Some Things Never Sleep

Chapter Thirty Eight

It didn't take Peter very long to finally open the vault after Emma's confession about the stolen car. He managed to open it after over two hundred failed attempts and Emma was honestly surprised he had been able to do it. Granted that it was morning anyways but at least they hadn't bumped into anyone from Damage Control. It seemed like they were running low on time seeing as how Ned was unknowingly carrying around a bomb that could potentially blow everyone up. They hitched a ride back to D.C. which took forever considering how far the drive was. It wasn't like Emma could just fly back. She had never flown that long before and she didn't want to test her limit today.

"McConaughey, can you try and get a hold of Michelle for me?" Emma asked McConaughey as her and Peter were just starting to enter the city. Peter seemed incredibly panicked as he tried and failed to get a hold of Ned. Emma wasn't so mellow herself right now but she knew she needed to remain calm if they were ever going to make it through this.

"Of course, Miss Rogers." McConaughey replied and Emma listened to the ringing before being disappointed once again. It seemed like they just couldn't get to D.C. fast enough. Not when that Chitauri energy core was still on their minds. She could barely comprehend the damage that thing could potentially do.

"Hey, this is Michelle. I would say that I'd call you back but I probably won't so, yeah, just leave a message or don't. I don't really care either way." Michelle's voice message said and Emma groaned in frustration. Well, that was certainly going to help Michelle get a job when she turned sixteen. Emma told McConaughey to end the call before she went back to thinking about what they were going to do in this situation. Her survival instinct kept telling her to leave and get out of town but Emma knew that that was just part of Hydra's training talking. What would her grandfather do in this sort of situation?

"I keep trying to call Ned but he's not picking up!" Peter called out to her from over the loud sound of cars driving. Emma nodded quickly.

"I know. I tried calling Michelle but she won't pick up either. They're probably already at Nationals." Emma told him.

"What if they're dead?" Peter said in a panicked tone of voice and Emma sighed.

"Peter, you can't think that way. We need to remain focused until we get a full analysis of the situation. You're not helping anyone by panicking." Emma said with a stern tone. Peter just gave her a bewildered look from under his mask.

"How are you this calm? Are you not even worried about them? They could die, Emma." Peter ranted, thinking that Emma's calmness was because she didn't care. Emma looked him right in the lenses of his suit, determination clear in her blue eyes.

"Of course I'm worried, Peter. I'm not heartless." Emma admitted before continuing. "I was trained to be calm even in the most tense situations because when you're calm you think clearly. Right now I can't afford for you to be panicked. Believe or not, Peter, I really need you." Peter just stared at her in shock. Did she really just say that or was he imagining it?

"You need me?" He asked breathlessly and Emma nodded.

"Yes, I need you in your right state of mind. We're a team, aren't we? You got us out of that vault and I'm sorry for ever doubting you but it's that kind of thinking that I really need right now." Emma told him honestly. She wasn't lying when she said that she needed him and she wanted him to know so that he'd calm down. "Can you do that for me? Can you calm down?"

"Yes, of course." Peter agreed as he slowly nodded his head.

"Good. Just live right here in the present with me...no what if situations. We just take this one step at a time. Agreed?" Emma inquired as she stared at him, wishing she could see his warm brown eyes to give him more of a reassurance that it was going to be okay. She could tell, however, that he seemed to have calmed down a bit from her little pep talk. His shoulders weren't quite as tense as they had been.