A/N: And introducing Cameron Klein. Points to those who recognize him...
A/N2: Super proud of myself for finishing a multi-chaptered fic (even if its two chapters) because if you hadn't been able to tell, I'm terrible at that. New resolution for the year?

Warning: Has birth related details in this chapter. If that freaks you out, probably shouldn't read. Also, I have never given birth but have done loads of research so I hope it's believable.

"I think I'm gonna puke," Darcy gagged, opening one of the windows in the second story classroom and gulping in fresh air.

"Is it from the burger or from nerves?" Cameron Klein asked, dropping a bag of burgers with extra pickles to run over to her with a trashcan. With curly brown hair, a gentle smile and kind disposition, he was the perfect Jewish boy that her grandmother would have wanted her to marry. They'd met at a Communications and Sci-Tech mixer a couple months ago, went on a few dates and made out a few more times but Darcy wasn't ready to date someone seriously and Cam didn't want to be a father figure just yet. So they formed an easy friendship.

It helped Darcy trust others a tad more because she was pretty certain that Cam could never be Hydra. The guy had a Captain America trading card in his wallet and she didn't think that would fly in Hydra. The relationship also helped Darcy feel her age, what with impending motherhood and secret infiltration missions for the Avengers weighing down on her 22-year-old shoulders. Besides, it was just nice to do normal young adult things like hang out with Cam's Sci-Tech buddies at bars and parties. Their sci-tech babble helped ease the sting of missing Jane nowadays. Cam and Darcy even went to a Halloween party a few nights ago as Juno and Paulie.

Although Cam was still officially a Sci-Tech student, he had pretty much graduated at this point and was waiting for the final paperwork to finish before he started his job as a SHIELD launch technician and specialist. Today, he offered to be her moral support and help her set up her presentation. While Darcy was very capable up setting up a laptop and projector, she couldn't really bend over to connect everything. Cam was more than happy to lend a hand and bring over tasty food but the food was definitely going to have to wait for now.

"One of the panel definately has terrible choice in cologne. It's like Axe had a midlife crisis in here," Darcy whimpered. Perfumes and colognes were a sure way to set off her gag reflex during this pregnancy and she'd forgotten her little bag of lemons in her rush to get out this morning. Normally, sniffing lemons helped cleanse the bad smells from her nose.

What she didn't tell Cam was that she was also getting pains in her lower back and stomach. They felt faintly of menstrual cramps but unlike the normal Braxton Hicks, these were a little more intense. They'd been happening every 20 minutes or so, but were starting to quicken. Darcy took a deep breath and winced, clutching her lower back. Panic had been gripping her this entire morning as she thought over all the complications that could occur in late pregnancies, including stillbirth and low fetal heartrate. At her OBGYN appointment yesterday, they had discussed the possibility of inducing labour but Darcy had begged to at least do her presentation first. She was actually supposed to be picked up by Natasha after this for a debriefing and ride to the hospital for monitoring.

"Do you want some water? I can get some water. I mean, I only brought sodas up but I can run to the cafeteria. The panel shouldn't be back for another twenty minutes and the computer's pretty much ready. You just need to set up the powerpoint," Cam offered nervously, rubbing a soothing hand up and down Darcy's back. She leaned into the touch, closing her eyes and trying to focus on evening out her breathing. The entire panel had left for an hour lunch break before the final few presentations would go and while Darcy had practiced until she'd memorized every slide, she still wanted to practice once before she went.

"Water would be awesome," nodded Darcy. "And some lemons. Just a little baggie of sliced lemons."

"Sure!" Cam smiled, glad to have a task. He was really crap at the whole pregnancy helping thing, always looking like he was worried the baby would explode from her stomach Alien style whenever something pregnancy related happened to her. The smile he wore quickly turned to terror when he turned around and saw Brock standing in the doorway. Darcy had no clue as to why Brock was at the Communications campus. They hadn't talked since he left her standing at the doorway with Sam. It had been both a relief and a tad distressing. Now that he was staring at Cam with a look that clearly stated he would enjoy killing the young technician very slowly, Darcy kind of wished they were back to no communication. The little flutter in her stomach at the sight of Brock could easily be explained away by indigestion so Darcy wasn't going to go down that road.

"Brock?" Darcy practically squeaked, wincing at another wave of cramp-like pains and holding her stomach. She noticed Brock's eyes move from Cam to her grip and concern flashed briefly across his face. Next to her, Cam broke slightly out of his fear and realized that his hand was still on her back. He pulled it away like he was burnt and cleared his throat, unintentionally bringing Brock's attention back to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Security detail for the panel," Brock explained coolly, taking a few slow steps into the room. With each step, he behaved more and more like he was stalking prey before the strike. What unsettled Darcy was she couldn't tell if the target was her or Cam.

"Shouldn't you be watching them now?" Darcy challenged.

"Jack's got it covered. I wanted to see you. Ask about your check up. Who's your little friend?" asked Brock, hand moving to the gun holster at his side. Next to her, she heard Cam gulp and Darcy rolled her eyes at the alpha male display. A part of her felt a little bad for Brock's position but only a tiny part. It must be difficult for Brock to see her with a string of male strangers who were filling in the role he was supposed to have. Then again, it was his fault they were apart.

"I'm Cameron Klein, sir," Cam answered in a strong voice, refusing to be completely intimidated and pleasantly surprising Darcy. "I'm a friend of Darcy's and uh, technical support today."

"I can't plug in the computer," shrugged Darcy, watching Brock carefully. "You'd think a super high tech government school would have an easy projector setup but I still need to crawl around to connect everything. Well, Cam crawls around."

"Wait? Halloween party Cam? I thought you were a girl," frowned Brock and Cam joined him. They both looked to Darcy and she shrugged innocently. She may have left out pronouns when talking about Cam with Brock and never corrected him. She also hadn't told Cam that she was still messing with Brock or that Brock was very much the territorial type.

"Well, he's a boy. And he's going to get me a water and bag of sliced lemons," Darcy said smoothly, pushing Cam slightly so that he got the hint. She didn't really want to lose a friend at this point and it wasn't Cam's battle whatsoever. With a final look towards Darcy to see if she really did need help or not, Cam nodded and practically ran out of the classroom, trashcan still in his grip. Once he was gone, Darcy looked back up at Brock to find his gaze hadn't moved from her. "So which of the Agents showered in Axe?"

"Agent Yates and don't try and change the subject," rumbled Brock.

"What is the subject exactly? You trying to out man Cam?" Darcy raised an eyebrow and rested her hands on her hips. A smirk tugged at Brock's lips and Darcy already knew the answer begging to spill from his lips. "And no, I don't like it."

"You've been to the bathroom a lot today," Brock stated, throwing Darcy off completely. "And grabbing the baby and your lower back a lot more. Also, you were shivering earlier for a straight two minutes."

"So? I have a tiny person kicking my bladder," Darcy crossed her arms and was building up to a self-righteous argument to end all arguments but the reality of what Brock said made her stop short. "Wait, how do you know all that?"

"I have access to the security feeds," Brock explained simply like it wasn't creepy he was monitoring her every move.

"And the first thing you did was monitor your baby mama's pee breaks? I didn't think that was your kink."

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. I'm sorry about yesterday," admitted Brock, throwing Darcy off kilter again and making her heart flutter. Despite her better judgment, she took a step towards him and he helped close what little distance was left.

"What's there to be sorry about?" Darcy muttered, trying to avoid Brock's intense gaze that was making her feel all sorts of things in her pants. He reached out to tuck an imagined errant strand of hair behind her ear and Darcy almost swooned, the slightest contact sending little shivers of pleasure down her spine.

"If you want to be with his Sam guy, it's not my place to say. Or if you want to be with Cam, it's your choice," Brock said slowly, as if each syllable was agony to force out of this throat. It tore at Darcy and she felt tears begin to well in her eyes. The last thing she needed was mascara tears before this presentation. For a moment, Darcy let her head nod down but just as her forehead was about to rest on Brock's chest, she caught herself and snapped her head back up. In an attempt to gain some control of the situation, she fixed Brock with what she hoped was a sanctimonious glare.

"Why do you even care about who I'm with or not? You're seeing that red head. You've moved on. Why can't I?" Darcy accused, an unbidden flare of jealousy gripping her chest. A couple months ago, she'd seen Brock walking with a red headed beauty in tight leather pants, red corset top and heels to match. The woman had clung to Brock, whispering something in his ear as one of her hands slipped up under his shirt. All in broad daylight too. Darcy had been out with her family eating lunch in outdoor seating. While Brock did not see her, she definitely saw that he was enjoying the red head's attention. Insult to injury mounted when Darcy was sure she recognised the woman as someone who occasionally worked at their old apartment's maintenance office.

"Red head? What red head?" scoffed Brock just before realization hit him.

"The red head I saw you walking with in front of Central. She had her hands in your pants and you were enjoying the public voyeurism," Darcy said, crossing her arms and glaring at Brock but she had a feeling it was more a pout. She tried not to think about that moment much. It hurt too much to even consider what the actual reality could be. Still, shame dug into Brock as he let out a long breath and clenched his jaw, running his hand through his hair and tugging roughly on the ends. The obvious guilt made Darcy's throat close and her chest cinch.

"You saw me with Sin?" Brock asked but it sounded more like a statement.

"Yeah, Sin. Red headed harlot. Whatever you call her," spat Darcy.

"Sin doesn't mean anything to me," swore Brock, body deflating and eyes shining with remorse. "I swear. We screwed around before I met you but I broke it off with her because she was obsessed with me. Wanted a commitment I didn't want to give."

"And you committed to me instead?" Darcy asked, feeling a little smug but still very angry. For some reason though, she took a tiny step closer to Brock so that she could feel the warmth radiating off of him.

"I rebounded with her when you left. I missed you like crazy and thought I'd never get to see you or the baby, ever. So, I made a really shitty decision but after the couple times with her, I told her it was over. Forever this time," promised Brock, placing his hand on the side of Darcy's neck, thumb brushing along her jaw.

"Really?"

"Really," Brock nodded and Darcy felt a burst of affection warm her entire body. She wanted to stay mad at him but couldn't find it in her anymore.

"Good, because I'm pretty sure she's banana-balls," Darcy said with a huff. Brock tried to hold back a smile and failed.

"Yeah? How do you know that?"

"I met her a few times," Darcy stated nonchalantly but at that, Brock completely stilled.

"What?" asked Brock, voice low and dangerous. For a moment, Darcy faltered and reconsidered her answer.

"It took me some time to remember but I ran into her on your birthday. You know, when I accidently exploded the pressure cooker and told you about the baby? She was doing some door to door survey of the building to see how happy we were with the apartment. Wanted to come inside but Kraken wasn't having it. Actually, the pressure cooker went off soon after that. Then she was asking me for directions when I went shopping once with Leslie. Oh and the weirdest was like, a month ago maybe? She asked to touch my bump but I said no because I hate it when people do that. Like, it's totally okay to fondle a stranger? Anyway, she had like, mega crazy eyes."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" snapped Brock, body tensing and his hand tightening against Darcy's neck before he realised what he was doing and dropped it.

"I didn't realise it was important until now. I assumed you met her at the old apartment and was moving on."

"Have you seen seen her this month? Do you remember anything else about the meetings?" Brock asked with a sense of urgency that was beginning to frighten Darcy. He must have noticed because he eased up.

"Not since she tried to feel up the bump. Why? Should I be worried?"

"No. She's harmless," Brock said in a tone that suggested she was exactly the opposite of that. Still, something made Darcy stop pressing the matter. She wasn't sure if it was because she was scared to tug on that thread in Brock's past or if she was simply just tired of imaging Brock tangled up with the other woman.

"Well, as long as we're sharing, you should know that Sam is like, super gay for Cap. Also, I wanted him to drive me because it was the only time he had to help me with my public speaking skills. He's really good at them and I needed help for today," Darcy admitted a little bashfully, feeling her cheeks heat up as she focused on gently rubbing her bump.

"Oh," Brock intoned, a little flat but she was certain she could hear some relief.

"And, yeah, I may have made out with Cam a few times but I was pregnant horny and realized I wasn't ready to get really physical with anyone despite that. We're just friends. Also, I think the pregnant thing still freaks him out," Darcy looked up to find Brock's face had lowered dangerously close to hers. They were chest to chest, her bump almost touching him but not quite. Another contraction hit and Darcy wrinkled her nose at the pain.

"Do I need to take you to the hospital?" Brock asked, concern in every line of his face.

"No. Nat's taking me after the presentation," Darcy explained, letting the unspoken hang in the air and allowing Brock to draw his own conclusions as to why Nat would be the one to make the drive. It was too dangerous to talk out in public about these things. At least in her house, Stark had put scramblers in all her light fixtures and sockets to interfere with listening devices. "They probably want to induce."

"It looks like they aren't going to have to induce," Brock pointed out and Darcy huffed. "You need to go to the hospital. I do not want my baby being born in a Communications classroom. Pretty sure Agent Hamm delivered foals when he lived on a farm as a kid but that's not how our daughter's entering this world."

"I do not need a farmer to treat me like a horse because I'm not about to push out a baby right this second. I'll be fine. Loads of women have contractions that last days before they even go into labour," scoffed Darcy but before Brock could protest any further, Cam reappeared with a water bottle and a little cup of lemons. He cleared his throat to announce his presence, unsure of the tension in the room and whether it was sexual or just anger. Once Brock stepped away to a respectable distance, Cam risked entering and offered Darcy the cup of lemon slices first. As Darcy sniffed the citrusy smell and finally felt some relief from the constant nausea that was her norm, Cam opened the bottle and gave it to Darcy.

"Okay, so I get you guys are worried but can you give me some breathing room?" she teased both men, who seemed to be holding their breaths, as they watched her. Both shared similar abashed expressions and stepped backwards.

"I should get back to the Agents," Brock cleared his throat, waiting for Darcy to give him any reason to stay.

"I need to practice," Darcy explained and Brock nodded once.

"You'll do fine," he promised her, reaching out to take one of her hands in his and giving her a reassuring squeeze. At that, he turned back around and walked out. As Darcy watched him leave, she felt her chest cinch just a bit. Why did the love of her life have to come with so many complications? Wasn't it supposed to be easy? She really didn't care if her life was some sordid fantasy or exciting fairy tale. When she was with Brock, there was an underlying feeling of simplicity. She loved him. That was straight forward enough. So why couldn't their relationship be straightforward too?

"We've got about ten minutes left now. Not sure you'll have a chance to go through it all slowly but we can do a quick run down," Cam said, pulling Darcy out of her thoughts and back to the most important matter at hand. Letting out a sigh, she nodded in agreement and went to pull up the powerpoint.

Despite Darcy's earlier reservations, the presentation was actually going quite well. The panel looked genuinely impressed by her program, taking notes and nodding with interest. Her confidence boosted the longer her presentation continued. Darcy wondered if this was what Natasha felt like sometimes? A strong, confident woman fooling others into believing exactly what she wanted them to, without question, so that she could silently get the job done under all noses. Obviously, her trying to get a data analysis program approved by a committee wasn't really on par with threat of teeth removal because she was interrogating someone by letting them think they were actually interrogating. Didn't make Darcy feel any less of a badass though.

There were a few unplanned interruptions of the fetus variety. Not that Darcy let it show. Her contractions sped up in frequency. It was kind of annoying to explain the beauty of the simplicity of her coding when her back ached and what felt like period cramps were tensing her entire pelvis area every 5 minutes or so. Adding to this frustration was the fact that Darcy could see Brock fidgeting behind the panel of Agents and noting any tiny sign of discomfort she let slip. Literally, she could see him low key timing her contractions with his watch. None of this helped her but she powered through it, even when it was obvious Agent Yates was not entirely convinced by her presentation and his cologne made her want to upchuck the burger she's scarfed down. In fact, she'd already vomited a couple times in the back of her throat.

Finally, she reached the question portion, which meant that she would soon be able to leave. A small amount of relief eased the tension in her jaw, neck and shoulders that had been forming. Panic began to replace it though when Darcy realised that it meant she would be that much closer to a hospital and eventually having a tiny screaming human looking towards her for everything. Suddenly, the end of the presentation didn't seem all that great.

"Miss Lewis, this is all quite impressive," Agent Norwell said. She was a woman in her mid forties wearing a black pantsuit with a little jack-o-lantern pin on the lapel. Although she looked stern, Darcy liked her because she had asked Darcy how far along she was before the presentation and also given Darcy encouraging nods. The woman seemed to respect Darcy purely based on the fact that she was sticking through the Academy while pregnant and single. Much better than the male jagweed agents that were judging her for that same fact.

"Thank you," Darcy allowed herself a tiny smile.

"Why should we use this model instead of anything that one of our professional Agents could provide? Or even anything that we already have in place?" Agent Hamm, a man in his late 50s that appeared to always go straight to the point, asked in a rumbling voice. A little heavyset and very beady-eyed, Darcy got chills just thinking about Brock considering him as a viable substitute for her OBGYN.

"As I mentioned, this set of algorithms bypasses common issues SHIELD still faces with overfitting and regression. It doesn't get bogged down with outliers but can still assess an outlier within the data. It also can potentially do this on a global scale. From what I have been able to discern from the programs they are teaching us to use, the SHIELD data mining algorithms could use another push into ever changing technology use. I've been able to code scenarios within the algorithm that will help to analyze and assess individual's safety concern through social media," Darcy explained with practiced ease. She had been expecting this question.

"SHIELD already makes use of analyzing social media. How is this so special?" Agent Yates asked, leaning back in his chair and smirking like he'd asked a question that would stump Darcy. The man was in his early thirties and reeked of overconfident dudebro. He'd eyed Darcy's boobs with appreciation but would let his eyes wander back down to her bump and frown in disapproval.

"Because your current algorithms don't analyze the seemingly mundane. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace? Aren't the only types of social media that people use where they unknowingly give up important pieces of information," said Darcy, knowing she probably sounded a little like someone trying to explain the importance of cat videos for a black ops mission. "Food, entertainment and language apps are all being utilized through the digital world. Sure, we're still gonna have smart criminals and terrorists who use minimal technology but this will be able to catch people before they realise that technology can so easily track them."

"Are you suggesting someone's pizza order could help us catch a terrorist organisation?" Agent Yates could barely contain his mirth and Darcy felt a stab of anger rising. Taking a long breath, she calmed herself so that she didn't waddle over to rip at his stupid face. Seeing Brock's face flash with rage as he drilled holes in the back of Yates' head with his stare made Darcy feel a tad better, as much as she didn't want to admit to that.

"Yes. People tend to have very specific eating habits. They don't often change them if they can help it. Say a target is lactose intolerant but still has an occasional taste for cheese? That specific behaviour for someone with that lifestyle will follow them and leave a trail, whether they like it or not. There will likely be a combinations of orders and purchases that consist of specifically lactose free products but also high quality lactose products. Maybe even periods of avoiding those lactose products before giving in and binging during times of stress. The algorithm will make notes of this and be able to match up data if the target is on the move or lying low."

"Diets are also religiously connected or even a sign that our target is getting more in shape. I can actually think of a number of uses for assessing a target's dedication to an organisation through diet," Agent Hamm stated and Darcy did her best not to preen as Yates' smirk twisted to a frown at the lack of support from his fellow man.

"Can you tell us more about how your algorithm is more advanced than the ones we have in place? How did you discern this and improve your system for our needs when others have yet to?" asked Agent Norwell, bringing things back on track and Darcy thought she could see just a little eye roll at the men on either side of her. Glad to be back to talking about the details about her coding, Darcy easily ventured into an organised ramble of how her hacking into the SHIELD firewalls numerous times had given her the idea to look more into the structure of SHIELD's data mining. Towards the end of her tale, a long and particularly painful contraction hit her. Pain sprouted in her lower back and lower pelvis, causing Darcy to grip onto the table that held her laptop and equipment as well as her bump. In the surprise, Darcy forgot to breath evenly and her chest tightened in fear.

"Are you alright?" Agent Hamm asked, actually sounding concerned. If Darcy wasn't trying to remember how to breath, she would have been touched.

"I'm fine," Darcy was able to clench out. After about a minute, the pain receded and Darcy let out a sigh of relief. Standing up and loosening her grip on the table, she tried to offer the panel a reassuring smile. When she looked up, she noticed that Brock had left his post and was slowly approaching her.

"Are you sure?" Yates frowned, looking very concerned that Darcy was going to explode and there'd be little babies raining down on everyone.

"Yes. It's normal this late along," swore Darcy but at that very moment, a gush of water spilled from between her legs to pool at her feet. Her attempt at Kegels did nothing to stop the flow, leaving Darcy standing in a puddle, liquid dripping down her legs and skin burning red from hairline to toe. Why did she wear a dress today? Though she wasn't sure if looking like she peed her pants would have been any better.

"Really? Because you're leaking. At least...that's not piss, is it?" Agent Yates pointed out warily and Darcy let out a small, frustrated huff. She wasn't sure if she was more annoyed with Yates for his ignorance or amused at the fact that he seriously had no idea what what happening to her.

"Nonsense, her water just broke," Agent Norwell said, completely no nonsense and rolling her eyes at Yates. When Yates stared blankly at her, she shook her head in aggravation. "She's in labor."

"No, I'm fine. I can take any final questions you have," Darcy insisted, face still completely red and heated. This was definitely not gonna help the case for the program. Yates looked like a disgusted deer in headlights, Norwell had pride in her eyes and Hamm's lips were pursed.

"Darcy, I'm taking you to a hospital. Right now," Brock announced, tone not leaving any room for argument. As if that ever stopped her in the past. The panel had forgotten Brock was there and they jumped up at the sound of his voice. Darcy, on the other hand, crossed her arms and stood her ground as he made his way towards her.

"I'm not leaving until my presentation is over. Besides, Nat is gonna pick me up in half an hour, anyway."

"Miss Lewis, as reassuring as your dedication is, perhaps given the circumstances you should allow Agent Rumlow to escort you to the hospital," suggested Agent Hamm, voice soothing and calm. It didn't do much to calm Darcy at the moment though as Brock had just reached her and was trying to push her out of the room by her shoulders. His hands kept getting swatted away by Darcy with sharp, fast slaps. "Or another agent, if you wish."

At this exact moment, Rollins poked his head into the room and Darcy wondered if he had super hearing or if Brock simply talked to him over the comms the moment Darcy's water broke. Either way, he took in the room and smirked.

"So, she finally popped?" Rollins asked but it came out more as a statement. The comment made Darcy gasp in indignation and Brock sigh with resignation.

"Why isn't anyone listening to me? I'm perfectly fine," Darcy insisted but she couldn't stop the waver in her voice. The baby was coming and Darcy was just realizing that she wasn't ready yet. She still hadn't perfected scooping up a newborn or completely baby proofing the house or got swaddling down to a science. Then there was the possibility that she didn't bond with her baby or even got postpartum depression. Even worse, all the complications of birth. Her hands started to shake and tears welled. Brock stopped trying to push her and firmly took her wrists in both his hands, forcing her to look at his face. "Besides, I need to pack all my things and-"

"Darcy, it's gonna be fine," promised Brock gently before pulling her into his arms. With his strong hold keeping her still, Darcy couldn't help but feel safe for the first time in a while. The tears began to fall freely and she sniffled into his chest.

"What if I don't bond with her?" Darcy asked, voice tiny and muffled. Brock's grip tightened. "Or there are complications and-"

"We're both gonna love her so much," Brock assured her, speaking into her hair and placing a kiss on the crown of her head. "You're doctor's good and she'll know what to do."

"Stop it. You're making me cry," sobbed Darcy, unable to stop the streaming tears falling down her face and soaking into Brock's shirt.

"Ahem, I think we're done with our questions," Agent Hamm spoke up, clearing his throat, a tad uncomfortable at the sudden affection between the lead security detail and a prospective agent. Standing up, he sent a pointed look towards Rollins. "Agent Rollins, please take lead on security while Rumlow escorts Miss Lewis to her pick up point."

With a nod, Rollins started talking into his comms, barking orders for reassigning unseen agent posts. He even took the time to wave to someone outside to pack up Darcy's things, who turned out to be Cam. Disappointment welled in the pit of Darcy's stomach. Of course, Brock had a job to get back to. It wasn't like she had wanted him around during labour anyway. Shouting how much she was pissed at him would have been nice, probably, but he had high level agents to protect. For a moment, Darcy briefly wondered who was Hydra on the panel but after another contraction, she hissed and stopped caring.

"I'll call Nat and see if she can hurry," Darcy said, doing her best to sound strong but her sniffles hindered that. Placing her hands on Brock's chest, she pushed him away but he refused to budge.

"I'm driving you and I'll be with you the whole time," Brock promised, using his thumb to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. Darcy's eyes widened as she took in his offer. The panel had stopped moving and Darcy could feel their stares on them.

"What was that, Agent Rumlow?" Agent Yates asked, rather annoyed at the insubordination and what Darcy assumed was just any sign of feelings. "You're on duty until we are back at the Triskelion."

"With all due respect, sir," Brock said evenly, jaw clenching, keeping his gaze on Darcy. "This is the birth of my child. I'd like to be there."

"And with all due respect, agent, SHIELD expects you to see all your missions until the end," Yates shot back, eyeing Brock with a look that clearly radiated some Hydra warning. The only response from Brock was a stern frown and slow exhale through his nostrils. Realizing that once again, Brock was choosing Hydra over her, whether it be forced or not, caused Darcy's heart to sink and a fresh new wave of tears to spill. Successfully pulling herself free of Brock's hold and feeling all the more colder out of it, Darcy began to walk towards the door.

"Well, this has been great but there's a human about to explode from me so I'm gonna call Nat," Darcy announced, deciding to peace out for Brock's sake and her own sanity.

"I'm coming with you," Brock said, voice clear and defiant. It stopped Darcy in her tracks and she turned around to stare at him in surprise. The panel of agents were also surprised.

"Are you defying a direct order?" Agent Yates asked, standing up and looking all the world like he was about to go on a warpath, starting with firing Brock on the spot then blacklisting Darcy from SHIELD just out of spite. Darcy wasn't even sure if Yates could fire Brock but she didn't want to be the cause of ruining the undercover mission Nat and Steve had been painstakingly working on. As much as she hated Brock for choosing Hydra over her, she did admit that a part of her understood. You don't piss off a Nazi organization that had been slowly working on causing the world to fall into the brink of total war and chaos all because you knocked up an insignificant Jewish girl. Still, her heart skipped a beat when she saw Brock's confident stance and the fire the directed at Yates.

"If it means I get to be one of the first people my daughter meets, then yes," Brock said and Darcy practically melted. The tears were swiftly becoming those of joy.

"Oh, let him go," Agent Norwell insisted, not at all pleased with Yates' sudden display of dominance. Through from the slight shake of her head and unimpressed expression, this was something she had to deal with on a daily basis.

"And set what precedent for-"

"You would look at that poor girl and deny her the comfort of the father of her child?" Norwell scoffed and Yates sputtered but wasn't able to get another word in. "Agent Rumlow had been an asset to us for many years. I think he can be allowed this for his exceptional work thus far."

"Besides the longer you argue this, the more likely that Miss Lewis is going to give birth in this room," Hamm spoke up. "And I don't know if you've ever seen any animal give birth but it's not pretty. That would probably ruin women for you. Though maybe the female population would thank us."

"Fine," grit Yates, "but Rumlow will be coming in for a debriefing on his actions once this is over."

Somehow, that was it. A little dazed, Darcy let Brock lead her out of the room as another contraction hit. She was only slightly aware of him barking orders to Cam to pack up her things and for students in the hall to make way. The trip down to a black SUV parked right in front of the building. Darcy had a feeling that Rollins was responsible for that.

"Nat has my overnight bag," Darcy said once Brock jumped into the driver's side after helping buckle her in.

"I'll call her on our way and tell her to meet us at the hospital," Brock said, starting the engine.

"Wait," cried Darcy, wits slowly coming back to her. Brock stared at her in worry though he didn't drive away just yet. "I got you in trouble."

"Yates has a stick up his ass. He's high level but all he really has power over is intake and analysis. Talks big but the most he can do to me is get me written up. Sitwell hates the guy and wouldn't let me get in trouble all because I left a low level security detail for a family emergency."

"I don't want to be the reason...what about the whole under-" Darcy stopped herself, knowing they were in a SHIELD issued car that probably was recording everything they said. "You...you're really gonna pick me?"

"Of course," Brock said like it was the most obvious fact in the world. He shifted in his seat so that he was facing her, cradling her face in his hands. "Always."

"Oh...okay," sniffled Darcy and watched as Brock took in her red cheeked and dripping snot appearance with only love. "Then we should probably go to the hospital."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Brock agreed, kissing Darcy softly and sweetly on the lips before turning his attention back to the wheel.

"God, we need to call my mom. And Jane. Thor's on Earth right now. He'll be there too. All of them, including Nat, think they're going to be my birthing partner."

"They're gonna be disappointed when they find out it's me," Brock smirked as he burned rubber pulling out of campus.

"What do you know about Lamaze?"

"I'll have you know that I've been doing a lot of research on all things birthing and babies. Know how to change a diaper and everything," Brock announced proudly.

"You're confident," scoffed Darcy, a little jealous that he didn't seem to be worried about what to do when the baby was actually out.

"Hey," Brock said, reaching out one hand to take Darcy's and give it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm always gonna be there for you. I promise."

With a few deep breaths, Darcy nodded and squeezed back, feeling just a tad more relaxed than she had before. She refused to let go of Brock's hand, even as he started making phone calls using the SHIELD SUV built in bluetooth. As she breathed through each contraction, she just prayed that Brock wasn't lying.

Birth was simultaneously nothing like anything she'd seen on TV or in movies and yet was a cluster of clichés within itself. All of her assumed birth partners arrived at the hospital within an hour after Darcy and they were all rather displeased that neither the doctor nor Darcy wanted them all involved directly in the birthing process. By this point, Darcy's contractions had gotten absolutely horrible and each time it felt as if her insides were twisting and being wrung out like a wet dish rag. To make it worse, they kept coming and didn't have much of a break in between. So, Darcy announced through clenched teeth that if they couldn't make up their minds, then no one was going to be there but her.

It was eventually settled that Brock and Darcy's mom would stay with her despite Thor alluding to some Asgardian fertility voodoo he could offer for an easier birth. Jane easily ended this argument by stating that no Midgardian woman had yet to be offered and subsequently examined while under the influence Asgardian epidurals, so he was out. As her mother was flipping out over Brock being anywhere near the baby when he was gonna steal it for his boyfriend, Natasha tried to sneak Darcy some ice chips and her favourite robe and for a shining moment was the only one Darcy wanted near her for the miracle of birth because she was the least annoying of everyone. But then Brock put a hand on her lower back and the pressure helped her pain ease just a bit. And her mother placed a cooling hand on her forehead like she always did when Darcy was sick as a little girl.

As long as Natasha guarded the door for pesky gay lovers, then Darcy's mom was fine with Brock being present because it made Darcy happy. All this had happened around Darcy as if it were the wisp of a dream. Soon enough and not soon at all, Darcy was asked to start pushing. About two pushes in, she'd firmly decided that this would be her one and only child unless science perfected the artificial womb. She also wondered if Johnny Cash's song Ring of Fire was actually about birth.

Yet, when 7 pounds and 9 ounces of a screaming pink bundle was placed in her arms at 7:47pm, she decided that maybe it was sort of worth it. Though, when the doctor told her it was time to deliver the placenta, Darcy told her where she could shove that suggestion. Honestly by that point, Darcy wanted everyone to leave her alone. Everyone but the wrinkled crying thing in her arms that she couldn't help but adore. It took some goading from Brock and her mother for her to finally agree.

Unfortunately, it was also at this stage that the truce between Brock and Darcy's mom broke and they fought so loudly that the nurses had to get security to escort them out of the room. So Natasha, Thor and Jane were there for the placenta delivery and her first attempt at breastfeeding. In the end, everyone sort of got to be involved. Also, Darcy was banned from ever giving birth again at the hospital but she was certainly fine with that.

In exchange for being the first person to hold the baby, besides Darcy and the nurses, Natasha agreed to be part security, part liason between Brock and Mama Lewis senior. Jane and Thor were next as Natasha tried to explain to Darcy's mom about how Brock wasn't at all gay and that there was more minutiae in the reasons to why Brock had left.

Thor whispered to Baby Girl Lewis and Darcy assumed he was blessing her. Given the ruckus that the people who were supposed to love her most had caused over her, Darcy decided that her kid was going to need all the luck she could get. Or maybe it was Darcy that was gonna need it because there were definitely going to be many headaches over just the next 18 years alone.

By this time, her stepfather and half sister had already arrived, with them much of the Lombardo family, so of course they all needed a turn. Darcy half listened to the lecture that her mother gave her as Baby Girl Lewis was being passed around. It was all a huge, loud joyous and yet annoying occasion where a mix of English and Italian filled the room. Much like most of the Lombardo family get-togethers but with less delicious food. Thankfully, Baby Girl Lewis got rather fussy at all the hullabaloo and everyone was ushered back out by a dutiful Natasha, leaving mother and daughter alone to bond.

It was when Darcy was trying to calm (and failing) Baby Girl Lewis, that Brock finally walked in to say an official hello to his daughter. Without much prompting, he gently lifted the wailing bundle from Darcy's arms and cooed as if he'd been doing it everyday of his life. He still was wearing full SHIELD tactical gear, minus the guns and bullet proof vest. Watching him gently rock their baby made Darcy feel jumbled and warm inside.

"Hey there, Baby Girl Lewis," whispered Brock. Their daughter quieted down and in a few short minutes, fell into a soft slumber. Unable to keep his eyes off of his daughter, Brock smiled with shining eyes, brow furrowed slightly as if he couldn't believe he'd helped make something so tiny and fragile.

"I can see why you love her more than me," Brock teased and Darcy couldn't stop her smile. That had been the first thing she'd said to Brock when they lay the little girl in her arms. She'd cried and apologised to him because she'd once promised that she'd never love anyone more than him. He'd just chuckled and kissed the top of her head. The memory brought tears to her eyes but she wiped them away before they could fall. She apologised again though and Brock shook his head. "Nothin' to be sorry about. I'm sorry I fought with your mom."

"I don't think there was any avoiding that. At least it's all out now. Most of it. Mom can hold a grudge," winced Darcy.

"Well, I know where you get that from, then," said Brock with a light laugh and Darcy rolled her eyes but her attention went back to their daughter who was sleeping like a little angel. Darcy's heart was about to explode at the mere sight.

"You don't have an excuse to hate Halloween anymore," she countered, scooting over on the hospital bed, patting next to her for Brock to settle down. He tentatively perched on the edge before making himself a little more comfortable. Darcy leaned into his shoulder, enjoying the warmth radiating off of him. "Maybe she is a demon spawn? Lucifer Lewis. How does that sound?"

"You aimin' for her to be a supervillain?" questioned Brock and Darcy shrugged, burying her face in his arm until he slowly shifted their daughter into the crook of one arm so he could wrap the other around Darcy's shoulder. As he moved Baby Girl Lewis, Darcy reached out and uttered a small cry of uncertainty until she saw that he had her perfectly balanced. She relaxed once more into his side.

"You're right. The double Ls? Terrible idea. Besides, I already had a name picked out," admitted Darcy, "Rosalie. After my grandma on my dad's side. She was the first one to know about her. Even before I peed on a stick."

"Rosalie?" Brock tried out the name and smiled down on their bundle of joy. "I like it."

"Rosalie Michelle Lewis," Darcy added, grinning as Brock quickly turned towards her in surprise.

"Really? After my mom?" Brock asked, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice. Elation filled his eyes and he tried to bite back a grin. Butterflies floated in Darcy's stomach at the sight.

"Yeah. I mean, without her, you wouldn't be here and then we wouldn't have Baby Girl Lewis. Besides, she's special to you. So she's special to me too, even if I never met her."

"She would have loved you," Brock assured her, tightening his grip around her shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you, too," admitted Darcy softly but Brock still heard it. He gazed down on her with tender affection, looking like the happiest man on earth. Letting the moment continue, he looked back to Rosalie.

"And I love you Rosalie Michelle Lewis," he swore. Darcy wondered if anyone had ever seen this vulnerable side of Brock before. Maybe Jack on occasion but she had always felt special that Brock had let the mask slip for her sometimes. Watching him hold Rosalie with such love and acceptance made her head spin a little with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, she loved Brock almost as much as Rosalie, which was a tremendous amount. It felt like she could float away into space at this point. On the other hand, Hydra. Though he'd chosen her in front of the panel. And if Yates wasn't a poster boy for Hydra, then she didn't know who else could be.

"You're gonna stay with us, right? Move in? Please," Darcy blurted out before she could really stop herself and think about what she was asking. Though at this point, she knew that she meant it. Or maybe her tired post birth brain was already making a mistake and she needed Nat back to make all her decisions for her.

"Do you really want me to?" Brock asked, surprised by the question. "What about your mom? She's supposed to stay with you full time for a couple months. You know how she feels about me. And what was all that a few days ago about my work wife?"

"I know, but you can't leave. Not again," Darcy could hear the whining in her voice but there was nothing she could do to stop it. The tears were welling again and this time, they began falling in thick streams down her cheeks. Although she was the one who technically walked away the first time, she wasn't going to bring that up because she was sure it would make her cry even harder. "You said you'd always be there for me. So then do it. I want you to move in with Kraken and stay with me and Rosalie and be a family. Sitwell can suck on old diapers and Yates can choke on a pacifier. I want you there, like...yesterday and I want you to hold the both of us when we cry because I'm probably not gonna stop crying for like, another month and we know that this one isn't gonna stop crying for years. And you have to show me how to make her stop crying and how to scoop her up and...and I don't know. Everything? Because even though I read all those books, I now somehow know nothing about taking care of a baby but suddenly you're a genius at it?"

"Then I won't leave," Brock promised. "I'll move in with you. Me and Kraken. We'll stay as long as you want us to. I'll even put in a doggie door in the house. I'll hold you whenever you're upset and I'll take care of Rosalie when she wakes up in the middle of the night. I'll change her diapers and we're probably gonna to learn a hundred more things along the way. I'm serious Darcy, I'm staying this time. It doesn't matter what Sitwell or Yates or even Pierce say."

"Really?" Darcy asked tentatively and Brock gave her a single nod. "I've kind of been unreasonable. Like this entire pregnancy. It's probably not gonna stop for a while."

"Well, then I've got to give you a fair warning that once I move in, I'm probably gonna be hard to get rid of."

"I think I'm fine with that," Darcy eventually said, realizing that she really was fine with it. Wiping away her tears, she gave Brock a watery smile and looked at Rosalie, who was still sleeping peacefully despite the noise Darcy was causing. After a pause, Brock rubbed a hand up and down Darcy's arm as she reached out to pluck imaginary lint from the pink blanket swaddling Rosalie.

"It's gonna be difficult, y'know," said Brock, lowering his voice to a whisper that tickled the top of Darcy's ear. "They're gonna be watching us even more. I have to prove my loyalty again. Somehow."

She didn't need a second hint to guess who 'they' were. Nor did she miss the ominous tone to his 'somehow'. Trying to swallow past the lump in her throat, Darcy nodded and buried her face in Brock's neck. Of course Hydra would be pissed. That was inevitable. If they couldn't easily manipulate the situation then they'd either find another way or eliminate the threat. Right now, she wasn't sure who was more of a threat now. Her, Brock or Rosalie?

"If we need to pretend...I don't know, that you're only trying to be decent? Or, or maybe make them think they can use me," offered Darcy, mumbling into Brock's neck and she felt his grip around her tighten.

"We'll figure something out," Brock promised, kissing the top of Darcy's head. From the conviction in his voice, Darcy was certain that he'd already thought up 3 different scenarios and came up with escape plans for for each one. Although, he'd shown her two of his safe houses, she knew he'd had a few more hidden away. She wasn't entirely sure if that was reassuring or not.

"Can we talk about normal people problems," pleaded Darcy, breaking away from Brock and kissing his jaw. "Like...how are we gonna get Kraken used to her? And how else can I convince my mom and stepdad that you're not gay?"

"Well, I have a few ideas for Kraken. Also, I think we should avoid your mom meeting Jack for a while. He was asking me earlier how much I thought a baby would sell on the black market."

"Ugh, why are you friends with him?" Darcy rolled her eyes and made movements to take back Rosalie. Once their baby was nestled back in Darcy's arms, she felt a wave of peace settle over her. Jack would sell this baby over her dead body. Also Natasha's and Jane's.

"He grows on you. You know that," Brock said and Darcy felt the rumbling laugh in his chest. "So...how do you feel about Rosalie Michelle Rumlow-Lewis?"

"I guess I could be persuaded on Lewis-Rumlow, given the right incentive," teased Darcy and Brock grinned, fixing Darcy with a heated stare. He leaned in and rubbed the tip of his nose against hers.

"Yeah? What kind of incentive is the right one?"

"If you have to ask at this point, then you probably won't know it."

Brock didn't need any more suggestions. Leaning down slightly, he placed kisses down Darcy's temple, cheek and neck before moving back up to capture her lips gently. The kiss turned heated and wet rather fast. Brock's hands reached up and tenderly gripped the base of her head, tilting her head up just a little as a plead to open her mouth. What felt like a hundred dancing butterflies twisted inside her stomach. Naturally, Darcy accepted the invitation but just as their tongues started to tussle, the clearing of a throat at the doorway broke them apart.

"Pretty sure there isn't supposed to be any of that for 6 weeks," Natasha announced cooly, arms crossed as she leaned against the door frame. Even from this distance, Darcy knew there was a twinkle in her eyes. With how Brock's body stiffened, Darcy had the feeling he was glaring at one of Rosalie's many godparents with a disgruntled scowl. It didn't phase Natasha, who began to shake her head and tsk. "In front of a baby too."

"I can take care of my girl and my baby just fine, thanks," growled Rumlow and although Darcy enjoyed the way the words vibrated through his chest, she knew there wasn't any real ill will in them. Natasha simply raised an eyebrow.

"Just came to tell you guys that visiting hours are officially over and the grandparents are here to say goodbye till tomorrow," Natasha said and Darcy sighed. Technically, visiting hours had been over about 4 hours ago but she knew Natasha and Thor had swayed the hospital staff. The very nicely furnished room was testament to that. Though by now, she was sure they'd all overstayed their welcome even if quite a few staff had newly signed autographs and photos. Shooting Brock with a smirk, Natasha continued."The nurses say you can sleep on the couch. Or I guess share the bed with her, but no funny business."

"I can keep my hands to myself when I have to," Brock grumbled and the way that Natasha rolled her eyes said she didn't believe that for a second. "Besides, I'll keep watch."

"Won't have to. Have a couple SHEILD agents stationed in case," Natasha stated and there was movement outside the door. Darcy could make out the tell-tale sign of a jackbooted thug's arm. A small part of her deflated at the reminder that life was just that little more complicated that Darcy had to have security outside of the hospital door for her baby. She actually hadn't anticipated needing any security but Brock was always hyper vigilant about these things and she was too tired to rationalize any of it.

"If it's Jack, tell him to steal someone else's baby," Darcy said haughtily before adding with a more gentle, "and you shouldn't have Natasha. We'll be fine."

"Actually, you should thank Agent Norwell. She sent them over," shrugged Natasha. "Also, got Brock a week of leave, paid. Guess you made a good impression on her."

"At least I impressed someone," Darcy said nonchalantly though was bursting at the seams at the news. Handing Rosalie over to Brock so that he could place her in the bassinet, Darcy settled into the hospital bed and felt a wave of exhaustion crash over her. As her family hugged and kissed her goodbye for the night, the world began to blur at the edges. The last thing she noticed was Brock placing a kiss on her forehead before settling down on the couch. Despite grumbling about him being too far away, Darcy fell into a calm sleep with a smile on her face. At least some things in her life were simple enough. With Brock back, she was fine with dealing with all the complicated stuff.