15. Rescued 15

Natasha saw Clint up to his suite but then left quickly. Clint knew she was going to meet up with the "Phil Coulson Entourage" so he didn't mind, and the corgis went hyperactive once they were back in familiar territory. Clint debated tucking Donut into one of her high perch beds but she was still snoring, so he kept her in her sling. She seemed impervious to the ruckus of the Cor-mmandos.

"Agent Barton, Doctor Delany is here. Security assisted him in getting to the correct elevator from the lobby, and he is arriving on your floor in three seconds." JARVIS spoke loudly over the yipping and barking.

"Great. I'll meet him." Clint dodged the dogs out of his "front door", which opened into a small foyer. He shared the floor with Natasha, who had her own suite opposite his, so their foyer was where the elevator opened.

Delany walked out, looking dazed. "You doing private security for Mr. Stark, now?" He asked, blinking at the marble and brass and Kandinsky of the overly-ritzy foyer.

"You don't watch much television, do you Mr. Delany?" Clint gently guided him to his suite.

"No cause to. It's mostly junk since Matlock went off the air. NPR has everything I need—Oh! Look at these healthy boys!" He exclaimed as they walked in to the riot gone wild of the Cor-mmandos in full panic.

They circled Delany a few times then crowded around his legs as he reached down to pet them.

"So sad about their former owner. I read that article, I don't buy Dog Fancy just for the pictures, you know." Delany spoke directly at Stevie, who cocked his head.

"Well, about that—" Clint cringed.

"Hey! Where's our girl?" Delany turned towards him, frowning.

Clint pointed at the sling on his chest. Delany shuffled over and peeked into it.

"Clever set up." He reached in and pulled her out. She grumbled and kicked at him as he walked towards the kitchen. The place was more like an outrageously large loft apartment, and beat the pants off the smaller rooms Clint had lived in during renovations. The kitchen counter was a huge raft of marble or something like it, running half the length of the whole place. Delany set Donut down on it and she started prancing.

"It's cold, wait, I have one of her towels." Clint ran for her supplies and came back with her second favorite sleeping quilt, laying it over the cold counter-top while Delany held her up. The dogs chased him and got in his way, but quickly backed off when Delany clapped at them. Clint wondered if everyone in the universe was higher on the pecking order than he was.

"She looks tired, but not underweight. Still our strong little pastry! What happened?" Delany opened his bag and started his examination.

Clint frowned, trying to figure out a safe, non-classified way of saying that Phil had been stabbed to death by a demi-god, survived, possessed by magic, and then exorcised by Donut.

"Son?" Delany looked at him, concerned.

"I'm sorry, sir, I really can't explain it. Just check her for anything…weird."

"You mean, like worms?"

"Sure."

Clint stepped away to put some food down for the Cor-mmandos in hopes it would distract them. It did, for about five seconds. Then they were swarming again, trying to trip and kill him as usual.

"Those boys sure do love you. It's easy to see you all are a tight-knit family now. Warms an old man's heart."

"Love me? They are trying to kill me! They are always trying to kill me! They trip me up all the time! I nearly broke my nose yesterday just trying to go use the bathroom!"

Delany and Donut stared at him.

"I mean it! They hate me! They hate me because I'm not Phil, and I haven't been able to give Phil back to them, and now that I can they are mad because they are still stuck with me! I can't wait to unload them!" Clint waved his arms around then groaned, leaning against the fridge and covering his face with his hands. He grunted when Dum Dum flopped down on top of his feet.

Delany gentled Donut and packed a few of his things away. "Something you need to talk about, son? Because those dogs love you, and I can't see you giving them up for anything."

Clint groaned again.

There was a loud commotion outside of Clint's flat. The corgis paused for one dramatic moment, then burst like fluffy mini-rockets toward the door, barking madly.

The door flew open and Phil staggered in, trailing his IV stand. Pepper came in behind him looking shocked and annoyed (Clint recognized the expression), followed en masse by Natasha (pissed off), Steve (confused), Bruce (amused), Tony (distracted) and Thor (also confused).

The dogs went bonkers, and it took the best that the Avengers could dish out to keep them from toppling Phil over as he angled for the sofa. Natasha was using some non-lethal jujitsu on Bucky to hold him back while Steve picked up Stevie and held him like a football, Stevie's short legs pumping madly in the air as he strained towards Phil

"What adorable beasts!" Thor picked up Dum Dum and held him high in the air. "Do they fly?"

"NO!" Steve, Phil and Clint shouted at once.

Thor looked abashed as he put down the corgi. "They should."

Clint was nowhere near stable enough to parse out why Thor thought dogs should fly, because he was pretty sure he was one deep breath away from hysteria. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked at Delany, who was confused but handed Donut over to him. Clint clutched at her like the life line she was.

"Who is he?" Delany asked, motioning over at the chaotic tumble of hysterical dogs trying to climb all over Phil while Pepper et al pushed them down (and Tony stood against the wall, holding his tablet defensively).

"Their owner. Their original owner, the guy we thought was dead," Clint said, looking down at Donut who looked back up at him. He thought she looked a little annoyed, but it was honestly hard to tell.

"Ah. Your little outburst makes more sense then." Delany nodded.

"How's our girl?" Steve came up and started rubbing Donut's head.

"That's always the first thing you ask me."

"Lately it seems to be the most important thing to ask." Steve shrugged. He turned to Delany and stuck out his hand. "Hi. I'm—"

"I saw that photo spread of you! Very, ah, very handsome. I mean the dogs. All of you, such handsome boys. Not that you're a boy, of course, I mean—"

Clint rolled his eyes as the elderly man turned into a babbling teenager right before his eyes.

Steve shook Delany's hand, his smile charming and practiced. "Thank you."

Delany didn't let go. "Doctor Ted Delany! Did anyone ever tell you that you look a lot like Captain America?"

Steve just blinked at the guy while they continued to shake hands. Delany rolled on, and Clint debated using Donut's sling as a make-shift gag.

"It's such a pleasure to meet Mr. Barton's young man! I must say you two make a very, ah, handsome couple!" Delany blushed.

"His…young man?" Steve's brow furrowed and he looked at Clint.

"Did the dogs bring you together? That's so romantic," Delany continued, his eyes going misty.

"Romantic?" Steve's expression turned towards horrified. "What?"

"What?" Phil's voice broke in. Everyone stopped and turned towards Clint, even Tony giving him a speculative look. Phil, still weak and pale, was actually glaring and Clint just gave up.

"Everyone assumes we're dating, Cap." Clint threw it out, his life just complicated and fucked up enough that he was past caring.

Steve paused for a moment. "Everyone?"

"Yes. We have a nickname. Remember Bruce explaining 'Brangelina' to you?"

Steve nodded, his hand still held in Delany's locked grip.

"We're 'AmeriHawk' and apparently we are madly in love."

"AmeriHawk?" Delany said, finally releasing Steve's hand. "I've heard that. On NPR, they did a show about the Avengers…" Delany's voice trailed off as the blood drained from his face. "Oh my God." He looked back at Steve. "You really are Captain America!"

"You didn't actually read the whole article in Dog Fancy, did you, Mr. Delany?" Clint sighed, rubbing his face. Delany opened his mouth to defend himself.

"AmeriHawk?" Phil said, his voice oddly blank. The dogs had been reduced to whimpering and fighting for his lap.

Natasha gave Clint the piecing look of fix this mess you made and fix it now! but he wasn't sure what needed to be done.

"Why is everyone here?" He asked instead, because that at least seemed pertinent.

"Agent wanted to see his dogs, and Pepper isn't letting him out of her sight, which makes me wonder just when they became BFFs because she doesn't get this territorial when I'm laid up with—"

"It just sort of happened when Agent Coulson decided to detour from his medical suite." Bruce answered, talking easily over Tony as only he could do.

Phil snapped his fingers and the dogs all immediately got down and a sat at his feet. "I'm glad you've taken such good care of them." His voice was formal and brusque. The Cor-mmandos began wagging their tails uncertainly. Phil went to stand up but barely made it, Natasha gently leaping over the back of the couch to get in behind him for leverage.

"You are still unwell, my friend. A spell as powerful as that drains soul and body. Your fearless witch lifted the curse but you will need recovery time." Thor stepped in to steady Phil with his broad hands.

"My cat is not a witch!" Clint looked at Delany, who shrugged.

"If you're talking about animal lore—"

"Why should this upset you?" Thor looked at Donut. "The magic that twisted her body has made her immeasurably stronger than many of her kind. You are her familiar, are you not? Together you are the strength you each lack individually. I do not understand your displeasure." He tilted his head. "Although she is quite tiny."

"Excuse me, but I am very tired," Phil spoke up, pulling everyone's attention back on him, and Clint was grateful for that because he was very much over everyone staring at Donut like she was freak. Phil looked at him. "Please continue caring for my dogs, if you would, Barton. I'm sure you and…and Captain Rogers will do a good job until I'm well enough to take them back."

Clint opened his mouth to say something, but Phil wavered and Thor simply picked him up in a bridal carry. Phil didn't even complain, just folded his arms over his chest and pursed his lips, which said a lot about how exhausted he really was.

"Lead me to your healer's rooms, where I may lay the Son of Coul down for his rest." Thor spoke to Pepper, who nodded and headed for the door, grabbing Tony as she went.

Clint still had his mouth open to say something, anything, as everyone suddenly bustled out in a rush to get Phil to medical. Steve managed to push the Cor-mmandos back enough that he closed the door on them with an apologetic look. The dogs flopped down with their noses touching the door, the picture of despair.

Delany turned to Clint, his eyes wide with awe. "That really was Captain America, wasn't it?"

Clint nodded. In his arms, Donut drifted off to sleep again, kicking her back leg out.