WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Alright, so Ashlie has this theory that she is never going to meet "the one". She came up with this image of her ideal man and we call this man "the Exception". The chapter explains through it enough I believe. If you have seen the movie Man From U.N.C.L.E. Illya is the ideal picture of The Exception.

Chapter Seven: The Exception

Bucky slide down the side of the jet to sit next to Ashlie. She tapped her knees, then wrapped her arms around them. Bucky pulled off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. Ashlie looked at him, truly looked at him. His physical beauty was obvious, a blind man would drop his jaw in his presence. If you had asked Ashlie if she believed in true love two years ago she would have said "hell no", if you asked her two weeks ago she would have said "hell no". In the short amount of time she had spent with him have been the most adventurous of her life, of course this had nothing to do with him specifically, she kind of fell into his life, not the other way around. Ashlie always had firm belief that there was no one in the world for her, she was too complicated for any man to handle, and she was okay with that, it had never bothered her before.

It's not like Ashlie hadn't been around hot guys before, she had, many times. Those boys made her smile, but they never made her blush, or want to make sure her hair wasn't messed up. She prided herself with not being those type of girls, who messed with their appearance once an attractive guy stepped into frame, many times her and Claire would make fun of those girls. The friends came up with "The Exception", which is a make-believe man who was perfect for Ashlie. "The Exception" must have three specific aspects: he must be from a foreign country, he must be military/ex-military, and he must have a scar on his face. With "The Exception" pictured clearly in her mind Ashlie was at ease with her commitment of solitude.

And yet, sitting next to Bucky with his jacket around her shoulders, she had an urge to push her hair behind her ears and hide her face. She snuck a peak at him, his lips were moving, and he had been talking to her.

"-and that's why I'll always be here for you." That sounded important, Ashlie thought.

"I'm sorry, I was distracted, what did you say?" Bucky laughed and pushed his hair back, he sighed.

"Just said, if you need anything I'll be here." Ashlie smiled and nodded. Bucky stood up and walked toward the front of the jet.

Reagan took Bucky's spot next to her. She jabbed her elbow in Ashlie's side. "Ow." Ashlie looked to her friend. "What?"

"What? What? Are you kidding? Bucky just confessed his love to you. And you just sat there sat with your mouth hung open, like a fish. Guys don't want to confess their love to girls who look like a fish." Ashlie looked around, no one was paying attention to them.

"I do not look like a fish." Ashlie flipped her hair. "Do I?"

"Not usually, but you can't be so blind as to see that Bucky…" Reagan lowered her voice as Sam passed by. "That Bucky likes you." Ashlie leaned her head back against the wall of the plane. "He's your exception."

"He doesn't have the scar." Reagan thought about this for exactly three seconds.

"I'll be right back." Ashlie pulled her down before she could do any permanent damage.

"Why are you so convinced that he's 'The Exception'?" Reagan sat back down. Bucky walked over, holding two vests.

"These are for you two. Wear them at all times, for your protection." Reagan put hers on quickly, smoothing out the Velcro. Ashlie, on the other hand, was having trouble finding where her head was supposed to go. "May I help?" Ashlie nodded. Bucky reached around her to grab the vest and Velcro it around her waist. Reagan raises her eyebrows at her, she tilted her head at Bucky. Ashlie rolled her eyes, and shook her head. "There you go, now, when we get there this red button closes the door and the green one opens it. Here are your ear, listening, device…uh, I don't actually know what they are called."

"Bluetooth?" Reagan suggested.

"Yes. Blue. Tooth." Ashlie looked around, the other Avengers were lacing their boots or checking their equipment.

"Wait, wait, wait." Bucky and Reagan waited. "What?" Bucky looked to Reagan, with his eyebrows raised.

"She means, what do you mean?"

"We're not staying in here." Ashlie put her hands on her waist.

"Uh, yes you are." Sam tightened his arm guards. "You don't have any training and you don't know where Claire is being held."

"Neither do you." Reagan pointed out.

"Yeah, but we're the Avengers and y'all are-"

"Her best friends." Ashlie stepped closer to Sam. He took this as a challenge, he puffed his chest to grow taller.

Bucky sighed and put a hand on Sam's shoulder. "It's for your safety, please Ashlie." Ashlie looked up at Bucky.

Time stopped.

At the same time Ashlie felt a butterflies in her stomach, her head felt like it was being inflated like a balloon. Her instinct was to run away, physically leave the plane and run away. Of course that was irrational, she knew that, but it didn't stop her feet from wanting to move. It was like a fight or flight response, except Ashlie never fought. The fact that she was in a plane was an irony that could not be ignored. She took a few deep breathes to calm herself down, she then opened her mind to the possibility of liking Bucky. This went against every nerve in her body, she closed her eyes and searched deep within her and she found this feeling that made goosebumps erupt over her arms and legs. Her heart beat faster, like she had been working out for hours, or playing a game of dance revolution. This feeling was foreign and she wanted to deport it, but she fought herself and kept it. She took a deep breath, then the feeling made her smile, and she couldn't stop.

"Ashlie?" Bucky repeated. Bucky didn't know the response Ashlie would have, though he was fairly certain it wouldn't be a large smile, not that he minded, he liked her smile.

"We're good." Reagan put her hands on the back of Ashlie's shoulder. "We'll stay here. Just call if you need us." Bucky and Sam left along with the other Avengers. "Hey, Peter." Reagan called out. "Don't do anything stupid, okay?" Peter nodded, he started to walk out of the jet when he turned around.

He leaped back onto the jet and walk quickly towards Reagan, he grabbed her and brought his face close to hers. "If I weren't wearing a mask I would kiss you so hard," Reagan made a noise sounding somewhere between a mouse squeal and owl hoo. "We'll save that for later, then. I gotta…go, uh, save your friend." Peter left and Reagan puddled on the floor.

Ashlie snapped out of her trance when Reagan hit the floor. "Woah, something amazing just happened."

Reagan laughed. "You're telling me."

"He's 'The Exception'."

Reagan sat up, her jaw slacked open. The jet was quiet for a moment. Reagan put her hands up in the air, as if she had won something. "Whoop!"