For a while, in the wake of the superhero civil war and the Avengers dividing, life on the Barton Farm was different. Of course, it was always different (what else did you expect with the three different types of people that were attempting to live there), but this was a different kind of different than was usual for the Barton Farm.

Clint was on unofficial house arrest since if he was seen by anybody, he'd be arrested. That meant that Kate had to sort of taken control over the farm, at least as far as the government was concerned. Barney, of course, was Barney. He wasn't at the farm enough to make that much of a difference.

But there was also the other thing.

With Clint on unofficial house arrest, his bow and quiver of trick arrows were even more neglected than it was originally. Kate found herself looking at them often, wondering if she could get away with sneaking them out of the farm and into the city. She figured she could, but it was more a question of how long it would take till Clint found out what she'd done.

The first time she tried, she was actually successful in sneaking it into her bag and bringing it back into the city with her before she started school. And when she was able to take it into the city and use it and then sneak it back without Clint seeing it, Kate counted it as random luck. But when two times turned into three turned into five, eight, and the numbers just continuing to go up, she started to suspect something else.

There were two possible options in regards to what was happening. One- Clint just wasn't looking in the cupboard where his bow and quiver were usually stored anymore since he couldn't use them. Two- he knew what she was doing and just wasn't saying anything for whatever reason. Kate wasn't sure which option she preferred.

"Earth to Bishop, hello?"

Kate snapped back to reality, her hand moving out of her bag where she'd had it resting on the bow and to her friend Amelia. "Huh, what?"

Amelia rolled her eyes, "were you even listening to me?"

No. "Of course."

"I don't believe you," Amelia argued.

You shouldn't. "That sounds like a you problem," Kate countered.

"Whatever," Amelia sighed, "I was just saying how the semi-formal is in two months and I kinda wanted to ask Ned..."

Amelia's gaze had shifted from her judgemental and doubtful gaze at Kate to a silently pining stare as she looked across the cafeteria, two tables back where two boys were sitting by themselves. One of them was Ned Leeds, a boy on the chubbier side but with a big brain and big heart. He had been paired up with Amelia for a biology project in first term and as they'd gotten to know each other a little, Amelia had fallen hard for him.

Sitting with Ned was his best friend, Peter Parker. Peter was a scrawnier kid but he and Ned shared their intellect. Kate didn't know Peter that well, hell, she didn't know Ned either, apart from what Amelia had told her. But based on what Kate knew about Amelia (a fairly large amount), she wasn't surprised that she'd fallen for Ned. Amelia had one of the biggest hearts out of anyone she'd ever met, something that complemented Kate's more cynical personality well.

"I think you should do it," Kate encouraged.

"Really?" Amelia asked, looking back at Kate.

"Duh. You like him a lot, so why not ask. I don't see how he couldn't agree, you are one of the sweetest people alive, and really pretty, too," she told her.

"You think so?" Amelia asked.

Duh, I just told you so. "Of course I do."

"Then I'll do it. But not now, later, closer to when the dance actually is," Amelia decided.

"Then you know what you should do in the meantime," Kate said as the bell rang.

"What?" Amelia asked as they gathered their things.

"Ask him out on a date," Kate answered. Amelia looked over at her with wide eyes and Kate laughed. "So asking him to a dance is a simple decision that needs only a few words of encouragement from me, but asking him on a date, that is just... well, totally preposterous."

"Don't mock me!"

"I'll mock all I want," Kate countered.

"You're the worst best friend ever," Amelia complained.

"I can't be the worst best at something. And besides, we both know that's not true, I am the best best friend ever, because I am encouraging you to ask out the guy you've had a crush on for months.," Kate explained.

"But what if he says no?"

"What if he says no to semi-formal?"

"What if the date goes terribly?"

"What if semi-formal goes terribly?"

"What if-?"

"You know, whether you call it a date or going to semi-formal together, both of those are still a date," Kate explained, "so why not ask him out before the dance?"

Amelia considered this as they walked to their lockers. Kate watched her, studying her reaction. She was silent all the way to their lockers, and then she seemed to make a decision.

"You make a good point." Was that not obvious as I was making it? "Both are a date, so I just won't ask him at all."

"What? No, you will not. You have been pining after him for ages. Enough is enough," Kate decided. She saw Ned and Peter walking down the hallway and a plan formulated in her mind. "Hey, Ned!"

"Kate, what are you doing?" Amelia asked, alarmed.

Ned turned around, Kate continued, ignoring her friend, "Amelia wanted to ask you something!"

"Kate," Amelia said. Though it was only her name, it somehow sounded like a threat.

Ned approached the two girls with Peter hanging a little behind, looking at Amelia and waiting for her to ask her question.

"I- I w-was wondering if- if you wanted to, uh, maybe go on- on like a date or some- something to maybe the movies, or- or to get coffee..." Amelia's eyes were trained on her feet, her cheeks were a brilliant shade of red and she painted a very adorable picture.

"Sure!" Ned agreed, causing Amelia to look up in surprise, "there's a new Star Wars movie that just came out and Peter and I haven't gotten a chance to see it yet. We could go see that."

"Sounds great. I've been dying to go see it," Amelia agreed, "Kate wouldn't go with me."

"I'd rather wait till its on Netflix," Kate confirmed.

"Well, we should work out a day," Ned said.

Kate got the silent cue that Amelia never sent her way, and started to back away from the pair, nudging Peter with her foot and gesturing for him to do the same thing. As Peter and Kate walked away from their friends, Kate couldn't help but be proud of herself for what she had accomplished.