CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE, honor

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

A SMILE SPREAD across Ivanna's face as she walked through the small house. She could hear the laughter of Alexei and picture Steve's awkward smile as she carried a bowl of fruit into the living room. And just as she expected, Steve was sitting on a chair with an awkward look on his face while Alexei was just laughing about who knew what. Ivanna set the bowl down and sat on the sofa, watching as Yelena and Melina trailed behind her.

Yelena hadn't spoken much after the fact of Ivanna showing up with the news. And that was a few days after it had happened. But they had all welcomed Steve with open arms, especially Alexei. Steve and Ivanna told them everything, which hurt Ivanna even more than when she found out they had lost Natasha. It didn't seem to have settled well with Yelena, and Ivanna hadn't been able to get through to her.

"What's going on in here?" Melina questioned while looking between the two men. She and Ivanna exchanged looks with wide brows and confusion. Ivanna shrugged and nudged Steve from where she sat, his gaze instantly fell to Ivanna.

He hummed and cracked a small smile, Ivanna mouthing 'sorry' about Alexei's antics. Steve looked between the blond and her father then shrugged as if to say that he's seen worse. She smiled at him warmly, then turned back to Yelena who had just sat next to her.

Ivanna made an effort to practically drag Steve to Ohio as much as possible in the months following the deaths of their friends. After losing Natasha and seeing the effects of their family being split for over 10 years, Ivanna had had enough. Steve wasn't one to complain, as Bucky and Sam had been off doing their things.

Bucky had been instructed by the government to find any help he could and had taken to therapy and made amends from his time as The Winter Soldier. Steve would check in on him often, happy to ensure his friend's safety and that he was finally okay. Sam had been continuing on missions as the Falcon, and as far as Steve and Ivanna knew he still hadn't touched the shield since it was given to him.

Steve and Ivanna had been working on their things. Sure he'd still go on certain missions, he was still known as Captain America, but he wanted Sam to try and take over. Since Steve had passed on the mantle of Captain America, he had been able to be successful in the world of relaxation. Something Ivanna teased him for not experiencing beforehand. This trip to Ohio would be short, as the pair had promised Sam that they'd be back in a few days. Sam had decided what he wanted to do with the shield, and Steve agreed to stay beside him and give Sam support no matter the choice.

They both understood Sam's reasoning and quickly accepted it. Ivanna couldn't say that she related to Sam's reasoning, as he were for completely different reasons than her own would be for stepping aside from something. But the world and people not being ready for Sam to take on such an important role in America, Ivanna understood. And Sam was like a brother to her anyway, so she'd support him in his final decision.

"Vanna?" The blonde hummed and glanced toward Steve, raising a brow in confusion, "We lost you for a moment there."

Steve let out a chuckle but still had concern written on his face as she looked to Yelena who was beginning to speak up. Ivanna smiled at her younger sister and tilted her head.

"You want to head out with me?" Yelena asked as she walked toward a door and grabbed her jacket. Yelena glanced back at Ivanna, "Before you guys go back."

Ivanna snapped out of her daze and nodded, "Of course. Sure."

She pushed herself off of the sofa and stopped beside Steve's chair. He gave her an anxious look that caused Ivanna to grin.

"You'll live here without me?"

He looked to Melina and Alexei who were watching the exchanges going on around them, then reluctantly nodded his head. Ivanna hummed doubtfully but tapped his knees with her fingertips and then stepped around his legs. Ivanna grabbed her boots and a jacket, quickly slipping her feet into them before walking out of the front door with Yelena.

Ivanna's shrugged her jacket on, tucking her hands into the pockets before Yelena turned to face her. Yelena held her hand up and threw something in Ivanna's direction. The blonde caught the object, discovering them to be Yelena's truck keys. Ivanna grinned but didn't put up a fight while the two sisters walked to the vehicle.

Ivanna climbed in and started the engine, glancing toward Yelena as they both buckled. Ivanna pulled away from the house, making the drive toward a small hill and area completely separate from the streets they were used to.

"You two together yet?" Yelena asked teasingly.

Ivanna side-eyed the other blonde, "Why?"

"You've only had a thing for him for like...11 years," Yelena glanced at Ivanna and studied her, "and you two live together. I don't see you guys using separate rooms when you're here."

"Because there aren't enough rooms for that," Ivanna offered.

"There's a living room,"

"Steve can't fit on there and doesn't want me on a couch,"

"So he sleeps on the floor?"

"Yelena," Ivanna snapped her gaze into the younger, pestering blonde's direction. Yelena only shrugged and watched the road ahead of them.

Ivanna eventually pulled to a stop, the two making a small trip up a hill to a Cherry Blossom tree. Ivanna kept her hands hidden in her jacket as she came to a slow stop in front of the tree. Natasha's grave. Ivanna dropped into a crouch, bringing her hand to the stone while she smiled at Natasha's name. She ran her fingers over the cool surface, letting out a soft whistle. There was a beat of silence, and then Yelena returned the whistle from where she stood.

Yelena dropped down beside her, cleaning up any fallen petals and branches before they both just sat on the ground in silence, staring at the gravestone in front of them and thinking of anything they could to remind them of Natasha.

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Ivanna sat in the front row next to Steve. He held into her hand and rubbed his thumb along the back of it, seemingly as a way to calm himself down as he watched on. They had returned to Washington, which gave them enough time to meet up with Sam and spend a day relaxing before they had to go. Steve wore his usual black suit for these events, and Ivanna wore a plain black dress.

Sam was on the stage in front of them,

"Steve represented the best in all of us," Sam's voice echoed amongst the room as Steve squeezed Ivanna's hand a little tighter, she squeezed back and side glanced at him, but didn't pry, "courageous, righteous, hopeful. And he mastered posing stoically."

The room filled with soft laughter, Ivanna glancing to Rhodey who was on her right with a grin on his face as he chuckled. Rhodey smiled over at her while Sam continued.

"The world has been forever changed," Sam paused, "a few months ago, billions of people reappeared after five years away. Sending the world into turmoil. We need new heroes. Ones suited for the times we're in."

Sam's eyes fell directly to Ivanna and Steve while he spoke, and she smiled encouragingly from where she was.

"Symbols are nothing without the women and men that give them meaning, and this thing," Sam smiled and shook his head, leaving his podium to lift the shield beside it and admire it, and Steve who watched silently, "I don't know if there's ever been a greater symbol. But it's more about the man who propped it up. Today we honor Steve's time as Captain America, but also, we look to the future. Thank you, Captain America."

Sam looked in Steve's direction, a faint smile on his face, "But this will always belong to you."

The room filled with applauses, Ivanna finally being able to pull her hand away from Steve's to clap for Sam while he passed the shield over. She could feel tears forming in her eyes at his words, and could tell that Steve was slightly emotional about it as well. She looked over to her left, silently asking if he would be alright. Steve nodded, but Ivanna knew otherwise.

Once the crowd had cleared, Ivanna rushed toward Sam. She wasn't concerned or bothered about the press people and museum staff still surrounding him. For once since he had set foot on that stage, a genuine smile cracked on Sam's face at the sound of Ivanna's heels on the floor. He turned to face the blonde full on and she pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. Sam returned the gesture and the two friends swayed back and forth with one another.

"I'm so proud of you, Sammy," she whispered, feeling him rub her back and exhale what seemed to be a sigh of relief from being near a friend.

"Don't call me that," he countered softly, but didn't fight further as the pulled away. The two held onto one another by their elbows, their arms wrapped around one another. Ivanna smiled and tilted her head.

"You did well."

"Thank you," Sam grinned.

Steve finally appeared next to them, placing a hand on Ivanna's shoulder and glancing down at her, "Done stealing my best friend?"

Ivanna sighed and rolled her eyes, but stepped aside to let the two men embrace while she watched with her arms folded. Rhodey came up beside the blonde and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder, squeezing her into a side hug.

"How have you been?"

She shrugged, letting out a hum and glancing to Rhodey, "The same as usual. We just got back from Ohio. The family is the same. Or..."

Rhodey sighed as she trailed off, squeezing her again when Sam and Steve turned to face her, "You don't need to talk like that, you know that. Right?"

"Of course I do," she smiled over at Rhodey and he let go, watching her doubtfully. She walked directly to Steve, he sent her a shaky smile, "Rhodey wants to talk to Sam. We should go."

"Vanna," Rhodey spoke sternly at her words. She glanced back and shrugged. He shook his head but looked toward Sam, gesturing for the two of them to walk away.

Steve took a step to go after them but Ivanna put a hand on his chest, "We should go. Rhodey knows what he's doing, he's sort of dealing with the same thing after Tony ya know. Just let him do his thing."

Steve sighed and gave her a defeated look, signaling his agreement with her words. She took his hand in comfort, practically dragging Steve out of the museum and toward his car.

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Ivanna took a bite of the chicken she was eating, the TV playing softly in the background. It had been a few days since Sam passed over the shield, Steve had made it a point to visit Bucky in that period. Now, Ivanna and Steve were in the apartment they shared in Washington.

Everyone was struggling after the blip and after the loss of things like SHIELD and the occasional funding that would come from Tony. With no compound to stay in, Ivanna and Steve settled to get a place together so they wouldn't struggle as much trying to readjust to the world. Ivanna wasn't complaining too much about it.

"The wake of recent events has left us vulnerable," Ivanna tuned in to the news playing on the, glancing toward it. She set her fork down and slowly stood from the table, ignoring Steve's protests as he wasn't a fan on the television anyway. She grabbed the remote and turned the TV up, glancing back to Steve, "While we love heroes who put their lives on the line to defend earth. We also need a hero to defend this country. We need a real person who embodies America's greatest values."

Ivanna glanced back at Steve who had put his sole attention on the TV as well, his meal long forgotten.

"We need someone to inspire us again, someone who can be a symbol for all of us," Ivanna watched in disbelief, her jaw slack as the man spoke, "So, on behalf of the department of defense and our Commander in Chief: it is with great honor that we announce here today, that the United States of America has a new hero. Join me in welcoming: your new Captain America."

Ivanna watched in astonishment as a man that certainly wasn't Sam or Steve walked out of the building holding the shield. It was obvious from the silence behind her that Steve was in shock as well. Ivanna dropped the remote onto the sofa and turned to face Steve, the two exchanging a similar look while the press conference on the tv continued.