This chapter is written from Clint's perspective, as Jex passed out by the end chapter.

Clint's P.O.V

Saying that the others were upset was an understatement. By the time Tony had stopped screaming at the world in general, all of the avengers had been alerted and were crowded around. After a quick examination Bruce instructed him to take Jex to her room, that rest was the only thing she needed. For a fleeting moment, he respected the doctor for being the only calm, sane one there.

All of the other men were thundering at him, firing questions, trying to inspect the damage. Tony's assistant Pepper held Jess's limp hand while she let a few quiet tears slip at the sight of the girl. In the background, cuffed, bleeding and smirking was Adrian. This infuriated Clint; he wanted to shake the man, harm him. The unconscious girl that was braced against him had been beaten, shot, threatened, but had not cried. Not one tear, not once. He knew he had to leave, or he would give Jex to Ally and let his anger get the best of him.

"Let me through," he snarled.

Had Banner not spoken up, they probably would not have let him leave. But the team parted and allowed him to move her to her room. They watched him go, and it didn't surprise him when one broke away and followed. Ally trailed behind him, and when they arrived to the door said, "If you wait here, I'll get her some fresh clothes. The ones she's wearing are nasty."

"Good Idea," he replied, nudging the door open. He lifted Jex and laid her on the bed so that only her feet dangled off. Without a word, he turned and paced back into the hallway, waiting for Ally to change Jex's clothes. Nudity didn't bother him, nor was the girl hard on the eyes, but it felt invasive to watch his girlfriend be stripped while she lay bloody and unaware.

"Okay, we're good here," Ally called after a few minutes, and he re-entered to see Jess tucked under the covers like a child. Ally smoothed Jex's hair and sighed.

"She looks like shit, but her head is already better." Her eyes flickered over to him, and she nervously pushed her sunglasses up. "Are you staying here? With her?"

"Yeah. I'll call you when she wakes up."

"Okay. Um. Call me when you want a break?"

"I'm not leaving her side," he said, growing impatient. "You'd better go. Tony looked like he wanted to rip Adrian's head off." Clint paused before adding darkly. "And he wasn't the only one."

"Alright. Just call me as soon as she wakes up," Ally said looking as if she wanted to stay, but she moved to make her exit anyway. She hesitated, hand on the doorknob, before shooting him one last defiant glare. "And don't try anything shady!" Ally half-shouted before slamming the door.

Clint stood there for a second, slightly stunned that his best friend had just shouted a command at him, before he sank down onto the edge of the bed. At this point, it shouldn't surprise him how Ally was protective over Jex. The two had only known each other for a year, and were already closer than sisters.

Clint turned his head and stared at the said girl, studied her. Her face was heart-shaped, with lips that were small but full; her eyes, when opened, seemed big and lucid, as if she was constantly laughing. Two small dimples that showed when she smiled.

He had stuck his neck out for this girl countless times, engaged her in conversation, saved her from her own mouth. Protected her and let her in, sharing this about his past her had never let anyone else know before.

She was bright and quirky. Action first, thinking later. Like a missile of destruction dealing with the consequences later. She would do whatever it took to make things right in the world. It was one of the first things that he had admired about her. Ever since he had first laid eyes on her, curled up in Tony's chair, textbooks spread around her, smiling dangerously even in her sleep, he knew that she was force to be reckoned with. And that was why, if he was brutally honest, he loved her.

From his seat beside her bed, Clint bent over at the waist, rested a hand against her cheek and listened to her breathe.

The first thing she noticed was the weight on her legs, heavy and hot. Jex groaned and slapped a hand over her eyes, trying to block the light. Her head ached something fierce, but the rest of her felt fine. Normal. Like she had never been shot or kicked.

Stretching, she looked down and noticed she'd be changed into a silk business shirt of Tony's and pajama shorts. The horror on her face must have been tangible, because a voice said from the other side of the room,

"Calm down. You look like your about to have a coronary. Ally changed your clothes."

Jess started and saw Clint sitting on the couch, book face-down in his lap. So he had been watching her all this time. She was pretty sure she had sleep talked again. Awkward.

"I'm calm, I'm calm," Jess said, and gave him a half-smile. "How long was I out?"

"Around six hours. How are you feeling?" Clint asked concerned as he reached over to feel her temperature.

"I definitely feel better. I need some aspirin, though. My head is killing me," she sighed, and stretched one last time.

"We need to go talk to the Steve straight away. He was up all night talking to Fury, something about trying to keep you and Ally in a job?" Clint told her with an affectionate smirk, and she groaned. Jex didn't want to talk about what had occurred, especially when she was still trying to process it herself. The whole event had left her somewhat stunned. All she wanted to consider were simple things: food, aspirin, making red-velvet cupcakes, showering. Not thinking about attacking the man who killed her parents.

Avoidance it was.

"Food and drugs first. Capsicles later."

Clint made a "hmm" sound in his throat, and then threw something to her. Her cell phone landed beside her on the bed, and picked it up experimentally.

"Someone was trying to reach you while you were asleep. It must have been urgent. I counted around fourteen calls."

"Fourteen calls?" Jess said, unlocking the screen to see who had been blowing up her phone.

Oh God.

"Nooo," she whined, and fell back into her pillow.

"Someone unpleasant?"

Jess held the phone over her head, the screen glaring down at her. Taunting her, she was sure of it.

"Fury."

Ginger Sherlock. Awh thanks, Much appreciated. Booklover, so how did you like this chapter? Enough Clint for you? :D

Till next time, Read and review.