(The night before Erica's phase 2 announcement)
"Lucky for us it's summer, hmm? Sleeping here al fresco." Steve commented pillowing his arm behind his head as a few wayward crickets chirped. The lights in the alley they parked in sent harsh building shadows above them and created a nice dark space that concealed their truck perfectly.
"I like it colder." Natasha commented, trying to get comfortable in the back of the truck bed next to him.
"Spoken like a true Russian."
"You have no idea."
"Actually, I think I do."
Natasha poked him hard in the ribs, "Smart ass."
The scurrying of raccoons and a few odd rats around them broke the silence between them. The police patrolled regularly for looters and sick people but other than them, Cap and Natasha had not seen a single soul.
"Steve." Natasha tried to see the stars beyond the harsh light above them that also concealed them.
"Yes?"
"Do you still think I'm a friend?" Romanov asked.
Rogers paused wondering where she was going with this. Natasha was not a woman of regrets.
"You still awake, old man?"
"Yeah. I don't need the 4:30pm dinner special, Natasha. I was thinking."
"That hard of a decision, hmm?"
"No. Not really. Just wondering why the question."
"Well, being that I'm laying next to an international criminal right now, I figured I'd ask if we're on a friendly basis."
Steve turned on his side, propping his head up on the palm of his hand, looking down at Natasha. "Well, I do owe you for letting me and Buck go back in Dusseldorf."
"So that makes us friends, still?" her tone was frank, her red hair like molten lava in the low light.
"Tasha… "Steve sighed, "I understand your motives. I understand your choices. I may not agree with them, but I understand them. I'd hope that wouldn't change our friendship."
"But."
"But what?"
Natasha rolled her eyes, "C'mon, Rogers. How do you know I'm not working for Tony right now and he won't swoop in and arrest you right now?"
Cap smiled down at her, his perfect teeth white in the shadows, "Because that isn't you. You know why I'm here and why you're here and it's for good things. Even Tony is working the problem, but in his own way. Look… it's like we're practically together again. Just … how do you say it nowadays; telecommuting."
Widow looked at the war vet in the eyes and knew he spoke the truth. It didn't make her feel any better about what she did though and the role she had played in the unraveling of the Avengers. "You're like a goddamned George Washington, Rogers."
"I've heard that before. Bucky used to say it when we were kids." His tone became wistful.
"How is he?" Natasha asked, a note of fondness and concern for the former assassin in her voice.
"Better than he was."
"That's not saying much."
"Tony didn't tell you what happened in Siberia?" Steve wasn't terribly surprised.
"Not really. You know him, always short on details. And he wasn't exactly in the mood to talk about it."
"It was quite a scuffle." Cap looked just beyond Natasha at the graffiti on the brick wall behind their truck, "Zemo pulled that thread on Bucky's file and showed Tony that Buck had killed his parents, when he was under the influence of HYDRA that is." Natasha saw an angry flash in Steve's eyes as he told the story, voice taut. "Tony tried to kill him. We both fought him off and Bucky lost his left arm, blown off by Tony."
"Is he ok!?" Natasha sat up with a start.
"Yes. We both staggered out of there barely alive…. All three of us, of course."
"Where does T'Challa fit into this?"
"He gave us a ride. And fixed us both up." There was a note of sadness in his tone as he rolled onto his back again.
They sat for a while in silence before Romanov broke it, knowing there was something else he wasn't saying. "What's wrong?"
"He went back under, Natasha." he said flatly. She gasped in surprise. "He chose to be frozen again till the Wakandans can fix whatever is in his head."
"Steve… I'm so sorry." Natasha apologized, reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder that rested near her knee. She realized his heartbreak must be unbearable and part of that was her doing. Romanov felt another red mark in her ledger, but this one cut into her too.
Rogers reached up and held her hand for a moment, squeezing it. A small smirk came to his lips. "He talked about you."
"Me?"
"Bucky said you were the best thing in his life back then, in the Red Room. He didn't say much about it, but I could tell you must have helped him even though you were going through hell too." Steve commented in a grateful tone. "I can't even begin to imagine…But that sounds like him; always helping. Specially a pretty girl."
Natasha felt her cheeks color. Both of them had been pawns in the terrible twisted game that HYDRA was playing. A shudder ran through her body.
"I didn't mean to bring up bad memories, Tash." He let go of her hand. She pulled it up to her chest and cradled both of her hands together.
"No. No. The past is past. He was right. We kind of found each other in a horrible situation." She said gazing up at lights above, clearing her throat. Some nights she still felt that metallic grip around her larynx and his cold eyes under the influence of the Winter Soldier, not the warm and intelligent war vet she had met all those years ago in the Red Room.
Widow, wanting to change the subject, began, "Aren't you wondering why we're driving to Montana?"
"I figured you'd tell me eventually."
"Tony gave me a few leads he'd picked up on his various listening posts. Apparently, there was a rather intelligent student of microbiology who was making a fuss over the last few years."
"They not get their dissertation funded or something? Did Tony father a child with this person?"
"No. It wasn't part of any Stark funding projects or his soirees post-Pepper. There was an uptick in some equipment going places and viruses being purchased." Natasha felt more grounded discussing the mission rather than Barnes, who sometimes made her feel lost in the stream. "And the arrows began to point out west here."
"Were you able to pin it down more specifically?" Steve looked up at Natasha who still sat with her back to the cab side of the flatbed.
"Not exactly. But I have some hints that we need to be in Casper." She lowered her gaze at his upside-down one.
"Good old women's intuition?"
"More like 'bioterrorist Russian instinct'."
"Wow." Steve's eyebrows raised, "Are you immunized? You made it all the way here not getting ill."
"I've had so many shots, Rogers, it'd make your head spin." She said a bit cockily, "How about you Mr. Pre-Polio vaccine?"
"Since I've been this," he gestured with his hand the length of his body, "I've not even caught a head cold."
"Oh. Tough guy, hmm?" Natasha crossed her arms over her chest.
"I wouldn't say so. Just damn lucky." He chuckled, "I've caught and lived through so many diseases, Natasha, it would make your head spin."
"Well, Mr. Luck, we better turn in so we can get on the road tomorrow." Natasha commented, sliding down and turning her back to Steve, pillowing her head on a bent elbow.
"G'night, Natasha." Rogers said with a yawn.
"You too, Steve." She replied and closed her eyes, trying not to see Bucky's frozen face, feeling guilt-ridden about it.
