It's Forbidden

It Wasn't You

Aspen and Bucky held each other for a little while longer. Neither were ready for whatever was going to happen with Tony. What they thought was going to happen. They held each other. Wanting to soak in the peace before the bomb shell went off. And when they knew they had put it off long enough, they got up.

They looked at each other for a long moment, they held their hand out for one another and entertained their fingers, and made their way to Tony's room. They walk in and see the balcony sliding door open, they both walk out, finding Tony sitting out looking out at the water. The second time Aspen's seen him taking advantage of this view.

"Tony...can we talk to you?" Aspen asks him. Tony look at both of them. He looked down at their intertwined hands and saw both of them sweating, shaking. He looked back up at them and smiled, knowingly, sadly. His eyes told the whole story. Even without any words coming out of his mouth.

He met Aspen's eyes, and nodded his head. "I already know Aspen." Tony tells her. He knew. He knew this whole time. But he never wanted to bring it up. He had time to deal with it. And he wasn't sure if they remembered, and if they didn't remember, he didn't want them to have to go through all of that. The guilt they were going to feel. He didn't want to put them through that because they had already been through so much. He couldn't be the one to add onto it.

Aspen cocked her head, looking at him confused. Bucky did the same. They looked at each other, the same confused look on their faces, and then back at Tony. "You...you what?" Aspen asks. She didn't know how he could possibly know. How did he know? Did Natasha tell him? She didn't know what to think.

"What do you mean?" Aspen asks again. She needed answers. And Tony was taking his sweet time to give them both the answers they needed, the answers they were looking for. "You already know I had the files from Hydra." Tony tells them. They did know that. But they didn't know the list of people they killed was in that file. Tony's parents names were in that file.

They wondered what else was in that file. Bucky shook his head, he felt terrible. He didn't know Tony knew. And if he did, he would have told him he was sorry sooner. He would have tried to explain. He would have done something to prove to Tony it wasn't really them and he was sorry, he would have never done it if he was in his right mind.

He would have been more worried about clearing Aspen's name though. She was more important to him. He needed everyone to know Aspen was the most kind, caring and gentle person in the world, he was just as much a victim to Hydra as Tony's parents were. She wasn't a killer, he knew the times she had to kill tore her apart. Just as they did him. They were just as much victims in this story.

"Tony-" Bucky starts. "I'm not mad." Tony tells them. They were both shocked. They honestly didn't believe it for a second. Aspen was relieved that Nat didn't tell him though, that meant she could trust her, she was still her best friend. Tony had found out on his own. He had know for a long time. He just didn't voice it.

They couldn't believe that Tony wasn't mad though, his parents were dead and Aspen and Bucky's hands were the ones to take their lives. "I was." Tony says. "At first. But I read all of it." He tells them. "You went through so much. You were brainwashed. And it wasn't you." Tony told them.

Aspen gripped Bucky's hand tighter and pulled his body closer to hers. Tears prickled her eyes as she heard the words come from Tony's mouth. She needed to hear it. And as she looked up at Bucky and saw the same glisten in his eyes, she knew he needed to hear this too. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't their fault. It was Hydra's. And all of the sudden it felt like a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

"Aspen was still slightly confused though. She told Nat, she wondered why Nat didn't save Aspen the trouble and tell her that Tony already knew. "I...I told Nat. Why didn't she tell me you knew?" Aspen asked Tony. "I didn't tell anyone." Tony told them.

They wondered why. And they wondered how Tony could just look passed it like that. They were still both shocked. "I knew you two would be an asset to the team. I didn't want anyone to have any bias." Tony tells them. And it made sense as to why he didn't tell anyone. "Despite your past. You didn't Chose that. It was forced upon you." Tony tells them.

He knew they still felt it was their fault. And he wanted them to know he genuinely didn't blame them for a thing. "Tony I don't know how to tell you how sorry I am." Bucky tells Tony. Aspen takes her free hand and slides it up and down Bucky's chest, helping comfort him. "You don't have to say it." Tony tells him. "I know." He says.

"How do you not hate us?" Aspen asks Tony. "You two were just as much victims to Hydra as my parents were." Tony tells them. "As much as I wanted to at first it wasn't fair to blame you." He says. Because it wasn't. They had no control over their minds or bodies. "Why didn't you tell us you knew?" Bucky asks Tony.

"I didn't know if you remembered. I knew how much pain You were in when you got here. it wouldn't have been fair to put you through any more." Tony says. Aspen nods and a tear slides down her cheek. She was more relieved than words could explain. "I'm sorry Tony." She says. "and...I don't know how to thank you either."