Kate's finger shook as she hastily opened the door, half of her was terrified what she learn if she opened this door to a complete stranger.

Not a complete stranger. She reminded herself. Clint's brother. That he never mentioned. For all she knew this guy could just be some random agent that was trying to get information about shield or the young avengers out of her.

But when she opened the door she instantly knew none of that could be true, because standing in front of her was Clint.

"Clint?" She couldn't help but ask, it had been so long since she had seen that stupid face.

The man at the door just smiled slightly. "My name is Barney, we spoke on the phone, you gave me this address."

Kate nodded and looked the man over again, after he spoke it seemed glaringly obvious that Barney wasn't Clint. Sure they looked very, very similar but it just wasn't the same. Barney was older, his smile didn't make his eyes scrunch up like Clint's used to, his hair had a slightly more red tinge than Clint's, his lips were longer, this teeth a bit straighter.

Kate smiled, but it was a bit forced. "Come in. I'm sorry,it's just you looked so much like Clint at first glance....."

"Yah, I understand." Barney stepped inside. "Don't feel bad, at least you didn't chase me through Central Park, tackle me and knock me out because you thought I was my little brother."

Kate cringed. "Let me guess. Natasha? The tiny, scary, Russian one?"

He nodded. "The one and only, and my god are you right about the scary part. I mean, it was like having the world's most dangerous feline on your tail."

Kate smiled again, at least his humour was just like Clint's. "Do you want something to drink? I've got basically everything."

"No thanks, I feel like maybe we should just sit down and get to brass tacks." Barney sat down on the couch and instantly sunk in an inch.

Kate sat down across from him and smiled her business smile. "Alright, brass tacks. What are the brass tacks?"

"Clint..." Barney ran a hand through his hair. "How do I say this?"

"He's dead? I know already, a few years ago the avengers phoned and told me,kinda." Kate's smile fell quite a bit.

"No, Clint isn't dead. He's alive, he faked his death."

Barney's words rung through the apartment like a gunshot, making Kate almost fall out of her chair.

Clint, her Clint was alive.

She could feel the tears beginning to well up and stream down her face and she was also vaguely aware of Barney wrapping a comforting arm around her, but none of it mattered.

Her Clint was alive and he had never came home to her. She understood that he never felt like he belonged with the avengers, and he had to lay low for a bit so no one found him, but he could've came back home after a few months. He could've at least told her what was happening, that he was alright. He could've said that he was done with this life and never wanted to see her again, but at least she would've know he was okay. At least she wouldn't have mourned him for over two years.

"Why?" Kate coughed out. "Why did he never come home?"

Barney closed his eyes, "I don't know. When we were little Clint was convinced that he was the bringer of bad luck and death, I guess he never gave up on that thought. He didn't want to see anymore of his friends hurt."

"So he just fakes his death? Doesn't he know that people love him, that he is like their older brother? I needed him, I need my older brother Barney!" Kate started to weep even harder.

"I know sweetheart, I need my little brother."

__________________________

Steve sighed as he rubbed his eyes. They had been on the road for weeks now, looking for Bucky and Clint and the trail was getting so cold it reminded him too much of his time in the ice. Tony was still at the wheel, his eyes barely open. Natasha and Bruce were collapsed over each other in the back seat, each snoring like chain saws. They all looked like they had been through hell and back. It was like they were aging before his eyes. Steve couldn't let them keep going like this, they had been chasing dead leads for what seemed like forever and sooner or later they had to give up. Maybe Clint and Bucky don't want to be found. Bucky had been missing for seventy years and Clint for more than two, was it time to just let them stay missing?

Steve could hear the voices in his head fighting back and forth.

"You can't give up, Bucky means too much to you! Clint means everything to Natasha!!"

"You are watching your teammates waste away to nothing, this mission is slowly killing them emotionally. You have to call it off before someone gets hurt."

"So what! You were all insane to begin with and you are getting so close!"

"The trail went cold days ago, it's time to go back to New York. The world needs the avengers alive and healthy."

"Screw the world!! Bucky is your world and if the avengers are going to save the world they need their teammate! You can't save the world without Clint."

"Look around the car, why is Bruce here? Why is Tony here? They are here because you guys are a team and teams do what is best for each other. Do what is best for them and stop this madness now."

Steve could feel a headache coming on.

"Tony?" He said.

"Yah?" Tony wasn't nearly as awake as he should be.

"Pull the car over, we need to talk."

Tony frowned, but did as the captain said.

The deceleration and stopping woke up the back seat, making Natasha lean her head into the front area.

"Why are we stopping?" She asked groggily.

"Steve has something he wants to say." Tony motioned tiredly with one hand.

All eyes in the hummer turned to Steve.

"Um, alright then, I'm just going to say it. I'm calling this off, we are going to stop looking for Clint and Bucky and we are going to go home to New York."

There was a moment of silence before the tidal wave of questions hit.

"What?" Tony looked at him like he was insane. "Why?"

"We are so close Steve! Don't you want to see Bucky again? Because I sure as hell want to see Clint!" Natasha looked angry, but then again angry and tired had been her default settings after Clint left.

Bruce looked deep in thought, but said nothing.

Steve looked at each of the passengers. "Has anyone looked in a mirror lately? This 'mission' is making you old. It's like you are falling apart in front of my very eyes. It isn't healthy anymore!"

Bruce nodded and finally spoke up. "The captain is right, this isn't helping anyone anymore. We need to go back to New York, looking for Clint and Bucky is shredding us apart. You've said this many times, the world needs the avengers healthy and sane."

Natasha turn to look out the window, trying to hide her words but Steve heard them crystal clear. "I need Clint, Clint is my world."

Steve felt Natasha's words dig into him, stabbing into his heart like razor sharp shards of glass. But he said nothing, honestly too scared to say anything in fear that he would say something he would regret.

Natasha turned back from the window. "Fine, go ahead. Let's go back to New York, I don't care anymore. Let's take a week and then we start looking again. And if none of you want to keep looking I'll go on myself. Clint is my best friend and I am dragging him back home." Natasha's words seemed final, but to Tony nothing was ever final.

"Natasha?" He said carefully, "What if Clint doesn't want to come back?"

"Then, then...." Natasha looked at her shoes. "Then I don't know. I was Clint's partner for I don't know how long, and if he wants to forget all that. I just, I'm not sure. When I find him, I'll understand."

The avengers exchanged glances, they had never seen Natasha this lost before, but then again Clint had always been there for Natasha.

Natasha needed Clint, but they weren't so sure Clint needed Natasha anymore.