As the Sky May Fall

by EirlysLavellan

[XPosted on AO3] Alice was always sure of the way her life would turn out; though her entire perspective shifts upon being forcibly added to the Avengers. She never thought she could be strong especially when faced with a love she thought had died in 1945. She'll do anything to keep him safe even if that means turning against the new family she's built. [Slowburn Romance][RatedT/M]

33. WHAM! 1984

As the Sky May Fall EirlysLavellan

The Avengers Marvel Comics

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Summary: Alice was always so sure of the way her life was going to go, however, her entire perspective is changed upon being forcibly added to the Avengers. After the Invasion of New York things quickly change and she realizes that everything she thought she was, is nothing close to what she ever imagined especially when she realizes that the man she had thought was dead turns out to be forcibly working for HYDRA as their Winter Soldier. She swears she will do anything to keep him safe even if that means going against the new family she has built.

Disclaimer: I am a poor college grad and am receiving no payment whatsoever to write this fiction. If I was, in fact, getting paid for this, I would not be a poor college graduate that I can assure you. All rights are reserved to Marvel, D.C. Comics, and Walt Disney Pictures and Columbia Studios as well as the amazing screenwriters, directors and producers, and actors who created this film. I only own the subplot as well as Alice Alexander and any other unrecognizable character throughout the plot.

Warning: Spoilers, character death, violence, suggestive themes (such as sexual assault/self-harm/depression) and vulgarity.

P.S. I apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes you may see throughout this story. I tried to catch what I could, but I'm only human and I'm positive I missed things, haha. Thanks again for sticking with me everyone!

Author's notes can be found at the bottom of each chapter which include my thoughts as well as my thank you to any and all who favorite, subscribe and review ;)

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** TRIGGER WARNING: THIS CHAPTER HAS GENERAL DEADPOOL SHENANIGANS SUCH AS VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE. PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION **

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As the Sky May Fall
Deadpool
33

October 2015

"Yes, I'm very serious. You can't exactly walk into a pharmacy and say: hi, excuse me, fugitive here; I'm looking for something that'll help with insomnia, anxiety and this phantom pain in my arm that is clearly metal, but sometimes I think it's real. Hate to break it to you, love, but that ship has sailed and it's not planning to come back any time soon."

Bucky rolled his eyes, a scoff making its way passed his lips, "I certainly don't need the reminder."

"I know, that's not my intention and you know that. But seriously you need to get your hands on valerian, specifically the root and rhizomes, and turn it into either a tea or tincture. You honestly could find it in a small medical shop if you're pressed, but if you can get into the wild then you can find it in fallow fields, forest edges, river banks or shore meadows. The plant is about three feet tall with divided pinnate leaves and small white or pale pink flowers. Not hard to find, but I'll text you a picture of it so you'll know what to look for." Alice's voice echoed over the phone. "Also, you're gonna want to try and find white willow…sometimes it's called the witches wand if you find yourself in an herbal shop, but you're gonna want to get your hands on either the bark, leaves or roots and again turn it into a tea or tincture – I'll send you instructions how to do that too – and will definitely help with that phantom pain; it's found in wet woodlands, along riverbanks or around lakes."

"Anything else I should pick up?"

The woman on the other end of the line huffed lightly, ignoring the borderline sarcasm in is tenor, before he was able to hear her flipping through pages – of a book or notebook of some kind he wasn't certain, but he recalled easily that Alice had always carried a notebook with medical notes on her during the war. After a moment of her grumbling to herself in variants of English and French depending on what she was seemingly reading she cleared her throat.

"Comfrey or cottonwood probably wouldn't be a bad idea either and you can honestly make both into a salve pretty easily, might give you faster relief around the seam between your shoulder and chest…"

He knew Alice had seen the heavy scarring from where his metal shoulder met the edges of his chest and back from when she had been held captive briefly in Washington, the memory coming back to him easily during the first few days of his escape and it went without saying that the memory made both of them uncomfortable and brought up horrible memories. Alice continued without much pause, her mind seeming to refocus easily on the topic at hand and he blinked in surprise and wonder as he came to an intersection.

"Comfrey may be hard to find in the wild as it's a little more common in the states, but it's normally a large leafed plant with hairy stems and kinda oblong shaped leaves; grows as big as 3 feet high and will have purple bell-shaped, five-lobed flowers. It's more specific, but it's a pretty good healing agent and cottonwood normally is found near waterways - more specifically streams, ponds and rivers so it may be more accessible…I actually used to carry both a lot during the war especially comfrey just because it's used for so many different things, but as a poultice or salve it should give you some relief."

The former soldier snorted a small laugh, "You'll send me a picture of both right?"

"Yes, yes, I can send you a picture." He could nearly see her rolling her eyes. "It'll sound strange, but most of these plants and herbs are things you can easily find in a small market or shop nowadays…it's ironic, but the metaphysical shops are probably your best bet as opposed to modern pharmacies and they can more regularly get it shipped to them if they don't have it."

"What the hell is a metaphysical shop?"

Alice paused on the other end of the line, as if attempting to find the best way to explain the type of shop she was speaking about and in such a way that would be easy for him to understand. After a few moments she sighed softly, "Basically it's a spiritual shop. You'd be looking for a shop that sells crystals and minerals along with chimes, plants, incense and other things that lean into a more holistic approach. I don't know how it'd be wherever you are, but if you were in the U.S. I'd say just look for stores that have an ungodly amount of tie dye and dreamcatchers."

"I'm sure if I follow the scent of patchouli I'll be set," Bucky allowed himself to smirk when she laughed, warmth filling his chest at the sound.

He had quickly begun to realize that making her laugh was not extremely difficult. Their banter always seemed to be natural – something that continued to surprise him – and her ability to speak about the darker things without fixating on them had brought a relief to him that he hadn't been expecting. Once free from HYDRA and trying to remain hidden, Bucky had been consistently having a difficult time separating what had happened to him over the last seventy years and relearning who he was before everything had happened. It was a difficult balance and he hadn't expected Alice's candor and tact when approaching such subjects; she never once allowed him to escape it, but she always came from a place of experience and he had almost come to rely on knowing that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. She never made him half-assed promises and empty platitudes, but she consistently held him accountable and helped him through moments where he would falter.

Nearly a month ago he had called her in a fit of a meltdown.

He hadn't recalled how everything had happened or how he had ended up reaching out to her, but Alice had talked him back from the ledge that he had seemingly been prepared to leap from without preamble. She had helped him reground before telling him about something stupid her adoptive niece and nephew had done. It had taken him a few moments to piece together what she was talking about before he was forced to remember that he had found her farm in Virginia and stolen her notebooks and hairband while she had been watching said niece and nephew. He had nearly been offended when she had changed the subject so quickly, but then realized that she was giving him time to regroup and collect himself – distracting him for a time and allowing him the chance to speak about what had happened if he so chose.

He hadn't, but he had a feeling he didn't need to.

Crossing the street, he glanced about him and taking in the random passerby – a habit he hadn't fully broken and listening as the woman regained her composure on the other end of the line. He estimated the time to be about 4:30 AM her time and he shook his head. His conversations with the former nurse had gotten later and later for her and earlier and earlier for him, but after his last bout of nightmares he knew he needed to contact her in hopes she'd have a recommendation to help him. A small part of him had been hopeful that she wouldn't answer and he could go back to pretending that his recovery wasn't nearly as crippling as it was, but Alice had proven that she really did answer her phone despite the hour. The lack of sleep in her raspy alto had told him that she hadn't been to sleep just yet, but he could easily tell she was exhausted just by the way her speech was slightly slower than normal.

He was brought back to the conversation by the woman sighing out another laugh.

"Not every shop like that is going to smell of patchouli or incense you know," Alice giggled. "Some are run just like regular shops, but I'm confident you'll be able to find them. If you're in an area that's popular for university students, it'll probably be easier."

Bucky laughed slightly though it sounded more like a scoff, "Why's that?"

"The hell if I know…I noticed it the last time I was in a college town. Generally over populated with restaurants or bars with smaller shops around – some coffee shops or fortune tellers…depends on the area really."

"I'll certainly bear that in mind."

Alice paused for a moment before she sighed, "How are you holding up though?"

"No new memories if that's what you mean." Bucky answered with a sigh of his own before shaking his head, "It's weird. It comes and goes without any real sense…some I can remember and some are just…"

"Gone…like catching smoke."

"Yeah…"

"Considering what you have remembered, it's still a lot and you shouldn't discredit yourself for it. Not everything is going to be that easy, but I know you can do it…and I'm always here should you need me."

Bucky's lips quirked slightly before he sighed, "Yeah, I know."

"I swear to god, Bucky if you apologize for waking me up I will actively hunt you down."

His jaw snapped shut at the light threat and he had to fight the smile from curling at his lips before his expression sobered, "Can't help it…I know what I'm asking you to do is putting you in a position that's…difficult, but…" As he struggled to find the words he almost wished she would interrupt him and fill in the words that he didn't know how to say, but as he fought for a way to put his thoughts into words Alice remained silent. It took him another moment of silence before he sighed, his hand rubbing against the back of his neck where his longer hair had begun to just barely hit the tops of his shoulders. "I appreciate you taking the chance…I guess is what I mean to say. Talking to you is easier than trying to figure everything out by myself and…I don't really know what else to say, but thanks for picking up my calls."

Alice was silent for a moment before a seriousness she rarely allowed in her voice carried through the line, "You're not asking me to do anything that I'm not comfortable with and we both know that if I did feel any discomfort you would know because I would tell you. I can handle the other stuff and if your concern is with Steve finding out that we've had correspondence, don't be. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it so there's no reason to worry about something that may happen further down the line and even then it's not really about me or Steve. You have to move in your recovery the way you feel is best to challenge yourself, but also treat yourself with kindness and considering everything that's happened I know it's not that easy. For what it's worth, Bucky, you're very welcome and if I was faced with the same choice again I wouldn't change the decision not to tell anyone that you contacted me."

"You sound so sure."

"Because I am," Alice stated matter-of-factly. "Believe me, Buck; if I don't want to do something I don't do it. What you're going through now isn't about me, it's about you and these things have to go at your pace otherwise you won't actually heal…trust me I learned that the hard way a long time ago…am still learning it."

Bucky felt his jaw clench, sensing more than hearing the woman's resignation in the softness of her voice. He could only imagine how frustrating this situation was for her since it was maddening to him, but her continued patience and insistence that he could do and be more than they intended had kept him going. She had said a few months prior that she only hoped for them to eventually meet in the middle once more and continue on with one another, but he still wasn't sure he could be that for her despite his desire to be.

Was he holding her back?

"Hey," Alice's voice broke through the beginnings of his thoughts and chasing them back into the darker corners of his mind and he blinked. "Where were you?"

Her words were so familiar and then he realized that he had heard them many times after he had returned to the 107th. The tension in his jaw released and he sighed softly, "Real answer or the lie I'm currently telling myself?"

"I'm always going to prefer the real answer, but I don't think I'd know the difference either way."

Her answer told him she'd easily be able to tell, but would reserve that knowledge for herself.

"I don't know if I'll ever be a good enough man for you." As soon as he said the words he knew he couldn't take them back and he desperately wished he had when he heard her breath hitch slightly as if she hadn't been expecting the answer. "The things I've done…willing or not…there is no redemption for someone like me."

She was silent for a time, fully digesting the weight of his words and he felt anxiety beginning to claw at his chest. When she finally spoke her voice was slightly guarded, but weighted with apprehension despite the clear truth to them.

"The next time you're near a computer…look up a series of murders that occurred between April 25th, 1986 and June 2nd 1989," She paused for a moment a tremble of hesitance rattling in her soft alto. "If you truly believe you can't be redeemed, then neither can I."

"Alice…"

"I'm serious. I'm not asking you to do this because of some self-flagellation kink or comparing the shitty positions we've been put in over the years. I'm telling you that if you're looking for someone who is not worthy of someone then it's not you. The things that have happened over the last few decades aren't informing my decision or my desire…my gut is and my own path to redemption is. I've had time to learn that what I was isn't the end all be all for me and it doesn't have to be for you."

Bucky's lips quirked, "You're really good at those speeches…been learning from Steve?"

"Kiss my ass." Alice huffed in an odd combination of exasperation and humor. "I'm being serious."

"So was I."

"You're treading an awfully dangerous line, Barnes. I'm more than capable of hunting you down."

"I'll politely remind you that both times you've found me are times I've showed up or let you."

Bucky knew that was a fat lie even after he said it and Alice's answering laugh told him that she had easily seen through it.

"Sure, that's why you stopped dead in that square in Sokovia…ya know, out in the open…where I could see you."

"I think I'm remembering something…"

"What's that?"

"How much of a pain in the ass you were."

Alice guffawed, "No sweetheart, I definitely think you're remembering that wrong."

"No, I don't think I am."

"You are. Take it from a reliable source."

Bucky smirked, "You mean you."

"Obviously." She paused suddenly and the former soldier strained to listen, catching the sounds of brief conversation before the woman answered in an affirmative before sighing.

"You've got to go."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," he chuckled. "You're going to send me those texts though, right?"

"Absolutely," Alice's smile conveyed through the phone and Bucky wished for nothing else, but to see her smile once again in person. "I'll talk to you soon."

"Is that a promise, Nurse?"

"I'd wish for it to be nothing else, Sergeant. Stay safe."

"I will."

The two ended the call and Bucky sighed before deciding to start looking for the herbs she had suggested, the former soldier heading deeper into the downtown area than he'd ever dared to before.

-0-

Over the last few months Alice and Wade had been working extremely hard in tracking down Ajax and the residual serum that he had been using to turn people into mutants. They had taken out target after target and there had even been some overlap between people working for Ajax and some working for HYDRA so as far as Alice was concerned it was two birds with one stone – though the connection continued to worry her. Wade, for all of his sarcasm and inappropriate humor, had also expressed his concern as his interrogations of the hired men had expanded to also include questions about the serum that the rogue mutant was using and where to find it. The hired men were much more willing to talk about the serum rather than the mutant himself and so Alice had suggested using the serum to track Francis down and after some reluctance on Wade's part, he had finally agreed.

Alice had also maintained a very steady connection with Bucky over the last three months since he had initially reached out in July and they tried to speak at least once a week – the former soldier informing her to the different things he had been remembering and leaving her to help him create a timeline for himself. Bucky had proven to be a quick learner with technology – most of his knowledge coming from his time as the Winter Soldier as HYDRA had made him at least literate in technology in what they both assumed was to assist in his missions should he need it. He had recently got his hands on a burner phone that he had begun using to connect with her and Alice had taken the extra precaution to create a scrambler in her phone that she knew would block most signals from discovering his. Despite her happiness at being able to communicate with him, Alice still worried about the repercussions to their rendezvous and what should happen if Steve ever found out that she had been keeping their correspondence secret from him.

And not just him, but everyone in her friend group.

She shook her head, refocusing her attention to the road in front of her and adjusting the neck of her Kevlar Override suit.

Alice was very well aware that things were changing and rapidly; she knew that there was something brewing as the news continued to circulate stories regarding the events in Sokovia and speculating the Avenger's involvement. It had happened before and the mutant was concerned over the repercussions such fearmongering would cause. As much as she still was uncomfortable around the Sokovian girl, Wanda was a teenager and the things that they were saying in the news about a teenager was damning to the point Alice had become concerned for her.

The media was using Wanda as their sacrificial lamb, their proof that there should be restraints put into place for enhanced individuals and it had begun circulating into the mutant community and making it more and more difficult for children who hadn't yet had the opportunity to join Charles's school and it had kept the X-Men extremely busy and herself included. She had been on two recovery missions with them where they had to intercept law enforcement from making a situation worse by provoking a terrified child who couldn't control their powers and each time it had been a very delicate negotiation between talking down the child and keeping law enforcement from escalating a potentially volatile situation.

Logan had interrupted her phone call with Bucky just a half hour ago saying that Wade had stopped by with his friend to collect her for a top secret mission. The Wolverine had merely rolled his eyes before leaving her room. By the time she had emerged it seemed the two of them had already left and the mutant was flying down the highway in an attempt to meet up with the two men – Wade's most recent text message urging her faster:

He got her.

Alice was quick to park in front of the small house that Wade and Al rented before racing for the front door just as she heard Wade kick over what she was sure was his map of goons and Weasel attempting to quell the mercenary's anger

"Oh, I'm gonna rip his motherfucking…"

"Wait," Weasel sighed before a phone started chiming what sounded like the Golden Girl's theme song, "what?"

"Find it! Find it."

Alice entered the living room and looked at Blind Al who was shaking her head slowly, "What the hell is going on?"

"He finally got the balls to go talk to that girl and she got snatched."

The mutant nodded slowly before walking into the small office that was connected to Wade's bedroom to see the man dressed casually in a black zip up hoodie and a pair of jeans with his combat boots on. His disfigured features were redder than normal and scrunched in frustration as he openly seethed.

"Find it, I'm gonna get angry!"

"Okay, alright. Alright, okay…alright," Weasel seemed to chant as he scrambled around the desk looking for the phone that the mercenary had undoubtedly thrown in his anger. "Here…it's Vanessa."

"What?"

Leaning against the doorway, Alice watched as the two men huddled over the phone to look at the message and she sighed softly. With a quick glance at her watch she could see that it was already about 6:30 in the morning and that meant that things were only going to escalate before the day was done. Thankfully, she knew it would take the Avengers time to mobilize if they felt the need to show up and even then they had been ordered to keep things very low because of recent publicity. However, she knew that time was of the essence especially considering what she knew about Vanessa from Wade as well as the fact that Francis was willing to do anything to spite those that stood against him and endorse his own agenda.

"No, wait…" The bartender winced as he read the message on the screen. "It's Francis. He wants you to come to him."

"What is that?"

"That's the shit emoji. You know, it's the turd with the smiling face and the eyes? I thought it was chocolate yogurt for so long."

"I need guns."

"Okay, which ones?"

"I NEED ALL THE GUNS!"

"Alright, okay!"

Alice shook her head before helping Blind Al and Weasel round up the arms and ammunition in the small abode before Wade finally approached her, his face set in a serious expression as he handed her his cell phone. "Can you track where they are?"

"Shouldn't be too hard," she nodded before hitting a few keys and accessing the phone's network before taking a wire from her bracer and inserting it into where the SIM card would normally be housed. The mercenary watched with an intense frown as he began pulling on his suit and adjusting the fit in certain areas. Alice worked quickly, triangulating the IP address and bouncing it between network and cell towers.

"You make that look so easy."

"It definitely is in comparison to what I normally do. I'm just tracing the message origin really and thankfully your girlfriend is smart because it turns out she has her location turned on."

Wade glanced up, "What?"

"She's got her location on. May have been for the weather – you need that on to get regular updates – but either way it's on which puts us right here at this old shipyard," the woman chirped before handing Wade's phone back to him where a bright red marker had appeared on the screen not dissimilar to Google Maps. "So, how're we doing this? We going in alone or are we calling in the Calvary?"

The mercenary snorted, "Oh titanium dick and the walking embodiment of My Chemical Romance are definitely coming with considering they lost Francis for me the first fucking time."

"And how exactly do you plan on getting everyone there?"

Wade looked up at her and smirked, "I happen to know just the guy."

Alice nodded slowly before frowning as she looked down at her phone that had pinged in her pocket, ignoring as Weasel, Blind Al and the mercenary continued collecting the arms and ammunition that was stashed in multiple places throughout the apartment. Brows furrowed she unlocked her phone and quickly looked at the message that stared back at her.

James B.: Are these the right herbs?

In the next few blurbs were pictures of the plants she had told him to pick up plus an additional one that hadn't been in her original list that they had spoken about and it took her a moment to identify the plant before a blush lit her cheeks. The last one pictured was a blood orange flower that had terracotta colored seams within the petals and a bright yellow center and one that Alice had only mentioned to him once back in the 1940s when they had passed through the southern part of Italy briefly stating that it was her favorite flower and ironically her favorite color.

Alice: You've got all of them…
Alice: That last one is special though…good for a lot of different things. But it has to be broken down into an oil.

It took him very little time to reply and the mutant could feel the flush in her cheeks race down the back of her neck. Did he pick that up by accident or had he done so intentionally?

James B.: Oh really?
James B.: Mind cluing a fella in?
Alice: It's primrose…very high in healing properties. The oil can be used as an anti-inflammatory and for stress…
James B.: Interesting…I could've sworn I knew it to be for something else…
Alice: It's my favorite.
James B.: I knew it looked familiar :)

The mutant stared at her phone for a moment as her heart thudded against her breast and butterflies sprung loose in her belly. Any thought that she could have potentially come up with vacated her mind just as quickly as others formed. Did he know from the start that those were her favorite? Was she looking too far into something that was potentially innocent? She didn't know, but it didn't stop the way her face flushed or the way it made her feel like she was soaring. It took her a moment to collect herself before she was able to reply.

Alice: I showed them to you in Italy in 1942
James B.: That summer was so disgustingly hot…all I really remember was the mosquitos.
Alice: Yeah, it was. It was also the same summer that I gave you the candy for your stomach.
James B.: I didn't tell you then, but despite it being candied I hated it.
Alice: You hated anything that I gave you, lol.
James B.: Because it was always medicine, Allie.
Alice:…that's rude.
James B.: It's true though…
James B.: Also…can I tell you a secret?
Alice: It's never stopped you before :)

It took him a few moments to reply, bubbles with ellipsis appearing and disappearing as Alice waited with bated breath, completely oblivious to the movement within Wade and Al's apartment as they gathered arms for the coming battle.

James B.: I remember you saying that they were your favorite color…
James B.: Orange…like a sunset, not like the fruit.

The woman felt her heart swell to the point of bursting almost simultaneously freezing as her breath caught in her throat.

James B.: You have the necklace I gave you…now I have your favorite flower…something to remind me of you here.

All at once Alice could feel herself falling once again, but so very different from the first time. When she had first fallen in love with Bucky it had crept up on her, catching her when she least expected it until it was almost too late. This time, however, it felt like being hit by a train that she had seen coming, but hadn't bothered to move from the tracks; it happened suddenly and then all at once and she was reminded of every reason why she had tried to avoid him in the first place.

Bucky had a way about him in the 40s that had exuded confidence and sense of self that she had never seen before in all of her life; he was very self-aware and had been comfortable with who he was and that had all but spelled danger for her back then as her worst fears had been confirmed when he was lost. Now, Alice felt that same danger, but this time she didn't fear the end so much so as she feared for him. Their situation had become complex and delicate as she desperately tried to allow him time and space to regain himself without her influence, but each time he said something like that she wanted to pack her things and run away with him; to help him remember with a touch of delicacy that she knew he wasn't afforded especially when he revealed to her that he was trying and failing to recover and debating on turning to medicine in an effort to help him manage.

With a shuddering breath she typed out her reply before he could feel like he was being rejected as anxiety clenched at her chest.

Alice: That's it exactly…and yours was always red – not bright or true red
Alice: Yours was always more of a brick or cinnamon.
James B.: Like your eyes.
Alice: Like my eyes…
Alice: Yeah.

"Hey, Cinderella, you plan on helping or staring at your phone like some love-sick teenager!?"

Alice's head snapped up and she glared at him, embarrassed, "I'll be right there."

James B.: Do you mind if I call you tomorrow?
James B.: Your morning, not mine.
Alice: I'd love that…if you need any help with those instructions I sent you, please let me know?
James B.: There's no one else I'd rather call.

Smiling down at her phone she sent a smiley face before tucking her phone back into her pocket before moving back towards Wade's office where he and Weasel were still packing up any guns they could find in the small apartment.

"That's about 3,000 rounds," Weasel announced after dumping a basket full of ammo and a People's magazine with a man that looked eerily familiar to Logan smiling on the front into the Hello Kitty duffle bag that Wade had been stuffing munitions into.

The mercenary snorted before looking out into space, "We all know what I can do with 12." He looked up just as Al walked back into the room holding a shotgun aloft in her hands with the barrel facing both men. "Hey, hey careful with that Ronnie Mislap!"

"Whoa"

"We're down range," Wade snorted before taking the gun that Weasel had just taken from the elderly woman and shoving it into the bag after assuring that the safety was on. Al shook her head as she stepped into the room, Alice trailing behind her with her arms crossed across her chest.

"I was gonna spend the night assembling the Borje, but this is holding my interest."

"I told you, we're going with the Urvaj, not the Borje. Get it through your head or get out of fuck town."

"Shit."

Alice snorted on a small laugh before turning her attention to the clock on the wall and ignoring the glare shot in her direction. After a brief moment of silence, Blind Al sighed softly and shrugged her shoulders as she looked in Wade's general direction. "That's all the pieces in the house."

"Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah" He seemed to tut as he narrowed his eyes at the older woman, "Come on. Let's go. Cough it up. Up, up, up." He winced suddenly in disgust as the woman bent over to pull her pant leg and showing a small pistol tucked into her sock, "Oh. Down, down, down."

"Fuck you."

Weasel's eyebrows shot up into his hairline as he nodded, impressed. ".45 cal. I like it."

"Every girl has to have one." The former nurse chirped as she shared a knowing look with the blind woman as if it were some secret only the two of them were privy to. Wade rolled his eyes before glancing over to Weasel as the man stopped him with his hand extended.

"Wade…I'd go with you, but I don't want to."

Taking his hand the mercenary nodded before patting his chest and stopping next to his roommate, "Oh uh…Listen, Al…if I never see you again, I want you to know that I love you very much. And also, uh, there's about 116 kilos of cocaine buried somewhere in the apartment…right next to the cure for blindness. Good luck." With a grand motion indicating that he was leaving he stalked passed Alice and snatching her arm.

The last thing she could hear as the two exited the office into the living room was Weasel's voice as he spoke to Al. "You wanna get fucked up?"

Ignoring the statement as the door closed behind them, Wade already had his phone to his ear and having dialed a number while she had been distracted. "Dopinder! How fast can you make it to my place, buddy!?" Alice rolled her eyes as the man continued to talk quickly into his phone before hanging up. "He's already on duty and is in the area so he'll be here in less than 10 minutes! Everything is working out great!"

"Yeah, you know, unless you count the fact that your origin story is holding your fiancée captive."

Wade narrowed his eyes at her, the eyes of his mask moving with his expression, "That was uncalled for."

"True though."

"And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You think I didn't notice you looking at your phone like some sex-crazed teenager in there? Your brainwashed-assassin-boyfriend finally figure out how to use a phone instead of that stupid pager you rigged up? Did he send nudes? Please tell me he sent you nudes."

Alice snorted, "Firstly rude, secondly that's a hard no," she ignored Wade's giggle at the unintended innuendo, "and thirdly he's very quick at picking up things…much better than Steve was anyway."

Wade barked out a short laugh just as a taxi pulled up beside them with a lanky Indian man sitting behind the wheel. "Ah, Dopinder I'm so glad you could make it!" He nearly sang as he stepped to the passenger door and motioning for Alice to get in the back. With a roll of her eyes she moved to the back and slid into the vehicle fully intent on drowning the two men out as the mercenary began speaking a mile a minute, which it seemed the driver was too nice to tell him to shut up.

Their drive was a short one to Xavier's School of Gifted Youngers and Wade was more than happy to exit the cab and skip up the stairs to where the front door was. Alice sighed softly and rolled down the window of the back seat so she could hear the exchange as the door opened revealing Negasonic Teenage Warhead.

"Ripley from Alien 3!"

The teenager narrowed her eyes, "Fuck, you're old."

"HA! Fake laugh. Hiding real pain. Go get Silver Balls."

"You guys going for a bite?" She snarked, "Early bird special?"

Alice's brows furrowed as she called from the car, "What's wrong with an early bird special?"

"Oh, like there's something wrong with eating before sundown or saving money." Wade rolled his eyes, "No, you know that bad guy that you let go? He's got my girl. You're gonna help me get her back."

Alice's eyebrows arched towards her hairline when she could clearly make out Colossus's voice from inside the manor, "Wade, is that you!?"

"Yeah, it's me, Deadpool, and I got an offer you can't refuse!" The mercenary called back before lowering his voice as he spoke to the teenager, "I'm gonna wait out here, okay? It's a big house. It's funny that I only ever see two of you. It's almost like the studio couldn't afford another X-Man."

The former nursed sighed, "They're away on a mission, Wade."

"Fuck you Tinkerbell!"

"No thanks, I've got a brainwashed-assassin-boyfriend, remember?" She snickered when the red-clad mutant merely turned to her and flipped her off before continuing to pace as he waited for the other two mutants to join them.

It didn't take much convincing as the mercenary used the metal mutant's good nature and sense of right and wrong against him and managed to coerce the two into joining. Ellie had taken much less convincing, just happy that she could leave the manor as she strode to the cab and sliding in next to Alice so she was sat in the middle. Colossus sighed softly when he saw Alice sitting in the backseat of the car, the woman sending him a sarcastic wave in greeting before motioning him to get in on the other side, the man needing to bend his massive frame uncomfortably so in order to fit. Once it seemed they were settled, Wade motioned for Dopinder to drive them to the address Alice had been able to ascertain from tracing Vanessa's phone.

The entire time Wade talked endlessly about pop-culture and a series of movies that Dopinder nodded along to, only speaking here and there with his opinions. Alice snorted as the mercenary wrapped up his long diatribe about Cocoon as he loaded one of his pistols from the bag on his lap.

"And that is why, in my opinion, the movie Cocoon is pure pornography."

Dopinder nodded politely before leaning closer to whisper to the man in his passenger seat, "Who brought this twinkly man?"

"Twinkly, but deadly."

"Wow." Alice snorted sarcastically, turning her attention to the window as the mutant in question grimaced before taking a sip from the straw placed in a to-go coffee that he nursed between his large hands. The three mutants in the backseat were able to easily hear the conversation that the driver had probably thought was more private than it truly was as the window had been left open between the front and back seat.

"My chrome-penised friend back there has agreed to do me this solid." Wade chirped before sighing disgruntledly, "In exchange, I said that I would consider joining his boy band."

"It's not boy band."

"Sure it's not." He drawled sarcastically before sighing loudly as he changed the subject. "So, any luck winning Gita back?"

The driver sighed softly and shook his head sadly, "I tried to hold on tight, Mr. Pool…but Bandhu is more craftier and handsomer than me."

"Well, I think you're pretty darn cute."

As they hit a bump they could all collectively hear a scream come from the truck and a series of bangs that had Ellie, Alice and Colossus sharing a look.

"Dopinder?"

"Hmm?"

"What was that?"

"Uh…That was Bandhu in the trunk."

Colossus nearly growled as he narrowed his eyes, "Ban who?"

"My romantic rival Bandhu." Their driver politely informed them. "He's tied up in the trunk. I'm doing as you said, DP, I plan to gut him like a tandoori fish…"

Alice's face fell into her palm in exasperation, "If I'm ever found out at this point I can add kidnapping and grand larceny to my resume of the stupid crimes I've committed in the last century."

"…then dump his carcass on Gita's doorstep." Dopinder continued unabashedly and completely ignorant of the mounting tension in the cab of his taxi.

"Oh great, assisted murder was already on the list so what's one more?"

"I did not tell him to do that!" Wade cried as he pointed specifically at Colossus who sent him a disapproving look, his face contorted in a snarl of disappointment, "Absolutely not. It got lost in translation! Dopinder, this is no way to win Gita's heart back!" He then stage whispered which contradicted everything he was claiming, "I'm so proud of you. Drop Bandhu off, safe and gentle-like. Kill him. And then, win Gita back the old fashioned way: with you boyish charm! Kidnap her."

Alice groaned, "Ugh."

Ellie smirked as she looked between the two older mutants, "He's super dead."

"Yeah…we know."

The teenager snickered to herself as the cab pulled up to their destination. Completely oblivious to the displeasure of the backseat, Dopinder looked to Wade and offered his hand, "I presume a crisp high five?"

"For you? Ten!" The two men smacked hands before Wade turned to glance at the three mutants packed into the backseat, "Okay guys, let's get out there and make a difference!"

"Unbelievable," Alice huffed with a roll of her eyes as she all but kicked the door opened and forcing her way out of the car, her mask falling into place before she had fully exited and the woman tugging her hood back into place over her head. As she stepped out into the morning air she frowned as she looked at the shipyard to see that it looked abandoned, her mask tracking for signs of movement as this area was a working dock.

Wade stepped out of the cab, making note of Dopinder's shout of encouragement and rubbing his hands together excitedly, "Time to make the chimi-fuckin'-changas!"

"It's weird."

"Please don't ruin this moment, Tinkerbell."

"I'm not," Alice frowned as she continued scanning. "This is an active shipyard…there should be people here."

Wade glanced at the smaller woman and shrugged haphazardly, "Don't care. I'm saving Vanessa."

"I never said not to, but we should be careful," She warned. "If this was just you and me I'd be a lot less worried…but I'd rather not have the kid's death on my conscious."

Ellie rolled her eyes at the older woman, popping her gum, "Whatever you say. You're just worried you'd have to hear it from the Professor."

"Actually," Alice sighed in exasperation, "I'm less worried about the Professor and much more worried about Logan."

The teenager looked into the featureless mask and shrugged, "Yeah I see what you mean."

Wade stepped further in front of them before cracking his neck, "Ya know, it's not often a dude ruins your face, skull-stomps your sanity, grabs your future baby mama and personally sees to four of your five shittiest moments. Let's just say it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."

No words were shared between the four mutants as they strode forward into the shipyard. After a few moments, however, the silence was broken as Ellie glanced up in Wade's direction and noticing an obvious lack of bright pink duffle bag. "Hey, where's your duffle bag?"

Wade gasped dramatically before quickly redialing Dopinder, who had sped away as soon as the group had exited his taxi, in hopes of getting him to turn back. After a few moments of pacing and Alice hearing the beginnings of what sounded like a voicemail, the mercenary swore and hung up his phone, "GOD DAMN IT! I'm gonna do this the old fashioned way…with two swords and maximum effort." He exhaled and cracked his neck again, "Cue the music." The group continued on, passed the gates and into the shipyard proper before they came to a stop as Alice's bracer began alerting to multiple signatures appearing suddenly.

"Looks like we've got some company."

"Not so abandoned after all, huh Tinkerbell?"

Alice rolled her eyes, "I told you it wasn't an abandoned shipyard in the first place."

As the armed men settled in a line before them a voice rang out in the sudden silence of the morning. "WADE WILSON!" Glancing up they noticed a man with a shorn head with his arms held out ostentatiously in a clear show of someone who truly believed he had already won, "What's my name!?"

"Oh, I'mma fuckin' spell it out for ya." Wade growled lowly in the back of his throat and Alice scoffed softly to herself just as another figure appeared at the ledge that Francis was currently occupying. The red-clad mutant gasped loudly before smacking at Ellie's shoulder, "Superhero landing. She's gonna do the superhero landing, wait for it!" The teen glared at him as she stepped away from him and closer to the hooded mutant beside her. As the figure landed the mercenary squealed like a fan who had just seen their hero appear from nowhere, "Whoo! Superhero landing!" He clapped before looking towards Alice, "You know, that's really hard on your knees."

"I'm aware."

"Totally impractical. They all do it." The former nurse rolled her eyes as she shrugged, Wade continuing unabashedly, "You're a lovely lady, but I'm saving myself for Francis. That's why I brought him!"

The woman, that they could now tell was Angel Dust, stalked forward with her gaze set intently on Wade before her eyes briefly flickered to the metal mutant who strode forward to meet her, "I prefer not to hit a woman, so please…"

"I know she's not on our side," Alice sighed softly, "but I really hope she hits him just out of principle."

Before Colossus could finish his statement the female mutant wasted no time in punching him solidly in the jaw and sending him flying directly at Wade who ducked to avoid the other mutant's airborne body. A clang echoed throughout the yard from the hit and as the man's body landed in a spray of dirt about thirty feet behind them all. The mercenary hesitated for a moment before glancing in Ellie's direction.

"I mean, that's why I brought her?"

Alice barked a laugh as Ellie's finger was already raised in a hold that thought for a minute pose as she clenched her cellphone in the other hand and typing quickly across the screen, popping her gum for added effect.

"Oh, no, finish your tweet. It's not…that's…ugh…just give us a second. Yeah."

Angel Dust glanced at them before smirking as she waited politely for the teenager to finish what she was doing. Glancing up as she finished, Ellie met the woman's eyes and shrugged, tossing her phone over her shoulder to Alice who caught it deftly and tucked it into one of the many hidden pouches her suit afforded her.

"There you go. Hashtag it." Wade groaned in exasperation before shaking his head, "Go get her, tiger."

In a whirl of yellow and orange energy, Ellie's eyes glowed as her mutation encircled her and she raced forward in a position Alice was familiar with, having seen it many times before during the girl's training. As her energy created a shield in front of her almost appearing as a small sun the streams cracked and whistled mimicking the sound of a missile before she slammed into the other mutant and sending the strength-based mutant sailing into the shipping container behind her. As she stumbled to her feet, her nose bleeding she looked in shock at the smirking teenager before her, her jacket melted away and her X-Men uniform smudged and smoking from the blast of her energy though the molten swirl to the girl's normally dark eyes only gave her a more intense look

"Oh, I so pity the dude who pressures her into prom sex."

Alice glanced at the mercenary and smirked behind her mask, "This entire time you had no idea what she could do?"

"Not a clue."

"She's not an X-Man for nothing, you know." The brunette shrugged, "Also you don't have to worry about any guys pressuring her. She's very much not interested."

"Good to know."

Angel Dust grunted, wiping her nose and glaring at them now that she deemed them an actual threat, "All right, then. Fire!"

"Shit!"

Alice spun behind a shipping container just as Wade raced towards Ellie, knocking her behind a large tire and leaving Colossus to pick himself up and find his own cover. Wade had gotten to the teenage mutant just in time to knock her out of the way of a secondary rain of bullets before turning swiftly to get a lay of the land. Colossus grunted as he grabbed another tire and swung it with all of his might into two of the many assailants and knocking them from their perch above them just as Angel Dust stepped forward to meet him once more.

"Finish fucking her the fuck up!" Wade called as the Russian mutant stalked passed his and Ellie's cover.

"Language, please."

"Another Steve Rogers," the former nurse grunted as she tapped the side of her face mask and activating her heat tracking system so she could easily identify their opposition. She then reached back and released the small pole from her utility belt and jerking it into a fully formed glaive, the blade resting against the ground near her foot as she lined the staff end against the back of her arm in a ready position.

"Suck a cock!"

Before Colossus could return another scathing reprimand to the foul-mouthed mercenary, Angel Dust slammed into him and pushed both of them through a large pile of scrap metal and debris despite the metal mutant hitting her repeatedly in the back. As the two disappeared Alice slunk to the other side of her cover and swung her weapon out and catching a man unaware as he continued to fire in Wade and Ellie's direction. Pinning the man into the ground with the blade-end of the pole-like weapon she used it to spin, her feet catching the next one as she threw herself onto him and using the strength of her lower body to twist in a move Natasha had taught her early on in her training before swinging the pole overhead into another hired gun.

She could hear Wade yelling something at Ellie just as she ducked back into more of the surrounding debris for cover, just making out a white cloth tied to a broken piece of wood being waved from behind their cover as he called for a cease fire. To her surprise the men stopped firing, looking at each other in confusion as he continued to yell wait at them.

"Cease fire!" One man called as he looked at his comrades. "Cease fire!"

"Fellas. Hey. Hey!" Wade called, happy that he had finally gotten their attention, "You only work for that shit-spackled Muppet fart."

Alice rolled her eyes, "So good with words, Wade."

"So," he continued unperturbed, "I'mma give you a chance for y'all to lay down your firearms in exchange for preferential, bordering on gentle, possibly even lover-like treatment."

"Oh fuck this," The older mutant groaned as she swung back out from her cover and punched another gunman and catching another with the blunt end of her glaive just as they began shooting once more.

It took a moment for Wade to join in the fray with an elegant flip from behind his cover, sword already drawn and singing through the air as it cut into the first man's knee – the mercenary following through with his spin and nearly cutting the next guy in half. The two fought easily enough, having worked in close combat with one another for nearly a year and soon the two mutants found themselves in the thick of a small group.

As her back hit Wade's she snorted, the sound distorted with the voice scrambler that was built into her mask, "Nice of you to finally join in."

"Had to let you at least get a few before I evened out the playing field."

"Just make sure you save some of that piss and vinegar for the schmuck at the top of the tower."

Wade nearly giggled with glee as he spun low just as Alice swung her glaive in a wide swipe to give him a clearing to get through. The polearm was not Alice's favorite weapon, but she was proficient enough to handle it with a passable level to the untrained eye. She could hear Ellie charging up another one of her energy bombs from around the corner as she kicked off of a storage container and using the blunt end of her glaive to swing into another group of men, twisting the pole deftly and allowing the blade to sink into another man's torso before she pulled back and swung out once more and taking two men's heads with her.

She could hear Wade laugh as he rolled of another storage container, catching a man with his groin and yelling TEABAG as he swung once more, stopping himself only barely before stopping in recognition, "Bob?"

"Wade?"

"Oh, my God, I haven't seen you since TGI Fridays."

"Jacksonville. Fridays."

The two men seemed to laugh at one another and the absurdity of the situation before Wade sheathed his swords and extended a hand to the now maskless man and helping him stand, "Well, what the hell! God, come here, you." With a smile shared between them, the mercenary grabbed the man by his harness, slamming his head into the other man's and knocking him out cold. "How're the kids? Good? And Gail, she still fixing that tuna casserole? It was so good. But bad for the waistline, if you know what I'm talking about. Hey, Tinkerbell, you wanna help me out here!?"

"Just a second," Alice grunted as she slammed her elbow into the face of another man and abandoning her glaive in favor for one of her many knives and stabbing it into the neck of her other assailant. With the hired men either dead or knocked out, she reached down and shrunk her glaive back into a smaller pole and reattaching it to her belt before jogging over to help Wade with his sick idea of taking the men's bodies and spelling out the other mutant's name.

Wade sighed finally as they finished, hands on his hips, "You think he'll notice?"

"If he doesn't," The woman grunted in reply, "then he's a really bad Valentine and you should consider other options."

"PAH Valentine…that was actually funny, I'll give you that."

Alice waved him off before glancing around, "I guess I should help Colossus…or Ellie at the very least."

"Ellie? Who the fuck is Ellie?"

"The literal teenager you dragged with us?" The woman inquired gobsmacked, "Jesus Christ, Wade, did you really not know anything about this kid?"

"Eh, figured you guys kept her around for the gloomy teenager angst and quips." He shrugged before glancing up and calling out delightedly just as Ajax appeared with another, more petite woman at his side, "Yoo Hoo!"

"If you don't kill this guy, Wade…I will."

"Why what'd he say?"

Alice snorted, "He wanted to know if you wrote Vanessa love notes too. Claims it's romantic…maybe Valentine was a little more literal than I had thought."

"Don't worry, baby. I'm comin'."

As Vanessa went to hit the other mutant, Alice whistled, "I like her…but I don't like the fact that he's got more gunmen."

"Yeah…me neither."

"FIRE!"

The two mutants didn't hesitate to find cover once more as the men atop of the ship began firing at them with a series of different guns and what Alice could easily tell was an RPG. "Anyway for me to get up there?"

"Not that I can see," Alice frowned as she glanced behind her cover only to duck immediately as the gunfire focused on her. "You're gonna have to get creative!"

"You're not coming?"

"Nah, wouldn't wanna steal your thunder."

Wade gasped theatrically, "Awww! That is the sweetest thing you've ever said to me!"

Before Alice could retort, Ellie's voice echoed from beyond their cover and catching both of their attention. She had taken cover beneath a platform that was loose from its mooring, her hand holding the underside of the metal scrap to keep it from sliding and potentially crushing her, "Hey! Climb on!"

Wade glanced back at the other mutant who shrugged, "What're you waiting for? Permission? Get going!"

He nodded before taking off beyond his cover just as Alice had released a gun she had stolen in the earlier fight from one of her holsters and taking aim at some of the gunmen on the lip of the ship, hoping to provide some cover for the mercenary as he raced in Ellie's direction as she charged up another blast. As soon as he landed, the teenager released the energy once more and sending the metal cover flying with the mercenary attached. Alice abandoned her gun and raced in her direction, nearly tackling her into more cover as bullets continued to rain down on them. Once she was sure Ellie was unharmed she glanced up in time to see the scrap take out the gunmen and Wade hanging from the ship's edge.

"Where's Colossus," Ellie asked breathlessly after a moment. The older mutant glanced back at her to see that the girl was drenched in her own sweat and caked with soot and dirt from a combination of her own mutation and the dirt around them and looking more tired than she had ever seen her. Alice was aware that the teenager's mutation took a lot out of her and she could only do so many blasts before she would collapse from exhaustion and she knew she needed to try and prevent that from happening. Hitting the side of her mask, the woman allowed it to recede so the girl could actually see her face.

"I'm not sure, but given the lack of gunfire, I'm sure it won't take us long to find him. Can you stand?"

The dark haired girl nodded sluggishly, "Yeah, I think so."

"Good, come on."

Helping the girl to her feet, Alice made sure her hood was still secured before tapping the side of her ear where her mask would disappear to and allowing it to reform as she traced for heat signatures. She knew Colossus wouldn't give off much heat in his metallic form, but Angel Dust was flesh and blood as far as she knew and that meant she could find her easily enough. After a moment of scanning she soon found her quarry and began helping the teenager through the debris as quickly as they could to where it appeared the female mutant had a clear advantage over their Russian teammate. As the two women moved, Alice turned suddenly hearing another set of footsteps racing towards them and she glanced up just in time to move Ellie out of the way as a body barreled into her.

"Override!"

Alice grunted as her body hit the ground before she continued the momentum and kicking her new adversary off and away from her, spinning as she slid in an effort to get her feet beneath her. It took a moment before she came to a stop, her feet finally finding purchase in the loose gravel and soil and leaving the mutant in a crouched position. "Get going! Colossus isn't far!"

The teen looked back at her for a moment before nodding and continuing to pick her way through the debris and disappearing beyond. As soon as she was gone, Alice looked across at the fully suited body that had nearly taken her out before frowning behind her mask. The figure stood easily a foot taller than herself, clad completely in a dark emerald green suit, not unlike her own, with highlights of a deep orange and black to show that the figure was male with a series of straps and belts that crisscrossed along their limber frame. In those belts and straps were a variety of weapons: some were knives and some were guns, but the one that Alice took note of immediately was a sheathed sword that rested against the small of the figure's back and telling her that this person probably preferred an inverted hold on the blade as opposed to a traditional grip. With her one knee buried in the ground to balance her and her arm resting against the other she tilted her head to the side as she tried to ascertain if she had ever seen this figure before and determining that she hadn't.

"I don't recall there being another person working for Ajax," She called across the space between them, watching the figure carefully, "and I certainly don't recall seeing you before."

The figure didn't speak immediately before a distorted voice echoed between them and she realized immediately that they were using a voice scrambler as well, "I don't work for Ajax."

"Then why are you here?"

He was silent before gripping the sword at his back, "To determine your worth, Override."

"Funny…I don't see what I have to prove."

"You will."

Alice immediately reached for her polearm once more just as he moved, releasing the sword from his back and whipping it. The mutant's eyes widened as the metal shifted and extended almost as if it were a whip and dodging out of the way as it struck out at her before immediately retracting with a pull of the man's arm. She knew, in that moment, she would have to get closer and so she returned her polearm back to her belt and instead dodged left and released a blade from her boot as she rolled and meeting the man's blade with her own as he swung back once again.

His strength surprised her as she felt herself stumble slightly before she allowed herself to drop into a low swing and aiming at his feet which he seamlessly avoided and stepped away from her as she continued her rotation along the ground and spinning once again. As he dodged the second spin, the mutant decided to go back upwards again and allowing her body to continue the momentum as she twisted in the air and kicking her leg out, just barely catching the man in the head as he blocked her strike at the last moment. Satisfied that she had managed to hit him, she dodged as he moved forward with practiced movements, his arms moving in jabs and his sword singing through the air with each strike as he turned and twisted – Alice just barely dodging most of the strikes before the last one hit her in the collarbone and knocking her off her feet.

The man clearly had no intention of letting her back to her feet and continued his motion with a downward strike that was aimed to cut her in half if she didn't twist out of the way and flicking her knife outwards and catching him in his sword arm. With a grunt, the man adjusted his hold just in time to evade once more as Alice closed the distance between them, her aim being for the soft tissue that acted as pressure points along the body and it seemed as if he was able to sense that as he blocked many of her strikes, but in a feinted move, the mutant swung out with the handle of her knife and hit the spot between his shoulder and watching the arm fall limp.

Just as she was about to follow through with another strike an explosion rocked the area, the blast radius sending a shockwave through the ground and kicking up debris and dirt. The two fighters were knocked away from each other just as the two were carried off of the feet with the force from the blast – suddenly their fight was the least important thing as the ship that had been moored just beyond the side of dock began to tip sending shipping containers and equipment sailing through the air with the debris that already existed along the ground. But with the falling of the ship came another series of explosions that fully encompassed the two and sending them away from one another. Alice had managed to wedge herself between a shipping container and a slab of concreate before the final explosion went off and burying her beneath the rubble. It felt like it had taken forever before light began to peak through the darkness and Alice felt herself being lifted from her hiding spot.

Disoriented, she glanced up to see the metal face of Colossus and the worried face of Ellie.

"Hey," she croaked hoarsely from behind her mask, "did we get 'em?"

"If you're asking if Wade got Francis…yes." Colossus answered after a moment of consideration, grimacing at the memory of something before sighing as he set her down and allowed her to stabilize herself. "Are you alright?"

"I think so?" She mumbled before deactivating her mask and pressing her fingers to her face and looking down to see that she had blood smeared across her fingertips before glancing around wildly. "Wait…there was another man here…where'd he go?"

"What other man?"

"Another bad guy, I think?" Alice frowned. "I don't know…he and I were fighting before the explosions went off and then it was dark and I don't know."

"There was no other person here before we found you." Colossus frowned down at her. "Only you."

"Shit." She glared up at him suddenly, "I swear if you tell me to watch my language I will find a way to hurt you." The metal mutant only nodded before watching as the woman stumbled away from him and leaning against another piece of debris before she glanced at the teenager, "You alright?"

"Ish," Ellie answered with a small smile. "Better than you look that's for sure."

Alice snorted before sighing softly, "Where's Wade?"

"Right here, Tinkerbell!"

The woman glanced up just as Wade and Vanessa crested the area that she had been found, the dark haired woman offering her a small smile as the two locked eyes. She looked relatively unharmed considering the circumstances and the mutant offered her a smile of her own before her eyes flickered back to Wade.

"Well, I'm glad something worked out. He dead?" The mercenary nodded enthusiastically before pointing at Colossus.

"I even made this guy puke!"

"You shot him!"

"You were monologue-ing and I have a short attention span!"

Alice snorted, glancing at Vanessa, "You sure you want him back? I'm sure you could trade him in for a more sane model?"

The woman glanced up at Wade who was still bickering with the metal mutant before shaking her head with a smile, "No…I don't think I will."

"Thank God. I swear if you rejected him after all this I was gonna record it all and force you to listen to it for the rest of your life. He's insufferable."

"Well I think I'm adorable."

"Yeah…more like incorrigible."

Wade snorted before offering the woman a genuine smile, "Thanks though…for realsies."

"You're welcome." She returned the smile with a crooked one of her own, "I'm glad at least one of us got a good deal outta this."

Vanessa glanced back and forth between the two of them as Wade shrugged, "Nah, you'll get yours – you're halfway there already! Besides, we still got other fuck faces to kill too…just, do ya mind if I take a small break so I can sex my very, very gorgeous lady friend here who still thinks I'm adorable?"

"Who am I to stop you?" She laughed before forcing herself to stand. "I'd suggest somewhere nicer than here though. You two play nice and if you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Sure do. Now get outta here and see your X-pals."

Alice smirked, flipping him off as she turned on her heel and following after Colossus and Ellie, happy enough to go home for the rest of the day and sleep off the headache she was sure was going to follow after this battle. She made a mental note to recover her feed from her mask in an effort to figure out who that other man was and what he wanted – the fact that he seemed to know her worried her and she only hoped that it wouldn't lead to something more problematic further down the line.

-0-

Sam would never admit that he was excited, especially when it came to his and Alice's weekly watch of reality television.

Alice was supposed to leave the next morning to spend time with the Bartons as Laura had finally had her baby and the mutant was insistent to make sure little Nathaniel was in complete health. She had expressed only days before, with passion that bordered on contempt, that she didn't trust hospitals by stating that "there were very few medical professionals that she would dare trust especially at a hospital where babies have been mixed up before". He had expressed his surprise before telling her to sit down and say hello to his sister, Sarah.

The mutant had said she was going to be just in time for the episode to begin and the former Pararescuer had been quick to gather the usual snacks. While he was making the popcorn he looked up just as Wanda entered the kitchen area and offering him a shy smile.

"What're you up to Wanda?"

The Sokovian glanced up from the refrigerator and shrugged slightly, "Just finished Malcolm in the Middle for the third time this week, so getting a snack before restarting I Love Lucy."

Sam stared at her for a moment before offering her a smile, "I don't know if you'd like it very much, but Alice and I have a weekly reality show we watch. It's kind of an ongoing joke at this point. I get her to watch cartoons which she pretends she hates but actually loves, and she gets me to watch trashy reality television which I pretend to hate…kinda hated and even worse I kinda enjoy it. You're welcome to join us you know."

The young woman's head tilted to the side as an amused smile tugged at her lips, "As fun as that sounds, I think I'll pass. I wouldn't want to impose."

"You're not imposing if you're invited you know," The man chuckled as he pulled the popcorn from the microwave – taking one look at it and throwing it out as most of the pieces were burnt. "Believe me; Al has tried roping everyone into joining her. She got Tony and Nat to watch it one time and the entire time the three of them talked exclusively about how ostentatious the fashion was and how impractical their shoes were. She roped Clint into it once and the man disappeared at one point…if I remember right he claimed a phone call and just never came back. Bruce outright refused…he's not a TV kinda guy…Thor talked throughout the whole episode and then said something about women on Asgard possibly finding the show boring yet funny – I don't really remember and Steve has been forced to sit through many episodes before she roped me into it."

Wanda offered the man a tense smile and allowing a small ball of her power to appear at her fingertip, "I still doubt she'd want me to join."

"I wouldn't want you to join what?"

Sam was quick to hide his smile as the young woman spun in surprise, sans powers and staring at a very windblown looking mutant. It was clear Alice had had her windows down as her hair appeared tangled in some places as the long and waving strands were loose and without her usual bun or ponytail and wearing what suspiciously looked like leggings and an oversize sweatshirt beneath her leather jacket. The mutant glanced between the two Avengers before returning her gaze to the Sokovian woman and waiting for an explanation.

"Um…Sam had invited me to your weekly…erm show watching."

"Is that so?" Wanda almost looked like she wasn't going to answer and bolt before the mutant offered her a kind smile and tossing her jacket onto the chair near the island and glancing at the bag of popcorn sitting in the trash, "You make better popcorn than Sam, I'd say you're more than welcome."

"Hey!"

Alice cut a sardonic look at the former Pararescuer and snorted before glancing back to the younger woman and awaiting her reply. It took Wanda a moment to register if the mutant's invitation was an actual invitation before an awkward smile tugged at the corner of her lips, "I think I can manage that."

"Then you're in! How do you feel about kettle corn?"

"Is that the sweet popcorn that Steve talks about all the time?"

"Oh yeah," Alice replied as she pushed her sleeves up to her elbows, "he prefers the caramel corn, but I got him hooked on it in 2012 when he lived with me."

Sam watched as the two women began talking, the mutant seeming to act as if everything was normal and ignoring when the much younger woman made any jerky movements. It took some time of Alice showing Wanda how to make the kettle corn before the Sokovian seemed to relax and actually enjoy the experience. He couldn't help but notice the way the two women worked together. It was clear that whatever grudge the mutant had been holding had been laid to rest, Alice herself telling him a few days ago that she had been getting better and working on herself more and more. She easily showed the younger woman what she was doing and explaining the sugar to salt ratio as if she had taught the simple recipe a thousand times before and yet there was a darkness that seemed to flit behind her more carefree expression and he made a mental note to ask her about it later.

"Are you certain you are alright with me joining you?"

Alice took a moment to observe the younger woman. Shadows hung about her face that gave way to a woman who was still grieving the loss of her brother and trying to pick up the shattered pieces that lingered after such heartbreak. Glancing in the direction Sam had been standing she noticed that he was gone – assumedly to give the two women some privacy to talk and she sighed softly. "I am, Wanda, really I am. I realize that you're probably still going through a lot and feeling displaced and I just wanted –"

"No…please don't apologize to me." Looking more uncomfortable than she had ever appeared, Wanda tucked a hair behind her pierced ear, "I saw what you were trying to do for Pietro…I didn't have to see into your head to know that you were trying to save him. I actually owe you more of an apology than you owe me…despite everything I made you relive and being trapped in those memories with you, you still tried to help save my brother. You didn't need to do that and I wouldn't have blamed you if you hadn't bothered to try. My power isn't just in reading minds or being a telepath and I apologize for violating you like that…I've always been able to read people – their expressions…and you aren't evil. You never were."

The young woman's words were like a shotgun blast to the chest and it took a moment for Alice to realize that she needed to breathe. The last thing she had been expecting was an apology. With her recent working through her past trauma and allowing herself the time to heal and process the skeletons that still remained after years of what she had thought had been healed and buried; she hadn't considered that Wanda would feel guilt over what had happened while she and Pietro had been assisting Ultron. A part of her had forgotten about why she had been so hell-bent on hating the Sokovian – realizing that much of what she had been forced to see was trauma that Alice had pushed aside for the sake of survival and had never taken the time to truly take the power back that had been stolen from her. Just as Alice was about to speak, Wanda continued her hands tugging at the sleeves of her sweatshirt to cover her hands – a motion that the mutant recognized as a sign of anxiety.

"And I'm so sorry for what they did to you and what that's done to you…what they took from you…and more importantly the part that I had in forcing you to revisit that."

"Wanda," Alice breathed after a moment as she forced herself to rein in her emotions. "You can't shoulder everything that's happened to me in my life. You made me relive it…vividly, but it's okay…honestly I'm working on it and it's okay." She swallowed after a moment as she tried to gather her thoughts as she self-soothed herself as her fingers found Bucky's charm. "While I can't say that I know what it feels like to lose a sibling in the same manner you did…and to have that connection severed so suddenly…I never got to say goodbye to my brother…or my sisters and I do know how that feels. It's a pain that is beyond imagining…everything reminds you of them; clothes, colors…even the way you style your hair can bring the most painful reminder that they're not here anymore be it to tease you or because they had told you that it was their favorite style. That said, I apologize for trying to kill you, isolating you or making you feel unwelcome here recently at all…and most of all – while you've already said you don't blame me for it – I'm so sorry for not being able to save Pietro."

Alice ignored the way Wanda's eyes filled with tears, the young woman wiping her eyes before her eyeliner ran down her cheeks.

"Despite him not being here anymore, his memory lives on…your people speak very highly of you both, but I saw many people paying respect to him at the memorial they've placed in Sokovia."

"There's a memorial?"

The mutant offered the young woman a gentle smile, "It was put together by many of the survivors…it's not extravagant, but they've got plans to make a formal one in the coming years as they try to rebuild."

Sam had reentered the kitchen just as Wanda threw her arms around the mutant with a choked sob, Alice barely catching her before awkwardly cradling the sobbing woman – shooting a look to him in the most hilarious show of awkwardness that he had ever seen. Smothering his amusement he made a show of hugging someone back and patting their back in a silent gesture to show comfort – Alice mouthed a decidedly foul statement that he pretended he didn't see before taking the kettle corn into the living area that had been supplied in the compound.

After a few moments the Sokovian pulled away and offered the mutant a watery smile, "I…I didn't think they would know."

"You and your brother were the face of the revolution there," Alice reminded her, "in the surveillance that we were able to see after we were able to identify you it was you two up front and centered. The people knew who you were and they know what you and Pietro did to save them. They didn't trust the Avengers…they trusted you two."

"But of everyone you went back to help…they wouldn't forget that – I won't forget that." The sincerity in Wanda's voice struck her and as the two of them took in the moment they silently agreed to let the past rest. A few moments of silence stretched between the two of them before Sam's voice echoed from the other room.

"If you two are done with making up or right or whatever it is that was, the episode is starting and I need to see my TV-wife!"

Wanda wiped her eyes, "Who is he talking about?"

"Melissa Gorga." The mutant rolled her eyes before projecting her voice so the man could hear her, "For someone who claims to hate The Real Housewives you certainly seemed to lay claim…and we all know Jackie is the best!"

"NO SHE'S NOT YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

Wanda watched as Alice rolled her eyes once more, shooting her another smile before moving into the other room to carry on the argument of which of the Jersey Housewives were better.

The Sokovian blinked owlishly for a moment before smiling to herself. Steve had come to her the day before and had told her that Alice was going to be making an appearance at the compound – the mutant and former Pararescuer having a scheduled time for their television binges – and that he wouldn't be surprised if the older woman approached her. She had admitted that confronting the former nurse troubled her and she believed there had been nothing she could ever do to make up for what she saw and what she had forced Alice to see, but he had simply smiled at her in a way that reminded her of an older brother who knew much more than he should and assured her that the mutant wasn't that scary. Wanda could safely say that Alice was perhaps more forgiving than she deserved.

The Sokovian had seen what the mutant had been through, but not only visually…Wanda had experienced it as well.

She had felt herself being beaten, had felt herself being burned alive and frozen to the point of nearly losing her limbs – the bite of knives to her flesh as the person holding the other end used the instrument like a painter would a brush as well as the feeling of liquid mercury coursing through her veins. She had felt injection after injection of substances unknown – though from Alice's recollection they had been poisons in some cases – and feeling as those substances tore through her body and shutting down organs and ripping through her cardiovascular system. As horrible and awful as it was, however, nothing had prepared Wanda for the feeling of having no control – of not being able to fight – as someone stole her very essence and violated every bit of intimacy that she possessed.

It had made her fearful of the mutant because it was a true testament to how powerful the older woman was to have survived and continued to push on the way she had for so long and even so, Wanda knew it was only the tip of the iceberg.

There had been many things floating around in the mutant's mind when she had forcefully pushed herself through her mental barriers: memories of periods of times that she couldn't have fathomed anyone living through outside of a history book; family that she still greatly cherished despite knowing they were long gone; and surprisingly the face and visage of a man both in and out of uniform in two very different time periods. Wanda hadn't asked who the man was – too afraid that it would be crossing a boundary that both Alice and Steve had as the patriot had been featured in many of those same memories – but she had managed to figure out that the man was someone that the mutant loved very deeply and so deeply she was willing to go to the ends of the Earth if she needed to. The Sokovian couldn't help the inner romantic in her that swooned at the idea of someone loving her that much and she pictured her parents having that kind of love and sharing it with herself and Pietro, but there was a darker edge to the love she got from Alice and the man. In her memories – the ones where the man was in more age-appropriate attire to the more modern times – the man appeared haunted and jaded, lost and maybe even confused, but the more obvious thing she had seen was that he was a tortured man and Alice was a vengeful woman when she chose to be.

"I'm coming for all the monsters that ever touched him. I'm coming for all the ones who twisted his stars into shadows…they turned him into a nightmare, so I'm going to be theirs."

The words still sent ice racing up her spine at the steadfast and deadly sincerity to Alice's words as it spoke to how far she was actually willing to go. Wanda had seen what the mutant had done to those who had even a small part in her own torture and she had seen parts of what she had already done to the people responsible for hurting the man she loved and she didn't envy anyone who crossed Alice in the wrong way or hurt those she cared about. She had learned that lesson almost the hard way had it not been for Steve drawing the woman's ire. There was quite a lot that she regretted, but Wanda had truly felt awful for the argument that had happened between Steve and Alice despite Clint's assurances that the two would move past the argument given enough time. She had apologized earnestly to Steve a few weeks after returning with the Avengers and the patriot had simply told her it was something he could easily forgive, but that she would have to do the work to earn that trust and she had to a degree.

"Why did you forgive me so quickly?" Wanda had asked the blonde American sitting across from her at the island eating cheerios one night when she couldn't sleep. Steve had merely looked up at her, mouth full of cereal and had sighed before placing his spoon on the side of his bowl and giving her his undivided attention.

"I didn't," He admitted, running a hand through his cropped hair. "The truth is…I've been where you are. What you were doing in Sokovia was exactly what I thought I was doing in the 40's…or at least part of it, anyway. I don't like bullies, never have, and I had never backed down from a fight because it didn't matter to me how the odds were stacked against me. If I was defending someone – no matter who they were – it meant that I was doing the right thing and sometimes the right thing isn't easy. You and your brother…you reminded me of myself."

"Oh?"

"Don't look at me like that, it's true." He had snorted at the disbelief that had painted her drawn features. "While I don't agree with you submitting yourself to HYDRA of all organizations, I can't blame you for the lie they sold you. In the 40's I had submitted myself for experimentation so long as it meant I got to fight for my country and protect my best friend in the process."

Wanda had stared at him for a while, studying him before she had realized he was being genuine.

"Yo Wanda," Sam's voice called from the other room, "you planning on watching this with us or staring at the refrigerator all night!?"

Wanda blinked before rolling her eyes, "Coming Sam."

Alice's voice soon echoed into the kitchen, "Ooo~ and bring the chips and salsa with you!"

"Anything else!?"

"Nah, we should be fine!" Sam called back with a grunted form of gratitude when Alice elbowed him in the ribs as she adjusted herself on the couch beside him.

Wanda eyed the two of them for a moment as she set the requested items on the coffee table before turning her attention to the bright screen that showed a series of women that were seemingly at a party of some sort. As she watched the show she couldn't help but pay more attention to Alice and Sam as they commented on certain parts of the episode in between commercials about the drama that was unfolding across the screen. The two were clearly good friends as they traded jokes and barbs back and forth and they didn't hesitate to include the younger woman as they asked her who she preferred of the women she had seen.

"I think Melissa is really nice," She finally admitted after the third argument between Alice and Sam on which woman was the better housewife.

"HA!" Sam cried as he stood suddenly with his hands in the air in victory, knocking the mutant sideways on the couch as she had been leaning on him. "I told you Melissa was the best!"

"No, Melissa is great, but her husband is what makes this show so fun and balances her out. Caroline is the only one with her shit together."

"I'd like to point your attention to Dolores then."

"You know what I'll agree with that…but only because I like Frank."

"Do you only watch this show for the husbands Al!?"

"First of all, Frank isn't Dolores's husband – he's her ex and secondly no," The mutant snorted, a sly smile twitching her lips upwards. "I watch it because it's stupid and because it's a pleasant reminder that this is not at all how the world works…also because I don't understand how these women haven't been diagnosed with skin cancer yet – I mean they have to have tanning bed memberships right?"

"I hate you…so much."

"Love you too," Alice snickered loudly before tossing a piece of kettle corn at him before offering the bowl to Wanda. "What do you think of this…probably different than sitcoms, yeah?"

"Without a doubt," The Sokovian replied as she accepted the bowl. "It's just not my particular cup of tea."

"You say that now," Sam warned as he flopped back onto the couch he had been sharing with the mutant. "You're gonna get to the end of the episode and they're not gonna solve anything so you're gonna watch the next episode just to find out what happens only for something else to happen that forces you to keep watching it. Next thing you know you're obsessing over which woman has the better wardrobe and the nicer house."

Alice threw her head back in a barking laugh that contrasted with the forced pout that Sam wore to hide his smile. Wanda's lips quirked into a smile as her eyes flickered between the two Avengers, "Is this something you do all the time?"

Sobering, the mutant nodded, "When we lived together it just became a thing. I was watching these shows and eventually coerced the boys into watching it with me…then Sam started coercing me into watching cartoons and so on. Now, it's become a weekly thing – we sit down and watch my show and then we watch one of Sam's choosing."

"Do you ever watch sitcoms?"

Alice thought for a moment before nodding, "I've seen a few of them and I do enjoy them, but it depends on the sitcom."

Wanda opened her mouth enthusiastically for a moment before sobering and playing with her fingers nervously, "Do you think you'd ever want to watch some again?"

The former Pararescuer and the mutant looked at one another before the two shrugged at one another and nodded, "I think we can clear some room in the schedule on Wednesdays for a sitcom." Alice watched as the younger woman's face lit up with a smile before she returned her attention to the television as the commercials broke and the episode continued with Melissa and Teresa as they continued to argue about something or another.

The mutant had thought that it would have been much more difficult to speak with the younger woman after everything that had happened, but with most of everything out in the open she couldn't say she didn't feel more at ease. There was still a nervousness that stirred to life in her chest whenever Wanda was around, but it had lessened considerably and with the harder part of their being at odds put to rest, Alice knew that the two of them could begin to heal and move past everything. She had been doing her best to follow Fury's advice of unloading her baggage and settling it in order to make herself better for when she inevitably knew Bucky would need her. It was a series of mixed emotions, but she couldn't deny that she felt things were progressing the way they were meant to.

Turning her attention back to the television with her shoulder pressed into Sam's side, Alice knew that things would be okay for a while.

---

End Note: WELL THEN!

Hi everyone...I know, I'm sorry it's been a fucking while but I'm here now and that's really all that matters I suppose. Honestly though folks, I am very happy to be back because my real world life has absolutely crashed and burned around me. For those who know (which I don't expect most of you to as most of my socials are relatively private) I had been in and out of the hospital extensively since May for extreme pain in my abdomen. They suspected everything from PCOS (which I was diagnosed with upwards of 8 years ago now) to appendicitis and as it turns out is is none of those by endometriosis. So to say that my real world life has been a bit insane is a relative understatement, but I do apologize for not updating in forever and a day lol and I can't thank every single one of you enough for just reading this story because every notification I got distracted me for a while and I greatly appreciated it *hearts*

Now, this chapter was a really fun one to write for a few reasons:

1) We got more Bucky/Alice fluff and I'm not gonna lie I am to write them face to face and in person, but for what I've got planned in Civil War this communication between them beforehand is extremely important :) Also, it's just fun for me to write because I get my small fix of fluff.

2) We also got to see some of Alice's knowledge of plant-life and herbs in order to help Bucky out a bit since he literally can't walk into a pharmacy (I giggled way to hard at the idea and couldn't resist). Much of this knowledge is about to come into play over the next story arc so we'll be able to really see how much she really knows!

3) Deadpool...need I say more? Writing him has become one of my favorite things in this story because it means I get to have fun in writing this story (which I do anyway, but it's just different).

4) We get a bit of interaction between Alice and Wanda as well as a bit of Sam Wilson (who WILL have much more of a role later on, but this chapter was meant to show a lot of different things all at once and not focus on his perspective).

But that all said, I'm very happy to be back and I really hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm trying to keep this note relatively short so let's just get on to my favorite part which is thanking all of YOU!

A very special thank you to everyone who has favorited/followed/subscribed or just read this story so far! There's a lot here and I appreciate you all taking this journey with me!

Also a special thank you to kyro232, SomebodyWhoCares, cloudkid, zxnightfox, lizyeh2000, simmerandcry, hobbitgeek and Love. Fiction. 2021, for their reviews of the last chapter! I really cannot say how much I appreciate you all for taking time to review my story!

cloudkidthank you so much for all of your reviews of nearly every single chapter of this story! You have no idea how much it means to me and I'm really happy you're loving each chapter so far! I hope you don't mind me condensing everything here for you in a reply because I couldn't PM you (which is totally okay, I totally understand!). But I really cannot thank you enough and truly hope you continue enjoying this story :3

Also, if you haven't already - please check out my dear friend, simmerandcry's story "Show Me, Don't Tell Me"! It's an incredible and amazing and just truly wonderful Bucky/Steve/OC story and it's a real treat especially if you like some good fluff! She just finished this story and has posted her sequel entitled "Only For a Moment" and it's just incredible already and I know there's some shit that's gonna be going down soon! Also if you love Alice as much as I do, she makes some special appearances in simmerandcry's timeline ;) Make sure to stop by and send some love for these two stories~!

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your weekend and that you're all staying safe and healthy!

Love you all,
xoxo Eirlys

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