AN: I have a feeling everyone will hate me (again) for this, also this is not Beta read so if you spot mistakes please message me and let me know. I wish you a late Happy New Year. This was supposed to be up weeks ago, but I wasn't happy with it and rewrote it. Also, to calm everyone down. This story has THREE (!) parts and yes, the main couple is Steve and Emma. I am trying not to disappoint you guys, but I prefer to keep them as insane as any other human would be. Steve is my absolute favourite male character of the MU and I am not "Steve-bashing". I just believe that a position like his and all that he's gone through (like a dramatic plane crash that froze him for 90 years) is a lot of mental stress. So, sit back and enjoy and I will try and update after my horror day of tests. Exam, oral exam, presentation. I really am crap at planning my timetables beforehand. Let me know what you think and also come into contact with me if you are interested in Beta reading for me. Another person usually spots mistakes that I miss sitting in front of this all the time.
Chapter 2
Steve left the small building in the late afternoon. It had taken him quite some time to calm down, but he eventually felt calmer and prepared to face Sharon. It was time to take his life back into his own hands. Deal with situations rather than hope they just go away. He just had to hold on to those thoughts. Although Sharon lived only a few streets away the drive felt hours long as he was desperate to get this over with. She had already sent him a text message that she was preparing dinner, but he didn't have the heart to write to her not to bother. He was weak when it came to women, he knew that now. In the past, he had laughed at Buck, jumping from one dame to another, never committing to one more than another. Now he understood why. It was all nice and fun until there are feelings involved and then you need to hold on as tightly as possible. He wasn't entirely sure, what he would do after this, but he will figure something out afterwards. He parked his car at the side of the road, went up to the house and knocked. Shortly after the door opened, the giddy blonde threw herself around his neck.
"Hi!" she shouted and kissed him on the lips. He didn't respond, but it didn't seem to bother her as she pulled him into her house. He could hardly get a word in as she babbled happily. Sharon took his hand and led him through to the dining room. He spotted a small tower of boxes which he recognised due to familiarity. With a soft sigh, he knew he would have to do it before she could draw him in even more, so he tugged at her hand to bring her to a stop. Confused she raised her eyes to his. Questioning.
"Sharon, we need to talk," he said softly as he tore his eyes away from hers and back to the boxes.
"Can't that wait? Dinner is ready." She replied, and tried to pull herself away from his grasp. Disregarding his pointed stare at his boxes. What were his boxes doing here? He hoped it wasn't what he expected.
"No, it can't." He had difficulties sounding as strict as he should with her, but it seemed to work as she stopped her ministrations to look at him.
"We can't do this anymore." He could already see her figure sink into herself, so he placed an arm around her and sat her down on the staircase. Kneeling in front of her he could see tears welling up in her eyes, but he was determined, to be honest with her. More than he had been with Emma. He would end this the right way if there was a right way. Softly he raised her chin to make her look into his eyes as he spoke to her. "Listen to me, I need to say all of this. We need to stop this now. I can't pretend that everything is alright anymore. Sharon, don't you see all the problems that came with this? You are a wonderful woman, a beautiful, strong, independent woman. Like Peggy. You should be proud of that. But that is exactly why I can't be with you. I loved Peggy. She was the first woman I really loved. The woman that was interested in Steve, not Captain America. Being with you is like being with her. Having a second chance, but you're not Peggy and I don't want you to be her. I gave up on Peggy. She had a full life and moved on and that's what I am trying to do. Move on from everything I lost, Sharon. I thought I could do that with Emma, but you were just too tempting. Sharon, I never meant for all of this to happen. I don't want a relationship with you. I don't even know if I know you at all because all I see is Peggy and it won't stop. I am ending this for your own good. I know you wished for more, but I can't give that to you. I am still trying to move on, and I am not entirely sure how I am supposed to move on from Emma. There is a lot I don't know, but I need to figure it out on my own." Carefully he brushed a few tears from her cheeks and stood up. Sharon nodded, avoiding his eyes. Silently shedding her tears as she watched him move around the hallway to collect his boxes. She didn't want to be Peggy for him. She would need to let him go.
Steve left the house as quickly as he could without him seeming to rush. The boxes wobbled on the back seat as he drove off back to Shield to his apartment. It seemed a waste to carry around things he never looked at. Emma had called in a few favours after they left Washington in a hurry. She didn't want to leave anything behind that could have meant anything to him. Her neat handwriting clearly showing that she peeked inside to sniff through his memories. Memories that she hadn't seen before. If he ever saw her again he would take her to all these places that used to mean so much to him. Show her from his own memories what it was like. Steve hadn't lied to Sharon. He still loved Peggy. He would always love Peggy, but just as she had moved on he would be ready for that one day and there was still a lot of room in his heart for a young blonde woman with an exceptional talent. There was no will left in him to consider the fact that she might not take him back, but he would need to try before he started doubting again. Somewhere out there was a young woman, who needed a bit of heart mending and he was bent on being the one.
When Emma woke up she could hear the soft rustling that she had become accustomed to. Melody was probably sewing a new outfit. Pulling her blanket up to her chin she turned around, away from the light. A queen needed her beauty sleep. She could feel eyes on her and heard a soft chuckle. Slowly she extended her hand and reached for her phone. Quarter past twelve. She would have to get up soon if she wanted the time to train her new routine.
"Come on, sleepy head. Get up. I need you to try this on" Melody laughed as she saw Emma try to cuddle further under the blanket.
Emma stared at the little symbol under the time. 2 missed calls. It had become a lot less over the last few months. When she had left, her phone wouldn't stop buzzing so she kept it turned off in her suitcase. It still felt weird to do what she was doing, but as soon as she had enough money she could move on, and there was no denying that she liked the attention. There were nice people here. Her roommate was nice. Melody loved making new outfits for her. Steve probably wouldn't like what she was doing, but she didn't need his approval anymore. She could do whatever she wanted. Slowly she got up from the bed, rubbed her eyes and looked at Melody. Before her eyes was a skimpy little one-piece in white with hundreds of little diamonds.
"You really want me to wear that in front of a hundred people?" Emma questioned and raised her brow at her as she took off her clothes and wriggled the lingerie onto her body. Melody knew how to make it fit perfectly. Emma stepped in front of the tall mirror and stared at her body, she had become used to Melody's excited squealing whenever she liked a new set on Emma's body. It did look very good. The cloth was a simple white, but on it were hundreds of tiny rhinestones. The cut outs of the legs were also very high and left nothing to the imagination, she better give herself another trim just in case. Each breast fits perfectly into a cup with a deep valley between each breast down to her navel. She had always tried for everyone not to draw too much attention to her body, but not anymore. Her body is her own and she is allowed to show it off.
"Already picked a song for tonight? You only have two shows tonight, right?"
"I was going to dance to fever, now I might have to change my plans", she grinned at the mirror. Her hand carefully traced the seams of the bodice. "I only have two dances. Then I'm with Sebastian in a meeting. He said my presence was requested. Whatever that means. Can you keep an eye on my phone while I am on stage? I missed a call last night. I'm not sure, but it might be important."
"Sure, I can. Are you sure you are ready to answer those calls though? It's been a while now and you're still here."
Emma knew it was some time now. She enjoyed having someone appreciate her body and she made good money with it. It was only dancing. Nothing more. Steve would disapprove anyway. Every day she caught herself thinking about things concerning Steve, whether he would approve or not, or if he would care at all. Although she liked to think of herself stronger than this and over Steve, she had to admit that there was still something that kept her from letting go completely. Maybe it was her past, or maybe a small idea of what was to come, maybe she was just soft and couldn't let go. Whatever it was, it kept her thinking of Steve at the oddest hours. Carefully she picked up her phone and stared at the lit up picture. It had been one of the first they had taken together. Sighing she turned away from Melody and got dressed. Maybe she would go back one day. Just to see what it was like. For now, it didn't matter anymore. It was her time to be free. Time to shine. Literally.
Emma took her time during the day to prepare for her evening. Most days she just took the daytime to train and keep fit. Very seldom she would go into the nearest city to shop and see something else. Right now she was content doing what she was doing, she liked the people and felt welcome. That was the most important part for now. After her training, she moved her sweaty self to the shower to rinse off her body and shave. Although there was hardly anything to be done she liked to double check these things. If someone requested her presence they usually had other thoughts. Emma hadn't signed on for more than dancing. She knew there were some girls that did it, but that would go a bit far. Sometimes Sebastian insisted that she let them play with the idea for a while, but that made her feel rather uncomfortable so they kept it to the most important meetings. Emma suspects that Sebastian was quite unhappy with their arrangement, but for now, he seemed content in her having her own way. She didn't even know who they would be meeting tonight. Of course, she would find out in due time, but it is easier to be ahead of the game and prepare for whomever they are supposed to be entertaining.
Emma gave the technician her song choice. It was one of her favourite numbers to do. Fever. She had thought about switching to something like Diamonds are forever, but then she would need to make a whole new choreography. Too much for just one day. At least for her. She was no professional, she just liked dancing and knew from the mind of her audience what they liked the best. Melody was right, though, she would have to leave sometime. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life in a club on a highway. No, soon she would leave and move on. Find somewhere else to stay and work. When she finally finished her hygiene routine it was nearly time for her to take her place on the stage. She quickly gave Melody her phone and put on a pair of white high heels and a small tiara. It wasn't the princess type. More a spiked, silver half circlet. They had sat together for a few hours until they agreed on "White Queen" as her stage name. She didn't want to be the sweet type anymore. She wanted to be cold and hard. Everything she wasn't. Of course, her team members liked to make fun of her for the name, but with a few accessories, they agreed that it was perfect for her. Carefully she glued little rhinestones around her eyes, trailing one by one into her hair. She picked up a heavy cape which she wore over her shoulders and had a fur trim. She only had to wait for a few minutes behind the stage before she was called up and could hear the men whistling. Gracefully she stalked onto the stage, stared down at the crowd and began her routine. Some of the faces she recognised by now, people that came to see her especially. She didn't mind them. They usually tipped well and bought her drinks that she didn't need to pay in any event. Yet there in the back in a dark corner was a new group of mutants. Nearly all male. They were carefully watching her while they only slowly sipped at their drinks. She didn't want to go fishing on stage, but she was sure that she would meet these people later.
Bucky watched on as Emma moved her body sensually on the screen. He wasn't sure what she was thinking to show herself off like that, but he couldn't say that she didn't know how to move. Although he spent so much time with her he had always underestimated her appearance. Steve really did miss out on this one. He had a text from Miranda earlier to tell him that Sharon and Steve broke it off. He suspected that she was there right now to wipe up Steve's mess. He really was clueless where women were concerned. Maybe Steve would take all this serious, go to his psychiatrist and get some help, but Bucky wasn't entirely sure if that would happen. He watched Emma move on the stage. Her lithe body making the men lust after her, watching her every step. She really was the queen of the stage. Bucky switched to another security camera of the club. Nothing unusual there. Usually, he also checked the crowd in case there was someone from Hydra there or someone else they knew. After making sure that everything was clear he concentrated on the other screens. Fury had informed him of their plans for the next few days. It would be difficult and the agent's security was of most importance during these days. They wouldn't want a confrontation right at the beginning. It could ruin everything. Sighing he looked at the copies that Miranda had given him. Steve would need to fill out the question and sign the papers. They could do it without him but then again, he was the main image of Shield right now. People wanted to see him. Know about him. Everyone had received a formal letter and notice for the upcoming event. If they wished to support it they could fill out the form, sign it and send it back. If they did not do that they would only be mentioned in a long list of names.
Bucky sighed and took out his phone and texted Steve to come see him in his office. He minimised the screen of Emma dancing on his laptop and took her off the large screen. She didn't want Steve to know where she is, so he wouldn't give her away. Especially as Steve would probably go berserk if he saw it. It didn't take long for a curt knock at his door with a blonde head poking inside.
"Hey, what's up?" Steve asked sheepishly. Bucky motioned for him to sit down and got up to lean against his desk. After Steve had sat down, Bucky took the clipboard he had put the noted on and gave it to Steve.
"Fill this out, please. For Miranda. I know you don't think it's right being documented but I want this done with. They'll know enough about you through us anyway. Shield needs this and if you are seriously considering taking up a higher position here then you need to act like it and fill out the damn form. People need to see that you are not the threat. Hydra is. By challenging this you are just giving everyone more reasons to distrust you."
Steve stared at him scowling slightly. His eyes moved over the paper, scanning the questions and he sighed. He really didn't want even more news about him out there. There was enough talk as there was. "I really don't want to do this. All of this out there. I'm just a freak show. A science project. There never was anything special about me and I am making everything up as I go. There's nothing interesting or valuable that can go into there. Only that I served in the Army and then for Shield. They can't even disclose my medical records. They would risk creating an army of me."
"Well then just write down the basic stuff. You don't need to write down every little detail like the others do. You can just write something about yourself. Tell them your story. Do it as part of your treatment. Get it out there and have it dealt with. You are the one with the least consequences coming towards you. What is holding you back? Do you even know how much people like Natasha are putting on the line for this? Tony? Me? What are you afraid of?" Steve clutched the clipboard in his fingers, knuckles going white with strain. He could see the vein in Steve's neck throbbing. Bucky sighed and sat down next to his old friend. Maybe Miranda was right and he did need to put more effort into it. Carefully he took the clipboard out of Steve's clutch and put it back on the table. "Calm down and tell me what it is." He said softly. For once he could see Steve holding back his fears. This was not anger as he had first assumed. It was genuine fear.
"I can't write this. Everyone will know that I am a fraud. That I am incapable of relationships and that everything good about me came out of a bottle. You know Schmitt was right all these years ago. The serum gave me strength and endurability, but Erskine was wrong. It didn't enhance who you are. If I were the man everyone believes I am, then why am I capable of all the horrid things I have done. I killed people, I broke Emma's heart. The kindest and sweetest woman I know. And Sharon's. She didn't deserve this either. I realised too late that she was actually looking for more. Think of the people I injured in my Avengers missions, civilians. People always think I am some kind of hero, but Emma was right. I am only a man. A human. I just don't want to disappoint them, because I am not what they think I am. All of this Captain America image, it's quite a lot to deal with." Bucky paused to look at the man in front of him. Honesty. Like Emma said. She had been right all along, but neither of them was without fault. None of them were, and for the first time, it felt wrong to him to keep such a huge secret from him.
"Steve, I think you're overthinking this. Yes, you are just a man. The people need to start seeing that, but they won't if you don't let them know. You can tell them a story of a small man that changed his entire life to save his country. A man that puts his country before his personal relations. You aren't perfect and no one should expect that. So, write something about yourself, take it as progress for your therapy. We are all glad you are doing it. You were hurting yourself just as much as the girls. Fill that out, then I have something else I need to show you." Slowly Steve nodded, took a pen and the clipboard to fill out what he wished. Bucky walked back around his desk and sat down. Nervously he ran his hands through his hair. God, this would be horrible. Steve looked vulnerable for the first time. It would crush him. Slowly he opened the screen with the Club's stage on it. Emma was off the stage by now. He switched through the several cameras in the building. The crowd really was going wild for her. He found her behind the stage chugging down a bottle of water while Shaw whispered into her ear. She nodded slowly and motioned something to the technician.
"Steve, now. You can finish that later." He duplicated the image the screen on the wall and switched back to the security camera facing the stage. Steve raised his head and raised one eyebrow at him.
"You use your job to spy on strip clubs?" Then his breath caught in his throat as the woman he had been searching for stepped onto the stage. She was still dressed in the bejewelled lingerie and the white cape with the fur trim. Everything white. Everything cold. The White Queen of the stage. Steve heaved himself off the chair and moved towards the screen. Carefully he touched the screen. He whispered a quiet no as she slowly started to move her body for the men in the crowd. Tears sprung into his eyes while he watched her show off to the men in the crowd. Presenting her body. "Turn it off.." he whispered slowly. As Bucky watched his friend he didn't react immediately. Shocked to see him like this. He had expected anger, but tears? "Turn it off!", he yelled and moved to punch the wall, but then just lay his head against the wall as tears slipped down his cheeks. Bucky immediately shut down the program. He moved towards Steve, but the other held out his hand. Steve turned away from the wall, swallowed hard, shaking.
"I'm sorry. I need to leave. I need to get her out of there." He said determined and clenched his fists.
"Steve, don't do that. Give her time to come back. I've been watching her for a while now and I think she needed to do something rebellious to get it out of her system. You know she is more the goody-two-shoes type. You can't just storm the building", he tried to reason with him. Maybe he had been wrong and Steve had not been ready yet for this.
"You have been watching her all this time!? I was looking for her! I was bloody worried! How could you keep this from me? Wait, don't tell me. I don't care. I need to get going." With that Steve stormed out of the room towards the garage. Sighing Bucky picked up the clipboard and sat down. Steve had signed it and filled out most of it. He could give this to Miranda. Should he tell Fury about this? He probably knew like he knows everything else. What had he gotten himself into with all these dramatic people?
When Emma came off the stage a second time. She took another water bottle and emptied it. She would need to shower and redress so she can go and see Sebastian with his guests. A glance at the clock let her know that she needed to hurry. Melody already waited for her in their room and helped her out of the outfit. She wasn't shy around Melody anymore. They had seen each other naked plenty of times. Melody liked to admire her body and Emma saw no problem with that. At least someone really did appreciate her body. She quickly removed her makeup, hopped under the shower, and washed herself. Then she quickly towelled herself off, dried her hair and ran into their bedroom. Melody had picked a silver-plated corset with silver lace trimming around her neck and chest. To go with it white over-knee boots and large silver plates for her forearms. Emma looked at herself in the mirror. Melody was so talented. Not only did it look perfect on her, it also felt like an armour. She felt strong. Emma sat down at her vanity and tied her hair back strictly. No hair out of place. Good that Melody liked to have everything perfect and so there was a silver, round clip waiting for her. She looked like a Lady GaGa doll, but she didn't mind that. After applying another large amount of makeup, she got up, thanked Melody with a kiss on the cheek and left for Sebastian's office. They were waiting for her. She had been specially requested from all the girls there.
When she opened the door, she could already hear the men speaking. There was no reason for her to knock as she was being expected.
"- I think you'll see that she is perfect for the job. She is the diamond of the club. There you are. Emma, meet our guests." Sebastian waved her inside, moved to her side and took her elbow. Emma was surprised at the people expecting her and felt her breath come shortly.
"Eric. What are you doing here? I don't think I can help you with anything.." she breathed nervously, carefully fitting herself against Sebastian who stared at her sternly. This was not good.
"Emma, how lovely to see you. Sit down. We have a lot to talk about. I think you will agree with what I have to say. You don't need to worry. I don't need to be a telepath to see you struggling." Eric said smoothly and held his hand out towards her. She didn't really have a choice. Although nothing changed her armour did not feel so safe anymore. She didn't feel strong anymore. Carefully she placed her small hand into his and sat down with him on the plush couch. He caressed the back of her hand. A cold shudder ran up her arm and back down her spine. Eric was dangerous. He left the academy. He wanted mutant supremacy. This was dangerous. She shouldn't be here.
"What do you want from me? I can't give you anything you need." It was her try to be strong, but Eric's ghostly smile scared her. They couldn't want anything good from her.
"We want you to join us. Sebastian here is a good friend of mine and we all have a common enemy. Even you Emma, don't deny it. Shield. They are harming our country, our brothers and sisters. Ah, ah, ah. Emma, did you know that they have mutants as test subjects? As lab rats? You were lucky. They used you as well, of course, but different. If you would have stayed they probably would have done that later. Ask your friends. Ask about Wanda and Pietro." Emma shook her head slowly. She was the only mutant at Shield. People looked at her strangely. They wouldn't do that if they had more around, or would they?
"Eric, I am not against Shield. I had personal reasons for leaving. So please. Leave me alone with this. I am not supporting any war against Shield. Please reconsider your actions. I'd hate to relive all of these fights. They were not worth it, were they? Shield is doing what it can. If you should be against anything, then against Hydra from what I understand, but I don't understand any of this anyway. I just don't want to support this." Carefully she removed herself from Eric's side and raised herself off the sofa. "I am sorry to be a disappointment for you. I also think that I have overextended your welcome Sebastian. I will leave tomorrow morning. It is time for me to move on. I have finished with the X-Men and Shield. That is not my life anymore." Emma could see Sebastian clenching his jaw, he wasn't happy with her answer, but they had to take it. Before he could say anything Eric beat him to it in a calm voice. "Should you change your mind in the near future I do hope that you will turn to us. We were hoping for the support of such a strong woman. You are special Emma, Charles and I have told you this before, but you are growing into your position. Your body and powers. You are an astounding woman. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." As he spoke he walked towards the door and opened it for her to leave. Emma quickly strode out of the office towards the back of her room. She would need to pack and leave. If the Brotherhood had found her then the others would as well.
Bucky took the document to where Miranda was pacing in front of their computer scientists. They were setting up the information platform. She stared at him annoyed, but then her eyes softened as she recognised him.
"Here. I think you might like to have this." He smiled at her and gave her Steve's documents. She would know what to do with it. Miranda took the file into her hands and quickly read over it after a relieved smile crossed her lips she gave him a kiss. He had earned it after all. Bucky let his hands drift through her hair and kissed her forehead.
"Thank you", she breathed and gave the papers to one of her coworkers. "Set his page up. I want this done by tonight. It's going up in 3 hours. Get to work." Bucky grinned slightly at her authoritative voice. No one would dare to approach her as he did. Her cuddly side was his and no one else's. As her coworkers got to work, she took his hand and tugged him out of the room into the hallway.
"Did he say anything? Sharon is absolutely distraught over all of this. He can't just turn up, break up and leave. I mean, she had it coming, but it's not right."
"Miranda. He did it. He finally ended it and that's better than continuing to lead her on. We know he isn't good at this stuff. That's why he has a therapist. Sharon knows this and she dug her hole herself. Leave him be. I think I've done enough damage for one day without you also biting his head off."
"What have you done?" she asked warily. He could see that her mind was already running a thousand seconds a mile to figure him out, so he gave her a strained smile.
"I told him about Emma. He has a right to know. Look, Emma is working herself into a pit. What she does is not helping her or anyone else. Steve can call her, talk to her, and apologize."
"Oh go, no. James. He isn't ready. Emma left for a reason. Emma needs time and she doesn't need to know that everyone here has been spying on her. You should have left it alone and left her time to get around. He'll ruin everything. She doesn't even answer any of our texts, what do you think she will do if she sees Steve?"
"What makes you think that he's going there? I haven't told him where she is and told him to stay here and leave her the time she needs."
"Oh, please. As if he would listen to that." She scoffed and sighed. "I bet you everything I have that he's already on the way because he just went to security and had them pin her down. Shall we go check if a car is missing, or will you just agree that it was a stupid idea!" Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose. She was probably right and he did have a feeling that Steve wasn't listening to him. He groaned annoyed and leant against the wall, tugging at his hair.
"I can see you agreeing with me, but I don't hear it. You know where I am. Get back to your station and keep an eye on her. I'd like to avoid any mutant outbursts." He watched her leave with a satisfied smirk, he had rather hoped to steal another kiss, but she seemed unwilling to spare him another minute so he went back to his office and kept Emma on the screen. How he wished that he hadn't told Steve.
As quickly as she could Emma through her things into a bag. She didn't want to take any of the clothes Melody had made for her. They belonged to the club and they were Mel's ticket out of here. To do something with her life. She was sure that Melody could be a costume designer somewhere, she was really talented. She just needed the chance. Emma was half expecting the club to burst off its hinges because of Eric but nothing happened. While she tried to pack everything as quickly as she could her phone went off. After seeing it was Steve again she let it ring expecting him to just give up after a while, but it continued buzzing and buzzing. She threw the phone into her handbag so the picture of Steve ould stop looking at her. This was all wrong. Having Eric here could only mean trouble and as far as she knew Sebastian was not a part of the Brotherhood, at least he never made any implication of that kind. He always seemed nice. Of course, she had seen him lash out from time to time, but never seriously dangerous. Eric is dangerous. She really hoped none of the others got pulled into this. The loud music from the club drifted away the more hectic she became. The others wouldn't know that she had left until their shifts finished. Emma didn't even know where to go. The professor should know about this, but then they would ask her to return to the academy or to Shield. No, she couldn't go there. A soft knock at her door ripped her out of her thoughts and Melody stepped inside the room. Worry flickered over her face as she saw the state of the room.
"What are you doing? Why are you packing?" She closed the door behind her and stared surprised at Emma's bags on the bed. Nervously Emma swallowed and closed the bag. She could feel the hard vibrations of the phone through the material of her bag. Steve just wouldn't give up, would he?
"I need to go. I'm sorry, Melody. I'm very grateful for what you've done, but this needs to end for me. Its time to leave." Emma said as she sat on her bed. She wanted to get changed before she left. She really hoped to leave unnoticed because of Eric. He just seemed too nice. Too accepting of her decision. They probably waited for her to leave and would pounce on her and force her to do whatever they wanted.
"You can't just leave. What happened? It's the middle of the night."
"Come on, Melody. It's not like this is a good job. I just want to be done. This isn't helping me ge over and away from Steve, and I'm not sure if I like the way Sebastian runs his business. Look, my answer isn't changing. I'm leaving, and you should too. Promise me, that you'll get out of here. You don't need this. You could be a costume designer or fashion designer. Just get away from here." Sighing she stared at the brundet in front of her and then pulled her into a fierce hug. Melody really was better than all of this, but taking her with her would ust risk her life depending on what Eric had planned for her. If they were going against Shield then it wasn't good. Maybe he should have answered her phone, asked Steve if it is true. If they test mutants. That's not what she wanted. Mutants don't belong in labs.
"I have no idea what's gotten into you. Just calm down. Look, there's a guy out there waiting for you. He said he wants to talk to you. Buisness first, then come back and explain whats going on. I am really worried. You're flipping out." Melody squeezed her friend and then let Emma go. "He's waiting in front of the club. He seemed a bit uptight."
"Uptight? Okay?" sighing Emma left the room and walked through the club. This was wrong she should be leaving. It could be one of Eric's men. Mentally Emma prepared herself for a fight and asked the security guys to keep an eye on the front door. She really didn't need any creep tonight. Hopefully it was just a creep, they were easy to overpower. As she stepped out of the club she drew her arms tightly around herself. It was colder than she had expected, but then her eyes met a sight she hadn't expected. There leaning against the wall, nervously folding his hands was the man she tried not to see. The last person she needed to see right now. Then again it was comforting to know that it wasn't the Brotherhood trying to kidnap her.
"Steve?" her voice wavered as she worked to find the strength of her voice. His blue eyes snapped up and he stared at her. His emotions hit her. Anger, fear, disappointment, shame, arousal. His eyes wandered over her body and for the second time that night her armour felt less like that and more like she was naked. Naked and vunerable.
"Emma. I.. " He tried to find the words that he had worked up over all this time. The words his therapist helped him with but nothing came to him. The light of the Club slowly disappeared as the door closed, but he could still see her. Her body in that skimpy little thing. The loud music drifting out of the club reminded him of his reasons. People had seen her like this. Had lusted over her body, but that wasn't what they were supposed to be doing. They should worship her milky, soft skin. Kiss her neck until she softly moaned. No. That was his job. Not theirs.
"What are you doing here, Steve? How did you find me?" Emma asked trying to sound strong. She could see his inner battle, but she wouldn't listen. This all had been great training to shut out more people with less of a strain. If he had something to say he would have to do so. No mind reading. No easy way out anymore.
"Emma, I want to apologize." He cleared his throat loudly, nervously. "I am sorry for everything. Truly. I am with a new therapist because of my problems. I don't want to tell you that what you saw was not what it was, because it was heading that way. I was just so angry. I just can't seem to do my job right and everything I do becomes a mess. I don't expect you to forgive me, but listen to me. Please. I want to tell you everything that happened and that there is nothing that you have done to justify what I did." His hands were becoming awfully sweaty so he tried to hide them away in his pockets.
"Steve, I don't if that is a good idea. I don't think that there is anything you can say that could make me feel better. I came here to be away from you." The strength in her voice just wouldn't come back. Steve here was just too much for one evening. She wanted to curl up and cry, but it wasn't the time for that. There were things to do. Steve wouldn't see her weakness.
"Please. I am begging you" his desperate voice tugging at her heart strings.
"Fine, but we stay out here. In there is not the place for you and I don't want to draw attention to this."
"Alright." He nodded, took off his jacket and gave it to her. Reluctantly she layed it over her shoulders and drew it around her. It was so lovely warm and smelled of him.
"Right." He sighed, then looked her into her eyes to tell her his story. "Sharon was in my team and we got along right away. She's Peggy's granddaughter. She wanted to know what her grandma was like in those days and it as nice to hear about Peg's life. I thought we were friends and I felt comfortable talking to her. I didn't realize she was slowly getting to me. Wasn't really a fan of yours. I'm not saying that this isn't all my fault, but she did influence me a lot. Nothing had happened before the day that you.. I just snapped on that day. I never got the chance to be with Peggy and she was giving me this illusion that I could have that, but I can't. That is over. Peggy's old and she lived a full and happy life. That's all I ever wanted for her. So after you left I as trying to find you, but the others wouldn't help me. After a while I agreed to see Dr. Collins. He is new. Because of me. I talked to him about everything. At least I tried. When I knew you wouldn't answer I started going on more missions. Buried myself in work. I didn't realize Sharon thought we were dating. There was never a moment where I thought about a relationship with Sharon. I just didn't realize it meant something to her. So I broke it off this morning. Buck made me see that there was something going on. I never meant to hurt you. I'm just some idiot that is unable to have normal social bonds. I really wanted us to work out, and I messed up. You were right. We were going too fast and everything around us was just too much, but please. Please, I am begging you. Leave this place." Emma stared at him as she tried to process what he said. She always knew that Peggy would always loom over them and he would always love her, but this? Unconsciously she drew his jacket closer around her small frame.
"All of that doesn't excuse how you treated me." She said staring into his eyes. The hurt was tugging at her. This is what she wanted. Her knight to come in and save her. But Steve was no knight in shining armour.
"I know that, Emma.. But I can also see that you are shivering, and I can see what's going on in your eyes. I'm not asking you to trust me or come with me. Not even your forgiveness, because I haven't earned that. I'm concerned. For you. This place isn't you. These people in there don't care about you. They only care about an image they can get off on. I'm begging you. Leave this place." Slowly he moved closer to her, when she stayed put he lay his arms around her and drew her against his chest in a vain attempt to keep her warm.
"Don't. please. This isn't right. You hurt me. You threw all of these things at my head and lied to me. Everything I worked for you threw away." Tears pooled in her eyes as she let him hold her. Her small hands grabbed his shirt and clenched into a fist.
"I know, I am so sorry." A lone tear ran over his cheek at her broken expression. He kissed her forehead and held her tight against him. "I never meant to hurt you."
"Don't leave, please." Eric was wrong. She didn't have a reason to go against Shield. She didn't trust Steve. He hadn't earned her trust, but she couldn't deny that getting over him was something she hadn't achieved yet. His hand brushed carefully through her sternly tied back hair.
"Never." Carefully he opened her hair clip, and tugged the band out of it. Carefully he ran his hand through her hair. Slowly she raised her head to stare at the man before her. He seemed so much like the man she had missed. The one she fell in love with. His honesty and care. His eyes lingered on hers, then flickered down to her lips. She could see him hesitate. The question was there. No mind reading required as she slowly leaned her head in to his to accept his lips on hers. A warmth spread through her, ran up her spine into her cheeks and back down to pool in her stomach. She had missed this so much. Slowly she released his shirt with one hand and reached out to stroke his hair. Emma could feel him smile softly as they kissed. Curiously she withdrew her head to see him smile teary eyed. He was buzzing with emotions and Emma couldn't help but smile softly.
"Come with me" she whispered against his lips.
"Where?" he mumbled, and stroked her cheek.
"Anywhere" she laughed quietly, as she lay her head against his chest. She could feel his strength and it didn't help that she knew what she could expect underneath that shirt. For a while they just stood there. Enjoying the warmth of their embrace. With a slight laugh, she looked at him. "You know, you never did tell me how you found me." What she didn't expect was his serious stare as he carefully let go of her, clearly looking for the right words.
"Steve? How did you find me?" she said with a bit more force in her voice. His soft sigh worried her more than ever. Had she been to rash with her trust again?
"Shield was watching you. They can see everything your security guys see. I'm so sorry, Emma. Bucky watches the field agents and he only told me today that you are also on his list. They know everything. With Hydra out there. It was for your safety. If anything happened we would have sent someone out." She couldn't believe it. She was being watched all this time? Everyone at Shield knew what she is doing? Emma felt sick. Her stomach tied into knots as she tried to make sense of what he was saying, but there was one flaw. She wasn't an agent. She was only an outside employee and that had ended quite a while ago. There was no reason for them to watch her unless there was.
"Oh god, you're lying. I'm not a field agent! I stopped working at Shield months ago! How can you do this to me? How can you lie to me right now? They're keeping tabs on me because they are scared I'll tell some little secret. Well guess what I don't even know anything! Let me guess, you only had to ask a low tech guy to find me on the map because Shield knew exactly where I was the whole time!"
"Emma, no. I'm not lying to you. I wouldn't do this now. Please, calm down" he half shouted and tried to take her back into his arms. Desperately trying not to lose her again.
"No! I won't calm down! Shield can't just watch me! They have no reason for it! I am not some threat! I bet you knew about this. You know everything in Shield and now I am supposed to believe that you didn't know they were watching me!?" his pleading met an icy stare as she took off his jacket and hurled it at his chest.
"Emma, please. I can explain" he tried to reason with her, but she wasn't listening. She was angry. Shield had no right to follow her. To invade her privacy. She was never an agent and never gave consent to any of it.
"You know what? I really believed you for a minute. I was going to leave and ask you to come with me. Anywhere except Shield and now this. How the hell am I supposed to fucking believe anything you say with all of this?"
"I don't lead Shield! Fury does. I had nothing to do with this and I only found out today! Emma, please. You can trust me." He caught his jacket and tried to go after her, catch her hand.
"Don't you dare! Tell me one thing. One. Thing. Honestly. Who are Wanda and Pietro?" she tried to calm herself enough to hear his answer, but her mind was filled with rage. Rage at Shield. Rage at the Brotherhood who had found her before even Steve had. If they were protecting her then they clearly never listened to anything she had said about Magneto.
"Wanda and Pietro? They're new. Mutants. We found them in South Africa. They're in New York with Tony. He's running some tests on them to see how far their powers reach. They're incredible. She can change reality with her hands and he is really fast." When he raised his head, he expected to see her still angry or calm, but not crying. He could feel his throat tighten as he took in her small form shaking with subdued sobs. "Emma? I don't understand. What has all of this got to do with us?"
"You're using them! They are humans not lab rats! How could you?" she cried as she turned and stepped away towards the door. "Leave. Don't you dare come back and tell Fury to get his fucking nose out of my life. If I ever see you here again I will call the police."
"Emma, no. Please, you don't understand!" he tried to move after her but an invisible wall stopped him from getting anywhere near her. "Emma!"
"Goodbye, Steve." As fast as she could she fled inside. She could still hear him call her name. Tears ran down her cheeks as she sobbed. The clients couldn't see her like this. She needed to get to the back unseen. After only a few steps she was stopped by a warm hand on her elbow.
"Everything all right dear? You look terribly upset?" a familiar voice drawled at her. It was not caring or compassionate, it was as if she could hear the smirk in his voice.
"I've changed my mind, Eric. What do I have to do?" she stared up at the man who she mistrusted with every ounce in her body, but he had been replaced. Sheer anger and rage filled her at Shield. They had no right to treat mutants this way.
It was exactly 10pm at night. Miranda stared at her co-workers and gave them the signal. She saw him click a button and instantly they were out there. All of their information accessible to the public from one small website with all agents on it. They had worked hard for this, but Shield was back.
"We are online, Miss."
"I can see. Good work all of you. Go home. We have a lot coming towards us now."
She watched her personnel leave. They were all tired. The work had taken everything out of them so they could stay within their time frame. Miranda had alerted all the important news agencies of what was going to happen. Now it was time to wait and see what happens and how they deal with it. A soft knock at her door tore her out of her thoughts.
"Come in?"
She smiled tiredly as she saw James step into the room. He moved towards her, took her hand into his and kissed her forehead.
"Are you worried?" she asked tentatively.
"Yes, but this is the right thing. I'm prepared for any consequences."
"It wasn't your fault."
"It doesn't matter anymore, love." She wrapped her arms around his bulky torso. They were online and everyone could read their stories. Everyone would know about what they had done. It was out of their hands.
