Hawkeye: The Arrow Home

Mama Bird Pt. 1

2012

***Barton Ranch, Iowa***

A gray 2012 Honda Civic drove through the opened gate and up the driveway leading to the farmhouse.

Driving it was Bobbi with no Lance. When it was time to leave for the mission, Bobbi suggested for him to go ahead of her. Lance was hesitant at first given the weight of this situation and offered to go with her. But she dismissed him — quite harshly, actually — and went on her own. And now, here she was, pulling up to the Barton home.

As the car came to a stop, the speed of Bobbi's heart increased. Gripping the wheel tightly, she took deep breaths to calm herself.

In. Out. In. Out.

"Mommy?"

Her eyes snapped open and she turned to look at Frankie in the backseat, strapped in his car seat.

"Are we there?" He asked her.

Putting in her best smile, she nodded. "Yes we are, sweetie. We're there."

With that confirmed, Frankie felt a little nervous and looked out the windows as his mother got out of the car and came around to unbuckle him. Once he was out of the car, Bobbi held him up with one arm before closing the door.

Then she paused. She could really feel her heart pounding against her chest now. All of the missions she had been in for SHIELD, all of the stacked odds she had faced, all of them were nothing compared to how hard this would be. After a few more deep breaths, Bobbi began walking up to the house.

As she did, Frankie was looking around and took in the surrounding land. He had never seen so much wide open space before, not even at a park. Not that he went to parks very often. But when he did, there wasn't nearly as much space as there was here.

He wondered if he could play around here. Maybe his father would let him run around or climb up a tree!...then he started to wonder how his father would think of him. What if he was mean? What if he didn't like kids? What if...what if he didn't like him?

As Bobbi stepped onto the porch and knocked on the door, she set Frankie down and gave him a reassuring smile — though, she was really trying to reassure herself — before standing up straight. Frankie stayed behind her, holding onto her leg.

The door opened and revealed the kind face of one very pregnant Laura Barton. "Bobbi!" She greeted with open arms.

"Hey, Laura!" The SHIELD agent said, hugging her former teammate. "Wow, you look good."

At that Laura scoffed and laughed. "Tell me that when this one is out," she joked.

Suddenly, a pair of hands came up and hugged Laura and her bump from behind. "She's right, you do look good, babe."

"Save all that buttering up for this bun in the oven," Laura retorted to her husband.

Behind her was Clint Barton, SHIELD agent and now famed archer-themed superhero. Hawkeye.

"Hey, Bobbi," he said, acknowledging his old partner, "Long time."

She nodded at that. "It certainly has been."

"So, what brings you by?" Laura asked.

Before she could answer, Bobbi felt a tug on her pant leg. Knowing exactly who it was, she looked down at little Frankie who was still shying from the two grownups before them. However, as Bobbi looked down, so did they. And the surprise on their faces said it all.