Chapter Thirty: In Sam She Trusts

The coordination brought them to an old military base called Camp Lehigh, a place where they once worked on Project Rebirth. It was also a place where Steve once trained before he became a super soldier. It was a place where everything began to change for him. There had been something off about the place and Steve had been the one to find it in a munitions building which led to an underground bunker. . .to where SHIELD first began.

It was where her grandmother and Tony's father first put things into motion. The way Gran had talked about Howard was the way she talked about family. In some ways her and Tony were like cousins, Tony's father like Gran's brother. SHIELD was meant to protect families from the shadows from people like the Red Skull. It was devastating to discover that Hydra had integrated itself into SHIELD like a cancer.

"Emma Margaret Carter, born 1992. Maybe I should be calling you something else. No?"

The former Nazi scientist knee things about them and it was all because of Operation Paperclip. Recruiting German scientists for their own agenda. Would Gran really would have allowed that? No, she didn't think so. If she had known what would have become of it, would she have stopped it? If she had know that they were trying to take the free will of the people then Peggy Carter would have definitely put a stop to it.

They did have time to ponder Armin Zola's words further or what he meant about his algorithm. Someone tried to kill them and it looked like it was SHIELD. They managed to survive the bogey and ended up in the one place that Hydra might not look for: Sam Wilson's house. Emma was grateful that he allowed them to stay especially knowing that Hydra was on their tail.

After freshening up in Sam's personal bathroom, Emma went looking for Natasha and Steve in the guest bedroom. She was going to go in but she didn't want to interrupt anything nor did she want to leave. She decided to wait. No, she decided to spy.

"When I first joined SHIELD I thought I was going straight but I guess I just traded in the KGB for Hydra," Natasha said, disappointed. "I thought I knew whose lies I was telling but I guess I can't tell anymore."

"There's a chance you might be in the wrong business," Steve replied and Natasha smiled.

Emma guessed it was an inside joke but she didn't get it.

"I owe you," she said.

"It's okay," he said.

"If it was the other way around, and it was down to me to save your life, now you be honest with me, would you trust me to so it?" she asked.

"I would," he said, cupping her face and kissing her. "Always."

Emma bit her lip to stop herself from squealing and she resisted the urge to do a little dance.

"Well, you seem pretty chipper from someone who just found out they died for nothing," Natasha said as she laid her forehead against his.

"Well, I just like to know who I'm fighting," Steve said.

Emma jumped when Sam behind her and she cursed under her breath. Natasha taught her better than that.

"Are you spying on them?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nooooo. . . Okay, stop looking at me like that," Emma whispered. "Yes, I was spying on them. Just a little bit. Don't judge me, please."

Sam snorted and entered the bedroom as the brand new couple were about to kiss again. He let them know that he had made breakfast.

"I enjoyed breakfast with you last time so why not again?" Emma asked.

"You guys had breakfast together?" Steve asked as everyone sat down to eat.

"Purely platonic, Pops," she replied.

"Pops?" Sam asked.

"Steve's my grandfather," she revealed cheerfully as he took a sip of orange juice.

Sam nearly choked on his juice but recovered nicely. Natasha patted him on the back and stared at the younger woman.

"What?" she asked innocently. "I trust him."