I AM NO LONGER UPDATING ON . GO TO WATTPAD, QUOTEV, OR ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN (USERNAME: COWBOYSRAPPIN) FOR MORE CHAPTERS.

"So, are you and Tommy a thing?" my trainer asked as we fought, a couple of spectators watching. It had been a couple years since I was hired by Nick Fury.

"We're just best friends, Nat, maybe even surrogate siblings," I answered. I knew that Natasha was using this touchy topic as a distraction from the fight, but I wasn't about to let her. Despite answering her, I kept the majority of my focus on the sparring session.

"When was the last time you dated someone?"

"When was the last time you dated someone? And wining and dining to discreetly interrogate someone doesn't count," I countered.

"Touché." Natasha paused as she attempted to knock my legs out from under me but I reacted too fast. "Ask Jason out and he'll probably say yes."

"Exactly why I don't."

"He's cute and seems nice."

"Then ask him out yourself, Nat."

"Seriously, when was the last time you dated someone?"

"Steadily? Never." I leapt away at the last second as she hurled her leg at me.

"Because you're too shy or too scared?"

"Too secretive, overdramatic, dangerous, should I continue?"

"I get the picture. You've been working here for two years now. You can tell other agents, y'know, about your enhancements. And they can handle themselves. And, no, you aren't overdramatic by S.H.I.E.L.D. standards. We've dealt with Loki, a full tilt diva."

"You're really trying to push this, aren't you?"

"Well, someone has to think about your happiness, and right now that person is apparently me, because you certainly don't."

"That's not true."

"Tori, don't try to lie to me. Carlton taught you many things, but he didn't teach you how to lie."

"Then maybe somebody should teach me," I said, hinting it should be Natasha. Natasha Romanoff had been assigned by Fury to train me. She too had been forced into the role of an assassin, though she didn't have S.H.I.E.L.D. coming to her rescue. She was trained in the Red Room, which Dingo had claimed to be competition in finding eligible girls to join. When Loki attacked, she became an Avenger. As a woman, she could better train me than others. She taught me how to effectively use a female body in a fight by using my legs and elbows. Though she is not enhanced, she worked to help me learn to fight with my enhancements. She was a much better teacher than the few that had to fill in for her when she had to go out into the field or spy on whatever threat S.H.I.E.L.D. could find. The only ones that had filled in for her that had taught me as much as her were Steve and another Avenger, Clint Barton.

"I can arrange that," she said with a smirk as she compromised the weakness in my stance, bringing me down. "Remember to find a stance where you're less likely to lose your balance."

"Yeah, should've known," I groaned as Natasha helped me up. We moved off the padding to let others spar there. I rubbed the sore areas of my body and took a swig of water. "I should probably head back to my computer."

"Oh, Locke can spare a few minutes without you, can't she?" Agent Heather Locke was my supervisor. She was nice enough. Bit of a perfectionist and a stickler to schedules, but without that I might not have been as productive as I was. She taught me a lot of things, things I would not have learned outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. if I intended to be a law abiding citizen. She was also known for being quite the deceiver. A skill that is quite handy at S.H.I.E.L.D.

"You're saying that because you've never had to work for her, Nat."

"True, but technically you also work for me, so she has no business getting upset with you because I think you should take a break." She smiles. "If I of all people think you need a break, you need a break."

"And why do I need a break?"

Natasha rolled her eyes. "When was the last time you took time off, not including your appendicitis last year?"

I bit my lip. "I don't think I have."

"And how many extra hours have you worked, even though Locke didn't need you to?"

"I, uh, a lot, I guess."

"On average, how many hours do you work a day?"

"Um, fifteen or sixteen?"

"You need to take a break, even if you just let off a few hours this week," Natasha suggested.

I sighed. "Fine, only so you don't keep rambling on about it."

Natasha smirked. "While you're at it, if you don't want to ask Jason, why not Carter?"

"Nat!"

"Honestly, Romanoff, what the heck?" someone said behind us. I turned to see it was Steve. "It's one thing to do that to me, but to anyone else? Seriously?"

"Wait, you're trying to get him to date too?" I asked Natasha.

"Certainly am, Tori."

"Everyday, she's telling me about Piper and Hazel and whoever else," Steve confirmed.

"Well, didn't I tell you two to loosen up and get a life outside of this job?" Natasha asked. "Your love lives seems like a good place to start."

"Our love lives are our private affairs, Natasha," Steve admonished.

"And my job is to figure out people's private lives."

I rolled my eyes. I didn't expect the Black Widow to be the one to try to get me to ask an attractive S.H.I.E.L.D. agent out. If anyone, I'd expect Tommy to do that, but I doubt he would've. It honestly would've been the other way around, me telling him about Bianca or Meg or whatever made up name I can think of.

"Speaking of which, Steve, what about Sadie? From statistics?"

"Yeah, no."

"Why just us? Why not Clint, since you're with him a lot?"

Natasha smirked knowingly. "Let's just say I learned to not ask him about it."

"I need to talk to Clint and learn this skill of his," I said, having no idea what Natasha was referring to. I looked down at my watch. "I better start heading back."

"I need to be down the hall from there. I'll go with you," Steve offered. "That is, if you're alright with that."

"Of course I am, Steve. After all, you won't list every attractive male my age in this building, telling me I should ask them out."

Natasha laughed. "Nope. Mr America is too polite for that." Steve rolled his eyes and waved to Natasha, as did I. Natasha waved back as we left the room and went down the windy hallway.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with her," Steve said.

"Well, I guess it adds some color to my life."

Steve smiled. "You know, you've changed a lot since I first met you."

"When you first met me I was a scared, traumatized girl. I'm not so sure what I am now, but I don't think I'm that."

"You aren't a scared, traumatized girl anymore, Tori. You're strong and make everyone around you a bit happier."

"Just a bit?"

"Well, more than that."

I laughed. "So, is Nat bugging you about taking a break too?"

"Oh, yes. I think she forgets I took a break for seventy years in the Arctic."

"She's worried about us, but I don't see why. I'm doing fine."

"Lying might be a useful skill while working at S.H.I.E.L.D., Tori," Steve said, acknowledging my terrible ability at lying.

"Oh, shut up, you wouldn't be able to lie if the world depended on it!"

"You're changing the subject. Are you doing okay?"

I sighed. "I'm not fine, but I'm also not bad right now. I'm just hanging on."

"Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me," Steve said in parting as we went our separate ways.

I entered the room I was headed to, and Locke instantly swarmed around me. Her braided jet black hair flew around as she hurriedly jerked her head in different directions, her purple highlights flying. Her amber eyes were a mix of concern and discontent. Her hands were in her hips. "Where the heck were you, Agent Lowe?"

"Agent Romanoff asked me to stay longer at our training session. I tried to tell her otherwise, but she wouldn't take it," I explained.

Locke rolled her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. "Really, Romanoff, really?" She sighed and dropped her gaze back to me. "The guy you know from forensics is at your desk, said he needs your help. Help him before your other assignments." She walked away and I nodded.

Sitting on the desk beside my computer was Tommy. When he saw me coming he stood up and smiled. "Hey there, Tori." He opened up his arms for an embrace.

Tired, I dropped into his arms and wrapped mine loosely around him. "Hi Tommy." I broke away a second or so later. "Locke said you needed my help. What is it?"

"Oh, a S.T.R.I.K.E. team just found this on their target's person, and I can't figure it out," he said, handing me a flash drive.

"Oh, this'll be a walk in the park," I told Tommy as I inserted the drive into my hard drive. I hacked through it and decoded it as we talked.

"How are you holding up?" Tommy asked.

"Against what?"

"Oh, life in general."

"Meh. Not too bad. You?"

"Something like that." He picked up something off my desk. "What's this?" Tommy held up the device Zach had shoved into my pocket two years ago. I hadn't told Tommy what Zach told me, I hadn't told anyone. It wasn't my secret to tell. I had studied the device Zach had given me and still didn't quite know what it was.

"Oh, uh, something I'll work on in a while," I said hurriedly, hoping I was a little better at lying.

Tommy shrugged. "It looks like a messed up flash drive."

"And so does this," I said as I handed him the flash drive and grabbed another out of my desk. "That's the original, and I'm gonna throw the modified in here." Within seconds I was done. "Okay, you're all set."

"Thanks, Tori," he said as we hugged. When we broke away, he gave me one last glance before he turned away. I turned back to my assignments from Locke, expecting another normal week.

Boy, was I wrong.

Cast

Tori Lowe ~ Willa Holland

Natasha Romanoff ~ Scarlett Johansson

Steve Rogers ~ Chris Evans

Heather Locke ~ Emily Bett Rickards

Tommy Weston ~ Grant Gustin