THE OLDEST MAXIMOFF | Stephen Strange

2.2

Nadia located Steve after the little meeting between the Avengers had ended once Rogers had excused himself. He was in a stairwell with tears in his eyes. She was about to leave him alone as she wasn't sure if he wanted company or not but the door she just walked through slammed shut, making her presence known to the Captain. Steve peered up at her through his eyelashes with his arms crossed, leaning against the railing of the stairs. Nadia walked down the stairs to meet Steve at the bottom of them as he hadn't asked her to leave.

Nadia didn't have the chance to say anything before Steve wrapped his arms around her. His chin resting on her shoulder and his tears cascading down his cheeks causing her shirt to moisten from the tears falling from his cheeks. "It's okay. It's okay," she attempted to soothe his ragged breathing and endless amounts of tears.

"Thank you," Steve muttered after letting his friend go, his tears having dried up for the time being. Nadia nodded her head to him and rested her head on his shoulder as they leaned against the railing of the stairs. Steve was grateful for his newfound friendship with Nadia and was glad she had came into his life. "Will you go with me?"

"Go where?" Nadia asked the super soldier without looking up at him.

"To the funeral in London," Steve clarified to the woman leaning against him, bringing him comfort for the loss of the love of his life.

"Of course I will," she responded without a beat.

LONDON

Nadia sat down in the front row of the huge cathedral in London with Sam next to her. There was a chorus singing in hymn as Peggy Carter's casket was walked down the long aisle with Steve in the front with tears blurring his vision. The casket that was being carried was covered with the national flag of the United Kingdom as well as a bouquet of flowers resting over the flag. Nadia fiddled with the hem of her black dress as Steve sat down next to her after placing the casket down in the front of the church.

The brunette patted his shoulder affectionately as Sharon Carter was introduced to the front to speak. Nadia didn't know who the mentioned woman was but Sam did as her elbowed her in the side to get Steve's attention. Steve looked up at the podium where a blonde woman stood after Nadia had gently nudged him in the arm to gain his attention. Steve looked at her confused for a second but followed Nadia's brown eyes to the podium where he made eye contact with Sharon.

"Margaret Carter was known to most as a founder of S.H.I.E.L.D.....but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy. She had a photograph in her office. Aunt Peggy standing next to JFK. As a kid, that was pretty cool. But it was a lot to live up to. Which is why I never told anyone we were related," the blonde woman spoke, her eyes lingering on Steve before looking out to everyone seated in the church. "I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage....in a time when no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either. She said, compromise where you can. But where you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move....it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree....look them in the eye and say 'No, you move.'"

After the beautiful ceremony for the life of Peggy Carter, Nadia stood with Steve. They were the only ones left in the church and Nadia found herself looking around the church at the beautiful stained glass windows as another person entered the church.

Her eyes moved away from the windows to see Nat approaching her and Steve. "When I came out of the ice, I thought everyone I had known was gone. Then I found out she was alive. I was just lucky to have her," Steve admitted to the two women with him with his gaze lingering on the picture of Peggy during the war.

"She had you back, too," Nat told the Capitan.

Steve nodded his head a little bit and Nadia could tell he wanted to change the subject off of Peggy. "Who else signed?" Steve asked Nat about the accords.

Nat sighed as she listed off the members that had ended up signing the Sokovia Accords. "Tony, Rhodey, Vision."

"Clint?" Steve asked next.

"Says he's retired."

"What about my sister?" Nadia asked the redhead.

"TBD," Nat replied. "I'm off to Vienna for the signing of the accords. There's plenty of room on the jet. Just because it's the path of least resistance....doesn't mean it's the wrong path. Staying together is more important than how we stay together," Nat stepped closer to Steve as the words she spoke repeated over and over in Nadia's head. Just because it's the path of least resistance....doesn't mean it's the wrong path.

Nadia pulled herself out of her little bubble with guilt as she looked over to Steve for thinking over Nat's words. "What are we giving up to do it? I'm sorry, Nat. I can't sign it."

"I know."

"Then what are you doing here?" Rogers asked the former assassin.

"I didn't want you to be alone," she admitted to him but then her eyes looked to Nadia, who was standing next to Steve. "But it seems you're not."

Natasha pulled the super soldier into a hug before leaving the church to head to Vienna.

After the news broke out about what happened in Vienna, Nadia stood in front of stern Steve who was trying to convince her to go back to New York so he could go locate Bucky in Bucharest.

"I can't just leave now," Nadia followed after him, speed walking just to keep up with the super soldier. "Bucky is your friend and I want to help you find him."

Steve stopped his stride, nearly making Nadia run into him from the sudden stop. "Except that you plan on signing the accords," Steve revealed that he knew what she was thinking.

Nadia was taken aback by his words and stumbled back a little as he had assumed that she was on the side of the accords instead of his side. "Being unsure of what to do doesn't mean that I'll end up signing those papers," Nadia defended herself to her friend.

Steve sighed out loud and made eye contact with Nadia. "But you being unsure means there's a chance that you will and I can't take that chance."

Nadia broke her brown eyes away from Steve and looked at anything other than him. "I'm not leaving and you can't stop me," the enhanced woman smirked lightly, knowing she could beat Steve with her abilities. "Now, I either go with you or I still go by following you."