Ch 37

Hey! I really meant to post this yesterday. I got busy and it never got done. Sorry! This is sorta short chapter. The next one is longer and has PLOT. Yay! After this things really start to pick up plot wise.

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"So, what's been the news lately? I did get back from a mission yesterday morning." Clint asked weeks later. Right after Alyssa was a stow-away Clint got sent to Madripoor again.

"Alyssa got a new mission at work." Steve said.

Clint nodded. "How is it going between you two anyway?"

"Fine. Apparently she appreciates my friendship."

"Did she actually say that?"

"A few days ago."

"No, I meant as in she actually say those words?"

"More or less." He shrugged.

"Cap, I think you've been friend-zoned. By your wife no less." Clint stifled a laugh.

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, right. You don't know what friend-zoned means you're not from this time. It's the tragic moment when a girl starts to stop looking at a guy like a viable dating option and more like a brother… or a toaster."

"Are you trying to say I'm a toaster?"

"To Alyssa now you may as well be."

I had just finished doing a mission with some agent to go find some advanced alien bomb thingy in the northwest when I got the call. I was to go straight from here to LA for a few days.

And apparently a certain mobile command unit was being fixed there…

The minute I touched down in LA I ran around where all the hangers were, searching for a certain duo.

And I found them all right.

"FITZSIMMONS!" I call out when I see them. The pair was facing the other direction but turned to face me smiling loudly.

"ALYSSA!" they called out.

"Not again…" I heard Ward mumble. Typical.

"Guys! It's so good to see you again! What's been going on?" I ask.

"Oh, not much. Still working of finding the Clairvoyant." Simmons told me.

"How is that going? Any leads?" I ask genuinely curious. Everyone at SHIELD knows about the hunt for the Clairvoyant.

"Not much. It just keeps getting more and more complicated." Fitz's Scottish accent replied.

"But I'm sure we'll find something." Agent Coulson interrupted. "Agent Williams, good to see you again." agent Williams… haven't been called that in a long time.

"Good to see you as well Coulson and um actually its agent Rogers now." I correct finding having that name heard again just strange. But I am proud I remembered the name change.

I get three very interesting and questioning stares.

"Yeah. Long story. Not at all important." I deflect. "How are you Coulson?"

"Fine. All of us are working very hard to figure out who is behind all this madness. Mind you I'm curious as to the name change subject you are clearly avoiding." Damn agent.

"Yeah, what's with that Alyssa?" Simmons asks.

"Why are you trying to avoid the subject?" Fitz continues.

"HEY look! Ward! Skye! How are you two doing?" I say running towards the couple.

"Hey Alyssa. What are you doing here… at the BUS?" Ward asks worriedly. Skye simply hugs me.

"Heard you were all here, I am here. Thought I'd visit before they send me back out east." I reply.

"And she is clearly avoiding an important subject! We're your friends Alyssa. Tell us why you are no longer agent Williams!" Simmons demands with Fitz nodding behind her.

"Your not agent Williams anymore?" Ward asked.

"What's with you people and your questions! I came to visit you and all I get is interrogated."

"I could just go on my phone, hack your file and tell everyone." Skye suggested in a threating tone.

"That's low Skye. Low." I glare.

"But I'll do it." The hacker smiles.

"I'll get the truth serum." Fitz starts to walk towards the bus.

"Yeah, ah I have enough strange serums in me… I don't want more." I try to stop it. I have no desire to be poked with sharp things today.

"So spill it." Simmons looked at me.

"Tony and Pepper are having a baby don't tell anyone." I sigh and give up that information. Fitz turns around.

"Tell them congratulations for me." Coulson asks of me. "Pepper is going to do great."

"And my father is so going to screw that kid up." I suggest. No one says otherwise. I actually receive a few nods.

"That's great and all but has nothing to do with the name change." Ward points out.

I'm cornered. Nothing can seem to save me now. "Can I have a moment?" I ask and move away from the circle. Fitzsimmons catches me and drags me back.

"Don't use your 'I-didn't-do-my-paperwork' routine here! At least tell Fitz and I." Simmons says.

"Alright. Fitzsimmons over there." I point towards the space void of people.

The pair nods and follows. They stare at me expectantly.

"Alright. I am no longer agent Williams. Haven't for a while. I have been Williams-Stark for a while but that's all down the tube as well. I sometimes get referred to as Stark though…"

"Getting distracted." Fitz informs me.

"Right. Well due to reasons I don't want to really get into…" I trail off. I can see the suspense almost building in their eyes.

"ImayhavemarriedSteveRogersAKACaptainAmerica." I mumble quietly and as one word.

I know they both understand what I said. We have always been able to understand each other's mumbling. And if I didn't their faces say it all.

"Be kind, rewind." Fitz asks.

"Say it a bit louder and slower." Simmons asks.

"Why would I do that? I know you understood the first time." I ask.

"For our comprehension. Did you say you married Captain America?" Simmons asks.

"See? You understood just fine." I smile.

"When did this happen? And why didn't we know?" Fitz sound slightly offended.

"You were both in god knows where and I was in Fury's office." I clarify.

"We knew you knew the Captain, but we sure as hell didn't know you were in a serious relationship with the man." Simmons continued.

"Yeah well neither did I." I mumble so quietly I know they can't hear me.

"But seriously Alyssa? Steve Rogers? THE Captain America?" Fitz seemed surprised.

"What about Cap?" Coulson asked as he was walking by but stopped in on the conversation seeing as his childhood hero was the topic.

"Nothing." All three of us respond.

"What's it like working in DC? You work in one of the labs there right? Bet there is tons of cool stuff around there huh?" Skye asks. We had both broken away from SHIELD. Everyone had something to do and I didn't want Skye to be wandering LA alone.

So we were walking along the streets of the city. Skye window-shopping and me following along.

"Its really no that big of a deal. It's like any other lab really. More secret stuff thought. How are you? I heard about what happened to you. You are lucky to be alive."

"I'm fine really. Everyone has been really great."

"Well, I am happy you are alive. Really I am. Fitzsimmons both look to you like a sister. I'm happy they have you."

"I'm happy I have them." she smiles sweetly.

Then we walk by a collector's store. Looking at the windows there is some cool stuff.

"Oh my god, we have to go in." Skye says grabbing my hands and pulling me into the store.

"What for?" I ask.

"For this." Skye says heading to a wall full of Captain America memorabilia. "I have to bring something back for AC!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Alright…" I say slowly and watch her go through debating what Coulson would like better.

"What do you think? The mask too much?" Skye asks holding up a mask.

"Maybe a bit…" I smile. I wonder how much it would bug Steve if I brought something back? I know he isn't the biggest fan of his merchandise but he might find it funny.

"I swear Alyssa, his obsession has gotten worse. I mean I know he met Cap and worked with him a bit during New York but I don't know. I wouldn't exactly be shocked if AC did some serious fanboy flirting." Skye laughs. The thought and now image of such event occurring makes me laugh as well.

"Oh I hope not! That would embarrass Steve so much!" I continue to laugh. "Plus then I'd have to have a very uncomfortable conversation with Coulson about flirting with my husband!" I say after further thought. The idea makes me laugh even harder.

"Oh my gosh that would be so funny! Wait… did you say husband?" she asks.

Oh shit.

"Um…okay. I'm not going to backtrack here. I'm already too deep. Yes. Husband. I married Captain America. Don't tell anyone. Especially Coulson. I refuse to have that conversation with him."

"Whoa. Seriously? You hang around that everyday?" Skye points to the action figure as we head to the check out with some remake of Cap's iconic shield.

"Semi-willingly."

"That's amazing. You are one lucky girl. Iron Man is your dad, Captain America is your husband…" Skye remarks as we walk out of the store.

"Hawkeye is my annoying brother, Black Widow bruises me. Yeah, life surrounded by Avengers is just perfect." I roll my eyes.

"You know them two? Seriously I wish I was you." Skye smiles.

"I also have a secret group of baddies who are looking for me to most likely kill me. Yeah, everyone wants to be me."

"You do?" Skye seemed shocked.

"Part of the reason I married Cap. Protection. The major reason being I didn't really have a choice."

"What did you mean no choice? Cap didn't sweep you off your feet? That's disappointing."

"No he just said 'I'll do it' and I said something along the lines of 'this seems like a bad idea but okay'. To be truthful our relationship isn't the most romantic. Or at all for that matter." I remark on that time that must have been at least four months ago.

"That sucks. You get married like that because you have to."

"I tried to talk him out of it but he insisted otherwise. Barton likes to joke about our loveless marriage all the time."

"Who's that?"

"Hawkeye."

"And is he right? You don't love each other?"

"I mean. We do. As friends of course. We were friends before hand."

"But not romantically."

"… I guess not."

"You don't know for sure?" Skye questions.

"I… don't know if I don't know. If that makes any sense at all. I mean, I took a psychology course and had to learn about the science of attraction. I know a large part of attraction is proximity. The more you see a person the more likely you will develop feelings for them. And yeah I think he is extremely attractive. I don't know many who disagree. And sure its nice when he tells me I'm pretty or beautiful. I don't think that it means I love him."

"It doesn't sound that way to me." Skye scoffs. "Come on. We're fixing this." Skye says pulling me across the sidewalk.

"Excuse me?" I ask questioningly. "What are you fixing?"

"You and your husband. You fixed Grant and me together and we are great. Now I am just going to return the favor." Skye says with pure determination on her face.

"How exactly?" I raise my eyebrows at her. I still don't know where she's dragging me.

"By exploiting a mans weakness." She says once she stops in front of the desired store.

And it's a goddamn Victoria's Secret. What the hell is Skye thinking?!