Hi. A new chapter again. Any feedback as always welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters aside from my own OC. The rights of the other characters belong to Marvel and its affiliates.

Enjoy!

The Quinjet hummed as it made its ascent. Steve sat, holding a tablet and a frown as the plane levelled out and the journey to the next S.H.I.E.L.D base began. Across from him, an agent in a suit that made him indistinguishable from any other he had encountered fidgeted in his seat. Steve makes eye contact long enough to notice the way the agent, Coulson from his introduction as the jet had taken off, brushed his fingers against his lip and the swollen split in it that marred his otherwise calm features. When the man looked up to find he was being stared at, Steve looked back down at the tablet in his hands, or more specifically the video playing on it. Even with all that had happened to him, everything that was new and unbelievable, what he was watching still seemed like something out of one of the science fiction pictures he'd seen advertised but never had the money to see.

The scene of devastation flickering on the screen kept him transfixed, even as the pilot spoke up from the nose of the plane.

"We're about forty minutes out from base, sir."

The agent acknowledged the pilot as he stood and crossed to Steve's seat. His posture was easy to read, and it was clear that he wanted to say something, so the captain broke the silence with a gesture to the tablet's video.

"So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?"

"A lot of people were," Coulson explained. "You were the world's first superhero."

He paused as he looked down at the screen, and then continued. "Banner thought radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula."

As he spoke the monster on the screen roared in evident anger as a jeep was ripped apart between the might of its green palms. Steve flinched involuntarily as he watched the debris continue to fall around 'Banner'.

"Didn't really go his way, did it?" He muttered.

"Not so much," Coulson agreed. "When he's not that thing though, guy's like a Stephen Hawking."

On seeing Steve's blank expression the agent revised his statement: "He's like a smart person."

Steve nodded noncommittedly, the reminder of how oblivious he was stinging almost as much as the reminder that the person meant to bring him up to date on all these things was still M.I.A.

Across from him, Coulson steeled his courage as he tried to act casual next to the super soldier.

"I've gotta say," He started, "It's an honour to meet you, officially."

Steve smiled, partly out of politeness and partly because it was nice to see the human side of the agent come through. He'd grown tired quickly of the professional front everyone he had encountered -bar one- had encompassed.

"I sort of met you," Coulson continued. "I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping."

Steve could see the cogs whirring in Coulson's brain as the agent realised how bad that sounded. As he set the tablet aside and walked to the front of the plane, the other man quickly rephrased as he followed him.

"I mean, I was... I was present while you were unconscious… from the ice."

Steve didn't respond, instead choosing to watch the skyline and try not to remember what the clouds had looked like the last time he had been in this position. Subtly, he clenched his fists.

Coulson didn't notice, or if he did chose not to comment, instead saying something that had the captain looking up in renewed interest.

"I had some input with your rehabilitation too, quite by chance really but the museum exhibit plans were so fitting, a really brilliant memorial, that I couldn't not put Miss Quinn forward for the position."

"You met Coraline?" Steve would have berated himself for the slip – for using her name and not the professional 'Miss Quinn' he'd been forcing himself to think of her as – but the potential information to be gleamed from the agent in front of him was too enticing to care.

"Yes, I…uh…bought her in – to S.H.I.E.L.D I mean."

"She was handcuffed to a table," Steve said bluntly.

"I was seconded to another facility before that happened, but I am regretful that it occurred."

Steve acknowledged the sentiment with a nod, and Coulson visibly relaxed – something that was reversed when Steve continued.

"So if you were the one that recruited her, you could be held responsible for what happened to her."

"Uh…yes." Coulson touched his split lip again subconsciously. "Some people would definitely see it that way."

He paused for a minute, and when Steve turned to look back out of the window, he continued his original train of thought.

"You know, it's really, it's just a... just a huge honour to have you on board."

Steve looked at him, his focus on the historian ebbing down as he remembered his current purpose and predicament.

"Well, I hope I'm the man for the job," He muttered.

"Oh, you are. Absolutely," Coulson replied reverently. "Uh... we've made some modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input."

Steve looked up with a shock, mostly at the notion that his uniform would still be considered viable let alone practical, but also because a small part of him could not get a handle on the agent next to him – or more specifically the excitement was radiating off his awkward movements and statements of barely disguised awe.

Instead of commenting on this, Steve queried his first point.

"The uniform? Aren't the stars and stripes a little...old fashioned?" He winced at this internally, the pain of calling everything he knew old still a fresh one in his mind.

"With everything that's happening, the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old fashioned."

aAa

Not long later and the S.H.I.E.L.D facility- an aircraft carrier on a megalithic scale to Roger's eyes– was being touched down on. After the introduction of Rogers and Romanov, Coulson crossed the deck of the Helicarrier and in through the code protected doors.

Before he could get two steps along the corridor, a voice stopped him

"You didn't ice it."

Coulson turned to find Coraline leaning against the wall, looking both casual and uncomfortable in the close fitting S.H.I.E.L.D uniform. As she saw she'd got his attention, she crossed in front of him to get a better look at his lip.

"I told you to ice it, wouldn't have swollen as much if you had," She muttered as she squinted at the bruising.

Coulson didn't answer her, instead gesturing to her clothes with a: "Looks good."

"I look like a Thunderbird," Cora deadpanned as she straightened, one eyebrow raised. "Is he here?"

"Yes," Coulson guided the woman with one arm as he continued his original journey towards the bridge. "Fury's orders were for you to stay conveniently out of the way."

"I know," Coraline walked ahead of him enough to turn and force him to stop. "Is he alright?"

Her eyes were searching, and the emotion beyond them was enough to make Coulson sigh and lead the historian to an empty briefing room off of the corridor.

"He's fine. Angry and confused but training well and in the right frame of mind for what he might have to do yet."

Coraline nodded, her face - for once - giving away nothing. Coulson stared at her and sighed again, this time through his teeth, as she remained blank.

"Look, I don't like this situation. Orders are orders and you don't answer to me at all but..."

Cora looked ready to retaliate, but Coulson continued before she could.

"But I really need you to monitor a junior agent's progress at the bridge."

"I…I don't have any qualifications to do that…"She trailed off as she realised.

"It's really very important," Coulson emphasised.

Coraline touched Coulson's shoulder as thanks, and they met eyes before her gaze again went to his lip.

"I am sorry about that," She muttered.

"I know, you did mention," Coulson returned with a smirk.

aAa

Two days previously and Coraline had been looking at the same agent with a fury in her gaze.

""You," She had said, before a fist had flown up in impulse and met the face of Agent Coulson with force.

With all respect to Coulson, he had taken the punch well. His head had snapped back and his lip had split, but Coraline was not a practiced puncher and it was the shock more than anything that had the agent reeling.

The historian had stared at her own hand, and flexed the aching fingers she had fisted to throw the punch. Then she had rushed an apology quicker than the words could properly come out of her mouth.

"I am so sorry, I don't even know why I would…I've never done that…I just blamed you and ….wait a minute…" She had paused then, looking at her hand with a new expression on her face – one that quickly returned to one of anger again. "I'm not sorry. It's your fault I'm in this mess. It's your fault S.H.I.E.L.D found me and hurt my arm and lost me for two weeks and won't tell me anything. I'm not sorry at all!"

She had gone to punch him again then, but Coulson was ready this time and had caught her fist before it made contact with anything.

They had stood like that, her outstretched arm being restrained by his, eyes making contact – calm blue to anger-dimming green.

"I am sorry for what S.H.I.E.L.D has done to you," Coulson eventually spoke. Coraline let the tension fall from her arm as she relaxed in silent thanks.

"I have a proposition for you, a fair one this time," Coulson had said and Coraline had listened.

aAa

The Helicarrier bridge was a flurry of activity, with agents watching their screens and barking out order codes Coraline didn't recognise as the ship took flight. From her position on the floor, she could just see Director Fury at the main command post, and the always moving figure of Deputy Director Hill could be seen flitting between computer bays as she completed the necessary checks. As she passed Cora's position the historian attempted to look busy. While Fury will almost certainly have clocked the fact that she is exactly where she shouldn't be, her uniform and standard hairdo of a tight bun minus a few stubborn curls around her face were enough to disguise her from the rule abiding Deputy Director. Thankfully, Hill didn't notice, instead favouring to report: "We're at lock, sir."

Fury responded with the command to vanish, and the bridge whirred as whatever mechanism Coraline didn't even begin to try and understand got put into effect.

The historian was just admiring the abundance of nothing where the slight glimpse of one of the ship's engines should be visible, when she heard the door to the higher level of the bridge beep open.

She didn't turn around straight away as she was still maintaining, or at least attempting to maintain, the guise of innocent and very busy S.H.I.E.L.D employee.

On hearing Fury greet the people who had just walked in however, she couldn't control her head whipping around and her gaze jumping straight to the upper level.

She couldn't help her breath catching slightly as she watched Captain Rogers extract a bill from his pocket and hand it to the Director.

She certainly couldn't help the audible gasp she let out when Fury crossed to greet the other man – someone in a purple shirt and a wary expression – and left Steve staring out across the bridge lower floor, or more accurately as their eyes met, right at her.

Sorry I haven't gotten back to guests yet, next time for sure!

As always, please do tell me what you think of this. All opinions, good or bad, very much appreciated!

Also if anyone sees any grammar/spelling mistakes please do point them out. I'm going through and correcting bits as often as I can but I always feel bad when I notice one really late.