Chapter 1
"Daddy!" Clint looked up after exiting the jet. It had been another long and arduous mission. Natasha was finishing up her separate mission, having promised to visit. He had lost a few of his men, so he preferred to work alone. It was part of the job, at least it felt like it was, until the cherub of a child that crashed into his life came along.
"Lexi!" Clint bent down and allowed the small, thin child to crash into him. "Hey, sweetheart, how are you?" He quickly picked her up; even at ten, she was on the small end.
"I flew! Daddy, I flew up into the apple tree!" Lexi giggled as Clint clutched her to him, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck.
"You did?!" Clint gasped, his eyes growing wide, quickly darting to the apple tree. The closest limb was still far from the ground, and she was beginning to push the limits that they set for her. It only further proved Fury's point, especially with the open prejudice against Alexis at school. He had been put into contact with one Professor Xavier, someone who ran a school for the gifted. Mutants. Except Alexis wasn't a mutant, even if the Earth had to see her that way. They had spoken on the phone, but Clint wasn't quite ready to introduce the Professor to his daughter.
"She told you?" Laura asked, she sounded a bit breathless, her walk slow and more like a waddle. His eyes gazed over her, one arm laying lazily across her stomach. His smile softened as he held Alexis closer before reaching out to Lisa with his other hand to give her a side hug.
"She did, quite the feat," he responded, squeezing her shoulder before moving his hand to feel her rounded stomach. "How's the baby?"
"Brother is making mama tired," Lexi pouted, her eyes proving she was miffed at him. What made Clint pause was that they had forgone the choice to know the gender. Clint hadn't wanted Alexis to feel left out because they hadn't known what she would be. He had gone through many sleepless nights after the initial joy of finding out that Laura was pregnant.
"Brother? Lexi? How do you know that?" He made sure to keep his tone light, careful not to cause the ten year old any alarm. His gaze darted from his daughter to his wife's face and back.
"I can feel him, but he makes Mama tired all of the time, Daddy. That's not fair! I help Mama, though," Clint adjusted his hold on his daughter only to see and feel her flinch away.
"Lexi?" She suddenly shied away from him. "Lexi, what's wrong? What hurts?" He pulled away from Laura and put the girl down. "Did you get hurt flying to the tree?" The shake of her head should have been a relief but it turns out that it meant one other place. Clint realized Laura was pulling herself out of shock to answer.
"The school called. One of the boys cornered Lexi and pelted her with rocks," Laura didn't have to finish the story; the school called and repeated the same speech. Alexis was too different and would have to toughen up if she wanted to attend a school with the normal kids. The school had been unwilling to give the children proper punishments. Alexis wouldn't look at him out of shame, and Clint knew she had tried not to cry.
Clint moved and gently took her chin in his hand. She lifted her face to look at him. "You've nothing to be ashamed of, little butterfly; You're so brave," she gifted him with one of her bright smiles. "Go inside and wash up. You can help me make dinner tonight." With that, she was off, flying over short distances to the large farmhouse.
"We need to consider at least talking to The Professor," Laura spoke softly, placing a hand on Clint's shoulder. If anyone knew of his inner turmoil, it would be Laura. It had brought her to tears before the pregnancy; usually, the mention of the school made her sob. "Clint... I know what she means to you. She's our daughter, our baby, but the kids are getting worse, and she wouldn't be happy at home. She's a social butterfly."
"She'll think we're abandoning her," Clint managed to say without breaking the idea that his little daughter would think that broke his heart.
"Honey," Laura cooed, running her hand against his cheek. "We currently have a jet in our yard. We'll be able to visit her... We'll bring her home for weekends even with the new baby." Clint knew better than to jump to any hasty assumptions. It did hurt to hear her say those words. To entrust little Lexi to others for safe keeping shattered him. She was his little butterfly.
"I can only promise to make the call," Clint responded, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I'm not ready to give her up. I'm not ready to have her that far away from me. If she needs us, we won't be there."
"I know," Laura cajoled, rubbing his shoulder a bit more before sighing and pulling away. "She is getting hurt at school, though. Lexi is trying to be brave and tough, but it's not fair that there is a place she could go to, and we won't let her go. She wants to be just like you, you know?"
Clint took a deep breath, gave a sharp nod, and moved towards the house. He never imagined that when he was handed a tiny winged baby, he would be forced to give her to someone else. Logically, it wasn't forever; at least, he didn't think it would be forever. Just until she was trained enough, schooled enough, maybe make friends. He would have to keep Fury's jet a bit longer so he could take last-minute trips to see her. Before he made it back to the house, he had realized he had made the decision that the school would be her best chance. Except Clint wanted to do it right; he wanted to make sure Lexi was comfortable with the transition and that he wasn't going to drop her off with strangers. Strangers that were more like her than he was so Clint could personally vet the people taking care of his butterfly.
"Daddy?" a soft voice asked. He looked down at Alexis, who was staring at him inquisitively. He had stopped right at the door to the kitchen where she had been waiting. He forced a smile for her, knowing that something would tell her that it was off.
"I'm okay, little butterfly. Mama and I were just talking about my mission," it wasn't truly a lie. Technically, Alexis had been what was considered a mission, according to Fury, but Clint pushed that thought away immediately. Alexis was his daughter, even if it wasn't by blood. "It didn't go well." That wasn't a lie, either. His true mission ended in the loss of his comrades, and the talk with his wife led him to decide to call Xavier.
"Oh," Alexis' look turned thoughtful before she lifted her arms again. Clint couldn't resist picking her back up and chuckling when she kissed his cheek. "Does that help, Daddy?"
"Yes, so so much, baby," Clint merely held his daughter closer as she snuggled into him. He heard Laura enter and pass him, which was quite the feat with her bulk. "Now, let's help mommy cook, hm?" Once Alexis was sufficiently preoccupied with cooking dinner, Clint went to his room and began to pace. Gone was the assassin spy and in place was the heartbroken father just seeking what was best for his daughter.
"Professor Xavier?" His voice only wavered a bit, and he was aware that it was probably past the time they took administrative calls, but he would lose his backbone if he waited.
"Mr. Barton," the cheerful and calm voice on the other end said, grating on Clint's nerves just a bit. The decision felt monumental and life-altering, and the man sounded like he didn't have a care in the world. His agitation was being unfairly projected onto the man who merely wished to help, but no one ever said emotions were logical.
"I'd like to talk about the offer for Lexi," there was a slight hum on the other end of understanding. Again, it grated on his nerves. "The bullying is getting worse, and she needs a place of acceptance. I also can't teach her what you can. She told me today that she was having a little brother, and now she's flying into our apple tree." Clint was rambling, telling this man more than he needed to know. Yet it all came tumbling out as he paced his master bedroom.
"Yes, I was afraid of that. She's ten now, yes?" Clint confirmed, and he heard the Professor sigh. "Children are not inherently cruel. It is often a learned practice. For those with visible differences, it's hard, and children often parrot learned behaviors around this age. I'm sorry she has suffered." Clint wanted to throw his phone on the ground; he was sorry. His words came so easily and almost sounded practiced.
"Look, I don't want to just drop her off. I want you guys to meet, and I want her to know you guys before I leave her at the school. I also want to take her home on weekends, or some, at least," Clint knew his voice was hostile, but the Professor's calm only heightened the feeling that he was betraying his daughter.
"Of course, when you're ready, I will send two of my Professors out to your home, and they will explain the school, the classes she'll have, and the training she could receive. We believe everyone should be able to defend themselves. Storm and Logan will go over it with you in great detail," the voice paused momentarily. Clint swore he heard him take a deep breath. "I understand that this is a difficult decision on your part, Mr. Barton. I know you love your daughter very much and feel you've betrayed her by making this choice. Rest assured that you've made the best choice for her care. She will be safe here, accepted, and loved."
"Yeah, I do," Clint's voice wavered this time as he swallowed the lump again and sat on the bed. "She's sensitive, but she is so brave and loves everyone. Alexis is beginning to realize that the world is cruel and dirty. They will try to take that spark in her away. You're her best chance at keeping it. She thinks that what I do, saving the world or spying is what she wants to do. Right now, I can't even begin to prepare her. She's still my daughter, and I want her to know that I am not leaving her behind, so I want your promise that I can bring her home sometimes, even if it's only the weekend."
"I assure you, Mr. Barton, you may take your daughter home anytime you desire. Not many of our children have homes to return to, so I could never deny a child time with parents who desire to see them. We'll start with Storm and Logan visiting your home for a few weeks, and then your family is welcome to tour the school. We will make this transition as easy as possible," Professor Xavier reassured the father in turmoil.
"Then... I'll be in contact soon, thank you," Clint bid the Professor a good night and sat on the bed. His hands trembled slightly at the realization of what he had done. The school was perfect, but his stomach twisted painfully, knowing he would have to let Alexis go. His little butterfly would be perfectly tucked away, ensconced from the rest of the world with people like her. He could hear giggling from the kitchen floating up the stairwell causing him to inhale sharply. Then he called the only other person in the world that would understand. "Nat..."