Chapter 10

S.H.I.E.L.D.

Natasha woke up with a start, her heart hammering in her chest. She was back in the medical bay of SHIELD. Her head spun as she sat up and looked at her partner.

"Damn it!" she swore, keeping her hand pressed to her arm as hopped off the gurney.

"What happened?" Steve asked catching her elbow as she started to waver from the effects of the sedative and cracked rib.

"The Jinn sent me back." She said making her way over to Clint. "FIGHT HIM!" she yelled as a wave of dizziness washed over her.

"Nat?" This time Steve grabbed her by the waist, forcing her to stay upright.

"I'm fine," She said with a hitch, pulling free of his grasp. Holding onto the railing she circled the bed until she came to the IV pole. Gazing upward, she saw that there were two bags feeding into Clint's medicine port; one was an antibiotic and the other was for pain. Reaching up, Natasha clamped off the line to the morphine drip.

"What are you doing?" Steve asked wide eyed.

"He's fighting for his life. His mind needs to be clear." She told Steve as a pinched expression started to cross Clint's forehead. It wasn't that she wanted to cause him pain. She wanted clarity. She would deal with the fall out of his pain when he returned.

Grasping the railing Natasha leaned forward speaking softly but with conviction. "C'mon Clint you can do this. Don't wuss out on me now. This is not the way you want to die. Show him who you are!

Dream World

"Agent Romanoff is never coming back. She wasn't real! Another illusion I created so you could watch her die all over again!" The Jinn shouldered another arrow and took aim.

Taking in a cleansing breath, Clint closed his eyes, shouldering his own arrow.

"There's no place like home…There's no place like home," he chanted inwardly as drew back the string and let the arrow fly in sync with the Jinn. Real or not the trust he had in Natasha extended beyond the conscience world.

Simultaneously, two explosive arrows flew straight at each other, their precision so exact that a head on collision was unavoidable. Tip to tip, they collided igniting an explosion that started a ripple effect of heat incinerating everything in its path.

Clint heard the Jinn scream before the wave of heat struck him, completely engulfing every part of his being.

He had seen people burned alive. He'd even been burned in explosions that he had caused but nothing compared to this. Flames were all over him.

And then BOOM!

S.H.I.E.L.D

Clint's eyes popped open and instantly he was hit with a tidal wave of pain. The pain was so intense that he couldn't breathe. HE COULDN'T BREATHE! Panic started to flood him as people started to crowd around; Doctors, nurses, Fury, Tony, Thor, Steve, Bruce and Nat.

Blinking, he tried to use Nat's face as a focal point but she seemed so far away. Was she real? Was the nightmare finally over?

Nat started yelling at him to focus and to stay with her but something was pulling him back. His eyes felt so heavy and he blinked. DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES! Nat shouted at him. He wanted to listen to her, he really did but the pull to slip back into darkness was so strong.

Damn if only he could breathe!

Blood drained.

Shot twice.

Whipped within inches of his life.

It was more than his body could physically take.

His eyes closed and again he heard Nat scream at him.

What was happening?

She had said all he needed to do was defeat the Jinn.

In the distance he heard the continuous bleep of the heart monitor and suddenly someone was pushing on his chest. A mask was placed over his face.

Alarms continued to sound as the medical team worked feverishly over their patient. Despite their efforts, Clint's body was refusing to stabilize.

"What's happening?" Natasha's voiced cracked but she didn't care. All she knew was that Clint was back for a second and now he was gone. What had gone wrong?

She could only watch as one doctor began CPR and while another applied a clear gel to the cold hard paddles that would send electrical charges straight into Clint's heart.

Bruce was pulling on her shoulders, coaxing her to leave. But she couldn't move. She couldn't leave Clint.

Clint wouldn't leave her. Not like this…not now…there was so much that she still had say…that they had to do… She closed her eyes and listened to the doctor count backwards.

3…2…1…CLEAR!

Unconsciously, every fiber of her being went taut as the electrical charges were shot through his chest. They had been through so much together for it to end this way. This wasn't like anything Natasha had ever imagined.

"Please," she prayed silently before the sound of normal sinus rhythm filled the room.

"Thank you," she breathed looking heavenward before fixating her eyes on Clint's tired looking slate colored irises.

24 Hours Later...

Natasha stretched out gingerly in the twin sized hospital bed spooned up against Clint. "How are you feeling?" she asked running her fingers through his sandy colored hair.

Clint lowered his gaze to where she was snuggled against him, "Considerably better now that you've let me have some drugs."

"I had to be sure you were able to fight the Jinn." She whispered looking up at him with her piercing blue eyes.

Pulling her in close, Clint kissed the top of her head. "I guess, I really can call you the woman of my dreams."

"Ugh, that's a disturbing thought," she lied resting her head on his chest, mindful of his wounds.

Clint dipped his index finger under her chin, lifting it. "Seriously, I'd be dead if it weren't for you."

"You'd do the same for me."

"God, I'd hate to stuck inside your head," he quipped before turning serious. "With that being said, I don't ever want to see a bullet in it again either."

Natasha sat up, "Listen to me. The Jinn was messing with your head. It was a dream! She wasn't me." Although Natasha had to admit seeing herself dead was more than unnerving. It was something she only thought about in her nightmares.

"But I thought she was-"

She saw the pain in his face. "I'm so sorry, Clint."

"Do you remember what it was like when we lost Phil?"

"Yeah…" Natasha said, fearful he was going to spill everything in his heart. As much as she loved him that was just something that she wasn't ready to do.

"That was nothing compared to the thought of losing you. I-"

Natasha silenced him by pressing a finger to his slack lips. "Need to stop this, or I will make you stop."

Clint took her hand, "How ya gonna do that exactly?"

"Remember Budapest?" she said with a naughty grin.

"I remember Budapest," he replied with a satisfied smile of his own. "I remember that you almost cost us both our jobs and Fury-"

"Let us off with a warning," Natasha retorted caressing his cheek.

"He's going to be pissed if he finds you here."

So? What's the worst he can do?"

"What's the worst he can do?" Clint laughed. "He can send one of us to Siberia."

"We're World Class assassins," Natasha reminded him. "He needs us."

"I need us," Clint sighed as she slid back down on his chest.

"Me too," She whispered drawing circles on his chest.

Outside, Pepper stood at the observation widow, a glass of white wine in her hand.

"Still think they're not in love?" she asked Tony.

Tony took her glass and toasted the cozy looking assassins. "I think I'm going to plead the fifth."

Fin! Again, thank you for all of the wonderful reviews! I truly appreaciate each and every one of you! PS, I'm thinknig of doing a story based on Clint knowing Natasha's husband is still alive. It wouldn't necessarily be connected to this story. Thoughts and suggestions are welcome!