Always and Forever || BUCKY BARNES [3]

[12]: The Sacrifice [1]

2023 ― Upstate New York

THE AVENGERS ALL LANDED BACK ON THE PLATFORM in their facility, in their time, and Holland was in awe. She felt like she had been gone for so long, but it hadn't been that long at all. "Did we get them all?" Bruce asked.

"Are you telling me this actually worked?" Rhodey asked.

Clint fell to his knees with a loud thud, and everyone turned around and realized Natasha wasn't with him. "Clint... where's Nat?" Holland asked. The look on his face said everything Holland needed to know, and his eyes watered, and Holland shook her head.

"No... you're lying..." Holland whispered as she shook her head.

"Holly..." Steve said, and Holland shook her head as she backed away from everyone.

"No!"

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Steve Rogers found Holland Stark standing in Natasha's room, and when he approached, he could hear her sobbing. Steve walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, and Holland knew that it was Steve; she could hear his footsteps and always knew when he was around. She turned around and fully wrapped her arms around him, and she sobbed more.

"We were supposed to see her in a minute..." Holland whispered. Steve also had tears in his eyes as he squeezed Holland tighter and kissed her forehead.

"I know..." Steve said.

"It's not fair, Steve... she should be here, it wasn't her time... there was still so much.... this isn't fair." Holland sobbed. Natasha was really the only close female friend that Holland had, besides Sharon Carter, but their bonds differed. 

"I wish I could bring her back, Holly... I would if I could... but Natasha made her sacrifice, and now all we can do is honor her and make sure that sacrifice wasn't in vain." Steve said. Holland sniffled as she nodded her head, and then she sighed.

"I just don't want her to be forgotten about," Holland said, and Steve shook his head.

"She won't be. She bet everything on finding this stone, she bet her entire life on it, and we're going to make damn sure that we respect that choice." Steve said. Holland nodded her head and wiped her eyes as her tears came to a  halt, but she still had her head resting on Steve.

"I love you, Cap. You always know the right thing to say." Holland said. Steve kissed the top of her head before he squeezed her again.

"I love you too, Holland." 

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Holland worked with Tony, Banner, and Rocket on making a gauntlet that could hold the stones, and when that was ready, they just needed to decide on who was going to snap. "Alright, the gauntlet's ready. The question is, who's gonna snap their freaking fingers?" Rocket asked.

"I'll do it," Thor said.

"Excuse me?" Tony asked.

"It's okay," Thor said.

"Hey, hey, whoa, slow down. Thor, wait. We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet." Steve said.

"I'm sorry. What? We're all just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?" Thor asked.

"We should at least discuss it," Scott said.

"Look, sitting here staring at the thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So, this responsibility falls upon me. It's my duty." Thor said.