| a safehouse |

❝ f a r m ❞

As Celeste regains awareness of her actual surroundings, she finds herself no longer in the depths of a rusting boat. Instead, she's curled up in the co-pilot seat of the quinjet with a blanket draped over her and Clint sits next to her, piloting them through the early morning skies. She doesn't move, though the aches in her back scream for her to, not quite ready to let anyone know she's awake.

As her gaze focuses, she only grows more confused when she sees their current coordinates on one of the screens. They're back in New York, but heading in the opposite direction of the Avengers Tower.

The quinjet's speed drops worryingly fast, despite the fact that there's no actual civilization to be seen for miles. She watches silently as it lands in the middle of a meadow, with a large white house and barn not too far away. Trees surround the vast area, giving them the feeling they're separated from the rest of the world.

Clint glances over as he flips the switch to lower the ramp, surprised to see Celeste already awake.

"Hey," he murmurs, leaning over to press a kiss to her temple as the others begin to stir. "You have no idea how worried you had me."

Her throat is as raw as sandpaper, so she offers a weak smile as a reply, stretching her limbs as she slowly stands up. The floor seems to sway under her feet, preventing her from moving any further. Clint is by her side in her instant, wrapping an arm around her waist to support her exhausted body.

They move outside, stepping into the meadow where grass and wildflowers nearly reach her hip. Everyone waits patiently, having unanimously agreed Clint would lead them through the unfamiliar territory and too tired to protest their slow pace.

"It's been a while since I've been here," he admits through a grunt as they come closer to the house, the majority of Celeste's weight on him.

The others follow behind in a single file line, with Steve bringing up the rear as he supports Natasha.

"What is this place?" Thor questions as Clint opens the unlocked front door.

"A safe house?" Tony offers, just as bewildered.

"Let's hope," Clint agrees.

He opens the door, revealing a rustic interior design and, much to Celeste's shock, toys and stuffed animals misplaced all over the living room. The kitchen can be seen adjacent to the living room, separated by a large counter. Stairs are off to the right of the front door, and framed children's drawings line the hallway of it.

The Avengers crowd the entryway as Clint helps Celeste to sit down on the plush brown couch, each one in shock. She peels off her red gloves and tugs at the collar of her suit, suddenly feeling restricted in the tight clothing.

"Cli- Clint," she begins slowly, fighting to keep the rising hysteria out of her hoarse voice. "Do you have kids?"

"What? No, no no," he quickly reassures her with a chuckle. "Remember Laura?"

"Your sister?"

"Yeah, she has a little boy and girl, and a third on the way," he explains, allowing her heart rate to return to normal. "So I keep toys around for when they visit."

"How exactly did you get this?" Tony asks.

"Fury helped me set this up when I first joined. It's completely off the grid, and I'd like to keep it that way," he answers, receiving an understanding nod. "I figured it's a good place to lay low."

"We've been back together for three years and you didn't think to tell me you have a farm?" Celeste asks, some of her usual demeanor returning as she pushes Wanda's mind games to the back of her head.

"It never came up!" Clint defends himself.

Thor doesn't say anything about the situation, merely storming out with a concerned Steve hot on his heels. No one bothers to question him, still processing their surroundings.

"Well," Clint clears his throat to end the awkward silence. "I hate to break it to you guys but there's only two bedrooms other than mine."

"That's easy," Tony decides. "Nat and Bruce get a room, Steve gets the couch, and I'll be in the other room."

"And where does that leave me?" Celeste jokes.

"There's always room for one more in-"

"My room," Clint cuts Tony off. "Come on, I'll show you around."

Celeste complies, allowing him to take her hand in his and gently tug her to her feet, leading her to the stairs.

"Can the first stop on the tour be a bathroom?" She asks hopefully. "I really need a shower."

"Of course," he chuckles as they reach the top of the staircase, making a left to lead her into the master bedroom. "The bathroom is through that door. I'll find you some clothes while you shower. I'm sure Laura has an outfit somewhere around here."

She nods, releasing his hand and moving to the door he pointed at. Inside, a modern styled - and rather large - bathtub and shower take up the back wall, not at all fitting in with the antique design of the rest of the house. Shutting the door behind her, her small smile immediately disappears as she catches sight of her reflection in the mirror above the sink.

Tear stains streaking down the sides of her face and her hair pointing in every direction makes her look utterly psychotic, and the bags under her eyes say she hasn't slept in a month.

Discarding her suit and stepping into the shower, Celeste can't help but to examine her arms and legs for the scars her meddled mind told her she'd have as the cold water pours over her. She doesn't dare to change the temperature, even after no new wounds are found, the ghost of her blood boiling inside of her too fresh in her memory.

She cleans herself off quickly, distracting herself with the thought that her hair will smell like Clint's as she rinses his shampoo out. Turning off the water, she pulls back the curtain and wraps a fluffy towel around her freezing body, shivering as more air hits her.

An outfit is folded neatly on the lid of the toilet, meaning Clint slipped in and out of the room without her realizing. The jeans fit like a glove, but the long-sleeve, on the other hand, does not. It takes her a moment to realize it's Clint's as she buttons the plaid shirt, her first thought having been it's one of Laura's maternity shirts.

Rolling the sleeves up so she can see her hands, Celeste exits the bathroom as Clint finishes buttoning his own plaid shirt.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah," she lies, taking in the bedroom.

A king-sized bed takes up the majority of the room, with a dresser and closet only a few steps away. The wooden rocking chair and small table by the window catches her eye and she moves towards it, her hand skimming over the mahogany.

A framed photograph sits in the center of the table, right where the afternoon sunlight will fall on it. Inside the frame, a teenage Celeste and Clint smile at each other tenderly, too caught up in their own little world to notice the fireworks going off above their heads.

"That's the night you left," she breathes out.

"Did you say something?" Clint asks, wandering over to where she stands.

"I was just saying that, um, that I don't think we'll have to worry about chopping wood around here for a while," Celeste answers, tearing her eyes away from the photo and gesturing to where Steve and Tony chop wood in the yard below. "And when we do, all we have to do is find Steve when he's in a bad mood. It'll-"

Clint presses a kiss to her lips, cutting her off. She can't help but to laugh before eagerly returning it, pushing her nagging thoughts away and allowing him to guide her to the bed.

"I didn't realize talking about wood could turn you on so easily," she jokes as her back hits the mattress and he gently climbs on, hovering over her body.

"It doesn't," Clint admits, trailing kisses down her neck. "But hearing you talk about our future together does. Imagine it. We could-"

His hand brushes against her forearm as his lips go lower, causing Celeste to involuntarily cry out in pain. Clint immediately moves off of her, worry washing over his features.

"I could never love an experiment," his harsh voice echoes inside her head and tears threaten to spill once more.

She squeezes her eyes shut, willing the pain to disappear. She struggles to regain her breathing and tries to focus on the real Clint's worried questions instead of the voices in her head.

"Are you hurt? Did I hurt you? Do you need-"

"Please," she whimpers, cutting him off as she burrows her head in his shoulder, her tears quickly staining the fabric. "Just give me a minute."

Clint sits up on the bed and rests his back against the headboard, tentatively wrapping his arms around Celeste's frail waist and tugging her into his lap as she continues to cry into the crook of his neck.

The couple sits in silence for well over several moments, so long so that Clint begins to think she's fallen asleep.

"Wanda made me see my worst fear," she finally says through a watery voice, pulling back to face him. "And you were there."

"You're afraid of me?" Clint questions, the hurt lacing his tone causing his voice to crack. Tears pool in his eyes and it's enough to cause Celeste to have to fight back another tidal wave of tears. "I had no id-"

"I'm afraid of what you'll think of me," she admits shamefully, ducking her head so she doesn't have to meet his gaze. "There's a lot I've learned about my past that I've been keeping from you."

Clint doesn't answer immediately, instead tucking his index finger under her chin and lifting her head back up. The pads of his thumbs brush away fallen tears as she stares into his caring blue eyes and he presses a tender kiss to her cheek.

"There is nothing about you or your past that can get rid of me," he promises. "You can tell me when you're ready. Hell, you never have to tell me if that's what you want. No matter what, I'm not leaving."

"But-"

"This cruel world has already made me miss out on ten years of being by your side," he presses on. "I don't plan on missing anymore."

"You-"

"Celeste Delancey Wilson," he cuts her off once more, a smile threatening to break across his features. "If you'll be so kind as to stop interrupting, I'm asking you to marry me."

"This is touching," a scarily familiar voice cuts in from the doorway before Celeste can answer. "But I need to talk to Stark. Send him to the barn."

➵➵➵➵

The Avengers, minus Thor but with the addition of Nick Fury, sit around the kitchen as evening falls. Celeste and Tony play darts off to the side, Clint and Nick put away dishes they got out during dinner, Natasha and Bruce sit at the wooden table, and Steve leans against the doorway.

"This isn't fair," Tony whines as she wins yet another round. "You're dating an archer!"

"Would you like to date him instead?" Celeste counters.

"If it means I'll win at darts."

A dart sails past Tony's face, hitting the bullseye. He turns to glare at Clint, who merely chuckles and offers a shrug of his shoulders before going back to drying dishes.

"Actually," he speaks up, glancing to Celeste briefly before continuing. "She's not dating an archer anymore."

"What!" Natasha demands, nearly toppling out of her chair as she jerks her body around to stare at the woman.

"He's right," Celeste agrees cheekily, lifting her left hand to show off a diamond engagement ring. "Because I'm marrying one."

"Tony owes me twenty dollars!" Bruce cheers excitedly.

"I didn't think Barton had it in him," he admits, pulling Celeste into a congratulatory hug nonetheless. "But congrats, even if it cost me twenty bucks."

"Because twenty dollars is going to cause you to go bankrupt," Natasha scoffs, tugging Celeste's hand into hers. "I'm happy for you, but I might actually kill Clint for not telling me he was even planning on asking.”

"I'm thrilled for the happy couple, but let's not forget what brought us to the middle of nowhere in the first place," Nick speaks up as the excitement dies down, gesturing vaguely with the cup in his hand. "Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself some time. My contacts all say he's building something. The amount of vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing."

"What about Ultron himself?" Steve asks.

"He's easy to track, he's everywhere," Nick answers. "The guy is multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit. Still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans though."

"Is he still going after launch codes?" Tony questions, not looking away from where he throws a dart at the board. He looks over to Celeste, a challenging glint in his eyes. "If I win, I get to plan the wedding."

"If you lose, you have to pay for the wedding," she retorts.

"Deal."

"He is," Nick says to his initial question, rolling his eyes at their antics. "But he's not making any headway."

"I cracked the Pentagon spiral in high school on a dare," Tony brags.

"Well, I contacted our friends at the NEXUS about that," Nick says.

"NEXUS?" Steve asks.

"It's the world's internet flow," Bruce explains. "Every bite of data passes through there."

"So what'd they say?" Clint asks, sitting in a chair backward and resting his chin on the back of it.

"He's fixated on the missiles, but the codes are constantly being changed."

"By who?" Tony asks, groaning as Celeste hits the bullseye, effectively ending their game. "Your budget is that twenty dollars I lost to Bruce."

"How about no budget," she counters. "And you can help pick out my dress?"

"Deal."

"Party's unknown," Nick states.

"do we have an ally?" Natasha questions.

"Ultron has an enemy. That's not the same thing," Nick replies. "Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is."

"I might need to visit Oslow," Tony offers. "Find our unknown."

"Well, this is good times, boss," Natasha jokes. "But I was kinda hoping when I saw you, you'd have more than that."

"I do, I have you. Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere, ears everywhere else. You kids had all the tech you could dream of. Here we all are, back on Earth, nothing but our wit and our wills to save the world," Nick rants, beginning to pace the kitchen. "Ultron says the Avengers are the only thing between him and his mission, and whether or not he admits it, his mission is global destruction. All this, laid in a grave. So stand, or I'm with the platinum bastard."

"Steve doesn't like that kind of talk," Natasha retorts with a smirk.

"You know what, Romanoff?" Steve threatens playfully.

"So, what does he want?" Nick asks.

"To become better, better than us," Steve points out. "He keeps building bodies."

"Person bodies. The human form isn't efficient," Tony adds. "Biology speaking, we're out loaded, but he keeps going back to it."

"When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed," Natasha laughs, earning a high five from Celeste.

"They don't need to be protected. They need to evolve," Bruce mutters, mostly to himself as he takes his glasses off to rub tiredly at his eyes. "Ultron is going to evolve."

"How?" Fury demands.

"Has anyone been in contact with Helen Wincho?"