When you shoot, shoot, don't talk. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly


It had been two weeks since the incident in the Captain's apartment and I was not ready to leave this error aside.

Even though I had left the anger aside, I was now undeniably and definitely scared. I had little flashbacks during the whole day following this embarrassing breakfast and I knew how much I had screwed up.

He knew absolutely everything. He knew more than anyone else and I was totally scared of the emotions he had brought out. Even worse, I remembered exactly how he had taken care of me even though I had been a real pain in his ass from the beginning. He had even taken it upon himself to listen to my sobs and reveries about Ben. I just could not face him with this knowledge. In addition, he had also taken the trouble to share one of his darkest secrets with me. It was as if he had felt enough confidence to entrust me with such a burden despite knowing that I couldn't remember it.

Now I felt damn guilty and ashamed for the way I'd treated him all those other times. That said, that was exactly what made me totally panicked. I had not felt this fear for a long time and I was definitely not ready to feel again.

However, it seems that I did not really have a choice since my brain just did not stop thinking about him. And the fact that he did exactly what I asked him did not help the situation. It turned out that he seemed to have completely disappeared from the surface of the earth. I had not seen him once since that famous morning and he had not made the slightest gesture to contact me.

I knew I should be relieved and I was, partly. A tiny part of my personality felt almost saddened by the loss of a plausible way to release all that long-held pain.

Unfortunately, I just could not let go of that pain. I had become too used to feeling this pain to get rid of it so suddenly.

That's why I put all my energy and my mind into working with Jay on the plan to corner the Russians. I had made a point of spending the majority of my time at the office to avoid casual encounters and especially clumsy with my neighbor as well as Kate's questions.

Once again, I found my loophole in my work.

I had put all my energy into organizing a meeting with the Russians and my efforts had finally been rewarded. The meeting was going to be done tomorrow at the end of the morning. I had already warned Khallahan to be ready with his team as reinforcement. In exchange, the brown had wished that we meet again to review the plan for probably the umpteenth time.

Surprisingly, I had spent a lot of time with the cop in recent weeks. Not only for the mission but also for his entertaining company. He was still so exasperating and fucking arrogant but he had his moments sometimes. And unlike a certain Captain, he didn't cause painful emotions in me. And in my eyes, it was enough.

Nevertheless, this mission remained a rather dangerous mission and I could not afford to spend on my usual ritual. It was an unspoken rule between Robbie and me. She let me ruin my life with this private detective story and in exchange, I had to warn her about missions threatening my life. She said that it allowed her to accept the plausible bad news in another way. Like people dying of a long-term illness.

The families were always prepared in a way but I knew otherwise.

"Dan? "

I immediately raised my pensive eyes on the old woman currently bedridden just to soften my expression at the clear confusion in her eyes.

I let a slight smile curl my lips as I bent down to shake her resting hand over the blanket."Hey, Alma. Slept well ?"

The woman in front of me was barely sixty years old. Her long, once-red hair delicately framed her slightly wrinkled face with light gray hair. She used to have big bright green eyes that could light up any room, now they seemed empty and exhausted most of the time. She used to look like one of these wood nymphs quoted in Greek mythology. She had always been there for me.

Unfortunately, she also had the gift of reminding me unequivocally of her son. A slight sad smile lifted my lips as I took in her aged appearance. Despite everything, she reminded me of her son.

A slight, confused smile soon appeared on her wrinkled face, letting me slowly pull out my hand in the realization. "Are you my nurse?"

I looked away, wrinkling my lips to try to control my tremors before swallowing as I turned my attention to her with an indulgent smile. "I'll go get one of the nurses, okay?"

"Wait." She hastened to ask as she grabbed my hand again before watching me more carefully with a slight frown. "You ... you remind me strangely of my daughter-in-law. You may know her; her name is Danae. Danae Dimarco. She's sublimes. A real pearl."

I lowered my distressed eyes on our intertwined hands before turning my eyes to Alma with a trembling breath." I will come back."

With that, I tried to let go of her hand before going around her medical bed to try to breathe again.

Usually, I tried to explain to her that it was me, but today I did not really have the will or the strength to have to remind her why her son was not with me. So instead, I dropped back against the wall next to her door, pinching the bridge of my nose as I could feel the beginning of a skull ache along my temples.

However, I did not remain alone for long as a comforting and familiar presence soon stopped by my side.

"One of the bad days." Robbie whispered, putting a hand on my shoulder to initiate a contact.

I silently nodded my assertion before raising my head."I couldn't tell her it was me. I just ... it was too hard."

"I'm sure she will not hold it against you." Assured Robbie rubbing my shoulder before leaning against the wall beside me.

I nodded again silently in reply, before falling back into my troubled thoughts.

I disregarded the case of a certain neighbor before letting a new sigh as I gave a careful look at the mixed race at my side."I agreed to work with Khallahan on a mission."

"You what?" Exclaimed Robbie, pushing herself away from the wall to face me, frantically shaking her head in the objection. "No, no, no, what kind of mission? You can't be serious."

I rolled my eyes to her anxiety exacerbated by her hormones before straightening in my turn to bring her closer. It would be sure that the entire Robbie team wasn't aware of my mission.

It was a secret for a reason.

"The kind that requires you to be more discreet." I demanded, my eyes widening with trouble, immediately giving the brunette a dark look."I'm serious, Robbie. I didn't work two weeks non-stop on this project for it to be unveiled now."

"Do I seem to care?" Robbie replied sarcastically before bringing a hand to her hip as she narrowed her brown eyes on me. "Do you remember the last time you decided to take on a risky mission?"

I pretended to think before shrugging my shoulders with a barely credible smile. "You meet your husband?"

"It's next to the point." The brunette hissed in an irritated whisper before pointing to my left flank making me wince at the slight itch it gave me.

I still remembered the sound of the bullet piercing my skin before I came out on the other side. It was quite close to the hepatic artery and it had mostly been a pain in the ass. Only a scar was on my side now but I still remembered the panic and horror in Robbie's eyes before fainting in pain. I held a shudder at the memory before returning my attention to the brunette in an obvious murmur completely ignorant of the tall blond stopping at the sight of our duet.

"It will not happen again, okay?" I assuredly determined, despite the slight doubt still hovering in the back of my mind. "Khallahan and his team will be there to protect me. And then, you'll always be there to sew me back if I really need it."

"And do you think that reassures me?" The brunette gasped in indignation before letting a sigh pass through her lips as she remembered where we were.

I immediately glanced at her belly bouncing in the slight anxiety before giving her a look supposed to be soothing. "You have to calm down, Rob. Think about the baby."

"That's exactly what I do." Robbie replied curtly as she turned on her heels again equally unconscious of the concern of a certain soldier listening to our conversation. "Is it because you were asked to be the godmother? Was it too much for you?"

"It has absolutely nothing to do with this."

"So tell me what I should tell my baby when I tell him that his supposed godmother died before he could make his first cry?" Robbie jabbed me back despite me under the impact of her words. "Because that's what will happen if you start getting more involved with the police."

A heavy silence fell on our duet as Robbie resumed her tirade with a trembling breath before nervously passing her hands through her hair. Some locks of a dark brown fell from her bun leaving me to give a look of sympathy for her.

I really did not want to worry her. It was not my intention but I could not retreat now. Khallahan was counting on me and to be honest, I definitely needed this mission. Especially after the fiasco at the Captain's apartment. Not to mention that we were talking about real bad guys. We were talking about innocent life ruining and haggling for money. It wasn't the usual sleazy type or even the case of cheating between grooms. We were talking about a real mission to stop real rottenness.
No, there was no way I was backing away from this mission. Not to mention that Jay really counted on me. He had lost one of his teammates and if I let the corrupt cops do what they wanted then it made me an accomplice.

However, my attention was soon to be back on Robbie as the brunette suddenly paused with wide eyes as she looked over my shoulder."What? "

"I ... uh ..."

I frowned at the confusion as she continued to look over my shoulder, letting me do the same just to freeze at the sight of Steve standing upright with a guilty look at our duet.

I would instantly grit my teeth as I could already feel the conflicting emotions rising to the surface before giving Robbie a tired look. "I'll call you later. "

With that, I hastened to turn my heels keeping my eyes riveted in front of me as I passed in front of the Captain. I could still feel his eyes on my back as I continued my way without a word. Only my outstretched shoulders and my cold eyes betrayed my emotional torment.


Steve did not understand anything anymore. He had never been a sweet talker with women before and he could already say he was terribly lacking in skills in this area but if he did not already know it, he was now certain that he understood absolutely nothing about their subject. Or maybe he just didn't understand anything about Danae Dimarco. She must have been the most perplexed, mysterious and completely disarming woman he had ever met. And that was not to say, he worked regularly with Natasha. But Danae was another puzzle for him. She was a whirlwind of emotion that kept coming back to him in the face.

He remembered how Bucky had explained to him that women were complicated, but Danae was a different type of difficulty. She was in no way like the women of his time. And he was not certain that she was as much like the women of the present day.

She had a big cat in the bag like his, and he was at the end of the treatment he had used many times when he was still pre-serum Steve. She kept everyone at arm's length hoping to bottle her emotions in a flush of anger and apathy.

Only he had seen beyond. He had really been able to discover a new facet of Danae that famous night. He knew she was suffering far more than she let him hear. And even though he'd been busy enough with the Shield for the past two weeks, he could not help but think about his neighbor as soon as his mind was not busy fighting the threats to the government. Romanoff was a pretty good distraction but her lifelong questions about his love life only served to remind him that the only person he had connected with in recent years hated him.
And worst of all, he did not even take the time to think about Danae romantically. Not that she was not attractive or even interesting enough. And ... he confused himself when he did not even speak with a lady.

The real problem with Danae was that he had strangely felt comfortable again in her presence. Certainly, she was rude, direct, she had no filter and she was strangely unpleasant but she had managed to make him comfortable enough to break some of his barriers. And he had not felt so comfortable with a woman since, well, Peggy.

And as if that was not enough, he had surprised this conversation between Danae and Nurse Myers.

Honestly, it was the first time he had seen the nurse look so restless. She was usually a set of calm and gentleness that he had been naturally surprised by the hardness and worry on her face. Only it was before realizing who was her interlocutor. If Steve thought of someone who could bring out the worst faults in people, it was Danae. And probably Stark when he thought about it.

Nevertheless, he had accidentally heard parts of their conversation and now he just could not help thinking that Danae was going to do something dangerous. And he was even more surprised by this nascent anxiety.

He did not think he could worry so much about his strange neighbor but that was exactly the problem with Danae, she brought out emotions at home. Emotions he no longer thought he could feel. She reminded him that he was more than just a soldier or even more than Captain America. She reminded him that he was also a man with emotions.

Once again, he found himself creasing his lips in a thin line as he remembered the harsh words of Nurse Myers.

"So tell me what I should tell my baby when I tell him that his supposed godmother died before he could make his first cry? "

"Because that's what will happen if you start getting more involved with the police. "

However, his attention was soon dissolved by his other neighbor as he climbed the last step to his corridor just to see the blonde nurse on the phone. "Danae Wilson Dimarco, answer the phone. I don't have my keys and you-well, it's a lie. You're probably on this suicide mission and I have a very bad feeling about it. You must go back to the apartment. You hear me ? For once, listen to me!"

Once again, Steve could not help but worry as he closed the few steps separating them in a nervous tick. It was a sensation he usually felt before going on the field and he could not help but feel that adrenaline rush mixed with panic as he stopped by Kate's side.

"A problem ?"

The blonde seemed to jump at his intervention visibly too tormented by the actions of Danae to notice his presence. "Oh god, you scared me Steve."

"Sorry." Steve apologized quickly before returning to the subject that had plagued his mind for two weeks now. "Is there a problem with Danae? "

The blonde seemed to put away her phone in the pocket of her jeans to his question before shrugging her shoulders in a diminutive gesture. "Oh, it's probably nothing. She's a private detective so-"

"I know." Steve inquired at once visibly somewhat impatient.

However, the blonde seemed more surprised as she suddenly frowned as if she had missed something important. She narrowed her lips before leaning her head slightly to the side as she watched him a little more carefully. If Steve was not so nervous about Danae's comings and goings, he would have been able to attest to her strange behavior.

Nevertheless, he just need to got some answers again."I caught a conversation between Danae and Nurse Myers. They seemed to argue about this mission you were talking about on the phone."

It was probably the first time Steve was not so clumsy and nervous in her presence but it had to do with the fact that he was more in captain mode than the usual Steve. And again, it was all thanks to Danae or rather because of Danae.

Kate took a moment to answer before nodding her head with an expression almost suspicious. Once again, Steve passed by as he almost anxiously waited for her answer.

"She's working with this DC police detective to stop a human trafficking business. She's supposed to do an undercover mission during an exchange. Today."

Steve widened his eyes in realization before straightening his shoulders as he could already imagine the results of her mission.

He shook his head, trying to stay to hear the blonde's answer to his request."Did she tell you where the exchange took place?"

"Uh ... in this art gallery at the corner of the fifty and the-"

"I know where is it." His was only answer as he circled her before he ran down the stairs four at a time.


I had to admit that I was a little nervous as I tightened my grip on my camera in my hands. I watched the works of art carefully around me while doing a scan of the present threats.

For starters, there were far too many gunmen for this to be a mere art gallery and then there was the obvious presence of my target. I had read his criminal record all night long. I knew the least of his sentences and his way of acting.

Ivan Petrov 'was definitely not an opponent to be underestimated.

I pretended to put my hair back as I was lightly pressing my communication device into my ear to reassure myself of the presence of back up before heading to the next paintings in the row. I immediately took a picture of the work with an expert eye before lowering the screen to observe my work. Obviously, I had not lost my hand.

"It's a perfect shot."

I tried not to straighten out at the new heavy accent at my side before forcing a naive smile on my lips painted with a slight gloss."I must admit that I am rather talented. "

A deep low laugh was soon hatching from the man by my side before he put his small eyes back with a spark of disturbing fascination."Confident and talented. You're a real treasure, Miss. Carson."

I literally had to restrain myself from vomiting at the sensation of his heated breath smelling tobacco on my face.

I was definitely in the character as I let another shrug with a voracious smile. "I hope I'm talented enough to see more of your work."

"Oh really?" He asked with a little smirk showing that he had grabbed my drift before suddenly taking a step back to sign a door currently guarded by two heavily armed guards."Shall we in this case?"

I shook my head, letting my brown curls bounce into a stream on my shoulders before heading to the door leading to the storage room.

Thanks to the infiltration of Khallahan's colleague, we had access to every room in the building. It also involved exits but it was only in case of failure. A fact I did not expect to meet.

I released my camera, letting the strap hold it against me as I walked through the door ignoring the misplaced eyes of the guards on my back before taking an inaudible breath as I took in the warehouse-like room. My eyes soon fell on the two huge trucks currently being loaded with works of art housing the true object of trade of the Russians.

Ivan's employees seemed to stop almost instantly on his approach before quickly turning their distrustful attention on me.

For once, I was not faking the nervous smile on my lips as I took in the armor before putting my eyes expectant on Ivan. The latter hastened to bark orders at one of the employees, letting me wait patiently on the side.

Once he was done with the latest security measures to hide the weapons from my sight (not that he knew I spoke Russian), Ivan turned to me again with that disgusting smile.

"Don't be intimidated." He cajoled in a false sense of security, letting me enlarge my fake smile. "My men are only there to take certain precautions. After all, we can't be careless with this type of merchandise."

I ignored his damn lie that was supposed to reassure me and focused my attention more on the back of the open trucks at my disposal. I began to photograph the works of art still on the floor while paying attention to the conversation taking place around me. These idiots thought they could say anything they wanted simply because they underestimated me enough to think that I could not speak their language.

Cretins, honestly.

"Это действительно хорошая идея, чтобы привести эту девушку сюда? Вы забыли, что копы на нашем следе! (It's really a good idea to bring this girl here. You forget that the cops are on our trail!)

"Копы? Пожалуйста, они все с нами. "(The cops ? Please, they are all with us.) Ivan replied arrogantly before calling someone to give me a quick glance at the duo further.

They were soon joined by a familiar face making me grit my teeth in recognition. It was the guy that Jay suspected. He was a cop in his forties with a paunchy belly and a beard of several weeks.

His vicious little eyes immediately turned to my form as he stopped at Ivan's side."Who's this chick?"

He had a strong New York accent.

I forced myself to turn to avoid any incident and resumed my role as an avid photographer promotion. But not without paying some attention to their conversation.

"A little journalist down the ladder of a magazine. A fascinating little thing. A clear fire in her eyes."

"She could do a good business."

I stilled myself almost instantly to the mention of my plausible fate before swallowing as I set my sights on the contents of the trucks. It was probably the best way to capture the weapons.

I kept taking pictures just as I glanced over my shoulder at the trio. "So ... where are these arts sent?"

"Ha, isn't that a relevant question?" Ivan said as he took a step in my direction, obviously enjoying the attention. "In your opinion? Where could it go?"

I definitely did not want to play riddles with this bastard. I had already been close to unsheathing the 9mm that Khallahan had entrusted to me for this mission from the moment the cop Blake had made his entry.

Nevertheless, I strove to let a purely feminine laugh leave my lips as I shriveled my shoulders."I don't know. New York maybe."

"Divinely beautiful and intelligent." Ivan shouted, giving me a look a little too much for my taste before leaning his head slightly to the side."Tell me, what do you think of New York, Miss. Carson?"

I could feel my heart speeding up to this simple question as I could easily see a certain idea seep through his eyes.

Only, it seems that I did not have to answer him as one of the gorillas guarding the door rushed on our duet. I gauged them in false curiosity as he began to whisper in Ivan's ear before straining in spite of me as Ivan narrowed his little eyes over my head.

He was so fucking tall and definitely repulsive.

Finally, he looked down at me to watch me for a moment before talking to his minion in an icy tone without ever taking my eyes off him."Let him in!"

The gorilla at his side screamed in Russian, waving his hand on his side allowing me to tighten my grip on my device again in a bad feeling.

"A problem ?"

"I don't know. You tell me." He replied at once as he turned slightly to the right forcing me to do the same just to freeze in incredulity at Steve's sight beside the second guard. "He says he's with you."

He was wearing his blue baseball cap with a black sweater and a black leather jacket. With his broad shoulders and bodybuilder-like construction, he was exactly the type of challenge calling danger to these guys. He was the epitome of the mole, letting me scream internally in total indignation. At that moment, I weighed the pros and cons of just ignoring his existence but I knew that I could not get out of here alive if I let myself be guided by my emotions.

So with a deep breath, I turned to Ivan, gritting my teeth and glancing at the blonde once he was up to us. "He wasn't supposed to accompany me. He's one of our trainees and not really efficient to be honest."

I didn't know the blond's visibly offended look at my side as I noticed Ivan measuring him from head to toe. The 9mm stuck in the waistband of my jeans has never been as heavy as it is now. I wrinkled my lips as I could feel that famous rush of adrenaline along my veins. My heart throbbed with all my strength against my chest forcing me to focus again on the situation rather than the drumming of my blood in my ears.

"A trainee, huh?" Ivan repeated as he approached Steve before giving a wide smile to his lips as he grabbed his shoulders to test his sturdy stature. "My, my, look at this. He's rather well built for a small trainee."

I did not even need to look at Steve to see him stretch in a defensive position letting me act on the moment. I needed to get Ivan's attention away from this fucker at all costs.

I left a false laugh before ending abruptly with disdain. "You have to believe that bringing coffee all day long is paying off."

Ivan immediately turned his attention away from the tall blond now by my side before displaying that vile smile again as he stopped in front of me.

"Oh my pretty." I was trying to keep the bile at bay as he grabbed my chin between his thumb and forefinger to examine me before he released me suddenly, motioning me to continue with the photos. "Hurry up! I have a schedule to respect."

I shook my head quickly before snatching that idiot's wrist and dragging him with me. At least my gesture had the desired effect as Steve stumbled a little on his feet. It made him a little more believable.

I stopped once we were far enough away from the bump of the Russian Mafia before throwing a scathing look at the tall blond with a whisper. "The fuck you're doing?"

"Me?" Steve indignantly pointed at himself before glancing over his shoulder at the trio again together. "You, what are you doing! You saw these men. They're heavily armed. "

"No, you're kidding?" I replied sarcastically before suddenly raising my hand as he seemed about to reply in exasperation."Shut up !"

I turned slightly on my heels as Ivan and the other two men resumed their conversation in Russian.

"He looks pretty good for a little trainee. "

"Это потому, что он не стажер. " (It's because he's not a trainee. )

"Huh?"

"Скажите ребятам, чтобы они быстро закончили и присоединялись к нам в обычном месте встречи. " (Tell the guys to finish fast and join us at the usual meeting point.) Ivan said, making my eyes widen on the tall blond in front of me.

We were grilled.

"What are you doing ? What's going on, Danae?" Steve whispered, clenching his fists in anticipation.

"Shut up, I can't hear them with you talking off in my ear." I whispered between my clenched teeth before feeling my heart fall into my chest.

"What do we do with these two?" Blake asked coldly, letting me imagine his murderous look on our backs.

"Kill the boy scout!" Ivan ordered coldly before making me swallow in panic. "Take the girl. Alive ! I want to have a ride with her."

"Danae?"

I took a deep breath as I let my camera hang on my chest before pivoting back on my heels to give my back to most of the men around us. Steve had at least the good idea to do the same, letting me quietly reach for my headset.

"Danae? "

"Khallahan? I'm grilled." I murmured coldly for the tall blond by my side and the cop in my ear.

I could feel suddenly recovering as the detonation of a weapon sounded just behind us, letting my head rest in apprehension.

"You two. Turn around !" Blake cried, demonstrating that he was the one who was talking to us.

I immediately raised my hands in the air as a sign of surrender before slowly turning on myself while giving Steve a scathing look to force him to do the same. Steve met my gaze visibly reluctant before raising his hands to imitate me.

"Hands on the head." Blake shouted in the agitation making me swear in indignation. "I said both hands on the head!"

I gritted my teeth as I fell nose to nose with the barrel of Blake's gun.

A fact that Steve seemed to realize soon as he stopped in his movements, "Take it off right now."

"Or what? Huh, big guy?" Blake challenged with a hint of unhealthy humor in his eyes before raising a single hand to beg an army of men."What are you going to do ?"

"Yeah ... what are you going to do?" I snarled, sending him a murderous glare clearly tired of the big blond.

Steve immediately gave me an incredulous look as Blake let out a sly laugh in the realization."Whoa, it looks like the girl is not really receptive, buddy."

Suddenly, the static in my ear activated, letting me whisper imperceptibly to the agreement of Khallahan's voice. "Danae? Hey, Danae ... do you hear me? We have Pietrov. We're here soon. Hold on, kay?"

"Of course. It's not like I have better things to do." I mumbled in annoyance immediately drawing the attention of the asshole in front of me.

"What are you saying in your corner?"

"Huh?" I feign in ignorance.

"You spoke !"

I displayed a fake mine of realization in sarcasm before glimpsing with a smirk the faithful red laser pointing in our direction.

I immediately reported my eyes to Blake, leaning my head slightly to the side."I said ... you'll love the prison."

"What-"

Blake did not even have time to finish his sentence as a sniper shot rang out all around us."Freeze! DC police! "

"You ... bitch! "

I immediately took my 9mm out of my jeans in a hurry before throwing myself behind one of the nearest trucks for the cover. Soon enough, shots exploded all around us letting me check the charger under the cacophony of firearms before taking a look at the disaster next to me.

However, I was quick to widen my eyes as I surprised Steve fighting through the stray bullets. I had to admit that this little bastard definitely knew how to fight. Even the most experienced men of Pietrov had no chance against him as he disarmed them without the shadow of an effort.

I was cursing at one of Pietrov's fuckers was trying to sneak behind Steve before raising my weapon without an ounce of hesitation. I aimed by stopping my breaths with both hands on the butt of my gun before pulling the trigger.

Steve immediately turned on his heels at the agreement of the body falling to the ground before widening his eyes at the sight of blood flowing freely from his wound. He immediately raised his head in search of the one who had saved him just to see Danae throw her famous right hook. He had to admit that she knew how to defend herself. And shoot visibly. The more he watched her fight and more, he doubted she was a private detective. She seemed to have hidden skills.

Maybe she didn't really need him after all.

I give a kicked well placed in the chest of this asshole thinking to be able to reach me before shot him in the foot. My breath was erratic as I quickly scanned the warehouse floor, which was crumbling under the gunfire before suddenly narrowing my eyes at Blake's sight. I immediately tucked my weapon into my jeans belt before launching into a race. I was trying to avoid the bullets on my way as I waltzed between the unconscious bodies left by Steve before hitting Blake violently once at his height.

The redhead fell forward with a curse under the effect of surprise before turning to face me with a look of pure hatred. "Son of th-"

I did not even give him time to finish as I took a part of his head in my palm before banging it with all my might against the wall. He fell at cold, leaving me rub my hands in pure disgust as I looked at his unconscious ass.

Finally, the shots stopped leaving me to turn on my heels just to meet the worried look of Steve. The latter had a whole circle of men on the ground around him. He had his fists still raised visibly ready for any kind of threat letting me shake my head in disbelief.

At least that was before Khallahan decided to get off his perch by removing his hard hat with his eyes on Steve in shock. "Who's this guy?"

"A fucking idiot." I said as I made my way to the duo by removing my weapon from my belt to snap it against Khallahan's protected chest."You couldn't arrive sooner?"

"You could have avoided getting caught, you know."Replied the brown almost instantly before giving Steve a new look of judgment. "Since when do you bring a civilian on a mission?"

I just could not avoid the scoff of passing my lips to the mention of Steve being a civilian. If only Khallahan knew who he was talking to.

"It's look like I've brought him?" I was still exasperated by the appearance of the tall blond before sighing wearily. "Just do your job, Khallahan, and don't come back to my office without making an appointment, it's clear!"

I gave him one last look as a warning sign before heading for the exit intentionally ignoring the tall blond. In addition to being madly irritated by his intervention, I was always pissed off against him.

Unfortunately, he did not seem to understand the memo since I had barely reached the sidewalk as I felt a firm hold on my forearm."Danae, wait!"

"Don't touch me!" I hissed as I pulled my arm snugly from his grip before turning on my heels to face him in anger. "Can we know what you're doing here? How did you even manage to find me? You follow me?"

Steve pulled back a little under my verbal attack before surprising me again as he straightened his shoulders tenaciously. "I heard your conversation with the Nurse Myers. And Kate seemed worried."

"Kate." I gasped in the realization before lifting my eyes with sarcasm on the blond."So what? You thought to come here and save the damsel in distress? If that's what you were trying to do then you're even more out of touch with reality than I thought. I look like a damsel in distress? No, because I had the situation in hand."

To that, Steve left a scoff at once, leaving me gaping. " Under control ? These guys were going to kidnap you to sell you. They were an army. What could you have done against them?"

"No matter what I would have done. It's not your damn business!"I exploded, lifting my arms in the air clearly to the point before pointing at him. "I told you not to come nearer. We are not friends. You're just my fucking neighbor so act as such."

I took a moment to catch my breath before crossing again the eyes tinted with the rejection of the tall blond. Almost instantly, the guilt invades me letting my lips wrinkle before shaking my hand in the resignation.

"Just go away. "

Steve was about to follow Danae as she rudely crossed the road only a familiar black Porsche was soon parked in front of him with an even more familiar redhead behind the wheel.

"Natasha?" He exclaimed in surprise and slight annoyance.

"You're going to have some problems." Natasha teased, letting him sigh before turning his attention over the hood to see Danae's fleeing back.

He shook his head in frustration before opening the door to get into defeat. He put his seatbelt with a deep frown curving his defined features. He could still see Danae's fleeing back as Natasha sped up the streets of DC.

He took a while to become aware of the smile perched high on the lips of the redhead leaving him arched an eyebrow in her direction in sign of question. "What? "

"Looks like you're going to get scolded." She commented with a hint of mischief, letting him roll his eyes with attitude. " What did you do?"

He was definitely not in the mood for that. Even less to act as if the Shield was not constantly a step ahead of him.

"As if you didn't know already." He replied bitterly.

The ex-assassin at his side raised her eyebrows at his visibly irritated tone before giving him a side look. "Whoa, who pissed in your cereal this morning?"

He lets out a deep sigh by throwing his head against the headrest in fatigue. He grabbed the handle over the door as he glanced down the streets passing at full speed. He narrowed his lips as he thought about his quarrel with Danae.

The trip to Triskelion did not take much time with the driving of Natasha and he soon found himself in front of the huge Shield headquarters. Steve could never get used to the architecture of this building. He just could not help thinking that it had been built to compensate for something or even a simple instinct of megalomania.

Anyway, he soon made his way to the Shield Hall with the same habit since he had arrived in DC. He scanned every possible exit and leak route around him. He greeted some of the agents walking around him before entering the glass elevator. He stood facing the huge windows overlooking the entire DC subway air with his shoulders stretched. He already suspected why he was summoned to Fury's office.
He had acted without authorization. Even if the Shield had done everything possible to make him believe in a semblance of freedom, he was still chained by a contract. They were experienced enough to know he was acting behind their backs in a simple police mission. They were at the bottom of the ladder for Shield and Steve was already imagining Fury's speech in his head.

Only he could not find an ounce of regret or even shame in him. The only thing he could regret was the consequences of his intervention with Danae. He sincerely thought he was doing the right thing. For once in months, he was sure he made the right choice.
He turned so determinedly into his eyes once the elevator came to a stop. He stepped into the corridor leading to Fury's office with a firm step.

Once again, he scanned the adjacent corridors for safety before finally stopping in front of the Shield director's office. He clenched his fist to knock before standing straight as he waited for permission to enter. The door slid open to allow him access, and Steve made his way to the steel desk in one of the vast spaces of the room. He could see the back of Fury's office chair turning toward the windows looking all over DC.

"Captain." Fury simply greeted as he stopped on the other side in a military position.

"Fury. "

The man at the head of the organization finally turned in his chair to face him and raised an eyebrow as he took in his dress somewhat disheveled. "A day off quite hectic?"

"Nothing that I can't handle." Steve replied simply keeping eye contact with Fury.

The latter merely nodded in response before suddenly pulling out a manilla file almost identical to his. Steve frowned as he leaned over to retrieve the file before feeling the muscles in his back tense again as he takes a glimpse at the name on the front.

Danae Dimarco. Apartment 4A.

He found himself strangely forced to open it but he restrained himself as he cast a frustrated glance at the man in front of him. "You spied on me?"

"Not really." Fury answered enigmatically before signing the file in his hands. "We just did a little introspection in most of your neighbors before choosing your apartment. Contrary to what you may think, Captain, we care about your well-being."

Steve instantly left a scoff in doubt before resting the file on top of the desk in mistrust. "Why show me this particular file?"

"Our analysts were able to identify those present on this infiltration conducted by DC police. Given that this young woman who lives in your building was present, we can only deduce that you were there because of her."

Now, Steve did not really know why, but he could not help straightening up as he immediately took her defense. "Danae has absolutely nothing to do with the Shield."

He pointed the file to prove his point before arching an eyebrow as Fury hummed in defiance. "Mm, you have not even looked at her file. An ex-member of the special forces on Earth then in the Navy. A set of skills more than commendable as a Sniper. She could make an addition of choice for the Shield."

Steve had to take a moment to make the fact that Danae had more in common with him. He knew that Ben had been in the army but he never thought that she was a soldier. She did not seem like the type to receive orders or even to follow them. And yet, she seemed to hide even more secrets that he wanted to discover.

Nevertheless, he certainly did not want to see her involved with the Shield. She was currently the first person he felt ready to open. Plus, he doubted she would appreciate whether a government agency was trying to recruit her because of him. This would only serve to aggravate their already complicated relationship.

He took a deep breath as he stabilized in the hope of making his point clear. "As I said, Danae Dimarco has nothing to do with the Shield."


"C'mon, stop doing that head. We caught the bad guys. Yey!"

I gave Jay a flat gaze as I held my door ajar visibly still pissed off by the outcome of the afternoon. "I thought I told you not to contact me before a long, very long time."

"You got shot." Jay answered at once with a sharp look at the torn sleeve in the middle of my leather jacket. "I had to at least check that you were fine."

I rolled my eyes as I still felt the scratched skin scratching against the bandage tissue that I had just made. "I am perfectly fine. The bullet scrabbled me."

"Good." Said Jay shaking his head before letting me narrow my eyes to him in impatience at his stagnant presence.

Obviously, he was not ready to leave. Which foreshadowed only one thing and I was not particularly impatient for the questioning to come.

"So ... who was the knight in muscle armor?"

Here we go!

I immediately pinched the bridge of my nose at the simple reminder before tightening my jaw by giving a warning look at the tall brown."Just go home, Khallahan."

"Okay, so touchy subject." Answered the brown instead with a sly grin making me shake my head in annoyance.

Conversely, the brown let a smile curl his lips. "I have the right to inquire. You must admit that it's quite strange. You're not the type to make friends easily."

"There is a point for your questions?" I breathed impatiently as I could feel a slight headache pointing the tip of his nose.

"You know he looked familiar." Khallahan continued pushing a little more on my buttons as he rubbed his bearded chin in thought. "You know like when you see a celebrity but you can't remember his name anymore."

I could feel a slight sense of panic that Khallahan was finding out who Steve really was. I did not need to be associated with Captain America anymore. I could already see the jokes of the brown for miles around. Not to mention that I just did not want to talk more about Steve. I just wanted to sit on my couch and have a good beer in front of my computer.

Unfortunately, a set of steps becoming a little more familiar to me was soon to be heard on the stairs. I was already letting out a slight grunt in the realization even before the object of our discussion stopped at the end of the corridor.

Unsurprisingly, Khallahan's eyes widened over the big blond before immediately dismissing his gaze at me as he quickly connected the dots. "The fuck-"

"Okay, it's time for you to clear my landing." I ordered dryly as I took him by the shoulders before pushing him towards the stairs.

I made a point of avoiding Steve's curious and somewhat veiled eyes as I passed him before glancing over my shoulder as he walked to his apartment.

I found myself watching him in silence as he grabbed the keys to his apartment to open it before immediately turning my eyes to Khallahan as he made a small sound of total surprise."Oh my god, he's-"

"One word and I push you." I interrupted him dryly only the brown merely widened his mischievous smile.

"You know you will end to love me if you continue with these threats."

I rolled my eyes completely unconscious of a certain super soldier intentionally hovering in front of his door. I raised my hand with the intention of pushing him only the tall brown let out a slight hoarse laugh before grabbing my hand more gently than I had expected.

He carefully turned the arm where the bullet had torn into my jacket before giving me a sharp look. "Take care of this arm."

"Only if you get the hell out here." I replied immediately in a spirit of bargaining before finally turning on my heels as he nodded firmly.

I could vaguely hear his footsteps getting away as I made my way back to my half-open apartment. Only it was before raising my head just to make eye contact with the tall blond still in front of his door. I froze despite myself under the weight of his inquisitive eyes before seeing his attention stop on my injured arm.

He seemed about to comment on it but I was eager to take the lead. "It's just a scratch. Nothing to worry about."

Obviously, I should have known that it did not seem enough for the virtuous Captain as he frowned. "You should ask Kate to take a look."

I gave him a flat look split between disbelief and annoyance before pressing my good hand on my hip to gauge him with attitude. "You don't really understand the meaning of : go away, do you?"

"Let's just say I'm not the kind to back down at the first sign of trouble." Replied the tall blond with a slight smile curving his full lips.

I rolled my eyes at the obvious reference of his stubborn character described in the history books. "For the record, I'm still thinking of hitting you."

"It wouldn't be the first time."

I could not help but leave a light laugh to share soon with the big blond. I ended up shaking my head feeling strangely calmer before realizing that the tall blond was the source of my appeasement.

I immediately lowered my smile in a simple smile with pinched lips before signing my door."I should go home. "

"Danae ..." I swiveled back on my heels at Steve's uncertain call before feeling that hesitation again as he signed his door. "Do you want ... I mean ... can we talk?"

I immediately glanced at my door open in indecision before shaking my head as I filled the space to close it. Once locked, I put my keys in the pocket of my jeans before turning back to the big blond. I did not know the small, relieved smile on his lips as he opened the door before walking in front as he motioned me to enter.

I was making my way through his living room by mere habit now before almost instantly crossing my arms on my chest in an uncomfortable feeling of vulnerability. Now that I was in his apartment with the full recap of the evening, I felt exposed.

I swallowed at the mere thought before turning on my heels just to see Steve remove his leather jacket he had worn during the fight in the warehouse. Now that I thought about it, he was still fully covered with the dust of the fight.

I was thinking of questioning him about his outfit only the tall blond took the lead this time. "I would like to apologize."

"Sorry, what?" I exclaimed visibly caught off guard before frowning as I could see that sympathy in his eyes again. "Oh, oh, don't look at me like that. "

The sincere expression turned into interrogation, letting me replace vulnerability with anger."Like what? "

"Like I'm some porcelain doll about to break. I'm not fragile, okay?" I warned, raising my voice slightly as I could feel the tremors again along my arms. "If you think you know me because I made you drunk confessions then you can go back. You don't know anything. Okay? Nothing !"

However, Steve seemed all but about to step back this time as he nodded his head in affirmation. "You're right. I don't know anything about you. And that may be the problem, you will not let anyone come near you."

"Oh, oh ..." I gasped in an angry laugh of disbelief before pointing at him in frustration. "Look who's talking. How many people did you say about Bucky, huh?"

I almost instantly regretted bringing his best friend into the conversation as I could see his frustrated expression quickly turning into an ice mask.

He cocked his jaw obviously just as frustrated before leaving a laugh."Really? And you ? How many people did you talk about Ben without being drunk? Or even have a simple conversation about you without any barrier or animosity protecting you."

I could feel the sting of tears behind my eyes as he had just thrown my only defense mechanism in my face. Obviously, he had had too much opportunity to analyze me. That was enough to make me even more angry.

"Oh, fuck off, old man!"

"Here it is. Insults."Steve replied, supporting my gaze with determination.

At this point, he had long understood that she was using insults to avoid the subject. A fact that he had long used by more appropriate word choices during his time in the thirties.

"Yeah, here is it." I agreed fiercely with attitude before giving him a restless look. "You know what? It was a bad idea. I don't even know why I agreed to come."

I shook my head in the hustle and bustle as I tried to overtake him only the tall blond hastened to block the way. "No ... you will not leave. I will not let you run away again. Not this time."

"But what can it do to you for God's sake?" I exploded as I took a step back before fighting the tears threatening to run down my cheeks. "Why is it so important to you? Why do you really want to know how I feel? Why don't you stop being there to remind me of those fucking feelings? I don't want to remember Ben's death, you get it? I don't want to feel this fucking pain, this agony, this ... this ..."

At this point, I was no longer in control of my feelings as I could feel all these pent-up emotions assailing me like a tidal wave. I immediately brought my hands to my lips as I literally burst into tears. I could feel the tears running freely down my cheeks as a cry threatened to escape me as the muscles of my chest tightened a little with each sobs.

Soon enough, I felt my legs turn into a cotton ball letting me meet the ground with full force.

I did not even care about the big blond with me in the room as I unfastened my hands to let a strangled cry pass my lips.

However, I was not long in feeling a pair of strong arms hugging around my little form invests of uncontrollable jolt. I clung to his shirt in a last hope to regain some control but it was useless. I hid my wet face in the hollow of his shoulder instead and let myself cry and scream until I did not have enough energy to do anything.

Finally, Steve's reassuring words registered in my mind reminding me of where I was. I could feel the exhausted muscles of my body straining in realization before staying a little longer without moving in spite of myself. His embrace was strangely comforting and I felt almost safe in his arms.

Only it was not who I was.

I ended up leaning back a bit, leaving Steve access to look at my tear-stained face with a bruised look. He stepped back a little to let me breathe, letting me look up at him in a dreary silence.

I was slowly catching my breath as I could feel these feelings flowing fully down my veins again.

"Danae ..."

I shook my head to signal to him not to speak further before helping me off the ground to get up. I took a deep breath as I rubbed my cheeks with a wave of the hand before going around him without a word.

This time, he did not block my way as I headed for the exit before slamming the door behind me.

I could not do that with him. With whoever.