Guardian Angel | Steve Rogers

27

"It's been a week." Thor frustratedly paced. They all stood right outside Arden's room, waiting for answers.  

"She's healing. Slowly, but she's healing and her vitals are stable." Bruce informs them. 

"I don't understand. If she's fine, why hasn't she woken up?" Bucky added. 

Shuri, T'Challa, Bruce and Tony looked around at each other, like they were waiting for one of them to answer. 

"We don't know." Tony confessed. "We think it's some sort of mental block that's keeping her from reality." 

"How do we get her out?" Thor asked. 

"Well, unless you got a witch up your sleeve, I don't think we have any answers." Tony sighed. 

"I'm no witch, but I think I can help with that." Strange walked into the room. 

Meanwhile Steve sat next to Arden's bed, holding her hand as he just watched her sleep. 

"I need you to wake up. We never got a real chance." Steve whispered, squeezing her hand. 

Arden found herself back in Asgard, looking down at herself, dressed in a beautiful blue gown. 

"Sister, are you coming or what?" She looked up, surprised to see Loki and Thor standing before her. 

She looked around before nodding, following them to the throne room, stopping at the grand doors. 

"Are you ready?" Thor smiled, offering his arm.

"For what?" Arden asked.

"To be crowned queen, of course." Loki answered, offering his arm. 

She swallowed, unable to reply when the doors opened by the knights, revealing the people of Asgard in the grand hall. Looping her arms with her brothers, they escorted her down the carpet. Making it to the end, her brothers kissed her cheeks, walking up the steps to stand beside their mother. Odin standing from his throne, taking the crown from one of the knights, making his way down a few steps in front of Arden.

"Arden Odinsdottir, my first born. Fierce warrior, kind sister, and a strong witch. You have proven to the people of Asgard, as well as your mother and I, that you are ready to take the throne." Odin announced. 

Arden bent down, leaning her head forward as her father crowned her. She looked up, standing up straight, Odin putting his hands on either side of her face. 

"I'm so proud of you." He whispered, and she smiled with tears in her eyes. 

"Queen Arden!" Odin praised, raising his arms into the air.

Everyone in the crowd cheered loudly, Arden turning around to witness for herself the people of her home cheering for her. It was like time had leaped from the ceremony to the celebration dinner. She remembered nothing in between of how she got there or when she changed into a different gown. Looking up and the tables of their closest friends and family gathered around to celebrate her. 

"A toast!" Thor announced, standing beside her, with his ale raised up high. "To my beloved sister. The most gracious queen Asgard will ever witness." 

"The queen!" Loki stood, raising his glass. 

Proceeded by the rest of the guests to repeat the same. Arden smiling, raising her glass of wine and sipping it to cue them to sit. When she sat down, she noticed in the corner of her eye, a familiar face walking past in the background. 

"Excuse me." Arden whispered, following the tail of the person she grew curious of. 

Walking out onto the balcony, she saw the back of one man.

"I guess congratulations are in order." The man said, turning around to face her. 

"Thank you. I'm sorry, have we met before?" Arden asked, furrowing her brows trying to put a name to the familiar face. 

"I wouldn't exactly call us friends. Co-workers, maybe?" He joked, smiling at her. 

She paused, just taking in his features until she realized who he was. 

"Doctor." Arden let out. 

"Princess." Strange smirked. "Or should I say queen?" 

"What happened?" She asked, trying to think about what was happening to her. 

"You're in your own fantasy, Arden. You risked your own life using those stones to bring everyone back." Strange answered. 

"And did I?" Arden questioned, walking to the rail, looking out at the beautiful lights throughout her home.

"Come with me and find out." Strange countered, joining beside her. 

She scoffed, turning to him. "What if I stay? What if I don't want to keep getting disappointed? My family is together here." 

"You have a family waiting for you in reality too." He reminded her. 

She turned around, looking into the dining hall, watching her family smile and laugh. Even her father, which was rare even for him. Her dream started to shake around her, hearing breaks in voices, hearing Steve's voice. 

"Arden? I need help in here!" Steve begged. 

"What's happening?" She asked Strange. 

"You allowing yourself to be here deeper is jeopardizing your real body. Stopping itself from healing. There are people who need you." Strange added.

She smiled one last time, watching a fantasy version of her family, turning around and letting out a deep breath before nodding at him. He held out his hands for her to take, and she closed her eyes. 

Inhaling deeply as she woke up, shooting her eyes wide open, she blinked profusely trying to adjust to the lighting. Seeing faces all around the bed, they all exhaled in relief. 

"Arden, look at me." Bruce demanded, hovering her. "Follow my finger." 

His finger moving above her, her eyes shifted following it. Bruce's eyes moved down to her arm, so Arden did the same, noticing her skin, The decaying parts outweighing the healing ones, trying to raise her arm but she winces. 

"Don't try it, just relax." Tony advises, she brings her attention to the left of her. 

"How are you feeling?" Steve asks her, holding her hand. 

She looks down at their touch, looking around the room, deciding it is probably a bad time to joke, but she couldn't help herself.

"Who are you?" She asked Steve, and she watched his face drop, as well as the others, looking around at each other confused. 

She couldn't help but laugh, taking her uninjured hand covering her chest as it pained her to laugh. 

"I'm sorry I had to. Everyone looked like I was dying or something." She teased again, and they all either nervously laughed or shook their heads.

"Did I get you?" She turned, smiling sweetly at him. 

He finally let out a laugh, bringing her hand to his lips, kissing it gently. 

"Don't ever do that again, or I'll kill you myself." Thor pointed his finger at her, and she smirked at him, giving him a thumbs up. 

"I thought I looked bad, but the bags and stubble on your faces makes me feel better." She smiled. 

"Eh, I think the burnt skin and almost dying is worse than my beard." Tony sassily defends, teasing her.