Although it was difficult, Sharon held her head high over the next few weeks as she watched Steve and Natasha get closer. She had come close to confronting them after one ill-advised night of drinking aquavit with Wanda, but her hangover had proved more influential than her self-destructive impulses. Steve was obviously happier with Natasha and Natasha was…impossible to read, but, if Sharon had to guess, also happier. It had taken some time, but it was obvious to everyone that they'd slept together. Even if Steve's newly self-assured persona hadn't proven it, the fact that he'd been unconsciously strutting down from Natasha's room on the third floor for at least the past week had been a solid confirmation. They were neither flaunting nor hiding it, which Sharon could accept, if not embrace.

She sat at the island in the kitchen eating a bowl of Swedish Captain Crunch one morning when Natasha appeared at the hallway door, moving with purpose toward the professional-grade espresso machine on the counter. She performed the necessary actions to produce a double shot before saying, "I just talked to Fury on the satellite link."

Sharon nodded, as it seemed like a fairly straightforward statement that had nothing to do with her.

Natasha stared at her for a moment before continuing against the hiss of the espresso machine, "He'd like to speak with you."

"Oh!" Sharon jumped from her seat as if shocked. The last time she'd spoken with Director Fury, he'd ordered her to assume a persona as Steve's neighbor. "Um, okay?"

"In the den, at the end of the hall."

"Right." She turned after a moment to pick up her coffee cup. Although she had no idea what time it was where Nick Fury was, she had no doubt he knew it was morning where she was. She pulled her robe tighter around her body as she sat down behind the desk in the room Natasha had indicated, heavy on the wood trim and décor. In spite of the fact that she was still in her pajamas, she felt surprisingly secure as she presented her best professional smile for the screen. "Director Fury."

"Either you're as wrapped up in the past as some other agents I know or you're woefully uninformed, Agent Carter. I'm no longer the director of anything."

"Sorry, sir."

"You don't have to call me…" He sighed. There was a long pause before he said, "Agent Carter. The CIA is very annoyed with their inability to locate you. I can't tell you how satisfying it was to have the Director call me for assistance."

"Well, I…"

"I'm not sure how much longer this link will be secure, so let me just say that your suspension has been lifted and the Company wants you back at the Berlin office ASAP. I don't want to know where you are or what it will take to get you there, but if you plan on going back, you need to let Agent Ross know ASAP and get there in the next thirty-six hours."

"Can I trust them?"

"Much as you ever could. They know you've got powerful friends, so I wouldn't worry about them disappearing you or anything like that. Probably more like they're gonna kill you with kindness to get you to roll on Rogers."

"No worry there."

"Wouldn't have 'found' you if I thought there was Carter."

She made a point to take a long, fake sip from her coffee cup. "Thank you, sir."

"For the record, I'm sorry the SHIELD pension didn't work out."

"What record?"

"Heh. Get in touch with Berlin either way."

"Either way?"

"Might be something coming down the pike for a person of your skills that I also happen to trust. If you're interested."

"I'll wait patiently to hear from you, sir."

"Good." She wasn't sure, but she was fairly sure Fury had smirked as he signed off. She allowed her own long sigh to slip out as she leaned back in the chair. So, this was it. She'd ended her relationship with Steve and now she was committing to the only job in the world that could still keep her somewhat close to him. She was going to have to rethink her resignation from the CIA.

When she arrived back in the kitchen, Natasha was still at the espresso machine. She quirked an eyebrow in Sharon's direction. "Let me guess – pumpkin latte?"

"Triple espresso, if you're not busy." She glanced toward the living room, where Clint and Scott were arguing about something trivial, no doubt. To her surprise, the coffee was suddenly placed in front of her. She looked up at Natasha. "Oh. Thank you."

"You're welcome." She casually sat at the stool across the counter. "So…are you staying or going?"

Sharon eyed the coffee cup more warily. "The CIA has reinstated me, but I'm not feeling great about going back."

"Always trust your gut."

"You're not eager to be rid of me?"

"Why would I be?"

"Good point," Sharon muttered. Steve had made his choice and Sharon wasn't a threat. She took a sip of the espresso, deciding that there was no reason Natasha would have poisoned it. On second thought, it could contain a caffeine overdose. "Whoa. This is strong."

Natasha didn't smile, but looked at her seriously. "I'm not sorry about the way everything turned out, but I am sorry that you got hurt. I never expected…"

"You really don't have to…"

"I do. I'm trying to fix things with…look, Wanda still hates my guts and I know you two are friends and you have just as much if not more reason to…"

"No, really." Sharon found it easier to be magnanimous because it actually seemed to matter to Natasha that she be on good terms with everyone – not something Sharon would have expected from her previous experience with and the reputation of the Black Widow. "Am I a little disappointed that it didn't work out between me and Steve? Sure. But I don't want to be anybody's second choice. It's better for everybody this way. Besides, Wanda doesn't hate you."

"She'll be glad you aren't abandoning her with me, at any rate."

"Well…"

"I don't know when Fury's project is going to get off the ground. Or under it, or wherever he's setting it up. You can never tell with him."

Sharon nodded. "So you know all about his job offer."

"I know you're a good addition to the team, so I'm glad you accepted." Natasha pushed herself off her stool and placed her coffee cup in the dishwasher. "I can set up an untraceable connection to the CIA this afternoon if you need to send some documentation you won't be returning."

"Yeah. Thanks." Sharon felt a little dumbfounded as Natasha walked out of the kitchen. She glanced at Clint and Scott, still arguing in the next room. Wanda and Sam were visible through the window in the front yard, practicing some kind of martial art. Steve was watching them, offering pointers to both every now and then.

Sharon picked up her coffee and nodded to the two men in the living room as she passed, receiving waves in return. It was warm and pleasant outside, with a bright sun and a fresh breeze. Steve noticed her first as she stood on the porch. "Care to join in?"

"Just give me a few minutes," she called back, holding up her cup. He nodded and turned to laugh at and offer a hand to Sam, who had just been dumped on the grass by Wanda, using only her newly acquired hand to hand skills.

Sharon settled down with her triple espresso, finally feeling like part of the team.

The End.

A/n: Thanks to all for reading and reviewing. Hope this was a satisfying resolution for Steve and Natasha while keeping Sharon a positive character.