"You have got to be kidding me."

"I wish I was," Agent Fisher said. "It would make our workload a lot lighter." Jokes weren't exactly his forte. "We are individually investigating each member of staff at Wilson High. You've come out clean. Congratulations."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up. So I met Steve because he was investigating me?" Both men stayed silent, but at least Steve had the gall to look down at his feet. "Were you ever going to tell me that? That seems like a pretty big piece of information."

"He wasn't allowed to. For all we knew, you were Hydra."

This was definitely a conversation for later when Agent Insensitivity wasn't around.

"Fine. Can we return to the fact that my workplace is apparently a hotbed of hostile activity?"

"We have various ongoing investigations that seem to tie back to your high school. We have certain teachers and students under surveillance and we are quietly making our way around the entire staff and student body."

Beth was at a loss for words. The entire staff and student body. All those teachers she'd worked with for just over two years. All those kids she taught nearly every day. Some of them could be Hydra and that thought was terrifying. Was she technically affiliated with SHIELD now? Did that put her at more risk? Were all these supposed Hydra agents working together? Did they know each other existed?

"Now, this is where things get a little tricky." Agent Fisher looked nervous. For once, a crack in his professional shell. "Miss King, we'd like to recruit you."

"I'm sorry?" Surely Beth had misheard. Steve's head whipped up. Apparently he hadn't expected this, either.

"You work at Wilson and we believe you would be an asset to our team. If we send someone in, it looks suspicious. You already work there."

"I don't want to be an agent."

"You wouldn't be an agent. An agent is traceable. You would just be our eyes on the inside. Full training would be given Friday through Sunday ready for you to start back at work on Monday." Beth was ready to say no. She couldn't add this on top of everything else. "It also comes with a heavily discounted apartment and a generous pay package."

A new apartment. A new apartment. She didn't know if she'd be able to sleep in hers now.

"Can I think it over?"

"Of course. If you decide that this is an option you would like to pursue, Captain Rogers will bring you to the training ground for 9am sharp Friday morning. We will take absence or tardiness to mean you are not interested and we do hope that this isn't the case."

Agent Fisher let himself out. Beth took a moment to compose herself before fixing Steve with a hard glare.

"You were investigating me?" Her voice was solid and Steve seemed as though he was struggling to meet her eyes.

"You have to understand-"

"That you couldn't tell me? Yeah, I got that. But I thought maybe we'd progressed past that when we became friends."

"Is this because we kissed?"

"Is this- Seriously?"

Beth stormed into Steve's room and shut the door.

"…Beth?" She paced around his room but to Steve's credit he didn't try to enter the room. "Are you okay?"

"I want to go home but I don't have any clothes and I can't go on the Metro like this." All of a sudden she felt so small. She had no control over anything that was going on in her life and it just sucked. Everything was falling on her, one by one. Change was one thing, but this was a whole other kettle of fish.

"You can't go home until we get the all clear." He sounded so sorry and a small chip appeared in Beth's anger. "Please come out here."

His voice sounded so small and that was all it took for Beth to lean against the door and slide down until she was sitting on the floor. She stroked the carpet with her left hand; it was so soft and it was the same color as a koala toy she'd had as a child.

"I don't think I can work for SHIELD," she said quietly. She didn't know if she wanted Steve to hear her, but it felt good to say the words out loud.

"So don't."

"They're offering me a discounted apartment, Steve. On condition that I work for them."

"We can find you another apartment. If you don't want to work for SHIELD-"

"Hydra's all over my school." Suddenly she couldn't breathe. "Some of the kids…" She couldn't get enough air into her lungs.

"Beth, you need to open the door."

The last thing she saw in focus was the cushion of Steve's face before the blackness found her.