WARNING: possible triggers raised regarding just about any issue related to children and things that may happen to them, both good and evil, at all stages of life and development, including women's ability to bear children.

Children. Be they Natasha and Clint's offspring or the two of them as children, rugrats are a common theme in this fandom. So let's discuss! I admit that I have conflicted feelings about both types of approaches to the children question (that being (a) our favorite spies have children or (b) they are children) and whether to like the concept or not. Mostly I would say it depends on how authors approach it. Let's start with the idea of them having children.

First of all, there's the question of whether Natasha can physically bear children. Would the Red Room really have left this highly valuable asset capable of being sidelined by maternity leave? When I'm being honest with myself, my own head canon says no. That being said, I always go back to Jeff Goldblum's claim in “Jurassic Park” that life finds a way. Unless the Red Room gave their spy a hysterectomy, which I highly doubt due to the ongoing medication that would then be required to keep her hormones regulated, methods of preventing conception can often be overturned, reversed or faulty. Fanfiction has dealt with this often – Natasha and Clint both dealing with the concept in one form or another and/or at different stages of the game. It's an interesting dynamic, to be sure, and perhaps somewhat unique to this pairing. (I don't know of many – any? - other women in my fandoms to whom such concerns may apply – feel free to correct me and make comparisons.) So there's that.

Next, do they want children or even believe they should want children? I find that fanon tends to posit that Clint does want children while Natasha is less than eager. Of course, this relates to the usual presentation of Clint being the more emotionally healthy or at least emotionally stable half of the pairing, more willing to expand his circle of love, so to speak, than Natasha. What do you think? Would our assassins, both individually and together, want children? Would they view their lives as ones into which children could/should be invited? Do they view themselves as worthy of parenthood? Would they want to procreate personally or are there situations in which they would take responsibility for a child that is not biologically theirs? The idea of adoption is actually a whole separate track, I would imagine – as always, it would depend on how the situation arose and what led to it. Hmmm...

And then, what kind of parents would they be? Often in stories, when co-parenting, the two of them hold in there pretty well, learning as new parents are wont to do. More questions come up when the idea of Natasha parenting alone is raised, the general consensus being that she wouldn't be very good at it. I can think of one notable exception, which I will list below, but that seems to be the overall concept. I actually haven't read any stories in which Clint ended up parenting alone, which begs the question – how would he do?

Now we move on to the idea of either or both of them being children. (I considered not including this as it significantly broadens the topic, but it's fun to explore, so there you go. :-) Feel free to talk about/discuss whatever you desire when it comes to li'l rugrats.)

Let us begin by mentioning the stories in which either of our adult assassins is magically transformed into a child. It may be together or just one of them; I fully admit that my favorite trope is when the adults appear as the children they were at the ages to which they are transformed, i.e. four-year-old Natasha hasn't had anything bad done to her, Clint is afraid adults will hurt him for mistakes, 12-year-old Natasha is an assassin in training, etc. It's fascinating to read authors' visions of how the rest of the Avengers respond to young versions of their teammates.

Then there is fanfiction that simply presents Natasha and/or Clint as children, which is a whole separate (and detailed) discussion/issue. I believe that as applies to this discussion, my interest focuses on how their childhoods affect the adults they become, their interaction with children they later meet, their desire to have children, reaction to having children, etc. Bottom line: how do their childhood experiences impact them down the line?

So what do you think? Natasha, Clint, children. Having them, being them, interacting with them, saving them, watching them. Have at it!

Also, for your reading pleasure, I am including a few of my favorite stories in which our pair + children are somehow involved. Please share yours, as well! [Note: I tried to stick with non-AUs, as that is completely separate. I think the only AU here is the WWII drabble, which I included b/c I like Clint's reaction to the news. :-)]

Clint/Natasha as Parents
** Assassin Baby series by sanachie, rated G and T. Clint and Natasha have a four-year-old at the time of the movie. Lots of fun, particularly because it takes Tony a month to realize Clint and Natasha even have a child in the Tower.
** I'll Watch Your Back, I'll Have Your Heart by TashaBlackWidow, rated Teen. Natasha is held hostage for 15 months and finally returns with a six-month old - seven chapters, not sure if the author intends to finish this, but it ends in a good enough place. Very interesting, unique take on Natasha as a mother, as well as what happens when she gets back to Clint.
** 5 Times Clint Woke Up in the Middle of the Night and 1 Time Natasha Did by SidheRa, rated Mature. Ah, yes, being pregnant, having babies, and raising babies can indeed wake you up - progresses from Clint and Natasha finding out they're pregnant through having the baby. Fluffy but takes it seriously.
** After the War by ashen_key, rated Teen. WWII drabble - The war is over and Clint sets out to find that beautiful dame he had a thing with. Instead she finds him. And she has a stroller.

Clint/Natasha Contemplate Parenthood
** Lion-Hearted Girl by shooting-stetsons (TheUniverseWillSing), rated Mature. Difficult but powerful - originally intended as a one-shot about Natasha having a miscarriage, but has continued on addressing the issue of Clint, Natasha and how they feel about having a child. Currently updating WIP.

Turned Into Children
** Getting to Know You by QueenRiley, not rated (deals with issues of child abuse). My very, very favorite Avengers-turn-into-children fic. Absolutely fascinating look into what their childhoods were like as they appear AS the kids they were at that age, almost like time teleportation. And Tony has to care for them, which is hilarious in and of itself. (It really is my favorite.)
** Amateur Theatrics by galaxysoup, rated Teen. Loki becomes a child and the Avengers, Clint and Natasha in particular, become his caretakers. Question of the day – do they turn him back or not?
** Baby Mine by Resonae, rated K+. Clint is transformed into a 2-year-old, but retains his adult mind. The rest of the Avengers care for him; adorable.
** Second Chance by [Bad username or site: ”arsenicjade” @ livejournal.com], rated G. Clint is turned into a child and everyone cares for him. Another one where Clint is turned into the child he was at that time. Some very heartbreaking looks into what his life at that time was like. How he is turned back into an adult is very inventive. Focus on how the other Avengers react/relate to child!Clint .

General (but related to the topic)
** Food for Thought by gypsylady, rated G. Food from their childhoods presented in group therapy. They all get to know each other better by learning about their childhoods.