Electric / Steve Rogers x OC x Bucky Barnes ✓

Chapter 176: Make Things Right

MADELINE

Once we're finally inside the house my first thought isn't really to look around the place or to find my room. 

My first thought is to check on my best friend, who just recently came back into my life after being away for much too long. 

I need to speak to Wanda. 

I quickly turn to Steve and Bucky, "I need to speak to Wanda. You guys go ahead and find our room and I'll see you later, okay?" 

Steve gives me a warm smile and kisses my cheek as he says, "Alright sweetheart. Do what you need to do. We'll be here." 

Bucky, however, seems more hesitant.

"But.. I've missed you," he says, pulling me a little closer to him by the hand currently still in his.

"I know Buck," i say as I smile up at him, "But I need to check on Wanda. If you haven't noticed yet.. Vision isn't around.. And neither is Nat." 

Bucky furrows his brows for a second before nodding, "Okay, yeah, alright. Stevie and I will go check out our room then." 

I give him a quick kiss on the cheek, "Thank you. I'll see you later." 

I let go of Bucky's hand as I turn back, walking out the door in search of Wanda. I don't have to search for long before I find her sitting on the porch swing. 

I hesitantly take a seat next to her, unsure of what to say. 

There are so many words yet so little that could truly express what I want to say. 

I want to apologize. 

I want to apologize for her losing the love of her life.. Apologize, because I wasn't strong enough to save him. 

I want her to know that I would do anything for her. 

And I want her to know that I share her sorrow in losing Nat. That not seeing our best friend walking out of those golden circles broke my heart so much, it's hard for me to even think about right now. 

Maybe if I had been the one to go to Vormir...

Maybe, if I had been stronger when Thanos first came, if I hadn't been slacking off in Wakanda, pretending I was on vacation.. I could have saved Vision. 

There are so many things I could have done differently, that maybe, just maybe, would have changed the outcome of where we are right now. 

But unfortunately, nothing truly can change the present, so it leaves me silent. Sitting here, next to her. 

I want to say that I can fix it all, but I also know that I can't. I have no idea how to do that, now.

And so I choose to sit in silence. 

We sit next to each other for a while as she watches the landscape surrounding us. 

And I sit there, knowing all I could have done but wasn't able to, knowing how much blame she should put on me right now, as I wait for her to speak. 

"Nat isn't here," she quietly says and that finally makes me look at her. 

My best friend sitting next to me right now looks the same but also different. Her eyes are sad and emotional as they meet mine. 

"No.. She's not.." 

She sighs and nods, "Something went wrong, then." 

I nod, the tears already filling my eyes, and I internally swear at myself for being so emotional already.

"Yes.. Something did." 

She turns her sights back to the field and forest painting the landscape in front of us, "Vision isn't back, either." 

I blink my tears away quickly before answering, "No, he's not." 

She just looks at the landscape for a while and I decide to stay quiet because I honestly have no idea what to say. I understand her grief in so many ways because, not only did I live through it, but I'm still living through it. And I also share part of the responsibility for this. 

If I had been stronger, that day in Wakanda when Thanos came, none of this would have happened. 

"I'm going to get him back," she suddenly says and I turn to look at her. 

"Wanda," I whisper, but she only turns to me, her look stern, "I'm not giving up, Maddie. I lost him and didn't get him back. I need to get him back." 

I take a deep breath at her words because I understand her pain but I don't know how to make it better right now. 

"Why didn't Nat come back?" She then asks, interrupting me before I can say anything. 

"I don't know," I reply as I furrow my brows, "Perhaps because of the stones." 

Then she turns back to the landscape in front of us again, "If you go back to put the stones where they belong, you should be able to get her back.. You'll get her back.." 

I can't go back there, not with everything I know now. 

Then she stands up and walks off the terrace, and I instinctively stand up to follow her. 

"Don't," she says as she turns to me, "I need to do this on my own. Just.. Go put those stones back. Promise?" 

I nod hesitantly as I look at her, "Yeah, okay, I promise. Someone will put them back where they belong." 

She takes a few more steps away from me before she turns back again and says, "And Maddie?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Before anyone goes to the past to put those stones back, you should tell Steve what he could have found there." 

And then she walks off, leaving my mouth dry and heart heavy as she disappears in the distance.