So so sorry about the delay my computer was in the shop! But all is fixed and i am two hundred dollars shorter! Ugh, I'd never had to take my compter in before, I didn't know they were going to charge me so much! Oh well, anyway, thatnks so much for all of the reviews, favs and follows, this is the second clint and natasha chapter. enjoy!

The next morning Natasha awoke to find Clint asleep with his face turned towards her. She smiled and stretched out, eventually sliding out from under the covers and heading to the kitchen. She was the first one up, even Steve hadn't left for his morning jog yet and looking out she thought he might not get a chance. Rain was coming.

She made herself coffee and sat at the kitchen table, thinking to herself. It was nice to be alone. She liked waking up before everyone else. She sat quietly, staring out the window. She felt as though she had accomplished something. Clint didn't seem scared of her and in some way seemed more willing to get close to her than he was with either Steve or Thor. It created a warm feeling in her chest.

In the early hours she sat and watched the sky darken. The first clap of thunder started a downpour. She sat at the table watching it, content.

A yawn in the hallway distracted her form her thoughts. Steve was up. "Morning." He said thickly.

She eyed him quietly. "Morning."

He poured himself some coffee. "No run for me, it looks like."

"You could use the gym."

He shrugged in acknowledgment. "Not really the same though. I don't like running in place."

She smiled to herself. "What are you going to do with your morning then?"

Steve took a seat. "Dunno. Maybe I will hit the gym. Punch a few bags. You wanna come?"

She drained her coffee. "Sure."

After a quick change she met him down in the tower's gym. Steve was already there warming up. She watched him for a moment, amused by his energy level.

With a quick laugh she climbed onto the sparing mats. "C'mon Cap." She winked at him. "I'll go easy."

He grinned. "Oh good, I don't know if I could take you first thing in the morning.."

They went a few rounds, kicking, punching, blocking. Neither put a huge amount of effort in, it was just a way to warm up for the day. Natasha watched Steve closely, she wanted to talk about Clint but was nervous about bringing the subject up. Finally when they finished and were sitting down Steve brought it up himself.

"Would you mind watching Clint today? I've got to be on the Helecarier again."

She paused. "Alright."

"It's okay if you don't. We could find a babysitter or something. I'm sure the Fantastic Four would be up for it. Reed's got two kids himself. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"No, it's fine. I want to."

He looked surprised. "You do?"

She took a seat on the bench next to him. "Yes, it wouldn't bother me."

"Well that's a relief. Thor has to go home for a few days so he couldn't stay and Tony and Bruce are busy. I didn't know who was going to be able to watch him. Thanks."

She smiled, a wave of apprehension washing over her. She wasn't sure she'd be able to forge an emotional connection with Clint while he was awake. It was one thing for him to want to be close to her right after he'd had a nightmare but another when she could offer him nothing.

She sat by herself for a moment, waving Steve bye as he went to take a quick shower. It was frustrating. In combat she never doubted herself, in espionage, she never had to but now, on a rainy weekend when the most she was faced with was a scrawny five year old she was questioning every move she made.

She returned to the upstairs kitchen to find everyone preparing to leave. Clint had already left to go and get dressed. "If you need anything," Steve said. "I got a phone. Call me."

She nodded but felt that she wouldn't. "Thank you."

"Know what you're going to do today?" Tony asked, fixing his tie for a board meeting.

Natasha thought for a moment. "I thought maybe I'd take him to the park, if the weather clears up that is."

"Sounds fun. Pity I gotta be in a meeting all day."

She smiled teasingly. "I think it'll do you some good."

He shrugged as though he thought not and headed out the door.

"Well, take care." Steve said, hurrying after.

Natasha waited for Clint to return from getting dressed. She had nothing to do and with the weather as it was, it looked as though her options were severely limited.

Clint returned to the kitchen bright eyed. She gave him a smile that made him flush and when he wasn't looking she grinned knowingly. "What do you want to do today, kiddo?" She asked. "I'm all yours all day."

He eyed her nervously. "Maybe we could watch a movie?"

"Sure."

She lead the way into the living room and JARVIS surprised them with Lady and the Tramp which neither had seen before and which Natasha secretly found very enjoyable. She sat next to Clint on the couch, half watching the movie and half watching him. It was her first time really being alone with him since the accident and she found herself measuring her every move, almost as though she were in combat. Silly, She thought, that she should be so nervous. He was just a little boy. Yet still, she wanted him to like her and she wanted it to be genuine and more than anything she wanted to be genuine with him.

Clint she saw early on kept sneaking glances at her and she had to time her own between his. He kept checking to see if she was enjoying herself and apparently just to make sure she was still there. He blushed every time she caught him looking.

When the movie ended she uncurled her legs from under her and stretched. He stretched too, making a little noise as he did no. She smiled again. "Good movie?" She asked.

He nodded. "I never saw that one before."

"Me neither." Looking out the window the rain had still not abated. Natasha popped her back. "How about we play a game?" She asked, trying to be fun.

Clint looked up at her. "Like what?"

"Do you have any puzzles or board games?"

He bounced with excitement and she guessed that not many adults had ever bothered to play games with him. "I'll go get them!"

They spent the next few hours playing different board games and building puzzles. He was enthusiastic about the 3D puzzles but not very good at them and Natasha did most of the work putting together a standing castle.

"This is really cool!" Clint said excitedly as he tried to mash together two foam pieces that didn't fit. She let him try his luck for a second before giving him a handful of pieces she knew would work.

"It certainly is."

Clint blushed and smiled at her, cheeks red.

He's got it bad. She thought, smiling bemusedly. The boy had a raging, completely obvious crush on her. It was charming, really. She smiled at him. "How about lunch now?"

Clint set his puzzle pieces down and followed her into the kitchen. This wasn't so difficult, she though. The fact that the boy had a crush on her was a big plus, he actively wanted to be near her now. She made him some canned spaghettio's and herself some fruit and yogurt. He watched her eat for a moment, waiting for his food to cool. "Can I call you Natasha?" He asked shyly.

"Of coarse. I want you to. It would mean we're friends."

He smiled. "Really?"

"Yes, I think so. You do want to be friends, don't you?"

He nodded enthusiastically.

"Then we are friends."

He ate for a minute before looking back up and when he did his face was very serious. "Thanks for staying." He sounded ashamed.

She sobered, knowing he was talking about the previous night. "You're welcome." She made her voice soft and gentle, backed by the rain and the the wind. "You can always come and find me, if you have another nightmare."

He looked down at his bowl. "Barney always stays with me when I'm scared. Or when I make dad really angry. He doesn't even call me a cry baby. Dad does though."

"I won't either then. And I don't think you're a baby. He sounds like a very good brother."

Clint nodded seriously. "Yeah, Barney is super cool. He knows how to do all kinds of neat stuff like skip rocks and he showed me how if you leave a penny on the train tracks the train will go over it and then it'll be flat! We did it one time and it was really cool."

She smiled. "I had many brothers as a girl and they all taught me many things."

"Did they teach you how to skip rocks?"

She smiled, not sadly but not happily, because she had had brothers and many of them had died and under different circumstances, many of them might have been clean, healthy, happy boys with happy, loving families. She smiled because she had come close to loving them and it was a bitter memory that she held in her heart. "No, they didn't teach me to skip stones but they taught me to light a fire with flint and with sticks and to tell when it was going to rain. They taught me what was safe to eat in the wild and what would leave me dead by morning. They taught me how to go from place to place unseen. But I don't think anyone ever taught them to skip rocks. They may not have known at all."

"Maybe they didn't have a brother to teach them." He said.

She knew he didn't understand but she still smiled. "Perhaps not."

"Do you know how to skip rocks?"

"I've never tried." She said.

He smiled delightedly. "Then I can teach you!"

She laughed. "I look forward to it." Seeing that talking about his brother made him happy she asked him several more questions.

"And Barney let me have his old GI Joe cause he said he was too big for it. I named it Bob. He said that was dumb 'cause GI Joes already have a name but I figure they can't all be named Joe so I named him Bob. Also, Bob only has one arm, 'cause he lost it in the war." He leaned in seriously and she copied him, playing along. "He didn't really lose his arm in the war, the neighbor's dog tore it off when Barney left him outside. But he tells everyone he lost it in the war to sound tough."

She bit back laughter and instead nodded seriously. "Well I won't tell anyone."

"Okay, cause it's a secret."

Smiling to herself, she cleared the table. She could see the adult Clint in the child. He had his energy and his personality, maybe just a little bit more naive. Clint was now talking about the neighbor's dog which he said he played with when it got out.

They moved back to the living room and finished the puzzle, talking about Steve and Tony. Clint liked her stories about them. He said he had a few Captain America comics and wondered if Steve would like them.

Natasha laughed but didn't answer. She knew Steve found them silly. They finished the puzzle and Clint disappeared to go and play in his room for a while and Natasha retired to the kitchen to sit and read.

But she couldn't focus on the words. She was overcome by a warmth in her heart. She was doing a good job of watching Clint and what was more, the longer she sat with him the easier it got. He liked her and more than anything else, she liked him. Making him food, playing with him, it was coming naturally, not forced as she had expected.

It made her happy. For so long she had feared that she would be unable to handle a child. She couldn't have them herself and somehow, the idea of caring for one had become a foreign notion in her life. Yet here she was, playing games and watching movies with a little boy. A little boy she had been able to comfort out of a nightmare and who thought of her as kind and gentle. It was good to be that in someone's eyes. She would offer to watch him more now that she knew for sure she could do it.

As she sat and made herself coffee, she felt normal. Something that she seldom even thought about and which made her laugh because there was absolutely nothing normal about the situation. Still, in the moment, she knew she was capable of this and it was freeing to know.

Listening carefully she could hear Clint down the hall playing in his room, entertaining himself as children do. She smiled quietly.

After a little while he came to find her and sat in the arm chair next to the couch. It was still raining hard outside and any plans of taking him to the park had been crushed. "He swung his legs and sat quietly, glancing at her every now and then. Finally he spoke up. "I think you're really pretty." He said shyly.

She looked up from her reading and smiled at him. "I think you're very good looking too."

He perked up. "Really? Cause I thought you were really pretty the first time I saw you." He beamed at her. "I like your red hair."

"Oh you do, do you?"

"Uh-huh! Barney has red hair too. He says red hair means you're smart."

"Well, I have to agree with him."

Clint crossed his legs in the chair. "How come the calendars are wrong?"

She froze. There was nothing suspicious in his tone, he simply looked curious. "They're a joke item. Tony thought it would be funny to confuse Steve."

"Did it work?"

She smiled gently but inside cursed herself and the others for not thinking to change the calendars. "For a few days. Then Steve realized it was a prank."

"That's pretty funny. Did he change the paper too?"

Again, he caught her off guard. "Do you read the paper?" She asked.

He nodded. "Oh yeah! I like reading Superman in the funny pages. And Denis and Nancy too." I couldn't find Superman the other day. I even looked through the whole paper. You know, I think it must have been a joke cause there was all this weird stuff in it they got wrong. Like who the president is. Did Tony make it as a joke too?"

She composed herself, outwardly showing nothing but humor. "I think he must have. Tony likes to pull pranks. I guess he got you."

Clint smiled. "Haha. I like Tony, he's funny."

"Yes, he thinks he is."

It was a quick save, she thought. They would have to be more careful. She wondered briefly if they would do better to just explain the situation to Clint but refrained from doing so. The others were staunchly against it. They were convinced the truth would upset him and would just cause more problems.

Clint prattled on about the different comic strips he liked and how he liked the Sunday pages best because they were in color. She half listened, thinking about how she was going to tell the rest of the team this snag.

After a while he quieted down and sat sprawled out the chair, swinging his legs. "Cooped up?" She asked.

He looked up at her and shrugged.

She looked out at the sky and then back at him. The rain was still going but it had let up a little and there was no more thunder or lighting. "Would you like to go and splash in the puddles?" She asked.

He looked up, breaking his board expression. "Yeah!"

"Then lets hurry before the storm starts again." She grabbed her rain coat and lead him outside to the wet street, opening an umbrella over her head. Clint ran ahead, jumping in puddles as they made their way to the park. She held a few feet back so he wouldn't splash her her. It was nice to see him this energetic. She wondered if he had spent too much time cooped up inside.

Once at the park she turned him loose to play on the playground and splash in all the puddles he could find. She had brought a book to read but spent most of her time watching him play. They were the only two people there. It was an isolated feeling but a rather enjoyable one. They had the whole park to themselves.

Clint splashed around for a while becoming very muddy. He played on the swings and slides and eventually splashed his way over to her, hair plastered to his face with water. He landed in a big puddle next to he bench and sent muddy water flying all over her. She only just raised her book in time to avoid the onslaught.

He froze, wide eyed. "I-I'm sorry!" He cried.

She watched him. He was afraid. She could see it in his eyes. Carefully she knelt down to his height and touched his cheek. "It's okay. It's only a bit of mud. See?" She scooped up a handful of muddy water and splashed it on both of them. He relaxed and gave a small laugh. She smiled. "Only a bit of mud." He finally lost the terrified look in his eyes and exhaled.

She sighed inwardly, glad she had been able to defuse the situation. She patted the seat next to her and he cam and sat down.

"I thought you were gonna be really mad." He said, quietly.

She shifted her weight and crossed her legs, taking in his muddy feet and clothes. "I only get mad at reasonable things. A bit of mud isn't going to hurt me."

"Mom got real mad one time when I splashed her laundry. I was playing in the back yard and some mud hit the clothes line." He looked out over the soggy park. "I thought you were gonna get real mad too."

She reached out a hand and brushed water out of his face. He held still but didn't flinch. "Did she hurt you?"

"No. but she told dad and he got mad too."

"I see."

She wanted to tell him his parents were dead. It would have ended much of his fear but she didn't. She didn't know how he would take it. Instead she stayed quiet and simply sat next too him.

After a while Clint seemed to come out of his brooding and returned to playing around. Natasha sat deep in thought, thinking hard about herself and about him and about many other things, glad she had found a part of herself.

When they finally returned home she told him to go and take a bath and then just for comfort took one herself. At the end of the day, several of the Avengers returned home. Tony was worn and irritated looking from a long day of board meetings, Steve looked exasperated and Bruce just sighed and mumbled about no progress.

Hope you all like!

something big happens next chapter!