I do not own Marvel or any of their characters! I wish to extend my thanks to Marvel for letting me borrow their wonderful characters for my story! I only own original characters.
Andrea snuggled up to Steve as she pressed her forehead against his ribs. She sighed deeply as her arm tightened around his bare chest. She prayed that this perfect moment would last forever, because she had everything she needed. She had him.
Steve, however, did not feel so content. Although he was thankful for what Bruce did to save Andrea, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. In almost every case, the super soldier serum had negative effects. What would be hers? Although he trusted Bruce with his life, he was worried about what would happen to his girlfriend. He loved her too much to see her have to face the trials and tribulations of the serum.
"Your heart is pounding through your chest darling. Can't you just enjoy this simple moment of peace before its gone?" Andrew murmured, sighing deeply once again, except this time, her deep breath was filled with frustration.
"I can't. I'm worried about you." Steve answered simply, staring at the ceiling.
"If I die from the serum, I'll be in the same place I was twenty four hours ago, except I'll have had this extra time with you. For goodness sake Steve, can't you just enjoy the two of us before all hell breaks loose?"
Steve rolled out of bed swiftly, leaving Andrea on her side, facing where he once was. "Ease my mind Andrea, let's go see Bruce now. I don't want to worry about you any longer."
She moaned and pulled the pillow over her head, stretching her legs and making her calf muscles flex. Steve took note at how familiar they looked, not stronger, just, familiar. It made him happy to see she hadn't changed physically as a result of the serum.
After much complaining, Steve finally drug Andrea out of bed, and soon she was mounting his bike behind him, before speeding off to the Avengers Tower.
"Sir, Captain Rogers is here. It appears to be urgent."
"Let him in Jarvis." Tony answered simply, tinkering with the arm of his suit in the lab.
"He has requested to see you and Doctor Banner, Sir."
"Well then it's a good thing Banner is here with me." Tony smirked.
"You only have one, I don't have much of a choice when I have to work." Bruce mumbled over the chemicals he was testing.
"Doctor Banner." Steve greeted as he stormed into the room. His face was void of emotion, as usual, but his voice was full of urgency.
"What is it Steve?" Bruce mumbled, wondering if Steve found out what he had tried to do. And probably failed to do, seeing as Steve was alone.
Bruce didn't look up to see the blonde step out from behind Steve, a broad smile on her face.
Steve smiled a little, feeling Andrea's happiness of being with his team again. "Thank you."
Bruce looked up at that, and saw her standing there, perfect as ever, and alive.
"Holy shit, there's a ghost in my tower." Tony yelped, but the smile on his face was uncontainable. He waltzed over to the pair and Andrea extended her arms for a hug, confirming Tony's suspiction.
"Brucy used the super muscle serum on you didn't he?"
"Thankfully yes." Andrea laughed, releasing the billionaire. "And for that I owe him my thanks. And my life." She turned to Bruce and extended her hand, but he pulled her into a hug as well, which she gratefully returned.
When she pulled away, her eyes were wet and she breathed heavily. "You saved me, how can I ever repay you?"
"By making our Captain happy." Bruce said simply, leading her over to his examining table. "And I suppose you are here to have me take a look at you?"
"A genius like yourself knows a woman's motives."
"Only when they are science related." Bruce smirked, taking out his stethoscope.
"What about it Cap, shall we go tell the others the good news?" Tony asked, smacking Steve on the arm. Tony's offer was genuine, but his face said they should leave Bruce to his work, and not distract him or Andrea.
Steve reluctantly followed Tony out of the lab, and kept his eyes ahead of him as Tony began to question him.
"What are you thinking Capsicle?"
"That something is going to be wrong with her."
"There's nothing wrong with you…"
"But there's something massively wrong with the Hulk." Steve snapped, turning to Tony. "And there was something terribly wrong with Schmidt too. I was the only success of the serum, and I've gone through hell too. You think I liked being frozen in ice for seventy years, finding out everyone I love is dead and have to live and fight in a world I was never meant to see."
"Excuse me, is this about her, or is this about you? Because last I checked you loved this girl and were heartbroken because she was dead. If I were you I'd take whatever side effects Bruce's serum comes with and continue loving her, because the other option is that she's dead." Tony barked back, grabbing Steve's shoulder. "She so desperately wants you to be happy she's alive and I can see you've given her none of that happiness since she found you."
Tony stormed off, annoyed by his leader's perpetual negative attitude. Steve hung his head, running his hand through his hair. He quickly turned back towards the lab to see Bruce and Andrea talking, voices low.
"Doctor Banner." Steve asked, leaving the rest unsaid.
"She's gonna be fine Cap. It worked. It didn't enhance her muscles as much as yours, because they were completely depleted when I gave her the shot, but her vitals are normal, her brain is fine, her heart is fine. She doesn't have your strength, your speed, your metabolism. She has more than she had before, but, she won't have any side effects Steve."
"Oh darn." Andrea snapped, a small smile on her face.
Steve let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you Doctor."
"You're welcome Captain." Bruce answered, packing back up his bag. He glanced at Andrea, then back to Steve. "Just, keep an eye on her for a while, just to make sure."
"I won't let her out of my sight." Steve smirked, and Andrea took this moment to throw her arms around his torso.
"Master Stark requests that Doctor Banner and Captain Rogers convine in the briefing room for information on a new mission." Jarvis announced over the intercom.
Steve and Bruce exchanged and glance and Steve led the way towards the elevator, Andrea breaking her grip on him. She studied him, smiling weakly. Her soldier was always so brave and strong, and she loved that about him, except when she wanted him to simply care for her. She would have given anything in that moment for him to simply hold her, care for her, choose her over the good for mankind. But she'd never tell him that. She'd never ask him to stop being Captain America. It was in his blood, whether he realized it or not.
Director Fury stared at Andrea, as if he didn't believe she was there. His eye was locked on hers, and his lips curled down into a scowl. Andrea knew he blamed her for the Avengers being shut down, and there she was, alive, and not helping them.
"Well well well, if it isn't The President's daughter, back from the dead to haunt us even more. Have you come back to kill anymore of my team Miss Anderson, or do you have worse tortures than death." Fury spat at her, then turned, his coat flailing behind him. "Once Miss Anderson is returned to the White House, we're flying over to Alaska, whether the government approves it or not, it's our duty to protect this planet, and this enemy has a grudge match with one of our own."
"How dare you…" Andrea growled, taking a step towards Fury as Steve and Bruce laid a hand on each shoulder, restraining her.
"We're sending you back to D.C. before we head to Alaska. Now go wait out by the door until we're finished. We have very important business to attend to here." Maria Hill stated, placing herself between the girl and Director Fury.
"Alaska. Sounds like someone's moved his way closer to home from Russia." Andrea hissed, immediately regretting her words. She tumbled back, shaking her head in disbelief. What had she just done?
"You know who the Winter Soldier is?" Fury asked, his interested piqued.
"I was hired to sell Russia my antidote to stop him. I know he was created during World War II, I heard that Hydra used prisoners of war as their test subjects…" Andrea stumbled over her words, choosing them cautiously as she quickly scrambled to explain herself.
"Director Fury. He's the one we spoke of at the ball isn't he?" Steve asked, stone still, hand sliding off Andrea's shoulder. She reached desperately for him, but he wouldn't let her touch him. Not if she knew.
"Are you all under the impression I know who this man is?" Andrea asked, tearful eyes looking from Steve to the rest of the group.
Natasha stared at her blankly, Clint chewed on the end of a pen, eyes wide, almost enjoying the scene unfolding. Tony had his arms crossed, unsure of who he was rooting for, and Thor simply stood there, blankly staring at the wall, as if trying to figure out this riddle everyone else seemed to know the answer to.
"Do you?" Steve asked, not being able to look her in the eyes.
"I just came back from the dead!" Andrea cried out, terrified.
"Do you know who the Winter Soldier is?" Steve yelled at her, staring her down with his steely blue eyes.
"No! Should I?" Andrea sobbed, losing it as she began to weep. "Whoever you think it is, is clearly more important then me.
"He is. He's my best friend." Steve muttered, storming out of the room after taking a glance at the photo Maria had handed him. He knew. It only took a split second to glance at the picture and know. After seventy years, Bucky still looked like he had when he fell of that train, landing in the ice, freezing for who knows how long until the Russians found him, brain washed him, replaced his arm with a gun, and sent him on a rabid killing spree.
Andrea knelt down, picking up the photo Steve had dropped. She stared at him for a moment, until it clicked. She'd done her research, she knew who this man was. "Oh no."
"We'll have the jet ready to take you to D.C. in a few hours." Maria said sternly, handing the rest of the team briefing packets.
Andrea glanced at Maria and Fury, then turned to Tony, who gazed back at her and nodded.
"I'll be ready to go."
