Steve came in, followed by Agent Romanov. He took one look at James spread broken and bloody on the couch and turned to Romanov. "Call an ambulance."
"No." Ororo said. Steve blinked at her in surprise before turning to Romanov.
"Do it." He ordered, his tone brokering no argument.
Agent Romanov pulled her phone out of her pocket. Ororo grabbed the phone out of her hand and threw it across the room. Romanov looked like she wanted to attack Ororo, but one look at Steve had her stepping back, glaring. Ororo stood firm, putting herself between Romanov and the phone. She couldn't let them call an ambulance. A hospital would have records and would leave James exposed. She had to protect him. She'd made him a promise she'd get him out and she needed him alive to keep it.
"Ro." Steve warned, coming closer.
Ororo squared her shoulders, her gaze direct. "If you take him to a hospital," She said, forcing herself to keep calm, "they'll find him and finish the job."
Natasha arched an eyebrow at her. Steve glared, running a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly.
"Who is they?" He asked.
"Not here." Ororo said. Steve's eyes widened. "We need to get him to a safe place." She was regretting calling him. She should have called Logan or Warren. She hadn't thought when James had passed out. She'd just reacted. She needed to examine why, after everything that had happened between them, Steve had seemed like the safest option.
"Not until you tell me-" He began, stepping closer.
"Steve." She held up a hand, freezing him in his tracks. "He needs to be hidden. Somewhere safe. They have at least one person in the White House."
Steve eyes flashed. "Who is they?"
"I'll tell you everything." Ororo promised. "Once I know he's safe." Steve shook his head, looking back at James before seemingly coming to a conclusion.
"Take him to the bunker." He turned back to Romanov. "We can have a military doctor look at him-"
"One chosen by General Howlett." Ororo cut in. Romanov looked up at Steve, waiting for his direction. He ground his teeth, but nodded.
Ororo followed the agents as they carried James out. Pulling out her phone, she called Logan. He answered on the first ring.
"Ro?"
"I need a military doctor that you trust and that will be discrete." She said, getting straight to the point. "Send them to the White house."
"Ro, what the hell?" He demanded. She could already hear him readying to marshal the troops to attack whoever had hurt her.
"Not for me." She said, walking behind the agents as they took the security stairs to the back exit of her building. "For..." she swallowed, her throat catching. "For James."
Logan swore before saying. "I'm coming too." He hung up.
Ororo watched as they put James in the back of an unmarked town car. She went in with him, putting his head on her lap to secure him so he wouldn't fall. He moved, letting out a small groan. She shushed him, running her hand through his hair and trying to ignore the blood that covered her fingers. Steve sat across from them, watching as though he'd never seen anything like them before. The car lurched forward. James fussed, but stilled, pressing his face closer against her.
She slumped against the seat, looking across from her. Steve's expression had turned from bewildered to stormy. When he saw her looking, he turned and looked out the window.
"What happened?" He asked.
"You're going to need to revoke Agent Ward's credentials." Ororo said. If James really had revealed his double agent nature to B613, then there was no need to keep up the pretense that they didn't know that Ward was a traitor. She wanted him as far away from James as possible. And Steve, she amended. She wanted him away from Steve.
"Revoke." He began, looking at her in shock. "So far you've told me to do a lot of things, none of which make sense, and you haven't given me a reason for any of it."
"I know that." Ororo said. On her lap, James squirmed slightly. She brushed her hand against his cheek. "And I will, once I'm sure we're safe. You just have to trust me." She paused as Steve focused his gaze out of the window, his jaw tight. She could always read Steve...which is how she knew he was deliberately avoiding her gaze. "You don't...do you?"
Steve shook his head, looking down at the floor of the limo. "How am I supposed to?"
"You never had a problem trusting me before." She murmured. She could only think of one reason that Steve's trust would have wavered and it was lying across her lap. "Is it because you can't have me? Because I had the audacity to try and be happy outside of you?"
"It's not..." He said.
"Don't you dare try lying to me Steven Rogers." Ororo said.
"I love you, Ororo." Steve said. "You decided to throw that away."
"No." She said. "You're the one who chose to let us go. You didn't even try-"
"It was an impossible situation." Steve said. Ororo shook her head.
"Poor you." Ororo shook her head. "It wasn't. All you had to do was respect me. All you had to do was think of me as more than just a warm body to sleep with. All you had to do was actually love me, but you don't know what that is."
They fell silent. The car pulled into one of the less public entrances. the secret service agents opened the door and carried James out. Steve got out. He pulled agent Romanov aside and looking directly at Ororo said, "If Agent Ward is in the White House, I want him put into holding until I talk to him."
Ororo gave him a grateful nod before turning and going after James.