Ice Princess

11

"That was beautiful. I didn't know you could do that." Bucky said as he was clapping. Melinoe flipped herself upright and released herself from the fabric. "Truly amazing." Walking over to the bench, she slipped her feet into her shoes and put her sweatshirt on, giving Bucky a wide birth.

"Sorry, I thought everyone was still out on holiday leave." She croaked as she sipped her water. Bucky cringed at the sound of her voice knowing he was the one to do it to her. Her neck was still bruised as well. Melinoe started to walk past him, but he blocked her way to the door. She sighed deeply.

"Bruce explained everything to everyone while you were away. But what was I to think, there was this guy in a red combat suit on your roof and fire escape." She looked at him with a questioning look. "You didn't know about him?"

"What are you talking about?" Great her voice was back to squeaking.

"He appeared after the night of the gala."

"You were stalking me?"

"More like making sure you were safe."

"So, you went from stalking me to trying to kill me." She took out her phone and began to type.
You do understand how crazy you sound right now, right?

"Then you started seeing that lawyer..." She shook her head at his response. She began typing again frantically and turned her phone to face him.

Don't worry, he's not in the picture any more. You know what dying did for me? It made me realize that I came into this world alone, I'll leave alone. I thought I would at least see my friends who died on the last mission, but there was nothing. No white light, no angels, just darkness, cold, and oblivion. Do you know how angry that makes me? I've had a lot of messed up stuff happen to me and then that.

"This doesn't sound like you."

That's because this IS me! She almost threw her phone down, but stormed out of there. Instead of changing in the locker room, she grabbed her things and headed for the garage.

___________

"Then she stormed out of there." Bucky told Sam.

"Can you blame her? She's right. You did stalk her and kill her, while you weren't directly responsible for her friends dying, we didn't follow any of her plan which ended up with them dying. Then when she died, there was nothing. Mina, was brought up in a system that really pushes the afterlife. She had some really terrible things happen to her and then found out it was all for nothing. If her head wasn't messed up by now, it now is. You're just lucky Bruce brought her back."

"I'm waiting for the advice you love to give."

"Advice or love advice?" Sam wagged his eyebrows at Bucky.

"Look, I'm just trying to put things right."

"First, space."

"Space?"

"Space. It's like one thing to accidentally bump into someone at the grocery store but to plan to bump into them in the grocery store that you don't go to is literally too much."

"Right, space."

"Second, what is she missing?"

"Friends, family."

"Let's start a little lower than that. How about stability and those other things will roll into place? Give her the opportunities to be herself. Fury kept her on a very short leash, let her live. And if that means living without you, you need to let her have those opportunities."

"Stability." Ok, he could handle that, secretly making a road smooth for her and removing all obstacles was how Bucky took it though. Which meant taking out that other stalker. Not that Bucky was stalking her, but....