Bucky knelt beside Kayla and wrapped his arms around her comfortingly as she sobbed. She turned into the leather of his vest, grabbing it desperately as her heart shattered in her chest. She was barely aware of the SWAT team that entered the ballroom, guns aimed at the four remaining alive.
"Hands up!" One man yelled, and T'Challa's masked faded as he obliged. Sam hoisted Tiffany up and held her body in his arms as he stood to face the men. Bucky looked up at them as Kayla continued to cry, but he didn't listen to their directions. The man approached, gun aimed at the soldier, "I said hands up!"
Kayla turned and looked at the man with her tear-streaked face, rising from her place on the floor. Bucky followed suit, raising his hands begrudgingly as he let his rifle fall to the floor. Kayla looked over her shoulder at Bucky, and he nodded at her, silently promising to protect her.
"Leave them be. They helped stop the attacker." Kayla looked over at Bucky again, smiling apologetically at the man before turning back to the SWAT team, "He came here for me. He used me as bait."
NYPD slowly crept passed the pillars by the entrance doors, weapons up and aimed at the Avengers. A shaking, dark-haired woman took the lead, and the SWAT team nodded toward Kayla. She came around the blonde and pulled her hands behind her back. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."
"Kayla, what are you doing? You didn't do anything wrong. He attacked you." Sam asked, watching as Kayla allowed the woman to cuff her.
Kayla hung her head as a lone tear fell from her green eye, "I set him free. Then lead him here. This is all my fault."
The woman gently shoved Kayla forward, leading her to the large doors. When she arrived, the door swung open and the new reporters who were live-streaming the situation all turned to face her, watching as she was led to a police car waiting outside. Kayla pretended she couldn't hear her mother demanding what the meaning of this was, or her father threatening to sue the NYPD with the best lawyers in the country. She was roughly pushed into the car, and the door slammed before taking her downtown.
"Kayla!" Sandra came barreling into the station flanked by secret servicemen as her husband scurried behind her, "Kayla are you alright?"
"This is all my fault. All those people are dead... because of me. She's dead because of me." Kayla cried as she pushed her hand against the glass separating her from her parents. "You need to make sure nothing happens to Bucky, T'Challa, and Sam. You have to swear to me-"
"Kayla we are more worried about you, you are the one in jail right now. He should have gotten you out instead." Mathew said bitterly, and Kayla tilted her head, causing a chunk of her loose hair to fall.
"Who?"
"Steve. After the gunfire started he came to us and helped us to leave. He made sure we got out safe before he circled back around. We thought he was going to look for you." Mathew explained, seeing this was news to Kayla. She smiled thankfully, glad her husband was keeping her family safe. If only he had saved all of it.
"Why didn't he get... her?" Kayla asked, unable to utter her best friend's name. She swallowed back her tears as it set in exactly where she was and why she was there.
Sandra wiped away a loose tear from under her eye, "He tried. She wouldn't leave without you two."
Kayla chuckled, tossing back her head to stop the tears, "Damn, she stayed behind for Sam and I. Glad I have that on my conscience for all eternity." She wiped her palm across her eyes, smearing her makeup across the sides of her face. "Everyone said to let Natasha go. But I couldn't. I couldn't accept that I'd lost someone. Now all those people are dead, because of me. My best friend is dead because of me."
"It's not your fault honey." Sandra started, but Kayla continued talking, curling her hand into a fist against the glass as she spoke.
"It really is though. I've been trying so hard to be good, to be better. I shouldn't have come tonight, I knew he'd find me. If I had stayed hidden, everything would have been fine. But I wanted to show Steve that I didn't need him. That I was fine without him."
Sandra and Mathew shared a knowing look and Matt turned to his daughter, "We're gonna get you out of here, Peanut. I swear we will." Mathew promised, and Kayla forced a grim smile, nodding at his optimism. She couldn't admit it out loud, but she somehow felt like she deserved to be locked up.
"Where's James? Is he okay?" Kayla asked suddenly, realizing her parents had said nothing about her boy. "Is he still with Natasha?"
"Natasha's gone. Took the baby and your dog. We don't know where she is. We sent someone to check as soon as we got out of the gala." Mathew explained and Kayla nodded thoughtfully. Natasha was smart. If anyone could keep her son safe, it was her. Mathew looked at his watch, then over his shoulder to the secret servicemen behind him, "We have to go, Kay. We are working hard to get you out of here. There's a good chance you'll get put on trial for the whole ordeal, but we have the best lawyers flying in to defend you. You didn't do this. This isn't your fault."
"I didn't do it, but it is my fault. There's no denying that." Kayla mumbled sadly as the officer came to take her away, "I love you guys."
"We love you too, honey, everything is going to be okay," Sandra called as the secret servicemen guided them away. Suddenly, Kayla was alone. She was dropped off in a cell. Not a terrible cell, at least she was alone. But it wasn't home. Steve was going to take her home. They were going to be together, finally, after all this time. Steve would save her, wherever he was. He would find a way to fix this, and they'd be together again.
Right?
"Kayla Ellis. You have a visitor. Again."
Kayla lifted her head from the desk she'd been handcuffed to for the past four hours. She'd been visited by her parents, by her parent's lawyers, by Sam, by Paul of all people, and now Wanda Maximoff stood in front of her, wearing her red leather jacket with her hands in her pockets.
Kayla looked at her expectantly, unsure what she was supposed to say to her younger friend. Wanda had looked up to Kayla once, even when Kayla was on the run. Kayla had defended her when she was imprisoned with her on the raft, but this was something else. Kayla had gone willingly.
Wanda's eyes glowed a bright red for a moment, and Kayla accepted having her brain broken into as Wanda moved her fingers inside the pockets of her jacket. As Wanda's eyes simmered back to their normal color, her face was sad, "I'm so sorry, Kayla."
"Yeah. Me too. How are you doing Wanda? How's the farm been?"
"Smelly. But relaxing. It's been really nice, but, I'm ready to come home." Wanda admitted as she looked over the desk at Kayla's stomach. "How's the baby. She move yet?"
"Not a bit. I'll probably have her in prison." Kayla informed, leaning back in her chair, "Honestly, I don't know if things could get much worse. I was so close, Wanda, Steve was there. Steve was going to take me away and everything was going to be fine. And that's all ruined now. If I wasn't famous before, I will be now."
"We'll figure it out. I'll try to find Steve-"
"No. No its better if you don't, the Red Skull is still out there somewhere and he has it out for Steve. Steve banished him, you know that. You've seen what he can do. If he finds Steve... I can't lose him too, Wanda. I can't." Kayla reached forward to grab Wanda's hands, but the shackles held her back, causing her to pull back in embarrassment.
"What are you gonna do then? Rot in jail?" Wanda asked bitterly, wanting to rip apart the handcuffs with her powers, but knowing that Kayla wasn't ready to leave. She was accepting the consequences of her actions.
Kayla nodded with her lips pulled tight, "Yeah, for now. Check on Sam. See if you can find Natasha. That's all any of you can do at this point. Although..." Kayla trailed off thoughtfully as she stared at Wanda, "Could you deliver something for me? Something for Pepper." She produced an envelope that was hiding inside her prison jacket, safe and out of prying eyes. "Just drop it off if you can. Mail it if you can't. Just- make sure it gets to Pepper okay?"
Wanda nodded earnestly, taking the envelope and shoving it into her own red jacket, "I think I can handle that. I think I can do a lot more if you'd let me."
Kayla shook her head with a bittersweet smile, "I don't want you all getting dragged into this any more than you already are. It'll be another Sokovia Accords if I don't take the fall."
"That's not your job Kay-"
"I hid from the Accords the first time. I'll pay the price this time around. Don't worry. Steve will save me. I know he will."
Two Weeks Later
"Reporting live from New York City Criminal Court, former President's Daughter Kayla Ellis is on trial for her part in the mass murder that occurred at the Summit Gala on December 13. Forty-two dignitaries and guests from around the world were murdered when an enhanced individual came to use Miss Ellis as bait for Captain Steve Rogers, who has been confirmed dead since the Return of the Vanished almost five months ago. Kayla Ellis was thought to be dead for almost ten years before her resurgence in September of this year. Today, the world gets some answers."
Kayla was guided into the courtroom with guards on both sides, her hands shackled together as they led her to the stand. She wore an orange jumpsuit and her long hair was pulled back into a low ponytail that trailed down her back. Her belly had grown in two weeks, showing she was obviously pregnant. Her lawyer hoped that would sway the jury in her favor, but Kayla didn't think of her child as a prop to gain her freedom.
Two weeks. Fourteen nights alone in a prison cell. Everyone came to visit her. Everyone but Steve. Kayla was starting to wonder if he didn't make it out alive. She really hoped he did. Nobody broke her out. Nobody offered her a plan. She was really going to prison. She hadn't seen that coming.
Author's Notes:
amberhardy- Yeah, it definitely won't last... I'll try to upload one a day for a little while! Thanks for reading!