Double Agent

Chapter 14

A couple of months had passed since Maura made her return to the Tower. With the help of Natasha and Wanda, she had been able to begin slowly regaining the trust of those around her. After all that had happened, she knew it would take them some time to accept her again fully. That was okay, though; she could wait.

There was one person that welcomed her back with open arms, though as if she had never been gone a day. Morgan. Her niece stuck by her side every chance she could. Tony was, rightfully, reluctant about allowing his daughter to spend time with Maura, but Pepper convinced him to give it a chance.

"Maura has never done anything to Morgan that would give cause for concern, Tony. You can see how much she loves her aunt," she tried to reason.

"She left her, Pepper. She gave no warning at all, just abandoned her."

"And Morgan forgives her. I know it's not easy for you, and I don't expect you to forgive her until you are ready, Tony. But don't take her away from Morgan again." She rested her hand on his as the two of them watched Morgan and Maura on the monitor.

Tony sighed in defeat at Pepper's persistence and finally agreed. He still didn't like it, but he let it go for now. Maura sat on the main room floor with her niece, surrounded by coloring books, papers of varying sizes, and enough colored pencils to keep a small army busy for hours. Morgan scribbled away at her drawing, coloring the figures she had outlined. They had been sitting in silence together for a while when she finally spoke up. "Maura, why did you leave us?" Morgan questioned, never looking up from her picture.

"Well, um," she tried to think of the best way to answer the young girl. "I guess... I guess I was scared," Maura admitted.

Morgan looked up at her aunt curiously. "Scared of what?" Morgan inquired, putting down her pencil for the moment as she tilted her head, trying to understand.

"I was a part of the bad guy's team for a really long time, Morgan. I wasn't a good person while I was there," Maura explained.

"But then you came here and met my dad and all his friends. You were a good guy, like them. I saw you," Morgan said with certainty.

"Yeah, well, I guess the hold that the bad guys had on me was too strong. I tried, Morgan, really I did. I thought, if I stuck around your dad and his friends long enough, maybe I really could be one of the good guys," she responded sadly.

"You are one of the good guys, though, Maura," Morgan argued, defending Maura's character. "Just like Bucky." Maura looked at the young girl curiously, so she continued, "I know I'm not supposed to listen when they talk about work, but I've heard daddy and Steve talking about Bucky. They said he was a part of the bad guys too, and that Steve saved him. And now he's a good guy, just like all the others."

"It's not quite that simple, Morgan," Maura explained, trying to find the best way to describe it all to someone so young.

"Why? What makes him different?"

"Because Bucky didn't have a choice. The bad guys took him and made him stay with them," Maura replied simply.

Morgan watched her aunt, waiting for more explanation. When she got none, she decided to continue speaking for herself. "They took you, too, Maura. And they made you stay with them, just like Bucky."

"When I was a young girl, maybe, but I chose to leave your dad... and you," she sighed.

"But why?" Morgan asked, sounding truly confused. "Why would you do that? Why would you choose to leave me, daddy, and the others?" Morgan insisted.

"I'm sorry, Morgan. I am, but it's complicated," Maura replied, unsure how to explain it all without upsetting the girl even further. "I thought, at the time, I was doing the right thing. But I know now that I was wrong. I made a mistake, a really, really big mistake. Not just because I hurt your dad and his friends, but because..." she paused, looking down at the pictures the pair had drawn, collecting her thoughts before continuing, "...Because I hurt you too," she finished quietly, unable to meet her niece's gaze.

Maura felt tears prick her eyes as she looked back up at her niece, "Do you remember the first picture you drew for me?" she asked. At the girl's nod, she continued, "Well, it was that drawing that helped me. Every time I look at it, I remember what I taught you."

"That we aren't good or bad, but it's the choices we make," Morgan smiled at Maura as she nodded along.

"Exactly. See, Morgan, I am okay knowing your dad and his friends are mad at me. I'm even okay with knowing that they don't like me. But I knew I had to come back for you, sweetheart. You are my niece and the most important person in my life now. There is nothing, absolutely nothing else I want more than to make things right with you. And maybe one day, you can forgive me for leaving you like I did."

Morgan crawled into her aunt's lap, curling her little body against Maura and wrapping her arms around her midsection. "I already forgive you, Maura. I love you."

Maura pulled her in tight, leaning her cheek against the top of the little girl's head. "I love you too, kiddo," she whispered softly, smiling gently at the little girl who held onto her as if she might disappear again. "And I promise, I won't ever leave you again," she added.

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It had been some time since Maura had returned to the Tower and S.H.I.E.L.D.. Though things weren't the same as before, she understood why. Maura wasn't sure that she would ever be accepted back in the way she had been before. Hell, she wasn't sure she deserved to be, honestly.

Standing on the balcony overlooking the city below, looking at the skyline as she sipped at her morning coffee, she found herself lost in her mind just as she did every morning. "Maura," Tony's voice breaking her thoughts caused her to turn around. "Can we talk?" he asked.

"Of course," she nodded.

Tony motioned to the small table and chairs set in the corner near the rail. "Please," he gestured.

As she walked the few paces to the chair and sat down, Tony took the seat opposite of her, leaning forward and placing his arms on the table before him with his hands clasped together, staring intently at the woman. "This kind of thing isn't easy for me, Maura. So I'm just going to get right to the point."

Maura set her cup on the table, raising an eyebrow questionably at Tony. "What do you mean?"

"I've seen you with Morgan. I even listened in once or twice when you two were talking. She loves you so much; you know that? I've seen how she looks at you and talks to you. How she adores you so much," he told her. "We need you, Maura. You're our family, and you belong here," he assured her. "But what you did is not something you can easily erase or put behind you."

"I know, Tony. I know," Maura sighed. "I should have never -"

"It's fine," he interrupted, "It's over with. What's done is done. You can't go back and change it, so we might as well try to move forward. It may take time to trust you again fully, but..."

"Tony," she started.

He cut her off again, "No, Maura. Let me finish. I went through a roller coaster of emotions after you left. I wanted to save you, and then I wanted to hate you," he explained. "I knew Hydra had a hold on you, but I didn't want to believe my own sister would give in to them. But when you didn't come back..."

"I'm sorry, Tony. For everything I put you through. I know I hurt you. I know I broke your trust," Maura reached across the small table and placed her hand on top of her brother's.

"What I'm trying to say, Maura is that..." Tony paused, taking a deep breath before speaking again, "What I'm trying to say is that I forgive you, Maura."