Being Run Ragged

Ch. 11 Say what! I allow nothing!

These are (Katriona's Thoughts), 'Emphasis of the word', and *sounds*.

After saying our 'thank you for your time's we left Bruce and Deborah in the med bay, we headed to the elevator bays. I was still being carried by Bucky, who refused to put me down even though I was fine, he wasn't. There was another slight scuffle between Thor and Bucky, over who would carry me, while we were in the elevator, that Bucky won this time. We all rode in one together, till we got to the floor that held Fury's office, so I could go talk to him when I asked Bucky in a rather quiet voice, "Can you and Thor come with me? After what I just went through, I don't feel like being yelled at and I'm sure he is going to yell at me over something stupid. Fury kinda scares me a little bit with his intimidating aura and stern look."

Bucky shifted me in his arms, so he could look me in the eyes, with a serious expression on his face, before he said, "I won't ever let him be mean to you, especially not after what we just put you through. I don't know why, but I feel like there is this need to protect you, its almost like there is this whole 'other me' who would do anything to keep 'his Malyshka doll' safe from all harm. Do you know what that means?" I shook my head no, replying to his question nonverbally, so he answered his question with a smirk then said, "Until you tell me not to help, I will be there for you. So yes I'll come with you to this meeting Fury wanted." Thor who had waited till Bucky had finished, before he said in a rather quiet but still serious voice, "Lady Katriona, I will explain it to you later, when we can speak more privately, but I also feel the need to keep you protected from danger. I will gladly accompany you, as you have asked, to this meeting."

So as the three of us exited the elevator, I felt slightly better knowing the two large men would be keeping me safe from Fury's, well fury at whatever it was I did. Thor was getting ready to knock on the door, just before it was jerked open by a lady with dark brown hair.  she said, with a mildly surprised expression on her face, after she saw me in Bucky's arms, "Well someone, sure works fast." Bucky's hold on me tightened slightly as both his and Thor's faces shifted into frowns. Thor stepped over blocking her view of me, while Bucky snapped out, "She is none of your business, Agent Hill!" The woman, who had taken a step back into the office, at the way the two had reacted to her comment, quickly straightened from her defensive stance when Fury suddenly called out, "Maria, I want that done today! No more delays, Hydra could be involved."

She replied almost immediately, "Yes sir, I will get to that in a moment, but you should know you have more visitors now, instead of just one, like you were expecting." The sound of rustling paper and a chair squeaking was heard before Fury appeared behind her, he assessed the three of us, with his single eye squinting at the way the two men had stiffened, when he stared too long at me, he dismissed the lady, who left quickly, before he asked, "What has happened to Miss Sinclair, since last evenings events?" Thor and Bucky answered together, with slight mirth, "What hasn't happened is the better question." Before Bucky continued with, "She almost had a breakdown because two idiots didn't read her chart, so you see, she has had a rough morning. She is going to stay with us, as she is right now until we decide that she will be fine." At this, I chuckled then said, "Well you see, it now appears as if I will not be allowed to walk on my own two feet, as these two seem to think I enjoy them carrying me about."

Both of Fury's eyebrows were raised, when he said, "Well gentlemen bring yourselves into my office, so we can all discuss what I had planned to speak with Miss Sinclair about." With that Fury turned and we followed him into his surprisingly sparsely decorated office, while I was looking around the others, not holding me, had settled themselves into their chairs, before Bucky passed me to a seated Thor. I was settled across his lap facing Bucky, who had scooted his chair closer to the one Thor and I was in. Fury got a more serious look on his already serious face, before he said, "I was informed by Friday last evening, that you wanted to schedule a time to 'hang out' with Hulk. I just want to know, how and where you were planning to do so?"

I replied, in a rather thoughtful manner, "Well I was going to ask Bruce, where Hulk would like to go.  Then if we're allowed to, I was going to let Hulk try out different treats, while we were wherever he wanted to be. I can make the treats just for him, with his rather large hand size, it is hard for him to have finger foods that he can enjoy.  It would be like a picnic for him to enjoy, after all, he has done for the world and what he contributes to the team. I mean why can't he get something that is special, just for him that doesn't involve Bruce." 

 The three men looked mildly shocked at what I had said before my two protectors both shouted, "Say what!" I turned to them and with a mildly scolding tone said, "From what I have seen everyone treats him different because he has some anger issues. Why doesn't he get to have something like the rest of you? How is it fair to him to only get to come out when you are all out on a mission? He doesn't get to have his own free time to relax and enjoy himself."   Fury stated in a slightly mocking tone of voice, "Miss Sinclair, I allow nothing when it comes to the team and their free time, as it is almost impossible to stop them as the only power to stop them comes from within the team. I see nothing wrong with what you want to do for Hulk but do please make sure to take into consideration the safety of everyone that could become endangered when you do go out 'his' picnic."

The fact that I was allowed to do just about whatever I wanted for the team hit me with the way he said that the whole team was the only option for stoping another team member. Fury wasn't done talking but he had lost the mocking tone in his voice when he said, "I heard that you had an encounter last evening with a mugger that you used your 'bag' for. Though I applaud you for handling him by yourself while remaining as calm as you could given how he had surprised you. I assume that you will use it as a weapon more often than any other form of defense when in such situations? Agent Romanoff has suggested that we make your bag your official weapon as an employee of Shield." I blushed lightly at the mention of last evenings encounter and how I handled the mugger before I had passed out.

I quietly stated, "I just did what my self-defense instructor said was the fastest way to get out of a dangerous situation. She said that if the assailant has a weapon they are less likely to harm you if you talk to them calmly and to make them think of you as an actual person, not an object. Using your brain to find their weakness so you have a better chance of getting away from them. My bag has lots of stuff in it making it heavy enough to knock someone off balance, plus my small stature can be used to my advantage when in situations like that. No one expects me to be able to put so much force behind a hit. So they are caught off guard when I do strike back."

Bucky chuckled before he drawled out, "We can attest to how much of a punch you pack when you want to especially if you consider your spatula usage last night. Believe it or not, everyone was rather surprised by how you handled the whole situation especially Loki when you plopped the hammer in his lap and told him to shut his pie hole, then treated Thor and I like two kids who had misbehaved." Fury snorted in a short laugh then coughed lightly trying to cover his amusement before semi-soberly saying, "She didn't do that did she?" Thor hung his head while chuckling then quietly saying, "She did then she bribed Hulk into apologizing with a cookie! She didn't let us have as much desert as the others and made us clean up after dinner." Fury was full-on laughing at this point couldn't say anything so I broke in with, "It's your fault for getting into dinner before I had said it was ready. Be happy I didn't punish you any worse than what I did! I was going lightly on you two and Loki was rather rude to me before everything had settled."

Fury had calmed slightly but you could still hear the mirth in his voice as he said, "So not only did you bribe the big guy into apologizing with a cookie, you handled these two like kids as well as telling Loki off for being rude to you. I can't believe that after last evenings events she still wants to take some of the team out to properly stock her kitchen if I understand correctly. You can have fun with the headache you will have after dealing with that. I'll let some of my agents know what is going on thanks for being so candid with me even if you needed backup to talk with me. I will let you get back to what you need to do since I found out what I needed to know for now." We left Fury's office while discussing what we should pick out for tonight's dinner.