My Soldier, Her Captain

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

Hiding wasn't something new for Lily and me. We had been doing it for years and we had gotten good at it. So good in fact that Steve was downright impressed with us. We managed to find a safe place in Connecticut that still allowed Steve and Sam to keep their eyes on what was going on with the remaining avengers. Within a week of getting safe Steve was immediately on us, asking us what was going on, who we were, and why we didn't ever say anything. Answering him became harder than we expected it to be.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Steve said as he threw his hands up.

Lily, beyond frustrated with him at this point screamed in his face, "WE DONT FUCKING KNOW STEVEN! You don't think that frustrates us? All we have is a damn piece of paper for each of us saying we were give to the damn orphanage by a fucking government operative. I don't even know if Lilja Jensen is my real name! I don't know who my parents were or are, I don't know where I came from or what I'm supposed to do. I don't know anything Steven and I've been trying to find out for years! I've gone around this whole fucking country trying to figure it out and I've been met with nothing but dead ends and frustration. The only person that has EVER been there for me is Cora and I don't even know if Cora Bernard is her real name either. All I know for sure is that it has always been us and I have never had anyone else in my life. No one." She collapsed as the fight died out in her, tears streaming down her face as Steve watched her.

"Don't you see Steve," He turned to me, "We don't want to trick or hurt you. We can't tell you what we don't know. In all of the time we have been looking we have only found one clue, the only lead we ever had was Shield. But by the time we had that, they were gone."

He looked at me then down at Lily, "Shield?" He asked and she nodded.

"I've been trying to figure out what that means," Lily said as she looked up at him, "We've studied every bit of information we have on Shield but have never been able to find out more than a few things here or there."

He stood up and walked across the room, his mind running as fast as his legs moved.

Finally, he stopped and looked at us. "Wanda."

Lily and I looked at each other then back at Steve. "Wanda?"

"She was experimented on by hydra, it's how she got her powers. It's how her brother got his too. Maybe there's more to this. If your names are your names maybe we can trace it."

Lily stood up and walked towards him. "No." She whispered and he stared at her.

"No? Just like that. I might have the answers and you say no?"

"Not if it means putting you at risk. I won't do it. I'm sorry Steve I appreciate you wanting to help but not if it means you're at risk of leaving me."

He stared at her before smiling. "I won't honey. I promise. But once this whole thing is over I'm going to help you."

"Okay, that I can accept." They kept staring at each other and I just absolutely couldn't help myself.

"Are you guys gonna kiss now or something?"

Lily turned and glared at me before I ran out of the room laughing my ass off. I was happy as hell for my friend. It was about damn time.

Steve convinced me to lay low for six months before finally agreeing to take me across the world to the little-known kingdom of Wakanda. We were greeted by T'Challa and Shuri who informed us that Bucky was still frozen for now. I asked for a timetable for his recovery, but they couldn't give me an exact idea of it. I understood but it still sucked that I couldn't be with him. They led me down a long hall to a fancy lab that Shuri called her sanctuary. They showed me a tube and I laid eyes on him for the first time in almost 3 years. He looked like he was sleeping, and that was fine as long as he was okay. I put my hand against the glass and whispered how much I loved him. I told him I would be waiting for him and that I couldn't wait to see his smile again. Afterward, I cried in Steve's arms the entire way back home. He told me stories of their childhood and promised that he would do everything he could to get Bucky back to me. I laughed at him.