Little Winged One
By Raveneyestar
Disclaimer: I own nothing! It all belongs to Marvel and Disney(when mentioned)
I only own Akilina (Lina) Barton
Chapter 7
It's easy to watch those you love leave. It's harder knowing there's a chance that they won't come home again. There was two years without an incident, and Lina had just turned Six. Lina sat on the Avengers Roof late one night waiting. Last week not only her parents but all Avengers(and Loki) were given a mission. Pepper had a conference to go to. Jane had some sciencey thing to do. That left Akilina Aleta Barton with Darcy, who was currently engaged to Steve and to be married in three weeks with Lina as the flower girl. Not to mention that Thor and Jane had gotten married, Jane had adopted a boy three months older than Lina as Thor wasn't sure if her Mortal body could support an Asguardian child. But Jane was expecting, and was three months pregnant.
Lina stared at the sky, it was clear tonight and she was hoping to catch a thunderstorm... but not just any thunderstorm. The thunderstorm. The one that would bring back Thor, Steve, and her Dad. When eight turned to ten she was tired, and Darcy had found her. Lina was coaxed into the living room of the pent house, before she managed to crash on a couch.
Lina was up the next morning at the crack of dawn, Darcy wasn't up yet, so Lina went looking to see if they were home yet. She didn't see Tyler, Jane and Thor's adopted son... who Lina could have sworn looked more like the guy that her Daddy and Mommy called: Coulson, and they had a picture of them together with the man. But she could have sworn that Tyler looked like that man. She shook the thought from her head as she wander off towards Thor's floor.
She found, in Thor's floor, the Avengers crashed out on the couches and floor. She ran quietly over to her Daddy and jumped on him, forcing an 'oof' out of him and the Avengers sitting up looking around for the danger. Lina was giggling at her accomplishment, which caused Clint to tickle the laughing six year old. Of course this instigated Tony trying to rescue the six year old and there was a pillow/tickle fight which ensued. Of course Natasha won only because Thor wasn't paying attention and she hit him with a pillow while everyone else had given up as they were laughing too hard.
Lina ended up jumping onto Natasha, who hugged her tightly. "Mommy, you and Daddy don't have to go again right?" Lina whispered. Most of the others were busy talking or heading up to the Pent House for Breakfast.
Natasha pulled away and cupped her daughter's face in her hands and said seriously, "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
"What happens if ..." Lina asked but her voice trailed off. She was six years old. Her parents were master assassins. Her parents go around the world on missions that they could possibly not return.
"I promise. No matter what I will come home. Okay?" Natasha said. It was just Lina and her in Thor's apartment now. Clint had gone with the others up to the pent house.
"Promise?" Lina asked and Natasha found herself looking into those stormy grey-blue eyes.
"Always." Natasha smiled at her daughter who smiled back.
They went upstairs to the Pent House, where everyone else was either cooking, eating, or in Thor's case trying to build a house out of Pancakes and Whipped Cream with Tyler sitting next to him.
Every year the day after Lina's birthday Clint and Natasha would write another letter to Lina... one that in case they died the Avengers could give her something of them. Something that explains why they kept going on missions even though there was a chance that they wouldn't come home. Lina had seven so far. One was the day that she was brought home both Natasha and Clint wrote a letter each to her. Then each birthday. The other Avengers only have one, as they assume that it would be about the same each time they left and every time Clint reminded only Steve of the letters. He reminded Steve that if Natasha and him were KIA, Steve was to give the letters to their respective people.
Clint knew that Steve knew Lina would have a small pack of letters from each parent. Clint hated how he had to leave his daughter behind and know there was a chance of her growing up with her Mommy and Daddy. He hated the fact that if one of their enemies found out about Lina he could lose her. He honestly loved Lina as much as he loved Natasha, maybe a tad more. But he loved Natasha more than himself sometimes. He knew it was dangerous when they were working together. He knew he would risk anything to save her.
He had made Natasha a Promise after Lina was born. It was a Mutual Promise one that only applied if they were working together in a partner mission. He had promised that if Natasha was in danger, and there was a chance he end up dead by saving her... he would turn around, leave her behind and return to Lina. If he got into a position where if Natasha had to save him but there was no way that at least one of them would get out alive, Natasha had promised to turn around and leave him behind. She promised that even if he was begging her to stay she would leave. He had promised if she was begging him to stay he too would leave if he knew that they would both die if he tried to get her out.
That was the promise they shared. And two months after Natasha had promised Lina she would come home no matter Clint found himself with an exit... and Natasha without one. They had been ambushed, he had heard her distress and followed her in. He had remained closer to the door while she was already towards the back of the room with no way out. He caught of glimpse of her snapping a guy's neck as he managed to knock one out. "Clint..." He heard her through the communicator.
"I'm not leaving." He snapped as he took out three more of the goons. He saw Natasha have enough time to look his way before having to duck from a potential knock out blow.
"Barton, get out of here." He heard her snap at him. He knew the tone she was using with him. One she used when things were really bad, and she wasn't sure if they were going to get out. He shook the though from his head as he hit another guy square in the face.