"Carmen? What are you doing?"

I jumped and turned round to see Clint staring oddly at me. I dropped what I was holding at once and he raised his eye brows.

"Nothing. I was...just looking."

"Yeah I get that. What's this?" he asked picking the piece of fabric I'd dropped off the floor. He almost let go of it at once and looked up at me with sad eyes. "Where did you get this?"

"They were just going to throw it out."

Clint sighed and carefully placed it on the back of the couch. "You gotta let this go."

"How can I? Look you were there...just tell me what happened."

"No."

"Clint please"

"I can't Carm just stop asking."

"Where is he? Why won't anyone tell me? And what about this?" I picked up the fabric and shook it in Clint's face. He leaned back away from it and grimaced. "You can't even look at it! Tell me what happened to him."

"Why do you care? You never even met the guy!"

I blanched at that. If he only knew. I had, though I could never tell Clint. I'd been monitoring the twins on Fury's orders for a while now. Ever since an incident in the Sokovian capital Nova Grand had drawn S.H.E.I.L.D's attention to them.

"Maybe not." I lied "But they were under my charge until they went M.I.A, so I deserve to know."

"Then ask your sister, I'm sure she can fill you in."

I laughed without humour "I've got the clearance level for this, Sharon hasn't."

"You're not an Avenger Carm, if Fury isn't letting anything slip I can't either. And don't even bother asking Nat, it would be easier to get blood out of a stone."

"What about-"

"Wanda? She's still in seclusion. So she doesn't hurt herself..or anyone else."

"That's not fair, she hasn't even done anything, Clin-"

"I've got to go. Please, for your own good, move on." He said squeezing my hand and walking out of the room.

Move on?

"Wait. He's...he's not dead is he?" I asked Clint's retreating back. He paused for the slightest of seconds then left the room.

My heart sank as I stared down at Pietro Maximoff's bloody shirt draped over the back of the couch. "Don't you dare be dead." I said "Don't you dare."

I rushed to the lab and found the box of his things that thankfully hadn't yet been thrown away. I riffled through it at top speed trying to find anything that could tell me once and for all what had happened to Pietro.

"Agent Carter? You can't be in here." said a lab technician I only knew by name. I smiled charmingly and picked the box up in my arms.

"Sorry Dewitt, I've just gotta collect this for Barton."

"I thought no one claimed-"

"Must be important can't keep him waiting, see you." I said and quickly backed out of the doors.

I found a deserted room and emptied the contense of the box onto the floor. Apart from a pair of bloodied jeans and sneakers there was nothing else in there. "Damn it." I yelled and threw the box behind me. It had now been over two days since the team got back from Sokovia without the eldest twin. And since then I'd barely been spoken to by anyone. I'd tried to visit Wanda but they wouldn't let me anywhere near her for 'safety reasons'.

None one knew my real relationship with the twins. My mission had been strictly no contact but I'd broken that one and only rule. I needed to know where Pietro was. I had to find out or I would lose my mind. I had feelings for him but I couldn't tell anyone, not even my sister or I'd risk letting slip what I'd done. I could lose my rank and all contact with my friends.

Contact...wait. His phone.

That wasn't in the box so it could still be on him. I pulled my own out so fast I almost threw it across the room. Flipping through my contacts I found the right coded contact number. It rang and rang until the voicemail came on. I didn't realise until this very moment how much I missed his voice. No answer.

"Where are you?" I said gulping back a sob and letting the phone die.

I rang the phone a few more times throughout the day just to hear his voice. It would die eventually so I wanted to savour every word I could. Each time I laughed wetly as he tried to leave the message and Wanda kept interrupting him "You've reached Pietro's ouch-' Wanda had pinched him '-the Maximoff's phone, leave a message. By- What? Why does it matter Wanda? Alright. Please leave a message. Bye."

The base started to shut down around 11pm, most of the lights had been off and doors closed. I headed back to my room admitting defeat and closed the door but there was already someone sat on my bed.

"Sharon! You scared the crap out of me." I said trying to slow my heart beat down

"Sorry sis." she said rising from the bed and giving me a hug. The moment her mouth was near my ear she whispered very fast "I'm gonna slip a piece of paper into your pocket, read it when I've gone. Don't tell anyone I gave it to you and get rid of it right away. There might be camera's around." she finished and pulled away with a slight smile. "Just wanted to say night."

I tried to force a smile back as she left but it had all happened so fast I didn't know what to do. The door closed behind her and my hand dived into my pocket. I went to the bathroom and unfolded it.

Carm,

I know about you and Pietro. I hate seeing you in the dark so I did some digging. The lab on level 4 has a medical facility in the back, but you'll need a code, tell the tech Lowery I sent you, no one else. He owes me a favour. Don't tell anyone you're going or where you were.

I hope you find what you need.

S x

I let out a breath of relief and my shoulders seemed to rise as a tiny portion of the weight lifted. Sharon said I had to get rid of this now, I found a match and burned the note before leaving for the lab right away.

"Its afterhours Agent and I'm just about to leav-"

"Lowery is it? You're not going anywhere until you tell me what I need to know."

"Who are you?"

"Carman Carter. Agent 13's sister she sai-"

"Shh. Fine. Through here. But keep your voice down alright."

I nodded and followed him to the back wall where a huge door blocked our path. He punched in a few digits' and it buzzed us in. "Through there." he nodded at a glass section off wall.

My heart was racing but I carried on and looked through the glass. Inside lay a body. It was hooked up to well over five sets of machinery, more than I'd ever seen on one human. Their chest rose and fell slowly so they were alive, but not awake. Through the wetness in my eyes I spotted a gleam of silver white hair.

"Pietro!" I yelled and hammered on the glass. Lowery ran up and restrained my arms

"Keep it down!" he scalded and I wrenched my arm out of his grip

"What are you doing to him?" I asked him in a sharp voice

"Trying to keep him alive. Shock like that isn't going to help." he replied and I let me arm fall

"Is...is he ok?" I asked and my voice caught as I looked at the familiar man laid feet away from me.

"He's dying. More every day I think. He hasn't got much time left."

"Well do something!" I yelled and the tears spilled over my cheeks "Save him! Isn't that your job."

"I didn't sign up to bring people back from the brink of death Agent so don't put this on me. Your boy in there made his own choices, saved Agent Barton's life, so be grateful he isn't in there too. I know you care about both of them."

He'd ended up like this saving Clint's life? I could hardly believe it, Pietro hated the Avengers.

"Has he even opened his eyes, moved, or done anything?"

"No." he said calming down slightly "He just keeps muttering the word 'Karma' over and over, maybe he did something and he came back to bit him in the ass?"

"Karma? You sure?"

"Yes we have to log everything down. He's been asking for his sister of course but apart from that all he's said is karma. That mean anything to you?"

I deliberated telling him but I couldn't. If Pietro died my hands needed to be clean of involvement with him and his sister, getting roped back in if he wasn't going to survive would only endanger me. He wouldn't want that. How could I tell his man that Pietro was asking for me? That the first time we'd met and I'd told Pietro my name he'd thought I'd said Karma not Carman. I guess it just stuck after that. I liked being the good karma in his life that was so often filled with bad.

"No. It doesn't ring any bells." I said "Can I go in?" I asked hesitantly

"I f you don't touch any of the equipment. You have a few minutes then you have to leave. I've turned off the surveillance but it only lasts ten. And agent..say goodbye, it might be your last chance."

"Thank you." I said as I walked in and stretched out a shaking hand. I could see his phone laying forgotten on a far table, so I'd pretty much been calling an empty room.

"H h hey Pietro." I said slowly slipping my hands around his strong one "Its Carman. I dunno if you can even hear me but I want...no I need you to wake up. Wanda needs you back, you can't leave her, or leave me."

Nothing.

"Pietro come on." I said and my voice rose a little "Wake up." I whimpered as I shook his hand slightly "Please. You can't die yet..you gotta get old so I can't make fun of you when you get slower. I guess you'd hate that huh? Serves you right messing me around all the time...funny I wish you were here to annoy me right now." I leant down and pressed my lips to his cold hand "I gotta go but hold on though. You're strong like your sister you can get through this. And...thank you..for saving him."

There was a knock at the door and Lowery called me back.

I was sat in my room hours later when there came a sharp tap at my door. I rose stiffly letting Pietro's shirt fall to the floor and opened the door to find Clint staring back at me. He looked really beaten down.

"Can I come in?" He said dejectedly. I moved aside and he sat himself on the edge of my bed. "I'm sorry to barge in like this Carm but...I don't want to be alone right now."

"What's wrong?" I asked sitting down next to him.

"Survivors guilt I guess." he said looking down at his hands. Did he not know Pietro was still alive? Or was he so sure he was going to die he'd given up on hoping?

"Who-"

He looked at me intently and then spoke "You know who. You've had to have guessed by now right. I know I let it slip earlier."

"Yeah..I guess. Clint what happened?"

"I wasn't fast enough. My fault I guess, he was a good kid." He said and let his head fall into his hands before I could see the wetness in his eyes.

"Clint don't. Please don't blame yourself. People make their own choices." I said whilst pulling the hands back from his face "You're a good man, this doesn't change that. And I'm glad you're still here."

"You always know what to say to me, how do you do that?" he laughed slightly

"I'm awesome." I laughed and then stopped as he stroked a piece of hair back from my face. I was so taken aback I froze.

"Sorry." he said drawing back.

I thought about him then, really thought. About how I felt about him. If I was truthful with myself I did really care about him, more than I liked to admit to anyone. The odds were stacked against me with Pietro, and right now I just needed someone to be with, I needed comfort.

"No." I said as Clint started to get up "It's ok." I said taking his hand and standing next to him.

He stared down at me confused until I looked up at him. Very slowly he raised his hand to cup it round my cheek and leaned into me. As he pressed his lips against mine I felt his hand on my back pulling me into him. I responded a lot more enthusiastically that even I thought possible. Those hands I so often saw notching arrows on his bow were now wrapped around me, in my hair, on my skin, it was intoxicating.

I shrugged off my jacket and let it fall to the floor as Clint did the same. The moment I'd done it my hands were back on his body and my lips back on his.

"You're sister is gonna kill me." he chuckled against my skin

"Probably." I laughed as he lifted me up and onto the chair. I spotted my jacket in a heap on the ground next to Pietro's shirt and suddenly felt very guilty. I cared about him too. What was I supposed to do?

"You ok?" asked Clint as he spotted my far away gaze

I shook my head and smiled "Sure." I lied. I'd be in pieces if Pietro never woke up, and it wasn't looking good. That's why I needed Clint now, and probably why he needed me. Who cared if it was only for the present. I lifted his shirt up over his head and he grinned at me as I brought my lips back to his.

There was a sudden commotion from outside and we broke apart. Clint got up lifting me off his lap and held his ear to the door.

"What is it?" I asked and he shook his head.

I placed my hand on his shoulder to get passed him and opened the door.

A about five people were blocking the view of the corridor a so I pushed passed to see what was wrong. They were all staring at a tall man stood in front of them, a man with white hair.

"My god..Pietro?"

"Carman!" he dashed forward and pulled me into his arms. I laughed and gripped onto him with all my strength. I felt him kiss the top of my head and almost melted into him. "God I missed you." he muttered

"You're alive." I half cried into his chest

"Pietro?" asked a disbelieving voice behind us.

Pietro let go of me to take my hand and we turned to see Clint staring back at us from the entrance to my room.

"Barton?" he laughed "You didn't see tha-" then he trailed off as he took in Clint's appearance and the way he was looking at our entwined fingers. "What?"

"Carman, what's going on?" Clint asked in a husky voice

I looked back at him trying to make him understand but the disappointment was etched in every line of his face. "Clint I-" I started but he'd already walked passed us, clapped Pietro on the arm and left with a quick "Glad you're back kid." to Pietro.

I dropped Pietro's hand turned to watch Clint walk away from me.

"I don't understand." said Pietro staring down at me with those big blue eyes.

"I promise, I'll explain everything." I said trying to keep my voice steady "But first, we need to find your sister."