Connections

35: A New Path

Sam and I were in Steve's hospital room. It had been a few days since the battle in the Triskelion. I was told a few other Shield agencies had fallen. Hydra had infiltrated everywhere. Shield was truly gone. I stared out of the windows of the room that looked out into the hallway of the hospital. I could see two agents standing outside the room guarding it.

Sam sat reading as he played a Marvin Gaye album for Steve. He hadn't woken up at all. The damage Bucky did to him was pretty server. I clutched tightly to Bucky's dog tags. I wondered where he was now. If I should even go looking for him. I was just worried Hydra had gotten their hands back onto him.

"On your left." I heard a quiet voice say behind me. I turned around as Steve looked over at Sam and I. Sam let out a slight chuckle as I walked up to Steve. I let out a sigh of relief. Thank god he was finally awake.

Steve's eyes shifted over to my the damage on my body. My arm had a brace strapped around my bicep as my wrist sat in a sling cuff. I held a few bumps and bruises around my body. I nodded at him as he just stared confusingly.

"I don't have the full super soldier serum like you. Going to take me at least a month to heal fully." I spoke up. Steve scoffed and shook his head.

"That wasn't what I was looking at." Steve gestured to the dog tags around my neck. I gripped onto them and smiled.

"Funny story." I began to speak. Before I could start it my phone began to ring. I saw Tony's name flash across it. I sighed, knowing that was my signal to come home. He had finally returned to D.C. I looked up to Steve as he nodded.

"Go." He said simple with a smile, "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Tell Stark I said hi."

I smiled and nodded. I leaned down and place a light kiss onto Steve's cheek. "Its good to have you back."

I stood back up and patted Sam's shoulder. I could hear Steve quickly say, "No its not like that." To Sam as I closed the door behind him.

I arrived back to Stark tower. The elevator ding one last time before the doors opened up. I walked into the room, seeing Tony pace around the room. The bodies were gone from the last time I was here. I'm guessing Jarvis called someone in to clean up. I could see some of the furniture was missing however.

Tony stopped his pace and looked over at me. I stood nervously. I could read his face. His eyes widened as his eyes shifted from my black eye, to the bruising on my neck, finally over the my injured arm. I took a sharp breath as he quickly walked over to me.

"Tony I'm sorry about your tech." I said quickly as he moved, "I have it in my backpack-"

"I don't care." He cut me off. I looked at him confusingly as he stopped in front of me. He quickly wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into a hug. I stood there confused. "I'm just glad you're okay." He said quietly. I smiled to myself as I wrapped my good arm around his back.

We stood there for a while as Tony's grip became tighter. I groaned a bit, starting to feel the pain from the bruising kick in. "Tony...Broken shoulder, bruises, et cetera."

Tony quickly pulled away. Realizing he was hugging me to tight. He nodded at me awkwardly before clearing his throat. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Realizing how much of a dad he had become.

"So the gloved worked?" He asked sounding excited. He lead me to the couch as we both sat. I began to discuss everything that had happened in the past few days. Hydra, Shield, before finally explaining everything with Bucky.

Tony let out a deep sigh as I finished the story. I had taken Bucky's dogtag's off, holding them in my hand. I flipped the tags around in my hand as I stared at them. Tony was watching me as I did. Nodding his head.