Music is "Halo Canticles" by Kazuma Jinnouchi from the Halo 5: Guardians OST.

Picture is Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as Wanda Maximoff and Vision.

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Recommendation: "Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers One-Shots" by @colorfulxtears.

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"Knowing it's real means you gotta make a decision: One, keep denying it, or two, do something about it."

- Jessica Jones

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CHAPTER SEVEN

The cancer started in her bones. The doctor had given her a few months to live. After a little while of chemotherapy, she regained her strength, and the cancer mysteriously went into remission. It disappeared after she got back in touch with Bex and I. That was 2021, five years ago.

It was gone for a a year or so. After we took down Magneto and moved to Sokovia, she went to her doctor once again. After several tests, and hours of blood work, they found the thing that she dreaded all along.

The cancer was back. It had not only returned, but it spread like a wildfire to her lungs. From there, it went to her entire body. The chemotherapy she was getting from Sofia was the only thing allowing her to hold off telling us. Because of it, she had the blackout that caused the crash in the market. This time, there's nothing we can do.

"How long do you have?" I had asked, in that hospital room, eyes full with tears.

"Months. Maybe a year at the very most."

I still haven't stopped crying. She said that they're not sure why it came back in the first place. Maybe it was the radiation from Asteroid M. Maybe it was being in outer space. Maybe it was nothing at all, something terribly and ordinarily human, but this time it's going to take her with it.

Two days after the accident, Mom is cleared by the doctors and given the okay to go home. And while everyone is over at her home, getting everything as comfortable as they can for her and Bex in their recovery, I deviate and head back to my house. I haven't been there since the day we hopped back from Paris. The need to be by myself for a few moments is growing inside me, so with a nod to Pietro - an unspoken conversation between husband and wife - I get into my car and drive home to our little house on a hill.

Parking the car, I step from the automobile, standing on the pebbles of our driveway. The sky is dark, the hour almost midnight. The lights in town are darkening, everyone finding solace in their dreams. I guess I'm the only one who's staring up at the stars like they might have some answers.

I close my eyes as I gaze at the Milky Way, breathing in the cold chill of October. "I need some help," I mumble, maybe to God, maybe to Aspen, maybe to my guardian angels. "Whoever is listening, I need some help. I can't... I can't lose Mom. I just can't." I shake my head, tears falling. "She and Bex are my only blood family left. I can't lose them. Not like this. Not in such a painful and human way."

I look up towards the sky as the drops fall down my cheeks. I fold my arms to protect myself from the cold, and lean back against the car. "I'm supposed to be the sister who has it all figured out. I'm the confident one. I'm the brave one. Bex leans on me; Mom, too. The others look to me for guidance... but I have none. This time, I'm the weak one. I can't be the strong one this time, Aspen. I can't. So please, if you're looking down on me from Heaven or Summerland or wherever you've ended up, give me a sign that help is coming. Please."

As I look to the constellations, I spot the defining stars in the belt of Orion twinkle, as if giving me a reply. Whether or not it is a sign from Aspen, or God, or anyone else up there, I take it as one and smile to myself. "Thanks, Penz." I wipe away my tears and pull myself together, standing tall once again. Not as strong as I need to be, but better than what I was before.

I hop back into my car, driving down to Mom and Bex's place. Inside, Wanda and Lorna are helping my mother into her bedroom. Lorna had arrived one day prior, not being able to get away from Avenger duties sooner. She says that Bucky, Sam, and Nat would be there if they could, but they couldn't get away without the rest of the team noticing. They said that they'll show up within the next week, one by one, to see us all and help in any way they can.

Steve is walking Bex through the kitchen, as she is determined to get something to eat for her mother. "She's been eating through a tube for two days, Steve," Bex argues as he tries to get her to sit down. "I'm making my damn mother an omelette." As she pushes her finger into his chest, her lower lip quivers. "I mean, I gotta while I can, right?" She breaks into tears, throwing her self into Steve's arms.

He holds her tightly, brushing a hand through her hair. "Shhh, Shhh, it's okay."

"It's not okay, Steve! What kind of daughter doesn't recognize that her mother is dying?"

I feel a small hand tug on my shirt hem when I walk through the door, silently. Looking down, I see Steven with a raccoon and lizard stuffed animals in each arm. "Mommy, what's wrong with Nana?"

I smile sadly at him, trying my best to hide my sadness as I pick him up and balance him on my hip. "Nana had an accident. She's getting better, though. She just keeps lots of rest and kisses."

"Can I give Nana a kiss now?"

"Maybe we should wait, little man," Pietro says, walking from the guest room. "Nana is already asleep." He picks Steven from my arms, carrying him towards the guest room. "Come on. It is late. Your sister is already asleep."

"We're sleeping over at Nana's?"

"That is right, little man. Mommy and Daddy will be outside if you need us, alright?"

I tiptoe to the doorway of the guest bedroom, seeing Ksenia sound asleep in one of the beds. Pietro places Steven on the other side, and he instantly snuggles up to his big sister. He turns to his father, signing, "Goodnight, Daddy."

Pietro smiles, kisses his forehead, and signs back, "Goodnight, little man."

After leaving the room, Pietro doesn't say a word as he takes me into his arms in the darkened hallway. The rest of the family is either upstairs or in the kitchen, out of sight as Pietro witnesses my walls come down. "I can't do this," I whimper, trying to control my hyperventilating.

He pulls back, a hand still on my waist, as he places kisses over my face. His other hand strokes my cheek to calm me. "I am here."

"I'm gonna lose her again, Pietro. I lost her once, and now I'm gonna lose her again."

"Gloria, you told me you believed in miracles, da?" I nod in a reply. "Miracles happen all the time. That is what you said. Miracles happen every single day. Do not give up on the hope that your mother will heal."

I shake my lowered head. "Miracles this big don't happen, Piet. You said it yourself. God doesn't care."

"Do not say th-"

"-It's the truth." I stand back, wiping my red and tired eyes once more. "I'm going to see how my mother is doing. I'll be back."

As I turn away, Pietro tugs me back around, pressing a gentle kiss to my mouth. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

On the opposite side of her house, I find Mom's room. Her house is a two-story home, the top floor being where Bex's room and bathroom are, as well as a guest bedroom. The bottom floor has the kitchen, the den, Mom's room and bathroom, and another guest bedroom. The two stories give Mom and Bex their own privacy. Especially when Steve visits over from his house across town.

When I get to her door, I push it open with as quiet a movement as I can, careful not to step on any floorboards that are squeaky. I see my mother curled up in her bed, a cast around her right leg above the covers. She breathes silently and softly, gentle in and outs that make me sigh in relief.

I take a seat in the chair at the foot of her bed, the one where she reads Harry Potter to Steven in, and where Ksenia's wild curls are tamed after her bath. The moonlight drifts through the curtains of the window by her bed; she wanted it near there so she could stare at the stars above at night and drift away to the starlight.

What am I going to do about her? I talked to her doctor in Sofia. She's only going to get worse. And not just worse physically. She's going to get worse mentally. The chemotherapy is going to make her personality change. She might forget things, she'll mix things up, she'll make up things that never happened. The woman I know as Rebecca Sasha Sokolova, Mom, is going to disappear before my eyes.

The doctor said that since it began in her bones, eventually, she's not going to be able to walk, or stand. She's going to need a wheelchair, and she won't be able to lift heavy objects. I guess that's why she dropped Steven at my birthday party last week; she's getting weaker.

He also said that her lungs are being affected just as badly as her bones. She's going to need an oxygen mask for when she sleeps, and in a month or so, she'll need a tank to carry around. She's going to need a machine to monitor her degradation. The doctor suspects that the way she will die is from lack of breathing.

Your mother is going to suffocate: That's not something you tell her daughter.

How the hell she kept this bundled up inside for years is a mystery to me. Even before it came back, when she first contacted me, she should have told me why she was getting in contact after all these years. It would've saved me a lot of time trying to figure out her motives. All that time, I thought something horrible of her. She just wanted to see her daughters and make up for time lost. It's amazing what you do with your time when you know it's coming to an end.

"You should've told me," I whisper, my words just above a breath. "You should've goddamn told me." I turn to look outside her window, watching the stars twinkle just as they did in the sky above my home. "What am I supposed to do now?"

As I look outside, in the dark and at the sky, I see a star start to become brighter, as if a shooting star. Except this one doesn't stream past in a mere instant. It gets brighter, and seems to come closer. I start to hear a loud hissing sound, like an engine failing, and stand to walk from Mom's room into the den of the house.

Pietro's eyes meet mine from the sofa as he hears the same thing. "What is that?"

"Oh, shit!" Lorna whispers from the window to the porch and back lawn. "Uh... Glory? You better come here. We have fireworks in the sky, and it isn't the fourth of July."

I come to stand beside her, the others gathering around us. Steve stands with Bex, Pietro with me, Lorna with her sister and Vision. We all gaze at the sky, seeing clouds start to form around the beam of rainbow light. "Is that what I think it is?"

"The Bifrost," I mumble. "Thor doesn't know about Steve... does he?"

"You forget about Heimdall," Vision replies, turning to me. "He, quite literally, sees all. He would not hesitate to tell Thor of Steve and our whereabouts."

"Why would Mr. Mighty visit us?" Lorna asks, as the swirling light surrounds the mountains above our city of Transia, Sokovia. "Thor's been on Earth... He's fought with us occasionally, though most of his time is spent with Jane Foster."

"Something must've happened." I turn to the door, rushing outside. Pietro and Lorna follow me, being the other fast moving superheroes. "I'm going to the landing site. Whatever came here might not be friendly. Wanda and Vision, you stay here with Steve to protect my family. Just to be safe."

"So quick to jump back in the avenging game," Pietro teases with a small smile. "I will be right ahead of you."

"What of the people seeing us?" Lorna asks.

"We'll come up with something later. Fly low. Do the best you can to not be seen."

With one last nod, Lorna and I take to the skies. Pietro rushes ahead of us, a blue blur against the icy cold. It feels good, even thrilling, to be in the skies again after all these years. Sure, I've flown in private a couple times, but not as high or as fast as I did when avenging.

Nothing beats the thrill I get from it. The stomach turning, the light-headed shriek of terror as you look down at the earth below you, not sure if you're about to fall or soar. It takes a little while to get used to again, but it's like riding a bike: you never really forget.

Lorna is ahead of me, but it only takes around thirty second to climb the air of the tall hill which the Birfrost landed. The clouds clear, and below them we see two familiar faces: Thor and Lady Sif.

Pietro makes it to them first; I see him come to an abrupt stop as we near the landing site. Lorna lands gracefully; me, less so. I stumble as I come to a stop on the rocky ground, trying to find my Earth legs again. The feeling is something similar to being out at sea for hours, and then getting to the docks: you lose your balance on perfectly still ground.

Though, to be truthful, the Earth is never completely still. It's moving at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour, constantly, around a ball of fire. We're always tumbling, falling, crashing through space.

Thor smiles at us. "My friends, it is wonderful to see you again."

I give him the best smile I can manage, going to hug Thor tightly. "Hey, Thor. What an unexpected visit! What brings you to good ole Midgard?"

"I have an urgent matter which requires your attention." He turns to his companion. "Friends, this is Lady Sif of Asgard, one of the finest warriors I've ever fought with in battle."

Sif gives him a side-eye look. "We've come to seek your help."

"What kind of help?"

"Someone came through the Bifrost without Heimdall's permission. She claims to have a warning for you. Do you know anyone by the name of Elaine Nomad?"

I shake my head, rattling it for the name she spoke. "I don't. What kind of warning?"

"She could not say before she fell unconscious," Sif states plainly. "She came through the Bifrost, on a winged creature, and said she must speak with you before she fainted from her injuries. I came to Midgard to retrieve Thor to see her. He went to Asgard with me and agrees that you must see her yourself."

"She's in Asgard?"

Sif nods. "She is being healed by Eir. She does not know how long this girl will be asleep. It could be a very long time. Eir is doing all she can."

"I'm sure she is." I pause and look to Pietro, then over my shoulder towards my home. "How long will this take? I have to be here... My mother is sick. I can't leave her side."

Thor's eyes soften, and he rests a hand on my shoulder. "Heimdall told me of your mother. I am sorry, Lady Glory. I, too, have lost my mother. It is a burden no one should bear."

I give him a forced smile, grateful for the emotional support the thunder god offers. "What else has he told you?"

"Nothing else. He says that your life is yours to live. He has not told me a thing, other than the news of your mother. He only spoke to me of that because I wanted to ask you for your help. He said that I needed to remember that you need to be home in this troubling time."

"Let me go home and explain what's happened. You stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Thor nods, and he and Sif take a seat on the ground below them, as if they belong there. "We shall await your return, Lady Glory."

"Make haste. Her Highness, Sigyn, requests a meeting with you when you arrive in the Realm Eternal."

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"So, Thor wants you to go to Asgard to talk to this... Elaine Nomad? About what?" To say that Steve was a little inquisitive about the events that just transpired is an understatement.

"He said that she came with a warning," Lorna answers, crossing her arms. "Whatever the hell that means. He couldn't be more vague."

"Guys," I interject, "it's Thor. Come on, when has the big guy ever let us down?"

Steve turns to me with a deadpan expression. "Civil War, five years ago."

I roll my eyes. "Okay, fine. That was one time. Look, the guy did save my life. I owe him a favor. Besides, this girl asked for me, not anyone else. If she has something that might threaten our family, I can't just sit by and let it go unknown."

"What about Mom?" Bex asks. "Glory, she needs you here. You can't just leave and go hopping all over the galaxy doing God knows what with Thunder Thighs. Sure, maybe this one time is innocent enough, but that will only drag you back into the life of crime-fighting and taking down bad guys. You'll get pulled in again. You and Steve and Pietro and then... then who knows what will happen. You could get hurt, and I'll be alone again." She wipes her eyes. "That's selfish, I know-"

"-I'm not going to get back into this life, Bex. Don't worry." I reach for her hand and squeeze it. "Don't worry. I'm just going for a quick visit to see what this girl knows. After she talks, Thor and the Avengers can deal with it. I'm out. Like I said before, I'm done being a hero. I love my life here. You don't need to worry about me going back in."

"Me either," Steve adds, looking down at my sister.

"You should go." I turn around to see Mom standing in the doorway, leaning on her crutches. "You're needed in space, Ladybug. Go help your friends."

"Mom, you shouldn't be up," I say, walking over to her to help her to the sofa.

As she sits, she laughs. "Sleep? In all that racket outside? I wish." She grabs my hand, making me look at her. "I'm serious, sweetie. I'm okay, really. You'll just be a few days, right?" She turns to Bex. "Bex has me covered, right, Bex?"

Bex looks between the two of us, then nods slowly. "Alright. I'll look after the kids while you're away. Make sure they get to school and to bed on time and all that stuff."

I reach for her in a hug. "Thank you. I'll only be gone for a day, two tops."

"I am coming with you," Pietro states, stepping forward. "Non-negotiable."

I nod with a smile. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Wanda gives me a farewell embrace. "Visi and I will stay here with Steve to guard Sokovia in case of curious outsiders, da?"

"Da." I turn to the door, walking with Pietro back to the thunder god and his goddess friend. "We're off to Asgard."

END CHAPTER SEVEN.