A/N: This isn't exactly what I wish happened, but I do wish someone had talked (or slapped) some sense into Steve during CW.
Truthfully...
-{[(*)]}-
Ms. Renee Harper was a polite, if excitable, young woman. She was average, by human standards of appearance, but what made her stand out was her character. She was diligent, efficient, and extremely trustworthy. She had worked her way, both through the ranks of Stark Industries and though a series of hard situations. Though she firmly remained in the position of a secretary or clerk during her time with S.I., she was an excellent leader during times of panic or hardship. She kept people on task, and she was somewhat well-known despite her position.
JARVIS privately kept tabs on every employee of S.I., for a variety of reasons. Though a large portion of this was for security - to check for corporate espionage, thievery, etc - he also helped Ms. Potts and other managers select people who deserved raises, bonuses, or dismissal. (JARVIS would forever keep to himself that part of his reasoning was also curiosity.)
JARVIS had taken note of Ms. Harper years ago, when she first became employed at S.I.. Originally, she worked as a customer service agent. A small promotion some months later allowed to rise to a clerk, sorting files and checking basic book-work. She then moved to be a secretary for the Finance Department. And soon, she found her way to becoming a secretary for the offices on Ms. Potts floor. During her years at S.I., Ms. Harper had been nothing but helpful and productive.
Within the period Sir was taken in Afghanistan, she had kept up her coworkers spirits and reported anything she found suspicious in the work she processed. She had come close to discovering the missing weapons, as had some other bookkeeping employees, and she had contacted her bosses about the issue. When the Battle of New York struck, Ms. Harper willingly helped evacuate not only S.I., but nearby buildings as well. After the battle, S.I. employees were being hounded for a statements about the Avengers; Ms. Harper had respectfully turned the reporters away from herself and her coworkers, again and again.
So, yes, JARVIS had edited into Ms. Harper's file that she was very loyal and trustworthy. It was the only reason he didn't immediately alert security when she picked her way into Ms. Potts office while the CEO was out. Instead of moving to root through the desk or sneak something from the filing cabinets, Ms. Harper gently closed the door behind her and awkwardly shuffled in the entryway.
"Um..!" Her voice squeaked, and she flushed with embarrassment as she tried to compose herself. "Hi, yes, hello. My name is Renee Harper, but, uh, I kinda assume you... already... know that..." She trailed off slowly and raised a hand to her bowed face. "What am I doing?" She hissed to herself. The young woman forced a deep breath through her body, letting her shoulders rise and fall deeply.
She turned her face towards the ceiling, a familiar action from both the Avengers and Sir's close friends that he, JARVIS, himself was being addressed. His coding seemed to hum, in curiosity and surprise, as he watched carefully through the office's security cameras.
"Uh... Well, I mean," Ms. Harper started again. "I know there's, um, some kind of program in here. I mean! Not to steal or something- I meant an AI..." She drooped a little. "Ms. Potts and Mr. Stark aren't exactly subtle about, you know, talking to you. And all the walls in her office are glass, so it's kinda hard to miss- That's not the point!" She took another breath, giving herself the push she needed to keep talking.
"I wouldn't come in here normally," she admitted. "And I would have left you alone. But... But recently, I knew I couldn't just stand by." Her face flooded with fragile determination. "It's all over the news, you see. The Accords, and all that. I think they're, well, pretty awful. They're just trouble for everyone! But, ugh, again, not the point I was trying to make here-! What I want to ask of you... I... Just... Would it be possible for me to contact, um, Captain America?"
If he had a physical body, JARVIS would have jumped in surprise.
It seemed as though Ms. Harper opposes the Sokovia Accords, which, admittedly, not people were fond of. And she wished to speak to Captain Rogers... But what for? To support him? To... conspire with him?
The idea, in any form, seemed ridiculous. JARVIS instead focused back on the female employee, only having disappeared into his thought processors for less than a second. She was still standing uncomfortably but firmly.
"I..." She shuffled about some more. "Even if you could just relay what I have to say to him, it would mean a lot to me, and probably many other citizens as well. I, just, well... Could you..." She wilted, tugging at her fingers nervously. On a different floor, JARVIS asked Captain Rogers to come to Ms. Potts office. "Could you tell him to just signed the d***** papers?!" She clapped her hands over her mouth, but the fire didn't leave her eyes.
She looked... small.
A minute or two later, the Captain emerged from the elevator and made his way to the glass office at the end of the hall. He seemed surprised to see someone other than Ms. Potts, and he entered cautiously. Ms. Harper didn't seem to hear him, lost in her own thoughts.
"Ma'am? Is there some way I can-?" Captain Rogers began to ask, but Ms. Harper seemed to spring a good three feet into the air.
"Shoot!" She shrieked. "Goodness!" She spun on her toes and nearly fainted. "Holy frick!" The Captain made the expression of a confusion puppy, and Ms. Harper quickly reminded herself of her purpose.
"It's an honor to meet you, sir," she began, sounding breathy. She didn't seem to know what to do with herself, so she clasped her hands in front of her. "You've provided a great service to not only our country, but the world. And we're grateful!" Again, a deep breath expanded her minuscule body, before shrinking her down into a somewhat more confident shape. "But, sir, you're kind of a terrible listener."
The Captain's eyes widened in shock, and he quickly opened his mouth to retort, but Ms. Harper had finally found her footing. JARVIS approved, and a spark of amusement led to the directive of a reaction of fondness for Ms. Harper from now on.
"It sound like a bad thing- and it kinda is- but someone needs to say it before you get anyone hurt," Ms. Harper admonished sternly. "Tell me about the Accords, sir."
"They'll restrict our ability to react to dangerous situations in the way we need to, and-"
"Ahpupup!" She quickly shushed him again. His face flushed but he slowly shut his mouth. "I know that. You know that. Anyone with half a brain knows that. Which means that Mr. Stark definitely knows. Why do you think he's pushing for all of you to sign the Accords?"
"He's afraid," the young man answered, quietly. "He says we need boundaries, restrictions... But the only one that needs them is him." His eyes were hard. Ms. Harper frowned, but she spread her hands openly, like an invitation.
"And you," she added. He opened his mouth to retort, but she kept talking. "And the other Avengers. And every other person on earth. Everyone needs some kind of boundaries. There are consequences to your actions, and when you have higher abilities like super strength, the consequences can be even worse. You can't run around doing whatever you want, wherever you want, for a number of reasons." She stepped closer, imploringly. Her face was expressive, vulnerable, welcoming. "Do you know how many people worked on these Accords?"
He shook his head.
"I don't know the number myself," she admitted. "But I do know 117 countries agreed to it, and I know every person in every one of those countries has a right to security, privacy, safety, and freedom." She moved slightly closer, unknowingly, as though she begged with her entire being for him to understand. "I do agree with you on many points. There are restrictions that will hurt people, and the government should only have so much control. But fighting the Accords will not get you where you want to be."
He scowled at her, but his face was softened. His eyes were thoughtful, and his body remained relaxed.
"Sign them," she pleaded. He jolted, but he continued to listen. "Sign them with the intent to revise them. It won't be easy. It will take a lot of political action and bargaining and all that other garbage. You'll need every ally you can get and even then, it'll be hard. But you have to compromise. It can't be your way or the high way, not when 117 counties said no."
"Revise them?" He breathed. Stress lines appeared at the corners of his cornflower eyes. "What if we can't? What if agree to this and it all backfires on us? Who will be protected then?"
"You can't think like that," she shook her head. "And Mr. Stark would never let that happen. You might not see it, but you aren't the only one with problems. Talk it out. Compromise. Be mature about your choices. Sometimes fighting your way through something isn't the answer. Sometimes you gotta kiss some rings."
Ms. Harper seemed to realize how close she had gotten and quickly stepped backwards again. The quiet tension between them snapped, and the spell was broken. Captain Rogers gathered himself up again, though his eyes held a new light.
"Thank you for talking to me...?"
"Renee Harper-!" The young woman anxiously shook his hand. "And thank you for... listening. I don't know if this changed your mind or anything, but I hope you'll think about it." He nodded, and when he stepped out of the office, she followed.
"Again, Ms. Harper. Thank you for saying what was necessary." The Captain nodded to her as he stepped into the elevator. The doors slid shut between them. Ms. Harper seemed to practically collapse to the floor. She took a few deep breaths and eventually righted herself.
She returned to her desk, and when she powered up her computer, a new document was open. Confused, she pulled it up in front of her other windows and stared at the message within.
'Thank you for addressing the issue, Ms. Harper. This will be added to your file.'
A/N: It's not much, but if something even remotely similar to this had happened, maybe Steve wouldn't have set off the fire alarm when there was not yet a fire. When CW came out, I was very much Team Cap. I love Tony, he's my baby, but the Accords were always doomed to be bad news. But upon actually seeing the movie, I had to side with the way Tony handled things. Cap reacted liked a child throwing a tantrum, and even when reflecting on his actions, he was never apologetic.
QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: Where did you stand before and after the movie? Were you Team Cap? Or Team Iron Man? Did you switch sides or stay the same? What do you think of everyone's actions in regards to the Accords?