Bound By Purpose

Something We Could Never Have

Hearing the jets of the plane coming overhead and watching it land just beyond the trees enacting its stealth cover has me relieved beyond all belief. I peel myself away from my window as they all start to make their way towards the house. Just from the way they carry themselves I can tell that they've experienced something awful. They look just as the young boys had during the war.

I leave my place at the window running down the stairs and parking myself on the bottom step as they pour into the foyer. I catch Steve's eye but he looks away as Clint's children run to him.

"Sorry for barging in on you." Steve says. Looking to my left I see that Laura has appeared. 

"Yeah, we would have called ahead, but we were too busy having no idea that you existed." I of course know that Tony knew something about this, I suppose he didn't know the true extent of it. 

"Yeah, well Fury helped me set this up when I joined. He kept it off SHIELD's files, I'd like to keep that way." Clint looks over at me. "Evelyn's been helping me out here too." He smiles at me for a moment. "I figure it's a good place to lay low." They continue their conversations but I notice Thor sneak out. I nod my head out the door and Steve notices. The two of us slip out the front.

Steve calls out to him as he walks down the way. "Thor?" When he fully turns to us I can see that he's distraught. It scares me to see him this way.

"I saw something in that dream. I need answers. I won't find them here." Lifting his hammer he evaporates into the sky leaving scorched earth behind him. 

"Steve, what did he mean by that?" I step in front of him. He looks just as distraught as Thor had. "Steve?" He finally focuses on me. He shakes his head and drops to the bottom step of the porch. I'm left wondering what to do, I've never seen him like this. Giving myself a moment to prepare for his story I finally feel strong enough to sit beside him. I sit one stair above him so that he doesn't have to look at me unless he really wants to.

"Before I start... I want to apologize." Usually I'd stop him but we need to get everything out in the open. "I should have known you were doing something like this, and to be honest I'm so grateful that you weren't there." He looks up at me for only a moment before changing the subject. "New suit huh?"

"You don't approve? Tony was just..." 

"He wants to help keep you safe. I'd say Clint wants the same thing. You've touched a lot of people's lives that I wasn't able to witness... No I couldn't be mad at something like that, besides, seeing what's coming, you're going to need it." He looks down again completely broken.

"Steve, what the hell happened to you guys?"

"Wanda, the twin, she has this ability to show you things."

"What things?"

"The future, your worst fears... I don't really know, it was just all so real, we all were affected."

"Is that what happened to Banner?"

"Yeah, but he can't remember what she showed him, or how she controlled him."

"What did she show you? Steve you can trust me with this."

He nods. "I know I can." He smiles and then puts a hand over my own. "I saw Peggy, she wanted me to dance, to come home. You and Bucky were dancing and laughing and you were happy." I feel I know where the story is going next but I hold my tongue letting him finish. "And then everything just disappeared, gone like dust."

I take a moment. We had both lost so so much, but recently we had found each other again, and the hope of having Bucky back. The fear of losing them both again was always in the back of my mind but now it's presence is stronger. "Was she showing you your worst fear or..." Pause. "Your future?" I'm scared for the answer, and looking up I can tell he feels the same.