The rest of the flight to Virginia Beach was silent. Rogers stared ahead or out the window, not offering to talk. Barton didn't push him. He understood. A car was waiting at the hanger and Rogers stayed silent the whole ride as well. It wasn't too long of a drive to the hospital. They found Natasha waiting for them in the lobby. She cast a knowing look to Clint and approached Rogers carefully. He gave her a pained stare.

"Steve, I'm glad you came." She smiled softly at him. Taking him by the arm, she led him to the elevators, Barton a few steps behind.

Peggy's room was dimmed from the drawn shades. The faint sound of a heart monitor with the volume turned down could be heard beeping. Steve Rogers swallowed hard, turned to look to Clint and Natasha for encouragement, and walked over to her beside. The two agents disappeared from the doorway without a word or a sound.

She stirred a bit, but her eyes were still closed. "Natasha dear, is that you?"

"No," he bit his lip, "Peggy, it's Steve." There, he'd done it. He'd said her name.

Her eyes fluttered open. For a moment he wasn't sure that she really recognized him. But, then a wave of lucidity flowed over her. "Steve, is it really you? You came?"

"Of course I came, Peggy." He took her hand gently. "It's not too late for that dance, you know."

She smiled. "I'm afraid it is." She sighed softly.

"Never." He shook his head. "You promised." He bent down to kiss her gently on the forehead. "Never."

"Will you stay then, until I can dance with you?" she asked.

"I'll stay as long as you want me too, Peggy." He smiled while holding her frail hand gently in his.

With his other arm, he pulled over a chair and sat down, never letting go of her hand. She closed her eyes, drifting back to sleep.

Barton and Romanoff were sitting in a small waiting room, hands entwined, but not talking. There just wasn't anything good to say right now. Fate was a cruel bastard. Bad things happen to good people. No amount of effort, or atonement, or wishing could change that. Clint felt himself dozing off when Natasha startled and grabbed his arm hard.

"Fury's here." She gasped. Clint shot up to see Nick Fury walking down the hall. They both thought the same thing: Phil. Barton hurried down the hall to meet Fury, searching the older man's face for any indication of what might have happened. Fury raised his hand. "Barton."

"Sir?" he questioned. "Is everything OK?"

"Just thought I'd pay her a visit." He said.

Barton breathed a sigh of relief. "Of course. But Rogers is still in there."

Fury nodded and walked toward Romanoff, still sitting, still holding her breath a bit.

"Romanoff, how are you?" He sat down next to her.

"Fine sir." Clint found another chair opposite them.

"Damn sad thing this is." He said while shaking his head. The other two nodded in agreement.

Fury studied them both closely, trying to figure out how they were really holding up. The events of the last several weeks had shaken everyone, Fury included. The baseline of normal had shifted – a lot. He never doubted that Barton and Romanoff would make it through, but he wondered at what cost this time. These two kids had already been through so much. How much pain and torture could a human being endure? Natasha left her chair to sit beside Clint once more, propping up her bad ankle on another chair and leaning into Clint for support. All three settled down in their seats to wait for Rogers to leave the room. Fury glanced at Peggy's room, thinking about the cost that Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter had paid to serve their country. He glanced again at Barton and Romanoff.

Eight years, he thought. It's been eight years already. He knew he shouldn't think of them as kids anymore. But he couldn't help but think of the first time he seen this girl…

She'd escaped her room and held a man by knife point. Luckily, Barton had gotten there in time and she was back in her room – retrained – again. Fury decided it was time he had a talk with her. He approached her room in the infirmary and found Agent Barton sitting in a chair outside the door. There was some kind of rope in his hand.

"Is that a net, Agent Barton?" he asked

"Yes, sir, it is." Smiled Barton

Furry shook his head and entered her room…

Nick Fury was not known as an emotional person, but the sight of the girl in the room nearly brought tears to his eyes. She was till passed out cold, so he sat down and started to read the file again. From what they knew, she was about 19 or 20. After her parent's death under questionable circumstances, she had been kidnapped and brainwashed as a child. Most certainly she had been abused in every way: mentally, physically, and sexually. What was even worse than that is that the bastards had taught her that the abuse is what made her stronger. This Red Room program was by far the worst case of torture Nick Fury had ever come across. But no matter how hard SHIELD and every other honorable organization in the world tried, they couldn't get to the Red Room. Nick Fury meant to change that. Somehow this girl had managed to survive and escape. For weeks, Fury had been watching her, looking for any signs that might give him a reason to spare her life. But, then she'd killed again, this time as a mercenary. SHIELD had no choice but to order a hit on her.

It wasn't an accident that Fury sent Barton. Truthfully, Fury really wasn't sure how the op was going to go. Barton could have just as easily taken the shot. The mission had been a test – for both of them.

Fury knew Coulson was squeamish on this op and he had to let Phil warm up to this idea. When Fury first met Phil Coulson, he pegged him for being a cold hearted sonofabitch. But then Fury found out that the man had lost his wife to cancer the year before. Phil had buried his grief in his work, and he was damn good at it. Coulson excelled at recruiting and training. He was the best ops guy the CIA had in Europe. There wasn't anybody or anything that would stop him from completing a mission. After a few years, Fury finally had enough favors due his way that he requested Coulson be assigned to SHIELD. The CIA handler had still been pissed from losing an asset to the other side, and he was ready for a change. Fury knew that Phil had never moved on after losing his wife. He had no kids, no family, and no emotional ties at all. Fury was prepared to accept Coulson's lack of emotion in exchange for his skills. But, sometimes, people surprised you. Coulson had really embraced the SHILED mission of protecting the world from all types of threats. And Phil had surprised him again when Coulson had first identified Clint Barton as a potential asset for SHEILD. Coulson had insisted that this army sniper that had managed to get himself thrown in jail was and ideal agent for them. Fury was skeptical, but Barton had exceeded all their expectations in just 3 years. When Fury had asked Phil how he'd done it Phil had replied that Barton was one that turned his own life around, Coulson had just helped him find a reason to do it. That's when Fury knew that he had found the perfect person to start the special initiative Fury had been considering for years.

Fury's thoughts were interrupted by Rogers standing in front of him "Director Fury, sir, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Ms. Carter was a friend, Rogers. A damn good friend." He replied. "How is she?

Rogers looked at the ground. "She's asleep for now, I just wanted to come and out let you all know that I'd like to stay here with her tonight, if that's ok?"

Fury nodded. Barton and Romanoff followed suit. Fury walked to the doorway of her room and peered in. She's the last one, he thought. But, memories of the past had long ago ceased to affect Nick Fury. The cards had been dealt and he had no choice but play the hand he'd been given.