One more chapter after this before I switch Point of views so bear with me if the constant Chris moments are becoming too much. So here it is, so let's get on with the show!

Chapter 16: The Only Thing

Morning rose but no joy rose with me. My feelings were still raw from the night before. Confusion still rang through my head. Funny how things can just mess you up, I didn't even sleep a wink last night. Well, that and the constant nightmare that kept me awake. Six in the morning and I knew I wasn't getting any sleep. I slid on some slippers and headed downstairs. The party room had been cleared since last night. All that stood was the tree and the presents that lay under it.

I inhaled and the smell of alcohol filled my nostrils. It was rancid but it also smelled comforting. Taking in another whiff I had nasty ideas, ideas of drinking the pains away, about taking that first sip. Slinking down the stairs my eyes locked on the liquor cabinet. My feet crept closer and closer to the cabinet. The key was laying there just waiting for someone to pick it up and I did. Obeying the key I unlocked the cabinet. Under I found a bottle of vodka. I was reaching for it when the sound of moaning came from the couch.

I quickly locked the cabinet and laid the key back where I had found it. The groan came again. Curious I walked over to the couch. Snoring and groaning on the couch was Clint. He was in one of his restless hangover naps. Almost automatically I started to make his usual, a glass of water and some aspirin. I walked over to the coffee table and sat down. Why am I doing this? After last night Clint probably doesn't want to talk to me. I crossed the line and he was scared by it. A sigh escaped my lips and my head fell to the table.

How was I going to fix this? Well, the aspirin might help a little. But he will always remember that I don't think of him as a friend anymore. Another snore and a grumble rose from Clint. Cumpling noises came from the couch and I knew he was getting up. He sat up and saw the cup of water and aspirin. I don't think he noticed me yet. His eyes were only focused on the magic that would cure his hangover. He put the pill in his mouth and sent it down with a sip of water. I had to say something clear this up.

"Clint?"

He shook from his hangover state. He looked over into my eyes and had a heart attack. He tried to get up but I grabbed his arm holding him in place.

"Darn you and your incredible strength," Clint cursed.

He sat back down on the couch; he hung his head so he couldn't see my face. I sighed tears welling up in my eyes.

"Am I really that bad of a person?" I asked.

Clint's eyes went wide. He finally looked up at me with understanding eyes.

"No, no not at all, it's just complicated."

I wiped my eyes.

"How so, if you don't like me just say so."

He chuckled. His hands caressed mine.

"Christine, you know that thing I've wanted to tell you for the past few weeks?" he asked.

His coarse skin moved against my hand. His smile was tinted with sadness.

"Well, I'm just gonna say it, Christine, I like you a lot," he forced out.

My heart started to race. So what was the issue?

"But, the only issue is your fathers."

"Why would they be an issue?"

He sighed as he shook his head.

"I work with your dads every single day, they would never approve of a relationship between us."

I leaned in closer. His blue eyes poured deep into me. They sang a sad song that I couldn't stand to listen to. My head leaned closer so that our faces were only a few inches apart. My lips curled into a smile.

"You want to know something?" I asked.

His breath hitched. My breath went silent. He nodded not able to respond to my question. I leaned in closer to his ear and chuckled.

"I don't care," I whispered.

His heart was beating fast. He looked me in the eyes. He licked his lips before he slowly leaned in cupping my face in his hands. He started to lean in but I pushed him back. It's not because I didn't want it, trust me I wanted to kiss him but his breath was making my eyes water.

"Clint as much as I want this, you need a tic-tac because your breath stinks."

He huffed into his hand and took in a whiff. His nose scrunched up.

"Yah, I get what you mean," he said.

I laughed and kissed him on the cheek. His hand found mine and my heart pounded in my chest. I tried to control it, hoping he wouldn't hear it, but it wouldn't calm down it was too excited. He started to chuckle.

"Well, so much for self-control," he muttered.

I placed my hand on his cheek.

"Clint, I want to be with you and who cares what my dads think."

He laughed again.

"It's not that simple, they are a little more protective of you than you think," he said spitefully.

He looked a bit peeved off about it.

"Well, if it really bothers you, we can always just keep it a secret," I suggested.

He looked and me and gave me a devilish smile.

"You, Miss Daddy's girl, wants to keep something from him as big as this?"

I nodded eagerly.

"If it will make you more comfortable, then I'll do it."

He beamed.

"Then it's done, but here's the deal, after you graduate we have to tell them," Clint added.

"That's reasonable; I mean we can't keep it a secret forever."

He nodded and smiled.

"So since we are already up do you want to go make pancakes for everyone before they wake up?" he asked.

I nodded. We both got up and gathered the ingredients. He started cooking the bacon while I started to make the pancake batter. He almost burned the bacon, twice. How did he even live by himself before the Avengers? I showed him slowly how you're supposed to do it.

"God what are you my mother?" he chuckled.

"Ha ha well, if you wouldn't burn things, I wouldn't have to look over your shoulder every few minutes now would I?"

He laughed ruffling my hair. I finished up the batter and poured it into a pan. Cooking was a skill I picked up at my old home. I think about them every once and a while. They were great but this was my family now. No way was I going back. Distracted I turned and slipped on the floor. Falling on my ass Clint looked down at what had happened. He tried to hold in a smile. I could only pout as he helped me up.

"Look who's taking care of whom now," he teased.

I stuck my tongue out at him. He only laughed softly as he kissed me on the forehead. But he quickly pulled away from me as we heard the sound of footsteps going down the stairs. We quickly went back to work. I turned around to see Dad hitting the bottom of the stairs.

"Morning Chris, are you making pancakes?" he asked.

"Yes, and don't worry I didn't let Mr. Barton touch them."

He gave me a playful nudge.

"That's probably a good thing for all of us," dad chimed in.

Clint pouted a little as dad walked into the kitchen.

"Do you need any help?" he asked.

I nodded.

"You could get the plates, silverware, syrup, and butter out."

He nodded. He went to the fridge to start gathering the supplies.

"So where's Mr. Stark?" I asked.

He laughed.

"You know after than hug you gave him last night he thinks you accepted his adoption offer," he reminded me.

I nodded.

"Well, I did I just didn't know if you knew yet."

Dad's smile brightened.

"Well, this is absolutely marvelous."

Dad looked absolutely excited by the news. Slowly the rest of the tower woke slowly, all stumbling down the stairs trying to get at the food. I sat between Dad and Tony to make things inconspicuous. Clint sat beside Natasha and Bruce. Breakfast was filled with laughter and joy. Everyone was getting along; even Natasha was civil towards me. After breakfast Dad and Tony did the dishes. When they finished the doorbell was rung. It turned out to be Pepper and Coulson. Everyone embraced the couple and drug them to the tree so we could all be together.

I hadn't realized how many presents were under the tree. Since most of them didn't have family they put all Christmas shopping into their family at home. More were added by Pepper. The living room was crowded but we didn't care everyone was talking and laughing. We were all enjoying each other's company. We never had extravagant Christmas' like this. I was always at school. They rarely let us go back home. So we would have a small party to celebrate.

I was used to it. But this was way better than anything I could imagine. Finally everyone quieted down as Dad got up. He grabbed the first present and started to pass them out. Everyone was unwrapping gifts in the living room. I had forgotten my stuff upstairs. I didn't realize everything was already downstairs. I snuck away quietly to go retrieve the packages. I walked into my room and went to the back of my closet. I had discovered early on that there was a secret compartment in the back. That is where Tony kept his adult magazines and his Captain America memorabilia.

I grabbed the packages and stumbled down the stairs. I secretly placed them under the tree and crept back to my seat on the couch hoping no one noticed. But where I was sitting a small pile of gifts sat there. I could tell immediately which presents were from whom. They were all wrapped in the colors of their suits. I kind of laughed at how self-centered that looked. It seemed that everyone had gotten me something. Even Natasha had graced me with a card. Everyone was too engrossed in what they were doing to see the smile that spread over my face. I almost didn't want to open them. It was just too great of a moment. Just watching everyone else have fun, everyone acting as one big family was good enough for me.

But dad and Tony sat on each side of me.

"Well, are you going to open your gifts?" dad asked.

Tony laughed.

"Yah, come on kid, see what you got this year," he laughed.

I never did get much a little something from my adoptive parents and maybe from an admirer or two from the academy but this was special. Well, at least it was to me. Dad just kept on beaming watching the smile on my face. Tony was just enjoying my dad's happiness. Before my dad could ask again I grabbed the card on the top. It was a black envelope with two red triangles to form the symbol of a black widow. I tore it open. I pulled out the contents. What fell out was a small gift card. Twenty bucks for Michael's craft store. My art teacher got me money for art supplies. It made me laugh on the inside.

One by one I opened the rest. Jane and Thor bought me at least ten bottles of nail polish. She gave me the thumbs up. Well, girls' night was going to be more interesting now that there are more colors of nail polish. Bruce got me a chemistry set, Pepper and Coulson got me a gift card to Star Bucks, Tony had wrapped my adoption papers up and gave them to me to sign, Clint got me a new sketch pad and a pack of pencils, and dad's gift was probably the best. It was a framed picture of mom. I felt tears well up in my eyes. Giving him a big hug he knew how much it meant to me.

After everything started to calm down, we all started to part ways. Even I started to make my way to my room. I was in the hall way when someone called after me.

"Chris," my dad yelled.

I turned and smiled.

"Hey."

He smiled back.

"So how did you enjoy Christmas?" he asked.

"Yah, I did it was great."

He smiled.

"I'm glad, I hate to say but when Tony and I went to visit your other parents we talked a little bit and they gave me all these pictures, they told me about how Christmas used to be for you."

I bitterly smiled.

"It's okay, I was used to it."

He smiled.

"Well, not anymore all holidays are huge at the house, well mostly because of Tony but also…."

I gave him a huge hug. He stopped in his tracks and gave me a hug back.

"Chris, you know you are one of the greatest things that have happened to me," he told me.

I laughed.

"Between meeting Tony and being given the serum," I joked.

He laughed.

"Somewhere in there."

We broke apart and he smiled down at me. He was in a good mood which reminded me of something I needed to ask.

"Dad, I was wondering, could I try out to be an Avenger?"

His face scrunched a little. He didn't look pleased with my question.

"Absolutely not," he replied.

I tried to interrupt him but he stopped me.

"And that is final, this job is too dangerous for you and I'm not losing you to one of them," he growled.

Before I could say another word he turned and walked away, so much for that conversation. I sadly returned to my room. I walked to my bed to flop upon. But something caught my eye. A black box sat on the covers. Slowly I opened the box and found to my surprise a super suit. The top was a red and white striped tank with a blue hoodie that was cut off at the stomach. The bottom was a tight blue material that looked aerodynamic. The shoes were short red boots that didn't have a heel and were easy to run with.

Along with the outfit was a pair of gloves finger less gloves and a piece of red cloth with two holes in it. I stared at the marvelous suit, wondering who would give me such a thing. It started to give me wonderful but dangerous ideas. I may not become an avenger. But with this I can at least try to be a hero.

Oh, Chris is getting bad ideas, betraying her father's trust twice in one day. It seems pretty serious remember one more chapter with Chris and we will get on to other things. Hope you enjoyed see you next chapter.