Author's note:

My updating on this story is so irregular! I sincerely apologise! But thank you for those who are still with me!

Huge thank you to Psalm46.10 who reviewed the last chapter! Your kind words honestly made my day! :D

Shout-out to my beta, ThisVioletofMine!


Clint paced distractedly around the sitting room, his phone pressed to his ear. "No, Laura, I can't come home right now."

"Clint, honey, I know you're doing important work, but please- it's been two months!" Laura cried.

"Yes, I know it's been a long time…" Clint replied with a sigh.

Laura made a frustrated sound. "Well when will you be home?"

"Look, you know I can't tell you that- I don't know!" He said in his own defense.

Laura was less than pleased. "Clint, when I married you, I knew there would be times when you'd be gone- and I get that you can't control where S.H.I.E.L.D sends you. But I'm getting to the end of my rope with these kids! I barely get any sleep! I've had to change soiled bedsheets at least four times, I've had to tend to three cuts and scrapes, I've had to deal with Lila's constant whining about you not being around- I need you home!" Clint listened to his wife's rant patiently. Laura wasn't one to be aggressive, either verbally or physically, but she had been looking after their two young children by herself for months, and he could tell she was stressed and exhausted, so he didn't blame her for needing to take out her frustrations on him.

When she had calmed down a little, he kept his tone sympathetic. "Honey, I hear you. I do. I want nothing more than to be home with you, Coop and Lila. It's hard being away from you all for so long. But there are children here, too, and they need my help. I can't leave until the people kidnapping these children are brought to justice."

Laura groaned, but she still made a conceding sound. "Alright, I get it. I want them caught just as much as you. It's just… it's really difficult, being a single mom."

"Aw, Laura, I'll try my best to get this done quickly." Clint said, sad that his wife felt that way.

Natasha walked in, glancing at him pointedly and tapping her watch.

Letting out a sigh, Clint gestured an affirmative to her before returning to Laura. "I'm sorry, Babe, but I gotta go. We're visiting people who have information about the kidnappers. Talk to you tonight?" He asked hopefully.

"Yeah, okay." Laura agreed tiredly. Her tone was a little more like her usual positive self, though. "Good luck. Be careful." He promised he would. "I love you."

"Love you, too." Then he ended the call and turned to Natasha. "Alright, let's go."

Natasha grabbed her jacket. "You're calling her too much- you need to be careful. If our cover is blown, the whole mission is screwed." She warned.

Clint pulled on his own jacket. "Our cover won't be blown, Nat. We're so deeply undercover that it's almost a habit now for me to say my last name is Cole."

"That still doesn't change the fact that if somebody overheard you telling someone on the phone that you love them and wish you were at home, or if they overhear you talking about your children, we will be screwed. Don't compromise the mission, Clint." She told him almost forcefully.

"Gah, alright, I get it! Stop treating me like a trainee." Clint complained, leading the way out the front door.

"Then stop acting like one." Natasha retorted. The door shut and she was on his arm within a second.

Clint snorted. "Quit being so cold- you called me just as often when you went undercover alone."

"There's a difference." Natasha pointed out.

Clint batted his eyes innocently. "How so? You're madly in love with me, so I see no difference."

Natasha blew a kiss at him. "Of course. But I know that if somebody traces the call back to you, you can defend yourself."

"Well, La-" He cut off, remembering that they were now, technically, in public, where any passersby could hear them. "Grandma Lorraine can easily kick ass, despite how wonderfully sweet she is."

"Yes, but Little One and Little Two, not so much. And Grandma is good, but she's currently outnumbered." Natasha pointed out before knocking on the door.

As they waited for the Rothmans to come to the door, Clint said, "Nat, can we discuss this later?"

She threw on a wide smile as the door opened. "Anything for you, Sweetheart." She looked up at the couple in the doorway. "Hello! Sorry we're early."

Mary smiled kindly, beckoning them inside. "Oh, that's fine! We've already made the cookies," she said, gesturing to Ryan, who nodded eagerly from behind her, "so we're glad you came sooner!"

Clint knelt down to Ryan's level. "Hey, big man! How're you?"

Ryan waved shyly. "Good." He said. They'd visited the Rothmans a few times, but Ryan was still rather reserved around them. Eventually he'd come out of his shell, though. Clint smiled again and stood to address the other adults.

"How have things been with that railing? My repairs holding strong?" He asked Jesse.

"It's been a lifesaver! I was terrified that it'd break and somebody would get hurt." Jesse replied with a smile as he clasped Clint's back.

Natasha crossed the hallway with Mary. "How's your sister? Did the operation go well?"

Mary beamed. "She's going to make a full recovery- she'll be discharged in a week!"

Their conversation faded as Clint and Jesse wandered into the study. "I heard the high-schoolers won their football championship this year." Clint commented idly, examining the titles of the various books lining the shelves.

Jesse nodded eagerly. "They did! They're currently in the lead. We'll definitely be sending Ryan to that school."

"Cool." Clint replied absently. "Isn't it weird to think that your kid will be a teenager soon? I wonder what that's like." He said carefully, secretly watching Jesse from the corner of his eye to see if he would take the bait and willingly open that passage of conversation. If Clint forced the topic on him, the man might get suspicious or closed off.

"Dude, that's a strange thought. It feels like it was just yesterday when we adopted him." Jesse reminisced, looking at a photograph of a younger Ryan. "They grow up so quickly."

Clint carefully kept his expression upbeat. "I'm sure they do." Then he took a breath. "Natasha and I have tried adopting… It hasn't worked out." He admitted, forcing sadness into his face gradually.

"Oh." Jesse said, turning to face him. "Want me to give you the number of the guy who helped us? He's a miracle worker, honestly."

Hook, line, and sinker. Clint feigned a look of surprised happiness. "Really? He could help us? I mean…" He leant in reluctantly. "Nat's… got a bit of a record, so no one will adopt to us. It was a small, insignificant charge, but… You know the system." He pulled a face.

Jesse nodded understandingly. "Mary and I had a similar issue, but Ventura is a true professional. He looks past that and focuses on you as people. He gives everybody a fair chance- asks a lot of questions, but it's worth it." He crossed the room to his desk.

Clint internally wondered why they weren't immediately suspicious about such a character, but reminded himself that, no, normal couples weren't trained as spies who questioned everything and everyone's authenticity, and they were also desperate to be parents. The man had probably seemed like an absolute savior to them. "That sounds too good to be true!" He exclaimed, voice a calculated balance of joy and eagerness. "Just wait until I tell Nat- she'll be so excited!"

The other man smiled and grabbed a card. "Here's his number. Just give him a call tomorrow and tell him that you know us."

Clint accepted the business card gratefully, his trained eyes taking in all the details it could offer in nothing more than a second-long glance. Plain white, information written by hand, a man's handwriting, black ballpoint pen, left-handed writer, minimal information provided besides first initial, last name, and daytime phone number. "Thanks, man. I- we- seriously owe you one."

"Anytime." Jesse said before his wife called him into the lounge. "We've been summoned."

Clint chuckled. "That we have- we'd better hurry before they start plotting our downfall."

Jesse nodded, already walking out of the room.

"Clint, we're waiting!" Nat's voice came, way too flirtatious for his liking.

"Coming, Dearest."


Natasha finished her strawberry as the big hand on the clock signalled it was 11am- the time she and Clint had decided would be the best time to call the 'miracle worker' that Jesse had referred them to. Without waiting for Clint to return to the kitchen, she dialed the number, already tapping her fingers impatiently when it got to the third ring.

Someone finally answered. "Hello?"

"Good morning- is this Mr. Ventura? My friend Mr. Rothman told me that you helped him and his wife adopt a child a few years ago?" Natasha asked politely.

The man grunted gruffly. "Sure did. What's it to ya?"

If Natasha had actually, genuinely wanted to adopt a child, she'd have hung up the phone right then- she didn't like his attitude. "He just thought you might be able to help me and my husband with an adoption of our own." She told him, quickening her tone slightly as to appear as though she didn't want to bother the man.

The change in his voice was almost instantaneous, suddenly smoother and more charming. "Did he? Well, I'm flattered that he holds me in such high regard. Yes, I think I could help you complete your family. Did you want to meet and discuss?"

"That would be wonderful! Thank you so much!" Natasha replied with fake relief and excitement.

"Anything to help a couple in need. Where would you like to meet?" He shmoozed.

"Well, my husband and I just moved to Ohio, and we're willing to travel up to a few hours out to meet with you." Natasha replied. "Where would be most convenient for you?"

He hummed in thought. "Why don't we go with this little diner I know in Toledo? It's called Deana's. Bring all pertinent documents and information with you." He instructed; although, since he worked illegally, it was highly more likely that he was only asking for the documents to seem more credible, and that he didn't need any of the detailed information at all.

Natasha paused for a second. "That is fine with us. Would sometime this week be too early for us to meet?"

"Oh, not at all. Let's say… Tuesday." He answered smoothly. "Does that work, Mrs. -?"

"Cole." She helpfully provided.

"Mrs. Cole?" The man finished his sentence.

Natasha flicked through some random paper. "Yep! Would Tuesday afternoon be possible?" Making it seem as though they had something planned in the morning.

A rustling of papers on his end. "Um… yes, that works perfectly. Two o'clock?"

"That's perfect! We'll see you at Deana's, at two o'clock this Tuesday." Natasha confirmed before adding an enthusiastic, "Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome." He said before hanging up.

After Natasha had put her phone down, Clint poked his head in. "How'd it go?"

She smiled at him. "We've got the meeting this Tuesday."

Clint pouted. "Does that mean I have to cancel my zumba class?"

Natasha rolled her eyes and threw her phone at him. "Idiot." She muttered playfully, stalking off.


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