"A heart to love, and in that heart, Courage,"

Natasha

Natasha POV

When Director Fury called me into his office I was a little confused. I was working on my report on the prior battle. Maybe he just wanted to hear it  himself. Still, he is a very busy man, it doesn't make sense for him to take time out of his schedule just to hear a report he could easily read quicker. Still, I walked through the different corridors towards his office. The helicarrier was still unable to fly, so I had to compersate for the moving of the water beneath my feet. I smiled a bit as some of the new SHIELD recruits stared at me. They were nervous around me. That's for the best, in my line of work it's usually best to be feared then respected.

At my brisk pace, I made it to his office in a matter of minutes. It was furnished as one would expect. A large table, with a one way window overlooing the bridge of the helicarrier. It was still sparsely decorated though, partially from where some of it had been destroyed from the recent attack, and partially just because of Fury's spartan lifestyle. I walked in past the guards and stood in front of him as he was reading a file of some sort. He looked up with his one good eye and told me to sit. I did so, and he just seemed to observe me for a few minutes. It wasn't awkward, most people like him, me and Clint learned more from observing and body language then from talking. It was just a fact at this point in our lives. If you could call them that. After several minutes he finally broke the silence. 

"Agent Romanoff, I have here," he said holding a pale yellow folder in his hands, "the report on what has happened in the last few weeks from Agent Barton. Now there is something I want to discuss with you, but first, I would like to hear what you have to say." 

Well, this is what I had expected. I told him in detail what all had happend. It was routine as usual. He knew all of what I was saying no doubt from what Clint had said. I told him of my assignment of stopping a Russian arms dealer smuggling assualt rifles and explosives to terrorists before the situation with Loki. He knew what had happened on the helicarrier so I skipped to what had happened in the battle. When I was done i looked at him expectedly, waiting to be dismissed. Instead, he just looked at me. 

"Agent, tell me why you volunteered for a dangerous battle when you could easily have just stayed back and let Stark, Rogers, Barton, Banner and Thor handle it?" 

The question caught me off guard, but I didn't let it show. One of the many skills given to a woman growing up in the Red Room. I was about to respond when he cut me off.

"And don't give me that crap about red in your ledger. I know it may bother you, but you're worried about making up for your past, not getting yourself killed. It may have worked for Agent Barton, but not for me. Tell me the truth." 

I was silent for a few seconds. I didn't know whether to be scared, intimidated, or mad. The black widow is never scared, so it had to be one of the other two. I didn't show it, but my mind was racing. The only answer I could think of was what he told me not to say. But that was the truth. Well no it wasn't.

"Sir, I went because they needed me. My skills helped the team and I had a pivotal role in shutting down the invasion."

"Did the team need you? Or did Agent Barton need you?" 

He asked the question with what seemed like exasperation, ike he had made up his mind to do something he didn't necessarily like. 

He didn't let me answer. The look in my eyes must have been enough for him. He was right, even if I didn't want to admit it. I claimed I went into that Hell to save me from my past. In reality, I went to fight selfishly for the man I loved. Well, the man I wanted. Widows aren't allowed to love anyone. 

"Agent Barton has requested a leave of absence. Seems like he needs a little rest after what all has happened. I think you should get some rest too. You two are pairing up though for this little trip of yours. For safety reasons of course. Do what you want, I don't care. Just be back in at least a month.." 

He said this then looked down at the file again before sighing. I wasn't sure what had just happend. He asked question that I didn't like. Barton must have submitted one Hell of a report to get that reaction from Fury. But, I had a month with Clint. With no distractions or monsters or gods trying to kill us. We might even seem normal.