The Final Hope

Chapter 18

Over the course of the next few years, a few people managed to track me down. I voluntarily went to see Clint and Natasha, and Bucky tracked me down on his own, but of all people, Scott Lang managed to track me down.

I had just gotten home from a long shift at the police station. I was ready for a hot shower and a nap. I opened my door, and on my couch sat Scott Lang.

"Hey, Flames" he said excitedly.

"Scott Lang" I murmured.

"Nice place, I see that you've got a lot of weapons" he got up and glanced around my house.

"I can have you arrested for breaking in" I said "you know that, right".

"Oh come on, Flames, you wouldn't do that, you're too much like your dad. You'd break me out of a prison before putting me in one. And you even have Cap's shield hanging on the wall".

"How'd you find me, tic-tac" I asked, using Sam's nickname for Scott.

"My daughter's stepdad is a cop too. He heard about this amazing cop in Denver, and that cop is named Captain Rogers. My curiosity got the best of me, and I wound up here" he explained.

"That's it, that's why you tracked me down" I exclaimed, resisting the urge to let the fire run through my hands.

"Well, Tony Stark still wants you to be Captain America" he started.

"I already told him no. I'm too old to be a superhero" I was technically a vigilante, but no one had to know that.

"You're what, twenty-one".

"I'm eighty, technically" I sighed.

"I forgot you were born forever ago" he joked.

"Shut up" I retorted.

"Seriously, you're so old. You could be my mother".

"Oh, you're going to go there are you" I missed having someone around to joke like this. I had one friend that knew me like the people from my past, but he didn't know everything that they did.

"I just did, Flames" he smirked.

"I miss this, no one here knows about my powers or my true past" I stated. My friend knew about my past, but I'd only recently told him who I really was, and I was giving him small chunks of information at a time.

"So what have you been up to all these years".

"I worked for SHIELD until I graduated high school, I joined the army, and I became a cop. That's all you need to know".

"Your old man would be proud of what you've become".

"I'm sure he would, but I'm not speaking with him".

"I'm not great with this whole parenting thing, but it's unhealthy to ignore your problems".

"What do you want me to do, go to therapy" I snapped "I've already tired it, and it didn't work for me".

"Yeah".

"No" I protested.

"Okay, well if you don't want my advice, I'll leave" Scott headed for the door. I grabbed his arm.

"Don't tell anyone else that I'm here" I warned "please".

"Don't worry, Flames, your secret is safe with me" I let him go, and he left.

The next day at work, some of the guys were talking about the New Avengers, and I broke down for no reason other than the fact that they were talking about my old team. Scott was right, I did need help, and I had to find a way to make it work.

One of the guys grabbed my arm. "Cap, are you alright" he asked cautiously.

"No, but I've never been alright" I muttered "you knew that though".

Everyone at the station knew that I was a little on the unstable side. People tended to avoid mentioning that when I was around.

Our precinct had a therapist that was available for any one of us to speak with. I'd seen her once, but it was right after I became a cop.

"I'm taking you to Doctor Sherman" he helped me to my feet and led me upstairs.

"Captain Rogers" Doctor Sherman asked curiously. I'd never actually been up to her office, so I was immediately on edge. I was going to tell her about the real me, and all I could do was hope that she wouldn't get me locked up.

"Come sit" she took me from the officer, offering a warm smile, and she had me sit down on a couch.

"I-I need help" I whispered.

"I know, I've read your file. I've been waiting for the chief to force you up here" she closed the door "let's start with your childhood. You were abused, weren't you".

"Do you want the whole story or the story that I tell the guys".

"The whole story please. Now, was your home life stable".

"I was raised by Nazis".

"Nazis, you mean you're German, right".

"No, I mean actual Nazis. Hydra to be exact" I'd definitely messed up, but I was getting the help that Scott said I needed. The doctor stared at me.