The Curious Encounter in East Meadow - Blackhill

Chapter 11 - Epilogue

"Welcome to SHIELD, Agent Hill. Here's your office."

Things had moved so quickly in the past month, Maria still couldn't quite wrap her head around this latest development. After the explosion in the Dance Centre, she'd gotten reprimanded by the CIA for calling emergency assistance against protocol. She was suspended from active duty and as her punishment, had to transfer to Japan for six months doing administrative work. She had to make up an excuse for the gang, about Robin having to go on an overseas assignment for World Wide News. Lily hadn't taken it so well, crying about not having her best friend around when the baby came. Ted and Barney had exchanged a meaningful glance, but otherwise hadn't said anything. She had to admit, she had been a little distant ever since the bombing at the Dance Centre.

The morning she was supposed to leave for the airport, a nondescript black car was parked right in front of Lily and Marshall's front door. As Maria left the house, a weird man with an eye patch and a long trench-coat had stepped out and approached her. "Agent Maria Hill." The weird man had said in a low deep voice.

That was how she got recruited by SHIELD. The man's name was Nick Fury. The Director of this very secret government organization. Maria had made some research on the logo she'd seen on the uniform of Nat's rescue team. So, when Fury had said he was from the "Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division", Maria had frowned at the needlessly convulated name, but as soon as she'd made out the acronym, she was determined to join.

And now, two weeks later, they were standing there in her new office in Washington, DC.

"HR will be here for your orientation in 15 minutes. In the meantime, do you have any questions for me?" Fury asked, everything sounding standard and professional.

There were about a million questions on her mind. But there was something in particular Maria had been longing to know for two weeks. "Sir, if I may ask. How did you know about me?"

"We got an internal recommendation that says you are an excellent agent." He said, matter-of-factly. His tone was neutral, not giving more information than was necessary. But Maria felt her heart skip a beat. She tried not to let herself hope.

"May I ask who made the recommendation? I'd like to thank them personally." Maria managed to keep her tone steady and professional. After all, it was her first day and Fury looked like a no-nonsense kind of boss.

"Why don't you do it now?" Fury said as he turned to open the door, letting in a tiny redhead, with the smuggest grin on her face. "Agent Hill, I believe you've already met Agent Romanoff."

Maria couldn't help the smile that was breaking across her face. There was so much she wanted to say, so many questions she wanted to ask, so many... things she wanted to do to this woman standing in front of her. But the two of them just stood there staring at each other, looking dumbstruck.

Fury looked curiously between his two agents for a second. "I think I'll just leave you two to it." He said with a smirk. Before he closed the door behind him, he turned towards the room one last time. "Oh, and Agent Hill?" Maria teared her eyes away from Natasha long enough to look at Fury. "Just so you know, the protocol on dating your co-workers in SHIELD is... quite flexible." Did her new no-nonsense boss just wink at them with his single eye? Maria could feel a blush creeping up her face.

"Just go away, Fury!" Natasha yelled as she pushed him out the door.

The room fell quiet again. Maria was still trying to convince her mind that all of this was real and not just her imagination playing tricks on her.

"I thought I'd never see you again." Maria said to the pair of emerald green eyes that kept popping up in her dreams over the past month.

"I couldn't let that happen." Hearing her voice again made Maria melt on the inside. She'd missed her so much. And she was standing right here. She still looked the same, with just an extra scar here and there. Yet something felt oddly different, now that they were no longer in East Meadow.

"Thank you for getting me a new job."

"It's..." Natasha waved her hand in the air indicating that it was not a big deal. "It's for selfish reasons." She added. Natasha was chewing her lips and looking down at her shoes.

Maria raised a curious eyebrow at her. She had never seen her so self-conscious. She was usually cheeky and confident and flirted with such ease. This... this was adorable.

"It's... I'm hoping... Now that you're here... Do you think, maybe, we can try something real?" Natasha said, looking up again to meet her gaze.

Maria could see that twinkle deep in those green eyes again. But this time, it felt different. This time, it spoke of hope instead of trouble.

"Yes, Natasha." Maria said as she stepped forward into Natasha's personal space. "I'd like that very much." She whispered against her lips before closing the distance between them.

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Note: Hi guys! So this is it! I really want to thank the author for this amazing story because it really is amazing and beautiful. I hope you liked it as much as I did. Let me know what you think and if there are any other stories you'd like me to repost on here.😊