Pulling Me

Part Twenty-Eight: On the Run

"Y/N, we have to go. Now," she started throwing her stuff together and heading for the door.

"What? Why? What's going on?" They'd just been in the middle of a moment when the call from Clint rang through.

Kate continued shuffling things together, "I'll explain everything on the way. Just come on."

They followed her down and out to her car. Looking around, they tried to gauge if someone was near. Was Yelena really after them now? Was it all a lie? Had she really roped them in just to make it easier for her? Was this all a game?

Once the car started, Kate took off. She didn't know where to go, but she felt better knowing that SHIELD was tracking her phone. They'd find her quickly. She knew that.

It was silent in the car for a few minutes before Kate grew the nerve to speak, "They have Yelena."

Y/N looked over from the passenger's seat, "Who does? The Avengers?"

She swallowed hard, "No. Whoever contracted her to kill you. I don't know what happened but Clint told me to get out because they were coming for you next."

Either Yelena was in deep trouble for prolonging her mission or they overheard something. Y/N was silent. They didn't know how to respond and Kate could see the worry rippling across their face. She reached over and held their hand in hers. Maybe there wasn't a chance at anything between them, but she didn't think it was time to give up just yet.

Y/N held her hand and breathed slowly as they pulled up to a quiet park. It was past midnight now as they waited for SHIELD to arrive. Kate had been told they would find her and she trusted Clint meant that.

Little did she know that it would be Clint himself who would find them. Wheels squealing, he pulled in quickly shouting out to them, "Get in, let's go."

"How did you find us?" She asked, buckling the seat belt and making sure Y/N got in safely.

He pulled out quickly, speeding down the road, "I had a tracker put on your phone back before Christmas. I figured I would get to you quicker but wanted to make sure SHIELD was on their way in case something happened on my way."

Y/N was in a daze in the back seat. They did their best to pay attention but Kate noticed and just let them be. She knew there was so much going on and they weren't used to a life like this. Clint, Wanda, Kate, Yelena, they all had insane lives full of action.

Y/N? They lived in NYC and had experienced what most everyone had, but life on the run like this? Being sought after? That was something brand new and overwhelming.

They finally came to when they heard Clint explaining what happened with Yelena.

"Did you hear me, Y/N?" he asked, looking in the rearview mirror.

"Sorry," they shook their head, "What?"

He smiled. He couldn't imagine what it was like for them. This was all he'd known for years but he vowed to protect them. Not only for Wanda but for Yelena as well. He promised her that they'd be safe with SHIELD.

"She wanted to tell you herself who she was and why she befriended you. She wanted to tell you why she hadn't fulfilled her contract," He watched as their face lightened but noticed that Kate's fell as well. All these damn women, he thought to himself. He was surrounded by them but he felt a duty to protect them all. He loved them fiercely.

Y/N nodded, smiling as he continued but quickly realizing what came next, "Someone must have been near. They must have suspected something was up with her and they came without warning. I was knocked out cold and came to just as they were taking her away."

Kate spoke up now, "So what are we doing? Do we know who has her? Are we going after them?"

"Of course we are," Y/N responded. Clint smiled and nodded.

A sour taste filled Kate's mouth as she looked out the window, unable to look back at Y/N. The back of her eyes burned but she refused to let anyone see the strain these feelings were taking on her face.

Y/N sat in the back, unable to worry about Kate when they knew Yelena was in the custody of people who were not going to take mercy on her. They sat with their head rested back on the seat while their eyes scanned the fabric of the ceiling in Clint's car. Their mind was racing with thoughts, ideas, anything that might be able to help them find her.

But the problem was that this wasn't their expertise. Clint and Kate had obviously done stuff like this before. Clint was an Avenger and Kate... What was Kate? Something they didn't know, that's for sure.

What was it with them getting into things with women that lead double lives? One wanted to kill them and the other wanted to kill her.

And as much as they adored Yelena, as much as they truly did believe she was turning a new leaf by not taking them out, they couldn't help but wonder. What else was she hiding? What was everyone hiding from them? These weren't small things like their favorite color or where they were born.

These things Kate and Yelena hid from them were life-changing. Y/N figured this would be the perfect time to figure that out about Kate.

"So, Kate..." Y/N watched her head shift from the window and turn toward them a bit, "You told me you'd explain once we were safe."

She nodded, "And I did. I told you that someone has her."

The tone took them off guard. It was quick and low, not a tone she usually used while talking to them. "I mean about you, this. How are you a part of this?"

Clint looked over at her, gauging her face to see if he should intervene. She'd told him that she cared for Y/N deeply and he thought they'd known about her. Her hesitation proved otherwise.

Kate's head fell a bit as she thought of the best way to word it all. This could ruin a lot of things with them. Not only the prospect of figuring things out if it didn't work with Yelena but a friendship down the line if it did. How would they trust her? How would they handle knowing this stuff about Yelena and Kate?

"I don't really know how to explain it. I'm Clint's partner. We met about two months ago and I've helped him with things since. I'm awaiting papers and meetings to be secured as a member of SHIELD but that's all taking a bit."

They nodded, searching the car with their eyes to ground themselves. "And how do you know Yelena?"

Clint spoke first, "We met with her last month. She was contracted to kill me when she thought I'd killed her sister. Kate helped. She talked her down a lot and did her best."

"You told me about that at the Compound. I knew about you, but why were you there Kate? How did you get wrapped up in all this?" they asked as they shifted their head a bit to see her from where they sat in the back.

She looked over at her partner, seeing the sympathy growing in his eyes. Clint meant the world to her and that was such a big thing she hadn't gotten to share with them yet. She would have... eventually. Kate would've told Y/N in time.

"I'd always wanted to be like Clint," she said, watching his smile grow, "and I don't know. I just got lucky meeting him. I'd trained all my life in hopes for it and it worked out in the oddest way possible."

Y/N smiled but didn't respond. There wasn't much left to say now. The two people they'd grown to have feelings for had kept such big things from them and now they worried that they'd never be able to trust either of them.