stormbird. ( steve rogers, rewriting! )

twenty two.

They moved her to the morgue, her pale body covered by a white sheet. The Avengers, Fury, and, surprisingly, Agent Hill, were there with her.

Natasha walked up first, looking at Shay's pale body. She brushed her dark hair back lovingly, a single tear slipping down her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes shut, before hurriedly exiting the morgue without another word, the tears falling smoothly down her cheeks.

Clint went up next with Bruce beside him. They just stared at her body, as if they still hadn't fully accepted that she was dead, that Shay was gone. Bruce stepped away and stood at the far wall. After a moment, Clint stepped away too, but he exited the morgue, probably to go and find Natasha.

Thor made an odd gesture with his hand and held up his middle and pointer finger. He kissed his fingers lightly, and traced from the top of Shay's forehead off of her chin, and across her high cheekbones. It was an Asgardian gesture, to honor a fallen warrior, comrade, friend. (A/N The gesture is my own creation, its not actually in Norse Mythology as far as I know.)

"Good bye Lady Elrend." He whispered softly before going to stand beside Dr. Banner.

Tony walked slowly beside her body, eyes wide with disbelief and red and puffy from crying. He was still in shock, in shock that Shay was dead.

A heavy stone of guilt lay in his stomach. She wouldn't be dead if she hadn't taken that missile from him. "I'm sorry." He whispered quietly as he looked at her pale, peaceful looking face. She looked serene and calm, as if she was sleeping.

Tony hated it. He hated that she looked like she was going to wake up any minute now, as if she was just in a deep, deep sleep. It was a ray of false hope. As if death itself were taunting him, making her look like she was sleeping soundly when Tony knew she'd never wake up.

He couldn't take it anymore. "Take care science sis." He whispered into her hair as he kissed her forehead lightly. He walked out of the room in a hurry.

Hill turned and walked out, gesturing for Bruce and Thor to follow her. "Let them be alone with her." Hill whispered quietly.

The two Avengers walked in front of her. Maria Hill followed behind, arms folded neatly behind her back. She paused at the doorway, and turned to look back.

Her eyes never even glanced at Steve as she turned on her heel and went to stand beside Shay's cold and pale body.

It was then that Agent Hill realized that her life would never be the same without Shay. Even though they used to be enemies, she knew that she'd never be the same without Shay or Coulson. Now they were both gone.

She closed her eyes, and let one small tear run down her cheek before composing herself again and putting a hand on Shay's under the white sheet. "Good bye Shay." she said.

"I'll make sure he's okay. For you. I'll do it for you."

She turned and walked out of the morgue, couldn't bear to be in there a moment longer.

Fury and Steve were left, two men that loved Shay with all their hearts. Fury, as a father; Steve, as a lover.

"I'm sorry Shailene." Fury said as he stood beside her. "I shouldn't have dragged you into this. If I hadn't put you in danger, you'd still be alive. You'd still be here."

"You'd still be here."

Guilt washed over him again as he looked at her face, so familiar, so bright and lively, now cold, pale, and lifeless.

He barely recognized her anymore.

Fury glanced once at the Captain, and gave him a nod. "I'll leave you to say your... Good byes." Fury said, struggling over the last word.