The brunette stood there in shock, nothing could have prepared her for this, her world crumbling around her. She stood there, like a statue, as the cheers of the crowd transformed into screams of horror, the situation finally setting in. Her stunned body began to fold beneath the weight of the Senator, warm and sticky blood caked her face and her new mint green dress. She shifted his weight but never let go of his body.

"M'am" came the cool voice of a government agent, who was standing across the platform from her. She just frowned at him.

"M'am," Agent Coulson repeated calmly, "you need to come with us."

"Of course." She responded dispassionately. They would have questions, the media would have questions; the constituents would also have questions. She had no idea how to answer those questions. Another agent in a black suit rushed forward to take the body of Senator James Leigton from his stunned wife, as she stepped away from him. Relieved of the weight, she turned slowly, wide-eyed and looked at the first agent, ready to answer whatever she could.

"Amelia Careen Hamilton-Leighton?"

"Yes, sir. I suppose you have some questions."Amelia looked up and truly saw the agent for the first time, he was short and balding she noticed.

"No, M'am, we know what happened. We need to debrief you. "He stated.

"You-know-what-happened." Amelia repeated trying to digest the statement, because she had been standing on the platform and had no idea what had happened, so she didn't understand how this man knew.

"Yes, M'am." The neatly pressed and calm agent answered.

The entire situation made no sense to Amelia, the Senator had been shot, the crowd of supports was quickly exiting the square outside of this campaign office, government agent and police were milling around, and this man stood calmly in front of her as though nothing had happened.

"I am agent Phil Coulson of SHIELD." Said the agent, as if he were speaking to a child, "please come with me, we need to speak somewhere a little quieter." He finished as he rocked back on to his heels, apparently happy with the small joke he had made.

"OK" Amelia answered, against her better judgment. She didn't' know who or what SHIELD was, they could be the people that had killed her husband for all that she knew. Yet, Amelia gestured forward with on well manicured hand, indicating for Agent Coulson to follow her. Amelia's emerald green eyes widened as she noticed the blood that had started to dry on her cream colored cardigan, and on her sighed heavily, causing Coulson to look up at her. She waved him off as they stepped through a glass while a medic ran by. They stepped into a conference room that Amelia had been in just an hour before. She had been sitting at this table being prepped about her role for this campaign stop. Interns and staff and been staring at her as though she were a saint come to life, or a monster with three heads. Others had been falling over themselves to do anything they could to help her; she had just smiled kindly at them all with her pink painted lips.

The campaign posters were still on the wall, poll numbers were displayed digitally on a board and with graphs that littered room, and the smell of calalilies seemed so out of place with the tragedy of the afternoon. But the smell permeated the room; the Senator had always had them brought in for her when she came along on the trail. The only nice thing he ever did for her, she knew her role in their marriage, and it was not to be his friend or his confidante.

"Mrs. Leighton, please sit down." Coulson indicated to a chair at the table, which was littered with cardstock pamphlets and postcards meant to inform voters about Senator Leighton's position on major issues or his voting record. He pushed a pile that detailed all the work that James had done to uplift the status of women in society, he was weak with women voters which was always surprising since he was so good looking. Women thought he was cold and distant, that is why he had married Amelia. She made him look softer, and she was Southern. Midwesterners always fell for her accent, and the women of Missouri had been eating out of her hand this election race.

"I'd rather not." Amelia turned from the television on the wall, as it replayed the assassination over and over. The right-wing news pundits were already commenting on her response to the situation, as though her wailing and carrying on would have helped the Senator live.

She turned to see a room full of people dressed exactly like Coulson, some were seated some standing. She attempted to make eye contact with the group to remind them who was the dominant person here. She was the wife… no… widow of Senator James Leighton, the democratic Senator from Missouri, and she would be treated with the respect that was due to her. Most refused to make eye contact, but those that did… All she saw was pity, a pity she didn't need or want.

A rage boiled up inside of her, as she stared the group down, until she saw him and her surprise briefly swept away her anger. He stood among the group looking uncomfortable and pitiable, and his eyes continuously flitted around the room like a caged animal. Bruce Banner hadn't changed in five years, Amelia told herself as she smiled on the inside.

Someone cleared their throat, causing Amelia's head to snap around, her rage coming back full force. A bald man with an eye patch and a leather trench coat stood there looking at Amelia. He is eye baring its way into her soul. Amelia shook her head, she had to be dreaming, this day kept getting more and more ridiculous.

"Mrs. Leighton, you will need to come with use once this conversation is over." He stated matter-of-factly.

"My mother always told me not to follow a man anywhere, especially when I don't know his name." Amelia quipped, eliciting some smiles and stifled laughter from around the room.

The man was clearly not amused; Amelia could tell he was used to giving orders and having them followed. James had been like that, at least the man in the trench coat didn't reach out and hit her or yank her hair for such blatant sarcasm, James would have.

"My name is Director Nick Fury of SHIELD; we need to come with us. Your life is in danger, the people who shot your husband," Amelia's eyes drifted shut as she shuddered; "we're actually trying to kill you."

Amelia's stomach revolted at his statement and her eyes flew open.

Kill her? Amelia knew her work angered some people but she never thought it would get that out of hand.

"Seems you've pissed off some pretty dangerous people." Agent Coulson said.

Amelia didn't respond to anything that was being said, she didn't know how. Her husband had died because someone was trying to kill her, the whole situation seemed outlandish.

"Mrs. Leighton?"

"Yes, Director?" She answered tentatively.

"We, SHIELD, is offering you safety. It would be wise to take it."

Again, Amelia didn't say anything but she frowned at his statement and took a deep breath.

"No, I don't think so," she responded, "there are too many things that need to be taken care of; I can't just leave."

The Director walked forwards, annoyance written all over his face, "This is not a request." He said harshly.

"I was aware of that, sir." Amelia responded, drawing herself upright and looking at him coldly. "I hope you and your agents have a nice day, Director." Amelia dismissed him and turned to walk out of the room. She looked at Bruce as she left; his face was unreadable as always.

"Mrs. Leighton, this is for your own good, not ours."

"Then I wouldn't want you to enter into a transaction that has no benefit for you." Amelia shot over her shoulder as she walked towards the door. She paused briefly to look up at herself on the campaign poster; she was pretending to be happy with the Senator in a very domestic looking scene. She was smiling and looking at him as though he was her everything. She frowned at the poster and continued out into the campaign office and the out into the maelstrom of media outlets that was waiting for her.