Author's Note – To answer a reviewer's question, reading "Widow's Choice" is not really necessary (though I hope you will!) in understanding this story. At most there will be a minor reference or two.

A Whole New World to Meet

Darcy glanced around the commissary and noticed how much space there was between the three women and everyone else. She frowned. "What's up with them?" she asked, turning to Natasha.

"Don't mind them," Natasha advised. "I've been told I make them nervous."

"Okay, whatever," Darcy shrugged. "That makes them seem awfully shaky for secret agent types though." She tossed a glare at one man who seemed to be staring too much. He paled and looked away. She turned puzzled eyes on Natasha.

"You are very friendly with me, something they don't dare try." Natasha lifted one shoulder in an easy, graceful movement. "They are too easily startled." A sparkle of humor touched her gray eyes for a moment. "Perhaps we should let them know you once tasered Thor."

Jane twitched at Thor's name, but gave a small giggle. "You do that on purpose, don't you? Make them nervous?"

Natasha just gave an enigmatic little smile. The two women across from her smothered their laughter as the nearby tables winced.

After a few moments of silence, Darcy's face turned serious. "What happened?"

Natasha looked at her and took a deep breath. With a sigh she began to explain everything that had taken place over the last few days. She covered it all – from Loki's arrival to the final battle of New York City. Both women got teary-eyed when she told them about Coulson's death. Darcy felt ice creeping into her veins as Natasha talked about Loki's mind-control game on Clint and Erik.

"They are both blaming themselves," Natasha finished off her story.

"They should be."

Like most overheard remarks, this one had obviously not been meant for their ears. All three women turned to face the speaker. A heavily-built, dark-haired man grimaced as three furious gazes locked on him.

Darcy stood up abruptly. "Excuse me?"

He folded his lips, but his chin jutted out as the crowd turned to look at him. "They were weak."

Her eyes flared. "How dare you!"

He rose abruptly. "I can see the scientist giving in, but Barton's a trained agent. He shouldn't have-"

"Because you guys have been trained to deal with aliens?" Darcy's voice rose in fury. "No one has ever dealt with this before! You can't be trained for something like alien magic!"

"So why did the scientist manage to put in a failsafe on the thing, while Barton just killed people?" His jaw jutted out. "Barton's always gotten away with too much. Bastard will probably get away with this too."

"Oh, God, don't tell me this is some kind of macho bullshit!" Darcy rolled her eyes. "First off, Doctor Selvig was never trained to deal with any kind of coercion. He deserves an award for managing to even come up with the idea for adding an off switch." The man went to speak but she jabbed a finger in his direction. "Agent Barton would have required more control. Loki would have had to really dig into his head to control him instead of the surface thing he used on Erik. Loki didn't need to waste his efforts on Erik, so he didn't. He left him some freedom of thought. He dug deep on Agent Barton, not leaving any kind of free thought because he's a trained agent." She threw up her hands. "Hell, if I can think of that, don't you think your bosses already did?"

The agent's eyes narrowed in anger as others in the crowd began nodding or humming in understanding. "What the hell do you know, kid?"

She started forward. "Oh, you son of a-"

A hand grabbed her arm. Natasha flowed to her feet, diamond-hard eyes locked on the man. He flinched and stepped back as the redhead stepped forward. "Do you have anything else to add to the conversation, Agent Lundin?"

"No, Agent Romanoff," he replied. Each word was clipped and short.

"Then you would be wise to keep your opinion behind your teeth as opposed to fouling the air." Her eyes scoured the entire room. "Should any more such words be bandied about, the speaker shall be the next volunteer at SHIELD's mandatory training session on the use of drugs and hypnosis. Is that clear?"

The room vibrated with the collective response. "Yes, sir!"

Darcy sat down and exchanged a look with Jane as the room began to empty. Natasha leaned against the table watching the crowd disperse. Darcy could see a fine tremor in her fingertips as she glared at anyone who glanced their way. Before either of the women could break the uneasy silence, she raised her hand to her ear.

"The shuttle is ready to go."

The three women made their way to the deck. Jane leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. Darcy gave her a concerned once over. She had been so fragile when they met in Washington. Hearing about Thor's sudden appearance and disappearance, Coulson's death, and that little fracas in the commissary was not good for her. She still needed a shower and a good night's sleep. Then Darcy could start getting her back on track so she could go after the big guy again. Then maybe….maybe…

Darcy's thoughts tripped over themselves. Her mind kept going back and thinking about the scene in the commissary. All she could focus on was that jackass making nasty comments about Clint and nobody standing up to him but her and Tasha. What had they put Clint through? Her hands curled into fists and she looked up to find Natasha already focused on her.

"How is he really?"

Natasha sighed. "He's a bit lost right now. With Loki and then Phil…" She shook her head. "We tried to go back to headquarters. All the little looks, the whispers; we couldn't stay."

"Oh, damn."

Her soft voice drew Natasha's attention. "What?"

"Something Phil said to me once." She mulled over her thoughts, remembering a tiny café in New Mexico with a subtle threat. Darcy locked her gaze on the woman across from her. "Phil said Clint didn't form bonds very often. With him gone, there's just you and me now."

"Just us, little sister." Darcy twitched in surprise and Natasha's face softened. "You were ready to take on a trained killer for him. You jumped to his defense when agents who have worked with him for years just stood there. When we sent you into hiding, your first concern was Clint. When we brought you out, the first thing you wanted to know was how we were doing." Now her lips curved into a smile. "You're worried about him. You're scared for him, not of him. All of that? Makes you family, little sister."

Darcy blinked back tears, giving herself a little shake. "Guess I have to find you a mug now, huh?"

Natasha managed a quiet little chuckle. "That would be lovely."

Darcy grinned as she thought about the mugs in question. Five mugs displayed on the wall of the kitchenette in the old laboratory; one for each of the 'inner circle' or family of the lab. Her emotions sobered as she thought of Phil's mug. She cleared her throat. "Finding the right quote for you is going to be a hard one though."

"I liked Clint's."

"I'll bet you did, Ms. Assassin," Darcy quipped back. "Still, you'll need something unique. I'll look into it." She fidgeted. "I hope they haven't been stolen while we've been gone."

"They should be in your new lab here in New York."

Darcy felt her jaw drop. "Say what?"

"Ah," Natasha grimaced. "My mistake; I had not gotten to that part of the conversation when we were sidetracked by Lundin." She sighed. "For both safety and convenience, SHIELD has relocated your lab to Stark Tower."

"Do you know if someone warned Jane?"

"I do not believe so."

"Oh, goody," Darcy sighed. This was going to be fun.

The shuttle dropped them at the JFK airport where a car waited to take them to the house. Darcy stared in awe as they pulled into the drive. "This is the Stark mansion."

"Yes."

She rolled her eyes at Natasha's simple agreement. "No, Tasha, this is the Stark mansion – the Stark mansion on Fifth, the place that takes up an entire city block! It almost has its own zip code!"

"I know." Natasha's eyes sparked in amusement. "Stark Tower actually does have its own zip code, but the mansion shares with a few other places."

"Why are we here?" Jane asked, blinking in surprise at the sheer size of the place.

"Your rooms are here."

"Get out!" Darcy whipped her head around to stare at her. "We are going to be living here?"

"Of course," Natasha replied smoothly. "Pepper has arranged rooms for all of the Avengers and their main…" She paused to find the word she wanted. "Their main support, I suppose." Darcy opened her mouth but Natasha cut her off. "No arguing, little sister. You are going to be helping with Clint while still managing Jane who is working to bring back Thor. That makes you irreplaceable support for three of the six Avengers."

The car pulled into the garage and the driver opened the door for them.

"Thank you, Happy," Natasha noted quietly.

"Always a pleasure, Miss Romanoff."

Natasha smiled at the two women. "Leave your things. They will be taken to your room." She led them to an elevator. "I want to introduce you to the others."

The elevator doors closed behind them.

"Good evening, Agent Romanoff."

The sudden masculine voice startled Darcy and Jane, but Natasha just smiled. "Good evening, JARVIS. May I introduce Miss Darcy Lewis and Doctor Jane Foster?"

"Miss Lewis, Dr. Foster, welcome."

"Hello?" Jane said, her eyes combing the walls.

"Uh, hi," Darcy replied as she stared at Natasha.

Natasha nodded at her. "JARVIS is Stark's personal Artificial Intelligence computer program. He is wired into all of Stark's properties. If you need something, he's the one to ask."

"Thank you, Agent Romanoff," JARVIS replied. "If I may, Miss Potts is getting ready to depart for a meeting in Miami. Would you like to stop at the entrance first?"

"Yes, thank you."

The elevator moved smoothly and opened to a large, beautiful foyer. A woman stood waiting for them. She embodied the definition of elegant. Darcy just stared. What was a girl from the back of beyond doing in a place like this?

Natasha stepped forward. "Good evening, Pepper."

"Natasha, I'm glad you made it back in time." Pepper glanced down at her tablet, made a few notations, and looked back up. "There's an emergency meeting in Miami."

"Just a quick introduction, then?" Natasha asked. When Pepper nodded, she gestured to the waiting women. "This is Dr. Jane Foster, the astrophysicist in charge of reopening the bridge between Earth and Asgard."

"A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Foster," Pepper said graciously, shaking Jane's hand.

"Please, call me Jane. It's wonderful to meet you."

"And this is Darcy Lewis," Natasha continued. "She is Jane's assistant."

"Nice to meet you," Darcy said, still somewhat amazed at her surroundings.

"Lovely to meet you as well, Miss Lewis."

"Darcy, please."

"Both of you feel free to call me Pepper. I'm sorry to rush, but I don't need the Florida office to have a meltdown right now." She tapped a few times on her tablet. "Oh, Natasha, their rooms have been prepared as you suggested. We've also reserved rooms for them at the Tower for nights when they work too late or just don't want to face the commute." She looked over at the two flustered newcomers with a quick smile. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Please let JARVIS know if you need anything in particular for your rooms, labs, or offices. Check with JARVIS before changing any of the décor in your rooms here at the mansion, but your rooms in the Tower can be done at your own discretion. If you have any food or drink preferences, let JARVIS know so we can add it to the shopping list. Jane, your lab should be set up in much the same manner as it was in New Mexico. Darcy, your files are actually in a separate room now so there should be more space. We've set you up with a new computer system. JARVIS will be able to assist you in tracking down any resources you need. Natasha will be able to show you everything tomorrow." She snatched up a bag at the door. "Now I really do have to run. I shall see you in a few days and we can actually have a conversation."

With that, she hurried out the door and into a waiting car. Darcy and Jane turned wide eyes on Natasha who just smiled. "And that was Pepper Potts, Stark's true secret weapon."

"Wow," Jane noted.

Darcy huffed out a laugh. "I see your 'Wow' and will raise you a 'Holy Cow'."

A new voice entered the conversation. "Both of which she thoroughly deserves."

The women turned around. Two men stood in a doorway across the hall. Darcy could make out some chairs and a couch behind them, so she figured it had to be a living room, or den of some sort. One of the men looked at them with a somewhat distracted air, like his thoughts were elsewhere. His rumpled clothes and disheveled hair only added to the impression of absentmindedness. She repressed a smile – he looked like Jane on a science-heavy afternoon. She would put good money down that this guy would be introduced as one of their 'brains'.

The second man did not need an introduction. She gaped. "Hell, you're Tony Stark!"

He grinned at her, dark eyes snapping with laughter. "You wouldn't believe how often I get that." His eyes roved over her for a moment and he gave a teasing leer. "Very pleased to meet you, Miss…?" A lifted brow punctuated his pause.

"Her name is Darcy Lewis," Natasha inserted, giving him a direct stare.

He tossed a smirk in her direction before turning back to Darcy. "As I was saying, very pleased to meet you, Darcy. Can I call you Darcy? Good." He held his hand out.

She gave him her best unimpressed look as she took it. "Hey, Tony, debatably pleased about meeting you."

His grin grew amused. "Got some spunk, don't you, kiddo?"

Jane gave a small sniff. "You've got no idea."

"And you are?" Tony asked, easily switching his charm from one woman to another.

Darcy rolled her eyes as she wandered over to the other man. She held out her hand. "Hi! Darcy Lewis."

He blinked at her. "Ah, Bruce, Bruce Banner." They shook hands.

"Doctor Banner, to be precise." Natasha stepped up to Darcy's shoulder.

"Hah!" Darcy grinned. "Knew it."

"Sorry?" He frowned at her.

"You've got the same look Jane gets when she's been working on science all day. I figured you had to be one of the 'brains' around here."

"Smart kid," Tony noted as he and Jane joined them. "What do you do?"

Her chin came up. "I take care of Jane."

"And does it very well," Jane said, staunchly supportive.

"Oh?" Tony looked at Darcy, his eyes narrowing in consideration.

Darcy rolled her eyes and poked him in the arm. "I don't want to know where your brain is at. I make sure Jane eats, gets sleep, and actually remembers to step out of the lab every so often."

His face cleared in understanding. "You're her Pepper."

"Huh?" Now she was the one confused.

Natasha shook her head. "Pepper was his personal assistant for a long time. She took care of all the mundane duties, from setting out his clothes, keeping his calendar, pretty much everything, right down to cutting up his steak."

"Now don't overstate things, Nat," Tony insisted. "I actually did cut my own steak."

Almost everyone started laughing, though Darcy noticed Bruce restrained himself to a smile. Jane wanted to talk to the men about some science stuff. Darcy started to protest, but Natasha offered to come back and personally escort the scientist to her rooms after showing Darcy to hers. Darcy agreed when Jane promised to go with Natasha without arguing.

Darcy stared in awe. The bedroom was bigger than her entire New Mexico apartment. She had a private bathroom and a balcony. She walked out onto the balcony. It overlooked the private gardens.

"You share the balcony," Natasha said as she stepped outside. She pointed to another door. "All of the suites on this floor share balconies. It is one of the oddities of the mansion."

Darcy shrugged. "I don't mind."

Natasha showed her around the rest of the room, and told her how to work the electronics before leaving her to her own devices. Darcy stood in the center of the room as she tried to decide what she should do. "First thing's first," she muttered. "JARVIS?"

The AI's voice replied immediately. "Yes, Miss Lewis?"

"Where's Clint?"

"Agent Barton is currently located on the roof at the west side of the mansion overlooking the park. Shall I direct you to him?"

She sighed in relief. "Yes, please."

"Very well, Miss Lewis," JARVIS answered. "Please step into the hallway and follow the lights. They will take you to the appropriate elevator. When you reach the roof, you will merely need to step out and turn to your right. If Agent Barton's pattern of the past two evenings remains the same, he should still be near the elevator. I should inform you that Agent Barton has not yet been informed of your arrival."

"Well, let's hope it's a good surprise," she answered. "Thanks, JARVIS."

"You are quite welcome, Miss Lewis."

She smiled. "You can call me Darcy."

There was a pause as though the AI needed to decipher her comment. Darcy smile turned a little whimsical as she pictured an Alfred-like fellow considering the best way to respectfully decline. She suppressed a giggle; here she was living with real heroes and all she could come up with was a comic book comparison.

"Thank you for the offer, Miss Lewis," JARVIS commented delicately. "However my programing requires my form of address to remain a trifle more formal."

"Sure, no problem."

Darcy continued following the lights in silence. She took several deep breaths as the elevator rose in an attempt to calm her nerves. She wanted this to go right – to help, not make things worse.

The elevator slowed, stopped. The doors opened.

She stepped into the evening air. A cool breeze flowed past her, bringing up goose bumps on her bare arms. New York was a lot cooler in May than either New Mexico or Tennessee. She turned to her right.

Clint sat on the side of the building staring into the darkness across the street. His entire body seemed stiff. He spoke over his shoulder. "Not now, Tasha."

Darcy's eyebrows flew up. "Not that I really mind," she started, only to stop as his head whipped around, his eyes startled. She gave him a small smile. "As I was saying, not that I really mind being mistaken for Natasha, but I think your radar is off." She walked over to sit next to him, letting her legs dangle over the side. Leaning forward, she tried to get a better look at the grounds.

He quickly wrapped a hand around her arm. She tilted her head to smile at him. "I don't think I'm going to fall, hotshot."

"I'm not risking it."

Her smile faltered at the sound of his voice. Subdued, quiet – it held no hint of his usual sarcasm. Instead it radiated with pain. She turned, tucking up one leg so she could look at him. He would not meet her eyes even as he kept his hand loosely encircled around her wrist.

"Clint?"

He winced, his chin tucking down further. She hated the dejection painting every line of his body.

"Hey," she said softly as she reached out to brush her fingertips across his cheek. "What's wrong?"

He flinched. She remained steady, her fingers soft on his skin. He took a breath and pushed her hand away. "Did Tasha tell you?"

"Yes," she said, refusing to pretend she did not know what he was talking about. She had to curl her hands in her lap to avoid reaching out for him again.

"So you know what I did."

"I know you and the others helped save everybody."

He snorted. "Only after I tried to kill everybody. Only after Coulson…" His voice trailed off. She took a breath, but he cleared his throat before she could speak. "I had to fix what I'd done."

She started, "You didn't-".

"My hands, my body," he interrupted, eyes flashing up at her. "I should've been able to fight him."

Her fingers clenched. She could feel the anger boiling under her skin, but she tried to force it down. "Don't; don't you start down that road. What Loki did…" She trailed off. Her eyes went vague for a moment before focusing once more. "He took away your free will. He didn't leave you the ability to say no." She struggled for the words. "He…basically he mind-raped you."

"I was still-"

"It was not your fault." She stated it slowly, steadfast belief saturating every word. "This was Loki's doing, not yours. There was no way you could have been trained for him."

He pulled away from her. "Selvig managed." She opened her mouth, but he kept talking, refusing to look at her. "Loki had him under control, but he managed to build in a failsafe. All I did was get people killed." His frame shook. "Hell, I tried to kill Tasha!"

"Loki-"

"No!" He interrupted her. Rising to his feet, he stalked away. He leaned on the wall and let his head fall back against it. "Even with Loki's control, Selvig was all about the science. What was I?" His laughter was harsh and sarcastic. "I blew up part of the helicarrier. I shot at Fury, tried to kill Tasha. Violent, that's all I was."

"Clint-"

"You don't get it, Darce." He slid down into a crouch, forearms on his knees and his head hanging down. "I'm a killer. I was before Loki. He just changed the target."

She stayed quiet for several long moments. Tears glittered in her eyes before she shoved them ruthlessly down. She stood up and walked over to him. "Are you trying to make me leave?"

"I need…" He trailed off. His hands tightened into fists. "I need you safe. And that's not around me."

"Hate to break the news to you, but Jane and I are here anyway." She sat against the wall. Her eyes focused on the edge of the roof. "Pretty sure danger's in the cards."

He sat down, not looking at her, not touching her. "Darcy-"

"Our new lab is at Stark Tower." She paused. "I'm betting there's danger there too."

"Yeah, but-"

Darcy took a deep breath. She pulled herself up on her knees beside him. Taking his face in her hands, she waited for his eyes to meet hers. "Now, you listen to me, Clint Barton. I am not going to let you push me away because you're scared." He tried to interrupt, but she steamrolled over him. "You look me in the eye and tell me you honestly want me to leave you alone and I will. I will give you whatever space you want, but I'm not going to let you drive me away."

He stared at her, his eyes intent and searching. She held still. Clint's hands came up to cover hers. He turned his head and kissed her palm. He moved her hands away, and her heart stuttered, but he reached out to touch her cheek. Sliding his fingers into her hair, he slowly pulled her forward. His mouth covered hers. The kiss was soft, meant for comfort, not passion.

He pulled back and rested his forehead on hers. "I don't deserve you."

"Of course not," she teased gently, locking gazes with him. "I'm still now going anywhere."

He smiled and closed his eyes. She let him rest against her without pushing. Finally he pulled back with a sigh. He met her eyes. "Loki-"

"Loki screwed with your head," she interrupted. "It wasn't your fault. He didn't give you a choice." Her eyes glowed with sincerity. "I don't blame you, and nobody with half a brain will either. Anyone who does is either an idiot or an imbecile." He blinked at her fierce defense and she smiled. "You need a shower, hotshot."

His hand tightened in her hair and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Yeah, probably. Let's go down."

Darcy poked around Clint's room as he took a quick shower. It still looked picture-perfect; there was simply not enough of him present. It was a place, not his place. A frown crept over her face and she walked out on the balcony. Like hers, it shared the balcony with another room. Her thoughts paused and her eyes narrowed as she pictured the journey to and from the roof.

"JARVIS?" She called out to the AI in a voice heavy with suspicion.

"Yes, Miss Lewis?"

"Is that…?" She trailed off, but JARVIS followed her thought without difficulty.

"Yes, Miss Lewis," he replied. "Agent Romanoff felt you would be more comfortable in close proximity to Agent Barton. Will this be a problem?"

"No," Darcy answered, a laugh bubbling in her throat. She shook her head. "Sneaky Tasha."

"You're welcome," a soft voice drifted down.

She swung startled eyes to the floor above. Natasha stood on the balcony above her, clearly visible thanks to it being off-center of her own. The redhead nodded to her before walking inside and closing the door. Darcy leaned on the railing and let her laughter spill over into the night air.

"What's so funny?" Clint asked as he joined her.

Her eyes sparkled. "Natasha is a sneaky so-and-so."

"I knew that," he said, eyebrow quirking in amusement. "Something in particular set this off?"

"You ready for the night?" she asked in reply.

He nodded and she took his arm. "Good, you need sleep."

"Doubt I'll get much," he said, throwing a glare at his room.

She shook her head. "Come on, we're going to queue up some good, old-fashioned, happy ending movies and see if you can at least rest." She started towing him away from his door to the other end of the balcony.

"Uh, Darcy," he protested. "That room-"

"Is mine," she interrupted. He blinked and she grinned. "I told you. Tasha is sneaky."

His chuckle, dry and unsteady, lifted her spirits. She knew it was only one step, but at least it was moving in the right direction. She let go of his arm as they entered so she could go digging through her luggage. It looked like they brought everything from New Mexico, but it was a mess of packing.

"Who packed this?" she muttered as she crouched by one of the suitcases. "No rhyme, no reason."

"There's a rhyme to packing?" His amused voice earned him an arch look of disapproval.

She gave a sniff. "There is if you want to find anything. Look at this mess!" She waved a pair of pajama bottoms. "Great, I need these, but they should be with tops or at least T-shirts. I can't wear a sweater to bed!" She tried opening another suitcase but found books and papers. "Where are my shirts? There are too many…" Her voice trailed off as she continued trying to find something suitable for bedtime.

She began to get frustrated after a few minutes, but he interrupted. "Here, use this for tonight."

She glanced back to find him with an extra shirt. He had apparently slipped away while she was involved with her search. Her eyes met his. His gaze held a strange mix of hope, uncertainty, and challenge. Well, she was always up for a challenge.

"Great! Thanks!" She snatched the shirt from him. "Make yourself comfortable. I just need to brush my teeth." She walked off towards the bathroom as he sat on the end of the bed.

"Hey, JARVIS?"

"Yes, Miss Lewis?"

"Jane stayed in her room, right?" Darcy figured she better make sure her boss had not tried sneaking off while she was busy. Jane needed sleep, but she could sniff out a lab faster than the proverbial bullet.

"She did, Miss Lewis," he answered. "Agent Romanoff asked me to inform you that Dr. Foster has been taken care of properly should you request any information."

"Oh, good." Darcy considered what the morning would bring as she went through a quick wash-up. "Would you mind doing me a favor, JARVIS?"

"How may I assist you, Miss Lewis?"

Darcy tapped a finger on her lips as she walked towards the bed. "Jane will take off for these labs she's been promised first thing if we don't stop her."

"Would it be inappropriate for her to do so?" JARVIS sounded genuinely curious, and she took a moment to wonder at a computer sounding more human than some people she knew.

"Well," she answered, "not for most people. The problem is Jane won't bother to eat before she leaves. If I don't catch her and get breakfast in her first, she might not eat anything all day."

"That would be unhealthy," he said.

"Yeah, I know," she replied. "It's just the way Jane works. Science runs her, not self-consideration." She tilted her head in reflection. "Hell, if someone doesn't keep an eye on her, she would just keel over in her lab from either hunger or exhaustion."

Clint smothered a laugh and she tossed him a smile. He already looked lighter, less brooding. He could pull of the brooding darkness, no question, but she preferred his crooked smile and happy eyes. With a shake, she drew her attention back to the matter at hand. "Tell you what, when she starts moving around, wake me up, would you, please? I can hopefully head her off and get some breakfast in her before she goes searching."

"Of course, Miss Lewis." JARVIS paused. "Do you know what you might like to prepare? I can make sure the necessary ingredients are present in the communal kitchen."

Darcy blinked. "There's more than one kitchen?"

"There is a formal kitchen, of course, but the staff is limited for security reasons. They shall prepare dinner unless directed otherwise. Breakfast and lunch are up to the individual. In order to maintain some order, as well as avoid having Mr. Stark pester the staff, there is a communal kitchen on the second floor which will be kept stocked for anyone to use."

"Wow." Darcy and Clint exchanged wide-eyed glances. She shook her head. "Okay, um, what to make?" She looked at Clint. "Any requests?"

He started to shrug, but she frowned. He backtracked. "How about French toast?"

"Perfect!" she exclaimed. "Jane loves strawberry syrup. Do we have the stuff for that?"

There was a short pause before the AI replied. "We have all of the necessary ingredients for French toast. I will ensure strawberry syrup is present by breakfast time. Do you have any other syrup requests?"

"Peach," Clint answered while Darcy chimed in with "Butter Pecan."

"Noted. All of the syrups will be available in the morning."

"Thanks, JARVIS."

"You are quite welcome, Miss Lewis."

Darcy sighed in relief as she rearranged the bedding to make watching a movie easier. "Hey, hotshot?"

"Yeah?"

"Go grab your pillows. We need a few more."

He gave another rusty chuckle and slipped out to the balcony. A smile blossomed on her face. Three times, she had managed to get a laugh out of him three times so far. She knew it would take time, but it was a good beginning.

He returned with the pillows. She snatched them away and finished her set up. Finally she crawled up on the bed and patted the space next to her. "Come on, let's get a movie started." He slid carefully into the bed, making sure to leave a good bit of distance between them. She rolled her eyes. "I won't bite…promise."

His eyes darkened and met hers. He hesitated. Her lips curved into a mischievous little smile. "Not tonight, anyway." His hands twitched, but he slid closer to the middle of the bed.

She nodded. "Better." She leaned back against the mound of pillows and pulled a throw over her legs. "Okay, JARVIS, let's dial up a movie."

"Your choice, Miss Lewis?"

Darcy gave Clint a sideways glance. "Tell you what, how about the Errol Flynn version of Robin Hood?"

Clint gave a slight groan as JARVIS answered. "Of course, Miss Lewis."

The large wall screen flickered to life and the room lights went out. Clint leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Robin Hood?"

"Hey, what's not to like?" she teased back. "The good guys win, the bad guys lose, the hero gets the girl, and everyone lives happily ever after."

He sighed, but relaxed against the pillows. As the movie played, she divided her attention between him and the screen. The little lines of tension began to melt away as he enjoyed the zany adventures on screen. Carefully, cautiously, she let herself relax against him, barely touching at first. He tensed. She stopped but did not move away, focusing on the screen. He settled back down. After a few minutes, she leaned into him a little more. The whole cycle played through a couple of times before he just accepted her presence.

Darcy gave a small sigh of relief and let her head drift to his shoulder. Oh so slowly, he slid his arm around her waist. She let herself shift so she leaned against his chest while he leaned on the pillows. She fell asleep with a quiet smile on her face.