A/N: I always answer all reviews from previous chapters at the beginning of the next one when I update, so don't think I missed you when I don't immediately respond. You'll always find my response at the top here!
PharaohsLuver- Thank you, that is so wonderful to hear! I try so hard to make Maddi feel real, she's made mistakes and still makes mistakes, but she tries really hard to do better. Her and Steve's love is my favorite thing to write and I can't wait to show you their kid!
Goldenfightergirl- Thank you so much for the review! I actually found it super interesting to think about after reading it. I've always found it strange that the Accords have been so quickly accepted in the US in the MCU. The fact that they have the FBI keeping Scott Lang on house arrest for two years, all the language against Steve (especially by Ross) about wanting him arrested, and then SWORD's comments on Wanda (although I'm not sure yet what exactly SWORD counts as in terms of the US government), it sounds very much like the Accords have become law in the US. But your right, in real life there's no way that could be the case. I looked up different real life examples of the US signing but not ratifying documents in history this week just to get an idea of that context. On the MCU wiki page (which may or may not be completely accurate), it says the US is one of the ratifying countries of the accords. It seems to me like the MCU is just saying to hell with the constitutional process of making laws in the US at this point. I plan to make it a point for Maddi to not sit back quietly about how quickly her country embraced these documents. Anyway, thanks again for the comment, it was fun to think deeper about it!
No cameras catch my pageant smile
I counted days, I counted miles
To see you there, to see you there
It's been a long time coming, but
It's you and me, that's my whole world
They whisper in the hallway, "She's a bad, bad girl"
The whole school is rolling fake dice
You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes
It's you and me, there's nothing like this
Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince
We're so sad, we paint the town blue
Voted most likely to run away with you
- "Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince" by Taylor Swift
April 11, 2016
"I was beginning to think Stark was covering for you and you were making your big escape like the rest of your friends," Ross said as he stepped into our conference room. I was alone sitting at the table waiting for him. I told Tony to let me do this alone, but I knew he would be listening in so he could jump in if he felt I couldn't handle Ross on my own anymore. He sat down in front of me.
"Big escape? Is that supposed to mean something to me? You have half my friends locked in an underwater international prison, I'm not sure how they could escape that," I pointed out.
He eyed me suspiciously and said "Well I would think your boyfriend told you. He got them out and they're all missing right now."
"My husband," I emphasized to counter his dismissing language, "hasn't told me anything. Tony was telling you the truth, I've been politely sitting in my room these past two days processing the fact that he's not coming back. If you don't mind, I'd like to keep this short so I can go back to crying while looking through old photo albums of the two of us." I gave him a small head tilt and narrowed eyes after replying.
"Mrs. Rogers," he started with a sigh and an annoyed emphasis on the 'Mrs.' but I cut him off.
"Oh you can call me Doctor," I stated. I actually didn't care if people used my earned title as much anymore. I felt like I had a million different names in my lifetime, and while I was proud of earning my doctorate all those years ago, I always felt strange when people still used it today. However, I wanted to do everything I could to just cause Ross more problems, even if it was through little annoyances like making him call me doctor.
"Doctor…" Ross gritted through his teeth and I smiled. "Steve Rogers has committed a number of offenses against the Sokovia Accords. If you are found to have any information about his plans or his whereabouts that you do not hand over, you will be in direct violation to the Accords as well. You have not signed, but don't think that gives you the right to go off and do as you please in secret. In fact, I highly suggest you do sign and cooperate with the UN so we can have an easier time resolving all of this and you don't end up in any trouble."
"I promise Mr. Secretary, if I had any information to withhold from you, I would gladly go to jail for it," I started. I knew it was risky to make such claims, but I wasn't about to bend to his wishes. I knew how to play the game with men like him without putting myself in too much danger. I still had to think about my baby's safety after all. "But I have nothing. Steve hasn't contacted me since before Berlin. You can check all my communication records for the last week and you'll see that. He wanted me to fight for him in Berlin, but Tony did too. I refused them both as I have not signed the accords, nor do I EVER plan to do so, and helping either side would have been a violation." I gave him a smug look. "I am not my husband, and my methods for making it known that I am against your documents will not be the same as his. You will not be finding anything I've done to be worthy of arresting me, I've probably read those papers more than you so I promise that I know what I'm talking about here. So," I stood up and clasped my hands together in front of me and gave him a smile, indicating the end of our conversation. "Since you know now that I am safe and legal here at my home, I think that's all we really need to discuss."
He looked at me with anger in his eyes. He kept his composure, but I saw right through it and I knew he wanted me to. I tried not to let him scare me. After what felt like an hour, he finally stood up himself. "Maybe you're telling the truth now, but if Rogers loves you the way you have claimed he does, he'll come running back to you eventually. And when he does, if we find out you've had any contact with him, you'll be first on our list to lock up. So it's in your best interest to stop playing games with the government and start getting on our good side so you can be helpful in case these issues come up again."
I maintained his intimidating eye contact as I replied. "Oh I think you should know that I have a long history of not being very cooperative with political officials." I maintained his intimidating eye contact as I replied. "As nice as this visit was, Mr. Secretary, I think it's time you leave my home until you have actual evidence of anything worth another discussion in the future."
April 15, 2016
Tony was definitely happy with most of the things I said to Ross a few days before. He criticized me for being reckless when I had been so worried about the safety of my baby before, but I assured him that I knew what I was doing. I wasn't going to let Ross walk over me and intimidate me. I was doing it to protect my baby because if Ross had control over me, he'd eventually have control over them as well. I played the silly games of politics decades before with Steve and when he became Captain America as well as when he died. You don't get safety or agency by letting men like Ross get what they want.
Despite all of this, Tony thought it was best to hold a press conference to clear the air around suspicion on my own name in the media. I had gone out to the store the day after my meeting with Ross and soon my pictures were on every news outlet. The wife of the new war criminal. What is she doing walking around the streets? Is Miss Americana secretly working against her own country to help her American Captain, or did her prince charming leave her heartbroken in the dust? Will she run away from her country to find him? It was all ridiculous claims that I was either a criminal myself or broken up with Steve.
So I stood in front of a group of reporters in the Avengers' press room on the compound, ready to make a statement I had prepared myself. I gave them a kind smile to ease the evident tension. I had years of practice hiding my emotions behind smiles and carefully crafted statements.
"I know there are a lot of speculations over my involvement in the events in Europe at the beginning of this month. I have called you all here today to express the truth in it all. I would like to first clarify that, other than my work here at the Compound, I have not had any involvement in Avengers activities since last summer in Sokovia." My plan was to tell the truth, and luckily the truth worked completely in my favor. I hoped that people would believe the truth I gave them.
"As far as this month, I can say with full confidence that I have not committed any crimes. I do not know where my husband, Captain Steve Rogers, is. While I chose not to sign the accords, I followed the law and stayed out of the fights that occurred in Bucharest and Berlin. But I want to make it very clear that I believe in my husband, and I believe that these documents are nothing more than a violation of human rights. Enhanced humans are still humans, and for the government to dictate this level of control over a group of people is an act that should not be condoned by so many. I ask that people look with compassion towards those who are just trying to help keep our world safe and deserve the same rights as anyone else. Captain Steve Rogers is a proud citizen of the United States, and he deserves the same rights as any other citizen. I hope that my husband and fellow Avengers can come home one day free of the unfair charges brought to them. I would also ask that my privacy is respected during this time, I miss my husband dearly, and I would not like to have any more public interaction after this statement. Thank you." I did not intend to answer any questions and I knew that was going to make the press very unhappy, but it was the decision I would not backtrack from. If they continued to call me a traitor after I spoke my opinion, I would accept that reputation. I knew what I believed was right and I would take whatever public image that came with it.
I hoped Steve would see it wherever he was. I wanted him to know I was still with him forever and always. I knew he felt guilt for the secrets he kept, for the events that played out as they did, but I didn't want him to think that I hated him. We already had problems that came up earlier that year that were driven between us by my own fears. I said horrible things to him because I was scared about the potential baby and the fact that he was gone on another mission that I didn't even get to say goodbye. That didn't make what I said back then okay, and I hoped that he could feel my full love and support through my current statement if he did see it.
I stood by him when we were young and I would continue to stand by him even if it was from thousands of miles away. I wished I could see his face again, but I knew I couldn't get my hopes up that any good change would come soon. It certainly felt like the bad guys in this situation were winning through it all, but I also didn't want to lose hope either.
A/N: I think I went a little overboard with the Taylor Swift song connection in this chapter, but it just worked so well with the song. Probably my favorite one so far. It was really hard to select just a section of the song to represent it because I truly feel this entire song fits Maddi's perspective right now. I highly recommend listening to it. It connects because a lot of the song is a parallel with the media's portrayal of Maddi right now. She is the only one available for the public to trash after everything that happened. There's whispers across the country about whether or not she is on the government's side or on Steve's side. She feels weary of defeat through it all but she tries to keep her head high. In a way she is singing this song to Steve, trying to let him know that despite all the crap being talked about them and all the attack from the "bad guys" of the government, it's still just the two of them. She still loves him, she wants him to be able to come home, she just wants to see him again. The song is on my tumblr and Spotify playlist.
I know I said I was taking a break from updating, but I actually got a lot of writing done this week despite how busy I was. So I thought I'd update because I don't want to hoard my writing too much. I hope you're still liking it! Maddi will be finding out the sex of the baby in the next chapter so I'm excited to share that with you guys! Let me know your thoughts or predictions!