Team

XV

Maria had fired the shots, and my Dad's still on the helicarrier. I had faith that he would come out alive, but my stomach still plummeted deep within when I saw the helicarriers shooting at each other. Maria helped me haul the unconscious clone of mine into a helicopter. I took the co-pilot's seat as soon as I had secured the clone.

"Steve will survive." I said, but their was something lodged inside my throat as I looked at the helicarriers, smoke coming out from them. "He'll be alright Lena." Maria said as she manned the copter.

She flew it just beside the top floor of the Triskelion where Fury and Natasha were, and I saw them both jump in. "The other councilmen?" I shouted from the noise.

"Dead." Fury said as he got in, reluctantly helped by Natasha.

"Sam, Sam can you hear me?" I said in the comm link.

"Please tell me you got that chopper in the air!" He shouted back.

"Sam where are you?" Natasha shouted back as we circled the collapsing building in which Sam was fighting Rumlow.

"41st floor! Northwest corner!" He shouted back as Maria turned the chopper in that direction.

"We're on it! Stay where you are!" I shouted back as I helped her steer the chopper.

"Not an option Lena!" He shouted, as I saw him distinctly, as he jumped out of the floor. Quickly grabbing the wheel, I tilted the copter sideways dangerously as Sam toppled in, almost getting out from the other side as that door fell out. "41st floor! 41st!" He shouted as Fury helped him in.

"It's not like they put the floor numbers on the outside of thr building!" Fury shouted back.

"Hill! Elena! Where's Steve? You got a location on Rogers?" Natasha said to me as I gulped nervously.

"He's on the helicarrier." I said as Natasha looked at me in disbelief.

"What the hell? I thought Charlie was your responsibility!" She said as I refused to meet her eyes.

Can't she see I'm just as worried, if not more , for my own father? But there wasn't much to do if he's made up his mind.

There was silence for a moment as all of us stayed silent, as Maria took the wheel and steered us in the air.

"I had a tracker placed on Dad's shield." I said, placing the tracker in Maria's hand , still not looking at anyone, even though I could feel the pity in their eyes shooting at me. Pity, and disbelief and anger. Latter from Natasha.

"Found him." Maria said softly, as Natasha nodded while I said nothing.

We soon found him by the river, bloody and bruised, but alive. Without thinking logically, I ran towards him, ignoring Fury, and Maria's call of protest.

I checked his neck for a pulse, sighing in relief when I felt it. It was strong, my Dad wasn't going to give up, not now, not ever.

"He's fine. I'll bring him." I said, starting to hoist him up, but was stopped by Natasha. "Let me do it, he's my father!" A cry of help evident in my voice, shaky but Natasha placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Medics are here, he'll be taken care of. Let him go." She whispered as I let the paramedics take Steve, as she wrapped me in a sidehug. All the stress of the day, stress of dealing with the fall of SHIELD, seeing Bucky, even Skye's trauma. I didn't get to have a break, just another blow over another.

I just need a break. When will this nightmare end?

It's all my fault, I thought as we went to the Hospital, getting checked out, and sitting infront of Dad's operation theatre. If only I had let him in before, all of this could have been avoided. If only I could have stopped myself from falling into a coma, HYDRA wouldn't have got me, made that freaky clone of me and got Howard killed.

Oh god. Howard, Maria. How will Tony react when he knows the real cause of his parents' demise? I need to tell him as soon as possible.

Till then, I had another mission. Tell Natasha everything. "Nat." I whispered, knowing she'll hear me as she stood beside me. It was just us two. Fury was still considered dead, and Maria was gone to salvage anything left of SHIELD.

I told her everything. About Coulson, Skye, the Project TAHITI, my clone , everything. She was silent till the end.

" I think," she said after a bit of silence after I told her everything. "You should tell Stark in some time. Right now wouldn't be that good." I nodded, I knew his mental health had suffered  bit when the aliens hit Newyork, I knew I had to wait. But till when? He's family, and he deserves to know.

I didn't say anything, just nodded, as I looked at Dad through the window. There was quite some internal bleeding, the doctor's mentioned. But the enhanced metabolism which he and I shared will save him, they said, so I'm slightly reassured. I'll only be fully relaxed when he opens his eyes.

°•°

It's been three days since Dad's been out of surgery . Today was me and Natasha's trial, yet I didn't go. I knre she could handle whatever was thrown at her.

Sam was sitting beside me , 1972 soundtrack playing on his phone as he read a magazine. I was cleaning my last batch of knives – pretty sure that isn't allowed in the Hospital, but if they have a problem they can't take it up with me– as I heard slight ruffling. I looked up slowly, looking at Dad's open eyes. He slowly winked, as I smiled softly.

"On your left." He softly whispered as Sam looked at him, smirking.

I smirked a bit as I saw their budding bromance, as I switched on the TV. Nat's up.

"You're not going to out me in a prison. You're not going to put any of us in prison. You know why?" I heard Natasha's voice as I exchanged a glance with Dad.

"Do enlighten us."

"Because you need us. Yes, the world is a vulnerable place, and yes, we help make it that way. But we're also the ones best qualified to defend it. So, if you want to arrest mr, arrest me. You know where to find me."

I shook my head a bit. She sounds just like Tony.

"So she did lear something when she stayed with us." A new voice spoke up as I looked at the door. Standing there were Sofia and Tony. I smiled softly as I looked at the concealed relief in Tony's eyes when he saw me. I guess, he still didn't believe that I was alive.

Standing up softly, I took two large strides and came up to them. "Hey fella. Long time no see." I smiled as I saw his glassy eyes.

"You're the absolute worst." He muttered as he hugged me, me hugging him back.

There's few that I would call family, and he was one of them. The same for him too.

"If we're hugging each other's Daddios, am I supposed to hug Spangled man?" I heard Sofia's voice as we all laughed, as I took her in a hug as well, ruffling up her hair.

This was all I need. My small rag-tag group of friends and family behind me, and I'll be fine.

I smiled as I watched Sofia run up to Dad and give him a hug, minding his IVs and tubes as he hugged her back a little as well, although I could see the happiness and warmth in his eyes a bit.

They say Home isn't a place, it's the people. The spirit, and for once, I agree with this philosophical bullshit.

I am home.