Romanogers Part 2💗

Chapter 19: Epiphany

*Natasha's point of view*

I struggled to get out of Tony's grip. Steve was thrown into the van and I felt shivers roll up my spine. The men ran around to the side of the black van and pulled away, recklessly. He was gone. Tony's grip loosened and I wriggled my way free and ran out the door. Tears were falling from my eyes as I tried to catch up to the speeding van. I wasn't fast enough. The van turned a sharp corner and was soon out of sight. I stopped running and stood still.

The typical New Yorkers walked around me, getting to their own busy lives. My hands by my side. My hair messy from the run. My eyes red from the tears. I heard my name being called from far behind me but I didn't even flinch. I walked to the side of the pavement, out of peoples way, and sat down with my feet in the road. My knees came closer to my chest and I put my head in my knees. Tears fell faster than I could comprehend.

"NAT?!... NAT!" Tony cried.
"Jesus Nat where are you?!" I heard Clint mutter. "NAT!" I felt someone run over to me and place their hand on my shoulder. "Tony! She's here!" I helplessly fell into Clints Embrace and I cried into his tshirt.
"Nat!" Tony ran to the other side of me and placed his arms around my shoulder.
"He's gone!" I yelled as I gripped his tshirt.
"Natasha, who's gone?" He asked, genuinely confused by my words.
"STEVE!" I cried and I got off of Clint and stood up.
"Nat! Where are you going?" One of the men asked.
"I need to be alone." I replied, my voice cracking as I walked off and disappeared from Clint and Tony in the New York Rush.

I walked as fast as I could back into the Tower and up to my room. I jammed the key into the door and twisted it harshly. The door swung open and I stormed inside, slamming it behind me. I paused for a moment. I stood still. I stared out the window. I felt my vision blur slowly as tears gathered in my eyes. He was gone. Steve had been kidnapped right under my nose and I couldn't do anything about it. I found myself punching the wall and knocking everything off of the table. In a rage, I swung my arms across the table and my left arm hit the wall and I felt a pain rush through my body. I leaned against the wall, clutching my left arm with my right arm. I slowly shrank down to the floor and tears rushed down my face. I looked down at my arm and saw a small amount of blood and a bone that was not the correct position. I had clearly either severely fractured my arm or broken it. I put my head back against the wall and sobbed.

He was gone. Steve was gone. This had to be a dream. This can't be happening. It's been a year since I broke free. Bruce was never found though. Could they have been after me? What if they were and took Steve instead? But they saw me, if they were after me they would've left Steve and came back for me! Why didn't they?! What if I never see him again? I love him! After all that has happened, Bruce, Sharon, Kidnappings, getting shot and stabbed, I still love him. He went and got a new girlfriend and I still love him. I always will. He is my light. He is my ex but I didn't want him to be!!

After an hour of sitting on the floor, I heard a knock at the door.
"Natasha? You in here?" It was Tony.
"Go away." I moaned. A fatal mistake, I should have stayed quiet. The door opened and footsteps approached me.
"Nat? Where are-" he saw me on the floor with my tear stained cheeks and my disfigured arm.
"What happened?" He asked kneeling next to me.
"I don't want to talk about it." I said looking away from him.
"Can I?" He said, asking me if he can look at my arm and I nod. We sat in silence for 5 minutes while Tony did his best to secure my arm while I was sitting in the floor.
"Can I ask you something?" I said, tears filling my eyes again.
"Go for it." He smiled.
"What happened to him?" I said and a tear rolled down my rosey cheeks.
"We went out for breakfast. We came back to find a few men hassling our receptionist." I looked at him. He sat next to me, playing with his fingers. "We asked what the problem was and that said they were looking for... for you." He hesitated. Oh no. Steve can't have done what I think did. No. No. No. Please no. "Steve interjected and said take me instead. I tried, Nat. I tried to stop him but he insisted! At lunch he told me he would do ANYTHING to gain your trust back. He offered himself up and they accepted the offer. They said they would leave you. He just wanted to get you back." He did what?! He... he did this?! He did it for me. For me. Oh no. No.
"Its my fault." I cried even more while my head was still leaning my head back on the wall.
"Nat, he chose to do it!" Tony fought back.
"Tony, it's clear! It's all my fault! If I didn't take Steve back, he would be here right now! I should have told him! I was going to take him for dinner! It would be our first ever date! But no, because I'm too stubborn and my continuous trust issues, Steve is going God knows where with God knows who!" I cried. Tony didn't have a reply. He knew it was true.

Steve had sacrificed himself. He sacrificed himself for me! The man I love has been kidnapped because of me! He did it because he... he cared. He DID care. STEVE CARED!! I... I can trust him! But. It's too late. He's gone. I've got to find him. I've got to. I will not rest until I do.

"Tony, we've got to find him." I said after a while of thinking through possible scenarios where me and Steve reunite.
"How?" He replied.
"Go to the old compound. Look for clues. Search the internet. Wherever Bruce is, Steve will be there. He has to be. We have to look!" I started to raise my voice to get my point across.
"Okay, we will." He replied, trying to calm me down.
"I had an epiphany." I said and I saw Tony's gaze turn towards me.
"About what?" He asked, confusion in his voice showing.
"Him. He did this for me. I can't say that he doesn't care when he has offered his life up to make sure I have the rest of mine." I replied and I saw Tony begin to smile. I had a tear in my eye so I was confused by his reaction. "What?"
"You. You are literally head over heels in love with him." He beamed.
"I'm pissed that it took this for me to realise what he'll do for me." I looked down at the ground.
"He would do it again in a heartbeat, as you would for him." He smiled. "Come on, let's get your arm patched up. It looks like you've broken the bone but it should be okay in a few weeks. Let's go find Steve."
"We have to find him. I can't live with myself if we don't. I need this arm patched up and fixed by next week, get one of your science buddies to help you find some cell regeneration serum that can get me ready to fight at any point. If we find him and I can't fight, I'm putting you all at risk because I'm coming either way." I stated and Tony just nodded, helping me up on to my feet.

We have got to find him. I can't rest knowing that he is in danger. I'm not stopping until he is found.

End of Epiphany