Summary: Pietro and Wanda grew up only having one another. And now they have a team, a home and most importantly a family. Yeah, they definitely didn't see that one coming. A series of stories set post Age of Ultron as the twins settle into a world of heroes, monsters, gods and Tony Stark.

Pairings: Clint/Laura, hints of Wanda/Vision, Natasha/Bruce

Warnings: Um, spoilers for Age of Ultron…. Except why are you reading fanfiction and not out watching the movie! Hmmm?

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Author's Note: Hello! Sorry for the long wait between chapters. But here is the update. Hope you enjoy!

Thicker than Water, Better than Blood

Clint pinched the bridge of his nose, wincing at the sharp ache stinging just behind his right eye. He only gave into the expression of pain for a brief moment before he was forcing a smile on his face and addressing his daughter. Lila babbled something about a painting she and Pietro worked on the day before bouncing away to regale her Aunt Darcy with the same tale. Natasha and Laura were chatting as they worked on the pile of breakfast dishes. Never before had Clint been so happy for the household rule that stated that the cook didn't have to do dishes. He was already exhausted and it was only nine in the morning.

He always wanted a big family. His own childhood was lacking and he wanted to make sure that his children never had to experience anything like that. He was reasonably sure that he succeeded on that front. The twins had taken to Lila and Cooper like ducks with water. Lila and Pietro shared a passion for arts and crafts, not to mention actual talent. Clint was seriously contemplating starting a whole room just to display the pieces the pair came up with. Honestly, if Pietro ever decided to retire from the whole Avenging gig, Clint was signing him up for art school. He was pretty good. Wanda, on the other hand, had little to no artistic talent whatsoever. She made up for that with her love for books. That was something that she shared with Cooper. It was hard for Clint to imagine a time when he wouldn't come across Wanda and Cooper curled up together in an armchair reading together or Pietro and Lila covered in paint and grinning like maniacs over a piece of paper or whatever canvas they used these days.

So the point is that the twins settled into family life so smoothly he often forgot they weren't actually there from the beginning. He later confirmed that his wife was indeed hyphenating the twins' names. Although sometimes she just slipped and referred to them as Wanda and Pietro Barton. Clint didn't mind that nearly as much as he thought he should. He loved having them here because while it added to the mouths they needed to feed, there was still a certain order to the chaos that started from having four children with a fifth on the way. Still, with Laura pretty much cranky and exhausted all the time, the burden of caring for said children and very pregnant wife fell squarely on Clint's normally capable shoulders. Add in that a depressed redheaded assassin and her equally exasperating partner in annoying Clint crime and the normally level headed and responsible archer was rapidly reaching a breaking point. Then his computer starting ringing.

He pulled up one of the barstools and accepted the incoming Skype call. It wasn't from the Tower which was odd. Instead it was from Tony's private number. That was definitely not the norm. That meant that Tony was actually awake and outside the Tower at a decent hour. But he still sat up straight as the call connected. Tony's way too bright smile stared back at him. It was barely nine o'clock and his friend was already dressed. Clint glanced down at his pajamas and shrugged. He was on paternity leave. He didn't have to get dressed if he didn't want to.

"You're looking sunshiny and happy," Tony quipped. Clint gave into the urge to flip the older man off. Tony snickered. "Whatever, Barton, I'm being for real here. You look like crap, bud. What's wrong?"

Clint gave him a tired smile, propping his head on his hand. "Careful, Stark. That warm, fuzzy caring side you swear doesn't exist is starting to show again."

Tony scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Tweety, you're looking a little stressed."

"Well I do have two kids, a very pregnant wife, genetically enhanced twins with superpowers and a dog to take care of. Not to mention Nat and Darcy."

"I thought they were going to help."

Clint arched an eyebrow. He turned the screen around to face where the majority of the family was still sitting. There was a brief pause before Darcy launched a forkful of cold eggs at Pietro's head. The speedster yelped before speeding Lila and their artwork out of the way. He was back and throwing a pancake at Darcy before she could even register his absence. Clint shook his head as Natasha and Cooper got pulled into the mess. Wanda threw up a telekinetic shield around herself and Laura, never tearing her eyes away from her book. Clint admired the madness for a brief moment before he flipped the computer around again to see Tony's awestruck yet bemused expression.

"You were saying?"

"Never mind, I kind of forgot who I was talking about for a moment there," Tony replied, fond amusement coloring his voice. He sobered quickly, drumming his fingers on his knee. "At the risk of further damaging my narcissistic and emotion free reputation, I have to admit that I'm a little worried about you, Clint. If you're this stressed out now, how are you going to be when the baby gets here?"

Clint felt another weight added to his shoulders. He raked his hand through his hair with a heavy sigh. "Thanks for the reminder. I have no idea what I'm going to do either."

"I'm not the only worried about you, Clint. I'm just the one they elected to talk to you about it." Clint snorted.

"That's pretty damn sad."

"You're telling me," Tony grinned. "Really though, what do you need? Tell your favorite Avenger and maybe your wish will come true."

"Again with this? When did we come to the conclusion that you were my favorite?"

"I'm totally your favorite. Spider Chick and the Wonder Twins don't count. That means I'm your favorite." Clint rolled his eyes to Tony's amusement. "Now answer the question. What do you need?"

Clint winced as the increasing volume from the escalated food fight threatened to overload his hearing aids. He turned the volume down with a press of a button. Tony leaned back on the screen, so that his mouth was clearer. Clint smiled faintly.

"I just need a day," he admitted. "A day where no one needs me."

Tony was quiet for a moment. He glanced at something slightly off the screen before grinning brightly. "Awesome. Well, my young Hawk, ask and you shall receive."

"Huh?" It was far too early in the morning for Tony's particular brand of crazy.

"Look outside," was all Tony would say before the screen went dark and the call ended.

With a heavy sigh, Clint pushed away from the computer and walked over to the window overlooking the front lawn. His jaw dropped slightly as he recognized the car that was pulling to a stop on the paved driveway. Happy waved from the driver's window even as the back door opened revealing Tony Stark in all his glory. He spread his arms to the side and grinned.

Clint opened the door, joining his friend on the lawn. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Giving you a break," Tony replied, slinging an arm around the archer's shoulders and steering him towards the house.

Clint realized just how carefully planned out this whole scheme really was. The food fight was clearly staged to cover up the noise from the car arriving. As Clint and Tony joined the rest of the family, he found that they were already cleaning up. Thanks to Pietro's speed, the room was mostly clean by the time the two men walked over the threshold.

"What do you mean, you're giving me a break?"

"I mean that Darcy over here is taking the kids into town. They're hitting up the zoo, a museum and a few parks. Laura and Natasha as having a spa day. And you are not to do anything more strenuous than go to the bathroom," Tony rattled off as each grouping of his family split off to get ready for their various activities. "You're officially off duty today. You're leaving everything to me and your very capable twins."

"Uh," Clint hesitated for a moment. His gaze flickering to said twins who were busy washing dishes and ignoring the two older Avengers behind them. Tony caught his gaze and shook his head.

"Don't get your underoos in a twist. They're not going anywhere. They'll be here. I don't think they're ready to be away from you anymore than you want to be away from them." Tony shifted closer to him. "But seriously, bro. Maybe that's not the healthiest thing either. Wanda was already supposed to be back for training but she keeps putting it off. The only reason you don't have the paragon for American values on your back is that he's too busy chasing down every lead he can find on Barnes."

"I know," Clint sighed. "Eventually, I'm going to have to learn to shorten the leash a little. Learn to let them go."

"Yeah, eventually. But not today."

Clint smiled softly. "No, not today."

"Get some rest, buddy. I'll hold down the fort."

Clint nodded in gratitude. He flashed a thumbs up to Wanda and Pietro for the role they played in getting him to take a day off. They beamed in response. Clint grinned. Someday… but definitely not today.

When he opened his eyes, it was easy to tell that a significant amount of time passed. It was definitely darker outside. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. It was almost eight o'clock. He slept damn near eleven hours. He must have been more tired than he thought. As he stretched, he realized that he very easily could've slept for another few hours. So why was he awake? Oh yeah, his phone. He patted the sheets until he fought that his phone that was still buzzing. There were three texts from Natasha. He opened them and felt a burst of excitement as well as some anxiety. Still he knew panicking wouldn't do him any good. Instead, he slipped his pants on along with his less crappy looking sneakers before heading downstairs to find chaos. Because of course Tony decided to try cooking with the twins. Of course he did.

Clint leaned in the doorway watching as Tony and Pietro argued about the perfect speed to whisk some sort of batter. Beside them, Wanda was using her powers to crack eggs. She was making slightly less of a mess than her brother and Tony. That wasn't saying much because the kitchen looked like the entire contents of the pantry and refrigerator exploded all over the room. Despite that this was going to be a nightmare to clean up, Clint couldn't help but smile. Because as they say, it's the thought that counts. Besides he couldn't wait to hear the explanation behind this one. He cleared his throat softly, watching as the trio tensed and turned around in unison. The eggs Wanda was cracking fell to the floor, temporarily forgotten as they faced Clint with wide eyed expressions of surprise and false innocence.

"Uh," Tony started before looking to the twins. They stared back at him. Tony bit his lip. "Dinner? We just, uh, dinner."

Clint grinned. "Uh huh. And what exactly are you supposed to be making? Besides a huge mess?" once again they exchanged confused looks. Once again they had no answer. Clint laughed, shaking his head. "Well, I appreciate the thought but it's not necessary. We can just grab some dinner on the road."

"We're leaving?" Wanda frowned as she and Pietro idly picked egg shells out of their hair. "Where are we going?"

"It seems that baby Nate takes after both his namesakes and has either the best or worst timing possible. Maybe it's a combination of some sort. So definitely Pietro."

"Huh?"

"Oh, sorry," Clint shrugged. "We have to get to the hospital. Laura is in labor."

They were frozen again. Clint replayed this last sentence through his head but couldn't see what got them stuck this time. "What?" he asked warily.

"You're really calm to say that your wife is having a baby!" Tony retorted without any real heat behind it. Clint snorted.

"Not our first time at this particular rodeo, you know. Panicking doesn't help. It just gets me kicked out of the delivery room. As it stands, Laura and Nat don't believe me and Nat is going to be the labor coach in case they throw me out again. Jerks." He shook his head. "Anyway, here's the plan. Speedy, you clean up this mess you all made. Again. Tony, call Darce and let her know to come to the hospital. Scarlet, I need you to grab Laura's hospital bag as well as the other bag with a few things to keep you all occupied at the hospital."

He paused noticing that they were all still standing there staring. He sighed, clearing his throat. "Uh, guys? Baby?"

"Right! Baby!"

From there it was a whirlwind of activity. Literally in the case of Pietro. Clint remembered when they first met Pietro just a few months ago. When the speedster was in motion, it was damn near impossible to see him but Clint had better eyesight than most. He could make out the faint outline of the kid when he ran. These days, however, even with his better than average eyesight all he could see was a blur of silver. He was faster than ever before. His task was done before Wanda even made it all the way upstairs.

Pietro came to a stop beside Clint with that same cocky grin in place. Clint found himself smiling in return. Gone were the days when Pietro was pale and gaunt. Life on the farm had given him a natural tan and more muscle than before. According to Darcy, Wanda wasn't the only twin that turned heads when they ventured into town. People seemed especially drawn in by his unusual hair. Clint eyed the always unruly mess of curls that was Pietro's hair. He noticed that the brown color he shared with his twin was fading slowly leaving behind a color that was mostly silver. The silver seemed to grow with his speed. He made a mental note to run that theory the next time he spoke with Helen. She might be able to share some insight.

"What?" Pietro asked, noticing his lingering gaze.

Clint ruffled the kid's hair, earning a weak glare. "Just thinking about your code name. Wanda seems attached to Scarlet. I think she's adding witch in there because she thinks it makes her sound cool. I admit, it does sound pretty badass. So I was thinking that maybe you should go with the color theme too. You know since you're kind of a matched set."

"Really?" Pietro drawled, trying to sound uninterested and failing miserably. "What color were you thinking?"

"Silver," Clint replied, grinning at Pietro's disgruntled look. The expression morphed though as he clearly gave it a little more thought.

"Quicksilver," he said after a long moment. "Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. I think that could work." He smiled faintly at the end. Clint nodded before taking a deep breath.

"You know that you two are free to start training whenever you want you. You know you don't have to wait for me to go back, right?"

"We know," Petro shrugged. Then he tensed. "Do you want us to leave?"

"God no," Clint blurted, trying to erase that thought from Pietro's mind before it even fully took hold. "We love having you here."

"And we love being here. Are you quitting the Avengers?"

"Of course not."

"Great. Then we will return when you do. The matter is settled now, yes?"

Clint chuckled, slinging an arm around Pietro. "The matter is settled now. Yes."

It was probably better this way. Wanda and Pietro proved they were better together than apart so Wanda leaving early wouldn't have worked too well in the long run. Now that Pietro was at least well on his way to being fully recovered, they both could've left but he got it now. They were happier here. This was the first time in almost eight years that they had a stable home where they didn't have to worry about shelter or food. This was the first time in eight years that they had a family. Clint was pretty confident that none of the Avengers (especially Steve) would be cruel enough to take that from them before they were ready.

He snapped out of his thoughts as Wanda came rushing down the stairs with the requested bags as well as another with Pietro and Lila's art supplies. She shoved the bags in her twin's arms and looked to Clint with an expectant gaze. Clint snorted, pressing a kiss against her forehead in gratitude for thinking ahead. If there was anyone he was worried about in the hospital, it was those two. Pietro and Lila were the creative types. That meant that they both required more to keep them occupied and in one place. Clint realized the original bag he packed was definitely woefully unprepared for that task.

Clint didn't know how he lucked out and got this amazing family after everything he went through and did in his youth, but he wasn't mad at it. Though he may have lost Phil, he had his wife and kids not to mention the family he found with the Avengers. He wasn't sure he was going to like any of the team much less adore them but he did. Even Tony. He glanced up at the man as he returned to the room announcing that Darcy and the kids were on their way and would stop and pick up dinner along the way. He watched as the genius took one of the bags from Pietro and led the way to the car outside. So maybe Tony had a point. Maybe Tony was his favorite. But like hell Clint was going to tell him that. His ego was big enough as it was.

There were many areas of life that Tony knew he excelled in. He was a genius at pretty much anything he set his mind to. He could charm the pants off anyone… not that he used that particular skill set these days. But he could if he wanted to. He liked to think he was pretty good at being a superhero… that little snafu with Ultron aside. He also liked to think that he was pretty good at making business decisions. Best decision he ever made was to put Pepper in charge of the company. Tony knew he was good at a lot of things. But there were still things he struggled with. Like cultivating and maintaining positive social relationships. He was hard-pressed to understand why Pepper, Rhodey and Happy continued to choose to associate with him but they did. The rest of the Avengers seemed to like him too, even Steve. And weirdly enough he liked them back. That of course is what led him to his current situation.

Tony never once in a million years thought he would be hanging out in a hospital waiting area in the Middle of Nowhere, America with a couple of kids, his teenage teammates and a hyperactive intern that was currently flirting with a fresh out of medical school resident. Tony smirked as Pietro narrowed his eyes at their interaction before smiling with the same mischievous grin Tony had seen on Clint's face whenever he was setting up a prank or causing some sort of chaos. Pietro leaned towards Lila, whispering something in her ear that pulled the same exact smile from the little girl. Tony crossed his arms over his chest to watch. This was bound to be more entertaining than CNN's ongoing coverage of the 'Superhero Menace'. That was definitely going to be an issue… in the future. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy the rare peace he could only find with these people.

Lila sprang out of her seat a moment later, drawing Tony's attention back to the scene about to unfold. She took a few quick steps until she was across the room where Darcy was obliviously giggling at something the resident said. She snuck up behind the woman and abruptly threw her arms around her waist. Darcy hesitated for a minute before placing a hand on her shoulders, giving her a small hug in return. Lila grinned up at her with bright, innocent eyes.

"Mommy? Is he going to be my new Daddy now that my old Daddy got himself locked up again?"

Tony couldn't repress the snort that erupted at Darcy's red face spluttering. Her new resident friend backed away with his hands up and arms out wide. He was shaking his head slowly before bolting away fast enough to give even Pietro pause. That pause was short lived, however, as there was suddenly 110 pounds of pissed off intern in his face. The kid responded in true Avenger form: he stupidly laughed in the face of danger before realizing he was in too deep and turning to a more responsible member of the team. Unfortunately, Wanda wanted no part of their shenanigans and was pointedly ignoring her brother's increasingly more pathetic calls for her assistance. Tony was content to watch it all unfold and promised he would interfere only if it looked like Darcy was going to pull out the Taser.

"Lila? Cooper?"

The amusing spectacle that was Pietro and Darcy was put on hold at the sound of a new players entering the waiting room. Tony watched as Pietro lost all hint of playfulness and shift closer to the young Barton children. Wanda placed her book to the side as she studied the two women who joined them. Suspicion was evident in her eye. Tony didn't know what she was picking up from the women that was causing her to make that face. That was not a good face. Tony chose that moment to glance at the women himself. They were around the same height, medium builds with long brown hair. The clearly older woman had gray streaks throughout her hair and the matching scowls between them indicated that they might be related. There was something about them that seemed familiar but Tony couldn't place his finger on it.

"Oh hi, Grandma… Aunt Brenda," Cooper said with a heavy sigh.

Despite not knowing about his wife and children, Tony knew a lot about Clint's family situation. He knew the archer was an orphan and pretty much an only child for all that he wanted anything to do with his older brother and vice versa. So these two had to be Clint's in-laws… Laura's mother and sister. He wondered if they were anything like Laura who taken in her husband's team without blinking an eye. He wasn't left wondering very long.

"Who are you people and why are you near my grandchildren?"

Tony decided to intervene at this point. Pietro was sporting that kicked puppy look he swore he didn't have but used pretty liberally. Wanda was clearly struggling with how to feel about their abrupt and frankly hostile attitude. Darcy, on the other hand, very clearly knew how to feel. Tony skidded across the floor to stand between Darcy and Laura's family before she was tempted to use the Taser on them… more than she clearly already was.

"Hello," Tony greeted as he subtly bumped Darcy back towards where the twins, Lila and Cooper were standing. "I'm…"

"Tony Stark," Brenda finished. "You're Iron Man. I don't think there is a person alive who doesn't know you are, Mr. Stark. Now I'll ask the question again since you didn't seem to want to answer my mother. Who are you? And why are you near my niece and nephew?"

Tony bit on his lip for a moment to smother the retort that rose easily to his lips. Cooper seemed to have a better understanding of the situation as he stepped forward.

"Grandma, Aunt Brenda, you know Uncle Tony but this is Aunt Darcy. And this is Wanda and Pietro. They're twins. They live with us now."

Grandma did not look happy at that but wisely held her tongue. Brenda didn't seem to have the same wisdom. Huh, guess wisdom does come with age after all. Tony made a mental note to apologize to all the wannabe philsophers that tried to tell him that.

"Excuse me, they're living with you?! And what does your mother think about this?"

"Mom is fine with it," Cooper answered easily. "She likes having them around. So do Lila and I. besides they didn't have a home and now they do."

"I told you this was going to happen," Brenda hissed in her mother's direction. "Clint just waltzed in, took Laura away to that farm and he's leaving her alone with all sorts of stray freaks he picks up along the way."

Though she was saying freaks plural, Tony knew he wasn't the only one who caught her frequent glances at Pietro's nearly silver hair. The speedster frowned, running a hand through the curls self-consciously. Darcy's eye twitched while Wanda remained surprisingly serene. The answer for that came bursting through the door a moment later. The little witch used her mind mojo to summon Clint. Tony nodded. That was pretty handy. He watched as the archer sought out the four kids, checking each to make sure they were physically okay before moving on to Darcy and then amusingly enough, Tony. He was just about to open his mouth to no doubt ask why he wasn't with Laura when he caught sight of his in-laws.

"No!" he declared, shaking his head. "Carol, Brenda, we're not doing this today. Not today and definitely not right now. Your daughter, sister, their mother, my wife is giving birth. So no, we're not going down the bitch path with you two today."

"I think we are because now I wonder if my grandchildren are safe," Carol snapped. "I heard the Avengers were picking up new people. People with powers. Doesn't it figure that you would bring them home and let them play house with you! Clint, isn't it bad enough that you want to run around and play superhero leaving your wife and children alone all the time? But now you're brining home people with powers? I've seen the news… they're dangerous!"

"One, never ever call them freaks again. Two, their names are Wanda and Pietro," Clint interrupted, his voice dangerously calm. "Three, I'm not playing superhero. I am one. And these kids are not my work. They're my family. That's all we're going to discuss about this right now. I need to get back in there."

Clint then turned to look at the four kids now huddled together. He smiled softly at them before scooping Lila into his arms. She giggled, placing her hands on his shoulders. He pressed a kiss against both her cheeks before kissing her forehead. He hugged her and then placed her gently on the floor. He moved on to Cooper next giving him the same treatment before moving on to Wanda and Pietro. Wordlessly, he pulled both of them close and squeezed tightly.

"I'll be right down the hall. If you need anything, you come get me. Okay?" they nodded. "I mean anything. Wanda knows how to get my attention." Wanda ducked her head, but couldn't hide that smile on her face. Tony grinned. Clint then shifted his gaze to meet Tony's. He didn't need to be a mind reader to know that the archer wanted him to distract the twins. As if he needed to ask. Clint gave a smirk before whispering something that had both twins grinning. And then as abruptly as he arrived, Clint was gone.

Tony stepped up and took his place, slinging a casual arm around them both. "You know what the best part about a long wait in a hospital is?" they shook their heads in unison. "The gift shop! So let's see what Middle American hospital gift shops have to offer." It showed how much they trusted him (or rather how much they didn't want to be in that area) that neither protested Tony leading them away. He was halfway to the elevator when he realized they were alone. "Darcy, that meant you too."

"Dammit!"

Laura Barton never once regretted having another child. Not even during the mind numbing eight hour labor she just had to endure. Whoever said it got easier after the first was a lying liar that lied and she was going to make Clint shoot them in the face with an arrow. Okay, so she was a little cranky, so what? She was entitled. She just gave birth to a human. That earned her cranky rights for at least a few weeks. The only thing that was going to make this better was watching her older children meet their little brother. She glanced over to where Natasha and Clint were still cooing over the baby as they had since the nurses finally cleaned him up and left him in the room. To say that they were both hardened assassins/superheroes, they were both ridiculous when it came to babies. Or maybe it was just baby Barton's.

The door to her private room (thank you, Stark Industries) opened and soon she was surrounded by two happy and squealing children and her less exuberant but no less excited mother and sister. Clint shifted the baby into her arms so that Lila and Cooper could get a good look at their new sibling. Lila's eyes widened as she took in the baby's tiny features. It was hard to tell which parent he favored the most at the moment, but Laura had a good feeling that he was probably going to resemble Clint like Lila. Figures. Well, at least she had the twins as long as no one asked too many questions. Speaking of….

"What are you two doing over there?" she asked, smiling in their direction. They were unusually hesitant. "Come meet your brother."

"Okay, I have held my tongue long enough," her mother started, causing the twins to flinch and inch closer to the door. Laura's brow furrowed as Clint tensed, Natasha rolled her eyes and Tony sighed. "Laura, you do not always have to follow what your degenerate husband has to say. You mean to tell me that you seriously think of those teenagers as your family?"

Laura frowned and looked up at Clint. "What's going on?"

"Your mother and sister don't believe the twins should be here because they're not family," he answered with a quiet sigh. "That's where I went earlier. To try and diffuse the situation for a bit. It clearly didn't last long."

"You two actually had the nerve to try and dictate who is or is not my family?" Laura scoffed. Off the serious looks on both of their faces, she felt her eyes widen further. "Where the hell did either of you get the idea that you have any right to come here and say anything about my family?"

"Honey," Clint said, rubbing small circles on her back. "Sweetie, you just gave birth. Maybe you should rest a little and not get so agitated. It's not good for you or the baby…that you're holding."

Laura arched an eyebrow before handing Natasha her godson. Lila and Cooper stepped their favorite aunt's side to continue fawning over the baby. They were definitely her children. Laura then focused on her mother and sister, crossing her arms over her chest.

"When I get out of here, we're going to have a nice long talk about crossing boundaries. But for right now, I don't want to hear it. For right now, I just want to be with my family. My real family. So if you are not a part of my immediate family, meaning my husband, my children or the godparents of this child, I'm going to need you to get the hell out now."

She didn't feel bad issuing that decree as Darcy was already out of the room. She promised Tony and Natasha that she was going to update all the anxious Avengers who surprisingly hadn't hopped in a Quinjet upon hearing she was in labor. Clint and Natasha had a pool going on when they were going to show up. They were guessing sometime in the next 24-48 hours. She looked forward to their arrival. But for right now, she looked forward to her mother and sister leaving. They both gave her plaintive looks as they headed towards the door but she pointedly ignored them. Finally, they got the hint and left. She was about to let out a sigh of relief when she noticed that Pietro and Wanda were about to follow in their wake.

"Where do you two think you're going?" they paused. She smiled warmly. "I believe I said my kids, right? Last time I checked, you two fit that criterion."

They each flushed a bright shade of red but slowly approached where Natasha was coaching Lila on the proper way to hold her baby brother. She watched as Wanda touched Nate's hand. His tiny fingers curling around hers. Pietro ran a finger gently over the baby's soft skin, visibly melting as the baby let out a small yawn in response. Laura smiled. She could literally watch this all day. And she would, once she reeled in the other idiot who seemed to think he wasn't part of the family.

"Tony, where the hell are you going?" Clint asked with clear annoyance in his voice. The older man turned around with a confused expression on his face.

"Uh, you said…."

"I believe Laura did say godparents. I mean the kid needs a godfather too, you know?" Clint smirked. "And you are my favorite."

Tony snorted. "I told you so."

"Yeah, you did. Turns out that you're kind of a genius sometimes. Who knew?"

"I definitely didn't," Natasha chimed in, earning an amused glance from Clint and a halfhearted glare from Tony. Laura shifted down on the bed, letting the various conversations from her family wash over her.

"He's so small!" Lila exclaimed, still cradling her brother gently with support from Wanda. The older girl tilted her head to the side with a soft smile.

"But he will get bigger soon," she assured her. "It's your job as his big sister to make sure that nothing bad happens to him."

"Like how you look out for Pietro because he's your younger brother?" Cooper asked slyly. Pietro reached out quickly, flicking the younger Barton on the arm.

"Get it right, I am the oldest. I'm twelve minutes older than Wanda."

"Not anymore," Cooper and Lila replied together. Nate let out a sleepy gurgle that they all interpreted as agreement. Pietro pouted. Wanda patted her twin on the arm.

"I'm going to be just like Wanda! Nate is going to love me best."

"No, cuz I'm going to be like Pietro! And he's awesome."

Lila tilted her head to the side, mimicking Wanda's earlier position. "He's okay."

Pietro gasped dramatically. "You wound me, little monkey!"

"It's okay. We'll always have art."

Clint laughed loudly. "She grew up so fast!" Laura couldn't help but laugh tiredly in agreement. She continued to watch her children (all of her children dammit) bickering playfully. She couldn't understand how her mother and sister didn't see what she saw. The twins were a part of the family that was missing and now was found. They should've been celebrating with the rest. Instead, she was forced to push her estranged sibling and mother away again. Wasn't the first time and with their attitudes, it likely wouldn't be the last. They were bound together until the bitter end. Well, that was just depressing.

"Clint?"

Both Barton parents looked up, immediately on alert. Pietro had that look on his face. The look that usually led to some sort of mischief. What was he planning?

"Since we are a part of the family, do we have godparents?" he asked with a smirk. Laura bit on her lip to hide a smile and deferred to Clint. Her husband laughed.

"Of course you, kid."

"Who?"

"Steve and Sam."

"And which of them is our godmother?" Wanda asked, innocently.

"Sam, duh."

"I'm so telling!" Tony blurted, already moving towards the door.

"Screw you, Stark!" Clint yelled, running out after his friend.

Laura laughed, despite the chaos her idiot husband and his idiot best friend were causing. Seriously, they were in a maternity ward! But she also couldn't get too mad. It was nice to see Clint have friends other than Natasha. She thought that Phil's death would be the end of her husband but he pulled through and came back stronger than ever. He was healing and it was in large part thanks to the idiot he just chased out along with the other Avengers. That's why she didn't mind him spending time away from home. He was as important to the team as they were to him. They were a mess. But they were his mess. And on the subject of messes…

"You two," she motioned for the twins to come closer. Natasha took over supporting Nate while Cooper took his turn holding him. Wanda and Pietro approached the bed with apprehensive expressions on their faces. "I know that we're not the most conventional family on paper. We came together a little strangely but we're still a family. You're still family. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. Not even my mother and sister. Especially them."

"They're not like you," Pietro murmured.

"No, they're not," Laura smiled sadly. "We weren't close for a very long time. It wasn't until Lila was born actually that we started trying to fix things. We're making progress little by little. But they're not allowed to project their crap on you. You're as much a part of this family as they are. And they're not allowed to make you feel otherwise. You're not allowed to let them. You understand?"

"Yes," they answered together. She held her hands up and smiled as they each held on. "Good. Now that we are settled on that, you want to do me a favor? Get your idiot father and uncle back here?"

Wanda nodded. "As you wish."

Laura raised an appreciative eyebrow at the reference while Pietro looked adorably confused between them. Oh, she had so much to teach that boy before they went back to the Tower. For now, she just settled for watching in slight awe as Wanda twisted her hands, almost rhytmically. She had only a moment to wonder what she was doing when her idiot husband and his idiot friend were floating through the door in a red haze. They both looked a little confused as to how they got there.

Laura snorted. That was definitely going to come in handy at home.

*Okay, so this chapter is done. Baby Nate has made his grand entrance into the world. Some more Avengers will be making their way to scene next chapter. Hopefully it won't be that long of a wait for the next one. Hope you all enjoyed this one. Ciao for now.