Thanks for all the reviews. It's really lovely to hear you guys are enjoying it.
"Well I am looking forward to getting back to my holiday weekend", Wilson said as he unclipped the seat harness now we were safely back in the air.
The Quinjet was transporting them all back to DC. Home. I couldn't stop my mind to flashing back to the early hours of the morning. Lucy was lying beside me, one arm tucked under the pillow where she rested her head and the other flat under her cheek. She was sleeping soundly. No more nightmares. She looked content and peaceful. Beautiful. I itched to get back. She'd be in the lab now, forgoing one day of the holiday weekend for the sake of SHIELD. I wanted to take her home, watch her pad around her house barefoot, holding a cup of coffee, in the pyjamas that were too long for her and feel her settle her body next to mine on the couch and relax. And when it was late, I'd let her think she was coaxing me in to her bed with her coy smiles and big brown eyes when really I don't need any persuasion at all. I used to be afraid of how much she wanted me, afraid that I'd taint her with the darkness of my past but instead she was a beacon of light chasing the darkness away. I'd never be clean but watching her respond the way she does to my touch, breathless sighs and flushed cheeks, makes me feel good. It makes me feel alive again.
"Hardly worth the effort calling us in", Wilson continued, interrupting my reverie. "Couple of agents, that's all it would have taken. No need for the big guns".
"You're considering yourself a big gun now Falcon?" Natasha called from the cockpit.
"Hey, who of us here can fly?" He replied.
"With the aid of a jetpack", she pointed out.
"Don't matter, I got wings".
"You're right though, intel made it sound worse than it worse. It's not usually wrong", Steve joined in.
I agreed the mission was far too easy. We were called in to end a hostage situation. HYDRA had kidnapped a commanding officer of a unit of marines that were tasked with taking on HYDRA. They had taken him to a warehouse further down the east coast, when we got to the warehouse it was poorly defended whatever personnel SHIELD's intelligence had reported were long gone. There was a small fire fight that was over before it even began and then the hostage was recovered in a matter of moments. It was an insult to their skills and abilities that they were even sent in. A couple of agents would have handled it. Hell, Wilson could have done the whole rescue himself. Not a job for a super spy, a super soldier and an assassin.
We landed back at the base and as the jet's cargo door lowered I could see a rush of activity on the ground outside. Battle dressed agents getting into the back of the last black SUV of a motorcade that was careering out of the base.
"Someone's in a hurry", Natasha remarked as we made our way across the asphalt. "What's happening?" She asked one of the guards.
"HYDRA's hit a lab downtown". I stopped dead in my tracks at his words. A dark cloud of dread and fear engulfed me. Steve looked at me worried.
"Where?" I demanded. My voice darker than I intended.
"Communications lab, that's all I know", the guard replied defensively. I didn't wait; I tore off towards one of the parked SUV's and jumped in. I was about to speed off when the passenger door opened and Steve got in. He nodded at me and I hit the pedal and drove off the base, tyres screeching.
"You think it's Rollins?" Steve asked.
"Yes".
"We don't know she's in any danger", Steve said reasonably.
"She is. The second she let me into her life she was in danger", I replied tersely.
"The mission. It was too easy, you said it yourself. He's not stupid; he knows I'd look out for her, that we all do. The mission was a distraction", I told him, my hands gripping the wheel tightly. Steve didn't argue, he nodded and looked straight ahead. He agreed.
"This isn't your fault", he said at length.
"I made her a target!" I shouted. "I should have left her alone".
"If you did that she'd already be dead", Steve pointed out calmly. "Lucy is a grown woman, she makes her own choices. You can't decide how she feels and what she wants". He was right.
We sped through the city until we made it to a road closure. SHIELD had cordoned off the area and the black SUV's were parked along the street, people were putting on kit and checking building blueprints. I didn't have any time for that. I jumped out of the car with Steve in tow and I was stopped at the line.
"Hey, this is a protection team issue, you've no authorization to be here", the female agent informed me. I was too angry to acknowledge her and walked under the tape.
"Hey!" She called again and aimed her sidearm at us.
"Oh I'd let him through agent", Tasha's voice came from behind us where she was exiting her car with Sam.
"Agent Romanoff", the woman addressed Tasha. "No one has requested the presence of the response unit".
"This is personal", she clarified and they followed Steve and I under the tape.
As we approached the lab for the first time, in a long while, I felt fear. Not for myself but for how I would find Lucy.