Chapter 15

When they didn't hear the door latch after Stephanie left, both Hector and Bucky moved to investigate, only to stop in shock at who was standing there holding their unconscious friend. Hearing Stephanie groan snapped all three men out of their stupors and got them moving; Clint trying to move forward and into the room, with Bucky and Hector rushing forward to take their fallen friend from the arms of the man they thought dead.

"Move," Clint all but growled out.

"Not until you hand over Steph."

"I'm not going to hurt her," he started, but handed her over none the less, knowing that if he was in their place, he'd make the same demands.

Once Hector laid her down on the farthest bed, he joined Bucky in standing between Clint and her. No one said anything and the tension ratcheted up even more when Stephanie started whimpering and crying out for Clint in her sleep. When he made a move towards her, to help calm her, Bucky made sure his metal hand was the one gripping his shoulder and shoving him back to his previous spot.

"You've got to be kidding me! You know me, Hector!" Clint shouted, getting frustrated even more so as Stephanie began thrashing around.

"I know you died," was all Hector responded with.

Clint sighed knowing he was going to have to prove to them that he was himself. Just as he was about to do so, Steph shot up, yelling his name and looking around frantically. Before she could get a good look at him, Bucky moved to stand directly in front of her, dragging her eyes to him instead.

"Bucky," she pleaded, "please tell me he's real and that I wasn't dreaming."

"Definitely not a dream, doll."

"He's real?"

"Don't know."

She looked at him incredulously. "You don't know? What do you mean you don't know?" She shoved him aside and pointed wildly. "He's standing right there!"

"He could be anyone, Steph. You know the world we live in."

She shook her head. "No. I know it's Clint," pounding her fist over her heart, "right here. I know it's him!"

"Steph," he paused until she tore her eyes away from Clint and focused on him, "we have to know for sure it is Clint. You know this. You've been trained for this."

She was focusing back on Clint when he spoke. "Sweetheart, you know it's how it has to be."

She nodded her head in resignation. "I know. Please, sit down."

Clint took the chair she pointed to, sat and waited for one of them to ask the first question. He wasn't surprised though, when instead of asking questions, Bucky was pulling at various parts of his face and turning his head in every which way, while Hector was waving some kind of wand over everywhere else.

Steph sighed in exasperation, slipped her phone from her pocket and made a phone call, putting it on speaker once it connected.

"Ranger."

"Babe." Clint raised an eyebrow at the voice but kept quiet. "It's too early for your monthly check-in, so he must have found you."

At that statement, the probing on Clint stopped and everyone focused on the conversation. Steph's eyes never left Clint.

"Why didn't you tell me the last time I called that he was alive?"

"He wasn't. Look, you left and the doctor, with the help of Stark and Banner, ran some tests on him. He barely had a heart beat. By the time they figured out it had something to do with the serums, you had went silent. Completely off the grid. No one could find you or Hector and Winter Soldier. He's only been up for about a week."

"A week? We've been gone for a couple of months."

"I know. He would only give them a day to look him over before he pushed through the Captain and Tank, yelling over his shoulder that he was going to find you and bring you home."

Clint nodded along with what Ranger was saying. "He's telling the truth. I left as soon as I could. They wanted to run more tests, but I've never felt better. I assumed that after I found you, we would go back and figure out my limitations together."

"My mission isn't complete." That was the only reaction she had to everything she just learned.

Clint startled at that and moved to her side. "What mision?"

A muffled throat cleared. "Ah. Hawkeye. Good to know you made it alive."

"Yeah. Tell my team, would ya?"

"Sure," and with that the line went dead.

Clint took the phone and threw it on the nightstand near them. "What mission, Steph?"

She refused to answer, but never wavered in keeping eye contact with him.

"Angelita is looking for Black Widow," Hector answered for his friend.

"Why?"

At that, Steph blew her top. "Why? Are you serious right now?"

"Sweetheart," he tried but she threw her hand in up to stop him from talking.

"No. She tormented me for months. She killed you. She had a hand in killing my father." She took a deep breath, wiped her eyes and turned to face him once more. "I am going to find her and do what no one else could."

"Which is?"

No one moved, knowing what was coming.

"Kill her."