Hi, so here we are in the final chapter, but don't worry I have a sequel planned. Thank you to all who have favourited, followed or reviewed: you guys mean the world to me. I hope you enjoy my last instalment to Shadows.

Shadows - Chapter 16

Clint waited for what felt like days. Lily was in surgery and the doctors didn't know if she was going to make it. Natasha waited with him, her fingers intertwined with his. They sat in silence.

After hours of waiting a doctor entered the room. "Agent Barton?"

Clint stood up, Natasha by his side. "Is she OK?"

"I'm sorry, Agent Barton, but Director Fury told me he wants to talk to you about it himself."

"What?"

"Agent Barton, Agent Romanoff, he's waiting for you in his office."

The two spys turned and headed for the Director's office. It wasn't far and, without bothering to knock, they slammed the door open and entered.

Fury was behind his desk and only looked mildly surprised when the duo barged into his office. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Save it Fury. Why can't the doctor tell us if Lily is alright?"

"Because no one is allowed to know."

That gave Clint a shock. "So you're not going to tell me if my sister is alive?"

"Clint." Natasha's whispered warning made him turn to her.

"He already knows that she's my sister; I'll bet he did a DNA test on her as soon as they got her in."

"The Shadow," the Directors voice took on an authoritative tone, "has been on many government agencies kill lists and if they knew that she had been here, SHIELD would be swamped by them wanting information. I have also been informed that the Red Room have a search squad looking for her and so until such a time that she is not everywhere's most wanted her status shall remain unknown."

"Sir," Clint stepped towards the Director, "I just want to know if she is alive."

"Lily Barton's status is level ten classified. Don't bother asking again Agent Barton. You are dismissed."

The two spys left Director Fury's office, still in the dark as to whether the girl was alive. They knew that they would probably never find out.

"Clint, don't beat yourself up about it. She knew the consequences when she went back in."

"I was meant to protect her."

"Clint..."

"It's level ten classified. I know I'll never find out."

They had made their way into the gym and, finding it empty, sat down to change their shoes before sparring.

"Clint, I-" He cut her off with a kiss. His emotions were over flowing and he knew that if he didn't do it now he'd probably never got the chance again. She could die tomorrow and he'd have never showed her how he felt. After a few seconds of shock he realised that she was kissing him back.

They broke for air. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

Natasha stared back into his eyes and he saw what he had always hoped to see, her love and affection directed at him. "You don't have anything to be sorry for."

A few hours and one very intense 'sparring' match later the couple entered Stark Tower. JARVIS informed them that the rest of the team was in the communal living room so that was where they went.

xxx

Steve sat on one of the couches staring at the elevator doors. JARVIS had told them that Clint and Natasha were back form SHIELD HQ and he really wanted to know if Lily was alright.

They couldn't all wait in the infirmary so the main group had gone back to the Tower to wash and change. Now they were all sprawled on the various couches that filled the communal living room.

Natasha and Clint exited the elevator and the team all looked up, wanting and dreading the answer.

"We don't know, Fury won't tell us."

"What do you mean?" That didn't make any sense to Steve.

"Her status is level ten classified." Clint impersonated Fury, even putting one hand over his left eye for full effect.

"That's completely-" Steve was interrupted by a ringing phone.

"Not me." Clint looked at Natasha.

"It's not me either. Is it yours?" She directed the last part at Steve.

He pulled the small object that Tony had forced him to buy from his pocket. "Uhhh, maybe."

He pressed the green button and put the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Capatin Rogers, are you alone?"

"Ummm, what one second." He looked apologetically at the group and moved into the kitchen. "What is it, sir?"

The deep voice of Director Fury sounded weird over the phone."I need you to come back to base."

"May I ask why, sir?"

"No you may not. It's classified level ten and you should tell your team that you will be gone for an undetermined amount of time."

Level ten, wasn't that what Clint had just said. "I'll be there in twenty sir."

Steve hung up and walked back into the living room. The team looked at him questioningly and he shook his head.

"Director Fury didn't tell me anything, all he said is I'm going to be gone indefinitely and it's classified level ten."

Clint, who had joined Tony on one of the couches, sat up straighter.

"That's all I know."

He left and reached the base in fifteen minutes. Maria Hill met him at the door. "What's going on Hill?"

"I'll let the Director show you himself."

Steve followed Hill through the corridors until they met up with Fury. "If you'll follow me Captain." Hill left them and Fury led him to the holding cells.

"What are we doing here sir?"

"Go on inside and take a look." Fury pushed the door open and Steve stepped inside.

Propped up against the wall on the floor in front of him was a seventeen year old girl with short brown hair and blue-grey eyes. "Lily." He breathed. The girl looked up at him.

"No," Director Fury entered the room and stood next to him, "Lily Barton no longer exists. This is Sasha Mathews and you will be escorting her to Operations Academy before joining her on the Bus to England where you will help her settle in with a new foster family."

Steve was in shock but there was a bit of Fury's message that didn't really make any sense. "The Bus to England?"

"That's something else I have to talk to you about. Come with me, both of you."

Lil- Sasha stood up and walked along side Steve to Fury's office. She smiled up at him and he smiled back: at least she was alive.

Thanks again for reading and I hope that you will read the sequel that I'm planning, which will be in the Agents of SHIELD universe.