Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

AN1: This was inspired by a post on Tumblr that said: "Do me a favour? Love yourself and ship Melinda May and Steve Rogers."

ONLY SEMI AOU COMPLIENT (no Barton family. No Bruce/Nat romance, PIETRO LIVES)

NO SIMMONS BEING EATEN BY A SPACE ROCK.

Thank you to my freind Emily who edited this chapter.


Since the circumstances surrounding Ultron things at the new Avengers facility have been rather relaxed which has given Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff the time they need to train the new recruits.

It is about nine a.m. and for the first time ever Natasha Romanoff is late to training, something which is shocking to Steve Rogers.

"You're late." Steve tells Natasha as she walks into the gym wearing casual clothes, not her usual workout gear.

"I know. I'm taking a day off." Natasha informs Steve and there no room for question in her voice.

"Why?" Steve asks, not able to help his curiosity; Natasha taking a day of is unprecedented.

"I'm going to meet a friend." Natasha says to Steve's surprise. The only person he has ever heard her openly call a friend is Clint.

"A friend?"

"Yeah, an old friend." Natasha answers, amused by the look of confusion on Steve's face, "We've known each other eighteen years."

"So, since before you joined S.H.I.E.L.D?" Steve asks as Natasha looks like eighteen years ago she would have been a kid.

"No, I met her the day I joined." Natasha says with a smirk, "Not everyone looks their age, Rogers, you should know that better than anyone." Natasha tells him. "I'll see you later." Natasha says before leaving the gym and a confused Steve behind her.


An hour after she left the Avenges Facility Natasha pulls into a little country bar. As soon as she walks into the run down, almost shabby, building she spots exactly who she is looking for and she walks over.

"It's a bit early, isn't it?" Natasha asks Melinda May who is sitting at the corner table nursing a glass of scotch.

"I'm on vacation." Melinda informs Natasha, "And I thought we established a long time ago that it's never too early."

"Good point." Natasha says and signals the bartender as she sits down across from Melinda, registering the word that had just left Melina's mouth. "Wait, you're on vacation?" Natasha says surprised, "You've never taken vacation. Not even when Nick's ordered you to."

"Yeah, well, things change." Melinda says as Natasha's drink arrives.

"Okay…" Natasha replies taking a drink, "Do you need me to go kick Phil's ass?" Natasha asks, having a feeling that Phil is at least part of the reason for May's 'vacation'

"How…." Melinda starts to say, but Natasha cuts her off.

"Please do you really think I don't know all about Phil being alive? You insult me Mel." Natasha says, mocking hurt.

"Good point." Melinda realises, "Does Clint know?" she asks, promising herself that if he doesn't then she will tell him herself.

"Yeah." Natasha says with a nod, "He was pissed when he found out."

"So was I." Melinda asks, "How is he?" Melinda asks, "Since New York?" Melinda adds as last she knew Clint was pretty far from okay.

"Better than he was." Natasha says, "How's Phil?"

"Better than he was." Melinda says, repeating Natasha's own words back at her.

"Sounds about right." Natasha says as she takes a drink and the two of them drift into silence.


Since Natasha left Steve has been wondering who she could have gone to see and so has gone in search of the one person who may know.

Just like he was expecting Steve finds Clint Barton, looking half asleep, drinking coffee straight out of the pot in one of the kitchens.

"I really wish you wouldn't do that." Steve informs Clint.

"Yeah, well. Too bad." Clint responds.

"Do you know where Romanoff is gone?"

"Nat's not here?" Clint asks, looking surprised.

"No, she left about an hour ago. She said she was going to see an old friend." Steve explains.

"Really?" Clint asks surprised and Steve nods, "What else did she say?" He asks as there are four people who fit that description and two of them are at the Facility.

"It's a she. Natasha's known her eighteen years." Steve says and Clint gets a look of realisation on his face.

"You're kidding?" Clint asks shocked, "Come on Nat! You know I would have woken up for that." He says annoyed, even though he knows Natasha can't hear him.

"For what? Who is Natasha going to see?" Steve asks confused.

"Melinda May." Clint says with a grin, "One of the youngest people ever recruited to S.H.I.E.L.D'S operations division, recruited by Peggy Carter." Clint says to Steve's shock, "A member of Strike Team Beta, along with Phil Coulson and Nick Fury. One of the best Agents in S.H.I.E.L.D'S history, and the person who recruited me." Clint explains, "She's a really, really, good friend."

"That's….an impressive resume." Steve says, not sure what else to say.

"You have no idea." Clint says, "I can't believe Nat wouldn't tell me she was going to see Mel, actually I can, but still." He says annoyed, "Now, where the hell did I leave my phone?" Clint asks getting up and heading out of the kitchen, leaving Steve to his thoughts.


"So, not that I wasn't glad to get your call but why did you?" Natasha asks after a few minutes, "What's going on?"

"What can't I call an old friend for a drink?" Melinda ask.

"Of course you can, but you don't."

"Maybe it's time I started."

"Mel." Natasha says in a warning tone of voice, "If you're going to lie at least lie better."

"Why? Lying to you in impossible." Melinda admits as she often doesn't try when lying to Natasha. Unless she really needs to; Natasha can always tell when she is lying.

"Then why are you trying?" Natasha asks giving her a look.

"I have no idea." Melinda admits and Natasha gives an amused smirk.

"So, I ask again, why did you call?" Natasha asks.

"I spent a few days with Andrew, getting closure, and after we said goodbye I couldn't bring myself to head back to The Playground." Melinda admits.

"Okay, this calls for tequila." Natasha informs Melinda, knowing that if she wants to get more out of Melinda then more alcohol is required.

"That it does." Melinda says as Natasha's phone goes off.

"Clint's demanding that you come and at least visit the facility." Natasha tells Melinda after reading the message on her phone. "I kind of forgot to tell him that I was coming to see you."

"Of course you did." Melinda says, not even surprised. "Tequila first, then visiting with Barton." Melinda says, she wants to see Clint and feels like she owes him a visit.

"I like the sound of that." Natasha says with a smirk.


After talking to Clint, Steve can't help his curiosity about this Melinda May, as she seems like an amazing agent, the kind of person he would want on his team. So, wanting answers, Steve goes in search of the one person who may have them, or at least the one person who will actually be willing to share the information he wants.

"Um, Maria, can I talk to you for a minute?" Steve asks from the doorway to Maria Hill's office.

"Sure, what's up?" Maria asks, glad for the distraction from her paperwork.

"I know that a lot of the S.H.I.E.L.D stuff that was realised has been deleted, but do you still have copies of personal files?" Steve asks curious, pretty sure that Maria, or at least, Fury, wouldn't have gotten rid of all his copies of those kind of things.

"Why do you ask?" Maria asks, careful not to give a straight answer.

"Natasha's gone to see a friend, Clint said the friend is a former S.H.I.E.L.D agent by the name of Melinda May….."

"Mel?" Maria asks surprised, "Nat's gone to see Mel?" she asks, clearly surprised by the news.

"You know Agent May?"

"Of course, she was my SO." Maria explains and Steve is even more impressed.

"Does everyone know her?" Steve asks curious.

"Only people who've had connections to S.H.I.E.L.D in the last thirty years." Maria explains.

"If she is such an important S.H.I.E.L.D agent why is this the first time I'm hearing about her?" Steve asks.

"Mel left field work in 2008. And you have heard about her, you just haven't realised it." Maria says, knowing for a fact that Steve has heard about 'The Cavalry', and that even though Steve hasn't put it together yet he has also met Melinda, and spent time with her many times.

"Okay." Steve says confused, "Where has Agent May been since S.H.I.E.L.D fell?"

"With the people who got Fury the Hellicarrier, rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D." Maria explains as she picks up a tablet and starts typing things.

"Really?" Steve asks surprised. He talked to Fury after Ultron and knows that a group, being led by people Fury trusts, are rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D but he doesn't know who they are, or many specific details.

"Yeah, trust me, she's one of the best people for the job." Maria says, "Or if you don't then read this; Mel's complete S.H.I.E.L.D personnel file." Maria says as she hands the tablet to Steve.

"Her compete file? Nothing missing?" Steve asks, not believing that.

"Everything except the specific details about what happened on the mission in Bahrain that caused Mel to leave field work. Fury sealed that out of respect and only he can unseal that." Maria explains.

"Do you know what happened?" Steve asks curious.

"No. Fury, Natasha, and Melinda's ex-husband are the only ones who know." Maria explains, as she doesn't know that Phil and Skye know now too. "Clint and Phil don't know and they've known her longer than me." Maria admits, "All I know is that after that mission Mel was never the same." Maria says, a sadness to her voice.

"I'm sorry." Steve says, "Thanks for this Maria." Steve says referring to the tablet.

"You're welcome." Maria says and Steve gets up and leaves.


Just like Natasha suggested she and Melinda have done several shots of tequila while sitting in the small bar.

"So, what lead to getting closure with Andrew?" Natasha asks curious, feeling like now that Melinda has had a few drinks then she might be more likely to answer.

"Getting me drunk to interrogate me, really Nat?" Melinda asks

"Please it takes about ten shots to get you drunk." Natasha points out.

"True."

"So, you going to answer my question?" Natasha asks curious.

"One of my agents developed powers." Melinda tells Natasha, "And so we needed someone to complete her INDEX intake. Andrew was the only person we could trust." Melinda says, "Things got complicated. We almost went to war with a group of gifted individual called Inhumans, a group that my student belongs to, just like the girl from Bahrain."

"Oh wow, Mel." Natasha says, sounding concerned.

"I'm okay." Melinda assures Natasha, "But for a while we weren't. I expected to die and I realised that I hadn't handled things with Andrew right." Melinda admits, "That's where I've been the last few days, making things right, giving us the closure we needed."

"That's good, Mel." Natasha says with a supportive smile.

"Yeah."

"So, more tequila?" Natasha asks curious after about a minute of silence.

"As good as that sounds if we have much more we won't be able to drive." Melinda points out.

"Good point." Natasha admits. "Want to get going then?" She asks, Melinda nods. "Follow me back or what?"

"Andrew dropped me not far from here and I walked the rest of the way." Melinda admits.

"Okay, then my car it is." Natasha says as they drop money on the table, get up and leave the bar, Melinda picking up her bag as they go.


After getting the tablet from Maria, Steve heads to one of the conference rooms so that he can read the file in semi-private. As soon as Steve opens the file he is surprised by the picture that is looking back at him.

"I know you." Steve says shocked. After the Battle of New York he went to the gym at the Triskelion in the early hours of the morning often, and more often than not he was joined by a woman; the woman in the picture.

"I should have realised." Steve says to himself as the only name he knew was May. As soon as Clint said the name he should have realised it was the same person.

They spent months working out together, occasionally talking, until one day she stopped showing up. Steve always wondered what happened to her but because he never had anything more than May, and having no idea whether that was a first or last name, he didn't know where to start to find her.

"It's nice to finally know your full name." Steve says as he begins to reads the file.


An hour after they left the bar Natasha and Melinda arrive at the Avengers Facility, both feeling completely fine, despite the alcohol they have drunk.

"So, want to surprise Clint and scare the crap out of him?" Natasha asks curious.

"I always want to do that." Melinda says.

"Then follow me." Natasha says with a smirk and Melinda does just that.

(Line break)

Ten minutes after they arrived at the Avengers Facility Natasha and Melinda sneak into the ventilation shafts above the archery range.

"So, how do you want to do this?" Natasha asks in a whisper, knowing that she doesn't have to worry about being too quiet as Clint can't hear well enough to hear them.

"Hum, tough choice." Melinda admits, "Just dropping down has some appeal."

"Yeah but that also has the added complication of risking being hit by arrows." Natasha admits.

"True." Melinda admits, "Got a better idea?" Melinda asks curious.

"We don't completely jump down." Natasha says.

"Peak-a-boo? Sounds good to me." Melinda says with a smirk.

"Let's do this." Natasha says and being as quiet as possible, something that they have a lot of experience with, Melinda moves to the other side of the opening to the vent before Natasha and Melinda lift the entrance up. Once they have moved the vent cover out of the way Melinda and Natasha exchange nods before both of them move into place and slightly lower themselves down.

"Hey Clint." Natasha and Melinda say just as Clint lets an arrow fly, which thanks to Clint jumping, causes the arrow to nearly hit Natasha.

"Really? Don't you two say hello like normal people?" Clint asks as Melinda and Natasha jump down.

"Don't you already know the answer to that?" Melinda asks.

"Yeah, I do." Clint says, "It's good to see you Mel." Clint says as he walks over.

"It's good to see you too." Melinda admits as Clint pulls her into a hug.

"Really? Tequila without me? I'm insulted." Clint says as he hugs Melinda, able to smell the alcohol.

"You were sleeping." Natasha says with a shrug.

"Fair enough, but now you two owe me a drink." Clint informs Natasha and Melinda.

"I can live with that." Melinda informs Clint.

"Good. To the living area it is." Clint says with a grin and that's where the three of them go.


Once Steve finishes reading Melinda's personnel file he realises that he still has a couple of questions and so he decides to go to find Clint to see if he has the rest of the answers he seeks.

As he makes his way to the Archery range, where Steve thinks his best chance of finding Clint is, he walks past the living area that only the Avengers have access to and as he does he hears voices and so Steve heads in there instead.

When he walks into the room Steve finds Natasha and Melinda sitting on one couch while Clint and Maria are sitting on another.

"Hey Rogers." Natasha says with a grin.

"Romanoff." Steve greets, "Clint, Maria," Steve says, "And Agent May, it's good to see you again."

"Yeah, it is." Melinda says.

"And after three years it's good to know your full name." Steve admits.

"I guess it would be." Melinda says as she stands up and walks over to Steve. "Hello, I'm Agent Melinda May." Melinda says, sticking out her hand for Steve to shake, figuring that after all this time that it is about time they have a proper introduction.

"Captain Steve Rogers. It's a pleasure to meet you." Steve says returning the hand shake.

"We're drinking. Would you like to join us?" Melinda asks.

"Sure, I would like that." Steve says and he and Melinda walk back over Steve sits down on the arm chair while Melinda sits back down next to Natasha.