Like A River

1. Forbidden Knowledge (Scarlett)

     "My God," I whisper as I stare down at the papers in my hands. "We almost had it all..."

      My thoughts race in a million different distractions as I turn back to the first of hundreds of pages, silently praying that what I uncovered is actually in my hands. I skim the typed words frantically, turning page after page after page until I land on a scene that I recognize. It's my own, or at least it's supposed to be. What's written here contains much more than the sparknotes script I was given.

     Where was it?

The camera focuses on Natasha, sitting at a desk covered in stacks of paper, miscellaneous equipment, pill bottles, and takeout containers. A pair of well-worn ballet slippers are under the desk, just out of frame until we see Steve enter.

Hanging from his neck is a single silver chain. Natasha knows the significance of the chain and what is attached — Bucky's dog tags. He hasn't worn them in years.

Natasha wonders if Steve has realized what it means yet, realized what he hasn't yet told the spy sitting at the desk in front of him.

      There! There it is!

She decides that maybe his lack of insight is for the best, and leaves it alone. After all, an old friend is here to visit. She doesn't want to seem an ungrateful host.

      What is it that he's hiding?

      What does Natasha know?

      What's on the chain?

     I flip through the next several hundred pages, trying my damnedest not to give myself paper cuts.

The spy finds a man in black and gold standing in place of who she came to find, but they are one and the same. She's almost moved to tears as she begs him to return home, saying he's been lost for far too long.

He laughs at her. He isn't lost. He can't be. He's done this on his own, forging his own path in blood and hate, hasn't he?

      My phone vibrates on the couch beside me. I don't hear or feel it.

      I turn another several hundred pages.

The man standing beside her takes something out of his pocket and opens it, the metallic click catching her attention immediately. She realizes that the picture inside is different from the one she's seen before.

This is the true reason for the pocket watch, the captain's true emotions finally becoming clear to her.

She silently asks herself how she missed this, how she could have been so oblivious to what truly motivates one of her closest friends.

      My phone vibrates again.

      I choose to ignore it.

     My phone vibrates again.

      I catch a glimpse of the screen just before it times out. I have a text from Sebastian Stan, a text from Anthony Mackie, and a text from Chris Evans.

      With a frustrated sigh, I set the script down and pick up my phone so I can text my boys back.

      Thank God it isn't a group message.

      They're all separate messages.

      I go to Chris' message first.

Chris: Hey, Scarlett! I finally got a chance to listen to the voicemail you left. I'm free next Friday, if that helps?