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A Princess of the Disney Lineage.

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Xander looked up from tending his books about a year and a half later when the door to the shop opened. "Hi, welcome to the Belle's Books store."

"It took me nearly a year to figure out that note," Clint said. He came in and shut the door, looking around. "Of the many places I expected you to be, this wasn't one."

"She loves books." He grinned and pointed. "Belle, your Uncle Clint's here." She ran out squealing to pounce him.

He picked her up to cuddle her. "I missed you too, kiddo." She snuggled in. "What's up?"

She grinned at him. "Daddy told us." She went back to cuddling.

"Us?"

"She has a slightly imaginary friend named Sochi," Xander said with a grin. "It's mostly a protection from magic." He leaned on the counter. "How's Don?"

"He pouted a bit but then warriors invaded about a week after Thor left with Loki to have him punished. We all swore about that, but none more than Fury when he found out he had the reason they were invading within arms reach more than once."

"Yeah, I saw a few of them trying to track her and killed them." He shrugged. "That was about the same time the Council had to go underground again because of the protests and people trying to kill the girls for being powerful. Thank Natasha for helping them openly and not for me please?"

"I can do that." He stared at him. "Fury wants her found."

"If that's why you're here, I know Willow can still do memory spells."

"No, I'm not, Xander. I'd never let a kid be handed over." Xander relaxed and nodded. "Even Thor's protested on her behalf."

"Thank him for me too, especially since his father probably wanted to marry them off together to have some prophecy fulfilled. Of course, she'd die of it after he had a first daughter for Odin to corrupt and use." He found the book and handed it over. "Blue bookmark."

Clint put it onto the counter and looked at it, still holding his niece. "Fuck."

"Yup."

Belle looked at him. "Bad word. Sochi has delicate ears." She put her head back down.

Clint smiled. "Sorry, Belle and Sochi. I'll try to swear less."

"Thank you," she chirped. "We should have tea."

"Sure, we can have tea. Do I need to dress up for the tea party?" Clint asked with a grin.

"You're so silly. We have real tea, not tea parties like other girls. My dollies and teddies only drink tea when I want them to, not all the time." She wiggled down and led him off to the kitchen.

"I'll be researching stuff for Uncle Rupert again," he said.

"Daddy, come have tea," she ordered. She ran out to flip the sign then back to the counter to drag him with her. "C'mon."

"Okay." He waved at someone looking in. "We're still open," he called. She walked off.

Clint looked over at him, smiling at the warming water. "She's good."

"Rupert taught her." They settled down once he had finished the tea under her picky orders. She couldn't lift a full teapot yet. They settled in to have proper tea and Xander had found cookies for them so it was all good. Someone walked in and Xander looked out there. "We're back here, Natasha. And did you bring someone?"

"I brought Stark. He insisted."

"Oh. Well, we have a few extra tea cups." He got up to warm them properly with warm water before handing them over.

Belle smiled. "Hi, Auntie Natasha. Who did you bring?"

"This is Tony Stark."

She looked at him and smirked. "You wear the suit that Auntie Dawn calls a penis statement." Xander swatted her on the head. "Hey!"

"Bad words," he said dryly with a smirk. "Quit listening to Dawn unless she's found a way to bring herself back into phase again."

"She said Auntie Willow has to end her protection spell first and she won't, Daddy."

"Hmm." Xander looked at Stark. "You can sit. We're not that sort of being." They settled in to have tea and talk about books since Belle loved books and her relatives liked to read. Stark tried to help but when he mentioned Grimm's fairy tales she just patted him on the hand and said that some day she'd be fighting monsters worse than theirs so it was a great bedtime story for her. He looked horrified but Xander shrugged. "She's a future slayer," he said quietly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Stark said. "You know real monsters."

"Yup, and the 'toon one too," she said with an evil smirk. Xander shook his head. "Daddy, we fly tomorrow?"

"Yup, we're flying out to Hawaii tomorrow for that hearing."

"What hearing?" Natasha asked.

"One of my ex's died and left us stuff in the will. The Feds are trying to confiscate it but it's not on US soil. So it's going to a hearing," Xander said.

"Ah. How many of those has there been?" Natasha asked.

"Three, four, something like that. Why?"

"We checked the other businesses first," Clint admitted.

Xander smiled. "Got to be diverse."

"Some of it's a bit weird," Clint said. Xander nodded he was right. "I'm still stuck on the artifact finding one."

"It helps a lot. You'd be surprised how often we run into magical artifacts. Before people would quietly call the Council about them but now they come to me because I'm more openly known about that. When the photogs can identify you, you don't get to hide really easily."

"I get that," Stark agreed. "So now you're...." He waved a hand around.

"Yeah, and doing her pretraining stuff. The Council's still around, it's just hiding a lot."

"How's the dating going?" Clint asked.

Xander shrugged a bit. "None recently." His daughter patted him on the arm. "Yes, Dear?"

"Date her, Daddy," she said with a point at Natasha.

"I think she's already seeing Unclie Clint."

"Ooooh. Sorry, Auntie, but we like you anyway." She smiled. "You need to have friends flirt with Daddy."

"I'm sure I will some day, Belle," she promised. Belle grinned back and properly sipped her tea. "Who taught you to make tea?"

"Uncle Rupert. He was bored so he visited."

"Plus to check up on you," Xander agreed dryly.

"That too. He wanted to make sure Daddy was teaching me about monsters." She sipped her tea and put her cup down. "He made sure I know all about bad things and vampires. Vampires are supposed to be really mean."

"They can be," Natasha agreed. "Though your aunt has found a few that she's worked with over the years."

"Daddy warned me about Auntie Buffy's new boyfriend and his vampire panties. His vampire undies must've been biting him a lot since he looked so not happy with that. But he was a grrr-idiot so he went bye-bye when Auntie Buffy staked him for growling at me. Before Daddy did. Then Daddy gave her dirty looks and suggest she date jocks and their thongs instead since vampire undies made him so mean." She nibbled on a cookie.

"Which was the last time Auntie Buffy was allowed in the building because she invited him in," Xander said dryly. "She's enjoying her rotation in Bermuda right now."

"Vampire speedos instead of vampire undies?" Clint joked.

"Probably." He sipped his tea and slapped his phone when it rang. "That's probably not good," he said as he put it on speaker. "Speak to the Goddess, she's having tea," he said bluntly.

"Xander, we're really sorry if the apocalypse battle is being driven down there. We had *no* idea it was going to head for the Carribean or you on the way. We're *really* sorry, man," a male voice said.

Xander stared at his phone. "What did you do?" he asked, talking down to them like he would his daughter when she used to pee on the floor to prove she wasn't using a diaper.

"It was trying Atlanta so we drove it off. It huffed and said it'd go find a more amusing target in Bermuda but we think it's on your heading because it looks like it on a map. It'll be there tomorrow sometime. We're really sorry. Please don't kill us too?"

"What is it?" Clint asked. "So we can help him kill it."

"Oh, thank you, Goddess Belle. You're the archer guy, right? His brother?"

"Yup. What is it?"

"Huge demon. Needs to be beheaded. The SHIELD guys who were here helping us got stomped on when they drove up in an SUV. Your boss guy is really growly when she's mad."

"Hill's not in charge, just next to it," he said dryly. "Beheading only?"

"Got a name or a species?" Xander asked.

"It's Hubert's benefactor, Xander," another male voice said. "The one he offered himself up to so he could get out of trouble and retire."

"Great," Xander said dryly. "Thanks. Heading for Buffy in Bermuda?"

"It was talking about Cuba."

"I don't think there's any slayers in Cuba but there is that cult.... Oh, fuck," he muttered. "Yup, we're in the path. Thanks, guys. Let us call this in. Send Belle early birthday cards before you hide for your lives. At least you tried to handle it." He hung up and called another number. "It's Xander. The demon in Atlanta is heading for my location and then to the cult in Cuba," he said dryly. "They drove it out of the main city. No idea if it will hit Miami or any other city on the way down."

"Why Cuba?" a female voice asked.

"There's a cult to it there," Xander said. "A new wave of revolutionaries who are willing to give up their souls to free their people. I sent a briefing on it last month, Gwen."

"Oh, them. Yeah, I fell asleep when Giles was briefing us. Are we sure?"

"Yup, a few friends called in the 'I'm so sorry' call from Atlanta."

"Great. Let me notify people. How big?"

"Huge. Beheader. Tell Giles it's the same one my ex that once tried to steal the baby prayed to so he could retire without me kicking his ass." He finished his tea while she yelled that away from the phone.

"Hi, Gwen," Belle called.

"Hey, Belle. Xander, do you need to evacuate her?"

"Like I'm going to let it get near here in Key West? Are you insane, woman?" he snorted. "There's a lot of civies and tourists down here. They don't need that. I'll pick a True Lies and do part of the interstate first."

"Okay. Want us to call the governor?"

"Yup, please." He hung up and pulled up a map to look at. He drew a virtual line and nodded. "It's going to hit Miami and then branch or it'll come down this way and cut over." He called a contact in Miami. "Huge demon coming from Atlanta your way on the way to Cuba," he said in greeting. "Yup, seriously. They drove it out of Atlanta, it's huffing off to go kiss up to its cult in Cuba." He listened. "Not sure, but I'm pretty sure it's going to hit your city too for at least a few snacks. Beheading. Yup, if not, I've got to get it down here on the interstate or out in a boat. Thanks, man." He hung up. "Maybe....." he said, considering it. "Please let it decide to take the Miami direct route."

"Can it swim?" Stark asked.

"Probably not." He sighed. "Okay, then we're going to have to have an obvious trap and a non-obvious one that he'll go into instead." They nodded. He looked at Clint. "Want the obvious?"

"Please no."

"Sure, I'll do the obvious."

"I'll do the obvious with Romanoff. You two do the not-obvious," Stark ordered. "Does she have a sitter?"

"Yup," Belle said with a grin. "I have two or three." She got up and opened the back door. "Mama Johansen?" she yelled. An older Jamaican lady came to her doorway. "There's a demon headed down here from Atlanta going to Cuba."

"That's fine, sugar. When does your daddy need me to watch you?"

"Tomorrow if you can," Xander called without looking. "Thank you, Mama Johansen."

"You're welcome, Xander. That's not something any of us want to see." She smiled at the girl. "What're you doing today?"

"Unclie Clint's here so we're having tea." She grinned. "I'll come over after breakfast."

"That's fine, sugar. When you need to, you run right over." She smiled and waved, closing the door so they could call around. With any luck, the military would stop the demon in Miami.

Xander called someone. "I need real-time tracking of the huge demon that left Atlanta. Thanks. Yup, it can handle that." He hung up and a new map popped up. "It's riding on a train?"

"Apparently," Tony agreed. He called a friend. "It's me. Are you guys going to handle the demon that's going to Miami via train? Had been in Atlanta." He listened, smirking at Xander. "That's very nice of someone to buy it safe passage on Amtrak as cargo," he said dryly. "Please. Before it eats more people." He hung up.

"Of course there was," Natasha said dryly. "We had one group last month that thought that there were no bad demons or vampires. They were just misunderstood."

"I'm all for it for the peaceful species, but not the human-eating ones," Xander said. "Fuck."

"Daddy!" Belle complained. "Naughty words. Sochi has delicate ears, damn it."

He snorted, looking at her fondly. "Then what do you call that?"

"Reaction to all the naughty words." She gave him a look then hopped up. "Let me go take my shower early. Sochi and I will need to be extra clean when we run over to Mama Johansen's later." She ran off after hugging Clint and Natasha.

Xander shook his head. "I'm still wondering how I did such a good job with her."

Natasha smiled. "She is a very good child. Very thoughtful as well." She finished her tea. "How are we doing this?"

"Can we herd it into a trap and have it duck a predetermined way?" Stark asked.

"If it's not swimming, we can get it up near the mainland as the interstate starts," Natasha said. She expanded the map to show him. "About here?"

"If he's not swimming then he's only got three options or pushing through," Xander agreed. "This area's being redone right now. There's a diversion to the right." They nodded they knew that. "Can we do it there? It'll probably want the road more." They nodded and made plans for a trap and a more hidden trap. They might get yelled at but it was already being worked on anyway, so not too much disruption to traffic.

***

Xander came back the next night dragging. "Ow." He flopped down. "Belle!" he bellowed. She came squealing back and pounced him, making him groan. "Hey, sweetness."

She looked at him. "Daddy, I could've waited while you showered and made sure it didn't try to possess you." She kissed him on the nose and smiled. "Go do that." She wiggled down. "Is it gone?"

"Yup, gone a whole lot. We sank the sucker." She grinned and ran back out back. Xander heaved himself up and went to shower all his bruises. "I'm getting way too old for this job," he mumbled.

"Xander!" Buffy yelled from downstairs.

Xander looked up. "Did I really deserve that present?" he asked dryly.

Buffy stormed in. "What do you think you were doing!" she shouted.

"Well, right now I think I'm naked in the shower and if you don't get out of my bathroom in the next ten seconds I'm going to have you arrested for breaking and entering," he said.

She snorted. "You can't do that."

He looked out at her. "Yes I can. You broke into my business and house. Get out!" He pointed. She blushed. "I told you I was showering. Duh!" He pointed again. "Now! Before you set a bad example for my daughter." She huffed off. Xander grabbed his phone to call the neighbor. "Buffy Summers is here. She is not to take Belle," he ordered quietly. "Thanks. I'll be done in about twenty minutes. I'm showering as the daughter ordered me to." He hung up and went back to his shower. By the time he got out and was drying off, cops were arriving on his street. He put on a pair of shorts without anything underneath them and his other pair of sneakers, heading down to let them in. "Guys? Which problem was it?" He heard the crying out back and went there. "Did she steal Belle?"

"She knocked me down!" Mama Johansen sobbed. "Her and that redheaded bad girl!"

Xander looked up. "I'm going to kill you both," he warned. Then he called someone. "It's Xander. Buffy and Willow stole Belle," he said bluntly. "You have milliseconds before I react and the cops are already here. Bookstore. Thank you." He hung up and looked at the cops. "I'm just back from helping take down that demon."

"We saw," one said. "Your daughter?"

"Buffy's always thought that me, who used to train the slayers, wasn't good enough to train my own daughter, who is a future slayer. She's tried to legally get her and the judge told her to grow up."

"Are they local?" one asked.

"I don't know. That depends on Willow." They nodded, calling that in. Xander got them pictures. "The FBI probably has more recent pictures. They tend to follow Willow around just in case she tries to end the earth again."

"You're very calm," one of the officers praised.

Xander smirked. "I called some of my ex's, who are mostly arms dealers and the like. They're multinational. They'll tell me where she is." They just nodded at that. A few minutes later his phone rang with a text message. "We were supposed to be in Hawaii," he muttered, texting them back about what had happened and he had sent an email. Plus that Belle had been snatched by Buffy and Willow. He said they'd get excused and his lawyer was handling it for him.

Xander put his phone down after making sure it was set for a new text message to ring in. He stared when it did. One of the officers took it from him. "I have no idea why SHIELD has her." He called. "Why does your batty mother fucking boss have my daughter?" He listened. "So said a few ex's. Oh, hell no." He hung up. "Fuck no. He has *plans*." He went upstairs to grab something and came back down. "Guys, I'll give you what you need for the rest of the paperwork, including their bodies, in a few minutes." They tried to stop him but he used the emergency transport to his daughter's side to get up there. "Morning," he said as he cut off the head of the person holding his daughter. "I believe you should not be touching my daughter."

He backhanded the agent rushing over to help and got the other warriors then he sneered at Buffy and Willow, shooting them both in the stomach. "No one touches my baby girl. Not you, not her, not them, no one." He stared at them. "Or did you forget that the only loyalty I have is for her?" He disappeared with her. He landed with agents there. "What?" he asked.

"Sir, Director Fury is presently calling in to hold you."

Xander snorted. "Yay." They backed up. "Get out. Now." He waved a hand and took her with him. Now they'd be safer. He looked at his daughter, who was sucking her thumb. He kissed her on the head. "I'm going to kill a whole bunch of people for coming near you."

"You hurt Auntie Buffy."

"Auntie Buffy stole you. She can't shoplift you like you're a book."

"Oh. She did?" Xander nodded. "Who were those guys?"

"Bad guys. Your grandmother ran away from them. Grandma Aurora."

"You told me 'bout them." She thought for a few more minutes while he cleaned off his axe. "Are we illegal now?"

"Not exactly. Giles is going to stomp on Buffy and Willow until they're dead for me. Or else he knows it's going to go really poorly for him." He grinned. "We're rebelling."

"Like the ones on tv that shoots people?"

"Not exactly but kinda." He grinned. "You let me worry about that."

"But books? And store?"

"Books and the store will be there in a few weeks. We're taking a vacation here where they won't look for us while they throw tantrums like those kids in the store that you stare at." She grinned. "That way they can calm down before I have to hurt someone else for trying to shoplift you."

She hugged him. "I wouldn't want to be shoplifted either. They were mean and they smelled funny." He nodded, hugging her. "Daddy, is it going to storm?"

He looked outside, lifting her up to the window that was higher up on the wall. "What do you see?"

"Lots and lots of snow, Daddy."

"Yup. See those pretty, fluffy, dark clouds? That means there's going to be another snow storm soon." He looked at her. "We'll teach you how to track in the snow."

"You need pantsies then."

"I do," he agreed. "I'll handle that too." She giggled and went to check out the rest of this house. She'd never been here before. Xander called someone. "We're safe. Where Gregori left us. Yup. I could use some pants and so could she. Thanks, man." He hung up and relaxed. His daughter was happily exploring. She was naming all the food in the pantry for him. He had enough for a few weeks.

***

Fury looked at the mess made on his floor then around. "How did he escape if our anti-magic shields work against Rosenburg?" he demanded. The junior agents all shrugged.

Coulson cleared his throat. "Rosenburg didn't make the protections for him. Most likely, Summers did."

"Buffy does magic?" Agent Hill asked.

"No, but her sister that's out of phase did." Coulson looked at him. "Beyond that, you knew he was going to rescue her, sir." He walked off. "I'll see if I can negotiate a truce with him."

"He shot agents," Fury said. "That's not something I make a truce for."

Coulson looked at him from the elevator. "And his ex's? Do you think they won't go into gleeful overdrive to rip us down for touching her?" Fury blinked then growled. "Beyond that, Miss Summers did not have his permission to take his daughter from Key West. That was kidnaping and there are charges that have been filed with the locals and the FBI due to that. I'm simply glad he didn't call down a higher level of demon to deal with all that for him, sir." He got into the elevator and left to handle things.

Fury glared at the mess. "We're going to have to explain this shit."

"We can let Harris explain himself," Hill said. "Their war is with him."

Fury looked at her. "Would that really satisfy you if you were Odin?"

"Probably not," she admitted. "But it's a start. He's already met him once."

"Point. Maybe. Tell Thor."

"I've put in a call to Avengers tower but no one there is answering."

"Great." He huffed off. He had damage control to pull. It was nice that the president already knew when he called. As a matter of fact, the president told him why he was calling when he called. So he couldn't spin this any way to look better on his people.

***

Xander looked outside that night at the sound of a wolf's howl, looking out a window. He finally opened a door and walked outside, staring at the statuesque redhead with the fancy robes and hair. "What part of 'not interested' did you not get?" he asked.

"I can protect your daughter," she said with a smile.

"I can kill all of Asgard. I have three weapons in my possession that will kill any and all magic."

She blinked a few times. "You cannot do that. That's not possible." Xander smirked meanly. She huffed. "She is....."

Xander held up a hand. "Her grandmother made damn sure I knew that she should never step foot up there before she knew what was going to happen and that doing so would start another war. My daughter will not step foot on Asgard until she's an adult and makes that choice. Or the choice to be Asgard's slayer in residence." He stared at her. "You coming near my daughter is considered an act of war."

"Your allies are no more," she smirked.

"I don't need allies, Amora. Why would I need them?" She gaped. "I can destroy *everything* on Asgard without help. And it won't touch my daughter at all. She's already protected."

"I can protect her from Odin. He won't stop."

"I can kill Odin." She gaped. He stared back. "Did you think I was kidding?"

She nodded. "Yes. A boastful warrior making a last stand."

He laughed. "No, not likely." He walked back inside and found his daughter missing. So Xander calmly redressed and sent himself at her location while opening a spot on his arm. He pulled out the first of the weapons, throwing them at the guards in his ways. They screamed as they blew up. He walked into the throne room. "I want my daughter back now. If I have to ask again, you will not like Hel's lands." Odin laughed.

"Daddy!" Belle shouted.

"Be still, child," Frigg ordered. She sneered at Xander. "How dare you...."

"She is my daughter. The product of my sperm." He threw out the second weapon, watching it fume up. "Within three hours, anyone who that touches will die." People were already screaming. "It did not have to be this way but you touched and took my daughter. Therefore you'll die for it." He threw out the last one, right at her and Odin. "My daughter's protected from it." He walked up to grab her and walked her off, checking her. Then summoned the real Belle from where someone had her hidden. He put the doll into her arms with a grin. "Just like the American Girl dolls, sweetness."

She nodded, looking at him. "Daddy, I don't feel good."

"That's because they hate slayers." He took her outside and activated the charm to get them back to the cabin. He grinned. "Let's get your fever down, dear." He gave her the medicine and the antidote again, just in case. She felt like she had the flu but she'd live. Odin and his court, not so much. By the time she was feeling better, others had heard and there was outraged screaming. He appeared back in the US, in Washington, DC. He looked at the First Lady since she was in the garden. "Did they expect me not to get my daughter back? I'm pretty sure I've proved multiple times that I'm an overprotective boob about Belle."

"You have, Xander." She smiled. "My husband would like you to formally give yourself up for a few days so we can straighten this out."

"Ummm.... no. Sorry. Because there's almost no one I trust to watch my daughter. Let's face it, Willow and Buffy stole her from the bookstore and brought her to Fury, who handed her to Odin's guards. Then I had to rescue her when a wannabe ex showed up as a diversion so Odin's other people could steal her..... No. Not even my half-brother is trusted at the moment. Not until I talk to him. I'll take monitored custody in a hotel room but otherwise no." He stared at the guard that came out, gun in hand. "Do you really want to do that near my daughter?" He stepped back. "I'm being nice and reasonable. People who steal my daughter? They die horribly for it."

"You released two biological weapons," the guard said.

"They had my daughter and she was dying from it. So yes, I did. I could have used the one that would've destroyed all the magic that holds their realm together." He grinned. "I'm never gentle about my daughter."

"I understand that," the guard said. "The president would like to see you, Mr. Harris."

"Sure. That's why we're here." He smiled. "Want to pat me down?"

"Yes, we will be." He had an agent come out to hold the baby in his sight while they did that. Then her. Then he handed her back. She was tired. "Ill from it?"

"She had the flu." He grinned. "It happens. She was getting sniffly before I had to call in that demon." They walked around him to the oval office. He nodded as he walked in. The president scowled. "You wanted me to be nicer?"

"Yes!"

"Tough. They had my daughter and she was ill. They laughed that I was her father." He grinned. "You're damn lucky I didn't use the weapons that would've eaten or unraveled their magic." The president shuddered. "All I did was release the flu and a few other things."

"How did you get them up there?" the president asked.

"The same way I got them in here?" He pointed at his arm. The guards groaned. "I learned a few things in Africa. It was kind of important down there." He sat down. "I don't want to have to carry this on. I will if it keeps endangering my daughter. They knew better. Odin didn't like me when the Enchantress kidnaped me and I was fighting my way out at the same time his favorite son was fighting his way in to deal with her."

The president nodded. "Thor said that." Xander grinned. "He's not happy."

"Then they shouldn't have taken my daughter. I gave them warning in the past. I gave *everyone* warning in the past."

"You have," the president agreed. "It's still not a good idea."

"Neither was kidnaping my child. And if Nick Fury was involved in that kidnaping I owe him a few blows too."

"No, he had Rosenburg summoned when he heard a split second report that they had taken her," one of the guards said.

Xander looked at him. "That's nice. So he had a *partial* plan. He knew I wasn't going to react well too. He mock-swung at my daughter and I nearly cut his throat for it." He shrugged. "I'm a highly overprotective boob over my baby girl."

"Daddy, quit fussing," she said, blinking up at him. "They're bad people, they get bad people things happening to them. Let Unclie Clint do it."

He shrugged. "We'll have to talk to him first, princess. I'm not sure what's going on there."

"He's family, Daddy."

He nodded. "Sometimes that matters," he agreed. He cuddled her.

She snorted. "Dumb butt. Family is supposed to be everything."

"Yes it should," he agreed.

She sighed, looking over. "Can you please call Unclie Clint?"

"He's in detention to make sure he didn't escalate things," one of the guards said. "We're holding him so he can't go off on people," he said when she looked confused.

"Why? Did he do bad things?"

"They're trying to stop more bad things from happening," he explained.

"Then they shouldn't have kidnaped me." She shrugged. "It's not like parents would be happy with that. Would they?"

"No. I would've killed a whole bunch of people if you were mine and taken."

She smiled. "Then why is my daddy in trouble?"

"There's diplomats involved," the president told her.

She snorted. "I met a few of them. They're stupid and they never say anything, just babble nonsense like Thomas the Tank Engine does when he's had too much coal." The president gaped.

Xander nodded. "The only one you've met does do that, yeah." He shrugged. "The one for Hong Kong. One of my ex's left me something in his will."

The president sighed and shook his head. "We'd like you to calm them down."

"I'd like to too but I don't think it's practical," Xander said bluntly. "Because I'll still destroy *anyone* who tries to take my daughter from me. The same as I did when she was four months old and I had to go on that killing rampage thanks to Willow." The president shuddered. "Same thing, different location, different weapons. Here I used higher ones." He smirked. "Did Odin live?"

"He's been put into a magical coma until they can treat it. His whole court," the president said.

Xander nodded. "Huh. Well, two were the new fume weapons. I used an explosive pulsing grenade on the guards before storming in." The guards in there moaned. "The two fume weapons I used in the throne room were both germ weapons but both lighter ones. I didn't figure they'd know how to handle the flu. Though my arm was dripping and it may have gotten into the second one," he admitted. "So possibly something bigger. I'll let someone *quiet* take samples from me to see if it is related."

The president stared at him. "When did you get given germ weapons? Or germs?"

"Hmm." He looked at his daughter, who grinned and poked him on the nose. Then at the president. "Beyond the ones I got because I fell into a native burial chamber back in Sunnydale and the ghosts gave me a 'fuck you for killing us' present?"

The president blinked. "What was that?"

"As far as we know, smallpox, syphilis, and measles. Anya identified them. I tested clean for all of them once the ghosts passed on but I know I carried antibodies. The guy named Jacques in Sudan found that when he captured me to use me as a test subject. I went from 'oooh, you'll make a good mind controlled soldier' to 'ooh, we can use you as a higher level problem' and he kept trying to introduce samples to my blood to see what I'd do. Only half of them got injected into me after they reacted well with a blood sample. I got free and blew the fuck out of him about two weeks later but I know I was sick at the time. I also know that the nice missionary hospital people thought I was going to die from it but they assured me it wasn't a hemorrhagic fever like ebola."

The president slumped, staring at him. "I've never heard a thing about this."

"You or any of my ex's," Xander said with a grin. "I'm not that stupid."

"Good point." He swallowed. "I can have someone pull some blood to test it."

"Quietly test it. If it gets out, I have a whole new class of admirers for a different reason."

"That's a good point. If you get out of protective custody."

"She and I can go back to Africa instead," Xander said dryly. "I knew about the long-distance guarding but really not necessary."

"Fine. Get me someone to draw the samples." One of the guards called up one of the EMT's from the on-site medical clinic. "He's been exposed to things in the past. He is not contagious now," the president said. "We need to know what."

Xander shifted Belle and held out a hand. "You'll get the easiest sample with a butterfly on my wrist," he said quietly. "My elbow ones are screwed up masses of scar tissue due to donating plasma in my stupid youth." The EMT nodded, pulling that out to fill a few vials. "You're going to need enough for multiple disease testing. There was a germ doc who wanted me to be his weapon once," he said quietly. That got more vials pulled. He looked at the baby. "She wasn't alive then."

"Thank you, sir." He looked at the president, who wrote out a note and handed that to a guard with the vials. The guard and the EMT left.

Xander grinned. "I'm not mean if you're not after my daughter. I made that clear a number of times."

"You have," he agreed. "Now what?"

"For all I care, they can sob. They kidnaped my daughter." He shrugged. "I'm not going to demand they pay reparation but leave us the hell alone."

"Why do they want her?"

Xander smiled and kissed her head. Then looked at the president. "Her maternal grandmother and grandfather were Asgardian. Part of a small group that was basically off in a corner of the realm avoiding wars with Odin and his band of muscular idiots. They were both second children. They were both basically pushed out until they had a use in a political marriage. They married each other and their families were at war at the time. Her mom and aunt would've stopped the warring. Neither side liked it." The president winced. "Grandpa lasted long enough to help Grandma Aurora get down here safely with the girls. Then her mom had her. When Grandma died right after Belle was born, a protection passed on. That's how they knew Ariel had survived and so had Belle. No one but my brother has known about this until recently. Then Thor spotted her. He had an idea."

"So Fury probably prompted it?"

"Yup."

"Crap."

"I'm about to cut him again, sir."

"Can we spin this?"

"We can spin it that she's not the actual heir, she's their assistant's grandchild. There is one. They can't find her at all."

"Did she make it?"

"Yeah, she did. She'd read as just as much Asgardian. She's a distant cousin so the family readings on one side would work. Not on the other and it's her grandfather's side that is not happy. They want her back because they're now at war with Odin's people."

"So they want her as a true heir?"

"No, the last I heard they wanted to stick her seat on a pole and walk her through the battlefields as a symbol," he said dryly.

Belle snorted. "That's not how you fight."

"No it's not."

"Did she know?"

Xander nodded. "Yup. I told her enough that she knows that there's people from her grandparent's past that want to snatch her. I explained that they weren't nice. That they wore fantasy guy armor and all that. She thinks they're with the mob. We were watching the Godfather." The guards still in there smiled at that. "It's about as close as I could come. She'll get more as she gets older." He looked down at her. She looked up. "Did you scream when the guys in armor grabbed you the first time?"

She nodded. "They had stinky rags at the cabin, Daddy."

"I figured they did." He gave her a squeeze and looked at the president again. "Wouldn't you take that risk for your children?"

"Yes, I would," the president said. "Or send someone like you who had that sort of experience." Xander tipped his head with a slight grin. "Can you apologize?"

"If they do for taking my daughter. I doubt they will."

"Me too," he admitted. "All right, let me call Fury. We do need to put you...."

"We can both stay in a nice motel room under guard. You're not getting her away from me either."

"I understand that. Maybe not a *nice* motel." Xander shrugged. "Fine."

Xander looked at the guard, taking the notepad next to him to write out a note on and then something else. "Get my half-brother to get that box from that bank," he said quietly, tapping it. "That's the codephrase he'll need. It has her official stuff." The guard nodded. "They'll only release it to someone I send and it'd only be someone I would trust her with. That's a last ditch, pull it out to make them all shut up and sit down, thing."

"I can do that, sir." He called that in, going to pick up Agent Barton himself.

Xander looked at the president. "Let's get us somewhere she can nap and I can stare at the ceiling and make bad plans in case Fury tries his usual egotistical shit."

"He won't do that to me." Xander snorted, staring at him. "I'll have him shot."

"The slayers all universally like Coulson to take his place. Some like Hill but think she's Vulcan."

"So do I sometimes. I asked her if she needed an oil change once." Xander smiled. "Boys?" They took Xander to a motel they had used in the past and got him checked in. Within an hour, someone dropped off a bag of clothes for him and the baby, plus a few other things. They had to confiscate the guns but yay.

***

Xander put Belle down next to his seat the next morning, nodding at her to stay there. She nodded, settling in with a book the nice guards had given her. He looked at the people staring at him. "What did you expect me to do when they kidnaped my daughter?" he asked bluntly.

"You nearly killed my father," Thor said.

"And he had kidnaped my daughter." Thor blinked at that. "What would you do if they kidnaped your child?"

"I would not have left a single one living," he said stiffly.

Xander nodded. "I showed mercy. I only went for those that were involved." He shrugged. "I warned others in the past that coming near my daughter was unhealthy."

"She has status she should take up," Thor said.

Xander snorted. "Perhaps. Then again, their assistant managed to flee with them and her child."

Thor slumped. "Her maid did?"

"Their maid did," Xander corrected. "She did more than dress her." Thor nodded once. "She was their guard and other things. Also a distant cousin. So technically.... the readings wouldn't matter. So your father may have kidnaped the wrong child."

"The protections were given to that one."

"Yes they were." Xander smiled. "You can will on protections, Thor."

"I do not traffic in magic." Thor stared at him. "What would you do if your parents were killed? Or nearly so?"

"Laugh. Mine are horrible and they liked to treat me like shit." Thor slumped. "Frankly, I understand why your brother's always angry *very* well." He shifted to cross his feet, looking at his daughter then at him.

"I'm fine, Daddy."

"Are you a robot?" he asked.

She snorted. "No, Daddy, just sniffly and stiff from the medicine you gave me."

"Sorry." He kissed her forehead. "Bit warm. We'll get you some tylenol in a while." She nodded, settling in to read again. He looked at Thor. "I had more powerful weapons on me. I was polite, I only used things to make them dreadfully ill and only used them on the ones who had my daughter hostage. I could have used the ones that destroy magic completely." Thor shuddered. "I'm sorry you're dad's sick, Thor, but I don't really give a damn because he was holding my daughter hostage. That negates any care I have for any other human being in this realm or any other. The only one I care about is her. Even beyond other family. When you have children, you do that."

"I understand that," he agreed. "We must make peace."

Xander nodded. "Leave my daughter alone and we have peace. That's all I ever wanted."

"She should take up her crown."

"Why would I want her to go through that?"

"They would stop their wars," Thor said.

"Yes, by getting her killed. No, she's not going to take up anything like that until she's an adult, she chooses to take it up, and she knows what she's getting into. The same as she can't go on patrol as a slayer until then."

"I had not known that part," Thor admitted. Xander nodded.

Belle popped up. "I'm not that sort of princess. Those sort are stupid and think all monsters live in the closet or under the bed. I know better than that because some day I'll be a great slayer." She stared at him over the edge of the table. "I don't want to be that sort of princess please. I'd hate to be dumb." Xander hugged her. She grinned at him. "Besides, princesses never get to live in the bookstore." She grinned and sat back down with the book. "Daddy, this one has talking frogs."

"So does the Muppet Movie," he pointed out.

"Good point." She went back to it. He checked her fever again. "I'm not a robot, Daddy," she huffed.

"We scanned her, she's a flesh and blood little girl, Harris," one of the guards said. "She's probably just frustrated." She nodded. "Mine does that and she's five."

Xander grinned. "Thanks. She doesn't like to hang out with other kids. Sometimes I don't know how to tell."

"Other kids do stupid stuff," she complained. He looked down at her. She looked up. "They do."

"Fine. You're still starting school next year." She pouted but nodded, going back to her book. Xander looked at the president then at Thor. "I have Clint getting the stuff that her grandmother gave into my keeping for when she was old enough."

"Her seal?" Thor asked.

"That too." He looked at his phone then sent an email to the bank there. That would help Clint. He looked at Thor again. "Frankly, I've researched both sides of her family line when I found out. I'm not happy with either of them. I really don't want my daughter in the middle of their spoiled bitch tantrums."

"They are good people. Their rulers....not as much," Thor said. "Surely their people deserve better?"

"Then they should overthrow them." Xander shrugged. "We've seen it done before. We've seen them take out their ruling parties to let in another one. All their rulers are doing are getting them killed. They're going along with it like sheep. She would be stopping it, because I wouldn't let anyone be her regent beyond me and Clint." Thor sighed but nodded. "I never want her to have to learn that people like that exist. That she's possibly related to some of them."

"It is her heritage."

"No, they cast the grandparents out. That means they cast out their whole lineage. They've done it without her this long and they're going to continue to do it without her. When she's an adult she has the choice of riding in as the slayer in residence for Asgard. Until then, she's just about four." Thor nodded at that. "For all we care, have someone decent take over their people. That would solve most of the problems, wouldn't it?" Thor nodded it would. "Then why involve her?"

"It's her birthright."

"Mine's better for her. It won't get her assassinated by someone selfish who wants a job that Belle wouldn't want in the first place. A lot of rulers probably wanted that for their kids so they had official kids and bastard kids who got to enjoy being alive and slightly named. That way they had some that were happy. In her case, since her grandparents both got banished, she doesn't have to make that choice until she's an adult." His phone beeped. "Clint's got the box and he's on his way back."

"It should be about an hour," one of the guards said. "We're borrowing a quinjet from SHIELD for him."

Xander nodded. "Thank you." He looked at the president again. "How are my former friends?"

"Still in rehab for their wounds," he said dryly. "I talked to Mr. Giles and he was ranting and raving about stupidity but not yours." Xander smiled. "He knows?"

"No. Until this meeting today, the only ones who knew were Clint and Natasha. Not even Don, who has her secondary custody, knew. Then someone told Thor or Thor figured it out, and then Fury got wind of it. I've distracted his attention from her a few times. Frankly, you're lucky I didn't already get him and take him out."

"I heard about a few of those," the president admitted. "I told him not to mess with the Council."

Clint appeared with a lockbox. "Sorry to jump in, sir."

"Willow's back?" Xander asked with a grin, taking the box from him.

"Dawn's back in phase."

"Cool, I miss talking with Auntie Dawn," Belle said.

"Are you a robot you?" Clint asked her.

She huffed and climbed into his lap to cuddle him. "No, I'm sniffly and have sniffly medicine in me." She let him check her forehead. "I'm okay. I'm tough like Daddy is."

"Yeah you are, even though you shouldn't have to be," Clint said, giving her a cuddle. She got her book handed to her when she reached for it but couldn't grab it. She settled in to read. Clint grinned and helped her when she got stuck on big words.

Xander opened the box and looked at the pocket watch first then closed it again and picked up the seal. "This is what Grandma Aurora gave to us."

Thor looked at it, blinking hard. "You are certain?" Xander nodded. "Then she's not the one we were thinking of and there may yet be more problems with Amora."

Xander smirked. "Not really. She's kinda tied up." Thor swallowed hard. He tapped the watch to make sure it was still running then pulled out her pretty blue, gold, and emeralds coronet. It had a lot of blue enamel work and a scattering of tiny emeralds around the three spires. The rest was gold filigree work. He held up the crown.

Thor took it to look at. "That does not match the seal." Xander smiled. Thor noticed the watch. He picked it up to look at, opening it. The seal didn't change. Neither did the crown. Thor looked at the watch, moaning some. "This?"

"That was gifted to me by an early boyfriend." He took it back, putting it into the box. "It's special to me."

Thor nodded. "I understand that." He looked at the baby. Then at Clint. "You protect her as well?"

"If Xander hadn't been able to go retrieve her, I would've went up there and killed everyone for him," Clint said. "Family's like that for some of us."

Xander nodded. "Yup. Blood is supposed to be closer."

Thor nodded. "I can understand that. I would do most anything to help my brother." He sighed. He handed back the seal and the crown. "They wish her to pick up her other one."

Xander shook his head. "Nope."

Clint looked at him. "Not the same throne?"

"She's got the crown for one. Aurora's mom's people." Thor sighed but nodded. "Who are all but dead."

"Mostly they have been absorbed," Thor agreed. "We had heard Aurora went to her mother's maiden title and name because of her family's pushing." Xander nodded he had heard the same. "She should have given that up when they married."

Xander grinned. "From what I was told, he went to his mother's maiden title and name." Thor groaned. Xander smirked at him. "She's not getting any of them, Thor. At all."

"Princess gowns suck," Belle said.

Clint kissed her on the head. "Yes they do. You can't fight in them."

Xander nodded. "That's why you'll never wear one." He looked at Clint. "Thanks."

"Welcome. Even if she's closer, that's a good thing." He shoulder-nudged him, getting a grin back. "What did you use?"

"Two fuming things that I had stored and an explosive pulse grenade."

"Stored how?" Thor asked.

"Some things that I learned and had done in Africa."

"How?" Clint asked. Xander leaned over to hiss in his ear. Clint stared at him. "That can't be healthy." Xander shrugged. "I'd like to know where and what. Just in case? Please?"

"No."

"Xander, what if they leak?" Clint asked.

"We can talk about that when there's no one around."

Clint nodded. "I can accept that."

"I can't," one of the guards said, staring at him. "How did you do that? Before someone else, someone less happy with us, shows up here with that same thing?"

"A native chaos mage in lower Ethiopia. He knew I'd need things hidden for my protection and the protection of others. He did the spell so I could shrink certain types of things and put them in hidden pockets within my skin in certain prepared spots. Unfortunately without the cases but still." The president gaped. Xander grinned. "It really does help when the idiots take you hostage and you have to fight your way out. Otherwise I would've died about eight, nine times in Africa and a few others in Asia."

The guard gaped. "What?" he demanded. Xander held out a hand. "You need...."

"Sharp knife." He handed over his pocket knife. Xander looked at his hand and cut open a spot carefully, then used the knife to pull out a tiny thing. He wiped off the knife then handed it back. He put the thing on the table and let it regrow while he licked his hand clean. Clint handed him a handkerchief, getting a grin and a nod back. Xander pointed. "That's what I used on the guards."

The president stared at him, mouth open. "I don't know what to say," he admitted.

"I know a few agents who would *love* to know how to do that," Clint said, staring at it. He pulled it over to check it. "It's off." The guards took a deep breath and took it. He looked at Xander, who shrugged but blushed slightly. "Natasha will want to see that."

"I need to put a few new ones in. I'll let her watch me do that. Outside the one in my thigh."

The president cleared his throat, shaking his head. "No. Not tonight. We're probably going to be doing this for a few days, Xander."

Xander shrugged. "Fine."

"Can I get you to disarm those?" the head guard asked, staring at Xander.

"No. Because I may need them to steal her back."

"We'll guard her."

Xander stared at him. "Yay?"

"Please, Mr. Harris? Before we have to disarm them for you? You brought really heavy ordinance into the white house."

"And if I open them you'll complain about all that stuff that might be in my blood."

"I can ask Stark," Clint said. "Would that work? He can hold it," he told Xander. "They can help me watch Belle if we need to? They're going to be here tonight."

Xander looked at him. "Why would I trust Stark?"

"He won't use anything and if it's in your blood, there's not going to be a comment. I trust them," Clint said, staring at him.

"I'll let you hold them."

Clint nodded. "I can do that. Can we have Stark help by scanning? He'll go nuts."

"Not really."

"Yes, he can. I trust Stark to work in his best interest and the best interest of the world instead of SHIELD or anyone else," the president said. "Thank you, Agent Barton."

"Fine," Xander agreed. "She can suck up to someone while I'm cutting them out."

"Thank you," the head guard said. "I'll check with Stark about them to make sure they don't disappear to him looking them over." Clint nodded that would be fine. So did Xander. "Plus Belle can visit with her favorite uncle for the night while he watches you to make sure no one tries to steal you since you'll be more vulnerable. And don't you dare pull out another weapon from a hidden spot in the white house," he said when Xander opened his mouth. Xander nodded at that, taking his daughter back.

"Dad!" she sighed. "Cuddling Unclie Clint!" She wiggled back over. He let her get comfortable and help her with her book. She looked at her uncle. "Daddy has the flu too."

"We can check him over later."

"Okay. We should do that." She looked at Thor. "Don't try to hurt my daddy. I'll have to be mean."

"I'd never want to hurt you or your father," Thor said. "We did not want to harm either of you." Xander snorted. "They would not."

"Her not being able to sit on her throne would suit their fighting very well," Xander said quietly in Norse. "I'm not stupid even if I'm not royal born, Thor." Thor nodded his head at that. "The end of my mercy is today. If they try again, there is no more mercy."

"I understand, Xander."

"Thank you." He looked at her. "We should go nap."

She checked his forehead with a scowl. "You're still sick, Daddy."

"We can get him up to Stark today before he leaves," Clint said, looking at the president, who nodded. "Then we'll be up there and back in the morning." The guards nodded, escorting them out to the quinjet. He called Stark. "I'm bringing Xander and Belle back. Xander seems to have the flu and so does Belle. Xander also has a lot of tiny hidden weapons he's going to let us help him remove for a few days." He hung up and flew them, plus the Secret Service guard on Belle.

Stark met them as they came out of the jet. "Tiny weapons?"

Clint held up the grenade he had taken back. "This was shrunken in the back of his hand."

"How?" he demanded, looking at Xander.

"Chaos mage in Ethiopia." Stark groaned, shaking his head.

"We need to scan him so we can make sure they're all removed," the guard said. "I'm here to make sure the child is not taken again. This way Mr. Harris doesn't have to pull out more weapons until he's feeling better." He looked at Xander. "We have the results." Xander shook his head quickly. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I am. I have no idea who might hack his."

"Sure, I get that," the guard said, handing them to Clint. "He should know?"

"He can know. I trust him."

Clint opened the envelope, staring at the results. "What's this?"

"What's in his blood," the Secret Service guy said. "The president asked if we could find out in case it mattered to why they were all so ill up there."

Clint looked at Xander. "That was not covered."

"Sudan."

Clint squeezed his eyes shut. "Okay. I get that. No, no one else should ever know," he promised, putting it into his vest pocket. "Stark, we need to scan him for tiny little weapons that don't have cases. Xander needs a flu shot and a nap. So does Belle."

"Belle needs a snack," she chirped with a grin for her uncle. "Ice cream or tea?"

"We can make tea while your daddy disarms himself." She grinned, cuddling him. They went to do that.

"Sure," Stark said, leading Xander to his lab. "Scan him please, JARVIS."

A beam went over Xander. "How did he implant so many tiny weapons, sir?"

"That's what we're removing," Xander quipped. "Scalpel? Some gloves and maybe a cotton ball of alcohol?"

Stark nodded, taking him to their infirmary to help him disarm things. Stark was quietly horrified that anyone would do that to themselves. Natasha walked in and stared at the line of tiny weapons. Stark looked at her. "They wanted him disarmed."

"A man like him is never totally disarmed." Xander grinned at her. "How many more?"

"Ten or so," Xander said.

"JARVIS, please put up the scan," Tony ordered. A virtual copy floated next to him in the air. "Thirteen."

Xander pointed at one. "That's shrapnel, not a weapon."

"It has an energy signature."

Xander nodded. "I know. Still shrapnel."

"We can remove that one too," Stark said.

"Only if I'm going to trauma surgery. It's next to the vein." He grimaced. He went back to it. Stark got one of their docs down there to remove the other one. Banner looked horrified but he could get it out. Xander slumped, letting him do it.

Bruce Banner looked at Xander once that one was out and sewn up. "Why did you do that?"

"Because people have taken me hostage and frisked me of everything. This way I'm not totally disarmed if I need something."

Bruce gaped. "What?"

Natasha laid a hand on Bruce's arm. "I know many agents who would do much the same," she said quietly. "Because they end up in places stripped down of everything and possibly tortured."

"That plus they tend to want to use me against the slayers," Xander agreed. "It was protective. I'll be putting most of them back once we're done with all the talking."

Bruce stared at him. "How did you put them in there in the first place?"

"A chaos mage in Ethiopia."

Bruce gripped the table, shaking his head. "The Council is not sane."

"I'm the guy they send into really bad situations to rescue the slayers that have been captured by idiots," Xander said. Bruce looked at him. "In the last year I've had to rescue three different slayers from rebel-led groups of one form or another. Some because they were going to kill them, some because they were going to make them work for her. I didn't make it in time for another two." Natasha patted him on the leg. "Normal people treat us like warriors they don't want to know about, but want to use until we give up and die finally. Especially in some of the lesser known areas of the world."

"I've seen a few of those," Bruce admitted. "I've worked in some of them as a humanitarian aid worker."

Xander nodded. "Now think what those groups that used to harass you for not being locals or being more wealthy would do to a young woman with extraordinary strength and healing."

"I understand that," Bruce said. "This is a bit extreme."

"If I need a weapon to take out a huge amount of idiots who have me, or one of them, hostage but I've been frisked, I need something I can get to easily. If I have to, I can open most of those with my nails or teeth."

"I guess I can understand that. I don't like it."

Xander nodded. "I get that too." He smiled. "Anything else? Clint's helping her make tea."

"Flu shot," Stark said from his seat in the corner. "She said you have the flu."

"Probably, yeah. She's just had it." He yawned.

Bruce got one to stick him with it. "I should draw some blood." Xander shook his head quickly. "Just to see if you're healthy?"

"No. No, sorry, but no."

Natasha shook her head. "Clint said there's a reason," she said quietly.

"A lot," Xander said, looking at her. She stared at him. "No, sorry. No one but family. If you marry him maybe but no."

"Fine." She looked at the weapons. "Let me clean these up a tiny bit and then store them properly." She took the tray off. Xander got bandaged and went up for tea with his daughter.

Bruce looked at Stark. "Why?"

"I've heard that he fell into a native burial chamber and got stuck with some bone shards."

"So he might carry antibodies?" Stark nodded. "We're sure?" Stark nodded. "Does anyone else know?"

"Rumors of."

Clint strolled in with mugs of tea. "The president had some drawn yesterday." He looked at Bruce. "Do not ask, especially while he's disarmed. Unless you want to go rescue him?" Bruce shook his head. "Thanks, Doc." He walked off. "We're having tea."

"Sure," Bruce agreed, sipping the tea. "Someone good made it."

Stark smiled, taking his mug up there. "She said the head Watcher taught her." Bruce nodded, going up with him. Clint had Xander in his suite's spare room. Belle was telling them a story about Key West and all the stray cats they had.

***

The next day, Xander felt miserable. He knew it was the flu. He had the flu before and it wasn't something more serious. He knew it wasn't. He came out for breakfast, showered and ready to leave. The Secret Service guard stared at him. "Flu," he admitted.

"They checked the weapons, sir. Only one was leaking and it wasn't something that would make you ill. Or her. They did test hers and it is the flu." Xander grinned. "She's eating."

"She likes to eat." He went in there to get some food and coffee. He nodded at Stark. "Thank you."

"Not a problem. We're all going up there because there's things that have to be settled," Stark said.

Xander looked at him. "If Fury tries to take her again, I'm going to make a mess."

"Good!" Clint agreed. "If you don't, I will." Belle hugged him. He kissed her on the head. "If I ever retire, you're more than welcome to come spend time with me."

"Okay. If you have kids can we play?" she asked, eyes big.

He smiled. "Sure, if I ever have kids, you can be a great friend." She grinned and kissed him on the cheek then ate. "Eat, Xander."

"I am. Thanks." He grinned. "I don't get nagged as much anymore. I need a new boyfriend."

Clint looked at him. "I think we've taken down most of your dating pool. Sorry." Xander shrugged. Belle giggled. "The thing in Hawaii?"

"I called him when I got back, right before she disappeared. I haven't checked back yet."

The Secret Service guard coughed. "We need to get going sometime soon, sir. Also, you won the argument in Hawaii so they're going to give it to you." Xander smiled at that and nodded some. "Are you going to set up a more secure location?"

"I think we're okay in the bookstore."

"SHIELD people have it presently shut down but they haven't done anything too damaging." Xander stared at him. "They harassed a few neighbors."

Belle scowled at him. "They harassed Mama Johansen?" she demanded.

"I'm not sure," the agent said.

"They're going to be in for a screaming! They do not touch my friends!" she said firmly. "Daddy, we need to go scream at someone."

"Let me finish my toast and we can go yell at them." He ate a bite of toast. She huffed and kept herself from losing her temper until they walked into the white house with the guard. Then she ran into the oval office and stared at the SHIELD agents. They heard her screaming from the hallway, Xander wincing. He stole a piece of peppermint from the secretary's desk. "She's going to need that," he said quietly. "Daughter, you scream like a Summers woman," he said as he walked in. "You're a Harris."

She took a swing and knocked Fury in the thigh hard enough to make him stumble. "That's right, I'm a Harris! We protect our friends and family! Dumb butts! How dare you harm or harass my friends!" She tapped a foot, hands on her hips, glaring at Fury. "You're a bad guy. I always knew it but now I'm certain and no way any slayer should ever work for you. You're so bad you're a danger to the people, not protecting them," she said, head bobbing some. "You should retire before Daddy has to knock your head off."

"I want to start a 'you go girl' chant," one of the guards muttered.

Xander looked at him and nodded. "Yup." He handed over the peppermint. "Your throat's sore. We heard you outside."

"Oops. I'm sorry I screamed that way," she told the staring president. "He's a bad guy but you did not need to hear me acting like that. Next time I'll scream in private." She popped the peppermint into her mouth and settled into her daddy's lap.

"Are you going to spank her for that?" Fury demanded.

"Nope," Xander said. "It kept me from knocking your head off." He stared at him. "She's a wise little girl."

"She is," Stark agreed, sitting down on Xander's left side. Clint had the other. She cooed and climbed over to cuddle her uncle again. "Awww," Tony said with a grin for her.

"My unclie needs cuddles until he finally gets married and has babies for me to play with."

"I'm sure he'll be great at it," Steve Rogers said as he came in. "I should be here since the other Avengers are." He sat down on Clint's other side. He smiled. "Hi. I'm Steve."

"I'm Belle," she said with a smile, shaking his hand. "Do you like books?"

"I do. I like books a whole lot."

"Me too. We run a bookstore sometimes." She shifted over to sit in front of him and talk to him about books.

The president cleared his throat. "She's very smart," he told Xander, who smiled and nodded. "Director Fury, sit down. I agree, you had no reason to talk to the people around them in this case. It wasn't an investigation." He pointed. "Join us at the table, Director."

Xander looked at Agent Coulson. "Are the neighbors all right?"

"They're good. We didn't scare them. We needed to know if you've been bothered by your dating pool. Most of them laughed about you dating bad guys. They knew about one tourist that got arrested for DUI but no one else." He sat down. "Belle, Mama Johansen yelled at the agents when they tried to question her. She is fine. Though she did take a swing at an agent, she bruised herself. The agent did not hit her back. She fell into the doorway."

She stared at him. "You promise?"

He nodded. "I promise. We did not do more than ask her questions. She's very worried about you."

"I'll call her later," she said quietly, looking at her father, who handed over his phone. She found the number and dialed, wiggling down to move into the corner. "Mama Johansen, are you okay?" she asked quietly. "Daddy's in a meeting but I heard they came down to bother you."

"Tell her I said to go clean out the fridge," Xander said.

"Daddy said to clean out the fridge if you want." She smiled. "She did." She listened, curling up in the corner to chat with her favorite sitter.

Xander looked at the staring people. "She'll talk for *hours* with her if we let her."

Steve smiled. "She's a really good girl."

"Thank you. I tried really hard to make sure she didn't have a grim outlook over her future."

"She's smart and she's realistic," Stark said. "I don't usually like kids but I can talk to her. She's good." Xander smiled.

The president nodded. "She's always been a great girl when he had to appear with her before."

"She still hit me," Fury said dryly.

Xander stared at him. "I can hit you instead since you had my daughter kidnaped." Fury glared. Xander stared back. "You knew I wasn't going to react nicely. Did you expect me to curl up and cry?"

"I expected you to call your friend's minions," he said dryly.

Xander smirked. "I don't need minions to do my dirty work, Fury. I've taken out plenty in my life." He tossed a journal down to Coulson. "The information Natasha didn't have. I didn't *exactly* keep track but that was my report journal." Coulson looked through it. Within pages you could tell he was a bit horrified. He was sitting a bit stiffer. Xander stared at Fury. "I'm not the guy you screw with, Fury. You had my daughter kidnaped. Even if you only took her from her kidnapers, you still handed her to Thor's people to kidnap her off realm."

"She's theirs," he said.

"No, she's mine. My biological daughter." He looked at Thor.

"My father had no idea that she might be more or less than the one child that would prevent some lower peoples from fighting against us again."

"I told him the prophecy you showed us," Clint said. Thor nodded he had. "I have to say, if Xander didn't go clean up that mess, I would've."

Coulson looked at him. "You may have been more subtle."

"I didn't have the weapons that Xander had stored underneath his skin, sir."

"He did?" he asked, looking at Xander. Who smiled and nodded. "Interesting." He went back to reading. "Was it due to this chaos mage?"

"Yes."

"I'd like to see how well that worked for agents going undercover." He went back to the reports. He paused then looked at Xander. "Sudan."

"I forgot that was in there. No comment." He stared at him then pointed at the president.

"I have heard about it and looked into that matter, Agent Coulson," the president said. "The only ones who have seen the results is myself."

"And me," Clint said.

"I let him," Xander agreed. "Just in case it's necessary information."

"I can agree with that," the president agreed. He looked at Coulson. "It is handled and known just in case."

"Good to know, sir; thank you for handling that for us." He went back to the reports. A few made him scratch his eyebrow with his thumb but the journal was fairly bland without extra information. He looked at his boss, showing him something. "That is probably what happened to our operative in that area."

Fury groaned, staring at Xander. "Zimbabwe?"

"I was there after the guy was. I just cleaned up the mess he left. I was rescuing a slayer that had been captured by that same group," Xander said.

"That's exceptional," Coulson said, taking the journal back. He went back to the reports. He held it out at one point. "You switched languages on purpose?"

"I was a bit high thanks to a local shaman. That was a vision I had," he said dryly. "He insisted."

"Which language is that in?"

"It's a more ancient version of Afrikaans with a southern leaning dialect."

"Can we translate that?" he asked.

"I have no idea what it says," Xander said. "I haven't ever known that language. That's what I heard it in and wrote it in but I have never known that one."

"We can use a computer to translate," Tony said, taking the journal to scan with his phone and uploading it. The language was tapped in and within a few minutes he had a translating starting. "Some words are still not fully translated." He let Coulson see it.

"Huh." He let Xander see it, watching him blush as he corrected some things. That made more sense and less smutty sense. "It looks like you foretold your daughter and a battle over her."

Xander read and nodded. "Apparently I did. Wow, I knew I was right most of the time." Belle came skipping over and tucked his phone back into his pocket before climbing up to look. "What?"

She pointed. "Is that a vision?" He nodded. "Wow, I was foretold." She grinned. He smiled back and kissed her on the head. "That's neat. That means I'm more special than Auntie Buffy is. No one foretold her." She climbed across him to sit in Clint's lap so she could talk to Steve again. He seemed very nice and he liked books. She might have to adopt this one and see if he'd date Unclie Clint so her daddy could have Auntie Natasha instead. She looked at her father then at her uncle, babbling in a language she and daddy knew.

Xander looked at his daughter. "It's got to be the medicine for the flu that's making you that demented, Daughter. It really has to be." She pouted, sulking some.

"What did you say?" Clint asked. "I'm not great in many languages other than English, sweetie."

Natasha cleared her throat. They had almost forgotten she was there. "She asked if you might like Steve because he likes books and seems nice. That way I could date her father instead." Xander nodded with a groan. "As charming as he is, Belle, I don't date like that."

She scowled at her. "Are you playing with my uncle?" she demanded.

She smiled back. "Yes but he said it was okay."

"Oh, well....." She sighed. "Does that mean I can't have cousins? Dawn said cousins can be nice."

Clint gave her a hug. "Some day you can have cousins as long as the bad guys don't hurt us too much, okay?" She nodded and snuggled in again.

Steve patted her on the back. "I need someone nice like your uncle but I don't have anyone yet. You can help me pick one." She grinned and nodded, leaning over to hug him.

"I'm going to puke," Fury muttered.

Belle, being a Harris child, pulled her uncle's gun and shot him in the arm. She smiled sweetly when it was taken from her by her uncle. "That's because you're a bad guy. Sweet, cute, innocent girls are always a test for bad guys. Normal guys have 'aww' moments instead of bad guy ones." The guards ran in. "It's okay, he was having a bad guy moment," she said with a smile. "He thought me being cute and nice and wanting cousins was a weapon that made you puke."

The guards stared at her. The head guard looked at Xander. Who shook his head and burst out laughing, pointing at the corner. She huffed but went to stand in it.

"She stole my gun," Clint told them. He looked at Xander. "She has pretty good aim." Xander burst out in new laughter, nodding as he got up and went outside to the garden for a minute to cackle in private. He looked at his niece then at Natasha, who sighed. "She'll need a training mentor," he noted.

"By then I may be too old." She sighed. "I would love to train Belle for her future as a slayer." Belle grinned at her. "Corner." She turned back around with a sigh. "You should never pull a gun unless you mean to do critical harm to another being," she said patiently. "Not just to irritate them." Fury glared at her. "It is a lesson she must learn."

Coulson cleared his throat. "We can go over handgun safety later, after the meeting. Sir, do you need a bandage?"

"Yes," he ground out. "I believe I do." He stomped off with one of the guards helping him to their clinic.

Xander came back in and leaned over his daughter's back to look down at her. "What is the rule on weapons?"

"I can only use a weapon when you or someone reasonable isn't there to help me because there's a bad guy or a monster. Weapons are a last resort after screaming, kicking, sometimes biting, and being a brat."

He kissed her on the head. "Very true so you are grounded, young lady. That was uncalled for in the extreme. You can even call Uncle Rupert to have him lecture you."

"Must I?" she whined.

"Um....yeah." He handed over the phone. "Sit there and confess. Don't make me add to it."

She sighed but dialed his number to talk to him. "Is Uncle Rupert in?" she asked. "No, I don't want to talk to you, bitch, put my uncle on."

"And that adds another day," Xander said dryly. "Even if that was Buffy or Willow." She nodded. "You have to be more polite than I am to them. That's my special name for them, dear." He sat back down. "I'm sure she's sorry," he told Hill, who was still looking a bit shocked.

"If she wishes to train as a true warrior wench, I will help her," Thor said.

"She's a future slayer, Thor," Xander said bluntly.

"Then if I am nearby when she is of training age, I will help." Xander nodded at that.

"Yeah, that showed a lot of promise," Clint agreed, grinning at Xander.

"It wasn't me. It was one of the boyfriends that taught her to shoot his beer bottles. She got him in the kneecap the second time he let her try it and told him to quit drinking. It smelled bad and yucky. He *so* spoiled her for that and bought her a whole new wardrobe."

Natasha winced. "That's reinforcement."

"I know. She needed the clothes and we had a long talk about weapons that night. I was down with dengue, again, and didn't realize he had taught her to shoot until he limped in that night."

"Why did we have dengue?" Clint asked. "First or second time."

"That time? A rescue that had went on much too long."

"You took her?" Bruce asked.

"No, I picked her up on the way back but I was already getting sick and she demanded we go to a hotel instead so I was nearer to a hospital in case. It was last year." He shrugged. "He picked us up from the hotel. I woke up in the nice, freshly cleaned bed that I hadn't sweated all over and she was learning to play poker."

Bruce shook his head quickly. "You need to date better."

"They're the ones who love me," Xander said with a grin. "I don't troll for boy or girlfriends. They pick me up."

"Daddy, you need to date someone like Auntie Natasha," Belle called from her corner.

"Go back to confessing, dear. She's taken." The president was trying not to laugh. Xander looked at him. "The first time they met, Belle tried to encourage her to flirt with me."

"She was charming about it," Natasha agreed. Fury stomped back in, glaring at the baby. Natasha glared back at him. "She is almost four, she has no idea it was that bad to do."

The head guard looked at the table. "Can we have the rest of you disarm?" he asked. The agents shook their heads. "Please?"

"What if someone busts in?" Xander asked.

"We're here for more than decoration, Harris."

Xander pointed. "Is that why one of my not real well liked former boyfriends is standing behind you?" He turned and that got him out of the way of Clint's knives and Natasha's gunshot.

Belle looked over. "Uncle Rupert said not to do that around me. I'm impressionable, whatever that means. And if it was a former Daddy boyfriend to please make sure he leaves me stuff so Daddy can pay for a good college for me."

"Tell Uncle Rupert you have one of those," Xander said dryly. "And yeah, he was but I'm not sure if he left a will or not." He leaned over to look. "You're still alive for some reason. You wanna answer that?"

"I was going to rescue you."

Xander grinned and pointed at Fury. "She stole Clint's gun and shot Director Fury."

The guy on the floor cooed. "I adore her. She's my true heir." He patted himself down, finding his phone. He hit a number. "Belle Harris is my only true heir," he moaned, then started to cough blood.

"You can't die until we put you up for trial," one of the guards said, hauling him out to the waiting ambulance so he could go to surgery in cuffs.

The head guard looked at them. "How about we move this somewhere less vulnerable?"

"Then I get my weapons back, right?" Xander asked. He looked at Clint, who nodded that was reasonable.

"I'm not sure it's healthy to do that," Bruce said.

"Maybe not but it's damn handy," Xander said.

"Yes but they might get set off and then you'd be a puddle of father. It might hurt your daughter as well," Bruce said.

"It shouldn't be able to do that." He considered it. "Most of them have more than a push button needed to start it. I can't use cases. We tried and it didn't work. It'll only stay shrank down when it's got my blood on it."

Coulson looked over. "We'd like to figure out how that works."

"I don't know magic that way."

"I thought you might know more about how it works?"

"Some. I can tell you and show you when I put stuff back." He looked at Bruce. "I'll switch types for most of them if it'd make you feel better."

"That might, yes. Something less than chemical weapons or explosives would be nice."

Xander shrugged. "I had them on hand and they were handy."

"I don't need to know why," Bruce said. Xander smiled.

"Me either," Stark said. "Since one of them was a long lost Stark prototype."

Xander looked at him then pointed at the bloody spot on the carpet. "Him."

"Thanks. I'll look into that."

Natasha shook her head. "He probably bought it from someone. He doesn't tend to operate as an arms dealer, Stark. He tends to be in information. He may have gotten it from his brother, who is in arms and drugs."

"I wouldn't know," Xander said. "The first time we met I had just shot his brother for offering me drugs in Lima."

She smiled at him. "We had wondered who had done that. Thank you for saving me that job."

He grinned back. "It was nothing. I was in a bit of a hurry anyway. I had to get back for the apocalypse before she was born."

Clint nodded. "I was there then but didn't see you." He looked at Xander then at Natasha. "The shooting in the club?" Xander nodded. "Huh."

"I don't like drugs."

"And now they're flirting," Fury complained, looking up. Then at Xander. "I tell you what, we'll give you Barton to fuck and you can have Romanoff on the side to keep you and the kid out of trouble. Okay?"

"First, don't say things like that around my daughter unless you want me to rip out your vocal cords," Xander said with a sweet grin. "Second, while there are warrior species that do participate in incest, I do not belong to one. What makes you think I want to have relations with my brother in that manner. Third, who made them your slaves to give away like that? I'm pretty damn sure that if they were interested in me, I would've been hit on by now." He stared at him. "Are you really that stupid?" Fury glared and reached for a gun. "You go right ahead," he taunted, smirking at him. "And then we'll see who wins." Fury pulled his gun. Xander made it across the table before he got shot and Fury was on his back on the ground screaming as Xander's nails ripped into his throat. "Aww, who's the baby man," he cooed, summoning a knife from somewhere to use on him. "What's wrong? Is the non-agent person a bit more badass?"

Natasha patted herself down. "I did not know he could summon knives."

"Me either," Clint said. "I think that's mine. Stab him once for me for thinking I wanted to participate in Pharaoh-like family relations."

"How about none of us stab anyone," Coulson said, getting up to stop Xander from killing his boss, or his boss from killing Xander. The Secret Service guys all helped, though they looked like they were going to let him do it. He looked at Xander. "I'm fairly certain he was being facetious."

"Unless that means he's full of shit, I don't care," Xander said bluntly.

"Not exactly. It more means he was being sarcastic." He pointed. "Sit please, Xander." Xander glared but sat down. Clint took his knife back. "Thank you, Barton."

"Welcome." He tucked it back into the holster. "When did you learn to summon things?"

"When I had ebola. I had some sort of mystical healing thing going on and it left me with very tiny bits of magic here and there."

"Huh. I needed that when I had the plague," Clint said. Xander hugged him. Clint patted him on the back. "We're not normal but we're family." Xander laughed and nodded, pulling back.

The president sighed. "I think we're done for the day. Let's let everyone go calm down and then we'll come back to it."

"I should go back to the bookstore," Xander said.

"You can go back to Stark Tower," the president said with a smirk. "Right, Mr. Stark?"

"Yeah, we don't mind Clint having family visit. Plus Belle will adore the library."

"Library?" she asked, hopping over to climb up his chair until she could lean over his shoulder to look him in the face. "You have a library?"

"I do, yes, and a gym you can play in tonight."

She grinned and kissed him on the nose. "If you want to date my Daddy, I'd like that." She wiggled over to her father and cuddled him. "You did good. He has big, huge owwies and Uncle Rupert said he'd be talking to him later so the owwies were a good thing." Xander cuddled her.

"We can hold tomorrow's talks up there," the head guard said. "That way Belle's not totally bored with the adult stuff." Xander smirked at him.

"I don't mind. We do have meeting rooms," Stark promised. "JARVIS can do some light babysitting."

Xander looked at him. "I can watch her."

"This way you're at the talk, kid."

Xander shrugged. "Maybe." He looked at his girl then at Stark again. "I think he's pretty well proved he's not sorry for kidnaping my daughter. Do we need to talk about it some more?"

The president nodded. "We need to get this settled since you're part of the earth's defense net, just like they are."

"I respect these guys," Xander said. "I respect Coulson. I almost respect Hill, even though she's a Vulcan. Isn't that enough?"

"Probably," he decided.

Xander grinned. "Then we're going to the bookstore and if one of the relatives wants to hang out they can do that."

"Come back to the one in New York for a bit," Clint said.

Xander looked at him and nodded. "I might be able to do that." He grinned. Clint smirked back. "Maybe next week?"

"Great for me," he promised. Xander smiled. Belle blew a kiss. Then Xander clicked something in his pocket and disappeared. Clint slumped. "I thought Xander was a nice guy most of the time."

"I think he is but he's a bit stretched," Steve said. "I would be too if they were threatening my child. It seems to be Xander's philosophy: treat others as they try to treat me."

"It might be," Clint agreed. "I still like the guy. If only because he ended up taking out someone who kept thinking I was for rent." He looked at Coulson. "Missions?"

"None in the pipeline that I've heard," he admitted.

Clint nodded. "Great. Let me go hang out with my baby brother then." He got up. Natasha followed.

Steve grinned. "It's good Clint's got family."

"I don't like kids and I like Belle," Tony said. "She's very special and a bit weird."

"It's not every four-year-old who can shoot and play poker," Coulson said. "Let's get back to the tower, people." They nodded. He saluted the president. "By your leave, sir?"

"Please do. I'm sure your director and assistant director are following you after we chat." Coulson nodded, heading out of harm's way with his team before the president shot them. He looked at Fury. "Do you really think it was the right thing to do?" he asked.

"I gave her to the people that had claim on her."

"Not that. Baiting the guy that's taken out a few very high problems." He stared at him. "You should have those cuts looked at, Fury. You're getting old, you didn't block half of them." He looked at Hill. "I believe you'll do an excellent job while he's taking a short vacation to heal?"

"Yes, I can do that, sir. Two weeks?"

"That's a great idea," he promised. She nodded and saluted then left them to chat. He clearly had something to say to Fury that she didn't need to hear. She did make a note in Harris' file to check on the child's training when she was closer to recruitment age but it kept getting deleted by someone.

***

Xander walked into that bookstore, smiling at the lady behind the counter.

"Xander," she said, staring in awe. "Long trip?"

"Yup. Clint wanted some time with her." He let her kiss Belle on the cheek. "So we're local again."

"Sure." She smiled at the baby. "I haven't seen you in months."

"I know." She grinned. "Daddy, potty." He put her down and let her run off to use it. "Eww, someone needs to clean." She used it anyway.

"So we'll be at the apartment here." She nodded at that. "Miranda has the one in Key West in case someone shows up."

"That's fine, Xander." She grinned. "How's her training going?"

"Pretty darn good, even though she decided to shoot someone recently." She moaned, shaking her head. "But he had helped her be kidnaped so....." He looked around. "All quiet?"

"Yup, it's a quiet week. No demons, only a few ladies buying smutty romance novels. So far it's been okay." He grinned, catching Belle when she ran out. "We'll spar with you later."

"Okay. I'll like that." She waved. "Let us go nap. It's been a long day." The slayer manning the store nodded so they left. "Daddy, when can we see Auntie Natasha and Uncle Clint?"

"When they show up."

"Oh. Can we call?"

"They'll know we're in town. They track some of the ex's," he said with a grin. She smirked back. They got a cab to their apartment and settled in. Belle found a tv station she liked and settled in to watch it while Xander made her a snack, then he laid down on the couch around her to nap while she ate. That worked for them. Even when Clint and Natasha showed up later, that was a good thing. They even brought Don, who she hadn't seen in forever. She got to play with everyone. Even if her silly Daddy was napping again. It was almost like a happily ever after for her.

The End.
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