It was the evening after Lauren's eventful meeting Bruce Banner. Said meeting was due to totally unintentional reasons. It wasn't her fault that remembering her two best friends distracted her enough from preparing breakfast that she cut herself. Yes. It totally wasn't her fault at all.

She already finished preparing dinner and was waiting for company before she started to eat. Truth be told, despite spending most of her day in the kitchen and working out with Natasha, she was still feeling restless. Maybe she needed to go out? It has been a week since she's felt the sun on her skin after all.

She should probably take up Steve's offer to go running in the morning. Just to get out. She wasn't going to try and keep up with him or Sam. She knew that Sam was Steve's running buddy. So she wondered why he never went with Steve to the café before.

She shrugged the thought off. She'll likely meet Sam the next day.

Later, dinner was livelier than expected. Natasha, Clint, and Bruce decided to join them. Clint and Natasha were entertained with a recount of what happened that morning. The group once again descending into playful banter of each other's lesser-known names.

"Natalia oddly suits you. I'm not even gonna try to say that second name of yours." Lauren chimed in after Clint and Natasha shared theirs.

"Alianovna." James drawled with a Russian accent that oddly suited him.

"I'd never have thought that you'd be a 'Virginia' though." Clint countered with a teasing grin.

"It's not a bad name. Though the way they say it back home makes it worse." Lauren replied absently. "Lauren 'Ber-HIN -ya' Grimms. It sounds so out of place when they – the older generation– say it.."

"Where is home anyway?" Clint asked. The expectant stares around told her they all wanted to ask the same thing.

Lauren didn't answer. She wasn't against them finding out. She wasn't ashamed of her home country. It was just more fun to let people wonder. Even back home most would mistake her for some other nationality.

Natasha's eyebrows scrunched up as she tried to put a pin on the accent. "That sounds… Spanish? Or Portuguese?"

"She looks more Middle-Eastern than Spanish though," Clint added in.

"Maybe a former Spanish colony?" Bruce suggested. He looked like he was half-way through finishing a new puzzle.

"Bruce! You just made it too easy." Lauren whined playfully.

"You don't talk like any of the former colonies on this side of the world though. So… Asia?" Clint wondered.

"Philippines?" Natasha tried.

"Ding-ding-ding! Give the lady a prize!" Lauren rang, amused.

"It still doesn't explain how you ended up with a German family name like 'Grimms' though." Clint griped, his eyebrows knitted in frustration when Lauren just shrugged.

"I honestly have no idea. No one in my paternal family has a hint of European blood except for maybe the height. But I guess you can just sum it up to the intricacies of the modern Filipino ancestry." Lauren tried though it did nothing to satisfy Clint's curiosity.

The group settled into an odd silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable one, nor was it comfortable – therefore, odd. Bruce and Natasha had a look of mixed concern and pity. She was very far from home after all. The others, however, were still puzzling over how she ended up with such a family name. She was tempted to call them racist. In teasing of course, she didn't really care. But she'd be a hypocrite if she did. She herself wondered how her ancestors had ended up in the Philippines. She was, nonetheless, amused by their reactions.

Steve, however, was set on something else. He already knew of her origins. But something else bothered him. "You never actually told me why you're on this side of the world."

Lauren sighed inwardly. The quick answer was easy. She already gave him the quick answer the first time he asked. Which was 'work and study'. But she knew that it wasn't what he was asking for. She wasn't sure if she was ready to tell him just yet. Maybe if she was drunk. But she wasn't at the moment. She just gave him a smile that told him that it wasn't the time. She hoped that he understood.

She looked to the others, hoping that they didn't catch on. Thankfully, they were already engaged in their own conversations to have noticed Steve's question.

They all settled down into their drinks. Lauren wishing she chose something stronger. The events of the day were catching up to her.

Later, she pondered on answering Steve's question as they made their way to their floor. She decided that she'd rather not. At least not without alcohol. She'll put it off until Steve asks her again. Her openness to such things is very much dependent on alcohol.

They part ways after she tells Steve she'll join their run in the morning. She slept fitfully that night. Her mind plagued with memories of the past and regrets.

She woke up feeling like she hadn't slept at all. Knowing she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, she stared at her ceiling. She'd rather lay in her bed all day. But she already told Steve she'd be going with him. And so, with a heavy sigh she got up and got ready.

She found Steve and James waiting for her in the kitchen. She tried her best to not look like she hadn't slept well. If they noticed they didn't say. Though Steve sent a glance her way once in a while as they walked.

She chose not to acknowledge it. She was content to let the sun's heat seep into her skin. Only then did she realize how good it felt to be outside.

She wasn't exactly the outdoorsy type. She can appreciate going on a hike or a run in the park. But she doesn't go out of her way to do so.

America certainly had its share of hiking trails and parks. But in last 3 years she was here for university, she never went to any of them. She spent most of her university years going to school and back to her apartment. She wasn't a goody-two-shoes. Her last few months in university attested to that. But that's a story for a later date.

They arrived at central park. Steve was already running to catch up with Sam. James decided to just walk around. They agreed to meet in the same spot after an hour.

Lauren decided to take her time. Briskly walking most of the time rather than run or jog. Endurance running wasn't her thing. She'd rather sprint than torture herself for an hour.

She absently followed the path. Her thoughts strayed to her best friends. They still haven't contacted her again, after their calls. But that wasn't surprising, they were all busy trying to be adults. Well, as adult as one could be. The kind of things her two best friends were involved in didn't really need one to be a proper adult. They were a bunch of troublemakers. Really. She spent most of her time in high school managing the trouble they got into. Yes, she was part of the troublemaking herself. It involved a lot of adrenaline after all, which she loved. She'll probably try to get back into it, discreetly if she got the chance.

She shook herself out of her thoughts. It wouldn't do to reminisce. She'll tell her new friends of her past eventually.

It took her a moment to register where she was.

She had strayed from the runner's path and was now somewhat lost. There were still a few people wandering around. So she wasn't in any danger. But she wasn't sure how far she was from their assigned meeting place. She still had time to find her way, thankfully.

She found their meeting spot thanks to the wonders of the internet. It was just about the time they agreed to meet, but she didn't see any of the two super-soldiers around. So she decided to wait under a nearby tree. The weather was great – sunny but not blindingly so, with just enough clouds scattered about in the sky.

She didn't realize when her eyes had closed. But next thing she knew, she had to open them when she heard someone breathing hard close to her.

She found a dark-skinned man with close-cropped hair, hunched over trying to catch his breath. She wasn't sure why she did, but she called out to him – asked if he was okay. She offered one of the water bottles she thought to buy on her way back.

The man finished the water bottle before he answered.

"Thanks. Word of advice, don't push yourself to keep up with someone who isn't entirely human."

Her eyebrow rose. She knew what – who – he was referring to. She didn't expect the casual way he said it. Like being friends with a superhero was a common thing. Or maybe it was the way he just offhandedly said it to a stranger.

"You must be Sam." She realized. He was still trying to catch his breath. She took the opportunity to observe him.

He wasn't officially part of the Avengers. A freelancer of sorts. Former military probably. But he held himself in a sort of resigned way. Casual but alert, if that made sense.

"Sam Wilson, at your service." He offered a handshake which she took firmly. Handshakes can make an impression after all. "You must be Lauren, Cap sent me to get you. They're at this new place we found."

Lauren was oddly at ease with Sam. It surprised her that she was the one to start their conversation. They already talked about how she ended up staying with Steve and James. To which Sam said: "Your boss was an asshole." She's learned to expect it after Bruce.

"So why are you all the way here in America?" Sam asked. She opened her mouth to give her usual answer. But the words that came out were different.

"To get away from my family. I love and care for them and all. But they can be a bit… much."

It wasn't something she'd admit to someone she just met. Unless she was very drunk – which she wasn't. She hasn't even eaten yet! But it was okay. She didn't know why she was so willing to talk with Sam. But she just rolled with it.

Sam nodded in understanding. But didn't ask further, which she was thankful for. It was a can of worms she'd rather leave unopened.

"I'm guessing you're the youngest then? The youngest always gets what they want." He guessed teasingly. To which Lauren gasped, and gave him an incredulous look. Complete with a hand covering her mouth.

"You take that back! I am in no way spoiled. I work for what I want. Thank you very much." She scoffed. She tried to look resentful but couldn't fight the laugh that bubbled up.

Lauren couldn't help but feel amazed by how easy it was to talk to Sam. She wasn't the type to tell people about her life. Hell, she only opened up to Iris and Greez about her family after 2 years of friendship. It also required underage drinking. She tended to be a closed-off person if you couldn't tell.

"If you aren't a full-time Avenger, what do you do?" She wondered. She never asked Steve about his teammates. She wasn't the type to ask people about other people. She preferred to get to know them herself.

She knew about Sam and James. Steve would often mention Sam and James during their conversations at the café. Mostly because he'd be buying food for the latter and just came from the company of the former.

"I volunteer at the VA. Helping soldiers with their PTSD."

"So a counselor, sort of?"

Well, that explained a lot. He was used to putting people at ease, and helping them.

"Yeah, sort of." He paused. As if to debate something. "If you need someone to talk to…"

He didn't need to finish for her to know what he was trying to say. It put her on guard. She was sure she hasn't mentioned anything of note. Maybe he was just being nice? Maybe… Hopefully…

Knowing someone had read something off of her, made her uncomfortable. She always thought that she kept her emotions in well. But if someone she just met was able to see she was trying to hide something…

She could feel her entire being wind up. Her shoulders tight and drawn back. Trying to make herself look bigger, more confident. It made the air between her and Sam tense.

Hide. Hide. Hide.

She felt her paranoia rise slowly. The beginnings of panic simmering.

"Took you guys long enough!" Steve called out to them. His voice breaking her panic.

If he noticed the tension between her and Sam, he made no indication of it.

And as if she wasn't about to turn tail, she gave them a smile and followed them in.

I took advantage of Sam's volunteering at the VA. If this seems a bit OOC for him sorry, but this is how it worked out in my head. I didn't want him to fall into the stereotype he seems to fall into in the fics I've read of him. So... I tried?

This chapter was like a chick hatching. It took me a while to write it. Also, I tried my best to put in more description/narration than dialogue.

Anyway! More background on Lauren in this! Does anyone want to take a guess to what kind of shenanigans Lauren and her friends got into when they were younger? :D I'd like to know what your guesses are! Until the next one!

Stay safe everyone! Thanks for reading!