Baby Barton

Chapter 85 Steve Rogers / Clint Barton

A/n: Drop a vote and comment if you can...they are motivating me to keep this going till the finish!

"Steve what is it?" Natasha slides across the chair trying to read your expression as you study the cell phone in your hand.
Fuck.
You read the message again not quite able to take it in:
From - Clint Barton:
They've recovered a body.

It took everything you had not to expel your guts onto the floor.  You turn the phone away from you placing it face down on the table, your heart crushing inside your chest.
No.
This is exactly what you had feared.
Natasha's mouth moves inaudibly at you.
You can't breathe.
Shaking her head she grabs your phone and reads the message.
She clutches her chest, "No." she gasps.
"Please no." Sobs trickle down her cheeks.
By this point Tony, Sam and Rhodey knew.
You watch as Tonys legs give way he slumps into a chair dropping his coffee cup.
"I have to go." You get up from the chair choking back your emotion. Feeling the need to grieve in private.
Shes gone.
Just as you leave you hear Clint's voice over Natasha's cell, "okay...we'll meet you there." Her sobs strangling her words. Shes trying her best.

Clint meets you and Natasha at the morgue.
Not a word spoken between any of you. Natasha and Clint shared a quick embrace, but you could see that he was holding back. Pushing people away. Especially the team.
Because he blamed us.
Rightfully so.
You stand on the other side of the glass window with Natasha, who whimpers uncontrollably.
Your own tears perpetually flowing since you received the message.
You look up from your feet at the sheeted body behind the glass, you wanted to say that it was too small to be Chloe. Trying to convince yourself that she isn't under there.
But in some ways that made it worse because it meant she is out there somewhere hurting, or still at the bottom of the river slowly eroding away.
Her beautiful eyes disintegrating.
You watch as they pull back the sheet, only exposing the body to Clint.
He collapses to the ground weeping his head barely being held up by his hands.
Natasha turns away, unable to watch any longer.
Your heart sinks with every passing second now finally convincing yourself that Chloe lies underneath that sheet.

Clint:
The man in the lab coat pulls back the white sheet, you hold you breath prepared to see your baby sisters body, you fight with your eyes to look. Because you have to know.
And when you do finally win the battle, you see her.
Your legs give way, your body crashing to the ground.
"Its not her." You heave out, waving your hand for them to cover up the poor girl.
She was blonde like Chloe, but it wasn't your sisters face. It wasn't her nose, the same one as yours.
It wasn't Chloe.
"Are you sure Mr Barton?" The lab coat presses officially one final time.
"Its not her." You lash out through wailing sobs, crawling along the floor desperately trying to find something to hold on to, Steves hand reaches down pulling you up off the ground.
You don't know how to put together your feelings, are you relieved?
Your heart is still broken.

Steve:
No. You can't believe it until you see it for yourself, you wont believe it.
"It-it can't be." Struggling through pained wails, you storm through the door just in time to see them cover the face of some poor blonde soul.
Not your blonde.
Not your Chloe.
Your eyes fall to Clint you see him battling to find the strength to get up, you'll be his strength.
You pull him to his feet, his eyes brimmed with tears.
You walk out together, "Its not her." Clint repeats searching for his best friend, Nat reaches out pulling him in to her. She places her head on his chest.
"Its not her." Attempting to choke back more tears.
A wash of relief takes over for just a second before the three of you realise that you are right back where you started.
"Where is she Nat?" You throw your hands over your head trying to rack your brain, exhausted with the unknown.
"We can't go on like this." You look up at her, her lips pursed together.
Her shoulders slump as she sighs, "I don't know where Chloe is, but I know where he is." Her eyes meet yours guiltily, ready to divulge the information she had been holding close to her chest. Afraid of what it might dig up.
You turn to Clint for his approval, if you find Bucky he may be able to give you more information on Chloe.
He's your last chance...your last lead.
Clint gets to his feet looking you dead in the eyes, "find the son of a bitch, find out what he knows." He gives you his consent, not that you needed it.