Summary: Pietro and Wanda grew up only having one another. And now they have a team, a home and most importantly a family. Yeah, they definitely didn't see that one coming. A series of stories set post Age of Ultron as the twins settle into a world of heroes, monsters, gods and Tony Stark.

Pairings: Established Clint/Laura, Tony/Pepper, Thor/Jane, Darcy/Ian, Steve/Bucky. Hints of Wanda/Vision, Bruce/Betty

Warnings: Um, spoilers for Age of Ultron…. Except why are you reading fanfiction and not out watching the movie! Hmmm?

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Author's Note: Whoa, really sorry this has taken so long. Life has been crazy and I also just got stuck with this story. This chapter has been rewritten like five times. I'm slightly okay with the version I'm posting now and I hope that you will be as well. Uh, like I said last chapter, this is the last chapter. It's not the end of this particular series because of course I'm starting a new series. Of course. But this particular part of the story is over. So I hope you enjoy this chapter. More notes in the end! Ciao for now.

Nothing Ever Hurt Like You

Clint knew from the second he saw Pietro and Bucky approaching him with matching determined expressions on their faces that he was about to be subjected to some next level insanity. Pietro alone was one of the most impulsive and socially awkward humans Clint has ever met (and he would know since he was a card carrying member of the socially awkward team and also enjoyed collecting them like some people collected coins). So the speedster looking determined was already cause for concern. But add in Bucky striding onto the range beside him with an equally motivated expression and Clint just knew this was not going to end well. He knew it but he still wasn't prepared for….

"Who is Phil Coulson to you? And would killing him for real make you hurt less?"

Clint felt he was justified in letting the bow he was practicing with slip from his fingers. He was so surprised he couldn't even find it in him to laugh at Steve straight up face-palming in the background. Sam whistled and let out a chuckle. There was a faint yet familiar giggle from somewhere in the background but Clint ignored it. Instead he watched as the resolute faces morphed into looks of confusion. Clint sighed. It wasn't their fault. Not really anyway. He knew that he wasn't acting normally since finding out that Phil was alive. He tried to fake it but damned if he wasn't surrounded by people who were so not into buying his crap.

In the three days following Clint finding out about Phil's return from the dead, he's had a hard time shaking any of them. He knew that there had to be some sort of schedule posted somewhere. Laura had him at night, for obvious reasons but during the day there was some kind of rotating roster of Avengers who would hover around him. Right now he was training with Sam and Steve but earlier it was Vision and Thor. He didn't know what they were waiting for but apparently his son and sniper bro were tired of waiting around. Apparently, it was time for action. It was that last thought that caused Clint to just give into the amusement bubbling in his chest. He doubled over with laughter.

"Why are you all laughing?" Bucky asked, voice full of confusion.

"In what way would killing Phil make me feel better?" Clint asked around another laugh. "I was upset that he was dead to begin with."

"Yes, but finding out that he was alive made you sadder. I would prefer the sadness you felt when you only thought he was dead to this empty sad thing you're doing now," Pietro pointed out. Clint had to admit that to his son, that probably made a lot of sense. To the average human, not too much.

"Kid, Buck, thanks for the offer but I'm really good with not actually killing Phil," Clint assured them. "Trust me, I wouldn't feel better with Phil being dead. Especially knowing that one of you did it."

"So that goes back to the first question," Bucky said, looking just a bit disappointed that there would be no one to kill. "Who is Phil Coulson to you? He's not just your handler."

"Yeah," Steve chimed in. "Natasha is really angry that Phil lied but she's not hurting like you. I think she's angry that he lied and angry that he hurt you."

"Guys, it's complicated," Clint said with a slight shrug.

"Well, how about you try making it a little less complicated, Feathers?" Tony asked, revealing himself for the first time. Clint raised an eyebrow. Tony scoffed but Clint could read the concern on his face. Stupid sappy Iron Ass. "Right, well, I saw Robocop and Speedy coming over here wearing their resolve faces. Did you really think I wasn't going to follow to see what madness was going to come of this? So here I am."

"There you are," Clint snorted. He ran a hand through his hair as he realized they were all still waiting on an answer. He sighed. It was stupid. He didn't have a reason not to tell them. So he let out a deep breath. "You see, the thing is… that… so when I was seventeen, I was kind of an assassin for hire."

"That was so not where I was expecting this story to go," Sam muttered.

"I was really good at it too. Turns out having amazing aim and no family ties really helps with the assassin gig," Clint said, flippantly. He looked down at his hands, trying to ignore the stares from the other men and his kid. "The thing is, that I was a little too good. And I started attracting the wrong kind of attention in the two years that I was active. I had a target on my back and every creepy, shadowy agency you can think of was looking to collect. And then all of a sudden, this bland guy in a suit shows up and offers me a way out. A way to use my skills for the greater good and what not."

"Phil," Steve said softly.

"Phil," Clint confirmed with a small smile. "He brought me into SHIELD. He also gave me a place to stay. I lived with him… hell, until I married Laura really. You're right. Phil was much more than just my handler. He was also my… my…"

"You," Pietro supplied. He flushed under the odd looks he was getting. "I mean that he is to you what you are to me. He adopted you."

"Except he didn't really," Clint shrugged. He remembered the fond look Phil gave the Daisy girl. He felt the familiar sting of rejection. "Guess that should've been my sign that I didn't really mean that much to him, huh?"

"I'm sure that's not true," Steve tried. "I mean he took you in, right? He didn't just give you a job, he brought you home. And I saw the way he looked at you, Clint. That wasn't the look of a man who didn't care about you. He cares. He's just…."

"He's confused," Bucky suggested. Clint met his gaze. Bucky shrugged his metal shoulder. "I mean I know how I felt coming out of the cold for so long. It's disorienting. I'm not saying I agree with keeping it quiet for four years. But hell, it took me almost two years to finally give up and let Stevie and Wilson catch up to me."

"We found you," Steve grumbled. "You didn't let us catch up to you. We caught up to you on our own."

"You keep believing that," Sam said, patting him on the shoulder. "Stevie."

"No! Only Bucky is allowed to call me that," Steve protested. Sam's teasing gaze flickered briefly to Clint before landing on Steve again.

"And why is it that only Bucky is allowed to call you that and not us? What's so different about Bucky?"

Both super soldiers flushed a bright shade of red before looking everywhere around the room but at each other. Clint repressed the urge to laugh like the rest of them. They made it too easy. Still, Clint was glad for the distraction. Talking about Phil was like picking a still healing wound. He knew he wasn't over Phil's death. The man took him in when he was still a stupid punk teenager with something to prove to the world. He gave him a home and a family. He didn't think a hundred years would ever really be enough time to get over it. So he mourned for almost four years. And it was all for nothing.

"Dad?" Pietro's voice cut through his increasingly more depressing thoughts. The speedster teen was chewing on his lip thoughtfully before sighing heavily. "When Mom had Nate, I was jealous. Because it was still really new, the whole living with you guys thing. I thought that you would be overwhelmed with the baby and Cooper and Lila and eventually you would not want us anymore. Eventually you would see that it would be easier without two teenagers with superpowers and emotional problems."

"Pietro, I would never….."

"I said I thought that you would," Pietro corrected with a hint of his smug smirk peeking though. "I know different now. I know that you love Wanda and me just as much as you love Nate, Cooper and Lila. We are all your children. And that will never change, right?"

"Never," Clint assured him, even as he pulled the kid into a one armed hug. Pietro leaned into the embrace. "Nothing will ever change how I feel about you or Wanda. You're my kids, no matter what."

"Even if I push you away because you hurt me?"

"Even if," Clint swore. "You could try and push me away but I wouldn't let you. Do you know how many times I pushed Phil away when he first brought me in? I actually fled the country once. He caught up to me on one of my layovers. He didn't yell at me or anything. He just sat next to me and made me feel like someone cared enough to track me down…. And dammit, I just walked right into your trap."

"You did," Pietro practically beamed with happiness. Clint didn't know whether to hug the brat or punch him. Actually, he did. He tightened his grip on the teen's shoulders.

"He got you," Steve echoed with a smirk of his own. "Don't think of Daisy as your replacement. Think of her as…."

"Your little sister," Tony finished gleefully.

Clint narrowed his eyes, ready to protest when it hit him. That's exactly what this was like. Phil had a habit of picking up wounded human beings. And no, Clint did not somehow inherit that from him. He would deny that he picked up strays until he was blue in the face. He did not have a thing for strays. But Phil totally did. The more that Clint thought about it, the more he recognized that Phil wasn't replacing him with Daisy. She was an addition. He probably would've figured it out sooner if he hadn't been so damn surprised and angry. And now he's pushed him away. Again.

"I wouldn't stress it, Tweety," Tony said, still leaning against the doorframe. "I didn't get to know Agent all that well but I do know that he's a stubborn bastard. Yet another trait you picked up from him. He'll come back around. Probably sooner than later."

Clint shrugged. He couldn't find the words to say. Did he even want Phil to come back around? Because even if he wasn't replacing him with Daisy, Phil still lied to him for four years. He died and he came back and he didn't tell Clint. The same Clint that Phil knew all too well would be blaming himself for the death of his mentor for the rest of his life. He knew this and he still didn't come back for him. So did it really matter if Phil saw Daisy as a younger sister for Clint or as his replacement when he didn't come back for the archer to begin with? Too many questions and not enough answers. He really hoped that if (a lot of emphasis on the word if) Phil really did come back to see him, it would be after he answered those questions for himself.

And then because his inner monologue loved being the center of all irony, he heard a car pulling into the driveway. He shrugged his arm away from Pietro and walked over to the window half dreading and half hoping to see a SHIELD issue SUV sitting there. Instead parked by the cloaked Quinjet was his mother-in-law's sensible smart car. Oh, now this was going to be a show. Because while Clint was still confused as to how to deal with the whole Phil situation, his wife knew exactly how to deal with her mother and sister. Laura confirmed this by stalking out the front door, hands already held up and eyes black. Clint sighed.

"Kid?"

"Yeah?"

"Grab your twin and get out there before Laura finally goes through with her decade long desire to kill her mother and sister."

"Why do you not go?"

Clint snorted. "Because if I go out there, it will escalate straight to the killing stage. Carol, Brenda and I were never meant to see eye to eye. I know too much about them. They don't like me and I've never liked them or how they treated Laura. But they're her family and I'm not going to get in the way of that. They don't have to like me. I'm just her husband. But you and Wanda, you're Laura's kids. That means the Harpy and the Shrew out there need to respect you both."

Pietro tilted his head to the side. "Mom said that her mother does not like people with powers. This includes her own daughter?"

"Understatement, kiddo. Her mother is definitely not a fan of the superpowers shtick. But she tolerated it from Laura when she was using it to get money."

"How was she… using it to get money?" Sam asked, almost as if afraid to know the answer. Clint shook his head.

"Not quite the way you're probably thinking. Back in the day, Laura, her mom and sister all worked as fortune tellers at a traveling circus. You know the whole reading palms, tea leaves and crystal ball mojo. Then as luck would have it, Laura hit puberty and got the ability to read emotions and thoughts. Carol used her abilities to damn near rob everyone in the circus blind. Then she moved on to another one and so on. She only turned legit after Laura ran away from the last circus they worked. She left behind her mother, sister and a love-struck archer."

"Wait, Laura worked at the same circus you grew up in?" Tony asked, incredulously.

"You grew up in the circus?!" Sam, Steve and Pietro chorused. Bucky just looked confused. Clint smirked.

"I never told you guys how Laura and I met?"

"No," was the resounding answer. Clint grinned wider.

"Well, after Speedy over here stops his mother from assassinating her mother, I'll be happy to tell you all about how I met their mother."

"As long as the story doesn't take nine years and end with you marrying Natasha," Pietro muttered before speeding out of the barn in search of his sister.

Clint made a face. Him marry Natasha? Maybe in another world but definitely not in this one. Because from the moment he first laid eyes on Laura with her warm smile and fearsome personality, he was in love. Even after she took off, Clint was in love with the woman. By the time he ran into the Black Widow (literally ran into her in the middle of a job), Clint was so hung up on the idea of his long lost love that he barely gave her a second glance. It didn't help that his reputation for being a human disaster started around that time. From the moment Natasha first laid eyes on Clint, she decided that she needed to look after him or he would probably fall in a hole and die. And he would like to argue that she was wrong but there was that week he was missing and yeah…. She wasn't entirely wrong. So Natasha became the sister and overall guiding force he needed back then. She was family.

He glanced out the window to see his wife still facing off against her mother and sister. She looked tense and angry. Never a good combination when it came to someone with as much power as Laura. He was about to go out there himself when the twins zipped into the scene, standing beside their mother. Laura relaxed somewhat, her eyes clearing up into their normal brown. He smiled. It was a good decision to send them out there. Maybe he did have a habit of collecting strays. But those strays were as good for him as he was for them. Natasha, the twins and now Bucky… they were all family.

Laura would like the record to show that she's more than a little aware that she's not perfect. She knows that she's made mistakes in the past. She wasn't always a good person. But she tried to make up for those lost years. She tried to do the right thing. She tried not to use her powers for evil (or money or personal amusement). She just tried really hard to be the woman that Clint staked his life and career on. And for the most part, she was. It was only when people threatened or hurt her family that she slipped. Her kids were the best thing she ever did with her life. They were living proof that she could be a good person. She made it her mission in life to protect them with everything she had and then some. Using her powers to protect her kids would never be something she could view as a bad thing. She only used them to take down anything she perceived as a threat to the welfare and happiness of her children. And her mother was pretty much the textbook definition of a threat.

Carol Bishop barely qualified for mother of the day much less the year. She used her daughters to con people into giving up their hard-earned money for years at various circuses and carnivals across the country. When Laura finally managed to hide away enough money, she ran as far and as fast as she could, leaving her family behind with no regrets. She didn't think about them either. Not when she was moving from place to place, finally able to unleash the full extent of her powers and realizing that she needed limits. She needed boundaries. And she got that in Clint Barton, the skinny little archer with more mouth than muscle from the last circus they worked in. Of course, by the time she found him again, he definitely had the muscle to back up that mouth. But it wasn't his muscle that convinced SHIELD not to lock her up and throw away the key. It was that mouth and his equally big, stupid heart. The same big, stupid heart that led to them being married with five kids, three cats, a dog, more surrogate siblings than she could've ever imagined and a tricked out farmhouse. It wasn't a perfect life but it was theirs and it worked. Well, it did until her mother and sister reared their ugly, hateful heads. Again.

"Get the hell out!" Laura hissed, stomping down the stairs and towards her surprised mother and sister. She knew the surprise had less to do with Laura charging towards them with her powers at full blast and more to do the Avengers who were currently sprawled across the yard entertaining the children and not even attempting to hide their interest in the conversation. Laura saw their surprise grow as the twins suddenly appeared on either side of her, each wearing matching expressions of awe, concern and amusement. God, she loved these kids.

"Laura, honey, what's going on?"

"Seriously?!" Laura spat. "You're seriously going to stand here and pretend like you didn't call the police and say that Wanda was mind controlling us?!"

"You're going to tell me that there wasn't a distinct possibility?"

"That's exactly what I'm going to say! There isn't a chance in hell that I would allow anyone who would harm me or my kids to come anywhere near them. I definitely wouldn't let them move in and adopt them if I thought there was a chance," Laura retorted. She shifted so that there was a clear and definite barrier between her mother and sister and the twins. She gave them a look. "Oh, and I do mean anyone, mother."

"Oh, Laura. Stop being so dramatic," Brenda huffed, rolling her eyes. "Obviously, your brats are here. So it didn't work. No big deal."

"No big deal? Your call was picked up by SHIELD!" Laura countered, her eyes darkening unconsciously. "They came here guns and powers blazing to take the twins by force. Of course I intervened and one of the agents almost killed me. She had powers too. And she used them against me. If that blast had hit me, I would've been dead. I'm only standing here because Pietro took the hit for me. He almost died. Again!"

"You almost," Carol trailed off. Her eyes traveling back and forth between Pietro and Laura. Laura snapped her fingers in front of her face. Carol looked at her daughter with a look that spoke of her slowly realizing how deeply she screwed up. Too little, too late. "Laura, you being hurt was never meant to happen. I never wanted you to be in danger. I was just looking out for you and the children!"

"That would be a first for you," Laura snapped. "You have never had my interests in mind. Not when I was a kid and I needed you to be a mother, not a scam artist. Not when I was a teen, and you forced me use my powers to get over on people. And certainly not now as an adult when you fail to realize that the twins and my husband are as much as a part of me as Cooper, Lila and Nate."

"I get it now," Carol said, ignoring Brenda's gasp of surprise. Laura rolled her eyes. "I promise that I will do better. That we'll both do better. Maybe we could come over for dinner sometime next week and I can get to know my grandchildren. All of my grandchildren."

Laura fought the need to scoff. She gave into it anyway. "That's going to be impossible. You see thanks to you, the farmhouse is no longer secure. You told the town about the twins having powers. We're lucky no one has shown up with pitchforks and torches yet."

"There may have been a Hulk sighting a few nights ago," Wanda chimed in. a small grin played across her lips as she glanced at a smirking Bruce. "I believe we may be in our new home long before they regain the courage to approach us."

Laura stifled a laugh. Of course, Avengers look out for one another. At least there was one bright spot in this. She had even more eyes looking out for her kids and her favorite assassins (Bucky included). She would miss the farmhouse she called home for the past ten years but she had to admit it would be nice to be back in a city with neighbors that weren't a few miles away. And it would be great to have her husband with her full time. In a weird way, she was grateful that the issue was pushed but not the way it went down.

"You're moving?" Brenda asked, her voice quiet. "You're actually leaving?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"It's classified," Laura retorted.

"Don't be like…"

"Don't be like what?" Laura interrupted before her sister could finish that statement. "Don't protect my kids from your hatred?"

"Okay, Mom said she was sorry. We'll try and make nice with the twins and even Clint. Is that what you want to hear?"

"No," Laura shrugged. "It's not. Maybe a month or so ago, that would've worked. But it doesn't work now. That's not what I want. What I want is for my kids, all of them, to be happy and loved. And you will never love them. You will never accept them and that's your loss. Because they're amazing. And they're mine."

"Laura, be reasonable."

"I am. For the first time in forever, I'm being reasonable. Against my better judgment, I let you both back into my life. I wanted Cooper and Lila to know their aunt and grandmother. But it's just been a nightmare. You treat Clint like crap. And even though he acts like it doesn't bother him, I know that it does. And now you're spreading that to the twins. I'm taking a stand now and saying I don't want you in my life anymore. Cooper, Lila and Nate when he's old enough, they can make the choice on their own. But for me, I don't want to see you again."

"Laura!" Brenda cried.

Laura shook her head. It was always the same with her family. It was a vicious cycle of allowing them back in, letting them hurt her and pushing them away. She couldn't do it anymore. It wasn't fair to her or Clint. So it would hurt to let them go but it would hurt worse to keep them around. She exhaled shakily and latched onto the two hands that were reaching for hers.

"Come on, brats. I need your help getting your father and the rest of the rowdy bunch hiding out in the barn to do some work. Wanda, you keep the big softies in the room while Pietro hits them with the face. They'll be working in no time."

They both laughed quietly and allowed her to lead them away. She never looked back at her gaping mother and sister. Instead, she walked with her head held high to the barn where Clint was leaning against the door. He wordlessly wrapped his arms around her and held her close. It wasn't until she heard Natasha ordering the still shocked Brenda and Carol away that she dared to actually fall apart. The others filed out silently allowing them some space.

"You didn't have to do that," Clint murmured against her hair. She pulled back to look up at him. He smiled faintly. "I would never want you to turn away your family, Lore. Neither would Wanda or Pietro."

"I know that. But yes, I did need to do that. I did it for me, Clint. I did it for me."

"I love you."

"I know. That's why I could do it."

Clint wasn't surprised when the SUV pulled up in the driveway a few days after the final confrontation between Laura and her mother and sister. He was surprised by the timing. Most of the natives were getting restless with more and more of the house being prepped for the move that would finally happen the following day. So Clint ordered that they find something to do other than hover around the slightly mopey Laura and Clint. So they cleared out. Well, for the most part. In a not at all shocking turn of events, Bucky, Natasha, Sam and the twins stayed behind. Clint didn't even blink as he and Laura walked into the den to find them gathered around the coffee table and playing a potentially deadly game of UNO. Instead, he made space between his daughter and Natasha and asked to be dealt in.

That left Laura to answer the door. Laura, who was still a little emotionally unhinged after the events of the past few days. Laura, who was definitely not in the mood to see anyone even loosely associated with SHIELD, much less the damn director that abandoned her husband and the completely off the leash agent that almost murdered their son. So it wasn't surprising either that the first thing Clint heard following Laura opening the door was the sounds of bodies hitting the floor and grunts of pain. He sighed even as Pietro sped towards the door.

"It's still cool even after all these years," Natasha murmured. Clint shot her a dirty look. She stared blankly back at him. He threw down a Draw Four. She glared. "Bastard."

"What's the point of this game?" Bucky asked, ignoring Pietro pleading with his mother to stop trying to fry the brains of their guests. He was holding his cards up and away from the tiny set of teeth that were currently trying to chew through them, while also shielding them from Sam, who wasn't even hiding the fact that he was cheating. "It just seems like the point is to screw over your friends and family as much as possible."

"That's the entire purpose," Wanda agreed. She sent a glance over her shoulder before silently deciding that Pietro had it under control. "You never really know someone until you play UNO with them and that jerk hits you with a Draw Four."

"I feel like that was aimed at me. Also why is my daughter talking in memes?" Clint asked, glaring at a guilty looking Sam. "Worst godfather ever."

"Hold up, I refuse to be a worse godfather than Steve 'Language, yet I curse like a sailor' Rogers or Tony 'I built Ultron' Stark!"

"And yet, my sweet, intelligent teenage daughter is speaking in meme!" Clint countered. "Pretty much topping the list there, bud."

"Oh, no, honey," Laura corrected as she sauntered into the living room with Pietro and several SHIELD personnel in tow. A bright grin pulled on her lips while the others looked haggard and Pietro appeared to be in awe once again. "It's safe to say that worst godfather of the year goes to the man that couldn't be bothered to tell his godchild or the man that he practically raised that he was back from the dead. I think that's way worse."

"You have a point, darling," Clint agreed. He nodded at Sam. "You're the second worse."

"Gee, thanks," Sam murmured. Wanda patted him on the knee while Pietro rested a hand on his shoulder. Clint snorted before looking up at Phil and friends.

Once again, Phil was accompanied by SHIELD's finest, Daisy, Bobbi, Mack and some blonde kid he didn't know. He repressed the urge to scoff. SHIELD definitely declining in the talent recruitment these days. He knew he wasn't as alone in his head as intended when he heard Laura and Wanda both giggle slightly. He used that to give him the strength he would need for this confrontation. Well that and the slightly manic ex Russian assassins by his side.

"So I thought I told you not to come back. That meant don't come back."

"Don't you think you're being a bit unreasonable, Barton?" Bobbi snapped. Clint raised an eyebrow. Bobbi stared back with volumes of feelings hidden in her expression. That damn woman really knew how to hold a grudge. They seriously only dated for like a week. And she still hated him nearly twelve years later. That was dedication. "Director Coulson is here to apologize. The least you could do is listen."

"Oh, is that the least I could do? And why should I?" Clint asked, rising to his feet. "Last time I checked, I don't work for SHIELD anymore. And Phil over here didn't care to let me know he was alive until his agent tried to kidnap and murder my wife and kids. So it's safe to say that's a bridge burned. Yeah, I'm really not seeing why I have any obligation to listen here."

"Clint…" Phil started before trailing off pathetically. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Any of you. Maria only recently let us know that the twins were in the custody of the Avengers. We were operating under old Intel and that's our fault. This never should've happened."

"You're right," Clint retorted. "Well, if that's all you came to say. That's great. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. I have asses to kick at UNO."

"You mean you have cheating to do at UNO," Natasha replied dryly from where she stood at Clint's right side. Bucky snickered in echo of that statement from somewhere behind Clint. He glanced over his shoulder to see his latest stray leaning against the entryway to the room with his favorite gun in hand. Clint doubled checked but knew without really checking that the safety was on and Bucky's fingers were nowhere near the trigger. He knew they wouldn't be because of the small black and fuzzy lump on Bucky's shoulder.

Seriously was it a Russian assassin thing to look as badass as humanly possible even when doing something as innocuous as holding a kitten?

"Clint, Natasha, I'm sorry." The two partners exchanged glances before shrugging. Phil sighed heavily. "For what it's worth…. I'm proud of both of you."

Clint clenched his jaw, balling his hand into a fist at his side. Natasha stepped closer so that her hair was brushing against his shoulder. He could sense the tension in his best friend as well. It didn't fade even as Phil made one further apology before motioning for his team to file out. And they did… except for Daisy. She hesitated in the doorway before coming back in. the unknown blonde followed her back in but lingered by the door. He looked torn between getting out while the getting was good and helping Daisy in whatever she was attempting to do. Clint really wished the guy would just run. Would be safer for him in the long run.

"I know that you have no reason to listen to me or even care about what I have to say but… Phil is telling the truth," she explained. Her entire body pleading them to just listen and care. "He had no idea we were going after the twins. I went off on my own like an idiot. That has nothing to do with Phil."

"That would be great if that was all we were pissed about," Natasha drawled.

"Right," Daisy nodded. "I know that you're probably angrier about the whole not reaching out to you thing but he really does care about you. I know he does. You two are the ones he keeps a picture of on his desk. Still. We've changed bases a few times since SHIELD collapsed but he keeps that picture of you two close by. I'm sorry I didn't realize who you were at first. You're Strike Team Delta. Your Phil's team from back in the day. The team they still talk about."

"The team he replaced."

Daisy groaned, raking a hand through her shaggy brown hair. "Ugh! Why won't you just listen?!"

"Why should we?!" Clint countered. "Phil made his choices and now I'm making mine. And that's to protect my family. You tried to hurt my wife. You did hurt my son. Those are your two strikes. Those are your only strikes."

"What he said," Bucky and Natasha added in unison.

Daisy stared at them with wide eyes. Clint didn't need to look to imagine how completely terrifying a picture they made. Even Bucky who was literally acting as a human climbing post for Nyx. The fuzzy black kitten was way too interested in the tension in the room. She and Bucky found each barely a month ago and they were already starting to act like each other. So weird.

"Look, I'm sorry. This is..." she sighed heavily. "This is all my fault. Literally all of it is my fault."

"Daisy," the blonde started.

"No, Lincoln," she interrupted. "You and I both know if it wasn't for my powers the crystals never would've been dropped into the ocean. They never would've been turned into pills and there wouldn't be thousands or people across the globe experiencing an Inhuman awakening."

"Inhuman?" Wanda questioned softly. "Is that what you are?"

"Yes," Daisy nodded towards Lincoln as well. "My mother… she had this crazy idea that she was going to make the world for our kind only. She had crystals that would expose us to a biological change. It awakened powers in most and some physical changes in others. But when SHIELD… when I tried to stop her, it was too late. The crystals got loose and… well, the rest is history. All those people that have died… all those people who experiencing powers… it's because of us. I had to make it right."

"That's why you went after the twins?" Natasha murmured. "You were trying to make things right."

"I figured if I could just bring in the Sokovia twins, then I could start setting things right as far as SHIELD was concerned. Should've known that they were already on the right side." She gave a sad smile. "That's also why SHIELD is on the side of the Accords. I'm living proof of how using powers can be harmful. People like us need to be regulated."

"No, you want to be punished," Laura corrected. Clint didn't need to look to know she was glancing between him and Daisy. "Wow, Phil definitely has a type."

"Hey," Daisy and Clint protested in unison. Their eyes met and a flush spread across both their faces. Natasha snickered. Clint fixed her with a glare of his own. She grinned before nodding towards Daisy.

"Trust me when I say that we all know about making mistakes. But nothing good can come from acting recklessly to atone for your past mistakes." Natasha paused, tilting her head to the side. "Isn't that right, Tony?"

Clint was glad to note he wasn't the only one whirling around in confusion. When the hell did the others get back? Steve, Tony and Bruce were now standing beside the awkward looking Lincoln.

"Seriously, Spider Chick? We're really going to bring that up? Aren't you people over that yet?"

"It hasn't even been a year," Steve countered.

"You're going to be hearing about Ultron until you're an old man," Sam added.

"An older man," Bucky chimed in with a smirk. Tony flipped him off. Laura made his nose bleed.

"Wait, I thought Sam was the old man," Pietro murmured, that same mischievous smirk tilting his lips up. "But if Tony is older than even Sam…. That must mean he's…."

"Do not finish that sentence," Tony warned. Pietro grinned.

"Like older than the Earth," Pietro finished solemnly. Tony made a halfhearted attempt at swiping at the teen but he was gone before any of them could even blink. He zipped back into the room to grab Wanda before leaving again.

Tony sighed. "If anyone wants me, I'm going to be on the ship running tests."

"What kind of tests?"

"DNA! I refuse to believe that kid isn't somehow part Barton!" Tony retorted even as he headed out the door with an amused Bruce in tow.

"Dude! I did not have a kid when I was fifteen! I think I would remember that!"

"Whatever!" came Tony's oh so mature response. Clint rolled his eyes. It was then that he caught sight of the wistful look on Daisy's face. For a brief moment, she looked torn between laughing and crying. Laura stepped forward before stopping abruptly. She must have sensed it too. Whatever it was, it passed quickly. She murmured one final apology before letting Lincoln lead her outside.

As soon as they were gone, Clint felt the excess adrenaline and emotions he was feeling during their conversation fade slowly. Thankfully, there was a hand on his elbow keeping him steady. He leaned into the embrace that Natasha was offering and sank with his partner to the floor. He was dimly aware of the others filing out the room with Laura chiding Bucky about carrying his gun around the children with no real recrimination in her words. Clint shifted so he was holding Natasha as much as she was holding him. This wasn't any easier for her than it was for her. Phil meant a lot to both of them.

"What do you want to do about all of this?" he asked, breaking the silence between them.

"What do I want to do versus what we're going to do? There is a very distinct difference between the two," Natasha replied, smirk evident in her voice. Clint pulled away from her with a laugh.

"Okay, then, smart ass. What do you want to do?"

"I want to hurt him the way he hurt you."

"Nat," he sighed. "Don't…. Don't make this about me."

Natasha rested her hand over his. "It's always about you to me, Hawk."

He smiled softly. "Yeah, I guess it is. You know it's the same for me, right?"

"I know," Natasha answered, settling back in his arms. Her head was tucked under his chin. Outside he could hear the sounds of his children and their normal chaos intermingling with the rest of the team. Laura was occasionally heard laughing at their antics and there was a faint boom coming from the plane that told Clint all he needed to know about whatever science was going on there. For just a brief moment, Clint could almost forget that things were pretty crappy. For just one moment, he let himself drift. And then with a sigh, he came back to reality.

"I don't know what to do here, Nat. He chose not to come back for us. He closed us out. And now he's back and everything in me wants to fall back in line. Because despite the fact that he abandoned us, our lives were so much simpler back then." He exhaled shakily. "But we've changed so much since then too. The invasion and Sokovia and just everything. I don't think I could go back to following Phil. I don't think I could trust him again."

"Me either," Natasha murmured. She shifted her head. "But do you think you could ever forgive him?"

"Maybe," Clint shrugged. "Probably."

"You already did, didn't you?" he could hear the smirk in her voice. He sighed.

"Yeah, I did. I know. I'm a total loser."

"No," Natasha pulled away so that she could look him in the eye. "You are not a loser. You're a good man with a good heart. That's about the least crazy thing Loki said. You do have heart, Clint, a really great one. And it's big enough to let Phil back in. Even if you don't trust him enough to follow his lead. That's okay. It's also okay that you've forgiven him. To be honest, I guess I've kind of forgiven him myself."

He nodded slowly, picking at imaginary lint on his sweatpants. Silence fell over them for another few moments before they rolled their eyes in unison and looked to the kitchen door. "Seriously? You didn't hear enough yet, Coulson?"

The kitchen door cracked open minutely and Phil's head appeared in the small opening. He smiled sheepishly.

"How long have you known I was there?"

"Since you 'left'. You used to do that all the time when I was first recruited," Clint answered, stretching his legs out in front of him. "I guess death hasn't changed you that much, huh?"

Phil chuckled faintly before joining his two former assets on the floor. "I'm not giving you an excuse. But this is an explanation. I did die. And Nick used some… questionable methods to bring me back. I came back different. I felt wrong. But I asked to see you two immediately. From a distance of course but I just needed to see you. Nick let me. I saw you, Clint, with the kids. And you looked so happy to be home. And I saw you too, Nat. You were with Cap, running missions. Nice arrow necklace by the way."

Natasha flushed a red brighter than her hair before smacking the giggling Clint on the leg. Phil shook his head in that achingly familiar way that spoke of his amusement with their antics. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and shifting his focus between them both. Clint had a brief flashback to so many moments just like this. Times when Phil felt less like their handler and keeper, and more like family. Like when Clint had a massive panic attack after finding out the Laura was pregnant with Lila. Or the very first time Natasha was injured and had to place her trust in Phil and Clint to get out of danger. There were so many moments that tied Phil, Natasha and Clint together. And Clint knew in that moment that Phil was forgiven completely. Even though he lied to them for four years, he was back. He was here and he was alive and Clint wasn't going to take that for granted. He knew what regret looked like. Even though Bucky and Steve would get their acts together eventually, Clint didn't want to go for years wishing he had the courage to face his feelings before it was too late. Phil was family and even though he was a lying liar that lied, he was still the older brother/father figure Clint wanted and deserved.

"We're okay, Phil," Clint finally said out loud. Natasha glanced at him with an arched eyebrow. He met her gaze evenly and watched as a smile spread across her face. She nodded.

"Thank you," Phil replied, his voice cracking slightly. "I know that… I know that I can't ask you to come back to SHIELD. Not now. But just know that if you wanted, you'd both be welcome back. And not just you two, of course. Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes as well."

Clint smiled faintly. "We know... okay, we know that now. But we're Avengers. I have no idea what the hell that even means these days but that's who we are now."

"I know that too," Phil smirked. "Can't deprive the kids of their favorite uncles, huh?"

"Oh god no," Clint snorted. "I'm pretty sure they would fight me if I tried to take those idiots away from them. Even the twins. But especially Lila."

"She hasn't changed, huh?"

"Not one bit," Natasha said, fondly. Her tone was almost a little proud. Clint supposed she should be fond. Every bit of his daughter's daring devil may care attitude was carefully constructed under the tutelage of her beloved aunt. Clint was really going to have to limit that woman's access to his children. Almost as if she knew what he was thinking, Natasha elbowed him in the ribs. He grunted and was about to retaliate when the front door burst open.

Clint barely had time to react to that when there was a small figure rushing towards him, slamming headfirst into his arms before squirming between and then behind him and Natasha. He caught a glimpse of his daughter's dark brown hair before she did her best to disappear behind her new human shield. He turned to the door to find what he was supposed to be shielding her from storming in the door caring an arrow with a few telling bloodstains and an expression that spoke of just how done she was with their daughter in that moment.

"Lila Katherine Bishop Barton! What have we told you about shooting your brothers with arrows for fun?!"

Clint glanced over his shoulder at the adorable, mischief making moppet he called his youngest daughter. "You shot Cooper?"

"No!"Lila protested. "He ducked. Pietro didn't."

Natasha frowned. "We really need to work on his ability to dodge."

"Yeah, it's a serious problem. Anyway, what the hell started this one?"

"Tony and Sam! Who else? They each bet that Lila and Bucky couldn't make an impossible shot. Bucky had to shoot Steve from on top of the barn with one hand tied behind his back. Lila had to shoot Pietro from on top of Thor. They were supposed to be using the paint bullets and arrows. But your daughter strived for authenticity."

Clint bit his lip in an effort not to laugh. That would not end well for anyone. Honestly, what did she expect? She left their children with the rest of the Avengers. It would always end with someone getting shot with an arrow. Still…

"So wait, if you were supposed to shoot Pietro, how did Cooper get involved in this?"

"He was a bonus," Lila answered. Clint shot her a quick look over his shoulder before looking at Laura. His wife was also struggling to hide her own amusement.

"Bucky chickened out and couldn't take the shot with Steve. So instead he shot Tony and Sam. Our daughter didn't wuss out and shot Pietro. She then tried to take out Cooper. But he apparently sees arrows flying towards him and moves. Pietro sees them and forgets that's that he's faster than a moving train."

"He's your son!" they exclaimed in unison. Or what he hoped he could pass off as unison. Natasha helpfully pointed out that he was a half a second behind Laura. He glared at her letting her know that he didn't appreciate her help.

He twisted in place and scooped his daughter up and into his arms. She settled on his lap, looking slightly remorseful. He placed a kiss on her head. "Lila, we did talk about that. I know that Pietro can heal but it's not nice to shoot him. Especially since you know that he doesn't dodge."

"It's really a problem, Daddy."

Clint snorted. "Yeah, it is. So no more shooting your brothers with arrows. Paint tipped arrows or NERF guns, you know the rules."

"Yes, Daddy."

"Also don't listen to your uncles. They're idiots. Especially Tony and Sam. What did we tell you about listening to them?"

"Always question Uncle Tony. Listen to Uncle Sam only eighty percent of the time but question it if he's with Uncle Tony, Uncle Bucky or Uncle Steve. Never listen to Uncle Steve if the words 'justice', 'freedom' or 'civil liberty' is in the discussion. And when in doubt defer to Uncle Bruce, Uncle Bucky or Uncle Thor before following through," Lila recited dutifully. Clint rewarded her with another kiss on the forehead.

"I never thought I would see the day when Thor is the more rational member of the team," Phil said, wistfully.

"Yeah, well he is a thousand something year old alien god. He's picked up some wisdom along the way," Natasha shrugged. And then there was a flash of lightening outside echoed by a crash of thunder and all the lights in the house died. She sighed.

"Thor!"

"Lincoln!"

Natasha and Phil exchanged quick, surprised looks before glaring at the two sheepish blondes now standing in the doorway. Thor and Lincoln both looked torn between hangdog embarrassment and absolute delight at whatever they just did that caused the power to go down.

"Do I even want to know?" Phil asked.

Lincoln grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was just showing Thor what I could do and I think we might have gotten a little carried away."

"Define a little."

"The power is out for a fifty mile radius," Daisy chimed in from where she was standing slightly behind the two men. Clint pinched the bridge of his nose as Lincoln and Thor traded what they probably thought were discreet high fives. What Thor forgot was that he was huge. Nothing he did was discreet.

Laura ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "You know that's probably the good thing about moving to the city. There's probably protection against random acts of gods taking out the power."

"And if there isn't, I'm reasonably sure Tony will have it installed before we move in," Natasha added, climbing to her feet. She held out a hand out to Lila. "Come, little one. We're going to learn how to fix the power. For some reason, I see this being an ongoing problem in our future. It would be good for you to learn how to fix the chaos caused by your ridiculous uncles."

Lila happily climbed off Clint's lap and followed Natasha out to the barn with Lincoln and Thor in tow. That left just Clint, Phil and Laura. Clint looked between his former handler and his wife. The two were staring at one another with unreadable expressions on their faces. For a brief moment, he remembered a similar tableau a little over ten years ago. When Laura first met Phil, she was prepared to hate him and any of the rules he was going to try and force on her. Phil was prepared for an unruly nightmare. And that's what happened at first but they slowly realized for all that they didn't have in common, their mutual love for Clint and need for his happiness was enough to help them connect. He was hoping it was enough now.

Finally, Laura broke the staring match. She glanced at Clint and gave him a small smile. "Phil, I'm glad you're not dead. I really am. But I swear if you put my husband through something like that again, that little migraine I just treated you to will be the least of your problems. I will take away any and everything that makes you who you are."

"I understand," Phil nodded. Laura narrowed her eyes for just a moment more before a smile settled on her lips.

"Okay then. You and your team are welcome to stay for dinner."

"You sure, Laura? There's a lot of us and…."

"I'm not cooking," Laura scoffed. "We're getting takeout, Phil. You try feeding a half a dozen people in addition to two super soldiers, a god, a giant rage beast and a speedster. No, we're ordering takeout. So settle in. Tony tips them like a ridiculous amount to see how fast they can get here."

"Thank you, Laura."

"No problem," Laura gave him a more genuine smile. She brushed a hand over Clint's hair before leaving the two men to talk.

"Clint, I…"

"I know," Clint mumbled. "I know you're sorry. And it's okay."

"Well, thanks. But that wasn't what I was going to say," Phil laughed. "I was going to say that I mean it. I'm so proud of you. You're so different than the man I met fourteen years ago. I was proud of that man for making the choice to come with me but I'm even prouder of you for letting yourself have a family. And not just Laura and the kids. I'm talking about the other Avengers and the twins."

Clint smiled faintly. "I never thought I could have both. I thought that I had to make a choice. I could have a family and the Avengers but not together. But… when Ultron happened, I didn't even hesitate. I brought them here without even thinking about it. I could've taken them to any of the safe houses Nat and I have stashed around the world but I brought them here. I think I knew before I even knew that they were family."

"They really are."

"So are you. You and the rest of the SHIELD crew. Wait, please tell me that May knows you're alive. Cuz keeping it from her might actually be crueler than not telling me and Nat."

"Melinda knows," Phil laughed. "She was actually part of the team for a while."

"Was?"

"She's on a temporary break. She and Andrew are trying to work it out."

"Andrew?! Like perfect in every way Andrew?! How did that happen? Dude, you dropped the ball, man. You had so many openings!"

Phil rolled his eyes. "I don't know why you and Natasha are so convinced that Melinda and I have anything other platonic feelings for each other."

"It's because we have eyes, Coulson. We have eyes."

"You're still a brat."

"Yes, I am," Clint smiled proudly. Phil shook his head but Clint knew him enough to read the amusement on his face.

"So what now? Where are you all going?"

"Tony's mom had a mansion in New York as a contingency plan should Howard ever completely lose it. She died before she needed to act on that plan but the house has remained in Tony's care since her death. And with the government seizing all control of any and all assets relating to Howard Stark, the mansion is the only home he has left."

"Not true. He has all of you."

"Death made you sappy!" Clint retorted. Phil laughed. "So what's next for SHIELD? Daisy said you guys are pro-Accords."

"Publicly, yes. We are. Privately, well… some of us more than others. But no. I know that SHIELD has questionable practices when it comes to gifted people but I'm changing how it works now. This superhero registration act that they're talking about it is a glorified witch hunt. And we're going to be working on it from the inside. SHIELD has been many things in its years but I refuse to turn it into some kind of Nazi regime." Phil paused taking in Clint's expression. "Okay, I refuse to let that happen again."

"Better," Clint laughed. "So… about Daisy."

"I'm not replacing you. I hope you know that."

"I do. Now. I get it now. But that wasn't what I was going to say. I was going to say that she seems like a good person. You know when she's not trying to murder and kidnap my wife and children. I think she's just lost right now."

"She is," Phil nodded. "She's had a rough year but she's tough. She's going to come out of this stronger. Not unlike someone else I know."

"Who?" Phil raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you mean me. Oh. Oh… okay."

"Yeah, okay," Phil chuckled, rising to his feet. He held a hand out to Clint who accepted it readily and let the older man help him up. "I did miss you, Clint."

"I missed you too, Phil. I'm really glad you're not dead. And I can't wait for you to meet the twins and Bucky. Oh, man! You're not going to believe this. You just have to see it for yourself."

"Oh, the whole Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes having feelings for each other thing?"

"How'd you know?"

"I have eyes, Barton. I have eyes. And Daisy said she got a vibe from them."

"Ha, vibe," Clint snorted, ignoring Phil rolling his eyes beside him. "Well come on then. Let me introduce you to the latest additions to the Barton crew."

"You and your strays."

"Like you can talk," Clint retorted, leading Phil out the house. "I learned from the best."

"Yes, you did."

Clint smiled even as he walked towards where the SHIELD team was mingling with the rest of the Avengers and his family. He paused for a moment just taking it in. He wasn't lying earlier. He never thought he could have this. But now that he did, he couldn't imagine a world where he didn't have these people together just like this. It was perfect. He felt Phil place an arm around his shoulders and leaned into the embrace. He sighed happily watching all the assorted weird people he loved most in the world open up to the SHIELD team. Though it was a rocky start, Clint was happy. Because SHIELD was his first home. It was the first place he ever felt like belonged. And now he that in spades.

"Oh, Phil?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful around Pietro and Bucky, okay? I'm not entirely sure they understand that I don't actually want you to be dead for real."

"I get it. You were upset that I was alive for real. So they want me to be dead so you'd be less sad. Makes sense."

"Really?!"

*And that's the end. This story started off with me just wanting to write a cute story about the twins moving in with the Barton's but it kind of escalated as most of my stories tend to do I'm noticing. I'm not done with this new series (why do I always start series, guys? Why?!) But this particular story is done. I'll start the sequel soon with the team finally moving in and exploring more of the twins' history as well as just more fluffy family feels.

So just thank you, thank you, thank you to every single person who has read this story and liked it enough to follow, favorite or review it! And a special shout out to my reviewers because sometimes I was a bit lost with what direction to take it and some of your reviews really helped me focus it. So thank you! You guys rock! Until next time!