Chapter Twenty-One

Natasha

I sit in the UN assembly meeting in Vienna listening to King T'chaka's address. My conversation with his son still in my mind. I feel alone here, exposed, out of my element but I shelf my discomfort because I am here for people I care about, so I wear my confident facade. I think about the fact that Steve didn't get on the jet with me. That I am in fact sorry, he isn't here beside me, even if I do respect him at the end of it all.

"When stolen Wakanda vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon, we in Wakanda were forced to question our legacy. Those men and women killed in Nigeria were part of a good will mission from a country too long in the shadows. We will not however let misfortune drive us back, we will fight to improve the world we wish to join. I am thankful to the Avengers for supporting this initiative. Wakanda is proud to extend its hands in peace-"

Suddenly I see T'challa turn from the window, "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" He screams and the windows explode inward all at once.

I don't hesitate, reaching for the American delegate beside me and pull her underneath me as heat radiates over us and my back is peppered with glass and debris. My ears throb and pound, the ringing all I can here.

I blink, trying to get the world back in to focus as smoke burns my nostrils. I feel the woman underneath me screaming and shaking. I know she has a husband and three kids back home stateside. My job is to protect her. Get her home safe. Focus up, Romanoff. Time to go to work.

I didn't know what to say to him, T'challa, faced with such grief. A man who lost his father and inherited a great burden. I worry about him and what he can do, what he will do. His threat ringing in my ears.

This wasn't happening. I had already seen the security footage, and I feel like a ghost is reappearing to haunt us all, as I think back to events in Washington. I feel a throb in my shoulder. But how could it be...

As I watch T'challa walk away from me, I look down at my phone which started to ring, unknown number, I answer, "Yeah?"

"You alright?" Steve's voice is sombre on the other end. And my breath catches in my chest at his voice, that he called me.

"Uh, yeah, thanks... I... I got lucky." I hear the sirens in the background, then I realize I hear them in his background too. He is here, somewhere close, I can practically feel his presence and my heart starts to race. He shouldn't be here... not now. He's supposed to be in London.

I stand up as try and figure out what to say, "I... I know how much Barnes means to you," I need to make him listen. "I really do." I take a deep breath, "Stay home. You'll only make this worse," Worse for yourself I want to say. Instead I add, "For all of us," Because Steve is a team player and I think it is the safest play, the easiest way to get through to him, "Please," I add into the phone.

"You saying you'll arrest me?" I can hear the forced lightness in his voice, trying to tease me but I feel worry building on itself as reality leaves my control.

"No," I shake my head and wonder if he can see me as I fight to control my emotions. I feel sick of the thought of Steve in handcuffs or what it might take to get him into them, "Someone will, if you interfere, that is how it works now."

"If he's this far gone Nat, I should be the one to bring him in."

I remember Steve in a hospital bed, unconscious in front of me, I remember before that, Steve bleeding on the banks of the Potomac, near dead, "Why?" I demand.

"Because I am the one least likely to die trying," And like that he is gone. I look at my phone and feel my emotions pulling apart my brain. "Shit,"

We are in Berlin, it has been a whirlwind few hours but I remind myself that the world is not ending. In fact, it could be worse. We have Bucky in custody, and no one got killed. We have Steve and Sam here and Tony managed to keep damage control in our hands.

So I breath a sigh of relief as I walk down the hallway towards them, I fall into step beside Steve, he is stony faced and sombre looking, but I feel almost giddy because no matter what, he is alive, here breathing, ok, "For the record, this is what making things worse looks like."

He simply responds, "He's alive."

We walk into the main staging centre, "Try not to break anything, while we fix this," I say cheekily, because I want things to go back to normal, and it seemed like we were going to lose everything there for a moment, but now it actually seems like Tony might be able to reign things in again.

"Consequences?" Steve asks as Tony gets off the phone.

"Secretary Ross wanted to press charges, I had to give him something." Tony said raising an eyebrow at Steve.

"I'm not gonna be getting that shield back, am I?" Steve asked, watching me walk away.

I smile at him, "Technically, it's the governments property," I smile at Sam, "Wings too,"

"That's cold," He says, staring back at me.

"Not as cold as jail," Tony says simply. And I remind myself of that. They aren't in jail. They are alive, and Tony thinks he can get Steve to sign, some ace up his sleeve he won't tell me about, says he wants it to be organic when he talks to Steve. Whatever it is I don't care, as long as it works. All I have to do is trust Tony. Bozhe moi.

I am trying to relax. Everything is in hand. But yet, it feels like tension is building. But I try and focus as I watch the computer screens as Barnes is being evaluated.

I glance over my shoulder as Sharon joins Steve and Sam in the conference room while I am here on the outside. I try and ignore the fact that Sharon is here. That she seems so close with Steve now... Like I missed something, something transpiring. Her presence is like a thorn in my foot I can't dig out. Which is petty and small but I don't like the fact she is here, and try an actively forget that two years ago I was herding him towards her like a matador. But to be fair, that was before I thought there might have been some sort of a glimmer of hope...But now...

I look back at the screens. I feel like I am missing something, Like I am not in control and maybe that has something to do with the fact that Steve is in a conference room with Sharon. And I am outside. I am the one holding them, when days ago I was sitting beside him in a conference room, I was the one on his right side, his right hand, when Secretary Ross was addressing us.

But now we are on other ends of the spectrum and I never thought that would happen, not with Steve...yet here we are.

Suddenly the power goes down and we are all in the dark.