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Back again. Sharon was serious about joining or helping with the Avengers, but it was like the universe heard her intentions and so returned her entirely too much work to do. She's carrying a heavy back pack across her shoulders as a black car drops her off in front of the mansion and then quickly speeds away. Working or not, she seems to have found a home here… And so, to home she returns.
By the time that Sharon enters the home she'll find that Steve Rogers is at work at one of the desks, working on some sort of case with a dossier of files. Looks to be images from a spy plane, probably passed to him via the government for his advice.
With a little grunt, Sharon sets her heavy hiking bag down near the stairs, "Superheros, I'm home…" She calls through the halls, trying to be vaguely teashing about it. It's just Steve today, though, and the blonde casually makes her way up behind him. A slight smile cracks across her lips, studying his handsome features. "…Homework?" She asks him huskily.
Steve turns in his seat, tearing his eyes away from it with some difficulty. "Yeah. Some shots of a military base. Analyzing it for a friend." He looks to her bags and gives an upwards nod, "Where to this time?"
"Mountains of South Africa. Can't… say much more. But it's handled." Sharon states quietly, that slight, deadened distance behind her voice again. The distance which had been slowly peeling away but comes back anew almost every time she goes. Probably a coping mechanism. She walks closer to him, looking over the base…"Analyzing it for what?"
"Missile silos. You might know this already but there are certain things that an ICBM site needs. My friend with DoD is pretty sure that Israel is working on nuclear weapons and judging by these photos I agree. They are our ally, of course, but it's always good to keep up tabs, I guess. You'd probably get that better than I would, given your line of work."
"… Yeah. If…you want a set of closer eyes, I could request assignment…" Sharon offers quietly, reaching for the photos and looking them over for a few heartbeats. Her expression looks grim, not disagreeing one bit with what she's seeing in her hands, "…and I'd put money on you being right here. Which…is not comfortable for anyone. Allies or not."
"That's what I'm thinking too," Steve says as he leans back in the chair and rests his hands by interlacing his fingers over his head. "You missed some flying sharks. Lasers on their heads. No lie."
The blonde stares down at him, smirking deeply, looking for the moment he says he's putting her on. But it doesn't come. "…You are… not joking…" SHaron's voice cracks just a bit with some half hidden chuckle and she just shakes her head. "Wanted to say good bye. Wanted to… check in about some stuff. Didn't have a choice. Bosses call…" Sharon shrugs slightly.
"I wish I was. I got up close and personal." Steve winces. "Really personal. I can't unsee it." He shakes his head, dismissing her apology. "Don't worry about it. That's kind of the life of a spy."
"I guess…" Sharon gives the photo one last look and then gently sets it down before stepping around the desk to lean against it, hips perching on the top, so she can face him. Her arms cross casually over her slender chest. "…Bucky stopped by. Right… before I left. Did you end up getting to see him?"
"I did," Steve says with a nod. "He actually stopped by the other night to tell me that a girl who I asked out was already in a relationship. Nice guy, looking out for me like that. He mentioned something about you trying to kill him or something. I thought it was kind of funny."
"Oh. I… well… She doesn't know what she's missing." Sharon's a fairly good actor. Damned good when she wants to be. So that momentary flicker of disappointment, hurt, anything else? It's momentary. She hides it behind professionalism and nothing else. A small nod comes about Bucky, "…to be fair, I didn't realize… who he was. He tried to kill me first. Back in Russia. Didn't succeed… but blew my cover. When I realized who he was… things… got fuzzy for a second."
"You must be pretty skilled to have taken on the Winter Soldier and lived to talk about it," Steve says. "I had to do battle with him a few times and barely made it out alive." He chuckles, "Thanks for not killing my friend."
"I'm skilled… I'm not *that* skilled. I don't know that I could have killed him but… yeah. It was messy. I… I'm glad he's more your friend these days. Hell, he had better control that night than I did. It… well… I'm just glad you found him." For all the strangeness Sharon is feeling about it all, those words seem to be the dead honest truth.
"I'm hopeful that he's finally going to turn the corner this time around. I got lucky last time when he put a bullet through my throat." Steve shrugs his shoulders, "He really is an excellent shot."
"Shit. YOu… got lucky you're still breathing." Sharon admits, her eyes going a bit wide at that thought, some fiercely protective tension cutting through her form. But she doesn't push it. She just takes a breath then stands a bit straighter. "He…he quite seemed in control and sane. Probably more like the kid in the war than anything, when he walked in here. Maybe… maybe it is going to stick."
"Well, when you have a healer on call, it's sort of like cheating. Even if what you're cheating is death," Steve says with a chuckle before shrugging his shoulders. "I wasn't dead very long, I don't think." He nods solemnly, "Yeah, I think we're all hoping that. Still a little on guard, but it'll take some time to try and get him unworked. The Russians did quite the number on him."
"If…if I can help at all, just say. Even if it's a final test, or something. I… I'd like you both to be happy. He seems like a good guy." Sharon flashes a half smile, her expression almost teasing, "When he's not trying to kill me, that is."
"He is a good guy," Steve says with a nod. "As far as what a test like that would entail, I have no idea. He's hoping to get set up with your Aunt at SHIELD. We figure that's the best way to help him at this point."
A slight wrinkle comes to her nose, but Sharon breathes out quietly, "I…could probably make that happen. Offer her a favor. She'd do it for family, if nothing else. You want me to make some phone calls and feel out the situation?"
"If you'd do that, I'd appreciate it. It could really help him out," Steve replies with a nod. "It'd give him the sort of helping hand he needs." And, Steve doesn't say, the twenty four hour supervision he also needs.
"Yeah. I'll call first thing in the morning. I promise…" Sharon then begins to step away, moving for her bag to scoop it up again so she can go unpack. But she stops at the edge of the room, looking back to Steve for a heartbeat or two. "…seriously, that girl? She doesn't know what she's missing. Any woman is going to be lucky to be on your arm."
Steve chuckles, "I appreciate the compliment. To be honest I'm not sure that I'm one to begin the whole dating process right now anyhow. I think half of me is still hung up on Jack and putting someone else through that isn't really the right thing to do."
A slight shrug from her, "Maybe not… but life really doesn't wait for anyone. It's too damn short, that's about the only thing I know. I… I'm around. If you ever want to talk." And with that, Sharon does turn on the ball of her foot, heading back out to the hall unless he stops her.
"Thanks, Sharon. I think you're right, of course. But this sort of thing isn't something I'm all that good at coming to grips with. It's been sort of a crazy year and a half for me," Steve replies with a faint grin. "Get some sleep, Spygirl."
"Mmph. Much as I ever do." She mutters with a lazy salute in his direction. Sharon then disappears down the hall and towards the upper bedrooms. Water for a shower will be heard running five minutes later.