Barton returned early from his extended vacation. When he finally heard about Hydra and AIM, he thought it was his duty to return. The kids and Laura would have to celebrate New Year's without him. SHIELD needed him. Fury needed him and he was loyal to Fury. He headed for Steve's apartment once he was debriefed by Hill and Fury. Clint wanted to talk to Steve.

Steve was in his kitchen fixing himself a large steak, two baked potatoes, and spinach, when he heard a knock at his door. He left the kitchen and answered it.

"Clint, you're back," he said surprised.

"Yeah, Cap, can I come in?" Clint asked.

"Of course," said Steve. "I'm cooking dinner. You want to join me. It's simple steak, baked potato and spinach."

"You got beer?" Clint asked.

"Plenty," smiled Steve.

"Sounds good to me," said Clint.

"I'll throw another steak on the stove for you," said Steve.

He went into the kitchen and fixed them both dinner. Clint was seated on the couch watching TV when Steve entered with the plates of food. Instead of going to the dining table, he just handed Clint a plate and put his down on the coffee table then he went and grabbed two beers. He returned to the couch.

"You cook a good steak," Clint grinned as he ate.

"Maybe I should quit SHIELD and become a chef," smiled Steve.

"SHIELD needs you," said Clint. "Fury told me all about Hydra and AIM."

"We've made some headway in gathering together names of Hydra agents in SHIELD and some of their outside contacts, but we still have a ways to go," said Steve.

"Natasha didn't even tell me during Christmas about what was going on," Clint said with annoyance.

"Maybe she wanted to spend some time with you without problems," said Steve.

"That's why I'm here, Steve," said Clint. "Only Fury, Hill, Phil, and Natasha knows this, but I'm a married man with kids. They live on a farm in West Virginia. Fury helped me set everything up so it was off the books and secret. If the enemy knew about my family, they'd attack me through them. I won't allow that. Nick won't allow that."

"Clint, I'm... I'd die protecting your family," said Steve with great earnestness.

Clint grinned. He knew he liked this man and trusted him.

"I know that, which is why I've told you. Fury is setting up guards, agents he trusts, around the clock twenty-four seven keeping an eye on the farm and family for now. Plus, Laura knows what to do if there is an attack, which is go into the basement and wait. I turned the basement into safe room. It would take a nuclear detonation to breach it. Nick helped me. He doesn't trust Hydra," said Clint. "I wanted to let you know because if I need help with my family to keep them safe, I'd want you involved."

"Again, Clint, anything you need from me," said Steve.

Clint smiled then said, "I've got to have you to the farm now to meet everyone. Laura would love to meet you. That's my wife. Cooper and Lila are my kids."

"I'd like that," smiled Steve.

"I hear you have a spare bedroom," said Clint.

"I do," said Steve.

"Do you mind a roommate for a week or two. I sublet my apartment but I came back early. I'd stay with Nat, except we drive each other crazy," he said. "Maybe I'll have better luck with you."

"Why do you drive each other crazy?" asked Steve.

"Bit of an insomniac. I tend to be up at odd hours watching TV and prattling around. Also, Nat likes everything in its place. Me, not so much," he told him.

"First off, I need only a few hours of sleep, so I'm up at odd hours, too. The military taught me to keep a well made bed, and my belongings neat and clean, but I don't really care about other people's stuff. We'll do fine together," Steve said. "When do you want to move in?"

"After dinner I'll go to Natasha's and pick my stuff up that I dropped off there," he said. "I cook a little."

"Really? What?" asked Steve.

"Pancakes, hamburgers, and hot dogs," he smiled.

"I happen to like them all," grinned Steve.

"This is great. I can tell Laura she can call me when I'm here since you know now," he said. "She'll like that."

There was a knock on the front door. Steve got up and answered it.

"Sharon," Steve said.

"Hey, Steve, I just dropped by to see when you want to have coffee," she said.

"Come in for a second," he said.

Sharon followed him in and saw Clint sitting on the couch eating. He smiled at her.

"Sharon, this is Clint. He's going to be staying with me for a couple weeks," Steve said.

"Hi," Clint grinned.

"Hi," she said. "You're a friend of Steve's?"

"We're work friends," smiled Clint.

Sharon looked at Steve.

"So, Coffee?" she asked.

"Are you free Saturday?" he asked.

"Sounds good. Eleven?" she asked.

"Yeah, eleven. I'll knock on your door," she said then she waved at Clint. "I'll let you two eat."

Steve escorted her to the door and then he shut. Returning to the couch, Clint was smiling.

"She's pretty," he said.

"Yeah, she is," said Steve.

"So, you have the hots for her?" Clint said teasing him.

"Actually, the woman I have the hots for is out of my reach," he told Clint. "Sharon seems to be willing have coffee with me and I'm pretty sure she doesn't know who I was, so I said yes."

"Okay, Cap," said Clint. "What's for dessert?"

"I think I have some ice cream," Steve said.

"I'm going to like it here," said Clint.

AVENGERS

Clint was in the gym working out when Natasha found him. He was in the midst of doing 200 sit ups when she interrupted him.

"How's the roommate situation going?" she asked.

"It's great, though, I'm eating too much. Plus, the man doesn't know what a salad looks like," grunted Clint, as continued his sit ups with the sweat pouring off of him.

He finally stopped and looked at Natasha, who didn't seem like herself.

"You know he has a hot neighbor he'd having coffee with on Saturday," he said.

"Really? She's hot, huh?" said Natasha.

"Yeah, she's hot," smiled Clint.

"Good for him," she growled then she started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" called Clint.

"I think I'll change into gym gear. I feel like working out. I have some frustration to work off," she said then she disappeared.

"What the hell happened between the two of them while I was gone?" he sighed.

Clint stood up and walked over to the heavy bags. He tapped up and began to go through kick boxing moves on the heavy bag. As he worked out several Strike team members watched him. They were keeping track of him.

AVENGERS

Steve and Fury both faced the widow and viewed DC in Fury's office. Steve was impressed by the view, but he knew Fury had called him there to talk not enjoy the view. Fury was depending on him more and more. He waited for Fury to start.

"You've never been on a helicarrier, have you?" Fury asked.

"No, sir," answered Steve.

"We have one of them. It cost SHIELD billions. It gives us a unique advantage. We have a new one being build a super helicarrier and it will be using some of Stark tech. It will be able to fly longer without refueling and have better scanning and weaponry. I'm afraid that it's going to be a target of Hydra and AIM," he told Steve.

"What do you want me to do?" asked Steve.

"I want you to be on it with your Strike team and Barton and Romanov for it's inaugural flight, as a level of security," he said. "The older helicarrier I'm sure is safe. It's mine. No one serves on it without my permission. The new one can't fall into the hands of Hydra or AIM. It's too dangerous."

'When will it be ready?" asked Steve.

"It will be ready for it's first flight in one month. That's when it'll be finished out at Area 51," said Fury.

"I'll be on it and my Strike team," said Steve then Steve smiled. "Romanov and Barton will do what they want."

"Good," said Fury. "Captain, I'm counting on you."

"Yes, sir,' said Steve.

"In two weeks I'm having a one on one meeting off the books with the president. I'm going to tell him then about Hydra, including which Politicians that have come up in our intel gathering. Once that is done there is no going back," said Fury. "We'll be committed to a war against Hydra and AIM."

"Yes, sir," said Steve.

"I feel that we are going to be active targets of Hydra soon," said Nick.

"I'm ready," replied Steve. "I've been one of their favorite targets for years."

AVENGERS

Natasha made sure to stay in the shadows on Saturday, as she followed Steve on his coffee date. She was interested in Sharon Foster, his neighbor. So, interested that she recorded her car license and took plenty of photos of Steve's date, so she could run them through facial recognition. Natasha made sure to stay out of sight, so even a super soldier with enhanced senses couldn't detect her.

She convinced herself that she was being a friend, making sure that no one was trying to set Steve up. Hydra and AIM wanted him dead. It wouldn't be above either one of them to use a good looking woman to trap him. This was just her being a spy, curious, nothing more than tradecaft. This had nothing to do with her feelings for Rogers.

She watched as Steve sat at the cafe with Sharon. They talked and laughed. If she read his body language, and she was an expert at reading body language, he enjoyed her company but it seemed more like friendship than sexual. Natasha smiled. She had seen the Captain look at her on more than one occasion. She had seen what he looked like when he was sexually attracted to someone. Natasha took another photo then she took off. She'd let them finish their coffee in peace.

AVENGERS

Steve and Clint ordered three pizzas, one pepperoni, and two all meat pizzas. The pepperoni was Clint's, while Steve would eat the two all meat pizzas. They were enjoying Clint's idea of a movie night – The Godfather and Scarface. Steve actually enjoyed The Godfather, but he wasn't really enjoying Scarface.

"Say hello to my little friend," laughed Clint as he finished his last piece of pizza.

"You like this movie?" asked Steve.

"Love it. Come on it's a riot when he falls asleep with his face in a mountain of coke," said Clint. "You don't like it?"

"Not really," said Steve. "I like the first movie, though."

"We'll be going to the mattresses soon," Clint remarked.

Steve looked at him as if he didn't understand. Even with a eidetic memory, Steve was confused.

"You know in the movie when they are going to war against the other families they call it going to the mattresses," said Clint.

"Okay, now I remember," Steve nodded.

"Cap, you are too much. I think we'll do Star Wars next weekend," said Clint.

"I enjoy this movie night, but it reminds me of how much I missed," said Steve.

"Still have the time change bad, huh?" said Clint.

"Yeah. I miss feeling like I fit in and understand everything. Sometimes I look at my cellphone and I wonder why?" grinned Steve. "Do I really need to play a game or watch a movie on my phone."

"Little overwhelming, I get it," said Clint. "My kids have i-Pads and laptops and sometimes. Lila draws on her computer. She loves it, but Laura on her last birthday bought her charcoal pencils and water paints along with an aisle and paper and she fell in love with them. Now she wants to be an artist. She can draw and paint for hours at a time. It's better for her than the laptop."

"When I meet her I should give her some lessons," said Steve.

"You're that good?" asked Clint.

"I'm pretty good. I'll show you my sketch book some day," smiled Steve.

"She'd like that. Hell, Laura would like that. She talks about getting her lessons all the time," said Clint.

"It'll be my gift to her," smiled Steve.

"Now, you definitely have to come to the farm," grinned Clint.

AVENGER

Natasha made sure that Steve was at SHIELD HQ when she decided to pay a visit to his neighbor. It took her less than an hour to find out that Sharon Foster was Agent Sharon Carter. Fury had put a surveillance person on Steve. In Natasha's opinion having coffee with your subject was going over a line. As a level 7 agent she was wanted to have a talk with the level 5 agent. She knocked on the door.

Sharon opened the door and looked at Natasha as if she didn't know who she was.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Step back, agent, and let me in," said Natasha.

Sharon did as she was told. Anyone who knew Natasha's reputation knew that you listened to her when she took an authoritative tone.

"Agent Romanov, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Protecting my partner and friend, Captain Rogers," she stated. "You've crossed a line agent."

"Why do you say that?" Sharon asked.

"Dinner. Coffee. You are socializing with a subject that you are supposed to be keeping an eye on," Natasha said. "Plus, you are lying to Steve about who you are. How do you think that is going to end, huh?"

"Captain Rogers invited me to dinner," she said.

"Ever heard of the word no?" asked Natasha.

Sharon opened her mouth and closed it. She knew there was no wining this argument.

"What do you expect me to do, Agent Romanov?" she asked.

"One, watch him and keep your hands off him. Or, if you want to put your hands on him then tell him the truth. Tell him who you are and what you are doing," said Natasha. "Don't lie to the man because you'll just hurt him."

"Yes, sir," said Sharon.

Natasha started to walk to the door. She stopped and turned and glared at Sharon.

"If you do hurt him, agent, I'll cause you more pain than you have ever felt in your life and I won't even leave a mark," she said.

She exited leaving an upset agent behind here.

AVENGERS

Steve worked Strike Team six until he was sure they were the best SHIELD had. They were ready for their next assignment, which was to act as a level of security for the super helicarrier first flight. Natasha and Clint were part of his team. Of course, he didn't bother to give them orders. They would mingle throughout the helicarrier acting as troubleshooting team. Steve had his Strike team patrolling important areas of the ship that one needed to take control, including the engine room and weapons array. He would be on the bridge along with Director Fury, Deputy Director Hill, Secretary Pearce, and a few other dignitaries. Steve was surprised that Tony Stark himself wasn't going to be there.

Steve stood at attention near the bridge's entrance. As Pearce and a dignitary walked by him, he noticed that the dignitary looked familiar, yet he could place him. Unfortunately, he knew that Rumlow, Rollins and there top Strike team members were on board. Agent Miles reported into him.

"Captain, engine room clear so far. How do you want me to proceed?" asked Miles.

Steve touched his ear piece and answered, "Stay in the engine room for now. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Yes, sir," said Miles.

He touched the ear piece twice and connected with Natasha and Clint.

"How is it on your end?" he asked.

"I see a lot of rats on this ship, Cap," said Clint.

"It looks like Hydra is willing to expose itself to get hold of this ship," said Natasha.

"I'll let Fury now," Steve said.

He walked over to Director Fury and nodded at him. Fury walked away from his group and joined Steve.

"Nat says this ship is loaded with rats. You have an evac plan for you and the dignitaries?" Steve asked.

"Hill and I will deal. You just make they don't get this ship. I'd rather see it scuttled than in the hands of Hydra," said Fury.

"The Potomac looks good to me," grinned Steve.

The helicarrier, which had been moved from Area 51 to the DC Navy Yard lifted off. Secretary Pearce stepped forward to speak. Fury nodded Hill. Before Pearce started to speak the man Steve thought he recognized stepped forward and brandish a gun.

"Hydra, take this ship," he yelled.

Steve looked at him and murmured, "Zemo."

On instinct alone, Steve grabbed his shield from his back and threw it at Fredrick Zemo. The shield hit him in the chest and knocked him down and out. Pearce bent down and picked up the gun. He aimed it at Hill, but Fury had his gun drawn and fired. Pearce turned and looked at Fury, as his shirt slowly turned red. He dropped dead to the floor. Hill went into action gathering the rest of the dignitaries, while Steve retrieved his shield.

The bridge was at war between SHIELD agents and Hydra. He turned to Fury.

"Evac," he ordered. "I'll handle this."

"It's yours, Captain," said Fury.

He and Hill with the dignitaries headed off the bridge. Steve touched the ear piece.

"Miles, how's the engine room?" he asked.

"Under attack," Miles answered.

"Hold the engine room until I give you the order to scuttle it then get to a Quinjet and get off the ship," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," said Steve.

Next, Steve double tapped and spoke to Natasha, "Nat, sit rep."

"We're busy stomping rats," she said.

"When I give you the word get off the ship. Don't delay," he ordered her.

"Steve, what are you up to?" asked Natasha.

"Don't worry about me," he broke off the communication.

Zemo started to move. Steve looked at the next generation of Zemo. Before the man could gather his wits, Steve kicked him with some force in the face. He was not getting back up. Steve viewed the bridge. The Hydra agents were forcing the SHIELD agents back. Steve threw his shield taking out two of the Hydra agents. The shield returned to him then he attacked.

Natasha and Clint fought their way to the Quinjets. Clint fired arrow after arrow.

"We missed a mole somewhere that there are so many Hydra agents on this fucking ship," said Clint.

"Yeah, I know," Natasha. "We are going to have to find that mole."

"Shit," said Clint, who fired an explosive arrow at a group of Hydra agents.

"I hate killing agents wearing SHIELD uniforms," he said.

"I don't," growled Natasha as she fired her Glocks.

Steve had taking the pilot controls along with three agents. He tapped his ear piece.

"Miles, sit rep," said Steve.

"We still have the engine room," Miles said.

"Scuttle the engines then get to either escape pods or a Quinjet," Steve ordered.

"How much time on the C-4?" Miles asked.

"Three minutes. You have three minutes," he said.

He double tapped his ear piece and spoke to Natasha, "Nat, sit rep."

"Almost to the Quinjets," she said.

"You have three minutes to get off the ship. Three minutes. Timer is ticking," he said.

"Steve," she said.

"Nat, get off the ship," he ordered.

Steve pulled the ear piece out of his ear. He looked at the three agents with him.

"Time to get to an escape pod. I'm putting this into the Potomac," Steve said.

"I'm staying with you, sir," said a female agent.

"Me, too," said the male agent.

"Sorry, sir, but I'm going," said the other male agent.

"Don't worry about it. Go," said Steve.

The agent took off towards the escape pod area. Steve looked at the control and smiled.

"I don't know how to fly this thing," he said.

"I do, sir," said the female agent.

"Put us in the drink," he said.

"Yes, sir."