Things were good for several months after the incident with Tony. He had gotten the surgery to remove the last bits of shrapnel from his chest, getting rid of the need to have the arc reactor at all. That made Pepper happy, that he was at least trying to have a normal life with her.

Steve and Cassidy on the other hand, while they were doing great in their relationship, nothing had progressed in the intimate section, and it made Cassidy want to pull her hair out. She felt bad when she had to 'take care of herself' when she was alone, but she was getting antsy. She never wanted to make Steve feel uncomfortable in any way, so she never pushed.

She'd only given him head a couple times since Christmas, and she never minded, she liked doing it to him, seeing how he came undone for her. But he told her it wasn't fair that he couldn't reciprocate and he just wasn't ready…still.

So sexual frustration is what brought Cassidy to the gym at the Triskelion that day. She had her headphones in, blasting eighties rock music in her ears. She was taking all her frustration out on the punching bag, so focused that she didn't see Nat come in. She was getting angrier by the second, not a Steve, but at herself for not being more patient.

Cassidy tried to stop the tears from falling but she couldn't. She wasn't even really punching anymore, just hitting the bag really. She let out a frustrated scream and kicked the bag as hard as she could. She turned around and jumped, seeing Nat stare at her with wide eyes. Cassidy yanked her headphones out. "Nat…hey, I didn't see you come in." She told her.

Nat walked over to her and pulled at her hands, frowning at the redness she knew would turn into bruises soon, Cassidy always bruised easily. "What's gong on Kotenok." Nat said. Cassidy shrugged, pulling her hands away and looking down. "Come on Cass, what's wrong." Nat tried again.

Cassidy sighed, sitting down on the floor, Nat following. "Am I a bad person for wanting to constantly climb Steve like a tree every time I see him?" Nat snorted at the comment and shook her head when Cassidy glared at her.

"I take it you haven't had sex yet?" Cassidy shook her head. "Look Cass, you're not a bad person. He's your soulmate, of course you want to fuck him until you can see anymore, who wouldn't? But you have to let him come to you. Have you done other stuff?" She asked.

The blonde nodded her head. "Yeah, but he doesn't really let me suck his dick anymore because he feels guilty that he's not ready to reciprocate. So that makes me feel worse." Cassidy groaned and put her head in her hands. She felt Nat's hand smooth over her back and she relaxed a little.

"It will happen when it happens Cass. It took forever for Bruce to be okay with it, but we got there, and let me tell you, it was worth it." Cassidy's face shot up at her friends confession.

"Why didn't you tell me that you and Banner did it!" She yelped, smacking Nat in the shoulder.

"Well, I didn't want to rub it in your face. I promise you Cass, the wait will be worth it, just be patient a little longer." Cassidy nodded and leaned in for a hug, letting the redhead wrap her arms around Cassidy's shoulder. She pulled back after a minute and gave Nat a smile.

"Thanks Nat."

Nat shrugged. "It's why were friends. Now, go shower and change, we're picking up your lover boy for a mission."

Cassidy hadn't really wanted to be an active agent again, especially under Alexander Pierce. She despised him. Her father had always liked him, so she played nice because of that, but she mostly ignored him and answered to Nick.

They pulled up to the curb to see Steve talking to someone. Cassidy got out of the car and smiled over at Steve. He shook hands with the man and walked up to her, giving her a soft kiss.

"Hey gorgeous." She said, trailing her eyes over his body. She loved seeing him in his workout clothes, and she wondered if he wore clothes a size too small on purpose.

"Hi sweetheart." He told her. Nat stuck her head across the seat and looked out at them.

"Anyone know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil." She joked. Cassidy snorted and Steve rolled his eyes, getting into the backseat. "Hilarious." He told her. Cassidy got in the passenger seat, throwing a salute to the man on the curb before they sped away.

When they got to the Triskelion, they headed to the briefing room, but Nick stopped Cassidy, pulling her to the side. "I need you here with me Agent Forbes." She nodded and gave a shrug to Nat, who had an eyebrow raised.

Cassidy followed Nick to a hangar where there were three giant ships. Dozens of people were running around, tools were whirring. Cassidy had never seen anything like it.

"What is this?" She asked.

"This is Project Insight. Congratulations Forbes, your clearance lever has just been bumped to the highest level." Nick told her.

She didn't understand. "What is this for?"

Nick glanced around before looking back at her. "It's a way to keep the world protected. A way to detect and destroy threats to us before they even happen." As he explained, something nagged the back of her mind, different ways it could all go bad.

She crashed at the Triskelion that night, she never could sleep in the bed without Steve. She tossed and turned all night, a migrain keeping her awake. She used to get them all the time as a child and teenager, but the doctors could never find a reason for it.

She and Nick were in his office the next morning when Steve returned from the mission.

"You just can't stop yourself from lying can you?" He said, storming in and walking up to the desk. Cassidy shifted in her chair. Steve had his 'Captain Voice' on and it always did something to her, half putting the fear of God in her, half turning her on.

"I didn't lie." Nick told him. "Agent Romanoff had a different mission than yours."

"Which you didn't feel obliged to share." Steve said.

Cassidy began to get up from her chair, not wanting to get in the middle of this. "I'm just gonna go." She told them.

"Forbes, sit down, we're not done here." Cassidy slid back down into the chair, wishing to be anywhere but in this room.

"Those hostages could have died Nick." Steve said with a sigh.

"I sent the greatesat soldier in history to make sure that didn't happen." Nick told him, glancing to Cassidy who was trying her best to not pay attention.

"Soldiers trust each other. That's what makes it an army. Not a bunch of guys running around shooting guns." Steve argued.

Nick stood up, leaning his hands on the desk. "Last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye." He sighed. "Look, I didn't want you to do anything you weren't comfortable with and I didn't think you'd approve of me sending Cassidy, so I asked Romanoff."

Steve sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their own.."

"It's called compartmentalization. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all."

Cassidy cleared her throat. "He's right Nick. Someone should have told him. What if Nat had gotten hurt?" She said, causing Steve to look at her for the first time since he entered the room. Nick sighed and stood up straight, looking from Cassidy back to Steve.

"Come with me." He said, gesturing for both of them to follow. The walked down the same hallway Nick had led her down the night before. They entered the elevator and an alarm went off, stating that Steve didn't have the clearance to enter the Insight Bay.

"Director override, Fury, Nicholas J." Steve glanced at Cassidy, wondering why the alarm didn't sound for her too. The elevator was eerily quiet.

"You know, they used to play music." Steve said.

Nick chuckled, nodding. He told them the story about his grandfather working in an elevator, one that Cassidy knew well. She smiled as she listened to him, remembering the few times she did meet Nick's grandfather. He was a sweet sassy old man, that always had a story to tell her.

Steve turned when he saw the Helicarriers in the hanger, a bit blown away by it all.

"Yeah, I know." Nick said. "A little bit bigger than a .22"