"I don't want one."

"But, Tana…"

"I don't want one."

"But, Tan, both Tony and Box have made you mechanical arms. Can't you at least try them?"

She shakes her head violently.

"I made my choice. I'm not backing down."

"I don't see why you don't want a mechanical arm! I don't want you to fight unless you have two arms!"

"I have spent over three thousand years fighting with my own right hand. I cannot simply change so quickly!"

"But-"

"Steve, I have made my choice. I will learn to fight with one arm. I will live with one arm. Unless Tony is prepared to give a mechanical arm to every person who has lost one, then I will not wear it."

"This is a principle thing, isn't it?"

"No. This is an 'I knew what I was doing and I knew the consequences and I thought is all out very carefully and decided I didn't want a prosthetic arm' thing. But yeah, it's a principle thing as well."

I reach out and touch the empty sleeve.

"If… If this really bothers you, Steve, then yes, I'll take the prosthetic. But I don't want one because you think I'll be less of person without it… Then you can go fish."

My hand grasps the scratchy bandages from under the shirt.

"How long…?"

"Josh Foley has agreed to give me weekly healing sessions, to get the skin to grow back. We reckon about a month."

"And have you decided about the school?"

"I'm going. Logan asked if I'd be interested in Headmistress, but I refused. I'm going back to teaching History. You'd like that. It's a nice, safe job."

I wince. Yes, that maybe wasn't my smartest move. I told her when she woke up that she was off the Secret Avengers, I didn't want her doing solo stuff and I wanted her to stay safe. She yelled at me for a few seconds before she went into a coughing fit that shook her whole body. Beast took over the yelling for a while, told me Etana needed time to rest and get used to her lost limb. She's still bedridden but Hank gave me permission to move her to the New York highrise. She looks so worn. But now she looks at me.

"I'm sorry."

"You did what you had to."

She nods softly and brings her left hand up to press my hand to the amputated area.

"I'm so sorry. I…"

"It's alright."

Her eyes are shining in the light.

"Get used to it Steve. Even if I do accept a prosthetic, it will only be for fighting."

And I somehow end up with my hand clasped over the bandages and Etana just staring at me. And then I understand. So, so much comprehension, rushing through me.

"If you don't want the prosthetic… I understand."

"Thank you."

We sit in silence for a while then Etana smiles softly and brings her left hand up to her neck and pulls out a chain on which hangs her wedding ring that she wears…wore… on her right index finger.

"I wasn't going to sacrifice this. Looks like I'll have to use the left ring finger after all."

I smile weakly, unhook the chain and slip the ring onto the finger she has proffered.