Title: Conquer
Author: SLynn

Summary: While Phil and Clint settle back into their normal lives, Natasha begins to see that things are not the same.

Notes: This is it!

xxii.

The sun was coming up when they landed back at the Tower and Steve, for the first time in a long time, felt exhausted.

Director Fury had taken one look at the group of them after they'd processed most of the outpost, packed up pieces of the Sentries, catalogued various items and retrieved their Skrull prisoners from the SHIELD compound and declared that they would reconvene at fifteen hundred hours in the Avengers conference room.

Steve knew if he felt this run down everyone else must be barely holding on. Well, everyone except maybe Thor, but even the God of Thunder yawned and kept his seat the entire flight. Bruce napped and Tony was exceptionally quiet. Natasha was the only one who really looked unaffected, but Steve knew better than to believe it.

It had been a very long day.

No sooner than they had unloaded most of their gear, Maria arrived.

"Here," she said, pushing a tablet into Tony's hands before he could object. "Initial report. It needs your signature."

"Good morning to you too, Agent Hill," Tony smiled, looking a little put out by her attitude and more so by her shoving but he wasn't angry. Not really.

"All the data SHIELD collected is being streamed onto the servers here," she continued, taking the tablet back as soon as he'd signed. "Coulson and Danvers were given rooms."

"That's fine," Tony said, waving it off as minor before hefting one side of a rather large case inside with Bruce. "Morse," he called out as soon as he spotted her. "How's the leg?"

"Broken," she deadpanned.

"That sucks," Tony said, casting about him for something else to comment on.

"Pepper called," Maria said, glancing once around at everyone; lingering a bit on Steve before pressing on. "I'm not your secretary."

"Of course not," Tony replied.

"But I did give her an update," Maria continued, less rigid than before. "She's flying back tonight. Arrangements have already been made."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Maria nodded.

"You didn't happen to pick up breakfast, did you?"

"Don't push it," Maria answered and Tony laughed. "I've already briefed Agent Coulson and Barton on how all this..." she paused, waving her hands in the air, still unable to articulate exactly what had happened verbally, "...how all this occurred."

"We know that?" Bruce asked with a laugh of his own. They were all feeling a bit giddy with relief and fatigue.

"No," Maria admitted, "but I told them everything we do know about the Skrulls and the Kree."

"We may know more soon," Steve said, catching her eye again and trying to hold it. It was so good to see her, but there was no time to express that feeling with anything more than a look. "There were two Kree among the dead. At least we think they're Kree. They'd kept them in storage."

"Please do not tell me you brought them here," Bobbi said, looking unusually tense as she eyed the case Bruce and Tony had brought inside.

"No," Bruce assured her. "This is some parts and pieces from one of the Sentries. Tony and I wanted to take a closer look at it."

"Did you get Fury's orders?" Tony asked Maria, slinking into a chair and propping his feet up.

"Yes."

"So... why aren't you asleep?" Tony asked, shaking his head. "Didn't you concuss yourself? Take a nap or something. We're all off the job until this afternoon."

"I rested," Maria said, somewhat defensively.

"Yeah, she sat down for like five whole minutes," Bobbi said with a sly grin.

Steve could see Maria's irritation, especially when everyone in the room grinned along with Bobbi. And really, Steve couldn't help it if he did too. When there was a job to do, Maria didn't stop until it was done. She didn't know how to take a break, concussion or no concussion.

It was one of the many things he liked so much about her.

"Well, this all needs to be locked up in the lab," Bruce said, surveying the cases. "I could still use a hand."

"Off the clock," Tony returned, leaning his head back and shutting his eyes.

"Lead the way," Thor said, lifting one on the cases and waiting for Bruce's command.

"I'll help," Steve said, taking another case on his own, which still left one more; the smallest one, but still normally a two-person job.

"Here," Maria said, taking hold of the handle as Bruce lifted the other.

It was an easy haul to the elevator, but a tight squeeze once inside. They ended up going in two trips; first Bruce and Maria followed shortly by Steve and Thor.

"I'm not going to break into them yet," Bruce was saying as the second elevator arrived. "Over there, please," he said, motioning to Steve and Thor where he wanted the cases. "Thank you. Tony's right, we've earned a break I think."

"That we have," Thor said enthusiastically. "We should celebrate."

"Pop-tarts?" Bruce suggested, heading back towards the elevator at the other man's side.

"An excellent suggestion."

Steve and Maria hung back, their eyes turned towards the two of them until the elevator doors closed and they were gone.

Immediately his gaze shifted back to her. Steve had been up and down all day regarding how he felt. It had been taxing and relentless and as much relief as he felt seeing her safe, Maria looked far from sound.

"It's really not as bad as it looks," she sighed, uncrossing her arms and relaxing into the nearest counter.

"That's good because it looks really bad."

Maria gave him a tight smile and shrugged.

Steve wanted to reach out and touch her, hold her, but he was suddenly hyperaware of the distance between them and everything that had still been left unsaid.

"I suppose Stark is right," Maria said after a few awkward moments. "The Director won't be here until this afternoon. There's nothing to do in the meantime."

"I suppose so," Steve agreed, straightening up when she did and unconsciously mimicking her familiar folded arms. "Should you sleep though?" Maria threw him an inquisitive glance on their way to the elevator, so he continued. "After your injury. I thought you would need to stay awake after hitting your head so hard."

"Enough time has passed," Maria said, checking her watch before stepping inside and hitting the button for her floor. "Should be safe."

"Well maybe..." Steve started to say.

"But probably..." Maria said at the same time, turning and with a smile gesturing for him to continue.

"I was just thinking that maybe you shouldn't be alone," he finished. "Just in case."

"You're probably right," she agreed, shifting her weight towards him as she briefly met his eyes.

"That's um..." Steve said, tentatively brushing her hand with his own. "That's..."

Maria slipped her hand into his and interlocked their fingers, facing Steve and giving him a full smile that completely changed her countenance.

Steve slid his free hand around her waist and pulled her closer, pausing to look first into her eyes before leaning in and pressing his lips to hers.

"Pardon me, Captain Rogers, Agent Hill," JARVIS said, causing them to pull apart slightly and look up at the ceiling, "but this elevator is needed at the penthouse floor. Unless you would like to rejoin the rest of the Avengers, might I suggest adjourning to some place more private?"

"Sorry," Steve said, ducking his head as he stepped off the elevator with Maria, her hand still in his.

"Quite all right, sir."

Maria and Steve waited until the elevator doors had shut again before looking at one another again and laughing.

"That was embarrassing," Steve said with a grin.

"A little," Maria agreed, reaching up and kissing him again quickly, before she'd lost her nerve. "But fine. It's fine. JARVIS is probably programmed to be discreet."

"Only as far as Tony's concerned. The rest of us our on our own," Steve said with a faint laugh. "Although... I don't know. Are we trying to be discreet?" he asked, pulling her closer and kissing her again, longer this time.

"Not really," she smiled, tugging on his hand and leading him down the hall towards her room.

Maria stopped outside the door, cupping his face with her hands as she pulled Steve back in for another kiss.

"We can be discreet later," she said as they moved apart. "Right now..."

Maria gave him another smile and Steve was still amazed at how much it changed her. Maria lit up when she smiled and Steve realized he would do just about anything to keep her that way. To keep her happy and carefree. He wanted that as much as he wanted her.

Without turning away from him, Maria reached back and opened the door, taking a few steps back and into her room, holding the door open for him to follow.

This time Steve didn't hesitate.

Natasha had arrived back with the rest of the team, it was only that her return had been much quieter. She'd done what needed to be done, helped where she could, and waited until everything was settled before slipping out of the room.

She knew exactly where she was going, Natasha just didn't know what kind of reception she'd receive once she'd arrived.

Clint's door was unlocked.

Stepping inside, Natasha noted that all of the lights were off and the shades were drawn. It was completely dark and the only sound was that of a soft snore coming from the bedroom.

Unsure if she should go, or if she could even wait a moment longer, Natasha pushed the door open slowly and peered inside at Clint's still sleeping form.

It could wait, she reasoned even as she continued to linger in the door. They had time now and anything that needed to be said between them could be said, just at another time. Any other time. They were back and safe and everything was almost as it should be...

This could wait.

As she turned to go, Clint stirred.

"Tasha?"

"Yeah," she answered, leaning into the doorframe and crossing her arms.

"Everything okay?"

"Fine," she assured him, nodding as her eyes adjusted to the dim.

Clint rubbed a free hand over his face before stretching into a yawn.

"What time is it?" he asked, looking around for a clock or a clue.

"Still pretty early," she answered.

"Been back long?"

"No."

"Fury move up the brief?" Clint asked, sounding more awake but not moving from his spot.

"No."

"Are you going to stand all the way over there all morning?"

Natasha smiled, cocking her head to the side before she moved fully into the room and stopped just at the foot of his bed.

"That's a little better," he said, motioning her closer and obviously not willing to relent until she sat down.

She did.

"How are you?" Clint asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"I'm fine."

"So am I," she returned.

"Aren't we always?" he fired back at her as he laid back against the bed, but it was friendly. His tone was light, relieved even; fond and reminiscent.

For a few minutes they sat quietly in the dark, just listening to the sound of one another breathing.

It was a comfort and Natasha relented, laying down beside Clint. They each turned towards the center of the bed. Natasha propped her head up on her hand as Clint adjusted his pillow and scooted closer to her.

While they lay there, Clint reached over and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen across her eyes to a more suitable place behind her ear. Natasha let out a sigh, sorry when his hand drifted away again and using the opportunity to rest her own hand on his hip.

Slowly she rubbed his side, touching him softly before her fingers slipped under the fabric of his shirt and inched across his stomach.

"Stop it, Tasha," he said, his voice a heady sigh. "I know what you're doing," Clint finished, tugging his shirt back down and removing her hand with his own.

"Do you?"

"I'm fine," he repeated, and she knew she'd been caught. Clint always caught her. "It hardly left a mark and it wasn't you that did it anyway."

"Then let me see."

"Tasha."

"Let me see."

Muttering under his breath, Clint stripped off his shirt. Tossing the garment to the floor and sitting before her looking his irritation.

He was right, Natasha realized. On the imposter the scars had been prominent and garish; her worst nightmare. In reality they weren't nearly as bad. Small lines already fading into his skin.

Natasha reached over and ran her hand across his scars and felt Clint shudder at her touch.

"I'm so sorry," she said pulling her hand away and suppressing a sob.

"No," he said, engulfing her in his arms as he shook his head. "Don't say that. There's nothing to be sorry about. It wasn't you. I knew it wasn't you. I'm just so glad to have you back. You don't know..."

Natasha buried her head in the crook of his neck, letting him hold her. She needed Clint to hold her, she just hadn't known it until she was back in his arms.

Clint pressed his lips to the top of her head, resting there as he breathed her in.

"I've missed you so much," he said quietly. "I knew you all thought I was dead. You must have because Phil... When I saw Phil, I knew no one was coming. I don't know how he did it for so long. How Carol..." Clint continued, it all beginning to pour out unbidden. "I was desperate. I would have done anything but there wasn't anything we could do. We tried. We kept looking for some way to get out of there, but there was no way out. I kept thinking that if they thought I was dead... what would they do to you?"

"You had to know that Tony and Steve -"

"I never doubted them," Clint interrupted, nodding in agreement. "I knew they'd stand by you. You're a part of the team. The family. But SHIELD... I thought you'd only have Hill and Fury to defend you and the way things were..."

"They did defend me," Natasha said. "They all did. Mostly from myself."

Clint laughed at the truth of it before kissing her quickly on the temple.

"I've been trying to figure it all out," she continued, pressing closer to him and enjoying the intimacy. "Bruce has been helping me, to keep it from happening again. I think it's going well."

"I'm not worried."

"You never are," she replied. "But Clint, I've got a long way to go. I'm not there yet. I don't know when I will be. I don't know if I can be whole again."

"Can any of us?"

Natasha didn't answer him. She didn't know how to answer him.

He was right.

"I know what you're saying," Clint continued after a long moment spent holding her in his arms. "You need time. I've got time, Tasha. Lots of it. The only thing I need to know is that I'm not wasting it. Tell me if you think this is going somewhere, anywhere, and I can wait. I will wait for you. You're worth everything to me."

Natasha ran her hands over her his head, tipping Clint's face towards her own before kissing him deeply.

It was nothing she hadn't already known. Nothing Clint hadn't said to her time and time again. It only felt like it was the first time she'd really heard him.

"I don't want to wait any longer," Natasha said as she pulled away from him, leaning in immediately for another kiss. "I don't know how... I can't say I'll ever be really done with this but I need you," she finished, pressing against him again leaving Clint without any further pretext of restraint.

He slid his hands over her body, turning and pressing her back into the mattress as he trailed his lips down her neck.

Natasha sighed, breathing Clint's name and feeling at peace for the first time in months. Completely at ease and at home. The stress and worry of the situation was all done away. The doubts were momentarily forgotten and insignificant.

"I love you, you know," he said quietly, pausing between kisses and looking her in the eyes.

"I know," she said, smiling back at him.

Kissing him in return once, and then once more.

He had come back to her slightly damaged and a little worse for the wear, but he had come back. Natasha knew in her heart Clint would always come back and together they found comfort in the same place they always did, with one another.

"I love you, too."

The End

End Notes: First, thank everyone who is reading this. Even if you didn't like it, thank you for getting here! Thank everyone who commented, kudo'd, reviewed, favorite'd, basically anything and everything everyone has done to encourage me to continue. I've had so much fun writing this! Thank you Tripp3235 for beta'ing and basically letting me bounce ideas off of her endlessly. I may write up better notes later, right now I'm exhausted and prepping for a trip so... thanks!

Also, thanks JiM from AO3. That was definitely not the word I meant to use!