Chapter 11

"How do we handle this? I mean we can't just walk up to the Director of SHIELD and ask if he's dirty." Colson said, although he could tell that Natasha and Ward wanted to do just that. Come to think of it, they probably wanted him to lie so they could beat it out of him.

"Ward, did Garret ever tell you what the Clairvoyant wants with me?" Clark asked calmly. He knew he needed to take their minds off of Fury's possible betrayal, otherwise they wouldn't be able to focus. Fury was the closest thing Natasha had to a father, and he had been Colson's SO when he first joined. The Last Son of Krypton knew that the thought of Fury being a traitor was something neither of them wanted to believe was possible, and if he was honest, Clark didn't either. Fury may not be the nicest man on Earth, but he had done right by Clark ever since he joined SHIELD even going so far as to allow his best agent to teach the young man trade craft. No, the thought of Nick Fury being a traitor wasn't possible, it just couldn't be.

"He said something about you being key to the success of the plan. So what they want with you, I don't know but you can guarantee that Garret won't stop until he gets you."

"Then it's simple. We give him what he wants."

"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Natasha yelled, looking more furious than anyone there had ever seen her. However, Clark just looked back at her, and when he spoke his voice was calm a distinct contrast to the woman he loved.

"Colson, Ward can you give me a minute alone with Agent Romanoff?" He asked, and the two nodded walking out of Colson's office and leaving the other two SHIELD agents alone.

"Natasha, look at me." Clark said softly, but she just ignored him looking at the wall. Clark just sighed, knowing that the next few minutes were not going to be pleasant.

"Natasha-"

"Why? Why did you lie to me?"

"What are you talking about? I have never lied to you." He replied, but she laughed coldly.

"Yes you did. You lied when you told me you loved me."

With that she shoved past him, the young man too shocked to do anything but watch the love of his life walk out the door. He only hoped that she hadn't walked out of his life for good because he knew that was the one thing that could hurt him a hundred more times than kryptonite. And the worst part was, he knew that it would be all his fault.

"Do you want to talk?"

Natasha turned, surprised to see Skye behind her. Of all the people she would have expected the computer hacker would not of even made the list.

"Even if I did I couldn't."

"Oh right, the Black Widow dosen't spill classified intel, and I'm not even a SHIELD agent so I'm the last person on your list."

"Wrong. You didn't even make the list. Natasha Romanoff." She said, shaking Skye's hand. She wasn't sure why she was talking to the younger girl. She didn't even know her, but Natasha supposed that was what she needed right now. Someone out of the loop, someone who could give her a fresh perspective.

"Skye. Now let me guess...trouble in paradise?" She asked, and Natasha nodded sadly.

"You could say that. He claims he loves me and then-"

"He decides to hand himself over to the Clairvoyant." She finished, making Natasha glare.

"How do you know about that?"

"Honest truth? Clark told me that the messanger guy, Pierce knew who he was. He asked me to work with Chloe to try and see if we could find out just what was going on, maybe find some clue as to who the Clairvoyant is."

"And?"

"And nothing. This Clairvoyant may as well be a ghost." She replied, and Natasha nodded, not bothering to tell the younger woman that they had actually narrowed the Clairvoyant down to six people. She just walked off, barely hearing the computer hacker and former Rising Tide agent speak.

"Hey, I thought you wanted to talk?"

Oh Natasha wanted to talk alright, but not to Skye. No she needed to talk to Clark, and find out just what the hell was going on.

"My office. Now."

Clark looked up from where he was cleaning his gun to see Natasha standing in front of him, her face a mask, concealing the emotions that he knew surfaced underneath. In that moment, Clark didn't see the woman he loved anymore. He didn't even see Natasha. No, he saw the Black Widow, and he hated it. He hated that he was forced to see the face that she showed to the rest of the world because that just confirmed his worst fear. He had lost the love of his life, and his best friend and there was nothing he could do about it. He just nodded, placing his gun back in it's holster and walking down the hall, not bothering to tell Natasha that she technicaly didn't have an office on board the Bus. Instead he just followed her, not saying a word even when she came to a stop in his office. She shut the door behind her without a word, and Clark just stood there waiting for her to speak.

"You lying bastard. I trusted you, told you intel that could have gotten me killed, told you things I have never told anyone...I loved you, and then I find out that you have been keeping secrets from me."

"Past tense noted. Now what are you talking about Agent Romanoff?" Clark asked, the title passing his lips making him feel as though someone had injected liquid kryptonite into his veins. They had never had to worry about titles before, but he supposed that he had to get used to it, he may as well start now.

"We agreed that the intel about Pierce and the Clairvoyant was to remain under wraps. I just had an interesting discussion with Skye, who might I remind you is not an agent, who told me that you told her about Alexander Pierce knowing your name. More to the point, you had her work with Chloe, who you told Fury was off limits to try and find out who the Clairvoyant was!"

"Your point?"

"My point is that you committed treason by sharing classified intel with two civilians! My point is that you lied! You lied to Fury, you lied to Colson, you lied to me! I thought you trusted me, I thought you loved me! I thought you were the one person who I could count on, the one person who would never betray me."

"You're right. You're absolutely right. I didn't tell you about Skye and Chloe because I was trying to keep you safe. After all, you can't talk about what you don't know."

"Please don't stand there and expect me to buy that line of crap Clark."

"Do you honestly think that I'm lying to you? I'm trying to protect you Natasha. Do you have any idea what could happen if the Clairvoyant found out what Skye and Chloe were doing and somehow discovered that you were aware of it?"

"I can handle myself. You should know that."

"But you're not invincible! You can die Natasha, and if you died...if you died it would kill me, don't you understand that? I can't live without you Natasha."
"Don't you think I feel the same way? Do you have any idea what your little stunt in Colson's office did to me?! I love you Clark, but I can't let you turn yourself over to those monsters. Please promise me that we will find another way. If I lost you..." Her voice trailed off, but the pain was clear in her eyes. Clark had saved her in more ways than he would ever know. He had saved her soul and if he died, she knew that Natasha Romanoff would die with him. All that would be left was the Black Widow, someone consumed by veangance and death, and if Natasha was honest that scared her. She remembered what she had been like before she met Clark, and she didn't want to go back to that person again. Because the Black Widow wasn't really a person, she was a ruthless killing machine who only cared about the next kill, someone who was forever doomed to be alone.

"Shh Tasha, it's okay. We'll find another way. To be honest, I don't like the idea of having to listen to Garret drone on and on about the Clairvoyant. Plus he'd probably dissect me while he did it, and I have a thing about needles." He told her, and she chuckled.

"The most powerful man in the world is afraid of needles." She said, and Clark glared at her.

"Hey, it's a valid fear when you're not exactly from around here. It used to be my worst fear, until I met you."

"And now? What are you afraid of?"

"Losing you. Please tell me that I haven't lost you Tasha. Please tell me that I haven't betrayed you to the point where-"

He found his words cut off as she placed a finger to his lips.

"No Clark, I should be the one asking you that. You were just trying to protect me."

"But you're my partner, I should have been straight with you from the beginning as opposed to not telling you. Besides, I know better than anyone that you can handle yourself."

"So we're agreed then...no more secrets?"

"No more secrets." He replied, before kissing her softly. For a moment the two just stood there, relishing in the feeling of the other person in their arms. However, all too soon the moment ended as they heard a knock on the office door.

"This had better be good." Natasha muttered, and Clark nodded before walking over and opening the door.

"What?" He asked, as soon as the door flew open.

"Well hello to you too Agent Kent."

"Director Fury. What are you doing here?"

"Colson called, said we needed to talk."

"You're right we do. Come in and sit down." He said, and Fury raised his one visible eyebrow but did as he asked.

"You'll forgive me if I have Natasha take your gun." He said, and Fury just handed the weapon over without a word.

"You think I'm the Clairvoyant don't you? Or you think I know who it is. Whatever your double agent told you made you think it could be me."

"Are you?" Natasha asked calmly.

"No. If you think I'm lying than shoot me."

"I don't think that will be neccesary. He's not lying." Clark said, and Natasha handed the SHIELD Director his weapon.

"How can you be sure?" He asked, and Clark smirked.

"No matter how good a liar you are, the human heart always speeds up when someone's lying."

"So now that that's settled how about we get down to business. Your double agent, who was it?"

"Agent Ward. He was recruited out of juvie by Garret, and Garret told him that he was joining a secret organization within SHIELD. He didn't give Ward a name."

"Just great." Fury muttered.

"I hate to interrupt, but you all need to see this." Colson said, and the others followed him over to the briefing room where May and Skye were waiting.

"Well, well if it isn't Garret. You've got a lot of people looking for you." Ward said as they looked at the screen, Garret's face looking back at them.

"You know son, I'm disappointed in you. I thought you understood that what we were doing was necessary, that we were going to have a chance to be something bigger."

"A part of something bigger. You all did here that right? A part of something bigger." Fury said, and the others nodded.

"Nick you just don't have the vision for what we're going to impliment."

"Really, cause it sounds to me like what you want to impliment is the same messed up plan that every other two bit dictator's wanted to." He replied, and Garret sighed.

"You just don't understand." He said, only to be cut off by another voice.

"It matters not. Nick Fury has never been the one we have needed to convince."

"Hello Natalia."

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please read and review and the next chapter will be up soon!