Redemption

"Don't worry none of them even know where this is," Tony said as they approached the newly finished Avenger's Mansion. "Nice don't you think," he said flying around it once with Natasha in his arms.

"It's fine," she said not even looking at it.

"You coming in Stark?" Captain America's voice invaded his suit.

"Ya, ya I'm bringing her down now," he said landing and setting her down before stepping though his systems that took the suit off of him. "You can take whatever room you," Tony turned around to see that he was alone in his lab.

"Hey where's Natasha?" Steve asked suddenly appearing in Tony's lab.

"I don't know, I set her down and she left."

"I'm sure she didn't go far, should we look for her?"

"No," Thor said entering the room. "Natasha is grieving, we must let her alone to her sorrows."

"When did he become all wise?" Tony asked.

Natasha was tired of listening to them talk, she moved from her place among the pipes on the ceiling and sneaked to a window. She exited and stood in the front lawn looking out at the night sky. It had been a long day. She finally let her feelings out, he rejected to kiss her, Tony had learned to have a heart, Tony and the Avengers saved her, and now she was far away from him. She sat on the grass before falling back and just staring. She chuckled a little to herself to see their mansion surrounded by desert, Tony would be so vain as to import fake grass.

#

"Natasha, wake up," a soft voice whispered as a hand shook her shoulder lightly. She groaned a bit and rolled over. "Come on that suit can't be very comfortable," her eyes fluttered open, a small smile on her lips. The smile faded though, it wasn't Clint who woke her but Bruce instead.

"I'm fine," she said sitting up.

"You fell asleep on the front lawn last night," he said helping her up and handing her coffee.

"How did you make it?" she asked.

"Um black," he answered honestly. "Is that not right?"

She stared at the cup, "I, I don't know," she whispered.

"What?" Bruce was confused. "Then why did you ask?"

"Clinton always bring me my coffee," she whispered lifting her other hand up to cradle the cup, even if it wasn't made by him it reminded her of him.

"Oh," Bruce said looking at her with pity.

An alarm went off and Natasha jumped "what's that?" she asked.

"Someone needs our help," he grabbed her hand and the coffee fell onto the lawn as they rushed inside.

"Who's calling?" Bruce asked entering a room with a very large computer display of the world.

"Russia," Steve said pulling on his suit and flushing as he realized a woman was in the room. "My apologies Natasha I wasn't aware-"

"It doesn't bother me," she said curtly and checked her weaponry, it was limited at best, one gun with only a few rounds, her heels, and her fists. She sighed frustrated.

"Here," Tony appeared holding his portable Iron Man suitcase in one hand and tossing her a uniform from his other. "I snagged one from S.H.I.E.L.D. while we were there. So you can restock. Let's go," he said grabbing her arm and taking her towards the jet where Steve sat pilot and everyone else strapped in.

"Find anything good?" Bruce asked.

"Ammo and another gun so yes," she tried a smile for the group of men who saved her life.

"Excellent," Tony said. "Wouldn't want you to be outgunned," he smiled. "When we get back into the mansion I'll start designing some new weapons for you."

"Thank you," she said putting the gun into her second holster.

Kindness had always been hard for Black Widow but these men were doing their best to be kind to her, she owed them her best effort in return.

Missions had become more commonplace for the Widow upon her permanent place among the Avengers. She had ditched a few in order to remain alone with her thoughts and she had all but locked her voice away. She communicated when necessary on a battlefield but never participated in chitchat anymore. Her early attempts at kindness towards her teammates had been in vain as she had now completely shut down.

"Here," Steve said setting a coffee in front of her one morning. It was his turn to attempt to get her mystery coffee figured out. The team had taken up the challenge of trying to figure it out ever since the sadness she had displayed over it's connection to Clint. However it had been several weeks now and no one had come close.

She nodded in appreciation towards him and took a sip before sighing and setting it down.

"Not that one either then?" Tony said frowning; he was still the most persistent about talking to her. She shook her head and he sighed frustrated with her muteness. "Natasha you have to talk! You have to talk to us because we're your team!"

She stared at him before standing and pouring the small cup of coffee down the drain and washing out her mug. The sirens went off and Tony snatched up her wrist before she could flee and ditch another mission. He pulled her into the plain and opened communications for their mission.

"It's S.H.I.E.L.D.," he said surprised. Everyone looked at him curiously.

"Do we still go?" Thor asked.

"Someone is still in trouble," Steve replied. Natasha nodded and looked at Tony anxiously.

"I think she wants to know if Barton is involved," Bruce said to Tony.

"If she wants to know that she'll have to ask me," Tony said staring at her. Her eyes gave him a pleading look and if he wasn't the stubborn jerk he was he would have caved. "Ask," he commanded.

"For Christ's sake Tony just tell her," Bruce said.

"No she has to use her words or I'll turn this jet around," he said storming angrily to the control area.

"What the hell are you doing?" Steve yelled.

"No," Natasha said softly. Tony looked back and sighed raking his fingers through his hair.

"Fine I'll accept that for now," he said returning to his seat. "We're almost there."

"Clint?" she asked.

Tony stiffened not thinking she'd actually ask. "He and Mockingbird are being held captive for a ransom from S.H.I.E.L.D. we have twenty minutes before S.H.I.E.L.D. cuts their loses and blows the whole building sky high."

Her eyes went wide and she pushed the button for emergency open of the hatch. "What the hell are you doing?" all the men clutched onto a rail to keep them from flying out.

"Clint," she repeated jumping from the jet and landing on top of a building. She did a quick survey of the area before pinpointing the building they were being held in. She scaled two roofs before disappearing inside of the neighboring building and gaining more discrete access from there. Once inside she walked the halls soundlessly.

"They're on the 38th floor Widow," Tony's voice echoed in her ear. "You're on the 40th." She nodded assuming he had a visual on her and ran off for the stairs, only idiots took elevators. She found a security guard posted on the inside of the stairwell but quickly silenced him, for good. She knew that killing was wrong and that she was only adding red to her ledger but this was Clint. She carefully dropped to the 38th floor using the rails and not taking the actual stairs, paranoid of a trip laser.

"You're on the 38th floor hang on and I'll open the door, it's code activated if you open it you'll trigger an alarm," Tony said again. She waited for him "go," he said and she did. She saw some people sitting around chatting, some were playing cards but none of them rushed her. They thought she belonged here, excellent.

"Hey what are you doing here?" a woman who looked in charge asked.

"I am the interrogator," she spoke with a heavy Russian accent and Clint's head snapped up to stare at her.

The woman smirked "Russian torturer, I like it, the boss hired a good one. Which one you here for?" she nodded towards the two.

"The blonde," she said. The woman tossed her a key and she walked over to Bobbi.

"Wait aren't you?" Bobbi started.

"You're worst nightmare?" Widow finished smirking at her. "You have no idea," she grabbed her neck and arms and led her into a hallway on the same level.

"I know you," Bobbi kept pressing.

"Doubtful," Widow glared at her, she swore to every deity in existence if this girl blew her cover she'd really kill her.

"You look so familiar," she insisted. Black Widow cursed and shoved her face against a wall and Bobbi cried out causing a few guards to look over.

"You really shouldn't piss me off," she whispered into her ear. "Now move," she shoved her from the wall onwards. "In here," she pushed her into a room.

"Have you done this before?" Bobbi asked as she was on the wrong side of a one sided mirror.

"Thousands of times," Black Widow smirked. She suddenly kicked Bobbi, punched her, slapped her, and even cut her a few times. "Stay here," she said. She walked from the room and back towards the area Clint was being kept.

"What are you doing Tash?" Tony echoed in her ear. She shook her head to him and continued on her way.

"I need him," she said entering the room and pointing to Clinton.

"Why?" the woman asked looking at her.

"The other one won't talk but I bet if her darling companion is put in some danger her lips will loosen."

"I like your style but I think it's a little flawed."

"Why is that?" suddenly Widow felt a bit vulnerable and heightened her guard.

"He doesn't love her, he's been going on and on about this Natasha woman and how he wronged her and just needs another chance," she rolled her eyes. "Pathetic right?"

"Love is for children," she nodded. "I need him," she repeated.

"Suit yourself," she tossed her the second key and Natasha took him as well.

"Nat," he said excited.

"Shut up," she said glaring at him. He looked taken aback but followed her down the hall and into the same room as Bobbi.

"Bobbi what happened?" he asked suddenly riddled with worry.

"That bitch attacked me!" she screamed.

"Natasha!" Clint said staring at her in disbelief.

"I play my role well, Tony," she said touching her ear. "I have them both, we're ready to go."

"We're almost set," Tony confirmed. "Get ready to blow the wall."

"Ready," she said taking some stick grenades from a compartment.

"Go for it," Tony confirmed.

"Get behind me," Natasha ordered as she threw the grenades at the wall, they stuck, beeped, and then blew. The craft was waiting just outside and the hatch was opening.

"Go," Natasha said as she lunched for the door as it began shaking. Hawkeye grabbed Mockingbird and rushed her on board.

"Come Tasha," Clint and Tony yelled at the same time. Tony kept his hand outstretched to her while Clint looked over at Tony confused.

The people on the other side had gotten the door open and it had thrown Black Widow across the room. She stood having a hard time seeing after a rather hard hit to the head and looked at the hole. She ran towards it and jumped, catching Tony's hand Clinton grabbed her other one as Steve started to fly off.

"Who hit that hatch button!" Tony screamed as the hatch was beginning to come up while Natasha was still outside the jet.

"Oopsy," Bobbi's voice said.

Natasha tried to pull herself in with the assistance of the two men but the hatch was about to cut off her wrists, so she let go.

"Nat!" Clinton yelled.

The door of the jet suddenly burst open and Tony flew from the jet in his suit and grabbed her. "I've got you," he said. She nodded and he flew back up to the jet with her.

"You've ruined the jet!" Steve said still at the steering while everyone else had been forced to hold onto something to keep from flying out.

"Well she tried to kill Natasha," Tony said motioning to Mockingbird.

"Right call I'm just saying we have a long flight with an open hatch," Steve said.

"I'll fix it when we get back to the Mansion," Tony said.

"Here," Clinton took Natasha from Tony's arms and held her between his arms which were gripping the pole to keep them both inside.

"What about her," Natasha whispered looking at Bobbi.

"She has hands," he said keeping her close to him.

"So do I," Nat said setting her said hands on his chest.

"I know but I don't want those hands to move from where they are," he said looking down at her.

"You tried to have me killed," she kept his eyes not allowing him to look away from her.

"I know, I'm sorry, I was an awful horrible jerk," he whispered leaning closer to her.

"Ya I know," she said airily. He captured her lips slowly with his.

"So we have to try for months to get her to say even two words to us but he shows up and she's chatty cathy," Tony rolled his eyes.

"Ya but they're perfect together," Thor said pointing to them making out.

"Excuse me! I'm right here!" Bobbi yelled.

"Yes I think he sees you," Tony smirked.

Natasha was currently wrapping her arms around Clinton and he was pressing her firmly against the ship.

"I have a question," Steve said from the cockpit of the jet.

"What?" Natasha growled pulling from the kiss.

"What type of coffee do you give her?" he asked and the rest of the male Avengers chorused their curiosity as well.

"Black why?"

"I tried black!" Bruce exclaimed.

"Now that I'm thinking," Natasha mused still inside Clinton's arms. "We dropped that cup because the alarm rang."

The male team members looked absolutely murderous.