Huge thanks to everyone who has followed, favourited and reviewed this story! Hope you enjoy the latest chapter! ~ F
Steve called by shield while Tony and Pepper took the kids to the mall. He was glad not to have to wonder round the hundreds of stores Pepper no doubt planned to visit.
"How're things going?" Coulson asked on seeing Captain America enter
"As well as can be expected. We told them the truth. Well, most of it. But they're coping well"
"Even Natasha?"
"Even Natasha" Steve smiled. "She seems oddly trusting of Tony"
Coulson laughed. He'd learned to always expect the unexpected where his agents were involved, and he guessed that should still apply now they were children again.
"Clint wanted me pass on his apologies for hitting you with a chair"
"It's alright; he's done much worse in the past"
"Your guys making any progress?"
At that moment Fury and Hill entered, both nodding a greeting to Steve
"Medical are still running several tests on the blood taken from Romanoff and Barton, and none of the Hydra agents who survived the attack are talking. Yet." Fury informed him, a look in his eye which told Steve he had nowhere near finished with them; he wouldn't give up until he got some answers.
At the mall Tony had his work cut out for him as Clint ran here, there and everywhere; darting through the crowds that kids had more energy than anyone Tony had ever met.
Clint seemed to have decided he would enjoy his time in the future and didn't want to waste a moment. He was as excited and giddy as any normal 10 year old kid might be on Christmas day. They lost him more than once, and Tony often found himself running off after him. It was only when Clint decided to run down the up escalator did Tony decide he was on his own, taking the correct escalator and meeting him at the bottom with a stern look on his face.
Natasha was a different story. The bustling crowds and busy mall seemed to intimidate her. It didn't pass Tony and Pepper's attention that she automatically searched for the nearest exit wherever she went, and kept herself altert and ready to bolt if she needed, keeping her back to a wall where possible and reacting instantly if someone moved too quickly or in her direction.
Tony dragged Clint into the mens changing room to get him to try on some of the clothes, while Pepper took Natasha to the womens.
"Why do I need all these clothes?"
"You've got to wear something. Don't you have clothes at home?"
"I have a training suit"
"What do you wear when you're not training?"
"I'm always training"
Pepper realised too late that it was probably not the wisest thing to ask Natasha. The last time she'd been de-aged Natasha had become incredibly close to Pepper; they had a close bond that had carried over when she'd been turned back into an adult again. But last time this had happened Natasha had been younger, at only five years old she'd been in the Red Room just over a year. Now she was eight, they'd obviously stepped up her training and she was having more difficulty settling into normal life. Well, as normal as life around Avengers Tower ever got...
"You don't have to train while you're here. You get to have a normal life for a while"
"I don't know how to do that"
Pepper's heart almost broke looking into Natasha's confused expression. Looking at the young version of her best friend; bandages covering her recently acquired bullet wounds on her leg and arm, Pepper vowed once again to give her and Clint the childhood they deserved.
When they exited the changing rooms they found Clint and Tony waiting for them.
"Tasha come look at this!" Clint shouted excitedly, grabbing her hand and dragging her off.
"You alright Pepper?" Tony asked, concerned
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine"
"Are you sure?" Tony asked, wiping a stray tear from her face
She nodded, trying as much to convince herself as Tony; "It's just. I don't know how someone survives a childhood like that"
"She's strong. They both are" he told her, taking her hand in his and giving it an encouraging squeeze.
Clint and Natasha suddenly appeared back in front of them, Clint clutching two 'Avengers' themed tops and asking enthusiastically if they could get those too. Natasha looked unsure but visibly relaxed when Tony nodded happily.
Following the clothing store, they headed to the food court for lunch.
"We get new clothes AND to eat out?! This is awesome!" Clint eager said, running off to find a free table.
"But we ate this morning" Natasha stated, baffled
"Yes" Tony confirmed, confused
She seemed to read he wasn't sure what she was trying to ask so she brushed it off and went with it. It would make a nice change; at the Red Room meals were infrequent and often forgotten; it could be days between food and you'd never know if you'd get your next meal before you were too weak to survive the training.
Following food, rather than heading home as planned Tony insisted they take the kids to the toy shop, and Pepper hastily agreed.
Natasha was once again puzzled at being treated so well, while Clint continued to be as excitable and giddy as he had been all day; he showed no signs of exhaustion as Tony hoped he would.
Chasing him round the store was a task in itself and Tony had a hard job of narrowing down his choices of toys to a number that would actually fit in the car. Natasha watched Clint with quiet intrigue; far more interested in his behaviour than any of the toys and games on the shelves.
While Tony tried unsuccessfully to persuade Clint a nerf gun was perhaps not the best choice of toy, Pepper took Natasha next door to the books shop. She seemed much happier at the prospect of spending time in here.
"You can pick a few books and then we'll go home" Pepper told her smiling, before going over to pick up a few books she thought Clint might like, and grabbing a few DVDs as well.
Tony and Clint appeared in the book store almost 20 minutes later, arms laden with bags from the toy store.
"How much did you buy?!" Pepper asked, taking in the sheer number of bags in her boyfriends arms.
"The kids persuasive"
Clint wondered up isle after isle before he came across Natasha. She was sat on the floor, cross legged, reading a Russian history book
"What are you looking for?" he asked, taking a seat beside her as she flicked through the pages
"I was just wondering... What happened to them. If anyone knew..."
"No one knows Natasha" Tony told her, having turned to corner just in time to hear her last statement. "They were highly covert, to most people; the Red Room just doesn't exist"
"Are they still- do they still exist?"
"No. Not for the past 10 years now, you took care of that; both of you"
Tony watched the relief overtake her features as she smiled at Clint; a true, smile overtaking her whole face. Clint didn't understand what had just happened, but he sensed the change in the young red-headed girl and returned the smile, taking her hand and helping her to her feet once she'd quickly returned the book to the shelf.
They left after Pepper recommended the Harry Potter books to Natasha after struggled to choose anything for herself. Clint go the Hunger Games trilogy and they both agreed they'd swap once they were finished.
Tony snuck in a few of the latest Avenger comic books without Pepper noticing.
Hundreds of dollars, 2 close calls with the paparazzi, and 7 hours later; the four of them made their way back to the tower.