So... this is what I've been working on since this 'ship first grabbed my heart and wouldn't let go. Well, part of it, at least. And I absolutely could not have written it without all of y'all - all the countless conversations and fics and prompts and ideas have helped shaped my ideas about Clint and Natasha's backstory: where they may have come from, and how they got to where they are now. And the community here has kept me interested and inspired, and made this fandom so much fun. So, this is for everyone here in this comm. Thank you so much for all being so amazingly awesome!

Title: Shot in the Dark
Author/Artist: Koren M. (cybermathwitch)
Disclaimer: Not mine. If they were, there'd already be a Black Widow/Hawkeye movie.
Pairing: Pre- Clint/Natasha (UST)
Rating: R (mostly for violent themes and language)
Warnings: language and some violence
Spoilers: None
Type: Completed
Word Count: 14,029

Summary: In her life there comes a moment. A moment when survival is no longer enough. A moment to say "I choose to live. A moment that changes everything.

Author's Notes: I cannot thank all my cheerleaders and beta readers enough for this. This exists because of y'all, and your input. In particular (and I hope to god that I don't forget anyone!): kadollan, anuna_81, SidheRa and lar_laughs.

I had all these rambly thoughts about how this came about, but they've all left my brain. This is my headcanon, and is the cornerstone of a much larger story (I hope). This stuff doesn't happen in a vacuum though, and I'm really, really blessed to have an awesome community of people at be_compromised who have absolutely helped me shape this story. So everyone at the comm? This is for you. :D

I always work with music, and that's no exception here. I strongly suggest/urge/beg of you to go listen to this: Shake it Out ~ Florence + the Machine - this song, the original album version in particular, is very much Natasha's voice for me, at this point in her life. It's her redemption song, because this is her redemption story. It's the voice of someone who wants a life she can truly live, instead of a shadow life and a shadow self.

Many, many thanks to my awesome artist, nessataleweaver for the amazing mix (found here.)


Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6