Chapter Twenty-One: Secrets and Debriefs

As the purloined SUV came to an abrupt halt Shay blinked, her attention had been focused on Clint more than their surroundings. The tight set of his mouth and the way his hands were clenching the steering wheel were clear indications that he was upset.

Though whether it was with her, himself or the now very deceased Rumlow she wasn't entirely certain; he'd taken out the rest of Rumlow's goons in the abandoned factory with ease, his face a lethal mask she'd never seen before.

Yet deep down she knew unequivocally that he'd never hurt her, she'd seen the unadulterated rage in his eyes whenever he'd looked at Rumlow and by extension his goon squad, yet the moment he looked at her those enigmatic eyes would soften and the rage melt away into something she couldn't quite identify that made her heart skip a beat.

Fumbling with the seatbelt with her wrapped hand Shay winced as pain flared bright and brief, before she could get the belt undone her hand was eased away from the buckle by one of Clint's larger ones as he suddenly leant in her door, his mouth brushing over her temple as he said quietly "I got it, darlin'."

Before she could even form a response Shay found herself suddenly lifted from the SUV and cradled in Clint's arms against his chest, settling her head at the point where his neck and shoulder met she mumbled a little dumbfounded "I can walk."

Shay felt Clint's low rumble of a chuckle reverberate in his chest before she heard it, to hide her confusion and frustration over what he found funny she turned her face into his neck and grumbled inaudibly.

"You could walk, but I want to carry you. Humour me, ok?" She could hear the concern in his voice and suspected his mind was playing a game of what if and that this was his way of reassuring himself that she was still here.

As they entered the elevator Shay was vaguely aware of Clint speaking with JARVIS, though she wasn't really focused on the conversation, at the moment she was trying to just not think, not think about the pain that occasionally streaked through her like a flash fire, not think about the fact that her past had caught up to her and almost taken her future from her.

In her books not thinking was very good right now; she was pretty much in a state of fire bad, tree pretty when it came to higher brain function at this particular point in time. She became aware of Bruce's voice joining them at some point and lifted her face from Clint's neck in time to see them walk into a stark white room that screamed medical treatment room.

He was hovering, he knew it and Bruce knew it, so when Bruce guided him away from the bed with a pointed look Clint crossed the room and hoisted himself up on the counter so he had a clear line of sight between Shay and the door.

Clint had known it wouldn't take long for JARVIS to inform the rest of the team something was up after he'd requested the AI to contact Bruce, so he wasn't at all surprised when Natasha stalked through the door first, followed closely by Pepper and Tony. He was however surprised by the fact Steve, Sam and Maria followed Tony in.

Before he could even say a word Maria's icy blue eyes studied him briefly before diverting to Bruce and by extension Shay before she sneered "What the hell happened to you Barton? And what the hell is your latest dalliance still doing hanging around?"

He didn't miss the flinch Shay made as Maria's comment carried through the room, sliding off the counter his cold steel gaze locked onto Maria as he snarled "Watch what you say about my soulmate Hill, you may work for Stark now but that won't protect you from me, especially if you keep belittling the woman who saved my life."

Clint was aware of Natasha's hand settling on his bicep even as he watched Maria's gaze dart between him and Shay studiously, bringing one hand over Natasha's he squeezed it once before speaking again "As for your other question Brock fucking Rumlow happened."

He didn't miss the look Steve and Sam exchanged nor the puzzled look that crossed Maria's face, blowing out a frustrated breath he laid out what he knew happened.

"So let me get this straight, your latest conquest went out by herself, got caught and lured you into a trap all so Rumlow could get to Rogers? Are we sure she wasn't a plant? For all we know Rumlow saw your words in the Academy and she could have easily had your first words put on her later."

Clint was partially grateful that Maria had kept her voice low enough that Bruce and Shay couldn't hear, he was slowly losing his patience with Maria and his temper was making its way to the surface.

Uncrossing his arms he stalked away from Natasha and closed the minute distance to Maria reaching out to fist one hand in her shirt as he leant in and growled "She wouldn't fucking work with that scumbag, not after what he did to her."

"Look at her, Hill, she lost what family she had when she was fucking fifteen and that sick fucking bastard took what was left of her innocence when she met him a year later." As he finished speaking he saw a brief flash of something within Maria's eyes that he couldn't quite identify and he could see she was about to argue the logic of her case to him.

"But…"

"But nothing Hill, if you can't be civil towards her you can just get the fuck out of here before I decide to use you for target practice." He let go of Maria's shirt as he turned to stalk back to the counter, bracing his hands against the sterile white bench top he let his head hang down as he listened to the light thud of Maria's retreating boots.

A heavy hand on his shoulder was the only warning he got that Steve had even moved, for a man of his size the fucker was just as stealthy as he and Natasha were, he anticipated the question even before it slipped from Steve's mouth "Where's Rumlow now?"

"Dead on the floor of an abandoned factory down near the river, at least this time I hope he's fucking dead. Sick bastard had hollow points in his gun that were probably meant for me. Shay shot him twice in the side with his own gun to get him away from me, after she cut me free I put a further three shots into him, one in his hand, one in his thigh and the last right between the traitor's eyes."

He heard Steve's disappointed sigh, lifting his head he straightened and turned to face the taller man, though his gaze darted briefly to Shay when she yelped as Bruce was examining her thumb. Lifting one hand to scrub at his face he sighed before returning his attention to Steve "Look at her, man, you telling me you wouldn't have done the same to the bastard if he'd not only hurt your soulmate but had in the past ruined her life? I'm sure as hell not sorry that I did it, the only things I do regret are that he hurt her attempting to get to you and that she had to dirty her own hands to free me."

"No, you are in no condition to stitch yourself up, Shaylyn."

Bruce's exasperated voice made Clint blink as his gaze drifted back to where Shay was inching along the bed towards the wall with her arms crossed over her chest away from Bruce who held a pair of surgical scissors. When his eyes locked with hers he could see the wariness there as her gaze darted briefly to Bruce and then to the group in the room before back to him.

Turning his gaze briefly to Natasha just as she looked from Shay towards him he arched one brow in silent question, when she inclined her head his lips curved into a small thankful smile, she'd stitched him up on more than one occasion during their partnership.

"It's ok Bruce, Nat and I can handle that. I just wanted you to check her over and make sure there was nothing more serious that I was missing."

"Aside from the other cuts that weren't as bad as they looked which I've cleaned and dressed, her thumb was set perfectly though will likely be sore for a few days which I imagine she already knew. The rest seems superficial bruising and a sore throat mostly, its that shoulder that concerns me most so I'm going to organise some painkillers and antibiotics just in case."

Clint just nodded to Bruce as he crossed to the bed Shay was on, hauling himself up to sit on it he turned his head to watch as she shuffled back along towards him, a wry grin curved his mouth as Natasha's deadly calm voice drifted through the room "Everyone out now, before I decide to start physically forcing you out."

When he felt Shay's head rest against his shoulder Clint curled one arm carefully around her waist and lifted her onto his lap, resting the side of his head against hers he whispered "Don't worry, Nat knows what she's doing. She's stitched me up more times than I care to remember and stitched herself up more times that I dare to count."

"Somehow, that's not as comforting as I think you meant it to be." Shay muttered quietly as she watched Natasha sort out the equipment she needed, she was vaguely aware of Clint's hands moving and it wasn't until the cold steel of the surgical scissors brushed her skin that she realised he was cutting her ruined tank top off.

"You'll soon learn, when you stick around long enough Shay, that Clint often has difficulty with his words, sometimes he can't get them out past that huge foot he often has stuck in his mouth." Even though Natasha's tone of voice hadn't changed and nor had her expression, Shay knew she was ribbing Clint.

"Well you know what they say Nat, huge feet huge co..." Her retort was cut short as Clint suddenly turned her head to fasten his mouth over hers in a heated kiss, when he pulled back eventually she blinked dazedly at him.

"Darlin', she doesn't need to know about the size of my equipment, in fact if I find out the two of you ever discuss such things I'm going to put you over my knee and tie Nat to Cap's bed in her birthday suit."

"Promises, promises Barton." Shay and Natasha said simultaneously, that in itself had Shay turning to look at her just as she began to stitch closed the knife wound, she hadn't even been aware that Natasha had removed the makeshift bandage or injected the local anaesthetic.

"What the hell have I done introducing you two to each other," Clint groaned before dropping his head onto Shay's shoulder, the last thing he'd expected right then was for the two of them to say the exact same thing at the exact same time.

Least of all the fact that Natasha had virtually just admitted to him that she did have fantasies about Steve, that was just a little too much for him to even try to wrap his head around right now.

Clint was silently watching Natasha prep the morphine shot in his peripheral vision while watching as Shay examined her stitches, the moment she flinched in his arms and looked suddenly to Natasha he knew his best friend had just dosed her with the morphine.

He was more than a little surprised at how quickly Shay passed out in his arms, either Natasha had given her a strong dose of the morphine or Shay just really didn't handle it well.

Turning her on his lap Clint slipped one arm around her back and the other under her knees, cradling her to his chest he eased himself off the bed to head from the room with Natasha following.

"Was that absolutely necessary Nat?"

"She needed the shot for pain relief Clint, plus she also looked exhausted."

Shaking his head with a low chuckle as they all stepped into the elevator he was grateful as JARVIS started it moving without a word, looking to Natasha he said sincerely "Thank you, for helping stitch her up. As much as she trusts Bruce, I think everyone being there was stressing her out, throw in what Rumlow put her through and she's had a hell of a day."

Striding easily through his floor into his room Clint was grateful when Natasha moved around him to throw the bedding back, setting Shay down he unfastened her jeans and easily worked them off. After tucking her into the bed and brushing a kiss over her forehead he inclined his head towards the other room and followed Natasha out.

Propping himself beside Natasha at the back of his couch, Clint looked to her arching one brow curiously before he said teasingly "So did you want me to tie you to Cap's bed? I'm pretty sure he's currently in a debrief with Hill and won't currently be in his rooms."

He was utterly shocked to see the faintest hint of colour rise in Natasha's pale cheeks before she said crisply; "I'm quite capable of tying myself up, thanks all the same."