Author's Note: So, I had these grand plans of updating last week, then on the 4th, then….whenever, but unfortunately real life has gotten in the way. Apparently, it's important to do work at work? Anyway, here is the latest update. And happy belated bday to Steven G Rogers – the MCU version turned 98 years old (right? Feel free to correct me on this)

Here is the next one…

Aftermath

Chapter 13

"I know it might come as a shock, but not all of us are as recognizable as Tony Stark or Captain America or Thor," Sharon said in a very sarcastic tone.

Tony Stark and Sharon Carter were pacing back and forth in Steve's hospital room and Sam Wilson was using a tablet computer and was reading the updated news coverage. The press wasn't getting many updates, but Sam was curious if they'd gotten the leak about the hotel room's registration.

"Listen, you," Tony started. "You need to relax and reign in your attitude a little bit," Tony said. "I'm in your corner. And I don't need your attitude."

He was right even though she really didn't want to admit it. Her mood was foul, but she felt it was warranted. The fact that someone was using her alias and was going to try to frame her for the attack on the Senate building. Sharon was absolutely not okay with that and her mood was reflecting it.

"Have they identified the LMD and the young man that was with him?" Sharon asked Sam.

He shook his head. "Doesn't look like it."

"I took a couple of pictures," Tony said. "But they're very…morbid," he said.

"May I see them?"

Tony hesitantly pulled out his phone and brought up the images that he'd received from the police department. Sharon gasped and nearly dropped the phone, but not because she thought it was gruesome, which it was.

"Holy shit."

"What?" Sam asked.

"You said the young man…he was dead? And then the older man was an LMD?" Sharon asked. "Are you certain?"

"Yes," Tony replied. "Dead and LMD."

"I know them."

"You know them? How?"

"They're my…Sydney's neighbors in Manistee. Gary Samuels – he's a retired SHIELD agent. He actually worked with Peggy. Gary took care of my place most of the time for me. He knows my whole story," she explained. "And he knew about Steve, too. And Trevor," Sharon pointed to the other man in the photograph. "He's Trevor Samuels – their grandson. I've always thought he was weird, but…"

"How long have you known them?" Tony asked.

"I've known Gary practically my whole life. You don't recognize him?" Sharon asked. She pulled out her own phone and brought up a picture of Peggy Carter and her team from the early eighties. "See, that's Gary Samuels," she said.

"Who else lived with them? Anyone?"

"Gary's wife – Cathy."

"We need to find her."

"And the real Gary. You said this one was for sure an LMD?" Sharon asked.

"Yes, Sharon. I can tell the difference between a real person and an LMD," Tony replied. "And I'm pretty sure he's the one that put the bullet in your pal Trevor, which means he killed his own grandson," Tony pointed out.

"Sure seems like that," she said quietly.

Nothing was making sense to Sharon at this point. Steve was still in the medical coma and now this information on Gary Samuels' real identity – or at least his plans – were coming to light.

"I'm the one who told him where we would be. I told him the plans – I…" Sharon began. She started to hyperventilate. The realization that she had divulged the entire plan to Gary simply days before shot through her. She was going to throw up again.

She pushed away from Tony and ran for a bathroom. Once in a stall, she emptied the small amount of food that was in her stomach into a toilet bowl.

Tony followed her into the bathroom and waited for her.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"That's a stupid question," Sharon replied back.

"This isn't your fault, Sharon," Tony replied.

"I'm the reason that Steve came to the cottage; that he even knew about it. I slipped him the coordinates. And I'm the reason that someone outside of our secured phone line knew the exact plans. I'm the one who told Gary the plans when he stopped by the other day."

Tony leaned on the edge of one of the sinks. "You thought you could trust him," he said. "And you very likely could – until he was replaced with an LMD."

Sharon slowly moved to the sink next to him to wash her hands and face.

"I might as well have been holding the gun myself, Tony," she said.

"That's…over-dramatic."

"Is it? I'm a SHIELD agent and a CIA agent and I just…holy shit," Sharon said. "I just gave out the plan, like it wasn't a big deal."

"You knew Gary Samuels your entire life – why would you have thought otherwise? Why would you have thought you couldn't talk to him?"

"But now I'm questioning how long has he been an LMD? Forever? Is he Hydra?" she asked quickly. "I'm so confused," Sharon said.

"You need to slow down. We will investigate but we need to have Rogers awake first – he's priority number one," he said firmly. He was 100% serious.

"I need to go…"

"Go where? If he wakes up and you're not here, Sharon… You have to stay here until his condition is stable," Tony told her.

"Someone needs to check on his wife, Cathy. She – Cathy – has no idea that he was SHIELD or who I really am. And now her grandson is dead and…"

"Please take a deep breath and calm down," Tony replied and pulled her into a tight hug. "Are you going to be all right?"

"Probably…eventually…" Sharon said. "It's just a lot right now and I should be able to handle this…"

"You are," Tony said. "You're doing great. Just keep breathing…in and out. In and out. And you have to wait until Cap is awake before you go because I don't want to have to be the one to explain why you've left him in a hospital room by himself. You ready to go back and check on Rogers?"

She nodded. "Yes, let's go."

…

Steve Rogers awoke and blinked a few times. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the light and then he tried to figure out where he was. He realized he was in a hospital bed and he wanted up. Steve really wanted to be up and out of the bed, but he had too many tubes coming out of him.

"Hey, hey…" Sam said quietly as he realized that Steve was awake. "Settle down, man. You need to lay still."

"What the hell happened?" Steve asked in a hoarse voice. He'd only recently been extubated.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Sam asked.

"Was I…shot?" Steve asked.

"A few times," Sam grinned. "You managed to save a whole lot of people, Steve."

Steve's eyes went wide with panic. "Sharon?" he asked.

"She's fine, man," Sam replied to his unasked question. "She's somewhere in hospital with Stark. She needed to go for a walk."

"How long have I been out?" Steve asked.

"Just twenty four hours," Sam said.

"And you…? What are you doing here?"

"You've got some weird obsession with ending up in hospital beds and I'm just sitting here waiting for you…like always," Sam laughed.

Steve managed a small laugh, but stopped when he realized how badly it hurt him to do it.

"I must have taken one to the chest?" Steve asked.

"You had a collapsed lung," Sam replied. "And a couple in your leg and one in the arm. You went into cardiac arrest a couple of times – you had your heart shocked."

Steve closed his eyes in an attempt to process everything Sam had just said. And he was grateful that Sam was there, but he really wanted to see Sharon.

"So…the biggest news is this: Stark told Ross to stick the accords where the sun don't shine," Sam said. "According to Stark, he's with us now."

"What?"

"He said he said he wouldn't follow the Accords," Sam said.

"That's…a lot to process," Steve said.

"How are you feeling?" Sam asked.

"I feel like I've been hit by a bus," Steve replied. "Was anyone else injured, or…"

"Nope. You pushed everyone out of the way," said Sam. "You're a real hero, Steve."

Steve shook his head. "I wasn't trying to prove that or anything. I was just trying to make things right with the Accords and…"

He stopped talking when his eyes fell upon Sharon in the doorway of the room. No one said anything for a beat.

Sharon was the first to speak. "How are you feeling?" she asked. "Can I get you anything? I should go get the doctor or a nurse," she said before hurrying back out of the room.

"What was that all about?" Steve asked Sam and Tony.

Tony shrugged. "I have a genius IQ, but I will never understand women," Tony replied. "Especially Sharon."

"She's okay, right?" Steve asked.

"Physically, yes. She's totally fine. She had a bullet graze her arm, but mentally, she'll be better now that you're awake," Tony answered him.

Steve nodded slowly. "Any word on who the shooter is?" Steve asked as he slowly sat up in the hospital bed.

"You should just relax, Steve," Tony said.

"Yeah, we can handle it," Sam told his friend.

"We?" Steve asked.

"Yeah – I'm going to give Stark here the benefit of the doubt and trust him."

"Thanks, man," Tony said. "And we will take care of…"

The many members of the medical staff came rushing into the hospital room and interrupted their conversation. Sharon hung back in the doorway while they got to work checking on Steve. Sam and Tony joined her to keep themselves out of the way as well.

"I would have thought Cap would have gotten a warmer greeting than that," Sam teased her. "You know, since he's fine and all…"

"I just – I'm staying out of the way," Sharon told him.

"Oh, don't go being a martyr now," Sam said. "I've seen the two of you carrying on."

"Hey, hey…" Tony said. "I don't need to hear this."

"I just don't want to be out of the way," she repeated more adamantly this time.

"Kiddo, he needs you right now," Tony said.

"I've gotta go," Sharon replied.

"What?" Tony and Sam said together.

"Please, tell Steve I'll be back as soon as I can," she told Sam and Tony.

She gave them each a pleading look while a group of people were stopped by the guards that were still at Steve's hospital door. In an instant, Sharon slipped out while the guards were keeping the people at bay.

Tony and Sam knew better than to try to stop her, but they didn't want to have to explain it to Steve either. But someone, or two someones, were going to need to say and make sure that Steve was all right and that he got his questions answered. And it looked like it was going to be the two of them.

Besides, Tony had managed to place a small tracking device on Sharon; he'd know exactly where to find her, if and when he needed to.

The medical staff taking care of Steve couldn't hide their shock at Steve's condition. Steve Rogers' metabolism, due to the super-soldier serum, had fought all of the coma-inducing medications in his system to wake him up. Not only that, he was healing at an incredible pace. At the rate he was going, he would be healed up in a matter of a day vs. weeks.

The doctors made their notes and some adjustments and left the room scratching their heads.

"Where did Sharon go?" Steve asked when the room had cleared out.

"She had something she needed to take care of," Sam said.

"But she said she'd be back as soon as possible," Tony added.

Steve's brow furrowed, almost sadly. "She left?" he asked.

"I…I wouldn't take it too personally, Cap," Sam said. "She just said she had to take care of a couple things. She apologized and said she'd be back."

Steve nodded. "Okay, well, tell me what we know about the whole thing."

…

A few blocks away, Sharon was walking into the meeting place that they'd decided upon.

"So, fill me in on what we know," a female voice said.

"Nat, you probably know more than I do at this point," Sharon sighed.

"Well, let's get to work," Nat replied.

…

Author's note: you know the drill….