[i]There was blue everywhere. It surrounded him. It consumed him. It [/i]was[i] him.

He was a prisoner in his own body. A spectator in his own personal hell.

It was surprisingly quiet as Not-Clint and Natasha fought. This part of the Helicarrier wasn't wreaked by the Hulk. Nor by Loki. The metal catwalk they fought on didn't sway, bolted to the very walls of the slowing crashing carrier.

"[color=9e0b0f]Don't.[/color]" Natasha said skipping backwards as Not-Clint took a swing at her. But Not-Clint is faster and more ruthless than Clint is. He sweeps her legs out from under her and jumped on top. She took a swing at him. Not-Clint easily caught it and pinned the hand above her head. When the free hand came up with a knife, he caught that one too and pinned that hand over her head also. 

"[color=9e0b0f]Don't do this to yourself.[/color]" She croaked out as he slammed an arrow through her pinned wrists.

"[color=9e0b0f]This is Loki.[/color]" All Widow had left was pleading. It was wrong on her. So wrong.

"[color=9e0b0f]This is monsters[/color]," She kept trying to get through to him even as Not-Clint's hands closed around her throat and [/i]squeezed.[hr]Clint gasped and woke. His eyes wide and panicked before he remembered where he was. Laura. Home. Clint closed his eyes, laid back in bed and concentrated on taking deep breaths. Natasha didn't die. She had saved him from Loki. 

When Clint was sure he was back in control, he rolled over to face Laura. Only her side of the bed was empty. Clint laid a hand on the empty space. Still warm. She must have just gotten up. That was even possibly the trigger for his nightmare. 

Clint sighed, gave a small smile at the thought of Laura, and climbed out of bed. She was probably making breakfast right now for the kiddos. And him. That thought make his smile widen as he tugged on a pair of pants and snagged a shirt.

He was slipping into his shirt as he stumbled down the stairs.

"[color=bc8dbf]Smells delicious.[/color]" Indeed, the smell of bacon, eggs and even cheese, was wafting into his nose. Of course the smell of coffee was the biggest draw. 

As Clint finally entered the kitchen he wasn't looking and was surprised to see booted feet. The training kicked in at the unfamiliar sight. 

Combat boots.
Black.
SHIELD Issue. 

Clint slowly moved his eyes up the intruder's body until he reached the face. Rumlow. Clint had worked with him a few times before it was discovered he was HYDRA. Swallowing hard Clint turned to see Laura held by another HYDRA double agent, Rollins.

"[color=bc8dbf]Let her-,[/color]" Clint started. A sharp crack of a gun cut him off.[hr]"[color=bc8dbf]No![/color]" Clint's cry echoed about the room. It wasn't home. It wasn't Laura. This was Natasha. This was red in the ledgers. Nat undoubtedly heard him, just because they weren't sharing a room didn't make everything sound proof.

Clint lunged across the bed and grabbed his cellphone. It was already ringing before he raised it to his ear.

"Clint?" Laura's sleepy, confused voice was a godsend.

"[color=bc8dbf]Sorry. I just...[/color]" Clint mumbled, suddenly embarrassed by his weakness. Of course Laura knew just what to say. The beautiful, lovely, woman.

"Bad dream?"

"[color=bc8dbf]Yeah.[/color]"

"Want to talk about it?"

About an hour later Clint finally got off the phone with Laura. He grabbed a towel and headed straight for the shower. Nat would give him space. When he finally emerged he felt human again. But he needed coffee to round out the feeling. And proper clothes, not sleep wear.

When Clint finally went into the kitchen to score some hot life saving coffee, he was back on even keel. The light from the clock on the microwave read 4:46 and Clint frowned.

"[color=bc8dbf]Did I wake you?[/color]" Of course he did. Just as he probably had a few times. He had slept better after he retired from the Avengers and had gone home. But things just, got in the way. Like the Ten Rings and Stark. It wasn't his fault. He didn't mean to paint a target on himself when he left the Avengers and retired. It's just he was so public. And now the Ten Rings thought they could lay their hands on him again. 

When Clint and Nat had found out that little tidbit from the part of SHIELD that hadn't been compromised, they hadn't hesitated to act. Hence why Clint wasn't with Laura and the kids.