As I lay in the meadow it feels as if I am in a dream. The sun in my eyes, the sound of birds chirping, and the slight rustle coming from the wind blowing the grass I lay beneath. If it was a dream, I wish it would never end and that I could lie there forever and retain the current state of happiness that it gave me. But then I awoke to the darkness of my cell. Silent tears run down my face, the frustration of it only being a dream sends more, and then I smile, thankful for that one dream. Even if it was only a dream, I found the happiness that had eluded me for years, that in my cell felt like centuries. Not in a hurry to return to reality I lay there on my bed once again wishing for this darkness to swallow me whole as it always threatens to. Then maybe if heaven existed, it could take my to my meadow and I could finally know peace an maybe even happiness.

My name is Mina, last names mean little to me, I have never needed one so I didn't ask what it was, where I came from, or how long I would be stuck here, in this endless darkness. When I was needed for experiments or testing they would put me to sleep never letting me see the light for more than a moment. Then suddenly everything changed, one fateful day my cell door was opened and I could see the light. I hesitated but not for long, I jumped off of my bed and headed towards the light and in the light I saw a man dressed in red, white and blue, and he said to me, " Hello ma'am do you need help?"

I felt a surge of what I later defined as relief come over me, but in my incarceration I had forgotten how to speak, so I nodded my head and he seemed to understand. I tried to walk closer to him, but my legs gave out and understanding he carried me away from there and I had my second genuine smile that day, but unlike the first it was not for contempt, it was for hope.

When we exited the building I saw men being taken prisoner and among them I recognized some of them as the men in white coats who knocked me out before the experiments. I smiled at the thought but quickly my attention was pulled elsewhere when a man in a robotic suit cam flying towards my savior and I.

" Hey Cap, what did I tell you about brining home strays?"

The man who saved me replied, " I found here locked up in one of the cells in the underground lab I couldn't just leave her there!"

"Well then, hand her over to Fury maybe SHEILD can get some info out of her,"

When the man in the robotic suit suggested this I instantly tensed, I didn't want to leave the man that just saved me. At this moment he was the only one I could trust. I looked at him and shook my head diligently.

He smiled down at me as if trying to reassure me and said, " Don't worry they're the good guys!"

This didn't make me trust them anymore than I already did, which was not at all.

The man in the suit asked, " Can't she speak?".

He replied," No I don't think so,"

"Great she's mute, since it seems we can't get info the old fashioned way, maybe SHEILD can run some tests,"

I instantly started shaking my head 'no'.

He gave me that reassuring smile again and said, "Don't worry it will only be a couple tests they shouldn't hurt"

As a desperate plea, I tried to say something but this was all that came out.

"PPPle..ase!….. Nnnnn…nnoo….PPple…ase…"

That now frustrating reassuring smile reared it ugly head again as he tried to convince me, " Its ok they won't hurt you", but you feared that you would end up the in another never ending darkness, and with your new found hope quickly dying you tried speaking again, but the only thing that came out was series of long violent coughs.

" It's okay I won't let them take you, alright you can just stay with me,"

This made you calm down quite a bit.

-Time skip brought to you by how sexy Steve looks in spandex-

Steve brought you back to Stark Tower after over half an hour of fighting with Fury to keep you with him at least for a little while until you got out of shock and were more stable. He was still carrying you, now asleep, bridal style when they got to the 77th floor of the Stark Tower, which after the attack on New York most of the Avengers started to call home, all except for Thor who had gone back to Asgard with Loki.

" I don't know about this Capsicle, we don't even know what she can do! She could be a crazy blood thirsty vampire for all we know!"

"I seriously doubt that Tony, and besides she seems way to frightened to be a threat and she looks barely 17,"

" Whatever, I still say we should have let Fury run some tests, and besides what's up with the white hair and purple eyes? She looks like something out of a Sci – Fi movie.

"I don't know maybe she's not even human. I mean she could have crash landed here and gotten captured,"

"Which gives us more reasons to run some tests,"

" I don't think we should do that, you saw how frightened she was when you mentioned it, I think she's been traumatized enough for a little while,"

"Fine, well I'm gonna go get a drink and I'll ask Pepper to get her some clothes, she can't just walk around in that hospital gown all the time,"

"Thanks Tony I'm gonna turn in for the night, and oh, where's the nearest guest room?"

" Down the hall to the left,"

" Thanks"

And with that Steve carried you from the couch to the guest room, as he laid you on the bed, he felt a tug at his shirt, when he looked back you stuttered out,

"Sssst…stay…"

When he looked at you he knew he couldn't leave, the fear in your eyes was something that nearly broke his heart, he knew what Hydra was capable of and he felt somewhat responsible, no matter how ridiculous the notion was, for what had happened to so he stayed and he was rewarded by seeing a smile on your face as he laid down on the bed and soon after you drifted off to sleep and so did he.