A/N: Hey guys, hope you enjoy this one!
Skye didn't need to ask who these people were. She had been inspecting all of the photographs on the playroom door for long enough that she could easily pick out Clint and Natasha from a line-up, but seeing them actually in person was different.
She only got a quick look at Natasha, mostly of the back of her head and her hair which seemed to be even redder than in the photographs, because she was hugging Phil. Skye thought it looked as though Natasha was trying to squeeze all the air out of Phil, but she mustn't have been hurting him because he was smiling and kissing her head like he did when he picked Skye up from school.
Clint hugged her. Well, he hugged Melinda, but Skye was clinging to her because her tummy felt tight and sore, so Clint kind of hugged her too. He smiled and waved and seemed kind of nice, but Skye didn't feel like talking to him yet so she hid her face in Melinda's shoulder.
"I want to see my bubba." Melinda said. That meant Natasha, Skye knew. Mel often called Nat that when she was talking about her to Phil. Skye didn't know why.
"Hey! Middle-child!" Mel called. "Get your butt over here and give your mama kisses."
Skye kept her face pressed into Mel's shoulder. Mr. Snow and Charlotte hung by their paw and leg in her hand and they were both feeling pretty shy. Skye wanted to cuddle them properly, but in order to lift them into her arms, she would have to move her face, so she just told them to be brave in her mind.
"Mama," Natasha said. She had a different voice than Skye imagined. "Is this my little baby sister?"
That was her.
Baby sister.
Skye turned her head slightly so she could peek out over to Natasha. She was stood there in front of Skye and Mel, grinning at her. Skye lifted her head to get a better look at Natasha. She was beautiful, and she had a purple t-shirt on with a cat's face wearing sunglasses and Skye wasn't sure she'd seen anything cooler in her entire life.
Mel bounced her slightly on her hip and kissed Skye's cheek.
"You ready to meet Natasha, Skye?"
Even though her tummy still felt tight, and even though Mr. Snow and Charlotte were both feeling shy and a bit nervous, Skye nodded, because she did want to meet Natasha. Skye had been looking at Natasha's photographs all week, and seeing her in person was a little weird, but Natasha was smiling and she had such a pretty smile. And Natasha was brave. Skye could be like Natasha.
Skye squirmed a little and Melinda put her down. She adjusted Mr. Snow and Charlotte in her arms.
Natasha got down onto her knees in front of Skye.
"You okay?" Mel asked, putting her hand on Skye's shoulder.
"Yes." Skye said, but she kept her eyes on Natasha.
"Hello, Skye. I'm Nat."
Natasha sat down and crossed her legs in the same way Skye did at school, except they weren't at school, they were in the middle of an airport. Skye wanted to laugh because it was really bizarre, and Natasha didn't seem to care that people walking past were looking at her funny, but Skye still felt a little shy so she bit her lip.
"Hello." Skye said quietly.
Natasha looked at Mr. Snow and Charlotte. "Are these yours?" She asked.
Skye wanted to tell her all about Mr. Snow and Charlotte. About how Phil bought them for her and how they slept in her bed at night and stayed in the car while she was at school. She especially wanted to tell Natasha how Charlotte was really a present for her, but Skye just nodded. Her voice didn't want to work right now.
"I like them a lot." Natasha smiled. She pointed to Charlotte, but didn't touch her. "Is this one a spider?"
Skye nodded again.
"Cool." Clint said, and he sat on the ground by Natasha. More people were looking at them as they walked by, but Clint didn't seem to mind either. "Nat likes spiders, don't ya, Nat?"
Natasha grinned. "Yeah. Spiders are awesome. Some people are scared of them," she looked behind Skye at Melinda, "but I think they're the best."
"I'm not scared." Melinda said. "I'm reasonably cautious of them."
Natasha leaned forward to whisper to Skye. "That's the same thing."
Skye giggled. Natasha was funny.
"Hey, you want to see something cool?" Natasha asked.
Skye smiled. "Yes, please." She said, and Natasha must of heard even though Skye's voice was a little quiet, because she said something Skye didn't catch to Clint, and he moved over to where their luggage was.
Clint passed a small clear box with a handle to Natasha. At first Skye thought it was empty, except for some sandy stuff in the bottom, but them she spotted it.
"Oh my gosh." She breathed, putting Mr. Snow and Charlotte down by Phil's feet so she could crawl over to Natasha and the little box. Skye peered into the tank, mesmerised by the animal standing stoically in the corner. The tarantula was huge. Way bigger than the spiders they often found in the showers at the orphanage, and those spiders were pretty big. "Wow."
"This is my pet spider." Natasha said. "Her name is Tallulah. But we call her Lulu for short."
Skye looked away from Lulu to smile at Natasha. "That's a pretty name. I like her." She gently put a finger up to the clear plastic. "I like her a lot."
Melinda spoke behind her, but Skye stayed focused on Lulu. "It will forever bother me that you can get that thing on an aeroplane so easily." Mel said.
"Mom, she has a name." Natasha said.
"Yeah." Skye agreed, because she thought that names were very important and everyone deserved a good one. "She's called Lulu, Mel."
"See." Natasha said. "Skye gets it."
"Yeah, I get it." Skye shuffled closer to Natasha. "Don't I get it, Natasha?" Skye wasn't one hundred per cent sure what it was that she 'got', but she was thrilled that Natasha thought she did.
"Yeah." Her big sister said. "You do, Skye."
…
Nat was thrilled to discover that Skye, her new baby sister, seemed just as eager to get to know her, as she was to get to know Skye. Skye still seemed a little shy, but when they piled into her dad's car to go home, Nat offered to hold Skye's toys if the little girl kept Lulu's travel tank on her lap, and Skye had been chattering on to the spider the whole way home.
"And then," Skye was saying to Lulu, "Captain America saves the whole world from the Red Skull because he's the best superhero ever."
"I'm glad to see your still subjecting everyone to your love for Cap, Phil." Clint laughed, poking her dad in the back of the neck.
"Stop it." Nat elbowed him. "He's driving."
"Sorry." Clint smirked at her and pecked her cheek.
Nat turned to Clint and rubbed her nose against his ear. "It's not me you should be apologising to, dummy."
"Sorry for poking you in the neck while driving, Dad." He said in a tone that gave the impression he was apologising at gunpoint. Clint's cheeky grin never left his face and it was at times like this that Natasha knew she was seeing Clint like he would have looked at Skye's age. God, she loved this idiot.
"Thanks, Clint." Her dad replied. "That was such a heart-wrenching and sincere apology."
Nat rolled her eyes at her dad's sarcasm and instead turned her attentions back to Skye when her dad and Clint started discussing Clint's job back in DC. The little girl was watching avidly as Lulu began stretching out her legs, moving slowly to the other side of the small tank.
"Look, Natasha." Skye said. "She's moving."
Nat's mom groaned in front of them.
"Oh, calm down, mama." Nat laughed. "She can't get out of the tank."
Her mother turned in her seat to look at Nat and Skye. Her face softened when she saw Skye beaming up at Nat, but it was short lived as her eyes fell back on Nat's pet.
"That's exactly what you said the last time it escaped, Natasha."
Nat shrugged. "We found her didn't we?"
"Yes." Her mom said. "After six hours I found it in my pillowcase."
Skye tugged on Natasha's elbow. Her baby sister was smiling widely. "Did you really lose Lulu in Mel's pillow?"
Nat nodded. "They like to hide, you see." She lifted Skye's toy spider up to her ear. "Isn't that right?" She said to the toy, making it nod at Skye. The little girl giggled. "And Lulu just wanted a nice safe spot to camp out for a little while."
Tasha's mother turned back around to face forwards. "I love you, Tash, but I swear if that freaking spider escapes again I'm going to step on it."
Simultaneous cries of "Mom!" and "Mel!" came from Nat and Skye in the back of the car.
Skye worriedly looked over to Natasha. "Will she really step on her?" Skye pulled the tank closer to her on her lap. Nat loved this. Not only did she have a gorgeous little sister to dote on, but she was a fan of Lulu. Natasha loved Bobbi more than life, but they had never shared the same passion when it came to Nat's love of arachnids. Bobbi tolerated the pet, but wasn't exactly a fan.
"Don't worry." Nat wrapped an arm around Skye's shoulder and smiled when the little girl leaned in to the embrace rather than shaking it off. "Mom won't really hurt Tallulah. Right mom?"
"Right." Her mother said in the most unconvincing tone Nat had ever heard, but Skye visibly relaxed anyway, and went back to admiring her pet.
"Hey, baby sis?" Nat asked, running her fingers through the sparkling fur of the toy spider.
"Yeah?" Skye stopped her admiration of Lulu to look over at her.
"What are you bear and spider called? Do they have names?" Nat had never really had a plush toy like this. When she was in Russia there had never been enough money to spare for toys and after moving to the US with Ivan, well, toys were the last things on her mind to worry about. Nat tightened her arm around Skye.
Skye would never have to worry about the things she had. Never. Natasha would make sure of that. And not just Nat. Since their parents had taken Skye in, Nat and Bobbi had been having increasingly long Skype calls discussing the protection of their baby sister. If anyone dared lay a finger on the little girl, they'd have Bobbi's wrath, Tasha's temper, and Clint's arrows after them.
Her little sister pulled Nat from her musings, pointing to the white bear sitting in her lap. "That's Mr. Snow." Skye explained, and Nat felt herself smiling.
"Is that because he's a polar bear?" She guessed.
Skye's face lit up. "Yes! That's exactly why."
"And this one?" She asked of the sparkly spider. If Nat was being completely honest, she was kind of fond of the cute plushie.
"Um…well…" Skye stumbled over her words, the shyness Nat had thought was dissipating, creeping back in. "Her name is Charlotte. Like in the book."
"That's a great name." Nat said. She wasn't familiar with the book Skye was referring to, but maybe it was one of those things everyone knew that Nat had missed out on. She didn't want Skye to think less of her, like people sometimes did at college when things like this crept up, so Nat made a note to ask Clint about it later.
"Do you like Charlotte?" Skye asked quietly.
"Of course I do." Nat said. "I think she's awesome." And there was no lie there.
Skye smiled. "Good. 'Cos I got her for you, Natasha."
Nat thought that she had heard Skye wrong, but her little sister was lifting Mr. Snow the polar bear out of her lap, leaving Charlotte the spider.
"You got her for me?" Nat felt the need to check. She felt her cheeks getting hot.
"Yeah. Well, Phil helped." Skye said. "Do you like her?"
Nat wrapped both arms around Skye and hugged her so carelessly that she felt Clint reach out from beside her and save Lulu's tank from falling off Skye's lap and onto the floor. Skye hugged Nat back, and it felt wonderful. Part of Natasha wondered if this was how her parents had felt when she had eventually given in and shown affection towards them. It made her feel a little guilty that she had held off for so long when it came to her mom and dad. Tasha swore to show them how much she loved them more often.
"I love her, Skye. Thank you so much." Nat let Skye go, keeping one arm around her.
"You're welcome." Skye said shyly, but kept a hold on Nat's hand now that Clint was in charge of Lulu.
Speaking of. "Was I not invited to the cuddle party?" Clint asked, doing his best fake pout, the one he usually reserved for when he wanted Nat to stay and cuddle in bed on his days off.
"You don't get to come to the cuddle party." Nat said. "You didn't get me the best gift in the world."
Skye giggled at Clint's scandalised look.
"I don't get hugs?" He pouted again, this time at Skye. "Aww. Tell her that's not fair, Skye." He was so good with kids. Nat knew, just from various interactions they had had with them, but Skye's warming to him seemed only to prove her point.
"Here." Skye passed Mr. Snow over to Clint and he took the bear, holding it as if it were worth a million dollars. "You can have hugs from Mr. Snow 'til we get home. He gives good hugs."
"Thank you, Skye. That's very thoughtful of you." Clint smiled, and then eyed Natasha. He gave her a look that told her he was in love with this little girl just as much as she was. But then, how could he not be? Her baby sister was gorgeous.
Lulu's travel tank was passed back to Skye and she spent the rest of the journey home alternating between talking to the humans in the car and to the spider in the tank. Clint stroked his fingers through Mr. Snow's white fur as he answered all of her mom's questions about his job. Tasha joined in with the conversations., catching up with her parents, but her mind remained on the toy cuddled up to her chest. Charlotte the spider's big eyes watched her with more expression than Nat had ever considered possible in toys. Even the baby dolls in the playroom at home she still liked to dress, especially when things got a bit too much to handle, didn't look at her with so much feeling.
Over the course of the five years Mel and Phil had been 'mom' and 'dad', Nat had gained a fair few 'things'. Stuff she had grown particularly fond of over the years.
She had various items of clothing she was reluctant to get rid of, even though they no longer fit, simply because her mother had bought them for her or given them to her, and at the time she had been so touched by the gesture.
She had a little Captain America desk calendar from four years ago that had stood proudly on her desk at home until she moved to DC with Clint, where it had migrated to her desk there, because it had been a present from her dad.
Nat had a whole box of various things Bobbi had given to her over the years. Stupid stuff like key rings and fridge magnets and just tacky trinkets Bobbi had found with spiders on that she knew Nat would like. And then she had the really special things Bobbi had given her; drawings of the two of them and notes Bob had pushed under her bedroom door and left in her coat pockets after they had had a fight and felt bad about it.
And Clint, well, she had a whole host of things she wouldn't ever want to part with because he had been the one to give them to her. She reached up and ran her fingers over the little silver arrow that permanently rested around her throat.
For a girl who had spent most of her life with less than the bare minimum, Tasha had a lot of stuff.
Charlotte the spider smelled like Skye. She guessed her little sister had been hugging the toy and the thought made Nat tighten her grip on Charlotte. Tasha had lots of stuff now that she had a family, but there were a few special things she had promised herself to never part with. That one particular hoodie that had once belonged to her mother but had been given to Nat- the one she still occasionally made her mom sleep in so that it would smell of her when she got it back. The calendar her dad had bought her, and had written little notes on each page before he gave it to her. The drawing of her and Bobbi, on the back of which, her big sister had written her a letter. The necklace from Clint that stayed around her neck.
Charlotte the spider was being added to that list.
Nat pressed her face into Charlotte's glittery fur and inhaled deeply, smelling home. "You can stay." She told the spider quietly. Nat looked over to Skye who was having an animated one-sided dialogue with Lulu. "And I'll take care of her." She promised Charlotte. "I'll take care of Skye."
…
Skye was having a great time.
She had been a little worried that Natasha wouldn't want her to be her sister, but she kept calling her 'baby sis' and that meant that Natasha really did want to be Skye's sister. And she loved Charlotte the spider. Even when they were eating dinner, Natasha kept Charlotte on her lap the whole time. Mr. Snow had to sit on the counter top though, next to the TV, because he was white and Mel said Skye might get food on him.
Lulu the tarantula wasn't allowed in the kitchen at first, but then Mel said she wanted to be able to see her in case she escaped- even though she kept saying she wasn't scared, Skye thought she really was. It was awesome that Natasha had a pet spider, Skye thought.
Her big sister was so cool.
And Clint. Clint was cool, too.
Skye waited patiently for everyone to finish their food before she grabbed Natasha's hand and plucked Mr. Snow off the counter. "You want to come and play with me, Natasha?" She asked.
"What about me?" Clint asked. He did his funny sad face that made Skye giggle.
"You too, Clint." Skye tucked Mr. Snow under her arm so that she could hold Clint's hand too.
"Let's go then." Natasha said, and led the way to the playroom.
"Wait!" Mel called after them and Natasha stopped. "Take your bug with you."
"She's not a bug." Natasha said. She had to let go of Skye's hand to pick up Lulu's little tank.
"She's not a bug, Mel." Skye reiterated. "And she has a name." She reminded her.
Mel rolled her eyes, but she was smiling at Skye. She pointed at Natasha. "Mere hours you have spent with her, and you are already having a bad influence on my baby, Natasha."
Natasha grinned and took Skye's hand again, holding Lulu's tank and Charlotte in the other. "What can I say, mama? I'm just that good."
"Yeah." Skye said. "She's just that good."
"Oh Lord." Clint laughed. "She's got a mini me."
"What were we thinking, putting these two together?" Phil said. "We've created an evil team."
"No." Skye argued. "We're not evil." She looked to Natasha who was nodding too. The Red Skull was evil. They were the good guys. Agent Skye was a good guy.
"Okay, I'm sorry." Phil said. "Go be the goodies."
Skye kind of forgot that this was Natasha and Clint's house way before it was her house, so when they both led her to the playroom in a way that made Skye think they could have done it blindfolded, she was a little surprised. The door to the playroom was closed and Natasha looked at the pictures on it for a few seconds before letting go of Skye and putting her hand on the handle.
"You got one up here yet, baby sis?" Natasha asked, nodding to the pictures on the door.
Skye shrugged. "I don't like drawing."
"You don't?" Clint sounded surprised as they all entered the playroom.
"Well…" Skye let go of Clint's hand to go and sit by Bobbi's Barbies. They were all still having a yoga lesson in the 'front yard', just like Skye had left them. "I used to like drawing but then…now I don't."
"Why not?" Natasha asked. Skye watched as Natasha set Lulu down on the desk. She kept Charlotte in her lap when she came to sit with Clint by Skye. "You don't have to tell me." Natasha said quietly.
"S'okay." Skye picked up one of the red haired Barbies and made her walk up Natasha's leg. Natasha put her arm around Skye, like she had in the car. It made Skye feel nice. Like when Mel and Phil gave her hugs, so she leaned into her big sister. "I lived with Miss Macy and she was kind of nice, but then she was mean." Natasha's arm got tighter around her. "I made her a card but when she got angry she, um, she tore it up."
Natasha started stroking Skye's hair like Mel did. "I'm sorry that happened to you."
"S'okay." And it was, because Skye didn't live there anymore. She lived here. Here was good.
"You know that's never going to happen again?" Natasha said. "I'm going to make sure that is never going to happen."
"Me too." Clint said.
"'Cos you're brave." Skye said.
"You can be brave, too." Clint said. "Can't she, Tash."
"Yeah." Natasha kissed her head. "You're brave, Skye. Baby sis, you are so brave."
Skye didn't know how Natasha could say that. "I'm not brave like you." She said. She had never been somewhere that she hadn't been able to speak the language. And she'd never punched a nun, even though that was probably more naughty than brave.
"I think you're brave, Skye." Natasha said.
Even if Natasha and Clint thought she was brave, Skye wasn't sure she agreed, so she just went back to making the red haired Barbie do backflips off Natasha's leg.
"Why don't we play a game, huh?" Clint said. He got up and walked over to where the bored games sat on a shelf. "What game do you think, Skye?"
She hadn't really played any of the games on the shelf, but a couple were familiar from school. "I don't mind."
"Tash? Any preference?" Clint asked.
"Not Monopoly." She smiled. "I don't have three weeks to spare."
He lifted a box off the shelf and put it down beside Skye. "We're going classic, guys. Shoots and Ladders."
"I like that game." Skye said. "We have it at school."
Skye thought she should maybe help Clint set up the game, because she really did like Shoots and Ladders, but Natasha was still hugging her and Skye kind of wanted to cuddle her big sister for a little longer.
"What colour would you like to be?" Natasha asked her.
"Blue." Skye said. "Blue, please."
"Good choice, little sis." Clint said and held up a hand for a high five.
Skye smiled and was about to high five him when Natasha held up both of her hands. "Three way high five!"
Her big brother and sister were so cool.
…
Having the two older kids back in the house meant that it was no longer an almost silent home after Skye was tucked up and asleep in bed. For years Phil and Melinda's house was constantly full of kids; their kids, their kids' friends, their kids' boyfriends-much to Phil's chagrin. It had been a busy home full of bickering, laughter and loud music. At the time Mel and Phil had spent many nights telling the kids to go to bed and be quiet, but then it had gone. It had been quiet. Even when Skye had moved in it had been too quiet.
It was late when Mel had eventually put Skye to bed. The little girl had played for hours in the playroom with Clint and Natasha, the three steadily making their way through their selection of bored games. The excitement and stress of her baby's day had shown when Skye passed out after only a couple of minutes of cuddling. Not that she could speak herself. Melinda's own fatigue was kicking her butt at the minute.
Clint and Nat had gone to bed not long after Skye, declaring they were tired from the flight, but Mel could still hear them moving around in their bedroom. She had no idea what they were doing, but every so often a round of laugher would break out followed by a lot of 'shushing' from Nat, so she suspected it was something they shouldn't be doing. Probably something she didn't want to know about.
Melinda had missed this. This…noise. Chaos. Not that this was chaos. She was lying in bed reading a terrible novel Maria had given her and it wasn't even midnight. No, this wasn't chaos by any stretch of the imagination, but having more people in the house was a welcoming comfort.
"What're you thinking so hard about?" Phil asked, walking out of the ensuite and climbing into bed next to her. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
"Just," Mel sighed, putting the really awful book on the bedside table, "just that I miss the kids so much."
Phil cocked an eyebrow at her. "You are aware that three quarters of them are like less them twenty feet away from us right now?"
She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. I've missed having them here."
"Too quiet without them." Phil agreed, nudging her foot with his under the covers.
"Exactly."
"It went well, huh?" Phil said. "Today. I was a little worried about Skye for a minute."
Melinda nodded. It hadn't really occurred to her how Skye's little anxiety fit must have appeared to him at the airport. "She was nervous."
"Yeah?"
"Mm. It was my fault that I didn't realise." She sighed. "I mean I knew she would be nervous about meeting Tasha, but I just didn't put two and two together that she was feeling that anxious about the whole thing."
Phil rubbed her arm and kissed her shoulder. "That's not you're fault, you know, Mel."
She didn't answer. Overlooking something as important as her little girl's anxieties was inexcusable to Melinda.
"It's not." Phil insisted. "And it all turned out fine, anyway. Better than fine. They've got a little club going on." He nudged her with his elbow until she looked at him, giving Mel a cheeky little grin. "Now Skye's got a big sister and a big brother."
Melinda smiled. There had been no question that Nat would be in love with Skye, but she was thrilled with how besotted Skye seemed to be with Natasha. Skye wanted to be a little Tasha mini-me. It was adorable, if very slightly irritating.
"Two down, one to go." Mel laughed. "Bobbi's going to have a lot to live up to. Maybe I should call her and tell her to buy a pet before she comes home. Worked for Nat." Melinda grimaced. "Even if it is a spider."
"Would you rather it was a dog? Because Clint is obsessed with dogs." Phil shook his head.
"Yes. I'd rather it was a dog."
Phil glared at her. "Do not let Clint hear you say that. Because he will come back here with a dog. And Mel, I swear to god, I'm not taking care of a dog while they're in DC."
Melinda waved him off. "Clint is not that obsessed with dogs, Phil. You're exaggerating."
"Melinda, he has a picture of a dog is his wallet that he cut out from a vet advertisement in the paper." Phil sat up. "In. His. Wallet."
"Calm down, we're not going to let him get a dog." Melinda yawned heavily and ran a hand through her hair.
"Tired?" Phil stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.
"I guess. I think it's just the week catching up to me." She smiled. "I love Skye but it's been a long time since I've had to deal with so much energy in one compact person."
Phil kissed her cheek. "Kid's like the freaking Energizer bunny."
"Yeah." Mel turned to head to meet her husband's lips and kissed him gently. "But she's pretty cute."
"Mmm, I guess we'll keep her." He teased.
"I guess so." Melinda cuddled up to him, resting her head on his chest.
He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled into her hair.
Mel smiled. "I'm glad I disobeyed my mother's wishes and married you when I was eighteen."
He chuckled. "Me too. I don't think anyone else would have me."
"Well, you're not all bad." She smiled.
"I mean, you're the best wife ever." Phil said.
"I know."
Phil continued, fingers beginning to dance under the hem of her t-shit onto her bare belly. "How many wives would put up with my classic car obsession? Or my antique gadget obsession? Or my Captain America obsession?"
Melinda turned to look up at him. "God, you're right, you are hard to put up with." She shrugged. "Sorry, I've decided that after twenty five years of marriage, I'm divorcing you. Bye." She turned away from him with a smirk.
Phil poked her bare side with one finger. "Can I convince you otherwise?" He kissed her cheek, but then began tickling her stomach until the muscles jumped underneath her skin.
"M'not ticklish." She mumbled into her pillow.
"Then why are you trying not to squirm?" He continued his onslaught of tickles until Melinda squeaked and batted him away.
"Phil. Okay, Phil." Melinda felt herself beginning to get hysterical, the smile aching her cheeks and the laughter aching her belly. He didn't stop. "I will burn all of your Cap crap!"
For a second his fingers stilled and his face went serious, making Mel snort. "It is not crap Melinda, it is a collection of memorabilia of one of the countries' finest heroes."
"He's not real." She fake whispered.
"How dare you." Phil lifted Melinda's shirt and blew a raspberry onto her belly.
She squealed loudly and uncharacteristically. "Phil!"
There were three short raps on their bedroom door, and red-faced and panting, both Phil and Melinda turned to the source of the noise.
"Oh my God, you guys." Natasha's voice carried through the door clearly, a tiny hint of her Russian accent slipping through. "What are you doing in there?"
"Maybe they're having sex." Clint's voice sniggered. "Ow!" Apparently Nat had punched him for that comment.
"Mom and Dad do not have sex." Nat said, seemingly to Clint. "They're too old."
Mel smiled at Phil. He was looking halfway between horrified and offended. She nudged him and grinned mischievously at him.
"Actually," Mel called out to the kids outside of her door, "your dad and I have lots of sex."
"Mommy!" Nat sounded scandalised. She could hear Clint laughing.
Phil's cheeks were scarlet. Melinda was enjoying this far too much.
"In fact, Natasha," Mel kept her eyes on Phil the entire time she spoke, loving his mortification. "We're having sex right now as we speak."
Melinda could no longer hold in the laughter bubbling up inside her when matching retching sounds from both Nat and Clint sounded through the door. Phil put his head in his hands and groaned, apparently loud enough that Nat heard because she immediately began cursing her parents for all it was worth.
Wiping tears from her eyes, Mel stood and walked over to their bedroom door, opening it to reveal the kids both looking pale and horrified. She stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door closed a little, keeping it still ajar.
"That was quick." Clint muttered. Mel rolled her eyes and clipped him on the ear.
"I was kidding." She turned to Natasha. "Calm down. I wasn't having sex with your father."
"Stop saying the word. Oh my God, mom."
"So," She cocked an eyebrow at the kids, "have I sufficiently traumatised you for life?"
"Yes." The two said in tandem.
"Good." Mel looked poignantly at Natasha. "We're not to old to have sex. Lesson learned?"
"I feel sick." Nat complained.
"Honey," Mel put a gentle hand on Tasha's shoulder and looked between her and Clint, "that's exactly how your father feels about you having sex with Clint."
Both Natasha and Clint blushed profusely. Clint scratched the back of his head, muttered something that sounded like 'never be able to look him in the eye again' and stumbled off in the direction of their room. Natasha bit her lip and looked down at her feet.
She kept her head down but peeked up at her mother. "Is he mad?"
Mel smiled. "Bubba, this isn't a new revelation for him, no matter how much he likes to pretend he is unaware of your sexual exploits."
"Ew, mom. Don't call it that."
"Sorry. But you know what I mean, Tash?" Mel held her hand out and Natasha took it, stepping closer to her mother.
"I kind of hoped he'd never find out." Nat said quietly. "I don't mind telling you but…" She trailed off.
"Dad's different?" Mel said sympathetically. She was forty three, not dead. She could still remember the awkward revelations she'd had with her own relatives and like most others on the planet, Nat would have to soldier through them.
"Dad's different." Nat confirmed.
Melinda tugged her forward the last few baby steps and pulled her teenager into her arms. Nat went gladly and hugged her mother tightly.
"While you're here," Mel said, "and while we're on topic, I just want you to know you can talk to me about anything."
"I know, mama. We've had this conversation before." Natasha sounded exasperated but Mel didn't care, continuing regardless.
"I know, I know. But I want to reiterate the point." She moved to hold Nat's face in her hands, looking at her eye-to-eye. "Anything, Natasha."
Natasha frowned and Mel dropped her hands from her face. "Mom…you, er, you don't think I'm pregnant, do you?"
Mel nearly choked. "Now I do."
"I'm not! I'm not!" Nat rushed to explain. "I swear I'm not pregnant."
"Who's pregnant?!" Phil called panicked. His face appeared at the door half a second later and he looked at Natasha. "Sweet Jesus, you're pregnant?"
"No, I-,"
"Clint Barton you get your ass out here this second!"
"Phil," Mel chastised, "you'll wake Skye."
"Dad-," Nat tried.
Clint poked his head out of the door. "Huh?"
"You got her knocked up?" Phil growled.
Mel rubbed her temples as Clint went white. "I did what?" He looked to Natasha. "You're-"
"No one is pregnant!" Natasha shouted, and everyone fell quiet. "Right?" She looked between her parents and Clint. "I guarantee you, that as of right now, I am not with child. Okay?"
"Oh, thank the Lord." Phil sighed. "I'm going back to bed before I have a panic attack."
"Sorry, Daddy!" Nat called after him, and Phil gave a wave as he retreated into the room.
"I thought I was gonna puke." Clint said.
"Me too." Mel muttered. She honestly did feel like sick for a bit there.
"Let's go back to bed." Nat said to Clint and he ducked back into the room. Natasha hugged her mother again. "Sorry for scaring you."
"You better be." Mel kissed Nat on the forehead. "Night, Bubba. I love you."
"I love you, too, Mama." Nat disappeared into her room, leaving Mel alone in the hallway.
She took a couple of seconds to compose herself after the little episode, but it was short-lived, when Skye's bedroom door opened and a bleary eyed eight-year-old stepped out, Mr. Snow in hand. She had a wobbling bottom lip as she stumbled over to Melinda.
"There was shouting." Skye mumbled and Mel leaned down to pick her up. The little girl automatically clung to her like a baby monkey, pressing her face into Melinda's neck.
"It's okay, baby." She shushed, taking her back into her room.
"You were fighting." Skye said. "It was scary."
Melinda stopped on her journey to Skye's bed, feeling overwhelmingly guilty that she had managed to scare Skye. How many times had Skye been awoken by shouting in both St Agnes' and her foster homes? How many times had she woken up terrified in the middle of the night? Too many, she guessed.
"I'm so sorry we scared you." Mel whispered back to Skye. "It wasn't a real fight." She tried to explain. "No one was really mad."
"Tasha shouted." Skye said.
"I know. But no one is mad, okay? I promise."
Skye lifted her head and Melinda was devastated to discover her cheeks were damp with tears. That settled it. There was no way Melinda was putting Skye back to bed on her own after they had all frightened her, even if it was unintentional and really quite ridiculous.
She stepped back out into the hall and closed Skye's door. "How about you keep Phil and I company tonight?" Mel said.
Skye frowned. "I'm 'posed to sleep in my own bed."
Melinda had never said that once. It hadn't ever been necessary, but apparently that was because someone else had drilled it into Skye's mind.
"Tonight I think I want cuddles from my baby, though." Mel smiled, kissing Skye's cheek. "You want to come and sleep with me in my bed?"
Skye nodded eagerly, tightening her grip on Mel.
Melinda carried Skye back into her and Phil's room. Phil was lying down in the bed, but he sat up when she walked in with Skye.
"Skye got woken up by the ruckus." She explained, climbing into bed without leaving go of Skye. "So she's going to sleep here tonight and give me cuddles, huh?"
Skye nodded. The little girl sat in the centre of the bed stiffly until Mel settled down on her side and patted the space next to her. At that, Skye snuggled into Melinda, thumb of one hand going into her mouth, and the other hand feeling around for Phil. He smiled and moved closer to Skye, until her little hand wrapped around his hand.
The little girl was asleep in seconds. Her hand continued to clutch Phil's, and her nose pressed into Melinda's chest.
Phil met Melinda's eyes over the top of Skye's head. "I love our kids." He whispered. "I love them so much."
"Me too." She said quietly, nuzzling Skye's hair.
"And I love you, Mel."
She smirked at him. "Ditto."
"Ditto?" He whispered. "Are you freaking kidding me?"
"Fine." She grinned sleepily, placing a hand on top of where Phil's and Skye's were joined. "I love you, too."
A/N: Review please! Let me know what you thought!