New York, Here We Come.
Felicity wasn’t sure what had woken her, but when her eyes had fluttered open and the glare of the light shone from under her door, a light that should have not have been there; Felicity reached for the gun inside the top draw of her bedside cabinet. Nat, Natasha Romanoff, would be pleased she was finally putting some of the her gifts to good use. She got up at silently as she could and padded to the door, she pressed her ear to cool wood and listened, not a whisper of noise. Finding the courage, well drawing the courage from the nine millimeter in her hand, she took the door handle and pulled the door sharply open. She cleared the room, while also being blinded by the light, her eyes grew used to it and it was then she saw her red eyed friend sat on her couch.
“Steve?” Felicity blurted unsure to why her friend, well Steve was more than a friend in many of sense, but she couldn’t work out why he was sat on her couch. “What are you doing here?” When Steve looked up to Felicity, Felicity saw the harshness of his red eyes and general rough look he sported.
“It’s Natasha,” he answered roughly, voice catching as he spoke. Felicity shook her head sharply and tears already started to run down her cheeks as the worst played through her mind.
“No, please no,” Felicity stammered waving the gun she still held in front of her as she cried silently. Steve pushed gracefully up from the couch and crossed the room, he took the gun from her and set it down before catching her face.
“She’s not dead, so breath,” he whispered wiping the tears away. “But she’s hurt, badly,” he bit out closing his eyes for a brief second.
“What happened?” Felicity asked catching Steve’s hand in her own, she was able to breath now, now that she knew her favourite aunt wasn’t laying on a stainless steel slab somewhere. Felicity guided Steve to the couch and sat them down before he could explain.
“Fury, Fury put on us a mission, simple, well it should have been,” he rubbed his face hard, digging his fingers into his temples.
“Hey stop that, it’s not your fault,” Felicity breaths taking his hands and holding on to them.
“But it is!” he half shouted. “I should have protected her, I shouldn’t have agreed with her, I should have been by her side. Felicity softening as grave as she knew whatever the situation was, she knew Steve was at no fault, especially when it came to the Black Widow.
“It is not your fault,” she said more firmly, she caught his face in her hand and drew his gaze to meet hers. “Nat is a force of her own and she doesn’t need you to protect her, you’ve been in the field with her, you know what she is like, so please don’t blame yourself because she wouldn’t,” Felicity made sure he took in every word, because she knew he would blame himself and she had to get him to see that it wasn’t his fault. “Now, we need to get to New York, so I hope you’ve got your bike,” Felicity smiled softly rubbing her thumb over his cheek. Steve nodded and then rose from the couch. “I need to make some calls first, okay, why don’t you put some coffee on?” Steve nodded slowly before turning and heading into the kitchen, his mood changed slightly but not enough to change him. Felicity knew he was going to beat himself up, that was just who he was, he was Captain America, he thought he could protect everyone.
***
“Why aren’t you just going to fly back with us?” Tony stood in the arch way to her kitchen, coffee mug in hand as he watched his daughter pack a few last things.
“Because I want to get to New York as quick as I can and I can’t wait around for them to prep the plane and then the journey,” she sighed, explaining once again why she was travelling with Steve down to New York and not on the plane with her parents, Oliver and Diggle.
“Okay, okay, when are your friends going to be here?”
“Any minute, I phoned them after you, so be nice and if I hear that you’ve done anything to them in anyway I will wipe all your drives, do you understand?” Felicity warned waving her hair curlers at him before dropping them into her bag. Tony nodded stiffly, because he knew she could wipe everything he had ever worked on away.
Moments later there was a knock at her door and it opened revealing Oliver and Dig.
“What’s going on Felicity?” Oliver asked instantly when he saw her. They both came in dropping their bags at the door and then looking round to see the three others crowding her apartment.
“My Aunt has been hurt on a mission, I’m going to New York with Steve now, you’re going to follow with my Mom and Dad,” Felicity said zipping her black duffle up and then kicking it to where Oliver’s and Diggle’s were.
“Mission? Aunt?” Olier stammered eyes wide with what she was saying.
“Look I don’t have the time to explain, my parents will do that for me, all I know is that I’m going to New York and you will follow, if you don’t fine, whatever I don’t care,” Felicity snapped grabbing the gun which she had brought out earlier and after putting the safety on she slid it into the holster she had tucked into the back of her pants. If it had been another time, she would have laughed at the faces of her friends seeing her with a gun, but this wasn’t the time and she really did need to get going. “Steve you ready?” Felicity called out to the blonde man who was still stood in the kitchen, he appeared with a nod and then grabbed his jacket and keys from the top.
Felicity picked up her own leather jacket and slid it on, before moving over to Oliver and John.
“I’m sorry guys, this is important, trust me okay?” Felicity grabbed each of their hands and squeezed them before looking to her parents who just smiled and nodded. “Let’s go,” she said now looking at Steve.
“Look after her,” Tony said catching Steve’s arm to make sure he understood.
“Since when did you need to tell me?” Steve answered taking Felicity’s hand and leading her from her apartment.
***
Oliver watched Felicity leave with that Steve. Honestly, he was still getting head around the gun that she had handled and holstered so professionally, so seeing her with him was still sinking in.
“Mr Stark, would you mind explaining what is going on?” Diggle drew his attention, he had moved from his side and was now beside Felicity’s father.
“A close friend of ours has been seriously hurt and Felicity’s has gone to meet them,” Tony answered setting his mug down on the table, then pinching the bridge of his nose.
“I thought she said it was her Aunt?” Oliver shipped in from where he stood.
“Natasha has known Felicity since she was born and is family, Felicity has been calling her Aunt since she could talk,” Tony snapped focusing on Oliver. “Not that I see it as any of your business.” Oliver fisted his hands at his side and his jaw clenched as he stared back at Tony.
“Felicity is my business, especially when she like this, so I will ask and I will make it my business,” Oliver growled furiously, seriously thinking about smacking the smug git.
“Felicity is none of your business, she is my daughter and if I had my way you would not be in her life!” Tony shouted pushing forward so he was face to face with Oliver. “You are nothing but trouble and regularly put my daughters life on the line, yes I’ve heard what you’ve done and there have been many of time Felicity had talked me down from destroying you!”
“Don’t. You. Dare!” Oliver’s voice thundered through the apartment. “Do you seriously believe I willingly put Felicity at risk? You know her better than I do and you know that it doesn’t matter what anyone else says, she will do as she damn well pleases!” Oliver’s hand grabbed at Tony’s shirt slammed him against the closest wall. Now there was a flurry of action around them, Diggle shot forward and tried to pry Oliver away from Tony. Pepper had stood and just watched from the sidelines, she knew her husband had brought this on himself, but it didn’t stop the worry that she felt every time he provoked someone stronger than him. “Your daughter means everything to me and I would never put her in harms way on purpose and if you don’t think that I try and talk her out of coming down to that Foundry every single day then you are very much mistaken,” Oliver spat releasing Tony’s shirt.
Diggle pushed Oliver way and into Felicity’s bedroom so he could cool off, and he shut the door looking back to Tony, who was now being seriously told off by Pepper.
“I’m sorry...” Diggle started to apologise to Tony, but he was waved off by him.
“Don’t worry about it, my fault,” Tony shook his head and took the telling off Pepper gave him and then headed back into the kitchen to get another coffee.
“Why do I think they are never going to get along?” Pepper sighed rubbing her forehead as she looked from Tony to Diggle.
***
Felicity clung to Steve’s back as the motorbike they were on hurtled down the motorway to New York, they had been on the road for hours and Felicity’s legs were starting to go numb. When the bike started to slow she looked over his shoulder and saw the lights of the city, they moved through the wide streets until they were outside a private hospital, S.H.I.E.L.D had put Natasha in. Steve climbed off the bike and then looked back expectedly at Felicity, waiting for her to join him on the sidewalk.
“Help, please,” she laughed holding her arms out, Steve grinned and then grabbed hold of her upper arms to lift her off the bike. He drew her close as he lifted her off, his hands slipping round to her back. They were pressed together, chest to chest, nose to nose, watching each other. Felicity swallowed audibly and let out a shallow breath that ghosted over Steve’s face. She could smell him, it wrapped around her and engulfed her, taking her down into a haziness of Steve.
“I think -- I think we should go in now,” Felicity stammered, now really starting to wish her hands were not pressed up against Steve’s stomach and that he hadn’t unzipped his jacket when getting off; it wasn’t like she had never seen him topless before, but feeling him, even through a shirt was a whole new experience. Steve released her and took a step back, nodding jerkily as he took a shaky breath, this really wasn’t the time to start analyzing the feelings he had for the blonde. He ran his fingers through his hair, catching at an odd knot that had been tangled during the ride.
“So what do I need to prepare myself for?” Felicity asked as she and Steve rode the lift to Natasha’s floor. Felicity didn’t fail to notice the way Steve shifted sheepishly where he stood, or the way his crept up to rub the back of his neck. “What aren’t you telling me?” she sighed giving him a disapproving look she had learned from the Black Widow herself.
“I’m not sure, when she was taken to the hospital I couldn’t bare to go with her, I just know they were trying to resuscitate her in the ambulance,” Steve explained trying to look as sincere as possible. “Look I just couldn’t be there if they couldn’t get her back and then I couldn’t bring myself to come to the hospital incase she really had...” he trailed off.
“I swear I’m the only intelligent one out of all of you,” Felicity groaned pushing her glasses up her nose from where they had slipped down earlier. “So she could actually be dead for all we know?”
“No, Fury called on my way up to you, she’s alive, but that’s all I know,” Steve answered looking up when the door sprung open.
“Well that’s something,” she shook her head with a long and probably unnecessary sigh as she exited the steel box. Felicity heard Steve following but never bothered to look to looked behind her; they had gotten Nat’s room number of the nurse down stairs, it was now just matter of finding the room.
They passed room thirty six, so thirty seven was next. Felicity saw the oak door and after knocking softly she pushed it open to see the redhead fast asleep in her bed, with monitors beeping away steadily. A breath she hadn’t realised she had been holding escaped and Felicity sagged against the door frame, when saw the rise and fall of her chest and heard that life altering beep of the machine. Steve’s hand rested on her back and his forehead fell to her shoulder when he too saw that his partner was in fact alive and hopefully well. Felicity tilted her head against Steve’s and nodded, feeling incredibly grateful of S.H.I.E.L.D’s willingness to save their agents, even if it was only because Natasha was one their best. Felicity entered the room and lowered herself into the chair beside her bed, she reached across and shifted a strand of her red hair that had fallen on her face. Natasha’s hand suddenly shot up and gripped Felicity’s wrist.
“I’ve taught you better than that,” Natasha croaked her eyes flickering open, but a small smile on her lips. The redhead sat up slowly, wincing ever so slightly as she shifted. “And you, where they hell were you?” she groaned holding her side as she looked up at Steve. “When I woke, they said you had done a runner?”
“He thought you were dead, blamed himself, so came to me,” Felicity smirked looking over her shoulder at the soldier who had turned a glorious shade of red. It had been many years since Felicity met Steve, but she never grew tired of meeting a man who could turn the same shade she did when stuck in an awkward situation.
“Great, glad to see you two were finally getting it on over my death,” Natasha laughed, instantly regretting it when it pulled on her chest. Steve started to choke on air at Natasha’s word and it was now Felicity’s turn to blush uncontrollably. “Oh, so nothing happened?”
“I’m going to go get a drink, do you want something?” Steve turned to Felicity who nodded and asked for a coffee, when he left Felicity glared at Natasha.
“Seriously not cool,” Felicity sighed. “There is no me and him, how many times do I need to tell you?”
“Seriously? How many times do I need to tell you, that the sexual chemistry between you two every time you are in the same room together is getting thicker and thicker?” Natasha countered motioning for Felicity to get the cup of water of her bedside. Felicity passed her the drink and tried to think of a suitable answer.
“Nat, I just -- how?”
“I thought your Dad already had that conversation with you?” Natasha winked hiding her grin as she took a drink. Felicity hid her face in her hands, she could remember that conversation well, a conversation she would never have again, with anyone.
“You know I didn’t mean that,” Felicity answered, though it was muffled by her hands. “Look can we just forget about it? Tell me about you?”
“Me? Well my heart stopped twice, they brought me back twice; I have four broken ribs and a cracked skull,” Natasha shrugged playing it off like it was no big deal. “Nothing I haven’t had before and anyway you are so much more interesting than me, I heard you were running around with Starling’s newest vigilante, I bet he’s hot? Am I right or am I right?” Natasha grinned waggling her eyebrows.
***
Oliver, Diggle, Pepper and Tony sat aboard the Stark private jet, mind you they only sat in pairs. Diggle and Oliver, were sat at one end while Pepper and Tony at the other. Tony and Oliver still hadn’t spoken since the incident back Felicity’s apartment.
“You know that was a pretty stupid early?” Diggle sat opposite Oliver, playing a game of solitaire on the table in front of him.
“Don’t start,” Oliver groaned looking up from his phone. Thea had been texting him none stop to find out why he was going away for the weekend and he didn’t feel he could tell her Felicity’s secret, so he was using the ever favourite, business trip excuse. “He was saying I didn’t care about her, which is complete and utter shit,” Oliver growled glaring at the bodyguard. Diggle laughed and shrugged, what did he expect, Tony to accept him with open arms?
“I don’t know what you expect Oliver? It’s his daughter, think about it if you were him, would you want your daughter running around with vigilante with a trick for getting into trouble?” Diggle knew he was asking him a pretty sensible question because if it had been him, he certainly wouldn’t want his kid doing what he was doing.
Oliver gave him the look which meant that he knew Diggle was right and he was hating him for it. “Told you, know just stay out of his way until we catch up with Felicity and everything will be okay,” Diggle laughed clamping a hand down on Oliver’s shoulder. He had stood up moments before, looking to go ask Tony and Pepper a few questions. “Now if you don’y mind, I wanna know if that really was Captain America in Felicity’s apartment earlier,” Diggle grinned rubbing his hands together like a kid in a candy store.