A few days later, Laura and Sam were in Steve's hospital room.

Armed guards were outside the door.

Steve was in an induced coma after being shot and stabbed multiple times from his fight with Bucky on the helicarrier.

Laura herself had multiple bruises on her face, cheeks and black eye which was swelled to the point where she couldn't see out of it.

Along with her bruised knuckles.

She was informed by Hill that Rumlow had survived the collapse of The Triskelion.

And by Nat that Senator Stern was arrested thanks to his involvement with HYDRA and her leak.

Pleasing her.

Hill applied for a job to be Tony's new personal assistant.

Laura personally interviewing her.

Not that she didn't trust her, she did, but the fact she was going to be close to Tony so she wanted to be careful.

Determining she passed the interview and lie detector test with flying colors thanks to her long and exemplary record with Fury and SHIELD.

Agent Thirteen tried out for the CIA.

"Trouble Man" was currently being played from Sam's phone.

The two were reading silently in their chairs when Steve slowly opened his eyes.

"On your left." he said.

Sam and Laura glanced to each other and smirked.


Later that week a Senate hearing was called to investigate SHIELD's collapse.

More specifically, Laura, Nat and Steve's involvement and the fallout of the collapse of the helicarriers onto D.C. and the fallout.

Laura had originally agreed to handle it herself but Nat insisted on helping her.

So she debriefed Nat on the protocols, behavior and what to expect for the spy who had never been in the public spotlight like this before.

Unlike her who was use to it by now.

Joking with her that she had been subpoenaed way to many times for being only 28.

She was dressed in one of her suits and led her into the Senate Chambers.

It was crowded with the press who were recording them and taking their pictures.

She led her to their table in the center of the room in front of the row of Senators.

And raised their hands to swear their oath.

"Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" the Bailiff asked them.

"I do." Nat nodded.

"I do." Laura swore with her hand raised.

And like her last Senate hearing it went on, and on, and on.

The Senators trying to pin the infiltration of HYDRA on them, the collapse of SHIELD, the damage of the wreckage from the helicarriers and The Triskelion.

And of course Nat's past was now known by the public which two Senators had repeatedly tried calling her a traitor.

"Why haven't we yet heard from Captain Rogers?" one Senator finally asked.

"I don't know what there is left for him to say. I think the wreck in the middle of the Potomac made his point fairly eloquently." Nat quipped.

"Well, he could explain how this country's expected to maintain its national security now that he and you have laid waste to our intelligence apparatus." another Senator accused.

"The same intelligence apparatus that some of your fellow Senators aided HYDRA to infiltrate, Senator?" Laura accused angrily.

Narrowing her eyes behind her new glasses at him.

"Ms. Watson, there are some on this committee who feel that you, along with Agent Romanoff considering her record specially, both for this country and against it. Along with your recent actions, that you both belong in a penitentiary, not mouthing off on Capitol Hill." the Senator threatened.

"I dare you to arrest me or Agent Romanoff." she taunted.

"You're not gonna put me in a prison. You're not gonna put any of us in a prison. You know why?" Nat asked while glancing over to Laura reassuringly.

"Do enlighten us." the Senator asked sarcastically.

"Because you need us. Yes, the world is a vulnerable place, and yes, we helped make it that way. But we're also the ones best qualified to defend it. So if you want to arrest me, or arrest us. You'll know where to find us." Nat said but got up.

Laura got up to walk out with her by her side.

The photographers and press surrounding them as they left the chambers.

"These are always fun." Laura joked while whispering into Nat's ear.

"You can have the spotlight back." she joked back.


The next day, Laura joined Steve, Sam, and Fury in a nearby cemetery.

Fury was hiding behind a pair of shades and a hoodie.

They were standing in front of Fury's grave which had "The path of the righteous man. Ezekiel 25:17" engraved on it.

"We've been data-mining HYDRA's files. Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship. I'm headed to Europe tonight, wanted to ask if you'd come." Fury asked them.

"Hell no." Laura denied bluntly.

"There's something I gotta do first." Steve hinted.

"How about you, Wilson? Could use a man with your abilities." Fury asked him.

"I'm more of a soldier than a spy." he answered.

"Alright then." he said and shook Laura, Steve, and Sam's hand.

"If anyone wants me. Tell them they can find me, right here." he nodded at his grave and walked away.

Nat walked towards them.

"You should be honored, that's about as close as he gets to saying thank you." she got their attention.

"No." she shook her head.

"Not staying here." Steve asked.

"I blew all my covers, I gotta go figure out a new one." she said and she and Laura gave each other a knowing look.

"I'm already one step ahead of you on laying low." she joked while nodding to her new black Mercedes coupe parked on the drive.

"That was quick." she smirked.

"Being a billionaire does have its advantages." she shrugged her shoulders.

"That thing you asked for, I called in a few favors from Kiev." Nat told Steve while handing him a file labelled "deno No 17"

"Will you do me a favor? Call that nurse." she asked him.

"She's not a nurse." he corrected.

"And you're not a SHIELD agent." she stated.

"What was her name again?" he asked.

"Sharon. She's nice." she reached up to kiss him on the cheek.

She pulled Laura aside by her wrist towards her coupe.

"So, are you going to hide out with that secret boyfriend of yours?" she asked.

Crossing her arms and she frowned.

"Maybe, maybe not." Laura said vaguely.

Not mentioning the trunk packed with her bags and suitcases.

"Look, I of all people understand holding your cards close to your chest but whenever you wanna tell me. I won't tell a soul." she reassured her.

"I know its just… the person I'm with is kinda… important and if the public found it, it would be a big deal…" she tried explaining.

"That is the most vague and not vague answer I've ever heard." Nat joked.

She smiled.

"It's true though. It'll make sense. Trust me." she said before pulling Nat into a deep hug.

Her friend hugged her back just as tightly.

"I'll hold you to that, Laura." she said as they pulled away.

Laura opened the driver side door.

"Tell Clint and the family I said hi. I'm going off the grid for a bit." she asked.

"I will." Nat nodded.

She watched Laura get in, start the car and her sped away quickly.

Raising an eyebrow at the loud engine she was driving south, burning rubber and tire smoke before she turned out of sight.


Later that day, after Okoye picked her up from a discreet, rural location in Virginia, she had finally rejoined T'Challa in Wakanda.

The two were walking in from the landing pad into the palace.

Hand in hand.

"Are you planning on staying longer Laura?" he asked her while they walked into the palace.

Down the large halls towards the elevators.

She smiled up at him and nodded.

"Yes. As long as I can though. But uh, I got a call from Tony today. He and Steve are going to call up all of The Avengers so we can begin tracking and taking out all of the remaining HYDRA cells. But I'm going to avoid that as long as I can." she said hopefully.

She got passed the biometric controls of the keypad so they could head up to the private residence.

The elevator door closing ahead of them.

"Do you know Baba and I saw you when you were being arrested?" T'Challa asked softly.

She sighed with regret.

"I'm sorry about that. I really am. Things just spiraled out of control so quickly and well now you and everyone knows what happened." she said, T'Challa hearing the regret in her voice.

They heard a chime as the elevator stopped, opening the doors to reveal his chambers on top of the palace.

Which Laura noticed were far larger than her mansion.

The couple walking inside into the living room.

T'Challa joked while leaning down to kiss her.

She reached up on her toes to kiss him back.

Breaking apart after a few moments with a sigh of content.

"I do want to stay. I do want to try this…" she said while gesturing her arms around dramatically. T'Challa smiled.

"And I'm gonna figure out how I can stay here that will protect this place but I do love you. I wanna be with you." she said while leaning against his chest.

He grabbed her and held her around her waist.

Looking down at her.

"Perhaps I should just keep you here so you don't get in anymore trouble." he teased her.

She smiled and looked up to him.

"That doesn't sound so bad…"