The Fangirl that Saved the World

Chapter 9

Bucky's POV

Steve walks by with Natalie hanging over his shoulder pouting. I hear him set her on the bed nicely and I listen for a voice.

"I hate you, Steve Rogers," Natalie says in a very angry tone.

I think I just heard his heart shatter into a million pieces.

"Trust me, I know."

I did this. I can't believe I did this. This is all my fault.

If I could have just had control over myself, then none of this would've happened. They would still be happily together and Natalie would remember everything. She would be okay, and she wouldn't have a purple handprint over her neck.

Steve comes out of the room and everyone stares at him in shock or sorrow. He shrugs it off and walks away as Bruce enters the hospital room.

Natasha goes after Steve and I almost followed. Instead, I look back at the team. Tony comes to my side and wraps an arm around me.

"It's alright grandpa. Just give him some time. He and Romanoff are really close. Especially with this stuff," Stark tries to cheer me up.

"That's not what I'm worried about," I say back.

"You think you're responsible," Tony nods, understanding, "You're not. Natalie and Steve, they weren't exactly friends when they first met," Tony says and I nod.

"Oh, I'm well aware," I scoff.

Then I remembered.

Oh my god! The body!

"Dammit! We have to go back to Cleveland. The police probably already got there. I'm sure someone heard the gunshots - "

"Slow down there Barnes. I took care of everything. It was all legally taken care of as well. No need to worry about the guy Natalie shot down," Stark assures me.

"I did what?" Natalie's soft voice asks from behind us.

We both turn to see Natalie dressed in jeans and one of Steve's blue sweatshirts.

"Natalie, what are you doing out of bed?" Tony asks realizing his mistake.

"She's fine. No physical damage other than the bruising. I'll need to talk to Steve though," Bruce says trying to be less awkward.

It didn't work.

The hallway went silent. We all looked around and stared at Natalie and her broken self. She looks destroyed. I walk up to Natalie while Tony follows. The rest of the team dispersed out of the medical wing and to the elevator.

The only people left in the hallway was Bruce, Tony, Natalie, and I.

"I killed someone?" her voice cracks.

"Out of self-defense. You had no other choice," I explain.

"I still did it," she wipes away a tear.

"Natalie listen to me, you can't let this keep you down. I thought I was done for. I didn't deserve friends after what I did. You convinced me otherwise. You told me that I was worthy. This is me paying you back," I said and took her hand in mine.

Natalie looked up at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Tony and Bruce walk away allowing me to have this moment. Although, I think they left more for Natalie than me.

Natalie buried her face into my neck. She had to go up on her tiptoes to do so. I hold her up by wrapping my arms around her waist and she and hold me tighter.

"Thank you, Bucky."

I look down the hallway and see Tony holding up a piece of paper that he had written on.

'Just because she doesn't remember Cap, doesn't mean you can sweep the fangirl off her feet.'

I sigh knowing that he's right. I still don't have her. I don't think I ever will.

Steve's POV

I lock myself in my room and lay on my bed. I just stare at the ceiling. I feel nothing. I'm just numb. WhenI hear a tapping on the door, I can only guess who it is; Natasha.

"Steve, open up. We both know I can break this door down," she threatens.

I still don't move. I don't have the energy to move. I can barely twitch my fingers.

A few moments go past and instead of hearing the door break down, I hear the clicking of a lock pick. Within seconds, the door is swung open.

"I thought you were going to break it down," I sigh.

"No need to be a jerk, Rogers. You won't win her back that way. That didn't end well last time," Nat says and takes a seat next to me.

"I don't think I will get her back. She hates me. She isn't even trying like she was last time," I say trying to hold myself together.

"You have to make her remember then. Tell her about your day together. You didn't leave the room until half-past five. That's gotta mean something," she smirks.

God, she doesn't even remember that. My entire life just went away. One of the most important moments of my life. The happiest I've ever been. She doesn't remember that. And she never will.

"We slept, Nat. Nothing more," I try to hide my pain with a lie.

"That's not what Tony's baby monitor program says. He installed one in Natalie's room. Actually, he did that with all the newbies," she says as if it was nothing.

Still, I don't even feel embarrassed. I just feel pain. Since I don't say anything, she keeps talking. I know she's trying to help, but she's just rubbing it in.

"I have to say, Rogers, you got yourself a good partner. Don't worry, I made Tony delete the footage. Only a few people saw it. Just Tony, Sam, and I. We offered to show Bucky, but he refused. We - "

"Nat, you're not helping," I glare at her.

"At least you're expressing yourself now. Listen, Steve, I know how much this hurts. You have to help her though. You have to help her remember or else you won't get her back. You have some competition these days," she points out Bucky's feelings.

"Bucky wouldn't do that," I argue.

"Steve, Bucky is different now. You don't know what he'll do. Besides the only reason things didn't go too far last time is because she had you. Bucky wants what you two had. Natalie has no reason to say no."

She's right.

"Anyway, let's lighten the mood. Where did you and the fangirl go after your day in?"

Oh no.

"Oh my god! She doesn't even remember her dream, Nat. She figured it out," I say jumping upright.

She gives me a confused look and places a hand on my shoulder.

"She figured what out?"

"Natalie figured out how to save the universe. She told me the future, but now she won't remember how to change it," I explain what the discussion at the park was.

"Well, maybe that's a good thing," Nat shrugs.

"No, it's bad. It's very bad. Natasha, we can't let the future come to play. We have to get Natalie to remember her dream," I say and stand up.

"Okay, how do we do that?"

Just as I was about to answer my phone started to ring. I reach into my pocket and pick up the phone. It was Bruce.

"Bruce, you have any news on Natalie?" I ask.

"Yeah, but I should probably tell you in person."