Black Hawk Down

Chapter Six

February 5 - 0800 hours - Common floor Kitchen - Stark Tower

"I need to head to the base now," Phil said. "Nick's expecting me at 10:30 and I want to see my team first."

"Say hi to Nick for me," Tony called from the lounge. He and Bruce had come upstairs to take a break while one of their tests finished. They had joined the rest of the earthbound Avengers almost an hour before.

"He's probably coming back here," Phil replied. "So you may get to say it yourself."

"I thought Natasha didn't want SHIELD to know what's going on?" Tony sounded confused.

"Nick probably already knows," Natasha told him from where she was lying on one of the couches across the room from him.

"Phil was going to tell him the truth anyway," Clint said from his seat next to Natasha.

"He deserves to know how his two top Agents are," Phil told them joining them in the lounge. "But there's not much you can hide from him anyway."

"Fury may never admit it, but he cares about his Agents," Steve said. "Especially the three of you and Agent Hill." He elaborated, gesturing to Phil, Clint and Natasha.

"I'm not going to deny it," Phil admitted. "I've noticed his concern for Natasha and Clint, and I guess I wouldn't be alive if he didn't care about me at least some. As for Maria I think he sees her as the daughter he never had."

"He's always fought the council for us if we expressed concerns about where they wanted to send us," Clint said looking at Natasha. "I guess I can't deny it either. Especially after New York. Any other boss would have crossed me off as a liability like the Council wanted and tried to."

"True," Natasha whispered. "I still don't think he trusts me though. And he has every reason and right not to."

"Fury doesn't trust anyone. He was just as concerned about you being in Russia as he was about Clint being missing." Phil told her. "You can't discount how much you mean to all of us. When Nick told me you were MIA in Russia of all places... it wasn't until he told me that the World Security Council had ordered it and that there was nothing he could have done that I calmed down a bit." Phil admitted with a short laugh.

"Thanks, Phil," Natasha smiled. "But you know I was fine this time."

"You were fine?" Clint asked incredulously. "You call this fine?" He gestured to how she was lying down.

"I have to agree with Clint. This is not you 'fine'." Phil told her. Tony, Bruce and Steve all nodded in agreement. Natasha just ignored them all.

"Alright I'm off then. I'll see you back here probably around 1 o'clock." Phil headed for the elevator.

"See you later then," Clint nodded meaningfully.

"Yep," Phil replied also with a nod.

The five Avengers were left in silence for a short time after he had gone. None of them really knew what to say to Natasha after what she had said. Eventually Jarvis informed Tony that the test they had left to work through had been completed. "I'll get Jarvis to let you know when we're done," Tony called as he and Bruce left the room.

"What do you want to do today," Clint asked Natasha as she sat up.

"I've got some reports to write, including the one from Russia." Natasha admitted. "Maria and I guess Nick wanted it by the end of the week."

"Need any help?" Clint asked not really wanting to leave her side.

"Thanks, but I really need to concentrate on them," Natasha tried to decline politely.