𝟔:𝟑𝟎, criminal minds ¹˙⁵

𝐱𝐱𝐢. and maybe that's just how it's supposed to be

"But you knew Fury hired the pirates, didn't you?" Steve accused after quickly looking around the area. He hadn't spotted Gwen who was as silent as predator waiting to strike; her ability to hide in the shadows and not be seen nor heard was unparalleled. Most of the time, even Clint couldn't spot her despite his enhanced eyesight.

"Well, it made sense," Natasha spoke after a moment. "The ship was dirty, Fury needed a way in, so did you."

"I'm not gonna ask you again."

Natasha was silent for a second, before, "I know who killed Fury."

Steve was rendered speechless, and the redhead glanced outside to make eye contact with Gwen who came out of her hiding spot, now standing in the doorway with her arms crossed as she leaned back against the frame. Similarly dressed to Natasha, the only thing different were her combat boots.

"Most of the intelligence community don't believe he exists," Natasha continued, "the ones that do call him the Winter Soldier. He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last fifty years."

"So he's a ghost story?" Steve frowned.

"Five years ago, I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran," she said. "Somebody shot out my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff. I pulled us out. But the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer so he shot him straight through me." She pulled up her shirt and showed him the nasty scar near her hip. "Soviet slug, no rifling...bye bye bikinis."

Steve looked at her. "Yeah, I bet you look terrible in 'em now."

She smirked a little. "Going after him is a dead end. I know, I've tried." She showed him the drive. "Like you said, he's a ghost story."

He took the drive from her fingers. "Then let's find out what the ghost wants."

"Glad we've all come to an agreement," Gwen spoke for the first time as she uncrossed her arms. Still, she leaned on the frame but have now crossed her ankles as she put her hands in her pockets. She greeted Steve with a grin when he whirled around to face her. "Hiya Captain."

"Gwen?" He frowned. "What--?"

"We need her," Natasha quickly told him. "She's a lot formidable than I am, and her venom's deadly."

"But--"

"You worried about me, Cap?" Gwen let her smirk form into a genuine smile as she walked towards him almost nonchalantly.

He fought back a smile. "Not really, just surprised you're here."

Her smile faded. "Fury gave me a new life. I owe everything to him. And I'll do whatever the fuck it takes to bring down the Winter Soldier. Whoever he is."

PRESENT ━━

Spencer's body was warm, that was the first thing Gwen realized as she slowly started to wake up, snuggling into him deeper all while sniffing him almost obsessively as he slept beside her in her hospital bed. The sniffing was a new thing, only started when she'd gotten pregnant and started to want his scent all over her.

It was strange, but Spencer prided himself in it, giving her his clothes constantly, to wear as her stomach grew. It didn't help that he was turned on by the whole thing—both because of her pregnancy and her wearing his clothes—but it wasn't like either had a problem with it.