Hey guys…I'm just gonna say that sorry to keep you waiting. So here's my update. I sure hope my next update won't be this late.

Chapter 8 – Reason for living

'Are we expecting company, sir?'

'No, I'm not. But you are.' Before Clint could asked him what he meant by that, the door open and Clint turned to see who it was.

'Good afternoon, Director.'

'Take a seat, Agents.' Director Fury remained seated and eyed the two agents who had entered his office. He chanced a glance at Barton who was looking at the two newcomers. Clint was curious as why the two agents were called in and cast a questioning glare at Coulson. His handler remained impassive and pointedly looking at Fury.

The atmosphere of the room was strung taut with tension and the silence was deafening that Clint nervously tapped the armrest of his chair. He looked at the agents and both of them avoided their eyes and both found an interesting point on the table to glue their eyes on. He looked up at Coulson and to his astonishment couldn't see a clue of whatsoever on what he was thinking. The anxiety was building until Clint felt it was going to explode at any time. He shifted his glare at Fury and waited for him to say something - anything - so that he could go out there and do his job in finding Natasha.

'Goddamnit! Will somebody say something?!' Clint banged his palm on the table after a lengthy silence and stood abruptly. Both agents startled and threw an anxious glance at Fury and Barton. Clearly they were not sure whether to bolt out from the room and caused Fury's wrath or suffer Hawkeye blazing arrows that seemed to be shooting out from his eyes.

Coulson pushed himself off the wall and planted himself next to Clint, safely wedging himself between the confused, and clearly agitated, agents and the wild eyed Hawk. Only Fury projected the calm persona. Coulson was looking at him expectantly but still holding on to his silence.

Clint had had enough of the silence. He felt suffocated and the urge to injure someone – anyone- was so strong that he dropped his head and clenched his jaw. He wanted to go out there and find Natasha. He felt that time was running out. Whenever he closed his eyes he could see Natasha's smiling face danced behind his eyes. He needed to see that smile again. He needed to tell her how he loved that smile so much. He hadn't realized what she had meant to him. He needed Natasha to hear it from him. Clint had never thought that he, an assassin who always distanced himself from others, a lone wolf, could ever had this need - this want - to be with somebody whom he cared about so much. Never in his life, not even with Barney his own brother, that the need to protect someone was so consuming that he realized his sole purpose in life now centered on this one person.

Clint didn't know when Natasha had become his reason for living. She just is.

Clint breathed deeply and calmed his nerves. The room was quiet. He could only hear his harsh breathing. He could feel Coulson, tentatively, placing his hand on his shoulder and quietly called his name. He looked up at his handler who he had gradually thought as his best friend and perhaps more like a big brother. Coulson's eyes were kind and understanding. They grounded him until his muddled thoughts rearranged itself, compartmentalizing his priorities and focused on the SHIELD director sitting in front of him.

'We have to find her, Director. I must…I need to find her.' With a choked voice, Clint put all his emotion in the plea. He didn't care about the two agents, who at the moment were so quiet, he temporarily had forgotten about them.

Fury stood and walked around the table and stood in front of Clint, who immediately snapped to attention. Clint sensed Coulson stilled beside him. His didn't pull out his hand on Clint's shoulder, instead he tighten his grips. The two agents also stood and waited for the SHILED director to say something.

'We have a lead, Barton, to the Black Widow's whereabouts. I want you to pay attention to the details these two agents are going to tell you. Now, sit down or I will personally send you to the infirmary and have you sedated.' The last part of his sentence ended with Fury stepping into his personal space that caused Clint to stagger backward and his legs hit the chair. Even the two agents were not spared with the death glare that Fury had directed to Clint. They quickly took their seat and waited. His eye bored down to Clint's and then casted a fleeting glance to Coulson.

Coulson squeezed Clint's shoulder reassuringly and gently pushed Clint down to the chair. Reluctantly, he returned to his place by the wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited. Fury walked over to the glass window and stared at the vast space infront of him . After a pause, he glanced behind his shoulder and narrowed his one eye and barked, 'So…what are you waiting for Agents. A formal invitation! Brief Agent Barton now, idiots.' Coulson couldn't help but to smirk at them. Clint gave them his undivided attention and sat back with his fingers drumming on the table.

Both the Agents were startled out of their wits. Perhaps they were blaming their unlucky stars to be the one that, conveniently or maybe inconveniently, happened to be the one who had to brief one of the two most feared agents in SHIELD and perhaps in the world. Both took a deep breath and looked at each other and dropped their heads down. Clint was starting to feel impatient and slapped the table infront of them.

'Well, come out with it, Cross.' Clint glared at Cross who nervously glanced at James and gulped. His eyes were seeking assistance from James who gave him an encouraging nod and quickly lowered his eyes. Cross raised his eyes to Clint and promptly breathed deeply and sighed.

'We were the first one to be dispatched to the rescue site after the alert about you and the Black Widow. When we reached the site, we couldn't locate both of you so we had to fly close to the tree canopy. Then an owl flew right next to us that James had to swerve to avoid it. It was a fuc-I mean, it was a big white owl and I said to James that luckily we didn't hit it because, you know, we could kill it, bam—hit the rotor and down it goes.' Cross chuckled nervously. When there was only silence that followed, he quickly added, 'So James said that it will not only killed itself but us also, you know, hit the rotor and down we go—.' Cross was clearly babbling by this time and James was shaking his head asking for a quick death from whoever is up there because he felt the animosity flaring from not only Hawkeye but Coulson too.

Coulson decided that Cross had better save himself now or he might not be responsible for whatever Clint was planning to do with him with his twitching fingers nearing the hidden knives he know Clint had on him. Cross was laughing nervously and paused when he realized that he might not survived the next second, sensing that Hawkeye was about to – lack for a better word – gutted him there - in front of the director of SHIELD, who may just turned his one eye elsewhere. So, he quickly blurted out the necessary intel and prayed that it was enough to save himself.

'We saw – I mean I saw – Cross was busy avoiding the owl –' he saw Hawkeye was at the edge on his seat with his hand near his waist grabbing something lethal.

Oh god….I'm gonna die. Beside him he could sensed James stiffened.

'I saw there was a black SUV parked further ahead of the bend and a man standing beside it!' He quickly blurted out the information. He held his breath and looked at the red – faced – all – lethal – muscled agent infront of him and whispered a prayer to the higher power.

Help me, please!

Clint was waiting for Cross to continue. The wide eyed agent was looking at him and dramatically paused. He scrunched his brow and exhaled loudly.

'What…? People always stopped and stared when there was an accident.' Clint exclaimed and turned to rebuke Fury for wasting his time listening the crap intel.

'What the hell are you trying to tell me? You are wasting my time. I'm going to -' Raising to stand, Clint couldn't finish his sentence when Fury barked from his position near the window.

'Put your ass back to the chair, Agent, or so help me I will make sure that you will not get a chance to sit down ever again in the future.'

'Oh yeah? What? Are you saying that you gonna spank me, sir?' Clint spat the mockery and shifted his anger to him now.

'Clint –'

'Goddamnit, Coulson! Don't try to 'Clint' me.' Clint turned on his heels and started to walk towards the door.

Cross blinked at the sudden movement of Hawkeye and James snapped his head up.

'We've managed to photograph the man, Agent Barton!' James hurriedly reached one hand towards Clint unknowingly placing him in a very dangerous position.

'James..DON'T!'

Coulson's cry of warning was too late. The moment Clint sensed James's hand reaching for him, his training took over.

Clint grabbed the hand over his shoulder and pulled James to his back and threw him over his shoulder to land on the hard floor. James breath left his lung and grunted painfully when his head hit the floor hard. The next thing he knew he had a knife – a big serrated – knife pressed on his neck and Hawkeye was looming on top him with a wild eyes. He had one of his knees pressing painfully on his chest and his hand circling his throat. James was breathing hard and his eyes didn't leave Hawkeye's. He was immobilized by fear.

So this is what it felt to have the assassin Hawkeye's elusive knife kissing your jugular. James thought remorsefully. He heard Coulson's shout to Hawkeye to snap him off of his murderous intention.

'Clint! Don't do it.' Coulson dropped to the floor near Clint but still keep a distance. He didn't want to spook Clint any further and risk injuring the fallen agent.

'Listen, Clint. We have the man identified. I know you want to find Natasha. Me too. Just take a deep breath and stand down. Release Agent James, Clint. We are going to need him to find Natasha.' Coulson spoke slowly but still refrained from touching Clint.

Clint was breathing heavily. He was aware that Coulson was talking to him. He also aware that Fury had his hands on his side arm and but didn't move from his position at the window. He was also aware of Cross now standing rigidly behind him ready to strike to protect his partner. He looked down at the stilled agent.

'Don't ever do that again or I will not –could not—guarantee what my action will be, James.' Clint said between clenched teeth and slowly removed the knife from James neck. James mutely nodded and blinked. Clint stood up and turned slowly to look at Cross whom he saw had his hand gripped tightly on a chair.

He smirked at him and cast a weary glance at Fury. He saw that Fury had already stood down but had not closed the side arm guard. He nodded once to him and Fury raised his eye brow. He heard Coulson helped James up and placed him behind him. He closed his eyes and spoke quietly.

'Well, it looked like we learned an important lesson today. Don't spook an assassin or you will never know what will happen.' Clint scoffed and ran his hand down his face and sighed.

God Natasha. You'd better hang on until I arrived.

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Just love those two, Cross and James. Looks like that they are going to be featured in my future posts. Wonder who they have identified at the crash site? Take a guess and tell me..

Thanks for sticking with me guys…

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Shila1378