You Can Count On Me

Disclaimer: I own nothing, only Tommy, Trisha and Paul ;)

Authors Note: What can I say except I'm so sorry for how long this has taken to write, I admit I really struggled with this one as it was one of the stories I'd started before that pesky virus took everything. (hangs head in shame) I am still working on the next birthday and a couple of other things that have popped into my head, I will try not to make you wait as long next time! Promise!

Anyway, this was supposed to be a one shot, but instead I have split it into 3 chapters. It's set before Clint's sixteenth birthday. His little cousin Tommy has been acting strangely, quiet and withdrawn, which isn't like him at all. Trisha; Phil's sister asks Clint and Phil to come visit, hoping that the teen's bond with his little cousin can help.

Huge thanks to my beta DevinBourdain, once again your help throughout has been invaluable. Thank you!

Phil lightly tapped his fingers against the steering wheel while listening to the tune playing on the radio; he had no idea who it was but the song was quite catchy. Glancing to his silent passenger, his brow furrowed in concern at the guilt practically oozing from the teen.

The young archer was taking the news that his little cousin Tommy had been involved in a fight, and was now being quiet and distant, very badly. Anyone that knew the nine year old could tell that was a major cause for concern. Phil's sister, Trisha had called two days ago asking if he and Clint would be willing to come and stay for a few days. She hoped that the bond Barton had with his little cousin would be enough to make Tommy open up about whatever it was that could be bothering him.

Clint racked his brain for any hint of something being off with his cousin during one of their many conversations. Sadly nothing was coming to mind. Two weeks ago Tommy had been his usual chatty self on the phone with the teen, although the more he thought about it, Barton realised two weeks was a long time between their calls. Damn, now he really did feel guilty.

"Stop it kid," Phil admonished, not taking his eyes off the road.

Clint raised an eyebrow at the tone. "What?"

"I can hear you beating yourself up from here." The older man's gaze flickered to the teen, then back to the long road ahead of them. "We'll be there soon and then hopefully we can get some answers."

Barton nodded in agreement. "Okay."

They travelled for another ten minutes before Phil cleared his throat. Clint felt his lips quirk upwards somehow knowing what the older man was about to ask. "You want to play a game to pass the time?"

"Sure. You can pick this time." The older man granted him a grin, already knowing what he was going to pick. "I spy?"

Clint chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "You go first since I always win."

The heated glare he received did nothing to intimidate the teenager. It wasn't a lie; he always won any game they played. At first he thought the older man was letting him win, that was until he found out how competitive Phil was. Apparently it was a well-known fact within SHIELD, even the director stayed clear of Phil's unhealthy obsession.

"I spy with my Fury eye, something beginning with….L" Coulson challenged smugly, hoping the teen would take at least a few tries before guessing right.

"Lines."

Phil deflated instantly. "Yes," he muttered glaring at the lines on the road like it was somehow there their fault he lost.

"Is that my turn already?" Barton laughed with a smug grin. "I spy with my Fury eye, something beginning with….M."

The agent studied the road in front of them, mouthing the letter 'M' to himself. "Motorists?"

"Nope."

Phil struggled to come up with anything starting with 'M', he was beginning to wonder whether Clint just picked a random letter in order to see how much it would frustrate him when he couldn't get it.

"Map?"

Again Clint shook his head, his eyes lighting up when he spotted a sign informing him that a diner was only a few miles ahead.

Phil huffed; perhaps he shouldn't have asked to play this game. He always lost, always. "What is it?" the agent asked in defeat.

Barton smirked, pointing at the sign up ahead. "Motel."

The agent's eyes widened incredulously, gaze shooting to the teen before turning back to the road. Had the kid really spotted a sign from so far away? He knew Barton's eye sight was considered almost supernatural according to the medics at SHIELD. They'd never seen anything like it.

Figuring it might be better to abandon the game, Phil took the next exit heading towards the diner. The grumbling sound from both his and Clint's stomach told him he'd made the right call.

The teen grinned brightly as he slid from the car. He waited until Phil locked the car, joining him before opening the door and stepping inside.

Clint slurped the last of his milkshake, raising his hand to cover the belch that escaped. Phil rolled his eyes at the teen, taking a sip of his coffee before setting the cup down on the table next to the two empty plates. The agent noticed the kid salivating at the delicious cakes at the counter. Hiding his smirk with a fake cough Phil motioned for Barton to use the facilities before they left.

Sliding from the booth the teen headed towards the toilets, his eyes never leaving the selection of chocolate, strawberry and meringue cakes displayed until he almost collided with the waitress. Muttering a quick apology he vanished into the men's room.

Phil pulled out his wallet as he stood and headed to the till to pay their bill. The young woman flashed a genuine smile. "That's $11.99, thanks."

He pulled a twenty out, handing it over and waited for her to count out his change when he decided to treat the teen to his sugar addiction. "Could you add one of the donuts you've got there to the bill, thanks?"

"Of course," the blonde answered, taking the extra amount off the change she was about to hand over. She placed the giant donut in a paper bag and handed it over. "Have a great day!"

Phil nodded. "You too."

The older man noticed Clint's hawk like gaze focus on the bag as he exited the diner. Eyebrow arched in question, wondering if whatever goodies inside the bag were for him. Phil chuckled before throwing the paper bag towards the teen.

"Don't say I'm not good to you."

Clint caught the bag easily; opening it up he caught a whiff of the sugary treat and started to drool. "I'd never say that," he replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"Hmmmm, maybe I should take that back?" The agent announced, reaching out to grab the paper bag only to have it yanked out of his reach.

"Only kidding dad." Clint laughed, slapping Phil's hand away. The teen slid into the passenger seat, pulling his seat belt on and fixing his sunglasses so they sat on the bottom of his nose. He glanced over at the older man with a grin. "Onward Jeeves," he commanded, pointing his finger toward the main road.

Chuckling the agent turned the ignition and once the engine rumbled to life he pulled out of the small diner and back on to the main road leaving a trail of dust and exhaust fumes behind them.

It took almost two hours to reach his sister's house. Reaching a hand out, he gently nudged the teen's shoulder watching in amusement as Clint came to with a start. Barton turned to face the older man with a scowl plastered across his features, wondering when exactly he'd fallen asleep. Phil smirked and patted the blonde's head before motioning to the other side of Clint's head.

"You might want to fix that?"

Barton raised a hand to his hair and felt his eyes go wide in horror. A quick look in the mirror showed his hair sticking up on one side from where he'd been sleeping with his head against the window.

"Got any hair gel, dad?" Pausing as if something just came to mind he added, "Sorry I forgot, you don't need any do you?" Clint quipped, struggling not to laugh at the glare he was currently receiving. The teenager was still trying to fix his unruly hair into something that looked semi normal when they pulled onto his Aunt's street.

Phil parked up on the driveway next to Trisha's car, knowing from his conversation with his sister the previous week that his brother in law was still working away. His job as a pilot took him to the other side of the world, leaving Trisha on her own to deal with Tommy.

Clint unclasped his seat belt and opened the door, sliding out of the car he stretched his arms behind his head and tried to loosen his stiff joints from being cooped up for so long. He wasn't used to long drives and considered asking his dad next time they came to visit if they could get the train or maybe fly. Shuffling his way to the trunk, the teen pulled out his own bag and then Phil's, placing the older man's on the ground.

Coulson opened the driver's side door just as Trisha emerged from the house, an expression filled with gratitude, she greeted the younger man by enveloping him in her arms.

"Thanks for coming Phil," greeted the blonde, who despite being only four years older, was suddenly looking vastly older. Her eyes were red and puffy, signalling to the agent that she'd been crying. Her clothes hung from her thin frame, making the younger man worry more. Trisha had never been very big to begin with, but the amount of weight she seemed to have lost was a serious cause for concern. Phil was sure his parents hadn't seen her or he would've heard all about it before now.

Trisha must have read his mind because she rested her hand on her brother's cheek, giving him a pained smile and shook her head. "Mom and dad don't know, and I don't plan on telling them. Okay?" her voice was soft with an underlying hint of pleading. She couldn't face their parents and she was asking Phil to lie to them. He nodded silently, knowing he couldn't put his sister through that. His parents were unbearable when they were worried about their kids. Phil knew now from his own experience with Clint how that felt, although he was certain he and Clint could help Tommy, so there was no need to call them.

"Okay." Phil promised, walking back to the car and picking up his bag, then headed towards the house.

The teen broke away from Phil as they reached the front door and gave Trisha a warm hug. He hated seeing his Aunt looking so frail, and upset. It wasn't right, and he would make it his mission to fix this so he could see her beaming smile again. "I'll find out what's wrong Aunt Trisha, don't worry."

The older woman gave him a looked filled with love and appreciation. "I know you will Clint. Thank you." With that she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek then motioned for them to come inside.

Barton felt his lips quirk upward as he stepped inside. He loved his Aunt Trisha's house; it always felt so warm and welcoming. Not that there was anything wrong with his own home with Phil, but it was nice to feel that safety in someone else house. It was further proof of how much he'd changed over the past few years. His fingers brushed over the soft cushions on the sofa, his eyes taking in the numerous pictures on the wall, trying to see if any new ones had been added.

He spotted a picture of himself, Tommy, Phil and Paul from a few months ago when they all went fishing. Trisha had come along later with a picnic and they'd all sat down to a feast of various filled sandwiches, chips, chicken pieces and juice. It had been a great day and one of the few that Paul had been present for. Clint had spoken to Tommy many times about his constantly absent father. It wasn't Paul's fault that his job took him away from his family, but sometimes it settled in his young cousin's mind like a dark pit of despair, some deep seated fear that the older man wouldn't return one day. Barton knew this fear well; he'd had many occasions where he felt Phil might not return home, it didn't help with the job that he had. Although that fear was slowly diminishing, from the moment his dad gave up being a field agent and taking on the more clerical side of things, Clint had seen a more relaxed, happy and sarcastic side to his dad than ever before. It sent a feeling of warmth through his whole body, he loved that man so much; he wasn't sure what he'd ever do without him. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Clint turned to the two adults who were conversing quietly in the kitchen.

"Is he upstairs?"

Trisha nodded solemnly. "Yeah. He hasn't come down for anything to eat yet either." She lifted a plate with two sandwiches on it and handed it to the teen. "Can you make sure he eats these, Clint?" Her voice took on that tone of pleading that the young archer was starting to hate.

He nodded. "I will."

Sharing a glance with his dad, Clint felt his face flush at the pride being directed at him, then headed upstairs to Tommy's room. It was time to find out what was going on.

He knocked twice, waiting patiently for an answer. When none was forthcoming he twisted the handle and stepped inside. Clint felt a chill race up and down his spine at the sight of the empty room. Placing the plate on the bedside table his attention turned to the open window and in three long strides he stood in front of the window. Gripping the ledge he pulled himself up and launched himself outside on to the large tree. His hands caught the thick branch easily, having done this many times before now, and dropped down on to the platform of the large tree house. Any time he visited, he and Tommy would spend hours just sitting in the tree house talking or playing games. The younger boy had watched in fascination as Clint had made his way to the tree house from his bedroom window instead of the rope ladder which hung down to the ground. It hadn't taken Tommy long before he too used that way of entering his secluded safe house.

Barton peeked inside and tried very hard not to laugh at the look of complete surprise on the younger boy's face. He obviously didn't know Clint was coming to visit, but then again if he wasn't speaking to his mom his confusion made sense.

"Clint? What are you doing here?" Tommy stared wide eyed at his older cousin. It didn't take long for realisation to set in, his mom must have asked Clint to come. The young blonde settled back against the side of the tree house, a scowl quickly replacing the surprised expression on his features. Clint didn't like that look one bit.

"You're mom's worried about you, bud. So am I." Barton ducked inside and sat down opposite the smaller boy. He watched as Tommy tried very hard not to look at him, his eyes darting around the small space before ultimately meeting Clint's penetrating gaze. The silence stretched out between them for what felt like hours when in fact it was more like ten minutes. Then younger boy pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on top and sighed deeply like the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders. Tommy chewed absently on the corner of his thumb and Clint frowned at the small tell. He'd noticed on the few occasions that when Tommy was worried about something he tended to do that. It was the kid's signal for being distressed. A wave of uneasiness washed over Barton, he had promised to always be there for his little cousin and he'd be damned if he let him down.

Reaching over the short distance, the teen rested his hand on Tommy's knee and gave a comforting squeeze.

"Talk to me bud. What's going on?" Clint asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that stretched between them.

The younger blonde raised his head, wondering how to explain what happened. Tommy and Clint had spoken many times about the younger boy's fear that one day his dad wasn't going to come home. Barton had even opened up to Tommy about some of the things that happened to him before he met Phil and explained how his life changed for the better. He hadn't gone in to great detail, he just needed to show the smaller boy that he trusted him, and was proud to call him his little cousin. The fact he said anything at all had made Tommy's heart swell in his chest. How could he not return that show of trust?

"I got into a fight at school," Tommy started, his voice more like a whisper.

Clint nodded, he knew that much from Trisha, but not why it happened. "Who was it?" he asked carefully, his voice soft and understanding, he didn't want to risk making the smaller boy clam up by asking too many questions.

Tommy stared down at his shoe laces, not wanting to meet his cousin's disapproving gaze. He didn't think he'd be able to handle both Clint and his mom being unhappy with him. "His name is Gavin," he mumbled.

"What did he do?" Barton asked softly, watching the younger boy clench his hands into fists at the mere thought of what this boy had done. His own mind started to conjure up reasons for that reaction when Tommy finally answered.

"He bullies me and my friends." The small blonde admitted. When he finally raised his eyes to meet Clint's, the teen saw Tommy struggling to keep the tears at bay. "I usually try to ignore him but last week he said something that I couldn't ignore."

"What was that?"

Tommy was silent for a moment, wondering whether to continue. With a steadying breath he decided he should tell his cousin. Clint always listened to him and never judged him. "He said that my dad is never around because he hates me, that he's so disappointed having me as his son, that he travels the world to get away from me." The small boy used his sleeve to wipe away the tears that had finally started to fall. He was still angry with himself for letting Gavin push his buttons and get a rise out of him. It was the bully's usual tactic but it had hit very close to home for Tommy who already felt like his dad didn't want to be around him, that he used his job as an airline pilot to disappear for weeks on end, sometimes months. So after hearing those words, so similar to his own thoughts coming from Gavin's lips had set the younger boy into a grief stricken rage. He really didn't remember much about the fight, only that he had to be pulled away and could vaguely recall seeing Gavin being helped up by one of the teachers, nursing a bloody nose.

Clint pursed his lips, trying desperately to reel in his own flaring temper. How dare this kid upset his little cousin? Barton and Tommy had already spoken on many occasions about the younger boy's fear of losing his dad. Gavin had just happened to pick the one subject that would affect the small boy and it twisted like a knife in his own gut. Clint knew from his own experience with Phil and what his job entailed exactly the kind of insecurities that plagued the younger boy. He was definitely going to have words with this bully.

"You know he was lying, Tommy. Your dad loves you." Clint told him.

"Does he?" the smaller blonde snapped, blue eyes flashing angrily before uncertainty and fear settled on his young features.

Barton really wanted to throttle Gavin, and perhaps have a few words with his Uncle Paul for making Tommy even think that he was unloved. Leaning closer to his little cousin, Clint gripped the boy's chin gently and lifted his head so that they were face to face. "Yes. He does. You can't let the words of one stupid bully make you think otherwise Tommy. If you do, then guess what? He wins." Removing his hand, the teen settled back against the wooden wall. His own expression pained as he watched the various emotions flicker over Tommy's face: fear, anger, sorrow and finally trust. The final emotion was aimed at him and he felt his lips quirk into a slight smile.

"I think maybe it's time you talk to your mom about this Tommy. It's only going to get worse as time goes on." Reaching over, Clint squeezed the smaller boy's hand in his, passing on a measure of comfort to help ease Tommy's fears. "If you want me to, I'll stay with you when you talk to her?"

Bright blue eyes locked on to his and Clint felt the breath catch in his throat at the intense look. He finally realised what Phil was talking about when he gave his dad a similar look. It was one filled with love and pride.

"Are you sure?" Tommy asked uncertainly.

Clint nodded. "Of course. You can always count on me Tommy. For anything."

The younger boy suddenly launched himself at his older cousin. An 'oof' escaped Clint as they tumbled sideways on to the floor of the tree house. Childish giggling reached Barton's ears from where he lay and he couldn't help the evil grin that stretched over his features. Tommy must have sensed the change and quickly tried to scramble away but he wasn't fast enough and Clint used his knowledge to find his cousins ticklish spots.

"No please…..Clint….stop…..haha…I can't b-breathe…." Tommy panted, glaring at the older boy once he'd stopped tickling him. "That was uncalled for."

"Nah, I think it was just what the doctor ordered." Clint's smug grin made Tommy want to start again but he knew he wouldn't win against his cousin, he was too skilled at the art of tickle wars.

They both sat huddled together in silence for some time when Clint thought of something. He started to laugh and it made the younger boy raise his head in question. "What?"

"I was just thinking that maybe I could take you to school tomorrow." The cheeky smile on his face had Tommy giggling.

"Really?"

"Sure, why not? We'll check with your mom and Phil first. I'm sure they'll agree." He clapped his cousin's knee and stood up, still having to keep hunched over or he'd smack his head on the roof. He'd definitely had a growth spurt within the past few months. The last time he was here he fit inside without the need to slouch. "Come on then. There's a sandwich waiting for you in your room."

Reaching his hand out to the nine year old, Clint grasped the smaller boy's hand and pulled him upright. He started toward the door but he was stopped at Tommy's small voice.

"Thanks Clint." Tommy held out his fist, waiting for the gentle bump from the older boy. A beaming grin split his features when the teen complied with his silent request. "I'm glad you're my cousin."

"Me too, bud. Now come on, you've got some apologising to do."

The younger boy grimaced, knowing deep down that his behaviour of late had really affected his mom who'd done nothing but try to help him, her eyes pleading with him to talk to her. He'd hurt her feelings when he pushed her away. Tommy was definitely going to have to apologise, maybe even get her some kind of gift.

"You ready?" Clint stood by the open doorway, his hands gripping the thick branch above him. The smaller boy smiled and nodded, following his cousin back to the window. Tommy laughed in delight when Barton used the thick branch to swing back towards his bedroom window. Clint made it look effortless and once he was inside, the younger boy followed. Within minutes both were safely back inside the house, the teen passing the sandwich toward the smaller boy with a smirk.

"Eat up, then we can go explain what happened."

Tommy nodded silently, staring down at his trainers. He didn't want his cousin to see the tears that were gathering once again. Tommy couldn't believe how stupid he'd been, pushing his mom away, hurting her. He'd been so fixated on wondering why his dad was always away and believing that maybe Gavin was right, that he didn't realise what he was doing to the one person who was always there for him, his mom. Raising his head he met his cousin's concerned gaze and gave a small smile, telling the older boy he was alright. Tommy wiped the tears away with his sleeve before taking a bite out of the sandwich.

They sat in silence, only the sound of Tommy chewing could be heard. Once he finished the youngster let out a loud belch which made both boys chuckle in amusement.

"Ready?" Clint asked as he stood from his spot on the bed.

The smaller blonde nodded. "Yeah, let's go."