Thank you to everybody who read or review the last conversation. You are all so wonderful.

Welcome to the "bad choices were made" timeline. Always keep your hands and feet inside the car.

Please note, since these people are not hiding from the government (Rhodey is VP and knows where they are), there are fewer codenames, and the underage are referred to by their actual names. It's one of the few advantages of this dystopic future.

Also, note that these messages aren't always being sent back to back. Sometimes there could be several minutes between replies. I don't have the energy to do timestamps, so it is what it is. I know some people are using graphics for their text message stories but I think this format works better for screen reading software. As somebody who uses screen reading software, I want to make my writing as accessible as possible.

Conversation 3: The secret life of Agent Laura Barton's Cell Phone

Steve: Is Laura conscious yet? Does Bruce know why she lost consciousness?

Melinda: Other than finding herself five years in the future?

Steve: I don't think that's entirely it. I saw her looking at her phone before she passed out and I think that's why she passed out. I think we need to look at her phone to really know what happened.

Melinda: Not yet. Clint and I are in the room with her. I agree with you. Can you convince Friday to let you have access?

Steve: Friday says no because this is a Shield agent's phone, and I'm not a Shield agent or an agent of the successor agency. Therefore, I'm not allowed to have access to Agent Barton's work phone.

Steve: I didn't think Laura was a Shield agent?

Melinda: She was a high school guidance counselor, at least the Laura we knew.

Steve: Didn't she come with a bag? Maybe you should check that for clues?

Melinda: Clever idea.

Melinda: It's not a regular purse, it's a Shield Mission purse with a hidden weapons compartment. It also contains her work lanyards and a Shield badge. It was issued in October 2016.

Melinda: There is also an ATCU badge in the bag along with a faculty ID card for Midtown School of Science. She's a guidance counselor there. The Midtown badge was issued in September, and the ATCU one was issued in October of 2016.

Steve: How can that be? Wasn't the ATCU disbanded by that point?

Melinda: Yes, because Director Mace wanted a return to the S.H.I.E.L.D brand even though Agent Burroughs argued against it. Mace thought Shield's image could be rehabilitated. Burroughs was right.

Steve: I am aware.

Melinda: I don't think this is Clint's Laura.

Steve: I think you may be right. Maybe you should try to get into her phone. You are the Director of Shield.

Melinda: What's left of it. Even Deke is now missing.

Melinda: Friday just gave me remote access.

Steve: Good. Maybe you should start with her text messages?

Melinda: That was Friday's suggestion too since they were talking to each other.

Steve: Good idea.

Melinda: Apparently, Friday took over a conversation with somebody Laura's address book refers to as Boss Tony.

Steve: Do you think that refers to Stark?

Melinda: It's his cell phone number. I know it because Morgan is always texting Robin from that number.

Steve: Because Morgan has Tony wrapped around her little finger and he will always let her play with his phone. What was she texting Tony about?

Melinda: She was texting him about Clint showing up unexpectedly when he was supposed to be in Malibu with Nikki, which is what I assume to be a code name for Nate. She referred to Clint as her "estranged husband". Also, apparently Stark now has an AI named ANA.

Steve: That's different.

Melinda: Laura and Tony also speculate about Clint being a shape-shifting alien.

Steve: Rocket says that they do exist. He said there are multiple species that have that ability.

Melinda: They do. Phil was impersonated by one in the 90s.

Steve: I am glad Rocket wasn't here.

Melinda: He might be able to help with this time travel situation.

Steve: But we would've just had another reason for Laura to lose consciousness.

Melinda: Friday took over the conversation when Laura arrived here, letting her know that Tony was no longer part of the Avenger network. Although apparently, he's kept that number for Morgan to make phone calls on.

Steve: OK

Melinda: She asked if Tony stopped being an Avenger because you married someone else. She also asked Friday how your engagement with Tony ended.

Steve: What?

Melinda: Friday also promptly confirmed her suspicions that you and Tony never started speaking to each other again after Siberia.

Steve: Oh

Melinda: The last thing Friday told her was that her children were victims of the decimation.

Melinda: That explains why she lost consciousness. Finding out your children are essentially dead would make anybody lose consciousness.

Steve: Waking up in the future and realizing everybody you love is gone can be quite disconcerting. I think we're going to have to prevent Friday from telling her anything else. I think she needs to be eased into it.

Melinda: There's no easy way to ease somebody into waking up in the future, although this reality is slightly less dystopic than the earth being cracked apart.

Steve: Marginally so. I think you should look at her photo album.

Melinda: Why?

Steve: So, we can be 100% sure she's from a different past or timeline. Maybe Simmons should look through her phone? She's better with tech.

Melinda: That would not be advisable since I just came across a photo of Hunter and Fitz making out. Friday make sure Simmons doesn't access this phone.

Avenger Friday: Of course, Director May-Rogers.

Melinda: Also, don't answer anymore of Laura's questions.

Avenger Friday: Yes, Director May-Rogers.

Steve: She's definitely from a different timeline? One where me and Tony start talking to each other again after Siberia?

Melinda: To the point where the two of you are engaged one month before Thanos arrived in our timeline.

Steve: I don't want to talk about that.

May: We should.

Steve: That's not us.

Melinda: But you need to fix things with Tony. It's been seven years, and you've never worked through your guilt regarding what happened.

Steve: My relationship with Tony is fine. He's taking care of Robin while we're trying to undo what Thanos did.

Melinda: You refer to Tony in your address book as Morgan's father. Your relationship is not fine. Nothing about your relationship with Tony is fine and you don't want to do anything to change that. I think he's moved past Siberia. Have you?

Melinda: Also, a lesser person would be upset that you call me his name during sex.

Steve: Sometimes when you're half asleep, you call me Phil and I'll never be angry about that. It was my fault we lost. The Avengers were in pieces because of me and we lost.

Melinda: I don't think everything can be blamed on you. We all made mistakes. I don't think it's healthy that you put everything on yourself. We're both a mess.

Steve: I know.

Melinda: You keep doing it anyway. You can't let go of the past.

Steve: Neither can you. We wouldn't be trying to do what we're doing if we could let go. Simmons was wrong. Neither one of us has moved on.

Melinda: Phil is gone, and even if what we're planning to do works, he's not coming back.

Steve: But we can bring Daisy back.

Melinda: I need to go. Laura's waking up.

Steve: Okay.

Melinda: But in the meantime, you should talk to Stark.

Steve: Why? He doesn't want to help other than taking care of Robin.

Melinda: We are going to need him to get Laura back to her own time at a minimum. We already screwed up once on our own.

To be continued.