i still hate you , pietro maximoff

Part Six

7 years ago- age eleven

Ashlynn had been living with the Barton's out at their house in the field.

Ashlynn started talking a few weeks in, finally comfortable with the people around her.

Clint had to go away every once in a while, and she didn't know why.

About a year after they adopted Ashlynn, when Clint came home and he brought a stranger.

Ashlynn heard Clint's voice and immediately ran to the door, Cooper and Lila in tow.

"Clint! You're home!" Ashlynn looked over and saw a strange lady with red hair.

"Who's this?" Ashlynn wondered.

"Ash, Cooper, Lila, this is your Aunt Nat." Clint replied.

"Where'd you get the other one from? You didn't tell me about her!" Nat exclaimed with mock hurt on her face.

Ashlynn walked up to Nat and said "Hello. I'm Ashlynn. But you can call me Ash if you want to. Everyone else I trust does."

"Awww," Nat broke into a huge smile. "She just met me and she already trusts me of all people."

"You know Nat, they say that children have some of the best judgement." Clint replied.

Nat smiled even more and picked Ash up and started tickling her.

Ashlynn started giggling and they ended up on the floor.

Cooper started tickling Ashlynn as well, and Lila stood there laughing her two year-old face off.

Laura walked into the main room. "Alright, alright, it's time for dinner you guys."

Over the next couple of years, Ashlynn grew a lot closer to Clint, Laura, Cooper, Lila, and Nat.
She was so comfortable around them that she even started calling Clint her dad, Laura her mom, and Nat her aunt.

6 years ago- age twelve

"Ash!" Clint called from outside.

"Coming dad!"

Clint's heart melted again, for like, the tenth time that day hearing Ashlynn call him dad.
He was so happy that Ash was comfortable enough with him to think of him and Laura as her parents and her family even if they weren't related by blood.

"What did you want dad?" Ashlynn wondered.

"Well, Ash, I know you've seen me do target practice before."

Ashlynn nodded in response.

"I wanted to teach you how to shoot a bow. First I'm going to teach you how to hold it, then I'll let you watch me and you can try. It might take some practice, but you should definitely be able to get it with time. Does that sound like fun?"

"Yes! Thank you!" Ashlynn ran up to Clint and hugged him tightly.

"Well then let's get started."

Clint started to teach Ashlynn how to hold the bow. Clint backed out of the way and told Ashlynn to shoot the arrow at the target.

Right before Ashlynn released the bow she muttered under her breath. "Please let this hit the target."

Ashlynn lets the arrow go and it starts to veer left and down, but all of a sudden a whole bunch of bees pick it up and help it move towards the target.

The arrow makes it to the bullseye and the bees leave the arrow and land in Ashlynn's hair and on her arms.

"Uh... LAURA!" Clint looks shocked and is a little scared of what just happened.