Grace
- Is it wrong for me to be kinda excited about this? - Sharon asks while the two of us load a backpack with mission supplies.
The two of us plus Clint are going to the AlphaTech headquarters in Silicon Valley to question Ian Gallagher. This guy is important enough to put the Avengers on hold, not to mention busy. We've been trying to talk to him for a month and he never has time.
- I mean, it's a little weird. - I glance at her, closing the bigger bag and throwing it over my shoulder. - Especially considering the shit show from last night.
- Yeah, that was bad. - She nods, grabbing her bag too. - Rhodey and Stark are already on damage control. I couldn't think of anyone better to handle this.
Damage control is a pair of words I've heard more in the past month than in the past century. They have to do it all the time, but it's usually because some tabloid is spreading shit. This thing with Edward is a lot more serious, which means a lot more PR meetings and damage control.
- Speaking of Steve.... - I try to speak, but Sharon puts a hand in front of my mouth, effectively shutting me up.
- Don't. - Her cheeks burn. - You'll jinx it. Be quiet.
God knows Steve is the leading authority on waiting too long. I'm grateful Sharon decided he was worth the wait.
- Ok. - I mumble from behind her hold and she lets go. - What is there to be excited about anyway?
- My little pupil is spreading her wings. - Her face is filled with pride and a bit of sadness. - They grow up so fast.
Once again, I point out in my head how different she is from Peggy. This turned into a nasty habit after I regained my memories. I'm not sure how my old friend would've reacted to me being on the field or even being an agent in general. I don't think she'd like it. Peggy would probably act kinda like James does, overprotective and overbearing. When it came to her, I never knew if it was because of concern or a pathological need to control everyone around her. I force myself to dismiss those thoughts as we take the elevator towards the helipad.
- Hey, you two. - Clint is waiting for us already, leaning against the door of the quinjet with a small grin on his lips. - Ready?
- Let's hit the road. - I reply, smiling back at him.
- Or in this case, the air. - Sharon adds, and we walk in.
The flight to Silicon Valley is incredibly chill. Sharon and I play Uno while Clint takes a, in his own words, "mandatory nap to not murder any billionaires". Aside from James and Steve, he's the one Tony's the most resistant to talk to, although I know for a fact he wants to. Eventually the plane descends into an airport just outside San Francisco. After another hour in the car, we see the logo of AlphaTech in a huge glass building.
Two women in tailored suits guide us through the inside of the place. All the corners are full of computers, televisions, and other forms of technology I don't even try to comprehend. Our man is in a bigger office right in the center of the whole thing. Ian is wearing matching green jumpers and he looks like he slept 3 hours the whole week.
- Agent Carter. - He extends a hand and smiles at Sharon, mostly ignoring me and Clint.
- Mr. Galagher, it's good to see you again. - She shakes his hand and he signals for us to enter the room.
His office is not like I imagined it to be, much smaller and way more organized. Ian is the kind of guy who arranges the bookshelves in alphabetical order and there isn't a single speck of dust in the room.
- So what can I do for the Avengers? - He places a mug under a weird machine that starts to brew coffee upon contact. The bags under his eyes tell me it's not the first cup of the hour.
- We were hoping you might have some information on a man we're trying to arrest. - Clint says, grabbing a phone and projecting Edward's picture. - You've probably seen him on the news yesterday.
He grabs a pair of glasses from a drawer before looking at the photo.
- Yeah, I met this guy. - Ian says, unbothered. - About 3 months ago he tried to hire me to break into the SHIELD database.
- What? - Sharon's eyebrows jump up. - Why didn't you tell anyone?
- I did. - He retorts, taking a long sip of coffee before continuing to speak. - The guy who supervised all the missions I assisted, Grant Ward. He told me he'd look into it, but since he never brought it up again I assumed it was a prank or something like that.
- I know this guy. Ward turned out to be a spy infiltrated at SHIELD. - Clint sighs, shutting off his phone. - We should've looked closer at his cases.
- Did Edward tell you anything relevant? - I hold back from asking for a coffee. Whatever he's brewing smells insanely good. - Like, maybe why was he doing all this?
- Yes, he told me he wanted to expose the Avengers for the fraud they are. - Ian shrugs again, finishing the mug and promptly putting it under the machine to fill it again. - But I didn't believe him.
- What do you mean?
- You see agent Carter, I'm good at reading people. - He doesn't even try to pretend he's not flirting with her. - And that man was way too angry for someone who was just trying to prove a point. This is personal for him.
After another half an hour of useless chit chat, a cup of amazing coffee and more amped up flirting from Ian to Sharon, the three of us enter the car and leave. The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. What Ian said makes sense, but it doesn't help us get any closer to Edward, seeing as he is not in any database on the planet and therefore we can't know his motivations. It looks like it's against Tony in one minute, but then he chooses to attack Natasha with something completely unrelated. He claims to have dirt on all of the team, which might include me and James.
- What do we do now? - I break the silence when we finally enter the plane.
- I have no idea. - Sharon crosses her arms. It's easy to see she's frustrated. - This was essentially useless.
- What could someone have as a motivation to expose the Avengers? - I ask, looking between her and Clint. - I mean, you guys are heroes. The good guys. There are better people to expose, no?
- We're not the good guys all the time. - Barton grunts, pressing buttons in the panel before moving to the back of the plane. - I was literally a government criminal because of Stark and his stupid accords. Public opinion was a mess at the time.
- The accords weren't Tony's fault. - I argue, mentally cursing at myself a second later.
- No offense Grace, but you weren't here. - He lies down in two seats. His dismissive tone is exactly like James'. - Stark is guilty of many things, the accords barely scratch the surface.
He closes his eyes, basically finishing the conversation, so I move to the cockpit a few meters away. Sharon follows me, taking the other chair. We watch the sky for a few minutes as the plane lifts and then quickly stabilizes. She turns back, looking at Clint for a second before addressing me.
- When were you planning to tell me? - Her voice is low as if she's not entirely sure Barton is truly asleep. - About you and Tony.
- I did tell you. - I whisper back. Busted. - In Wakanda, remember?
- But you didn't tell me you guys were together now.
- How did you...
- I figured it out. - She interrupts, continuing to speak in a very low tone. - Took me a while, but still. You were miserable there and as soon as we got here you were happy. Not to mention the look on your face just now when Barton said those things about Tony.
- Ok, fine. We're together. - I admit, scooting closer to her while keeping a close eye on Clint. - But you can't tell anyone. Not even Steve.
- What happened? - She scoots closer. - Last time we talked about Stark, you were afraid he'd only slept with you to get back at Bucky. I had to tell you that that didn't make any sense.
- You were right. - A smile takes over my lips. - I really like him.
- I'm glad you're having some 21st century fun. - Sharon squeezes my arm playfully. - We both are, I suppose.
I put a hand over my mouth to suppress the laughter. This is the closest to her admitting what everyone knows is happening between her and Steve that I'm gonna get. For the next 2 hours on air, I whisper to her everything that happened since we talked in Wakanda. The letter Tony wrote, that kiss in the compound kitchen, the times we've been sneaking out like teenagers, and mostly about how stupidly in love with him I am. There isn't a straw of judgment in her face, just a lot of giggles while I tell her the spicier parts. The flight back goes by in a flash.