So I finally decided I wanted to finish this story. It was about time.
This chapter is devided in two choices. Bruce or Tony. The first (longer) part is Bruce, the second part belongs to Tony.

The end: Bruce

The night was dark. Even though it was New York not a lot of people were still awake or outside at this time of day. Nobody bothered looking at a lone individual, if they could see him at all, sitting in a tree. The night was his time. His time to get away. His time to reflect. His time to think. All the things they were overshadowed by concerned friends in the daylight.

He couldn't blame them, not really. He just wasn't used to it. Not used to people being worried about him. At least people who weren't Natasha or Phil. And while it was… nice to know people cared, he felt he was slowly suffocating.

So he had snuck out this night. Like every night over the past week. To sit and look at stars you couldn't see because of the light of the city. To just be for a while.

Clint was so trapped in his musings. Too focused of trying to find stars that he didn't hear the footsteps approach. To be fair, they were near silent footstep. A lesson learnt from being on the run for years.

'You know. Last time somebody wasn't paying attention to his surroundings we were kidnapped.' Bruce sounded more exhausted than angry.

Clint remained silent for a while. When he finally answered it wasn't what Bruce was expecting. 'It's dangerous you know.' The archer's voice was a near whisper while he climbed out of the tree with a grace that Bruce would never have. Clint physical wounds had healed nicely over time. The mental scars he had sustained would never quite fade.

When it didn't seem likely that Clint would continue, Bruce asked when the archer was standing beside him on the ground. 'What is dangerous?'

Clint looked at the doctor with question in his eyes, like he couldn't believe the doctor had to ask. When it seemed that Bruce was serious, the marksman continued. 'This, being this hap… this comfortable. It never stays. It only gives you another weakness waiting to be exploited. And it never lasts anyway, so why bother in the first place.'

Bruce took the time to let it sink in. Not all that long ago he would have agreed. Hell after everything that had happened he should still agree to that statement. Somehow he no longer did. He suddenly wished it had been Natasha who had followed the archer. She would have known what to say. Yet here he was. He had to try at least.

'Do you regret it?' Bruce started carefully. While talking about emotions the archer always was flight risk. When Clint gave him the same questionable look he had given the archer only minutes earlier, he elaborated. 'Do you regret coming for us? Putting your own life on the line for Tony's, for my freedom?'

The look Clint threw him was easily readable. It was clearly written all over the archers face Don't be stupid.

'Do you think I regret coming for you? That Tony does? Natasha? Steve? Phil?'

'No, but…' Clint schooled his emotions quickly, just not fast enough that Bruce hadn't had a glimpse.

'Or…' Bruce started slowly. 'Or you didn't think you were worth coming after.'

Clint visibly flinched, like he was punched in the stomach. Bingo Bruce thought when Clint was starting to look for exits.

'Did you know that Tony was wondering who he had pissed for now? My mind went to how far Ross was willing to go to get me back in custody. We all have lousy pasts and we all have enemies. We just never imagined to be used against you. We could never have imagined that taking us would work against you.'

Clint visible deflated, like all the fight, and in this case flight, went out of him. 'It's just…' The archer swallowed. 'It's just I never had much. Family wise. And what I had… well it wasn't really any good.' Clint sighed. He was really bad at this talking thing. With Nat this was so much easier.

Bruce nodded. He could relate. His happy family life hadn't been all that happy either. 'And now you have found yourself a new family and you worried that they will what? Betray you? Stab you in the back?' Bruce wasn't pulling punches. They had all been walking on eggshells around the archer, afraid of hurting him. No longer. Not when he could clearly see what damage had been done and ignored for a while now.

Clint flinched again, but nodded.

'Clint,' Bruce began much calmer this time, 'don't you think we're all worried about that? Worried that this is all too good to be true. Worried that the family of weirdoes we have made for ourselves isn't going to work out. Worried that we are all going to be alone again when we get too old for this avenger business. Because I am. I have nowhere to go to.' Bruce eyes were glistering with tears. He ignored them. He needed to get through to the archer and he might get only one chance to do so. 'Tony is. He might have Pepper, but besides her he is nowhere as happy as he is with all us freaks around.' He hoped he wasn't crossing too many boundaries but that couldn't be helped at the moment. 'Steve is. He is finally, slowly, getting used to the twenty-first century. He is terrified that he is going to lose another team so soon after the first one. Natasha is…' Bruce swallowed; he felt a tear run down his cheek. 'Perhaps you could finish that. You know her better that I do.'

'Nat is worried that this is all a dream, that something will trigger her and she will kill us all in our sleep. That being the spy in this hero-band isn't enough.'

Bruce made a mental note to speak with Natasha at a later date. Perhaps he was even able to reuse parts of the speech he held here tonight.

'And now Clint. Clint is worried that…' Bruce started. He sincerely hoped Clint would open up to him now. He had no idea what he had to do or say if this wasn't going to work.

Clint remained silent for a long time, just staring ahead in the distance. 'Clint is worried that having just a good eyesight isn't enough to keep being part of this team. I'm worried that one day I'll miss and I'll have one of your deaths on my conscience. I am worried I haven't paid my dues and that one of you will suffer because of me. I'm worried because we have been lucky so far and so much can go wrong in the future.'

Bruce hid a smile, glad that Clint had trusted him enough to open up. 'Alright… one...you're not just you sight. You bring so much more than that. When it is pulling mischief with Tony. Showing Steve the twenty-first century of cooking with me. I can speak for the whole team when I say that your place on this team is secure for as long as you want it. Two… You're only human. When and if you'll miss we will deal with that. The chance that the other guy will break Harlem again is bigger. Three… Most of us could die tomorrow anyway by walking under a bus. Four…'

'Stop, stop… I get it, I get it.' Clint was smiling a bit hesitantly.

'Are you sure, because I could keep going.' Bruce was smiling for real now. 'Clint you are part of this little family of weirdoes. Wherever you want to or not.'

The end: Tony

The night was dark. Even though it was New York not a lot of people were still awake or outside at this time of day. Nobody bothered looking at a lone individual, if they could see him at all, sitting in a tree. The night was his time. His time to get away. His time to reflect. His time to think. All the things they were overshadowed by concerned friends in the daylight.

He couldn't blame them, not really. He just wasn't used to it. Not used to people being worried about him. At least people who weren't Natasha or Phil. And while it was… nice to know people cared, he felt he was slowly suffocating.

So he had snuck out this night. Like every night over the past week. To sit and look at stars you couldn't see because of the light of the city. To just be for a while.

His musings were interrupted by not so subtle footsteps. Clint guessed the billionaire didn't have any use for subtlety.

'Heeey birdbrain, what are you doing in a tree.'

The archer heaved a sigh. There went the quiet. He quickly jumped out of the tree and landed beside the billionaire, who gave him a startled look. 'Didn't mean you should drop out of it.' He grumbled.

'How did you find me Stark?'

Tony smirked. 'You aren't hidden as well as you think you are.'

Clint glanced at the inventor. 'So Jarvis traced my phone.'

Tony's smile grew. 'I just build you a new stark phone. Of course Jarvis traced your phone.' He looked curious for a moment. 'If you knew your phone would be traced why would you carry it?'

Clint's face betrayed no emotions and Tony wondered if he was going to get an honest answer when Clint replied 'Natasha'

'Aah the widow is keeping you on a short lease.' Tony took a moment to really look at the archer. Clint looked tired. Exhausted. While he had been laid up in bed for the better part of the last month. 'Not that I blame her. We all have had the idea to keep you locked up in the tower like some Disney princess. Much better for my heart. Merida.'

Clint was openly glaring at the billionaire now. Tony just ploughed on. He had faced both Pepper and the widow. Both ladies were a lot scarier than the archer.

'Just do me a favor, Barton. Keep the phone with you before we decide to chip you for your own good.' Tony told him while starting back to the tower.

'You would try it for real as well.' Clint grumbled, but a small smile was contradicting his words. Maybe, just maybe having friends. Having a family was worth all the trouble they could cause.

'You bet I would. I think Nat would even help me.' Tony called back.

'Nat? It's Nat now? Perhaps that should wait until after she taught you those anti-interrogation lessons.'

Yes it was a dark night. Made perhaps more lighter by the laughter of an archer because of the misery of a friend.

The first part is a bit more serious than the second, but heey it's Tony.

This is officially the end of Paid my dues. My thanks to everyone who is still reading this.

For the last time... I would love to know what you think.