Cabin in the Woods

EPILOGUE

"Frog Men of Ottawa? Clint, are you entirely serious with me, because if you're not, I'd like to hear about it from you."

"Nope. That's the breaks, boss. I was attacked by the Fog Men of Ottawa. Might wanna make like a false news report about that or something. You know, in case she gets curious."

Phil Coulson buried his head in his hand for a moment. Even over the remote communication system, Clint could tell the man was equal parts laughing, and horrified. Sure, Clint might have come up with a better story than that when he just "happened" to stumble across his old Canadian hangout, but he felt like Skye deserved a little more action in her life. Especially after seeing the extreme fear she was currently living in. In a phrase, Clint felt sorry for her.

He didn't get a chance to call Phil up about her case until that next afternoon when the rest of the team showed and Melinda appeared for a shift change. Dutiful to her word, Skye did indeed call her FTO Cookies, to which May punched Clint right in the kidney for. She never thought that him referring to her as "Fortune Cookie" was very endearing. In his mind, the moment of pain was worth the hilarity of it.

"You were right, sir. She's a good kind. Got a nice head on her shoulders. I think she'd do well. I wish I hadn't gotten myself almost mauled to death by a bear to find that out, but I'm sort of ok with that."

Coulson continued to shake his head. At least he was meeting Clint eye-to-eye again. "You know, when I asked if you could go out and talk to her I didn't exactly mean to do it like that. Tell me again what happened."

"Not much to tell, sir. I drove out of route 43 like usual but caught the two flats off the tarmac. I decided to hike my way in and call the others after I got there. Bruce was cool with that idea too. I took the groceries and not even half a mile in this grizzly bear comes out of nowhere cause, I guess, he smelled the food. I didn't have my bow, because I expected to be on vacay, and Bruce went all green on me. Before he got a chance to take out Smokey, I took the good swipe to my back and hit the pay dirt. It was hot out so I just took my jacket of. Which I guess figures. I grabbed what stuff I could and take off with this thing following after me, Hulk grabs the sucker and takes off in the trees with it, and before I know it, I'm on a four mile solo hike to the cabin. I'm happy I brought or mission pack with us, but it's the last time I'm leaving home without my arrows. Vacation or no vacation."

Coulson still couldn't wrap his head around it. He'd placed the courtesy call in to Clint a week ago with hopes that he might convince Hawkeye to pay Skye a visit. While Clint had never actually trained another field agent, he worked closely with potentially volatile people on a daily basis. The fact that he convinced Bruce Banner to meet Skye was such a wonderful turn of events that Coulson wasn't sure exactly how to pay him back for. Skye called Phil up gushing over her opportunity to meet the entire team. She sounded like a new woman, with a new outlook on what her future might bring. That was something Phil had been working so desperately for.

"Well, I'm sorry you ran into such trouble, but I want to thank you again for speaking to her. I think it really made a big impression."

Clint waved his hand dismissively. "Hey, whatever. I owe you like a thousand favors anyway. Just don't call them all in at once. If you ever want to drive Quaker Oats by, I don't think the guys'll mind. I think they actually enjoyed having another double-x chromosome around. And like I said, she's a good kid. Just needs a little confidence. But then again, that's your expertise. Not mine."

"Quaker Oats?" Coulson grinned.

Clint shrugged. "Hey, I can't help it. These things just come to me. She is a little Quake though."

Coulson agreed. "Will check in with you about how things go. And thanks again, Hawkeye."

Clint offered a little salute and signed off.

He sat forward in the jumpseat for the private quinjet and looked out through his side view window at the world cruising by below. His thoughts inevitably drifted back to Skye. They did find some Jimmy Fallon reruns to watch and spent a few hours laughing over thank you cards, the Roots, and tidily winks with celebrities. After that, Bruce decided to bust out the Mario Kart on the Wii and everyone learned Thor's intimate knack for hand-eye coordination. One by one they all ended up fast asleep around the save screen for Family Game night after twelve rounds of Clue and Mousetrap combined.

The next morning was bittersweet. Thor flew to town for his beloved bacon and they fried that alongside the remainder of the eggs. Natasha, Steve, and Tony arrived with Krispee Crème doughnuts and a box of coffee. Within the hour, Melinda May herself strode in. He thought about Skye and about who she might become.

"You know, I think i like it."

"Like what?" Clint asked.

"Quake." Skye replied.

He smiled, ruffled her hair until it spring out of her bobby pins and pony tail, then saluted to May. "Cavalry."

"Barton you are an a-" Melinda replied, stony-faced. "But I can't kill you, so I guess I like you."

Sky was a smart woman, Clint firmly believed. He felt bad that she'd been cooped up at the old cabin with little direction and outside contact, but at the same time he knew the worth in it. He'd spent his first few weeks with SHIELD hanging out in that place beside Phil, learning how to be alive again after the betrayals in his life tore him down from the man he should have always been. After Clint, the place stayed abandoned for a while. It nearly fell into complete disrepair until he lobbied to save it. Fury gave him a single ultimatum. Clint had to fix the place up himself, or give it up entirely. The rest was Avengers history.

Natasha stayed there after she defected from the Black Widow project. Tony spent a week there with Pepper after he came back from the desert. Steve enjoyed a month long retreat when he emerged from the ice. But the longest stay thus far was Bruce Banner. That little cabin taught him how to live again, and how to control that Hulk from within. Of course Clint never wanted to see it rust away. The place seemed to churn out his greatest allies at every turn.

So with Avengers Tower, and home, waiting for them on the next horizon, Clint's thoughts remained on those few hours he spent with the girl known as Skye. He had a good feeling about her, which didn't happen very often but he knew to trust them when they did come. Maybe one day Phil would bring her by their place. For Now he could only think, wonder, and let that old woodland cabin work its small bit of magic.

so that's the end!

I hope you enjoyed this little trip outside of my norm. I sure did! Again, please forgive the grammar errors as this was a surprise to my typical editors.

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