Baby Barton

Chapter 120 Steve and Tony.

"You're too late." Tony sighs at the sight of Steve.
This isn't a conversation he wants to have. Chloe Barton has been nothing but a boil on his ass from the moment she stepped foot off the elevator.
But he loved and respected her.
Steve Rogers was so blinded by love that he was no longer thinking like a leader.
Sighing, Steve took a seat at the table. The one where they make all the decisions and plans. This time he was using it to hold him up, to stop him from crumbling.
"They made their decision already?" He glanced up through heavy eyes, "well then, we'll appeal it." He was trying his best to remain optimistic. Clutching onto a fibre of hope, refusing to lose.
Tony winced, "You really thought she'd let you take the fall?" He said, his voice was thick, looking at Steve as he tried to calculate his next move.
"It's not her style, Cap." Tony said finally.
There was a pause, Steve rose to his feet.
"Wait..."
Tony stepped towards him, "I tried." He said somewhat apologetically.
Stomach churning Steve clenched his fists at the realisation.
The senate didn't come to a decision, Chloe did.
And Tony facilitated it.
"I tried." Tony repeated, "I wanted to stop her."
"You should have tried harder." Steve raised his voice.
Tony saw it in the flicker of Steve's upturned mouth, "You really thought she would let you take the fall."
He did, a really tiny part of him had hoped she would.
"It's not her style, Cap." Tony said softly, "this is what she wanted."
And he was never able to resist her.

Steve throws back his head in disgust, running his hands over his face, "Tony, she doesn't know what she wants!" He yells.

"Steve, she wanted this. The guilt was eating her alive.  She couldn't see another way out." Tony voice begins to shake, he too was feeling guilty, "when she came here and asked for my help—"

Steve stops his pacing, "what do you mean you helped her? You didn't just talk her out of it, you actually HELPED HER?" He shakes his head in pained disbelief.

"You know better than anyone that we can't tell Chloe what to do. Her mind was made up."

"And instead of being there for her Tony, instead of finding another solution you fucking practically signed the warrant for her arrest."  Steve spat enraged.

"It was the kids decision." Tony replied, gulping back a lump of emotion.

"She's not a kid!" Steve screams.

"Give me a break! Steve, I asked her not to do this. It was jail or drugs. I could see it in her eyes, she was faltering."

Steve storms out, unable to listen to Tony's bullshit any longer.