Secrets 🖤

Chapter 20

"Steve, she's losing too much blood. We don't have the proper resources here to deal with it." Bruce looked at Steve worriedly as Steve stood over Maggie, tears in his eyes.

"What can we do?" As he asked the question, he knew the answer.

He rushed out of the room to where Loki was keeping Maddy who was still crying. She looked up at him as he entered the room, "is she okay?"

"No. Come with me." He grabbed her arm, dragging her to Maggie and making her sit in a seat next to Maggie's bed. He looked at Bruce, "they're sisters, use her blood."

"Steve! No!" Bucky grabbed his friend's arm, "you can't force this on her without her permission. She never asked for this."

"I never asked for her to die! And I won't let her!" Steve lowered his voice as he pleaded with Bucky, "please Buck. If we don't she could die." Steve was desperate to save Maggie. They had already wasted so much time apart. He finally had her to himself, and he wasn't about to risk her dying.

Maddy leaned forward, "I don't mind. Please."

Bucky shook his head, "she'll never forgive you Steve."

Steve felt himself lose control of his emotions as the tears started to fall, "I'm willing to risk it. At least she would be alive Buck."

Natasha came into the lab, sensing the tension, "what is going on? Is she okay?"

Bucky was the one to speak up, "Steve wants to give her Maddy's blood, essentially turning her into a super soldier too."

"It would be a diluted version, we don't know how it would affect her." Bruce checked her vitals, "but you guys should make a decision soon."

Natasha sighed, looking at Bruce, "will she die without it?"

"If Doctor Cho was here the answer would be no. But she'd never be here in time. So, yes. I'm sorry."

Natasha looked at Steve, "then do it."

Bucky scoffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he watched Bruce hook Maddy up to Maggie. Bucky rushed out of the lab, slamming the door to his bedroom. He paced the floor, his anger radiating from him. He never asked for the serum, and he didn't want it. He knew it would be different for Maggie, she would have him and Steve as support as well as her sister. She wouldn't have to do it alone like he did. It didn't keep him from worrying about her though.

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Bucky came back into the lab a few hours later to find Steve asleep in the chair in the corner of the room. Maddy was gone and Maggie was still asleep. He looked up to see Bruce approaching him, "how is she Dr. Banner?"

Bruce nodded, "her vitals are normal." He pulled the blanket down to show the now visible scar where the dagger entered her body, "it seems to have worked."

Bucky sighed as he put the blanket back over her, running his fingers through her hair, "oh Maggie. What have they done to you?"

"I don't know, what have they done to me?" He watched as Maggie opened her eyes into his, "what happened James?" She put her hand on her stomach, remembering the dagger. She looked down to see the scar, her voice more panicked, "James. What happened?"

She watched the tears well in Bucky's eyes, "I told them not to do it. But it was the only way to save you."

"We had to Maggie, I'm sorry." She looked to see Steve making his way to them.

Maggie sat up, raising her voice, "had to what Steve?"

Bucky backed off as Steve took his place at her side. He sat on the bed facing her, "you were losing too much blood. We didn't have a way to save you. We gave you a blood transfusion with Maddy's blood to save you."