Next chapter, things are getting close to the finish! Only four more chapters! (22) in all. Thanks so much to ozhawk for pointing out that Penguins only live in the south pole and to everyone else for reviewing, love you guys!

They discussed how they were going to talk Clint into returning to an adult that night after Hank Pym had left.

"I think we should be outright about it." Steve said. He'll remember when he's back to normal and there's no sense in lying."

"What if he doesn't agree?" Tony said.

"Well, hopefully that won't happen."

Tony frowned, sitting back. "Even if he doesn't agree we'll have to turn him back."

Barney nodded. "I agree. I think that even though it'll be difficult for him to understand as an adult he'll appreciate it."

Natasha left the room to go and get Clint. He came in looking wary but curious. She pulled him onto her lap, the first time she had done such a thing.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Clint, remember how we told you you're supposed to be an adult?" Steve asked. Clint nodded. "Well in a few days you're going to turn back."

The boy's eyebrows came together. "I'm gonna be a grown up?"

"Yeah. You're gonna be a grown up."

"I don't. . . I don't understand. Am I gonna be the same?"

"You'll be the same. Just bigger."

Clint bit his lip.

"It's okay. You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you." Barney said, leaning forward.

Clint nodded. "I'm supposed be a grown up aren't I?"

"Yes, you are" Natasha said, putting her arms around him.

"You're a good guy as a grown up." Steve added.

"And a lot of people need your help." Tony added quietly.

"Okay. When am I gonna turn back?"

"Well, in a day or two. How about we have a party when the day comes. Cake and ice cream."

Steve smiled. "I think that would be a great idea."

Clint nodded, resting his head on Natasha's shoulder. He was afraid. On some basic level he knew it was the right thing but it didn't make him any less afraid.

Natasha ran a hand over the back of his head, fingers combing through his hair. She knew he was afraid but she also knew that restoring him to his proper age was the only option. She admired his courage.

Steve smiled kindly and even Tony and Bruce were affectionate.

"You know, Thor should be getting in tonight. Wanna stay up and wait for him?" Steve offered.

Clint bit his lip and smiled. "Yeah!"

"Great, how about no bed time tonight?"

"Oh good, I've been worried I was sleeping too much anyway." Tony said.

Ignoring him Steve lead the way into the living room where JARVIS put on 101 Dalmatians for Clint's amusement. Natasha relaxed onto the couch, holding Clint's hand and he sat between her and Steve.

"This is good." Steve said after a while.

Clint grinned. "Yeah!"

Barney, who was sitting on the other side of Natasha smiled warmly, feeling his time was ending. When Clint returned to normal there would be no need for him to stay and he would go. He almost didn't want his brother returned to normal. It was a selfish wish and his mind tried to reason it out. He tried to believe that it was because this was a second chance for his brother to have a childhood, he tried to believe that it was purely selfless but it wasn't. The truth was that he enjoyed being a big brother again, especially being a big brother whom Clint loved unconditionally and who didn't have years of differences and betrayals holding him back.

After the movie ended Clint talked Steve and the others into a game of uno but began to nod off after a while and not long after that, Natasha picked him up and sat with him on the couch.

It was around midnight that Thor returned, he came in through the window quietly and was surprised to see the others all sitting on the couch.

Natasha put a slender finger to her lips and smiled, motioning wither her eyes at Clint who was fast asleep in her lap.

Thor smiled widely. "Did you all stay up to greet me?" He asked softly.

"Clint wanted to." She said.

Thor beamed and set his hammer down.

"Why don't you take him to bed?" Natasha offered.

He lifted the boy from her gently. Clint was already in his pajamas, half way through a game of uno Steve had told him to go and change. As he headed towards the hall Thor saw the others watch him go, they sat in the dark illuminated by the glow of the television. He smiled to himself.

In the dark of the bedroom he tucked Clint into bed and brushed his hair back, stopping for a moment to smile.

When he returned to the living room the lights were back on and the tv was off. "I am touched that he wanted to wait for my return."

"Well, Pym is pretty close to fixing him and he's a little scared." Steve said.

Thor frowned. "I see. My heart goes out to him. Did the doctor say how long it would take?"

"Just a couple of days."

"Well, it is for the best."

There was a moment of silence and then Bruce cleared his throat. "I think I'll go to bed."

Tony nodded. "I got some stuff to do in my lab." Both of them left the room and headed off in different directions. Tony took the elevator to his lab and sat himself in front of a laptop. He had meant what he said about the party. He liked the kid.

"JARVIS, day after tomorrow. Have an order of fifteen pizzas delivered, three cakes one chocolate, one vanilla and one ice cream. Oh and order a couple tubs of ice cream."

"Are there any children I should notify of the party, sir? Perhapse Dr. Richards' children would like to attend. The party might be more enjoyable for Mr. Barton if there were other children his age in attendance."

Tony shrugged. "Sure." He dialed Ant-Man's number and Hank's face came up on a screen.

"Tony, what's going on?"

"Am I right to guess you'll have the particles stabilized and ready for use in about two days?"

"If things keep going at the rate they have been then yes."

"Alright, I just wanted to make sure."
"Is something wrong?"

"No, no, I'm just checking in. I'll see you."

"All right then." Hank signed off and Tony sat back, eyes going to a disassembled repulser cannon.

"Sir, you have another call from Dr. Richards. I notified him of his family's invitation and he has returned my call."

Tony nodded an Reed's face appeared on the screen. "Tony, the kids are thrilled. They were up anyway and I told them. If you want any more kids I could send a message to the Power Pack. Franklin is pretty good friends with them."

"Yeah that'd be fine. The more the merrier."

Reed sat back in his chair. "Pym messaged me earlier. He said he was pretty close. I guess he was right in this instance."

Tony grinned. "You mad?"

"I was annoyed but then I got to thinking. . . it's not really fair to Hawkeye is it? We treated it like a game when we should have been taking his condition more seriously. We might even have figured it out sooner if we'd worked together. Sue told me off." Reed sighed. "They were Pym particles and at the end of the day he's the one who actually came and visited Barton. I shouldn't have been mad or made it into a competition like that."

Tony was silent for a moment. "Doesn't really matter. If you tried explaining it to him now he wouldn't understand and in a day or two he's going to be back to normal."

Reed ran a hand though his hair. "I feel bad about it. I just looked at the scientific angle. I didn't even bother to look at Barton like he was a little boy. I mean, I have kids. That should have been my first thought."

Tony grinned understandingly. "Don't beat yourself up. Your job was just to get him back to normal. It was out job here to worry about him being a little boy."

"Yeah, okay. I'll see you in a few days. Sue just got back with the kids from a new universe we discovered and they're day and night are reversed from ours. They all just woke up a few hours ago. I'm gonna go hide out and get some sleep. Night."

Tony shut the screen off and picked up the repulser cannon he'd been eying. He'd kept his head above water and knew it was best for Clint to return to adulthood but there was a lingering feeling of loss. He'd grown pretty fond of the kid.

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