The White Queen (S.Rogers)

Chapter 6

Brooklyn froze. "No."

"He promises he will be on his best behavior." Wilson smiled.

"No." She shook her head. "I don't think it's a good idea for the two of us to be in each other's company."

"Look, I respect that. I do, but other than you, he's the only person who knows Barnes. He just wants to go over some things..."

"And he can relay those things to you." She cocked an eyebrow. "This is a big city. I see no reason for the two of us to cross paths again."

Wilson sighed. "Can you at least explain your reasoning? Gimme something to work with."

She laughed. "You don't get it, do you? Even if I hadn't been raised to believe he was the enemy, that he stood against everything I was being raised to uphold, there is still the fact that he is very public. And I do not need public. I am trying to live as much as I can under the radar. I feel Rogers will make that impossible."

"But you are okay with me?" He looked at her skeptically.

Brooklyn shrugged. "You are far enough away from the issue, that you are objective. You aren't emotionally involved, are you?"

"Not really, no. I am because Steve is my friend." He held out a hand. "But you are right, I feel for Barnes, but I'm not really emotionally involved. Bringing him home, making sure he gets the help he needs, is the right thing to do."

She nodded. "And that is why you are an acceptable middleman. You are far enough away from the issue." Brooklyn checked her phone. She realistically could give him a bit more time, before she had to wrap this up, get home, check in with Juliana, and get ready for work.

"Do you have another date?" Wilson joked.

"Just checking my time. I do have a life outside of Rogers' obsession with Barnes." She smiled. "And I don't think I said anything about this being a date, Wilson."

"Well, meeting a beautiful woman, having coffee, talking about a Nazi-run terrorist group? Sounds like a date to me." He grinned widely.

"I may not be experienced in these things, but I'm pretty sure that sounds like a bad date." She teased. "Or maybe you just have really low expectations?"

"Nah." He laughed.

She grinned at him. He was very good a putting people at ease, she could tell. It would explain why he had settled in at the VA in DC. Rogers had lucked out, having Wilson in his corner. "I know you have more questions."

"I do. I have a lot more. The issue is that every answer you give me leaves me with at least five more questions. It might take more time, than either of us has right now." Wilson drained his coffee. "You said you have some of the files? On Barnes?"

"I have access to them, yes." Brooklyn tapped her finger on the table. "It would take me a day or two to get them, physically."

"And you are okay giving them to us?"

She tilted her head. "You aren't going to run off, post them on the internet, or give them to the government to use against him, are you?"

"Definitely not." He promised. "It will stay in house."

Brooklyn nodded. "Give me a few days. Anything else? Or am I allowed to go?"

"One more thing. You said your father was a part of HYDRA, why didn't he stop them from hurting you?" He leaned forward again, intense.

She blew out a lung full of air. "He tried. He really tried to protect me. But he was as much a prisoner, as I was. He couldn't do anything, in the end, to stop them." She closed her eyes tight, feeling the prickling of tears. "I don't blame him. I tried to help him, as much as I could, in the end."