Epilogue Chapter Three

A/N: Just a reminder in case anyone forgot, large chunks of text in bold are Grant's POV 😄

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"You're fired!"

I clenched my fists and took a few deep breaths to try to calm down. I was getting seriously frustrated.

Without a word, I left and headed for home. I wasn't in much of a hurry, since it was the middle of the day and Samantha wouldn't be home for a few hours.

We hadn't found anything we could hold down. Six months later, and Samantha and I were caught in the same loop of finding a job, being hired, and finding another job.

I was at the end of another loop.

I dumped my stuff on the kitchen counter and collapsed onto the couch, hoping some TV would calm me down. The news was on, and I almost changed it, but I froze when I saw a familiar face.

Christian.

After overcoming my shock, I dove for the remote to turn up the volume. My oldest brother had become a senator, and usually I managed to ignore him, but tonight he was front and center.

"SHIELD is a terrorist organization, and they should be treated as such," he ranted.

I felt my hands clenching into fists again, but this time I didn't try to calm down.

"Is that what you plan to speak about at the UN's emergency session tomorrow?" asked the news anchor.

"What I plan to do is lay out a proposal for a multi-national police force that will target those suspected of ties with SHIELD using any and all means necessary."

The news anchor started talking again, but I couldn't hear him. I stood, my resolve hardening into steel as I went out the door, not bothering to turn off the TV behind me.

Christian was threatening SHIELD, and since Samantha and I were only temporarily retired, a threat to them was a threat to us. Christian had the power to destroy everything Samantha and I had built, and I wasn't going to let him.

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"Grant! I'm home!" I called, closing the door behind me with my foot. I saw a box of all his job stuff on the counter, so I assumed he was somewhere else in the apartment trying to calm down.

As much as it sucked that Grant got fired again, at least we were finally off the same fired-hired schedule.

"Grant? Where are you? We need to decide what we want for dinner."

I turned around to look at the TV, which was still on. Grant probably just ran to the bathroom, but then again he hadn't answered me when I called. I was starting to get a little worried.

I checked the bedroom and bathroom, the only two rooms I couldn't see from the doorway, but he wasn't anywhere to be found. I pulled out my phone to call him, nervously pacing back into the living room.

The phone rang again and again and again, until I got Grant's voicemail. My heart was beating painfully in my chest as the dial tone sounded.

"Hey babe, it's me... I just got home from work and I'm not sure where you are," I said, trying to stay calm. "I'm a little worried, since all your stuff is here but you're not. Please call me as soon as you get this."

I set my phone on the counter and took a shaky breath, then turned and put both hands on the back of the couch. I stared blankly at the TV, and eventually my brain started processing what I was seeing.

There had been an attack on the UN.

The news anchor announced a senator taking a hardline stance against SHIELD, and they showed his picture. I didn't recognize him, but I recognized the name they ran underneath: Senator Christian Ward.

Grant's brother.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," I muttered, moving to sit in front of the TV.

"Earlier today, Senator Ward made a promise to eliminate SHIELD, calling them a terrorist organization..."

I didn't need to hear more. I'd heard everything I needed to know where Grant went. I'm sure he went after his brother to stop him causing a problem that we'd be called back to SHIELD for. I loved him, but he was seriously an idiot sometimes.

I stood up, rubbing my forehead while I tried to think. I knew Grant's brother lived in Massachusetts, but I had no idea where he'd be or when. They didn't exactly post the schedule of senators on the internet.

I paced a little more, trying to think. The easiest method would be to find a hacker, but I couldn't call Skye. As crazy as Grant was being right now, I agreed with him about not wanting to rejoin SHIELD in the near future. Calling her would involve telling her what Grant was doing, and I think Coulson would have an issue with him attacking a US senator, no matter the reason.

I sat at the counter and massaged my temples, trying to come up with something. Calling Grant again and yelling at him is what I wanted to do, but that wouldn't help anything. I had to think. I needed a plan.

Suddenly, I had an idea. It was a long shot, but it might work.

Before Hydra revealed themselves, SHIELD had worked with a kid hacker, Cole Matthews. He'd disappeared right after everything fell apart, but we'd gotten to be pretty good friends, especially after he helped Grant and I take down a Rising Tide couple a few years ago. He'd given me an emergency way to get in touch with him, in case anything ever happened. At the time I'd laughed, but now it turned out he was right all along.

I opened my laptop and pulled up MySpace. Cole made me get an account, and if I posted, it would alert him that I needed to talk. He'd said "Nobody uses MySpace anymore. If you use it, I'll know it's an emergency."

C o l e ? I typed.

I waited, my heart hammering. This was my only plan, so I was praying it would work. Just when I was about to give up, I got a reply.

O p e n t h e l i n k I j u s t s e n t y o u.

I got a notification and clicked on it, and a video chat window opened on my computer. Cole was staring at me through the screen, looking a little worried.

"Alright, this is completely secure. What's wrong?"

"Grant's being an idiot."

Cole snorted. "What else is new?"

I smiled. That was one of my favorite things about Cole: he helped me tease Grant.

"After SHIELD fell, Grant and I left to try and start a normal life together," I started.

"Wait a minute, together? Are you telling me you idiots finally opened your eyes and got together?" Cole interrupted.

This time I actually laughed. "Yeah, we did."

"Thank God. I was gonna get you both a guide dog if you didn't stop being so blind."

"Okay, okay, whatever Mr. high-IQ-hacker. Just wait till you get a girlfriend. I'll pay you back big-time."

Cole smirked. "You can try. Now what's the problem?"

"You may have seen Christian Ward on the news lately?"

"Yeah. He related to Grant?"

"Unfortunately. He's causing trouble, so Grant decided to just disappear to go take care of him."

Cole's eyebrows shot up. "Wow, you really haven't calmed him down at all, have you?"

"Hey, he's been fired like a hundred times and he hasn't punched anyone out yet. And he hasn't been fired for punching someone out yet." Cole looked confused, so I explained. "We've been trying customer service jobs."

"Ha. No way. They just haven't found he guy he killed."

"I hate to tell you I'd be willing to believe that," I laughed. "Anyway, he went after Christian and now I have to go after him. Can you get me the senator's schedule? I need to know where he's gonna be."

"Sure thing. Gimme a sec."

He turned away and starting typing like a crazy person, so I got a glass of milk. Just talking to Cole had me feeling calmer.

"So, how's your life been since everything went off the rails?" I asked. Cole was barely nineteen, and while he was at SHIELD I started feeling a little protective of him. I'd missed talking to him.

"Eh, same old same old. My hacking's just more illegal now."

"Oh no. What poor sap was your latest target?"

"Other than the Office of Senator Christian Ward? The Pentagon. Don't worry though. I'm just doing it for kicks at this point. I get in, they patch my hole, I find a new one."

"Ever think of applying to work with the DoD or somebody?"

Cole stopped typing to give me an are you serious look.

"They're too amateur. I'd get bored in a week."

"Alright, alright. I was just asking."

"Whatever. I got through to the Senator's official personal schedule. I'll put it in a safe file they can't trace and send it to you. You have a printer or do you want me to text it to you?"

"A text would be great."

"Alright. Done."

"Awesome. Thank you so much Cole."

"No problem Sam. Let me know if you need help again."

"Same goes for you. And hey, once I track Grant down and smack some sense into him, let's go to lunch. I miss teaming up with you to roast him."

Cole smiled. "You know where to find me. Good luck."

The feed cut out, and I was back on MySpace. I logged out and shut down my computer before checking the file Cole sent. Apparently, Christian was going to his family's old cabin for some relaxation tomorrow. I was confident that's when Grant would go after him.

I sighed heavily and headed out the door. I'd book the nearest flight out in the cab. Private jets were definitely the thing I missed most about SHIELD. Except my friends, of course.

On the way to the airport, I called Grant again and left another message.

"Grant, I know you went after Christian, and I'm coming to Massachusetts. I swear right now, if you do anything crazy... Just please think things through here. Getting arrested for murder would screw up our lives way more than SHIELD ever could. Don't do something you'll regret. I love you, and I trust you."

I made it on a red-eye overnight flight to Massachusetts. In a few hours I'd be touching down, and hopefully I'd be able to catch up to Grant before he did something we'd both seriously regret.