You Didn't See That Coming? ~Hawksilver~ #Wattys2015

IIII

"...yes, can I get two pizzas? One of them half-pepperoni and half-cheese, the other one a Hawaiian styled pizza?...Okay....okay...thank you very much," Laura said on the phone. "No, that won't be necessary. A friend of a friend is picking it up at the location, no need to send it out here. Oh, and can we get an order of breadsticks as well?...thank you. Bye now." She hung up the phone, and the kids did a victory dance, chanting:

"We're getting piiiiizza, we're getting piiiiiizza-"

"I'm sorry, having to bring all of them home the day I get back," I said, apologetically.

"No, no, it's really fine with me. I don't mind," she said, wrapping her arms around me, and I rest my hand on her baby bump. "Besides, the kids adore them. So, who is coming for dinner?"

"Nat's schedule cleared up, so she'll stop by. And obviously, Tony's bringing the doctors and is picking up the pizza. Well, unless Tony brings someone else along, I think that's all." She nodded.

"Okay, then I'll toss together a salad, too. Might as well. I have all the ingredients."

"Sounds great," I said, and I kissed her forehead, separating the hug.

"And the twins are staying for a while, I assume? We should figure out where Wanda's going to stay. If she wouldn't mind, she could go on a couch, otherwise Lila could go to the couch and Wanda can go in Lila's room-"

"Hey," I said, "We'll figure it out, don't worry. Just relax, okay?"

"Okay," she said, smiling. "I'm going to make the salad, then I think I'll close my eyes for a little while."

"Anything you need me to do?"

"You can take care of the twins, and the kids," she said, "Most importantly, listen for the door. If Tony comes, we wouldn't want to waste any time letting the doctors in." She leaned in a little to speak softly, so the kids wouldn't hear (not like they were listening anyways, they were too busy chanting about pizza and jumping up and down.) "He looks pretty bad."

"You're telling me," I muttered, "I almost threw up, just looking at that bad wound."

"Poor kid..." She looked up the stairs at the closed door to the guest room. "As long as they need to stay, they are more than welcome here. This is their home, too. Just as it is Nat's. Pietro saved your life, Clint, and we owe him and his sister anything we can give them."

"I know...Laura, if he died back there, I don't know what I would have done..." My throat choked up remembering how hr had fallen, how Wanda had screamed her lungs out, the relief that washed over me to see he was still alive. "If the events had turned and he hadn't made it, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." There was a knock at the door, and Laura ran to open it.

"Come in, please," she said, letting Tony, a woman, two men, and a couple boxes of pizza into the house.

"Hey, Clint, Laura. Pizza's here."

"YAY!" The kids screamed, running into the room. They froze seeing the doctors.

"It's okay, they're here to help Pietro get better," I told them, and they weren't scared of the strangers anymore. "Here, let me get you three situated, and you can all get dinner later if you'd like, we have plenty of food."

"Thank you," the younger man with dark hair said. "We really appreciate it."

"Follow me." We went up to the guest room, where Pietro lay, nearly asleep but not quite, in the bed. Wanda looked up at us.

"He is not doing too well," she said sadly. "He isn't breathing very well. He's in a lot of pain, and he's lost a lot of blood. I can tell just from reading his mind." Steve stood back, watching with narrowed, worried eyes.

"Please step out, all of you," the older man with graying hair said.

"I'm not leaving him, he is my brother," Wanda said, almost screaming at them.

"She can help," I told them, and they nodded understandingly. "Come on, Steve. Call me up if you need anything. If there are any problems, too."

"Will do," the woman said, and she lay him back, starting to examine the various bullet holes in his chest and biceps. With a final look back, I sighed and closed the door gently behind me and walked down the stairs with Steve.

"Poor kid," I whispered, turning the corner into the kitchen to see a mini pizza party had started while I was upstairs.

"Hey, Daddy!" Cooper said, and I smiled, pulling up a chair and sitting down.

"How's the kid doing?" Tony asked.

"Is he alright?" Laura asked, eating a forkful of salad.

"I can't tell you much yet, the doctors didn't want Steve and me in their way. I totally get it, it's fine. Whatever they need me to do to take care of him." Laura nodded.

"Daddy, what happened to Pietro?" Lila asked, taking a bite of her pizza but looking at me curiously.

"Well," I said, swallowing the sip of water I'd taken. "Pietro surprised all of us today. When we were on Sokovia. You know about Sokovia, right?" Lila and Cooper both nodded. "Well, before we evacuated the people, just before it happened, a woman called out for her son who was in the market. I went to go get him for her, but Ultron...the robot that we shut down today...he was going to hurt me and the boy before we could get to the boat. Pietro came in between us, saved our lives. But he got very hurt in the process." I cleared my throat to try to get rid of the choked up feeling in it. Lila looked down at her plate sort of sadly.

"But he's gonna be okay, right?" She asked.

"...I wish I could say I knew right now, sweetheart. He'll live, don't worry, but for all I know it will take a lot of recovery. Or maybe just a few days. Who knows?"

"But he'll be okay?" I nodded. "Good. Because I don't want Wanda to have to be separated from her brother." I remembered how she screamed when he got shot, and my heart clenched, but we kept eating anyways. Tony and Steve remained absolutely solemn and silent for a few minutes, then conversation broke out.

"What do you think, Clint?"

"I dunno, Tony." I took a sip of water.

"But if you put it in an elevator-" Steve said.

"It'd still go up?" Tony suggested.

"Elevator's not worthy," Steve said with a small smile.

"Not unless it was a really...you know what, I lost my trait of though there. Never mind. Yeah, maybe Steve's right," I said, and the kids giggled a little.

"Thor has long hair like a girl," Lila said.

"Nu-uh, not all boys have to have short hair," Cooper said, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"That's not nice, both of you," Laura said gently, eating some pizza. Suddenly, the younger of the male doctors came downstairs.

"Mr Barton, we need you up here," he said, "Sorry to interrupt your dinner."

"No, no, it's fine. Everything alright?"

"It's a little complicated because he's enhanced. We'll explain when you come upstairs." I nodded, and got up and followed him to the guest room.