When an agent was finished with his or her test, you didn't see them come out of the same door they went into.

Natasha chewed the inside of her lip, absentmindedly contemplating the possibility of another door within the room. She was still standing up after about forty-five minutes, leaning against a window frame beside her.

Clint was behind her, playing with a small lock of her hair. It was a peculiar nervous habit that he had picked up over their years of working together. She never asked him why he did it. The first time it happened was on a mission in Nepal. They were at a dinner party, very exquisite and high class, and they were scanning the crowd for their target. Natasha had been drinking a glass of champagne when Clint came up to stand behind her. She could feel part of her hair being toyed with, and she thought he might be joking around. When she looked back at his face though, she saw the eyes of someone who was riddled with anxiety.

It was the same today, and she couldn't blame him. Director Fury was separating each pair of partners one at a time. Nobody looked even the slightest bit relaxed. Tension was high, and more than a few agents looked about ready to resign.

Natasha didn't even realize Clint was still dwindling with her hair until he stopped. She turned around to find him looking out the window instead, one hand on his hip and the other propped against the windowpane. His jaw was tight, controlled, and his eyebrows were lowered as if in concentration.

She rarely saw him like this. If anything it was her who lost her cool sometimes, not Clint. Her brain was already racked with trying to find a light topic to bring up, something that would pull Clint out of whatever vortex his mind had fallen into.

"Have you seen Tony or Pepper today? I heard they wanted to talk to you about something."

Natasha had to bite her tongue to keep from continuing. Apparently Tony and Pepper were going to throw a surprise party for Clint's birthday. Natasha had already told them what a terrible idea that was, Clint was not a fan of surprises, but Tony was a force that no one could stop. It was so unusual for Natasha to keep a secret from Clint that she had almost let it slip several times that week.

"Not recently, is it important?" Clint turned his eyes to her in genuine concern and she relaxed a little.

"No probably not. You know Tony, he loves to hear himself talk." She said stiffly, hoping he would accept the answer. He scoffed and rolled his eyes, nodding at her comment before turning lazily back to the window. She glanced at him once over while they waited. He had definitely lost some weight but not sickeningly so, and there was a scar on his back that she had never seen before.

Natasha was going to ask where it came from but something else caught her eye. On his left ear, just above the earlobe, was a pink bandage covered in hearts. It looked like ones that might be handed out at an elementary school function. The hearts said typical hallmark phrases that led her to believe they were Valentines Day Band-Aids. Her face darkened when she saw the biggest heart on the bandage, which read clearly "Love Bite".

"What is this?" She said, slowly reaching her hand up and pinching his ear between her thumb and forefinger. Clint sucked in a breath and when his mouth started to curve into a smile she pinched harder. This time he genuinely cringed in pain.

"It's just a bandage. I had to do something to cover up that… bite you gave me." Clint gave her a devilish grin and she squeezed his ear again. While he tensed under her grip she leaned in close to him.

"You better hope that next time you still have an ear." She whispered, letting him go right before she heard the door open behind them.

As usual the agent who went in before was nowhere to be seen, and Director Fury came out with a clipboard and pen. He scribbled a few things down, looking up every once in a while. He glanced at Clint briefly to see him nursing his ear pathetically before shaking his head and writing something else down.

"Clint Barton."

Natasha swallowed at his words. She turned around to see Clint, but his face was stony and direct. He was putting on what Natasha called his 'agent face'. He stood a little straighter, so he could see just over Natasha's head from his position.

"Yes sir?"

Natasha noticed his Band-Aid was no longer on his ear.

"Come on, Clint. You're up." Director Fury gave him a half smile before stepping aside slightly to wait. Clint nodded solemnly before beginning to walk towards the door. Natasha was going to do something, or maybe say something, but she didn't come up with anything in time. She smiled at him, and as he walked by she felt something pushed into her hand.

She kept a straight face while she watched him disappear behind the door. When everyone took a breath and went back to whatever they were doing, she chanced an opening of her hand. She smiled slightly at the small crumpled Band-Aid in her hand, squeezing it one more time for good luck.

Natasha thought waiting was hard before, but waiting without Clint was even worse.

Doing much of anything without Clint was hard, now that she thought about it. It was like having an extension of yourself around at all times; someone who watched your back, and listened to your stories, and engaged in all the activities you did. Almost like a marriage. The only difference was they were not having sex.

When you have another person with you, someone who knows you that well, you can relax a little. The chances that something bad would happen to her were slim, but with Clint they were almost nonexistent. She didn't have to worry about being too slow, or too distracted. She had her other half with her.

She was slowly stewing in this room by herself. Of course she wasn't by herself, but she didn't know anyone except for one of the tech guys who barely talked to anyone. Aaron was his name, if she remembered correctly. The only reason she happened to talk to him is because she had accidentally saved him from dying, they day they were under attack by Loki. A lot happened that day though, and she didn't remember it happening the way he said.

Everyone else was a stranger, but worse because these strangers were all highly skilled assassins in a highly emotional situation. Not the greatest combination.

She sighed and waited firmly in her spot, choosing to stare out the window in favor of watching the dreaded door.

Several minutes passed by when finally the door opened again. Director Fury came out, his brow even more furrowed than it was before if that was possible. Natasha craned her neck to see if Clint was still in there but an empty white wall met her gaze. Director Fury scanned the crowd briefly before writing something down and then looking back up. He looked directly at her.

Without words Natasha already knew it was her turn, but she waited for him to say it.

"You're up, Natasha." He said simply. She swallowed hard for some reason, the nerves finally beginning to reach her. Everyone watched as she strode over to him and nodded. Director Fury gave her a knowing smile before opening the door and allowing her to pass.

The room was large, much larger than she expected. After all that waiting she half-expected it to be a prison cell. The walls were white as eggshells, only shifting color to show the lines where doors existed. Her previous theory about there being a second door was right.

There was a table in the dead center of the room with two chairs behind it.

There were two men in the room, one in the corner sitting on a chair. He had a pair of silver sunglasses on, and his legs were crossed very professionally. His facial expression bank consisted of approximately one emotion: borderline interested.

His partner was another man, sitting behind the table on the left chair. He was more personable, had a friendly smile and big eyes that rested behind a pair of bug glasses. He fit the role of someone who worked behind a desk somewhere, but the way he carried himself suggested not. There was something fake about his smile; it was the same one Natasha wore to meet targets.

Director Fury walked around to sit on the other chair behind the table. He scooted the chair back and leaned against his arm, resting his head in his hand. It seemed like he wasn't the one doing the interview today.

"Ms. Romanov please, have a seat." The man with glasses addressed her too enthusiastically but she obliged after one look at the Director. By his facial expression it was likely a lot of agents were overly suspicious about this test.

"May I have your left arm please."

Natasha narrowed her eyes, scanning the equipment that was on top of the table. She hadn't even noticed what it was, but now she saw it clear as day: a polygraph.

Her stomach sunk even lower, as she slowly protruded her arm out towards him. He took it, gently connecting some wire to her arm in different sections. The final touch was a strap that snaked around her upper arm, and she took a deep breath when he had finished, steeling her emotions.

For a few minutes there was silence. The man with glasses stared at her with a pleasant expression, perfectly formed smile and all. Director Fury kept his eyes on his clipboard, and the man in the corner made no motion whatsoever. Natasha felt the past tension of other agents who must have sat in her exact place. She didn't move, barely even indicated she was breathing. Her eyes bore into the man in front of her, using a technique she always used when she met suspicious people. In just one look she could usually press answers out of people, but this man was different. He simply sat and stared and smiled as if it were the easiest thing in the world that they were all here.

Decisively, the man reached out and turned the machine on. He watched carefully, looking back and forth slowly between Natasha and the readings on the polygraph. After a few more seconds he nodded.

"Very good." His smile widened and he crossed his hands together in front of him.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lester Hent, the head researcher at the Blue Hat Psychology Corporation. We deal especially in human relations. May I call you Natasha?"

Natasha listened warily. "Agent Romanov is fine," she said. Lester smiled briefly and then nodded. He shuffled a few papers around until he pulled a blank piece of paper out with a pen. He set the paper down next to the machine, and then looked back up at her, pen poised for writing.

"Alright then, let's begin. The first part of the test is basic response. I'm going to ask a few questions and gauge your reaction to set a baseline for your heartbeat."

Natasha nodded tightly, watching as Lester moved the wires to one side and pressed a few more buttons. When the machine beeped loudly he moved for his pen and propped it against the blank sheet of paper.

"What is your full name?"

"Natasha Romanov."

"How old are you?"

"24."

In between each answer Lester would stop and look at the machine, then he would look at her before writing something down on his paper.

"What agency do you work for?" Lester's eyes bore into her and she wondered amusingly if he were trying to intimidate her.

"The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division." She said without effort. Lester smiled and wrote something down.

"Excellent. We have a baseline." The Director who had been sitting quietly now stood up and moved for the backdoor. He gave Natasha a brief reassuring glance before turning the knob and disappearing behind the wall.

"Why did he leave?" Natasha asked. Lester chuckled before setting his pen down to address her. She hated the way he talked to her as if she were a child, but in reality she could kill him fourteen different ways from where she was sitting.

"Does that make you uncomfortable, when Director Fury leaves?" His expression remained constantly blank and she shook her head.

"No, I was just wondering."

He seemed to ponder the statement longer than necessary before he picked up his pen again.

"He left because now we start the personal portion of the test. We do not permit anyone else to witness this section unless it is completely necessary. My associate Fernando is here merely for extra protection in case an agent becomes a little too… feisty." His voice cracked on the last word and Natasha bumped up her wariness.

"The only purpose of this test," he continued, "is to determine whether or not you can work effectively with your partner, Clint Barton. If it is determined you can, then nothing you have said will ever leave this room. If it is determined you can't," he stopped short, looking Natasha very closely in the eye, "then we will notify the Director." Lester said with a bitter finality. Natasha nodded again, showing nothing on her face.

"Ok, let's begin." Lester reached out and pulled the machine a little closer to him, then picked up his pen.

"Do you like working here, as an agent for Shield?"

Natasha thought about it for a second before answering. She had never really known the true meaning of a home before, but she assumed it was somewhere where people loved you and you felt safe. Shield was the closest she ever got to that.

"Yes. Before I came here I was a puppet to a very powerful man. He was monstrous, and I was lucky to be saved from him before I lost myself completely. Shield is my safe haven, and it's an honor to work here." Natasha meant every word of it, and Lester saw that. He wrote another small thing down before continuing.

"How would you characterize your relationship with Clint Barton."

"We're partners." Natasha said automatically. She almost didn't realize she said it so fast until Lester laughed.

"Yes we are aware of that. I meant more along the lines of how do you two work together as a team?" He seemed to be probing for a reaction but Natasha didn't even have to hesitate.

"We work fantastically. He watches my back and I watch his. I have never had someone who I can rely on like that."

"Hmm. And that bothers you, doesn't it?" Lester said softly. Natasha narrowed her eyes.

"What bothers me?" She asked slowly.

"That you have to rely on someone."

Natasha rose her head slightly at his statement. "I don't have to rely on anyone." She said darkly. "I am choosing to because Clint is a great partner."

"How do you know he is a great partner? My records indicate you've never had a partner before." Lester had both his elbows on the table now, resting his chin on his hands.

"Yes, but," Natasha fumbled her words slightly and Lester sat up straighter, "I assume this is what a good partnership is like."

"Why?" Lester persisted.

Natasha sighed irritably. "Well after he saved me…"

"Ah, so it's because he saved your life. Is that why you are partners with him? Because you feel indebted to him?"

"No." Natasha replied stiffly. The machine made a soft beep and Lester picked up his pen quickly. He began scribbling down different things and Natasha leaned back uncomfortably in her chair. She hadn't expected Lester to question her so ruthlessly; just a minute ago he was politely smiling and asking boring questions.

"Has your partner ever asked you to do something unusual?"

"Unusual how?" Natasha saw Lester scratch his chin thoughtfully. He clearly wasn't reading from his paper anymore, it looked like he was about to make something up.

"Like maybe asking you to stay with him an extra day on a traveling assignment."

Natasha narrowed her eyes icily. She didn't like Lester's undertone at all, but she answered nonetheless.

"No, he has never asked me to do anything unusual."

"Have you ever engaged in physical intimacy with Agent Barton?"

Natasha's eyes widened. "No!" She said quickly. The machine made another soft beep and Lester shook his head.

"Please, Agent Romanov, do not lie on this test."

Natasha swallowed hard and composed herself. "The only time we have ever engaged in physical intimacy," her voice was a little shaky, "is when it was required for an assignment."

Lester looked eagerly at the machine, probably hoping it would beep but it didn't to his clear dismay. Natasha took a deep breath when he eventually started writing something down.

When he finished he set his pen down. He slowly took of his glasses and set them down in front of him, crossing his arms over the table. He looked at her for a few minutes as Natasha waited patiently for the question she figured was coming.

"Do you love him?"

Natasha sucked in a breath, quietly hoping he didn't notice. She knew this was going to be a question. At the very beginning of her career at Shield, Director Fury had sat down with her and told her strict guidelines she had to abide by. The first and foremost was to never, ever fall in love with your partner.

"No." She said flatly. Natasha had trained her body over the years to tell that lie as easily as breathing.

Lester waited, clearly waiting for further explanation or maybe a confession. Natasha remained silent, and so did the machine. Lester smiled, but he didn't write anything down. Something about the weathered look in his eye told her that he had been hearing a lot of agents say exactly what she had said today. And he didn't believe a word of it.

Slowly but surely Lester began taking the wires off Natasha's arm. When he was finished he placed the paper he had been writing on inside of a tan folder before filing it away.

"That will be all, thank you Agent Romanov." He gave her one brief smile, before standing up and showing her to the door. She stood up and strode out the back door, only too happy to be done with that test.

"What a waste of time," she muttered under her breath as she passed through an empty hallway.

"Tell me about it." Clint was suddenly behind her and she gasped when she heard his voice. She instantly felt better when she turned to see his face smiling back at her. They had been through almost everything together at Shield, so going through this was a weird experience for both of them.

"Well, now comes the easy part." She said, giving him a playful nudge on his shoulder.

"Easy for me, maybe." He smirked at her and she shot him a glare back.

"I'm just saying," he continued, backing up from her advancing form, "it might get a little hard to fight with all your hair getting in the way."

With that she started to full on chase him down the hallway, the sound of his laughter guiding her to the next test.