A/N: I didn't expect this story to take over fourteen months to finish but hey, it was such a fascinating experience. As always I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you liked or disliked about my story as a whole.

And to everyone who found time and patience to read this: it couldn't have happened without a fantastic audience on the other side, you know?

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. All rights to Marvel Cinematic Universe, etc.

Epilogue

NO TIME LEFT

"Everything has to come to an end, sometime." - L. Frank Baum

1

Cool breeze ruffled his hair, as he climbed upon a hill overlooking a secluded cove. It was late in the afternoon, the burning orb of fire had already begun to sink below the horizon. The surface of the ocean glinted with a myriad of colourful reflexes. Hands in his pockets, Steve watched waves crashing against the rocks with stoic repeatability. The only thing to keep him company stood beside him - a simple gravestone out of black marble.

It had a name and date carved in it, followed by a symbol in the shape of an hourglass but the soldier wasn't looking at it. His eyes were set on something far away, which was now out of his reach and would forever be.

It was rather obvious he didn't expect to hear a familiar voice behind his back.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Not believing his own ears, Steve turned around only to see... Natasha leaning against the tombstone bearing her own name. Gentle smile graced her features when she looked at him with loving eyes.

"Natasha…?" The soldier's voice was barely louder than a whisper. This had to be a figment of his imagination, a hopeless attempt of his grieving mind to find reason for getting through another day without her.

At the same time it felt so incredibly real. The person in front of him was a perfect mirror image of how Steve envisioned her in his mind and how he would remember Natasha for the rest of his life.

Her slender and graceful legs, full contours, soft lips, sleek shoulder-length hair resembling embers, tender eyes telling him everything's gonna be fine. Finally, on her left hand, a silver ring which she wore for just one day.

She had casual attire including jeans, a black shirt and a jacket as though they were about to go out to have fun on a Friday night. As if Steve's world didn't shatter to pieces ten days prior.

It was all burned into his mind like a painful brand he would have to carry from now on.

His vision shrouded with tears, the soldier so desperately tried to hold back. He wanted so badly to touch her, to hug her tightly and forget about everything if only for a brief moment.

"How can you be here, Nat? You're..." He gulped heavily, trying to avoid saying it out loud. He refused to accept that everything worth living for was gone. "You're..."

"... dead? Yes." Natasha stated calmly, running her fingers across cold marble. "I'm one of your many memories, Steve. As long as you remember me, I live inside you."

"How…?"

"Oh, I think Wanda will be able to explain everything. That girl has a few aces up her sleeve when it comes to mind warping." Natasha replied with a hint of pride in her tone. "We really did underestimate her."

The soldier was still trying to process what he heard but came to a conclusion he didn't really care. Last time, he was deprived of a chance to say goodbye and he didn't intend to waste this opportunity as well. He had to confess what had been eating him up since the day she died.

"I am so terribly sorry, Nat. I should… I should have saved you." He stopped to steady his breathing. "It should have been me, not you."

"Blaming yourself as you always do, huh?" The redhead shook her head with a smile. "None of this is your fault, Steve. I know you can't accept it, at least not now… but it was my time to go."

"I don't-"

"I love you so, so much, Steve. More than anything in this world. I'm very sorry you have to go through this alone. Remember, I'll always be here somewhere." She walked up to the soldier and put her tiny hand on his heart. Steve didn't know how he felt warmth through the fabric of his shirt. "Before the Avengers I killed in cold blood, without looking back. I didn't care about the people I murdered nor their families, I didn't care what could happen to me either. It was not living. Then Barton found me, showed me there was another way. He set me on that path and it was you who helped me walk it in the end. I'm grateful for that, Steve."

The wind tugged at his clothes and hair while hers didn't move at all, a silent reminder of the fact she wasn't in fact there. The soldier felt as if being frozen again, bit by bit. This was all too familiar, a nightmare he wanted to wake up from yet couldn't no matter how badly he struggled.

"But you're dead-" Steve was sick to use this word again. "I don't think I can go on. Not without you."

"Look at me, Steve." She said quietly. He did as he was told. "Of course you can. If not you then who else will?"

In her eyes Steve saw a conviction so strong that the burden lingering inside him lightened, if only a little. The soldier inhaled the salty air and for the first time in ten days felt kind of relieved.

"You're gonna be okay?"

There was a long period of silence before the answer finally came, an honest one.

"Yeah, it's just... will I ever see you again?"

Natasha looked at him and smiled reassuringly, slowly nodding her head. And when Steve blinked, the hilltop was once again empty, the humming of the sea in the background the same as before.

2

"Who's he talking to?" Sam asked curiously as he observed his friend from a distance.

When Pepper Potts appeared in New York in Iron Man suit and told Fury of the attack, the whole S.H.I.E.L.D. was mobilised and sent to the rescue. Sam Wilson codename Falcon and Wanda Maximoff, also known as Scarlet Witch, were amongst the reinforcements which helped in driving the HYDRA troops away.

When they arrived at the scene, Stark's home lay in complete ruins. It was a total battlefield, the Avengers either injured or incapable of fighting while being cornered by overwhelming enemy troops. Backup came not a second too soon, however with one exception.

They found him when the dust settled; on his knees, holding the lifeless body of the woman he loved, Steve choked on his tears, crying uncontrollably. Wilson had never seen his friend so broken before, such a scenario had never even crossed his mind and he didn't know what to say.

It was only natural to accompany the devastated soldier to Natasha's grave. He dug it on the same hill where the couple got engaged the day prior. Sam and Wanda paid their respects and reminisced about the old times, Steve then asked to give him a few minutes to be alone with his thoughts.

"Who was he talking to, Wanda?" Wilson asked again, seeing how the soldier was pacing around as if speaking with another person. It was impossible to recognise who exactly though.

Faint red glow in Wanda's eyes was the only proof she had just used her powers. "It doesn't matter anymore."

Sam furrowed his brows. "Of course it does. Why so secretive all of a sudden?"

The Sokovian sighed. She had promised not to tell anybody of this apart from Steve, which meant she couldn't tell the truth to his best friend. It was a part of an agreement she made with Natasha a long time ago.

"I'm not, I think it's up to Steve to tell you if he decides so." Wanda shrugged, hoping it would be enough of an answer but it only seemed to annoy her companion further.

"Well, is there anything you can tell me?" Sam asked, a bit resentful. He couldn't understand why the girl became so withdrawn all of a sudden. He was Steve's friend as well.

"You should talk with him." The Sokovian pointed outside the window. The soldier was making his way down the hill, towards a dirt road where he parked his motorcycle "It might be your last chance before he leaves."

"Leaves? Where to?" Sam was more and more confused. Wanda kept silent though and didn't reveal anything else. "Fine. But you owe me an explanation."

With that, he exited the car.

"Hey, Cap! Wait!"

3

Sam ran up to Steve who was checking the bags strapped on both sides of his old Harley. Apparently the soldier prepared everything beforehand and was indeed ready to go, like the Sokovian said.

Wilson pointed at the stuff. "Wanda told me you're leaving, Cap. That true?"

Steve gave him a tired smile, which held too much past experience for someone who looked twenty eight. Sam had to remind himself the soldier was well over one hundred years old which was bound to extract a heavy toll whether he liked it or not.

"Yeah, I am."

"When will you be back?"

"I won't. Not in the near future at least."

Sam wanted to oppose, but the soldier raised his hand.

"I've already made up my mind, Sam. I need closure on this and I have to find it on my own." Steve stated firmly. "Could you please tell the others I had to go?"

"Uh, sure…" Wilson still couldn't believe the words he heard. "But you don't have to go anywhere, Cap. Your home is with your team. They need you."

"I can't do it anymore, Sam." The soldier sighed heavily. "Tony will lead you from now on. I realize we didn't agree on certain things in the past and argued a lot, but at heart he's not so different. He's a good man."

Steve put his leather jacket on, threw the shield on his back and hopped onto his bike. He kicked the pedal, feeling how the motorcycle began to shiver, ready for yet another adventure.

"You've been a good friend, Sam. The best I had since they got me out."

Wilson had no clue what to say so he just shook hands with the soldier.

"Give Wanda my thanks. She'll know why."

Sam nodded and exhaled sharply. He could do that, yeah.

"Will we ever see you again, Cap?"

"One day, Sam. One day."

The hilltop with a solitary gravestone and a friend waving goodbye, shrunk quickly in the distance as a lonely figure sped across an empty highway on the western shore.

Cool wind was blowing in his face, calming the barrage of thoughts racing through his mind. When he heard an echo of a distant storm, somewhere not far behind, the skies were already turning dark.

It was going to rain soon.

THE END