To the end of the line - stucky

Tickles And Kisses

Sam and Wanda shivered on the doorstep of a very nice, quaint little home about an hour away from the tower.
It appeared to be made from bricks that had been painted white, and wood borders surrounded each window, matching the small deck area and stairs.

"Hello?" Said an older woman from the door.

"Hi", said Sam with his best smile. "Are you Nathan Stuart's mother?"

She took in their appearance, and despite them not looking like agents, she seemed to know. A hand slapped over her mouth, but before she could start crying, she gasped.

"Is he dead?"

"No, no", assured Sam, holding his hands out to calm her down.

"He's not dead, but we do need to find him. May we come in?"

Not knowing what to expect, with nerves swirling in her stomach, the lady led them inside.
The living room had the same design as outside. Light colours with wooden furniture. Beautiful paintings on the wall and dark green plants spotted around really pulled it all together.

"Please, take a seat", she encouraged, gesturing to the sofa as she sat in a chair opposite.

"Why are you here? Is Nathan okay?"

Sam and Wanda glanced at each other before Wanda leant forward and gently took the lady's hand between hers.

"Your son is okay. But we think he's involved in something, and we need more information so we can bring him home safely. He's fled with a man who we had in custody".

The woman started crying now and held onto Wanda's hand for support.

"I can't believe it. We haven't seen much of him recently, but when he got this job, I just thought he would be fine".

They let her cry for a few minutes until she took a deep breath.

"What has he done?"

Sam leant forward as Wanda carried on helping her.

"We had a man in custody on terrorist charges, but we didn't know much about him. And earlier today, a bomb in that man's briefcase had been set off in the tower, and he disappeared".

"What does this have to do with Nathan?"

"It was him who actually detonated the bomb. We have the recording. Do you recognise him in this picture".

He placed a snapshot of the CCTV footage in front of her. One look and she started sobbing again, giving them the answer.

"He wouldn't do this", she sounded slightly unsure at her statement, so Sam went ahead and told her more.

"Ms Stuart, that bomb killed a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent".

She covered her face with her hands, and Wanda moved closer to put a hand on her back and talk gently.

"He didn't mean to kill the agent, but the man he helped, has ties to a terrorist organisation, so Nathan could be in trouble. He needs to be with S.H.I.E.L.D. and in promise we will keep him safe".

They let her digest the information until she looked up with wet eyes. Sam offered her a tissue, and she wiped her face clean.

"What do you need to know?"

When did Nathan start as an agent?"

"He heard about it when he was still in school", she sniffled. "He went to interviews and through thorough testing and got a place, so he started as soon as he graduated and has been there ever since".

"How is the relationship between you and your son?"

She looked sad about this one. "We were very close, but he suddenly started to get distant. He went away for a long work trip, and when he got back, he barely came around anymore. I see him once every two or three months, and he always seems quiet or maybe even angry. My daughter said not to worry myself about it, but of course, I do".