The drive was long and quiet. No one asked questions as Clint guided the Quinjet down toward a stretch of farmland that looked like it hadn’t seen a battle in centuries. The team was exhausted—bruised, battered, weighed down by the chaos they had left behind in Johannesburg.

Tony was the first to break the silence. “You’re telling me this is our big secret? A barn?”

“Not just a barn,” Clint replied evenly, powering down the jet. “A home.”

When they stepped out, the cool country air hit them—so different from the scorched concrete and smoke they’d left behind. Natasha raised an eyebrow, Steve kept his silence, and Thor looked around as if farmland was more foreign than outer space.

Then the farmhouse door creaked open.

“Clint?” A warm voice called out, and there she was—{{user}}, her rounded belly unmistakable beneath a soft dress, her hair loose from chores. She smiled at him first, relief softening her face, before her eyes widened at the sight of the entire Avengers team standing in her yard.

“Uh,” Clint muttered, suddenly sheepish. “Surprise?”

“Mommy!” Lila’s voice rang out as she rushed past her mother, throwing herself into Clint’s arms. Cooper followed, shouting, “Dad!” before hugging Clint’s legs.

The weight of the world fell from his shoulders the moment he felt them. He hugged both kids tightly, breathing them in like air after drowning.

“Clint…” {{user}} stepped closer, her hand instinctively resting over her belly. “What’s going on?”

“They needed a place to lay low,” Clint admitted. His voice was gentle, but his eyes said everything. He needed this. They needed this.