Back-up
"Condemn none. If you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go on their way.
-Swami Vivekananda

Katie hadn't been able to sleep since the turbulence the plane had encountered about halfway through her flight. She had sat about tiredly ever since then.

The flight to D.C out of LaGuardia was not a long one by any stretch of the imagination, but it'd certainly turned out dull this time. It was a little too short to empty out her bag and get anything done but long enough that she'd been a little bored with only her music.

When the plane finally did land, it was smooth and she gathered her things from under the seat in front of her so that she could jump right up as soon as it was her turn. Then, she could stretch her legs and move around without being cramped by the inconsiderate sprawler she'd been stuck next to the window by.

She'd never been to Reagan National Airport, but she had traveled enough to be undaunted. She strolled through the terminal and down the arrival ramp to go figure out where she could go about find her suitcase.

"Kather-Katie ... ...Katie!"

She did not immediately respond to her name being called, but, the second time around, she stopped and twisted. She had to quickly dodge to the side to avoid someone from the crowd who'd all come off the plane together. It was still a few moments before she found the speaker.

He was dressed in khakis and a blue long-sleeve shirt, topped off with a dark hat. She thought that it was the hat that camouflaged him for a second, but it was definitely Captain Steve Rogers.

"Steve," she said in a surprised laugh. "Hi..."

She had to pick her way past others intent on going to claim their luggage, but she made it to him.

"I didn't think my disguise was that good," he jested, meeting her.

"Well, it's quite elaborate," she negated with a joking shrug, "but I didn't know you were picking me up ...assuming this isn't just your favorite afternoon hideout."

"No, I'm here for you," he said and then blinked, a small blush splotching his cheeks at how bold that may have sounded. "Tony asked me to pick you up," he explained more thoroughly. "He didn't tell you?"

...

"...so, that's that," Tony had finished after telling her that S.H.I.E.L.D had requested he loan her out to them for a little adjunct work.

"And do we trust it?"

Katie had long found S.H.I.E.L.D fascinating. Considering all the "incidents" they had been a part of, it was clear that they had access to outstanding, ground-breaking technology. Not only that, but they had a broad -if not limitless- scope for using their work.

However, she also found them suspect.

S.H.I.E.L.D knew about remarkable things and beings in this world. They might try not to make public spectacle of everyone and everything they encountered, but they did monitor people and try to put restrictions on them. That, in Katie's book, was nearly just as bad.

True: some beings S.H.I.E.L.D had met have been maliciously dangerous.

Also true: not all extraordinary people could possibly be dangerous ...she refused to accept that S.H.I.E.L.D had the right to dictate what harmless people can or cannot do. It was not an open Registration Act, but whatever databases they have were still invasive in her opinion.

"I'm bias- I've worked with them"

"And still think they're questionable," Katie pointed out.

"True ...though well-intentioned, they can be a little much." he graded and continued to snack away on his bag of Reeses Pieces.

"Tony, come on ...how much do they know about me?" Katie asked him sternly.

"So we're being serious," he sighed in resignation. "They know you're a boss at programming, hacking, and applied technology."

"That's all?"

"Well, it's all they said," he told her equitably and offered her some candy.

Surprised by her hunger, she reached in for a handful.

"If they know all about me, I shouldn't go ...right?"

He sighed, leaning on the corner of her desk.

"Let's be honest, they probably know about your past ...but they leave that school of yours alone, don't they?" Tony reasoned.

"...safety in numbers," she proposed dubiously.

"You've still got numbers- hello," he gestured to himself. "Think I'd let them steal you? Nobody touches my stuff -c'mon, get your head out of your ass."

Katie really wanted to make a comment about his male chauvinism that lead him to talk like she was a belonging of his. However, she knew to read it as a sign of his loyalty in this case. He had her back, which she could only ever appreciate.

"They sequestered you to your own house once," she reminded him of that story.

He waved this away.

"You're you and I'm me ...between the two of us, they're not locking you away or blackmailing you into anything you don't want to do," he assured her with the utmost confidence. "Forget everything else ...do you want to check out their facilities and see what they're working with?"

"...kind of."

"Nerd," he accused with a snort. "I'll get my secretary on booking you a flight."

"Really?"

"Sure. It's a work trip- let others pay your way. I'd lend you the jet, but Pepper's got in back in LA," he shrugged carelessly.

"Nice ...just give me a day to think on it, okay?"

"Nope," he shook his head. "You want to go, so you're going. I'll have Captain Stars n' Stripes check in on you, huh?"

"You don't need to"

"No, it'll give you peace of mind. If you're nervous you won't do good work, and that reflects poorly on me," he griped.

"Oh, so you're being altruistic," Katie nodded her understanding then, sarcasm floating throughout her tone.

"Obviously"

"...thanks, Tony," she smiled more genuinely.

"Uh-huh, whatever," he dismissed, seeming more invested in typing an email to his secretary on his phone.

"Tony..."

"Yeah, I heard ... ...Banner is video-ing in up at the lab if you want to come catch that," he changed topics to something less selfless and made for the door. "Twenty minutes."

Katie grinned after him. He really was a good guy ...only he didn't want to discuss it. With this in mind, she finished her handful of candies and started thinking of what she'd need to pack for nearly a week in D.C.

It took a few minutes for her to completely register what Tony had said. Dr. Bruce Banner, who Tony said he'd been trying to get to come live at the Tower, was going to video-chat with Tony soon. Of course she wanted to have the chance to say hello to him again- he had still been a professor at Culver University when she had been an undergraduate student. Happily, she left her office and scurried to the elevators to get upstairs after Tony.

...

"Well, he said that he was going to let you know I'd be around, not that you'd meet me," she relayed.

"Ah, well ...he asked me to keep an eye on you, so I figured," he shrugged his broad shoulders.

Grinning, Katie thought that maybe he couldn't help but do what he thought to be good manners. That, or he'd been bored lately.

"Well thank you, that's nice. Hope this didn't interrupt anything."

"Nah ... ...baggage claim is this way," he jerked his thumb over his shoulder and proceeded to lead the way.

They stood quietly at the proper carrousel, waiting in semi-awkwardness. Through they knew each other, it wasn't well enough to have a enthusiastic reunion and catch up on good times.

When Katie spotted her red suitcase she darted forward, but as soon as she reached the handle, Steve beat her to it and yanked it off the line. A hand on her back guided her aside so he didn't hit her with the case.

"This it?"

"Uh-huh, thanks ...it rolls, you know," she added when Steve walked away with it in hand.

"It's fine"

He lead her outside to a grey Jeep, which he dropped her suitcase into the back of. He then jogged around the Jeep and beat her to the passenger door so he could pull it open for her.

"Oh! ...thanks," she smiled and climbed up into the jeep as he stood back.

He really couldn't help his old school manners; it was quaint.

"So, have you been to D.C before?" he asked as he was backing out.

"As a school trip when I was in high school," she recalled, "but never on my own."

"Alright ...I wasn't sure if you knew your way around, so I drove around to make sure I knew where you hotel is - Grand Hyatt, right?"

"Wow, thanks ...you didn't have to do that. Doesn't this thing have GPS- it looks new," she observed.

"I think it does, but I don't know how to use it," he muttered his admission.

"I'll show you how," Katie assured.

As promised, after reaching the hotel she fiddled around with his center console screen and walked him through how to program a destination to the GPS. She wasn't positive that the look on his face after her instructional was confidence, precisely, but he seemed to think he could muddle through.

She was about to say goodbye afterwards, but he opened his door at the same time she pushed hers out. He retrieved her case from the back and joined her inside to the lobby so she could check in, standing back patiently as she spoke to the desk clerk.

"I can take it," she reached for her bag once she had her key.

"It's still fine," he simply reassured her.

"Well, thank you," she said yet again and got them to the elevator so they could head up to the 5th floor. "Thanks again," she said for the final time once she opened her room and he stepped in to set her bag down.

"No problem"

"But it's nice," she insisted.

"You're welcome ...nice joint, by the way," he said, looking around to take in the wide room and small but cozy sitting area.

"Right? Stark Industries is paying."

He grinned along with her, understanding that this explained much.

"So, what's the plan?" he returned to business. "You heading in tomorrow or laying low to enjoy the city a while?"

"Yeah, I told them I would be there tomorrow. No reason to wait; I'm curious what they want," she admitted to him.

"Alright," he nodded and started to back out of the room. "What time are you planning? I'll pick you up."

"You don't have-"

"I wouldn't offer if it was an issue," he headed off her well-meaning refusal.

"Okay ...8:00 sound alright?"

"I'll be there," he nodded.

"Great ...I saw a bar downstairs. If you don't have anything to do, wanna grab a bite?" she offered, shedding her sweatshirt.

Her jeans and t-shirt weren't very fancy, but she'd been traveling and it should be nice enough to get a drink and an appetizer.

"Oh, that's alright," he declined, taking a penitent step back. "I'm good ...just, have a nice night."

"If you're sure," Katie shrugged.

"Uh-huh, good night"

"Night"

He stepped back out the door with one last wave and guided himself back to the elevator.

"Steve ..."

He turned and Katie was sticking her head out the door.

"If you want to come a little early tomorrow, we can grab breakfast downstairs," she offered, feeling very much that she needed to repay the kindness he'd already shown in her so-far short time there.

"I'll see," he promised.

She nodded and disappeared again.

Then he was able to actually make it to the elevator.

Steve wasn't sure why, exactly, he declined her first offer. He hadn't had any dinner yet, and he didn't have any particular plans. Maybe the prospect of sitting across a table from a woman was daunting to him. He was fully aware that she had not asked him out to dinner -not really. Katie had just wanted dinner and maybe a drink; what was wrong with that?

He glanced at the bar and bistro to the left of the entry as he walked back through. It looked perfectly fine and he did pause ...but then he shook his head and just kept moving.

He was sort of a solo act most days.

For a few days, Katie was in a heaven for what Logan used to call her "nerd brain." She'd gotten a tour of pertinent, but not too hush-hush, areas of the D.C. S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, the Triskelion. The mini-orientation was not altogether exciting, but it led up to a lot of fun for a techie.

S.H.I.E.L.D was working on super impressive stuff, which she supposed was imperative knowing they were sometimes up against the supernatural.

Stun guns, pulse sticks, enhanced armor ...you name it, S.H.I.E.L.D was at least making an attempt at it.

"So there's a school specifically for science gurus from all over the world?"

Katie was spinning a holographic model of an in-progress weapon while perched on a work table across from her new acquaintance Leonard Fitz - or 'just Fitz,' as he'd requested to be called.

"Pretty much, aye," confirmed the Scottsman. "I was seventeen when I started there."

"That's so cool," Katie smirked her appreciation.

"It was ...I've gone back ta lecture once or twice, but mostly I've been busy," he grinned.

"Progress waits for no one, huh?" she pulled a lopsided grin, studying the diagram before her again.

"Indeed it doesn't ...any experience with this?" he nodded to the plans for a new stun gun he was developing.

"Honestly, not really. Weapons aren't my forte, but I'm willing hear you out and brainstorm," she happily offered, holding the device back out to him.

What followed was an enthusiastic explanation of propulsion mechanisms, balance, and amount of dendrotoxins needed to tranquilize an opponent.

"...it will break up under subcutaneous tissue to disperse quickly enough through the body for nearly instant stopping power."

"And you already have a chemical to do that?"

"In the works. My partner, Agent Simmons, is a bio-chemist ...among other things."

"Good team you've got ...so what's your biggest worry?"

"Propulsion and dispersement ...it needs to be able to travel great distances, but it can't rip through the target."

"Or you might as well use a regular gun," Katie nodded her understanding.

At the school, there had never been a use of guns ...no need, to be honest. Most of the team had other offensive and defensive means via their mutations - guns never had to be part of the picture. Given this, she wouldn't pretend to be a weapons expert, but she did understand the physics behind it, so she could be a sounding board rather than a table decoration.

Fitz bad been the one to show her around a little the previous day and had shown here where she could set up to do her work, but now she wasn't so much working as waiting for the computer to load a program she needed.

Fitz continued prattling about his propulsion mechanisms and the balance of the gun. Katie was able to offer some ideas, but rather thought he needed to talk-out his own thoughts aloud more than he needed outside assistance.

"You know ...you should visit New York and review some of this with Tony Stark," she pointed out as she twisted to drop and sit properly in her borrowed chair because the computer had beeped.

"That would been an opportunity, wouldn't it," Fitz beamed, "but he doesn't work in weaponry anymore."

"He did, though ...plus, he's got non-traditional weaponry in his Iron Man suit," she reminded.

"Yeah ...huh," he mused aloud and trailed off, likely thinking over what he could present the billionare for collaboration. "How'd I go about putting in a request with him? Through S.H.I.E.L.D, I suspect?" he answered himself since Stark was officially an agency consultant.

"Put your number in," Katie paused in typing to toss him her phone, which he nearly dropped. "I'll see if he'd be interested."

"Truly?"

"Sure ...he might be interested in whatever mechanics and chemistry you've got going on in there."

"No?!"

"Dunno. I'll fill him in"

Fitz gleefully entered his contact into her phone. He was so far generally a lab rat, but he'd gladly poke his nose out of D.C to have a go at Iron Man's suit. He couldn't wait to tell Simmons...

Katie grinned at him. She couldn't make promises, of course, but didn't see why Tony wouldn't take at least some interest in an effective but non-lethal weapon. Not that she could officially speak for him.

"Hi guys"

Both looked up to see Steve in the doorway.

"Hey," Katie greeted.

Fitz, like yesterday, grew slightly flustered before stamping it down.

"Captain"

"Agent Fitz," Steve nodded in return. "How's it going in here?"

Always so serious.

He was stern around there- all work, no play- but he was also dutiful. Every day he picked her up at her hotel- never a minute later than 8:00am- and dropped her off in that same place each evening. He also stopped-in a couple times every day; sometimes he lingered a while, other times he stayed only long enough to study the room and leave as soon as he surmised all was well. Katie wondered what all Tony had told him to garner this diligence - at any rate, he was comfortably dependent.

Steve had not taken her up on her breakfast offer the first couple days, so she went ahead and stopped bugging him about it. She had no idea how he did spend his time, but he clearly had better things to do.

"Whats up, Steve?" Katie smiled, waving him in so he'd know they weren't busy.

"Just stopping in after a briefing," he explained vaguely and took a few strides in. "Whattcha working on?"

Fitz had sat his projected diagram of his rifle pet-project aside, and Steve bent to examine it curiously.

"Schematics for a prototype," the thin man was comfortable in science-mode even in the face of an American legacy.

He reached his hand over the 3D projection and flexed his fingers to stretch it larger.

"Rather than your standard projectile, this beauty will use dendrotoxins being developed - well, perfected, as we have already run preliminary tests - in the biochemical labs. The dosage has to be small - a fraction of a microlitre- but potent ..."

As Fitz described and thought aloud, Steve shot Katie a look to see if she was following. He had not been under the impression he had asked a scientific question.

Katie caught the blank look.

"Fitz," she laughed.

"Huh?" he pulled up mid-sentence.

"Slow down - he just wants to know what it does," she flashed him a smile.

"I ..." Fitz faltered, sure that's what he'd been doing.

The excitement of his project muted for just a moment.

"Ah," he nodded. "Laymen terms?"

"Please," Steve nodded.

"A knock out gun. Chemically tranquilizes an enemy briefly, instead of using a bullet."

"Oh," Steve nodded readily, then. "How long until it's made?"

"Hard t' say," Fitz admitted. "Still in development, and it's not the first thing on my plate at the moment."

"Fitz is starting training so he'll be qualified for field work," Katie reported.

"Yeah," Fitz nodded a little sheepishly and scratched at his short curls.

But Steve looked upon him kindly, eyes appraising him.

"Good ...skills like yours won't hurt out there," he approved.

"Hopin' so," the younger man shifted.

"I know so- good luck," Steve told him in earnest.

He'd not always been the picture he was now, after all. Smaller than Fitz and sickly to boot, he had been doubted despite his figurative heart. It was no longer so, but he had not forgotten the sting of it. He would not cast the same shame on another willing person- every man had their worth.

"Thanks"

"Course," Steve nodded, "and good luck with this," he waved to the diagram. "See you this evening, ma'am," he bowered out with professional courtesy.

"Rogers," Katie stopped him short. "Are you able to leave earlier than normal today? 3:30ish?"

"Oh. Sure."

"I can grab a cab," she promised.

"No need. I'll meet you at 3:30"

"Okay. I have a dinner, that's all"

"No problem"

With that, he strode out.

"Can't believe Captain Rogers is your chauffeur," Fitz muttered, shaking his head. "And why'd ya tell him I'm doing field training?"

"Because you are?" Katie shrugged.

"Yeah, but he's ...him."

"You said you were doing fine," she dismissed his insecurity.

"Yeah, yeah, sure - to my own standards. I can do it, but ...he's, like, the epitome," Fitz grumbled.

"You'll do fine"

Fitz ignored her and returned to work, trying to force down his sudden burst of machismo. What had he let Simmons talk him into...

At 3:30 on the dot, Katie hopped into Steve's Jeep. She thought about Fitz' quip regarding Steve as a chauffeur...

"You really don't have to drive me every day"

"I thought we had this discussion. What's wrong with my driving?" he grinned.

"Nothing, nothing ...I just figure you have other things to do," Katie sighed and stretched out comfortably.

"No feet on the dash," he griped. "Please," he added for good measure.

This reminded Katie suddenly of Cyclops and all the rules he'd always had regarding his cars. For a moment she smiled, then she felt a pang of hurt and lowered her feet with a muttered "sorry."

"I don't mind driving you"

Not for the first time, she wondered what all Tony had said to inspire such diligence in the Captain. For the first time, she asked.

"Not a lot," Steve admitted. "Said you were coming and had some safety concerns. How'd he put it ...'S.H.I.E.L.D' is shiesty; keep your eyes peeled'," he recounted.

"Sounds right ... ...and you don't argue with his doubts of S.H.I.E.L.D?"

Steve sighed and shifted in his seat, adjusting his hands to hold the top of the steering wheel.

"I could never pretend they don't tell lies ...and they have an agenda," he said diplomatically. "I'm not the conspiracy nut that Tony is, but I've learned to try to be open-minded when it comes to them, I guess."

"Well, you're a good friend to do him a favor," she gestured to herself with a smile.

Steve sent a lopsided grin at her and nodded before looking back to the road.

Tony was a teammate ... ...a friend, yes. Annoying, sure, but all the same. Steve didn't want to call him up everyday, but if he needed a favor he would help. He hadn't even asked a lot of questions, for he accepted that Tony had good reasons for things even if it wasn't always apparent. He trusted that Iron Man would not condescend to scrape for a favor if it wasn't necessary. Plus, the favor involved looking out for Katie, Tony's kind friend, so he wasn't going to refuse.

"So what are your plans tonight?"

"Dinner with a friend ...actually, the mutual friend who recommended me to Stark Industries," she added. "I know him from my last job."

"Oh. That'll be nice."

"Yeah, I hope so. I saw him recently with Tony and Pepper, but it'll be nice to catch up better," she sighed and leaned back.

"Once more with feeling," Steve made fun of her obvious sulking.

"Yeah," she chuckled, caught. "It's just tense sometimes."

"Old flame?" Steve questioned.

Katie giggled.

"Sorry ...I know it's not really my business," he back-tracked hurriedly.

"No, it's just ...no. Hank isn't that. An only teacher ...a mentor, I guess."

"Gottcha"

Katie nodded and worked on feeling better about the coming evening. It wasn't fair to assume it would be a negative experience.

"Well, I hope you do enjoy your dinner," Steve bade her when he pulled up to her hotel like every other evening thus far.

"I'm sure I will. Thanks again for the ride."

"Anytime, ma'am ... ...Katie ," he shook his head at her look. "It just slips out."

"That's alright. You got your own plans tonight?"

"Let's see ...my old card playing buddies are dead, so, no."

He had not meant to sound harsh, but he'd met with Dr. Pullman that morning, which always made him feel raw. He was starting to have a hard time understanding how making everything fresh and exposed would help him to put it all away.

"I'm sorry," Katie said softly. "I..."

She wasn't sure what to say to such a woebegone statement. He'd injected it with a note of dry humor, but it still spoke volumes.

"No, I'm sorry," he stopped her. "I've just had a long day -I'm glad we split early."

"Okay ...I'll see you tomorrow then?"

He nodded, so she took her quiet cue to go ahead and get out. Before she even took three steps, she stopped and pivoted around. The door was already locked, so she slapped the window before he could drive away. This pulled his attention from the radio to her.

"Forget something?" he leaned over as the window slid down.

"Not really," Katie leaned into the empty window frame. "Tomorrow's my last morning here."

"I know -flight's at 5:53pm," he verified.

"Yup," she grinned at his recital. "So come have breakfast tomorrow morning, alright? As a thank you," she invited expectantly.

He opened his mouth to protest and faltered; perhaps, she thought, because he had no reason to.

"What'll it hurt?" she egged.

"Okay," he nodded definitively. "It's a date ...oh," he caught himself. "I didn't mean ...I mean-"

"I understand," Katie swallowed a laugh. "It's breakfast."

"Yes," he latched on. "I'll see you then."

"See you then," she waved and finally walked away to get upstairs to her room and pack up.

The next day, Katie sat alone at a small round table in the hotel cafe. Steve had not shown, which struck her as quite odd ...unless he was still uncomfortable about his use of the word "date," which was colloquial enough that she'd hardly even noticed it herself.

So, somewhat grumpily, she ate a quick breakfast on her own. She should have invited Fritz and his girl Simmons - they'd been in school many years and could probably still appreciate a free breakfast when it was offered.

She made a mental note of that for next time.

While trying to decide whether or not she would hold Steve's absence over his head, Katie hurried upstairs to gather her things ... ... ... only Steve never showed to allow her to shove her suitcase in his Jeep and catch a last ride in to work.

So that was how she ended up calling a cab and rolling her red suitcase up and down the S.H.I.E.L.D D.C. headquarters halls. A headquarters where she did not see Steve, which was disconcerting.

When she met with Agent Hill to debrief and discuss the continuation of her work, Katie had been told "not to worry" about Captain Rogers. It was hardly an explanation, really, but she supposed it was relieving to know that his absence was not a surprise or worry to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Still, as she climbed into her taxi for the airport that afternoon, she couldn't help but to think it was a weird end to a surprisingly mellow trip.