After the Avengers (Clintasha) [Complete]

Chapter 31

31
Natasha's POV

Despite, what his doctor told him...

Despite, the protests the nurses put up...

Despite, everything I said...

Despite, all the pain he must have been feeling, Clint ran to Kate's room the moment we told him what happened.

I'm pissed that Clint sent his daughter after me. I kind of like that he did, it shows that he cares, but I'm still pissed. I'm furious that she got hurt doing so.

When Bruce ran in there as the Hulk, I knew something had to be wrong. Of course, Kate took my comm so I stood by helplessly. I was so worried about her and I had reason to be.

Thor carried her out. Bruce ran next to them, Thor's Cape wrapped around him. He was instructing the God on how to carry her and to put pressure on her wounds. The moment they were out of the factory, Thor flew up into the sky and off to find help.

Steve was the one who told me everything. "I'm sorry," was what he started with and my heart filled with dread.

The young girl looks terrible even after she's been patched up. Asleep in her hospital bed, pale, frail looking. Clint rushes to her side. He pushes back strand of hair from her face.

"Are you okay, Katherine?" He asks urgently. She groans loudly and flinches away from his touch. "It's okay, I'm here."

"Dad, go away, I want to sleep," she moans.

Clint recoils. He looks up at me as if he's saying did she really just say that? I nod.

He grins one of the widest grins I have ever seen. Slowly, as not to disturb his sleeping daughter, he leans down to kiss her forehead. "Sure thing, kiddo," he whispers. "I love you."

As I move to join my family, I hear, "Not so fast Romanoff." I spin around to see Director Fury coming up behind me. You and I need to have a chat."

I sigh and follow him down the hall. "She knows something, doesn't she?" Fury asks as we walk.

"I think she does," I admit.

"I expect you to find that out," he informs me.

Maria and the rest of the avengers wait for us in the meeting room.

"Clint?" Steve asks.

"He's with Kate," I say sliding easily into a seat between Maria and Bruce.

"How is she?" Bruce asks.

"She'll live. She's resting for now."

"Kate's fine," Fury snaps, taking his seat at the head of the table. "Something's come up and I don't have long, let's get to it."

"What's come up?" Tony asks, peering at him with overly curious eyes.

"None of your damn business, Stark," he focusses his eyes on me. "Why was miss Bishop sent by her father into the heat of battle to protect you?"

I shift uncomfortably in my seat. "Well," Stark starts. "As I told you when you-"

"No." he growls, "Just shut your damn mouth. I know what you told me, I want to hear Romanoff's take on it."

"I'm pregnant," I tell him. "Kate was sent in to get me out."

"How long have you known?"

"Long enough that I could have told you," I mumble. "Maria knew and she's been covering for me."

Fury shifts in his seat to look at the female agent. "You knew?"

Maria opens her mouth and closes it. She takes a full moment to compose herself. She finally looks at him with a level head. "All of the women in the tower knew."

"And none of you thought to tell me?"

"Well, in this industry full of men, girls have to stick together," Maria says, sending Natasha a smirk.

"Unbelievable," Fury runs a hand over his face. "And what are you going to do about it?"

I shift. Figuring out what I want to do with my job has been hard and I haven't had a chance to talk to Clint. I think I've made a good decision though. "I want to continue with SHIELD and the Avengers, but until I've had the baby, I'm out."

"Very well," Fury nods. "As for miss Bishop?"

"What about her?" I demand. "She will continue to live with Clint and I. She can decide where she wants to her life to go."

"Even after all that has been revealed about her?" He asks.

"It changes nothing," I growl. How dare he assume that we would abandon her.

"And the rest of you, how do you feel? She lives with you after all," he asks, scanning the rest of the avengers.

I look over at my team mates with pleading eyes. They have to trust her now. They can't give up on her. That girl can't handle any more rejection.

I'm immediately reassured.

"Kate is a fine warrior," Thor says. "I would be honoured to continue to fight along side her."

"Agreed," Steve says. "She's an avenger now. She's proved herself to us."

"She's a good kid," Bruce says. "Whether she's Kate Bishop or Katie Moss."

"Tony?" Fury asks after the loudest member of the avengers remains silent. "It's your building, what's your take?"

"She's staying, I thought that was clear," he snaps. "I'm not letting a kid stay on the streets."

I smile, sitting back relieved in my chair. My family didn't really just consist of Clint and Kate, but all of the men sitting around me.

"Well, that's good enough for me," Fury says standing up. "If you would excuse me, I have to go to Slingshot."

As soon as he leaves the room, I'm bombarded by congratulations from my team mates. And 'how could you not tell us?' and, of course, spider and hawk jokes from Tony.

"Have you gotten an ultrasound?" Bruce asks.

"No, I know very little actually," I tell him.

"We have to do one, right now," Tony says. "Bruce knows how."

I look between my friends, nerves twisting in the pit of my stomach. I grin despite it, "Get Clint."

Half an hour later, we all squish into a tiny room with ultrasound material. Clint wheels in a half asleep and grumpy Kate in a wheelchair.

"You should be resting!" I protest.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," she slurs.

Clint comes up beside me and says, "No matter what happens, I love you."

I lean up to kiss him, "I love you, too."

"Well," Bruce interrupts us. "Let's get started."

IMPORTANT AN

An epilogue is coming! I had something I wanted to do, but I'm not sure I want to do it yet. So this story gets cut short a chapter. Part two to this story will come up eventually, but in the mean time I'm going to do a series of one shots until I get it set up. Sorry for the wait, but the epilogue should be out within this weekend. So keep an eye out for that and the one shots. Thank you for readinf