Authors Note: I want to thank everyone who followed, added to their favourites and those who took the time to review. It is very much appreciated and I'm so glad you all enjoy these stories.

To all who reviewed last chapter - Hope06, sammygirl1963, Lollypops101, DucksFan1510, Sandy-wmd, Manicpanicgirl, kimbee and DBhawkguy30.

Now you all get to find out what Phil decides, a couple of you guessed right in your reviews ;)

Enjoy!

A Few Days Later

Clint realised early on that there was something going on with Phil, the older man had tried to hide it but Barton had been around the older man long enough to know when there was something wrong. When he'd first questioned the agent, Coulson told him it was nothing for him to worry about. This just made Clint even more suspicious. He didn't think his dad was lying to him, though the thought that he was keeping something from him hurt, more than he thought it would. Phil had always been honest with him, telling the teen that he didn't like keeping secrets.

Still the teen wasn't stupid, he'd noticed the strange looks between Nick and Phil. Whatever was going on had something to do with SHIELD, Clint was sure of it, which was why he was currently making his way through the long winding vents towards the director's office. It took him almost ten minutes to reach his destination and a quick glance at his watch told him Phil would already be there. His suspicions were confirmed when he heard his dad's voice. Although what he heard leaving the older man's lips was not what he expected to hear.

"I'm resigning as a field agent."

"Are you sure about this Phil?" Nick's deep rumbling voice carried up to Clint's ears.

"Yes. It's for the best Nick, and I've given it a lot of thought. I'm a father now, I have other priorities. I should have made this decision a while ago."

Fury sighed, nodding in acceptance. "Alright Phil, I wi-…"

The director was cut off with the sound of the vent grating crashing to the floor and Clint dropping to the ground in a light crouch. "No!"

Both the director and Phil's eyes widened comically, Coulson's jaw hanging open, while Nick glared at the unexpected interruption. "What are you doing here Clint?" asked Fury.

"Stopping Phil from making the biggest mistake of his life, that's what." Clint snapped back, momentarily forgetting who it was he was speaking to.

"Clint…" Phil started only to be cut off.

"You can't give up your job Phil, you just can't. This is your life and was long before I came along. I don't want you to leave because of me."

Phil tried again to say something, but Barton held up his hand.

"Let me finish. I know I told you about my fear of losing you, that wasn't to blackmail you into leaving. I just needed to let you know how much I need you." Clint stood in front of Phil, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I love you dad, and I don't want to lose you. Still we both know that anything can happen, my own parents were killed in a traffic accident. Your job might be dangerous, with more risk of bad stuff happening, but you're a hero Phil; you're my hero. I can't be the reason that you aren't out there, saving people and taking down bad guys. I can't live with that. You're needed here, as Nick's right hand man. Please don't give that up because of me," Barton pleaded to his dad, tears running freely down his cheeks.

Coulson stepped forward, pulling his boy into his warm, loving embrace. "I love you kid, you know that. I'm so proud of you, yet if you'd let me get a sentence out I could have told you that I'm not leaving SHIELD."

The teen's expression filled with confusion. He glanced between Phil and Nick, waiting for them to explain. "You said you resigned?"

"I did," Phil agreed. "Though only as a field agent. I will still be involved in mission briefs and will be taking on more duties within the organisation. It just means I won't have to go away on any missions, for now anyway. I've got a feeling that when you start your agent training I'll become more involved with field missions again."

"So you're not leaving?" Barton asked quietly, almost hesitantly.

"No," Phil promised. "I'm not leaving SHIELD. Besides, you still have to complete your schooling with Molly, and someone has to be here to keep Nick in line. Otherwise he'll probably kill someone."

Fury shot his agent an affronted look, then nodded slightly in agreement. It was true. If he was left to deal with the new recruits, he'd more than likely be done for murder. Coulson was the one usually left to handle any problems caused by the newbies. The man had the patience of a saint.

"Yeah I can imagine." The teen glanced between the two men. "I'm sorry for eavesdropping, I had a feeling you were hiding something from me and I wanted to know what it was."

"It's okay kid, I should have told you." Coulson replied softly, his eyes full of understanding. How many times had he told the boy he'd never lie to him and here he was hiding things? It wasn't an outright lie but a lie of omission nonetheless. "It won't happen again," he promised.

"Okay." The young archer hugged his dad quickly, then ran over to Nick and did the same before tilting his head up to the ceiling, eyeing the distance up to the vent he'd dropped out of. He'd probably need to stand on the table to reach the edge, before pulling himself up. The decision was taken out of his hands when he found himself being lifted up high towards the vent, he laughed at the surprised look on Phil's face as he was given a boost by the director. His hands gripped the edge, then within seconds he was hauling himself back inside the vent, the cover put back in place.

"Bye dad, bye Nick," the teen called to them, disappearing back into his never ending maze.

Phil chuckled in amusement, only Clint would get away with literally dropping into the director's office, then being given a boost back into the vent instead of being made to use the door. It was further proof of Nick's affection for the boy.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing boss, just thinking how accurate Clint's description is of you being a giant teddy bear." Phil laughed at the heated glare he received.

Nick grumbled under his breath. Wondering how he'd become so soft, he was starting to think he should go out and start kicking people's asses, just to have the cosmic balance restored. "Don't you have work to do, Coulson?"

The younger agent nodded, straightening up. "Yes sir."

Phil headed to the door, reaching for the handle then paused when his boss' voice called to him. "Try and keep that boy out of trouble Phil."

"I'll do my best, Nick."

Nick smirked as the door closed behind the younger man, knowing full well that Phil would have his hands full with keeping the teenager out of trouble, never mind once Clint started training to become an agent. Fury had seen with his own eye the skills the kid had and he was only fifteen. God help them all when he really started applying himself, because right now Nick knew the kid was just having fun. That made the teenagers deadly accuracy all the more terrifying.

Leaning casually back in his chair the director found himself remembering back to his first conversation with the youngster. It was shortly after the kid's brief time in the care of Marion Walsh, ending with Clint falling from a tree and suffering a concussion and bruised ribs. Nick had blamed himself, feeling ultimately responsible for the child's injury as it was his idea to use the young boy to bring Phil out of his shell. All he'd wanted was for both Coulson and Clint to realise that they needed one another, that Phil's patience and determination could be used in an entirely different way. Nick had visited the boy while he was in medical, apologising to him and promising that he wouldn't have to go back to the group home, that SHIELD would sort something else out for him.

Fury had been surprised when Clint admitted that Phil had asked him to move in with him. The kid had seemed so lost, yet there was still a glimmering of hope shining in his young eyes. The blonde boy had asked Nick if Phil was a good guy, to which Fury replied that his agent was the best and would keep Clint safe. They all would.

Three years later, people still gravitated towards the teen. Whether Clint realised it or not, he was part of a very large family, not just Phil's family, but SHIELD as a whole. Nick and many others felt the overwhelming need to keep the boy safe, to show him that he was loved and cared for by the people around him. Barton was a survivor; he'd managed to make it through some pretty terrifying ordeals, especially for a young boy and come out stronger because of it.

Nick wasn't sure what the next three years would bring but he could think of nothing more exciting than watching Barton grow into a strong, confident young man.

It was going to be one hell of a journey, for everyone involved.

The End

Awwwww...you know I get all gushy reading through my own stories before posting lol how crazy is that!

The next story is Clint's sixteenth birthday. After being injured and having his leg put in a cast, Phil being in full on mother hen mode, will Clint finally realise he has become someone else's hero?

Only one way to find out.

Until next time! ;)