Don't You Worry Child

Stand By You

Chapter Summary: Samantha is discharged and begins to question Fury's behaviour; Sophia has been kidnapped by Karolina and Steve has decided that now is the right time to ask the big question...

Soundtrack: Stand By You by Rachel Platten

 Discharged. That was fast becoming Samantha's new favourite word, namely because that was what was happening as of today: She was being discharged from the hospital where she had slowly been losing her mind out of boredom. Steve was taking her back to Stark Tower and she smiled as she leant on him in the taxi, as though they were returning home from a date. Strangely, all of their dates seemed to have taken place in hospitals, she couldn't count nightclub missions that ended with bombs strapped to her as dates – that seemed like a bit of a stretch even for her. Maybe, once all of this Dvoracek business was over, she'd take him out to a cinema – one where they could watch old movies, ones that he'd remember – he'd like that surely.

When they arrived at Stark Tower, Steve handed the driver the money for the ride – she'd offered to pay but, ever the gentleman, he refused to let her pay, muttering something about how a woman just out of hospital shouldn't have to pay for a taxi. She giggled and got out of the car, thanking the driver as she did so.

The elevator ride was quiet, not even filled with the usual pop music Friday seemed to like to play on an elevator ride, it was just quiet. Something wasn't quite right and Samantha didn't like the stirring, knowing feeling she was starting to get in her gut, the feeling that told her that something wasn't quite right.

That feeling was confirmed when she entered her family's living room only to see a tearful Pepper, her father looking decidedly numb and Fury stood looking like Fury tended to do when a child's life is at risk, and Samantha could only add up to something regarding Sophia, something that wasn't good "Is Sophia okay?" she asked, feeling the need to lean into Steve for support as though he were reinforcing her ability to stand up straight.

It was Fury who spoke, his voice grave – the last time she'd heard his voice sound like that was when he'd been speaking to Senator Ross about Rebecca's disappearance, she'd learnt that that voice wasn't a good when it was being used on you – "Samantha, Sophia was taken from her school today by Karolina Dvoracek," Fury said and Samantha felt herself crumple onto the floor, becoming a puddle of tears. Steve knelt beside her and held her close to him as she sobbed.

Then her phone buzzed in her pocket, she looked at it – a no caller ID number – she shouldn't have trusted it, she knew that but still she opened up the message.

Come to the building where Golightly's used to be. No cops, no boyfriend, no Fury. Then you'll get your sister back. – Karolina ;)

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The contents of the text message kept running through her mind, Golightly's had shut down not long after the attempted bombing – unable to withstand being temporarily shut down while everything was investigated – and since then the building had been abandoned, used as a warehouse when it was rented, the rest of the time it was infested with squatters who, like rats, didn't seem to want to leave the place.

The 'no cops' part seemed ominous as though Karolina had something planned. Who was Samantha trying to kid? Karolina always seemed to have a plan even if it didn't seem that way. That was the way Karolina Dvoracek seemed to work, everything was planned meticulously and if that part didn't work, well she had a back-up plan. Samantha knew that much from one meeting with her.

She wasn't going to go to the meet-up armed, that was what Karolina was expecting – for Samantha to come in guns blazing, knives at the ready the way she had at the club – this time, Samantha was going to shock, use the hand-to-hand combat skills she'd learnt during her few weeks of training. To use those, she'd need to remind herself of her limits, to readjust to using them. She quietly padded down to the gym her father had added onto Stark Tower when Avengers first started staying in the tower. It was equipped with a robot designed specifically to fight against – one that adapted to your fighting style, in turn forcing you to change things for additional unpredictability.