Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, Disney, The Avengers or ABC. Just Sera :)


Two days later

The music blared from the radio beside my car, creating a safety bubble around me. I didn't want to hear what anyone was saying, and the songs were what I needed. I checked my email last night to find Pepper was the only one to contact me.

Using the socket wrench, I tightened a bolt as I worked on ARSENAL. Mack was on the other side of the car, watching what I was doing. Grabbing my tablet, I projected the hologram above the engine.

"This is more complex than I thought it would be," He said, crossing his arms.

"And this is as close as you get to my car." I teased, bending over to weave my hand through the engine.

"What exactly are you fixing?"

"I'm making sure the computer connections are clear before I test out the thrusters. I could only get the smaller ones operational. I took off before I could rewire the larger ones." I said, pulling a greasy hand out, and walking to the driver's door. Cleaning my hand off, I spoke, "ARSENAL, test protocol 34."

"Test protocol 34 activated. Initiating." The female voice said as four industrial clamps drove into the ground.

"Power up main thrusters," I said, watching the readings on my tablet.

"Take power up to 2%." I said, watching the information.

"Power at 2% capacity," she responded. The levels were holding steady so I said, "Let's boost it up to 15%."

"That's quite a jump." Mack said, concerned.

"If levels are steady at 2%, anywhere under 25% they will remain the same. It's when I jump from 25% to 50% where it might explode." I said, watching the readings. I could hear the thrusters getting louder, and that's when I knew I was fine.

"No ticking, no flare ups, good. ARSENAL, throw it up to 26%."

"Power at 26% capacity." The AI responded.

"What's going on here?" I heard Skye as I focused on my tablet.

"Testing out new thrusters." Mack said, focusing on the car.

"ARSENAL, ready emergency stop. We're kicking this up further."

"Standing by for emergency stop." She responded.

"50%."

"Power now at 50% capacity." I watched the thrusters carefully, noting the oscillation cycles were perfectly timed, and the engines weren't exploding.

"Power down." I said smiling.

"Yes ma'am. Thrusters now at 0%, and cooling down."

"Why'd you stop?" Skye said, confused.

"Anymore than 50% needs to be tested in the air. Or the hanger would lose oxygen fast." I said, making an exploding noise.

"Ooooh," She said as Trip came up behind her.

"Agent Stark," He smirked.

"Well, well, well. Triplett, you grew a few more inches." I teased.

"What'ya doing here girl? It's not everyday we get a visit from an Avenger," He said, smiling.

"Come to save your asses," I joked, "I needed a place to lay low until I've cooled down. Some tension at home, and I thought I could be more helpful here."

"Wanna talk about it?" Skye asked, giving me a small smile.

"It's…" I stopped and gently put a hand on my stomach, "My father wants my boyfriends and I married, before…"

"Okay, two seconds. Boyfriends?"

"I have a thing for multiple partners. We are all in a relationship, albeit confusing and unconventional." I explained to Mack's confused stare.

"You are still with Captain Rogers?" Skye asked.

"And a man thought long dead." I smirked.

"I told you about Yasha, right?" I asked, wondering if I could skip over details.

"No." She shook her head.

"Over two years ago, I was assigned by Fury, to track and kill an assassin. He was a ghost, no one ever knowing where he came from or who he answered to. He had over 200 kills recorded in the last 70 years."

"So he was old?" Skye asked, as we all sat down.

"No. It was weird because he looked no older than me." I sighed.

"He was in Russia, when I finally caught up with him. He knew I was following him, but didn't kill me. I couldn't kill him until I understood him. I had been curious, which was my first mistake. I was supposed to approach him. He was closed off, due to what I know now, was memory wiping. I tried to seduce him, to see if he would give me anything. He didn't, but we still went back to my hotel. I tried to keep a level head through the next few days. He wouldn't let me out of his sights. He took me with him to take out a Russian mobster who I'm guessing had crossed Hydra.

"He grew attached. I thought it was just sex, but he became very protective of me. Over the next two weeks, I realized I was slowly losing myself to him. I contacted Fury and told him that I had emotionally compromised myself. I had fallen for him, for the man I was supposed to take out."

"I pulled myself off that mission, but Yasha didn't leave my mind, even when Captain Rogers had been assigned to my watch." I explained.

"Who was he then? You said he was thought to be dead for a long time," Skye said, studying my face.

"Yasha is Russian, for James. James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes. Steve's best friend and teammate from WWII," I said watching their jaws drop.

"Does Coulson know? He's gonna fanboy so hard." Skye said, shocked.

"The reason everyone thought he was dead was because Hydra had turned him into their own weapon. The Winter Soldier," I said, to which Trip got up.

"Damn girl. This is crazy stuff you deal with." Trip exclaimed. I saw Fitz had been listening.

"I was able to undo all the brainwashing he went through. But he had to want it. It had to be for himself, not for Steve or I." I said, looking at Fitz, who nodded in understanding.

"And now," I said gently patting my belly.

"A baby?" Skye said, smiling wide.

"Twins, a rare set. Each are half siblings, each with a different father."

"And it just got strange," Trip laughed, to which I punched his arm.

"For how small you are, you can sure pack a punch." He said, rubbing his arm.

"No treating me like a china doll. Got it? I don't know how long I'll be here, but I can still knock some heads," I laughed.

"Agent Stark," I heard, to which I looked up at Fitz.

"I'll meet you in the kitchen Fitz." I said, standing up and saying, "ARSENAL, lockdown mode."

The thrusters sunk back into their places inside the body of the car, and the body armor shifted along the car, to which she said, "Lockdown mode initiated."

"If you will excuse me, I need to go reply to my step mother's email." I said, giving them a quick wave goodbye.

"Sera?" Pepper asked as she actually picked up my video call.

"Pepper, be honest with me. Is my father trying to trace this call?"

"No, he's out looking for you. I'm sure he's asked Jarvis to track you, regardless. Now, where are you? Steve and Bucky are worried sick. We all are."

"They shouldn't be. I'm fine. I'm with old friends," I said, not knowing if keeping Phil's secret was needed now.

"Sera, they just want to know you are safe. Please, phone them."

"Pepper, I refuse to let people make decisions for me. I'm not someone they have to protect, and coddle. I make my own choices and refuse to be bullied or forced into something that wasn't my idea."

"You don't want to marry them."

"I don't know the first thing about being married, let alone with two husbands. We have something good, and they want to complicate it further."

"They want to do right by you and the twins. It's just the way they were raised."

"I understand, but I was raised to be my own person, and not let any man have control over me." I said with conviction.

"This isn't control, this is love. They both love you, and you love them."

"You're right, I do love them. I just need time to be my own person, before I'm turned into a wife and a mother."

"You are a mother now. Your father wasn't meaning right away. I'm sure Steve and Bucky wanted things in motion for well before you started showing, or even had the babies." She said, giving me her mothering tone.

"I just want to be myself awhile longer."

"They don't want you to be anyone but yourself Sera."

"I know. I just want time to do what makes me happy before I'm a stay at home mom."

"Okay," She said before adding, "We love you. Be safe, because they aren't just your babies."

"I promise I am." I said, before I hung up.

"You ran," Fitz said when I entered the kitchen.

"I did." I said, moving to pour myself a cup of tea.

"So, I need to know, and for you to fully heal, we have to relive your time in that container." I said, to which he froze.

"Do we have to?" He asked, sounding scared.

"As a fellow scientist, you understand that we need all the information. Sometimes you have to go back to the beginning to understand the outcome."

"Yes, right."

"I'm not gonna push. You tell me what you can, and if you feel like you are going to be overwhelmed, we stop."

"I think… I need to get it out. It feels…"

"Like you're trapped in your own head, screaming to be let out."

"Yeah. How did you.. know?"

"Because it's how Bucky felt. You can't speak for yourself, but inside, you are screaming to be let out. Your mind is a prison, built to keep things in, but it doesn't have to be."

"Focus your mind," I said softly, as Fitz and I sat in a quiet room.

"Water," he said, shaking slightly as he kept his eyes closed.

"Tell me about the water," I asked, keeping a close eye on him as I paced.

"It was cold. I felt like I got thrown against the concrete when it rushed in," He said, as I noted the lack of stutter and hesitation.

"Describe the feeling." I inquired, putting my hands behind my back.

"Pounding, hard, like a million shards of glass piercing my skin."

"And what emotion was at the front of your mind at that point?"

"Love,"

"Why?"

"For Jemma. I wanted her to live."

"Even if you knew you wouldn't make it?"

"Jemma was all that mattered. She would figure out how to save me, if it were possible."

"You trusted her?"

"I did."

"And you don't now?" I said, noticing his resolve breaking.

"She left me. My best friend left because I was broken," He said, eyes opening, and chest heaving.

"You feel," I started as I sat across from him, "That you were robbed of a sacrifice, because she left anyways."

"…Yes." He said, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"This has to be for you Leo. This can't happen if you think it will bring Jemma back. You have to want this, for yourself." I said, touching his shoulder gently.

"I want this."

"Do you trust me Fitz, that I have your best interest at heart?" I asked, searching his eyes.

"I trust you Sera," He said, without hesitation.

"Okay. Again," I said signaling for him to close his eyes.

"Focus your mind on the area of speech. You have the knowledge, you know the equations, but your mouth cannot form the words."

"I cannot get those cells back."

"Fitz, the cells are not dead. They lie dormant, in survival mode. You need to teach them that they are no longer fighting to survive. You need to re-teach them to live."

"How?" He asked, still in the trance-like state.

"How do you train a muscle? You work it, until it gets stronger. I'm going to give you three tasks. You will remember these subconsciously, and do them without thinking. Remember to breathe while you do them."

"I am ready."

"In your head, throughout each day, you will count to 100. And when you've reached 100 you will count down by subtracting 10. When you've reached 0, I want you to count to 100 again. The next time you reach 100, count down by subtracting 9. Back to 100, countdown by 8. And repeat until you've counted down by ones."

"I can do that."

"When you've finished that, I want you to start associating objects to words. For example, when you see a beaker, think chemistry, science, or fluid. When you see a weapon, think of power, trajectory, aim."

"Okay."

"When those two tasks are finished, I want you to relax your mind. Any muscle is only as good as the rest you give it after a workout. Play a video game, listen to some music, and let me worry about any task Coulson asks of you."

"And when you've finished doing all three tasks for a week, I will give you more. Re-training your brain will take time, so you must not rush it. I will be telling everyone to not distract you. I want you worrying about getting better, and never think that they are avoiding you. You need to worry about yourself first Fitz." I said, before snapping my fingers.

"So I think that I should take some time to… myself." He said.

"As your friend, I think that is a great idea."

"I'm gonna go sit in the.. lab."

"Okay, have fun," I said smiling. He gave a timid smile back as he left. My smile dropped, as I let out a sigh.

"That's cool." Skye said, coming down the stairs.

"It's not exactly a ball of sunshine for me though," I said, rubbing my temples.

"You don't think it's the best way to help him?" She asked, questioning why I was doing it.

"I don't think anyone should have their mind played with. I only started using it because it helped with interrogations. Then Fury had me use it on people. I brainwashed them, which was the exact opposite of what I wanted to do with it. I'm a psychiatrist, a lawyer, an engineer, a scientist and an agent. But my patients come first." I said, standing to wrap my cardigan round my torso tighter.

"I get it. Your roots, help you remember who you are, throughout all the mayhem this job comes with."

"You sound like you need a session," I joked.

"I'm good, but I'll keep you in mind." She said, before leaving the room. I walked up the stairs, towards Coulson's office with a plan.

"Hey, you busy?" I asked, walking through the open door.

"No." He said, fiddling with a piece of wire bent into odd shapes.

"We do things slow. Brain cells don't come back overnight. I need an MRI on his brain at least once a week, and regular sessions. He is to be left alone and any work you need done, I'm your girl." I said, laying down the law.

"Done. On one condition," Phil said, smirking.

"Either you bring them both in, or at least go home to talk to them."

"Only if you call Audrey," I said with narrowed eyes.

"Only if you call them."

"I already talked to Pepper. I'm sure she will relay that message."

"Not good enough Sera."

"My personal life Phil. Do you forget who was once a level higher than you?"

"I got rid of Levels."

"My point is, I don't know if it's a good idea that Steve knows you are alive. He already has a hard time trusting Fury, and we both know he's bound to show up again. Are you ready to be resurrected?"

"It's unlikely right now, but I understand where you're coming from. I don't want anymore secrets between us." He said, giving me a look.

"Fine, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." I sighed.

"Well, I'll make sure everyone knows to leave Fitz alone then."

"Thank you. Now I'm going to see if I can get Lola to cloak as well, so no more flying coach," I smirked.

"That would be amazing," He said, a smile gracing his face.

"Loosen up Phil. I'm pretty sure if you stuck coal up your butt, you'd have a diamond in a week." I joked, leaving the office.


A/N: Aaand that is all for this week! I'll post next Sunday :)