There wasn't much feedback on the last chapter. I'm not sure if people just lost interest because I went so long without updating or if it was just that bad. I do apprecitate those who took the time to let me know what they thought of it. Thank you for your concern. Things will never be the same again, but we often have to adjust to new normals in our life and this has been a big one. A hole that can't be filled, but a hope that carries us through.
I'm doing better. I only took a month to update this time. This chapter ran a bit longer than I thought it would. Sometimes the characters have more to say than you realize when you start something. I hope you enjoy it.
Stroll 5
Maria took a seat at an empty table in the mess hall, idly picking at the food on her tray as she read through some notes on her pad. She glanced up in annoyance as she sensed someone slip into a seat next to her. Her irritation vanished when she realized who it was.
"Phil," she greeted him.
He nodded and smiled at her, reaching over to grab a carrot stick off her plate.
"Where's the ranch dip?" he asked.
She glared at him for a moment, then pushed the tray over where he could reach it. As he dipped, then bit into the vegetable, she commented offhandedly, "By the way, I double dipped."
He thought for a moment, then shrugged and continued eating.
"What can I do for you, Coulson? Other than sharing my meager nourishment," she asked.
Chewing and swallowing, he finally looked up at her.
"I just wanted to make sure that you and Steve were still planning to be at Stark's party tomorrow afternoon," he told her.
"That's the current plan," she replied, "though you know how things go around here. If something comes up..."
She let the sentence dangle, knowing he knew full well that personal events took a back seat to SHIELD business.
When he nodded, she looked at him curiously. "Why do you ask?"
He shrugged casually. "I think I've convinced Jen and her kids to come with me," he told her.
"Jen?" she questioned. "Would that happen to be you new friend the cellist?"
His answer was a smile and a blush.
"Kids?" she asked.
"Two," he answered. "Mia is 12 and Max is 8. They're really neat kids and I think they're really okay with me dating their mom."
"And you're bringing them all to the party tomorrow."
"Yeah. I really want them to meet,"
"Steve," she interrupted. "Yeah, I know."
"Well, yeah, him, too. But I was going to say 'you'," he continued.
"Me? Why do you want them to meet me?"
He looked at her. "Because you're my best friend, and because...well, because I really want you to like them and I want to be sure that she understands my relationship with you."
"Sounds pretty serious," she commented.
His gaze locked on his coffee cup. "It's starting to feel that way," he told her softly.
She rested a hand gently on his arm.
"Then we will make every possible effort to be there."
He patted her hand and smiled at her. "Thanks. I appreciate it."
Snatching another carrot off her plate, he rose and pushed his chair in. "See you tomorrow, then."
"Maybe. If you'll go away and let me get my work done."
With another grin, he proceeded to the door. She smiled, glad to see him moving so well and with such a spring in his step, though she had to admit to being a bit nervous about meeting the new girlfriend.
And her kids.
She really wasn't comfortable with kids. In fact, she would rather face a dozen armed terrorists than a couple of kids.
At least, she knew what to do with terrorists. Kids...not so much.
But this was for Phil.
For him, she would make the effort.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
When Steve showed up at her door the next day, she let him in while she checked to make sure she had everything ready.
He grinned at her. "This is supposed to be fun, Maria. You shouldn't be so tense."
"Social situations make me tense," she responded. "The firing range is fun. The boxing ring is fun. Hanging out with a bunch of people who don't really like me isn't fun. Meeting my best friends girlfriend and her kids isn't fun. It's nerve wracking!"
Walking over, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. After allowing herself to relax against him for a moment, she raised her head and looked up at him.
"Are you sure"
He lowered his head, his lips meeting hers and effectively cutting off the rest of her question.
When he finally broke the kiss, she continued.
"That you don't just want to stay here and see what we can get into?"
He blushed and stepped away from her. "Umm...I'm not exactly sure that would be a good idea, Maria."
She smiled seductively. "I think it's a very good idea, Steve."
He looked at his feet, struggling to find the right words. Finally, she had pity on him and put a hand gently on his arm.
"I'm teasing, Steve." When he finally looked up at her, she continued. "I know we're not ready to go there yet. Besides, I promised Phil that I would be there if at all possible."
A relieved smile crossed his face and he leaned down, kissing her lightly on the forehead. "It'll be fine. I'll be there with you. Phil will be there. The rest of our team will be there."
"Your team," she corrected. "Most of them don't like me."
"They don't know you," he answered. "Once you give them a chance to know you, they'll like you just fine. So will the girlfriend and her kids."
"You really think so?"
"I think so," he reassured her. "I certainly do."
She threw him a dazzling smile and stretched up to kiss him lightly. "Thanks." Checking her bag once more, she zipped it up. "I think I have everything."
When he reached to take it, she glared at him. "I'm perfectly capable of carrying my own bag, Steve."
He sighed. "I wasn't insinuating that you couldn't," he told her. "I just like doing things for you."
Her smile was slightly contrite. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just that I've spent so many years proving that I didn't need special treatment, that I could do for myself, that it's difficult to let someone else do things for me."
He nodded in understanding. "But I'm still going to keep offering."
"And someday, I'll surprise you by accepting."
They both shouldered their bags and exited her quarters, heading to the garage. Though there weren't many people in the corridor, they maintained a proper distance between them, chatting casually about nothing in particular. Just before they reached the garage entrance, an agent came running down the hallway.
"Agent Hill!" he called.
She stopped and turned towards him.
"Yes?"
He held out a data pad. "Agent Williams said to bring this to your attention, ma'am. He thought you would want to take care of it immediately."
She scrolled through the information. She could take care of it. It wouldn't take more than a few minutes back in her office.
But then, of course, something else would come up.
And something else after that.
She could feel Steve watching her. Making a decision, she typed in a quick note and handed the pad back to the nervous young man. "Tell Agent Williams to handle it himself."
She held her bag out to Steve. After a brief look of shock, he reached out and took it, smiling broadly. She threaded her arm through his and smiled back, then told the other man, "We have plans for the afternoon. I won't be answering calls from anyone but Director Fury himself."
Her eyebrow lifted and the smile disappeared. "Understood?"
The young agent closed his mouth and swallowed hard.
Twice.
"Yes, sir!" he finally snapped off before turning and darting back the way he had come.
Arm in arm, the duo made their way across the garage to the car she had requisitioned for the day, leaving a trail of shocked faces in their wake.
"You realize this is going to be all over headquarters by the time we get back," Steve told her as he stowed their bags in the trunk.
"Do you have a problem with that?" she asked.
"Not at all," he reassured her.
"Good," she said. "Let's really give them something to talk about." Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled his head down and met his lips with her own.
The silence was sudden and deafening.
When she finally broke off the lip lock, she grinned up at him.
"Are you going to open the door for me?"
"Yes, ma'am," he responded, proceeding to do so.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Arriving at the tower, they took the elevator to the upper level. Maria took a deep breath, then the two walked into the living area. Across the room, Pepper noticed their arrival and headed towards them, a slight puzzled frown on her face.
"Agent Hill. So glad that you could join us," she said, nodding at the other woman.
"I appreciate the invitation," she replied.
Pepper turned to Steve. "And it's good to see you, too, Steve. I'm sorry your date couldn't make it."
He shifted slightly, reaching over to clasp Maria's hand in his. "Actually, Maria is my date."
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence when Pepper realized her mistake. Then, she smiled broadly. "Of course! I'm sorry I didn't realize. Since you hadn't mentioned a name, I figured it wasn't anyone we knew."
"Like I said," Steve reminded her, "We're taking things slowly. Been keeping things quiet while we get to know each other. Decide if it was something we wanted to pursue."
"So I guess you've decided to pursue?"
"Apparently so," Maria responded.
At that moment, Stark came over to greet the new arrivals. His eyes widened at the sight of their intertwined hands. Then he grinned.
"So. Captain Icicle and the Ice Queen!"
Pepper threw him a glare. "We're very glad that Steve and Maria decided to join us," she enunciated clearly, stressing their names. She turned back to the couple. "The others are out on the deck, you can change in the pool house," she told them, pointing them in the right direction.
In the changing room, Maria examined the two suits she had brought. The navy tank she normally wore for her workouts was comfortable and the high back covered the worst of the burns. The other was a bright turquoise that brought out the blue of her eyes and set off her dark hair and fair skin. It better accented her curves but provided less coverage.
Decision made, she quickly changed and drew her coverup on over her head then grabbed her bag and stepped outside to find Steve waiting for her. He took her bag and they headed out to the pool deck hand in hand.
Phil waved at them, gesturing them over to the table he occupied. As they crossed, Maria studied the woman seated next to him. She was slim and petite, her white blonde hair hanging in a neat braid down her back. When they reached the table, Phil stood, reaching out to shake Steve's hand then leaning over to lightly kiss Maria on the cheek. As they settled into empty seats, Phil made the introductions.
"Maria Hill, Steve Rogers, this is Jennifer Roth and her children Mia and Max."
Jen's handshake was firm, her fingers strong and calloused by the cello strings. Maria smiled at her, relieved to see that the other woman was nervous as well. Her first impression was a good one. She turned her attention to the two children seated at the table. The girl was totally focused on her phone busily texting, every line of her posture screaming that she did not want to be here. When her mother called her name, she glance up. Her straight dark hair hung down covering one side of her face. The other eye glanced at them, looking them up and down before grunting and returning her attention to her phone. Max grinned shyly at them, his eyes widening in surprise when Steve offered a handshake.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Roth."
He had his mother's white blonde hair in a short, spiky cut and her same fair skin that beamed with pleasure as he reached to shake the offered hand.
"You can call me Max, Mr. Rogers," he told the older man.
"Then you should call me Steve," he replied. He noted the boy glance longingly towards the pool. "Are you looking forward to swimming?"
Before he answered, he quickly glanced towards his sister. She shook her head slightly, never looking up from her texting. His face falling, he shook his head as well.
"Nah. I'm fine."
Maria and Steve looked towards Phil and Jen, confused. Phil's face revealed nothing and Jen's a disappointed smile. Shrugging, Maria reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of sunblock.
At that moment, a young man approached their table to take their drink orders. Steve and Phil both requested beer, Jen asked for a white wine, and Maria a bottle of water.
"And for the young lady?"
"Beer," she told him.
Jen sighed. "Unless you're talking about a root beer, no."
"Fine," the girl huffed. "Make it a diet soda."
When he turned to Max, the boy nodded politely. "Root beer sounds good to me."
The man turned and headed back to the bar and Maria reached for her sunblock bottle only to discover Steve carefully studying it. He finally looked up to find her watching him, a small grin on her face.
"Does it meet with your approval?"
He nodded soberly. "It has a very high SPF and is waterproof. You just need to be sure to reapply it every couple of hours."
Mia glanced over. "Haven't you ever seen sunscreen before?" she asked in a tone of disbelief.
"Nope," he admitted freely. "It wasn't a big thing back when I was a kid."
Maria kicked off her sandals and rose, pulling her coverup off and reaching to take the bottle from Steve. The way his face brightened made her relax about the choice of the less conservative suit. She smiled at him, then sat and began applying the lotion to her legs, paying careful attention to the scars on her thighs. When she noticed Max staring at her, she glanced at Phil, wondering if perhaps the suit was too revealing for the boy. He smiled encouragingly so she continued, making sure her arms, chest and face were covered.
Once she had finished, Steve took the bottle from her and pulled a lounge chair over. He settled himself and patted a spot in front of him. "Come over here and I'll get your back for you."
As she shifted over, Max broke out of his trance. He suddenly jumped up and removed the light weight wind suit he had been wearing over his swim trunks. Understanding dawned when she noted the familiar scarring on his thin arms and legs. He stepped closer, holding out his arms for her to examine.
"We were in a car wreck. My daddy was driving really fast and ran into a truck. Me and Mia got burned, but daddy died."
The others at the table held their breath, wondering how this would play out.
"I'm sorry," Maria told the child simply.
He leaned down to examine the marks on her legs. "Were you in a car wreck, too?"
"No," she told him. "I was a pilot in the military and my plane crashed."
"Not a very good pilot, were you?" Mia muttered under her breath.
Before her mother could reprimand her, Maria glanced over at the woman to reassure her.
"Actually, I thought I did pretty well. I managed to dodge the first dozen missiles, but that unlucky number 13 caught me in the fuel tank."
Max continued looking at her scars. "Did you cry?" he asked. "Cause I did."
Maria considered his question, glancing over to Phil for guidance. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted Mia had stilled, her fingers no longer moving over the keyboard as she listened intently while trying hard not to appear to be doing so.
"I don't think I really cried much, did I, Phil?"
He thought for a moment. "Cried? No, I guess not. Screamed and yelled? Oh, yeah."
"And cussed," she continued. "And I think I may have even threatened a few of the nurses that did my dressings," she confessed.
"Yes, you did at that," the older agent confirmed.
The brown eyed boy turned to him. "It really hurts, Phil. I'm sure they understood."
"Yeah, I know," he agreed, remembering how she had squeezed his hand sometimes when he had been there when they cleaned and dressed the wounds.
"Did you have to have any skin grafts?" the child questioned.
"Nothing up here," she told him, indicating her front, "but there were a few spots on my back they had to do grafts to cover." She turned slightly so that he could view the damage there.
He reached out, running light fingers over the scarring, then looked up at Steve. "You need to be sure you get all this well covered. Burns like this are more sensitive to further damage than normal skin."
Steve nodded seriously. "Do you think I got it all?"
After another examination, the boy pointed. "I think you missed a couple of spots."
Nodding, the older man carefully covered the indicated spots until Max finally nodded in satisfaction. Then, he set the bottle on the table and pulled Maria back against him.
Mia finally spoke up. "Was he your boyfriend back then or was Phil?"
Before she could answer, Clint and Natasha came over carrying the trays of drinks. "Thought we'd bring these over to you, since Stark has the bartender cornered discussing the proper mixture for the perfect martini."
Drinks were distributed, introductions made, and the duo claimed the chairs that Steve and Maria had vacated earlier.
"Actually," Maria continued, "I didn't have a boyfriend at the time. I didn't know Steve yet, and I had just met Phil when he rescued be after I was shot down."
"Wow. You saved her life?" Max asked, turning to Phil with admiration on his face.
The agent shrugged. "I suppose so. But then she saved mine during our escape."
Mia continued to study Steve. "So it doesn't bother you?" she asked.
"What doesn't bother me?" he asked, his face reflecting his confusion.
The girl gestured towards Maria. "The burns. All those ugly scars. Her flaws."
His face still looked confused, so she continued. "You're a pretty hot looking guy. Don't you think you deserve a woman who's as beautiful and perfect as you are?"
He looked at Maria and smiled. "But she is beautiful." He gently rubbed a hand down her arm. "These just remind me that in addition to being beautiful, she's also strong and brave."
The girl snorted and rolled her eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Natasha asked her.
Mia looked at her, shaking her head. "People always say things like that when they see these scars," she commented, pulling her hair back to reveal her own scars. "They say how brave you are and how courageous. Bravery and courage are choices. We had no choice in this. This is just something that happened to us."
"But you did have a choice," Clint interjected. At her questioning look, he continued. "You didn't have a choice about what happened, but you had a choice in how you reacted to it. You could have chosen to give up, to just lie there and die or to become bitter and angry and hide away from the world. No one would have blamed you after all you went through. But you didn't. You chose to fight, to survive. You followed the doctors orders, took your medication, endured the treatments and came through."
Bruce pulled up a chair, joining the conversation. "As a doctor, I've seen a few people who had little chance of survival pull through just because they wanted to so badly. Will can be a powerful medication."
"So this is where the warriors are gathered showing battle scars and trading tales of glorious victories," a voice boomed. The group looked up as Thor dragged over chairs for himself and Jane.
"We're not warriors," Max told him with a giggle. "Me and Mia are just kids."
"Nevertheless, you bear the signs of battle with my brother Loki as surely as the Lady Maria and the Son of Coul."
When the children looked at him in confusion, Phil explained. "Loki is also the Norse god of fire."
"Of course," Jen agreed.
"He is a fierce warrior, and to walk away from battle with him is a great victory."
"Is everything okay over here?" Pepper asked, Tony close behind her as she came over to check on the group.
"Sharing war tales and battle scars," Jane informed her with a grin.
Tony quickly handed his drink to Pepper and pulled his shirt off to show the arc reactor. "Does this count as my battle scar?"
"So what happened to you?" Max asked him.
He opened his mouth to explain, then stopped. "It's kind of a long story. Short version, I got hurt, had to have this thing put in my chest to keep me alive."
"Cool," the boy responded.
"So where are your scars?" Mia challenged Clint.
"I have several," he told her, holding up his right arm to show the scar running the length of his inner forearm. "When I was first learning to use a bow I didn't use an arm guard. The string can rub off a pretty good amount of flesh if you keep doing it."
Her glance slid to the red headed assassin.
Maria spoke up. "Not everyone's scars are visible on the outside," she reminded the girl. "Sometimes, the ones we carry inside are even more painful."
The girl looked quickly at her younger brother, then back to Maria. "You're right."
Jane finally broke the slightly uncomfortable silence that followed. "I've got this scar up over my eyebrow here," she told them pointing. "I had to have stitches put in when I was about ten years old. Fell and busted it open trying to roller skate down the stairs."
"Down the stairs, huh?" Max commented, a thoughtful look on his face.
"No, Max," his mother said.
"No, what?" he said, his face a picture of innocence.
"Anyway," Tony interrupted, "Just wanted to let everyone know that the grill is heated and ready. We have steaks, burgers, hot dogs, and a garden full of veggies. Just let the guy at the grill know what you want and how you want it cooked."
"Chips, dips, and other snack stuff is on the table over there, desserts are inside," Pepper continued, "and if you want anything that's not out, let me know and we'll find it for you."
With that announcement, the team members started heading over to check out the buffet offerings. Steve stood and offered a hand to Maria. She let him draw her to her feet, then told him, "You go on. I'll be there in a minute." He kissed her softly and joined the others by the grill. Phil rose and pulled Jen's chair out for her. They both looked at Maria. Phil looked at her questioningly and she smiled back, not sure why her approval mattered, but hoping he sensed that he had it.
They also joined the others, leaving Maria and Mia alone at the table. The teen finally spoke. "So, how long has it been?"
"About twelve years," she answered. "You?"
"Three years next month," the girl replied. "And you're really okay with looking like that?"
Maria thought for a few moments, trying to figure out the best way to explain. "Like you said, this was something that I didn't have a choice in, is just happened to me. If I hadn't, my life would have been different. I wouldn't have met Phil. Since he introduced me to his boss, I probably wouldn't have this job, which I not only love but am damn good at. I probably wouldn't have met any of these people."
"Including Steve?" the girl asked with a smile.
"Including Steve," Maria smiled back. "This was one of the worst things that ever happened to me."
"ONE of the worst things?" the girl interrupted. "I can't imagine what could possible be worse."
Maria stared at her for a moment. "And I hope you never do, Mia. Remember what I said about the scars that you carry inside?"
Mia nodded. "My dad was trying to kill us, too," she whispered softly. "Max has no idea that he ran into that truck on purpose. Mom suspects, but she's never come right out and asked me."
"That's a big scar to carry," Maria told her.
She shrugged. "I have no choice but to carry it."
"But you choose how you deal with it."
After a few moments of contemplation, she girl looked up at her and smiled. "You're absolutely right."
"And, just in case you need to talk to someone about choices, Phil has great ears. I'm not much for talking to people, but when I needed someone, he's always been there for me."
Mia turned and looked at the man talking to her mother. He glanced their way and waved at them. "Yeah, he's a pretty good guy."
"Except when it comes to food," Maria informed her. "He will steal food right off your plate, so we'd better get over there before he, Thor, and Steve eat it all."
"I really think Steve will make sure there's something left for you," Mia reassured her. "He really seems to like you."
"You know, I think you're right about that," she answered at the two joined the crowd at the grill.
Steve handed Maria a plate. "I went ahead and got a steak for you before the guys ate them all."
No one could understand why Maria and Mia burst into laughter.
Thank you for reading and please, let me know what you thought. Now, ready to focus on the next chapter of Risks and see what ideas I have for continuing this.
