It was quite a hurry after that. They drove to the airport and boarded the – private – plane (Clint asked his sister why the plane wouldn't wait for them, because really, wasn't that the sense of having a private jet? Avy just chuckled and said he would sound like Tony. Clint wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult.)

When they were finally seated in the passengers area, Clint once again realized just how rich Stark was. The plane was really luxurious.

„It's impressive, isn't it?" Avy asked.

„Yeah. Why are we going to Egypt again?"

„We were asked to update the electricity system. Basically I'm testing out the water, testing if this is something we can do and how the payment is and everything."

„You're working with the Egypt government?"

„Well, we didn't before the revolution. Now, we're not sure. That's part of my job here, too. Figuring out if we can work with them without giving up our morals."

„Sounds complicated." Somehow Clint was happy that most times he and Tasha just got a clear order what to do. He didn't want to be the one to decide who was good and who not.

„It is. But enough about work. Do you know how Will is doing? I never found anything about him. And you have to tell me how you got from the circus to SHIELD."

„Will is doing good. He … he is working for the Virginia Department of Transportation." Clint didn't know if he should tell Avy what Will was really doing, but then...

„So he's IMF." On his suprised look she shrugged. „What? In my position you hear some things." Clint chuckled.

„You're unbelievable." He said.

„Hey! That's my line!" Clint laughed and Avy soon joined him. It was good to be around each other again.

„But now, how did you end up with SHIELD?" Avy asked and Clint got serious again. She had said she knew Barney was a criminal, but this was going to be a shock. But then again, he thought, better get over it now instead of lying to her or beating around the bush.

„I stayed with the circus till I was seventeen. It was a good time, you know. People there accepted me and respected me for my talents. I sometimes even went to the high wire, I loved the height, still do, by the way." He paused here, knowing the next part would be difficult.

„You always did." Avy said. He smiled. Yes, he had always loved the height. When they were younger, he had had a nest in the woods. Only Avy and Will had been welcomed there.

„Barney... Barney didn't like it so much. He learned archery, too, but he wasn't that good. He didn't like heights and ended up as one of the muscle man who take care of the tent and everything. He grew more and more distant, and one day, I was seventeen, I found out he and another guy were responsible for a few robberies, one of them with the owner of the house coming back early. They... they killed him. I went out to confront him, and his partner shot me. Barney just... he just walked away." Clints voice had grown thin over the last few lines. He looked at Avy. She had visibly paled and watched him slack-jawed, and not in a good way. A single tear made its way over her cheek.

„I was lucky. Some guy found me. He brought me to a hospital. Never found out who he was, by the way. When I woke up all I knew was that the circus had moved on. I later found out that Barney told them I was dead. Anyway, I was alone, had nobody and no idea what to do. And then I followed the second cliché and went to military. Coulson found me in the special forces roughly a year later. That's basically what happened."

Tears were now streaming over Avy's face and Clint did the first thing that came to his mind: He hugged her. He hated to make her cry, but she should know exactly how much of an asshole Barney became.

After a while, she recomposed herself enough to look at him again.

„I... I hope he'll never cross my way. Because if he does, I can't make any guarantee for what I will do." Clint smiled at that. It was his job to protect her, not hers to do that for him. And she probably wouldn't stand a chance against Barney. She'd outsmart him, of course, but in a physical fight? She wouldn't stand a chance.

She must have read his thoughts, because she said:

„I can hold my ground, believe me. I know how to shoot. Won't win a medal for it, but I can use a gun."

„How that?" He hadn't expected that.

„A year after Mom and Dad adopted me, there was an attack on me and Mom while we were shopping. Some guy wasn't happy that Dad brought his brother to jail and wanted to hurt us for it. We were lucky because there was a police officer right next to us, going out with his family. After that, Dad decided that I should learn to defend myself. I got Karate lessons and he taught me to shoot. I haven't touched a gun in years, but I don't think that's something you forget."

„So you're kickass?"

„I prefer to outsmart people, but yes, at least a bit." She smiled.

„Now you have to tell me how you became the CEO of Stark industries! I told you my story, so this is only fair."

She smiled. „I started as a secretary in the financial department. And well, a few weeks after I started, I stumbled over a mistake in accounting. I was set to make sure the company saves money and well, this mistake pretty much ruined a month work. So I went to my boss. He told me that this came directly from Tony Stark and that therefore it wasn't possible that there was a mistake. I knew there was, so I went to Tony himself. I was quite angry to that point so I stormed into his office where he through some coincidence in fact sat. I slammed the file on his desk and asked him to correct the mistake. He looked at me like I was some kind of ghost, then looked at the file and at me again. Then he asked me if I wanted to be his personal assistant."

„And you accepted."

„I was completely blown away. I never expected that, but well, my salary tripled and I was suddenly important, so I took the offer. I was his PA for a bit over a decade before he made me CEO out of the blue. Later I found out he was poisoned and somehow dying, but to that time I was just totally shocked."

„He was dying?!"

„Palladium poisoning. And he didn't tell me. Well, in the end I told him that I wouldn't go on being the only CEO, so in the end I'm CO-CEO together with him. And no comment about him and me!"

„I wasn't going to..."

„Of course you were. I'm still your sister, I know!"

Clint chuckled and Avy couldn't stop herself from smiling. It was good to be together again.

AN: First, big thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited and/or followed. You're awesome!

Second, you should tell me what you think. It makes it easier for me to write on =)

And it makes me write faster, really!