Around Town, Saturday Evening

[so_hawkward]

There wasn't a whole lot that Clint had answers for at the moment. He didn't know why he wasn't plastic anymore, he didn't know how Fandom had gone back home, he didn't know if his friends were okay... but he did know that his brilliant action figure self had left Lexi home alone with the freaking dogs to protect her when he went off to the junkyard, and he couldn't rush home fast enough to get back to her. Thankfully, she'd been asleep when he got back to the house, but he was still apologizing to her as he headed back through town with Lexi wrapped against him in a baby sling.

"Your mom and I are the worst, I'm so sorry. I'm really hoping you're too young to remember anything right now, or I'm going to find a way to make all these bad people that keep messing with us pay for your therapy."

[Mostly for the wife, but open if anyone else is still awake and wants some SP!]

Comments

[throughaphase]

Kitty was just going to go ahead and assume that everyone else was fine right now, because her only priority right now was Clint and Lexi. She might've just missed them at the house, too, so by the time she did spot them, the "Clint!" she called as she ran over might've sounded a little worried.

A lot worried.

Her baby had been soft plastic for a week, among other problems.

[so_hawkward]

"Oh my god, you're okay," he said, wasting no time in pulling her into as much of a hug as he could with Lexi between them. "Please tell me you're okay and no one like, tried to melt you or something."

What the hell even was this last week?

[throughaphase]

"I'm okay," Kitty said, hugging him back and then pulling away so she could check Lexi out. "Are you okay? Does she have all the normal parts?"

She'd been under a lot of stress this week, she might actually cry.

[so_hawkward]

"I'm okay. Lexi's fine, I checked her all over and she's fine," Clint said. "I had her though. You didn't come home."

He really hadn't meant for that to come out as scared as it had sounded, sorry Kitty.

[throughaphase]

"I was the only one who didn't get captured and I wasn't sure if they saw me, I thought they'd follow me there," Kitty said, and she felt terrible about it even if it still felt like the right thing. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to get you and Lexi involved."

[so_hawkward]

Clint had to laugh a little at that. "Of course you didn't get caught," he said affectionately. "I'm so sorry I was out of it the whole time. I'm not surprised you were amazing."

[throughaphase]

"I was preoccupied and our baby was plastic."

Which... at least meant she didn't really need to be taken care of, oh god.

[so_hawkward]

Clint gave Lexi another hug around the sling. "We were all plastic. But you were still smart plastic. When did you know something was wrong?"

[throughaphase]

"Monday. Pretty early," she said. "Which was like a waking nightmare, basically."

[so_hawkward]

"Oh wow," Clint said, giving her another hug. "That must have been horrible. You had me completely fooled, but I was an idiot and we could only make so many facial expressions so..."

[throughaphase]

"There were plenty of people who didn't snap out of it at all," she told him. "Is it bad if I was kind of okay with you staying that way because then Lexi wouldn't have people coming after her?"

Parenthood apparently made this all weirder.

Don't ask about her worry of whether or not Lexi was still little enough to not have an existential crisis if she somehow woke up during it.

[so_hawkward]

"No, I guess it's good one of us was still... whatever enough to take care of her," he said. "I sold you out to protect her, so it's good to know fatherly love can't get taken away even if my sanity does."

[throughaphase]

Kitty almost gave him an offended "Hey," for that, but instantly thought better of it. She couldn't really be mad about it.

"Lexi first," she nodded. "This has been the weirdest week."

[so_hawkward]

"It really has," Clint said. Leaning over, he gave Kitty a soft kiss. "I would never sell you out in my right mind. I'd hide you both first or something."

[throughaphase]

"Thank you. I wouldn't sell you out, either," Kitty promised, staying close because that put her in non-crushing proximity to both of them. And I'd never leave like that unless I absolutely had to."

Which, let's be real, could always be a possibility with either of them.

[so_hawkward]

"You had to be a naughty traitor for the good of everyone," Clint teased. "I'm assuming you guys are to thank for things being okay now."

[throughaphase]

"The team that got captured found a clue, we pieced them together and set up an ambush while others figured out what to do with them," she explained. "It's been a lot of hiding out and having fake tea parties while smiling."

[so_hawkward]

"And here I thought you were just the best bartender in town," Clint said, laughing. "I'm so glad you're okay. I'm just going to keep saying that for a while."

[throughaphase]

"I'm going to be obnoxiously clingy," Kitty warned. "And if I don't see her moving like a normal human kid at all times I will freak right the hell out."

[so_hawkward]

"You can be as clingy as you want with me, but please let Lexi sleep. In a few days, at least?" Clint offered.

[throughaphase]

"She can sleep! I'll just stare at her like a creeper," Kitty said.

[so_hawkward]

"We could do that co-sleeping thing? Let her sleep in our bed for a while," Clint said, giving Kitty another hug. "Also, I'm hiding everything that isn't a stuffed toy."

[throughaphase]

"Oh, yeah, we need to clean house, for safety and catharsis," Kitty agreed. "...And make her first birthday a clothes-only event."

[so_hawkward]

"She's a growing child, she can always use more clothes and diapers and blankets. Our friends will understand." One bonus to everyone getting his with this crap!

[throughaphase]

"Our daughter's going to need therapy."

Which... they should have known.

[so_hawkward]

"I'm really hoping her first memory won't be until she's like, three or four, so we have a few free years where none of this will actually affect her." Of course, he didn't know what to do once she started being able to remember things, but that was a problem for later.

[throughaphase]

"At least by then she'll also have-" Sigh. "-our super safe universes for some normalcy."

[so_hawkward]

"You know, maybe we should focus on the good things, like how we're all okay again," Clint said. "I think you should let me take you home and give you a thorough examination."

[throughaphase]

"Would it be weird if I cry first?"

She totally was going to need to cry by then.

[so_hawkward]

Oh Kitty.

"We'll all lay down and you can cuddle Lexi and cry as much as you need. I've got you."

[throughaphase]

"Okay," she nodded. "Good plan."