Chapter 4: History

I just want to let you know that I have permission from the author LostHeroGuide

go check out the story on

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11493775/1/Heroes-and-Ghosts

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Three months later:

Natasha:

Homestead was a good place to be, she decided. The food, although bland, was good. The beds were comfortable. She could mope around all day in her pajamas and no one would judge her. Oh, and Clint's family didn't care she was a trained killer with a history of extreme violence and a ledger dripping blood.

So when she showed up, she was surprised to see that the first person she was met with was a baby.

She was curious, and surprised. Laura was still pregnant as far as she knew. Baby Nathaniel was still very much in the womb. For a few moments Nat was depressed. Clint, her best friend, hadn't told her that the baby had been born. Then she realized that the baby was a girl, at the very most a year old, and she was cute.

So, even though it seemed a little inappropriate, she picked up the infant and began to coddle her. The baby seemed perfectly fine with it (although she pulled on Natasha's hair rather hard) and gurgled happily while being bounced. For just a few minutes Natasha forgot about...

Well, happy moment gone.

"You home alone?" She asked. Natasha set the infant back down, then began to wander farther into the house, towards the kitchen. It was late, nearly dinner time, and Laura might like the company of someone (trying to) cook with her.

"Laura? Clint? Are you home?" She called. No one answered, but there was a definite noise coming from the kitchen. Cautiously, Natasha made her way towards the kitchen.

The table was set for four, and the fresh tablecloth set under it all. The light that was normally turned off now shone brightly above the table. There was a large bowl of rolls already set out, along with a pitcher of lemonade. As Nat looked at it, she had a few distinct thoughts.

Clint's family dinners weren't appetizing, or this nice looking. Second, Clint would be out in the field or chopping wood right now, so why was dinner already set and ready?

She was just about to turn around and check upstairs to see if Laura was there, but then saw movement in the kitchen. Her attention was immediately turned towards the teenager in the 'kiss the cook' apron.

He was tall. Taller than herself, maybe 6'5. He had dark, tousled hair that looked like perpetual bed head. He wore one of Clint's flannel shirts (blue) over a white shirt and a pair of jeans. His socks slid around the floor, almost as if he were dancing to an unheard song. Although his back was turned, Natasha could tell he was the one cooking.

She assumed this must be a farmhand, or maybe a passerby who just happened to have stumbled upon Homestead. Either way, Natasha decided to just ask. "Hey buddy, what're you doing in here?"

No response. The teen continued to cook, sometimes glancing towards the living room where the infant was. Natasha stepped closer, only to speak, but the boy immediately stepped into action.

He whirled around with the speed and precision of a trained agent. Even the others in the red room didn't compare to it. He had Natasha by the neck, with his cooking spoon in his other hand, touching her jugular. There was a calm look in his eyes as he held her in place, but Natasha quickly took control.

She turned herself towards his left, stepping into his arms before bending his wrist holding the spoon up. He started to go down, wincing, but recovered enough to stand and break away from her. He started to back away towards the living room, lifting his hands up in surrender. Still, Natasha didn't break eye contact from his form.

He spoke crisply, like he'd practiced the words carefully before trying them. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" He asked, still backing towards the living room. Natasha could see the baby playing animatedly with what looked like a boat.

Natasha had to get this kid away from the baby. If he was after Clint's family, he would be a danger to everyone. Natasha figured that he might've put something in the food. "I could ask you the same question. Who are you and where are the people that live here?"

The teen took another few steps back, and Natasha watched as the baby happily put the boat down and began tugging on the boy's leg. Natasha considered jumping at the teen to stop him from taking the baby hostage, but was too late. The teen, without breaking eye contact, lifted the baby into his arms. He held her in one hand and the spoon in the other.

He sized her up, and Natasha decided that he must have experienced a good deal of fighting. And maybe he was a good judge of character as well. He relaxed slightly, then spoke again in his practiced voice. "The Barton's went into town awhile ago. I've been working here for a few months now, and was getting dinner ready." He explained. The baby gurgled happily and began tugging on the kids hair.

Eventually, when it appeared that neither were willing to let down their guard, he relaxed his stance. He held his hand out tentatively. "I'm Percy. This is my half sister, Hope." He explained. At the mention of her name, the baby smiled again, then tried reaching out for Natasha eagerly. At least one member of the family was welcoming towards Nat.

And, deciding that a teenager holding a baby couldn't be a serious threat, returned the handshake with her own hand. She was still wary, but took a chance. "My name is Natasha. I'm looking for Clint Barton." She replied curtly.

Percy nodded, then walked past her with Hope in tow. He set her on the counter and got back to cooking. "Well Tasha, he's with his family. They should be back from the store in a few minutes. Will you be staying?"

He was only half turned when she spoke. "I'll be spending the night."

He stood there awkwardly for a minute before pointing to his ears. "Uh, I'm sorry, but I didn't catch that. What did you say?" He asked. Natasha repeated what she said, and he turned back.

"Oh, and don't call me Tasha." She warned. Percy didn't seem to hear her, but began to absentmindedly set another place at the table for her. She was about to walk out onto the porch, but heard a gleeful shriek from the counter.

Natasha wasn't a baby person. She didn't see the appeal, and the only kids she'd really liked were Clint's. But now, here was this baby girl reaching out for her. She hesitated, but Percy saw what his sister wanted. Natasha could see that he was reluctant, but sighed anyway. "Would you mind watching Hope? Just until I have dinner ready." He said. Natasha agreed with a solemn nod, then picked up the baby again.

Natasha spent the rest of the time out on the porch with Hope, and waited for Clint to get home. It wasn't long before she saw the red pickup drive in, and for the family of four (soon to be five) pull her into a hug. She might've glimpsed the longing look Percy had on his face while they were embracing.

Clint seemed to catch on as well. He placed a comforting hand on Nat's shoulder. "How about we eat dinner, then we'll talk somewhere more private." He said, glancing towards Percy. The teen in question had stepped away from the window, and Natasha couldn't see him.

"That sounds good. I hope you don't mind if I stay the night." She replied, bouncing Hope on her knee. The baby in question gurgled happily, reaching out towards Clint. He took her without even looking, and Natasha was intrigued.

Dinner went by fast, but not because of how everyone was eating. The food was delicious, and the mood was lively. Cooper and Lila talked about school, and Nat felt content with it all. She loved Clint's family. She felt like a part of it.

Percy was spoon feeding his sister what looked like applesauce, making funny faces to get her to open her mouth. He too seemed content, but not comfortable. He'd cast the family glances every once in a while, oblivious of the topics at hand. He kind of looked in awe, as if he couldn't believe he was there. Nat wondered what would happen if he was ever in Stark Tower.

She hated the room she had in Stark Tower, all because of how dead the place seemed. With Tony and Steve fighting, and everyone picking sides, it felt like a civil war might start just by standing there.

Natasha thought that might've been one of the reasons Clint retired when he did. Avoiding bad blood. If Natasha had the choice, she might retire here as well, if they'd have her.

After dinner was over and the dishes done (by the whole family, including Percy and Nat) she was surprised to see Cooper and Lila thank Percy without being asked. He responded in kind, and then asked if they would keep his sister occupied for a while. They agreed, with Clint's permission.

Now Clint, Laura, and Natasha were in Clint's study. He pulled out a thick SHIELD file from his desk, then presented it to her. "Read. Keep an open mind until I've told you my experiences." He advised. Natasha didn't waver.

It was an... enlightening experience, for lack of better words. If Nat was any other agent, any other person, she would've arrested and incarcerated him as soon as humanly possible.

But Natasha Romanoff wasn't like any other agents. She'd started out with a record to rival Percy Jackson's, but with a major detail left out. Percy didn't kill. Something she envied, the teenager didn't kill. So who was she to judge the book by a chapter told from the wrong perspective? She obviously didn't have the full picture.

Then Clint explained how they'd met three months ago, and how Percy had decided to stay when he'd almost ran. "Has he gone into detail about his time since his mother died? Anything about where he might've been running?" She asked. What Natasha didn't understand was why he seemed to be running now. It wasn't on purpose...

"I haven't tried to do ask him anymore about it. He's gotten really upset about it, and he won't tell me anything about the accident that killed his parents, either." Clint replied. Natasha spoke with the parents for a few hours, and saw that they were concerned about the kid. When Natasha pointed it out, Laura just shrugged.

"He grows on you. It was strange at first, knowing we were only working together because we were leveraging each other. Then the two of them... Percy integrated himself into the family. He did small things. Cleaning the house, or helping the kids with homework." She explained. "We just accepted it. And, if anything, the house is better with him here."

That night, when everyone had gone to sleep, Natasha woke from a nightmare. Sure, she'd had some bad ones before, but they had gotten worse since the Ultron incident. Now, like most nights, she decided that a cup of hot chocolate would help calm her down.

Only this time, as she sat down with a warm ceramic mug in her hands, she felt like she wasn't alone.

She shifted her gaze towards the darkened living room to see a tall humanoid form lumbering towards the kitchen. She watched as he switched the light on, and was amused to see Percy jump slightly when he realized he wasn't alone. He soon got over it, though. He too made himself some hot chocolate.

"Clint sometims hwoud get nightmarsh, too." He mumbled. Natasha watched as he made himself busy, first fixing himself a cup of his own, then checking the crib in the living room. Satisfied, he took a seat across from Natasha.

"And you?" She asked. She had learned about his disability, and frankly it showed in the mornings. She'd made sure he was looking at her when she spoke.

"What about me?" He asked, more awake than before. She was aware of the way his eyes shifted back to the living room. To Nat, that told her what she'd already expected from his file. His sister was his first priority.

Natasha vaguely wondered with a smile what her first date would think of him?

"Do you have nightmares? Something keeping you up at night?" She asked. She was using it as a fear tactic, but he didn't seem to get that.

He took a deep, shaky breath before answering. "You have no idea." He muttered. Natasha might not've heard him if she wasn't good at reading lips.

They sat in a semi-comfortable silence, unbroken and uninterrupted besides the occasional sip. It only made sense to Natasha that the curious teen would finally break it. It only took fifteen minutes for his curiosity to overwhelm him.

"What was it about?"

Silence.

"New York? The aliens?"

Again, Natasha didn't even flinch.

"The robot?" He suddenly took on a teasing tone, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Boy troubles?"

Natasha's palm smacked onto the table, causing Percy to blink in astonishment. Her teeth were gritted and her glare was murderous. Percy seemed to notice that his attempt to lighten the mood had struck a cord.

After a few tense moments of silence, Percy spoke again. "Me too." He said, then must've realized a mistake. "Well, no. Girl troubles. Girlfriend troubles. Worst kind if you ask me. I did have guy troubles this one time-"

"Spare me." Natasha said, smirking now a bit at his flushed face. He realized he was rambling and blushed more. Natasha's lips twitched upwards. "What kind of girl troubles?" She asked. Natasha knew that Percy hadn't opened up about this to Clint, but maybe he might to her.

His mood seemed to darken slightly, and then he went slack. Now Natasha felt like she had overstepped the boundaries. Although he might be living here, he didn't exactly trust someone that Clint might know.

But... Natasha wanted to know this kid. She wanted to understand what was going through his head. Maybe it was the file, maybe just her own level of curiosity. So she took a chance.

"The man I grew to enjoy company with... Ran from me." She said, trying not to let the bitterness and despair seep into her voice. She didn't want to sound like a deceitful, whiny teenager. She probably still did anyway.

He seemed to digest what she was saying and nodded, satisfied. He spoke calmly, but his voice cracked at the end. "Just a few days before my mom died, I saw her with another guy. They weren't kissing or anything, but... I knew they were getting there."

Natasha nodded in understanding, but unsure if he wanted sympathy or not. She settled with getting him off the subject. "What was your mom like?"

She must've said the right thing. He had a wistful smile on and his fingers began tapping on the cup. "She's awesome. My biggest regret besides... Well, it's that I'll never be a good enough person for Hope." He said.

"And why is that?"

His face hardened for a second. "Because she's the most wonderful person on earth. I don't think I'll ever be able to be the same to Hope." He said. Natasha, seeing as he was once again getting distressed, tried to backtrack him.

"You talk like she's still alive." She noted. Percy smiled slightly.

"She'd talk about how love doesn't stop when someone dies. Like they'd never left her." He saw her curious expression and explained. "My mom's parents died in a plane crash while she was in high school. She would talk like they were still around when I was young."

Natasha let the answer settle before kicking up dust. "A sad way to think, seeing as she'll never see them again."

Percy didn't seem to catch the bait. He just shrugged. "Maybe not. It was just something she'd do. She stopped after I turned eight. She told me that it didn't hurt anymore after that to say that they were gone."

"Is that why you're saying it, then? Waiting for it to stop hurting?" She asked, more curious about an answer than trying to make him snap. Even if she really wanted to see him snap.

He seemed open about the subject. "Yeah. Gives me some hope." He shrugged.

"Hope that you'll see her again?" She asked.

"No." He replied, looking her in the eye. "Hope that she'll help me stop hurting."

There was a much longer silence, followed by Percy cleaning both of the mugs and putting them away. Natasha was about to go back to bed, but he stopped her. "You know, while I was running I got hit on the head. Hard. Concussion and all. I met this one guy living in a pizza shop in Virginia. He was a doctor." He explained. "Why a doctor is living up there, I don't know. But when I had pneumonia, he helped me. He told me about how he ran from his friends because he didn't want to hurt them." He said. She raised an eyebrow.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She asked.

He shrugged again. "He seemed to regret running. Maybe your 'boy trouble' felt the same way." He said. He shook his head like he was clearing it out. "Just... Waiting for him will be hard, but you might argue that it's worth it."

Percy wished her a goodnight, and Natasha found herself hanging on every word. Sleep found her easily after that.