Redemption

Chapter Twenty Nine

"Ten bucks says you look worse than me."

"I think we'd make an even tie."

I remain cloaked walking through the hospital. As the light sets on the day I've waited for news on Steve's recovery in the waiting room. Unseen of course. Security has been heavily crawling around the building making it irritating when all I want to do is drop my cover and conserve some energy. With the concentration it's taking to keep me cloaked I don't see myself lasting much longer. The bullet Bucky lodged into my shoulder has me feeling woozy which doesn't do anything to help me remain cloaked. Yet I hold on. I need to see he's alright.

When I take another lap on the new hour past Steve's room I peer through the window and breathe a sigh of relief. Sat in his bed Steve is exchanging words with Sam who has yet to leave his side. His eyebrows pinch together at what they are discussing. His usual firm unmoved expression on his battered face. His left blue eye blackening and bulging slightly I trail my eyes to the stitches in his left cheek. He looked worse for wear but he's alive.

Waiting out the guard for another half an hour I grab the door handle quietly when he turns his face. Slipping silently through the door I close it behind me in one fluid quiet motion. Peering back into the room I see Sam and Steve both caught the unusual movement. Steve catches on before Sam. "Close the blinds", Steve instructs him who moves swiftly towards the window.

As soon as the blinds are shut to the hallway I drop the cloak, revealing my horrible bloodied soaking wet appearance to Steve. Offering a weak smile, I remark "Ten bucks says you look worse than me."

Smirking, Steve disagrees "I think we'd make an even tie." Nodding towards my muddy and bloodied appearance his eyes linger on my shoulder, my hand holding the wound together as blood continues trickling through my fingers "You need to get that cleaned up."

"I will when I hit the road", I reassure Steve. Pacing over to his bedside I place my hand over Steve's, "I wanted to see you would make it first." This earns me a soft smile which curls onto his features.

Although disappears as soon as it reaches Steve's eyes, "You're going on the run again."

A sad sinking feeling enters my gut, "You guys might not be considered fugitives but I escaped a SHIELD black site. The World Security Council or what is left of it is going to hunt me down. I don't have a choice."

"I know" Steve replies sadly, turning his hands around to tighten his grip on mine "Thanks for having my back, Addie."

"It's what family does", I softly assure Steve. Glancing over to Sam I offer him a kind nod, "I suppose I'm glad you're still alive too bird brain."

Rolling his eyes, Sam reaches over Steve with a smile "I think that's the nicest thing she's ever said to me." Reaching over I clasp my hand in his, offering Sam a half smile.

"Don't take it personally", Steve speaks up lightly as I retract my hand from Sam's "It's how you know she cares."

Despite the smile which stretches across my expression, I ball my hand into a threatening fist "Just because you almost died doesn't mean I won't knock your teeth out."

"See", Steve smugly chuckles in his crisp clinical sheets "She cares."

With a roll of my eyes, I glanceaway, not denying a word of it only to catch sight of Natasha on the television. "Hey", I grab their attention pointing up to the screen "Turn it on?" Someone beside me unmutes it and the room fills with the chatter of reporters to are backed behind Natasha who remains calmly in front of the World Security Council in a hearing regarding the dumping of intelligence information onto the internet for all to read.

In a pressed black pantsuit, Natasha's bright orange hair is straightened perfectly to sit on her shoulders as we listen to the World Security Council throws accusations her way. "Why have we not yet heard from Captain Rogers?"

"I don't know what there is left for him to say", Natasha keeps her cool, "I think the wreck in the middle of the Pontiac made his point fairly eloquently."

Despite the resting frustration on the council's faces, I can't help but let a smug smirk cross mine. "Atta girl Nat", I proudly mumble under my breath.

"Well, he could explain how this country is expected to maintain national security now that he, you and Adeline Collins have laid waste to our intelligence apparatus" one of the councilmen informs Natasha sternly, not at all impressed with the actions we have taken.

"HYDRA was selling you lies not intel", Natasha corrects the councilman.

"Many of which you seemed to have a personal hand in", the councilman throws back at Natasha who even from here appears mad at the allegation.

However before the same councilman can get another word in, another councilman speaks up "Agent you should know that some on this committee feel given your service record, for this country and against it, that you belong in a penitentiary. Not mouthing off on Capitol Hill."

Tilting her head to the side, Natasha disagrees "You're not going to put me in a prison. You're not going to put any of us into prison. You know why?"

Taking a moment of silence to leave the councilmen to their thoughts, one councilman asks "Please enlighten me."

"Because you need us", Natasha states blatantly "Yes the world is a vulnerable place and yes we help make it that way. But we are also the ones best qualified to defend it. So if you want to arrest me. You'll know where to find me." Rising up Natasha turns her back on the council before storming through the reporters crowded behind her. I almost turn the tv off before I watch Natasha spin back around to the press. "Adeline Collins is the true identity of Ghost. She is an Avenger and deserves to be treated as such instead of hunted down across the globe for past crimes that are no different to mine. With SHIELD's information dumped on the internet, I urge you to research her and bring her unjustified fugitive status to an end." Stunned I watch as Natasha leaves the room in a state of uproar.

Once the tv is muted again I glance back to Steve and Sam, "This is the umpteenth time I've been called that. Why?"

"It's your hero name", Steve mentions, nudging my arm with the smugest of smirks "Comes with the hero territory."

When I snidely snicker at the thought of being a hero, Sam helpfully interjects "Since the Battle of New York that is what the papers decided to call you. There had been a reporter in this bank you and Steve had been in and apparently you saved a bunch of civilians and disappeared from plain sight."

"Ghost", I murmur to myself with a small smile "Kind of fitting. Kind if dorkie." Standing up I fight the desire to stumble, the blood loss clearly beginning to kick in. Reaching out I push Steve's blonde hair back, "Stay out of trouble for me yeah Super Steve?"

Chuckling Steve gives me a small nod, "Stay safe out there."

Rounding the bed I place my hand on Sam's shoulder, "Keep an eye on him for me?"

"You got it Addie" Sam assures me, squeezing my good shoulder reassuringly before I begin pacing over to the hospital door.

"Can you do me a favor?" Steve abruptly asks from his hospital bed. Glancing back I wait, curious as to what he could want. His blue eyes watch me hopefully "If you manage to hear anything about Bucky- or find him..."

Listening to Steve trail off I try to offer him a comforting smile "If I scrounge up anything I'll let you know Spangles." Placing my hand on the doorknob I throw back over my shoulder, "If you need me call Natasha. She knows how to track me down." Cloaking myself I take one last look at Sam and Steve, hoping they remain safe before I dart out into the hospital corridor. Storming through the halls I leave the complex in search of one person, our reunion long overdue.