|| LONGING || EDITTING

|| Chapter Thirty - Three ||

Arizona had calmed down and had waited for Ellie to leave before saying her piece to Pietro, she re-read the gravestone in front of her again and crouched down to place down her flowers, "Hi, Pietro," She muttered under her breath, Tony stood a few feet away, not trusting Arizona to be alone. She merely glanced at the grave beside his and gulped, focusing back on Pietro's, "It's been another year without you..." She scoffed, "It seems to get harder to handle," She shook her head before smiling, "I told you I'd find Bucky," She said with pride, Tony looking over at Arizona with guilt but it faded when he dropped his head to chuckle at Arizona leaning in toward the gravestone, "And I'm almost done learning my three times tables," She smiled shyly.

Sighing, silence overtook the whole cemetery, Arizona bit her lip as she sat down in front of it, tears suddenly blinding her eyes, "Wanda's stronger now," She mentioned, "And I found out I'm still developing new powers," She smiled, "I saved Rhodey, I healed him and now all he needs is recovery," Arizona then frowned, "But my friends are locked up," Tony looked down in regret, "Everything's going wrong, Pietro..." She pressed her head to his gravestone, "Help me out here..." She whispered under her breath, "Please," Arizona turned her face away from Pietro's grave as she tried to wipe the forming tears, her breath hitching in her throat as a name caught her green eye: Arizona Archer.

Her heart clenched painfully in her chest as her eyes read the elegant transcript carved into the smooth, intricately designed headstone.

Arizona Archer

01 / 04 / 2001 - 15 / 12 / 2009

" A true knight is fuller of bravery in the midst than in the beginning of danger,"

A loving daughter, sister, and wife.

She was a daughter and a sister...

She had a family...

"Come on Phoenix, there is a chance they're out there, waiting for you," Bucky tried to persuade the unusually stubborn child, who shook her head, her hair hitting her face at the gesture, "No," She gulped, "It would put them in danger," She looked up at Bucky with her big, green eyes, "If we ever escaped, we should leave the country. Hydra would come for us and if I try to see them? They'll get caught and killed..."

Bucky sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face in slight frustration, both finding it difficult to find hope of a life outside of Hydra without them affecting their lives, "But, what if there was a chance that you could? Would you take it?"

"No," Arizona instantly shook her head, "Because there isn't a chance,"

Bucky shot her a look, "Theoretically,"

Arizona looked at Bucky for a moment, not letting her eyes betray her, before opening her mouth, only to snap it closed as a groan came from beside them. Being in the infirmary due to Bucky injuring his leg harshly. The other Winter Soldiers were told to not hold back, thus why they instantly turned their heads to the voice, "Shut up, or I kick your teeth in," She snapped.

Arizona shuffled closer to Bucky, her sitting next to him on the bed and pulled the covers over herself and Bucky's bottom half considering his top half was against the bed frame and Arizona placed her head on Bucky's good leg, him resting his bare hand on her head, "Goodnight, Saviour,"