The Trial of Bruce Banner

Arrest

"I want to go down the slide again," Rebecca pleads with wide eyes as her hands rest on Clint's kitchen table.

"We're not doing that again," Natasha answers as she paces, grabbing her daughter's small wrists, "Don't jump on Uncle's table."

She straightens her top and takes a deep inhale and subsequent exhale.

Laura offers a mug full of tea. The smell alone sends Romanoff into a mental spiral;

"I need to get back to my house. What if they have him in custody?"

Laura half shrugs, eyeing Rebecca as she heads for the basket of coloring papers, "I...-you had Jen stay with you for a reason. If she felt it was legal-."

"-Because,' Natasha steals the mug aggressively, 'my escaping the house through a secret slide felt 'legal'. You can't file lawsuits against my daughter's existence and then complain you don't have access to her...-What is Jen doing if she can't protect him?! I shouldn't have let her stay if she can't help us."

"She's a fabulous lawyer,' Laura defends, sipping from her own mug in the small kitchen, 'let her work her magic...You're on edge."

"Nothing puts me on edge," Natasha scoffs and tips too much of the hot tea into her mouth.

She swirls the hot liquid around her mouth and swallows, letting it burn her tongue and throat. The pain is welcomed compared to stressing over laws and lawsuits.

"Becks does," Clint deadpans as he starts to scrub a leftover frying pan in the sink.

Natasha glares with another mouthful of tea, forcing a swallow.

She leaves the half drunk mug at his side, "I left him alone. I know I need to go back."

"You need to let Jen handle this," Laura crosses a knee as she sits calmly at her kitchen table.

"She's right," Clint's head tilts as he grabs Natasha's mug, "You heard Fury. He can't do anything precaution wise. Not when Bruce broke protocol-."

"Clint!" Laura snaps.

"You know what I mean!"

Natasha crosses her arms and stares outside the screen door. She watches the sparrows fight for the best spot on the wire, wings flapping like mad as they peck each other territorially.

"I should've fought harder," she mutters under her breath.

Clint exhales heavily, scrubbing a dish, "You got Becks out. If they look for her-."

"They'll come here,' Natasha pivots on her heel, 'if Becks is their endgame, they'll search Tony's place and come here next."

Laura smiles and lets her head fall to the side. The overall calm demeanor leaves Natasha struggling for breath as she plops into an empty chair at the table.

Laura mumbles under her breath ever so simply;

"We know. We're prepared for that."

Natasha rubs her eye, only now realizing what lengths their closest friends have gone to for her and Rebecca's sake;

"Thank you."

They don't need to explain themselves, she knows Clint Barton aka her best friend and his wife, hell, even their children have been debriefed on emergency procedures for her sake.

Natasha hides her face in her palms and permits herself to release pent up tears full of frustration.

Laura reaches an arm across the table to run a thumb against Natasha's bicep.

"We've got you," Laura reassures.

"And Becks," Clint dries his hands on the nearby towel, eyeing the snooping kids through his peripheral.

Natasha chuckles through a tearful exhale as she tries to refocus on Clint chasing her daughter and his son through the house in a game.

Clint runs by the house phone once it rings, letting the kids push forward in their continued game.

Barton holds the phone to his collarbone, "It's Jen."

Natasha leaps forward to snatch up the device and tucks it against her shoulder as she answers, "Where's Bruce?"

Her shoulder slump forward, eyes closing immediately. Her facial muscles tense as hard as her neck.

She can barely feel a hand on her shoulder, knowing it's Laura's.

Hearing the words, "He's been arrested" takes all hope from Romanoff the instant she hears it.

The spy channels a well trained fictitiously put together response, "For what?"

She holds her breath as Jen answers, "The documentation of experimental clones was too accessible."

"And I wasn't there when he needed me," Natasha looks up at the light above and blinks twice in an attempt to hold back tears.

"He's okay."

"That's what he wants you to think," Natasha shakes her head, "Local? Did they take him far?"

"Local precinct. I'm on my way."

"Same,' Natasha clicks her jaw, 'get to him as soon as you can. I'll be right behind you."

"I will. I'm on it Natasha, trust me."

Romanoff bites the corner of her lip, "Yeah, I know. Thank you."