The Falcon's Saviour

Chapter Five

Sam smiles watching Katie talk across from him. She looks beautiful. Her hair curled. Makeup in place. And the red dress she wears hugs her body like a second skin. He'd nearly fainted seeing her. Not that she isn't beautiful anyway. It's a different kind of beautiful. Her detective outfit screams 'I will kick your ass so don't try anything' but that is beautiful to him. A powerful badass woman, of course, that's sexy as hell. But this dress. This dress is 'I am a woman and will dress like it'. And boy, does she look spectacular. She takes her wine glass in hand and brings it up to her lips. His eyes track hers as she glances away and across the room. He knows that look. He sees it with Natasha and Bucky all the time. She's checking escape routes. Not because the date is bad, but because it's an instinct to her. He would guess at military background somewhere. She worries her lip a little as she sets the wine glass back on the table. She glances to Sam before she all but blurts out:

"I have a daughter" she admits, Sam nods.

"I know" he offers, she raises an eyebrow. "Natasha told me....warned me"

"Warned you?" she asks leaning forward.

"She told me not to call you if I wasn't serious about this because you had a daughter and she came first for you, plus I know that kids take up a lot of time, I wasn't sure you'd....agree to this"

"I know I'm not your...mystery girl" she offers. "But I thought coffee went well, so..."

"It did" he agrees softly. "I thought maybe I'd blown it with the whole..."

"Accusing me of being a mutant thing?" she asks, he smiles and nods. "That was a first" she admits. "I've been accused of being a bitch, a hard-ass, stubborn, psychotic....but never a mutant"

"Guessing those names were called whilst you were sat on a catch?" he asks her, amused, she smirks and nods a little.

"I'm good at my job" she answers. "Some of those names were from older, more 'experienced' detective...."

"Some men won't ever change" he admits leaning forward. "Those are the ones someone who is ambitious and clearly good at their job don't need in their lives...."

"But men like you?" she asks him leaning closer to.

"Hey, when a woman can kick ass and take men down twice her size I know her worth" he admits watching her. "We need more women like that...times are changing, we need to change with it....men need to understand that women are far more capable than some might like....women are taking the lead...and I'll follow them" she smiles at him.

"Bet Natasha loves you" she teases, he shrugs.

"I'm more annoying once you get to know me...." he admits, she laughs and shakes her head.

"We'll see" she offers touching his arm before leaning back, he grabs her wrist to stop her from pulling her hand back, his fingers drawing over the scars on the back of her hand.

"What happened?" he asks, she clears her throat a little and shrugs.

"Car accident" she answers. "My hand was trapped for a while..." she pulls her hand back to touch the scars there. Her powers don't work on herself. She can heal absolutely anything else that is living, except herself. She barely survived that car accident. "I read about your accident, is that the one that woman saved you from?" she asks, he nods.

"Yeah, my flight suit malfunctioned, then got into a bit of trouble" he shrugs. "I'm okay" he taps his chair. "Stuck in this a little longer but...."

"Why did you think it was me?" she asks him with a small frown, not annoyance or anger, but genuine curiosity, he shrugs back.

"Your perfume" he admits. "Or your shampoo, your smell....it's..lavender, right?" she looks to her hands and then sighs.

"It's my body butter" she admits. "It's lavender...but it's...one of a kind" he frowns at her. "Custom made because my daughter is sensitive to certain things, certain chemicals" she touches her skin and sighs. "Damn it" she complains. "I was really hoping that you would drop it" he stares at her. She sighs and then cocks her head. "So...yeah" she offers. "You win" he stares at her before figuring out what she's saying to him. He lets out a breath and startles forward slightly.

"You are her" he whispers, she watches him and nods, panic filling her, begging her to flee from this man, this human.

"Yeah" she agrees. "I saved you"

"Why did you lie?" he asks her. "I asked you...."

"Because I can't have people turning up looking for me" she hisses at him. "Humans hate mutants, I know how they treat us...I can't...I can't be part of that, and I can't put it on my daughter" she stands grabbing her jacket from the back of the chair.

"Where are you going?" he asks. "We need to talk about this"

"I can't" she argues. "I'm sorry, but I can't...." she hurries away from him.

"Katherine, wait" he wheels himself after her, she turns to him sharply.

"Please" she begs of him. "Please. Leave me alone" They share a look before she flees, Sam doesn't follow her this time.

..............

"She's just scared" Sam states to Bucky and Natasha sat with him. "She thinks humans think of mutants as....things to be experimented on"

"Well, she's not wrong" Natasha counters. "For the most part...." she sighs. "There are more bad stories than good ones" she admits leaving it there.

"Do I look like the sort of person that would judge her, or hate her, simply because she's a mutant?" Sam asks looking between them. "Am I giving off that vibe?"

"Right now?" Bucky asks. "Not really" Sam sighs and shakes his head.

"Maybe one of you can talk to her" Sam offers. "Let her know it's okay, that, you know, I'm not a mutant-hating psychopath. Nat? You know her"

"Professionally" Natasha counters. "I mean, yeah we talk about her kid and stuff but I don't really know anything about her. I didn't know she was a mutant" she looks to Sam. "It's clearly something she doesn't like sharing...."

"Yeah, well imagine it" Bucky starts. "She heals, right? That's her thing?" Sam shrugs and nods. "Imagine people found out, she'd be the most wanted person in the world. By hospitals, hospices, and yeah, bad guys.....someone that can bring people back from the brink and promise of death. She'd be hunted....that's a powerful gift" Sam purses his lips and nods. He knows this. He knows how close he was to death. She'd saved him.

"She saved my life" he reminds them. "We have to keep her and her daughter safe..." Bucky and Natasha nod in agreement. They know an asset when they hear it. And yeah, Sam's their friend, they'll do this for him too.

...............

Katie shoves a handful of clothing into her military duffel set on her bed, Denny watches her from his spot in his bed on the floor Katie's heart pounds in her ears as she packs. She shouldn't have admitted it. She shouldn't have said anything. Just keep it a secret. Keep it a secret. Keep Poppy safe. She yanks the zipper up on the bag and then grabs the bright blue backpack at its side. She stalks out the room with a quick whistle, Denny follows behind her. She grabs the leash from the hook and continues to the front door. She pauses opening the door seeing a redhead stood at the elevator talking to someone inside of it. A familiar redhead. Natasha. Katie shuts the door silently and takes a breath. He told. He told on her. She looks to Denny and then closes her eyes. Needs a plan. Needs to get to Poppy's school. She snaps her eyes open and moves through the apartment to the kitchen.

"Let's go, Denny," she tells the dog as she opens the kitchen window to the fire escape.