Mackenzie woke up in three stages.
The first stage was opening her eyes. Immediately, Kenzie could see the white ceiling of the hospital room. She could hear a heart monitor beeping to her right.
The second stage was registering where she was. She turned her head to the side and saw Clint and Natasha sitting in chairs.
The third stage was panic. Where was Bucky?
The heart monitor began to race as she tried to sit up.
"Easy, Kenzie!" Clint was the first to realize that the woman was trying to sit up. He pressed her shoulders down gently, telling her to calm down and that everything was okay.
"You had us so worried, Anastasia." Natasha was by her sister's side quickly, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
"Where is he?" Her voice was raspy and her throat was dry.
"That's not important, Kenzie." Natasha shook her head.
"Yes he is." Mackenzie rolled on to her side and forced herself into a sitting position.
"Tell her, Tasha." Clint mumbled, but Kenzie heard him.
"Tell me what?" Mackenzie gripped the sides of the bed tightly.
"He left, Kenzie. Steve hasn't talked to me in weeks, Sam calls and tells me he and Bucky are okay but other than that, I haven't had any contact with either of them since your were shot."
"How long was I out?"
"Six weeks." Clint replied.
"I-I have to see him, Natasha." Mackenzie insisted.
"Sam won't tell us where he is, Kenzie."
"Then I'm going to search for him."
"Not until you're completely healthy." Natasha shook her head. "I am not losing you, Mackenzie."
The younger Romanova knew the tone of her older sister was serious. She also knew there was no way of getting around it.
"I love him, Natasha." Kenzie whispered, eyes flickering to the ceiling.
"And I'm sure you do. But no means no." Natasha held her ground firmly. She was going to do her damnedest to make sure her sister didn't find Bucky Barnes any time soon.
"When can I get out of here?"
"Couple days." Natasha ran her hand soothingly up and down Mackenzie's arm. "I'm glad you're okay, Kenzie."
Mackenzie didn't say anything, her eyes went to the window. She wanted Bucky badly. They had just confessed that they loved each other and she just wanted to see him to make sure he was okay.
•*•*•
Over the period of the next four months, Mackenzie gradually got better.
She was able to walk without getting dizzy now and she was getting back to normal, but still not fully there.
The Black Widow neglected to tell her sister the truth of what happened to Bucky, that she had told him to leave and that Steve had chosen to stay with Bucky opposed to Natasha, though it was no surprise.
Sam served as the peacekeeper, sending Natasha updates of where Steve was and if he was okay and giving Bucky updates of Mackenzie's health.
Today marked the fifth month of Mackenzie's recovery. It was freezing cold in her sister's upstate New York apartment.
She stood with a fuzzy blanket wrapped around her and a hot coffee mug in her hands. Her eyes were glued to the busy city below.
"Kenzie, you've been standing there for almost three hours." Clint said, glancing to Mackenzie from the television screen, where he was playing video games.
