Intuition

FanGirlForever19: You might think twice about that great ending when you read what happens next!

kuppcake: Writing Tony's message and about his penthouse was my favorite thing in that chapter! Tony's character is very complex, and he does usually get himself into a lot of trouble, but at the end of the day he genuinely cares for the people in his life. That sort of character is really fun to explore!

Demigod-GallagherGirl: Welcome aboard! I'm glad that this makes you smile! I'm always open to suggestions or ideas, so feel free to PM me!

I fell asleep that night with a smile on my face. He would come home to me soon.

I woke up to the sound of alarms echoing throughout the safe house. Startled, I jumped up from the bed, first noting the numbers 4:06 staring at me on the screen. Second, I noticed the steal plating that covered the bay window. Finally, I heard the noise.

There were grunts, gun shots, and yells coming from outside my room. I frantically began to search for my gun. "FRIDAY, what's happening?" I demanded, my hand finding the gun seconds afterward.

FRIDAY didn't answer, but the tv did.

"Vocal system offline, backup generator failing, commands still accepted," the screen read.

I nodded, clicking the safety off my gun and moving to stand at the entrance of the door. My heart was pounding. It was now or never.

"FRIDAY, unlock the door."

I could hardly hear the gears turning in the walls over the sound of blood rushing in my ears. I held my gun firm as I exited the room, the lengthy corridor stretching out before me. Sparks flew from a control panel on the wall, and all the lights went out. The sounds of fighting were growing louder, but I didn't stop. The carpet padded my footsteps as I approached the living room. I heard one final yelp, and then a thud. My heart rate increased, but I forced myself to turn the corner.

A man stood in the center of the room, a small army of fallen men at his feet. His back was to me, and his shoulders were tense. I cocked the gun and held it up, but stopped my finger from pulling the trigger. There was a gleam of metal peaking through a slash in his coat.

"…James?"

I held the gun steady as he spun around. Blue eyes filled with fear greeted me, and before I knew it, I was being swept up into familiar arms.

"Eliza," he breathed, holding me tight.

I clung to him, letting the gun fall onto the carpet. Tears flooded my eyes, and I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. It was over. He was here. We could go home.

"James," I whispered, my hands running through his hair as I breathed in his scent.

He stepped back suddenly, his hands cupping my face as his eyes searched my body. "I thought you were dead. Are you okay? They didn't get to you?" he questioned frantically.

Confusion fell onto my face. "James, I'm just fine…" I trailed off, remembering the alarms and the noises. "What's going on?"

His hand grabbed mine, and he began to pull me toward my room. "Get dressed and pack your things- now. I'll explain on the way."

I nodded, running into my closet and searching for something to change into. Even though my anxiety told me to forget about proper clothes in the danger of the moment, I knew a t-shirt and shorts wouldn't do well in the cold London night. After I tossed on a sweater, coat, and jeans, I exited the bathroom, grabbed my bag, and began stuffing things in it. I tried to not focus too much on how he stood at my door, dagger in hand ready to strike. Even in my panicked state, I had to admit that he was a sight for sore eyes.

After pulling on a random pair of shoes, I slung my bag over my shoulder and jogged up to him. "Ready."

His eyes turned to meet mine, and my breath caught. The tugging sensation was back, pulling me in toward him. Our foreheads touched gently, and my heart was racing. My eyes started to shut in anticipation.

"We have to go," his breathy voice said.

My eyes fluttered open, and I could see frustration in his. Before I could speak, he grabbed my hand and took me back down the corridor. I stopped to pick my gun up off the ground before we stepped into the living room. My breath caught when I saw the bodies scattered throughout the room, and then again when I saw James take a machine gun off one of them.

After checking the cartridge, James came back and tugged on my hand. "We have to keep moving."

I nodded and followed him out in a daze, my mind fuzzy and confused from all that had happened in the past five minutes. James stopped me before we turned a corner, motioning for me to have my gun up. He rounded the corner with his gun ready before he jerked his head for me to follow.

When we finally exited the building, a lone black car was waiting at the sidewalk. James chucked his gun in the back seat before he took off, hardly giving me time to put on my seatbelt.

"I-I think you owe me an explanation," I stuttered, my hand searching for something to hold onto.

James' jaw clenched, his eyes not leaving the road. "A.I.M. was trickier than we thought. The attack on our base was a distraction. They sent out smaller units to track down you guys. First we heard that Jane's location had been compromised, then Pepper's. I knew they'd come for you next."

My eyes were wide with terror. "So Commander Cross and all of them were-"

"On our side," James assured me. "But they wouldn't be enough. All of them were down when I got there."

I nodded slowly, trying to take in this new information. "And the other women?"

"Safe. Thor got Jane just as they were stuffing her in a car. Tony sent one of his suits to get Pepper- she was hiding in a closet while they were searching for her. Christine and Clint's family were removed minutes before their places were blown up. We took care of the rest of their men afterward."

I took in a shaky breath. I'd slept peacefully for hours, completely unaware of all that had gone on. I stared out the window, watching the city of London fly by before me. I knew he was on route to the airstrip, having taken this road on my journey here.

"…so where are we going now?" I asked softly.

James looked over at me, an unexpected grin on his face. "Home."

In a few minutes, we were arriving on the stopped twenty feet short of a mini jet, and I got out. I shouldered my bag, tucking the pistol away as I did so. I then turned to James and sent him a confused look. He was standing guard, machine gun ready to fire.

He shook his head. "I'll get on the plane last. I have to make sure nothing else happens."

I nodded, but stopped before I ascended the steps. I jogged back to him and hesitantly placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you," I whispered.

I saw him swallow hard before he tightened his grip on the gun. "No problem." Even in the dark, I could see his cheeks flush.

A giddy smile came onto my face before I ran back to the stairs. But when I entered, I saw that I wasn't alone. There was a dark skinned man sitting in a chair, his position thoughtful. One of his eyes was covered by a black patch, and the other stared out the window at James.

"I never woulda thought that you were what he needed," he drawled, his head turning slowly so he could stare me down.

My posture stiffened. "Excuse me?"

The man looked amused as he stood up. "Don't take it personally- it just wasn't your job, was it? You thought you'd come in, get a few superheroes up to speed on history, and be out. Back to your normal life."

I took a step back, glancing out the window. James was still standing guard.

The man must have sensed my paranoia, because he stopped advancing. "At ease, soldier. I'm the least of your problems."

My eyes turned back, blazing. "I am not a soldier."

His eye met mine, expression solemn. "You are now."

James entered the plane before I could retort, and he must have known something was wrong. I felt a gentle hand rest on my back, causing my eyes to blink before I looked to him for an explanation.

"Eliza, this is the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury."