what if...

what if ellie maxwell was never kidnapped by hydra?

t/w talk of kidnapping, child sexual abuse

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Elizabeth Mary Maxwell was a nine year old girl kidnapped from her home by HYDRA in 1949, kept nine years old for sixty-five years and used as the Winter Soldier's glorified assistant, under the name Hush. She endured a life filled with abuse, after escaping HYDRA she would never be quite sane again, having no feelings about violence, having no feelings about murder, except that it felt good. Well, that's how it played out in your world.

In this world, Ellie got to keep her life and sanity.

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1949

Ellie's mother, Agnes, brushed her hair as Ellie stared at herself in the mirror, occasionally looking down at her hands to fiddle with a ring. She'd make a discontented whine here and there when her mother got to a particularly rough knot, but aside from that, she was fine.

Later that day, Susie came home and the two sisters spent the weekend together, shopping, playing in the snow, cooking. They chased each other in the woods, laughing with one another, tossing snow at one another.

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1954

The first time Ellie was ever touched by her cult leader, Arthur Pendragon, she was fourteen. Her breasts were developing fairly quickly. He had made vague comments about touching her when she was younger. Arthur brought the deaf girl into his office and looked her over. She'd barely gotten in the door when Arthur began feeling her up.

If she could still talk, she would have told him to stop.

Not that he would have listened anyway.

He slipped off her dress, laying her on the couch.

It would go on like this for four more years.

Kidnapped or not, Ellie Maxwell was destined to be abused.

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1958

Ellie went back to New York City with Susie, who was now twenty-four. The sisters got an apartment together, happy to live with one another until they found homes separate. Ellie looked out at the Brooklyn street she was on. It felt strange being back in Brooklyn. She felt something small hit her shoulder and looked over at her sister, who pointed to the floor and she looked down to see a marble.

She looked back over at her sister, who waved her over, gesturing to the box. Ellie tilted her head, confused for a second, before realizing Susie was asking for her help with unpacking. She went over, happy to help her sister.

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1961

"Ellie, this is Michelle," Susie gestured to a brunette who had a soft smile on her face. "She knows sign language, so I thought maybe you guys could be friends." Ellie smiled and nodded, signing a 'hello' to Michelle, who signed one back. Susie was right, Ellie did need some friends, she couldn't just cling to her sister all her life.

Michelle and Ellie sat in the fire escape with one another, talking and laughing. By the time dinner rolled around and Michelle had left, the redhead and brunette considered themselves friends.

Over the next few months, they found themselves becoming more than friends. Neither wanted to admit it, because gay is bad, there's something wrong with you if you aren't attracted to the opposite sex.

It was Christmas Eve, Ellie was over at Michelle's. Susie would be coming by to pick her up later.

The two were sitting in front of the fireplace when Michelle asked, "Can I kiss you?" Ellie's eyes went wide. She looked around. Then she looked back at Michelle and nodded. 

The two women kissed one another. If something was wrong with them, they could be wrong together.

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1969

Michelle took Ellie to a gay bar she'd heard about, called Stonewall. There, were actresses Angelica Rosewood and Betsy Georges. Cecil Dagger and Robbie Baker were nearby as well. Michelle and Ellie sat at a table, talking with one another, laughing with one another, kissing here and there. They were eating and maybe they were a little tipsy, you can't prove anything.

The cops showed up and everything went off the rails. Glass was broken, everyone there was going wild, it was a riot. And was Ellie going to back down? Fuck no, her dad had been a soldier. Fuck no, she'd known Captain America and his definitely boyfriend, Bucky Barnes. Ellie was not backing down. She was a lesbian, and by all means she was going to be violent about it.

For several nights, Ellie and Michelle rioted, along with several others. 

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2011

Michelle and Ellie stood in the living room of their apartment, dancing with one another. Ellie couldn't hear the music, but she could feel it. The two women were seventy-one, they'd be spending the rest of their lives together. Ellie loved Michelle and Michelle loved Ellie.

That's all that mattered.

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2012

It felt weird seeing him again. Steve Rogers sat in front of her, looking exactly the same as he did in 1945. He'd saved the world twice now. Ellie had managed to get a private meeting with Steve, just to see him again.

It was a little more awkward than she'd anticipated.

But, they spoke, shook hands, made comments about how weird this felt. Ellie recounted to him the story of how she'd lost her hearing, after nearly dying of a terrible flu. And that was that. The two would never speak again. There was no reason to.

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2014

Bucky was also alive. Bucky was also alive. Something, something, Winter Soldier, something, something, HYDRA. But hadn't HYDRA disappeared with the Nazis?

Whatever, she was too old for this shit.

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2015

At the age of seventy-five, Ellie Maxwell died in her sleep, on hospice care, with her wife by her side.