Days, weeks and months passed.
Steve had been right.
Many things changed.
Maria together with Fury, Stark and some other former SHIELD Agents had started to build a new secret agency.
Taking the power from the government to a few people.
She was not sure if this would make things ultimately better.
It was hard to find people who you could trust especially former agents.
But slowly Maria found a new task to fill her life with.
Since she and Steve had been in the park at the small town they had been seeing each other more often.
He had moved to New York and joined the others at the Avengers Tower.
They spend evenings together.
Just the two of them or with the others.
Either at the Tower or in town.
But both preferred the evenings without the team around.
It felt like the old times.
Like the summer they had spent together.
Those times both wanted back.
When everything had been alright.
When there had been the old order.
"'Ria?" She looked around startled.
Shyly she looked away as she saw Pepper and Clint looking at her curiously.
It was the usual monthly team dinner.
Although she would not have admit at the beginning of this Avengers Initiative she really liked it to hear and see how everyone was and what was bothering them.
"The waiter would like to know what you want to eat." Steve repeated his question smilingly.
"I will take the salmon." Maria replied softly and handed the menu back to the waiting waiter.
It was not easy to go out for dinner with the team in New York but luckily they had found a small but fine restaurant where no one bothered them.
Of course they had done background researches on everyone working at it.
Just to ensure that it was a safe place.
Maria watched the others at the table.
Stark and Banner were discussing some scientific theory no one expect them understood.
Pepper tried talking to Natalie who was not much interested in talking.
Clint was talking to Steve about the pro and cons of cities like New York compared to smaller towns.
It was a unique group.
On the one hand everyone was a genius at his or her field and yet there were times where you would not lock them in the same room because they would be at each other's throat.
Something Maria bothered the most was the tensed relationship between Steve and Stark.
"'Ria you should ponder less and help me to convince Clint that small towns do have their pros." Steve smiled and if she would not have known better she would not have felt the soft touch as his fingers stroke the back of her hand.
"Barton I have to agree, small towns do have their pros. Especially when you need a place to rest or you simply want to enjoy life itself." Maria replied her eyes fixed on Steve.
They had been several times to the small park over the past few months and she had learnt to love it.
It had become her new safe haven.
A place where she could relax and forget the world around her.
"You just say it because Steve is manipulating you." Steve looked shyly away but Maria simply smiled.
"No he simply showed me how it does look like out of this noisy city."