Summary: Wherein Clint gets the Spanish flu, Natasha learns that antibiotics and birth control really don't mix, Bruce is over this crap already and Thor is a secret Mario Kart master. AKA the obligatory Avengers baby fic that I apparently really needed to write.

Pairings: Clintasha and background Peppernony

Warnings: Just general spoilers for the movie and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Also a warning for pregnant stereotypes and abuse of perfectly good marshmallows.

Disclaimer: If I owned anything having to with the Avengers I would be a rich, happy woman. Instead I am a broke, happy woman. I also do not own FRIENDS or anything related to that. But I did borrow a gag from that show. Sorry not sorry!

Author's Note: It's the obligatory 'Natasha is pregnant' story I didn't think I wanted to write but apparently I did because it would not leave me alone while I was trying to write the billion other stories I'm supposed to be working on. This doesn't fit in with any of my other existing Avengers stories even though some elements might repeat through this story. I hope you enjoy.

Natasha and Clint Sitting in a Tree….

It all started when Clint caught a cold. Okay, so it wasn't exactly a cold. It was actually a mutated strain of the Spanish flu that HYRDA was using for some stupid reason. Natasha kind of tuned out the usual megalomaniacal babble when they hit her partner in the face with a bio bomb carrying the mutated strain. Naturally because Clint was by far the most danger prone individual she ever had the horror of meeting, he was immediately beset with the symptoms leaving her to save the day. As usual. He made it up to her by turning to her and vomiting all over her new boots. And from that brief exposure she ended up sick too. When they were deemed too "gross" to stay on base, the pair of spies were sent packing back to the Avengers Tower where they proceeded to infect every member of the team save for Bruce and Thor. A few rounds of antibiotics had them all feeling better within a week. But Bruce kept them on a lower dose of the antibiotics due to Clint still being a drippy, sniffling hot mess. The little outbreak monkey was hit harder than all of them and took the longest getting better. But gradually he got better and soon they were all able to put the whole incident behind them.

Or rather, Natasha wanted to put the whole incident behind her but it appeared that she wasn't quite as over the flu as she thought she was. Because for some reason she was still feeling some of the symptoms nearly two month later. At first she was willing to overlook it. It was just a vague nausea every now and then. A couple of bouts of dizziness. Nothing she couldn't handle on her own. It wasn't until she and the rest of the team were in the middle of a fight against the masked super powered villain of the week that it became a problem. That's when right in the middle of watching her partner's back, she experienced a dizzy spell so severe she almost fainted. She, Natasha Romanoff, the goddamn Black Widow, almost fainted! She likes to think that it's because she was all of the above mentioned things that she didn't actually faint but all of that was a moot because during her moment of weakness, Clint was shot in the shoulder. Whatever this lingering sickness was needed to go. She couldn't do her job (keeping Clint alive because he certainly wasn't interested in doing it) if she was getting dizzy and nauseous all the time.

And that's what led her to Bruce's lab a few days after that incident. Clint was, of course, fine. It was a through and through wound, which is the scheme of Clint like injuries really was like a scratch. Within a day the fool was back to climbing through vents and in general making them question who was the real spider out of the two of them. But Natasha was spooked. She was concerned. Because they got lucky that it was just a through and through this time. And it was Clint. It could've been much worse. She's actually surprised it wasn't. Clint attracted trouble and it was her responsibility to keep him alive. So she needed to be at the top of her game. Clint was the only constant in her life before she met the rest of the Avengers. He was the one that made her life worth living. Before she met him, she was just existing. A puppet slave to the Red Room until he cut her strings and freed her. He gave her a life worth living. And she would be damned if he died on her watch.

"So that's the gist of it," Natasha said, shifting around on the makeshift exam table Bruce told her to sit on. "I've been feeling dizzy and occasionally nauseous. Well, it started off as just nauseous and escalated into me actually throwing up."

Bruce remained silent staring at her with some unreadable emotion on his face. He cleared his throat. "Uh, are you feeling more tired than usual?"

"Actually," Natasha chewed on her lip. "I took a nap yesterday. I haven't done that in years."

"Oh, um, what about smells and food? Any aversions to smells or foods that you may have previously enjoyed?"

"Now that you mention it, I had this really weird reaction to the eggs Steve was making yesterday."

"And by weird, you mean?"

"I mean that they smelled incredibly disgusting and I may have tossed them out the window while he was still cooking," Natasha replied, sheepishly. "In retrospect, that was a really bad way of handling the situation. But they just smelled so bad. And I usually like eggs. Clint is the one that doesn't."

"When was your last menstruation?"

"About two months ago. But that's not that weird. I'm on birth control. It regulates that….. Bruce, why do you look like you're about to Hulk out? What's wrong?"

Bruce held up a hand as he worked to slow his breathing down. Natasha replayed the whole conversation in her head. She had no idea what she said that could make him angry. Although he didn't look angry, so much as faintly panicked. Now she was concerned.

"Bruce, what the hell is wrong with me?!"

"I don't want you to panic. Or even take this as what's actually happening but the thing is…. Antibiotics have a tendency to interfere with birth control."

Natasha stared at him. "Interfere?"

"Um, the thing is, that sometimes birth control is not a hundred percent effective at preventing pregnancy when the person is taking antibiotics. Like you were… about two months ago."

Natasha blinked. "Bruce, are you trying to imply that…"

"Nat, I think you might be…. You know."

"No! Nope, you're not finishing that sentence. Nope. Don't do it!"

She leapt off the exam table and immediately started to pace. Had she been in her right state of mind, she would've laughed at the way Bruce scrambled up to get away from her. But she wasn't in the right state of mind. She was in the "oh my god, I might be pregnant" state of mind. Because pregnancy was never something she thought of. It wasn't something she even remotely considered. She was placed on birth control the day she got her first period. The Red Room did not take chances. That was the one principle from the Red Room that she carried with her. She stayed on the birth control even in SHIELD. Even while being in a committed relationship with one individual. Because one time of carelessness would be all it took. So she was on the pill. And she took it for granted that occasionally she could be reckless. Occasionally she could throw caution to the wind… except apparently she couldn't because….

"Get me a test!"

"Natasha, I could just run a blood test right now and confirm it for you."

"No, I don't want you or your stupid machines coming anywhere near me!" she knew she was being irrational but as far as she was concerned this was Bruce's fault. Bruce and his stupid antibiotics. His stupid birth control interrupting antibiotics.

He opened his mouth to say something but she had him backed against a wall before he could finish the sentence. "If the next words out of your mouth are not, 'of course I will, Natasha. Would you like some chocolate while I'm out' I swear I will kill you faster than the Other Guy can come out."

Bruce gulped. "Of course, I will, Natasha. Would you like some chocolate while I'm out?"

She let him go, smoothing out his shirt in the process and smiled as brightly as she could manage. "Thanks, Bruce. I actually would. Could you get me those chocolate covered marshmallow cake things they sell at the bakery on the corner?"

"You hate marshmallows."

"Did I ask for your opinion on my eating habits? I did hate marshmallows but now they sound delicious. I just want some marshmallows. I don't understand why you're making such a huge deal out of this. This is whole situation is your fault anyway. You asked me if I wanted something and I told you I did. I just want marshmallows!"

"It's okay. It's okay. You're right. I'm really sorry, Nat," Bruce said, his voice soothing like he was talking to a skittish animal. Natasha caught a glimpse of her reflection in one of the shiny metal cabinets. She was pale with wild red hair and watery green eyes. Maybe Bruce wasn't that far off. She cleared her throat and stepped away from the terrified looking scientist.

"I'm sorry," she tried to smile. Judging by the look in his eyes, she only came off as slightly less psychotic. "I didn't mean to yell. If you could please get me a pregnancy test so we can prove that I'm not pregnant and am instead just really sick that would be great."

"Sure, Nat. Whatever you want." Bruce quickly walked over to his desk, retrieved his wallet and jacket and started to leave.

"Oh, and Bruce? Could you also make sure you bring back some hot sauce? I really need some hot sauce right now." Bruce paused giving her that look again. He opened his mouth to say something but finally nodded, spun on his heels and power walked as fast as he could out the door. She shrugged at his odd response and sat down on the exam table to wait.

"Where's the fire, Brucey?" Tony called as their other resident genius came barreling out of his lab like the hounds of hell were on his feet. Clint paused the game he and Tony were playing to look and see if there were actual hounds chasing after him. He's learned a long time ago that living with the Avengers tended to make things that normally should be impossible all too possible. But there were no hounds of hell chasing Bruce. This time. But he didn't stop to talk to his friends either. He just kept going until he was in the elevator.

"I wonder what that was about," Steve said looking between the elevator and the lab as if he could puzzle it all together. Clint would've commented on that but Tony chose that moment to lean over and press the button on his controller that would un-pause the game.

"Oh, you cheating bastard!" Clint hissed. Bruce's strange behavior went completely forgotten as he concentrated on the game. Mario Kart was serious business.

Twenty minutes later they were bored and slightly pissed that the alien god that barely could manage the task of making toast without turning it into a spectacle just kicked both their asses at Mario Kart. So when Bruce came back, looking no less harassed than when he left, Tony took the opportunity to pounce on his friend. He was once again ignored. They all watched as Bruce stalked straight past them and right back into his lab.

"JARVIS, show me Bruce's lab."

"Sir, Dr. Banner has requested that all surveillance be turned off for the interim."

"Well ignore his request and listen to me," Tony rolled his eyes.

"I would, sir, but Agent Romanoff has threatened to, and this is a direct quote, 'shoot that nosey bastard Tony in the balls if he tries to override this'. If you will not think of the safety of your balls, sir. Then think about the consequences for poor Ms. Potts."

"Did Tony really just have a conversation with an artificial intelligence about his genitals?" Steve asked, wrinkling his nose. Tony shrugged and blew him a kiss. Steve rolled his eyes and went back to his drawing.

Clint snorted but was secretly growing concerned. Natasha could be dangerous but she wouldn't actually hurt any of her friends. She definitely wouldn't threaten to shoot them in the balls. What the hell were they doing in the lab anyway? He didn't even know Natasha was in there. Now he was getting even more worried. He furrowed his brow before glancing up at the ceiling. The vent from the living room ran straight into the lab. He could just take a quick peek and Natasha didn't even need to know. Tony's balls would remain intact. It was a perfect plan. And he would remind himself of that after he recovered from blacking out (fainting made him sound like a delicate little flower and he totally was not) and the six words that would change his life forever.

Bruce knew that by moving into the Tower his life was going to change. He went from being on the run to having a safe place to live. He went from being alone to having what could arguably pass as a family. He went from being the weirdest thing he knew to living with the impossibly weird (Clint, Pietro and Tony especially). So really he thought he was prepared for anything. But nothing could prepare him for sitting next to a slowly mentally and emotionally deteriorating assassin who was currently eating a chocolate covered marshmallow cake smothered in hot sauce and staring at several pieces of plastic that said assassin just peed on.

"Did you have to get the ones that took the longest?" Natasha asked around a bite of her ungodly creation. He really hoped that she was pregnant because otherwise there was something seriously wrong with her. Natasha hated marshmallows. She also wasn't overly excited about spicy things. But here she was downing sirracha drenched chocolate covered marshmallows like her life depended on it. "Seriously, this is taking forever."

"First, it's been less than a minute. Second, you know what would've been faster? A blood test. And it definitely would be more accurate than this!"

"Screw you, Banner. This whole situation is your fault anyway. You and your stupid antibiotics that tasted like chalk and ass!"

"Do I even want to know why you know what ass tastes like?"

"I despise you."

"And we don't even know for sure if you are…. You know. You're jumping to conclusions!"

"Well if I am, you know, then it's your fault!"

Bruce raised an eyebrow, leaning forward on his elbows somewhat. "If you really are… you know then wouldn't it be the father's fault?" he paused as a niggling thought occurred to him.

They all just assumed that their two assassins were together. And Clint and Natasha never seemed to be in a rush to correct them or change their minds. Or rather Clint wasn't. While he never confirmed or denied their relationship, he was obviously smitten with his partner. Natasha just glared at them anytime one of them worked up the courage to ask about the agent's relationship. What if they weren't really dating? What if Clint was in love with Natasha but not the other way around? What if she was having someone else's baby? Clint would be devastated.

"Why do you have that thinking too much about something really stupid look on your face right now?"

"Why do you even know what would look like?"

"I look at Tony every day. Guaranteed you see that facial expression on his face at least three times a week." Bruce shrugged. She had a point. "So what are you thinking about?"

"It's just that…. Clint is the father of the hypothetical and not actually confirmed baby, right?"

Natasha gaped at him, mouth full of chocolate and marshmallow. She snapped her mouth closed and swallowed angrily. He didn't know how someone could manage to pull of swallowing angrily but Natasha was nothing if not a master at the improbable.

"Are you freaking kidding me right now? Of course, Clint is the father!"

They both jumped at sudden thump over their heads. Before either could question it, Tony's voice sounded over the building's PA system.

"Uh, so two things. One, we know what you're up to in there. And two, does someone want to go get Clint out of the vents? He either just died or fainted. Either way we should probably clear him out before he starts to rot."

"Goddammit!"

Ten minutes later, the six original Avengers were assembled in the lab. Natasha was sitting with her legs folded and Clint half-conscious on her lap. She was using that as an excuse not to get up and check on the tests. They were done five minutes ago but she couldn't do it. She couldn't check. And it seemed that the others felt the exact way as they were all crowded together staring at the tests from as far away as they could get while still staying in the same room.

"We would have to give up SHIELD," Clint murmured. Natasha looked down to meet his dazed blue eyes. She raised an eyebrow. "If we had a kid, we'd have to give up SHIELD. That's not the type of place you want to raise a kid."

"Maybe we wouldn't. I mean there are other roles that we could play in the agency that aren't as dangerous. I'm sure the Director would accommodate that transition," Natasha argued, albeit weakly. She really didn't want to give up field work. Then again, she didn't want to give up SHIELD period. Another thought occurred to her. "We would probably have to quit being Avengers."

"There's no telling what kind of super powered freak show would try to use our kid as bait," Clint agreed. "I mean it's not that I never thought about this but it's a really bad time."

"Yeah, it's terrible…. Wait, what do you mean you've thought about this? You've thought about having kids… with me?"

"Of course," Clint blinked, sitting up straight. "Haven't you?"

"No! I'm the Black Widow! What the hell am I supposed to do with a baby?!"

"Raise it to be an awesome badass ninja assassin like its parents?"

"So you want to have a baby? Now?"

Clint chewed on his lip. "I don't know. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Well, you would be doing pretty much all of the work here. What are you feeling about this?"

"I," Natasha trailed. She actually had no idea how she was feeling. Truthfully she never thought about being a mother until that very moment. It was a confusing concept and she really hated that she was being put on the spot like this.

She also really hated that she was too terrified to walk literally four feet to find out whether their whole lives were going to change for better or for worse. Because even if by some miracle she wasn't pregnant, the idea was out there now. Now she was going to be thinking about it. Obsessing about it. And it was ultimately going to drive her and Clint apart because they weren't going to be on the same page about it. Ever. Because important thing to note: She was the Black Widow! She didn't know the first thing about raising a kid.

"Okay, this is ridiculous," Tony announced, pushing up from his seat and crossing over to the table where the five tests Bruce bought were collected. He moved from each test, noting the results and nodding. Finally he turned around to face the anxious group. He shrugged. "You're good."

"What does that even mean? What did the tests say, Tony?!"

"You're not pregnant. Hurray!"

Natasha didn't quite know what to make of the intense feeling of emptiness and sadness that coursed through her body at that one moment. Against her will, her hand rose to rest on her flat stomach. She should be elated. She wasn't pregnant. She was in the clear. She could walk out of here and completely forget the whole motherhood thing. She could shove the idea of being pregnant out the door. The idea of raising a child that had Clint's eyes and smile would be banished from this point on. Because she wasn't pregnant. And she wasn't likely to get pregnant any time soon.

"Guys? Did you hear me?"

"Yeah," Clint mumbled. "That's, uh, that's great."

"Mmm hmm, yeah, that's awesome," Natasha added with clearly faked enthusiasm.

"Well if it's great and awesome, why do you two look so disappointed?" Steve asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I thought that's what you wanted. Now you don't have to change anything in your lives. You don't have to quit the Avengers or SHIELD. Not that you would've needed to quit if you were actually pregnant. You know that we would help out the best we could."

"I know, it's just that I didn't want... I'm happy about this, it's just that…." Natasha trailed off again. She looked to Clint whose eyes reflected her own chaotic emotions. He gave her a weak smile that she tried to return. It didn't work.

"We really are happy. It's just that I think we were both starting to adjust to the idea a little bit. Like it didn't suddenly seem like the worst thing in the world. And now… it's just a little bit of a letdown I guess." Natasha nodded, wordlessly taking his hand in hers. Their fingers interlaced naturally as they both secretly lamented the idea of child they had only just decided they wanted.

Tony grinned, clapping his hands together. "Well that's awesome news. Because I totally lied."

"What the hell?"

"I lied," Tony repeated as if that were something to be proud of. Then again it was Tony. "Natasha is pregnant. Five out of five tests agree. You're definitely having a baby."

"You lied?!" Natasha, Bruce and Clint yelled in unison.

"You stole that concept from FRIENDS," Thor accused bringing the pending berating to a screeching halt. Five sets of eyes stared at the Asgardian in bewilderment.

"Why do you know that?"

"I binge watched the whole series last summer with Darcy and Jane."

Steve looked like he wanted to comment on that but fortunately chose to return to the issue at hand which was that Tony Stark was a huge, freaking lying liar that lied! Steve gave his best disappointed in you and your life choices face. "Tony, that was taking an incredible risk."

"No it wasn't. We all know Clint and Natasha. They're quite clear on the things they do and do not want around. Remember your eggs, Steve. She tossed them out the window. If they really didn't want this baby then they would've said so. But the fact that they were hesitant and actually talking about the things that would need to change proved that they did."

"And if you were wrong?"

Tony shrugged again. "Well then at least the kid would know I will always love him or her even if his or her parents do not."

"Tony, you find new ways every day to become a bigger asshole," Bruce said with a bemused look on his face. It was the same look you gave your favorite furry friend when they do something incredibly stupid but were so adorable that you didn't have the heart to tell at them. It was the look that said 'I love you but you do really dumb things and sometimes eat my slippers'.

"Wait, you know what this means?" Steve asked excitedly.

"Clint and Natasha are about to birth a possible weapon of mass destruction? Or their own version of a super spy?"

Steve paused. "Actually, that too. But no, baby means that we get to be uncles! And I'm calling dibs on godfather before that jerk Bucky get sback and tries to pull Russian/sniper allegiance."

"Why do you get to be the godfather?! It should clearly be me!"

"No way, I'm totally going to be the godfather."

Natasha watched as the four idiots dissolved into their usual state of bickering. She could tell they were genuinely happy about this. And their joy was kind of infectious. For the first time since Bruce told her she could possibly be pregnant, Natasha was starting to feel a little excited as well. Or rather she would when she knew how Clint felt about this. For once she couldn't read his eyes. She always knew what he was thinking or feeling by looking in his eyes. But this time she got nothing.

She tugged on the hand still wrapped in hers, pulling him away from the impromptu celebration that had already dissolved into an argument over who would be the favorite uncle. She didn't stop walking until they were a good distance away from the lab. She placed her free hand on his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"Talk to me, Clint? Please? I need to know how you're really feeling about this. Because this? This is the scariest thing we've ever done but I think we can do it. Together. I think we can but I need…."

She was cut off by two warm and very inviting lips crashing against hers. She let out an involuntary yelp as an arm wrapped around her waist lifting her in the air briefly. She could feel him smiling against her lips and she giggled in response.

"So I take it you're okay with this?"

Now it was Clint's turn to cup her face gently between his hands. "Are you kidding me? This is awesome! I'm nervous as hell but I'm having a baby with the most amazing and beautiful woman I know. What's not to love about this?"

She felt her eyes water and cursed her fluctuating hormones. "You still going to think I'm beautiful and amazing when I'm a fat, hormonal mess eating really weird gross things?"

"Of course," Clint shrugged. And she believed him. "Natasha Romanoff, will you raise a badass ninja baby with me?"

She beamed up at him. "I will. And will you, Clint Barton, raise a badass ninja baby with me?"

"I will. I will also promise to follow up on all your crazy cravings and not judge you for them. Even though seriously sirracha, chocolate and marshmallows?" Clint pulled a face. "It tasted gross kissing you. I can't imagine what it tasted like going down."

"It tasted like heaven," she corrected him with a glare. He gave her a cheeky grin which prompted her to pull him into another, deeper kiss. "See? It's delicious."

"It's something," Clint conceded. "But if it's what you and the little spider monkey want, then it's what you shall have."

"Spider monkey?"

Clint shrugged. "Aren't kids supposed to have cute nicknames or something?"

Natasha stared at him blankly. She wondered how exactly they were supposed to pull this one off. Neither of them had would could even pass as a functional childhood. How were they supposed to raise a child? And then she looked up at him and smiled. They were going to do this the same way they did everything: together and with a lot of improvising.

"I have to tell Phil."

Natasha frowned. "You're going to the cemetery, aren't you?"

"Of course."

"Clint, it's been three years. I'm really going to need you to stop going to Phil's grave every time you need to tell him something."

"No, I don't think I can. You coming with?"

"Definitely no. I think I've had my fill of seeing Coulson's grave. Enjoy your bonding time with Phil. I'll catch up with him next time."

"As you wish. Text me your gross baby craving food and I'll pick it up while I'm out."

She gave him the finger even as he grinned and walked out the door. Natasha huffed, placing a hand on her stomach. "Don't grow up to be like your dad, okay? Please, please, please get your brains from me." She paused as she realized that she was talking to her unborn child. The action was so natural and it felt… right. She smiled softly.

She kept her hand on her stomach as she drifted back to the lab to tell the others to shut up already and to finish off her cake. She didn't care what they said. Her cake was awesome. Although now that she thought about it. It was missing something. But what?

"Oh, pickles!"

Clint took a deep breath as he sat down in front of Coulson's grave. It took him a lot of time before he could face it. It took him a full year before he could even come out to the cemetery and take a look at the grave much less actually approach it. The guilt he felt about his actions during the invasion still lingered to this day. Three years, a lot of professional counseling and a lot of not so professional counseling and Clint could admit that he wasn't solely responsible for everything that happened. He could also finally admit to himself that he wasn't responsible for Phil's death. And with that realization, it was easier to face the grace.

"Phil, long time no see," he started, lying down on the soft grass. "Where do I even begin?"

"Begin with why you still feel the need to make me come out here when I have a perfectly good office that we could be using right now."

Clint rolled his head to the side in time to see the current director of SHIELD settling down next to him. He smiled lazily up at the older man. "Hello, Director Coulson."

"Hello, Agent Pain in My Ass," Phil returned with a smirk. "When are you going to stop coming out here? You know I'm not actually dead."

"Well I didn't know that until fairly recently, Director," Clint reminded him. "And by then I was in a bit of a routine if you will."

"You're also slightly insane and a little shit."

"Is this Director Coulson talking or Phil?"

"Strangely, without all the Tahiti aftereffects, I am feeling more Phil than I have in years. They both agree with that assessment." Clint snorted. He lifted his hand in the air and stared at the fingers. "So you want to tell me what's going on?"

"You know about my thing with my dad, right?"

Clint could feel Phil looking down at him. He continued to stare at his hand like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. Phil sighed, leaning back on his elbows.

"Yeah, of course."

"Do you think I'm anything like him?"

"No, if I did, I wouldn't let you near any of my nieces, now would I? You want to tell me what this is actually about?"

"Um, Nat is…. Nat is pregnant." Clint looked up at Phil. "It's mine before you ask."

"I don't need to ask. Of course the baby would be yours." Phil tilted his head to the side. "I assume since you're telling me that you're keeping this child."

"Dude," Clint lowered his hand to glare up at Phil. "That was never an option."

"Of course not."

"The thing is that Nat is getting kind of excited about it now. And Tony, Steve, Bruce and Thor are already battling to see which one of them gets to challenge Bucky to rights as favorite uncle of the year. So they're pumped. I know once the twins, Lang and Sam hear about it, they're going to be just as psyched. And I want to be excited to. I really do. Because this is everything I could ever want. But I just…."

"You're wondering if you're going to screw it up. If you're going to be anything like your father. And I'm wondering when you decided to make a turn into stupid."

Clint sat up straight and glared at his mentor. At the man that brought him into SHIELD and gave him a chance at a better. The man that practically raised him from a juvenile delinquent barely out of his teen years to the man he was today. To the man about to have a baby with the woman he knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with.

Phil snorted. "Clint, you know who you are. You know who you've fought tooth and nail to become. That kid is going to be lucky to have you and Natasha as parents. And even luckier to have the Avengers as their aunts and uncles."

Clint smiled faintly. "And lucky to have you as a grandfather."

"Let's make Fury the grandfather," Phil corrected with a nudge to the archer's ribs. Clint chuckled softly. "You're going to be a great father, Clint Barton."

"You think so?"

"Oh, yeah," Phil grinned. "And don't forget. You've also got one hell of a support system. Not just the Avengers but also SHIELD."

Clint exhaled slowly and felt the tension clinging to him fade away slowly. Phil was right. Even if he had doubts about his parenting skills, the fact remained that he a lot of people that would be there to help him along the way. He learned to trust and depend on his friends… his family, throughout the years. He could do this.

"Thanks, Phil."

"You really want to thank me? Then stop asking to meet me by my grave. I swear I'm going to have this thing torn down."

"No!" Clint wailed with fake dramatics while clinging to the headstone. Phil laughed despite himself and Clint felt the rest of the tension fade away. He was going to do this. He and Natasha were going to have a baby.

This was going to either be the most amazing experience of his life or the thing that finally killed him. Or a weird combination of both.

*The end. Or maybe not. I might continue on with this one but for right I'm slapping a complete label on it. I've got six stories that I'm currently working on and I keep getting ideas for new ones. Looking at this one. I hope that you enjoyed at least.