AN: Wow it's been a while and I left you guys with a bit of a cliffhanger. I'm sorry. I haven't had any time to write and I wanted to finish the chapter I was working on before I posted this one but I guess that's not happening. I will try to write a much as I can! I'm sorry about the wait and Enjoy!

What was he doing here? How did he even get inside the tower?

"Jarvis-"Stephanie started.

"Jarvis has been temporarily disabled."

"Did you get Ginger to help you out on that one?"

The man only smirked at her, leaning back casually on her bed. He looked just as he did a couple months ago when he called upon her. The only thing different was his blonde hair had grown out some but he kept it well groomed, just like the suit he wore and the shiny dress shoes that adorned his feet. But his most striking feature was his icy blue eyes. They were so light that they could be mistaken as white from far away. They seemed to pierce through everything he looked at. But of course they did.

"It seems you're fitting in well here."

"Well enough," Stephanie replied.

She let her mask click into place, hiding any emotions from him and tried to block out her mind, but it was no use. She could feel his presence there, and she had no way of pushing him out.

"Too well, I would say," he said.

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at him, gritting her teeth at the biting remark waiting at her lips. She shouldn't anger him. He held too much power.

"What do you want, Fero?" she asked, deciding to get to the point behind his visit.

"I'm only here to check on you," he answered, waving a hand dismissively.

"It must be important if you came yourself."

"I guess you could say that."

"Well?"

He paused, and Stephanie could feel his presence stronger than ever in her mind and for just a moment, she wasn't in her own body but instead a third party, watching from the corner. She managed to pull back, glaring at Fero as he frowned.

"My, do we have a crush on a certain hero?" he asked.

"What?" Stephanie answered, bewildered.

"From what I can see, you've developed a…fondness for Agent Barton."

"That's absurd. I've only known him a few days. If anything, I dislike him more than not."

"Now, Stephanie. Don't try to lie to me. You know it's no use."

Stephanie ground her teeth harder, sure that she was going to break them from the pressure. Maybe she had been avoiding that small feeling of compassion that struck her when she spoke to Clint. There wasn't any way where it would turn out alright. She had decided it would pass.

"It's nothing," she answered finally.

"You better hope it is," Fero sad, eyes narrowing at her and a chill went down her spine. She didn't let it show, standing tall and staring down her nose at him. She wouldn't let him intimidate her.

"Jule."

The sound of a harsh wind filled the room for just a split second and another man appeared next to the bed, his skin a strange pale color, almost yellow and his eyes a blinding green. He stood formally, with his hands behind his back and his spine straight, not even glancing at Stephanie.

"I believe it is my time to leave," Fero said, standing up.

"Yes, it is."

He only smiled in return. Fero stepped up next to the appearing man called Jule and put his hand on the man's shoulder. His icy eyes made contact with Stephanie's own brown orbs, and she had to fight back another shiver.

"Remember what I told you, Stephanie."

Then he vanished along with Jule after another moment of rushing air, and the room was silent. Too silent. It was suffocating, and Stephanie walked over to the stereo and turned it on to whatever music was already in there, and a Rolling Stones song blasted through the speakers. She accepted the song because it meant the room wasn't silent and that she didn't feel so alone in this moment.

She would never admit it, but Fero's visit had shaken her. No matter what, he always held some sort of power over her. And that scared her.

Stephanie stood still for a few moments, letting her body and mind calm down from her adrenalin rush. It always happened whenever she was around Fero. He made her nervous. She pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a sports bra, deciding that training would be the best thing for her right now. Before she could grab a towel, a loud knocking on her door caught her attention, and she turned down the music, heading to the living room.

Clint didn't say anything when she opened the door, only raising his eyebrows in an obvious question. Stephanie sighed, leaning against the door jam and crossing her arms across her chest.

"Do you need something?" she asked impatiently.

"Just wondering why you seem to be in a particularly bad mood today. Something wrong?" he asked.

"Why do you care?" she asked.

She stepped back into her flat, looking for a clean towel to take to training with her. The pile of laundry at the washer and dryer was almost ridiculous as she hadn't cleaned anything since she had come to Stark Tower. She cursed herself now for being lazy.

"Ever since you pushed me off a chair and snapped at me at breakfast."

The irritation was clear in Clint's voice, and Stephanie almost felt guilty. But right not, she was too worked up to truly notice it, and instead snagged a clean towel from the bottom of her hallway closet and slung it over her shoulder.

"Right, sorry," she mumbled.

Clint stared at her curiously, and she fidgeted under his gaze until she felt like she might explode and strode toward the door. "I'm going to go train," she stated as she swept out of the flat and toward the elevator.

Stephanie let out a long breath once the doors were closed, and she was travelling down the few floors to the training area. For some reason, she couldn't manage to slow her heart rate and this annoyed her more than anything. What was the matter with her? She had known Clint for three days and she was already acting like an innocent little school girl. She couldn't even be around him without her heart skipping a beat at just the sight of those hazel eyes, sometimes a soft brown and sometimes a piercing silver…

'Stop it!' she told herself. She needed to get her head on straight and stop thinking about Clint as anything other than an acquaintance. She wasn't here for romance.

The elevator doors opened to a hallway which Stephanie passed through quickly, and she entered a large gym with exercise machines, punching bags, a yoga area, and even a boxing ring where Tony was currently sparring with Happy. Her intrusion distracted the driver and gave Tony ample time to aim a punch into his jaw. Happy fell to the floor of the ring with a surprised yelp, rubbing his jaw gently.

"Remember, always keep your eye on your opponent," Tony said with a wink.

He ducked under the ropes at the side of the ring, gulping water down as he went and walking over to Stephanie.

"Hey, Steph," he greeted, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

She sent him a glare to which he raised his eyebrows, and she walked over to one of the punching bags. Spending a few minutes to wrap her hands, she ignored Tony and Happy's banter as they packed up. After her hands were secure she gave an experimental punch into the bag and it swung with a slight creek. Bouncing on her toes, she alternated back and forth between fists, occasionally throwing in a kick. She let all her pent up emotions pour out through her muscles, moving full-speed ahead. Her fists collided with the bag as quick jabs with amazing precision. The bag swung back and forth at the force, swinging on its chain with shrieking creaks that only annoyed Stephanie further. The rope hooked over the chain snapped without warning and Stephanie jumped back, surprised as the bag fell to the floor with a loud thump.

Tony whistled behind her, his eyes wide as he stared at the bag on the floor. "Remind me never to piss you off."

Stephanie seemed just as baffled that she had managed to do that. The bag was even slit up the side, sand slowly pouring out onto the polished gym floor. Tony and Happy exited, looking slightly disturbed, and Stephanie sighed, dropping her fists. Only then did she notice the bruising on her knuckles and the scrapes along her skin that bled, staining the white wrappings.

Ignoring the slight stinging pain she felt from flexing her hands, she found another punching bag and managed to carry it over to the chain and hooked it up. She started to bounce on her toes, preparing to begin the sequence all over again when a voice from behind her made her pause.

"You know, the only person I've seen that can do that is me."

Stephanie turned around and saw Steve leaning against the wall of the gym with his arms crossed and his blue eyes watching her. She sighed, pushing her loose hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, well, I guess it's a Rogers thing," she responded, and his mouth twitched slightly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She gritted her teeth, knowing there was no point in saying it was nothing. It obviously was. But she couldn't tell him what was really bothering her.

"I'm just…I don't know," she huffed. "I don't know much about relationships and everything. I've never really been interested in them, but now it's all kind of hitting me at once. I don't know. I'm just...I'm confused?"

Steve's eyes widened, and he shuffled awkwardly away from the wall, clearing his throat. Stephanie stared at him confused as his cheeks reddened a little. "Well, I don't have much experience with that kind of thing. In my time we didn't really talk about…that."

"Steve. What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's okay if you like…if you don't like men."

"What?" Stephanie sputtered.

"Apparently it's more common now."

"I'm not gay!"

Steve looked relieved as Stephanie tried to hide the rising blush taking over her pale face. She muttered to herself under her breath about miscommunication.

"I was just saying that I have certain…emotions that I don't know how to deal with. I'll figure it out, though," she said.

"You don't have to do it alone, you know," Steve answered softly.

"Thanks for the offer, but I really rather would."

Steve watched her for a minute then nodded. He turned to leave but stopped and glanced back at her over his shoulder.

"If you ever have to talk, Stephanie, I'm here. Remember, we're family now."

Stephanie gave him a small smile, and he left the gym. With another sigh, she turned back to the punching bag, and her fist flew forward.