Here goes the epilogue...Thanks to those who read and reviewed, I had fun writing this side piece ^^

Until next time!

Criminal –Epilogue

One year ago

Knock knock

"Come in," Clint said absentmindedly, frowning at the paperwork lying before him. His business was finally stable and taking off. The damages done for his absence by remaining at Natasha's side had finally been balanced now he could afford to rest. Well, once he was done with this tax paper, he could relax.

"I spent a lot of time tracking you, and when I found out who Hawkeye was, I couldn't believe it was you."

Clint blinked in surprise and glanced up. A tall man dressed in sweatpants and brown jacket with a cap over his head was staring down at him. Clint thought he had recognized the voice, but was started to see that particular man standing in front of him. He could only think of one reason, though if Natasha was actually it, he would gladly burst the man's balls.

"What do you want Rogers?" he asked icily, returning his attention on the paperwork.

In that attire, the infamous Captain America was unrecognizable. Whatever he wanted, he wanted to be discreet, and for that Clint was grateful. He didn't want to cause commotion among his students if the man was to be recognized. Some of his students belonged to a younger generation and weren't quite educated in the army matter…but as for the others…

"I know you blew up the facility in Iran when you were under Pierce's command," Rogers said. "I know Morse, you and Fury were working together to take Pierce down." Pause. "And I know you and Sam bombed the human traffic ring back in Iran and that's the reason why Fury took you in."

The former archer frowned deeper. Only he and Sam really knew what had happened that night, and the other man had vowed to never tell a soul.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," he said. Rogers's jaw tightened in annoyance but he went on:

"Look, I know Sam, I worked with him for months with the strike team after your reassignment. He trusts me, he told me about the bombing." A long pause ensued. "He also told me you were going after Pierce, but you stopped after you started dating my ex-wife." There, Clint could hear his irk, and smirked in return. Rogers's face turned a shade red, eyes narrowed and body tensed like a bowstring. But he swallowed his anger and went on: "I have a personal interest in this." Clint crossed his arms and waited. Rogers sighed in reluctance and added: "Pierce ordered the death of a childhood friend of mine. I want to get back at him. By any means possible."

The archer snorted and stood up to close the door of his office. Kate was out there, she could supervise a few students for ten minutes.

"Y'know what?" he said as he turned around to face the blonde. Clint was smaller in height so had to raise his eyes to meet Rogers', but he did so knowing he had information Rogers was after. "I'm tempted to believe you because I am pretty sure I'd be the very last person you'd ask this kind of stuff. But I'm not an idiot either." He narrowed his eyes. "You barge in, demand something I may or may not have, something that cost Fury's life. Given our…history, I have no reason to trust you."

Steve seemed to relax slightly.

"Sam told me you would be hard to convince, but believe me when I say this: Bucky was my best friend, nearly my brother. And he got killed for the same reasons you nearly did," Steve stared hard into his eyes, as if he wanted to convey a message. "I know I can't sue that man legally; even I would have no chance in a fair trial. I want to destroy Pierce, and I want to see the realization in his eyes when I do it."

Clint sighed and rubbed his eyelids tiredly. He had put the evidence aside until Maria was old enough to prosecute on her own, but given how Fury had ended, he doubted she would take the official channels to prosecute him. Had Pierce'd identity been a certitude years ago, he would have just gone to the man's house, shot an arrow through his throat and be done with it. But he didn't want to put Natasha in danger, especially since she was pregnant. And he had Wanda to consider.

"I'll think about it," he replied. He picked up a dart and let it spin between his fingers: "Just remember I was there when you abandoned your team to go after the terrorists on your own; and without me, they would have died."

Rogers' face darkened at the mention of the action that had rendered him famous. Him putting down five high-profiled terrorists his unit was trying to get for weeks…yet at the same time, he could have been martial courted had he failed or had 'Hawkeye' not been there to rescue his teammates. Clint's fingers stopped flipping the dart around and sent it carelessly fly against the wall. If nearly grazed Rogers' cheek in its course, well…coincidences happened, right?

"Oh, and it goes without saying," Clint added carelessly but with a clear warning in his eyes. "If I see you upset Tasha or even hurt her, you'll never see the arrow that'll kill you."

Rogers' jaw tightened again, but he didn't take the bait.

"Natasha is not my priority right now," he replied sternly, to which Clint was sorely tempted to punch him: that was exactly why their marriage hadn't worked out. "I have other stuff to deal with. Just let me know whenever you've made up your mind."

Clint grunted and nodded towards the door. Rogers stormed out, not slamming the door behind but nearly. The archer returned behind his desk but his head wasn't into paperwork anymore. He hadn't wanted to abandon his pet project at first, but Natasha's arrival in his life had shifted his priorities. He closed his eyes and swallowed heavily. Could Steve Rogers of all people continue what he had started? Could Wanda and Maria work along with him? He had no doubts the teenagers would demand to be involved if the case was to be reopened in whatever way, no matter the risks, and he would tell them, he had promised…but Steve Rogers, really?

His phone rang again, this time Natasha calling to ask for some random groceries to pick up on the way from work. Clint smiled softly as he listened to her rant about her urge to drink some fancy orange juice. No, he had no regrets keeping quiet, if it meant his lover was safe. But if Rogers was so keen on taking over…maybe he should really think about it.

Present day

Natasha held Jordan against her chest as she slept peacefully. She ran a hand over her daughter's back, just enjoying her presence and the quietness of the moment. Clint entered the room, hair in a mess, blue jeans and tight white shirt –her secretly favorite clothing. Her thoughts were momentarily interrupted as she checked him out, Jordan being the only thing that held her back from standing up and jumping him. She hadn't been wrong when she told Steve their intense lovemaking was probably due to the stress in their respective lives, and the fear of losing the other. The only moments she'd forget she had nearly lost him were when he'd buck his hips underneath her and cut her breath. Now she understood why Clint had been all over her after that bullet wound.

The couch dipped where he sat. He ran a gentle finger over his daughter's arm.

"Can I have her for a moment?"

"Yeah, here," she handed the baby over. "Do you mind if I put the news on?"

Clint made that wave meaning 'suit yourself' and she switched the TV on. Just in time for the National broadcast. She listened as the journalist in charge read out the headlines and frowned at one particular announcement.

"Alexander Pierce died in an explosion?" Natasha said, raising an eyebrow. "A faulty gas pipe? Are you kidding me?"

Clint snorted, but she could see the satisfaction in his eyes. The very morning, she had run into Maria Fury in the supermarket, and the young woman had looked positively gleaming. Now she understood why.

"I have nothing to do with this," Clint said casually. "All I gave away was evidence. I let…" his voice trailed off and he went on casually. "The others took care of the rest."

Natasha stared sideways at him but returned part of her attention on the TV.

"Steve said he wanted me back." She confessed. "When we were in the car, he just blurted that. I laughed at his nose."

"Serves him right," Clint hissed, narrowing his eyes. "The more I hear from him, the less I like him."

Now that was something Natasha didn't quite get. Even if she was the first willing to speak of him as a douchbag, she had rarely ever met a man voluntarily spit on him. And she knew that whatever had made him dislike her ex-husband so much had occurred before their meeting.

"Why? What happened?"

The man growled:

"He used his charisma to get to his end, you know. The whole 'Captain America' thing, maybe he believed in it, but he still took the name to get himself out of sticky situations. I just don't like people who can't take responsibilities for their wrongs…" he sighed. "It doesn't really matter anymore."

She watched him intensely.

"I know it was Steve; the guy who gathered the information from you and carried out your plan."

Clint stared at her, the same way he had when she had explained her previous suspicions on him being the archer. The same way he looked at her when he knew she was right, but not ready to admit it.

"When you told me you'd let the world burn for us," she went on. "I remembered Steve had said the same for his friend, Bucky. Bucky was under Pierce's orders. And he was Steve's everything. I suppose Steve would have voluntarily joined the strike team to figure out what happened." she shook her head. "He always has this knack of wanting to know, especially if Barnes was concerned. And if Stark had trouble fishing out information from official documents…then Steve would have decided to investigate on his side." At Clint's stunned expression, she added with a half-smiled: "I was married to the man, remember? And I'm an FBI agent. I'm trained to think along those lines."

"You are the most fucking gorgeous woman I've ever met," was Clint's reply, staring with awe and reverence at her. Natasha felt her cheeks redden and returned her attention on the broadcast.

She didn't mention that she also had that feeling that had Clint not survived, Steve would have used Stark's findings to pin the blame on her lover. She didn't mention that she had a feeling he might have done it regardless, if only to clear suspicions from him, or even to conquer her back. The warning she had given him at the emergency room had been genuine. Had he destroyed Clint's life, she would have torn his into pieces and handed him the rope for a proper hanging.

After a few moments, Clint's hand slipped over her thigh and squeezed her gently. Natasha swallowed heavily, her body already reacting to the simple contact. From the corner of the eye, she watched her lover hum quietly to their baby. Jordan's body was flat against his chest, head tucked under his chin, big blue eyes staring unblinkingly at her. She winked at her daughter. Jordan grinned happily and laughed.

Natasha chuckled and leaned on the side to rest her head against Clint. He shifted into a more comfortable position, extended his arm to wrap it around her shoulder.

"Now, there are my two girls," he said, before quietly adding: "Thank you Tasha."

She rested her hand on Jordan's back and rubbed it gently. The baby blinked, the repetitive soothing movements encouraging her to fall asleep. Natasha glanced between Clint and her child, revisiting briefly each decision she had made in the past month. Her silence upon the last case, the consequences should anything come to light, the satisfied glint in Maria Hill's eye when she had come across her…and the little girl blinking at her lazily, who would grow with both parents around. Natasha swallowed heavily; maybe this was why she and Stark got along so well; maybe her sense of justice was a bit twisted too.

"You are what keep me breathing too," she whispered in return, and felt his hand squeeze her shoulder in response.