In this chapter; Evie is nine, Elijah and Henry are six, Alexis is 1 and Cecelia is 2 months old

Natasha went to the spa with Pepper; it was her first day without the kids since Cecelia was born 2 months previously; she deserved a break. Clint stayed home with their youngest two children while the others were at school, using his rare day off work to tidy their floor of the tower; having five children didn't always complement maintaining a tidy living space.

Exhausted after a busy morning, he took Alexis and Cecelia to the park before collecting the boys and Evie from school. Henry and Elijah were there usual talkative selves; barely pausing for breath between stories, Evie however was unusually quite.

"Hey Eve, what's up?"

"Nothing"

"You sure? Something happen at school?"

"No, everything's fine" she sighed and dramatically planted her chin on her hands, turning to stare out the window as the twins started up another discussion.
Clint turned back to concentrate on the road and nodded to his sons as they talked. Evelyn was so like her mom; he knew not to push her, she'd talk when she was ready.

Later that night after they'd eaten dinner with the whole team, when Alexis and Cecelia were asleep and the twins were busy messing up their newly tidied rooms (must to Clints dismay), Evie climbed on the sofa; forcing herself between her parents.

"Mom, Dad, can I talk to you?"

Clint looked over her head to Natasha and raised his eyebrows; he'd warned her earlier that this would be coming.

"Sure sweetie, what is it?" Natasha asked, stroking her cheek.

"I have some homework and I don't know what to do... I have to do a family tree. We're supposed to trace back to our great grandparents, and write about our parents, grandparents and great grandparents lives..." Evie looked down at her intertwined hands, fidgeting and avoiding eye contact.

"Oh" Clint said, making eye contact once again with Natasha

"I didn't want to ask you. But I don't know what else to do. Everyone else in my class has done theirs" she said sadly. Evie, although only nine, was very aware of her parents pasts, she didn't know the details or specifics, but she knew they both had painful pasts neither liked to discuss. She never brought it up unless she had to, and she'd clearly been avoiding this conversation.

Natasha looked uneasily at Clint, hearing the sorrow in her daughters voice filled her with guilt. Their children knew they didn't exactly have a normal family, and most of the time it didn't bother them, however, occasionally it did; last year Clint had been away on a mission and missed the father/son soccer match, Henry had been devastated; at least until Tony had stepped in. When Natasha had been hospitalised after being shot and missed Evie's dance recital, Evie had refused to perform; Pepper managed to convince her to go on just in time for her solo and recorded the whole thing so she could show Natasha the next day in hospital. Mostly her and Clint made parents evenings and piano concerts, sports events and science fares. They always made it home for birthdays and Christmas, but when they couldn't be there; there was always someone to step in.

"Well how about you do a different kind of family tree; you can write about your uncle Tony and Aunt Pepper, Uncle Thor and Aunt Jane, Uncle Steve, Uncle Bruce... Your dad and I can help, and we'll write a letter to your teacher and explain why you couldn't do it the other way?"

"But Tony and Steve and everyone, they're not my real family" she whispered the word 'real', almost feeling guilty to say it.

"Evelyn, sweetheart" Natasha said gently, taking her daughters face in her hands, "There is more than one kind of family"