Experimental

Chapter 13

"You going to tell her?" Tony, Bucky, Nat and Sam stood behind Steve, who looked through the window into Della's hospital room. A blonde nurse was shoving pill after pill down her throat, urging her to keep taking them. Tony looked at Steve questioningly. "About being my blood?" Steve shrugged.

"That's up to you, Stark. I'll be there but I'm not announcing it to the class," He rubbed his chin, still covered in facial hair, and sighed. The nurse exited the room and approached the group.

"She's healing much quicker than expected, that's for sure. Her vitals are still pretty low so we're keeping her overnight and checking again tomorrow. Remember," she looked at the group behind Steve, "visitation ends at 8:30. Only one person can stay." She left. Steve turned back toward the window, catching your eye and earning a grin and wave. He chuckled and shook his head before waving back at her.

"Oh for the love of- will you stop just staring at her and talk to her you numb nuts?" Tony shoved him toward the door, "and you better Fucking tell her how you feel or I'm kicking you out of my tower."

***
Della sat, looking at Steve as he explained- as well as he could- how he felt about her. When he finished, her eyes were filled to
The brim with tears, a grin plastered on her face. Steve slowly looked up after several moments of silence.

"Steven Grant Rogers, it took me almost dying to finally hear you say that? I think your game is getting kid of weak, old man." She joked, grabbing his hand that was resting on the sheet next to her, "but that's okay. Because I feel the same way. I have for a while." She smiled at him, lifting up his hand and kissing the bruised knuckles lightly.

"Hey," he whispered, "I'm supposed to do that." She smiled.

"Next time, Steve. Now could you do me a favor and get my bolts for brains brother in here?" He stopped and looked at her face.

"How-"

"Well, not only is it completely obvious due to our looks. But I've been remembering a lot lately; more than I've told you all," she grinned teary eyed.

"That's amazing! I'll be right back, Doll," he stood and kissed her head before walking out of the door.  He entered the hallway, closing the door behind him. The heroes behind him quickly positioned themselves so it wasn't obvious that they had been watching. Steve turned and looked at them, giving his best bitch face.  "Tony, she um, she wants to talk to you." Stark frowned and stood up slowly.

"Oh god, I hope she doesn't kick my ass for the whole 'accidentally eating her muffin' fiasco. Let me tell you, that girl can eat. Woah." Steve glared at him.

"Stark, get the hell in there." The team all gasped dramatically, Steve turned toward them, "Don't even."

***
Steve, Bucky, Nat, and Sam all stood at the glass window, waiting for some kind of reaction from the eldest Stark.

"Nothing is happening," Nat whispered.

"Shhh!"

"You know what-"

"Romanoff, Sam. Enough." Steve silenced the two. Finally, after what felt like forever, Tony stood up and pulled Della into his arms, hugging her as tightly as he could without hurting her. She returned to gesture, tears streaming down her perfect face.

***

Thea sat in the lounge of the tower, all of the others with her.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your Saturday, I swear I'll be quick," she played with her hands. Tony stood behind her, a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Go ahead, Kid. They won't judge," she took a breath.

"Over the past few months, I've been remembering more and more of my past. I know who I was," she looked at the photo of the Stark family on the wall, "and who I knew," she looked pointedly at Natasha, who purses her lips, "My name is Della Stark, I was captured by HYDRA when I was a child and experimented on by Baron Von Strucker and The Viper. Then I was transferred to a place is Russia, known by you as the Red Room. I was trained to be a weapon; my skills enhanced as well as my senses and trained in combat and stealth. When I was proved useful enough, they wiped my memory, planted false memories in my head, and shipped me back to New York- forcing me to be around my family without even knowing it. Ollie was involved in everything, which is why he took such a keen interest in me over the years," she paused, glancing at the team, they had tears in their eyes, looking away and blinking them away as best they could. All except Bucky, who let the tears fall freely from his eyes without making a move to wipe them away, "But I found my family again, remembered who I was and I am eternally grateful for every one of you. I've decided, though, that to honor my parents and my life before I was who I am today, I would like to be known from this point on as Della Stark. The name that they gave me in HYDRA is not who I am. I am not one of their toys. I am experimental."

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Okay so maybe not 17-18 chapters! I think one more after this should be coming out. Just as an epilogue.