Eva stayed at the back of the church, in a plain black dress that she didn't like and did not fit, and listened to the sermon. Sam and Steve were up the front, but she would rather linger near the open door, with the cool outside air drifting in and making the sound of Peggy's pretty niece talking about her harder to hear. There had been a private jet, Stark-funded, that had taken them across the Atlantic – her, Steve, Sam, and Romanoff, who was stopping off on the way to Vienna for something political. There had been free champagne, which she had not drunk.

Suddenly, the funeral – which was precisely as painful as she had expected it to be – finished, and people were leaving. Sam gave her hand a small squeeze as he passed but left her in the church as he and the others left, Steve and Natasha lingering a little longer than the rest as they talked quietly in the middle of the central aisle. The woman gave her a small nod as she passed, and finally Eva made her way up to Steve, whose eyes were red.

"London's nice," she said. "Everyone sounds like my best friend."

He chuckled. "That the only reason you like it?"

"One of a few. Black doesn't suit you."

"I know," he replied, "I wear it more than I'd like. Thanks for coming."

Eva lifted a shoulder. "That's what you do for friends," she said. "How are you? I know everyone's a bit on edge at the moment, and then there's this…" she waved a hand around the church. "You don't have to fight, y'know. You can just walk away if it gets too much."

"Wish I could," Steve said heavily. "But it's more complicated than that."

"Is this about the guy with the metal arm?" she asked, and Steve stared at her. "What? I'm not a complete idiot. I notice things. He's… important, right? Important to you."

"Yeah. He… he is."

"Well, I hope you find him. And also, you should ask Sharon Carter out. She was making eyes at you over her eulogy, in case you hadn't noticed. I mean – I dunno how conservative you were back in the olden days, but now it's cool just to have, like, a thing. So have a thing."

Steve smiled. "Thanks for the tip-off."

"No problem. Come here," she said, and pulled him into a hug. He was very solid and warm, but he held onto her like she was stronger than him.

But Steve let go eventually, straightening his tie. "On a similar subject," he said, "we need to talk about Vision and Wanda."

"Don't," she said shortly, pressing a hand against her forehead "I've got enough to deal with without my best friend getting all… hormonal. Anyway – I'm gonna walk back to the hotel. Can you tell Sam when you see him?"

"Sure you'll be okay?" Steve asked her.

"I can look after myself."

On her route back to the hotel, Eva stopped off at a grocery store and, because it was either that or a bottle, bought a cheap plastic lighter and played with it for the rest of the walk. London was… weird. Back in New York all the buildings tended to look like the ones surrounding them, whether that be red brick or towering glass, but here there were black-and-white vaulted buildings sandwiched between Victorian gabled houses and sleek modern architecture, as though someone had mixed up the pieces from a hundred different jigsaw pieces and stuck them together any old how. Eva somehow managed not to get lost, and checked back into the hotel with slightly burnt fingers and a dirty feeling from the London smog.

While she was in the shower she heard Sam come into their room, and the TV turn on. Eva showered until the hot water had scalded away all the feelings of funeral, towelling her hair dry and wrapping the towel around herself before leaving.

"The water pressure in that shower made me see God, honestly, it was – OH MY GOD WHAT IS HE DOING IN HERE I HAVE NO CLOTHES ON!" Eva shrieked, ducking behind the couch as Steve quickly turned his back.

"I didn't see anything!" he replied hastily. She could hear the blush in his voice. "I promise!"

Suspiciously, readjusting the towel to provide better coverage, Eva rose into view and looked at the television. "Holy crap," she said, as helicopter shots drunk in the devastation in Vienna, "what happened?"

The news report answered her question for her. "Barnes, a suspected Enhanced who has been active for decades, has been linked to innumerable Soviet war crimes during the last fifty years. The fact that he chose the site of the Accords agreement as his latest target clearly shows the terrorist's opinions on the matter."

Barnes… the photo they showed was a staticky surveillance screencap of a man with a collar half-hiding his face and a glint of metal visible beneath one sleeve. "The man with the metal arm's Bucky Barnes?" Eva asked, and Sam nodded mutely. "But I gave him free coffee! There's no way that guy would blow up the UN. He looked like he was in the middle of a nervous breakdown!"

Steve and Sam exchanged glances. "Go," said the latter, "I'll catch up."

"You need to disappear."

"I know. Give me five minutes."

Steve nodded, gave Eva an apologetic look, and left the hotel suite. "Sam," said the coffee girl, "what the hell is going on?"

"Honestly?" said Sam. "No idea. But Steve –"

"Is going after Barnes," Eva finished for him, "yeah, I figured that. This is more than just the Accords now, isn't it? And you're going with him."

"I'm –"

"Don't," she said, "don't you dare apologize. You're an Avenger, Sam. I know what I signed up for. What can I do to help?"

Sam hesitated, then smiled. "Not many people would say that."

Eva shrugged, one hand still holding the towel secure. "Y'all are rubbing off on me with the altruism," she said. "I don't mind – I don't mind following you, if I need to. If I'm going to be in trouble too, then –"

"No," he said, "you're a civilian, they can't do anything to you. But if they ask where I've gone, keep quiet."

"I could lie and tell them you went underground without Steve."

"I think things are happening too quickly for that to help much. Eva, you can't tell anyone what you know about Barnes, okay? Not even Vision."

"But –"

"I know. He's your best friend, and it's not fair. But right now, because of the Accords, he's against Barnes and Steve."

"And you. Sam, I'm stuck in the middle of this! I never wanted – I mean, I should be worrying about paying off my student debt, not the ethical quandary of the regulation of superheroes! I don't even like superheroes!"

"Eva, I'm sorry." He took her face and kissed her forehead.

"I told you not to apologize, asshole. And no, I won't tell V anything. Coffee shop confidentiality, and all that."

Sam laughed. "Stay in London. Stay safe, outta the way. Don't make a fuss and they'll forget you even exist, and just… keep an eye on the news, okay? I love you."

"You damn well should, Samuel Wilson. Good luck finding Bucky."

"You really don't think he did it," Sam said, "do you? There's footage of him there, and you still don't believe he did it."

"I don't care about all the important global catastrophe stuff," said Eva, "I care about whether or not someone's an asshole. And I don't think he is. I just think he's scared. When you and Steve find him… don't do anything stupid, alright?"

He saluted. "Enjoy the five-star hotel, Miss Kresk."

"Are you aware that the Chelsea Flower Show's on at the moment, Sam? I am gonna have the time of my life."

A/N okay so I keep this fic canon-compliant because that's the way I like it, but you have no idea how tempted I was to send Eva off with the soldier boys and have her be the fourth passenger in that Beetle, crammed on the back seat with Bucky Barnes. Mind you, if that had happened there would have been no airport fight, because she would have marched up between the two sides with no regard for personal safety and given them such a telling-off, in a manner suitable to the legacy of Peggy Carter, that they would be too ashamed to fight. Rhodey and Bucky would be fine. Everyone could sort out their differences sensibly, for fear of incurring the wrath of the gardener, and the film would have ended in half the time with everyone happy. Never underestimate the power of a very angry woman who has direct control over the Avengers' caffeine supply. Also, Eva and Bucky would be absolute bros and now I probably have to wait until Infinity Wars to have them meet and bond over how ridiculously moral their best mates are.