I am so sorry to have missed my goal for last weekend. I hope you can forgive me, since this chapter turned out to be quite long. That is acutally one of the reasons that this chapter is late. I considered breaking it into two, but there wasn't really a good place to cut it off, so you get extra long. I hope that's okay with you. (Smiles. Bats eyes). The other reason this was late was my need to write a 'How I Met Your Mother' fic, even though the last thing I should be doing is starting another story. The idea just wouldn't leave me alone though, and I couldn't work on this until I got that at least started.
ShadowBeats22107: As always, you are very kind. The group of those in on the secret is growing, but, yes, Tony finding out would make things difficult.
Nome de Plume: Thank you. Drunks in fiction are better than real life ones and can be a big help for making revelations that might not be made otherwise.
Sandy-wmd: Glad you enjoyed. While I prefer to focus on canon characters, it's fun to develop new ones, too and try to work them in in a believable manner. I thought Nick outing them was funny.
PrincessPrettyPants: (great name, by the way) At least, he spilled it to someone they could trust, right?
All For Jesus: Thanks. That line about the broken pieces was one of my favorites, too
CullensAngel: I'm so glad you decided to give my story a whirl and that you liked it. I'm enjoying creating those fluffy moments between two very not-fluffy people. I'm glad you enjoy and hope you continue to do so.
Marqueza: Thank you. I'm having fun with it.
Ella: Glad you're enjoying. Thanks for the feedback.
WintersSnowflake: Thanks. Here's you next chapter.
4/9 Guest: Again, apologies for the late update. I hope this makes up for it.
As always, I appreciate the favorites and the follows and absolutely LOVE the reviews. You are the bubbles in my bathwater! Okay, I made you wait an extra week and gave you a long one, so I'll stop blabbing and let you get to reading (and reviewing!).
XOXO
Risks 18
XOXO
Nick Fury closed his eye, resting it for a moment. Several hours spent reading from the computer screen was enough to give him a headache, so he had learned to take frequent, short breaks. Opening his eye again, he glanced at the bright screen, then shifted his gaze to something far more pleasant to look at.
The young woman seated on his office sofa was completely engrossed in the report on her laptop. He took advantage of the opportunity to study her. Her dark hair had been pulled tightly back at the start of the day, but a few small tendrils were now starting to escape. He imagined reaching out, using a finger to smooth the lines of concentration that had formed between her eyebrows and on her forehead. His gaze followed the taut lines of her body, the form fitting uniform leaving little to the imagination.
Not that he needed his imagination. His memory held all the detail he needed.
Shifting his gaze back to her face, he traced the strong line of her jaw, noticing the corners of her mouth starting to lift.
"Are you undressing me with your eye, Sir?"
"I am, indeed, Agent Hill. Do you have a problem with that?"
She finally looked up at him. "Not at all, but don't you have reports to read?"
He sighed. "Always. But they'll still be there if I take a 5 minute break," he told her.
"How far are you into your 5 minute break?" she asked.
He looked at his clock. "About 2 minutes."
"So, 3 minutes to go," she commented, setting her laptop next to her. She set the timer on her phone, then rose, rounding the desk. He pushed his chair back slightly, turning to face her. Pulling the zipper of her top down, she straddled his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close as his mouth dropped to her neck, his lips finding her pulse point. He started sucking lightly, feeling her heart rate increasing as his hand slid down, gripping her butt.
She squirmed against him, feeling his reaction to her. Lowering her head, she caught his earlobe tugging lightly at it as she moaned softly in his ear. She felt the light scrape of his late-day stubble as his head came up, his lips seeking, finding hers. His lips caught hers for a few moments, then his tongue slipped into her mouth, gently stroking hers.
They continued, the touching becoming more heated, until the timer went off. Reluctantly, he broke off the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. Eyes closed, they fought to return their breathing to normal. Finally, she pushed off his lap, straightening her uniform and pulling the zipper back to the top.
"Back to work," she commented, sounding only slightly out of breath.
"Yeah," he agreed. "Tease," he muttered softly as she returned to the sofa and picked up her laptop.
"No," she corrected, "that was a preview.
Some time later, she closed down her laptop, then stretched. "Looks like I need a couple of face to face follow ups to make sense of some of these reports," she told him.
Nick glanced at the time. "Yeah, I have a couple of meetings to make as well. I'm not sure when I'll be free," he told her apologetically.
"Likewise," she agreed. "Guess you can check with me when you're free and we can decide then if we want to get together."
"Sounds like a plan," he said, leaning down to kiss her lightly. "Oh, by the way. You remember me mentioning my son, Kyle?"
She nodded cautiously.
"Well, he's going to be in town at the end of the week. He's performing a surgery for a group of other neurosurgeons as a part of a training program."
"Sounds like a big deal for him," she commented.
"Yeah," he agreed, "it is. Anyway, we're planning to try to get together one night for dinner."
"I'm sure you'll both enjoy that."
"I was wondering if you might like to join us?" he asked, his question almost studied in it's casualness.
"Join you?" she repeated in a squeak. "Why would you want me to join you?"
He shrugged. "I just thought you might like to meet him."
Her eyes were wide, the near panic evident to him.
"It's fine if you don't want to, sweetheart. No pressure," he reassured her.
"You won't be angry?" she asked softly.
"Of course not," he told her, wrapping his arms around her gently. "I really think you'd like him, but if you're not ready, I'm okay with that."
"It's just...what if he doesn't like me?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Then we would definitely be through," he told her. When she didn't respond, he brushed his lips across her forehead. "It wouldn't matter, Maria. He and I each have our own lives. We enjoy spending time together when we can, and I love him dearly, but I love you, too. Even if you didn't get along, it's not like it would cause problems at the family get togethers."
"You have family get-togethers?" she asked, the panic returning to her eyes.
"Nope. Which is why it wouldn't be a problem," he assured her.
She studied his face. "Maybe, sometime."
"But not right now," he finished.
"If that's okay with you?" she asked.
"It's fine with me," he responded. "I kind of figured that would be your answer."
She stretched up to kiss him, relieved that he understood her so well.
"Just think about it. If you change your mind, the offer stands."
With a nod of understanding, she kissed him again before they both headed off in different directions to take care of their waiting business.
XOXO
Several days later, the two were at Avenger's Tower. Maria was hard at work in the office area as Nick dressed for his dinner with Kyle.
"Anything urgent?" he asked, fiddling with his tie.
"Just the usual imminent disaster stuff," she replied, looking up at him. She whistled softly. "Looking sharp, Nick."
He was wearing a black suit and tie, a deep maroon shirt underneath. Crossing to stand in front of him, she straightened the tie, then smoothed her hands down his lapels before reaching up for a kiss.
"Sure you don't want to join us?" he asked, running his hands down her back to pull her close.
She shook her head. "There are a couple of things I need to keep an eye on. Besides, you two need to catch up. I'm sure he'd rather not share you with your 'bit on the side'," she told him.
"Actually, I much prefer you on the top. Or the bottom," he corrected, grinding against her. "Side wouldn't seem to be nearly as much fun."
With a laugh, she pushed him away. "Go, enjoy your dinner with your son. I've got work to do."
He reluctantly walked away, heading for the door. "Call me if anything major comes up," he reminded her. "And you know where to find me if you need to. Or if you change your mind about joining us."
"I do," she told, waving him off as she sat back down at the computer.
XOXO
Nick and Kyle settled in at their table at the restaurant. The waiter left to get their drink orders while they perused the menu.
"So, Dad. Good to see you. I'm glad you're in town for this visit."
"Me, too. I hated to miss you the last time you were here, but..."
Kyle grinned at him. "I know. Saving the universe takes precedent."
"I think that time it was just a couple of European countries," his father corrected. "Sorry."
The younger man waved off his apology. "I understand." He studied his father for a few moments. "Is it really worth it? When you read the paper or watch the news, do you ever wonder if you're really doing any good?"
Nick quickly squashed down his irritation, realizing the man was honestly curious.
"First of all, I rarely read the paper or watch the news. Most of the headline stuff is actually old news to me. I'm busy dealing with the stuff that could be news tomorrow or next week. Instead of focusing on what the headlines say, I remind myself of what isn't there."
Kyle looked at him curiously.
"I think about the churchgoers that didn't get massacred because we stopped the gunman before he got there. About the airport that didn't explode because we made sure that the terrorists received a shipment of harmless dummys instead of the explosives they were expecting. About the diplomat that didn't get assassinated because one of my people disabled his limo so that he was late to the venue."
After a moment, the other man nodded his understanding.
"So tell me about your work," his father prodded. "You're training other surgeons on this new surgical procedure?"
His face lit up as he started explaining the new technique he and his partners had been developing. He continued as their meals were delivered and they started eating. About midway through the meal, Kyle suddenly stopped, his face showing embarrassment.
"Sorry for taking over the conversation. I know this probably doesn't mean anything to you."
"On the contrary," Nick corrected. "It's important to you, so it's important to me. Besides, I've seen my share of head and brain injuries. If you're developing treatments that can help those people, it's pretty exciting news."
Kyle shrugged, looking pleased. "So far, our studies have been limited to strokes and congenital brain issues, but, if those studies go the way they seem to be going, we'll definitely be looking at possible applications for traumatic brain injuries as well."
Nick suddenly looked to the door, sensing her presence before he saw her. Noticing his attention shift, Kyle turned, noting the young woman entering the room. Maria scanned the room, her eyes coming to rest on Nick. She started towards them.
"One of your people?" Kyle asked.
Nick nodded, watching her approach. When she arrived at the table, both men rose.
"Sorry to interrupt, gentlemen," she murmured, nodding to Kyle, then turning to Nick. "If I might have a moment of your time, sir?"
Excusing himself to his son, he stepped away from the table, Maria following.
"We've got a lead that Mokito is in town," she told him. Mokito was well known as the go-to person in the sex trade, particularly if one was interested in underage victims. Authorities from all over the world were anxious to shut the man down.
"Credible source?" he asked.
"Very," she assured him.
It took him only a moment to reach a decision. "If you can confirm, take a team in and take him out."
She nodded. "We'll try to make it clean," she told him.
"Ugly is just fine," he told her. "Just shut him down."
He returned to his seat as she headed towards the exit. Kyle realized that he wasn't the only one watching her leave, noticing several other men in the room following her exit.
"She would break your neck for that, son," Nick rumbled softly. "As would your wife."
The younger man laughed in agreement. "As would mom if you were still together."
Nick raised an eyebrow in question.
"She's a very pretty lady," he commented.
The director looked in the direction she had gone, considering. "I suppose."
"You suppose? Is the vision going in your good eye? Mom would have had a fit if you had been working with someone who looked like that. She's stunning."
"If you like that type," the older man shrugged.
Kyle focused his attention on his father again. "Speaking of lovely ladies, Dad, how's that aspect of your life? Is there someone who thinks you're her type?"
"Someone who wants a scarred up, one eyed middle aged man whose job comes first? Yeah, son, they're lined up around the block for me."
"They say there's someone for everyone. You've got to get out there and find her."
Nick snorted. "Funny thing about dates, son. They tend to expect you to call from time to time, show up when you have plans, not run out on them in the middle of dinner with no explanation. Doesn't make for many second dates, much less any kind of relationship."
The teasing banter continued through the rest of the meal and through their desserts. Nick suddenly tensed as his phone rang, displaying the phone number of a hospital.
"Fury."
"Mr. Fury? This is Jessica Sanchez. Dutch's daughter?"
He vaguely recalled the young woman he had met briefly at his old CO s house the night of Spider Robinson's wake. "Is Dutch alright?" he asked.
"He's fine," she assured him. "I'm actually calling about Ms. Hill."
Nick sat up straight, his tension telegraphing itself to his dinner partner. Kyle turned, signaling to the waiter as he pulled out his wallet.
"What happened?"
"I'm not sure," she told him. "A police officer just brought her in. I just wanted to let you know."
"Thank you, Ms. Sanchez. I appreciated being informed when one of my employees has been injured." He hoped that she picked up on the message. "You're at St. Mary's, right?" he asked as he rose.
"Yes, sir."
"On my way."
"Understood."
He ended the call, looking across the table. "Sorry about this, Kyle. One of my agents has been taken to the hospital and I should probably check up on her."
"You said St. Mary's?" Kyle asked. When Nick nodded, he handed the bill back to the waiter and stood to join his father. "I'll go with you. I have privileges there and might be able to help you out if you run into any red tape."
Quite experienced at cutting through red tape, Nick started to refuse the offer. Then, he noticed the hopeful look on his son's face. He might be a grown man, but he still wanted to prove his worth to his father. "Thanks, son. I'd appreciate that."
"Is this the same agent who was here earlier?" the younger man asked as they exited the restaurant and climbed into the cab the doorman had hailed for them.
"It is," Nick confirmed.
When they arrived at the hospital, the two men quickly made their way to the desk in the emergency room. The man behind the counter looked up at them.
"Maria Hill," Fury stated.
The man looked through some paperwork, then looked back at them. "She's in triage. Have a seat and we'll let you know."
Fury leaned closer, his eye fixed on the man. "I want to see her," he enunciated clearly.
"Are you her next of kin?"
"I'm her boss."
"I'm sorry, sir. No one is allowed back there except family."
As Nick reached and grasped the man's shirt front, a young woman touched his arm.
"Mr. Fury?"
He studied the young woman, neatly dressed in deep blue colored scrubs that set off her olive complexion. Her dark hair was pulled back in a knot, dark tendrils curling tightly at her hairline. Her brown eyes sparkled with amusement.
"If you'll put Jerry down, I'll take you back to see your agent."
He looked back to where the man was staring at him, his eyes wide with fear. When Kyle gently patted his arm, Nick finally released the other man. Jerry quickly stepped back, brushing down his shirtfront.
"Yes, Ms. Sanchez. If you could kindly take care of these...gentlemen..." he told the young woman hurriedly as he continued easing back.
"Sorry about that," Kyle told him, shooting a warning look at his father.
After a moment, Nick sighed and nodded. "Sorry, Jerry."
The man waved them off and quickly returned his gaze to the information he was inputting into the computer. Nick and Kyle followed Jessica to the door leading to the triage area.
As she swiped her id for admission to the secure area, Nick performed introductions. "Ms. Sanchez, this is Dr. Davis. Kyle, this is Jessica Sanchez. Her dad and I served together years ago." He turned back to the woman. "Thank you for the call about Agent Hill."
The woman shrugged. "I recognized her from our meeting the other night and called dad to get your number. Somehow, I just have the impression that she's not going want to cooperate with the doctors."
Her assessment seemed to be confirmed when they entered the triage. The sound of raised voices soon reached their ears.
"I don't need anything looked at. I'm just fine. And I have nothing to say to you."
"Miss Hill," two different voices protested. Four sets of eyes turned to face the trio when they entered the room. Maria was seated on the exam table. He left arm was wrapped in a blood soaked towel. A large gash over her left eye still streamed blood down the side of her face, streaking the bruise beginning to darken her cheekbone. Her normally full lower lip was made even fuller by swelling.
Nick had to clasp his hands behind his back to prevent himself from reaching out to her.
"Sir," she said, nodding to him. "What are you doing here?"
Her eyes flickered from him to the nurse at his side. Instead of flinching from her glare, Jessica held it, lifting her chin.
"I might ask the same of you, Agent Hill," he growled. He focused on the doctor. "What's her condition?"
"I really couldn't tell you. She won't let me look at her."
He turned his attention to the police officer standing behind her. "What happened, officer?"
"I'd kind of like to know that myself. I found her coming out of an alley near where we're investigating an incident. She was a bit dazed, but couldn't or wouldn't tell me anything about what happened to her," he told the man.
Nick looked at Maria, his raised eyebrow asking a question. She nodded, managing not to wince.
Target terminated.
Nick pulled his id out of his pocket. "Nick Fury. Director of SHIELD. My operative was on an official, SHIELD sanctioned operation. That's all you need to know."
The officer looked doubtful. "We're dealing with a major crime scene."
Fury stepped close to the man. "I said, 'that's all you need to know.'"
Swallowing hard, the man stepped back slightly. "I'll need to check with my superiors on that."
"You do that," the director agreed, turning his attention back to the doctor.
During the exchange, Jessica had stepped over to the other nurse in the room, quietly giving her directions. As the other woman left, she pulled on a pair of nitrile gloves and stepped to Maria's side. Without a word, she removed the towel from the agents arm and replaced it with new, clean sterile gauze pads, then wrapped it with a thick bandage. Wetting another gauze pad, she cleaned the scrapes and cut on her face. Though Maria's expression never changed, Jessica felt her facial muscles tense at the sudden sting of the cleaner.
"Sorry," she whispered before taping another pad over the deepest part of the cut.
"What do you need to do, doctor?" Nick probed.
The doctor waved a hand towards her. "She clearly needs stitches on her arm, probably on the forehead as well and I think we probably should get a CT scan. You can see the damage on the outside and I'm concerned about what the blow might have done inside."
"I'm fine," Hill protested.
"Why don't you let the professionals decide that, Ms. Hill?" the doctor asked her.
"I'll see my own doctor as soon as I get back to base," she responded.
The police officer, who had stepped out to make a phone call, stepped back in, clearing his throat. "I have no questions for Ms. Hill. She's free to go." He nodded towards her. "However, my superiors would appreciate it if someone from your organization could give the lead investigator a call later," he added, handing Fury a business call.
Fury took the card without looking at the man, tucking it into his jacket pocket. He cleared his throat. "Mokito."
"What?" the officer asked.
"Just tell your investigator," Fury clarified.
Without another word, the officer left the room.
The other nurse stepped into the room, handing Jessica a clipboard, then left. She glanced over it, then handed it to Maria.
"What's that?" the doctor asked.
"Release form," she told him, "acknowledging that she's refusing medical attention and checking out against medical advice.
With a flourish, Maria signed the paperwork and handed it back to the other woman then slid down from the table. The doctor gave the nurse a hard look, then allowed his gaze to skim over the other three occupants of the room.
"I'm really not comfortable letting her leave like this," he appealed to Nick.
"It really doesn't matter how comfortable you are," Maria told him, "I'm the patient here and I get the final say in whether I get treated or not."
"She will receive a thorough check," Fury assured the doctor. "I'll make certain of that." His tone of voice left no doubt that he would.
"We're dealing with a head injury, Ms. Hill," the doctor emphasized. "Do you have any idea what that could mean?"
"WE'RE not dealing with anything, Dr. Reynolds," Maria told him coldly, "I'm the one with the head injury, and it's not my first one, so, yes, I do know what it could mean."
Kyle stepped forward, extending his hand. "Dr. Kyle Davis. I'm a neurosurgeon."
Dr. Reynolds shook his hand. "Dr. Davis. I got to observe you yesterday." He looked at Maria. "You're involved with her treatment?"
"He's a consultant," Nick interjected.
"I'll keep an eye on her until we can get the scans taken care of," he assured the other doctor.
Finally, the er doctor scribbled his initials on the AMA form and handed it back to Jessica, then left. Nick held the door open, gesturing for Maria to proceed him. Before doing so, she turned to the other woman. "Thank you, Ms. Sanchez." Nick nodded agreement.
"My pleasure," she nurse answered.
As the group exited the er, Maria cleared her throat as she pulled out her phone. "I apologize again for interrupting your dinner." She pulled up a number and started to make a call.
"What do you think you're doing?" Nick asked her.
She looked up at him. "I'm calling Agent Coulson to see if he can give me a lift back to the base," she told him.
"You're not going back to the base tonight," he told her, hailing a cab. "You're going to the tower and Dr. Banner is going to take a look at you."
"I'm not sure he's even there," she responded. "I'll be fine until I can get to Dr. Carlyle."
He looked at her, considering. "At least, I can get you stitched up before you bleed out."
"You do stitches, Dad?"
Nick turned to his son. "You learn to do what you have to out in the field, Kyle. They might not be pretty, but they'll do the job."
"No disrespect, but I'm sure I could do a better job on those stitches, if you want me to," the doctor told them. "After all, it is a part of what I do for a living. And if this tower of yours has the facilities to do it, I can take a look at whatever scans you need."
Maria hesitated. "You have two options, Hill. The tower, or the er," Nick told her, pointing back towards the direction they had just come from.
Finally, she sighed. "Fine. But he does the stitches," she added, turning to Kyle.
When the cab pulled up, Nick opened the door, allowing Maria to slide in first. She noticed the cab driver watching her for a moment. He started to speak, but stopped when Nick slid in next to her. Kyle sat next to him, pulling the door closed as Nick gave the driver the address of the tower. They rode in silence, the driver occasionally making eye contact with Maria as he wove through the streets to their destination. When he pulled to a stop, Nick paid him as Kyle slipped out, his father sliding out behind him. Before Maria could follow, the driver hopped out and opened the door on the other side, offering a hand to help her out.
"Are you okay, miss?" he asked softly. "I can get you away if you need me to."
"I'm fine," she told him, slightly confused.
"You're sure?"
At her nod, he closed the door, discreetly sliding a card into her hand. "Call if you need help," he told her, watching her to the curb before merging back into traffic.
"What was that about?" Nick asked curiously.
She glanced down at the card in her hand, grinning slightly before holding it up for them to see. "He wanted to know if I needed to get away." The card had the number for a domestic violence hotline and for the cab company. 'Call for pick up any time' was scrawled underneath in pencil.
Nick raised an eyebrow as Kyle started to laugh. "You've got to admit, Dad, you look a little scary and she is pretty banged up."
Noticing her sway slightly, Nick turned and led the way into the tower.
Welcome back, Director Fury. Agent Hill. Guest. JARVIS's voice sounded.
"This is Dr. Kyle Davis," Nick told the AI. "Is Dr. Banner in?"
There was a pause. He is, but is currently in the middle of an experiment.
"Could you ask him to meet us in the medical center as soon as possible?" Fury asked, pushing the button for the elevator. When the door closed and the car started to rise, Maria reached out to steady herself against the wall.
Instead, Nick grasped her hand and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her as she allowed her head to drop to rest on his chest. After a moment, she started to push away.
"You're going to get blood on your clothes, Nick," she mumbled.
"I don't care," he responded, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "The clothes can be washed or replaced. You can't." He continued to hold her, looking up to find Kyle watching them, his shocked look morphing into a pleased smile.
When the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened, Nick smoothly swept Maria up into his arms, ignoring her weak protests. He carried her into the medical center where Tasha waited.
"Over here," she told him, indicating a table. As he set her down, Natasha explained. "Dr. Banner was in the middle of an experiment that he needed to shut down properly. He should be here in a few minutes, but he asked me to get things ready. What are you going to need?"
Nick looked to his son. "I'd like to get a CT scan, it that's doable, then she's going to need some stitches."
"JARVIS? Can we do a CT scan here?" the redhead asked the AI.
But of course. If Agent Hill would lie down on the table in the back?
Nick scooped her up and carried her over to the table Natasha indicated. They watched while the system did the scan, then he moved her back to the exam table.
Romanoff opened a cabinet. "So, we need a suture kit. What else?"
Kyle turned to her. "We'll need gloves, something to numb her, some saline to flush the wounds, topical antibiotic, sterile gauze bandaging, tape."
As the assassin turned nurse gathered the supplies, she looked back at Maria. "Does this by any chance have anything to do with the rumor the Mokito is out of the sex trade?"
"He is," Maria confirmed. "Though I'm sure someone will step into his place soon, if they haven't already," she added with a sigh.
"Not yet, from what I'm hearing. And the chaos is providing opportunities for authorities to step in. There have already been raids on several of his 'warehouses' and a number of his underlings have turned themselves in." She grinned. "I sure would have liked to be a part of that take down."
As Nick drew himself to his full height, Bruce entered the room. "Sorry I took so long," he apologized as he crossed to the table where Maria sat. He looked her over. "That looks painful."
She shrugged slightly. "Not too bad."
"Did we get a head scan?" he asked.
Per Dr. Davis's request. Downloading the results shortly, Dr Banner. JARVIS intoned.
Bruce looked to Kyle, eyebrow raised questioningly. Fury noticed and quickly performed introductions. "Dr. Kyle Davis, Dr. Bruce Banner, Agent Natasha Romanoff."
"You're with SHIELD?" Banner asked.
"Consultant, apparently," Kyle responded with a grin.
"Kyle is my son," Nick explained. "He's a neurosurgeon in town for a conference and we were having dinner when we got the call the Maria was in the hospital."
While they exchanged pleasantries, Bruce pulled on gloves and took Maria's arm, carefully removing the blood soaked bandages. "Clearly need some sutures here," he commented, examining the deep gash. "What about the head?"
Donning his own gloves, Kyle proceeded to remove the bandage, dabbing at the cut there. "Probably could use a few here, too."
After a short discussion on the division of labor, they got Maria flat on the table, Bruce working on her arm while the other doctor neatly sutured her forehead.
Finally, Nick spoke. "So, Agent Romanoff. You were here all evening? Nothing else going on?"
"Yes, sir. Just sitting in my room catching up on some reading," she responded cautiously.
"And your phone was working okay? No missed calls or anything?"
"No, sir, no calls."
"Agent Hill didn't try to call you in to assist?"
Finally understanding the point of his questions, the assassin looked down at the agent resting on the table. "Sorry," she whispered softly.
"Even though she was specifically told to take a team in with her on this operation," he continued, he anger becoming more pronounced with each passing moment.
"Yes, sir," Hill interjected, "I know you suggested taking a team"
"That wasn't a 'suggestion,' Maria, that was an order!"
"I didn't realize"
"Like hell you didn't," he interrupted. "You know full well I wouldn't want you trying that alone. Mokito always travels with at least two goons. Did you really think you could take them all down all by yourself?"
"With all due respect, sir, I did."
"You could have easily gotten yourself killed, Maria!"
"I didn't have much choice, Nick. He was moving too fast, too erratically. He wasn't staying in one place long enough for me to call for backup. Then, he started talking about meeting a helicopter for a pickup, and I knew I had to move or risk losing him," she tried to explain.
"You could have been killed!" he repeated.
"Hey, Dad," Kyle interrupted. "We're almost finished up here. I wonder if you might be able to round me up a bottle of water? And some for Ms. Hill as well? It's important for her to stay hydrated."
When Nick paused, Bruce piped up. "I could use some, too, if you wouldn't mind, sir."
"I'm sure there are some chilled bottles in the refrigerator in the common kitchen," Tasha added.
With a snort, Fury finally turned and strode from the room.
Maria finally spoke into the silence that followed his exit. "I really didn't need you running interference. But thanks."
"It wasn't for you,"Bruce told her. "He was making me nervous. Actually, I suppose it was for you. I didn't figure you wanted the other guy doing this," he said, holding up the needle."
"True, but I happen to know your control is better than that. It takes more than Nick's blustering to bring on the other guy."
"Your boss can be pretty scary, Hill," Bruce told her.
Studying his work, Kyle commented casually. "You do realize, Agent Hill, that wasn't his 'angry-angry', that was his 'you-scared-me-to-death-angry.' He only pulls that out when he really cares."
"Yeah," she grinned, "I know, Dr. Davis."
"You know," he told her, "You could probably call me 'Kyle', seeing as how you and my father are..."
"Sleeping together?" she finished.
Banner went into a coughing fit and Romanoff stepped over to pat him on the back.
When he finally stopped, he looked at her seriously. "You know, Hill, you might want to think carefully before you drop bombshells like that when someone's sewing you up," he told her, holding the needle up.
"Good point," she replied, then turned her gaze back to Kyle. "Maria," she told him.
Since he was working on a smaller area, Kyle finished first and Nat helped him pull up the scan that JARVIS had performed earlier. He nodded approval at the clarity of the image, carefully examining the inner view of her head. When Bruce finished, he helped her sit up. Kyle turned, gently probing the damaged areas with his fingers.
"Not seeing any signs of bleeding. Possible hairline fracture of the cheekbone, but no displacement, so it should heal cleanly."
"What did you hit?" Bruce asked her, his gaze moving from the scanned image of her body to the actual one.
"Brick wall," she told him.
"I would advise against that," he told her with a straight face.
"I was diving to avoid a punch." At his look, she continued. "The guy was over 7 feet tall and probably weighed in at 350 pounds. His fist was as big as my head and the stone on his ring was probably as big as my fist." She studied her bandaged arm for a moment. "I think that's probably what sliced my arm open."
A subdued Nick returned, handing water bottles to the two doctors and to Natasha, holding another out to Maria. She looked at it, then down at her still slightly numb arm.
"Would you mind opening it for me?" she asked softly.
He did so, then stepped close to where she still sat on the edge of the table. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her, then rested his chin on the top of her head. "I'm sorry," he told her quietly. "I really hate getting phone calls like that."
"I understand," she answered.
He hopped up next to her, keeping an arm around her. "What's the verdict, doctors?"
"No signs of any permanent damage," Kyle told them, "Though there are plenty of signs of past traumatic injuries," he added. "Probably a minor concussion, scrapes and bruises."
Bruce took up the diagnosis. "The laceration on her face bled heavily just because that's what head injuries do, but the stitches there should keep the scarring to a minimum. The one on the arm was deeper. They should come out in about 7 to 10 days. Couple of small fractures in the left hand, but no displacement, so everything should heal fine as long as you take it fairly easy for a few days."
"I'll see that she does," Nick told them. At Natasha's chuckle, he amended. "I'll try, anyway."
"Thank you, gentlemen," she told them, starting to slide down from the table. Nick quickly reached over to help her. "I'm going to go get cleaned up and let you all get back to your own stuff."
"I'll head back to my experiment," Bruce told them. "Try not to overdo it, Maria. If you need anything, have JARVIS let me know."
Nat slipped an arm around the agent. "You guys go have your after dinner drinks and cigars, I'll give her a hand getting showered and changed and then deliver her to you," she told them, guiding the other woman from the medical center.
"So," she commented casually, "meeting the kid? Big step."
"Shut up, Nat," Maria responded.
In Nick's quarters, Kyle poured drinks while his father went to change into his usual black t-shirt.
"Quite the evening, dad," he commented, handing his father a glass and settling into a chair. The older man sat on the sofa across from him.
"About par for the course," he replied. They talked quietly for a few minutes, until the door opened, admitting the two women. Maria was freshly showered, her damp hair pulled back in a smooth ponytail. She had changed into clean, black yoga pants and a pale blue tank top. Her fair skin was mottle with numerous bruises and scrapes, the bandages covering only a small part.
"She's all yours," Nat told him, guiding Maria to the sofa. The woman stretched out, resting her head on Nick's lap as the assassin spread a light blanket over her. With a wave, she left the room. "Holler if you need me!" she called.
Nick gently tucked the blanket around his lover, resting his hand on her waist. He watched her, smiling slightly as her eyes drifted shut and her breathing evened out.
Kyle finally spoke. "How long has this been going on?"
"A while," Nick told him with a shrug. "We've worked together for quite a while. I realized that I was attracted to her. After all, she is gorgeous and I AM only blind in one eye."
The younger man laughed.
"And she's tough and smart and isn't intimidated by me. The same qualities that make her a good second in command also make her good for me."
"Are you sure it's a good idea to date a coworker?"
"Coworkers are about the only people we have a chance to spend time with and get to know. And we do keep the two parts of our lives as separate as possible. We've actually been dating a little over a year now and very few people are aware of that fact."
"Do you love her?"
"I do. Not that I didn't love your mother," he hastened to assure his son.
"But this is different. It's okay, dad. I know mom can be difficult. I also know my math well enough to figure out why you got married. Honestly, I'm surprised that you two lasted as long as you did, being as different as you are. Beside, I seem to remember you telling me something about love. I think I had just had me heart broken by some girl back in high school. You told me that love is different with different people. Sometimes, it's only for a season and it fades and dies, sometimes it changes to friendship, and sometimes it grows and thrives."
"Hmm. I said that?" Kyle nodded. "Sounds like wise words."
"So, what's next? Marriage and kids?"
Nick felt Maria tense slightly under his hand, not as asleep as she would have him believe.
"No kids," he replied quickly. "We're both too set in our ways and our careers, sometimes very dangerous careers, as you witnessed tonight, to want to try to raise children in this wild, crazy world we live in. Besides, I'm a little old to try to start again at something I messed up so badly once."
"Gee, thanks, Dad," Kyle told him with a grin.
"I messed up being a parent," Nick. "I didn't mess you up. You and Veronica turned out very well and I'm very proud of you both, but I can't really take credit for that. I owe your mother and your aunt for that."
"More Aunt Ann than mom, but you played a part, too. You may not have always been able to be there for us, but we knew you make an effort. You sent letters when you could, tried to call somewhere around our birthdays and at Christmas. I remember a few one minute phone calls as you dashed through some airport somewhere, just to tell us you loved us."
There were a few minutes of silence, then he spoke again. "And marriage?"
Nick looked down at the woman next to him. "After watching my marriage fall apart the way it did, I figured I just wasn't cut out for it. The odds are against it. But then, I've seen some great examples, too. You and Amanda, for one," he said, smiling at his son. "And, maybe I'm just old fashioned enough that I think I've found someone I might like to try it with again."
Kyle suddenly cursed. "I was supposed to call Amanda when I got back to the hotel." He grabbed his suit jacket, digging his phone out of the pocket. He looked at the screen with a grimace. "She's been trying to call me." As he dialed her number, Nick carefully lifted Maria's head, sliding a pillow under it as he rose, pointing towards the bathroom.
Maria dozed, half listening to his conversation as the apologized to his wife.
"Yeah, dinner with dad can certainly turn interesting. Made it almost through the meal when he got a call that one of his people was in the hospital, so we went to get her."
He listened a moment.
"Yes, her. And she also happens to be is girlfriend."
He laughed. "Yup. Old man found himself someone, but she's certainly not an old woman. She's probably a little younger than Ronnie."
He paused again. "I don't know that I'd say she's exactly 'nice', but she's good for him." Another pause. "No, I wouldn't call Maria grandma material. I can't see her taking the girls shopping and teaching them to knit. She'd be more likely to take them to the gun range and teach them to kill a man with their bare hands." He considered for a moment. "Actually, that might not be such a bad thing."
He stepped into the other room, continuing the conversation. Maria roused again when Nick returned, kneeling in front of her and lightly stroking her face. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.
"Sorry to disturb you," he whispered.
"I know," she answered. "You have to. Concussion."
He helped her sit up. "Everything okay? No nausea? Dizziness? Severe pain?"
She shook her head, when winced. "Not until I did that."
He looked closely at her eyes, having her follow his finger, then follow some simple instructions. He finally nodded, slipping his arms around her and softly kissing her unbruised cheek.
She carefully looped her arms around his neck and held his gaze, catching her bottom lip between her teeth and chewing on it lightly for a moment. Finally she spoke.
"Does this mean we're engaged?"
He stared at her a moment, then a smile spread across his face. "We've never really talked about it."
"No, we haven't," she agreed.
"Would you like to be engaged?"
"Honestly, I never thought about it."
"Oh. Okay," he said, the light on his face dimming somewhat.
She rested her good hand on his cheek. "I never thought about it before." He brightened again. "But now, I'm thinking I might kind of like being engaged, if the right person were to ask me."
"Hmm. Do you suppose I might be the right person?" he asked.
"I think you just might be," she told him, smiling back at him.
"So, Maria Hill. Would you like to be engaged to me?"
She paused for a moment, as a sudden thought struck her.
"To marry me at some unspecified point in the future when we both find ourselves with nothing better to do at that particular moment in time," he continued.
With a small laugh, she nodded, very carefully this time. "I would love to be engaged to marry you at some unspecified point in the future when we both find ourselves with nothing better to do at that particular moment in time, Nick Fury," she answered.
"I love you, Maria."
"I love you, too, Nick."
XOXOX
So, that's that chapter. I so appreciate your time. Was it worth the wait? Am I forgiven? Please, let me know what you thought. Your reviews inspire me (sometimes, literally. I have a good idea on where I'm going, but sometimes, your quesitons and ideas help me to better flesh things out).
I hope to see you (figuratively) next week with a new chapter of...something.
Kisses!