Situation

I nodded, though I knew my eyes were wide with fear. Seconds later, the needle was slipped into my skin.

But the next moment, the door slammed open to reveal a shaken Mr. Coulson. The noise in the room dropped to complete silence.

He held up an all too familiar object. "Whose purse is this?" he demanded. "We found a tracking device in it. So whose is it?"

The last thing I saw was James' disbelieving look in my direction.

Voices were all I could hear. Random voices, some of which I thought I recognized. But my eyelids were heavy, and there was a stinging pain slowly rising in my leg. Minutes passed before I was able to get my eyes open, but when I did, I immediately shut them again. The lights were blinding.

"You mean to tell me that you didn't check if her computer was linked to a secure network?" a familiar, cocky voice demanded. "And all this time, she's been communicating with Rogers and Barnes multiple times a week?"

There was a sigh, followed by a factual voice. "We didn't think to check—"

"Oh, you didn't think to check? Well that's convenient, especially now that they know the exact location of our base because they were able to read when and where she'd be on a coffee date!"

There was the sound of a door slamming shut.

"Stark, that's enough. What's done is done, now we have to move elsewhere. We're gonna need a new location."

"You can't seriously mean—"

"I'm always serious, Stark. We have to use it. It's our only option."

"I don't know if you're aware of this, Agent, but that place hasn't been used in years- decades, even. All it is now is a makeshift lab for your little science team."

"Which is why we have to go there. No one knows about it-"

"Until they do because of another accident. And then what? We fly to Mars?"

Silence.

"What about Eliza?"

This voice was close to me. It was warm, reassuring, but tainted with concern.

"She will have to come with us."

"She can't be expected to just pack up and leave. This isn't her problem…it's not her fault this happened."

"She doesn't have much of a choice. They know about her now. Leaving her in New York is waiting for someone to pull the trigger."

At those words, I found the strength to open my eyes. I was no longer in the chaotic infirmary, but instead in a white and grey room. At the foot of my bed stood Tony Stark and Mr. Coulson, both of whom looked like they'd had a rough day. To my left, James was seated in a chair with his back hunched.

All heads turned to look at me as I gained my bearings. I blinked a few times, my vision still blurry. After a few moments, things became clear, and I noticed something that I had never heard on base before.

The humming of engines.

Panicked, I immediately tried to sit up.

"Eliza, calm down," James whispered, gently taking my shoulders and lowering me back against the pillows. "You're okay, you're safe. We had to…relocate. The base was compromised."

I swallowed hard, heart beating fast. "The tracker- my purse- I, I don't know how-"

"We checked all the tapes," Stark cut in, coming forward to rest his hands on the end of the bed. "Wednesday- the guy you bumped into before you met Barnes? A plant. While you were busy getting your stuff off the ground, he snuck the tracker into your purse."

My eyes widened, tears clouding them. "What- wait, how- how did they know who I was?"

Mr. Coulson shared a regretful look with Stark. "The emails," Mr. Coulson sighed. "The network at your office and home weren't secure…they got in, figured out your connection to us, and tracked you down."

Silence reigned over the room. My heart was pounding, my breathing was growing shallow, and my head felt light. I'm not sure when Stark or Mr. Coulson left, all I know was that James was there again, telling me to breathe in and breathe out.

Finally, I was able to say, "Where am I?"

"You're on the helicarrier," he said slowly. "It's like a flying base. It's taking us to a new location right now."

I nodded shakily. "And me?"

James sighed. "You have to come, too. It wouldn't be safe back there. I'm sorry."

At that moment, my life felt like it was crumbling apart. One day I was writing about the election, the next I had a target on my back. I was so lost in my thoughts, I hardly heard James speak.

"I insisted they get your stuff before we left," he told me. "You'll have a room near mine. You won't feel like you're on a ship, trust me."

"And my family?"

"Under close watch. No one will even get close."

"My work?"

"Notified that you were on sick leave after a freak car accident."

"My apartment?"

"The lease was put on hold."

I took in a deep breath. "Okay."

James leveled me with a steady gaze. "Eliza, you're not going to accept it that fast. It's going to take time. It's okay to feel scared, to have your doubts. We'll do all that we can to get you out of this, I promise."

A sardonic laugh escaped from my lips. "I don't remember our positions being switched."

A smile emerged on his face. "Sometimes they have to."

My eyes drifted down to my leg, where a new wrapping had been set in place. My thoughts idled back to before all this happened, to sitting in my room with James looking at pictures of dogs. I felt my heart wilt in sadness.

"I-" I started, but my throat felt tight. "I'm sorry you can't get your dog now."

I felt a familiar hand tuck my hair behind my ear. I turned to look back, and saw eyes filled with sympathy. "It's okay, Eliza," he smiled. "A dog can wait. Your safety can't."

I managed a small smile back. "So…" I trailed off. "When can I walk again?"

"Right now," James answered. "One of the doctors— Dr. Cho, I think— rebuilt your cells after Banner took the bullet out. It might feel a little strange at first, but that should go away."

Curious, I began to sit up slowly. After a few moments, I moved my legs to swing over the side of the bed. James put a metal hand on my back to steady me, offering his other arm to help me stand up.

"Slowly, Eliza," he murmured. "Don't push it."

"I'll push it all I want," I retorted childishly. I heard James snort before he shook his head. We made our way out of the room together, and I slowly gained my balance as we kept walking. I didn't care enough to try to memorize where we were going— all the hallways looked the same, anyways, and James kept a guiding hand on my back to make sure I didn't wander.

It felt like it took forever, but we finally arrived at the room James said was mine. "They told me that our doors are opened by a DNA scan," he said with uncertainty. "Your door will only open to those you allow. Coulson said you can talk to him about who you want on that list."

I nodded, noticing the almost shy look on his face. He was worried he wouldn't be allowed. "I'll make sure you're on the list," I promised. A light lit in his eyes, and I found myself thinking that I'd never seen more hope in anyone before.

"Eliza!"

James and I turned around at the same time. Steve was approaching, a relieved smile on his face.

"Glad to see you're doing better," he acknowledged. "I'm sorry about, well, everything."

I shrugged. "Stuff happens. I'm glad to know that all of you are okay."

"We sure are," he nodded. His eyes flickered between James and me. "You find your rooms?"

I nodded. "Yeah, James helped me get down here. Anesthesia left me a little woozy."

"Right…" Steve trailed off. I couldn't help but notice there was something weird in his tone, along with the small grin on his face. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Don't get too comfortable- Coulson says we'll be landing in two days."

"And where are we landing?" I questioned as the Captain began to walk away.

He turned back and grinned. "Ireland."