Chapter 21

It all happened so fast. The bullet hit her before he could throw his shield between her and the bullet. Natasha looked at her stomach and then at him and fell to the ground. He could hear Clint screaming over the comms that someone should tell him what was going on but he ignored him and ran to Natasha. She fought to keep her eyes open and her breathing was uneven. He pressed his hands over hers to keep pressure on the wound. "You're gonna be okay."

"Romanoff is down. We need an ambulance asap." Rumlow said through the comms and Hill said they were already on their way.

STRIKE was helping Barton and Hill to bring in Markonow who escaped the Fridge and they located him in Philadelphia were he joined his old "business partners". They stormed a mansion they suspected he was staying in and were surprised by the firepower they had.

Natasha was losing consciousness and the blood didn't stop flowing out of her. He was losing his mind, Rumlow was talking to him but he couldn't really hear him. Suddenly there were paramedics who pushed him out of the way. He wanted to accompany Natasha to the hospital but Hill ordered him to stay and let Barton go with Nat. Stupid chain of command!

He wanted to get the guy who did this to her but Rollins informed him that Clint already put an arrow through his chest and that he was dead. Good riddance!

A SHIELD SUV drove him to the hospital an hour later where he was told that Natasha was still in the OR. Hill said that Fury was on his way and would arrive shortly. He didn't think that the Director would show up for every of his injured agents. But he would come for Natasha.

Steve ran to the waiting room where Clint was pacing around and talking to someone on the phone.

"I don't know. I'll call you as soon as I have more information. They won't tell me anything yet. I know,honey. She's one tough cookie. " Clint looked up and nodded at Steve. "I'll call you later. Bye."

"Who was that?"

"Girlfriend." Clint replied and sat down on a chair in the lounge. He didn't know that Clint was seeing someone.

He sat down next to Clint and looked at his hands. He still had Nat's dried blood on them. He hadn't felt this bad since Bucky died. What if Natasha followed him? She was the only thing that made sense in this world. He couldn't lose her! "How bad is it?"

Clint sighed. "The docs aren't talking to me. Say they can only give information to relatives. I'm her family for fuck's sake!" He yelled. "I'm the only family she got!"

He unclicked his shield from his back and placed it on the chair next to him. "Fury's on his way. They'll talk to him."

Clint nodded and pinched the bridge of his noise. "How did this happen? Tasha never gets shot."

Steve thought about the scar on her hip and the story she told him about it. Clint must have thought about it too because he spoke again. "She only got shot once before. In Odessa but then never again. I swear it's like she can dance between bullets. We were surrounded in Budapest and they were firing at us and she just moved between the bullets like it was no big deal. She didn't even get a scratch." Clint suddenly looked at him with sympathy in his eyes. "Are you okay, buddy?"

"I'm scared, Clint. What if she doesn't make it?" It felt like a cold hand wrapped around his heart when he thought about losing her.

"Tasha is way too stuborn to die. And way too proud to die by a bullet to the gut. She'll pull through. Believe me." Clint looked at Steve's bloody hands. "You should wash that blood off or they won't let you see her."

He didn't want to leave but he knew that Clint was right. He went to the bathroom and scrubbed her blood of his hands. He looked into the mirror and the man looking back was a ghost. He was pale and had dark circles under his eyes. He allowed himself to cry for a moment and then splashed cold water into his face. He hadn't cried since Bucky fell. God, he wished Bucky was here. He would wait with him for news on Nat and try to cheer him up by complaining why she didn't go for him. He wished so badly that Nat could meet Bucky. And his ma. Maybe she'd meet them soon because... No, don't go there. Clint said Natasha was too stubborn to die.

He ran back to the waiting lounge and Fury was finally here and talking to a doctor with Clint standing next to him. The doctor walked back through the doors and Fury turned around.

"Rogers." He nodded at him. Fury wasn't wearing his signature leather coat but a normal leather jacket.

"How is she?"

"She just got out of the OR. Her liver got hit but they managed to repair the damage. She'll be out for a few hours and is on bed rest for the next four weeks." Fury said and Steve felt the weight of the entire world lift of his shoulders. She was okay, she wouldn't die.

Fury clapped his shoulder. "I'll have to talk to Hill about Romanoff's transport back to DC. She definitely doesn't want to stay here." He looked at Clint. "Try to convince her." With that Fury left the waiting lounge.

"Convince her?" Steve was confused.

Clint looked for some reason torn. "I know a place where she can rest and heal."

"What kind of place? Shouldn't she stay in DC? Or at Tony's tower? I can take care of her!" He would take the next four weeks off and look after her. He was her boyfriend, that was his job!

"I know you would." Clint smiled. "But that place is..." He hesitated. "It's like home to her."

What the hell was he talking about? She never mentioned such a place before and they had been dating for two months! "I don't think I'm following!"

Clint sighed and sat down on a chair. "I wasn't talking to my girlfriend earlier. I lied."

Steve took a seat next to him. What the fuck was going on?

"I was talking to my wife." Clint confessed and Steve could only stare at him. Clint was married? What? When? Who did he marry?

"Didn't see that coming, did you?" He chuckled. "Only Fury and Tasha know. And now you. I'm not undercover in Chicago. I'm at my farm in Delaware with my wife and kids."

"You have children?" Steve was perplexed. He'd never in a million years would have suspected that.

"Yeah. A boy and a girl and they adore their auntie." Clint grabbed his arm. "No one can know about them, okay?"

He nodded. "Your secret is safe with me. And Fury wants Natasha to stay at your house?"

"He thinks she can get the best rest there. And Natasha listens to my wife." Clint laughed. "No one objects to Laura. Not even Fury."

Clint had a wife and kids, holy cow. "What are your children's names? If you don't mind me asking."

"Cooper and Lila." He smiled. "They're great kids. Cooper turned ten a few weeks ago."

Steve nodded. Probably when Natasha was officially in Chicago to help Clint. He wasn't mad at her for lying to him. It wasn't her place to tell him about Clint's family.

Rumlow walked in with Rollins and the rest of STRIKE in tow to ask about Nat's condition. Somehow Steve suspected that Rumlow didn't give a damn about her but only asked because Fury was in the building.

"She'll be on her feet in no time." Clint answered for Steve.

"That's nice. We're heading back to DC. There's still room for the two of you on the Quinjet." Rollins said.

Steve shook his head. "I'm staying here."

Clint nodded his agreement and STRIKE left.

A nurse came and told them that Natasha was now in her hospital room and they could see her. But only one visitor at a time.

They got up to get to her room. "Fury is probably with her right now. You can go in after her." Clint told him.

"Thanks."

They walked to the door with number 391 and the room had a window and he could see through the blinds that Fury was with Natasha who was asleep. He didn't want to eavesdrop but it was impossible not to with his enhanced hearing. It was like Fury was standing right next to him.

"Romanoff, don't do that to me ever again. I almost had a heart attack." Fury sighed and it looked like he squeezed her hand. He turned around and walked out of the room. "I'm here with a chopper but I take it you two want to stay here?" Fury's phone rang and he answered it. "Yes, she's stabil. How do you even know about that, Stark?"

Tony? Steve smiled. Tony may be loud and crass on the outside but he did care about his friends.

"Of course you did." Fury chuckled darkly. "We're gonna have a talk about that, Stark! That's not necessary. SHIELD can provide Romanoff with everything she needs." He hang up on Tony and turned to him and Clint. "Stark hacked into SHIELD and put an alert on you three to know if you are in danger or go missing." Fury left with that.

"Go in and talk to Tasha. I have to call my wife to give her an update."

"Thanks, Clint."

She looked so small in that hospital bed. She was hooked on fluids and a blood bag and he was careful to not pull her PVC out when he took her hand. Her breathing was even and the ECG told him that her heart was beating regularly.

"You scared the shit out of me, Nat." He whispered and pressed a kiss to her wrist to avoid her PVC. "I thought for a moment that you wouldn't make it. I can't do this without you. You're the only thing that makes sense. The only thing that matters. I love you so much, Nat. I know you're not ready to hear it but I have to say it to you. I never loved anyone before. Not like this. So please open your eyes soon and make grandpa jokes about me, sweetheart."

He could hear that Clint finished his call and Steve got up to give Clint the room. He leaned down to kiss her forehead and cupped her cheek. "I love you. Come back to me."

He left the room even though he didn't want to leave her side but Clint was her best friend. "What did your wife say?"

"She said that she would love to have Natasha in her care but she doesn't think she'll want to come." Clint gave him an amused look. "Laura thinks Tasha would rather have you nurse her back to health."

Steve would rather have that as well. He probably couldn't visit Nat at Clint's farm for safety reasons and he would go insane if he couldn't see her for four weeks. "Why don't we let Nat decide what she wants."

"Good answer." Clint laughed. "I see you already found the key to a good relationship. Your woman is always right." He patted him on the arm and then walked into Natasha's room.

"Hey Tasha." Clint closed the door and Steve decided to get them coffee and something to eat. He needed something for his metabolism and he didn't want to eavesdrop on Clint.

Steve was at Natasha's side again and waited for her to wake up. Clint left to find them a place to sleep since Natasha had to stay at the hospital for four days until she could be moved to DC and neither of them wanted to leave her alone during that time.

He went to the giftshop earlier to get her a stuffed bear and ballons. It was probably cheesy and she would scoff at his gifts but he didn't think she got a lot of presents in her life and he wanted to change that.

He held her hand the entire time while he waited and suddenly he could feel how her fingers moved. "Natasha?"

Her eyelids moved and began to flutter. "Nat, can you hear me? Open your eyes for me, please."

She slowly blinked them open. "What the fuck happend?" She rasped out. "I feel like I got hit by truck."

He jumped up and kissed her face in joy." You all scared us so much!"

"Steve?" She looked like she didn't even notice him before. "Where am I?"

"Hospital." He sat down on his chair again. "You got shot by one of Markonow's men."

She tried to sit up but he pushed her gently back."You need to rest. You had an operation two hours ago. Your liver got hit."

She looked like she wanted to argue but then settled back into the pillows. He may or may not had snuck into an empty room to steal another pillow for her. She liked to sleep with two pillows. "Are you okay, Steve?"

"I am now." He smiled at her and kissed her each of her finger tips. "I thought I would lose you when you went down to the ground."

She grabbed his hand to hold it. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, sweetheart. You just have to heal. That reminds me, Fury wants you to stay at Clint's farm."

Natasha's eyes widened in surprise but she collected herself quickly. Wow, the meds really took a toll on her if she couldn't control her expression. "What are you talking about?"

"Clint told me about his wife and kids. You don't have to cover for him anymore." He smiled and brushed her hair behind her ear.

"I wanted to tell you but no one can know about them."

"I know. I'm not mad. Don't worry about it."

"Do you want to stay with them in Delaware?" He hoped she would say no. He knew that he was selfish but he wanted to take care of her. It maybe was old fashioned but he thought that was his job. If the roles were reversed, he'd want Nat to take care of him.

"I don't want the kids to see me like this." She played with her blanket and avoided to look him in the eye." I'll stay at the Triskelion until I'm better. The medical staff can look after me."

"You don't want that. You don't want them to see you in a vulnerable position." He knew that about her. He tilted her chin gently to make her look at him. "You can stay with me or I stay with you at your place." He smiled at her. "I'm your boyfriend. It's my job to take care of you."

"Steve." She sighed. "I don't want to be a burden to you."

"You're not! I actually want to take care of you. I should have been faster and got between that bullet and you."

"Don't. There is nothing that you could have done. I was sloppy and didn't see the bullet coming. That's on me and no one else."

"So you let me nurse you back to health? Like I did when you had the flu?"

She scoffed. "A flu is hardly the same as a bullet to the stomach." She looked at the end of her bed. "Did you get me that?" She pointed that the bear and the ballons.

"Yeah. I know it's chee-"

"Thank you. I love it." She gave him a tiny smile. "I never got something like this before."

He saw this as his opening. "So you stay at my place?"

"Fine." She rolled her eyes. "But I'm warning you. I'll get mean when I'm bored."

"Bring it." He grinned at her. He finally felt useful again. But he didn't know how to explain to Fury that he wasn't coming into work for the next four weeks. He hoped Fury's fondness of Natasha would help him convince him. Oh God, did he have to tell Fury about them?

Nick Fury is Natasha Romanoff's dad and no one can convince me otherwise

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