Chapter Text
Chapter Four
After Shea arrived back at SHIELD from her lunch with Steve, she couldn't help but feel better about packing up and moving out here. Yesterday had been a little bit difficult for her in finding out that he didn't want her help, but in talking with him at lunch and prior she realized that he was just someone who got lost in a mess of things that led him to be frozen in ice for 70 years. He was just as she imagined that he would be. Steve even spoke like he was still in 1940 and his gentlemanly manners showed through as well. Shea walked into her office and sat down at her computer. For the moment, there was nothing for her to do. The last thing that she wanted to do was to overwhelm Steve with an abundance of articles to read. As it was, she was going to take him to get his own cell phone tomorrow. He explained to her that Fury thought it was best for him to have one. Steve was having a hard time picturing a phone that was small and one that he could fit into his pocket. When Shea showed him her own cell phone he was amazed with it, and he didn't want to break it. He held the small device with such care, before examining it. She explained to him that if he pushed the button at the bottom it would turn on. Shea shook her head at the memory from lunch, given her prior experience with Steve today's lunch was much more enjoyable.
She leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath, at the moment she didn't exactly know what to do. Before she moved to Monterey, this was when she got into trouble down at SHIELD. A smirk crossed her face. That was exactly what she was going to do. Shea stood up from her seat and opened the first drawer in her desk to see if her badge was in there. Thankfully it was. She grabbed the badge and placed it around her neck before heading out of her office, shutting the door behind her. She walked down the hallway and into the elevator before going down and entering the underground of SHIELD. Shea heard a rumor that the triskellion would have voice recognition but for now all this elevator had was a code. When the elevator stopped, she typed in her familiar numbers and the elevator doors opened for her. People were buzzing all around her, busy with the tasks that were at hand. Majority of them seemed to be on a serious mission to get something done, but as usual some were not so busy.
Shea exited the elevator and walked amongst the other agents that belonged to SHIELD. She allowed herself to wander, see what things had changed and what things managed to stay the same in the time that she had been away.
"And what are you doing down here, Shea?" She heard a familiar voice question. Shea stopped and turned around, though she knew the voice it still frightened her from when she first met the assassin. She shrugged her shoulders.
"I got bored."
"That is a dangerous habit for you, Mattson." Natasha stated folding her arms across her chest. The younger woman nodded her head slightly, knowing the many times that she did indeed get into trouble while she was bored. If she didn't have these tendencies then a lot of things wouldn't have happened such as her and Grant's joy ride, using Natasha's phone to prank call Clint and Agent May or even the time that she managed to shave off half of Agent Sitwell's hair, back when he had hair. The list could go on and on. "What's on your mind at the moment? Sending Agent Ward to the wrong place to mess him up on his next mission?"
"Now that you mention it," Shea started, Natasha gave her a look and she shook her head, assuring Nat that she was in no way planning on sabotaging Grant's mission. She liked to play pranks, but something told her that this one would end her back up in Fury's office with Ward sitting in the chair next to her. "Where are you headed?" She asked changing the subject entirely.
"Poland, i'm going to have a date with Georgi Luchkov." Natasha spoke, Shea raised and eyebrow knowing that this time was a good moment to question her about her and Clint's relationship, or lack of relationship but she was also aware how serious Nat was about her missions.
"You have fun with that don't be too hard on him. I'm going to go back upstairs and stare at the wall for a while." She stated with a semi sarcastically. Natasha shook her head.
"You could have been assigned to this mission too."
"I'm not an agent." Shea stated not wanting to go into this again with anyone.
"You just keep telling yourself that" Natasha stated leaving Shea alone in a crowd of agents. She shook her head before turning around and heading back to the elevator and going towards her office. Thankfully, she managed to escape the swarm of agents before anyone else noticed her. Once she took a seat at her desk she debated on what what else she could do to pass the time. Glancing at the clock on her computer, she noticed that her normal time was almost up. Apparently her and Steve spent longer at lunch than she had originally thought.
Shea began packing up her things thankful that she was carrying one bag out tonight instead of her morning balancing act. As she finished packing things into her bag, a knock at the door came. She turned and looked to see her father standing in the doorway. "Are you ready to go?" He asked her. Shea nodded her head, relieved that her father was not canceling on their dinner date.
"Let's go." Shea stated with a smile. She followed behind her father and closed the door to her office. It wasn't a far walk to the pizza place from SHIELD, it was a few blocks down and towards her home. She could remember ordering this pizza when she was studying for her midterms and finals. Shea would be locked inside of her room for days. Clint, Ward and her father would each take turns making sure that she was alive. Coulson always brought her pizza to cheer her up and try to let her mind relax for a few moments. Which worked half of the time.
Once she arrived at the parlor, it smelt exactly how she remembered it. She walked over to a booth and sat down with her father sitting across from her. "So, hows the cellist?" Shea asked her father as soon as he got comfortable. His daughter had been dying to ask him that question since she arrived back in New York. From what Shea knew, the two were pretty serious but then again they were living across the country.
"She is fine. I plan on heading out there to visit in a few weeks once I get back from my next mission." He told her.
"And when are you leaving for that?" She questioned glancing down at the menu that didn't seem to have changed in the time that she was away. She smiled, already knowing what she wanted to order.
"In a few days."
"Where?" She pressed further.
"Shea, you know I can't tell you that." He confessed to her. Shea nodded her head knowing that he couldn't but she liked to try anyways.
"I know," She assured him. Part of her wondered if he would stay an agent all of his life. Part of her knew that asking him that question would be stupid, she already knew the answer. He would be an agent until he died, that or until Fury forced him to retire. Which one came first was a toss up.
The rest of evening went by smoothly and Shea once again found herself in her comfortable bed inside of her apartment.. Shea enjoyed spending time with her father before his next mission. She had forgotten how close her and her father were. It had been difficult living in Monterey with no friends or family, but she managed. Shea just hoped that by coming back she would be able to go back to her job with ease but now, she wasn't entirely sure how easy the transition back to school would be. She knew that she was getting ahead of herself. The girl had only been back here for a few days and she was already thinking of how hard moving back was? Something was clearly wrong with her. She leaned over and grabbed her phone sending a text message to her fellow kindergarten teacher who was looking after her class while she was away asking to have a Skype session with her students. Once she received an agreeing message back, she settled into bed and let herself fall to sleep.
Shea received a call from her students just before she was about to head to lunch. She was greeted by all of their happy and smiling faces. Their teacher returned it with one of their own, she suddenly remembered why she wanted to become a teacher in the first place, and not a SHIELD agent.
"Why don't we show Miss. Shea what we made for her." Her fellow teacher, Miss. Katie stated. At the same time all fifteen students began showing their artwork up to the computer that was in their classroom and began explaining to her what each of their drawings were. Shea wished that she was able to give Katie her address so that the children could send their photos to her but she knew that it was too much of a risk.
"I love them all! Thank you guys so much I cannot wait to see them in person." Shea exclaimed from her desk in the high tower. Before she could ask how the children were, a soft knock came at her door. She turned her head to find Captain Rogers standing in her doorway. She gave him a simple nod before directing her attention back to the children. "I hate to cut this short but I have to go. I promise that we will talk again soon!" She told them before hearing their "awes" and "Goodbyes". Shea hung up the phone.
"What was that?" Steve asked motioning to her desktop.
"It's called video chatting. Its a way for me to communicate with my students in Monterey." Shea explained to him. Steve nodded his head slowly.
"Are you ready to go get your phone?" She asked and he nooded his head.
"After you."