Katie Barton's nest

Katie was barely a day old—small, warm, and fragile in a way that made Natasha’s heart ache. Her little face was relaxed in sleep, her tiny fingers curled against Natasha’s chest, as if she already knew this was where she belonged.

It was their first night home, and Natasha should have been trying to sleep while she had the chance, but she couldn’t bring herself to put Katie down just yet.

The weight of her daughter in her arms was too new, too precious.

A soft rustle from the doorway made Natasha look up.

Liho sat there, her black fur blending into the shadows, her golden eyes fixed on the small bundle in Natasha’s arms. Her tail flicked once, cautious, but she didn’t move forward.

Natasha huffed out a soft breath. “So you finally decided to check out the new family member, huh?”

Liho had been keeping her distance all day, slinking around the edges of the apartment, watching but never getting too close. Natasha hadn’t pushed her—she knew her cat well enough to let her set her own pace.

Now, though, Liho took a tentative step forward, her ears flicking as she peered at the tiny human in Natasha’s arms.

“She’s small, isn’t she?” Natasha murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “Smaller than I expected.”

Katie stirred slightly, a soft little sigh leaving her lips.

Liho’s tail twitched.

Natasha adjusted her hold just a little, tilting Katie so that her tiny face was more visible. “Come on, Liho. Say hello.”

Liho hesitated for just a second longer, then leapt up onto the arm of the chair, careful and deliberate. She stayed there, keeping a respectful distance, but leaned in just slightly, nose twitching as she sniffed at the air between them.

“She’s gonna be your friend too, you know,” Natasha murmured, stroking Liho’s soft fur with one hand.

Liho let out a low, considering mrrp, then hopped down onto Natasha’s lap, curling up right against her.

Natasha smiled.

The baby monitor crackled to life with the sound of Katie’s cries, sharp and miserable in the quiet of the apartment. Natasha was already awake—she had been for a while, listening to her daughter toss and turn, sniffling through her blocked nose.

Now, with her wailing in full force, Natasha was already moving before Clint could even groan awake beside her.

“I got her,” she murmured, pressing a quick kiss to his shoulder as she slipped out of bed.

Clint groaned again, rubbing his face. “You sure?”

“I’m already up.”

She stepped into Katie’s nursery, where their tiny, red-faced daughter was lying in her crib, fists clenched, looking utterly miserable. Natasha’s heart ached instantly.

“Hey, baby…” she murmured, scooping Katie up into her arms. The moment she did, Katie turned her face against her chest, still sniffling, her cries hiccuping into little whimpers. Her skin was warm, her little nose pink from rubbing against the blankets.

An ear infection. That’s what the doctor had said earlier in the day. Not serious, but uncomfortable, especially for someone so small.

Natasha swayed on instinct, rubbing small circles into Katie’s back. “I know, I know, detka. It’s not fair, huh?”

Katie sniffled and whimpered again.

Behind her, Clint shuffled into the room, half-asleep but awake enough to function.

“How’s our little archer?” he asked, voice thick with exhaustion.

“Unhappy,” Natasha murmured.

“I hear that.” Clint ran a hand through his messy hair, then yawned. “I’ll warm up a bottle. Maybe it’ll help settle her.”

Natasha nodded, and Clint disappeared into the kitchen, leaving her alone with Katie again.

She pressed a kiss to her daughter’s forehead, gently bouncing her. “You know,” she murmured, “you’re lucky you’re cute, because otherwise, your papa and I would be very grumpy about staying up all night.”

Katie shifted, blinking up at her, her big, glassy eyes searching Natasha’s face like she was taking in every word.

Natasha sighed, kissing the tiny furrow between her brows. “Fine. I’d still love you, even if you weren’t cute.”

Clint returned a few minutes later, bottle in hand. “Alright, little lady, let’s see if this helps.”

They settled onto the couch together—Natasha cradling Katie while Clint handed over the bottle. Katie, for all her fussing, latched onto it immediately, her little hands clutching at Natasha’s fingers.

For a few blissful moments, there was silence.

Clint exhaled, resting his head against the back of the couch. “Man. I thought staying up all night on missions was bad. This is way worse.”

Natasha huffed out a quiet laugh, shifting Katie so she could stroke her tiny curls. “At least no one is shooting at us.”

“Yet,” Clint muttered.

They sat in companionable exhaustion, watching as Katie’s blinking slowed, her little body relaxing as the warmth of the milk and Natasha’s touch soothed her.

By the time she finished, her breathing had evened out, her tiny fingers still curled around Natasha’s thumb.

Natasha exhaled softly. “Finally.”

Clint grinned. “Think we can sneak her back into the crib without waking her up?”

Katie let out a sudden loud sneeze, startling both of them.

Clint groaned. “I’ll make coffee.”

Natasha sighed, shifting Katie more securely in her arms. “Yeah. We’re not sleeping tonight.”

But as she looked down at her peaceful, sleeping daughter, warm and safe in her arms, she thought—

Katie sat cross-legged on the couch, her tiny hands gripping the stuffed bear Bucky had given her. She looked up at her dad, her nose scrunched in deep thought. “Daddy?”

Clint glanced up from restringing his bow. “Yeah, bug?”

“Why’s my name Katie?”

He blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. Natasha, who had been curled up in the chair nearby, put down her book and watched quietly.

“Well,” Clint said, setting the bow aside and leaning forward. “You’re named after someone really special.”

Katie’s eyes widened. “Who?”

Clint hesitated, glancing at Natasha. She gave him a small nod. They had always known this moment would come.

“Her name was Kate Bishop,” Clint said gently. “She was my partner.”

Katie tilted her head. “Like Mommy’s partner?”

“Yeah,” Clint said, smiling faintly. “Like that. We fought side by side. She was smart, stubborn, and really good with a bow.”

Katie grinned. “Like me?”

He ruffled her hair. “Exactly like you.”

“What happened to her?”

There it was. The question he dreaded.

Clint swallowed hard, feeling Natasha’s presence beside him. “She was a hero, just like your mom and me. And sometimes… heroes don’t always make it home.”

Katie’s tiny fingers curled into her bear’s fur. “Oh.”

For a moment, she was quiet, processing. Then she straightened up, her little chin lifting in determination. “Was she brave?”

“The bravest,” Natasha said softly.

A smile slowly spread across Katie’s face. “Then I like my name.”

Clint exhaled, his chest tightening with something between grief and pride. He pulled her into his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Me too, bug.”

The second Gerry’s feet hit the ground, Katie yanked him behind a stack of crates, her heart pounding. “That was so stupid.”

Gerry, still grinning, brushed dust off his jacket like he hadn’t just jumped off a moving truck. “And also kinda cool, right?”

Katie smacked his arm. Hard. “No. Just stupid.”

He winced, rubbing the spot she hit. “Okay, okay, I get it! But admit it—my landing was at least a solid eight out of ten.”

“More like a two,” she shot back, peeking around the crates to make sure they hadn’t been followed. “You nearly faceplanted.”

“Almost doesn’t count.”

Katie groaned, running a hand through her wind-messed hair. “Gerry, I swear, if you ever pull something like that again—”

“What? You’ll kill me? Because I’m pretty sure my mom’s gonna do that first.”

That was a fair point. Jessica Drew wasn’t exactly known for being chill about near-death experiences.

Katie sighed, finally allowing herself to breathe. “Just… don’t make me have to save your dumb ass again, okay?”

Gerry nudged her with his elbow. “C’mon, you love it.”

Whenever tyey have to be away at the same time, they leave Katie with people they trust. The two most common choices are Bucky and Jessica Drew.

Bucky is practically family. He’s protective, knows how to handle danger, and would do anything to keep Katie safe. Despite his grumpy exterior, he has a soft spot for her and takes his job as her guardian seriously. Plus, he’s one of the few people who can actually keep up with her energy.