South Dakota Safe House
Early Winter - 2016

Steve watched over his small team while the months quietly passed as they enjoyed their strange vacation. Since arriving at the house, they'd had more downtime than he could remember having in a very long time. When the world was hunting you instead of asking for your help, that happened.

Since there was not a lot to do except exercise, read, and watch television, Nat had decided to join the three of them in their daily exercise regimen. Sam would stay back with Teagan most of the time, with Nat matching him the best that she could for a short time, making him wish Bucky was here with them. They eventually talked about how Sam and Teagan seemed to spend so much time together, and not just when she needed someone to talk to.

The three of them continued to spar to keep themselves ready in case they were needed, hoping that the Accords would eventually work themselves out. After seeing that Teagan's body was not looking as emaciated with a couple of months worth of decent meals and exercise, he'd asked Nat if she would show her a couple of simple moves that she could do for protection. The nightmares were still there every so often but Steve felt that maybe if she felt stronger and could fight back that it might help her get past them.

He had explained to Nat not long after getting to the house how Teagan had been doing before her arrival and he told her about the single slip-up of her using her powers on Sam. Listening to how it had come about caused Nat's lip to twitch and an eyebrow to raise. Taking in how much time the two of them seemed to spend together, she pointed out the same thing he had already noticed.

That there was the hint of something starting.

He wondered if the two of them even really noticed it or if this was just how their friendship was going to develop…very slow and steady. Sam had not had a girlfriend the entire time he'd known him. It was not like they were in a group that discouraged relationships. Nat had gotten close to Bruce before his disappearance. And there had been something different about how Wanda and Vision looked at each other back at the compound.

So Steve and Nat decided to just let nature take its course and see what the two of them let happen. Teagan needed someone to confide in, and Sam was just the type of person to help comfort another. If it became more...

It was a match that he could agree with...even if he did loose the bet as to how long it would take.

Not long ago, once he confirmed with Nat that it would be safe, Sam pulled his wings out of its pack, eagerly looking forward to getting some air time after so long. He had explained to Teagan what he did, but there was no decent videos to actually show her. The three of them walked out into the back yard area as Sam told to Teagan that he was going to give her a demonstration.

Steve could tell that Sam was actually looking forward to showing off for her.

Taking off, Sam started to perform some of his basic maneuvers to get back into practice before he started doing corkscrews and dives, each one making Teagan give off delightfully happy sounds. He looked over at Nat and could tell that they were both amused by the unique flirting going on between the two. Maybe Nat was right and that there really was something happening but he didn't think that neither had acted on yet. Landing, he and Nat left the two of them outside as Sam then began to explain more of how his wings worked, as well as going into another story from a mission.

Now, he was sitting on the front porch reading a book after dinner when Nat emerged from the house wearing her serious spy face. Her blond hair still threw him a bit, even though it had been months since she'd colored it. His own beard was still filling in, and was a constant joking point for Sam and Nat. Teagan pointed out that she didn't know him well enough to tease him, but commented that she was disappointed that it didn't have a hint of red at all. In fact, it was a darker brown than even he had expected it to be.

"What's wrong?" he hated to ask Nat having the feeling that something was about to interrupt their down time.

"There's a situation that might need someone to take care of it," she told him.

Giving a single hard huff, "Wouldn't that be up to the U.N. and the Accords now?"

Sitting down, she simply stated, "If they actually knew about it."

"What's going on then?" knowing that her comment wasn't good and putting down his book.

"A friend of mine whom I'm still in contact with just informed me of a terrorist cell is in the process of smuggling a load of Chitauri-based weapons into the country in a few days. As far as he knows, not a single person in any intelligence agency that can do anything about it even knows it's happening. He thought that we might be interested."

"Is this a friend that I know?" he asked wondering if it was Tony.

Shaking her head, she told him, "No, he's from a time before the Avengers even met. But I do trust his intel. So…feel like getting out of that rocking chair, grandpa, and busting a few heads?"

Steve couldn't help but smile since he had actually been feeling just like doing that. He had enjoyed his time off but he didn't like the idea of just sitting around doing nothing.

Then began the other concerns.

"That about Teagan? Would we be coming back here?" he asked.

"We'll be heading to Europe. Once we are overseas, it might be a good idea stay over there for a while. Trying to sneak in and out of the country might be a bit risky. She'll have to come with us," Nat pointed out, to which he agreed with. Then she asked him out of the blue, "Do you want to call Tony in on this?"

He had no idea how Tony had taken his peace offering note and phone. For all he knew, they had been deposited into a trashcan moments after being opened up. He could only hope that they had not been.

"No," he told her standing up to walk over to the railing. Watching the last sunset he'd see from this location, "I saw on the news that he was expected to be in Washington again this week to deal with more Accord fallout. I also know that he's probably been working on his next suit considering what happened in Siberia. I can't even guess how things are between him and Pepper right now. He has enough on his plate that we don't need to load on any more."

Nat gave him a weak smile as he then went inside to tell Sam and Teagan to pack up and be ready to leave in the morning.

Spanish Town - North-West Region
Weeks Later

Their first mission a few weeks ago had gone very well, Sam thought, the three of them managing to confiscate the alien weapons before they were sold. They were turned over to someone that Nat knew who would keep them safely locked away. It had been so quick of a trip that they were only gone a few hours, leaving Teagan alone in their new safe-house at the edge of a small Spanish town.

It was the first time that Teagan had been truly alone since being freed from the Raft and Sam felt that she had handled it very well. She had been able to distract herself with a book and then cooking a meal hoping they would return in time for dinner, which they had. When they had left that morning, he could see that she was tense and he guessed that look of worry on her face had not disappeared until they walked back up the small path to the villa from the Quinjet's landing area in the nearby grove of olive trees.

Now, after getting a bit of cabin fever himself, he had invited Teagan to go with him into the nearby town just to walk around a bit. Nat had been the one to gather supplies upon arrival since she spoke Spanish, so he was curious as to the local atmosphere. The two of them together could pull off a tourist look without anyone being suspicious.

"Are you sure that it's safe?" Teagan asked him as they arrived at the edge of the small town. With it being such a nice day, they had decided to walk together from their new safe house only a mile away out further into the mountainous countryside.

"I wouldn't have brought you if I wasn't sure that it was," he told her as she started to slow down, glaring up at the outlying stucco buildings, searching windows for a familiar face. Reaching out without thinking, he placed his hand at the small of her back, making her head sharply turn towards him. Realizing he had been about to wrap his arm around her, he dropped his arm, worried about what she would think of him. "Calm down, you are safe with me. Nothing is going to happen. Just like back in the states when we would go into town for ice cream."

That brought out the smile that had been hiding. Sam knew how much Teagan enjoyed their trips together...probably as much as he did.

And it seemed that she was not upset with the too familiar touch he had just given her...the one that had felt so nice.

Especially in the past few weeks, there had been so many times that he wanted to say just a bit more to her, to express the growing attachment that he had been feeling. He knew that after what she had been through that there was probably no way that Teagan would look at him, or maybe any other man, in any type of romantic way for a very long time.

But with each emergence of more of her true personality, Sam found himself drawn to Teagan.

Technically he was not helping her in any official capacity, only as a friend. Back at the V.A., it would have been very frowned upon to have any type of a more one-on-one personal relationship with someone who had been through what Teagan had. It could been seen as a setback to her being able to move forward with a new life. Sam understood this, which is why he had been holding back with showing any type of more personal attachment. There had only been the occasional slip-ups, such as with his hand a few moments ago.

Slowly they walked through the streets, taking in the small corner parks and learning where any stores or restaurants they may want to go to later on were located. It was currently about mid-afternoon and the street were not very busy at all with it being during siesta hours. Most businesses were already closed, but they could see that a lot of the restaurants were filled with people having meals or snacks.

"Want to get something to eat?" he asked Teagan as they emerged from between rows of houses into one of the towns many plazas.

"Maybe in a little while," she told him. "Unless you can't wait."

"I'm good for now, too," he told her, and so they just started walking.

Sam had found a new habit of trying to make sure that she knew they could get food at any time she wanted. He noticed back at the old safe house not long after getting there, that Teagan had every so often taken a pack of dried fruit from the snack cabinet. At first he thought she was eating them as a late night snack, but the empty packages never showed up in the trash.

Eventually, one evening while they had been talking while sitting on the front porch steps, he'd asked her about them.

Sam had started by asking if she had found one that she liked more than others, saying he'd make sure to get more of that kind. After a few moments of embarrassment at being caught, Teagan admitted that she actually had them stashed around her room in case they locked her inside if she made another mistake. She admitted that the only place she figured they would lock her up would be her bedroom. Sam was crestfallen at hearing that even after living with the three of them for a few weeks that Teagan was still cautious of once again becoming a prisoner.

After confirming with Natasha that he wanted to make a change to help Teagan understand that they were not a threat to her, he had gone into town for a special purchase. That afternoon, Sam had swapped out the easy to pick door handle with one that could not be locked. Then he installed a small flip lock on her bedroom door's interior.

This way, she not only saw that they could not lock her inside, but she could slide the bolt into place to keep them out. Sam knew that it was not much, but Teagan has been so happy with the small change and given him a tight hug.

That had been the first time that Sam had realized how nice she felt in his arms, a very confusing feeling.

Ever since, he noticed that Teagan would favor being closer to him than the others when just gathering around the table or den to watch television at night. He considered that she was just doing it subconsciously since he was talking her through things while trying to help her.

But he also knew that there were times that he searched her out consciously.

Yes, he was starting to enjoy the confusing times.

Walking through the street, they talked about anything that came to mind, as long as it was not about her past. After about an hour, he noticed Teagan pause at the end of a cut-through alleyway.

"Let's go this way," she told him, her attention focused on the path before her and not on her hand which had easily found his to lead him.

"Why?" he asked as they started to move as one.

"Don't you hear it?" she asked him with a warm smile.

Now knowing to listen for something, he heard the sound of string music on the wind.

Sam smiled as she led him through the alley, stopping at the next street to listen for their next direction. Turning to the right, in no time at all, Teagan had them standing off to the side of a pair of street performers playing away on their guitars. Watching them as they played, Sam realized that one of the men was actually blind, his pupils white as he glared at a spot over their heads.

Since they had nowhere to be, he stood with Teagan's warm hand in his as they listened to a couple of songs. She didn't either mind, or had not noticed, but unless she made the first move, he just wanted to enjoy her touch. When she smiled up at him, and then gave his hand a small squeeze, Sam knew that she had just given him her approval.

They were still standing there as siesta came to an end, shops opening back up and those who had gone inside during the heat of the day coming back outside. With more people on the streets, a small crowd began to form around them also wanting to hear them play.

As another song started, Sam noticed that Teagan's grip on his hand was firmer than it had been. Glancing at her, he saw that her eyes seemed to be darting around too fast and that her breathing had become slightly erratic.

Leaning so that he could whisper into her ear, "Teagan, is something wrong?"

Her ragged voice began, "I...can't...too many..."

Trying to figure out what she meant, Sam then carefully paid attention to their surroundings.

While listening, the small group of others had encompassed them on all sides, save for between them and the performers. Now, there were people blocking Teagan on all sides that she could leave from. Sam then understood that she was feeling too closed in.

Recalling also what Bucky had mentioned long ago concerning being in larger group, that any stranger could be Hydra, Sam knew that he needed to get her out of there. Teagan could be at the beginning stages of a panic attack.

Making sure that he had a firm grip on her hand, Sam turned around to face the older man standing right behind him.

"Perdón," he firmly but politely pardon them as he then took a step forward which made the man step aside. He felt only a moments hesitation before Teagan was walking right behind him.

Heading back to the same alleyway they had gotten to this street from, he led her without stopping. Once they had entered it and traveled a short distance away from the street, Sam turned them so he could talk with Teagan face to face.

"Teagan, it's alright. We're alone in the alley. There's nobody around us to worry about," he told her as his hands came to rest on her reddened cheeks. Her eyes were now a hint glazed over, as if she were not really seeing him. "Just take deep breaths until you are feeling calm again. I'm right here and we are safe."

He was not sure, but Sam was almost certain that it was him saying the word 'safe' that made Teagan break down. Her hands came up to latch onto the sides of his shirt, her fist holding on tight so that he could not move. Her forehead fell against his upper chest as she quietly cried. His own hands wrapped around her back, gently patting it trying to comfort her.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice that we were being crowed in by so many people," he told her, feeling bad that he had not done a good enough job at being her protector. He was supposed to watch out for anything that might upset her, but instead he had become distracted by just being with her and enjoying the moment.

"I shouldn't have acted like that...I have to be stronger," Teagan managed to finally tell him after a few short minutes. "It's just been so long..."

"No matter what, I should have watched out for you better," he admitted while silently cursing himself for not paying better attention.

"No," she lifted her head to look at him, "You shouldn't have to. I feel so useless."

"You're not useless," he put his finger under her chin to lift her pouty face. "You've been through a traumatic experience, sheltered away for so long without any type of health human contact. It's only natural that you would become uneasy in larger crowds, especially when they are strangers."

"I didn't even notice them at first," she started to tell him. "But then someone bumped my arm, and a moment later so did another, and I thought..."

When she couldn't finish, Sam used Bucky's comment, "You thought they might be Hydra."

Teagan's eyes watered up again as she nodded in agreement. Needing to comfort her, Sam pulled Teagan back into the same kind of firm hug that she had given him that had made him feel so much better. How unprofessional was it that he liked how she felt in his arms? He held onto her until the tension in her body began to lessen, her crying shakes coming to an end.

"Do you want to head back to the villa?" he offered her a way out.

"No," she was quick to respond. Hesitantly pulling away from him, Teagan wiped the tears from her eyes, and firmly told him. "I can't just run away when something like this happens. I need to keep it together."

He was glad to hear that she sounded to eager to try and go out into the public again. Sam knew that a lot of others may have taken him up on the offer to just quit for the day.

"Is that the same Irish stubbornness coming through that Steve has?" he offered with a smile.

"Might'n be a wee bit, my lad," she teased him in a very heavy accent.

Hearing her talk like that made him laugh and once she had calmed, he took a hold of her hand and started to lead her back to the street.

"Come on, my favorite leprechaun, let's go and find something to eat then," he told her, squeezing his hand just enough to be encouraging.

Closing her bedroom door, Teagan leaned her back against it as thought about what Sam just looked like standing just a foot away as he told her good night. He was wearing his usual exercise shorts and a t-shirt that looked to be a size too small. Did he mean to wear clothing that showed his muscled arms and chest? Not that she would ever tell him to stop.

Once again, she had almost suspected that Sam was about to lean over and give her a kiss. Was she reading too much into his attention towards her?

Today in the town, when he had begun to freak out from the people bumping into her, it had been Sam that had managed to calm her down. He had sounded upset that she had gotten that way and even tried to take responsibility for it happening. With all nice things that he had already done for her, there was no way that she would ever blame him for her getting upsest like that.

All of her problems stemmed from Keeling and his mistreatment of her.

That was probably why even though Sam gave her that look at her bedroom door every night that nothing ever came of it.

Why would someone as kind as Sam ever want to deal with the horde of problems that was her past?

Turning on the small lamp that Sam had gotten for her nightstand after arriving and not finding one, she crawled into bed and told herself to try and dream of Sam instead of the normal nightmare of being locked back in her cell.

If this level of friendship with Sam was the most that she would ever get in the real world, she told herself that the least her mind could do was dream of more.

Spanish Villa
Early Spring- Months Later

Teagan knew as soon as she woke up again that she was on the verge of a panic attack.

Keeling was not standing at the foot of her bed.

Not only did she have the lamp on but she'd also turned on the light attached to the ceiling fan after her last nightmare. This was already her third one and the clock told her it wasn't even 1 a.m. yet.

Before she even set a foot on the tiled floor, Teagan sat quietly in the center of the bed to just listen to the sounds of the villa.

The clicking of the ceiling fan as it turned, a drip from the faucet in her sink, the rustling of trees outside from the wind blowing. Nothing that shouldn't be here.

And with three people missing, she could feel a hollowness all around her from their absence.

Why weren't they back yet?

The other's had left before sunrise this morning to deal with some weapon manufacturers in the northern African desert, but they had to find their base of operations first. That meant that Sam and the others were going to be gone for at least the entire day, much longer than any of the other handful of missions they had done recently.

And since she was not a combatant of any kind that there was no reason for her to go with them. So they had taken off in the Quinjet just after breakfast, and she had found herself alone for the first time since being freed from the Raft.

Had they been captured?

Teagan managed to distract herself fairly well today, she had thought.

Laying on the back patio in the sun for a while, until she became worried that someone could be watching her through binoculars, and headed inside.

Reading a book on her tablet in the den, before hearing a noise from outside and heading upstairs to look out of every window possible for people surrounding the villa.

She had to try and be strong.

Cooking dinner and then eating it while walking around the house to double check that every door and window was locked.

Watching the sun set from Nat's room, then making another round of the villa but this time also pulling down any shade or closing any curtain she found.

There was nobody in the house but her...right?

Now, as she made her way to the bedroom door, she stopped to verify again that there was nothing to hear. Stepping into the hallway, she turned on every lamp or light that she found as she traveled to the stairs. Listening again before heading down, she walked the entire ground floor turning on more lights so the entire villa was flooded with light. It had taken a few minutes of searching, but she had eventually found the switch for the exterior security lights that Natasha had in place.

Reaching the kitchen, the pulled a large carving knife out of the drawer where they were kept. It was not like it was the best choice, but she didn't want to take the chance of accidentally pulling the trigger of the gun Sam had left in her nightstand. Her hands were shaking enough so that holding that weapon could result in a misfire. She'd feel like an even bigger idiot when the others finally got back if that happened.

If Hydra came for her, she wouldn't be able to stop them anyways.

Heading over the fridge, Teagan grabbed one of the bottles of beer that she and Sam had gotten from the store yesterday. It was a local brand and was not as strong as what she was used to but right now she needed something to settle her nerves before they got any worse.

Two hours later, she was still sitting at the kitchen table when she heard the sound of footsteps and people calmly talking.

Hydra would be silent and not give her an alert.

She knew that they were probably disapprovingly glaring at the villa that was lit up like a beacon but it was the only way that she could feel safe.

Lifting up the knife from next to three empty beer bottles, she made her way to the window to see Sam, Nat, and Steve walking up to the villa still in their uniforms. The tenseness in her shoulders vanished and she felt like crying for how weak she had felt the past few hours.

Sam was the first through the door and quickly spotted her pathetic weapon of choice. With a smile, "Please tell me that you're about to cut a slice of cake."

"I..." her eyes darted for only a second to Steve and Natasha who now were inside, and embarrassingly replied, "No, no cake."

"Come on," Sam told her, taking the knife from her hand and putting it back into the drawer. Neither Steve nor Natasha said anything, which would only have made her feel worse. Wrapping his arm around her upper one, "It's late and I need a shower before crawling into bed for three days."

Teagan let him lead her back upstairs to their bedrooms, never once saying anything that would point out what an idiot she must have looked like when they first saw her.

Instead of depositing her at her door, Sam led her into to his bedroom which had two single beds in it. Pulling down the covers of the one he had not slept on, his hand patted it to indicate for her to sit down, which she did.

"Did you try and get some sleep tonight?" he asked sitting on his own bed across from her.

She just nodded while focusing on his dirty boots he was removing.

"Bad dreams?"

Another nod.

"Then how about you take this bed for tonight? Maybe being around someone and knowing we're back might help you get some sleep. And if you wake up again, I'll be right here to help you," he told her.

"How can you put up with me?" she asked in a weak voice.

"I'm not 'putting up with you'," he told her, reaching across to take her hand. His was so warm. "I'm your friend, Steve and Nat are your friends. Friends help one another. You've just had a lot to deal with and trying to help ease that burden is what friends do for one another. Go ahead and get comfortable. I'll be back in no time."

She gave a nod and scooted her body so that she was under the covers, but she just couldn't focus anymore. Sam was walking around the room getting out a set of clothes to wear after his shower. He was talking the entire time telling her about the mission, but she just couldn't keep the meaning of the words in her head. It hurt too much to try and concentrate on them.

Finally he left to go get cleaned up.

She was sick of being this way, useless and helpless compared to the rest of them. They could do such extraordinary things, and she couldn't even go into a crowded grocery store without panicking. There had been times when she would walk into a room and a conversation would either suddenly stop or she could hear an immediate change of topic.

They were walking on eggshells around her still. Because they saw how fragile she still was.

Maybe that was why Sam seemed to look at her the way he did sometimes...maybe it was pity. She just hadn't recognized it.

Rolling over to face the wall, she was still awake when Sam finally returned, turning off the overhead light while leaving on a lamp.

But knowing that they were back, and that Sam was between her and the door so anyone after her would have to pass him, Teagan finally felt comfortable enough to fall asleep.