Avenge | Book 2

Forced Leave of Absence

AN:
Sorry there hasn't been an update in awhile... I have no excuse. Maybe will be updating this again? Probably not cuz I need to think of what should happen next.

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S.H.I.E.L.D Building
New York City

"How?" I question as I stare at the table. "How is he alive? Is that even scientifically possible?" I look up at Coulson who is standing in front of the large conference table.

"That's what we're trying to figure out." Fury walks in with Madi who is in a dark white lab coat with a SHIELD logo on it's left boob, above the pocket.

"We're waiting for him to thaw out completely which, what we hypothesize, will take a few days since we don't want to take the risk of killing off some of his cells, nerves, or anything pretty much in his body." Madi explains.

"But when he does, he'll be in a coma for we don't know how long." She continues, "Depending on how his body is working and if his blood is circulating normally, of course."

"But how is he alive?" I repeat.

"Uhhh..." She breaths and gives Fury an uncertain look. "We--well, I think the chemicals or one of the chemicals from the Super Soldier serum that Erskine and Stark gave Capt. Rogers plus the sudden drop in temperature reacted in a way that froze the body for either protection or just by a normal chemical freezing point reaction."

"But how would the chemical's freezing point reaction result into freezing Steve's whole body?" I question while motioning my hands on the table.

"Do you know how the chemicals are bonded with his cells?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that bonding connects to how his body reacts to the cold and how the chemicals react to the cold." Madi states. "Since that is happening in his system, that means when one thing freezes, either the chemical or his body, the other does too. So, its results in a whole body freeze."

"Mkay." I say as my brain processes that information. "Where are you putting him in the meantime before he wakes up?"

"Right now he's in one of the medical rooms near the lab." Fury pipes in. "When we're sure his body is stable, we'll transferring him to something we're working on now."

"Is there anyway I can help with, right now?" I look at him hopefully.

"Right now, we want you to take some time off to process this."

"But I don't need time off, I'm fine! I'm in the right state of mind to work." I pled. "I swear."

"Not in a few days you won't be." He counters.

"Then, put me in the lab like Colonel Phillips did."

"In all do respect, Agent Barnes." Coulson speaks up, professionally. "The last time you said you were fine, you ended up in a different dimension."

"Phil!" I look at him with hurt in my eyes and my mouth agape a bit.

"I'm sorry, Grace. I'm just looking out for you."

I just let out an annoyed scoff while looking away from him.

"We are too." Fury walks over to me. "You are a great asset to SHIELD but this is a big thing for all of us. Especially you." He points out. "You're going to go through some emotions during the next few days and we don't want you to lose focus."

I take a long deep breath while running a hand through my hair.

"Fine." I roll my eyes. "On one condition."

"Why is there always a condition with you?" Fury jokes.

"Since my car is in Washington, can I borrow one of the SHIELD cars while I'm here?" I smirk slightly.

"Fine." He rolls his eyes, mocking what I did earlier. "Star and Wing will be keeping an eye on you since the three of you share an apartment when you're here. When they're not around though, you'll be on your own. But don't think we don't know what you're doing."

"Yeah, I know." I nod. "'Eyes and ears everywhere' ." I use air quotes.

"Don't underestimate us." He smirks.

"Never do, Director." I stand up. "I'm guessing my little forced leave of absence starts now."

"Yes." He nods as I make my way over to the door.

"Oh!" I stop and look back at him. "I will be coming in once and a while to check up on the Steve stuff."

"Expected that."

"Cya at home, Grace." Madi waves.

"Yep." I wave back to her as I walk out.

Brooklyn Cemetery

"Hey Buck." I greet as I squat down in front of the grave the Barnes family put when they got the letter. "I haven't seen ya here in awhile. Good thing there is another grave in Washington, yeah?" I chuckle sadly. "You know the organization I work for? Well... they found Steve today.

"Yeah, I can't believe it too." I scoff and shake my head while wringing my hands together. "Found him in the Hydra plane with the bombs Schmidt was going to set off. He was frozen." I smile while staring at the grave. "His little stubborn ass doesn't even know how to die right." I hold back the tears with a light laugh.

"Madi said that it'll take a few days for him to thaw out then he'll be 'asleep' for bit... Don't know how long but I hope not for a long time." I admit as tears brim my eyes. "It's a bit lonely here." I lift my head up and look around, seeing some people mourning over the sea of old graves, some new.

"Yeah, I have Sam, Madi, Payton, Nat, Clint, Coulson-- hell even Fury when he's in a nice mood." I look back down. "But they're not you." I break down putting my hands on my eyes and sob into them. "They're not you, they're not Steve, they're not Peggy, they're not even Carly.

"Not even fucking Carly." I cry. "You know how I've always kept my wall up, never let a lot of people in because of how I grew up. But now the walls like The Berlin Wall... Up so high that the people who get close to getting over end up getting hurt somehow.

"I just..." I sniffle. "I need you, James... Almost 70 years later and I still need you." Another wave of tears flow freely without me trying to stop them. "There is too many new things... For fuck's sake, Steve is alive after being a Capsicle for 70 years!" I exclaim. "Steve! Our little Steven Rogers from Brooklyn, the super soldier.

"Howard Stark's son is flying around in a suit of armor while a web-slinging red and blue man swings around Manhattan." I remember the newspaper heading. "I've even heard some stuff about a God from Norse mythology coming to life through a... Hifrost? Gifrost? Lifrost? I don't know." I shrug and wipe the tears off my rosy cheeks.

"There is just too much change going on in this world that I don't know how to handle." I put my head in my hands.