•••
"What are you doing back here?"
"Fury told me that you captured Loki so I forced Coulson to get me a jet"
"Forced him?"
"I may have blackmailed him just a little bit"
"Grace!"
I sent Nat a sheepish smile, before grabbing her arm and demanding that she takes me to see Loki.
"He's already been interrogated" Nat reasoned, trying to drag me back inside the jet "you cant be seen here"
"Why not?"
"What don't you understand about the need for a safe house. If these people know you exist then -"
"Tony!" I exclaimed, recognising the man who had stopped by my house years back, setting off after him.
Nat facepalmed before chasing after me, the assassin gaining on me easily. Before she could drag me away, Tony saw me.
"Grace?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.
"What are you doing here?" We asked in sync, earning a chuckle from one another.
"No seriously what are you doing here?" I asked
He looked at me like I was crazy.
"What?"
I looked at Nat for help but she just shook her head at me.
"I'm Tony"
"Yeah I know"
He sighed, "ironman"
"THATS YOU?"
"Do you not read?"
"I have 2 kids I don't have time to read" I joked, getting slapped on the back of the head by Natasha.
"What?"
"This is why you need to leave!"
"We met when I was pregnant!" I moaned, rubbing the back of my head.
"What the relationship here?" Tony asked amusedly, looking between the two of us. The question was ignored as Nat started to drag me away.
"I demand to see Fury! Parlay!"
"We're not pirates" Nat said, rolling her eyes at my immaturity.
"Take me to your leader!" I shouted, earning an odd look from a few workers milking through the corridor.
Heavy footsteps approached from behind, causing Nat to freeze in her spot.
"Director"
I glanced behind me, spotting Fury backed by a majority of the avengers.
I cracked a smile, wrestling out of Nat's hold and walking up to Fury.
"Finally. Sup dickweed"
A collective gasp was heard from the avengers (minus Nat who tried to swallow a laugh) as I slapped him on the shoulder.
"What are you doing here Thumbelina"
The others watched in shocked silence at the exchange of nicknames.
"Okay, first of all I'm not that short. Second of all, you know exactly why I'm here"
"Who let you - nevermind. Remind me to have a talk with Coulson"
"Aw don't be too harsh on Cheese, he didn't have much of a choice" I grinned evilly.
"Grace you've got to go home"
"But - I have to speak to him - I have to know!"
"We're doing all we can. It's not safe for you here"
"This is bullshit."
"He'd want you to be safe"
"Well to be safe I need him back. All I ask is that I go in there, punch him multiple times in the dick, demand him back and be on my merry way"
Fury let out a frustrated sigh.
"Go home"
•••
Needless to say, I was pissed.
After being 'escorted' off of the premises, Fury had decided to cut me off from updates in case I ran in again, all guns blazing.
Swallowing down the bubbling anger, I put on a happy façade and went to pick up the kids.
"Thank you again for this"
"It's really no problem dearie, they're perfectly well behaved"
I smiled proudly at my kids, before ushering them out to the car.
"Did you get him back mummy?" Lila asked, chewing on the leg of her unicorn.
"No, I'm sorry baby. He'll be home soon, and after that I'm going to have another talk with Fury to make sure that he has time off" I answered, trying to reassure myself that he was going to be okay.
"I miss him" Cooper sighed.
"Me too bud, me too"
Once I had settled the children down to sleep, I allowed myself time to cry. It had only been a few days since Clint was captured, but just knowing that he was out there living as a puppet terrified me.
Did he know what he was doing?
Was he trapped inside his own mind?
How many people had he k-
I stopped my train of thought immediately, ashamed of myself.
The tears ran down my face in a constant stream as I muffled my cries into a pillow, good memories coming back to me in flashes.
"Clint! You'll never believe what Cooper just did!"
"What honey?"
"He just crawled!" I squealed, turning the camera around to show our son gurgling as he flailed his legs around to propel himself forward.
"Oh my god" he breathed, tears coming to his eyes "NAT! Come here quick!"
A flash of red entered the room, her posture showing she was alert and ready to fight.
"Cooper's crawling!"
Her face melted in to awe as she watched his little body moving.
"Grace, I told you to keep the blindfold on!"
"I'm not in the mood for kinky shit right now Clint-" I warned, pulling it back over my eyes.
"Oh god - no - just wait a second"
I heard shuffling, before Clint gently removed the blindfold.
In front of me was a picnic blanket covered in an array of foods, lit with some precariously places candles.
"Clint it's beautiful" I gasped, pulling him in for a kiss.
"Happy anniversary" he smiled, brushing a stray hair from my face.
It was sunset. Clint's arms encased me as we looked over the water, chatting amicably about our future.
"As long as it's with you, I know I'll be happy" he murmured in my ear, sending pleasant shivers down my spine.
I trailed my fingers up and down his biceps, trying to commit this moment to my memory forever.
"Just promise me you'll always come back to me" I whispered, fear slipping through my tone as I rested my hand on my baby bump, "to all us"
"I promise"
"You promised"