Shameless Note from a Shameless Author 😎
Alright, here it is. I decided to present this extra chapter because I know not everyone will like it. 😅 It's the conversation between Fury and Clare that dragged on longer than expected. If you want to skip it, feel free to. Just know that everything continues as before: Fury informs her about the caretaker and sends squads to protect her 24/7. I added it as an extra chapter because… well, it just went on too long. 🤷♂️
The reason for this chapter is to show you Fury beyond the distant guy he seems to be. Here, I reveal his hidden motivations, giving more depth to his character and showing that even he has complex reasons behind his decisions. 🎯
If you enjoy these calmer types of chapters, let me know! If it's not your thing, just tell me, and I'll avoid doing chapters like this in the future. 😜
Don't worry, tomorrow you'll get another chapter! So no need to stress. 😉
If you liked this chapter, don't forget to leave a comment, and throw some Power Stones my way. Your support is what keeps me writing! 💖 Every comment helps me improve for the next chapter! 🔥
—
Fury left the room with firm steps, but his mind was in complete disarray. It wasn't the first time he had avoided this conversation, nor would it be the first time he would rather face a group of armed mercenaries than Clare Jones. However, this time, he couldn't keep postponing it.
As he walked down the corridors of the base, his expression remained impassive, as always, but inside, a battle was raging that he didn't want to acknowledge. Clare wasn't just Gabe's widow, nor just a woman with valid reasons to hate him; she was a living reminder that even someone like him could fail—not only as a leader, but as a human being.
The fluorescent lights flickered above him as he walked, their echo resonating down the hallways. The tension in his jaw was evident, although no one at the base dared to ask him what was going on. Fury never doubted. He never hesitated. But now, every step seemed heavier than the last.
When he reached the exit, he paused for a moment before opening the door. The cold morning air hit his face as he stepped outside, and for a few seconds, he simply stood there, staring at the horizon. A small part of him considered turning back, going to his office, and burying the problem under mountains of work once again. But he couldn't do that. Not this time.
He got into the vehicle in silence, giving a quick order to the driver to take him to Clare's house. As the car began to move, Fury watched the base's lights disappear in the rearview mirror. "There's never time for personal stuff," he reminded himself. It was a phrase that had served him for years. One that allowed him to ignore everything that wasn't saving the world. But now, as the silence of the ride surrounded him, he began to realize that using that phrase as an excuse didn't make him any less guilty.
Thoughts assaulted him, one after another. Clare wasn't just an angry widow. She was his friend. The wife of a man who had died saving his life. Someone who trusted him, not just as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., but as a human being. And he had broken that trust in the worst possible way.
Each kilometer he traveled brought him closer to the truth he had been avoiding for years. It wasn't Clare's resentment that he feared confronting. It was the possibility that, after all, she was completely right.
The car stopped in front of the house. Fury didn't get out immediately. He stayed there, in silence, looking at the door illuminated by a faint lantern. "Admitting a personal failure is like exposing a crack in your armor," he thought. And Clare was going to see every one of his cracks.
With a sigh, he opened the car door and stepped out. This time, there would be no excuses, no evasion. Clare deserved answers, and Fury, no matter how hard it was for him, was determined to give them to her.
Fury stood for a few seconds in front of the door before opening it. The weight of what he was about to do felt heavier than any mission he had ever led. As he entered, Clare looked at him from the wheelchair, arms crossed, with a hard expression. Her gaze showed no trace of welcome.
"You have ten minutes," she said sharply. "Whatever you've come to say, say it quickly."
Fury carefully closed the door and walked toward her with measured steps. He had faced terrorists, alien invasions, and global conspiracies, but the words he had to say to Clare were harder than any operation.
"It's not that simple, Clare." He sighed, stopping a few feet away from her. "I didn't come here to give you orders. I came because… because I failed you."
The hardness in Clare's eyes intensified, as if those words irritated her even more.
"Now you come with that?" she responded with a tone full of bitterness. "Years went by, Nick. Years where you didn't lift a finger while Max and I handled things on our own. Now that Hydra is after us, you decide to show up as if you suddenly cared."
Fury nodded slowly, swallowing the anger that was beginning to rise inside him. "I know it looks that way, and there's nothing I can say to change it. But I've always cared, Clare. Always."
Clare let out a bitter laugh and shot him a scathing look. "So where were you when Gabe died? Where were you when I started having episodes of dementia? Where were you when Max had to face all this alone?"
Fury clenched his fists, closing his eyes for a moment before answering. "I was doing what I thought I had to do. Keeping my distance to not draw attention to you. I thought I was protecting you by staying away."
Clare looked at him incredulously, her anger reaching a boiling point. "Protecting us?" she retorted, her voice rising. "The only thing you did was abandon us!"
The silence that followed was heavy. Fury knew he couldn't contradict her; he knew there was no justification for his actions. "I don't expect you to forgive me." His voice was grave but sincere. "I just want you to understand that I didn't come here out of obligation. I came because Hydra won't stop, Clare. They know who you are. They know who Max is. And it's only a matter of time before they strike."
She remained silent, staring at him with a mix of anger and defiance. "I don't need your protection, Nick."Clare's words came out harshl. "Max doesn't need your protection. We've survived... " For a moment, she fell silent, holding back the words she was about to say next. Then, her shoulders began to tremble, and a sob escaped her throat as tears began to fall down her face."Nicholas…"she murmured, her voice broke. "Why didn't you come? Why weren't you there when I needed you the most?"
Fury felt the weight of his decisions crash down on him, and his face softened, showing a vulnerability he rarely let show. He kneeled in front of her, his eyes full of regret."Because I didn't know how."His voice came out soft, almost inaudibl. "I thought staying away was the only way to protect you, to protect Max. But I was wrong."
Clare stared at him, her eyes full of pain and distrust, but also of immense sadness. Tears continued to fall."I always thought... that we were friends, Nick."Her words were a painful whispe. "I thought I could trust you."
Fury felt a lump form in his throat, his heart heavy. He couldn't keep hiding things, not now."I never stopped thinking about you both, Clare."He moved closer, his voice tremblin. "I never stopped worrying, but what happened was bigger than you think. Bigger than anything any of us could've handled at the time."
Clare furrowed her brow, confused. She didn't understand where he was going."What are you talking about?"she asked, shaking with frustration.
Fury took a deep breath, knowing he couldn't keep hiding the truth. This was the moment he had to explain what happened, what led him to make those painful decisions."After Gabe's operation… after the Howling Commandos were attacked, the world became a more dangerous place. The Skrulls, Clare… they're an alien race that infiltrates Earth, replacing people with their own kind. They can take the form of any human being."
Fury looked at her seriousl. "It was a global attack, and if Hydra found out Gabe had a family, that you and Max were in their sights… it was a death sentence. I couldn't protect you while we were protecting ourselves from a global threat."
Clare blinked several times, as if processing what Fury had just said. The Skrulls. She had no idea what they were. "Skrulls?" she asked, frownin. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Fury let out a sigh, searching for the right words."Because I couldn't. I couldn't put you in danger, or Max. I was trying to keep you off their radar. But I know in the end, none of that was enough."
For a moment, Clare seemed to understand. The anger that had built up over the years began to fade, replaced by deep pain. Her breath trembled as tears continued to fall."I never thought you'd do this to me…"her voice broke as her shoulders shoo. "I thought we could trust you. I thought we were a family."
Fury looked at her, his eyes full of guilt, kneeling in front of her, wanting more than anything to be able to give her back the trust he had broken."I failed you, Clare. I failed you when you needed me the most. And I have no excuses. But I did it because I thought it was the best thing."His tone was genuine, without the usual coldnes. "If I had had another choice, I would have done it differently."
Clare let out a sob and closed her eyes, taking a shaky breath."You didn't have another choice, did you?"she said, her voice still tremblin. "You couldn't be there because the whole world depended on you."
Fury nodded slowly, his heart heavy with Clare's words."If I could have been there, I would have. But my priority at that moment was protecting you. And I know I left you alone."
For a moment, Clare seemed to accept what Fury was saying. The resentment that had built up over the years began to crumble, even if only a little. But suddenly, something in her face changed.
Her eyes clouded, and her expression darkened, as if the conversation suddenly no longer made sense. The next few seconds felt like a disconnection from everything they had just shared."Nicholas?"her voice was soft, as if all emotion had disappeare. "What are you doing here?"She asked again, this time with a much colder, authoritative ton. "Leave Max and me alone. We don't need you or S.H.I.E.L.D."
Fury stood in silence, staring at Clare's distant expression, completely bewildered. The woman he had seen vulnerable and broken just moments ago seemed to disappear, leaving behind the hardness that had always characterized her. The weight of what had just happened hit him hard, and for a moment, he felt lost.
As he processed her words, the feeling of having touched something deep, something genuine between them, quickly faded, leaving him with an empty feeling. He had tried to reconnect with the friend he had known years ago, but apparently, it had all been in vain. With a wave of remorse sweeping over him, he stood up, not knowing what else to say, as if everything he had shared in that moment was vanishing into the air.
He slowly backed away, his face now serious and distant, with the authority that always defined him, as if the vulnerability he had just shown never existed."I'm sorry, Jones."His voice, firm and cutting, was the same one he used on missions, the one that commanded respec. "I'll leave you alone. Besides, I promised your son that someone would look after you."
Fury paused for a moment before adding: "Take care of him. He's not from S.H.I.E.L.D., he belongs to a different organization. He'll take care of you, help you with the pills, and make sure you take care of yourself."
Without waiting for a response, Fury turned and walked toward the exit, with his soul empty. For the first time, he had let his guard down in front of someone, something he never thought he'd do. His face remained impassive, but the weight of the situation made him feel more exhausted than ever.
Once outside, he stopped for a moment before speaking into the intercom."Hill, are you there?" Fury's voice sounded deeper, as if an additional weight had been placed on him.
"I'm here, sir. Anything I can help you with?" Hill's response was immediate, always attentive.
"I want you to send a squad near this location. Have them set up in the nearby houses and ensure Clare Jones' protection. Make sure nothing happens to her. Understood?"
"Loud and clear, boss." Hill's voice, always professional, responded without hesitation.