"You all right?" Steve asked Natasha.
"Uh, yeah, thanks. I got lucky, I know how much Barnes means to you, I really do. Stay home, you'll only make this worse. For all of us, please." She told him earnestly.
"Are you saying you'll arrest me?" Steve asked as he stood hiding his features with a baseball hat and sunglasses.
"No, someone will. If you interfere, that's how it works now."
"If he's this far gone, Nat, I should be the one to bring him in." he told her.
"Why?" Natasha asked confused.
"Because I'm the one least likely to die trying," hanging up Natasha looked at her phone.
"Shoot."
Alice wrapped her large cardigan around herself tightly, sitting at her laptop she couldn't focus, too many thoughts whirling around her head to allow her to concentrate on her work. Nobody at the compound spoke to her, even when she went on a run the guards would avert their eyes as if she would know what was really happening out there in the big bad world from simply looking at them. The news filled her in with sporadic stories and coverage but that only made things worse. Abruptly she pushed her chair back and went to the bedroom, pulling a bag from the top of the wardrobe she started filling it with her clothes. She needed to get out of there but as she stared at the bag her hands dropped. Walking to the kitchen Alice pulled a can of Coke and a miniature of whiskey from the fridge, sitting on the sofa she turned on the TV. Seeing the news helicopter footage of Steve being arrested along with three others she let out a sob, discarding the can and with trembling hands Alice unscrewed the cap on the whiskey and threw the liquid down her throat straight.
As she lay on the sofa surrounded by miniatures later that evening she pictured Steve running at National Mall, as the corners of her mouth lifted into a small smile at the memory something in her heart ached. She'd questioned their relationship before, at the farm and since that moment she had vowed to never do so again. However, what was happening she had never dreamt possible and a small part of her wondered whether or not it was now Steve's turn to question. She thought back to the moment he had fallen from the sky, it was one of the only truly heroic things she had done in her life. The rest had been quiet and sedate, listening to Widows telling stories of their loved ones, sitting in her apartment and writing about people who had lived enough in their life to fill others ten times over. She just wanted to hear his voice, see his smile. The only place she wanted to be was in Steve's arms and she didn't know whether she would ever feel that again.
Leipzig-Halle Airport
"You know I wouldn't have called if I had any other choice," Steve told Barton as he got out of the car.
"Hey man, you're doing me a favour. Besides, I owe a debt." Barton replied as he looked to Wanda.
"Thanks for having my back," Steve told the both of them.
"It was time to get off my ass," Wanda quipped.
"How about our other recruit?" Steve asked as Barton went to the white van.
"He's rarin' to go. Had to put a little coffee in him... but he should be good." Opening the door Steve watched as Scott Lang sat up in a daze.
"What time zone is this?" Scott asked as Barton pushed him towards Steve.
"Come on, come on." Looking up Scott raised his brows and stuck out his hand.
"Captain America!" he exclaimed as he looked at Steve in shock.
"Mr Lang," Steve replied.
"It's an honour, I'm shaking your hand too long. Wow! This is awesome!" Turning Scott saw Wanda standing behind him. "Captain America, I know you too! You're great!" Turning back to Steve Scott grabbed his arms. "Jeez! Ah, look, I wanna say, I know you know a lot of super people, so... thanks for thanking of me. Hey, man!" he said to Sam who stood with his arms crossed.
"What's up, Tic Tac?" Sam replied coolly.
"Uh, good to see you. Look, what happened last time when I..."
"It was a great audition, but it'll never happen again." Sam laughed as he interrupted him.
"They tell you what we're up against?" Steve asked Scott.
"Something about some psycho-assassins?" Scott shrugged.
"We're outside the law on this one, so if you come with us you're a wanted man." Scott nodded slowly.
"Yeah, well, what else is new?" he told Steve.
"We should get moving," Barnes told the group.
"We've got a chopper lined up," Barton answered as sounds could be heard in the background.
"They're evacuating the airport," Barnes said.
"Stark," Sam told Steve.
"Stark?"
"Suit up," Steve told the team.
As Steve and Bucky ran under the falling debris Steve spotted Natasha waiting for them.
"You're not going to stop are you?" she asked Steve already knowing what his answer would be.
"You know I can't," he answered her.
"I'm going to regret this," holding up her arm Steve's eyes widened a moment before realising she was aiming at somebody behind him. Turning he saw that T'Challa was now on the floor. "Go," she told them both as Steve nodded. "Steve!" she shouted after him. "What about Alice?" Steve choked and looked to the floor.
"Tell her I'll see her soon," he whispered before turning and running.
Somewhere Over Serbia
"What's going to happen to your friends?" Bucky asked Steve as they flew in the jet.
"Whatever it is, I'll deal with it." Steve replied solemnly.
"And Alice?" Bucky replied. "She your girl?" Steve inhaled slowly. "I'm not sure if I'm worth all this to you?"
"You didn't have a choice," Steve told him.
"I know, but I did it."
Upstate New York
Rhodey took a sip of his coffee as Alice stared at him in disbelief.
"What's going to happen?" she whispered.
"I don't know?" Rhodey answered. "What do you see him in?" he asked dryly. Alice didn't reply, pouring some more tea for herself the pair sat in silence.
Stark pulled up to the Avengers Facility, looking up at the sign his thoughts were consumed with what had happened and what would happen in the future. Later that day when he received the letter from Steve he found himself knocking on the door of Alice and Steve's apartment. When she had opened the door and greeted him warmly his heart sank.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
"Of course," walking by her Tony offered the letter to her. "Would you like some tea?" she asked him but he declined.
"Will you read that?" he asked and she nodded quietly. Sitting down Alice unfolded the letter.
'Tony, I'm glad you're at the compound. I don't like the idea of you rattling around a mansion by yourself. We all need family, the Avengers are yours, maybe more so than mine. I've been on my own since I was 18, I never really fit in anywhere. Even in the Army. My faith's in people I guess, individuals. And I'm happy to say that for the most part they haven't let me down. Which is why I can't let them down either, Locks can be replaced but maybe they shouldn't. I know I hurt you Tony, I guess I thought by not telling you about your parents I was sparing you. I can see now that I was really sparing myself, and I'm sorry. Hopefully one day you can understand. I wish we agreed on the Accords I really do, I know you're doing what you believe in and that's all any of us can do. That's all any of us should, so no matter what I promise you, if you need us, if you need me. I'll be there. Tell Alice I'll see her soon.'
"Where do you call home Alice?" Tony asked her.
"Anywhere he is," she answered simply not looking up from the letter.
"You know, that makes more sense than you realise." Alice smiled tightly.
"Thank you Tony," standing she kissed his cheek gently.
"You're a good woman Alice, I hope you don't hold anything against me?" he asked her earnestly.
"Tony, you? Worrying about what somebody else thinks of them?" she laughed and Tony couldn't help but smirk. "I hope we can remain friends, you and Steve have your hearts in the right place I'm just sorry all this had to happen. I hope one day you can be friends again too." Tony squeezed her hand and it was his turn to kiss her cheek gently.
"Me too," he told her quietly.
Wakanda – Six Weeks Later
"You've got stubble," Alice teased as she stroked Steve's cheek.
"I'm thinking of growing a beard," he told her as his hand came to rest over hers. "Do you think it would suit me?" he asked.
"Umhum," Alice nodded smiling.
"How are you settling in here?" he asked her as the pair of them walked round the outskirts of the city.
"Better than I expected, everybody is very welcoming it's just… I want to be of some help but I'm not sure how? Not sure I can broach the subject of offering my services to write people's obituaries!" Steve couldn't help but chuckle.
"You'll find something," he told her as she rolled her eyes.
"Easy for you to say, you Sam and Nat are still doing your thing…" Picking at a leaf as she walked Alice tried to sound light but in reality her life being turned upside down was having a slightly bigger effect on her than she had anticipated. When Steve had asked her to come to him she hadn't hesitated, she had taken a leap of faith to be with the man she loved, it was just going to take some time that's all. At least that's what she kept telling herself. "I need purpose Steve, I need to be of use and I like to work. I loved my job." Looking around at the beautiful surroundings made it all slightly easier, especially when Steve's arm wrapped round her waist as they walked. Steve saw the way she smiled at him but lost it as soon as she thought he wasn't looking. He needed to figure this out for her, he'd already taken over her life she at least needed something of her own to remain.
"Is that alright?" he asked her seriously distracting her from her thoughts. "The missions?" he added.
"Of course, I knew what I was getting into when you suggested we came here." Steve stopped and turned her towards him.
"Yes but that doesn't mean you can't change your mind," he said earnestly. Taking in her features and softly stroking the fringe from her forehead Steve pushed her glasses up her nose with one finger.
"I know, I'll let you know if I do." Giving him a kiss she pushed up her own glasses and laughed. "I'm kind of enjoying this though!" she said as she rubbed the stubble on his chin.
Six Months Later
Alice had been on her own for a number of weeks, Steve had left on a mission, nothing of which she knew about. She never asked and he never told, it was better that way. In that time she had asked to gain access to the library and special historic documents about the history of Wakanda. The Elders had graciously allowed her, so each morning she had made her way to the capital and studied, some of the technology had taken her a while to get used to but after some quick lessons and some trial and error she had become accustomed to the digital records. Alice typed quickly as her thoughts formed into sentences.
'In Wakanda, the beloved dead are in an ongoing relationship with their descendants through the impact they have on our lives. The ancestors have a functional role in present life and must be honoured long after their deaths. The veneration of the ancestors in Wakandan cosmology rejects a hard wall of separation between the living and the dead.
This relationship grounds Wakandan leadership and informs their decision-making with a sense of interpersonal responsibility and historical context. In such a cosmology there is no need for a reward and punishment narrative, Wakandans must simply continue to exist with the consequences of their actions.
My experience as someone who writes obituaries is that on Earth, or in much of America at least I found that most behaviour is motivated by the basic fear of death. People become obsessed with creating a legacy whether that be through offspring, development of work or dominance over another. Wakanda is now known to the world and my hope is that their view of life and death will be studied, we have a lot to learn. Not just in life but also in death.'
Alice sat back and read the text before her, pushing up her glasses she didn't spot T'Challa standing behind her.
"Do you have everything you require?" he asked her which made her jump out of seat.
"Your Highness!" she all but screamed. "I'm sorry, you scared me…" laughing nervously Alice looked around and saw that nobody else was there. "I'll leave Your Highness…" she said quickly as she pushed up her glasses nervously.
"No please, stay. I only wished to ask what you have been studying." Alice stared at him dumbfounded. "Captain Rogers mentioned that you were an Historian of the dead." Alice creased her brow and then nodded slowly.
"I'm trying to understand your relationship with loved ones who have passed," she told him quietly. "Plus it keeps me busy whilst Steve is… away." Shrugging her shoulders she could feel her cheeks burning red with embarrassment. To his credit T'Challa simply nodded.
"I would be pleased to read your thoughts when you are ready," he told her.
"You would?" Alice asked surprised.
"The world now knows us, I would like to understand your world also and how they would view us." Alice nodded eagerly.
"Of course, it would be my honour." Dipping his head Alice watched as he slowly walked away, sighing deeply Alice pulled her cardigan around her tightly and rocked on her heels. "Well, didn't think I'd bump into him today!"