Graduation: Chapter Two of the Fireheart Saga

Part Four: The Dark Side of Ambition

A less than friendly atmosphere welcomed Amelia when she arrived on Capitol Hill after returning from Monaco. She didn't even bother stopping in New York, she just came straight here. Someone had to douse the fires, who better than a Stark themselves? Tony certainly wasn't coming back, Pepper had enough on her plate and Rhodey had stuck his neck out one too many times. Now, it was Amelia's turn.

"Any advice before I go in?" Amelia sighed, running her fingers down the black skirt of her dress to smooth out a kink.

"Don't piss of the senators." Romanoff offered, giving her a sideways glance.

"Gee, thanks." Amelia replied sarcastically and scowled when Romanoff swatted her arm, "What was that for?"

"You're distracted." She explained, unhelpfully, "You need to focus."

Little hard to focus when your father's life was at stake, Amelia thought irritably. Every couple of seconds she came up with a new combination to try, only to write it off as something her father already knew, something he already tested. His situation was the only thing on her mind since Monaco, she'd barely paid attention as Natasha gave her a rundown on the plane, just stared out the window at the fluffy clouds whilst scribbling down permutations in a notepad.

"Hey, quit it!" Amelia cried when Natasha whacked her a second time, rubbing the spot on her arm.

"What's got you so distracted?" she queried, green eyes fixing her with a lightly worried look.

Amelia could lie to her, the thought crossed her mind, but what would be the point? Lying to a double agent, wouldn't have been her worst idea but absolutely worlds away from her best.

"He's sick." Amelia revealed after a moment's consideration, lowering her voice as they strolled down the corridors of the Capitol building.

"Is it terminal?" Natasha queried softly, matching her quiet tone.

"So he says."

"You don't believe him?"

Amelia gave a small sigh, she didn't want to believe him, and that was the only answer Natasha needed. "I'm not convinced he's tried everything to save himself." She added, "That's the part I don't believe."

Romanoff fixed her with a hard look, as if silently accusing her of lying, like a mother raising both eyebrows at her mischievous child, and Amelia really shouldn't have bothered in the first place. "Stop that." She chided and a smile tainted Natasha's green eyes. "You're really gonna make me say it?"

"I thought I might."

"Well it ain't gonna happen."

Natasha raised her eyebrows again, simply waiting with a curious look, a curious and infuriatingly knowing look, until Amelia crumbled. "I don't want to lose him, alright?" Amelia breathed, "I need him, he's my father."

Natasha gave her a consoling pat on the shoulder as they approached the committee chamber. "Let me see what I can do." She promised, "It's possible Tony doesn't have all the information."

"You think SHIELD knows something he doesn't?" Amelia frowned, a stupid question really. Turns out Amelia was full of stupidity this morning.

"SHIELD always knows something you don't." Natasha smiled conspiratorially, leaving her at the chamber's entrance.

The flash of the cameras was obscenely loud as Amelia stepped in, the crowd of military advisors, congressional aides and reporters growing quiet as she stepped along the aisle towards the table set up at the front. Amelia even spotted a few businessmen in the crowd, the circling vultures waiting to see if this recent incident harmed the company at all.