A/N: Spoiler Alert! This was story was inspired by Captain America: Civil War.

Enjoy, and don't forget to review.

Many thanks to CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur for the Beta, and Black' Victor Cachat for brainstorming.

Namaste,

Sunny

Captain America

Civil War

I Still Believe

Que Sera, Sera

The driver set Natasha's bag on the sidewalk, accepted a tip, got behind the wheel, and drove off. She was so exhausted, if she fell down, she'd likely fall asleep where she lay. With bag in hand, she went inside the compound, and took a lift to the residential wing.

Inside her room, she set the bag in a corner while she took off her jewelry, and placed it in the top drawer of the dresser. While getting out something to sleep in, she heard voices in the hall. She cracked the door, and saw Hill come out of Cameron's room, cross the hall, and go into her own.

Shaking her head, Natasha stripped out of her clothes, too tired to wonder what was going on between Cameron and Hill, if anything. She was also too tired to take a shower, and then put on her pajamas, but she did.

As she ran a brush through her wet hair, she heard music. It seemed to be coming from Cameron's room. She opened the door to satisfy her curiosity. Yes, it was Cameron playing the saxophone. Though she hadn't known he played, it wasn't really a surprise. She knew he was an intelligent and creative person from the way his eyes took in everything that went on around him, even when he seemed to be disinterested.

Natasha looked to her right when Hill's door opened. The former SHIELD commander leaned in the doorway, also listening to the music. An almost dreamy smile turned up her lips, and Natasha wondered what it meant.

When the music stopped, Hill went back into her room, and closed the door. Natasha did the same, crawling into the bed she used to share with Bucky. One hand patted the other side of the bed, wanting and needing him so badly right now that her entire body ached with the force of it. There was so much she had to tell him and couldn't. Not until he came out of cryo. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too long, because if she didn't share what she knew with someone soon, she would explode.

Clint was her best friend, and under normal circumstances, he would be the first person she'd go to. But as Bucky was one of the major players in this little play called life, he deserved to know before anyone else.

~~O~~

Hill dressed, and left Cameron's room while he was still asleep. After the night, and morning they'd spent together, he had to be exhausted, because she was.

From the beginning, she'd felt an attraction for Cameron, but had never followed up on it. Because of those trust issues she told him about, she'd given the feeling no credence. Still, it was there every time they worked side by side, sat next to each other in a meeting, or when they were alone in her office, going over reports. SHIELD didn't have a no-fraternization rule, and as long as both parties were consenting and discrete, especially while on the job, Fury didn't make an issue of it.

From his first day at SHIELD, Hill had thought of Cameron as highly intelligent, if a little nervous in tense situations. An opinion that she'd discarded after hearing Steve's story, told to him by Agent 13, of how Cameron had stood up to Rumlow when told to override Insight's launch timetable.

Cameron's tendency to get flustered under close scrutiny also led her to believe that he'd be a boring lover, wanting the woman to tell him what she liked, instead of discovering it for himself.

Was she ever wrong!

Each time they made love, he saw to it that she was thoroughly and completely satisfied before asking anything for himself. Their first time together had been so intense, and so explosive, that afterward, Hill had said, "Oh, my gawd! We are gonna do that again!"

Cameron had chuckled, cuddled her close, and kissed her forehead. And went on to blow each and every ill-conceived notion she ever had about him right out of the water. Unlike most men, with him, making love wasn't a performance, the quid, to get a pro quo from her. Once, he tried to stop her from reciprocating. Fat chance, pal. Whatever he did for her, she gave back in equal measure, until they were both too tired to go on.

After they'd showered together, Cameron had her sit in the chair while he combed her hair until it was dry. He then helped her dress in one of his t-shirts, put her into the bed, got in, and cuddled her until they both went to sleep.

Now, alone in her room, Hill wasn't sure what to do. At no time in her life had she ever given in to an attraction for a man. Not once. And it hadn't been an issue until they were stuck in Wakanda, unable to go home or they'd end up back in the Raft, provided Ross figured out how to get it back in the water. If not there, then another federal prison where they'd stay until the rest of the world forgot they'd ever existed.

However, that wasn't why Hill had offered herself to Cameron, to keep from feeling lonely. There was way more to this than the physical aspect of their relationship. They respected each other as colleagues, and as individuals.

Since Cameron's first day on the job, he was one of the few people on the planet that could make her laugh out loud. Like when he made a comment about Loki while watching Natasha interrogate the demi-god.

I think he just needs to get laid.

Then there was the song they sang together in the car. She hummed the chorus, and at first Hill thought the music was inside her head. Then she realized it wasn't. She followed the sounds out to the hall, leaning in the doorway of her room while Cameron played the saxophone again. The song ended; she went back into her room, and closed the door, thinking, That's gonna be our song.

It was apt, considering that Cameron had a heart of gold. He'd given up a career with Homeland Security, his apartment, pets, if he had them, his car, and his family, all to help rescue his friends from an unjust incarceration. Then there was the fact of his relationship with Jane, as they called the imposter. Busting her virtually ensured that they wouldn't be able to be together, meaning he pretty much traded his girlfriend for Barton, Wilson, Lang, Maximoff, and her.

At one point during the night, Hill asked who at SHIELD had known about him and Jane. She actually felt sorry for him after his cheerless whisper. "She didn't want anyone to know."

From his tone, Cameron felt as though Jane were ashamed of their relationship. Hill wanted him to know that she would never feel that way toward him or their time together. If they were still working for SHIELD, discretion would be the operative word when on the job. Not so here in Wakanda. Her mind made up about what to do, Hill changed clothes, and went to the gym.

Wakanda

The Park

After their swim, Wanda and Scott walked while he pushed the tandem, talking, and enjoying nature. The path ahead forked, and they kept to the left. After a while, they got on the bike, and road until they came to a picnic area that looked like no one had used it in years.

"The weather's nice," Scott commented, squinting into the sun. "I wonder where everyone is."

"Perhaps we're in what is called a tourist ambush?"

Wanda shook her head at Scott's chuckle. "Trap, though they sometimes feel like an ambush. And we're the first tourists to visit this part of Wakanda."

She climbed off the bike, and helped him set it against a tree. He untied the bag from the basket, and carried it to the open area near a group of brightly colored flowers. They spread the blanket, set the bag to one side, and sat across from each other.

While Scott fixed their plates, Wanda took in the beauty of their surroundings. Sokovia had nothing comparable to the tropical flora. The flowers in her homeland were beautiful, but not as vibrant, bursting with life, almost electrifying. Reds, yellows, greens, and blues that made her feel like she might have found the biblical Eden, all the colors vying for her attention. She felt a poke on her leg, and adjusted the position of her feet. The poke happened again, harder. "Ow!"

"What's wrong?"

She brought her knee up, turning her leg so she could see the ankle. "Something bit me. Look."

Scott took hold of her foot, turning it to examine the red spots. "Ant bites." He looked around, and his eyes widened. "Oh, God. We have to go."

She took Scott's hands, and he pulled her up in front of him. "Go? Just for a few ants?"

"They're not just any ants, Wanda. They're army ants."

"And that's not good?"

Taking her hand, he turned toward the bike leaning against the tree a few feet away. "Their queen is considered the largest ant in the world. Army ants will eat anything that crosses their path, without exception, including people. And once they get ahold of you, it's next to impossible to get away."

They skidded to a stop before reaching the bike. It was covered by an undulating mass of reddish brown.

Wanda sensed that Scott was more than a little nervous as he searched for a way out before they were taken down by the disgusting creatures now blocking them from getting to the bike, and the path back to the entrance of the park. She raised her hands, a ball of red mist forming in the air. Making a pushing motion, she used her psionics to scatter the ants in all directions, but they didn't stay away. In fact, she seemed to have angered them.

~~O~~

Scott pushed her behind him. "Stay absolutely still, Wanda. And whatever you do, don't use your powers on them again."

Her hands gripped his shoulders as she pressed against his back. "I could fly us out."

"You saw what happened. They don't like your, uh…"

"Psionics."

The ants came closer, and Scott turned to keep himself between Wanda and them while looking for a way out. "Can you take both of us?"

"Not sure. I could try."

He shook his head. "That could get us both killed. We're dead either way, if we don't get out of here. But I do have an idea."

Taking a deep breath, Scott concentrated on the insects. Hopefully, his ability to control the behavior of ants would work on this species as well as the others. The mass of insects stopped less than two feet away, their antenna waving in the air as if sensing something only they could hear. As one, they turned and marched back into the jungle.

Scott continued to concentrate as he took Wanda's hand, and together they slowly made their way to the path. Soon, they came to the place where the paths diverged. Wanda tapped him on the shoulder, and pointed at the ground. Buried in the long grass was a sign warning people not to venture into the area they'd just left.

The couple broke into a run, and didn't stop until they were in the heart of the city. Breathing a heartfelt sigh of relief, they held onto each other.

"Oh, my God, Scott. You were amazing!"

He grinned smugly. "I was, wasn't I?"

Wanda leaned back, her clear green eyes taking in his features. Rising up on her toes, she tilted her head to the side, and kissed him. He kissed her back, telling her without words that he wanted her. Again, her tongue brushed over his lips, and this time, he accepted the offer, while her hands delved into his hair.

~~O~~

Walking hand in hand, Scott and Wanda entered the compound, and rode up to the residential floor. At her door, she faced him. "I need to shower, change, and go to the lab."

"Why don't you take the night off, and get some rest?"

"If it were you in that tube, wouldn't you want to be cured as quickly as possible?" Wanda had a point, and he knew it. "You can come with me."

"Might just do that."

They kissed again then Wanda went into her room and shut the door, leaning against it for a few moments, thinking about what she'd overheard while she and Scott were kissing in town.

I want you, Wanda.

She hadn't meant to listen in on his thoughts, but her defenses had been low, and he was thinking so loudly, she couldn't help it.

After her shower, Wanda combed the tangles from her hair, and put it into a braid so it wouldn't get in the way. She pulled on pants, a t-shirt, socks, and sneakers. Annoyed that the ant bites on her ankle still itched, and had swelled, the clinic would be her first stop.

Standing in her doorway, she thought about knocking on Scott's door, and decided against it. If he wanted to join her, he knew where she would be.

Kaya's Office

Kaya looked up at the knock on her door. Instead of Steve, Natasha was there. Her manner, and expression said more than anything. "Come in, Natasha. Sit down."

"Could we talk? Patient to doctor."

With those three words, Natasha officially place anything they discussed under the heading of doctor/patient confidentiality. She wouldn't even be able to tell Steve. "What's troubling you?"

"Bucky, and how he'll react to distressing news when he comes out of cryo."

Clasping her hands together on the desk, Kaya gathered her thoughts. "His mind is strong. Wanda is working to remove the programming instilled in him by the doctors at HYDRA. With that gone, the blocked memories should be available to him. And when they are, he will need someone equally strong to lean on until he's come to terms with it all."

Natasha tapped her fingers on the arm of the chair. "And I'll be there for him. But there's something else that had been a closely guarded secret, until recently."

With a sympathetic smile, Kaya held Natasha's hand. "Yes, I know. And I'm sorry for not telling you that we made this discovery."

Dropping her eyes to the floor, Natasha nodded. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"I wouldn't have known except that our lab recently got a new toy, and the department head wanted to try it out by running DNA comparisons to see how closely related Non-Wakandans are to our people. We should've asked first, but he's impetuous, and head-strong."

One side of Natasha's mouth turned up in an ironic yet affectionate smile. "I know the type." The smiled faded. "I haven't told anyone, not even my best friend."

"That's your decision, of course. But wouldn't you rather have the support of your friends than be alone, and in misery?"

"It's a long story why everything's so messed up." She shook her head. "Maybe you're right. I should confide in someone."

Getting to her feet, Natasha gave Kaya's hand a squeeze, and was gone.

Vancouver, British Columbia

The Clancy Home

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Taylor pulled on a pair of plastic gloves, and shook the bottle of brown liquid until it was thoroughly mixed. The directions on the package said to separate his hair into sections before applying the mixture, but that was too much trouble. Starting at the roots, he squirted some of the liquid into his hair, and used the other hand to coat all the strands.

Once his entire head was covered with dark brown gunk, he slipped a plastic cap on to keep it from getting all over, removed the towel from around his shoulders, and stepped into the hall, where he was confronted by the youngest Clancy, Quinn.

The girl had turned eight less than a month ago, stood just over four feet tall, with limpid brown eyes like one of those paintings of big-eyed children in the rain, a sweet smile-most of the time, and blonde hair. Or she would, if she had hair. Around the time Taylor came to live with them, Quinn had just finished her last round of chemotherapy for a rare form of cancer that manifests in children under the age of ten. The family had been in Romania for an experimental treatment that had a much higher rate of success. It had worked, and as of now, she was cancer free. Her hair was just starting to grow back, looking like blonde fuzz.

Quinn peered up at him, hands on her skinny hips, and a glare on her little girl face. "About time you came out, Tay. Whatcha doin' in there anyways?"

Taylor hooked an arm around Quinn's neck, and kissed her on the top of the head. "Replacing the carburetor in Father's car. Why are you in such a hurry?"

She pushed him away, and crossed her arms. "It's none o' your business why. I just haveta get in there."

Bowing at the waist, Taylor made an after you gesture. "Entrée, My Queen."

Quinn huffed, and glared as she went into the bathroom. Taylor grinned and pulled the door shut. As he turned away, he heard the lock click.

Getting him into Canada had been easier than Taylor had thought it would be. He now had documents that said he'd been adopted by the Adam and Julia Clancy when he was six years old. Where Adam had gotten them, Taylor didn't want know.

"Ki-ids! Ryan! Quinn! Taylor! Come help with the groceries!" Julia's voice called from the foyer.

Taylor ran down to the first floor. "Quinn's in the bathroom, and Ryan's over at Billy's." He kissed Julia on the cheek. "I'll get the groceries while you put them away."

Julia, early forties, dark blonde with green eyes, topping out at five-six, smiled her appreciation. "You're the best, Tay." Raising her voice to be heard as she went into the kitchen, she added, "When you've washed that dye out of your hair, we need to talk."

With a smirk, he called out, "Yes, Mother!" as he ran out the front door.

~~O~~

Julia set the bags on the counter, tossed her purse out of the way, and went into the downstairs bathroom. She came out a few minutes later, and found that Taylor had already brought in all the groceries, and put most of them away, only leaving out the personal items.

How could he have done it in the short time she was in the bathroom? Shaking her head, Julia loaded all the bathroom and other items into a reusable bag, and carried them upstairs. Taylor was sitting with his back to the wall next to the linen closet, and his eyes shut, drumming in the air as he listened to music only he could hear. Julia tapped his foot with hers. He opened his eyes, and stood. "You want to talk now?"

"It's not urgent. After you've rinsed your hair is good. My office?"

Taylor grabbed a towel from the closet. "I will be there." He knocked on the bathroom door. "Come out of there and give someone else a chance, sestrenka!"

"I'm brushin' my teeth!"

Julia tapped Taylor on the shoulder. "Go use our shower. And don't make a mess."

He grinned at her, and was gone. Shaking her head at how fast he could move, Julia went back downstairs to her home office, and powered up the computer. She went to get a cold drink, and came back, scooting the chair close to the desk. Opening Taylor's file, she reread the results of his blood work again, puzzling over the conclusions drawn by the hospital's doctor.

Using alkaline phosphatase, ALP, a marker commonly used in clinical diagnostics as a biomarker due to its age-dependent nature, they determined that Taylor was born seventeen years ago last December, give or take a year. However, tests created by one of the world's top forensic anthropologists gave his age as closer to twenty-four. So which one was right? The lab couldn't tell her why the disparity. For certain Taylor wouldn't know.

Despite his amnesia, the boy was smart. He completed his chores faster than anyone she'd ever seen, and kept the house in tip top shape. Cuts and scrapes healed within a few days, even the deeper ones. And he was stronger than she would've thought for his size. Then there was his hair. He had to dye it once a month or it turned an interesting shade of silver/grey. In the last couple of weeks, he'd grown a beard. Coupled with the curly brown hair that was nearly to his shoulders, his appearance drew less attention. Not so his accent. Another thing he was working to change. Julia just hoped he would be amenable to her next suggestion.

"I'm here." Taylor came through the open door, turned the straight backed chair around and straddled the seat, arms resting on the back. "What's up?"

"Taylor, you know we love you."

Two little lines appeared between his eyes indicating confusion. "Yes."

"Adam and I only want what's best for you. It's great that you do all the housework, watch Quinn when we're out late. But we think it's time you started making a life for yourself outside the family, and this house." Julia reached for his hand, and he met her halfway, holding on loosely. "You should have friends you spend time with. I want you to think about either going to college, or finding a job. Anything to get you living life again."

Wakanda

The panthers looked up as Wanda approached Bucky's cryotube, giving her curious stares. When she got close, she went down on one knee, and extended her hand. Together, they came to sniff her fingers, pronouncing her acceptable by head-booping, and licking her ears, making her laugh. "You must be Akwete and Doto. I have heard much about both of you. It's good that you're here to protect Bucky. That's sort of what I'm doing too. I'm helping him get well so he can be with his friends."

Wanda moved between the panthers, and they turned to watch her sit in the chair. She reclined, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply several times before opening the port.

The moment their hands touched, Wanda felt a pulling sensation, and found herself inside Bucky's mind again. Unlike last time, he was there, staring into space. The doors were there as well, but instead of being lined up side by side, stretching off to the left and right, they were scattered through the white blankness. From the ones she could see, the color of the door appeared to match the primary emotion or emotions Bucky could have been feeling at that time.

She'd read somewhere that emotions were associated with color. The for the red and black door where his Winter Soldier memories were stored, red seemed to indicate excitement, energy, and intensity, while the black star meant authority, power, strength, and evil.

One careful step at a time, Wanda approached Bucky, her hand extended to touch him on the shoulder. He started, as if his mind had been elsewhere, and turned to face her, a smile coming to him. He blinked, as if he didn't know how he'd gotten here. It was the younger version of Bucky, short hair, and devil-may-care smile, dressed in chinos, a short sleeved blue and white striped button down shirt, and loafers. His hands were shoved in his pockets, and though she'd gotten the idea from stories Steve told that he had been a ladies' man, his eyes stayed on her face.

"Hey, you're back. Wanda, right?"

She returned his smile. "Yes. Are you ready to get started?"

He made an after you gesture, waited for her to pass, then came alongside. "What're we looking for?"

"Not sure. That's why we need to do this together. My ultimate goal is to remove the programming that triggers you as the Winter Soldier so you can live a normal life."

Bucky scoffed. "Doll, my life ain't been normal since day one." As they passed doors, he would glance at the notation, and smile. A few, he opened, stuck his head in, looked around, and closed the door again.

The next door he stopped in front of was the green color associated with the military, and the words United States Army, and Camp McCoy were stenciled across the top. "What's that?"

"Uh, looks like the year I was drafted. Spent basic at Camp McCoy in Wisconsin. Was posted to the States for the next couple of years. About the time I was promoted to Sergeant, my regiment, the 107th Infantry, was shipped off to England."

"Steve mentioned you shipping out, but didn't go into details." Wanda tried the door, and found it wasn't locked. "Let's have a look." She grabbed Bucky's hand, and pushed the door open. Light engulfed them, and suddenly they were standing in an alley watching a shorter, skinnier version of Steve being pummeled by a bully.

TBC

Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) is a popular song written by the Jay Livingston and Ray Evans songwriting team in 1956. It was first recorded by Doris Day.

Quid pro quo "something for something" or "this for that" in Latin, means an exchange of goods or services, where one transfer is contingent upon the other. English speakers often use the term to mean "a favor for a favor"; phrases with similar meaning include: "give and take", and "you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours".

Alkaline phosphatase, ALP, is a real thing used by forensic anthropologists. If I understood the article correctly, then the bit above about determining someone's age using this test is real. If my comprehension was off, then I made it all up, and it has no bearing on real life. You decide.