She watched as Steve's body fell from atop of one of the helicarriers. She felt herself scream as she watched her best friend plummet into the depths of the Potomac River. She felt herself screaming, her lungs felt as if they were about to implode. But she did not make a sound. Her screams continued, tears beginning to form in her eyes. And yet she produced no audible sound.
"Beth—" She thought she heard her name, but dismissed it quickly.
It was as if time itself had stopped, nothing around her moved. Everything was still. The imprint of his limp body tumbling from the sky, as she watched on helplessly, would forever be ingrained in her mind. She had just witnessed her closest friend fall inevitably to his death, and there was nothing she could do to change that.
"Elizabeth!" the voice shouted once more. Letting out a gasp, she awoke, startled. He's fine. She thought to herself. He's fine. She looked around for the source of the voice. Her eyes scanned the room quickly, taking in the awfully boring furniture, but that was typical for a hospital. She stopped looking when her gaze landed on a familiar face. She produced a small smile.
"He's wants to see you." Nicholas J. Fury informed her. With a quick nod of his head, he carried on walking towards the entrance.
Beth spared no second in getting to his room. She had been begging them to let her in ever since they had found his body washed up somewhere along the banks of the Potomac. She had to know that he was okay, she had to see him. Eagerly twisting the door- knob she rushed inside before stopping abruptly.
She took in his unkempt hair and his bruised face. He looked a mess. She approached the bed slowly—he hadn't heard her come in.
"Steve?" She whispered. No response.
"Steve!" This time it was a harsh whisper. It seemed to work. She saw him moving to sit upright; she moved to stand beside him, helping him get comfortable. She reached across him, her hands trying fumbling around trying to find the button that would make the bed rise. But she felt two strong arms encircle her before she could find it. She let out a laugh.
"It's good to see you Betty," he said. She felt the vibration of his laughter through her chest. She breathed in slowly; his usual scent of peppermint was undetectable today, but that was understandable. In that moment she felt a wave of relief wash over her. He was going to be okay. She moved out of the hug to see him better.
She sighed, "Steve, I told you not to call me that" she told him sternly. A few moments passed, before they both burst out into laughter. She slapped his shoulder lightly before she finally spoke "it's good to see you too Rogers. "
Following everything that happened in New York, Beth had been asked by Fury to help Steve adjust to the modern age. She was patient at the best of times, but it was her amusement at his reactions to even the simplest of technologies that made her think it was all worth it. The two had been almost inseparable in the two years that intervened between then and now. Beth was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, and that didn't leave much room for making friends. But she was glad she had been able to make at least one friend. Even if it was Captain America.
"Beth, your hair has certainly seen better days." Steve laughed as he tugged gently on a few strands of her auburn hair. She suddenly became conscious of how she must have looked, blushing ever so slightly. She hadn't brushed it in the last four days; she had been too preoccupied with other things to worry about appearances.
"I've been in this hospital since you arrived, bud" she replied.
"And how long would that be?" He asked her.
"I don't know, three weeks maybe?"
"THREE WEEKS?" He shot up quickly, his face full of alarm.
Beth chuckled before saying, "relax Steve, it's been four days."
"Have I ever told you that I hate you?" He said with smile.
"All the time" She retorted.
The morning passed with Beth filling Steve in on all he had missed in the past few days, which, surprisingly, was quite a lot. The Triskelion was all but destroyed, from one side at least. Fury thought it would be best to keep S.H.I.E.L.D under the radar until he could be sure HYDRA wasn't monitoring his whereabouts. For now, Sam Wilson and a small group of S.H.I.E.L.D agents were operating in a covert location in D.C, but it would only be a matter of time before they would have to relocate in fear of being found.
Right now, Fury had made it his priority to track down the location of The Winter Soldier, but he had made Beth promise not to tell Steve of his intent under any circumstances, in case the mission had to be terminated prematurely.
There was a knock and both Beth and Steve both snapped their heads towards the door. "Come in" they answered simultaneously, giving each other amused looks.
Sam entered the room, grinning at the sight before him. "Why hello there Elizabeth." He bowed jokingly. Beth got out of her chair to let him sit down and talk with Steve.
"Samuel." She mock- curtseyed before giving him a smile.
"Behave, both of you." Steve warned, though his tone was light hearted.
"Relax, Cap, you'll get your turn with the Falcon," he moved to sit in the seat Beth had occupied.
After saying her goodbyes, Beth moved out of the room and made quickly for the exit. It would be nice to see the light of day once more.
Two weeks later
"How is he feeling now?" Sam asked Beth as he joined her at the table.
"He's doing much better."
"Does Fury have any more on—"
"Not now" she warned him quickly as she heard the familiar footfalls of Steve approaching the room. They were in the second location of S.H.I.E.L.D's secret headquarters, and not even a month had passed. Nick had assured the team that this base would last longer than the first, 'but maybe not long enough to get yourselves comfortable' he had cautioned.
"Fury needs to talk to you. He said it's important," Steve informed Beth nonchalantly as he entered the room. By now Steve was used to Fury withholding information until he was ready to tell him. Whatever it was, he would find out eventually.
She sighed, hoping it wasn't another relocation. She made her way to Fury's makeshift office, "you needed to see me?"
He gestured for her to sit down, and she quickly obliged. The desk was old and wooden, but it did what Fury needed it to do. The sight of such advanced technology atop the withering table made Beth smile, but her thoughts were cut short.
"We found him." He informed her flatly before sitting down.
Beth opened her mouth to respond. Him? The Winter Soldier?
He cut her off before she could articulate her thoughts into words, "we the Winter Soldier." He affirmed.
"We found James Buchanan Barnes" he said before continuing "and you're going to help him remember."
