They stayed at the farm for a week. A typical person would need more time to recover from multiple bullet wounds, but Natasha Romanoff was not typical. She would probably need some more medical care back at headquarters,but she was no longer wounded enough that they would force her to spend any large amount of time in the med wing. So she was fine with heading back now. And Clint had promised that if they did try and corral her in a hospital bed for any amount of time, he would break her out and they would head back to the farm.

They'd been on the road for a few hours, Clint pulled into a gas station and asked his partner if she wanted a drink or anything. Natasha shrugged, and moved the vents of the air conditioning so they were blowing directly into her face. "I don't care. I guess a drink or whatever would be nice."

Clint grinned, "Got it!" And strolled into the building after refilling the car with gas. He knew she was not happy about going back to Shield- she got like this sometimes. Fell into dark moods that were difficult to crawl out of, even with his help. These moods where she was tired of what she was doing, didn't want to deal with the action and the fighting and the death anymore. She had never told Clint this of course, but he understood. Too often he felt the same way. And he just wanted to make her feel better.

Natasha sat still in the car, eyes closed, wishing that she could fall asleep and escape for a while. She didn't want to go back yet. She just wished she could slide into the drivers seat of the car, and drive until she got to somewhere where nobody knew her. But that was stupid. The only skills she had were those good for death. And if she took one step out from under the protection Shield offered her, a dozen different organizations would begin a hunt that would not end until they had her head. So she was stuck. Going back to Shield where no one trusted her, and no one but Barton spoke to her like she was an actual person. Going back to her job of killing and hunting and hiding in the night.

Thoughts like this, memories of a hundred missions swirled through her mind, pulling her deeper into the dark. Things had been so- peaceful at the farm. She had never thought of herself as a country girl, who could enjoy staying on a farm of all things. But she had been weirdly happy there, and now had to return to her job. Her excuse of a life.

The door opened, and Clint entered, smiling broadly carrying a large bag and giant soda cup. He put the cup in her cup holder, "Cherry Coke, right? Almost no ice, AND bonus points, got you a blue straw. Perfect drink, right?" Natasha almost smiled at this, as she picked up the cup and took a long drink from it. "Thanks Barton. What's in the bag?"

He held it up, and then dropped it in her lap. "See for yourself!" As they drove out of the parking lot, she opened the bag and looked through it. "God Barton, did you buy every kind of junk food they had?" Clint smirked, "Hey, I was very self restrained. I didn't get curly fries, OR the funnel cake. Well I didn't get that because it looked ancient, but you should be glad that bag isn't full of curly fries or hot dogs!"

Natasha had to smile now. Ok, yeah, thanks for that. Because honestly then the car would have reeked, and I am not sure I could have handled that. But really? You had to get three kinds of candy bars, gummy worms, and fun dip? Fun dip? What the heck is that anyway?"

Clint looked at her, mouth open in shock. "Are you kidding me Romanof? You have never had fun dip before? Where have YOU been?" Natasha smirked, "Trust me you wouldn't want to know the answer to that Barton. What is it anyway? It sounds like a drug." Clint snorted, "Well some people would call it that. Open it, try some, if you don't love it I'll let you drive till we get ti New York."

Raising an eyebrow, Natasha ripped open the package and peered inside at the powder, and little candy stick. "Ok, now what?" She asked, dubiously staring at the candy. "Just lick the lollipop, then dip it in the powder, and lick it again. It's amazing." Natasha did so, and rolled her eyes. "Fine. It's not half bad. I don't love it, but it's not bad. Can I drive now?" Clint snorted. "You know there was no way I was going to let you drive right now Nat. Just tell me you love the candy so I don't have to be guilty." Natasha grimaced and tossed an unopened pack of fun dip at her partner. "Filthy liar, it's amazing anyone ever trusts you. And I told you, do not call me Nat."

Clint was making his pouting puppy dog face. "Hey, people trust me…. I honestly thought you would love the candy, and wouldn't turn me into liar….. If I tell you there should be a hershey bar somewhere in there, all you trust me again?" Natasha started looking through the junk food. "Well, only if it's actually in there Barton."

The next few minutes were quiet, until Natasha spoke. "I just have to ask. You don't grow any actual crops, and the only thing you have is a cat named Galina." Clint raised his eyebrows at this, and was about to comment but his partner interrupted. "Yes. Galina. It's a Russian name- shut up Barton. Anyway, how can you call it a farm? Isn't it more of a farm house?"

Clint was quiet for a little, thinking about his reached over and grabbed the gummy worms from the bag in Natasha's lap. "When I was a kid it was a farm. I grew up there, we had a load of animals. Grew crops, had a garden, all that stuff. When I was eight my parents died, the farm was left to me and my brother. But he isn't that into it, didn't want to take over when he was old enough to inherit it. By the time I turned 18….. I already had other jobs to occupy my time."

Natasha was silent, not quite sure what to say. She didn't know much about her partners past- just what she had been able to steal from his file. But that had not gone much into his childhood, this was new information. He continued talking.

"I'd like to get it running again, not even for money. Just so I could have it the way it used to be. I just don't have the time. Heck that was the first time I even visited the place in half a year. It's probably always going to be an abandoned piece of junk now."

Natasha dug in the bag, and handed Clint some more candy. "Well, you never know….. Maybe one day you can fix it up, and fill it with animals and corn or whatever. I don't know what you farmers like. You can buy a tractor, and just….. Have the farm you remember from your childhood"

Clint smiled sadly at his partner. "Actually, yeah. I would love that. I just don't have the time to do that. Coulson might give me some time off if he knew, but I never told him. I just don't have time to fix up and run a farm… But I hope someday I can bring it back to what it was. Restore it to it's former glory."

Clint's voice was sarcastic now, but maybe Natasha didn't notice. She picked up her soda and said, "Well just make sure you invite me over as soon as that happens."

PLEASE REVIEW