┌─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────┐

" 𝒟𝑜𝓃'𝓉 𝒻𝓁𝒶𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻"

└───────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────┘

I wait outside the operating room as the surgeons try to save Fury. Steve showed up a few minutes ago but hasn't said anything, rightly gathering I don't want to speak or be spoken to.

Natasha bursts into the room, quickly stepping between Steve and I.

"Is he gonna make it?" She asks. I let out a shaky breath as Steve answers. "I don't know."

"Tell me about the shooter." Natasha moves on, desperately needing a distraction. I snap my head over to Steve eagerly since I haven't even asked him that yet.

"He was fast. Strong." Steve lists, looking down. I can tell he's distraught over this, which surprises me a little since him and Fury haven't been seeing eye to eye- but they have respect for each other, and to me that's more important anyways. "Had a metal arm." That comment makes the hairs on my neck stand. Natasha and I glance at each other as Maria joins us, standing next to me.

"Ballistics?" Natasha asks her.

"Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable-" Maria says.

"Soviet-made." Natasha finishes.

Maria slowly turns to her. "Yeah." I nod, that confirms it.

The beeping starts getting louder.

"He's in V-tach!" One of the nurses rushes out. They start moving frantically.

"Crash cart coming in." Another one says.

"Nurse, help me with the drape." The doctor requests. I squeeze my hands together, nails digging into my skin, only making my arm hurt worse. My whole body feels like it got run over my a semi, but I don't have time to think about it right now.

"BP's dropping."

"Defibrillator!" The doctor shouts. "I want you to charge him at 100."

"Don't do this to me, Nick." Natasha whispers.

"Stand back." One of the nurses grabs the device to shock his chest. "Three, two, one. Clear." They zap his body. Nothing. Oh god. My breath hitches as Natasha takes my hand and I squeeze hers. "Pulse?"

"No pulse."

"Come on, Uncle Nick. Please." I mumble.

"Okay, 200 please. Stand back! Three, two, one. Clear!" Maria starts to tear up. "Get me epinephrine! Pulse?"

"Negative."

"Don't do this to us, Nick. Don't do this to us." Natasha's barely audible now. All the nurses and doctor freeze around his body. Steve turns to leave.

"What's the time?"

"1:03, Doctor." One of the nurses answers.

"Time of death, 1:03am." The Doctor repeats. Maria is next to go.

Nat and I stay frozen in place until I turn around to find Sitwell and Brock standing behind us. Shit, when did they get there? Brock makes eye contact with me and I can see the anger burning in his eyes, but he knows better to start shit with me here, right now.
⍟ ⍟ ⍟

They've moved Uncle Nick's body to a different room now. The smell of rubbing alcohol burns my nose as I gingerly clutch my arm and wait for Natasha or Steve to speak as she scrutinizes the body and Steve is leaning against the wall a few feet away from me, seeming to be waiting for the same.

"You should get that looked at." He says quietly.

I snap my head over to him noticing he's talking to me.

"I'm fine." I say staring ahead as Maria joins us.

"I need to take him." She says, teary eyed.

Steve nods and steps forward to Natasha. "Natasha."

She places her hand on Fury's head for a moment before abruptly walking out. Steve looks at me and I hold up a hand following her.

"Nat, wait." I call after her.

She instantly turns. "What were you and Fury doing in Rogers apartment?" She asks. I can see the tear streaks on her cheeks.

I sigh. 'Don't trust anyone. Only each other'. Does that include Natasha? No, it can't. She's Fury's favorite after me. I trust Natasha with my life. How could Uncle Nick ask me to trust Steve Rogers over literally everybody else that I would place my trust in over him? Sharon, Natasha, Brock-

"Juniper." Speak of the devil... "Juniper."

"Well?" Natasha urges. "June." She lowers her voice.

"Hey." Brock comes up behind me, grabbing my sore arm. "I'm talking to you."

Natasha's eyes darken as she looks at him. "And she's talking to me."

"Not anymore. I need to speak with my wife, Romanoff." Brock says as "nicely" as he can muster out before pulling me into the room we were just in.

"We're not done here, Fox." I hear Natasha say before the door shuts.

"Let go-" I grit my through my teeth as Brock squeezes the shit out of my arm.

"Why were you with Fury?" Brock rumbles.

"Brock, let go. Now."

"Why the hell were you in that car with Fury, Juniper!" He pushes me up against the door. "Answer me goddamit!" He screams in my face.

"Because it's my job! Get the hell off me." I scream back, shoving him as hard as I can.

He looks stunned for a moment. "We were supposed to be leaving town." He says lowly, composing himself.

I squint. "And why is that, Brock? Hmm? Why were you so adamant on leaving town tonight?" I step forward. "What, so you're the only one that ever gets to grill me about my job."

"You're not supposed to working like that." He immediately fire back. I let out a laugh. "Something funny? You could've gotten seriously hurt, Juniper. Or killed. Do you understand that?" Here we go. He grabs my arms pulling me forward. "Do you understand that?" His voice rises.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Steve says slowly, entering the room.

"Nothing." I answer, staring at Brock.

"Don't worry about it, Cap." Brock dismisses. "They want you both back at S.H.I.E.L.D." He says, releasing my arms.

"Yeah." Steve nods, moving into my line of vision, his face is filled with worry. "Are you okay?"

"They want you now." Brock repeats.

"Okay." Steve turns to look at him.

"Juniper, baby, lets go." I rake my tongue over my teeth, glancing at Steve.

"Don't you think a nurse or someone should check her out?" Steve asks.

"You let me worry about my wife." Brock clenches his jaw. "Juniper, now. You're dad's worried sick."

I sigh, sliding the flashdrive into my hand. "Coming." I nod. I brush past Steve and drop the flashdrive in his hand.

⍟ ⍟ ⍟

Author's Note: Ahhh, finally an update for this book, omg I've missed it so much!!

Happy Agent 14/June day🥰

How y'all feeling about her and Brock??

This is def one of my fav scenes bc I've had their fight and her giving the drive to Steve planned for literally ever!!

Hope y'all enjoy, see you in the next chapter <<33 Shit's hitting the fan!!