In this chapter; Evie is 10, Elijah & Henry are six, Alexis is two and Cecelia is one
"Daddy can I have a cookie please?"
"I've already told you Henry, no. Dinner will be ready in a minute" Clint said, stirring several pots on the stove
"Dad, it's Elijah!"
"Oh, sorry buddy" Clint said, finally looking up from the stove "you can have cookies after dinner okay?"
"Alright" he sighed before running off
Two minutes later Alexis entered the kitchen and burst into tears, Clint was a little taken aback, he already had his hands full.
The stove timer was beeping, the potatoes were boiling over, the sauce needed stirring, and he was trying to get Evie to sit still so he could give her the eye drops she needed to treat the eye infection she had. It was not an easy task, she hated them and was trying desperately to avoid having them done.
"Tasha?! Natasha?" he shouted,trying to get some back up, but she was busy elsewhere in the tower with Cecelia
He switched the stove off and gave up on the eye drops for now, scooped Alexis up and sat her on the counter top.
"What's up Lex?"
She continued to cry...
"Come on Lexie, what's the matter?"
Still no answer...
"Alexis why are you crying? Tell Daddy?"
This went on for several minutes, Clint had checked her over, she wasn't injured, she didn't want anything, and she hadn't been told off; there was no reason Clint could see why she would be crying...
Natasha entered the kitchen at that point, carrying a freshly bathed Cecelia
"What's going on?" she asked Clint
"I don't know, she just won't stop crying"
"I can't believe you fell for that!"
"Fell for what?"
"Alexis Kathryn Barton is that Henry's Buzz Lightyear toy?"
"No. Mine!" she said stubbornly, hugging the toy tightly
Natasha raised her eyebrows and signaled for Clint to follow her.
Picking up a now content and quiet Alexis, he followed his wife down the hallway to the boy's room. Pushing the door open he saw his two mischievous sons making their way quickly through a pack of oreos.
"How did you-" Clint began, before Alexis stated "Hey don't eat them all! You owe me some!"
"How did you know?" Clint asked Natasha
"They pulled the same trick on me last week"