A/N: We've finally reached the part of the story that I meant to get to a long time ago, but Steve and Maria hijacked my story. It's a lot harder to incorporate the Winter Soldier into this AU than I thought, so bear with me. (Also- remember that Iron Man 3 does not happen in this little world)

Day 15: Cuddling

"I heard he ran all the way from Times Square!"

"That's so romantic. I never would have guessed."

"Hill and Rogers- surely there's more to that story."

Maria groaned as the conversation filtered from the break room. She normally wouldn't even be here, but Barton had stolen the last of her good English Breakfast, and she really wanted some caffeine. She debated turning around and just heading back to her desk, but maybe it would be easier to settle this once and for all. She slid through the doorway, mask firmly in place.

"My personal life is none of your business," she stated coldly, causing the small group of agents to freeze. "We're spies in a secret organization for fucks' sake. Now get your coffee and go."

They scattered, nodding deferentially. She fought the temptation to roll her eyes. It would only hurt the right side of her face. Grumbling to herself, she grabbed a mug of hot water and stalked back towards her office. She was going to murder Barton the next time she saw him. As she walked back, agents quickly moved out of her way. She could feel the eyes on her studying the bruising that still remained, but for once they lacked the usual hatred that came with being a woman in a high position. She frowned and loudly shut the door.

"I do believe we agreed on half days, Agent Hill," Nick Fury grumbled as he stepped into the small office overlooking the city.

Maria kept her eyes trained on the file in front of her as she reached towards her computer keyboard with her left hand and slowly entered a few keystrokes. She could feel the Director's eye on her and when she finished she met his gaze.

"I just started my half day two hours earlier to beat the morning traffic."

"You mean the rumor mill."

"That too."

"Did you have any housekeeping this morning?" he said after a moment.

"There was nothing to take out," she responded carefully and pushed the file to the side to give him her full attention.

An icy surge of dread swept through her at the code they'd agreed upon years ago to ensure a room was secure.

He eyed her, and she waited knowing he'd continue when he was good and ready.

"We have a problem. SHIELD's been compromised."

"What the hell are you talking about?" she blurted out as her head started to spin.

"Someone's been leaking classified information, and I'm not sure how far up it fucking goes. WSC's pushing Insight despite my warnings, and I'm almost positive Porter had help to try and take you out. Someone's trying to shut us down."

Maria closed her eyes for a second while her brain shifted into overdrive.

"The chances of neither you nor I noticing anything-"

"I know," he said shortly.

"Fuck. Fuckity Fuck Fuck Fuck."

Fury's lips quirked at his Deputy Director's outburst.

"Feel better?" he questioned.

"Not really," she replied. "What are we going to do about it?"

He was still, and she didn't back down as he carefully studied her with an almost apologetic expression. Her face hardened.

"Sir?" she pressed.

"It's going to be messy. I don't see it ending up anywhere but with the Romeo Protocol, possibly for both of us."

She closed her eyes once more and inhaled deeply.

"What do you need from me?" she asked firmly.

"We can't show our hand just yet until we get more information. I'm sending you to DC to coordinate Sitwell's venture and pretend to followup with Insight."

"I'll need STRIKE team for that if the Lemurian Star is the endgame," she said after a moment.

"I need Barton out of this. He's too much of a liability as a possible scapegoat after Loki."

"Just Romanoff then. Send Barton to London to keep an eye on Jane Foster. There's been some strange readings from her current project although nothing to worry about yet.

Fury nodded at her assessment.

"Do it. I'll send Rogers down to DC too. I'll need to bring him into Project Insight as originally planned. If needed, he can support Romanoff's objective. We'll have to keep him out of the way."

"We could give him what we have on Barnes. A source of mine may have a possible sighting on the East Coast, and I'm sure he'd be interested in visiting Director Carter."

Fury agreed, and she continued.

"Stark was talking about taking Pepper to the Malibu Mansion so they'll be out of the crossfire. Have you heard anything from the Bus?"

"They're operating on the fringe, so we'll keep them in the dark for now. Contact is only you or me."

Maria pursed her lips, but nodded.

"I know you're not up to your full potential, but this is going to move our timeline up. Will you be okay with heading to DC next week?"

"I'll be fine as long as there are no fistfights," she replied. "I've been doing PT for my hand at the Tower, and my side is just going to take time. Evasive maneuvers and defense are definitely a weakness for now."

"Don't trust anyone, Hill."

"Thanks Mad Eye."

"I'm serious, Maria. Trust no one."

She nodded, and he sighed.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

She inclined her head, her face completely blank.

"I told him he'd hate me one day. Looks like that day may come sooner than I thought."

Fury reached out, and rested his hand on her shoulder in a rare show of affection.

"We'll get those bastards, sir."

"That's my girl."

Fury stopped at the door, and turned back to the brunette.

"Constant Vigilance," he stated before disappearing down the hall.

She allowed herself a half smile, knowing it would be the last lighthearted moment for a very long time. Thirty seconds later, she got to work.

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The first thing she did when she got back to the Tower was stop by Pepper's office to collect Hermes. The other woman was on the phone, but waved her in with a smile as she finished her conversation.

"What can I do for you, Maria?"

"I have a favor to ask," she said with a sheepish smile. "I normally board Hermes when I'm going to be out of town, but I wanted to see if you'd be interested in taking him to Malibu with you instead."

The dog in question raised his head at his name, panting as he looked in between the two of them. With a yawn, he hauled himself to his feet before shoving his chin onto Maria's lap. She smiled down an him, and rubbed behind his ears.

"I'd be happy to do that," Pepper said with a smile. "He's such good company when Tony's in the workshop."

"Are you sure it's not any trouble?" the brunette questioned.

"He's no trouble at all!"

"I appreciate it," Maria replied. "He's always happier with a familiar face than at the kennels."

She went to stand, and Hermes wagged his tail before plopping down at Pepper's feet with a heavy sigh. Maria smiled as the phone rang once more, and quietly slipped out of Pepper's office.

Heading towards the elevator, she paused when her breathing hitched. Grimacing, she leaned against the wall and gingerly prodded her side. A wave of pain radiated from her stitches, and she focused on her breathing until the sensation passed. Pushing past it, she headed down towards the residential floors and debating taking more pain medication. The events of the day hit her full force, and she felt worn down. No. She needed a clear mind more than ever if what Nick said was true.

She headed directly to the sitting area and took a moment to compose herself before striding through the door of their quarters. She bit her lip at that thought. Since when did Rogers' rooms become 'their' quarters. The living room was empty but she could hear the faint sounds of what sounded suspiciously like Jimmy Buffett echoing from the kitchen. The left side of her mouth curved up and she leaned against the doorframe while quietly watching Steve sing along. Her stomach rumbled when he opened the oven to remove a baking sheet full of shrimp, and she decided to make her presence known.

"I didn't take you for a parrot-head," she commented.

He set the sheet down with a grin, and turned down the music. Putting down the potholders, he leaned down and firmly pressed his lips to hers. His arms snaked behind her, holding her close but not firm enough to aggravate her injuries. He pulled back after a moment leaving her with a soft moan at the lack of contact.

"Not that I minded that welcome, but what's the deal?" she asked, her voice low.

"No reason," he said with a lopsided grin.

Her heart clenched painfully, and he must have noticed some sign of reticence on her face.

"Maria?"

"I'm just tired and a little sore," she answered softly.

His face instantly shifted to one of concern, and he led her to the coach before handing her what appeared to be a margarita. She raised an eyebrow at the offering and he laughed.

"Margaritas seemed appropriate when Margaritaville was playing," he said. "Besides, I know you haven't taken any pain medication today and this will take the edge off."

She raised her glass in toast and he disappeared back into the kitchen. She took a long drag from the glass, and decided she'd tell him tomorrow. One more night of happiness wouldn't kill anyone, she mused. Leaning against the arm of the sofa, she pulled her feet up and stretched out. Steve walked back in a few minutes later, and playfully ruffled her hair before handing her a plate. She shot him a halfhearted glare, but was quickly distracted by the dish full of coconut shrimp, rice, and grilled pineapple. They ate in companionable silence, and he took her plate when they were through.

"What were you up to today?" she asked after a delightful bite of warm pineapple.

"Not much. Reviewed some new training exercises and spent some time arguing with Tony. Are you logging in again, or is it a quiet night?" he asked.

"You know me well," she said with a smirk. "But, I think I'd just like to watch a movie tonight."

He practically beamed at her, surprised by her decision. He quickly went to clean up the kitchen while she glanced through the DVD titles available. She paused and drew in a shuddered breath at the sheer domesticity of the evening before her thoughts drifted back to the information Fury had uncovered. This was why she didn't have fucking nice things. A twinge of pain in her hand made her look down and she realized she had been clenching her fists. She forced herself to relax by the time Steve reentered the room, her fingers curled around a DVD case.

As the opening scenes of the small seaside town of Amity flashed on the screen, she leaned back against Steve and sighed.

"You okay?" he questioned softly.

"I'm fine for the moment," she answered truthfully as he pulled her against him, shifting until they were both comfortable.

Halfway into the movie, the tourists refused to go into the water and Steve glanced down to see Maria had fallen asleep against him. He ran his hand softly down her arm, and she practically burrowed her head into his chest with a small frown. A smile played on his lips as he dropped his chin to her head and inhaled the spicy orange scent of her shampoo before returning his attention to the screen. He knew from past experiences if he tried to move her now, she'd only wake grumpily so he did his best to maximize her comfort. If she was still asleep by the end of the movie, he'd carry her to bed.

The next morning he awoke to an empty spot beside him. His eyebrows furrowed and he staggered out of bed, drawn to the kitchen by the smell of bacon. Maria was moving slowly, but efficiently around the stove, humming softly to herself. Turning, she handed Steve a cup of tea and a plate of eggs. He looked at her quizzically.

"Thanks for dinner last night," she said, her face soft.

He squeezed her shoulder and sat down at the table. Maria followed him with her own mug, and a piece of toast. He watched her fidget for a few minutes. Turning the toast in her hand as she tossed around the thought in her mind. Her expression tightened and she looked up at him with a clear gaze.

"Fury's sending me to DC in a few days to coordinate a mission. I've already talked to Pepper and she's going to take Hermes with her to Malibu."

Her fingers twisted the tag off the tea bag.

"You just started back," Steve said.

She could hear the note of worry in his voice, and reached out and grabbed his hand.

"It's just office work and meetings. I'll be sitting most of the day."

"As long as you're sure," he said firmly. "I was uh- actually thinking about going to see Peggy sometime soon. This might be a good time, since you're headed down too."

She looked up suddenly and caught his expression. She frowned.

"Did you think that would upset me?" she asked softly.

He was silent.

"Steve, Peggy will always be a part of your life, and I'll never be upset about your connection to her. She's an amazing woman, but remember with her diagnosis she may not remember you or the current events."

He nodded, and flashed her a relieved smile. She smiled back, glad she wouldn't have to divulge her information about Barnes just yet. She'd wait until they were both down in DC and away from this clusterfuck in New York.

"Besides, someone has to make sure you don't work too hard," he added.

She shot him a look that was only half playful.

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They had been in DC for a week, and Maria still hadn't heard anything from Fury. If he hadn't told her himself, she almost would have assumed it was some elaborate ruse, but instead she pushed it back to a corner of her mind where it only nagged at her sporadically. She shifted her focus to the Lemurian Star where Sitwell was heading an op that was due to run south. She already had Romanoff on standby. She analyzed the screens in front of her once more with a frown before questioning another agent if they'd heard anything from the ship. They were already an hour passed the scheduled check in and her gut told her it was time. Pursing her lips, she considered the odds and picked up the phone once she was back in the security of her office.

"Are you interested in joining in on some action?" she said when he picked up.

"Hello to you too," Steve said with a laugh.

She fought back a smile.

"Whatcha got for me?"

"I need you here in the next two hours for a recovery."

"I'm out for a run, but I'll head your way as soon as I clean up."

"Finish your run. I'll send Romanoff to pick you up."

"Yes, ma'am."

She hung up and covered her mouth with her hands at the unfamiliar feeling that rose with the thought of the conversation she needed to have with Steve about Barnes. This was going to kill him. Exhaling slowly, she planned no less than six extraction plans for STRIKE team and vowed she'd talk to Steve when they got back. There was no room for emotion in the game she was now playing. Someone wanted to destroy SHIELD, but first, she had to deal with Sitwell.