Summary: One shots set in the world of Gemini Protocol and Trouble with Triples following the past, present and future lives of our favorite genetically engineered triplets.

Pairings: Clint/Natasha, oblivious!Will/Jane, some Aaron/Marta, Darcy/Bucky, Darcy/Johnny Storm, Tony/Pepper. Nothing major is really going to happen in terms of romance. This story is mostly about the boys and their adventures…. So bromance all around!

Warnings: Language, I guess, because I have a potty mouth damn it. Also a strong possibility for crackish behaviors. Spoilers for The Avengers, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and The Bourne Legacy. Oh, and whump because… I write fanfiction for The Avengers. Apparently that's reason enough!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Author's Note: Hey all. So this is the final chapter of the whole 'What If' saga. It's been fun writing it. I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Ciao for now.

What If (5)

William Brandt was a headache inducing puzzle of a man. He was like a puzzle wrapped in a mystery and stuffed inside those little Russian dolls that never seemed to have an end. Try as he might, Benji still couldn't figure Will out. He freely admitted to still being completely mind blown by the fact that the man was not just analyst but also a field agent who might be even more of a ninja than Ethan Hunt (okay, he was definitely more of a ninja than Ethan). The things he did know for certain were few. He knew that Will carried guilt like it was his job. He felt this unyielding responsibility for any and everything no matter how far out of the realm of his control the situation may be. He knew that Will was also in the habit of zoning out during quiet moments and was in the habit of toying with the bracelet he said was given to him and his brothers by his father's friend during those moments. And that led to the final thing that Benji knew for sure about William Brandt: he missed his brothers… a lot.

The things that Benji didn't know or understand about William Brandt, he was pretty sure, could fill the Grand Canyon two times over with some still left over. But the most pressing of the things that Benji didn't know was how he came to be more concerned about the slightly younger agent's wellbeing than the two members of their team that were actually in the hospital. The mission was over. It was a complete success. They managed to stop a global nuclear war. True, Jane got shot and Ethan… well, his sanity depending on not dwelling too much on how Ethan got hurt during the mission. But the point is that they all managed to survive which was more than he thought they would be doing at the beginning of this whole disaster. Yet despite all of that Will remained Benji's most pressing concern.

After the mission was declared to be accomplished, they were taken to a local hospital before being transferred back to DC and IMF headquarters. When they first arrived at the hospital, Jane and Ethan were immediately treated while Benji and Will were barely given a cursory checkup. It was assumed that since they were both walking and talking that they were fine. Benji was secretly of the belief that they didn't care if either man was actually healthy or not. Between the Ghost Protocol and the death of the Secretary, there was chaos and confusion, not to mention a power vacuum. If there was one man that could calm down the pending shit storm, it was William Brandt. And calm it he did… even while looking like he was trying out for a role as a walker on the The Walking Dead.

Realistically Benji expected there to be some panicked flailing within the agency. He knew that just as he knew that Will was really the only person he felt comfortable trying to even begin dealing with the fallout of the Ghost Protocol and setting up the next in command following the Secretary. But he also knew that Will barely slept for the past week. He also had to face a nasty part of his past in the form of Ethan Hunt. He knew the only thing keeping Will going during the mission was the silent promise that he would see his brothers again. His nervous tic of playing with his bracelet increased in frequency as the mission wore on. He knew that Will wasn't going to be alright until he saw these brothers of his and it was looking more and more like that particular reunion was going to be on hold for a while. Benji also suspected that Will needed more than just a cursory checkup. He was clearly hurting but no one beside Benji appeared to give a damn.

"He doesn't look well," a man murmured from the place beside him. Benji jumped startled that there was suddenly someone standing beside him in the back of the room where Will was strategizing with a group of analysts and the latest of the interim Secretaries. He glanced in the man's direction. He didn't think he had ever seen him before. Not that he knew everyone in IMF but this man was definitely not one he had ever seen before.

There was absolutely nothing remarkable about the man physically. With his suit and tie, he looked like every other agent in this place. But there was a warmth in his eyes coupled with a sharpness that made Benji take notice. Especially since those eyes were focused on his only mobile (though for how much longer was anyone's guess) teammate. That made them partners at this point and he was not about to let his partner down. Well, he wasn't going to let him down any more than he was already letting him down by not insisting that everyone shut the hell up and leave Will alone. So yeah, he wasn't going to let him down more than that. That included allowing this strange man who was just a little too interested in Will to be yet another obstacle in Will's path to a bed and some much needed sleep.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Phil Coulson. I'm from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."

"That's a bit of a mouthful," Benji gaped slightly. But he quickly recovered. "So what brings you here Mr. Coulson?"

"Agent," Coulson corrected politely. "And I'm here under orders from the Director of our agency. He wants to speak with the Chief Analyst regarding the recent events in Russia."

Benji felt intense anger in that moment. This Coulson didn't sound like the rest of the vultures that had descended upon Will the minute they made it back to headquarters but that didn't change the fact that he was the same as those vultures. All they were interested in, all anyone was interested in, was picking Will's brain and using him. Did no one see that the man was barely hanging on?

"What happened to him?" Coulson asked, breaking into Benji's thoughts. The tech started to make a sharp retort but he actually took the moment to observe at the man carefully. There was no malice in his tone. There was only confusion… and some concern. He was genuinely worried about Will. Benji narrowed his eyes. He knew that Will had brothers… what if this was one of them. Sure he was older than them but maybe there was just a gap in their ages. Then again Will described his brothers as impulsive and reckless. This man was none of those things. Everything about this Agent Coulson seemed almost serene and carefully constructed… not unlike Will actually. Definitely not one of his brothers. So that was a scrapped idea. And yet, Benji still felt compelled to reply.

"It was a long mission," he simply said.

"I gathered that much from your mission report, Agent Dunn. I was hoping for a bit more detail on his physical condition as there doesn't appear to be a medical report."

There was an edge to his tone that had Benji standing up straighter. He glanced to the front of the room hoping that Will would catch a glimpse of his verbal struggle with this stranger that seemed way too invested in Will's wellbeing. But Will didn't notice because he was too busy arguing with the interim secretary and trying to ward off a headache. Judging by the way he pinched the bridge of nose and winced any time the other man spoke too loudly (which was often), Benji surmised that the battle was lost. And that concern just kept on building.

"He, uh, got in a fight with one of the targets," Benji reported. Coulson raised an eyebrow, silently urging him to continue. "He was uh, choked for a little while. But he didn't lose consciousness. He's been moving really slowly since we got back. I think he may have hurt his ribs. But he seems ok otherwise. Except he really hasn't been sleeping that much either."

Coulson made a disapproving sound under his breath before muttering something about problematic, troublemaking children. He then completely ignored Benji to pull out his phone. "Yeah, it's me. It's actually worse than we thought. He looks worse than Clint did when he was poisoned by Natasha. We both know how that ended. We have got to get him out of here. He looks like he's about to drop any minute now and they still have him working."

Benji could hear the concern in the other man's voice. He really wondered who and what this man was to Will. "Yeah, just make it quick. He doesn't look well. I know he doesn't feel it either and they have to know by now. I'm actually surprised the building hasn't been stormed yet. Remind me to thank Banner and Rogers later for distracting them." Benji heard a chuckle over the other line before they disconnected.

He wasn't left wondering for long what move the man on the other end of the line was going to pull. Less than two minutes after Coulson disconnected, a man and a woman strolled into the conference room. An IMF agent posted by the door made an attempt to stop them but a glare from the steely blue eyes of the man stopped the agent in his tracks. His partner, a petite brunette, smirked in her partner's direction before bouncing up to Will who stopped midsentence surprised by her abrupt appearance. Benji watched as recognition flickered on his face as he glanced at the two agents before he schooled his features into a blanker expression.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, my name is Agent Lewis. This is my partner, Agent Barnes and we're from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division of the United Nations. I believe that you were ordered to report to our Director immediately after debriefing with your superior. It's been several hours and yet this meeting hasn't occurred. We've been sent by our director to retrieve you."

Will turned a confused glance to the interim secretary. Benji gave the man credit, he managed to pull off looking flustered and embarrassed at the same time. He was turning more shades of red than Benji even knew existed when Coulson made his way to the front of the room. Benji was once again questioning the connection between the mysterious Coulson and Will as the recognition was definitely there and it seemed that Will didn't have the energy to try and hide the exhausted relief that the older man was there either.

"Secretary Adams, I'm aware that you just came into this position today but I would've thought that you knew that IMF does not outrank our agency. When Director Nicholas Fury makes a request, it's not a suggestion. It's an order that is to be followed on the requested timelines, not on whatever timeline you've created."

"You can have Agent Dunn."

"Yet we have specifically requested Agent Brandt," Coulson retorted, calmly. "I'm sure that you have half a dozen analysts that are capable of performing in Agent Brandt's stead. The United Nations has several questions regarding the circumstances leading to the bombing of the Kremlin. This is Intel that only Agent Brandt is capable of giving to us. So we will be borrowing him for the time being."

It was only because he knew what to look for that Benji caught the quirk of Will's lips. He also noticed the way that Agents Lewis and Barnes inched closer to him as if they were expecting him to collapse any second. Benji watched as Will let them in his personal space without even a small protest. Benji earned that right only after he saved the man's life. There was definitely something going on here. Eventually Agent Lewis wrapped an arm around his and started to lead him out of the room. Agent Barnes followed in their wake, glaring at anyone that even dared to look in their direction while subtly flexing the fingers on his left hand. Benji didn't know what to make of that but he had a feeling that he definitely didn't want to know what was going on with that guy and his left arm.

Benji didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Will as things moved pretty quickly after that. He knew he should be pretty alarmed that three total strangers just waltzed in and essentially kidnapped his partner but he wasn't. There was an odd sense of calm coming from Will as the perky Agent Lewis prattled on to him about the ongoing adventures of some people named Clint and Aaron. Will seemed a mix of amused and exasperated as he listened. But he wasn't nervous or scared. He was fine with whatever was happening, therefore Benji relaxed. His gut was telling him that these people only wanted what was best for Will too. They were going to take care of him in a way that IMF wouldn't. So he let him go.

Still he wondered who the hell they were in the first place. Who even heard of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division…? He laughed out loud as he finally caught the acronym. SHIELD. Somehow or another, William Brandt was involved with SHIELD. An agency that was even more shrouded in mystery and confusion than IMF. And William Brandt was definitely more than just slightly familiar with them. Benji smirked. Yeah, his new partner was definitely a headache inducing puzzle of a man and he was seriously looking forward to figuring him out.

Aaron sighed as he watched Clint out the corner of his eye. His youngest brother was lying on the floor of the common room twirling a rather large knife carelessly between his fingers. He looked totally and completely relaxed but Aaron knew better. Even without the connection between them, he could sense the tension in Clint. He knew that his little brother was past the point of worry. It wasn't that Aaron wasn't also freaking out, but he knew that he had to keep it together for Clint. If he gave into the panic and overwhelming fear he felt they would both be lost. Still, it was getting harder and harder.

Their connection had been active since they first reunited at the age of sixteen after weeks of experimentation. That connection kept them together even when they're weren't. Aaron never hated their connection as much as he did right now. Because that same bond told him that Will was not okay at all but he was faking it like his life depended on it. He could feel Will's anxiety. He heard Will's thoughts and inner dialogue like it was his own. Everything in him wanted to just grab his brother and hide him away from everything that was making him feel or think that way. But he couldn't. They lost their window of time. He was at IMF now. And as much as he wanted Will with them, Aaron would never do anything that would jeopardize Will's position with the agency. Even if that meant leaving him alone.

Aaron was pulled back to reality when he saw Clint sit up straight. He had his head tilted to the side. Aaron could feel his brother's confusion but there was an underlying sense of relief and peace. Aaron felt his brow furrow at the strange mix of emotions coming from his baby brother. That feeling intensified when he heard the elevator arrive on their floor. Darcy appeared in the room a second later, grinning from ear to ear.

"Triple Trouble, be prepared to love me for the rest of my life!"

Clint raised an eyebrow. "I thought I already promised to do that when you got me Oreos that time I was too tired to do it myself."

"It really doesn't take much with you, does it, baby brother?" Aaron asked, smiling lightly. Clint rolled his head towards Aaron and shrugged.

"It's the little things," Clint replied, leaning back on his elbows. He craned his head to the side looking over at Darcy. "Also, Darce, what the hell are you wearing?"

Darcy ran her hands over her very un-Darcy like outfit. It was a plain button down white shirt, with a dark blue blazer and a black skirt that stopped below her knee. The outfit was capped off by a pair of plain black flats. In the few short weeks that Aaron had known Darcy Lewis, he knew that she wouldn't be caught dead in something this boring unless it was for a good (read Avenger related) reason. So that begged the question of what the hell was she wearing and why?

"I was running a secret op for your dad and Director Fury."

"You make it sound way more badass than it really was," Bucky muttered as he walked in. He toed Clint out of the way and sprawled out on the sofa. Darcy took that as her cue to drape herself over his lap. The fact that he didn't even blink was Aaron's sign that those two had been a thing for a while.

"Since when?" Aaron asked. He just talked to Bucky like a few weeks ago and he definitely didn't mention this little development.

"Since last month after everything with Johnny crashed and burned because certain Avenger affiliated people wouldn't stop harassing him!" Darcy retorted, glaring down an at all unrepentant Clint and Bucky. Her glare intensified until Clint finally cracked.

"Okay, Darcy even you have to admit that there were numerous reasons. First, it was weird. Johnny looks like Steve. Like he looks exactly like a younger and less morally responsible Steve Rogers. It was creeping all of us out," Clint said, pulling a face. "Second, that dude was more reckless and insane than me. You totally didn't need more than one me in your life. Shut up, Will and Aaron don't count. And the third, final and best reason is that Bucky is such an upgrade. He doesn't resemble Steve in the slightest and he's hot. I mean just look at him!"

"Why thank you, Clint."

"You're very welcome, Bucky."

"I hate you two," Darcy grumbled but made no effort to move away from either of them. Instead she cleared her throat. "Anyway, as I was saying be prepared to love me forever. I mean like serious love. I want undying loyalty and appreciation."

"Why exactly am I pledging my undying love?" Aaron asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't see any Oreos. Although now I really want some. Are you getting me Oreos? Because I will love you forever if you got me Oreos."

"No, I'm not getting you Oreos. That's a Clint thing. You have to earn Oreos with me, buddy. Also I would get them but I'm actually super comfortable. Besides I've done you one favor today already. You're declaring your love because I did way better than Oreos. I just did you a huge solid," she smirked. Bucky cleared his throat. "Fine, we just did you a huge solid." Off the no doubt twin blanks looks she was receiving from the two brothers, Darcy sighed. "What's the one thing you want most right now?"

"Ethan Hunt dead," they replied in unison. Clint's eyes lit up.

"Buck, did you snipe Ethan Hunt for me?"

"No, but now I know what to get you for Christmas."

"Okay, so if you didn't snipe Ethan, what the hell did you do for Dad?"

"We performed a very delicate and highly sensitive extraction for a valuable asset."

"So you grabbed Ethan so Aaron and I could shoot him later?"

"Seriously? Is shooting Ethan the only thing you can think of?!" Darcy asked in disbelief. "There's nothing else you can think of right now. Nothing else?"

"What could possibly be more important than someone shooting Ethan?" Clint countered.

"One track mind with you, little brother," a new voice chimed in. But that voice was as familiar to Aaron as his own. He was on his feet before he even saw him. Then there he was. He was leaning heavily on their father but he was walking. Aaron didn't even care. Because after a week and a half of waiting and wondering and worrying, Will was back.

He was pale and Aaron could feel the bone deep exhaustion and pain coursing through his body. However, it was all muted at the moment due to the joy and peace that only happened when they were all in the same place at the same time. It was more soothing than any painkiller. But their next act would be to get him some painkillers because he could really feel the aches in Will's chest. Bruised, possibly broken, ribs were a bitch when it came to healing. Aaron really hoped that whoever did this was dead. Otherwise he definitely volunteered for the task.

"Will," Clint whispered shakily. He stood up and cautiously walked towards their brother. Aaron didn't need to be mentally connected to know that Clint was hesitating. He knew how Clint's brain worked. Part of the archer didn't really believe that Will was actually there. He was convinced that one day they weren't going to get lucky and he was going to lose his brothers. The other part of Clint's brain that accepted that Will was there was most likely hesitant because he didn't want to hurt his twin. The great thing about a hive mind was that if Aaron knew what Clint was thinking, so did Will.

"I'm not going to break, Clint," Will smiled softly. "Come here, loser. I kind of missed you a little. Okay, I missed you a lot."

Clint laughed quietly and closed the distance between them in a few quick steps. He wrapped his arms around their prodigal brother and Aaron could only smile as Will's arms came up to hug his other half just as tightly in return. Aaron could feel the tension draining out of Will as he sagged against Clint. Phil stepped away to lean back against the wall, watching the twins with a smile on his face.

Clint pulled away but kept his hands on Will's shoulders. "You look…terrible."

"Gee, thanks," Will rolled his eyes. "I guess you're feeling better."

"Yeah," Clint replied easily. Aaron snorted. Yeah, he was better in the sense that he wasn't experiencing sensory overload anymore. But he still had yet to go back to Headquarters. He yet to leave the Tower at all, choosing only to interact with the team or his family. Clint was very far from better but Aaron didn't need to call him out on it because that was always Will's job. And he did it so well.

"You're lying," Will shook his head. "You're not okay."

"Neither are you," Clint pointed out, not bothering to deny it. His free hand strayed towards his ear and he tugged on it for a few moments before Will finally smacked his hand away. "We're not okay. But we'll get there… right?"

"Yeah, we will."

Aaron joined them and wrapped an arm around both of his little brothers. "You two are just so adorable, you know that? Seriously, you're just the absolute cutest thing ever."

"You see what you left me with," Clint said, over Aaron's shoulder.

"I see," Will replied in all seriousness. "Has he been like this the whole time?"

"Worse."

"Ugh, I sincerely apologize, Clint. I see what you've had to deal with since I was gone. It won't happen again, I promise."

Aaron tightened his grip on both of them, wincing as he felt a sharp burst of pain from Will. He loosened enough to alleviate some of the pressure but kept his arm around Will's shoulders as he moved them towards the infirmary. He didn't need to look back to know that their father was following them with his eyes locked on Will. It was going to be a while before any of them let him out of their sight. Because they finally got him back. But for how long was the real question.

When Phil first met the triplets at the remains of the CADMUS lab, he never thought they would fill the role they had in his life. He never thought that he would be a father of three genetically (and magically) engineered teenagers. But he was. And he didn't regret it for a moment. The triplets were as different as night and day when you looked at them from the outside. But when they were all together, that's when you saw who they really were. Too bad that after the age of 18, it was rare to see them all together. First Will left and then Kenneth. Clint never left but without his two brothers, he was a pale imitation of himself. He seemed almost normal in those years before Kenneth became Aaron. Phil would never admit it to anyone (especially not to Clint) but he liked Clint in all his eccentric glory. He never wanted the kid to change. He knew the same was true for Will no matter how much the middle brother complained about "Clint's infinite weirdness". Aaron never complained. He clearly enjoyed Clint's weirdness. It led to shenanigans and hijinks that had to be specifically designed to give him gray hairs or send him to an earlier grave. They had to be.

Back to the point and that was that Phil never imagined a world where he would have a kid, much less three, but he wouldn't trade it for the world. True, he was definitely not the happiest the day that Nick suggested (strongly and in words that sounded like an order) that Phil adopt the triplets so that they could give being normal teenagers a try. Phil agreed though he doubted how long that one was going to last. Clint surprisingly made it longer than he originally thought but Phil knew that was because he was holding out for Aaron. Once Aaron gave up, so did Clint. Will kept going though. He suffered through public school without his brothers in a world that didn't understand how amazing he was. Instead of shining brightly like his brothers did with private tutors, Will hid himself behind emotional walls that would give Fort Knox a run for its money. But Phil was slowly starting to see those walls crack.

For the first time in years, Will actually looked like he was happy and healthy and it was all mostly because he was in the company of his brothers for more than just a few days at a time. That, of course, meant that something had to come along and screw it all up. And didn't it just figure that the one thing that would cause it to come crashing down was part of the reason Will hid so well in the first place? Phil was really starting to see where Aaron and Clint were coming from when it came to Ethan Hunt.

Two months had passed since the IMF mission from hell and Will was finally starting to show signs of normalcy. It didn't hurt that he had all the mother hens on the team force feeding him or checking on him every five minutes. That was in addition to the biggest mother hens of them all: Aaron and May. So Will was healthy and happy and in a place where he was accepted for who and what he was and could do. He was starting to come out of his shell and bond with the rest of the team. Then his phone rang.

"Don't answer that!" Clint yelled from where he sat across the room playing some video game with Thor and Bucky. Phil would comment that they all played entirely too many video games, but honestly it kept them quiet and in one room where he could keep an eye on them (and where they weren't likely to be causing millions of dollars in property damage). He would give them all the games in the world to keep them that way.

"But its Ethan," Will protested. It fell on deaf ears as Aaron swooped in, grabbing the phone, declining the call with a swipe of his finger and bouncing over to where Clint was sitting on the couch. Will sighed before following his brother and sitting on the edge of the sofa. The phone chimed again. "Did they leave a message?"

"No, but he sent a text with date and a location," Aaron replied with disgust. He glared up at Will. "Don't you dare even think about it!"

"But…."

"But nothing. You don't owe them crap," Clint interjected. "Screw them."

"Dude, I killed his wife. The least I can do is go explain it to him. Jane and Benji know."

"Do Jane and Benji think it's your fault?"

"No."

"Then why do you?"

Will chewed on his lip. "It feels like it's my fault."

"That's because you're stupid," Clint pointed out. "You're stupid and you've got a martyr complex. Thankfully Aaron and I are the little devils on your shoulder telling you that you don't have to do this. You don't have to answer that summons."

"Actually I do. Remember, I'm still technically an IMF agent. I can't just keep hiding out here," Will said, though Phil could read the hesitance and reluctance in his voice. Well, it seemed like his prodigal son was done wandering. Interesting.

"Why not? It's like IMF is going to be able to find you," Clint countered. "Between Dad and Tony, IMF doesn't have a chance in hell of actually tracking you down. Trust me, they've tried during the past two months and nada."

"I'm not worried about IMF tracking me down," Will replied calmly. "If they really wanted to find me, all they have to do is get Benji. I'm shocked he hasn't tried already."

"Benji Dunn," Tony muttered. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"In 2001, Benjamin Dunn came close to hacking both SHIELD and Stark Industries," Phil reported absently. "He was a good candidate for recruitment but IMF got there first."

"That's right. I sent Pepper to try to bring him in too," Tony said, clearly lost in thought. Phil shook his head. He dreaded a meeting between those two. If there was anything left that wasn't on fire or exploded, he would be surprised.

"So that's it?" Clint asked, picking up the argument without missing a beat. "You're going to go back to being the whipping boy of IMF because Ethan Hunt sent you a text?!"

"No," Will protested. "Well, I mean I don't want that."

"Great! So shut up and ignore the stupid message."

"Clint, I can't just ignore it!"

"You're still not giving me a good reason why you can't."

"Closure," Aaron said before Will could open his mouth. "Will wants to go to the meet because wants closure with Ethan. Right?"

Will turned various shades of red but nodded. Clint looked like he was going to comment on that but for once in his life he let the topic drop. Will gave him a small grateful smile.

"I know you think it's stupid and that I don't have to do this but I do. I need to talk to him and tell him how sorry I am about his wife."

Clint sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked to Aaron, who in turned to look at Phil. They were over thirty years old and had been grossly independent since the day he met them. Yet put them in a hard place and they went running straight back to him. Sometimes his kids could be adorable little brats. He sighed.

"Will is right. He needs to talk to Ethan and get closure finally. I know this mission brought up a lot for you and you have earned the right to finally deal with it. But Clint is also right. You don't need to do this… alone."

Will's mouth dropped open even as Clint and Aaron's faces lit up. Phil watched as Aaron gleefully picked up the forgotten phone. He closed his eyes after he read the coordinates. Phil knew his son well enough to know that he was looking at a mental map of the world. He sometimes envied the genetic enhancements his kids got. Suddenly his eyes flew open as he grinned in Clint's direction much to Will's growing horror.

"Coordinates are for some spot in Seattle. It's by the harbor. So most likely a restaurant. But definitely in Seattle."

"Awesome! I always wanted to climb the Space Needle!"

"Dad! Aren't you to going to say something here?" Will cried.

Phil snorted. Sometimes it was like Will never learned a thing. The quickest way to ensure that Clint did something was to tell him not to do it. Phil learned his lesson with the whole Statue of Liberty disaster when Clint was seventeen. He never lived that one down. Jasper wouldn't let him. So Phil made it a habit to refrain from telling Clint that he wasn't allowed to do something. Will would figure it out one day. One day….

Meanwhile Phil shifted down in his seat and ignored his bickering sons in favor of securing a flight for the trio. Once that was done, he was going to work on Will's transfer papers. He had a feeling that IMF wasn't going to let go of their Chief Analyst without a fight and Phil would fight them every step of the way. He saw what this last mission did to his son. Not to mention the blatant neglect post mission. He was suffering from dehydration, two broken ribs and a bruised kidney by the time they got him to the infirmary. And IMF didn't even bother to check. There was no way in hell he was going to let Will go back to an agency that used him like that. As he started the necessary paperwork, he selected three other files. Something told him that while Will was definitely coming back to SHIELD, he was most likely not coming alone. Oh, he couldn't wait to see Clint's face when that happened.

Clint watched as his visibly nervous brother sat down at the table with Ethan and the other two members of their impromptu team. He did his homework on those two. They seemed decent enough. Dunn even seemed like he could be fun to hang out with. But Ethan…. Clint still didn't like him and he doubted he ever would. He could feel Will's anxiety as sharply as if it was his own. Everything in him wanted to be there for his brother but Phil was pretty clear about not interrupting unless Will looked like he needed them. Hence why Clint was sitting at a table a fair distance away while Aaron was standing at the rail overlooking the harbor. They were both in a position to hear and see everything. Clint was prepared to swoop in at the first sign of distress.

He watched as Ethan offered the trio a set of phones. He wanted to team up with them full time. Not surprising because his brother was awesome but Clint really wondered if IMF actually approved their precious analyst going back in the field. Probably not but Ethan had no problem defying them. If he didn't hate him so much, he might actually have respected that. But he did hate him, so yeah.

Benji was the first to accept the offer. He picked up his phone, threw a not so subtly concerned glance in Will's direction before walking away. Jane was the next. Clint watched her give Ethan a smile before her gaze also shifted to Will. There were a myriad of emotions that floated across her face but she was walking away before Clint even had time to process them. Clint knew that both Benji and Jane knew the truth about Croatia. They knew and they still accepted Will. Hell, Benji more than accepted him. He continued to reach out to their brother during their two month hiatus. He never asked where Will was or even tried to visit. He just checked on him to make sure he was okay. Clint liked Benji.

'Focus'.

Clint looked over at Aaron to see his oldest brother staring at him over his shoulder. He tuned back into the conversation happening between Will and Ethan. His twin was telling Ethan all the reasons he wouldn't be right for his team. And Ethan was telling him he knew who Will really was. Clint pushed away from the table, ready to head to his brother's side. But the words that came out of Ethan's mouth next caused him to stop dead in his tracks.

"IMF faked her death."

"What?" Will asked, flatly.

"She was really kidnapped and that's when I realized that being married to me was dangerous for her. So the Secretary helped me to fake her death. We told everyone she was dead but instead, just let her go so that she could be safe."

"So she's alive?" Will asked, his voice getting quieter. Ethan nodded, even though his eyes were watching a group of medical personnel that was getting off a newly arrived ferry. Clint tracked Ethan's gaze and found that his eyes were locked on a dark haired woman. With a growl, he recognized the features.

He hacked Will's file once. He saw a picture of the supposedly late Julia Hunt. The same woman who was happily following her coworkers into some sort of coffee shop across the harbor. She not only wasn't dead but Ethan knew where she was all this time. All this time that Will suffered and he knew that it was all for nothing.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Aaron yelled, stalking over to the table where Will was still silently sitting. Clint smirked. Showtime. He ambled over to the table to stand beside his brothers. Ethan's eyes were wide as he looked at the three practically identical brothers. Will remained quiet.

"Will? You with us?" Clint asked. Will gave a small imperceptible nod. Clint would accept that answer at the moment. He looked back at Ethan.

"Brandt… there are three of you? You have clones?!"

"No, we're genetically engineered triplets, moron," Clint retorted, dryly. "Clones aren't an actual thing. At least I think."

Aaron frowned thoughtfully. Clint shrugged. "We're reasonably sure they're not real." They really needed to look into that one day. It was really embarrassing that they didn't know this for sure. Because if they were real, he was so owed a clone.

"Right, I knew that," Ethan muttered.

"Just like you knew that your freaking wife wasn't even dead?" Aaron spat. Oh, big brother was pissed. Clint smirked. It was nice not being the hotheaded one for once. "Do you know everything that our brother has been through because of your stupid ass and your freaking not dead wife?! And it was all for nothing?"

"You made him give up field world. He took a desk job like he was normal. You damned him to a life where people used him for his brains," Clint said, calmly picking up where Aaron left out. "You made him scared of his own judgment. He second guesses everything! Your decision made it so that our brother doesn't even trust himself."

"Uh," Ethan trailed off, eyes flickering between the younger and older brothers. Will remained eerily silent throughout the whole exchange.

"What's going on here?"

All four men looked up to see Jane and Benji returning. Jane's eyes widened while Benji nodded as if he was reaching some sort of internal conclusion. Jane walked over to Will and put a hand on his arm. Will blinked up at her.

"Hey," she smiled softly.

"Hey," he answered. "Those are my brothers."

"Looks like I got to meet them after all," Jane smiled a little brighter. "Are you okay?"

"I… am not."

Jane frowned. "Are you taking the phone?"

Will glanced down at the forgotten phone and then shook his head. "No, I'm not. I can't." He looked up meeting his brothers' patiently waiting gaze. A slow smile curved his lips. Clint knew that he and Aaron were wearing matching smiles without even looking. "As a matter of fact I'm resigning from IMF effective immediately."

"What?" Jane, Ethan and Benji chorused together. "Where are you going to go?"

"Home," Will replied, still looking at Aaron and Clint. "I'm going to join SHIELD like I should've when we turned eighteen."

"Nah, I thoroughly enjoyed being the only Coulson son in SHIELD," Clint protested with a grin. "Besides, I don't think Jasper could've handled three of us in the beginning?"

"I'm not entirely sure he can handle three of us now," Aaron corrected. "He seems to struggle with the two of us."

"Gee, I wonder why," Will countered with a raised eyebrow. "You two make it a habit to mess with him as much as humanly possible. And Dad allows it. And then you get Wade in on the action and everything just escalates."

"Remember how Jasper used to have hair before he met us," Clint asked, laughing. Aaron nodded with a grin of his own. Will rolled his eyes but they both saw and felt his own laughter echoing through their connection.

"You have an in at SHIELD?" Jane asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Will nodded, pointing towards Clint and Aaron. "Yeah. I have those two and our dad. He's the guy that orchestrated my escape from IMF when we first got back."

"Oh, he was the father," Benji muttered to himself.

Jane looked thoughtful for a moment before she reached into her purse and pulled out the phone she only just received. She handed it back to Ethan with a grin. "Sorry, Ethan. But it looks like I'm not going to need this after all. It seems that a much better offer has just made itself available and I would be an idiot not to jump on that."

Will practically beamed. Jane wasn't much better. Clint rolled his eyes. Oh this was going to be adorably dysfunctional. Will's track record with relationships was just sad. He either friend zoned himself because he didn't think he was good enough or he was so completely oblivious that he was in a relationship that the woman always ended up living.

Aaron leaned into Clint's side. "Aw, look he made a friend. They're going to be sickening, aren't they?"

"Most likely," Clint agreed with a snort. "But not any worse than you and the woman you dragged with you when you took down Outcome."

"Bite your tongue, heathen. Marta is awesome and you know it."

"Oh, I know she is. I love Marta. But it's been like ten years and you're still drooling over here. It took you five years to work up the courage to ask her out in the first place."

"Shut up," Aaron muttered. "You act like it's so different with you and Natasha. When did you two start dating anyway? She went from the assassin that did kill you to your partner to your girlfriend and no one is really clear on when any of that happened. We just know that it did. We think. You two are kind of weird, you know?"

"Oh, I know. And I believe the word you're looking for is awesome," Clint smirked. "Besides I know where Tasha and I stand. Hell, I married her a couple of times."

"Those so don't count," Aaron protested. "Hawkeye and Black Widow have gotten married but Clint and Natasha haven't."

"I know," Clint sighed. "Grandma pretty much reminds me of that every single day."

"Me too. I told Marta not to leave her birth control lying around or else Grandma was going to switch it with breath mints. She really wants some great grand kids, dude," Aaron replied. That's when they realized it was quiet around them. They found the entire IMF team, Will included, staring at them.

"What?" they asked in unison.

"He's Hawkeye?" Benji asked, pointing at Clint before looking at Clint directly. "You're Hawkeye? As in the Avenger Hawkeye?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"You know Tony Stark!" Benji pulled his phone out of his pocket. He handed it over to the Ethan with an apologetic shrug. "Sorry, Ethan. But Tony Stark!"

"I'm confused," Will said looking between the two self-appointed SHIELD recruits. "When exactly did I say either of you could join SHIELD?"

"You really think we're letting you go now?" Jane asked, arching an eyebrow. "We worked well together. It would be a shame to let that go to waste."

"I mean really that's pretty much the only reason why we came back," Benji added.

"Uh, hello?"

Jane and Benji gave him a blank look. "What? Was anything we said not true? IMF takes from us all the time and we get nothing in return. SHIELD at least lets you have a life. It at least lets you keep remnants of your dead partner."

"It lets you keep your wife," Clint muttered, not at all helping.

Ethan sighed, glancing over his shoulder at his wife who by now was boarding the ferry once again with a cup of coffee in hand. He stared at her for several long moments while clearly struggling with some internal debate. Finally he reached some sort of conclusion because he took his own phone and threw down on the table with the others.

"Are there any other positions open at SHIELD?"

"No!"

"Clint!" Will hissed.

"He's got a point."

"Aaron!"

"What?" Aaron asked with a frown.

"I'm telling Dad!"

"You're such a brat!" Clint retorted, glaring at his twin. "Fine, let the dude that ruined your life on the team."

"See if we care," Aaron finished.

Ethan blinked looking between the three brothers in shock. "Oh my god, there are three of you. There are actually three Wills in this world."

"You have no idea," they all replied in unison.

"That's creepy."

"We know. That's why we do it."

The first thing Phil did after greeting his sons was to hand three folders to the newest additions to SHIELD. Will wanted to be surprised that he knew they were coming but he wasn't. This was Phil Coulson. Phil who was known as Nick Fury's good eye. So Will was definitely not surprised. Too bad he was the only one that wasn't.

"How did you know?" Clint asked, looking between his father and the agents that were reviewing their no doubt scarily accurate paperwork.

"I always know, Clint," Phil reminded him. Clint narrowed his eyes before transferring his attention back to his twin.

"Are you completely sure that he's not actually bugging us?"

Will snorted. "I know he put a tracker on you two. But I don't think he's bugging us."

"Wait. What?! You put a tracker on us?!"

Phil scoffed, taking a sip from his coffee like his two grown sons were not having a temper tantrum in front of their guests. "You act like this is something that so completely out of the ordinary. First, it was Aaron. Mostly because he's black ops and has a tendency to go off grid with Wade. Then three months, I came to the conclusion that Clint goes missing entirely too frequently and looking for you is a waste of resources."

Clint looked scandalized while Aaron looked bored. At least one of them could accept that he was a trouble magnet.

"Besides, it's not like you guys are the only one. I had Will outfitted with one last month as well."

Will's jaw dropped. "Dad!"

*Fin.

This was the end of this little 'what if' scenario that wouldn't leave me alone. Hope you enjoyed! I might come back and revisit this scenario but I think for now it's done. Also another disclaimer, no Johnny Storms were injured in the making of this story. Just teased by overprotective big brothers.