Fight Like A Girl

CHAPTER FOUR

SHIELD HELICARRIER. 2012. Avengers Assembling.

She hadn't slept a full night in three days and God was she paying for it. Honestly it didn't bother her much physically having trained her body long ago to survive on little sleep if the need should arise, but mentally she was irritated and found everything around her to be extremely annoying. She sat silently as she listened to Steve and Phil Coulson speak back and forth about this and that, Tayla had a deep affection for the older Agent who was a member of Fury's inner circle. He was a good man with a kind soul and an intelligent mind who would do what was right even if it meant getting himself killed by doing it, he reminded Tayla in some ways of what she treasured so dearly about her Grandfather.

At the thought of the much older man she called out getting Steve's attention.

The large blonde turned with a small smile "Yeah Tay?"

"After all this bullshit is over with, wanna come with me to see Grandpa? I'm sure you guys would like to play catch up."

Steve looked shocked, he had only assumed that his old friend Dum Dum had passed away but the more he thought about it the more it made sense having heard Tayla always speak about him in the present and not in the past tense.
The Super Soldier suddenly felt like an idiot.

"That sounds great actually.."

Tayla grinned at his shocked expression "He lives at the house he built Grandma out in the country side of  Massachusetts, he was one of the three founders of SHIELD and worked as a Senior Officer for a long time before retiring. He still works as an Advisor here and there when his areas of focus are needed." She grinned more fondly now as she thought her Grandparents "Grandpa married my Grandma Saorise shortly after World War Two, she was an Irish lass, a first generation immigrant from the country side of Ireland a year earlier. She joined the Army as a Nurse and worked as civilian one after the war ended. They had two kids, Steven James and Timothy Jr."

"Steven James?" Steve asked shocked causing Tayla to smile more softly at him now.

"Named after you and Sergeant Barnes, he grew up to become a Police Officer in Boston and Timothy grew up and joined the Army like Grandpa he married a civilian Doctor who worked in Emergency Medicine, Dr.Eliza Willows. Eliza was from Mississippi and moved to Boston for work, they moved back when she got pregnant."

"Eliza and Timothy are your parents?" Steve asked curiously feeling something inside of him shift when her face grew darker.

"Sadly."

Steve didn't get to question her further as they landed on the Helicarrier.

After exiting the craft Tayla, Steve, and Phil all began walking toward the entrance with Steve looking around with a small smile on his face at the familiarity of it all.

Now this, he remembered vividly.

Tayla kept her expression netural as she made her way at the front of the line they had unknowingly made, she saw the flash of red coming out to meet them and felt her heart clinch in her chest at the familiar and beautiful shade of such a deadly color. As the small woman intercepted them Tayla stepped back letting Steve and Phil go ahead of her not giving an explanation towards the Super Soldier who gave her a questioning look at her actions.

"Agent Coulson." The red head greeted the man with a handshake before turning to Steve.

"Agent Romanoff, this is Captain Steve Rogers." Phil gestured back at the larger man who nodded his head respectfully which the red head returned.

"Ma'am."

"Captain."

Natasha turned towards the other towering figure with a nearly blank expression but Tayla could see the look of respect and the flicker of adoration in her familiar bright green depths.