The Captain and I's Final Love (Captain America Fanfiction) (6th Book)

Chapter Twenty-Six: Love and War

We grabbed enough vials and tucked them away in a satchel I was carrying, careful not to break any of them.

"Let's get out of here," I said, wanting to hurry and get back to the present. It felt like we were running out of time, although I knew that wasn't really how it worked. But, I still couldn't shake the feeling we were racing against a clock. 

As we were walking down the hallway, we saw the lady we were on the elevator with. She was talking to some officers, I could hear her describing the three of us in the elevator with her. Her face looked concerned as she continued giving the officers instructions on where she last saw us. 

"No, I've got an eye for this. The three of them looked fishy," we overheard her saying. Steve and I quickly looked at one another. 

She continued to describe us to the officer. Steve grabbed my hand and pulled me into one of the many offices, and he quickly closed the blinds so no one could peer in.

"Shit, that was close," I said, breathing heavy.

I turned to look at Steve, but he was looking at a picture on the desk. I followed his line of vision, and suddenly my breathe caught. It was a picture of him. It was like the air was sucked out of my lungs, I knew exactly whose office we were in. Instantly I was dizzy. I felt like I couldn't breathe.  

I thought that grabbing those particles was going to complete our time at the base. I thought we would be in the safe zone. But I was wrong. But this time it wasn't the phsycial threat I was worried about. It was the memory that I thought would no longer haunt us. The memory I thought was finally tucked away forever. 

I was holding my breathe, waiting. Waiting for something to happen. Anything to happen. For him to say something, but his eyes were still on that damn photo. It took everything in me not to reach inside his mind, to wipe it all away. Something I had never done. Something I wasn't even sure I could do. But, suddenly I wanted to try. I felt the power in my hands, as I wanted to reach forward. It would only take a second. And then, something did happen. The adjoining room light came on, while we were still covered in the dark, as Peggy walked in the room. She was talking with a colleague, absolutely commanding the room she was in. She was stunning. 

My hand fell to my side, the blue fading away. My heart beating loudly. Could he hear it? Did he even care? 

Steve stared into the office, he wasn't saying anything. He looked sad.  And I was too scared to say a word. I was too scared to know the truth. Maybe that's why I didn't risk going into his mind. I didn't want to see what was really there. So I did what I did best... I bolted.

I quickly turned on my heels, not waiting to see if he would follow me. I was too frightened to turn around and see. Because if I turned and saw he didn't even notice me leave, well it would shatter me. It would rock my entire world. And I wasn't ready for that. I wasn't ready for the truth that I always knew would be waiting for me. That I was never good enough. And I was never going to be. No matter how many times I wiped the slate clean, I was not the perfect girl he needed.

I was never the one. 

I looked around the hall, and  I saw the elevator was nowhere to be seen, so I power walked my way outside. Suddnely, the turtleneck I was wearing was choking me. I wanted to rip it off. I opened the door, squeezing the handle a little too hard with my metal hand, because when I let go, it was dented. 

I turned down a small alley in between two of the building, throwing the sunglasses on the ground. I lost my temper, and smashed them with my small kitten heel. Then, before I could think, I ripped those off too. The heels were giving me blisters, only adding to my rage. Blasting them into the ground, the blue auro from the energy bolt comforting me as I watched them burn. 

But, I pulled myself together when I caught sight of Tony. Then, I turned and saw Steve coming out of the same  building I just did. I could see him frantically looking around. Looking for me. I took a deep breathe, steadying myself. I was now going to have to meet them barefoot. That was going to be weird to explain.

 I slowly made my way out of the shadows. Steve rushed over to me, but before he could get to me, I waved Tony down. I didn't want to be alone with him. Not yet. 

Tony, finished his conversation with his dad. That must have been weird for him. I wonder if it was as weird as what just happened to us. 

"Morgan-" Steve said once he was by my side.

"Don't, please," I said, my voice breaking. It was taking everything in me not to crack right there and let all the emotions come pouring out. I was blinking away tears. I could see the pain written all over Steve's face. Like he wanted to help, but he wanted to respect what I was telling him.

God, why did he have to be so perfect? 

Suddenly, the world was spinning again. I felt like my vision was becoming blurry. Who the hell invented turtlenecks? I started ripping at the fabric, trying to not let it suffocate me. I could not be having a panic attack right now. But, I was. Suddnely my breathing was coming sharp and fast. 

"We need to get out of here," Steve said. 

Tony came rushing over towards us then as Steve waved him over. Tony wrapped it up and quickly made his way across the parking lot to us. 

"What's happening?" he asked urgently, looking at Steve. 

"We saw a blast from the past," Steve said.

"What would make her-" Tony started, but then it was like he connected the dots, and he didn't say anything else. He just slung my arm over his shoulder, motioning for Steve to do the same, and the both of them carried me off.

"Medical emergency," Tony said to the soldiers who walked by. "Menstrual problems." 

This seemed to be enough to scare them off because the two of them went scurrying away. 

"We've got to get back," Steve said, as he looked worried. I could see pain in his eyes. Maybe pity. 

They typed in the coordinates in their own devices, and then mine. 

And we were off. 

We got back, and none of the other team was there yet. The timing not as flawless as we had thought, but that gave us a little bit of time. 

Tony and Steve eased me on the floor, and I put my head between my knees, breathing in and out slowly. I was waiting for it to become more evenly. 

"Okay, I'm fine," I said, trying to get to my feet. I still felt a little wobbly, but I shrugged off Steve's hand as he tried to help me up. I could see in his eyes this hurt him. But, at that moment I didn't care. 

Suddenly, Rhodey and Nebula popped back in. Followed by Hulk and Scott. Then Thor and Rocket. 

"You telling me this actually worked?" Rhodey asked excitedly.

Then Clint popped back in. But no Natasha. 

I quickly got to my feet. Looking straight at him.

"Where is Nat?" I asked him, my voice still raw from earlier. 

He said nothing, his eyes welling with tears. Suddenly, all the pain from earlier, mixed with the reality of losing one of the first people I ever considered family hit me like a brick wall. It was too much. The world, my world was slowly slipping away from me. Falling through my fingers like sand. Two people I loved the most were going to be ripped from my life. 

"She's gone," Clint told me solemnly. 

That's when I lunged for him.