A/N

Like last time, italics are Laura's thoughts.

Storybook endings, fairy tales coming true
Deep down inside we want to believe they still do
In our secretest heart, it's our favourite part of the story
Let's just admit we all want to make it too
Ever ever after
If we just don't get it our own way
Ever ever after
It may only be a wish away

~Ever Ever After, Disney's Enchanted

"What the hell? Where am I?" her eyes opened to a pristine white pod, with a dark corridor outside. She felt her hand being squeezed, and held up to somebody's face. She turned to look and saw-

Steve!

"Laura! Oh my god… are you… are you with me?" Steve's voice cut through her thoughts whizzing around her brain like bullets. Her hand dropped from his face and tears sprung to her eyes as she realised that she couldn't feel that burning hatred inside her heart that she had felt after the brainwashing.

"S- Steve? Dad?" she asked, turning to her other side, and connecting eyes with Tony. He nodded and smiled, with tears running down his face.

"You're safe now kid. And you always will be." Sobbed Tony; stroking her face and smiling widely. He held her other hand to his cheek and sighed softly, smiling as a fresh bout of tears rolled down his damp cheeks.

"I'm going to tell Pepper. Excuse me." Tony hopped up and strode out of the room, wiping his eyes and smiling broadly.

Laura smiled weakly and faced Steve, who was staring at her like she was something out of another universe.

"I missed you so much." He muttered, taking his eyes off her and looking at the floor.

"I didn't miss you, but that was Hydra messing with my head. But I did feel like something was missing… like there was a hole in my heart that no-one in Hydra could possibly heal. That was probably your absence from my life. I love you, you know?" she said, and her hand reached out from the bed, and brought his head up to look at her; they looked at each other for a second, before Steve leaned forward and pressed his soft lips against hers, and for a moment everything was right with the world.

Their little moment of tranquillity was interrupted by Skye and May walking into the pod, and Skye making them both jump by yelling "GET A ROOM!" they jumped apart and Steve smiled slightly before leaning back in his chair.

"Hello Skye. What can we do for you?" he asked, in a forced polite tone, with the fakest smile Laura had ever seen on his face.

Skye smirked, and pointed at the camera in the corner of the room.

"We saw that she woke up, and came down to say hi. But we didn't expect to get scarred for life when we got down here." She said pointedly, looking at both Steve and Laura like she was their teacher or a stern parent.

"Lovely May impression Skye." Said Clint; sliding into the room and grinning widely.

"'sup Stark. Knew you weren't really Hydra. How are you?" he almost sang, standing next to May at the end of Laura's bed.

She rolled her eyes, and Steve glared at him for a moment, before Laura gave a light-hearted laugh and said "I'm good Clint. How're you and Natasha?"

Clint smirked at the mention of Natasha, and opened his mouth to speak as Fitz and Simmons slid in to check on her.

"Oh hello Agent Stark; I see you're awake." Stated Simmons matter-of-factly, pushing past Clint, May and Skye to check her vitals on the screen above Laura that she hadn't noticed before. "Can everyone please get out for a few minutes so Fitz and I can check she's alright?" she asked, looking at Clint, Skye and May pointedly. Skye huffed and they all shuffled out and down the corridor. "Means you too Steve." She said, raising her eyebrows at Steve still sat there.

"But-" Steve tried to protest, looking between Laura and Simmons. "Oh fine. I'll see you in a while Laura." He got up from his seat, kissed her cheek and strolled out of the room.

"So, how are you feeling Agent Stark?" asked Fitz, who was already writing things on his clipboard.

"Er… perfectly normal. A bit tired and I've got quite a bit of a headache, but I'll thank May for that. I'm good. When can I start walking around?" she asked, her eyes flicking between the two.

"You can give it a go once we've finished this survey. It's standard procedure. Next question; do you feel…"

The questions went on and on for the next hour; FitzSimmons getting more and more happy whilst Laura was getting more and more agitated and annoyed.

"How much longer?!" she asked, sitting up and folding her arms; glaring at the two.

"Last one now, then you're free to go and see everyone. It's a memory one I'm afraid. Can you name the current President of the United States, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Monarch of the United Kingdom?" she asked, pen poised to scribble more notes on Laura, who sighed and racked her brains for a second.

"Barack Obama is the president, Phil Coulson is Director and Elizabeth Windsor the second is the Queen of the UK. Can I go now?" Laura raised her eyebrows at the two, before swinging her legs of the bed so they dangled down and folding her arms.

"Yes Agent Stark, you can go; just maybe not many operations for the next couple of days?" Said Fitz; not looking up from his clipboard. "We've got some clothes in the pod next door. You can change out of your Hydra uniform and then join the team downstairs. We'll see you in a bit."

Laura nodded and jumped out of the bed. She stumbled for a moment, her legs feeling like lead, before finding her footing and striding out of the room. Laura changed into her old S.H.I.E.L.D. jumpsuit, tied her brown hair back in a ponytail and slipped down the stairs to where the avengers the rest of the team were sat, all on edge and eager to get back to Providence base.

She hid behind the door for a moment, her stomach churned and her face paled with nerves, her eyes seeking where Steve stood; he was at the bar with a whiskey in his hand and in an animated conversation with Clint and Natasha.

He looked up and caught her eye from across the room; his smile lit her up, and she entered, leaning on the doorframe with her arms crossed and eyes darting from person to person.

Coulson was the first of the group to respond. He got up, strode across the room and threw his arms around her, beaming.

"Hey Stark, how are you?" he asked, pulling away and smiling as Skye came in for a hug.

"I'm better than when I was dying and a part of Hydra Sir. How's the director thing going?" she asked; a twinkle in her eye. Coulson laughed, and gave her a look that said 'don't go there' and Laura smirked and walked over to the bar, where Clint was now playing waiter and making cocktails for Natasha as Steve sat facing Laura. He embraced her as she approached and murmured into her neck:

"Hey. Good to see you up. You feeling alright?" he released her and Laura nodded, and signalled for Clint to make her a drink.

"Any preference Stark?" he asked, preparing a glass.

"Something strong; maybe with fruit?" she asked, not taking her eyes off Steve. Clint nodded, and starting to mix a drink, dropping his cocktail shaker in the process.

Definitely trying to impress Natasha. Laura thought, catching Natasha's eye and raising her eyebrows.

"We'll be landing in around ten minutes. Buckle up everyone" came May's voice from the intercom. Steve smiled, took Laura's hand and led her to the seating area where they sat down together as the plane began to slowly dip forwards. Laura sighed and closed her eyes. She was going home.

A year on and Laura was completely back in the game.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was halfway to being built up, with them regaining the Triskellion and the trust of the UN and World Security Council.

Laura and Steve were closer than ever, refusing to do ops without one another and spending as much time as possible together.

"New orders; can the Avengers and the 616 team make their way to Director Coulson's office please. Thank you."
Laura and Steve exchanged glances from their table in the level eights mess hall.

"D'you think that means me as well?" asked Laura, taking a swig of her tea and raising her eyebrows at Steve.

"Probably; it usually does. Let's get going, he won't like us being late." Replied Steve; getting up from the table and picking his coffee cup. "C'mon, we'll be late!"
Laura smiled and got up, picking up her tea in a coffee cup and following Steve out of the room and into the lift at the end of the hall.

"I wonder what the hell it is this time?" asked Laura, looking up at Steve with an expectant glance, he usually knew more than her. Steve, however, shook his head and smiled.

"For once, I've got no clue. I was about to ask you the same thing. Probably some mission Coulson wants us to go on." Steve shrugged and fumbled with his pocket for a moment, before standing straight and smiling at Laura.

"So, we've just got wind of an attack on the Eiffel tower in a couple of day's time by Hydra. We need a few select people to go in and make sure there's no collateral damage and the French keep their landmark." Said Coulson; showing pictures of Paris and the Eiffel tower as well as several transmissions from Hydra communications units.

"Who's going?" asked Skye, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm thinking two Avengers and two from our team. Maybe people who won't stick out and can't be recognised too easily. Clint and Steve from the Avengers, and May and Skye from our team? Stark- Laura, Tony. Not you. Stark, I want you in Paris as well running comms with Simmons. I also want you ready to help the others at a moments notice with Simmons running comms full time. Are you- Laura what are you doing?"
The hatred was back. It consumed everything, and the walls started to close around her, but no-one moved. Her mind swam in contrasting thoughts, until her mind settled on one thing: S.H.I.E.L.D = the enemy. Laura pulled out a gun and aimed it at Steve; then Tony, Clint and finally Coulson; her eyes suddenly a blazing sapphire blue before phasing slowly back to brown. She shakily lowered her gun as tears sprung to her eyes.

"I- I don't…" Laura panicked, dropped her gun, and sprinted from the room with tears spilling rapidly from her eyes.

"What the hell just happened?" asked Trip, stepping forwards to stand next to Coulson. Tony sighed, and made a move to go after her before he was stopped by Steve.

"Tony let me go. It's about time I… well you know what I'm going to do. See you in a bit." He said, touching his pocket for a second before jogging out of the room.

Laura had run until her legs couldn't carry her anymore; she was in a secluded part of the Triskellion that hardly anyone ever went to. She slid down one of the walls, cradling her head in her hands as tears slid steadily down her face and conflicting thoughts raced through her mind.

Hail Hy- S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D is my- Hail Hydra. S.H.I.E.L.D. Hail Hydr- S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Laura?"

Laura sighed and looked up. Of course he had followed her.
"Hi Steve." She muttered, putting her head back into her hands as she heard Steve sit down next to her. He wrapped an arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder, tears still flowing down her face.

"You can't let them get to you- Hydra is almost gone and we'll find a way to get them out. We will, I promise you."
Laura nodded and sighed, the tears starting to subside.

"So what now?" she asked, looking up at him. He smiled softly and fidgeted with his pocket for a moment, before pulling something out.

"Now we start a new life; maybe together?"
Laura laughed for a second.

"We see each other nearly every day. How is that not life together?" she asked, a confused glint in her eye.

"I mean more than just you and me and Tony disapproving." He laughed for a moment, before pulling the something that he had in his pocket from earlier out and opened a small dark green box.

"So what I'm saying is Laura Stark… will you marry me?"