Thank goodness Peggy had her shit together and did what she was supposed to do.

"Peggy...I don't know what to say," Natasha tried to sound cheerful. Instead she went pale as her knees buckled. Steve caught her before she fractured her skull on the mosaic floor.

"Heimdall, will you please convey our thanks to Thor but I've got to get Natasha to a doctor right away," Steve said as he scooped Nat up in his powerful arms.

"I will, Captain Rogers," Heimdall nodded. "Prepare yourselves to return to your own world.

Peggy, Bucky and Steve put their hands together. Nat tried but moving her head made the room spin. She held on tightly to Steve as the rainbow lights came and the now familiar gut-wrenching twist as the world fell away once more.

When they materialized, Nat struggled out of Steve's arms and bolted for the nearest bathroom. Peggy came after her, slipping in and locking the door. She held Nat's hair as she purged her stomach into the trash can. "Darling, are you all right?"

"I don't know what the hell is wrong," Nat said, sliding down the wall to the floor. "I think I had a mild panic attack when I realized I had never discussed S.H.I.E.L.D. with you. Thank goodness you did it all on your own or I could have seriously fucked everything up for everybody."

"You should be pleased then," Peggy smiled at her.

"Oh, I am, believe me. Thank you for taking care of something I never thought to ask you to take care of. Now I'm going to ask Steve to bust my ass again for being an idiot." Nat looked out at Peggy from between her fingers.

Peggy laughed, "You're fine, love. I'm certain Steve will oblige you if that's what you wish but you can opt to keep this between us."

Natasha laughed ruefully. "Yeah, I guess I could do that. Would you ask Bucky if he has an extra cigarette?"

"Sure, wait right there." Peggy went out the door.

Nat washed her face and hands, making sure she hadn't splashed barf over anything and went back out the door. Bucky handed her a cigarette as she came out. "Where's Steve?"

"Steve went to get Dr. Banner; he's really worried about you, baby doll." Bucky said, as he lit his and her cigarettes.

The three walked outside to smoke – Nat sat down on one of the benches. She looked less pale and more composed now. Peggy sat next to her while Bucky paced.

"Natasha!" Steve's voice came from inside the building. Bucky ran to the doors and waved to him. Steve came jogging out with Bruce on his heels.

"Sweetheart, are you all right?" Steve sat down between her and Peggy, pulling her into a hug. She put the cigarette out in the ashtray next to the bench.

"I think so. I think I just had a panic attack is all." Nat patted his leg and looked up at Bruce who knelt in front of her.

"Mind if I take a look, just to be certain?" Bruce asked, smiling.

Nat nodded her consent. Bruce checked her pupils, her pulse, her respiration and oxygen saturation. Everything checked out. "Everything's normal and she doesn't have a fever. Maybe it was just a mild panic attack. I'd encourage you to go to your own doctor anyway, just to be on the safe side."

"What would trigger a panic attack?," Steve frowned at her. "Is there something you haven't told me yet?" Damn it. He really was too perceptive sometimes.

Natasha visibly flinched. "Can I just ask you for another spanking and then we forget the whole thing?"

Steve looked surprised, then he smiled at her, "Why don't we talk about what exactly it is that triggered this before we talk about repercussions."

"No, I think I'd rather just have the spanking." Nat leaned across his lap. Bucky and Peggy both snickered. Bruce got up and out of the way, chuckling.

Steve lifted her up, rose and took her hand. "I think we need to talk first. Bruce, thank you for checking her out. Bucky, Peggy, would you all like to meet for dinner later?"

"Sure, Steve, that would be fine if Natasha is up for it," Bucky said.

"I've got a thing with Tony, maybe another time," Bruce told them before going back inside the tower.

"All right," Steve said, "Let's get you home." He was so tall, so handsome, so blonde, so earnest. He made her happy just looking at him.