Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Marvel or Janet Evanovich. Just playing with the characters.

A.N. I thought I would give this story a shot. It was supposed to be a one shot, but the muse kind of ran away with it. I am kind of obsessed with Marvel and I love Stephanie Plum, so I figured why not throw them together. I understand there are many hard core comic fans and hardcore Babe fans. I am just having fun. If you do not like it, them I am sure you will be able to find another story somewhere else you do like, so please instead of being nasty, move on. Thanks a head of time for giving this story a shot. I hope you enjoy it.

Stephanie was standing in the Bond's Office looking out the front window. It was December, one week until Christmas, and she was alone. She was watching the snow falling, white and pristine, until it touched the dirty streets and sidewalks that made up her hometown of Trenton, tuning it slushy and grey.

She normally loved this time of year, but everything was shit in her life. She was barely talking to her family, Grandma Mazur being the exception. Her and Joe were off, after finding him screwing one of the nurses from the hospital. Ranger, she sighs. Ranger, jumped into her bed before the words "We're over," were out of her mouth to Joe. Things were great for a few weeks, but she wanted more. Ranger only wanted to give her more of his dick, not any more of his life. So, Steph did what any respectable 'Burg girl would do. She drowned her sorrows in gallon Margaritas and greasy, fatty foods after telling Ranger to go find Catwoman to fuck.

That was a month ago. Things between her and Ranger were better. They were at least on speaking terms, on their way back to being the friends and support they should have been to each other. Something hitting her in the back of the head, brought her out of her memories and back to the present. Shaking her head, she turned around to see what the offending person wanted.

"Whitegirl," Lula started, only to stop when the door to the office was thrown open. She was scowling at the person who entered, so that told Steph who it was, and without having to turn around to confirm her suspicions, Tank's deep voice did it for her.

"Any files?" he directed towards Connie.

Connie stopped filing her nails long enough to glance at the man, before shaking her head in the negative and going back to her nails. Tank turned to leave, but gestured for Steph to follow him out. Telling the girls she would see them tomorrow; if the weather cleared up, she grabbed her purse and coat and followed the mountain of a man outside.

"You alright?" he asked her when they stopped next to his Rangeman SUV.

She shrugged as she pulled the collar of her coat tighter and burrowed her face down. Tank smirked at the picture she painted. She looked like a curly haired gopher, popping its head up halfway to check out its surroundings.

"Look," he started, "why don't you come over to Haywood. Your inbox is getting full and the guys miss you." He could see the refusal in her eyes, so he pulled out the one thing that always worked with the Boss, hoping it worked with him as well. "Please."

She narrowed her eyes, making him think that it didn't work, before he heard her sigh and a muffled "Okay," come from the direction of where her mouth should be. He guided her into the passenger seat of his suv and shut the door before jogging to his side and sliding in behind the wheel. Turning the car on and adjusting the heat, they sat there for a few minutes waiting for the vehicle to warm up. He couldn't help but notice her rigid posture and the tension in the air was thick enough that he could feel it wrapping around him. "You know, if it helps, Ranger is in the wind." He wasn't surprised to see her relax, her whole body practically caving in at his words.

He wasn't told what happened between her and his best friend, but he could take a guess and say that Ranger did his usual. She wanted more and he ran faster than a mouse being chased by a cat. Fucking pussy.

When he didn't get a verbal response he pulled out of his spot and made the drive to Rangeman.

Steph was more relieved than she thought she would be knowing that Ranger wasn't in the building. She relaxed knowing there wasn't going to be any awkward talks in her near future. Honestly, she missed the guys. Besides the Core Team, she missed her time with Ram and Hector the most.

A few months ago, she was in a bad situation. Kidnapped, tortured, and sexually assaulted. Not raped, thank God, but it still wasn't pretty. After she was rescued, she decided she had enough flying by the seat of her pants and relying on her freaky luck. She took some self defense training from the Core Team. Ram helped her with weapons; legal weapons, such as guns and some knives. He was surprised at how good of shot she was, so he just helped her perfect her aim and worked with her on getting her accustomed to other weapons.

Hector helped her with everything else from lock picking: handcuffs, doors, windows and safes; to working with weapons of the illegal variety. He was developing some weapons for her that could be hidden or made to look like run of the mill items, that she could use, if she ever finds herself in need of them.

She was so lost in her thoughts again that she hadn't noticed the car coming to a stop in the underground parking garage of Rangeman HQ. She startled when Tank tapped on her window. "You coming, Little Girl?"

Nodding, she got out of the vehicle and followed Tank into the elevator, silently thanking him for not taking the stairs. Her knee still bothered her from when her kidnappers had her strapped into what she was told was called 'The Rack'. She shivered remembering the feeling of her body being periodically pulled in opposite directions and hearing some of her bones popping out of place.

Tank cast her a concerned glance, but she gave him a small smile and a slight shake of her head. It didn't go unnoticed by him that she hadn't spoken more than one word during their entire trip. He was hoping that seeing her friends here would bring back some of the old Steph they all loved.

Tank remained silent the rest of the trip until the elevator doors opened upon their arrival to the fifth floor. The guys on monitors must have informed every employee in the building that their Bomber was in the building. He had to remind them that they were in a place of business and needed to act that way. "At Ease!" he bellowed when the noise went from a gentle hum to that of engine revving, loud and obnoxious.

The men all stopped jostling for the closer position and froze. Steph giggled because they literally froze in the position they were about to make. Tank smiled and every man visibly relaxed hearing her happiness, even if it was at their own expense.

When Tank realized the men weren't going to calm down until they each had their fill of Steph, he laid a hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before going to his office to finish up some paperwork.

Stephanie squealed when Lester, who of course shoved his way to the front of the gathered group, grabbed her up and spun while hugging her. When she was put back down in her starting position, she laughed when Hector glared at him and Lester flinched. Shaking her head at her friend's antics, she kissed his cheek.

"¿Estás bien, Angelita?" he whispered in her ear, before she pulled back.

"Si, Hector," she replied, nodding her head for added confirmation.

"Bien, bien." He smiled at her. Hector stayed by her side while the rest of the men said their hellos. Once everyone went back to what they were doing before she arrived, Hector guided her towards what everyone considered 'her' desk. They sat and talked for a few minutes before Steph asked where Ram was.

"Ah," Hector looked around, making sure no one was in hearing range before he broke out the English. "He's with a friend. Someone from his earlier military days. He will be disappointed that he missed your visit."

"I'm sorry for not visiting much," she sighed, looking down at her hands.

"Angelita, there is nothing for you to apologize for. Between your kidnapping and Ranger," the ex-gangbanger sneered his boss' name, "I'm surprised you came at all."

"Hector," she chastised him. "I am at fault with mine and Ranger's situation just as much as he is. I knew what he could offer and still went to bed with him. I-"

She was cut off by her friends hand on her mouth. "No. He knew what he was doing. He knew how you felt. He is a grown man. He should have known better. Do not take blame away from him for his actions."

She nodded, not wanting to ruin this visit with her friend because she wasn't sure when she would be back again. She was about to ask him how the weapons were coming along when she heard the door to the stairwell slam open. She stood up to see what the commotion was about, only to smile when Ram turned her way and started to make his way to her.

Once he was an arm's length from her, he reached out and pulled her to him, hugging her as tight as he could without hurting her. Steph relaxed even more when she was wrapped in his arms. There was no safer place to her. The men on the floor looked at the two of them, curious of their relationship, since Ram seems to be the one closest to her. They all went back to their cubicles when Hector's glare reached them.

They don't understand. Ram was the one who found Stephanie when she was kidnapped. Ranger was in the wind doing what he does best, and Tank was running things in his absence. Ram got a lead and Tank put him in charge of the rescue team. His face was the first friendly face she had seen in over four days and it was the last face she saw for the first month following the ordeal, every night before she fell asleep. He refused to leave her side in the hospital, giving her the same treatment she had given many of the men who had been in her position before.

Doing this forged a special bond between the two. More than best friends, they were more like brother and sister. There were absolutely no romantic feelings involved, but they never felt the need to clarify their relationship to anyone else. They knew what they meant to each other and to hell with what everyone else thought. When they pulled apart, Steph had a small smile playing at her lips.

"What's up with the dramatic entrance?"

Ram laughed. "I wasn't sure if you would still be here when I got back from New York. When the control room called, I was already half way here, so I floored it."

Steph gave an exasperated sigh. "You didn't have to do that. You can come visit me whenever you want. You know this. Did you get pulled over on your way here?" She smiled already knowing the answer. It was the week before the holiday, so the cops were out in full force.

Ram smirked and shook his head. "Nope."

"WHAT?!" she yelled. "How is that even possible?"

"The friend I was visiting. He decided to come back with me for a few days." Steph nodded and waved her hand, telling him to continue with the story.

"The first and only time we were pulled over, the cop saw who was in the car with me, and waved us along. We weren't stopped again."

"Damn. Of all the luck. I want to meet this man. Maybe he can ride along with me for a few days." She thought about not getting any parking tickets or her car stolen while chasing down her skips and let out a defeated sigh. 'I'd probably ruin his luck and make mine worse,' she thought.

"Steph!" Ram yelled while giving her shoulders a shake.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. What were you saying?" she asked, blushing at being caught daydreaming again.

"I said that you can meet him. I left him in my apartment. Come on. We can continue our conversation down there and away from prying ears."

"Oh. Alright." She turned to invite Hector to join them, but he wasn't in her cubicle anymore.

"He left already." Ram answered her questioning gaze.

"Oh."

Ram wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the stairwell. When he felt her slow down, he shot her a questioning glance.

"My knee is still bothering me."

Nodding, he hit the button for the elevator and pulled her on to it when the doors opened. The ride was quick and before she knew it, they were already standing in front of Ram's apartment door. Once they were inside, Steph took her coat and sweat shirt off, knowing she wouldn't receive any judgement form Ram concerning her scars, and laid them over the back of the couch before walking into his kitchen for a beer.

She stopped short, locking eyes with who she supposed was Ram's friend. Coming out of their stupors, they spoke at the same time.

"Plum?"

"Clint?"

A third voice was heard from the doorway. "You two know each other?"

They both whipped their heads in the direction of the voice, one blushing and one glaring, but both actions for the same reason.

Stephanie decided to answer. "We knew each other years ago. We met a couple of times when I went with my dad to some dinners and stuff in D.C and New York. Clint was just a soldier then. I assume," turning her attention back to Ram's friend, "that you are out of the military now."

Clint gave a sharp nod before looking at Ram. They seemed to be having one of those silent conversations which ended with Ram giving a nod and saying he was going to go get some food. "I'll be back and you better still be here Bomber."

"I will be," she gave him a small smile and walked him to the door, before going to the living area and sitting down on the couch.

After Ram left, Clint grabbed two beers from the refrigerator and followed Steph out to the couch. He sat at the opposite end, giving her a wide berth so she would feel comfortable being alone with him. He wasn't dumb and Stephanie might not have realized what she was doing, but the way she curled herself into the furthest corner of the couch and angled her body to face the door and him, was giving off a certain vibe. She was protecting herself.

He reached out and handed her the second beer and waited for her to relax enough before he would try to start a conversation. He wasn't a talker by any means, but he would try to make an exception for Plum. Each time they saw each other, she had always went out of her way to ask him how he was doing and made it a point to make sure he had anything he might have needed before she went back to her father's side. She also made it a point to say goodbye to him after every event and thanked him for his service. He was always surprised when she went out of her way like that. Not many people would, or if they did, they were doing it for all the wrong reasons.

When he left the military and joined S.H.I.E.L.D., he gave her a passing thought occasionally, but not enough to try using their systems to run a check on her. He was all about the job. He was damn good at what he did and he didn't need any outside distractions. Sitting there, in front of her after all those years, he couldn't help but feel maybe, just a little bit, maybe he made a mistake by not looking her up. She was still as beautiful now as she was when she was an eighteen year old girl. A throat being cleared brought him back to the present.

Looking up from his drink, he smiled at her and decided to start easy with his questions. "How's General Plum? I haven't seen or heard any chatter about him since I saw him 6 months ago at an event in New York."

Steph took in a sharp breath and started peeling the label off of her bottle and avoided making eye contact with him. "He, um," she cleared her throat, or tried to at least, to get rid of the lump that formed whenever she thought of her father. "He died about four months ago."

Clint narrowed his eyes and assessed her. Starting at the top of her head and working his way down her body, at least what was visible of her body. He clenched his jaw when he noticed the deep scarring on her arms, knowing that the long lines were done by knives and the deeper colored patches were burn marks. He also saw the light circular scarring around her wrists, which showed that she was tied up at some point and assumed she had matching scarring on her ankles, if her swollen knee was anything to go by.

After analyzing her posture and her physical form, he decided to continue with this conversation. He felt the need to know if there was still a threat or if the General died of natural causes. He would need to inform Fury if there is still an active threat. General Plum was a great man and a great strategist. He was always being called upon for insight and help. Just as important, he was also the father to a woman who was to kind hearted to have to deal with such sadness. "Can I ask how it happened?" he softly asked her, slowly inching his way closer to her.

She shrugged. "Sure," she said, like it was no big deal, but he watched as her eyes closed off and a blank face slammed into place. "I was kidnapped a few months back and he tried to rescue me. He knew of the people who had taken me and was sure he would be able to handle it. The guys here, they tried getting him to plan with them. Ram told him he could go in with them, but they wanted to have a plan in place. Usually my father would be all about plans and backup plans, but because I was his baby girl, he let his emotions override his common sense. I can't blame him for that. I do it daily when going after my skips." She took a drink before continuing her story, not taking notice that Clint was now about a foot away from her.

"You know, he wasn't as young or in shape as he used to be, but he still put up a good fight. I watched from where I was tied down as he came firing through the doors of the abandoned building I was being held in. He managed to kill two of the six men, before he was knocked out. They tied him up and forced him to watch as they cut and burned me, before turning the tables on me. I had to watch as they broke every bone in his body before slitting his throat. He never once screamed out or begged for mercy. I was never so proud and so devastated in my life. His last words were "Stay strong, Pumpkin. I love you." before his body slumped over from the loss of blood."

"Steph-" he tried, but was stopped by her running to the bathroom. He got up and followed, not surprised to hear her retching into the toilet, followed by her gut wrenching sobs. He knocked, to give her a heads up that he was there, before making his way in, sliding to the floor behind her and pulling her into his arms. No matter how badass he was, he knew she needed someone, and for some reason or another, he wanted to be that someone.

He hoped rubbing her back worked, because it was the only thing that came to mind and that was only because he remembered watching some chick flick that Pepper picked out for a movie night with the rest of the Avengers. It worked for that Noah guy, so it should work for him. 'Chicks love this shit.' Giving himself a mental high five when she did indeed calm down, he slowly removed his hand from her back and waited for her to look up from where her head was buried in his neck.

"I-I'm sorry," she began apologizing, while dragging her hands down her face to rid her cheeks of the tears she let fall. "This is the first time I've talked to anyone about his death."

"What about your family?" he inquired. Surely they wanted to know what happened.

Steph scoffed at his question. "My family," she sneered, "with the exception of Grandma Mazur, blame me for his death. They believe that if I wasn't friends with the guys here at Rangeman and I worked a normal job, say at the Button Factory, then he wouldn't have had to come rescue me. Thus causing him to be murdered."

She sighed and pushed herself up, walking to the sink to rinse her mouth out. Clint smirked when she looked at Ram's toothbrush and shrugged before snatching it out of the cup and hastily scrubbed her teeth with it. She turned to face him once she was finished.

"Look, Clint." She sighed. "My family, they can't know what happened to him. One, they wouldn't understand and two, it would put them in danger. I would rather them hate and blame me then see these guys go after my nieces or my grandmother."

"So the threat is still there?" At that moment, Clint's mind went into overdrive. While he was still listening to the witness, because that is what Steph became the moment she expressed her worry that the threat was still active, he was going over different plans in his head. He knew he had to get away to call Fury and let him in on the situation. He pushed that aside for the moment and concentrated on what Steph was saying once again.

"I don't know. Ram and the guys who rescued me, had killed the ones who kidnapped me. We've, well they've, run extensive searches and nothing has come up. It looks like there is no other threat, but I get the feeling that you know how things like this work. The threat might not be visible, but it doesn't mean it isn't there."

He narrowed his eyes at her, not surprised that she could make the leap of him knowing how these situations worked. She just had no idea how well he knew about hidden threats. Actually, it wouldnt surprise him if she already knew. She was always sharper than the average person. Plus, ever since the Avenger Initiative was started, he was being recognized more and more. 'Maybe she's just being polite, not wanting to bring attention to it,' he thought.

"Oh please, Clint!" she rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Or do you prefer to be called Hawkeye? Should I stroke your ego some?"

He let out a small groan and smirked at her choice of words. "You can stroke-" he began but stopped when he heard the door to the apartment slam shut. Steph moaned as the smell of Pino's reached her nose. While she followed the smell of food, Clint had to adjust himself before shaking his head in amusement. She still had that effect on him.

Joining his friends in the kitchen, he grabbed a plate and sat down on the stool next to Steph and across from Ram. Ram looked between the two and decided to ask Steph what was going on.

Steph snorted and wiped her mouth after chewing and swallowing a bite of her pizza. "Hawkeye here," she said nodding her head in his direction, "assumed I didn't know who he was. I mean, hello, my father was General Plum. Of course I know who the Avengers are."

Clint watched as she took a drink of her soda, while shifting her eyes back and forth between himself and Ram. "Spit it out, Plum."

Nodding, she asked what she's been wanting to know since she found Clint in Ram's kitchen. "How do you two know each other?"

Ram answered that one. "We met through the military. Then in the private sector of the government. We sort of have this competition between us. Who's the better shot." He shrugged. "That sort of thing."

"Well, who is it?" she inquired, her eyes sparkling in amusement.

Both men answered at the same time. "I am."

Steph laughed and continued eating while watching them silently posturing for the number one spot. "Why can't you both be at the top? I mean, you guys shoot different things, use different weapons."

"It's the principle, Steph." Ram answered.

Steph shook her head, still smiling, and started to clean up the remnants of dinner. Ram watched not her, but Barton's eyes as they followed Steph's every move. Making eye contact with him, he nodded his head to the other room. Once they were away from Steph, Ram whispered to his friend.

"She's been hurt."

Clint nodded.

"She doesn't deserve to be hurt again."

Again, Clint nodded his head in agreement.

"She's my family. I don't care who you are or who your friends are. I will kill you if you hurt her."

Clint narrowed his eyes at the threat. He knew Ram was just protecting Steph, but he still didn't like to be threatened. "Look, I get it. She's important to you. You know I won't hurt her."

"I'm assuming, based on her swollen eyes and red nose earlier, that she told you about being kidnapped?"

Clint shook his head. "She told me some, but it was more about General Plum."

Ram's eyes widened slightly in shock. "She told you about that? She hasn't spoke about him at all, not even to Ranger."

"What's he got to do with anything?"

"It's or it was complicated. It's another reason why she doesn't deserve to be hurt again. So if you are planning on doing a fuck and run, then I'd think twice and head on back to the city. I'm sure Romanoff would be willing to fulfill that need for you."

"Fuck you, Ramsey!" he whispered harshly. "Plum and I are friends. If something more happens, she and I will deal with it. My personal life is never up for discussion."

Before anything else is said, Steph made an appearance into the living area. "Everything alright?" she asked looking between both men.

"Just fine, Bomber. You want to stay a little longer or do you want a lift home?"

"I'm going to call it a day. I have some last minute Christmas shopping to do tomorrow if the weather isn't too bad."

"Ok. Barton can give you a lift, if you don't mind. I have to go up and check in with Tank."

"I don't mind." She looked over at the man in question. "You ok with this? Being my chauffeur?"

"Nope. It's cool."

"Alright, well let's go. I'm getting a weird feeling about being here right now and I always trust my feelings."

Ram threw a curious look her way. "What kind of feeling? Danger?"

Steph shook her head. "No. No. Nothing like that. Just an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach."

"Ok. Well, here are the keys. Go. I'll call you later to see how you are doing." Ram tossed the keys to her and followed them out to the elevator. Once the doors closed, he took the stairs to the fifth floor and found the reason for Steph's discomfort. Ranger was back.

After giving Clint directions to her apartment, she found herself lost in her thoughts for the fourth time that day. What were the odds of Ram being friends with someone she knew through her father? She had to admit that Clint had aged well, that's not to say he wasn't good looking when she was a teenager and he a soldier in the Armed Forces. Time had definitely agreed with him. Blushing slightly at her thoughts, she was snapped back to reality when she felt the truck come to a stop. Looking out her window, she was surprised to see they were already in the parking lot to her building.

Clint turned the engine off and hopped out of the vehicle waiting around the front for Steph to join him so he could accompany her to her apartment. Steph followed his movements and not seconds later they were inside and taking the stairs to her 3rd floor apartment. When they reached her door, Steph turned to face her old friend.

"Do you want to come in for a little bit?" she asked, while searching through her purse for her keys.

"Sure," he replied before leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms across his chest.

"Finally!" Steph yelled when she found her keys. Once she unlocked the door, she walked in and dropped her bag next the kitchen doorway on her way to check on Rex, leaving Clint to follow behind. Tapping on the glass to her furry roommate's home, she waited and smiled softly when he poked his head out of his soup can. Clint watched her movements from the doorway and accepted the bottle of water she offered after checking on her rat.

"Come on," she said over her shoulder as she went and sat on her couch. "We can sit in here and catch up some more."

He followed suit and sat next to her, leaning back against the cushions and resting his head on the back of the couch, closing his eyes for a second. Steph watched him, looking him over actually. He was handsome. Strong and not just in the sense of physical strength, but intellectually strong as well. She would be lying if she said she didn't think about what it would be like to be with him. To feel his arms wrapped around her. To feel the strength in them as he controlled her body, making it move the way he wanted it to.

She felt her cheeks burn as she came back from her fantasy and saw that he was looking at her.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

Steph shook her head and changed the subject. "So what's it like working with Tony Stark, or even the rest of your team?"

He shrugged. There wasn't much about his job he could tell her about, but he could talk about the team, just not what they do. "He's what you'd think he'd be like. Egotistical, brilliant and a billionaire. Fancies himself a playboy, but Pepper has him on lock down."

Steph smiled as she listened to him talk some about the Avengers, but it didn't get past her that he only told her what the public already knew. She didn't and couldn't hold it against him. After all, they barely know each other, and seeing each other occasionally through government events doesn't count. Not only that, but she can't tell him things about her life either. Even if he is an Avenger and once worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., some of the things she does, or did before this assignment went to shit, would surely get him marked as a target if she ever thought about telling him. 'No. It's best if I keep my distance,' she thought.

Not missing a beat, she brought up the one Avenger he had not mentioned. "And what of the Black Widow?" Clint looked at Steph sharply, wondering why she was interested in his friend, best friend actually. Assessing her look, he released an internal breath before giving her the public knowledge of his fellow spy and sometimes partner.

Steph maintained her innocent face, not wanting to give her feelings on this person away. While she was good at what she does, The Black Widow was the best in her field. She was only inquiring about her to gauge Clint's feelings on the assassin. Were they involved? If so, Natasha Romanoff was one woman that Steph was not willing to slight by going after her man. So she paid close attention to Clint's eyes, trying to get a read on his feelings. When he gave nothing away, she decided to flirt a little. Maybe kiss him goodnight. If he was seeing Romanoff, or anyone for that matter, he was a decent enough guy that he would rebuff her advances. A plan in place, she made an effort to stay in the moment and out of her head.

"So, that's the team. What about you? You seem to have your own 'team'. How'd you get involved with a security company run by a group of government mercenaries?" Clint decided it was time to turn the tables. There was something off about her and he intended to find out, if he could, without having Stark run an invasive search on her.

Steph thought about telling him the truth, not the missions she does or what her job requires of her to do, but at least what she was. She couldn't deny this pull she felt to be completely honest with him, but her rational and somewhat annoying side won out and she only gave him the cover story she has worked on and under for the last 3 years.

"I lost my job as a lingerie buyer and moved back here. I blackmailed my cousin, who owns a Bail Bonds Office, into giving me a job. I'm a bounty hunter." She shrugged and laughed at his incredulous look. "Eh. I needed the money and as long as I brought the skips in, the money was ok. It pays the rent and I don't have to wear panty hose." She took a drink of her water before continuing.

"Now, the guys at Rangeman?" Clint nodded. "Some of them are my best friends. Ram, which you know and Hector, you haven't met, are like my brothers. They were the ones who pulled me out of that building. They were the ones who helped put me back together. The rest of the guys are good guys, just misunderstood."

"Ranger?" he asked, coincidentally for the same reasons she asked about Natasha.

Steph let out a disgruntled sigh. "Ranger is complicated. He was my mentor when I first got into this field. We've slept together a few times, but he didn't want anything more than a casual bed partner and I wanted and needed more. So I told him to go find someone else. Our relationship has been strained ever since."

Clint was surprised by the pang of jealousy he felt when she said she was with someone else, but shook it off. Whatever she had with Ranger was over and didn't look like it was going to get any better for them. They fell into a comfortable silence only broken by his cell phone ringing. Glancing at Steph and then the phone, he stood up and walked to what he found to be her bedroom before answering the call.

"Yeah?"

"Suit up. The Quinjet will be picking you up in 15."

"Send it to the roof of Rangeman Security."

"Why can't we pick you up at your current location? On a hot date?"

"Stark," he started, only to be interrupted.

"Yeah, yeah. No personal life. You can be a real downer. Besides, I'm sure whoever she is, will be accompanying you to Rangeman." With that Tony hung up before Clint could refute his claim.

Shaking his head, he walked back out to where he left Steph, only she was standing near the front door with her purse in hand. "I assumed you were going to have to leave and I need to see Hector, so I figured I would drive over with you."

Nodding, he grabbed his coat and followed her out. They were in the SUV again before either of them spoke. "I'm glad we met up again. It was nice to see a friendly face outside of these guys," she said, waving her hand in the direction of the building they were just passing to get to the underground parking.

"It was. Sorry it couldn't have been longer."

Clint parked the truck and got out and met Steph at the door to the stairwell. Steph led him up the stairs and used her key fob to gain access to the roof. She wasn't surprised to see the Core Team and Ram waiting for them, the latter with what looked like Clint's go bag in hand. Clint nodded in thanks, took the bag and stepped back as his ride was making its landing.

Once the ramp to the back cargo area opened, Clint started to make his way over, only to stop. He looked back and before he had a second thought, walked over to where Steph was standing, grabbed her and kissed her hard. Pulling away after a minute he smirked at her before heading back the way he came, yelling over his shoulder.

"I'll see you when I get back."

Ignoring the looks from her friends and the catcalls from mostly Tony, he dropped his bag and took his seat, looking over the file that Dr. Banner gave him.

What no one other than Tony knew was that it only took JARVIS those few minutes to run an intensive background check on one Stephanie Plum. The results were not what he was expecting.

"So why didn't you tell us you were dating the Phoenix?" Tony couldn't wait to needle Hawkeye for information. He was like a kid in a candy store being offered the chance to try a new candy combination. He was already making plans to try to get her to join the team.

Everyone's head snapped to Tony as they processed what he said. "What? Don't tell me you didn't know who she was, Legolas. You worked for S.H.I.E.L.D! They have files on her!" He shook his head in disgust. "And you call yourself a spy!"

Translations: "You ok, Angel?"..."Yes"..."Good, Good"

A.N. I also want to give my thanks to JDHO2 for giving me the encouragement to put this out there.