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2014, New York – a few months after the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D.



Steve’s knees caved as he realized he had lost you both again. He swallowed hard, staring into the empty space before him, the outlines of the Avengers Tower slowly taking shape around him. He could only hope you and Bucky had made it out of the hideout alive and that someday order would be restored in your universe. He could do nothing to help you now and that filled his heart with sorrow.

    He sat on the cold floor for several minutes, until the sound of familiar voices filled his ears. Slowly reality returned to the super soldier and he pushed himself from the stairs, walking up to the living room; the same set of stairs he had been walking when he had first activated the “orb”. The little device still lay in his hands, but Steve knew it would take at least 72 hours for it to “recharge” again. He tucked it safely into his pocket, telling himself to give it back to Stark as soon as possible. One trip to another universe in a lifetime was more than enough.

    As he got closer to the living room, the clearer the voices became. He could hear Natasha’s anger as she asked Tony where the Captain had gone and why he couldn’t tell them anything. Clint seemed to agree and Bruce tried to keep everyone calm, until Tony finally decided to speak the truth.

    ‘I–I don’t know where he is,’ Stark sighed.

    ‘What do you mean? Yesterday you said you had sent him on a mission.’

    ‘Well, yes, but…’

    If there had been other circumstances Steve would have loved to see Tony explain what had happened. How he had created a device that could transport people between universes and how the Captain, by accident, had picked up the device and had activated it. Bruce would probably find it interesting, Clint would think it funny, but Natasha would be furious. He would have loved to see that, but unfortunately his two best friends were counting on him.

    ‘I don’t want to interrupt,’ Steve started, making his friends quickly turn around, ‘but, Stark, I need you. Now.’

    ‘You’re back!’ Tony exclaimed, trying not to sound too surprised. ‘It-it worked…’

    ‘Yes it did… Now, please? [Name] is innocent. We need to get her out of prison.’

    ‘What happened to you?’ Natasha asked worriedly. ‘You look like you’ve been to a warzone.’

    ‘I have… sort of. Stark?’

    ‘Coming,’ he nodded quickly, moving past Natasha and looking at Steve like he had just gotten a birthday present. ‘What happened?’ he asked when they were out of earshot from the other Avengers. ‘Romanoff is right, you look like shit.’

    ‘I’ll explain later,’ Steve answered, wiping the dirt from his face. ‘Right now I need you to hack into the drive [Name] gave me.’

    Tony frowned as Steve handed him the little stick you had used to download secret Hydra data. Data S.H.I.E.L.D. had been unable to find, but Steve now knew was there.

    ‘What do you mean?’ Stark asked, walking up the stairs towards his lab and taking the little device from the super soldier’s hands. ‘Didn’t Fury’s agents already check the drive?’

    Steve nodded. ‘They did, but not good enough. There is some code protecting the actual file. At least, that’s what [Name] told me.’

    ‘[Name]?’ Tony said, confusion frowning his brow. ‘I thought no one was allowed to talk to her. How’d you–’

    ‘It’s a long story, Stark. Please?’

    ‘A-Alright. I’ll see what I can do,’ Tony finally agreed, seeing the urgency in the Captain’s eyes. He took a seat behind his computer and plugged the drive into the port, asking Jarvis to run several tests. Soon the sophisticated AI confirmed what Steve had said and Tony worded his confusion, saying the analysts at S.H.I.E.L.D. would have surely found this if they had looked hard enough.

    ‘Everyone was already convinced of her guilt…’ Steve explained sadly. ‘She never had a chance.’

    Tony nodded. ‘It will take me a while to crack the code, but it should be no problem. I’ll let you know when I’m done. In the meantime… You might want to get a shower.’

    Steve smiled, padding Stark on the shoulder and thanking him for doing this. He walked out of the lab towards his room in the tower and took a long, hot shower, trying to wash all the sorrow of the past 72 hours away. He knew he would probably never stop worrying about you and Bucky, but it helped him to know that in his own universe things weren’t lost yet.

    If Tony would be able to crack the code Steve would be able to get you out of prison, and if Bucky was right about himself, it might be easier to find the Winter Soldier than Steve had previously thought. He just had to look hard enough.

    The Captain sighed loudly, feeling the hot water caress his sore muscles. It had been a hard few days and even though he hadn’t wanted to leave you, he was happy to be back home. At least here things made sort of sense to him.

    He rubbed his eyes, thinking about the kiss you had shared. A kiss he had dreamed about for a long time. He didn’t know if you felt the same way here, in this universe, but if – when – you were free again, he had to at least tell you how he felt. He owed it to the [Name] in the other universe. How he was going to do that, though, he didn’t know yet. You probably thought he had given up on you, or worse.

    If only you would forgive him…

    He sighed.

    If only he could forgive himself…

Several hours later

You were sitting in your cell behind a small desk, patiently writing out everything you had seen in the secret Hydra files when you had broken into the S.T.R.I.K.E. Team’s quarters. No one believed you actually had – not even Steve, which had hurt the most – but the information you had found could still be valuable. The good agent you were, you were trying to make sure the Avengers got as much of it as possible.

    None of them had come to visit you, but you didn’t blame them. If the drive was truly empty, you knew as well as they did how that made you look. You had hoped they would have at least stood by your side at the trial, but only Fury and Steve had been there, and neither one had looked at you. It had made you feel alone and you had lost hope you would ever get out of this mess.

    Of course, you didn’t know what had happened to Steve the past few days. How he had found out the drive wasn’t empty and that the Avengers were doing everything to get you out of your two by two cell.

    You were still scribbling down anything and everything that came to your mind when you heard someone call out for you. You were too busy trying to put all of the pieces together and ignored the sounds in your cell. You didn’t even notice the door being opened and the director of the prison walking into the room.

    ‘Miss [Last Name]?’ he called out for you again, softly placing his hand on your shoulder. ‘[Name]?’

    You slowly looked up from the work you had spent several days on, trying to hide your irritation. A frown covered your face as you saw the sorrow in his eyes.

    ‘Is something wrong?’ you asked, as thoughts – bad thoughts – shot through your head. Had something happened to Steve? Had Hydra attacked the Tower? Were the Avengers… dead? ‘D-Did something happen?’

    ‘On the contrary, miss [Last Name]. New evidence has been presented to the court this morning, proving your innocence. The judge has ordered your immediate release.’

    You swallowed hard, trying to comprehend what the director was saying. Tears blurred your vision as you realized this nightmare might finally be over. ‘New evidence?’ you asked with a broken voice.

    The director nodded, pulling you up from the chair, signalling the guards to clear the way. ‘The details are classified, even for me, but that isn’t important. You are free.’ He smiled. ‘Johnson will make sure all your belongings are returned to you.’

You nodded, following the guard named Johnson out of the secured part of the

prison. He led you towards the area where new inmates left their belongings behind and were stripped down and searched before entering the prison. A shiver went down your spine as you remembered how humiliating that experience had been.

     The guard seemed to notice your discomforted and quickly nodded at you to follow him towards the dressing rooms, where the clothing you had come in with was already waiting for you, neatly folded on a bench in the back of the room.

    ‘When you’re done changing I’ll have your shoes and other belongings ready by the exit.’

    ‘Thank you,’ you nodded, walking into the room, hearing the door close behind you as you made your way towards the back. It was the most privacy you’d had in the week you had been here. Somehow it felt weird.

    It took you only a few minutes to change back into your own jeans and blouse. Your leather jacket still fitted like a glove and it was good to see your things had been taken care of. You took a quick look at yourself in the mirror, seeing the dark circles underneath your eyes and the fluffy mess that once was your hair.

    You quickly pulled your hair up into a ponytail and washed your face before returning to Johnson, who was patiently waiting for you near the exit.

    ‘Sorry if any of us gave you a hard time. We didn’t know…’ he said as he handed you your shoes and phone.

    ‘It’s okay,’ you smiled faintly, letting your feet sink into your boots, feeling the familiar tightness as you zipped them up. ‘I understand. You were just doing your job.’

     Johnson smiled back, taking in a deep breath. ‘Still… The guys and I wanted you to know.’ He was silent for a while and you nodded gratefully, putting your phone in your pocket. ‘Anyway,’ he continued, ‘it’s time for you to go home. I think your friends are already waiting for you outside.’

    ‘Really?’ you frowned, looking at the large door that would lead you back to your freedom. A few minutes ago you had thought you would spend the rest of your life in your small cell and you were still trying to wrap your head around the fact that you wouldn’t have to. It was all a little surreal and your “friends” – which you figured must be the Avengers – waiting for you made it feel like a dream even more.

    ‘Yeah, they came to deliver the judge’s ruling themselves. They’ve been on the parking lot for over an hour now, waiting for the director to process everything and let you go.’

    ‘Thanks,’ you said, padding him on the shoulder as you walked towards the door. ‘Take care.’

    As you stepped outside, the bright light of the sun blinding you, you could already see the familiar cars standing on the parking lot. The large, black SUV that belonged to Fury and the smaller, lower, but definitely more expensive, sports car Tony used to drive. As you walked further out into your freedom, the doors of the cars were opened and your friends stepped out one by one.

    You couldn’t supress the smile that curled your lips as you felt the soft, warm breeze on your face. Walking further onto the parking lot you could see the others smile too. Soon your eyes locked with Steve’s and you took in a deep breath, feeling your stomach turn; knowing you would have to tell him how you felt about him sooner rather than later.

    ‘I always knew you were innocent,’ Stark was the first to talk.

    ‘Sure you were,’ Natasha shook her head. ‘We’re sorry, [Name]. We should have known you weren’t Hydra.’

    ‘Don’t worry about it,’ you said, shaking everyone’s hand, though giving Natasha and Steve a short hug. ‘I know how it looked.’

    ‘Still,’ Clint sighed. ‘We should have known better. You’ve always been there for us, especially Cap, and we just…’

    ‘It’s okay,’ you interrupted him, laying your hand on his shoulder. ‘Please don’t blame yourself for anything.’

    ‘Well… I don’t,’ Tony joked, trying to lighten the mood, ‘but I wasn’t there, so if there is anyone to blame if would be Cap and Romanoff…’ he smiled, looking around the group, but no one was laughing, though you couldn’t help but smile a little at his total lack of subtleness.

    Natasha smacked Tony on the head while the rest shook their heads in dismay.

    ‘Don’t listen to him,’ Bruce said. ‘He’s been drinking too much. It’s good to have you back.’

    ‘Thanks, Bruce. Though being alone did give me some time to think and… I think I know what Hydra is doing.’

    ‘You do?’

    You nodded. ‘I think they have Loki’s sceptre. I don’t know what they’re doing with it, but it’s probably time to contact Thor.’

    ‘That can wait,’ Fury spoke, gesturing everyone to get back into the cars. ‘We need to get you home first.’

    You smiled gratefully, following the Avengers’ example and climbing into the back of the large SUV together with Steve. You waited for Fury to start the car and drive off the parking lot before talking to the super soldier.

    ‘You’ve been quiet,’ you whispered, fidgeting with your fingers as you spoke the words.

    He sighed, nodding slowly. ‘I–I just don’t know what to say.’

    ‘Okay…’

    ‘I’m sorry.’

    ‘You’re not going to tell me you never thought I was Hydra?’ you joked, though Steve didn’t seem to think it was funny.

    ‘I never thought you were Hydra, [Name]…’

    You swallowed hard, letting your head rest against the soft seat of the SUV. ‘That would have been nice to know.’

    Steve turned his head to you, pain frowning his brow. ‘I’m–’

    ‘Please don’t say you’re sorry again. I’ll scream…’

    He smiled, looking down at his hands. ‘You haven’t changed a bit.’

    ‘No, but you have. What happened?’

    He sighed again, rubbing his eyes. ‘It’s a long story. Let’s just say things could have been a lot worse.’

    ‘Still thinking about Bucky?’

    ‘I need to find him.’

    ‘We need to stop Hydra.’

    ‘You two sound like an old married couple,’ Natasha cut into the conversation and both your cheeks coloured a soft red, ‘but I have to agree with [Name]. If we don’t stop Hydra now it might get a lot worse.’

    Steve nodded, remaining silent for the rest of the time it took to get back to the Avengers Tower. You could only wonder what was going through his mind and why he was acting so distant and evasive. He was clearly thinking about something and now and then you could see him staring at you shortly, before turning his gaze back to his hands.

    You were just about to ask him if he was okay and if you had done something wrong – though you already knew he probably was angry with himself for letting you get imprisoned – when Fury signalled you were back at the tower; back home.

    You couldn’t wait to take a long and hot shower, to wash the prison smell from your body, but you couldn’t help but feel bad about your conversation with Steve in the car. Something was clearly bothering him. He might have not wanted to tell you in the car, but you had been partners and friends for so long, that you were certain he’d tell you in private.

    Once everyone had retired to their rooms, preparing for a small party Tony was organizing for your return, you quickly made your way towards Steve’s room, hoping he was willing to talk to you. You knocked on the door waiting for him to open up.

    ‘Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the party?’ he asked, walking up to you from the hallway.

    You smiled, turning around. ‘Shouldn’t you?’

    ‘I’m not really the partying kind.’

    ‘Neither am I…’ you said, pausing before turning to the actual reason for your visit. ‘Look, Steve, I don’t know what happened in the time I was in prison, but if there is anything you want to talk about, you know I’m here for you, right?’

     He nodded, leading you into his room and gesturing you to take a seat on the couch. ‘It’s difficult to explain.’

    ‘Try me...’



You listened carefully as Steve told you the whole story. How he had helped Tony move some boxes towards the lab and how the “orb” had transported him into another universe. A universe where he was dead and where Hydra had won. You swallowed hard as he told you about the devastation of New York and the destruction of the Tower. It sounded like an absolute nightmare and you could see in Steve’s eyes it was even worse than that.

    ‘I understand,’ you said, laying your hand over his, rubbing his soft skin with your dumb. ‘You need to find Bucky…’ you smiled, ‘and you will.’

    Steve sighed, nodding at your words. ‘I know, but we need to stop Hydra first. You’re right…’ he paused, staring at his hand in yours. ‘I–I almost stayed there.’

    ‘Why?’ you frowned, letting your eyes shift over his face. ‘I thought you said it was a nightmare?’

    ‘It was, but I–I couldn’t just leave you there.’ The silence lingered between you for a few minutes, until Steve finally dared to look up at you again and placed his hand against your cheek. ‘I can’t lose you again, [Name]. I won’t. I-I love you…’

    You nodded slowly, looking into the super soldier’s deep blue eyes as he moved closer and wiped the fluffy hair from your face. ‘I still need to shower,’ you whispered, a faint smile curling your lips as Steve rested his forehead against yours.

    A soft laugh escaped his throat and he shortly shook his head, taking your answer as conformation that you loved him as well. Soon a kiss found your lips and Steve took you in his arms, pressing you tightly into his embrace.

    ‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered against your lips. ‘For everything.’

    ‘Me too,’ you swallowed hard, taking in his familiar scent and letting out a satisfied sigh. ‘So, what do we do now?’

    Steve smiled, looking at you determinedly. ‘Now, we take down Hydra...’

THE END