Whatever It Takes

Chapter 17 - New Tradition

New York, 2012

It had been two days since the battle for New York. The team had decided to hold a memorial service for Coulson before Thor returned to Asgard. Fury gave a rousing speech about honour, loyalty and trust; it stuck in your throat slightly, but every word he said was true of Coulson. The man had embodied everything that SHIELD was supposed to be.

As you're making your way back to your room, you find Fury waiting there for you. "Think it's time we had a talk, don't you?"

You brush past him to get in. "You here to give me new orders?" You stare at him, "Sir?"

"Sasha," he starts, hesitating slightly.

"I did everything you asked Fury, everything." You start getting changed; he turns his back to give you some privacy. "I stayed holed up in that little room; I went through every single person listed on the SHIELD database; I went and saw that damn therapist 3 times a week; I jumped through every single hoop you gave me. I get that you're the 'boss' and yeah I need to follow orders," you start making your way out of the room once you're done. "But all of this. Everything that happened. The world has completely turned upside down and you thought I needed to be kept in the dark."

Fury grabs your arm and pulls you in the room, slamming the door shut behind you. "I didn't tell you everything because you didn't need to know everything. And before you start talking about trust, I told you years ago it would be hard earned."

"What else is there for me to do? I've followed your orders to the letter!"

"This wasn't about following orders." He walks over to your desk and sits down, "I kept you in the dark to protect you."

"Why?"

"For starters because you've been holding out on me. Dr Raynor told me you weren't mission ready yet; and when she told you that you stopped going to therapy. You need to stick with it, you have to get the past out of your head."

"I have..."

"Bullshit. I know about your conversation with Banner. He told me. And I saw how you reacted to him, on instinct, like it was still built in there for you to shoot first, ask questions later."

"I didn't hit..."

"Because you were just able to control it. You have to deal with what they did to you, and before you say it, talking to Romanoff and Coulson doesn't count. So I decided to try a new tact, with Raynor's permission."

"You partnered me up with Barton."

"I gave you what you wanted." He gets up. "You wanted a new mission, I gave you one; just didn't give you all the details. I partnered you up with one of the best I know. The energy project was the priority, but because of what else the tesseract could do I put two of my most trusted agents on it." You look up at him, meeting his eye. He gives a slight smirk at your shocked reaction as he reaches your door. "You're headed back to Washington."

"But you just..."

"You and Romanoff are heading up a new STRIKE team. You'll be working directly with Rodgers." He comes over and offers his hand. "On one condition."

You're still trying to take it in, after everything you had done; Fury was finally giving you the job you had wanted. "What's that?"

"Therapy, once a week, with Raynor. No negotiation." You reach over and shake his hand; you could handle Raynor once a week.

"You said, for starters. What was the other reason you were trying to protect me?"

"I still think SHIELD is compromised, but I think they're on your tail. I thought keeping you in the basement would make it easier, but now, they're more likely to show themselves if you're out in the field."