Chapter Two.

                                    

                                          



SHEILD HEADQUARTERS, April 2007
A yawn escaped Adelaide's lips, as she wrapped her hands around a warm paper cup filled with coffee. The woman took a few sips as she walked down the hall, offering a small polite smile to those who passed her.
Less than five minutes later, she found herself in the training room, May already awaiting her arrival. 
"Good Morning," she greeted with a smile, and May arched an eyebrow in her direction.
"What's got you all smiley? You 'strongly dislike' morning training," May pointed out with her eyes narrowed.
Adelaide shook her head, "I don't know what you're talking about."
May offered her a look of disbelief and a long, drawn-out sigh, fell from Adelaide's lips. She stretched her arms above her head, trying to hold off the conversation for at least a few more seconds.
"Addy," May's voice broke through her concentration.
"Fine," she sighed, her eyes meeting the older woman's, "I met this girl last night, Maria. Is she one of the new recruits?"
May nodded, "Maria Hill, I've met her once, she'll be a good agent. Why this newfound interest?"
"I don't know," Addy shrugged, a smile smile once again tugging at the ends of her lips.
"You don't know," the woman gave her a skeptical look, "You're lying."
"What?" Adelaide's head whipped around, "I am not-"
The woman's defense was weak and they both knew it. Adelaide sighed, already bracing herself for May's words.
May crossed her arms, "You did that thing, where you scrunch your nose a little bit. It's your tell."
Despite the woman's teasing smirk, Adelaide was offended, "I do not have a tell! I'm a trained field agent, I don't have a tell."
"Addy, this is how I always beat you at board games, you have a tell," Barton chimed in from a few feet away, his own coffee cup in hand.
Adelaide glared at him, "Okay person with a killer hangover."
Clint flipped her off and she rolled her eyes. She was just pointing out the facts, definitely not trying to get back at him at all.
"Okay, Laurence, let's go," May instructed and she turned back towards her.
"Go where?" she tilted her head, "I thought we were on a normal schedule for the day."
May shook her head, "We're going running."
"Oh," Adelaide spoke, "Okay, but we ran yesterday-"
She was only slightly disappointed by the fact that they would be running. Though she did enjoy a morning run, she didn't want to go every morning.
"Yes," May nodded, "And we're running today."
Adelaide didn't quite have the energy to argue with her, so she just went along. Soon the two of them had found themselves on the outdoor track, already several laps in.
"You know in all of my years of gymnastics and cheerleading and whatnot," Adelaide began speaking, "I never ran this much."
"Well," the woman replied, "You weren't a field agent. Now there are times when you have to run from stuff."
Adelaide rolled her eyes, "Well I know that."
Quiet fell over them once again, and that's when the group of new recruits made their way onto the track. Adelaide's eyes widened slightly when she spotted Maria.
The brunette had her hair neatly pulled back into a bun, and the muscles in her arms were far more visible in this light. She was so off focus for a few seconds, that she even tripped on practically nothing.
May laughed, "Trip on air much?"
Adelaide cleared her throat, "You didn't see that."
"Sure, Addy, sure," May shook her head with an amused smile.

















That night Adelaide couldn't sleep, though this time she was sure it was because of the obscene amount of caffeine that she had consumed during the day. Sometimes a part of her was glad on nights like this, because at least if she couldn't sleep she wouldn't be awakened by nightmares.
She wouldn't have to relieve anything in the one place she should feel safe, her dreams.
With a defeated sigh Adelaide climbed out of her bed.
Adelaide switched her pajamas for exercise clothes and quietly crept into the near-silent hall. Which was completely normal for that hour, it was practically two in the morning, after all.
Adelaide was often the only one awake and in the hallways at that time.
When she reached the training room, her eyebrows pulled together at the sight of another person. Upon further inspection, it was Maria Hill punching at the punching bag at two in the morning.
The brunette looked different like this, with a certain look of distance in her eyes, as though she was in a totally different world. Adelaide also took note of the dog tags that hung from her neck, which must've been the root of why she was awake at such an hour.
Deciding it was best not to interrupt, Adelaide kept her distance, plugging earbuds into her iPod and turning on the treadmill. The woman was fully prepared to drown out the world and her thoughts with music.
It was the best way to exhaust herself and calm her mind.
Though Maria acted like she didn't notice the other woman's entrance into the space, she had. Adelaide Laurence, upon Maria's arrival at SHIELD, she had heard many good things about the woman.
Many agents speculated about the blonde's arrival, wondering what had pushed her into the field. She wasn't cold by any means, in fact, she was the most compassionate person that many of them had ever met.
Adelaide sighed in defeat stepping off the treadmill and taking a sip of water. No matter how fast she tried to push herself, she still couldn't get her mind to quiet.  
Her eyes flickered to Maria, and before she could talk herself out of it, she approached the woman.
"Wanna spar?" 
Maria didn't even flinch at the melodic sound of Adelaide's voice, which told the blonde she had known she was there the whole time. The woman reached out and stilled the swaying punching bag, before turning to Adelaide.
"Why not," Maria shrugged.
Both women ignored the fact that it was two in the morning, neither of them asking each other questions as to why they were even awake. 
There was a mutual understanding of the dark memories that hung in the air around them.


Author's Note:
This is NOT edited! 
ADDY AND MARIA CONTENT, ADDY AND MARIA CONTENT!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
-Via <3