Story Timeline Tuesday 24th September 2013

Author's Notes

Clint finally meets his son and the Avengers get a bit of good news at last

Strong language throughout

The drops made Clint's ears sting but at least the inflammation was going down. Dr Palmer's opinion of him was clear; the words 'idiot' 'fucking' and 'stupid' appearing in various arrangements. He was lucky not to get an infection, she wasn't telling Steve only because it was the first time he'd been this careless. Her instructions were clear; eardrops three times a day and give his ears plenty of rest, especially at night.

If he didn't feel comfortable having his hearing aids out around the hospital, he should take regular breaks at the Penthouse. Fail to observe these instructions and she would report him for non-compliance with hygiene and safety protocols. He'd taken a couple of hours out to have a sleep and grab a bit of gym-time before heading to his next destination.

Agent Hill paused, pass card in hand. The man beside her radiated nervous tension.

"Sure you want to do this?"

He took a deep breath and nodded

"Yeah, swipe me in."

He walked into the room

"Hey Abel…"

The boy had asked to see him a couple of days ago, Tash had waited until she'd spoken to Steve and Fury before she told him about it. The two of them had been discussing the options available and had run them past Clint the night before. None of them were great but some better than others, a lot still depended on whether Ainsley survived. They'd finally started reducing the sedatives and were waiting to see if he would be able to breathe unaided.

He'd agreed to go in and speak to him, despite Tash's misgivings. She hadn't expected Abel to ask so soon although they were making good headway in their conversations. She had given him one piece of advice

"Be honest, even if it hurts."

She warned him the boy was smart and sharp, and responded well to direct answers even if he didn't like them.

"…I brought you the new Batman comic book, just out. Tash said you liked it."

The boy took the graphic novel off him. He couldn't read too good but with the help of the pictures he could make out most of the stories.

"Thanks, sir!"

The 'sir' made the hairs on the back of Clint's neck rise. He could remember addressing his own dad like that in the same dull tone, usually just before the fist or the belt came down. They were hardly on first name terms though, and the boy didn't seem likely to call him 'dad' anytime soon. He was about 5'8" and skinny but with a good width of shoulder. By the time he'd finished growing and filling out he'd likely be near Clint's size.

The eyes were his, so was the hair but with a bit of Tina's red to it. Nose and chin were all Tina's. He'd got a sullen look to him, like someone doing something they had to but didn't want; taxes or the dentist.

Wonder if I looked like that when I sat across from Phil the first time? Wish he were here now.

"Woulda got you the hardback but they don't allow them in here."

"That's cool, don't often get a new one."

He hadn't known what to expect when he asked to see his dad; probably someone angry, defensive, eager to justify himself. He was taller than Uncle Barney, leaner and fitter; like someone who spent a lot of time in hard physical action. Uncle Barney talked and acted tough but this guy seemed controlled and dangerous, the real thing. Miss Natasha said they worked together. He wondered again what that 'work' was, he didn't think it meant going door to door selling stuff.

The men who had met with Uncle Barney for 'business' were much the same. Had that careful manner like they were checking out everything in the room while looking right at you. This guy looked like he maybe smiled more but now he was kinda tired and down. Probably hadn't slept much recently. He put two steaming cups on the table.

"Got us coffee. Coke gives me the jitters and it's bad for your teeth."

The boy didn't say anything but just kinda glanced at the fistful of sugar packets sticking out of his pocket.

He's picked that look up from Tash.

"Coffee's fine. Looks like you need it. How's Dr Kerr doing?

Tash said he'd been asking about Ainsley every time they spoke. He wasn't sure if the boy was genuinely sorry for what he'd done or if he was just worried the kid-glove treatment would stop if the doctor died. Clint poured sugar after sugar into his cup until it had the right amount of sweet sludge at the bottom.

"They're cutting down the sedatives. If they can get him breathing without the respirator there's a good chance he'll be ok. If not…"

He swallowed half the coffee in one go, wincing as it scorched the back of his throat.

"He your boyfriend?" Miss Natasha had always been vague about his dad and the doctor, suggesting it was something he needed to ask him directly. Clint nodded

"Yeah, sort of. We've only been together a couple of months."

"You gay?"

"Kinda bi, really" Tash had warned him to expect this. He'd sorta been prepared for it or so he thought but saying it all out loud was another matter. Only Fury, Hill and Stark were in the viewing room but these sessions got recorded and there was enough bad-mouthing of him already without Clint Barton's sexual preferences being bandied about the mess halls. SHIELD was still pretty much 'Don't ask, don't tell' about these things.

"It's the first time I've been in a proper relationship with another guy."

The boy's grin was a bit malicious, he was enjoying making his dad talk about his private life with all his buddies listening.

"Ain't no need to sound so embarrassed about it, don't bother me none."

'Be honest' Tash had said

"There's another guy involved. It's kinda complicated."

"He knows about the two of you?" The boy didn't seem that fazed. Maybe after all the stuff Barney had told him about what he was supposed to be doing, a three-way with two guys was pretty straightforward.

Clint nodded again, his throat was dry and he could really do with a drink right now.

"Yeah, he's a buddy of mine. We've served together, been through a lot. He's pretty broken up right now."

The boy looked down at his hands.

"He hate me as well?"

There was none of the teenage bluster and attempted bravado in that voice. Clint heard the scared child and made up his mind.

"I don't hate you, Abel. He's trying not to either. I hate that I didn't pull myself together and go find your mama when I coulda done. If I had, then maybe none of us would be in this mess."

"So, why didn't you?" The aggression was creeping back in, if this went wrong he might as well give up.

"Jacques DuQuesne beat me till I was almost dead, then he dumped me in a ditch 'cause he didn't have the balls to finish me off, was younger than you are now."

Telling it never made it any easier; lying there in the stinking water both legs broken and skull cracked, feeling himself getting weaker all the time. Knowing he was going to die there, hoping he'd be dead before the rats decided to come along. Docs said he wouldn't have lasted another night if the hunters hadn't found him.

"Got myself out of the hospital as soon as I could walk, lived pretty much wild after that; doing whatever I could to stay alive. Did a lot of stuff I'm not proud of and wound up on some folks' radar. Ended up meeting a man who gave me a break, a chance to do something with my life. Everything that came before that I buried. Didn't want nothing to do with it anymore."

He looked the boy straight in the eyes. Same colour as his, the greyish blue that seemed to be a Barton trait.

"I was wrong. I shoulda gone and tried to find your mama. Would've done if I'd known about you. Guess I figured she'd move on and find someone else.

"Yeah" Abel said, his voice was thick and choking "you shoulda, 'cause she never did; even when she was with Uncle Barney. That's why she never let me call him dad, she said I had a real dad out there who was going to come back for me some day. Said it right up 'till she couldn't say nothing anymore. Coulda had a real dad in Uncle Barney if it weren't for you. That's when he said it was time I learned what a piece of shit you really were."

The boy glared at Clint, feeling his face hot with anger and the tears pricking at his eyes. He fought them back. He'd cry in front of Miss Natasha but this fucker hadn't earned the right to see Abel Walsh cry.

All the years of anger and hurt came spilling out if him. Uncle Barney hadn't needed to make up all that sick stuff about drugs and hookers and selling his dick to rich folks to pay for it. He'd known his dad was a piece of shit for as long as he'd been able to see that look in Mama's eyes at the end of another day when her Clint hadn't come back for her.

Buried it? He'd buried her while she still had a chance to live. Running around doing stuff and getting his second chance while Uncle Barney dragged them from place to place, upping and moving every time he thought they'd settled; never putting down roots or getting the chance to make friends or get proper schooling. Never having what was needed for Mama when she started coughing all the time and getting sick.

With all the tricks he was learning and all his fancy friends he coulda tracked them down easy if he'd wanted. Maybe this was worse than him just being some kinda sleazy man-whore, knowing he'd just never given them a thought because he'd 'buried it'.

"Shoulda waited and stuck the knife in you instead, you're the one that deserves it!"

Clint forced back his own tears, the words falling on his head and shoulders like punches as the boy's grief and hatred poured out. Hearing the truth in it was the worst part. Any time he wanted, Fury or Coulson would've cut him the slack to try and find out what happened to Tina. He coulda picked up the trail easy, found Barney, smashed his teeth down his backstabbing throat and taken back what shoulda been his. Barney may have stolen it but he'd given up on it way too easy.

Abel sat back in his seat, breathless from yelling, and drained his now cold coffee.

"Ain't you even gonna say anything? Get angry?"

Clint looked straight across at him, face set and eyes steady. Through the two-way mirror Tony could see the assassin had his 'game-face' on, for some that face was the last thing they ever saw.

"Yeah, I'm angry!" he held up his hand to show the still healing scabs on his knuckles and there was a savage edge in this voice that made the boy flinch. "but I'm not gonna play Barney's game and fire all that at you. I'm gonna save it until his lying mouth's on the other end of this fist and see how smart he sounds when he's shitting broken teeth."

He lowered his hand and his shoulders slumped

"Most of all I'm angry at me though, cause every word you said's the truth. You and Tina shoulda been my world. I failed you both; you're right to hate me for that and I ain't got a right to ask anything else from you. I can't change what I've done and all the 'sorrys' in the world ain't gonna make one bit of difference, but if you're willing to give me a chance to prove Barney wrong I promise you I'll do everything I can to help you out. Even if you're not willing, I'm still gonna do it."

There was no trembling chin or whimpered 'dad'; none of that end-credits TV movie shit. The boy and the man stared at each other across the table, eventually the boy let out a heavy sigh

"I'm going to jail, ain't I? Even if Dr Kerr don't die."

Clint sat back and folded his arms

"Maybe not, leastwise not regular jail. You see, Dr Kerr's connected with the same people Tash and I work for. Going through the courts would attract attention none of us want."

Abel looked back up at him. There was a keen glint in his eyes

"You're some kinda spies or something like that ain't ya?"

Clint grinned, he couldn't help himself

"Something like that, yeah. So even if it was jail it's be somewhere you'd get proper food, an education and wouldn't have to worry about joining a gang just to keep safe. Or there's the same chance I got given."

Abel leaned forward, interested despite the resentment and suspicion, wondering what the catch would be and if this 'chance' was something worth taking.

"What's that"

Clint took a deep breath. Given what Abel had done, Fury and Steve were really sticking their necks out on this one.

"Most of our recruits come through the military or college, but we got a boot camp program for gifted kids outside those systems. It'll be two years hard physical training and education. No favours and no special treatment. The ones that pass usually go straight to what we call the Academy for specialist training as agents and operatives. Do the two years and you can do that, go to regular college or learn a trade. I promise you'll have my support in whatever you want to do."

The boy looked doubtful for a moment

"Think you could swing that?"

Clint shook his head

"The offer don't come from me, It's from my boss and he's one scary fucker. But he and Tash think it's worth the risk and I do too."

Abel took a deep breath. He'd spent sleepless nights imagining what was going to happen to him but the offer of going to a spy school had never been one of them.

"I'll do it for Miss Natasha, to try make up for what I done; don't think I'm doing it for you."

And when I'm the best damn spy you seen, you and me's gonna have a proper reckoning-up

Clint shrugged

"Don't care who you do it for, Abel. Just do your best."

There was nothing much more to be said. Time was almost up and they'd each said their piece. Dad/son small talk wasn't on the conversation menu. Maria Hill was waiting for him outside, she gave him a sympathetic look

"Well, that was…"

He grinned back at her

"Not what you'd call a Hallmark moment, was it?"

She weighed the options of how it could have gone down

"Probably the best you could have hoped for in the circumstances. Tony and Director Fury are waiting in the office. There's some paperwork to sign, legal stuff. The boy'll need a legal guardian until he's of age. Tony's offered to step in if you don't feel…"

"It's okay. May as well start on the right foot" Tony might be an annoying, arrogant prick but he was always willing to do what he thought was the right thing.

Two agents passed them as they walked along the corridor, Field Ops. One of them gave Clint the evil eye and he returned it with a hard, direct stare making the other man drop his gaze

Not today, motherfuckers!

He stopped Maria outside the office. He liked her, she'd had his back a few times when he'd been in trouble at the Academy. She'd gone through a rough time with the office gossip after Fury chose her for his second in command, usual stuff.

"Thanks"

She looked at him questioningly

"For what?"

"Not hating me like the others. I'm not exactly winning any popularity contests around here."

She sighed. It was almost two years since the Helicarrier and Clint had done a lot of good work since then but SHIELD was unforgiving of agents who went rogue regardless of the reason.

"I was on the bridge when you led the attack. If I'd got a clear shot I would have taken it."

That day was always going to stick with her; the deck tilting under her feet as the engines failed, Thor and Hulk tearing the hangar levels apart as they fought. Not knowing what would take the ship down first or if any of them would make it out alive and in one piece.

"I saw that light in your eyes and knew I wasn't looking at the Clint I worked with, that something none of us could understand had been done to you. Fury saw it too, so did Natasha. None of the others who did survived."

She wasn't sure if either man was aware that Steve's snap decision to take Clint on as pilot for the flight to New York had saved the archer's life. There were plenty on the Helicarrier willing and ready to throw him off the flight deck to see if the Hawk could fly, and not enough with the will to stop them.

"Was it really Loki who…?"

She didn't let him finish the question.

"You were nowhere near the detention sector when Phil was killed. His death's not on your hands."

It was nice of her to say it, but he could tell she didn't believe that. She always glanced off to the left when she lied.

The paperwork didn't take long. One set of forms made Clinton Francis Barton the Legal Guardian of Clinton Abel Walsh, another gave parental permission for Clinton Abel Walsh to enroll in the SHIELD Field Ops Boot Camp Program. Those would be countersigned by said Clinton Abel Walsh before he was given over to the custody of the Master Sergeant. A local meth-head had 'agreed' to plead guilty to the attempted murder of Dr Ainsley Kerr in exchange for certain other charges being dropped. Tony made a mental note for the man to be found a place on a decent rehab program. Ainsley would expect that.

"Do you want a lift back to the Penthouse?" Tony asked "I didn't see your junkheap in the parking lot."

"Yeah, it's rusting in your parking garage lowering the tone of the neighbourhood. A lift would be great thanks."

The car was one of Tony's 'specials', wired into Jarvis so the AI could drive it automatically to the chosen destination by any preferred route. Like the human quality of the computer's voice it was another thing that freaked him out a bit. Tony was messing about on his tablet while the car drove itself

One of these days he's going to do something too clever for his own good

Tony looked over at Clint and smirked, the archer's knuckles were white as he gripped the armrests.

"Relax, Pidgeon. Jarvis knows what he's doing better than any of these dorks."

Clint grimaced

"Yeah, that's what worries me. So, what did you think of him?"

Tony slipped his tablet down the side of the seat and put his feet up on the dashboard, enjoying the way Clint gritted his teeth. A harum-scarum ride through New York traffic was just what Legolas needed to take his mind off things.

"He's going to have a rough ride at Boot Camp and Field Ops, especially once they know whose son he is. It's going to take a long time for him to earn any degree of trust."

The billionaire's tone was casual but it was clear he wasn't just talking about SHIELD's trust

"I'm not planning on taking him on a father/son fishing trip into the woods anytime soon if that's what you're thinking. One Deliverance experience was enough for me."

He looked over at Tony, the pain in the archer's face cut the other man to the quick.

"The kid hates me Tony; and yeah, Barney was getting him prepped to ventilate my guts, only his psycho-grenade went off too soon."

Poor Doc got the knife that was meant for me. Yay! Another sight to see on the Hawkeye Guilt Trip

"So, you're sending him somewhere they'll teach him how to kill you better? That's not smart, even for you."

Two could play at this game. Clint put his feet up on the dash, hearing Tony's sharp intake of breath at the sight of his grubby sneakers on the polished walnut and leather.

"I'm sending him to SHIELD. I know you got issues with them, but for years they've been the only family I got and they turned me into the man I am."

Stark pointedly took his feet off the dash and wiped it lightly with a cloth.

"Is that supposed to be a recommendation?"

The billionaire was getting sarcastic again, maybe there was good news at the hospital.

"I was just like Abel when Phil picked me up. If I hadn't taken his offer I'd be straight in jail, best case scenario I'd end up like one of those guys in the shelter you volunteer at on Thursday mornings when you tell us you're getting manscaped."

He laughed at Tony's expression

"You got me and Tash living under your roof. Think we wouldn't find out? SHIELD gave me something bigger to focus my anger on. I'm hoping it'll do the same for Abel."

He gave in and took his own feet off the dash, pulling out a pack of wet-wipes and cleaning the dried mud off. His face was grim and cold

"If it don't then we're going to end up looking at each other down a rifle and Barney'll have won the game."

He checked his phone, there was a text from Thor. The Asgardian had been quick to pick up the texting habit but he still had issues with caps lock and autocorrect, which sometimes meant a bit of creative interpretation was required. This one was fairly plain however.

FLINT PLEASE COME TO THE HOSPITAL QUICKLY. AINSLEY MAY BE WALKING UP

"Tony, turn the car around. Shit!"

The car did a three-point turn in traffic without Stark putting a single finger on the wheel. If they did that again it wouldn't be mud he'd be wiping off the seat.

The others were waiting when they arrived, Ainsley's doctor was there as well. He was sure they didn't really have anything on those clipboards.

"We've taken Dr Kerr off the ventilator and the good news is he's breathing normally. Currently he's sleeping and we're monitoring him closely. As soon as he wakes up we'll let you know."

Thor's arms were around him and he could feel the Asgardian sobbing with relief against his shoulder. He was pretty sure his eyes weren't too dry either, although he couldn't be so sure who he was crying for.

Tony had gone back to the Penthouse of course, he didn't have a good history with hospitals, but the others were camped out in the waiting room. Ainsley woke twice, briefly, during the evening but they weren't allowed to see him yet. He was responsive but weak and disoriented, needing natural rest and sleep. It was after midnight when Thor and Clint were allowed in for a few minutes.

"Hey guys." His voice was a hoarse, dry, whisper. Thor took his hand and kissed it

"Do not try to talk, Little-Bug, you must rest and become strong again"

The funny pet name that had come to him seemed to surprise Ainsley

"Why…?"

Thor smiled and put a finger gently to his lover's lips

"Shhh. You are always like a little bug, so fussy and busy with everyone and everything. But now you must rest and we will keep watch over you."

He beamed up at Clint, the archer couldn't remember seeing Thor look so happy for some time. He bent over the doctor and kissed his forehead.

"Thanks for staying with us, Doc. Our turn to stay with you."

Ainsley felt like he'd been in a tumble-drier full of rocks. Every bit of him ached, his throat was raw and his head full of fog. He smiled up at the two men who sat protectively beside him as he began to slide back into sleep

I've been having the most extraordinary dreams