All American Dad

Off We Go

It was a quiet morning, about a month after Clint had returned home. Lillian and Nathaniel were running around the house playing hide and seek. Laura and Clint were snuggling on the couch watching them as they appeared randomly around corners. Lila and Cooper were outside cleaning out the playhouse. Laura smiled and snuggled closer to Clint, grateful to have a semi-normal morning.

They should have known better.

The front door opened and closed slowly. Clint cocked his head around the doorway to try and see what it was. He heard the footsteps of Lillian and Nathaniel stop dead in their tracks.

"Hi, Lily." A gruff, quiet voice said fighting back tears.

"Daddy!" Lillian shrieked and ran to hug the man in the doorway. Clint and Laura jumped off of the couch and ran into the hallway. There at the end stood Steve, holding Lillian tightly, tears streaming down his face onto his dirty uniform. He held her back and looked at her.

"You're so big!" Steve chuckled as he held her.

"I missed you!" Lillian smiled and squeezed her dad's face. "You was gone for a long time, daddy." Lillian frowned.

"I know honey, I'm so sorry. But I'm back now. I'm not leaving you again." Steve sobbed as he held her tightly.

"Welcome back." Laura smiled. Steve forced a smile her way before hugging Lillian tighter. Nathaniel watched them curiously, then waddled over to his dad to be held. Clint picked him up and cuddled him. Laura and Clint were now trying to hold back tears themselves.

"Are we going home, daddy?" Lillian asked. Steve sighed and shook his head.

"We are going to a new home, baby Lily. We can't go back to our old one anymore." Steve said. "We will get a new home, and we will get new things."

"Come on in." Clint interrupted. "You must be tired you should come relax."

"I'll make some lunch." Laura said as she scooted to the kitchen.

"So yeah, Lillian and I will be living illegally in Tokyo." Steve said as he and the entire Barton family sat around the table for a lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs.

"Why on earth would you pick Tokyo?" Clint asked rolling his eyes. "That sounds absolutely miserable, and I was just locked in a super security prison."

"It's not ideal, but nothing will be anymore." Steve sighed as he squirted ketchup onto his burger. "It's crowded, it's out of the country. What more could I ask for right now?"

"I only wish I could help more." Clint sighed and picked up a bag of chips.

"You've done quite enough." Steve said motioning to the house arrest monitor around Clint's ankle. "I couldn't ever ask any more of you guys."

"I would do anything for that little one." Laura said as she watched Lillian snuggle into her dad's chest. Steve smiled.

"I think any of us would. That girl could wrap Nick around her finger with that smile." Clint commented. Lillian looked around the room before grabbing a chip and shoving it into her mouth.

"More chips, daddy?" Lillian asked. Steve grabbed the bag and poured some onto their plate. "Tank you, daddy." Lillian hugged him before shoving her face with chips.

"Look at those manners." Steve commented. "She's a perfectly well behaved little lady."

"Um, no not perfect." Laura sighed recalling a time when Lily and Nathaniel knocked over the grill while playing a game. "But she's better than Lila was at that age."