Helena Stark: A WWII Survivor

chapter eleven: Seen

"Helena," Steve shouted at me as I ran up to the lifeboat. "Hurry up!"

"Thor, on my mark," Tony said over the comms.

"Helena," Steve warned running up to me.

"Take her!" I said forcefully as I shoved her into his arms. Steve obeyed and ran onto the lifeboat, I was right behind him, and then I suddenly began to fall. I was so shocked that I couldn't even scream. 

I stumbled back as I tried not to go flying, then Tony came in over the comms, "Helena!" 

"What?" I questioned as I tried to breathe.

"The bracelet, touch the bracelet!" Tony shouted at me.

I didn't question his seemingly backwards logic as I did what he told me to do. I gasped as metal armor began to surround me, in less than a minute I was in one of Tony's suits, and flying away from the ruined city. 

It did not take me long to find another lifeboat and I landed, much to the surprise of its occupants. "Stark?" Steve asked breathlessly, he looked immensely upset. 

"Yes?" I asked as somehow the suit went back into the large bracelet. 

"Oh, thank God," Steve said as he crushed me in a hug. 

"Aren't you glad that the strangest thing science came up with wasn't you?" I asked. 

Steve smiled, "at this point, I don't really give a damn." 

"Language, Captain Rogers." 

~*~

"You sure you don't want to stick around?" Natasha asked as she walked me out to wait for Tony. 

"I think it's time that I see my family," I said.

"From what Rogers has told me, there are a lot of them," Natasha said.

"Thank goodness for the outline Tony gave me," I said.

"Is he going with?" Natasha asked.

"Of course, Tony does like his family," I said. 

"I meant Steve," Natasha said.

I paused, "I honestly don't know." 

"Well, he should," Natasha said as Steve, Tony, and Thor walked out. "Speak of the devil."

"I'll see you around," I told Natasha. 

"I hope so, it was nice having someone around to yell at Stark," Natasha said as she walked away. 

"I'm going to miss these little talks of ours," Thor said as they walked up. 

"Well, not if you don't leave," Tony said. 

"I have no choice," Thor said. "The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years. That's not a coincidence. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us. But once all these pieces are in position..." 

"Triple Yahtzee?" Tony asked. 

"You think you can find out what's coming?" Steve asked. 

"I do," Thor said smiling at Tony. "Besides this one, there's nothing that can't be explained." 

"Sounds familiar," I said.

"A pleasure meeting one of the original Stark's," Thor said as he bowed to me before stepping onto the lawn and vanishing, leaving an intricate burnt circle where he was.

"That man has no regard for lawn maintenance," Stark said. "I'm gonna miss him though. And you're gonna miss me. There's gonna be a lot of manful tears."

"I will miss you, Tony," Steve said as Tony's car drove itself up. 

"I think you'll miss my aunt more," Tony said pointedly and Steve blushed. 

"I was planning on joining her after I got the new recruits settled," Steve said.

"Why am I not surprised?" Tony asked. 

"I'll miss both of you," Steve said. 

"Yeah?" Tony asked sarcastically. "Well, it's time for me to tap out. Maybe I should take a page out of Barton's book and build Pepper a farm, hope nobody blows it up."

"The simple life," Steve said. 

"You'll get there one day," Tony said. 

"I don't know, family, stability. The guy who wanted all that went in the ice seventy-five years ago," Steve said. "I think someone else came out."

I gave Steve a concerned look, but he wouldn't look at me. "You alright?" Tony asked. 

"I'm home," Steve said. 

Tony didn't argue as he climbed into the car. I wasn't going to say anything as I stepped to the other side of the car, Steve followed me, but stopped me from opening the door. "I'll follow you there, I promise." 

I smiled at him, "I know you will."

"You're nervous," Steve said, it wasn't a question. 

"Considering that I'm about to meet my daughter after being presumed dead for fifty years?" I asked, "of course I'm nervous. I'm also worried."

"She loves you," Steve said gently. "There's nothing to worry about."

"It's not Rosemary I'm worried about," I said. 

Steve sighed, "I'm fine."

"I don't think you are," I said. 

"Helena," Steve said.

"Steven," I answered.

"You're going to miss your flight," Steve said.

"A private jet existed fifty years ago," I said flatly. 

"Just-" Steve as he took a deep breath. "Can you please interrogate me later?"

I wrinkled my nose, "fine." 

"Are you two done arguing?" Tony asked. 

"Are you done eavesdropping?" I questioned. 

"No wonder my dad said you were the only person he was afraid of," Tony muttered. 

"I will see you in a few days," Steve said. 

"You better," I told him. "You still owe me a dance."

~*~