Because I Could Not Stop For Death

by Ms. Perception

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.

7. Written in the Stars

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: Established Clint/Laura, Tony/Pepper, Thor/Jane, Darcy/Ian. Hints of Wanda/Vision, Steve/Bucky

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: Hey! I'm back again! Woohoo (hopefully). So this chapter is super long. Like really, it's long. More rambling in the end notes. I hope that you enjoy!

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Written in the Stars

"Will you stop fidgeting with that arm already? It's bad enough you insist on dressing like a hobo, there's no need to make people think you're a crack addicted hobo," Sam hissed as Bucky shifted uneasily, flesh fingers idly pressing against the metal plates of his hoodie covered left arm for what had to be the tenth time in the span of five minutes.

The former HYDRA assassin leveled Sam with the best glare he could but it bounced off the other man. Bucky would write it off as a one off thing except his glare seemed less than effective with pretty much everyone he came into contact with these days. That glare used to make people fear for their lives. He once had a Columbian drug lord begging on his knees under the force of that glare alone. Now… now he couldn't even scare a seven year old girl. Not that he actually wanted to scare said seven year old girl or really anyone else living on the Barton farm.

Despite the fact that he shouldn't even be allowed within a five mile radius of children, or people in general, Bucky found that he enjoyed living on the farm. He enjoyed spending time with the Barton children. At first, he thought Steve was out of his mind for even thinking about bringing him there but even he had to admit that it was helping. The whole family was helping him to slowly rebuild himself. Each of them had their own roles in fixing the wreck that HYDRA left Bucky. Laura was soothing. Her entire presence seemed designed to get people to relax even when they were at their most anxious. She was always there with a warm smile, a comforting hand on his shoulder (always the metal side) and occasionally cookies. Clint, on the other hand, was able to relate to him. The archer told him about Loki and the death of his mentor, Phil, at the hands of Loki with assistance from Clint. They bonded over their mutual loss of control and the fact that they were both snipers. It helped having someone around who understood the need to shoot things after waking up in a panic. Yeah, they were definitely Sniper Bros.

Even their children helped to pull him out of his shell of self-loathing, emo and despair. Bucky was going to get Sam the copyright to that particular phrase since he used that to describe the former assassin all the damn time. But at any rate, the Barton kids, like their parents and Steve, didn't know when it was better to just give up and find some other less rabid person to dote on. Cooper would sit with him when the past got too much to bear and he just couldn't handle talking. He never spoke when Bucky got into those moods. Cooper would simply sit there, a silent reminder that Bucky wasn't under HYDRA control anymore. He was free. Bucky was deeply grateful for the silent Cooper. The kid radiated eternal calm. Not unlike his mother.

His sister, on the other hand, was a joyfully happy little chatterbox. Bucky really didn't understand which one of her parents she picked that up from. But he couldn't deny that the little girl was mischievous in all the right ways and amusing as all hell. He didn't remember being a huge fan of kids in his pre Winter Soldier days but he found that he was a fan of the Barton kids and their infectiously happy moods. That's the only way he could explain the previous day spent huddled on the roof of the barn, shooting anyone that dared venture out of the house with a paintball gun. Naturally this meant that Wanda, Laura, Cooper and Nate stayed indoors most of the day. Steve only left the safety of the house to try and reason with them. He didn't make it past the front porch before Bucky was cheerfully shooting him with the red, white and blue paint Lila set aside specifically for her beloved Uncle Steve. The madness only continued to escalate when Sam and Clint decided to get revenge using the Falcon wings and Clint's ability to accurately hit a target no matter the situation. Also when the hell did that jerk find the time to make paint tipped arrows?!

Being hosed down in the yard because Laura refused to let the paint covered Steve, Pietro, Bucky, Clint, Sam and Lila (yes, Clint shot his own daughter. Yes, Lila shot back) into the house until they were clean should've been one of the lower points of this new life he's built for himself. But even as Cooper filmed the so called mighty Avengers being power washed with a garden hose that Tony Stark clearly designed, Bucky couldn't help but laugh. It was embarrassing and juvenile but it was fun because he chose to participate. He chose to follow the lead of a mischievous seven year old girl. Just as he was currently choosing to follow the lead of a revenge minded eighteen year old girl.

"Remind me again why didn't bring Steve with us?" Sam asked, as he leaned against the school building with his shoulder brushing against Bucky's left arm. He noticed that all had a tendency to touch him there. It was a way of demonstrating casual acceptance. It was both weird and comforting. He liked knowing that they weren't scared of it. That they… wait, did Sam really suggest they bring Steve? Bucky raised an eyebrow, glancing over at his friend. Whoa, they were actually friends! Huh. Anyway, there were several reasons why they didn't Steve along on this mission (not mission… operation. Wait, no. Not better). There was one very excellent, very much not Sam's business reason, but Bucky was going to go with the most obvious.

"We're confronting a bully, Wilson. Steve Rogers is the last person you want tagging along when it comes to bullies. The kid might be a jerk who's built like a mini football player but he's also only in the seventh grade. He definitely doesn't need to participate in the Rogers Bully Prevention through Extreme Violence and Force program. We just want to scare him a little, not scar him for life. Steve tends to lose perspective when it comes to people being bullied or harassed. He tends to go to certain extremes when it's happening to his friends."

"We talking about the same Steve Rogers here? Captain America? The paragon for American ideals? The same Steve Rogers that yells out 'language' any time Tony opens his mouth? That guy?"

Bucky snorted. "We're talking about the same Steve Rogers that lets you guys believe he's some delicate little flower when really he curses more than I do. He's also the same Steve Rogers that went on a solo suicide mission, burning an entire HYRDA facility to the ground, on the off chance that I, or someone else from the 107th, was still alive. The very same Steve Rogers that loves to run up beside you and scream 'on your left' for no reason other than it makes him laugh."

Sam gave him a pointed glare, no doubt remembering just that morning where Bucky finally joined them on a jog around the farm. He spent the majority of the run yelling 'on your right' because it made Steve smile and his best friend needed more reasons to smile. Even if it was at Sam's expense. Don't get Bucky wrong, he really did like Sam. But he also liked riling him up too.

"He is kind of a little shit, isn't he?"

"Oh, yeah. He was born that way. Seventy years just made him worse and gave him more to work with," Bucky laughed, remembering just how many times that sense of humor combined with Steve's mouth got them in trouble growing up. Steve had definitely come a long way from that mouthy little kid from Brooklyn. Then again…. Bucky flexed his left hand absently. Sam nudged him on the side gently. Bucky gave him a sheepish smile.

"Right, so I get why Steve isn't here. But what about Clint? These are his kids."

"Clint does not understand the meaning of the word restraint when it comes to his children. He'd be in here raising hell. Probably with arrows… no, wait, definitely with arrows."

"Laura?" Sam suggested.

"I feel like she would be worse. I mean we know Lila got her ridiculously good aim from her dad but that devious mind… I feel like that there is more to Laura than the comforting side she shows." Sam snorted in agreement. "She's got to be hiding a twisted side. I mean she married Clint Barton willingly."

"Is this commonly the part where we say that we're telling?"

Bucky was glad that he wasn't the only one that jumped at the sound of Wanda's voice. He glanced over Sam's shoulder to see the twins standing beside the man. He never even heard them coming. Either Wanda was just that scary silent or…

"I thought your parents said no powers in public," Sam chided, though the grin playing across his lips as he ruffled Pietro's hair totally ruined the effect he was going for.

"We had to sneak out of class," Wanda explained with a small shrug. "They should be at recess soon. We will catch this bully in the act."

"Still not sure why you needed the two of us," Sam said. "You guys are pretty intimidating on your own."

"Yeah, you been taking lessons from Natalia?" Bucky drawled. Wanda brightened visibly at the comparison to the Black Widow. Bucky counted it as a good moment that he didn't want to crawl into a little ball in cry at the mention of Natasha and her Red Room years. He didn't realize that the Asset was also a trainer at the Red Room until she came for a visit earlier in the week. That had been one uncomfortable conversation. But they were better now. Still, Bucky was just glad that he didn't know the twins too. He couldn't take having a nefarious HYRDA influenced connection to yet another Avenger. Steve and Natasha was enough.

"We need you because Cooper refuses to let us do anything. Anytime we try to intervene, he pulls Laura's disapproving face and makes us stop," Pietro answered, pouting slightly. "I could have the kid halfway to Mexico before recess was even over. But apparently Cooper thinks that's 'excessive'. Whatever that's supposed to mean."

"It means it's a bit excessive," Sam pointed out. "I mean he's just a kid. A jerk but still a kid. Besides what did Mexico ever do to you to deserve that?"

Any response the twins could've made (though they probably wouldn't) was lost as the bell rang signaling the beginning of recess. The doors to the school flew open as kids poured out of the building. Bucky watched them as they ran past their mini huddle without a care in the world. Then again, none of those kids had any idea they were passing by three Avengers and the Winter Soldier. Oh, to be young again. They waited in silence for the kids to settle into their usual recess activities. Pietro stood up straight abruptly, his eyes focused on something in the distance.

"There he is," Pietro murmured. Bucky snapped his head in the direction the teen was staring in and promptly felt the urge to sigh. Seriously? Their target (he really needed to stop thinking in mission speak) was in the process of harassing a highly annoyed looking Cooper. The oldest of Barton's spawn was trying to block out the kid's increasingly more cruel taunts. Beside him on the bench was Lila. She was clenching her fists and chewing on her lip, all in the effort at not lashing out at her brother's bully.

Bucky had to give the Barton kids (both natural and adopted) credit for one thing: they stuck together. Even now, Wanda and Pietro were both looking like this kid was one wrong move from finding out how terrifying miracles could actually be. But the twins were supposed to be blending in, not drawing even more attention to people with powers. That's what they had uncles for. Bucky grinned darkly. He could get used to this uncle thing. He didn't need to look at Sam to know there was a similar expression on his face. Oh, yeah. This was going to be fun.

"Hey!" Lila's voice cut across the yard. She was standing up now. Cooper was on the ground, fumbling with his books. His soon to be late tormentor was towering over him with all the superiority a boy who felt he was in power could muster. "Back off, Pillsbury Doughboy!"

"Make me, little girl," the idiot kid continued to taunt. He was totally ignorant of the seething mass of muscles and well trained vengeance slinking up behind him. "Hey, Cooper. You must be real proud, having your little sister fighting your battles for you."

"I am actually," Cooper retorted. He made eye contact with Bucky and shrugged. "But she's not actually the one you need to be worried about."

"Huh?" Doughboy muttered before turning around to face Bucky, Sam and Wanda. Pietro took advantage of his distraction to zip to Cooper's side. He helped his younger brother pick up his belongings before scooping Lila into his arms. It was both a gesture to comfort and one to restrain. Because seriously, those Barton kids had a temper on them. Doughboy blinked in Sam and Bucky's direction before glancing at the twins then to Cooper and finally back to Sam and Bucky. "Who… the… who the hell are you supposed to be?"

"Jack, you know my older sister, Wanda," Cooper introduced, cheerfully. "Those two are my uncles. They're going to be staying with us for a while."

Doughboy stared up at Bucky and Sam with wide eyes. The life of a playground bully was very simple. There was only one rule. The bully was king of all things smaller than it. But that was the problem. Because there was almost always going to be someone bigger waiting to usurp your self-proclaimed throne. Really, they were doing Doughboy a favor right now by teaching him his place in the hierarchy of bullydom. Bucky leaned down so he could better look the kid in the eye. He grinned. He knew it was an ugly, scary thing. Bucky knew because the kid was already trembling. His smirk grew wider.

"So I hear you've been disrespectful to our niece and nephew here," Bucky said, smiling with sharp teeth showing. "That makes us very unhappy."

"Very," Sam echoed, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring down at the shaken kid.

"And as a friend of ours likes to say, you won't like us when we're angry," Bucky continued. He reached forward with exaggerated calm to pluck the can of soda the kid was holding with his metal hand. He paused long enough for the kid to see just how real it was before he dumped the contents of the can on the ground. He then closed his hand, crushing the can into a small compact ball within his metal grip. He then tossed the destroyed can in the garbage behind him without even glancing in that direction. "I think you know where this is headed, right?"

Doughboy nodded, shakily. Sam grinned, kneeling down to look the scared kid in the eyes. "That's your only warning. Anyone with the last name Barton is off limits to you and your friends. So spread the word. And if I find out that you've been mean to either Cooper or Lila, we're going to come back and talk some more."

"Yeah, talk," Bucky drawled. "Now do you have something to say to Cooper?"

Doughboy turned around to face Cooper. "I… I'm sorry. I… sorry!"

With that said, he edged away from the group and ran as fast as his legs could take him. Which was pretty damn fast. Those skinny little legs were good for something. Speaking of skinny legs….

"Lila, why do you call him Doughboy? Not to body shame or whatever the hell you people talk about these days but he's not fat or anything."

"Yeah, well you know the Pillsbury Doughboy? Like how he giggles when you poke him in the stomach?" they all nodded. "Jack cries when you punch him in the stomach."

Pietro's brow furrowed. "How do you know that?"

"Why do you think he started harassing me in the first place?" Cooper asked, narrowing his eyes at his little sister. "In his mind, it was more socially acceptable for him to pick on me rather than a seven year old girl who can and will punch you at random."

A stunned silence fell over the group before Sam cracked it by snickering. Wanda gaped in his direction for all of a second before she too was giggling. Pietro smiled and kissed Lila on the forehead, letting her jump down afterwards. She walked away to lean up against a tree. Bucky kept an eye on his giggling friends and the smirking child. It was the smirk she wore when she knew something other people didn't know. The fact that Bucky knew the meaning behind that particular smirk after only knowing her for two weeks spoke volumes of just how attached he was to these people already. He was slowly starting not to mind.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Lila asked, looking up at something in the tree. Correction, make that someone. The laughter stopped abruptly as that someone shifted before jumping down from the tree and scooping Lila up with a familiar laugh.

"Earth's Mightiest Heroes harassing a little boy," Clint teased. "Jonah Jameson would have a field day with this one."

"We haven't been Earth's Mightiest Heroes in a while. Especially when it comes to Jameson," Sam corrected. "But we're always going to be Avengers. We're all about that avenging stuff."

"I'm not actually an Avenger," Bucky pointed out. He was met with six blank stares. He rolled his eyes. Whatever. He wasn't an Avenger despite whatever the hell Steve, Sam, Clint and Natasha thought. Who the hell thought letting a former Russian assassin join a superhero team was a good idea? He paused. Probably the same idiot that brought in one former Russian assassin and has offered his home to two former Russian assassins. Clint was kind of a hypocrite. A well-meaning, good intentioned hypocrite. God, he reminded Bucky so much of Steve.

"How'd you know we were coming here today anyway?"

"Seriously?" Clint asked, raising an eyebrow. "You guys are the least discreet humans I've ever seen. I knew what you were planning and I just figured I'd tag along to watch the madness unfold. And it was a good show too. I really enjoyed the part where he almost peed himself watching Bucky crush the can."

Bucky snorted even as Sam shook his head. "You're a grown man with children, Barton. You're supposed to be a role model for us younglings."

Clint arched an eyebrow. "What younglings? You've met Lila, right? She's pretty much corrupted at this point. We just hope for the best and make sure she doesn't have any serious political ambition. On that note, honey?"

"Nope, daddy."

"Good job," Clint kissed her on the forehead. "Cooper has been around me since birth. If he hasn't been corrupted yet, he's good."

"I'm good," Cooper echoed.

"And when it comes to the twins, well… they tried to kill us all. So basically anything at this point that doesn't involve murdering us all is pretty much acceptable behavior," Clint said with a shrug. Wanda and Pietro exchanged glances before nodding in unison. "As for my brother in sniping arms over here, he may be younger physically but he's approaching the centenarian years. I refuse to let him claim he's younger than me. And Sam, you have at least a year on me. Maybe two. No, I definitely think it might be two."

"You're younger than Sam?!" Pietro asked, wariness creeping into his voice. He narrowed his eyes looking between Sam and Clint suspiciously. "If you're older than the old man that must mean that you're….."

"I swear I will hurt you, Speedy Gonzalez," Sam promised.

"Super old! Like a billion!"

Sam sighed heavily as Pietro was gone in a blur. Bucky bit on his lip to hide the smile growing there. He glanced out the corner of his eye to see Cooper was the only one managing not to laugh on the outside. That kid was like the center of all calm. Bucky envied him.

"I will have you know that I am only thirty five! That is not old! That's definitely not super old!" Sam continued to grumble even as he headed back to the car. "Y'all going make me unleash the Falcon up in here!"

Bucky tilted his head towards Clint. "I should probably catch up with him."

"Yeah, he's super old. He might need help remembering where you left the car," Clint replied with a perfectly constructed façade of innocence.

Bucky laughed, relishing in the simple fact that he could. That it was his choice to laugh and be happy. That he wasn't just the Asset. He was once again James Buchanan Barnes. He was uncle to five really great kids. He was free.

"Oh, and don't forget, Barnes. We're going out tonight. No excuses."

Bucky frowned. "And by we, you mean…."

"You, me, Sam and Cap," Clint replied, arching an eyebrow. "I don't supposed that's going to be a problem… is it?"

Bucky carefully schooled his features into a blank mask. It spoke wonders to how much time Clint and Natasha spent together that the archer was able to see through that in a heartbeat. Bucky sighed. It wasn't the going out part that bothered him. He's been making progress throughout his time on the farm. This trip to the school was one of several he's taken away from the safety that was the Barton farm. But there was one common factor… Steve never went with him. It wasn't that he was avoiding his best friend… he was just avoiding his best friend.

Since the first night they spent on the farm, Bucky had been going out of his way to find things to do that didn't involve Steve. He knew that it was confusing for Steve, and maybe a little hurtful but Bucky needed the space so that he could think. His memories were returning (both the good and the bad) but he was missing something. His memories told him that Steve was in love with Peggy Carter. His memories told him that he and Steve were just friends. But his heart, that beat a little too fast when Steve walked by, that lifted up just catching sight of those familiar blues eyes from across the room… that was telling him something completely different. He knew these feelings weren't new. There wasn't a whole lot of time for him to fall in love with the guy he was initially trying to kill and then actively trying to avoid. So apparently Bucky had always loved his well-meaning shit of a best friend and Steve apparently didn't feel the same way about him and Bucky really, really wanted him to but he didn't and….

"Hey!" Clint's voice cut through his internal flailing. He snapped his head up to meet the archer's gaze. The kids were gone. It took Bucky a moment to realize that recess was long over. Sam was hovering in the background, clearly letting Clint handle this moment. "You with us?"

"Yeah," Bucky sighed. "Maybe us going out isn't such a great idea."

"You mean us going with Steve? Because we're already out. And it wasn't until I said Steve was going out with us tonight that it became a problem."

Bucky shrugged. He had nothing to say to that. Clint was right. But he couldn't be around Steve these days. Steve who was beautiful and patient and exactly what Bucky has been missing for all the years he spent being erased and placed in ice. And he hated that he was letting a stupid crush get in the way of that. Especially because it was hurting Steve. He let out a shaky breath.

"Yeah, we're going out tonight," he finally said, looking to both Sam and Clint. "It's going to be fun."

"Now try that while looking a little less like you want to jump off the nearest cliff and we might actually believe you," Clint smirked. Bucky gave him a weak smile before being shoved in Sam's direction. "It's going to be okay, Buck. I promise."

Bucky nodded. He trusted Clint. If Clint said this was going to be okay, then maybe it would be. At any rate, all these mental circles were starting to give him a headache. So he let Sam steer him back towards the car, idly listening to all the ways in which thirty five seriously wasn't that old. Seriously.

---

Clint stuck around the school campus for the rest of the day. It was only a few short hours and he figured he'd give his kids a ride home. Not to mention he was wanted make sure there was no fall out from Bucky and Sam's intervention. He was really mad that he didn't pick up on what was going on with Cooper to begin with. If Lila was like Clint, Cooper was too much like Laura. He kept his hurting on the inside and didn't show it for the world. It took Clint entirely too long to figure it out and then too long to come up with a plan. Thankfully, Cooper's "uncles" had it under control. He really doubted Jack would be messing with Cooper any time soon. Yeah, he totally knew it was a good idea to bring in another former Russian assassin. Okay, a few hours and a fuzzy black kitten affectionately named Nyx later, Clint realized it was a good idea to bring in another former Russian assassin. But in the two weeks he had been part of the family, Bucky grew on Clint. He liked the guy and was glad to see him fitting him with the kids.

Speaking of the kids, Clint startled as the bell rang signaling the end of the day. He saw Jack creeping out of the building, keeping an eye out for anyone with a metal arm. Clint smirked. The kid didn't even know about Sam's wings. But soon Jack was gone and he was focused on his four. He didn't have long to wait as he spotted them. Wanda let out a heavy sigh of relief as she caught sight of him leaning against the truck. Lila and Cooper were both sporting looks of irritation and frustration. Pietro was walking. That was room for concern. He wasn't bouncing up and down. He wasn't jogging ahead of the kids. He was actually dragging his feet walking behind them. He glanced at his watch and then back to his annoyed (and moping) children.

"It's barely been three hours since I last saw you. What the hell happened now?"

"Life as I know it is over!" Pietro wailed, flopping into the flatbed part of the truck with dramatic flourish. He closed his eyes as he sprawled into a position that allowed room for the rest of the kids. "The love of my life is leaving me. Life is ruined. There's nothing left for me."

"Uh…. Wanda? Translation?"

Wanda rolled her eyes. "Crystal broke the news that's moving. Apparently, she and her… guardians are leaving tonight. It seems as though they're looking for something and they didn't find it here. I tried to touch her mind but it was too chaotic. I only got that they were looking for something about Medusa and the afterlife."

"Sounds like a cult to me," Cooper chimed in, not at all helpfully.

"She's not in a cult!" Pietro hissed in the younger boy's direction. Cooper blinked even as he settled down beside the mourning speedster. Pietro cracked an eye open, glancing in the boy's direction. He sighed at the look on Cooper's face. "Okay, there is a very real possibility that she could be in a cult. But whatever! She's the first girl I've ever loved and she's leaving me and life sucks!"

Clint bit on his lip to hold back the laugh. All he ever wanted for Wanda and Pietro was for them to put aside the tragedies that led to HYDRA experimenting on them. He just wanted them to be the kids they truly were on the inside. And as he settled in the driver's seat listening to Pietro's constant stream of whining echoed by Wanda's quiet muttering about her idiotic twin, Clint realized he got exactly what he wanted. And it was a beautiful thing.

Pietro didn't stop telling them all about his lost love during the entire car ride. He was in the middle of explaining how they were star-crossed lovers, meant to be together forever when Clint finally pulled into the driveway. It was apparently just in time as Cooper, Wanda and Lila scrambled out of the truck so fast, he could swear they would give Pietro a run for his money. They sped past Steve who was in the yard chopping wood, again, and straight into the house. They paused only to greet an utterly bewildered and amused Laura and grab Nate. He heard Wanda loudly declaring that they didn't want to expose Nate to the walking tragedy that was Pietro. His kids had a way with words.

"Who lit the fire under them?" Laura asked, coming to stand beside her husband. He smiled softly before pressing a kiss against her forehead. She started to smile before she shifted her head to look at Pietro. The speedster was still sprawled in the truck and didn't seem to be moving. "Should I even ask?"

"You can but first… what's going on with Steve? He knows that we now have enough wood to get through every winter until Nate is well into his thirties right?"

"He's got boy problems," Laura stage whispered. Clint snorted. "Let me guess, this one's got girl problems?" she paused, leaning over to peer at the clearly listening Pietro. "Unless you have boy problems as well. This is a judgment free zone and we love you either way."

"I'm not gay," Pietro grumbled.

"Of course you're not, honey," Laura patted him on the hair, earning a weak glare. She tilted her head towards Steve ignoring their son's pain. "So which one do you want to handle? The girl or the boy problems?"

"Let's see… the actual star-crossed duo who have finally found each other again after seventy years apart or the hyperactive drama queen who is suffering through his first crush?"

Laura hummed. "You're right. I'll take Pietro."

"Always the easy way with you," he teased, leaning in for a kiss.

"You know me, darling," she murmured, stealing one more kiss before moving to coax their son out of the truck.

He was making light of it but Clint knew the kid was seriously hurting. Pietro was hooked on this girl. Clint was all too familiar with that feeling. He had more than a few intense crushes throughout his life. Fortunately, one of those crushes paid off and he had five kids, three (okay, really it was two. Nyx was definitely all Bucky's) kittens and a dog to show for it. This was Pietro's first crush but it wouldn't be his last. The kid would move on… someday. But for right now, he was going to milk the sympathy and pity he was getting from Laura for all that its worth. Good on him. At least the brat learned something from Clint. But as much as he did sympathize with Pietro, he still knew that Laura had the easy job. With a sigh, Clint strolled over to where Steve was taming his growing life frustrations though the act of chopping wood. There were so many metaphors he could make about this but he held back. Instead, he led with…

"So how long after he fell did it take you to realize that you were in love with him?"

Steve's rhythm faltered but to his credit, he didn't do a double take or try to deny it. Instead he set the axe down after he finished the small pile beside him and sighed.

"The second I heard the metal rip from the side of the train and watched helplessly as he fell away from me to what I thought what his death," Steve answered quietly. A faint smile played across his lips but it wasn't one of happiness. Clint felt like he just kicked a puppy. A giant, blonde puppy. "I never really put a label on what I felt for Bucky. You have to understand, it was a different time then. What I felt… feel for him… I couldn't exactly share that with anyone. Not even Bucky. Especially Bucky. I just took for granted that he would always be there. And then he wasn't." He swallowed. "How long have you known?"

"Really, I only figured it out the first night you brought him home. So about two weeks. Although the fact that you crashed a plane into the ocean a few days after your best friend died was kind of an indication that there was some definite more than friends stuff going on there. I mean I love Nat to death and I don't know what I would do if something happened to her but I do know that it's definitely not crash a plane into the ocean without an escape route."

Steve laughed. It was a painful sounding thing but there was a genuine smile playing across his lips. Clint clapped him on the shoulder.

"Cap, these days what you feel for Bucky isn't something you have to hide anymore. But I'm glad that you shared it with me," Clint said, earning another brighter smile from Steve. "But what I'm really confused about is why you're not sharing it with Bucky. This is your second chance. This is your chance to act on those feelings you've had all along."

"I can't do that to him… he's still healing."

"Steve, I'm going to be blunt with you. That's bullshit." Steve grunted but made no complaints about language. Ha. Tony owed him fifty bucks. Clint told him Steve only did that stuff to troll them. "After everything with Loki, I needed something to focus on. And I had that. I had Laura and the kids. Bucky isn't broken. He's damaged but not broken. Because he came back for you, Steve. He knew you and he let you find him."

Steve chewed on his lip, clearly lost in thought. Finally, he let out a soft sigh. "You really think that he would want to… with me?"

Clint blinked. "Uh, Steve? You do look in a mirror, right? You're aware of the fact that you're incredibly attractive, correct? Because if you're not, please note that the only reason my wife hasn't stopped you from single handedly stocking our woodshed for the next hundred years is because she really enjoys watching you chop wood. She's thinking about charging some of the neighbors. She's pretty sure can fund Cooper and at least part of Lila's college funds through ticket sales alone." Steve flushed, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "You're quite the catch, Steve Rogers. But I have a feeling that Bucky doesn't care about all of this. I have a feeling he liked the scrawny ninety pound kid from Brooklyn just as much as he likes the imagined paragon for American ideals."

Steve laughed softly. His gaze flickered briefly towards the house, specifically to the rooms that Steve, Bucky and Sam were using. Clint turned his head as well and was able to make out the Bucky and Sam's shadows walking around the room. He had no idea what was supposed to be happening but judging from Sam's increasingly more indignant hand gestures and the amount of clothing Bucky was tossing in the older man's direction, it wasn't good. Clint arched an eyebrow looking at Steve.

"Should I even ask?"

"I'm not entirely sure. After they got back from wherever they went," Steve gave Clint a pointed look. The archer smirked. "Anyway, after they got back from that, Sam was complaining about not being old. Bucky was laughing. And then Sam said he still dressed like a drug addicted hobo and couldn't go out like that tonight. Bucky seemed okay with that but as you can see…. Sam got his way."

Clint glanced back at the window with more understanding of the scene unfolding upstairs. He grinned as Bucky tossed one of the hoodies Darcy and Natasha bought him during their last visit in Sam's direction. Sam tripped over the pile of clothes accumulating on the floor, blinded by the hoodie wrapped around his head. Bucky took advantage of his distraction and attempted to make a run for the door. It was a futile attempt that was interrupted by Wanda and Lila. They took one look at the no doubt horrible mess in the guest room and immediately joined the madness. Clint shook his head in something resembling regret and happiness that it wasn't him. He knew Steve was sporting a similar expression on his own face. But he knew that Steve's expression held a certain fondness that Clint could never match not even with the way the other sniper had grown on him in the past two weeks.

Clint patted the soldier on the shoulder. "Talk to him, Cap. We don't get a lot of second chances in this life. Sometimes you need to stop thinking and just act."

Steve nodded, clearly lost in thought. Seemed like a trend with these super soldiers. Clint really hoped that Steve gave it careful consideration. Not just because Clint was a huge believer in true love or any of that. But mostly because Steve and Bucky deserved to be happy. Clint didn't really know Bucky all that well but he did know Steve. He knew that Steve was never as happy as he was whenever Bucky was around. His whole face lit up whenever Bucky did something as simple as express a wish for more eggs at breakfast. Clint wanted Steve to be that level of happy all the time. Bucky wasn't the only one healing. Steve was too and a big part of that healing was wrapped up in his very layered and complex relationship with Bucky. They would figure it out. Eventually. And if they didn't…. well, that's what they had family for.

---

Love sucked. It was a cruel and fickle beast. One minute, he was happy and imagining a life with this girl and the next she was gone. And she took his dreams of their daughter and dog with them. It was probably for the best. He had superpowers. That probably wasn't something she was going to want to live with for very long anyway. It was probably for the best that she left when she did. At least this way, her leaving was a result of horrifically bad timing and not because she was disgusted by him and what he could do. Love was stupid and Pietro was a hundred percent over it. It was stupid of him to even try. Because who could ever love someone like him? Well, besides Wanda and that was only because they were twins. No one else had to suffer through that. No one else would want to suffer through that.

"Hey," a voice jarred him out of his maudlin thoughts. He looked up to meet Clint's eyes. The man was standing over the sofa he was sprawled on with a bowl of something in one hand and a smile on his face. "Ice cream," he said, passing the bowl over. "It's good for what ails you. Or at the very least makes you feel less horrible on the inside."

"Is junk food always the answer to your problems?" Pietro asked, even as he sat up, earning an irritated mewl from Eris who was sleeping by his thigh. The kitten meowed and climbed up onto his lap as Pietro finally accepted the ice cream. It was his favorite too. He glanced up into the concerned eyes of the Avengers' resident archer. There was a time when that's all Clint was to him. He wasn't anyone important. Someone who in his way. He had no qualms about letting him almost die when they first met. And now the thought of something like that happening to Clint made his chest hurt. The thought that Clint could've bled out in the snowy fields of Sokovia before Pietro even got to know him… that he wouldn't be here feeding him ice cream. It was all….

"Pietro?" Laura's voice cut through his impending panic attack, moving beside her husband with brown eyes narrowed in concern. She brushed her hand over his forehead and he felt the panic ebbing away leaving only the earlier lingering sadness and loneliness. Laura pressed a kiss against his forehead. "I know it hurts a lot right now, sweetheart. But I promise you it does get better."

"How do you know?"

"Because sometimes you have to lose the person you love to find them," Clint answered, eyes darting towards Laura briefly. "We don't always get second chances in our lives but when you do, you have to grab it and never let go. You also have to be open to it. You can't let your doubts and/or self-loathing ruin it before you can even try."

"So you're saying that it's a good thing that I lost Crystal?" Pietro muttered skeptically. Clint shrugged, letting his eyes drift towards the front door where Sam, Steve and Bucky were quietly waiting. Pietro also let his gaze wander in their direction.

Sam was texting on his phone with a soft smile playing across his face. Pietro had no idea who was on the other side of that connection but he felt happy seeing that smile on Sam. Steve and Bucky, on the other hand, were too far into each other's space to be entirely casual and yet were trying for all the world to look like they were. Every now and then, one of them would glance at the other and the same soft smile Sam sported would steal across their lips before they blushed and looked away. Again, Pietro felt the same fluttering feeling of happy and content. He liked the Captain. Steve was the first of the Avengers to accept them and he did so without question. It was good to see this lighter, happier side of the Captain. And it was because he found the one that got away against all odds…. Oh.

"I think I get it," Pietro murmured

"Love is weird. Sometimes we don't understand what it's trying to say or who is trying to get us to see. And sometimes it takes a while to get the message," Laura said, looking pointedly at Clint. Her husband gave her an innocent but not fooling anyone smile. "Sometimes it takes seventy years. But when it happens, it's great."

"And it also doesn't have to be romantic either," Clint pointed out. "Wanda isn't the only one that loves you around here."

Pietro glanced at the bowl of ice cream in his hand and then to the kitten lying peacefully on his leg. The television was on in the background, forgotten in the midst of his depressing thoughts but he now realized was playing one of his favorite programs. Yeah, Wanda probably wasn't the only one who loved him around here.

"Now he gets it!" Clint cheered, bopping the speedster on the head before dodging a smack from Laura. "I'll see you guys later. Call me if you need anything." He was almost to the door when he turned to Laura. "We're not expecting anyone, right?"

She pursed her lips in thought. "No, no one I can think of. We're good. Go, enjoy your night out with the boys."

"Will do!"

"We promise we'll return him in one piece," Steve said, seriously. Bucky smirked.

"I don't know, Stevie. That might be a tall order. Clint is a walking disaster," the former assassin drawled. "Are you sure you're up to hanging with a couple of super soldiers, Feathers?"

Clint narrowed his eyes before grumbling something about being a better shot. This then launched into a round of rowdy bickering and promises to play darts at the bar. Supposedly drinks were on the loser. Pietro was at a complete loss as to who would be the winner in a shooting contest between Bucky and Clint. But he did know that the losers here would be whoever had to pick his drunk father off the floor.

Pietro froze at that thought. His father…. He looked up just as Laura finally managed to usher the bickering Avengers out the door. She gave him an exasperated look as she locked up and moved on to corralling Lila and Cooper up to bed. His mother. He didn't know when or even how but the Barton's were their parents. In the beginning, they were just Laura and Clint (occasionally, the Old Man) but now it was rare to hear either twin refer or even think of the couple as anything other than mom or dad. Lila, Cooper and Nate were their little brothers and sister. The Avengers were their uncles and aunts. They were family. He didn't know how long had passed with him sitting there lost in thought before he felt a familiar and comforting presence sit on the seat beside him.

"You just now realizing this, bratishka?"

"I'm not your little brother," Pietro reminded his twin absently. Wanda snorted and settled further down on the sofa. Eris stirred enough to slip from Pietro's lap to Wanda's. Pietro watched his sister and their kitten fondly for a brief moment. "Do you think our parents would be angry with us for loving the Barton's?"

"No," Wanda assured him, covering his hand with hers. "I think our parents would be happy knowing that we're being taken care of. That neither of us is working ourselves to the bone to support each other. No, I think they would be very happy to know we have a new family. No matter how odd they are."

"Yeah, I guess so," Pietro murmured, a faint smile crossing his lips. "Thank you."

"Are you feeling okay?" Wanda asked, her tone light and teasing.

"I'm fine!" Pietro elbowed her much to the displeasure of Eris. "You planning on watching Quantico tonight?"

Wanda gave him a look. It didn't take their bond to know what that mocking look meant. He rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault. You and mom got me hooked on that ridiculous show. It's your fault that I need to know what happens next!"

"Sure keep telling yourself that," Wanda grinned.

Pietro opened his mouth to reply but the doorbell rang, causing the words to die on his lips. He exchanged a confused look with Wanda. Both their parents seemed pretty certain that no one was coming through. Clint was a bit oblivious but Laura always seemed to know when one of their extended family was coming by. Always. It was a little odd actually. Anyway, if Laura didn't warn them about someone coming by tonight then it was probably safe to assume that it wasn't one of the other Avengers or various affiliated people. They looked to the empty staircase. Laura wasn't flying down the stairs in an effort to get to the door. So that ruled out a potential threat. So that left only one other option.

Pietro zipped to the door with a smug grin in place. "Which one of you forgot what?" he asked, opening the door and stopping short. He expected to find a sheepish Steve, Bucky, Clint or Sam. Instead there was a petite brunette woman who was young but appear to be used to have some position of power. Beside her was a much taller bald black man. Pietro let his gaze travel between them before he took an involuntary step backwards, and straight into Wanda.

"Can we help you?" Wanda asked, suspiciously.

Pietro snapped his head towards his sister. He recognized the look on her face. It was the look she wore when she couldn't read someone. He had only seen that look a few times when they were with HYDRA and then later, oddly enough, with Laura Barton. Wanda could sense every member of the family but Laura. But neither of them really gave it much thought. Laura was so open with them in every other way, that the fact that they couldn't psychically sense her meant very little. But not being able to sense the people wearing all black leather cat suits… that was a problem.

"Pietro and Wanda Maximoff," the woman spoke. Pietro narrowed his eyes studying the stranger. She had short, choppy brown hair and distinctly Asian features. But what really caught his attention were the two large gauntlets on her hands. He shifted in place again, slightly blocking his sister.

"Who wants to know?"

"My name is Daisy. This is my partner, Mack."

"What do you want, Daisy and Mack?" Pietro asked, feigning a teasing tone. Something wasn't right. He didn't know but something wasn't right.

"Can we come in?"

"No," the twins replied in unison. They grinned. "Not until you tell us what you really want anyway."

"We want to discuss why you two have managed to evade SHIELD and being placed on the registry," Mack answered. He crossed two massive arms over his chest. "We want to know why the infamous Sokovian twins are hiding out on a farm in the middle of nowhere."

"Sokovia?" Pietro drawled. "Oh, you mean the city that fell out of the sky? Saw it on the news. That was crazy."

Daisy rolled his eyes before pulling out a picture. It was one of him and Wanda with Strucker. Pietro schooled his features into a blank mask at the sight of the man who tortured them, who promised to make them heroes and who guided them into nearly destroying the world. His death at the hands of Ultron was too good for him. He deserved so much more.

"So you're really going to tell me that this isn't you?" Daisy finally said, after realizing neither twin had any interest in speaking out loud. "Seriously?"

"I wish it was," Pietro smirked. "That guy has great hair." Wanda giggled, patting him on the back in silent support.

"Look, we're trying to be reasonable here. We already received a tip saying that there were two unregistered teenagers with superpowers living here."

"A tip from who?" Wanda asked, dropping all pretenses. They were always so careful in school. Maybe they weren't as good as they thought. Or maybe it was….

"The very concerned mother of the woman you've forced yourself on."

Anything Daisy said after that was white noise because… really? Carol called the authorities on them. She called the police and somehow SHIELD found out. And it didn't seem like the kind of SHIELD that Nick was working with. Nick knew about them. Nick wasn't trying to get them to register. He actually approved of them working and living with Clint and Laura. That bad feeling was back and intensifying. Pietro felt the tendrils of panic surging again and all he wanted right now was for these people to be gone and for his parents to be here.

"I don't know what Carol has told you," Wanda started, looking up with green eyes blazing. "But she does not have the whole story. She doesn't even have twelve percent of the story. We will not register with SHIELD. We are not accountable to SHIELD. We are only accountable to the rest of the Avengers."

"Right, because that's what you two are," Mack asked, sarcasm heavy in his tone. "You're heroes? Avengers?"

"We are now," they said in unison once again.

"Well, great!" Daisy snapped. "So why don't you two fine young heroes let us in and we can talk?"

"No, I don't think so."

Daisy flexed one of her gauntlet covered hands. "You really don't want to make this ugly, kid."

Wanda smirked. Her head tilted to the side. "Actually, I think you'll find that it is you who doesn't want to make things ugly, little girl."

Pietro wasn't sure who reacted first but all he knew was that one minute they were standing in the doorway having the most threatening conversation since the one where Bucky found him snuggling with Nyx and then the next found them huddled behind the sofa. He grunted at the stinging pain in his side. Wanda placed a hand there and frowned as it came away wet with blood.

"We really need to work on your dodging abilities, bratishka."

"Still not your little brother," Pietro grumbled. He took a deep breath and concentrated. He could feel the skin started to knit together. It would hold. It would have to because now Daisy and Mack were in the house. Great. Just great.

"Bobbi, we're going to need backup. Surprisingly they didn't want to go in peacefully."

The twins exchanged glances before peering over the edge of the sofa. They were calling for backup? This was going to escalate. Pietro arched an eyebrow. Wanda nodded. He didn't know why he bothered to ask. Of course his sister was already working on getting Clint and the others back there. He just hoped their father made it back in time. And that they didn't bring Bucky into this madness. This was definitely not the SHIELD they encountered in Sokovia. This was not the kind of SHIELD that would show any tolerance to the former Winter Soldier.

The others are on their way back now. We just need to hold on until they get here.

Oh, sure. That'll be super easy. Wanda elbowed him lightly, carefully avoiding the healing wound on his side. Wanda never did appreciate quality sarcasm even over a telepathic conversation.

We also need to get them out of house.

Pietro smirked. Now that, little witch, will be easy.

He sprang up with practiced ease, racing over to the two agents. He placed a hand on each of them and relied more on his speed and gravity to keep the pair moving with him. Though he lack the considerable upper body strength that Clint, Steve, Bucky and even Sam had, Pietro's abilities allowed him to carry objects heavier than him. Bruce tried to explain to him once but Pietro shrugged it off. He still would too. But that didn't mean he wasn't grateful for those abilities. Maybe Strucker wasn't all bad.

They were across the yard and past the barn when Daisy managed to throw out a hand, vibrations shooting from her palm and disrupting the ground under his feet. Pietro grunted as he slammed into the unforgiving ground on his already wounded side. He hissed through the pain, bracing himself for their return attack. The attack that never came as Wanda landed in between them with a defiant look in her eye. Red energy danced across his sister's skin, centering in the palms. He didn't need to see her to know that her eyes were tinged with the same scarlet.

"Why are you attacking us?" Wanda asked, glaring at Daisy. "You're like us."

"I am nothing like you!" Daisy snapped. "You let someone do this to you. You chose to let someone turn you into a monster. I had no choice. My gifts are genetic and my path was chosen for me."

Wanda winced as she felt a pang of guilt in her heart at those words. Pietro felt it to a lesser extent. The perks of being connected to a… whatever Wanda was classified as these days. It wasn't a feeling from her or his sister but rather from the agent in front of them. Pietro let out a low whistle as he and Wanda came to the same conclusion.

"All those people with powers that have been appearing," Wanda said aloud. "They are like you. They didn't choose their paths either. It was chosen for them as well. But by you." Daisy ducked her head and Mack placed a hand on her shoulder. It was a gentle act from the man trying to capture them just a moment ago. Pietro felt justified in not giving a crap. "You dare to come here and attack us when you did this?!"

"If you would just surrender and come in peacefully, we wouldn't have to attack you."

"Well," Pietro said, climbing to his feet. "I guess it's just a battle royale because we're not going anywhere with you. This is our home. This is our family. We're not leaving. Especially not to go anywhere with you people."

"Your family? That's almost adorable. I heard how you two have forced your way into these people's lives. We know what you can do, Ms. Maximoff," Daisy said. "You really expect us to believe that some middle class farm family in rural America suddenly felt compelled to take in twins with superpowers?"

Any response either Pietro or Wanda would've made was cut off by Daisy and Mack both crashing to the ground, writhing in obvious pain. Pietro looked to Wanda who was also confused. Then they both looked up to see Laura approaching. Her hand was held up in front of her and with each twitch of her fingers, the two agents groaned even more.

"So that answers the question as to why you can't sense her," Pietro drawled. Wanda nodded slowly, mouth slightly agape as they watched their adopted mother move closer. Her normally warm brown eyes were a solid black and matched the cold, dark expression on her face. "Mom?"

"Are you two okay?"

"Yes," Wanda assured her. They noticed a minute release of tension in Laura's shoulders but his expression remained the same. Wanda shifted forwards hesitantly. "But if you keep this up, I don't think they will be."

For a heart stopping moment, Pietro really believed that their mother wasn't going to stop. She was going to keep up her psychic attack until they were brain dead. Pietro was trying really hard to feel bad about that. Despite his lack of concern over the pair that attacked him and his sister, Pietro did know that this wasn't Laura. She wouldn't be happy with herself after the fact. So he stepped forward as well, giving her the puppy dog face that he knew he had and used liberally. Gradually, the black faded away as did the pained, choked moans on the ground. She sighed and let her hand fall to her side, turning to face them both somewhat sheepishly.

"So… I have powers!"

"Yeah, no kidding!" Pietro laughed, not even feeling the least bit upset or surprised by this news. Honestly, he always kind of suspected really. The way Laura would know just the right things to say or the right way to touch someone to get them to feel better. This was not a surprise really. Well, it was a surprise that she could use to kick serious ass!

"I don't like using my… gifts like that," Laura scolded, though her lips were twitching. "I mostly prefer to help others. I don't like using them offensively."

"I don't know why. You were….. Mom, look out!"

At Wanda's panicked cry, Pietro's gaze darted down to Daisy who was rising to her feet unsteadily, blood trickling from her nose. But that wasn't what caught his attention. It was the hand that was outstretched and aimed at his mother. Pietro didn't think. He just moved. He could feel the strange energy that the young agent emitted when she used her vibration power. He grabbed Laura and shielded her from the brunt of the blast. It hurt even worse this time. He could feel his body breaking apart. The pain overwhelmed him and he didn't bother trying to fight the darkness that was creeping into his vision. He gave in freely. But before he did, one last thought followed him into the abyss. Wanda was totally right. I really need to work on dodging.

---

Clint was well aware that he was moving at a speed he didn't even know was possible for him. Later, he would marvel at the fact that he was outpacing the super soldiers. But in the moment, Clint couldn't focus on anything other than the open connection he had to Wanda. He could feel her panic, her fear as if it were his own. She was terrified and she was angry. That was never a good match. But it was another presence in his mind that had him moving forward faster. His wife. Laura rarely reached out to him this way. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong. Something was… it was worse than he thought.

Clint burst through the trees lining the far end of his property and felt his heart skip for a moment at the sight lying before him. Two strangers were standing entirely too close to his family. Wanda was between Laura and Pietro. Laura was cradling an unconscious and far too pale Pietro to her chest. The kid wasn't supposed to look like that anymore. Wanda looked like the two strangers were one wrong word away from having their brains melted in their heads. Clint shifted so he was in front of his daughter, wife and son. With practiced ease, he had an arrow notched and aimed at the two strangers. He couldn't hit them both but he wouldn't need to with Wanda on his side. Besides, they were moving lethargically. There was blood in their ears and nose. Yeah, Laura was definitely not a happy camper.

"So I'm going to give you one opportunity to tell me who the hell you are and why I shouldn't kill you for hurting my family."

"She attacked me!" the young woman spat. She leaned heavily into the wall of a man beside her. He hadn't taken a good look when he first arrived. He knew he didn't know the woman. But the man… he knew him all too well.

"What the hell are you doing here, Mack?"

"Barton? This is where you…." Mack trailed off.

His expression shuttered and Clint had the almost excited feeling that the man finally realized they screwed up. That feeling was only solidified as there was now a gun aimed at Mack's head. A gun wielded by a metal arm and the very dangerous man behind it. His partner started to turn in Mack's direction but stopped short when Steve appeared by her side. Clint didn't know where Steve was hiding that or even when he had the time to find the shield he was now wielding, but he wasn't going to deny that he felt better knowing it was around. The young woman took in both the shield and Steve with wide eyes.

"Mack, please tell me that isn't who I think it is."

"I wish I could," Mack replied, sighing heavily. "Stand down, Daisy."

"But," the woman now known as Daisy protested.

"I'd listen to the man," Bucky warned, sounding bored yet dangerous. It was a tone, it seemed, that only former Russian assassin could effect to any successful degree.

Daisy huffed in response, lowering her arms to the side. Clint didn't lower his bow. She started to comment when she suddenly tilted her head to the side, staring at him like she recognized him. But he knew for a fact that he had never seen this girl before.

"I've seen you… in a picture," she murmured. Clint arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, it was definitely you. You were with Coulson and a redhead."

"Where the hell did you see that picture? And how do you know about Phil Coulson?" Clint growled, unconsciously shifting his finger on the draw.

"On the director's desk, of course."

"Director of what?" Bucky snapped.

"SHIELD," Mack answered, looking a mix between apprehensive and grave. He met Clint's gaze steadily however. "We're working with SHIELD."

"SHIELD fell last year," Steve countered. "There is no more SHIELD."

"The helicarrier Fury and Hill used in Sokovia," Clint said, numbly. "He said he had some friends dust it off." Clint clenched his jaw. He thought it was suspect at the time but he was just so grateful for its presence at the time that he didn't overthink it. Especially not after Pietro was shot. But he should've thought about it. Because who else would have a helicarrier just lying around. SHIELD was back. And there was a new person running it. Clint felt his heart stutter for a brief moment. "No, that can't… it can't be but….." he looked at Daisy. "You said you saw my picture on the Director's desk."

"Barton," Mack interrupted.

"Shut up, Mack! I need to know. I deserve to know the truth. Because you and I both know that there is a shortlist of people that Nick Fury would ever trust to be director of SHIELD in his absence. One of them works for Stark and moonlights with the Avengers. The other one is dead… right? Phil is dead… right?"

"Clint, this isn't…. you don't want me to answer that."

But that was all the answer that Clint really needed. His skin felt too tight all of a sudden. There was a buzzing sound in his ears that had nothing to do with his hearing aids and more to do with the overwhelming dread growing with each passing moment. Everything around him was too bright and too loud and too dark and too quiet. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't going to happen. He needed to focus. He couldn't let this drag him down. He needed to focus on his family. The one that didn't leave him… he let out a shaky breath.

"Laura, honey, how's our kid doing?"

"Not good," she called back. "I'm trying my best but I think he's still in pain. And he's shaking too much. It's almost like he's having a seizure. He needs help, Clint."

"Sam?"

"On it. Already on the line with Bruce," Sam replied before resuming his conversation Bruce. Wanda gave up on the standoff happening and was now kneeling by her brother's side. Daisy and Mack went forgotten by everyone but Clint, Steve and Bucky.

Clint shouldered his bow in order to run a hand through his hair. He had no idea what he was supposed to do with them. They attacked his kids and wife. They hurt his son. But Mack was a friend once. Mack was at Clint and Laura's wedding. Besides the longer they stayed, the closer they got to someone looking for them. Clint didn't know if he could take much more tonight. Just as he was opening his mouth to tell Daisy and Mack to leave, a black SUV pulled up on the already tense scene and Clint knew that life wasn't done kicking him while he was down just yet.

Three people scrambled out of the car as soon as it stopped. Two of them had guns already drawn. Clint didn't need to look to know that Bucky was tensing. The metal plates on his arm were shifting as if responding to his internal stress. They needed to shut this down before he snapped. Clint turned to regard the newcomers. He wasn't at all surprised to see Bobbi Morse given Mack's presence on the team. Lance Hunter was a bit of a surprise but he knew that the Brit never really got over his ex-wife like he claimed, so again not that shocking. Then again nothing could be more surprising than the man that was currently ordering them all to stand down.

Phil looked almost the same as he did the last time Clint saw him almost four years ago. Okay, well not exactly the same. The metal hand was new. Apparently metal limbs were in this year. He also looked more world weary. But he had the same warm green eyes and kind patient smile. Clint let out another shaky breath and felt his knees get weak.

"Hello, Clint."

"No," Clint said, his voice choked emotions. "This is not happening." Phil tilted his head with the same fond smile he's been giving Clint since the archer was seventeen. It was so familiar that it hurt. Clint unconsciously rubbed his chest, directly over his heart.

"You work with gods, remarkably well preserved super soldiers from the forties and Tony Stark. You trying to tell me that someone coming back from the dead can't be happening?"

It was such a Phil answer. He didn't need Laura or Wanda or any of the new SHIELD team to confirm it was really him. There wasn't anything in this world that could replicate the unique combination of intelligence, danger, sass and affection that made up Phil Coulson. He was alive. He was actually alive. And the bastard didn't tell Clint for four years!

"Actually," Clint snapped. "The 'this' I was referring to was you thinking it was okay to send agents to my house to attack my family. That's not happening."

"We weren't trying to attack them!" Daisy spoke up, staring plaintively at Phil, who only had eyes for Clint. That was fine because Clint had enough eyes to stare back at Daisy.

"Since you claim you know so much about what Wanda can do, you probably know that she can create an open psychic link between her and whoever she chooses," Clint watched as that realization settled in. "I've been here since the beginning. I know everything that happened back at the house and out here."

"We weren't trying to attack them much," Daisy conceded with a sheepish shrug that would've been endearing if it wasn't his wife and kids that she attacked just a few minutes ago.

"It was an honest mistake, Clint," Phil tried to intervene. Like Clint was any more receptive to listening to what he had to say. "SHIELD learned that the Sokovian twins were in the United States and we've been trying to track them down. It wasn't until we get Carol's tip that we were able to pinpoint them. I should've realized they were with you. Disappearing is a Barton family specialty.

"Oh, so dying, returning from the grave and essentially abandoning the man you practically raised must be a Coulson family trait. I'm so glad Clint never learned that life lesson while he was living with you," Laura chimed in.

Clint glanced in her direction, trusting that Steve and Bucky would watch his back. Laura's eyes were black as she tried to ease the still unconscious Pietro's pain. The fact that he was still down, pale and trembling, show just how hurt he was. He looked back to Coulson who was now standing slightly in front of Daisy. Oh, no wonder he never came back for Clint. Phil already replaced him. Clint could tell that Daisy was just damaged enough to be a beacon for Coulson and his savior of the broken and alone mentality. Phil didn't come back for Clint because he found someone new. He found someone else to try and fix.

"Clint?"

"No," Clint retorted, meeting Phil's gaze. "Just shut up and get out. There is absolutely nothing you have to say that I want to hear. Just get out."

"But the twins…." Bobbi protested. She took a step back at the glare Clint, Laura, Bucky and Steve threw in her direction. Sam was most likely giving a disapproving look from somewhere in the background.

"The twins are not your concern, ma'am. SHIELD has no jurisdiction over any of the Avengers and they are both Avengers," Steve said, putting his shield down by his side. Bucky didn't lower his gun or lose that dangerous glint in his eye. Clint felt a little better. "Not to mention, if you try and detain either one of them, you'll have a hell of a legal battle on your hands. They're both citizens of the United States."

"What?"

Clint smirked. "Courtesy of Tony Stark. Remember him?"

"I don't understand."

"For their eighteenth birthdays last month, Tony expedited the formal and completely legal adoption of one Wanda Maximoff-Barton and Pietro Maximoff-Barton. He doesn't really understand how to not to go big. So bottom line is that they are my children. They are Laura's children. We weren't mind control, compelled or any other stupid word you can think of. They're ours."

"And they're official Avengers," Steve added. "They got codenames and everything."

"So that means you leave," Bucky growled, patience clearly at its limit. Clint foresaw a lot of snuggling with Nyx in Bucky's future.

"Honestly, you might want to leave before the rest of the Avengers get here," Sam said, joining the conversation. He slipped his phone in his back pocket. "Because if you think Barton being pissed is bad, I don't even want to know how you're going to feel when you're facing off against Romanoff and Stark. I don't think they're going to take the whole you were dead and now you're not thing too well. Not to mention, the whole your new team attacked and severely injured our teenage teammate."

Phil let out a quiet sigh, still looking at Clint. His eyes begging him to just listen and forgive. "I… I'll come back later. We can talk….."

"Don't," Clint choked out, forcing himself to look into Phil's eyes. "Don't come back. Don't try to talk to me. Just don't. Leave and don't come back."

Phil nodded slowly, turning on his heel to do just that. A confused Daisy and Hunter following after him. Bobbi and Mack both looked like they wanted to say something more. But logic, and Bucky's gun, convinced them that moving along would be the best move for all. The whole group turned collectively once they reached the car but Laura's black eyed stare combined with Bucky's… well everything, had them in the SUV and peeling off the property within five minutes. Clint bit on his lip to stop himself for beginning Phil to come back.

He didn't know how long he stood there staring at the headlights as they moved further and further away from the property, he just knew it was too damn long. He had one injured kid, a pissed off wife and daughter, and three no doubt freaked out little ones that he needed to deal with. He didn't have time to be upset about Phil's resurrection and the lack of Clint knowing. He didn't have time to be happy yet completely heart broken. He needed… he needed...

"It's okay," a voice assured him as he felt his knees buckle. An arm locked around his waist and kept him from hitting the ground. His brow wrinkled as he was pretty sure that Sam, Bucky and Steve were still standing in the same place. So then who was standing next to him? He turned his head and blinked.

"Tony?"

"Jeez, I don't see you in a few weeks and you suddenly forget your favorite Avenger. I'm hurt, Hawk."

"Why is Tony Clint's favorite?" Steve grumbled.

"When did you get here?"

"Ten minutes ago. Long enough for me to call your name a few times, ditch the suit and wait for you to come out of your catatonic state. Full disclosure, I was about a minute away from shocking you."

"I thought you were in New York."

Tony grinned. "About that…." He glanced behind him as a louder than normal whoosh of air signaled the arrival of Thor, Vision and the Avenger's personal jet. Clint could only watch in numb fascination as the doors opened and a disheveled Natasha, Rhodes, Helen and Bruce stepped out. Natasha's hair looked like it went through a hurricane. Rhodes and Bruce were both looking a little green in equally disturbing ways. Helen gave up pretenses of trying to look presentable and was currently bent over the wing of the plane, coughing up lunch and dinner.

"How did you get here so fast?"

"We were already on our way," Natasha answered. "What can I say? We missed you. When Sam called, Thor created a wind tunnel and here we are."

"Oh, okay," Clint answered, absently.

He was dimly aware of Bruce and Helen moving to Pietro's side. Good, he was taken care of. He heard Laura say she was going to check on Nate, Lila and Cooper. Wanda was still sitting with Pietro who was being examined by Bruce and Helen. They were hooking him up to some kind of machine. He would be okay. They would fix him. And Clint wouldn't have to lose any more family. Except he didn't really lose any family, now did he? Everything he's believed for the past few years has been a lie. He's tortured himself with guilt and regret for damn near four years. Phil let him suffer because Phil knew Clint would torture himself. He knew and let Clint believe he was dead anyway.

"What happened?" Natasha's voice cut through his thoughts. Clint blinked again not realizing that he was now on the ground with Natasha's arms around him. The question, however, was not directed at Clint but rather to the concerned looking Steve and Bucky hovering around them. Steve sighed.

"It was SHIELD. They came here to 'apprehend' the twins."

"But SHIELD is gone," Natasha protested. Her breath caught as she looked between her broken partner and the too understanding Steve. She rested her head against Clint's. "Phil is alive? Phil is alive. Phil is alive and he never told us. Fury either. Oh, those bastards."

"Language, Natalia," Bucky murmured, earning a startled laugh from Clint and a halfhearted glare from Steve. The attempt pulled a more genuine laugh from the archer. Bucky kneeled in front of him. "You with us?"

"Yeah," Clint sighed, running a hand through his hair. He pulled away from Natasha slightly, knowing she needed the comfort too. "Bruce, tell me kid is okay and I don't have to hate Phil for anything other than him being a lying liar that lies."

Bruce's amused snicker gave him all the answer he needed. Pietro would be fine. Still, Laura would kick his ass six ways from Sunday if he didn't get the whole rundown. So he sat up and turned to face the twins. Pietro was awake now, albeit very groggily, and leaning heavily into Wanda's side. Helen was coaxing him into eating what looked like a protein bar.

"It seems this enhanced agent that SHIELD is employing can control and produce vibrations," Bruce reported, plopping down on the ground with the rest of the team. "Unfortunately when Pietro sped over to protect Laura, the agent caught him with a blast of that vibration power. It was unfortunate timing and it resulted in what you saw."

"What did we see?" Steve asked. "He looked like he was in pain."

"He was. Essentially when he's speeding, his body is unstable. It's what makes him so fast. So when you hit a vibrating and unstable object with vibrations…."

"You get a not so great situation," Clint finished, still watching the twins. Pietro caught his gaze and winked. Cheeky little bastard. Laura returned a few minutes later. She didn't hesitate to nudge the twins apart and take her place between them. "How are the kids?"

"Confused. Cooper is a little agitated but they're okay. Lila managed to corral all three of the kittens into the room with them. They're all fine. Nyx was all cuddled up with her brother and sister when I left, so relax, Bucky." The former assassin flushed but couldn't stop the smile on his lips. Clint relaxed a little more. "Copper said Wanda was protecting them the whole time."

Wanda flushed. "I threw up a shield around the room as soon as I opened the line of communication between you and me. That's why I wasn't as vigilant as I normally am. But I was just trying to keep the children safe."

"You were great, sweetheart," Laura assured her, pressing a kiss against her forehead first and then Pietro. "You saved my life. you almost got hurt saving me. You're making this a very disturbing habit, kiddo." Pietro smiled weakly against her shoulder. Laura feigned a smile of her own but Clint could see that she was distracted. Distracted and angry. "We're not safe here anymore."

"I know," Clint agreed.

"I couldn't even sense her," Laura continued. "I can sense anyone coming here but I couldn't sense her. We're lucky it was SHIELD. What if it's someone else my mother sends here because she thinks she's trying to protect me. She just needs to come out and admit that she's prejudiced against people with powers."

"She likes you," Natasha countered. Laura rolled her eyes.

"She wants to control me. But this was the final straw. We're not safe here anymore. We're not safe as long as they know where we live."

"I could always erase that knowledge from her mind," Wanda suggested hesitantly. Laura looked like she was enjoying that idea a little too much. Clint arched an eyebrow.

"Honey, even if you did think letting our daughter mindwipe your mother was a good idea, which is it isn't, the fact is that she still called the police and that's how SHIELD intercepted the call. That means that the locals know about the twins. So our cover here is blown anyway."

"Oh, right," Laura muttered in disappointment. Damn, he loved that woman. "So what now? Do we try and find some other secluded farm in the middle of nowhere?"

"Actually," Tony started, fiddling idly with the hem of his t-shirt. "That's part of what we came here to talk about."

"Yeah, you were already coming here. What's going on?"

"Ah, the short story is that the government seized control of Stark Tower and most of Stark Industries using some ancient loophole that my father was too drunk to notice. Pepper had to break up with me to maintain control over Stark Industries and insure that all of our employees remain well… employed. And Rhodey quit the government."

Clint was glad that he wasn't the only one gaping in muted disbelief. "And I thought our day was going pretty bad."

"Yeah, it's been pretty crappy," Tony admitted with only the barest of sarcasm. Pretty crappy didn't begin to cover it apparently.

"So that means the Tower is out for all of us," Steve muttered, glancing at Bucky out the corner of his eye. "I guess we're all homeless now."

"Not exactly. Like the man said, that's part of the reason why he's here," Natasha smiled. "The military used a loophole to seize properties belonging to Howard Stark because he was a contractor. However, they have no control over any assets belonging to Maria Cerrera."

"Also known as the woman who would marry my lout of a father and contribute to me!" Tony chimed in. "Our fine government is hoping that by seizing my properties and isolating me from the things I've grown accustomed to in life that they can force me to sign up and be the poster child for their Superhero Registration Act."

"They clearly don't know you," Steve mused. Tony gave him a look that flickered quickly towards Bucky and then back to the captain.

"No, they don't know me at all," Tony finally said, with a small smile. "So with that in mind, I propose that we regroup. Stop living scattered all across the world and be a united force. A wise Popsicle once said that we're better together. He's not entirely wrong. I say it's time for us to stop being a team in name only. We stand together."

"Not that I'm questioning you nor am I lacking sufficient motivation," Clint started with a smirk. "But you do remember that I have a wife and kids, right? As much as I love being an Avenger, they come first."

"Oh, little Hawk, one day you'll learn not to doubt my genius. I have the perfect place for us to live. I didn't think we'd be moving in so soon but no time like the present, right?" Tony paused, letting them all wait in anticipation. "My mother was well aware of my father's flaws in his later years. She foresaw that one day we might need a place to get away. Obviously they both died before that needed to be a plan but the mansion remained. And it's mine now. And it's in her name so the government and their military thugs can't touch it."

"You want us to live with you in your old family mansion?" Sam asked. He glanced at the silent Bucky. "All of us?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't want you to live with me in my old family mansion," Tony retorted with no heat behind the words. "All of you. Yes, that means you too, Barnes." Bucky looked up in surprise. "Yeah, I know about the whole HYDRA killed my parents thing. It was yet another one of their tactics to get me to turn against the team. They told me the truth about my parents' deaths and that it wasn't an accident. That it was the Winter Soldier. But, like the Popsicle said, they don't know me. As far as I'm concerned, it was HYDRA and not the Winter Soldier that killed my parents. It wasn't you, James Barnes. I can live with that. Can you?"

"Uh, yeah, I think that I can try to.. yeah, I can," Bucky stuttered, flushing an adorable red. He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, shifting closer to Steve unconsciously.

"Anymore questions from the Frozen boys?" Tony asked, also faintly amused by Bucky.

"Yeah, uh, what's your policy on cats?"

Clint couldn't help the laugh that burst out at Bucky's sheepish question. Soon they were all laughing. After the emotional evening he just had, the laughter felt good. He looked back at the house in the distance. It had been his home for the past ten years. It was where he could go to escape the stress of working with SHIELD. But if he learned anything from this night, he didn't work for SHIELD. He was an Avenger. SHIELD wanted him to distance himself from the world. He now wondered how much of that was HYDRA and how much as SHIELD. But it didn't really matter. Whereas his family was a carefully guarded secret with SHIELD, it was out in the open with the Avengers. SHIELD was a place he worked. The Avengers… were his family. They were as much his family as Laura, the twins, Cooper, Lila and Nate. He smiled.

"So the Avengers mansion, huh?" he asked, leaning his weight back on his elbows. "I kind of like the sound of that."

"Me too," the others murmured in agreement. Tony practically beamed.

"What say you, family?" Clint turned to his wife and kids.

"You already know Lila and Cooper are down for anything, especially living in a mansion. It'll take some time but I'll adjust to living in a city again. I'm okay with this. What about you two?"

"I go wherever you all go," Wanda answered, not bothering to lift her head from Laura's shoulder. She looked exhausted. "Pietro?"

The speedster sighed heavily, still chewing on the protein bars Helen was supplying him with. "Well, the love of my life is gone. Might as well move. There's nothing left for me here anyway."

Clint rolled his eyes. "You're such a teenager!"

"Isn't that what you wanted for us?" Pietro countered with just enough innocence and hurt in his voice to almost make it believable. Almost. The kid smirked.

"So it's settled. The team is back together," Steve announced grinning at their family antics. "So Avengers Mansion it is."

Clint nodded along with the rest of them. It was decided. They were moving on to the start of something new.

"Seriously though, how many animals are we talking about here?"

---

*The end for now. Yes, Laura has powers. Yes, I've been kind of hinting towards it this entire time. Because I've got plans for Laura and her powers that will extend past this story and into the future. But before I start talking about that let me just say…. OMG, this chapter wouldn't let me end it! I tried but I know it's been so long since I last updated that I didn't want to drag it out and not leave in on a cliffhanger or anything. So here, you get the never-ending chapter. I hope you enjoyed. There maybe a few more chapters but this particular volume to this particular series is slowly winding down. I have plans for the future, so expect to see more from the Because 'verse. But for now…. I feel like next chapter may be the last. I hope you enjoyed this one. Ciao for now.

**10/21: Hi all! I apologize for any typos and crazy sentence structure you all may have seen prior to this note being written (and afterwards too, hey, I'm human!). I was rushing to put this up when I was both exhausted and pissed! So I've gone through and made some changes, cleaned some stuff up. But the biggest add that I needed to make was a shout out to TheNaggingCube for being the one that helped me make the final decision to give Laura powers. I was on the fence about it for the longest but that review helped me to make up my mind. So thanks! And thanks to all of you for the lovely reviews thus far. You're all amazing and I adore each and every single one of you!