innocent

i wish you would

"I think I should stay in the car." Cecelia said, Steve was driving them to the Stark's house.

Tony Stark's house. They wanted to talk to him about the whole Time Machine thing. Cecelia was sitting in the backseat, one leg crossed over the other. Steve looked at her through the mirror, and Natasha looked back at her.

"Ceil, we talked about this. That wasn't you." Steve said, Cecelia shook her head.

"It wasn't your fault." Natasha told her, Cecelia cracked her knuckles. She looked up at them, blue/green eyes gazing at them.

"I know, but I don't know." Cecelia said. After years she still couldn't forget, how could she? Hydra was her life, everything she'd lived for. Then knowing what she did, she couldn't even forgive herself. If she couldn't forgive herself, than she shouldn't ask for forgiveness. Not from Tony, not from anyone.

Cecelia stared out the window. Her earbuds rested in her ear as Scott spoke, she didn't think he could stop. Now she knew what it was like when Bucky was around, and she was in the car. She'd asked millions of stupid questions, and be confused on why he'd call out the quiet game.

he's not gone.

Cecelia thought that to herself, the past 5 years she knew he was gone. But now that Scott told them that, he wasn't. There was a slight chance she could bring her father back, and she'd be damned if she took it and damned if she did.

"Alright." Steve sighed, parking the car. He opened his door and got out, Scott and Nat doing the same. Cecelia stayed there, she couldn't face him. She couldn't face him then, and she certainly can't now.

Steve opened her door and looked at her. "Hey, let's go." He said, waving her out. Cecelia looked at him, she shook her head.
"Ceil, I'm serious. Out, now. It's not up for discussion." Steve said, Cecelia stared up at him. Her eyes widening, Steve sighed, annoyed by her. He knew she struggled, but this was one part of her going to get better. He thought maybe seeing him would help her in someway. "Please." He said, Cecelia bit her nail. Steve looked at Natasha who was confused.

"Cecelia, I'm gonna count to 3, and if you're not out, you're grounded, and I'm physically dragging you out of the car." Steve threatened, he didn't like playing the bad cop. Not at all. Cecelia pretended not to hear him.

"1." He started seeing Tony and his daughter walking over to his front porch.
"2." He said, he looked at Cecelia who was still biting her nails. "You're really cutting it close here, Cecelia." He said, bring Cecelia back to the day in her apartment, when Bucky found her suit.

"Really cutting it close, doll." Bucky commented. Cecelia unclenched her fists and unlocked her door.

Cecelia unbuckled her seatbelt and Steve saw Tony looking back at them. Cecelia got out of the car, and Steve shut the door, also locking it. Tony saw all of them. Natasha, Steve, Scott, and Cecelia.

Seeing her broke his heart, not because of what she did, but because of what he did. He knew she didn't have a choice in all of it, he knew that. Tony deliberately tried to kill her because his anger got the bet of him. He tried to kill a 9 year old, and it wrecked him. And what he said 5 years ago, to a grieving kid who was fighting in a war she shouldn't have been fighting in the first place. He knew what it was like to lose a parent, to lose the people he had, and he made her feel horrible about herself.

Natasha gave Tony a head nod, and Tony nodded back. He had a little girl in his arms, her name was Morgan. She was 4 years old, and she looked just like Tony.

So, the other 4 got onto the porch. Cecelia was standing with Natasha, fiddling with her wedding ring the whole time as they spoke. Cecelia still couldn't look at him, he was friendly with her, but she couldn't do it. Not after everything.