DISCLAIMED

It's the penultimate chapter- only one more after this. Let me know what you think in a review and as always, thanks for all your love and support so far xxx

Chapter 27

"I don't need therapy."

"Director Fury thinks you do."

"Well he's wrong."

"Someone tried to kill you."

"So as a result, I need a shrink?"

Dr. Reynolds and Emily stared one another down. SHIELD had been paranoid ever since the incident and even though everything was cleared up, they were running every type of security they could to make sure there were no mini-Pierces waiting in the wings. The World Security Council had interviewed Steve and Emily, who made no bones about their dislike. Eventually, the call had ended after the WSC was happy enough with the answers, much to their relief.

Unfortunately for Emily, Fury had decided that she and Steve needed to speak to Dr. Reynolds about their ordeal. Apparently, having someone plotting to kill you could be quite the stressful situation. Steve just accepted it, but Emily argued until Fury threatened to suspend her if she didn't comply.

It turns out 'I saved the whole of damn SHIELD and perhaps the world' is not a good argument to make to your boss, however true it may be.

Even worse, Fury had decided it had to be more than one session.

"Agent Collins," Dr. Reynolds sighed, "You were in a traumatic situation. You were followed, the victim of attempted murder, poisoned and forced to watch as people you love were hurt. It's ok to speak to someone about it. This wasn't some half hearted fire fight, people actively plotted to kill you. This is more serious than you think."

"Is is so unbelievable that I am fine? I recovered. Steve is ok, my friends are ok. Killing Rumlow wasn't a trauma for me, I hated the guy and I had to finish him off anyway, otherwise he'd have killed me. It was self-defence. As a shrink, I know you see the worst in people and try to get them to open up, but I am ok. At the time, when I thought my uncle and friends could do, I was scared because it's normal. I don't get nightmares and I'm not traumatised. Doc, I'm not spooked. This is only the second session and we've covered nothing. I don't need three more hours in here. We both know that I'm your least favourite patient so just tell Fury I'm cool and we'll call it even."

"You know I can't do that."

"I can complain for as long as I need. Remember last session? I didn't take for half an hour."

"I can take it Collins."

"Ugh, you're the worst," Emily threw her head back, rolling her eyes.

"Is that the line you used on your parents as a teenager?"

"I never had to use that one actually."

"Now how would you have felt if they'd succeeded in the plot? Captain Rogers would be in a federal supermax and you would never see him again."

"Thing is, I don't need to think about that," Emily shrugged, "You know why? Cause we're awesome. Together, we foiled the plot and stopped some really bad shit happening. Besides, I know my boyfriend. We'd find a way out of it, together, like we always do. Believe me; my Stevie would not be rotting in jail for the rest of his life. I would find a way, even if it was illegal, to get him out. I didn't need to do that, because neither of us is stupid. All this what ifs aren't necessary. I go home every night and sleep in the arms of the man I love more than anything else in the world. It didn't happen. We never broke, we just had to bend. Pierce would have gotten between us, no one can. I trust him. I love him. I would do anything for Steve. I'm a badass woman in love, it's a beautiful combination."

"Are you quite finished?" Dr. Reynolds asked, raising her eyebrows.

"For the moment, but I could go on if I really had to. Would you like me to?"

"Not really. I-ʺ

They were interrupted by the sound of the speakers coming on.

"All personnel to the open office space, that's all personnel to the open office space."

Emily had a gigantic grin on her face.

"What a pity we've had to cut this lovely rendezvous short, but can't upset the boss man," Emily shrugged, standing up.

"I'm counting this as a partially finished session, we will make it up," Dr. Reynolds told her sternly, also getting up, "And yes, there will be three more sessions after this, got it?"

Emily was already out of the door. She skipped along, following the flow of agents heading towards the common area. It wouldn't be a shock if there was another security briefing or something; they were becoming common in these times. Everyone could tell Fury hated himself for missing this. Nobody blamed him; Steve was practically the only person who distrusted Pierce. No one suspected Sitwell of anything and even though pretty much everyone disliked Rumlow, no one though him capable of such trickery. As a result of all this, Fury was making sure SHIELD was locked tighter than Fort Knox.

"Do we know what's happening?" she asked after she weaved her way through the crowd to Natalie, Aaron and Coulson.

"Nope," Aaron popped the 'p,' "Not a clue."

"I hate this place now, it gives me jitters," Natalie shuddered, "I can't work in here; it just makes me think of that stupid gas. My head was pounding for the rest of the day. I swear to God, my head was really to just completely combust."

"Don't say that to Fury, he'll put you in therapy," Emily looked over at her uncle, who was doing his 'stern relative' face, "What? Oh don't pull that face on me Uncle Phil, Steve does that exact same one when he disapproves of something. It's what I call his 'Righteous Face.'"

Coulson merely rolled his eyes as Fury headed onto the stage, closely followed by Commander Hill.

"Ok attention everybody."

The whole room immediately shut up.

"I know that the atmosphere since the incident has been less than ideal but the security of my agents and this organisation is my number one priority. This will continue and you will all have to deal with it. Fortunately for you, this is not another security briefing. Today is a special occasion, something which you will not often see in your time here. I will be awarding The SHIELD Cross."

That got everyone murmuring. The SHIELD Cross was incredibly rare; having two recipients within five years was completely unheard of. Agent Coulson got one for his work with The Avengers, but that had been three years ago. Nobody expected another one so soon.

"Holy crap," Emily's eyes widened.

She wasn't the only one; everyone else was surprised this had happened.

"I am awarding this agent The SHIELD Cross for what is undoubtedly an awesome display of courage. Their conduct was exemplary and what we should all expect from a SHIELD agent. They used their own initiative and intelligence in order to get to the bottom of things. This bravery was not without compassion, for this agent was willing to risk their own life and safety in order to protect others. We at SHIELD often produce the very best, and this agent is among the finest in terms of loyalty. Without their dedicated and hard work, SHIELD would be very different- evil would have succeeded. Everyone in this room has done something great in their positions, but we only award the Cross when the recipient has done something that has changed the organisation for the better. Several have not lived to see themselves adorned with the award, but this agent is gladly still with us- they could have easily been killed. For her undying loyalty, detective skills and operational smarts, it is my pleasure to award The SHIELD Cross to Agent Emily Collins."

The room immediately erupted into applause. Emily froze, not quite taking it in.

"Did he just say my name?" she stuttered.

"Girl, yes," Natalie broke her shock.

Still in a state of surprise, she blindly hugged Aaron and Natalie before going over to her Uncle.

"I can't believe it," she managed.

"Get on up there Em, this is your time," he encouraged after they tightly embraced.

Emily walked through the crowd in a daze. Stepping up, she shook Fury and Hill's hands without even registering what she was doing. This felt so strange, she thought that she was in some kind of weird dream and that she'd wake up any moment to a blaring alarm clock.

It was real though.

Turning around, she saw Steve in the crowd. Seeing his face was the semblance of reality she needed, breaking her from her trance. Emily broke into a smile when she saw him, Steve returning it proudly as he continued to applaud.

"Congratulations Collins," Fury opened the box to reveal the famous SHIELD Cross. It was, naturally, a cross. Made of silver, it had the SHIELD eagle logo in the middle with the words 'courage, bravery and strength,' engraved onto the top and Emily's name on a plaque at the bottom.

He leaned over, placing it on Emily's lapel.

"T...T...Thank you. Is this like the Oscars? Do I make a speech?"

"The floor is yours Collins."

"Well, erm, ok," Emily approached the microphone, "Hi everyone, well, I really don't know what to say. Those who know me know that I am not a quiet person but man, I am stumped. This is a real big honour, truly. I never thought I would have one of these but here I am, the cross pinned to my lapel and it's just so real. The thing is I know I'm not the only one who deserves this. I want to just break it apart like in Mean Girls and give everyone a piece. I suppose that's not a good idea though, I feel like Fury would just yank it back off me if I tried. Anyway, I am just so glad that it all worked out. Not just for me, but for everyone. What those three tried to do would have harmed everyone in this room, not just the people I love. There's no one in this room I wouldn't do it again for, even if I have told you to your face that I don't like you. I can't say it was easy, being poisoned wasn't fun, but it was what was necessary. This award is for me but I was totally not alone when I did this."

She looked over at the audience.

"When they threatened everyone, I panicked, because I knew who I could lose. I am so lucky to count Natalie and Aaron as two of my best friends in the world and I could not imagine life without either of them. I could hate every part of my job but still stay because they're here. I was ready to fight an alien army if I meant it could keep them safe. Natasha and Clint, they're more than just Avengers, they're my friends. They're a total asset to everyone. They don't have powers, but they don't need them. Natasha was the one who helped me on my way to the truth and she didn't even hesitate because that's the kind of person she is. The world would be lost without them to save it, but I would be lost too without them as friends."

Natalie was on the verge of tears, Aaron with his arm around her. Clint and Natasha were smiling too, though neither were the emotional type.

"There's my Uncle Phil. He's the most recent recipient of this award and God knows he deserves it every day of the week. When I found out he was in trouble, I was ready to give up everything I had to save him. I got so incredibly lucky with my entire family, from my parents to my distant cousins, and he's the best part of that. Being at SHIELD with him was the best decision I ever made. I want to be my own person, but I am so goddamn proud of being Phil Coulson's niece. He's my favourite person in the world and he always will be. Not even being stabbed in the heart by a maniacal demi-God could get him down, because he's so strong. This place would fall apart without him and honestly, so would I. I love you Uncle Phil."

Now Coulson was trying not to cry.

"Then there's the one person who was by my side throughout this entire thing. They tried to make Steve a pariah and get him locked up in prison for the rest of his life, just so they had him out the way. They knew that Steve would rumble them somehow because though he was made to be Captain America as some kind of status symbol, they didn't know that was who he was born to be with. There was a reason that the serum didn't give him any ill effects, because Steve Rogers has been a hero throughout his life. Even if they hadn't been discovered this early, I know that Steve would never have spent any time in jail- he's too smart for that. I would have done anything in that room to keep Steve safe. We all would have, because he's the hero the world needs. I'm lucky enough to be loved by him and to love him in return. There's no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with than Steve Rogers and I'm glad that I'll get to do that. I really love you."

Several people awed. Steve didn't know he could be this happy, but looking at his girl, he knew now that he could.

"I guess I'll wrap it up here. I always get bored watching lengthy speeches at awards shows and I don't want you to feel the same. So, thank you again, for believing in me. I'm just glad that everyone in this room is good."

Another round of applause greeted her, but Emily had only eyes for one man. As soon as she bounced off the stage, she rushed straight over to Steve. Everyone else around them knew, moving out of the way.

He had her in his arms as soon as he could reach her.

"You should have got an award too; you did just as much as I did."

"No, no, Emily, this is yours. You were the one who found the financial lead. You were willing to give yourself up to protect everyone else. Em, you deserve this. Be proud, just like I am."

"I meant every word I said up there. I love you."

"I love you too my darling," he leaned down, lifting her up off the floor as they kissed, "Now come on, let's celebrate you."

Emily smiled happily as Steve led her over to their friends, an arm wrapped around her shoulders. He was right, this was her time, and she was going to enjoy it.

-LIGHT ME UP-

Steve wanted to wait a little while.

He gave it two weeks. Emily deserved that medal and she was going to get her celebration. She was on cloud nine and everyone at SHIELD was thrilled for her. Everywhere she went, she was greeted with smiles and congratulations. Trip had sent her some flowers and wine as congratulations, which she loved. Steve spoiled the SHIELD squad with a really nice dinner- the private celebrations between the two hadn't been two bad either.

That's what they were doing now. Laughing at a memory, they headed back up the stairs to their apartment. It was a nice dinner again, just the two of them. Steve dressed fancy in a nice shirt and trousers, Emily looked glamorous in a red number. She just loved dressing up and being girly, so when Steve surprised her with a meal, she was thrilled.

Steve thought she looked perfect. As he watched her from across the table, laughing in her sweet way and being animated in conversation, he knew it was the night. He wouldn't do it in public, no way, but he was ready to do it at home.

The ring was burning a hole in his pocket, but he wasn't about to break the secret.

"God, I am stuffed. I do not think I could eat anything ever again."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it Em," Steve took his shoes off, taking Emily by the hands and leading her to the centre of the room.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to dance with my girl."

"To what music?"

"To this," he picked up the remote and turned the stereo on, a romantic song playing.

"How could I ever refuse?"

They slow danced in the middle of the room, silently at first. Emily laid her head on Steve's chest, closing her eyes against the warmth of it.

"I love you."

"I love you too," Emily murmured into his chest.

"No, I mean, I really love you," Steve moved his head back so that they were facing, "The second I laid eyes on you, I knew that there was something special about you. The way you kicked that kid's ass when he was cocky, it was amazing and I knew that you were someone I would like. I was wrong- I not only liked you, but I loved you. Being your friend was a joy, but being your boyfriend is even better. Every part of you is perfect. You're so beautiful, inside and out, I'm not just saying that as a boyfriend, I know other guys see it too. I get to wake up to you ever single morning and I know how damn lucky I am. Your joy is infectious; I love how you dance around the house and made jokes at work and sing loudly in the kitchen and the shower. You're my rock and anchor, I couldn't have made it without you. I know that I was meant to be in this time with you. Every day with you is an adventure and I wouldn't have it any other way. I want to spend every day with you. I want to taste your delicious cooking, lay on the couch watching movies and sleep with you in my arms for as long as I live and breathe. You're my light, my sunshine, my joy and my soulmate. So..."

He released Emily, bending down on one knee and producing the ring from his pocket. Realising what was going on, Emily stood rooted to the spot in total shock.

"Emily Jenna Collins, will you marry me?"

"WELL DUH! YES, YES AND YES AGAIN! OH MY GOOOOOODD!"

Steve wasn't stood up properly as Emily launched herself at him. He managed to grab her as he went upright to prevent themselves from tumbling over. His heart race as he trembled with joy, his heart full of tremendous joy. Emily had said yes, he was going to marry this amazing girl.

"Do you want the ring?"

"Oh yes, of course," Emily broke away, putting her hand in his.

Steve slipped it on gently, watching for Emily's reaction.

"Do you like it? If you don't, I can change it."

"Don't be ridiculous Stevie, you could have proposed to me with a candy ring from a dispenser and I would have said yes. Even so, it's really beautiful, I love it and I am going to wear it with pride. Where did you get it from?"

"It was my mother's."

"Really?"

"Yep. She was buried with her wedding ring but she gave the engagement ring to me on her deathbed. My father haggled it down to a good price because he was on a labourer's wage so it wasn't worth much in a material way, but she loved it with every piece of her heart. Mom said that I had to give it to the girl I absolutely knew I loved with all my heart and would spend the rest of my life with and that is you."

"Well I love it," Emily had tears in her eyes, "I am happy to share it with your mom. I just...I can't believe this, how long have you had this planned?"

"I've known for years that you're my soulmate but the proposal plan has been over the past couple of months. Obviously certain things happened to delay it and I wanted to wait a couple of weeks after you won your medal so I didn't steal your thunder. I didn't plan the proposal, I just wanted it to be natural and I thought it was time. Nothing public, just the two of us."

"I would have said yes however you asked. Wow, we're going to be married!"

"We are my darling."

"You're gonna be stuck with me for the rest of your life," she teased, tongue out.

"That's the plan. Erm, your dad knows, at least he knows that I planned to propose. I didn't want to ask for permission, that's pretty outdated, even for me, so I asked for his blessing."

"Did daddy grill you?"

"Of course, but I won him over in the end."

"Well of course you did," Emily wrapped her arms around Steve's chest, "Because you're awesome and you are going to be my husband and I am going to be your wife. I think tonight is going to be our night, the world and its neighbour can find out tomorrow."

"I like that idea. I've stashed some champagne. If you'd said no, I would have used it to drink away my sorrows but considering I've got a beautiful fiancée, I think it's a shared one."

"I would never had said no."

"Well that's good to know," Steve kissed her head, "You sit down my darling, I'll get everything."

Emily sat down, Steve returning with two champagne flutes and a bottle.

"To us," he held his glass aloft when he was done, "To our engagement."

"To our engagement," Emily toasted back, snuggling into Steve as they drank, "You know you've totally ruined my makeup tonight, I am not going to stop crying for the rest of my night."

"Well I do apologise," Steve smirked, "I cannot have that for my future wife."

"I forgive you, fiancé."

"Man I love hearing that. Husband is going to be all that much better," he put the champagne flutes on the table, moving in closer to capture her lips.

"I sense another kind of celebration is in order," Emily murmured between hungry kisses.

"Damn right," Steve replied as he lifted her up, "Let's go baby."

Hi all, hope you enjoyed it!

Next Chapter: It's the last one and we've got a wedding!

Thanks again and don't forget to review, seeing as we're almost at an end. I hope to see you next time for the last one xxx