Falling in the Black

It has been six months since the attack on New York and Raylee still hasn’t woken up, the doctor figure out that the hit to her head was much worse than they initially had thought. Tony Stark being the only Avenger near her and having his own means of getting to the helicarrier has made it a point to check on Agent Matthews a few times a week. Fury didn’t like him being around so much but he kept that to himself as much as he could considering he was the only one that came so often to visit her. Natasha came when she wasn’t on a mission and Captain Rogers came whenever he had the chance. Tony was walking down the hall to Raylee’s room when he crossed paths with Fury.

“Director.” Tony said nodding his head at Fury. “No change in the pretty lady’s status?”

“No I just left her room and I talked with the doctors they don’t know how much longer they can keep her here like this.” Fury said coming to a stop in front of Tony. “We are going to send her to another facility in a few days.”

Tony shook his head in disbelief. “All the technology on this floating tin can and you want to ship her out to some unknown place.”

“The helicarrier is still in need of repairs and the care will be better somewhere else.” Fury said sternly to him.

“If it comes to that I will take her with me.” Tony didn’t bother standing there long enough for a response he continued his walk to her room and closed the door when he walked in. “I am getting tired of coming here, sitting with you and talking out of my ass… open your damn eyes and talk back to me already.” Tony snapped as he sat down next to her bed and held onto her hand, this had become a routine for him. He was hoping she would get mad at him for talking to her like that. “I’m the one that always wants the attention and here you are stilling my thunder… no offense Thor.” Tony said looking up at the ceiling as if Thor could hear him. “One of these days Raylee you will wake up and tell me to shut the hell up and to stop bitching at you… they want to send you somewhere else but I’m not letting that happen. I got an open room in my place you can have, I’m sure Pepper would be fine with it.” When Tony closed his mouth to take a deep breath he felt her fingers move, he quickly stood up next to her. “Raylee can you hear me… squeeze my hand if you can.” Tony said looking down at their hands but nothing happened, just as he was about give up she squeezed. Tony quickly hit the call button on the wall with his free hand.

“Can I help you with something Mr. Stark?” the tired voice asked through the speaker, they had come accustom to Tony bothering them.

“Send the doctor now, Agent Matthews has moved her hand.” He snapped at the speaker then looked back down at Raylee’s face, she was opening her eyes slowly. “Hey beautiful… wait you can’t tell Pepper I said that to you ok.” Tony said with a nervous laugh as she reached up to grab the tube that was down her throat and Tony quickly pushed her hand away. “Hey don’t do that the doctor should be here soon to take that out.” Tony said as the doctor ran in the room and he looked up at her. “What the hell took you so long?”

“I got here once I was told Agent Matthews moved her hand.” The doctor said to Tony as she walked over to the other side of the bed and saw Raylee looking up at her with wide eyes as she went to reach for the tube again this time it was the doctor that stopped her. “I’m going to take that out for you in a moment. Mr. Stark, could you please step out into the hall while I check Agent Matthews?”

“Ok.” Tony said as he went to release her hand but she held onto his hand tighter. Raylee was scared she didn’t know who this doctor was and even though she barely knew Tony he was a familiar face. “I’m going to take the fact that she’s not letting go of my hand as an invitation to stay.” Tony said looking up at the doctor.

The doctor shook her head but went about her duties of assessing Raylee’s vitals and removing the tube. Once Raylee was through the coughing phase the doctor asked her a question to see how her memory was. “Agent Matthews, do you know who I am?”

Tony let out a humorless laugh and the doctor looked over at him. “With all due respect doc how long have you been here on the floating tin can?” Tony asked her and the doctor glared at him. “It’s just a simple question, no need to get mad at me.”

“Five months, why would that matter?” she said to him sounding agitated, Tony had that effect on them because he was constantly questioning if they were doing everything right.

“My dear doctor you just asked someone that has been in a coma for six months if she knew who you are and you have only been here for five months.” Tony said sarcastically to her as he turned back to face Raylee. “Sweetheart… ok that’s another name you cannot tell Pepper I called you.” Tony said smiling at her. “Do you know who I am?”

“Were you serious when you said I was in coma for six months?” Raylee asked looking between the two people standing by her, her voice came out very hoarse sounding.

“Not the answer I was looking for.” He said smirking at her.

“You are Tony Stark or Iron Man whichever one you choose to go by right now.” She said between coughs and Tony reached behind himself to grab a glass of water and handed it to her.

“Her memory is perfectly fine if she knows who I am and can be sarcastic about it.” Tony said smirking at the doctor.

“Raylee it is nice to see you awake and among the living again.” Fury said as he entered the room. “I see Stark has finally annoyed you enough to wake up, I know he has annoyed us.”

“Not funny.” Tony said as he sat down in the chair. “It was my charm that convinced her to open her eyes.”

“Director she needs her rest.” The doctor said to Fury and Tony let out a humorless laugh causing the doctor to glare at him again.

“Are you serious, she just slept for six straight months and you want her to rest more.” Tony said shaking his head.

“Director what happened?” Raylee’s raspy voice asked and all eyes turned back to her. “The Tesseract, Loki and Agent Barton?”

“All is well on earth again, thanks to the Avengers.” Tony said to her with a smile.

“The tesseract and Loki has been taken back to Asgard by Thor… Agent Barton is back to his old self.” Fury said glaring at Tony then turned back to her. “We haven’t been able to make contact with Barton or Romanoff yet but I’m sure once we do they will make contact with you.”

“Do you remember what happen to you?” Tony asked as he leaned forward in the chair.

“Yes, I was going through the equipment room and I ran into Barton…” Raylee said as she tried to pull her body into a semi sitting position, Tony noticed her struggling so he stood up and helped her. She smiled softly at him as he sat back down. “Barton and I fought then he… then he stabbed me.”

“You do realize Barton wasn’t in control of what he was doing?” Fury said moving closer to her bed. “Loki did something to his head and was controlling him.”

“If you had heard the things he said to me you wouldn’t believe that.” Raylee said as she looked away from Fury.

“How long before we could get Agent Matthews back on the field where she belongs?” Fury asked the doctor and Tony started shaking his head again. “What is your problem now Stark?”

“The lady has been awake all of twenty minutes and you’re already asking when she could get back to work.” Tony said standing up.

“Director that could take some time, there is so much we need to do and tests that we need to run.” The doctor said getting Fury’s attention. “She will need therapy also.”

“I could bring in some very good doctors to help her through the process.” Tony said and Fury glared at him.

“We have doctors here that can do that.” Fury said to him.

“Not the best and that’s what I’m bringing in.” Tony said walking away as he pulled his phone out not giving Fury a chance to refuse again.

Fury had Raylee moved to one of the ground bases so she could start rehab with Tony’s doctors. It had been a couple of weeks since she woke up and the doctors Tony had brought in have work with her around the clock because she refused to depend on people so she wanted her independence back. Things were nowhere near easy for her but she fought enough that she was finally able to gain the strength in her legs and was able to move around on her own. She wasn’t at a hundred percent but enough for her to feel independent. Natasha had gotten word of Raylee waking up and once she got to a secured line she called. The two friends had talked like nothing had happened neither wanting to bring up the incident. Raylee was in the middle of therapy when Tony walked in the gym.

“My one and only favorite agent, how are you doing?” he asked walking up to her with a smirk and she just shrugged her shoulders at him, the two had become good friends so quick. Tony Stark has come in every day checking on her progress, he had even brought Pepper with a few times and the two of them worked with Raylee. “I’ll take that as things are not hard enough for you… should I go get Captain Rogers to come and train with you or would you prefer me as Ironman?” Tony asked as he sat on a bench across from where she was working out.

“Neither, I didn’t say it was easy.” She said standing up. “I just feel worn out a lot.”

“Do you want to go back to laying in a bed all day? We could arrange that.” Tony asked her, he already knew what her answer was because every time she was about to give up he would ask her that and she would fight more. “I can have Fury prep your old room back on the tin can.”

“I am not giving up!” she snapped at him as she walked over by him snatching the bottle of water from next to him and walked away slowly. “I am tired of seeing the same three rooms every single day. I’m either here, my room, or the kitchen. I need to do something different, I need to get away from here.”

“Then go in another room.” Tony said sarcastically and she glared at him over her shoulder. “Fine, let’s go.”

“Where?” she questioned turning to face him as he stood up and walked towards her.

“We can start by you going to take a shower and put some decent clothes on because I don’t think Pepper would be happy with me bringing a half naked woman home.” Tony said as he walked pass her and she started walking to keep up with him. “You and Pepper are going to need to shop today because the three of us have a party to attend tonight.”

“Are you serious?” Raylee asked him as they came to a stop in front of her room.

“You said you’re tired of the same three rooms now I’m giving you a chance to see more… unless of course you want to stay here.” Tony said gesturing around them.

“No I want to go, just give me thirty minutes.”

“You got twenty.” He said smirking at her and Raylee rolled her eyes at him as she quickly went into the room. Twenty minutes later Tony was banging on the door screaming it was time to go. “Let’s go we are on the clock here.”

“Damn it Tony you’re lucky I like you.” she said yanking the door opened then followed him down the hall to the helipad where his helicopter was waiting.

Once they arrived at Stark Tower Pepper was waiting for Raylee and they took off to the store. The two ladies spent a couple of hours shopping for the right gown for Raylee because it had been so long since she had a reason to wear a gown. She finally agreed on a black floor length gown with sleeves that came just below the elbow and a slit on the left leg that went up pass mid-thigh. Raylee didn’t want to answer questions about the scar on her face so Pepper did her best at covering it, she wanted one night free of anything to do with SHIELD. It had been so long since she was dressed this formal and she was enjoying the feel of it.

Tony was going over some data trying to ignore the calls he was getting from Fury because he was sure Fury was mad once he found out Raylee had left the compound with him. “Sir Director Fury said that you must take his call now, it is of importance.” Jarvis said to him.

“Put him through, I might as well just get this over with.” Tony said as the call popped on the screen. “What can I do for you Director?”

“Stark we got some reports that a very wanted and important mark we are trying to track will be at that gala you are attending. I have Agent Romanoff and Agent Barton doing some recon on the party site and we could take him quietly with your help.” Fury said and Tony closed his eyes trying to think of what to do because he had Raylee going to the same gala with him and Pepper. “Stark I don’t like how quiet you are being right now.”

“I don’t think this is good idea.” Tony finally said to him. “We should just pick another party to ambush the guy at.”

“Now why the hell would I do that if I know where he will be tonight?” Fury snapped at Tony. “Barton and Romanoff will be there.”

“Agent Matthews will be at the party and I don’t think she is quite ready to be back fighting crime yet.”

“What the hell are you talking about; Agent Matthews is at ground base two.” Fury said as Tony shook his head no and had a small smirk on his face. “Do not tell me you took her from the compound without my knowledge.”

“Then I won’t tell you that but Agent Matthews will be at that gala.”

“Stark you are getting on the last of my nerves; you better keep a good eye on her.”

“I got two good eyes so I will keep both of them on her.” Tony said trying to hide his smirk.
Fury didn’t bother replying to his remark, he disconnected the call and sent Maria to look for Natasha. This wasn’t something he had expected or wanted, when the ground base called he thought they were calling him to complain about Stark agitating Matthews so he had declined the call and forgot to find out what they had needed. Barton has steered clear of Matthews and Fury knew this would be a problem.

“Director, you needed to see me?” Natasha said walking onto the bridge and over to Fury.

“Agent Romanoff we have a problem with tonight’s mission.” Fury said to her when she was fully standing in front of him. “Agent Matthews is going to be at the gala tonight.”

“How? I thought she was still going through rehab.” Natasha said sounding shocked. “I thought she wasn’t ready for this.”

“Stark picked her up today and she’s at Stark Tower.”

“Who is a Stark Tower?” Clint asked walking in on their conversation.

“Agent Matthews.” Fury said looking over at Natasha then back at Clint. “She will be at the gala tonight.”

“Wait a minute what the hell is Ray doing with Tony Stark, when I checked on her this morning she was at ground base two.” Clint said to them, until now he had never told anyone that he had been going to the base everyday checking on her. Raylee herself had not known that either. “I saw Ray going into the gym for therapy.”

“You’ve been down to ground base two?” Fury asked sounding confused.

“When I got some free time I go down there to see how things are going with her.”

“Stark is supposed to keep his eyes on her so I want the two of you to try and be discrete about apprehending the mark, I don’t want her to know there is trouble there.” Fury said looking at his two agents and could tell Clint was mad. “Agent Matthews needs to stay far from this.”

Natasha and Clint walked away from Fury and once they were around the corner Natasha grabbed Clint’s arm stopping him. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were going down to see Ray?”

“Because I don’t want to be questioned on why I was going.” Clint said as he slowly pulled his arm away.

“I would have not asked you why but now I want to know why you would hide it if I had been trying to get you down there in the first place and you would tell me no.”

“I’m the reason Ray got hurt and I wanted to make sure she was doing better.” He said and Natasha raised her eyebrow at him, he shook his head knowing where her mind was going. “Don’t read more into it Natasha, we were friends and that was it.”

“Were? Was?” Natasha asked shocked by his choice of words. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

“We need to get ready so just drop it.” Clint said turning and walking away from her. Clint couldn’t explain things to anyone about how he felt for Raylee because he didn’t understand it either. He was a trained assassin that knew all too well feelings ruin things and didn’t work well with the job they did.

It was late evening when Tony Stark arrived at the gala with Pepper and Raylee, the three of them walked around the party talking with several people but Raylee had notice how Tony had kept looking towards the entrance and she was wondering why. Not too long later he moved away from them after a gentleman had walked in.

Raylee was a trained agent she saw all the signs that there was some kind trouble and Tony was hiding it from her. Raylee talked with Pepper and few people while trying to keep an eye on Tony when he and the guy started talking very tensely so she excused herself. She went out one of the side doors to come around the front and get a closer ear on what was going on between them without being seen, just as she was creeping up on the door someone grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth while pulling her back, whoever had her was too strong and she was having a hard time getting out of his grip.