The decision might have been made in an underground bunker a long way from the rest of the world, after a revelation that had rocked his world to its core, but Steve had not order the dismantling of S.H.I.E.L.D. without understanding that there would be consequences. That his order would directly affect each and every member of S.H.I.E.L.D., that whether or not they had been tainted by Hydra, their lives would be changed. He had not forgotten a single one of the ones he had met in the two years he had served S.H.I.E.L.D., or been able to look beyond Rumlow's betrayal to think that they had not all been tainted by Hydra's influence and believe that they could and would stand beside him.

He could not say for certain whether this woman had had her allegiance belonging to S.H.I.E.L.D. as it had been founded to be or Hydra, although he would prefer to hope that it was the former rather than the latter.

"You're partnerless?" he repeated, though he understood the rest of what she had said, "But your friend is alive, right? You're alive, capable if S.H.I.E.L.D. employed you, you haven't lost your friend. As hard as it might be to not know where you're going, if you focus on that, you'll do just fine."