Chapter 34

Nick and I were in my apartment at my table studying for our next exam. I could see him staring at me in the corner of my eye.

"What?" I snapped a little.

"Nothing."

"You keep staring at me...so what is it? I ask.

"I was just wondering how the counseling is going?" He asked.

"Good, it's going really good actually." I tell him.

"And it's still just the two girls?" He asked as I nodded my head, "How do you do it so well? What's your secret? I haven't met anyone council children so soon."

"I don't reveal my secrets."

"Oh come on...maybe it could help me, I want to help too."

"Fine...I don't really know, I just play games with them and talk to them like a friend."

"That's it?"

"That's it...they tend to feel like they are in trouble or something and I make sure they are relaxed and have fun, so that even if they don't talk the first few times that at least they'll want to come back because the had a good time." I explain.

"Your good." He smiled, "How long do you think you'll still be counseling them?"

"Well, it's crazy to think but not for very much longer. They both are doing better and improving every time we end a session." I tell him.

"Wow, that's great. Your really are good." He said with a smile.

"Thanks, now can we get back to this." I replied as I went back to my paper.

"Iris, why won't you go out with me? I mean, we've known each other for a few months now and I really like you. You always tell me no but all I get is I don't want to." He told me.

"Well one, I don't date and two I don't have time, all I can focus on is school and counseling and three I just don't like you that way, sorry." I answered, I was trying to be nice.

"Why don't you date?" He asks me.

"Like I said, I don't have time and that is as much as I am going to say."

"But we can't just go on one date? That's all I ask." He replies.

"No, because it's never one time with you guys."

"You guys?" He asks me confused.

"Yes, all men. You guys are all the same and I know it will never just be one time and again like I have said over and over again I don't want to." I was trying to keep my cool.

"Okay okay, I get it. He said with his hands up, "Let me guess, it was a bad break up? That's why you won't go out with me. I get it, I had a bad break up myself not too long ago."

"And that is none of your business." I said getting more upset, why couldn't he just drop it?

"So it was a bad break up! What happened?"

"Like I said it's none of your fucking business, I am not talking about this." I said fuming, "I am this close to throwing your ass out and finding a new study partner."

"Fine, got it. No more." He said again putting his hands up, "I'm sorry, it's just I really like you and I think we could be great together, that's all."

"Why? Why do you like me? You hardly know me and I am constantly a bitch and have shown no interest in you whatsoever, so what is it?" I ask him quickly.

"Well, I think your smart and very beautiful." He said trying to sound charming, I didn't buy it at all.

"Wow, thank you, I haven't heard that pick up line before."

"Well, it's true. I would like to get to know you more." He replied.

"And it's time for you to go." I said as I closed my book.

"Already?" He looked at his watch.

"Yep, I'll see you tomorrow." I tell him as I stand up and walk to the door to let him out. He hesitated but soon got up himself.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." He walked out, "Iris, I'm sorry he hurt you so bad." I didn't say anything I just shut the door.

Not only did Nick force me to think about him but Emma brought him up too. I hated thinking about him because it forced me to miss him all over again and furious with him all at once. I was not going to talk about him with anyone let alone some guy that won't take the hint that I'm not interested. I tried to go back to studying but couldn't, it just made me throw my textbook.

(Steve POV, Narrator)

Steve and the others were at the Germany safehouse. He and Sam were waiting for Natasha to come back with new intel from Maria Hill. Natasha suddenly bolted through the door.

"I think Hill finally got something big." She said excitedly.

"Yeah?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, it's an active Hydra base, there's at least 20 men."

"Where?" Sam asked.

"Outside Germany, just a few hours from here." She answered.

"Let's go then," Steve replied getting his stuff together.

Steve was praying that this base actually had some useful intel unlike the Shield ship. There had to have been something on that ship that made them want it back so bad. Natasha was right there was at least 20 men. He could see Natasha, Sam and Wanda hiding in different areas. He was giving commands through hand gestures. One Hydra agent walked by, Steve put him in a chokehold and he was out in 2 seconds.

"We're moving out on my mark...3...2...1." He commanded in his ear piece.

All four started to move toward the base. They quietly would take out men after men, trying to not be noticed or seen. It was important to keep the element of surprise. Out of nowhere an alarm went off, "shit." Steve mouthed.

"I'm headed to the control room." He whispered as he kept sneaking through the building, he went inside and saw someone at the computers.

"Don't move! Stop right there!" He shouted aiming his gun.

"Captain America...at last we found you." He said with his heavy accent.

"Correction, we found you. Open up the computer and step away." He demanded, the guy sat there for a few seconds then with a smile he pressed a button to show that he had already started a self destruct button that would not only destroy any evidence but the whole building.

"Stop it now!" Steve shouted pointing the gun at him.

"It's too late, I can't. It looks like your fucked." He replied confidently.

"Tell me about Ross! What are you doing here?" He shouted.

"Like I said, your fucked, I am not telling you anything...if I were you I would leave when you have the chance, say good-bye to your little girlfriend...too bad I didn't get a chance at her." He gloated with an evil grin, Steve continued to point his gun at him, "Really? What are you going to do? This isn't your style Captain, like you would really..."He continued to gloat as Steve shot him in the head.

He didn't say a word but breathed heavy, he went over to the computer to see if he could find anything, but all he saw was a timer counting down, "shit, everyone out of the building now, you got 4 minutes." He called out in his earpiece.

He almost didn't make it out of the building, he had to jump in a small lake that was near the base. He approached the safezone where they had already arranged to meet. They were all relieved to see him, he was soaking wet.

"Shit Steve, we thought you were dead." Sam breathed out.

"What happened?" Wanda asked worriedly.

Steve didn't say anything he just watched the whole facility burn in flames, "Steve." Natasha called out.

Steve's eyes were dark and he was continuing to breathe heavy, "FUCK!" He shouted. He threw and kicked anything that was around him, "Fuck!" He repeated.

"Steve, everything will be okay." Wanda tried to be reassuring, trying to calm him down by putting her hand on his shoulder.

"No we won't! We had something...something big" He nudged his body away from all three of them.

"Yes we will. If they destroyed the intel from that computer that has to mean there is something else out there. We'll find it." Natasha spoke.

"Come on, let's get back to the cabin before someone sees us." Sam chimed in.

They went back to the cabin, Steve already was starting to tape his hands up before he even went to the basement to let out some steam. Sam, Wanda and Natasha were so worried about him. He didn't say anything after they let the Hydra base. Natasha didn't know how to help him, she hated seeing her friend in so much pain, she looked at the folder that Hill sent them and hadn't realized she sent more. She looked inside and got a smile on her face, she hoped this would cheer him up a little.

"Steve, Maria sent something else that you might like to see." She shouted down to him.

Steve came up from the basement, he already had blood on his taped knuckles and looked at what she had, they were new pictures of Iris. "She sent you more pictures...she's still doing good. At least that's something." She told him, "See, it looks like she's actually working at a counseling facility."

He is looking at them fondly and about to put them down until he sees something in one of the pictures, "Where were these taken?" He asked.

"Hill said mostly at her campus, why?" She asked confused.

"Oh shit, I got to go." He suddenly said.

"What? Why? What's going on?" Sam asks.

"I have to get to Iris, she's in danger." He told them as he walked into his room.

"Yeah, we know, that's why we're here." Natasha said.

"No, I mean she's in danger right now." He said packing the few things he had, they followed him.

"How?" Sam asked, also being very confused, "Steve?"

Steve stops what he's doing and quickly shows them the pictures that made him upset, "You see that? You see that guy?" He said as he pointed at someone in them.

"Steve, I am sure they are just friends or just attending the same classes. I highly doubt she's dating him." Natasha replied, thinking he was just being jealous.

"No Nat, that's not it. That guy is the same man that I saw Ross talking to." He told them.

"Oh shit," Wanda responded.

"Yeah, Ross told him that night to not engage her until I showed up. Why would they have him pose as a student? And that guy in the control room told me to say goodbye to my little girlfriend." He explained, "She's in trouble, I have to get to her."

"What are you going to do?" Natasha asked.

"I don't know but I have a really bad feeling, I know she's in trouble and I can't protect her if I'm all the way over here. She needs me and I'm going." He told them.

"We're coming with you." Sam blurted.

"No, you guys stay here, it's too dangerous going back. I don't want anyone to get hurt." He told them sternly.

"And we're a team, we're going." Natasha replied also sternly, he took a few deep breaths before he nodded his head for approval.

"Wanda, stay here in Germany, stay with Vision. I don't want you to abandon your relationship because of me." He told her.

"But..." She tried to say.

"No buts, please stay here. He needs you too."

"Okay...but if you need me, I'll be there." She said softly after a few minutes.

She gave them all a hug, "Let's go."

Big chapter! Nick is Hydra! Did you see that coming? Did you have a good or bad feeling about him? And yay Steve's coming back!