Chapter 2

The GPS coordinates placed Steve and Bucky's quinjet in Wakanda, Africa, and with more than 6 hours of flying in pure darkness, Natasha's thoughts began to wander.

"Did T'Challa capture Steve and Bucky? Does T'Challa just have the quinjet and Steve is in the wind?God, what if Steve isn't even there?" Natasha thought to herself as the panic started to set in. Only when she is completely alone is she allowed to have a moment of weakness. Natasha took some deep breathes, attempting to calm herself. She squeezed her eyes shut and grasped at a happy moment, being lifted towards the clear blue sky, standing within arm's reach of a perfectly built man and she is experiencing everything about him in that moment. His face and uniformed covered in dirt, his redden lips parted as he slowing his breathe and his hair disheveled. She took the mental picture of Steve's face as he relaxes and looking out to the clear blue sky, and in this moment, she finds her happy place. Opening her eyes, she found herself regaining control of her emotions with undisputed clarity.

Pulling up the topical map of the location of Steve's quinjet, she found where she would land and formed a game plan – sort of. She knew what came from Wakanda, and had met first-hand the possible type of natives she could encounter but other than that she was blind. She would have to bring her A-game. Mentally she began building up her walls and becoming numb on the outside, removing what made her Natasha Romanoff and leaving only the Black Widow.

Using the chirping of the GPS, Natasha landed the quinjet in the concealment of the trees just before the sun kissed the sky to light. Securing Natasha's side arm to her ribcage and tighten the strap around her thigh, she wanted to make ensure she was ready for whatever came. She tapped a few buttons on her forearm, having the mini-screen populate the location of the other quinjet and a red dot blinking to life, Natasha stepped off to check the first item off her list. Not daring to think of his name, she remained in complete assassin-spy mindset. With over a klick to travel, not knowing what is lurking in the canopy. Sadly, Natasha wasn't alone in her travels and as she approach the outer perimeter, well hidden by the tree line, she continued to watch the activity[KM1] around the buildings. Somewhere in there is the quinjet, for sure – locating Steve and Bucky, however, would take some time.

A slight prick on the back of her neck was the last thing that Natasha felt before her world became black.

Steve -

Unable to sleep, Steve found himself in the floor-to-ceiling, windowed gym, running on a treadmill at the steepest incline. He was drenched in sweat, his mind speeding through unable to finish what he was thinking. So much had happen in such a short amount of time. Walking away from the Avengers, Bucky going back to sleep and Steve not knowing what direction he was headed. There had been many moments in the last couple of years where Steve felt completely alone, but now he was in a country that he only knew two people, in which one was taking a cryogenic sleep and the other was actively trying to capture him until yesterday.

What's next? He would question himself, he couldn't just stay in hiding in Wakanda for the rest of his unnatural life. What about Sam, Clint, Wanda, and Scott? guilt surged through his body, forcing him to hit the red "STOP" button as the treadmill slowed, he just stood still, mentally coming to the edge of the breaking point.

"Good Morning Captain, are your arrangements' to your liking?" T'Challa breaking Steve from the edge of his mental breakdown, walking into the gym.

"Morning, Yes…. just have a lot on my mind, and please call me Steve your Highness." Steve said jumping off the treadmill and wiping the sweat from his face and hands.

"Steve, let's be informal, then. I hope we will make progress with Bucky's prognosis and you can have your comrade back." T'Challa taking seat on the padded weight bench.

Steve, slowing his breathe, trying to piece what he was going to say next. "Have you heard from Stark? Any updates or news?" Steve questioned.

Just then, before T'Challa could answer, a young woman gracefully stepped in, halting at the Wakanda King's side. The both exchanged words in their naïve tongue, leaving Steve out of their private affairs.

"Looks like we have a visitor." T'Challa giving Steve a shrug while both men followed the women out the door. Steve kept a half stride behind T'Challa, as they enter the hanger where the quinjet is being held, as well as the Wakanda King's private jet. They walked pass what looked like an armory and entered a sterile white hallway that lead into a circular wing, possibly an infirmary. The young women motioned for the men to enter a room that had two guards on either side of the door holding weapons down at the low ready. T'Challa speaking to the nurse in a hush native tongue, while Steve peered on the other side of the curtain to see the messy, red hair covering the pillow. Her face laxed as she was in a sleeping state and she is strapped down to the bed, across her chest, upper thighs and ankles, with her hands bound to the bed sides. Steve was taken back, the grasp he made when looking at Natasha in this state, filled him with rage, anger, wanting to release her, and becoming protective of her. At the same time, he worried about why she was here, how did she locate them, and is Tony following behind her to arrest Bucky and himself.

"Steve, we picked up on her quinjet arrival and my security thought best for everyone's safety to sedate her, before anyone was injured. She will come to soon, and we can find out her intentions on coming here." T'Challa placing a soft hand on the Steve's shoulder, being able to see his reaction and wanting to offer a sign of compassion.

"Mind if I sit with her, until then?" Steve asked. T'challa giving an approving nod and leaving Steve and Natasha alone in the room. Steve standing next to bed, carefully reaching his hand up to bring some order to the mess of her hair, not being able to fix all of it, his hand dropping pass her face and landing on her shoulder, leaving his hand resting there longer then he would normally, and but letting in some relief that a friend was near. After all she did let Bucky and he go, Natasha always had his back, they both made that clear after they almost died, blowing up a small part of New Jersey. He brought a chair closer to the foot of the bed, watching out the window as the sunlight played with the greenery outside, Steve listening to the quite breathes of the woman that lay next to him.

Natasha-

Coming out of the fog and the darkness that took her world, she slowly made a quick assessment of her body before opening her eyes. "Great, my day just got worse" Natasha thought as she realized she is restraint, to what felt like a bed. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes, prepared to meet the one who captured her and ready for torture. When blue eyes met her green and mentally she forgot how to breath as Steve Rogers was sitting next to her.

"Romanoff, nice of you to join us? Feeling ok?" Steve asked sitting up straighter, as T'Challa and the nurse returned.

"Captain, would be doing better, I thought I would be rescuing you. You look like you are doing good." Natasha said, noticing that Steve looks like he had been dragged through the mud – being pulled by the Hulk.

"Ms. Romanoff, what is the reason for your unexpected visit?" T'Challa questioned.

"When you had finished giving your statement to Ross and Tony, I saw to it to make sure that Rhodey was going to live. Tony made it very clear me that I am now a criminal as well. I decided I needed to find Captain Rogers, if I was going to be a criminal might as well have someone to watch my back, on the run." Natasha said, keeping her Black Widow composure.

"What would make you think you would find that here?" T'Challa asked

Natasha taking a second and not breaking her eye contact with the now Wakanda King. "Living through some of the things that we have fought against, seeing no end to the fight, but still giving it your all, and only relaying on the person next to you. No matter how big the disagreement is internally, some things are ingrained within you and the others you fought beside. If you would, it's an unbreakable trust." Natasha said, taking a quick glance at Steve, not waiting to pull away from his face to return to her stone exposure and face the king standing before her.

T'Challa stilling himself in front of Natasha, committing every word to memory before giving Steve an approving nod and quietly leaving the room.

They both sat there, in silence, neither one wanting to make the first move or to show their hand. Even though both desperately earned for the companionship. Green eyes staring into Blue eyes, both trying to read the others mind.

"Nat…" "Steve…" They both started at the same time. Steve motion for Natasha to continue.

"Steve, I didn't want there to be sides, especially when we are on the opposite ends. It's easier when the decision is out of our hands and we just follow the orders, and march on. Anyways, I choose wrong to start with. But that's mine to carry now. By the way Rhodey is going to live, he may not walk again but he will live." Natasha said in a matter fact tone.

"What about the Sam, Clint and the others?" Steve tone weaken.

"They were next on my list, after picking you and Bucky up. But we must break into a super max prison that is floating on the Pacific. Thought the three of us could handle it." Natasha's composure breaking at the look that flashed across Steve's face. Natasha started to become a silly school girl talking to the cute popular guy.

T'Challa walked into the room, "My advisors, don't see you as threat Ms. Romanoff, especially when you are on every watch list for a warrant for arrest. I will extend my offer, the same offer that Steve has accepted. You can remain as a refugee status here, under one condition, you will not carry any weapons on you. You must agree to my terms." He said waiting for a reply.

Natasha took a second, to look both men "Well what are you waiting for? Can I be released from this bed or am I considered a weapon?" Natasha said having a smile dance on her lips, seeing the mood lighten in the room. T'Challa and Steve both grinned and assisted in the removing of her restraints.

Once on her feet and adjusted, looking at both tall men standing on either side of her, "What's for breakfast?" she asked.

[KM1]