Avengers: Altruism [N. Romanoff]

36. All's Fair in Love and War

Chapter 36
All's Fair in Love and War

"Honey, you're home," Tony commented, hands still raised in the air to announce his surrender.
"Tell me there's a reason you are hiding underneath my desk," Fury grumbled at them.
"Well, that's a funny story..." Claire chuckled, looking to Tony for help.
"Ha!" He blurted in panic, "Yes! The- the story!"
"The story... the story being... that-that this thing, there was-"
"The thing!" Tony blurted once more, snapping his fingers.
"Yes, there was this thing," she nodded, and he waved his hand in agreement as they shared a look.
"The.... Thing- that we came to check on," he elaborated.
"Yeah," she nodded furiously, both turning to face the Director.
"Yeah..." Tony knew they had dug themselves into a hole and covered themselves with their bullshit.
"Whose idea was it to find said "Thing"," he questioned.
"I know my exit when I hear it," Tony slid out of the room, shooing the wandering feline to a safer sanctuary.
"If I am given the choice," O'Connor attempted to follow suit, but was immediately blocked by Fury shifting his coat to reveal a handgun strapped to his waist-belt. "Then I choose life," she sat down in a nearby swivel-chair, clapping her hands together.
"Good choice."
"I swear to tell the truth, only the truth, and nothing but the truth," she swore, her mind trying to forget about the paper she was too afraid to lose.
All of a sudden, the past couple day's events flashed through her mind. What were the chances that this was going to be a friendly chat and not a scolding? The therapist was not liking her odds in the slightest.
"It has come to my attention that you keep finding yourself right in the middle of it all, Doctor."
Fury walked around his desk, turning to stare her in the orange of her eyes. She swallowed, ignoring the fact that she had just willingly, in fact instigated an accomplice, into committed breaking and entering of her boss's private office.
"Director, I just want to start my apology with-"
His intimidating hand silenced her.
"Which is why," he continued by taking a seat, "I'm suggesting you start field training immediately."
Claire hadn't realized that she'd been holding her breath until then and sighed, releasing a short bark of laughter.
"Uhhh nooo," she began.
"I'll let you think on it," he interrupted her.
"No no, that's really not necessary." She rolled her chair over to place her hand on his shoulder, probably not the wisest move. "Thank you, really ... but no..."
He paused and she began reconsidering her choices.
"My offer stands if you ever reconsider," he decided.
He turned back to the controls and she took that as her cue.
"You... have my number," she reminded him, making her own exit.
"You broke your phone," he shot back.
She needed something better, unfortunately she was horrible at coming up with things on the spot. Tony and Natasha were the puppet masters.
"Your people will speak to my people then," she instead amended.
"You are my people," it was too late, Claire O'Connor was sprinting down the hallway.