Aftermath

Chapter 30

Tony shook his head. "No, I don't think it's going to work," he said.

"You could shoot them up to Asgard," Natasha said as they looked over a model of a prison cell.

"I don't think Thor would like that too much, actually," Tony told her. "So, it's a viable option," he said with a smirk.

"So, what have we actually decided," Natasha asked him.

"Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch…"

"Okay, I got it, Stark," Nat said. "Barnes punched his way out."

"Buck had a metal arm," Steve said as he joined them. "Neither of the two in question, do they?"

"That was rhetorical, right?" Tony asked before tapping on the tablet in his hand. The model around them disappeared. "How about this one?"

Another 3D model appeared in front of them. Tony read the specs out loud as Natasha and Steve looked around at it.

Tony shifted and looked around. "Could be an option," Tony said when he'd finished reading the information to them. "I like that it's soundproof. Red's been getting on my last nerve. No offense to you…"

"Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically.

"I'm just grateful that we get your dulcet tones versus her nails on a chalkboard. And have you noticed, it gets worse when she's mad?"

"How is the search coming then?" Steve interrupted. "Is this the one?" he asked, knowing full well that nothing had been decided.

"I just want us to take our time and not underestimate them," Tony told Steve. "There are a lot of options. How is Sharon?" he asked, changing the subject.

"She's doing well. But she's been wondering why you haven't been to see her," Steve told him. "Which I have also wondered."

"I, uh, just…"

Steve nodded. "You should go see her. She's really doing well. She's supposed to be out in a few days, actually. And you should probably see her while she's still supposed to be laying down."

"Yeah…you don't want her after you when she's mobile, Tony," Natasha said.

"I will go see her when we're done here, okay?" Tony told them. "All right?"

"Okay," Steve agreed, nodding with a smirk.

The two men hadn't really talked since they'd kicked Ross out a few days prior, but the rift between them – the Hulk-sized elephant in every room – seemed to be getting smaller. The tightness in Tony's chest was dissipating every single moment that they were all safe and sound.

They were going to co-exist in the world and the world was actually going to be better because of it.

"I think we should just get this one built and we can all take turns testing it," Tony said while they 3D model surrounded them still.

"How long to be built?" Natasha asked.

"Couple of days, probably," Tony replied.

"I'll give it my all, Mr. Stark," Steve said. "Get it here and let's see what it can stand up to."

"I think we're all up for the challenge," Nat said. "Well, all of us, except for Sharon."

"I think the real challenge will be us trying to stop her."

…

"I'm really okay. You can let me go now," Sharon said as she attempted not to whine. But she was going stir-crazy and it had only been ten days.

"Miss Carter…Sharon…" the very friendly nurse smile. "You know the docs want you to stay for a full two weeks for observation," she said. "You are healing well, but we don't want you to over-do it," she replied.

Sharon rolled her eyes. She wanted out of the bed, out of the room, out of the medical wing. Honestly, she wanted out of New York, too. But she knew it was doubtful that anyone would actually allow her to go. Not that it would stop her.

She hadn't seen Tony in several days. She figured now that everyone was out of imminent danger, Tony had gone back to sulking about her ignoring him months ago. She didn't actually blame him.

"Please, Lydia? Just to the end of the hall and back? I'm tired of counting ceiling tiles."

"Work on your crosswords," Lydia replied.

Sharon had actually done some of her brief nursing training with Lydia. She wasn't an agent like Sharon, but she'd come over to work for Tony – through Maria Hill – in the aftermath of the fall of SHIELD.

"You know I despise crossword puzzles," Sharon said through gritted teeth. "Couldn't you talk to Doctor Ryan about getting me out early?"

Lydia shook her head. "Nope. You need to take the rest while you can get it. Besides, you aren't missing anything, Share. You have visitors all the time and look, here's one now," Lydia said as Tony appeared in the doorway with a bouquet of fake flowers.

"Nice to see you, Mr. Stark," Lydia said.

"You, too, Lydia," Tony said.

"I'll let you be. Call if you need anything. And please, make sure she stays put, okay? No escaping," she said to Sharon. Sharon rolled her eyes again and gave her a sarcastic thumbs up. Lydia stuck her tongue out at the patient and exited the room.

"So, you're still an excellent patient, I see," Tony said.

"You brought fake flowers?"

"You hate real flowers in vases."

"I know. But you brought fake ones instead?"

"Won't die."

"Will need to be dusted."

"Get Rogers to do it," Tony said back as she sat down.

"So, you're done punishing me?"

"What are you talking about, little girl?" Tony asked. "Punishing you? For what?"

"…for running away and not talking to you," Sharon said as she looked down at her hands.

"I will never admit this again, so listen carefully: I was embarrassed. Too embarrassed to come see you. I had to shoot at you and while I knew the outcome was going to be bad, it was a hundred-thousand times worse. Forgive me?"

"Of course," Sharon said without hesitation. "Do you forgive me?"

"Done and done, kiddo. Done and done."

"So how are you going to get Pepper back? And we need to talk about the spider-kid? In the onesie?"

Tony's face split into a full smile. "I knew I liked you."

"That kid is like twelve, right? And he was taking on criminals?"

"Mmm, more like fifteen," Tony said. "He's a good one. Smart. You'll need to meet him. I want to bring him to the team. And I'm working on some major improvements to your suit…"

"Are you making it some other color besides white? Please?"

"No, I need to be able to find you quickly in a fight, kiddo. I called your mother…"

"Oh, dear l…"

"Please, I didn't tell her you were injured. I told her you were safe with me. That's all. She's one of the only people in the world that are actually comforted by that…"

Sharon nodded.

"So, how goes the containment process for Thing One and Thing Two?" Sharon asked.

"The cell we like is being constructed right now. Should be a couple days. Other than that, they're being watched twenty-four seven. Once it's built, we're going to have at it. Do our worst."

"Has Cathy said anything?"

"We gave her a real fancy hat so she can't control anyone's minds. Mostly she just complains about that. Sin, on the other hand, she's just annoying."

"I would imagine so."

"So what have you been doing?"

'During my involuntary stay here in the medical ward? Shit daytime TV, some reading, plotting an escape route…"

"Planning your wedding?"

Sharon let out a bark of sarcastic laughter. "You are hilarious."

"What?"

"Not this again, Tony."

"I'm serious. You've gotta make an honest man outta Rogers. Do you think he'll want to wear the red, white, and blue to the ceremony?" he asked.

"I know you're saying words, but all I'm hearing is blah, blah, blah…" she told him. "I can honestly say I haven't been thinking wedding at all. We need to make sure Cathy and Sin are done. And make sure nothing else comes up."

"Cold feet, huh? Are your little toes ice cubes? Do you want an extra blanket or a pair of those socks with the treads on the bottom…?"

"Okay, maybe I'm more like you than I really want to admit," Sharon said.

"We all know you love the guy and he loves you. But you're right – you don't need to rush into the wedding. And he'll understand that," Tony said.

"Did you hit your head, too? You're scaring me, Tony," Sharon said.

"I just don't want to push anyone else away. I don't know what else is coming our way in the future…"

"None of us do," Sharon stopped him.

"I just – you and I gotta stick together, kid," Tony said.

"You're going to make me cry, Tony," Sharon replied.

"Don't do that. If you cry, I'll cry. It'll be a whole thing," he said, trying to make the mood light again. "You just need to get better and stay better and then call your mother because I don't want to talk to her again for a long time."

Sharon laughed. "All right, I can do that," Sharon said. "I guess if you insist…"

"I do. I do insist. Because your mother is crazy."

"You are preaching to the choir, dude," Sharon said. "Can we talk about something else? You're really bumming me out."

"Yeah, we can talk about something else," Tony said. "We should discuss what you're going to do with the wee little house you hid from me."

…

"Please kidnap me," Sharon said to Steve later that day. The two of them were having lunch and after Tony wouldn't help, she'd moved to begging Steve to get her out of there.

"You know I can't go against doctor's orders," he laughed.

"I'm beginning to think you and Tony are forcing the doctor's hand a little," Sharon said. "I'm fine. Doctor Ryan said all of my results look good, but I'm trapped here under observation," she said holding up her hands in quotation marks. "You wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

"I am not a doctor, Sharon," Steve said seriously. "And I am not asking the doctor to keep you here. Stark, maybe. But I'd let you out – if the doctor said so. Maybe Doctor Ryan knows you won't rest unless you're forced into it?"

"The word rest gives me an eye twitch," Sharon said.

Steve laughed. "You were able to relax all right by the beach."

"I would love a beach right now, "Sharon said. "I would mind laying out in the sun. But this room is making me crazy. They haven't found any after-effects of the mind-control and my mild concussion is healed. Ribs fixed up. Bruises are fading. But this room is boring and blah and…I'm sorry. I'm the world's worst patient. I can't stand not being able to do things myself. And everyone has been so nice and taking fantastic care of me. I'm just laying here being a nasty person."

"No. I get it. But it's only a couple more days. Then you can go back to life as normal," Steve told her. "Speak of that, I wanted to talk with you…"

Sharon braced herself. She didn't want to have the wedding talk with Steve right then and there.

"I wanted to ask if you wanted to go back to Michigan for a while until we're needed again or if you wanted to stay here."

"Oh."

"Oh? What did you think I was going to ask? We're already engaged," Steve said.

"You're right," Sharon laughed with him. "What do you think we should do?"

"Secluded cottage on a lake sounds pretty damn good."

"But?" she said, knowing well and good that there was a but coming.

"…But we probably should stick around here," Steve said. "At least for a little while."

Sharon nodded. She knew it was ultimately for the best, but it didn't make her miss her cottage any less.

"I've moved my stuff into a bigger suite – Tony actually suggested it. Do you still want to share a room?" he asked quickly.

"Of course I do," she smiled.

Maybe staying in New York wasn't going to be the worst thing.

…

A/N: okay, no action in this one, but I thought it was kind of needed. Let me know what you thought!