We were escorted back to SHIELD by Rumlow and his men. I didn't say a single word, and wasn't even looking at Steve. I thought that we were good again, that he trusted me now, but obviously he did not. And the fact that I had to talk to Alexander Pierce did not cheer me up either. He was that kind of guy that you don't cross willingly.

"Captain. I'm Alexander Pierce." He introduced himself to Steve when we arrived since they haven't met yet.

"Sir, it's an honor." He said politely.

"The honor's mine, Captain." Pierce told him while they're shaking their hands. "My father served in the 101st." He added and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. How touching...

"Miss Coulson." He nodded to me. He always refused to call me on my title.

"Actually, it's Agent" I corrected him, but he just stared at me coldly. I hold his gaze determined.

"Come on in." He invited us going forward. As we stepped in he showed us to take seat, then gave us a photo.

"That photo was taken five years after Nick and I met, when I was at State Department in Bogota." He started the story of it. "E.L.N. rebels took the embassy, and security got me out, but the rebels took hostages. Nick was Deputy Chief of the S.H.I.E.L.D. station there, and he comes to me with a plan. He wants to storm the building through the sewers." He informs us remembering. "I said, "No, we'll negotiate." Turned out, the E.L.N. didn't negotiate, so they put out a kill order. They stormed the basement, and what do they find? They find it empty. Nick had ignored my direct order, and carried out an unauthorized military operation on foreign soil, and saved the lives of a dozen political officers, including my daughter." The story was true, I assumed. It was a typical Fury's movement, but Pierce intention was not just to tell a story. He wanted to soften us.

"So you gave him a promotion." Steve asked as I set in silence.

"I've never had any cause to regret it." He nodded. "Captain, why was Nick in your apartment last night?" He asked demanding. I hoped that Steve won't tell anything, but I couldn't warn him.

"I don't know." He said, but he did lie terribly. I doubted that Pierce gonna buy it.

"Agent Coulson?" He turned to me.

"Have no idea." I shrugged not even trying to cover my lie. I wanted him to know, I'm not going to tell anything. Pierce sighed and continued.

"Did you know it was bugged?"

"I did, because Nick told me." Steve answered.

"Did he tell you he was the one who bugged it?" He asked looking at me, but he couldn't read anything off of my face. "I want you to see something." He started the TV and there was a man in the middle of an interrogation.

"Who hired you, Batroc?" The agent asked him.

"Is that live?" I asked forgetting about myself.

"Yeah, they picked him up last night in a not-so-safe house in Algiers."

"Are you saying he's a suspect?" Steve asked confused. "Assassination isn't Batroc's line."

"No, no." He shook his head. "It's more complicated than that. Batroc was hired anonymously to attack the Lemurian Star. And he was contacted by email and paid by wire transfer, and then the money was run through 17 fictitious accounts. The last one going to a holding company that was registered to a Jacob Veech."

"Am I supposed to know who that is?" Steve asked getting impatient.

"Not likely." He told. "Veech died six years ago. His last address was 1435 Elmhurst Drive. When I first met Nick, his mother lived at 1437."

"Are you saying Fury hired the pirates?" I asked him unbelieving. "Why?"

"The prevailing theory was that the hijacking was a cover for the acquisition and sale of classified intelligence. The sale went sour and that led to Nick's death." He answered simply.

"Well, if you really knew Nick Fury, you'd know that's not true." I stated standing up from the table. It was enough, I'm not going to listen his bullshit about Fury, and not especially when his body barely went cold.

"Why do you think we're talking?" He asked me suggesting he doesn't believe it either. "See, I took a seat on the Council not because I wanted to but because Nick asked me to, because we were both realists." He said, and I fight the urge to storm out, but refused to sit back too. "We knew that, despite all the diplomacy and the handshaking and the rhetoric, to build a really better world sometimes means having to tear the old one down." He lectured us and I was about to leave again but this time Steve stood up too. "You were the last ones to see Nick alive. I don't think that's an accident. And I don't think you do, either." He stopped us. "So, I'm gonna ask again. Why was he there?"

"He told me not to trust anyone." Steve finally split it out and it hit me hard on the chest. So that's why he left me out of this.

I felt tears gathering in my eyes, but I blinked them away. It was not the time nor the place.

"I wonder if that included him." Pierce murmured.

"I'm sorry. Those were his last words." Steve resisted then started to leave shepherding me too. "Excuse us."

"Captain, somebody murdered my friend and I'm gonna find out why. Anyone gets in my way, they're gonna regret it." He threatened us. "Anyone."

"Understood." Steve turned back nodding then we left the room.

I was heading for the elevator wanting to leave the facility, but Steve called me.

"Lily" He speed up his pace to catch me. "Lily, please listen to me." He asked. "It's not what you think."

"Oh, really, because it's pretty clear." I answered hitting the button when I reached the lift. "Look, you don't trust me, it's okay, just let me go." I told him being really tired. I didn't have energy for this.

"No." He refused, holding me by my shoulder getting my full attention. "You told yourself, that I'm a terrible liar." He started. "Look at me. Am I lying now?" He asked and I stared into his eyes. He was absolutely honest.

"No." I admitted it.

"I trust you more than you think." He said and he was still telling the truth.

"Then why didn't you tell me about Fury's last moments?" I asked more calmly as we get into the elevator.

"I didn't want you to get into trouble." He confessed, and I had to chuckle. He was cute though.

"Thank you, Steve, but I'm a level 8 SHIELD agent, my job is to handle trouble." I reminded him still smiling.

"All right, all right." He piped down. "In this case, are you up to some investigation?" He asked smirking.

"It would be my honor, Captain." I nodded agreeing, then Steve announced our destination to the control panel.

"Operations Control."

"Confirmed." The voice answered, but before the door could've closed, Rumlow entered with two other men.

"Forensics." He said standing with his back to us.

"Confirmed." The voice gave him the permission, and we started.

"Cap. Coulson." He greeted us not turning back.

"Rumlow." We answered at the same time.

As we started I noticed that a man is holding his hand on his gun nervously while he's talking to his partner. It was strange enough to warn somehow Steve. I naturally reached out for his hand and squeezed it a bit. When he looked at me I smiled just like it was a friendly gesture, but with my eyes, I showed him the direction he should look. He immediately knew what I hinted and nodded slightly, but didn't release my hand which for I was happy deep inside.

We barely passed a few levels, when the elevator stopped. Three other men get in.

"Administrations level." They said, and the voice confirmed it again.

"Excuse me." One of them said standing between us separating us utterly. We disengaged our hand then shared a look. They were planning something, and I was pretty sure it wasn't a tea party.

"I'm sorry about what happened with Fury." Rumlow said.

"Thank you." Steve told him but he was still monitoring the environment for the possible threats. I did the same but by reading the others. Nervousness. Anger. Fear. These were the core emotions. They were plotting an attack.

As I realized the elevator stopped again. Three more men get in, and we get more separated. I looked at Steve, but he was calm.

"Before we get started" He said "does anyone want to get out?" He asked them and I prepared for the fight.

There was a moment of silence, then one of the muscular man turned back with a teaser on and the combat begun. Everything happened so fast, I only had time to trust my instincts and hope that Steve will be alright too. For my fortunate they focused more on the Cap underestimating me so I had a chance to help him from behind. They tried to held him down, which seemed impossible, but then they got out a magnetic bracelet and they wanted to pin his arms down with that using the metal wall of the elevator. One was kind of successful, but I took the other bracelet away from them.

"Is that you're looking for?" I asked them smiling holding up the good. I earned their attention as I wanted, gaining some time for Steve to free himself.

I fought them until only Rumlow left. I never liked that guy by the way. He dodged one of my hit, then by outrunning me he get into my back and held me down pinning a teaser against my neck only an inch away.

"I just want you to know, Cap, this isn't personal!" He ensured him wanting to knock me out, but I trough my head back hitting his nose. He took a step back releasing me, then Steve finished him.

"It kind of feels personal." He answered then we had a few moments to catch our breaths. "Are you all right, Lily?"

"Yeah, just remind me to kick Pierce's ass." I asked him wiping my bleeding mouth.

"It would be my pleasure to help you." He noted smiling, then opened the door. Armed forces were marching against us, firing with their guns. We got covered and Steve closed the door again.

He cut the elevator's wires with his shield immediately and we started to free-fall. After some floors the emergency break stopped us between two levels, but Steve could force the door open again, yet we faced some units repeatedly.

"Drop the shield and put your hands in the air!" We heard them, but Steve closed back the door. "Give it up, Rogers! Get that door open! Coulson! You have nowhere to go!" We heard them demanding.

"What now?" I asked him looking around searching a way to escape, but we were still kind of high. Steve looked down through the glass-wall of the elevator, and I knew what he was planing.

"Don't you dare..." I tried to warn him, but he already grabbed my waist pulling me close. Then he broke the window and we jumped out. More correctly, he jumped and I was dragged with him.

He deadened the fall with his shield, and he protected me with his body, but it was pretty hurtful. I tried to get myself together still lying on him.

"We can't do this anymore..." I groaned painfully. "At least not in these circumstances". I added pushing myself off of him.

"Couldn't agree more." He got up too hurting. "But now, let's get the hell out of here."

"Where are we going?" I asked him tightening the hug around his waist as he fastened our pace when we finally escaped the SHIELD basis by his motorcycle.

"Back to the hospital." He answered "I left something there." He explained.

When we arrived he walked to the chocolate machine, and get out a pendrive.

"Fury gave it to me, but I have no idea what's on it." He told me. I nodded.

"Then let's find it out." I suggested leaving.

"Where should we go?" He asked being puzzled. He was a soldier and was best in combat. Fortunately I was more like a spy and Nat thought me well.

"The more people are the better. So into the Mall." I explained while we left the hospital.

"First rule of going on the run is don't run, walk." I taught him as we tried to search for some clothes to change in a shop. "This will be good." I gave him jeans, a t-shirt, a cap and fake glasses.

"Is it necessary?" He asked about the glasses.

"Yep." I nodded, collecting things for myself. "And it looks good on you, so stop complaining." I teased him smiling while I took also a jeans and a hoodie. "Now change." I ordered then in a minute we stepped out from the fitting room.

We searched for an internet cafe. As we found a computer I was about the plug in the drive.

"This has a Level Six homing program, so as soon as we boot up S.H.I.E.L.D. will know exactly where we are." I told Steve to get prepared.

"How much time will we have?" He asked concerned.

"About nine minutes from..." I started then I plugged it in. "now." I finished, then started to read the drive. "Fury was right about that ship. Somebody's trying to hide something." I couldn't crack it open. "This drive is protected by some sort of AI. It keeps rewriting itself to counter my commands."

"Can you override it?" He asked looking around monitoring the environment, but I scoffed.

"The person who developed this is slightly smarter than me." I admitted. "I'm gonna try running a tracer. This is a program that S.H.I.E.L.D. developed to track hostile malware, so if we can't read the file, maybe we can find out where it came from." I suggested. It will be better than nothing.

"Can I help you guys with anything?" A guy came over to us. Steve freezed for a moment couldn't say a word, but I helped him out.

"No." I leaned on Steve's shoulder and smiled at the assistant. "My fiancé was just helping me with some honeymoon destinations." I explained it excitedly.

"Right." Steve nodded too. "We're getting married." He confirmed it a bit still nervously.

"Congratulations." He said. "Where are you guys thinking about going?" He looked on the computer as it was just finished the tracing.

"New Jersey." Steve added like it was the most romantic place in Earth, and I turned back to the computer to get some more information.

"I have the exact same glasses." The guy commented examining Steve.

"Wow, you two are practically twins." I cheered him.

"Yeah, I wish." He said bitterly. "Specimen. If you guys need anything, I've been Aaron." He showed us his badge, then left.

"You said nine minutes."Steve turned back to me. "Come on."

"Relax." I tried to calm him finishing some last commands on it. "Got it." I told him unplugging the drive.

"Let's go." He said grabbing my arm leading me away. "Standard tac team." He discovered the SHIELD units as we stepped out from the shop. "Two behind, two across, and two coming straight at us." He reported to me. "If they make us, I'll engage, you hit the south escalator to the metro." He told me the escaping plan, but I was a better one.

"Shut up and put your arm around me." I ordered. "Laugh at something I said." I asked him as the units approached us fast.

"What?" He asked me confused.

"Just do it." I hissed as the agents were pretty close. It was enough to Steve, he did as I asked and we passed them without getting noticed, but it was just the beginning. We still had to make out to the garage.

We took only a level down, when we almost bumped into another unit. I tossed Steve into a narrower corridor and pushed him onto the wall.

"Now act like we are lovers." I gave him another order, but this time he didn't hesitate. He grabbed my hips then pulled me close so our faces were only inches away. It took my breath away for a moment but then I cupped his face so the agents couldn't see it, while mine was covered by the hoodie.

"Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable." I explained lowering my voice glancing at his lips and back to his eyes.

"Yes, they do." He whispered barely audible catching my gaze. I smiled then closed my eyes as I leaned in giving him a kiss on his cheek probably a little closer to his lips than it would have been appropriate. His scent of vetiver made me linger there a bit.

"You still uncomfortable?" I asked as I leaned back.

"It's not exactly the word I would use." He admitted honestly releasing a breath he's been holding and I had to chuckle.

"All right, we are good to go now." I let him go and after a moment he did the same.