*Content in this chapter refers to Chapters 3, 13, and 14
May 6, 2011

Phil was hastily packing a suitcase when Laura got home from work. She stopped when she entered the bedroom.

"Where to this time?"

Phil hesitated, then, "Out west."

He watched as her eyes narrowed in thought. He enjoyed the sparkle in her eyes when she connected the dots. "Wait… that meteorite in New Mexico."

He raised an eyebrow to tell her that he was neither confirming nor denying that. They'd been together long enough that he knew she would interpret it as an affirmative response. He knew she would have connected the blurb in that morning's paper to him leaving. While he wished he didn't have to be quite so covert with her, he was glad he could at least get away with sharing that much.

It had been some time since he broached the topic of Laura being read into SHIELD matters with Fury. The Director had ultimately only partially approved, and that was only due to their longstanding co-worker-status-cum-friendship. Though Fury had left him waiting for quite a while (Phil suspected it was to remind him who made the ultimate decisions within the agency), he eventually granted her status as a contracted records manager whose services would be used if necessary. To date, she only had to field a few phone calls regarding best-practices, but her security clearance had been upgraded from Top Secret to TS/SCI, which was good because it allowed her to actually answer questions about specific records.

Unfortunately, Fury ensured that her compartmented access did not include him.

("Jesus, Phil, there's a reason why spouses don't know things in this business. Do you want to make her a target?")

He really didn't want to make her a target, but after the botched mission in Yemen, he found out that no one was planning on notifying Laura he was seriously injured. If Natasha hadn't brought her to the hospital, she wouldn't have known. If he had died from his injuries, she would never have known.

Phil was not okay with that.

He was grateful Natasha did some digging to find her. Barton had only brought her to SHIELD about eight months before that. At the time, he would not have expected the Russian to hold the loyalty to him she exhibited. He understood that people with her background trusted no one. But Barton vouched for her so he gave her a chance.

When Phil spoke to her about it, she quietly said that he was the first handler to treat her like a human foremost, rather than as a weapon with a specialized skill set. She told him he respected her as person, as a woman. That respect had apparently forged in her a loyalty that put him on her very small list of trusted people.

He almost felt sorry for assigning her to Tony Stark, but that trust went both ways and he knew she could both handle it and make the right calls.

He did not regret neglecting to inform Stark she was SHIELD. Natasha took no shit and he only wished he could see Stark's face when she proceeded to do just that.

Laura sat down on the bed next to the suitcase. "Will you call once you get settled in?

He brushed her arm and leaned down to kiss her. "Of course."

Laura stood. "Do you need a lift to the airport?"

Phil shook his head. "An agent will be picking me up soon. I'll be taking SHIELD transport."

He could see the wheels turning in her head. SHIELD transport meant serious business. "Be safe, okay?"

He kissed her again. "Always."

A/N: Thanks everyone for your continued support! You all rock. Don't forget to review!