I gazed warily at the man sitting in the front seat of the van. He'd said very little since he'd pulled me from my office, telling me that I was needed downstairs. He was familiar looking and I thought I'd seen him in the office before so I went. At the time he was wearing a security badge and a black suit. He looked official enough to me. The office building I worked in was 48 floors and I didn't know everyone that worked there. How could I have known that he wasn't security? Now I was sitting behind him in a van heading to God only knew where.

Maybe when we reached the lobby of the building I should have known something wasn't quite right, but he looked official and very pissed. Who was I to question him? It wasn't until we were outside and he grabbed my arm, ushering me quickly toward a waiting white van that I knew that things were way wrong. I instantly began to question him, trying to free my arm.

"Get in the van Ms. Reynolds, we don't want to make a scene." he smiled over at me as he opened the door, motioning me in to the small bench seat along the wall of the van.

I found myself watching him, watching his movements as he looked to the woman who drove the van, then back to me. He jerked his tie loose and then his top button as herslammed my door closed, then jumped into the front seat.

"What is going on? Who are you and where are we going?"

"Can you stop asking questions?"

He kept checking every direction as as the van lurched forward, like he was watching out for someone or something.

The one thing that had thrown me off about it all was the fact that they weren't trying to tie me up, or anything. Aren't kidnappers supposed to tie you up? I was told to sit down and hang on.

The van lurched from the curb and then a corner fast enough that I had to grab the seatbelt next to me to keep from falling. In the process I managed to hit my head on the side of the van. The tires squealed and I knew we were going much faster than I previously thought.

The man turned to look at me once more and I noticed just how green his eyes were. He faced forward again without saying anything and I was left wondering what the hell was going on.

We took another fast turn and I nearly fell from where I sat. It was only by grabbing onto the back of the seat in front of me that I was able to stay upright. I started to ask another question but at almost the same time, it sounded like an explosion went off behind us.

"Tasha, you have to get us off this road." His voice was so calm, like this was an every day occurrence with them. He moved out of his seat and into the back with me. He reached down beside me and grabbed a bag, pulling a gun from it as he crawled back into the front seat. Seeing the gun sent me into full panic mode.

"What's happening?"

"Reynolds I need you to stay down and shut up!"

The look on his face was serious and concerned. I wasn't about to argue with him. I dropped to the floor of the van at about the same time bullets began to hit the back doors and the side. Paint chips flew and hit the floor around me and into my hair.

"Take the alley down 53rd."

"I know that Clint!" she said back to him, her voice not quite as calm as it had been before. More gunfire erupted and I could tell it was him, my captor, firing back.

I was on the verge of having a panic attack. Gunfire, creepy vans, and speeding through city streets at who knew how fast were not on my usual daily agenda. I was a paper pusher, an assistant to a big wig who made way too much money for making other people do his work.

Another explosion rocked the van and I felt it tip to the side. A compartment door above me flew open. I covered my head at about the same time things rolled out, landing on me.

"Damnit Tasha watch the corners!"

"Do you want to drive?"

"Are you trying to get us killed?" I screamed.

"Shut up!" came both voices from the front seat.

Another round of bullets sprayed the van. I covered my head and prayed.

I hoped where ever they were taking me, I made it in one piece.

When the van finally came to a stop, I was almost afraid to get off of the floor. Just because we stopped didn't mean it was safe, and I had no idea where they'd taken me or who they were.

I heard each of them slam their doors. A few seconds later the side door slid open and there he stood, staring at me. He had this smirk on his face, seeing me still sprawled on the floor. He grinned then and I couldn't help but notice that it reached his eyes. I'm glad he found it amusing because I sure as hell didn't but then again he was nice to look at, very nice, with chestnut brown hair, intense green eyes, and a strong jaw. I could learn to like looking at him.

"I think it's safe to get off the floor now."

We were inside a building of some sort, a parking garage it looked like; lots of concrete and fluorescent lighting.

"Gee thanks." I retorted.

I managed to get off the floor and he offered me his hand to get out. His fingers wrapped around mine and there was a strength there that shocked me. I don't know why because his arms stretched the dress shirt tight. There was little doubt he was nicely built under those clothes. He was not good for my hormones at all.

I stepped down to the pavement, looking around and then back at him.

"Can I ask questions now that we're not speeding through the city?"

"No." Grinning, he placed his hand at the small of my back and gestured toward a set of doors with his other hand.

The door opened and the woman stood beside it, a smile on her face as well. She was beautiful when I had the chance to really see her. Deep red hair hung down past her shoulders. Her eyes were a blue-ish green and there was something there that seemed hard. I didn't try and concentrate on it too much as we walked.

It wasn't until we were through the doors and into the elevator that it dawned on me that his hand was still at my lower back. There was a strange comfort in that, weird as it was.

"I'd really like to know what's going on." I kept my voice soft as I looked over at the woman.

"I think it's safe since I'm not trying to save our lives and we're in the elevator." She smiled.

"Thanks, for that, for not getting us killed I mean. So who are you? Where are we and why am I here?" I asked, turning now to look at him.

"This is Agent Romanov, I'm Agent Barton and you're here because Stark sent for you."

"Tony? He couldn't just pick up a phone? My God he has my cell phone, Facebook… he even has my Twitter for fucks sake!"

Barton lifted his hand to his mouth to hide his smile, Romanov didn't even try to hide hers.

"Well there was a bit of urgency in reaching you, if the gunfire didn't clue you in." her voice was soft and her smile made me smile back. There was something about her that I liked, I just couldn't understand why. She was right about keeping us safe. There had been gunfire and a high speed getaway, but we were all in one piece, so far.

"Okay, now I'm concerned. Did Tony know that was coming?"

"I'm pretty sure that's why he sent us and didn't tweet you ma'am." That came from Agent Barton.

"Ma'am is my mother. I'm Alaina, or Reynolds if you prefer, but don't call me ma'am."

"Fair enough." He smirked when he said it and looked over at Natasha who smiled back at him. I felt like there was some inside joke I wasn't privy to.

The elevator came to a stop and we stepped out into a large hallway with marble floors and deep forest green walls. The sounds of our footsteps echoed as we walked.

A large door to the right of us flew open and Tony stepped out.

"Well you made it out in one piece. Good deal, come in and let's have a little share time shall we?"

"That would be amazing. Wanna tell me why two agents just came and kidnapped me from work?"

"We didn't kidnap you. I asked you to come with me and you came." Barton said with a smile. I turned to look at him, hoping the glare I gave him made my point. He winked at me and smiled, warming me down to my toes. The man made parts of me do flip flops that just shouldn't flip or flop. Oh what I wouldn't give for an hour alone with him in a nice hotel room somewhere.

"Laina, stop oogling Barton and come here. We have to talk." Tony said rolling his eyes.

'I was not—"

"Oogling? Yes. Yes you were. Now get over here."

Tony Stark was impossible at times, but he was a good friend. If he'd gone through this kind of trouble to watch over me, then I must be in some very deep trouble.

Pepper Potts, Tony's girlfriend and handler, walked in then and smiled.

"Laina! We were so worried." she walked over to me and hugged me. I liked Pepper a lot. She was the entire reason I knew Tony. We'd met when Tony and my boss Roger Harkiss had a business meeting. The two of us spent the day in another office while they schmoozed and we waited. We exchanged e-mails, met for lunches, and got to be pretty good friends. It wasn't until after the entire New York incident t that I'd officially met Tony. He's crazy. I don't mean in that insane way (although sometimes I think he is) but in that he'll try anything once just to see if he can or if he likes it. He's funny, sarcastic as hell, but charming to a fault, at least to me. He has a good heart, no matter what people might say or think of him. The man he is, beneath the swagger and bravado, that's the guy I know. He knows people, he cares for those close to him, and he takes care of them.

"Pep, I was just about to fill her in on the details."

She nodded. "Right. Let Tony fill you in, we'll catch up later."

She walked over and began to talk to Romanov while I turned to look at Tony.

"Okay, so fill me in."

We walked over a sitting area near a window. I could see we were away from the city, but not too far as the lights of New York were easily visible.

We both sat down on the couch and he started to speak.

"It seems Roger has gotten himself in a bit over his head in some of his business dealings. And I mean way deep. He undercut some pretty nasty folks, but it's what they found that's causing all the ruckus. It was the Halestone deal. Remember any of that?"

I nodded, "Of course. It's been the only thing we've worked on for awhile."

"The people that wanted that land, they're not nice and not on the right side of the law. Now that the cat is out of the bag about what's down there, there are people that will do anything to get the information you know." He looked very serious and that it made me nervous.

"Such as?"

"There's a reason you're here Alaina." He used my full name, that meant this was bad.

"Are Romanov and Barton from SHIELD?" I asked quietly. Pepper had told me about it, she wasn't supposed to but we were good friends and the entire Avengers incident had been all over television for awhile. It wasn't like Tony could hide much about his life.

"They are. They're going to stay here with you. Consider yourself in witness protection."

"Shit," My heart began to beat a bit faster as I looked up at him. "Did you tell Steve about this?" I asked

He leaned back. "It's not so bad. You got an amazing view, great food, I'm footing the bill and you can oogle Barton all you want. And I might have mentioned that you'd be here."

"Lovely." I groaned, shaking my head. "You do realize he's going to come rushing over here and play the protector? And I was not oogling."

"I told him that Clint and Tasha would be here, he seemed okay with that. I know the two of you didn't split on the best of terms since you dumped him. And you did oogle."

"I didn't dump him, we just-"

"You dumped him." Natasha chimed in at that point and I turned to look back at her, then to Tony.

"I felt like I was dating my brother! He's so damn-"

"Polite? Proper? Chivalrous?"

I glared after Tony finished and blew out a breath.

"I have no clothes to change into. You going to take care of that for me?" Changing the subject was always a safe thing to do when a conversation headed in a direction you didn't want.

"I'm sure you can give Pepper a list of things that she can get for you. She's pretty good with that kind of stuff. She does manage to take care of me pretty well. You really don't think I go clothes shopping do you?

"You're such a narcissist, I figured you had your own private tailors come in and make your underwear for you too."

"I am not!"

"Oh you so are Tony! Ask anyone."

Tony turned to look back toward Barton, who grinned.

"She called it pretty accurately."

I stuck my tongue out at him and Tony frowned before he turned back to Barton.

"She was oogling you ya know? Really oogling you. I think she likes you."

I could feel the blood rush to my face. I must have been cherry red with embarrassment but it was the response that made my face burn even more.

"I saw that. I don't mind so much. I can see why Steve was so upset."

"Where's my room? I'd like to go kill myself now." I mumbled under my breath.

Tony stood and laughed.

"Serves you right for calling me a narcissist and breaking Steve's heart."

"It's still the truth and it's not like we were married or engaged! We dated!"

Huffing as I stood up, I had ever intention of locking myself in the bathroom but Tony reached out and grabbed my hand.

"I'm sorry about teasing you about Steve."

"It's not just that. You just told me I'm in danger. I have SHIELD agents watching over me that isn't something that just happens cause you called in a favor."

"You're right, you should be concerned, but we're not going to let anything happen to you. We're going to keep you out of their hands and alive."

I wasn't going to argue. I couldn't so I nodded before he leaned in and kissed my cheek quickly.

"Try and relax okay, hang out with Clint and Tasha, have some food, watch movies or something."

He walked over and slid his arm around Pepper while he spoke to Natasha and Clint quietly, as if I wasn't there while I stood there and worried.

It was the one thing I figured I could do, at least safely.