Lauren Grimms was at a loss, she was on another side of the world from where she grew up. Tired from a day's work, not to mention bruised and wounded from some stupid villain's attack she somehow got caught up in.

Ok, so maybe she could explain how she ended up involved but still. She helped just this once out of all the times someone insane enough tries to do something as stupid as take-over the world in the Avenger's backyard and she got fired! What's worse is getting fired also meant she was currently homeless.

Her ex-boss offered the small apartment above the café she worked in as part of her employment. Cooking and baking for a café that opened as early as 7 am called for a broken work schedule, living close-by instead of 2 hours (on a good day) away made it easier for everyone. But now she's out of a job and out of a home because she just had to help, not that she regrets that she did.

So how did she end up in this situation anyway? Well…

She signed off from her morning shift and decided to get some fresh air after 4 and some hours of only smelling butter, flour, and coffee. She was hanging out just outside the café when, out of nowhere, a very patriotic blur flew past her, missing her by just a few centimeters. Her body froze, but her mind raced. There were no warnings of anything happening in their area. Did she miss the warning sound? Why were there no alarms sounded? Why was I still standing here?

Her last thought got her to move, but instead of ducking into the café for safety, she ran towards where the patriotic blur landed. The man was fully capable of handling himself, she knew that, so then why was she not in the safety of the café? She was sure she didn't have a saving-people-thing, mind you. But she did have a minor mother-hen streak when it came to people she cared about, and the man in patriotic colors was one of those people.

Wait! No! Don't even think about going there, she didn't care about him that way. He was a good friend, a regular at the café since she started working there. Besides, he was a good few years older than her, even if you disregarded the years he spent frozen in the Arctic.

Anyway, so she ran to check on her friend, only to find him without his signature trash-lid shield. Frantically, she looked around. She found it just at the mouth of the alley they were in front of. She ran to grab it after she made sure nothing would come barreling into her while she did.

Once she had the shield in her hands, she stepped into the alley to hide. Peeking out to make sure she'd make it back to the shield's owner safely. She was no agent or anyone with military training, but she did have some common sense. Risking herself for someone who was a hundred times more capable than her in these situations didn't prove that but she did, just take her word for it. Sure that she won't die or get injured in the next few seconds she makes her way back to her friend who just sat and but was a bit dazed.

"You okay there Steve?" she asked as she set the shield down. Looking back she should have handed it to him immediately but oh well.

"Lauren?" He asked her as he blinked and shook the last of the cobwebs in his head from the fall.

"Hi, so you almost toppled me over and your shield got away from you when you fell so I got it for you." She replied still holding the shield as they both stood. She hovered close to him just in case.

"You shouldn't be out here."

Just as she was about to reply she found herself being thrown into the alley she just came from. She heard a loud explosion that could have been a few meters away from where they just stood, or maybe farther. She sucked at measuring distances.

"A bit of warning next time."

She felt fine, albeit shocked form being thrown suddenly but fine. Her bit of sass was evidence of that.

"Lauren you really shouldn't be here. What are you doing outside the café?" The Captain chided her. She wasn't really sure why she was being scolded. There were no warnings sent out, really she should be scolding him for not making sure that the warning was sent out.

"Everything was clear just a few seconds ago." She decided to reply instead of her initial thought. "But yeah I should head back in, help me back?"

Steve sighed exasperatedly but nodded. Besides the remnants of whatever exploded nothing was there. What were they fighting this time anyway? Eh, wasn't really her business.

They made their way to the café.

She heard a faint hissing sound.

She was still holding the shield.

They were just about to step into the front of the cafe with the shield on her left and Steve on her right where the open was. Then she heard glass cracking. Next thing she knew, they were on the street. Steve was holding her under his shield her just-over-meter-and-a-half-frame ensured she was fully under his huge ass body and his shield. She could hear things clinking onto the shield, bullets probably she didn't really want to know.

She could hear more bullets being shot, this time not at them. She just hoped it meant that it'll all be over soon.

Yes, she fully regretted letting her mother-hen ways lead her to this. But in her defense, there was nothing to discourage her from doing so just a few seconds ago. Was it just seconds? Maybe minutes? She didn't really care anymore at that point.

So when it all died down. She found out that the café was littered with bullets. Everyone was safe, thankfully. But all the machines to run the café were out of commission, and boy did her boss get mad.

She didn't get his reasoning as to why she was to blame. She didn't even remember what her ex-boss had said but evidently, she was now out of a job and a home.

He was gracious enough to let her pack her things before she got booted out permanently. But that still didn't help. She had nowhere to go.

So that's how she found herself, about an hour or so later in front of the café she just got fired from, groaning in frustration, trying to find someplace she could stay in with no luck even if she chose options that were a few kilometers further than what she was comfortable traveling. Seems she already ran out of her share of luck for the day.

She sighed, accepting that she'll probably have to sleep outside for now. Damn New York and its high occupancy rate.

She sank to the pavement, letting herself process everything.

She was unemployed, possibly also homeless for the foreseeable future. She was also on a different side of the world from everyone she could allow herself to rely on

What else could she say, she was fucked.

She groaned, she could feel her eyes starting to water and her heartbeat felt louder in her chest. She did not have the luxury of panicking. Damn it, she needed a distraction.

And a distraction did present itself, in the form of two super soldiers.

She stood up to greet them even if she felt like she had no strength to keep them up. She gave them a small wave and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Hey Lauren, you okay here?" Steve asked her hesitantly, he shot a quick glance to his darker haired companion who hung back when he noticed the large duffle bag next to her. "Sorry for leaving you like that, but everything's all clear now."

She breathed in deeply and tilted her head back trying to stop the tears.

"Hey," she croaked out, mentally cursing her voice for not cooperating, taking another deep breath she begged her voice to cooperate "it's okay Steve, part of the job."

"Are you okay?" Steve asked again, and whatever held back her tears broke. She pressed her lips together in a thin line to stop herself. She tilted her head up in a stubborn effort to stop the tears as she let a curse escape her mouth.

Steve panicked, his hands hovered around her, unsure of what to do. Bucky stepped to his side, shielding her from curious eyes. He gave Steve a pointed look and tilted his head towards her, telling him to the same and turned around. He may not know her but he was sure any lady wouldn't want some strangers seeing her in her state.

She felt herself get closed in, she let her forehead rest on Steve's chest. Her hands clutched to his sides as he tentatively patted her back.

No other sound came from her other than small sniffles in her effort to not let her snot get into his suit.

It was a few minutes later when she managed to get her tears to stop falling. Her forehead still rested on Steve's chest as she wiped away whatever snot managed to escape with her sleeves and the last of her tears with her hands.

"Sorry about that Steve." She mumbled, still rubbing tears out of her eyes but feeling calmer. She allowed herself to stand straight.

"Hey, it's no problem. So what happened?" Steve asked her wishing he was in his civvies when he usually carried a handkerchief. He bent down a bit to meet her eyes and let a hand rest on her shoulder.

She breathed in deeply once again and managed to recount what happened calmly though her eyes started to water again towards the end no tears fell.

"Hey, it'll be okay." He started, trying to sound as comforting as he could, "how about you stay with us for now?"

Her head snapped up so quickly she was surprised there was no whiplash. "Oh no, no. You don't have to do that. I'm just the cook at the café you frequent at. I'm not someone who should be anywhere in the Tower other than for maybe a delivery, and even then that isn't my job anymore. I'll be ok Steve, really."

A grunt sounded from her right that reminded her of the other super soldier's presence. Said super-soldier turned around but moved his right side away from her so she wasn't closed in by two super soldier walls.

"From how he talks about you and your food doll, you're not just some lowly café employee." Bucky decided to point out, remembering how his fellow super-soldier would talk about the girl in the café he frequented after his runs with pride and fondness akin to an older brother talking about his little sister.

"He's got a point. I thought that we were friends by now."

She flushed. She did just call the blond super soldier her friend an hour and some ago. But she also felt a bit sheepish from finding out that he talked about her to his other friends. It was an honor really knowing that he also thought of her as a friend.

"Steve! Oh gosh, whatever he's told you, I really hope it wasn't anything bad." She spluttered although she knew fully that he'd never do such a thing. He was much too good for that, and they knew that too - If the pointed looks she was getting was any indication.

"As I was saying," Steve cut in, emphasizing his words to grab her attention, "you're my friend Lauren, that counts enough to get you into the Tower. Besides, Buck and I were raised to never leave a lady in need."

"But Steve," she whined dragging out his name in protest, "you and James aren't the only ones living in the Tower."

"Oh don't worry about that," he waved his hand as if to swat off her worries, "I'm pretty sure once they find out you're the one cooking most of the food I bring in, they'll ask you to move in."

She bit the inside of her cheek. She was flattered that he thought that highly of her food. But she'd really rather not intrude. She didn't think she was close enough friends with Steve to allow herself to depend on him for this kind of thing. But the prospect of not having to worry about where she would stay was highly appealing. Still contemplating, she met his blue eyes that were practically begging her to concede.

And she did…

"Fine, but only 'til I find a place to stay."

"Good, now come on. Since you're staying with us, for now, you better meet your new housemates." Steve cheered, his eyes practically dancing as he guided her towards the Tower.