𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐎𝐓𝐄, kate bishop (n/a)

𝗜. return of the ronin

"Uh, yeah, it'd be easier if you were here. I'd be less likely to strange these kids, well, except Kim, she's still being quiet as a mouse." Clint says, glancing over at Kimberly who glared at him.

"The whole point was for you to get some alone time with the kids and for Kimberly to leave her room," Laura replies.

"No, I'm kidding," Clint brushes off as Cooper and Nate begin throwing napkins at each other. "We're having a really good time. We miss you."

"I miss you," Laura says sadly before becoming upbeat once more. "I can't wait to see you guys tomorrow."

"Bye, love you," they all began saying. "Talk to you later. See you soon."

"Look," Clint begins as the call ends. "It's six days until Christmas, okay? We're gonna fill it with a lot of activates. What's your favourite?" he questions pointing to Nathaniel.

"Um," he thinks for a second. "Gingerbread house!"

"We're doing that!" says Clint as he points to Lila. "Uh, Christmas movie marathon."

"Move marathon, awesome!" he then turns to Kimberly who shrugs, Clint gives his oldest a stern look leading Kim to sigh and say. "I wanna make shortbread on Christmas Eve."

"Shortbread, amazing!" he says, lastly turning to Cooper. "Uh, ugly sweaters."

"Ugly Christmas sweaters! And we have to decorate the tree. There are a thousand things to do," Clint beams at the thought of spending the holidays with his family. "It's going to be amazing, by most important thing, is that we're going to do it all together," he says as he holds his hand out for Cooper and Nathaniel who were sitting beside him.

"No. Not holding their hands." Lila jokes as Nathaniel reaches over for her hands.

"Hold your sibling's hands," says Clint. Lila sighs but nevertheless with a smile on her face as she takes Nathaniel and Kimberly's hands. "I love you guys. It's gonna be the best Barton Christmas ever!"

Before anyone else could respond, one of the workers came over, placing another bowl of food on the table. "Please, dinner is on us," he says. "Thank you."

"Oh," Clint says in shock. "That's, that's not necessary."

"It's necessary," the man nodded. "You saved our city."

"Thank you," Clint says, still trying to shake off the feeling he had as the man shook his hand.

Kimberly sighed, shaking her head. Not that she didn't appreciate the kind gesture by the man, that wasn't it at all, it was just, every time someone mentioned what had happened, Natasha Romanoff haunted her mind.

"YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT THAT TREE, DAD." Lila says at the Barton's entered their hotel room. "It was amazing."

"I want one that big," Nathaniel adds. "Me and you both, kid," Kimberly replies as she jumped, stopping Nate from sliding down her back as she carried him inside.

"It wouldn't fit in our house, dummies," Cooper replied sarcastically. "Yeah well, no one asked you. Scrooge" replies Kimberly.

"Please, please, please?" Nate begs.

Kimberly sits Nathaniel down on the couch, fixing his jacket as the younger boy passes out from tiredness, before sitting down beside Lila as she turns on the news. "It's a little late for TV, guys," Clint says. "We've gotta pack."

"We are following a breaking news story," the newscaster begins. "A high society gala rocked by an explosion when it went off at Park Avenue and 68th Street tonight. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. But witnesses captured cell phone footage of a masked assailant fleeing the scene."

Kimberly's eyes darted up to the TV, watching as someone jumped across the busy road of New York, dodging the speeding cars and moving a dog out of the way. "Great," she mumbled, she would recognise that suit anywhere.

"Check it out," Lila says, catching their fathers attention. "A ninja saved a dog."

The newscaster showed a photo of the unknown vigilante, wearing her father's old suit. "Authorities believe the assailant could be the Ronin..." Clint turned to face his kids, looking as they all watched the television, all but Kimberly who was staring at her dad in worry. "...who terrorised organised crime in New York and elsewhere."

Kimberly got dipped her head, instantly remembering the time she found out it Clint behind the Ronin suit.

After the blip had happened, Kimberly and Clint had no other family besides themselves and of course, Kim's godmother and 'Aunt' Natasha, but she herself was grieving the loss of everyone. So both Barton's left their family home and began 'touring the world' as Clint would call it.

Only one night he had left to go and get takeout for them, Kimberly noticed he was taking too long, and went out searching for him, only to find her father chopping up criminals with a sword, Kimberly was only seventeen at the time.

Clint noticed the way she looked at him, in fear, and that alone broke his heart. So he did the only thing he could think of, the only time he ever called someone throughout the year he was away, he had called Natasha.

Natasha had flown and picked Kimberly up and took her to the new Avengers compound, and for the remaining four years Natasha was Kim's parent, and neither of them had heard from Clint, that was until Natasha had finally found him, and gave him the hope that he could bring the rest of his family back.

Ever since everyone was snapped back, Clint had done nothing but try to make up for the fact he had abandoned her when she needed him most. But Kimberly over the past four years without her father had grown cold and distant, she brushed it off, saying she understood and she was fine.

But deep down Clint Barton knew, she was anything but.