Grimm Beginnings

Part Two: High Fying Grimms

Once the fragment was removed, Will's recovery accelerated to its usual speed. Before long, he was up and around, helping out with the usual chores around the grounds. It was when Marina found him kicking around a soccer ball with Clint, Kenny and the rest of the circus kids that she knew he was well on his way to getting better. Shifting her laundry basket under her arm, she tilted her head back and shouted, “Hey! You be careful! It wasn't that long ago you were laid up in bed, Captain Grimm!”

Grinning at her, Will sent the ball rocketing toward a giggling little girl. Ruffling Kenny's hair fondly as he passed, he jogged to join the woman beside the makeshift field. Reaching out, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Nasedka,” he teased with a quick squeeze.

“How is your knee?”

Mouth twisting as he looked down at the still wrapped joint, he shrugged. “I'll probably need the cane tonight, but I'll live. This is good . . . I feel good.”

A warm smile curved up one corner of her lips as she chuckled, “I'm glad. I'm serious though, don't strain yourself. I don't want you to have a relapse, okay?”

“Okay,” he promised, the two adults looking back as Clint shouted, “Will! Come on!”

“Coming!” the officer called back, with a roll of his eyes.

Chuckling, she teased, “Duty calls.”

“Tonight; we'll talk yeah?”

“Yeah,” she agreed, a brilliant grin on her lips as he bent and sketched a warm kiss across her cheekbone before dashing back to rejoin the game. Marina laughed as she watched him roar, scooping up Clint and Kenny with arms around their waists and swinging them in circles to the chorus of their delighted giggles. Shaking her head at the usual antics – and secretly relieved to see them – Marina turned away from the game and headed towards the rail-car.

Jason was sprawled out in the open doorway, leaning back against the frame with his nose buried in a book. “Allo, sladkiy,” she greeted fondly, watching him jolt back to awareness with a grin. “You're sitting in the doorway again.”

“Yeah, Barn's in our room,” he grunted, offering Marina a hand to steady her climb into the rail-car before returning his attention back to his book.

“Alone?”

“No,” was the only answer Jason would give, earning a fierce growl from Marina.

Setting the family's laundry basket on the table, she moved deeper into the car, her fist coming up to bang against the closed door. “This door had better be open and your ass clothed in two minutes, Barney Joshua, or I promise you what happens next will guarantee your celibacy for the next twenty years!”

Ninety seconds later, the door slid open and the second eldest Grimm emerged from the room, a furiously blushing brunette trailing behind him. Marina cocked an eyebrow at the young girl, greeting her coldly, “Sandy . . . I think your parents are looking for you.”

“Yes ma'am,” was all the girl said, looking up at Barney. His roguish grin and quick peck to her lips clearly cheered her up before she scampered from the car, jumping over Jason's outstretched legs and dashing away.

“Was that really necessary?” Barney demanded with a growl as he glared at his sister.

“I've told you, Barney . . . not here. Not where your brothers can catch you. You wanna bang your doxies, you do it somewhere else.”

“I'm 18 years old!”

“Then start acting like it. Clint and Kenny look up to you while Will is gone . . . and I will not have you giving them a bad example to follow.” Huffing, Barney reached back to thread his hair into a sloppy braid. Glaring at the hair, Marina turned her back on him, feeling her temper rise. “This is the last time I'm going to say it, Barney . . . no girls in your room. Ponimayete?”

“Whatever,” was the flippant response.

Will's voice cut in sharply, earning a sharp flinch from the teenager. “I don't recall that being an acceptable answer before I left, and I am very certain it's still not an acceptable answer now. The right answer would be 'yes ma'am'.” Climbing up into the car, the officer glared at the younger brother as he folded his arms over his chest, insisting, “Now you try.”

Marina could all but hear Barney's jaw grinding as he grit out, “Yes ma'am.”

“Now let's try it without the sarcasm,” Will ordered, mercurial eyes blazing silver as he watched the Army's training set in and Barney straightened up, tone rigid and respectful as he insisted, “Yes ma'am.”

“Thank you. Get outta here. You're on KP duty.”

A brisk nod was Barney's only response before he too leaped over Jason and dashed towards the mess. Will's hand was warm on Marina's elbow as he insisted, “You okay?”

“I'm fine. He just makes me so mad sometimes,” Marina promised, her own hand cupping around his before she turned to look at the middle Grimm. “How's your homework coming?”

“Finished it already. Which reminds me. There's this group project due next week; my group was wondering if I could spend the night in town so we could work on it one night.”

“How would that work? You can't drive.”

“If you write a note, I can take the bus with Billy back to his place. I'll crash there that night and take the bus with him to school the next morning. Then take the bus home.”

Taking a deep breath, Marina looked up at Will, “What do you think?”

The eldest brother smirked as he reminded her, “This is Jay. He's trustworthy. It's okay with me.”

“Your brother said it's okay with him, so it's okay with me. I'll write you the note. When do you need it?”

“Is tomorrow night okay?”

“That's fine. I'll leave the note on the table in the morning before school, okay?”

“You're the best, Marishka,” he cheered, bending over to press a warm kiss to her cheek before moving into his room. Both Will and Marina could hear the creak of the ladder as he climbed up into his bunk and settled into the mattress with his book. The Russian huffed as she ran a hand back through her hair, tone snarky as she sighed, “Well, at least one of my boys is easy.”

“Kenny?” Will joked, leaning around her to grab a glass out of the cabinet.

“Okay fine; two of my boys. Two out of five is still a terrible percentage.”

“Hey!? What did I do?”

Her smile was sickly sweet as she chirped, “Would you like the list alphabetically? Or chronologically?”

“You're hilarious,” Will deadpanned with a roll of his eyes.

“That's interesting. I didn't think it was all that funny.”

Leaning back against the counter, the Captain sipped on his water as he watched her fold the boys' clothes. “Are you going to tell me why you're mad at me? Or are you going to make me guess?”

“How about we start with the fact you haven't been sleeping since you got home? And no, passing out from exhaustion doesn't count. Unconsciousness isn't sleep.”

Quicksilver eyes flashed verdant green for a moment, before turning mossy with resignation. “How did you know that?”

“I didn't. Thank you for the confirmation.”

Will groaned, cursing himself luridly under his breath at being caught out. “I can't believe I still fall for that old ploy.”

“You're a soldier, Misha. You tend to take the world at face value. You'd be an excellent intelligence asset, but the sneakiness of being a spy wouldn't come naturally.”

“Blunt force trauma to the face?”

“Pretty much,” she agreed with a grin and a wink. Sobering, she folded her arms and glared at him, “You didn't answer my question. Why aren't you sleeping?”

“Nightmares,” came the expected answer, causing Marina to sigh.

“You have always had nightmares, Misha. Doesn't explain why these are preventing you from going back to sleep.”

“I got hurt, Marina.”

“I know . . . I was there when Doc cut a bullet fragment out of the back of your leg,” she reminded him with a roll of her eyes. “But you've been hurt worse than this before. You're up and around and just fine.”

Scoffing, Will agreed. “Yeah. And meanwhile, ten of my guys are six feet under and another eight may never walk again. And let's not count the other dozen or so who are saying fervent prayers during their recoveries that once they've healed, their careers in Spec Ops aren't over. And yet here I am . . . as good as new. Just the way Cahill made me.” A shaky hand ran back through his close-cropped hair as he sighed, “How is that fair?”

Marina reached out to touch his arm, drawing his attention onto her face. “I don't think I've ever given you reason to believe war was fair.” Tightening her grip when he snorted and attempted to pull away, she reminded him sternly, “Owen walked away from that ambush, without a scratch. In large part because of you. Is that fair? Would you wish injury on your best friend because others in your unit weren't so lucky?”

“No, of course not!”

“Then why do you wish it on yourself?”

There was a pause as the young man considered that, before he huffed, teasing fondly, “No fair, using logic in an argument.”

“Someone has to kick your ass out of your guilt trips, Misha. I'm just better suited to it.”

Nodding soberly, he took another drink of his water as he watched her return to her chore. Finally, he spoke again, “Do we need to talk about Barney?”

“Probably. Do I want to? No, not really.”

Will swallowed the last of his water, moving to the tiny sink to rinse the glass and then slip it over a peg hanging from the rack on the wall to dry. Stroking fingers over the wood, he asked fondly, “Did Kenny make this?”

“Yeah . . . he's very talented, Misha. Remember? He made me the cabinet next to your head too.”

“Hm . . . maybe I can look into getting him a decent tool set for his birthday.”

“The one he has works just fine,” she scolded, cocking an eyebrow at him. “Besides, we can't afford it.”

There was a noticeable crease between the Captain's brows as he huffed, “I wish I could do more.”

“Your paycheck is a godsend, Misha. I wish you'd keep more of it for yourself, but it is. The money is a huge help.”

“How are Clint's ears?”

“I told you about the ear infection last month, right?”

“Yeah . . . you said it was pretty nasty,” he agreed, smiling sadly at the way she stroked her fingers over the collar of Kenny's favorite t-shirt so the fabric laid straight. “How bad is it?”

“I don't know. They wanted to put tubes in.”

“Tubes? Isn't he too old?”

“Yes, technically, but the infections are coming so frequently right now they're almost his last option.”

“I can get him on the insurance, Marina. We can take him to a real doctor; Doc is great, but Clint needs an ENT.”

“And we both decided, a long time ago, the last thing we wanted was to be on anyone's radar. Putting Clint on your insurance would solve a bunch of problems . . . and probably create a dozen more.”

Will's hands shoved back through his hair as he forced out a harsh groan. “I hate this. If I could just claim you guys . . . the benefits would be tremendous.”

“Not if it lands you back in a cage. It's not worth the risk, Misha. Please.” Reaching out, she cupped his cheek. “Promise me . . . let it go.”

“Fine . . . I promise.” Quicksilver eyes slipped closed as he counted backwards from 100 in Arabic. Once he was calmer, he looked back down at Marina once again, “I can send more.”

“Misha, you need money just like we do. You have uniforms to buy, shoes, socks, food, rent . . . basic necessities. You can't send everything back to us. What you can send, is a blessing. Don't deny yourself the things you need, to make sure we're okay. We get by; yeah, it's not always easy, but we manage. And we will continue to manage.”

“Clint and Kenny are wearing clothes I wore ten years ago. And Clint's ears are getting worse. Jason is so smart and we can't even afford the engineering books he would be interested in.”

“So maybe it's time to swallow your pride . . . and call Howard.”

“I will not accept his charity.”

“Howard doesn't think of it as charity.”

“I don't want to be the thing he feels guilty for. Okay?”

There was a long pause as the two considered each other, before Marina sighed. “If I promise to let you put Clint on the insurance, will you promise to call Howard?”

Will's eyes narrowed as he took in the concession, before he countered, “Clint and Kenny, and I'll call Stark.”

Marina bit down on her lower lip, before she nodded, “Done.”

“All right. Let me call HR and get them on. Then I'll call Stark.”

Knowing Will would never go back on his word – regardless of how much he was already regretting the decision to call their unnamed and mostly invisible benefactor – Marina allowed the delay graciously. She pushed herself up onto her toes and pressed a warm kiss to his cheek, “Thank you, Misha. I'll make a list of things we need.”

Nodding in agreement, the eldest Grimm watched as she scooped up the folded clothes and dashed towards her room. Jason appeared in the doorway, a cautiously hopeful look on his face, as he asked, “Mr. Stark's coming?”

“Probably. But most likely not till the weekend; you'll get to see him, I promise.”

“Thanks, Will.”

“You're welcome. Would you go find Clint and Kenny for me? It's about time to clean up for dinner.”

“Sure thing,” the teenager agreed, fingers reverent as they dog-eared a page of his well-worn book and laid it carefully on the small kitchen table.

Will waited until after he was gone to pick up the book. The cover was held together with duct tape, the pages were yellowed and faded, and Jason's distinct handwriting had scrawled across the front. “Mary Shelley's Frankenstein . . . talk about your light reading, kiddo,” Will snarked, running his thumb carefully along the top of the pages. Making a mental note about finding a better intact copy for the boy's birthday, he laid the book down gently so as not to damage it further. Then, in search of the circus' single phone, he jumped from the rail-car and headed towards Dedushka's office; he had a few calls to make.

*****************************

The next day, Marina watched as Will wandered through the motions. He had been recruited to go through the accounts, just as he had always done before he'd enlisted. Every time Marina would pass the tiny office, she'd hear her boyfriend cursing a blue streak inside the room. Unable to resist chuckling, she'd swap out the plates he left for the food she'd bring and disappear again.

Owen had taken over one of Barney's chores; as usual, the 18 year old had disappeared and someone had to do it. The two younger boys and Jason were at school, and Marina was sitting with some of the other circus women, mending costumes before the big show in Prescott Valley the following month. The Russian was scowling at the sequins on her own costume when she heard her name and jolted, hissing as the needle sank into her thumb instead of the fabric. Shoving the appendage in her mouth, she grumbled around it, “Sorry, I didn't hear you.”

The youngest member of the circle spoke up, “I asked, how's Will?”

Hot chocolate eyes narrowed as she took in the all too innocent look on the girl's face. 17 year old Karen Coxwell had briefly been one of Barney's girls, before he'd grown bored with her overly sweet and undeniably calculating demeanor. She'd had her eyes on Jason for about a week, but thank God for small favors, Jason preferred not to dally with the circus girls, keeping his flirtations to the girls he met at the schools he attended. Of course, now the eldest Grimm was back . . . and if Marina did say so, the two years with the Army had taken Will's thin beauty and transformed it into a ruggedness handsomeness. He was quite the catch . . . and Karen was determined to sink her hook and reel him in.

The silence lengthened just this side of uncomfortable, before Marina answered the question. “Healing; he got lucky.”

“He grew up so nice, Marina . . . you must be proud. Fine boy like that? He's gonna make some girl very happy some day,” stated Daphne Coxwell, Karen's mother, her eyes almost glittering brighter than her daughter's at the turn of the conversation.

“I don't doubt that,” the Russian agreed, a sinking feeling in her gut. “Misha has always done his best to take care of me and his brothers. He's a protector . . . and provider; that will never change.”

“Still, a Captain and so young! I'm surprised he doesn't take the lot of you away from here.”

“He's deployed a lot; this is the only home the boys have ever known. It wouldn't be fair to uproot them, when Misha wouldn't be around all that much anyway.”

“So . . . he got his eye on a wife yet?”

“He's not even 21!” Marina burst out in shock, eyes wide in horror at the very thought.

“So? Younger men than him are happy fathers made.”

“I think that's butchering the quote a bit,” Melinda Carter remarked caustically, eyes narrowed in Daphne's direction. “You listen here, Daphi . . . your girl has made no bones about the fact she'd like to sink her teeth into him. But the Captain is not some slice of beef to nibble on and then throw back on the griddle when she's done with him. So back off, the both of you.”

“It's just talk, Melinda,” Daphne scoffed with a roll of her eyes and an affronted toss of her head. “Marina don't mind . . . do you, sugar?”

“I do mind, actually. Misha is very private, and he doesn't appreciate it when other people treat his personal life like it's their business. I will respect that, as I hope you will too.”

Karen slumped slightly with a pout, before one of the other women spoke up, “You two are very close. Aren't you, Marina?”

“We've been partners for a long time, Maisy. It's hard not to be.”

This time Maisy's twin sister Mary spoke up, a small smile on her face as she teased, “You told him you're in love with him yet?”

At the question, the Russian's head ducked as a blush swept across her face like a wildfire through tinder. The older women around the circle cackled delightfully, amused by the reaction from one of their own. “Oh honey . . . you should tell him.”

Lifting one hand to brush a strand of hair back behind her ear, she agreed, “I'm working on it.”

*******************************

Later than night, Marina dragged the man from the office practically by his hair. “It's dinner time, Mishka, and the hellions have both been asking to see you for hours.”

Will's mouth twisted as he glanced upwards towards the overcast skies. “It looks like it might rain.”

“Probably,” she agreed, a sad smile on her face as she bumped him lightly on the hip. Ever since the sewing circle, she'd felt weird. She knew they were trying to keep their relationship secret, but every instinct she had yearned to reach out and grab his hand . . . to pull his arm around her shoulders and burrow into him.

To claim him completely, so Karen Coxwell and others like her would know to keep their hands off what was hers.

“Did Jay make it to his friend Billy's house okay?”

Marina nodded in agreement, chuckling as she considered how excited the teenager had looked when he'd left the rail-car that morning. “He called when he got there. Apparently, it's a physics project and he's very excited about it.”

“Sounds like Jason,” the oldest Grimm laughed, reaching out to take her hand and tuck it into his elbow.

It was something they'd always done, but now Marina felt self-conscious about it. She yanked herself away, earning a frown and a cocked head from her boyfriend. “What's wrong?”

“I thought we weren't telling the boys.”

“We're not. But if we don't act like we always have, they are going to figure it out.”

Taking a deep breath, Marina considered the announcement, before nodding. “You're right. I'm just . . . sometimes I don't know how to act around you now.”

“We act the same way we always did. Holding hands, cuddling at the firepit, hands in elbows . . . everyone in this camp knows we're close, Marina . . . seeing us behave the way we always have isn't going to raise any red flags.” Wrinkling his nose at her, he teased, “I thought you were supposed to be the spy.”

“Eh . . . I'm a little out of practice,” she snarked, rolling her eyes with a grin. Stepping back into him, she looped her hand into his elbow without prompting and snuggled closer, “So . . . did you talk to Howard?”

“He'll be here this weekend. He needed some time to get everything together you asked for. But he's thinking about bringing Maria.”

“What about Anthony?”

“Anthony is at MIT. We don't have to worry about trying to tell that lie.”

“Thank goodness for small favors,” she agreed, letting him guide her to a seat next to the fire. He grinned at her, as he gestured towards the coffee pots sitting off to the side of the main food line. “I'll be right back.”

“I'll be here,” she laughed with a wink, watching him go with a grin.

By the time he took his seat on the ground in front of her, she was fending off two very excited Grimms. Because of everything, Kenny had been held back a year in school while Clint had skipped a year; as a result, the two were in the same class together at the middle school. “Okay, slow down. I missed that,” she insisted, grinning at Kenny even as she reached without looking for the mug of hot chocolate Will was offering her.

“They're going to have a talent show at school!” Clint cheered exuberantly, nudging his brother who input, “We wanted to do our trapeze routine for it.”

There was a pause as Marina cocked an eyebrow, before the two begged together, “Can we? Please!?”

“I really don't think a trapeze act is what the school talent show had in mind, domashniy.”

Will chuckled as he brought his own mug of coffee to his lips, joking, “I don't know. Could be fun . . . certainly not something you see everyday.”

“Don't encourage them, Misha,” Marina scolded fondly, flicking the back of his head with a fingernail.

“I'm just saying . . . if they can make it work, why not?”

“A trapeze act takes a lot of space, Misha.”

Those quicksilver eyes were adoring as he reminded her fondly, “Not all of them.”

“That was different.”

“How?”

Well remembering their own trapeze routine, Marina's mouth twisted. Will had been fifteen years old the first time the two of them had gotten onto the bars together. He'd never dropped her . . . not even in practice. Unlike the other trapeze acts the circus boasted, theirs had taken place on a single bar; it had been very much like a dance in midair. They had even made it onto a marquee before Will had enlisted. Though no one had asked, Marina knew there were more than a few members of their circus family who wanted the two to resume the act while Will was on leave. Babushka i Dedushka had adamantly refused to broach the subject; Will had come home injured and deserved all the rest and relaxation being home could offer.

There was a heavy sigh from Marina, knowing if they could make it work, she would probably cave to their wishes. “First, let's talk to the principal? If it can't be done, there's no point in getting your hopes up.”

Both of the boys cheered excitedly, knocking her backwards out of her seat as they attacked her with hugs and kisses. Unable to fault them for it, Marina just wrapped her arms around them both and held them to her tightly. Finally, she grunted, “Get off me. Your dinners are getting cold. Go on . . . and if you could bring back plates for your brother and me.”

“Sure thing, Marishka,” Clint agreed with a grin, pushing himself to his feet as Kenny did the same on the other side of her. “Be back in a flash!”

Watching the two bolt away at full speed, she giggled, “Don't doubt it for a second.”

Will leaned over the bench, grinning at her fondly. “You okay down there?”

“Wake me when they turn 18, huh? They're exhausting at this age,” she joked, accepting his hand and the subsequent pull back into her seat.

Once she was situated back on her bench, she leaned forward to wrap her arms around his shoulders. The young man's hands came up to wrap around her wrists where they crossed at the base of his throat, both clearly lost in their own thoughts. There was a long silence, before the Captain spoke up, “I miss it.”

“Miss what?”

“Being on the bars with you . . . knowing you trusted me not to drop you. I miss it.”

“You came home hurt, Misha. No one is going to ask you to take up our old routine. And I'm sure we're both out of practice.”

“Maybe, but I doubt we're out of shape.”

Cocking her head, she looked down into the side of his face she could see, unsurprised to see him watching her out of the corner of one eye. “What are you saying?”

“Let's get back on the bar tomorrow. Just the two of us. See if we've still got it.”

Hot chocolate eyes watched him for a long moment, before she nodded once in agreement. “All right. Sounds like fun.”

Casting his eyes around the firepit, the eldest Grimm took note of the fact no one was paying attention to them. Twisting a little further, he pressed a momentary peck to her lips, catching her off guard and leaving her unable to respond before he drew away again. “I can't wait.”

“Sneak,” she teased fondly, before looking up as the boys bolted back into the firelight again. The four sat together, with Owen joining them not too long after. Of Barney . . . there was no sign.

*************************************

Marina came out of the boys' room about an hour later, chuckling at the knowledge that all the excitement had exhausted the two preteens and now both were passed out in their shared bunk. Will sat in the door of the rail-car, still healing leg hanging down outside while the other was tucked up against his chest. In one hand he held a bottle of whiskey; the cap was missing and the Russian could see he'd started drinking without her. Scooping up the cap from the table, she moved to join him and liberated the bottle from his hand. A quick twist of her wrist sealed the bottle, before she rolled it back towards the kitchen as she took a seat in his lap. “Misha . . . what's wrong?”

“I should be dead right now, Marina. And instead I'm here . . . with you . . . getting everything I ever wanted.” His fingers were gentle on her face as he smoothed a curl from her eyelashes. “God, you're beautiful.”

The Russian smiled at him as she leaned into the touch, reminding him lightly, “You're the only one who thinks so.”

“Then clearly the men in this place are stupid, if they can't see how amazing you are.”

Bending to him, the woman cupped his cheeks in her palms and took his mouth with her own. “Come to bed, Misha.”

Quicksilver eyes flashed bright blue for a moment, before settling into a deep blue-gray. “I don't . . . I've never . . . Marishka, I've never been with anyone.”

She smiled, teasing him with languid, easy kisses across his throat as she replied, “I know. It's okay . . . it doesn't matter.”

“I want this to be good for you, Marina. I want this to be perfect.”

“I'm not going to lie to you, Misha; you're not my first. But you will be the first I choose for myself, and that will erase every imperfect second from my memory.” Pushing herself to her feet, she offered him a hand as she insisted, “Misha . . . come to bed.”

The two watched each other for a long minute, before at last Will reached out and took her hand. A strong steady pull to his feet brought him within inches of her, their linked fingers coming up to rest against his chest as his free hand cupped her cheek in his palm. She smiled up at him, eyes slipping closed as he bent to press an exultant kiss to the base of her throat where neck met shoulder. Threading her fingers through close-cropped hair, she dropped her head back to allow him more space. There was a second's pause, before her voice filled the small area, “I love you.”

She could feel the way he smiled against her skin, teeth nipping gently against the skin and leaving a small mark. His reply rumbled through her body as he promised, “I love you . . . so much.”

Threading her fingers back through his hair, she pulled him up to her mouth, capturing his lips with her own and coaxing him into a heady embrace. “Misha . . . take me to bed.”

“Yes ma'am,” was the only response, one hand groping back to grab the door of the rail-car and drag it closed. It slammed with a loud bang, but neither noticed. They were already in each other's arms and there was little more important to either than that.

Hours later, Marina lay exhausted and replete against her lover, body singing from the glorious rush of endorphins and accompanying bliss. Though it hadn't been entirely smooth sailing, Will was a soldier and as such, very good at following orders; needless to say, she had no complaints. She purred lightly as she burrowed closer to him, relishing the closeness. His heartbeat thundered under her ear, a quicker tempo than she was used to but still achingly familiar to her. Rough but tender palms smoothed over naked skin, callouses catching on long forgotten scars and sending a delicious frisson down her spine. His voice rumbled through them both as he murmured, “Did I hurt you?”

“It's been a long time since I've had someone in my bed. I'll be sore tomorrow, but it's the good kind of sore,” she replied with a grin, tilting her head back to grin at him. Seeing his thoughts rampaging through his eyes, she sighed and rolled on top of him, folding her hands over his chest and resting her chin on them. “Just say it, Misha.”

Those quicksilver eyes were even more mercurial than usual, flashing between vibrant blue and sedate gray, features solemn as they took her in. Finally he spoke, his tone miserable and distant but firm. “The boys have to come first, Marina, always.”

The smile on her face was sad and knowing as she joked, “Oh, is that all? Tell me something I don't know, moy vozlyublenny. They are too young right now to lose me.” Here she paused, stretching along his body to nuzzle against his chin so as to take the sting from her next words. “I know where my priorities lie, Mishka.”

“Good,” he sighed, sounding infinitely relieved at the statement. “The boys need you . . . so much more than I do. I wouldn't feel right about us, if it meant I took you from them. Not now . . . not when they need you most.”

“Just because the boys need me more, doesn't mean I'm not here for you too. I may not be able to be right there at your side, but I am always a letter away . . . a phone call apart.” Pushing herself up onto her hands, she scolded fondly, “You don't have to sacrifice us for them. And I wouldn't let you even if you tried.”

“Marishka . . .” he protested on a whimper, his eyes endlessly adoring as he looked up into her.

Chocolate curls draped around his face as she leaned over him, fingers whisper soft against his face as she insisted, “I am yours. Today . . . tomorrow . . . forever . . . always. And when the boys are older and they don't need me . . . let's just say there had better be a damned sturdy bed nearby. Because I have no intention of letting you out of it for at least a week, if not longer. Ponimayete?”

He grinned at her, teasing, “Copy that.”

“Good.” Rolling her hips, she insisted, “We have hours yet till dawn. May I suggest you make what use of them you can, before tonight becomes only a memory?”

Will groaned at the question, hauling her under him with a quick twist of his hips. “Damn, you're gonna kill me.”

“Promises promises,” she gasped out with a groan as he bit down into the curve of her collarbone, earning a sharp buck of her body and four long gouges as Marina dragged her nails down his back.

“Samaya malen'kaya, I have dreamed of this night for three years. I have plans for you . . . long and detailed plans I have spent hours thinking about . . . hammering out the details and making sure every moment would be perfect. It's gonna be a hell of a ride.”

Her grin was radiant as she dragged her fingers through his hair, bringing him down to her. “How bout you put your mouth to work on something other than pretty speeches and prove it, huh, Cap?”

Chuckling, he caught her mouth with his own, one hand coming up to pin both of her wrists to the bed over her head. Bracing himself on his other elbow, he trailed heated kisses along the curve of her throat, murmuring against the skin, “As the lady commands.”

The rest of the night was a whirlwind, and by the time the two lovers finally fell asleep, dawn was only moments away from cresting the horizon. Owen returned from his own amorous pursuits and got the two younger boys up and ready for school. He walked them to the bus, and saw them off, promising over and over again their brother and sister were only tired and they would be there to retrieve them when the bus dropped them off that night. Then he returned to the rail-car and fell into his own bunk; Will and Marina were not the only two who had spent a long night in the arms of a lover. All three of them could use the sleep.

************************************************

It was about mid-afternoon before the three stirred from their beds. The two men sat together at the tiny table in their even tinier kitchen, sipping on coffee as Marina put together a quick lunch of fruit and griddle cakes. The boys would be arriving home shortly, and both the Captain and his Russian were speculating on the second oldest Grimm brother; no one had seen him for several days now and neither had heard him come the night before either. “I swear, I'm gonna tan his ass,” Will ground out, jaw clenched as he glared fiercely at a point on the table.

Of course, it was about then Barney sauntered into the rail-car as though he owned the place. The eldest Grimm frowned at the younger brother, glancing towards the clock on the wall, before he turned back to Barney. “Where have you been?”

“Around,” was all the 18 year old said, throwing a dismissive wave in his brother's face as he strode past.

Vaulting up out of the chair, Will snatched the wrist and yanked him back sharply. “Not an answer. Where have you been?”

“I'm 18 years old now, Will. I don't have to answer to you anymore.”

“Says who?” the Captain asked archly, a single eyebrow cocking upwards as he took in the hickey barely hidden by Barney's collar. “Who is she?”

“None of your business. I don't ask you about your love life . . . stay the fuck out of mine.”

“Watch your mouth,” was the sharp snap from the Russian as she glowered at him.

“Stay out of this, Marina,” Barney snapped bitterly, glaring at her angrily.

The glare transformed into shock as Will shoved him hard into the wall, barking, “You do not talk to her that way. Ever. Do I make myself clear?”

“It's not like she gives a damn about me anymore. It's all about Jay and Clint and Kenny. I'm 18 . . .”

“Then act like it,” Will snapped viciously. “I put you in charge when I left. I had thought I could count on you to help Marina with the boys, to be a responsible member of this family. And instead, I get home, and you're fucking around . . . slacking off . . . running out on your chores . . . gone for days at a time with no word as to where you've been. What the hell, Barney!?”

“I'm not one of your soldiers, Captain. I don't have to tell you shit.”

Owen winced at the way Will suddenly relaxed, body easing into a calm slouch as he cocked an eyebrow. He'd seen that look on his best friend's face more than once when he was preparing to dress down a grunt who'd screwed up. Unless he missed his guess, Will's kid brother was about to get his ass kicked and good.

There was a calm drawl to the Captain's tone as he asked, “Oh really?”

“Yeah. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, and there isn't anything you can do about it.”

For a long moment, the two brothers stared at each other, before Will hissed, “Let's just see about that.”

In a move too fast for Barney to track, Will had him by the collar of his shirt and bent over at the waist, dragging him towards the door. Marina winced as she watched him grab up the strap hanging on the hook by the door and jump from the car, pulling Barney along with him around the side of the car. Suddenly seeming to realize what was about to happen, Barney began to protest the impending punishment. When that didn't work, he started to spit invectives at his brother, cut off by a loud bang when Will threw him up against the back of the car.

Having been witness to Will disciplining the boys frequently over the years, Marina could picture the scene well enough. Barney braced up against the wall, with Will's hand on his neck keeping him bent at the waist as he brought the strap down sharply on a jean-clad ass. The two remaining occupants of the car winced as the younger brother suddenly let out a yowl to wake the dead. For a long time, there was only the crack of the belt and the sound of Barney's filthy cussing at the top of his lungs. The swearing only seemed to piss Will off, as the cracks got louder and closer together. It wasn't long before the only sounds coming from the second eldest Grimm was soft whimpering and tiny yelps as the belt continued to connect.

Finally, everything stopped and the only sounds Marina could hear was Will's heavy breathing and Barney's quiet whimpers. “I'm only gonna say this once, Barney. We have rules in this family . . . rules designed to keep us safe and out of the Army's hands. I don't give a damn if you think just because you're 18 you can do whatever you want; you can't. Your responsibility is to this family, not your dick. Shape up . . . or I can guarantee you we're gonna be out here a lot before I leave. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir,” was the chagrined response from the chastised young man.

“And if I ever hear you speak that way to Marina again . . . this will look like a love tap. Got me?”

“Yes.”

“You have chores . . . I suggest you get to them.”

Marina moved to the doorway, watching as Barney all but fled towards the camp, red cheeked and limping. Will came back around the side of the car, his jaw locked tight as he stared after the younger brother. Looking up to see Marina in the doorframe, he asked, “Now can we talk about Barney?”

“At this point, I don't think we have a choice,” she replied with a small smile. “How many did you give him?”

“Twenty-five . . . he'll live. He won't be sitting comfortably for a few days, but maybe it'll straighten him out.” Climbing into the car, he hung the strap up on its hook by the door and moved back to the table; Marina could see his fingers shaking as they reached to pick up his mug. “How long?”

“How long what?”

“How long has he been speaking to you like that?”

“It's been awhile. I'm not entirely sure Swordsman is the best influence on him.”

“Swordsman? Do we need to talk to him about Barney's attitude?”

“I doubt it would do much good. Trickshot is the only decent one in the partnership, but he's not the one Barney looks up to.”

“Remind me why we let Barney fall in with him?”

“Because we didn't know any better at the time.”

Will grunted at the answer, taking a long drink of his coffee. Draining it, he reached for the pot and topped off again. “I want to know if he speaks to you like that again . . . understood?”

Marina hummed an affirmative, nodding slowly in agreement. “I doubt he'll do that for awhile.”

“He better not do it ever again, or I'll tan his hide into leather.”

Grinning up at him, she went up on tiptoes to press a warm kiss to his cheek. “Come on, Mishka . . . the boys'll be home soon. And then we have a date with the bars.”

“The bars?” Owen asked, looking between the two of them curiously.

Will groaned as his Russian grinned, promising, “There's a lot you don't know about Misha and me. For starters, we used to perform a duo trapeze act.”

“Used to preform?”

“Marina still does trapeze with Jason, Clint and Kenny; but we had a different kind of trapeze act, just the two of us. We were headliners before I enlisted; we were on marquee posters and billboards and fliers.” Shrugging, Will grinned sheepishly, as he laughed, “It was fun.”

Wrinkling her nose up at her lover, she teased, “We're gonna see if we've even still got what it takes to fly together. It's been a long time since we were on the bars together, but I doubt much will have changed between us.”

“I'm still utterly besotted with her,” Will agreed with a grin, causing Marina to giggle as she replied, “And I still trust him completely. Who knows? Maybe we'll fall ten seconds in.”

Will's arm was warm and familiar around her shoulders as he promised, “I will never drop you.”

Her head dropped back as she beamed up at him, “I know.”

*****************************************

Clint burst from the school bus with a cheer, lunging at Marina with a bright grin. “You're in costume!”

Marina glanced down at the tri-colored green costume she wore and smirked, teasing, “Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

“Haha,” he grumbled, glaring at her for all of a second before he began to bounce on his toes once again. “Does that mean you're gonna go practice?”

Twisting to look at Will behind her, she asked innocently, “Were we gonna practice today?”

“I don't know. Were we practicing today?” he asked in reply, mercurial eyes shifting between blue hues as he widened his eyes at her curiously. Both of the youngest boys started to protest at the clear teasing taking place, their high boy's voices overlapping each other as they begged.

“Wait,” Jason protested, holding up a hand to stall any further teasing, “Will is getting on the bars?”

“I was thinking about it. Is that okay?”

“Yeah! Maybe I'll actually get to do some of the fun stuff, instead of just catch everybody all the time,” the middle Grimm muttered with a groan and a roll of his eyes.

The Captain cocked an eyebrow up at Marina at the statement, forcing her to sigh. “He's the tallest; with you gone, he's the only one left to catch us.”

“I see,” was the response, eyes narrowed as he took in the barely concealed excitement in the eyes of his three younger brothers. Smirking, he nodded once in unspoken agreement, “I'll catch today.”

“All right!” was the immediate cheer from all three of the brothers, Clint and Kenny practically vibrating as they bounced on their toes.

Will's voice rose as he insisted over the cacophany, “But after practice, I expect homework to get done. No argument!”

“Yes sir!” was the ready agreement, causing Marina to smirk. “All right. Go get changed into your costumes. You can't practice in your school clothes.”

Immediately, the two were left behind as the three boys fled towards their rail-car. Marina wrapped an arm around his waist as she looked up at him adoringly, “They love you so much.”

“I don't know why,” Will sighed, running one hand back through his hair as he pulled her tighter to him with the other. “I'm almost never home.”

“But when you are home, they are your first priorities. Even when you were still recovering, you made time to sit with them; to read bedtime stories to Clint and Kenny . . . to listen when Jason was going off on his new invention. They know you don't have to take time for them, and they adore you because you do.”

“I wish I was around more.” His fingers tightened on her shoulders as they strolled along, “For them . . . and for you.”

“The boys understand why you have to be gone all the time, Misha. They don't resent you for it.”

“Well, they might not . . . but I know one of them does.”

Marina took a deep breath in through her nose as she considered the statement, contemplating how best to explain it. “That's not personal. Barney hasn't been right for a long time, Misha. You and I both know that.”

“I know, but doesn't make it any easier to deal with.”

“No, that's true,” she agreed with a sigh as her shoulders slumped. “I don't know how to help him. Whatever happened there . . . it's something I can't touch. He won't talk about it. I mean, even Jason tells me about the nightmares he has of what the major did to him, the beatings he took.” Cocking an eyebrow up at her boyfriend, she muttered irritably, “And you don't talk about it, but I know you dream about the base too, what happened to you there. You expend the anger in other ways though; the punching bags, the runs that last for hours . . .but Barney. He just locks it up like it never happened. He lets it fester inside of himself and that rage inside of him just grows as a result. He's not stable, Misha.”

“I can see that.” Pulling her to a stop a few yards away from the car, Will forced her to look up at him. “Would he hurt you? Or the boys? Be honest with me.”

“I want to say no, Misha . . . I want to say no with every fiber of my soul. But the truth is . . .” here she paused, unshed tears forming a sheen across hot chocolate eyes. When she spoke, it was in a heartrending whisper, “I just don't know.”

**********************************************

To say the Brothers Grimm earned a crowd when they arrived under the Big Top was an understatement. The three younger boys took off at a run for the equipment, leaving their brother and sister to follow at a more leisurely pace behind them. Will was concentrating on wrapping his wrists in black athletic tape as he walked, bare feet silent on the padded flooring. The sound of her snickering brought his head up and he cocked an eyebrow at her in question. “What's so funny?”

“You're drawing quite the crowd,” she teased, reaching out to tap her fingernail against the bare skin of his chest. “You grew up hot, Misha . . . and I can guarantee you there are more than a few people here enjoying the view.”

Blushing fiercely, Will ducked his head at the gentle teasing. Bumping his hip against hers, he whispered into her ear, “As long as they know they can look as much as they want, but I'm all yours.”

“Damn right you are,” she laughed with a wink and a grin. “How's the knee?”

Rolling his eyes at the question, he insisted firmly, “Wrapped. I'm fine. Come on . . . let's do this.”

Gesturing towards the rope hanging from the trapeze gear, she giggled, “After you.”

Marina refused to admit it, but their audience was not the only one enjoying the view. Despite the scarred expanse of his chest and back, Will's body was well made and strong. Biceps rippled as he grabbed onto the rope and hauled himself up hand over hand. Refusing to swoon at the sight, even still she couldn't help the small sigh she let out as she watched him climb to the top.

He grinned down at her once he was perched on the bar Jason typically used in their routines. Made of heavy steel, there were two crossbars attached to the bar which allowed for the catcher to brace his legs to better distribute the sudden weight when he caught the flier. Smirking at him, she teased, “You look comfortable.”

“Kinda like riding a bike,” he laughed, to which Marina scoffed, “I doubt this is like riding a bike, Mishka.”

“Spoil sport,” came the teasing retort, just before Clint yelled down at her, “Come on, Marina! Let's practice!”

“I'm coming, dorogoy, be patient!” she called back, with a resigned sigh.

There was a small part of her snorting at the very idea of her impatient youngest having been designed to be a sniper; and then there was the other part of her well acquainted with how patient he could be, especially when setting up one of his typically intricate pranks. He was young . . . he would learn; she knew better than anyone how much Clint wanted to be like his older brother. If he didn't join the Army as soon as he was old enough, Marina didn't know her boy as well as she thought she did.

Reaching up for the rope, Marina began to climb towards the flier's platform where Jason, Clint and Kenny were congregated. Jason's hands were warm and sure around her wrists as he grabbed her and steadied her on the short swing over. Grinning at him, she insisted, “Spasibo, sladkiy.”

“Dobro pozhalovat',” he replied, wrapping one arm around her shoulder in a warm hug.

Will called out then, “All right, Jay first! It's been awhile since he got to do, and I quote, 'the fun stuff'.”

“Awesome!” Jason cheered, punching the air with a wide grin.

Marina cocked an eyebrow at him, as he moved to the powder bowl, covering his hands and wrists thoroughly with talc to help maintain his grip on the bar. “Kindly remember it's been awhile. Nothing fancy . . . let yourself get back into the routine before you throw a triple somersault with a full twist. Okay?”

“Yes ma'am,” he agreed, bending over to press a warm kiss to her cheek before reaching out for the bar.

The Russian watched Will drop so he was hanging upside down from the bar, forcing his body into wide swings to set himself into motion. Finally, he called out, “Go!”

Immediately, Jason took off, body moving through the air as he swung out. Marina snorted hard as he released the bar and immediately threw himself into a triple somersault, with a full twist. Clint and Kenny both cheered at the sight, causing the Russian to throw her arms up and protest playfully, “Why do I even bother?”

The sound of skin on skin cracked through the air as Will caught Jason by the wrists. The two swung for a moment, before the younger brother twisted away from the grip and flew through the air, hands grabbing on to the bar as it swung back to him. Landing on the platform next to his sister, he gave her a completely unrepentant grin. Fluttering a hand at him, she huffed, “Yeah yeah . . . do whatever you want.”

“Love you, Marishka,” he teased, pressing another kiss to her cheek as Clint moved up to grab the bar next.

He had already released the bar and was twisting through the air, when Will shouted, “No!”

The ten year old squealed as he dropped into the net below, earning a sigh as Will pulled himself up onto the bar. “Too soon, Clint!”

“Sorry Will!”

“I know you're excited, but you gotta be patient,” Will instructed calmly with a small smile. “I have to be ready to catch you, before you can let go. Okay?”

“Okay!”

“Try it again,” the eldest Grimm insisted, before dropping down once again. There was a pause as he pushed himself back into rhythm, before he called, “Kenny, you're up!”

Marina leaned back against the bar behind her as she watched her three boys enjoy their time with their older brother. Both Kenny and Clint wanted to learn new tricks and the Captain was patient and calm as he talked them through their initial tries. His praise was sincere and warm as he congratulated them on their successful attempts, while at the same time offering constructive criticism when they messed up and landed in the net. Their giggles rang through the Big Top and the Russian saw more than a couple of the acts practicing below them look up with grins at the sound.

Jason's trust in his older brother was absolute, and as a result, he pushed himself to more and more intricate tricks. Except for the fact Marina knew Will would never let anything happen to any of his brothers – even Barney, though the second oldest Grimm was definitely testing Will's endless patience – she would be concerned about the almost reckless attempts her Jay was pushing on himself. The two Grimms worked together seamlessly, always knowing where the other was. She'd never admit it, but she couldn't help the thought that at least her boyfriend would have a Second he trusted to care for the rest of the family if Barney ever actually bailed on them.

It was hours later when she finally called out, “All right! Time for homework!”

The groans were instantaneous, but to their credit, none of the boys actually protested. One by one, they dropped into the net below. Clint was giggling as he bounced a few times, before throwing himself into a flip off the edge; Marina rolled her eyes fondly as he stuck the landing to roaring cheers from the rest of the circus performers gathered around. Kenny grinned as he grabbed his little brother around the neck, roughing his knuckles over the blond hair to the accompaniment of an indignant squawk, before the older of the two looked up to see Will drop into the net next. “You'll perform with us while you're home . . . won't you, Will?”

Glancing over as Marina dropped into the net beside him, the two seemed to exchange a silent discourse, before Will looked back at his little brother. Grinning, he nodded, “Sure.”

“Awesome!” he agreed, standing still long enough for the eldest Grimm to catch him in a warm hug and press an adoring kiss to the crown of his head, before he took off for their rail-car with Clint and Jason hot on his heels.

Marina folded her arms over her chest as she teased, “Push over.”

Grinning, the Captain moved to grab the rope hanging from the static bar. “Who do you think I learned it from?”

“Shut up!” she retorted, watching him climb upwards once again. Once he was settled on the bar, he leaned against one of the anchors and cocked an eyebrow at her, “Aren't you coming up?”

She shrugged nonchalantly as she replied, “I'm enjoying the view.”

He huffed at her as he ordered, “Get up here, Petrovka.”

“Copy that!” she laughed, reaching out for the rope and climbing toward him.

When he locked his ankles around the ropes and dropped upside down, she giggled. They'd done this before and the trick never failed to be a head-turner. Using the rope like a swing, Marina launched upwards and into his arms, both of their hands clasping firmly at the base of each other's necks. After a moment, the Russian let go, stretching her arms out to the side as she dangled from his hands. There was love and trust and adoration in his eyes as he looked down at her, and she could see him getting closer as he began to draw her towards him. They were barely inches apart when he paused, whispering for her ears alone, “I love you.”

Neither knew that moment would be captured on film . . . a moment their son would see for himself eighteen years later.