Speedy Eagle

Who Knows

          Natasha returns in time for breakfast, this time bringing Steve. Natasha sets him on the couch. Laura, Lila and Cooper are still asleep upstairs. I hush and rock Nathaniel in the hallway as I wait for Clint to call me in.

"So, you're about to be freaked out by what you see but just stay calm, don't scream and don't hit anything," Natasha says.

"Alright. This better be important. I should be training the others," Steve comments.

"Hey, come on in," Clint calls.

I take a deep breath before walking around the corner, slowly and stopping. Steve's jaw drops and he stares at me. He stands up and walks closer. "How is this possible?" Steve asks. "Clint told everyone you were dead."

"I told him if I got hurt to take me underground. He did. I wanted to be here for Laura to help with Nathaniel." I smile at the little baby in my arms. "I'm sorry for what I put you through but you can't tell the others yet. Natasha convinced me to tell you when she walked in and surprised us earlier."

I pass Nathaniel to Clint and Steve draws me into a hug, swinging me around. "Please don't ever do that to me again. I missed you so much."

I smile and hug him back. "I won't. I promise." He lets me go as the kids and Laura run down the stairs. I grab Nathaniel as Clint grabs his kids and slings them around, laughing. They race to the kitchen with Natasha as Laura greets Steve.

Steve and Natasha end up staying for a few days, talking to Clint and I. Steve helps out on the farm with Clint while Natasha takes care of Nathaniel and I play with the kids. Laura catches up on her much needed rest and returns to her normal work, getting quite a lot done. When they leave, Steve and Natasha promise to keep it a secret from everyone.

That night, after we all eat, Clint pulls me aside. "Hey Anna, I didn't tell you everything before."

"About?"

"Going underground. I did tell Fury about you leaving. Nothing gets past him. You've been saving up vacation time. Enough for a few years. Especially with your track record."

"So, how long do I have here? Left, that is."

"Two or three weeks. Then you are expected to help train the new recruits after with Natasha and Steve."

"Alright, I'll be ready. Thanks for the heads up."

The next morning, I wake up at a crazy early hour and sneak into the barn. I start practicing my fighting skills on some hay. I keep practicing until the sun rises and start some of the chores. I end up working in the fields until sun down. I hardly notice. As I'm cleaning up, Clint comes up behind me.

"Hey, Anna," he says. "You've been out here all day. Missed breakfast and lunch. Ready for some food and sleep?"

I turn to him and smile. "Maybe a bit," I reply. "Time flies." I walk to him, tired and sore.

He grabs my arm and lifts it over his shoulder, helping me in. "You really need to learn your limits."

"The point of limits is to go past them to excel," I say.

Clint laughs. "Sure they are." When we get in the house, I walk to the table where Laura sits with Nathaniel, feeding him.

"I see you had fun outside today," Laura says.

"Yeah, I decided to get a good work out today. Figured you'd like to see Nathaniel and take care of him every now and then," I smile. Clint sets a plate in front of me and I eat it, quickly. I yawn as I clean the dishes and put them away. I check on the kids and see them tucked into bed. I clean myself up and head to bed, Clint checking on me. He turns of the light and kisses my forehead before leaving.

The nest morning, I try and sneak past Clint's door but it opens as I get to the stairs. I turn to see Clint shushing me and we both go downstairs. When we get outside, I turn back to him. "I know I shouldn't be out but I wanted to get some practice don," I tell him.

"I know, I saw you yesterday. Laura is going to watch the kids tomorrow. I am going to help you," Clint says.

I smile and hug him. "Thanks." We spend the early morning training before eating and working the land. We train through the day through the activities of the work. Once we're done on the farm, we return to the barn and practice late into the night. So late that we end up falling asleep in the barn against some hay.

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