Joana

How long were they in Wakanda before Steve, Sam, and the others ran off to fight some underground missions? Maybe 24 hours.

How long was Joana in Wakanda before the king came back and everything went to hell? Maybe two hours after the others had left.

Joana was sitting with Shuri, the Princess of Wakanda, in the medical bay, staring at the frozen case that held her boyfriend.

"I'm really sorry," Shuri said after Joana rehashed her story for about the fifth time. "That sounds terrible."

Joana shrugged.

"It's not so bad, knowing that I still have him with me." Shuri looked away from Joana and to the cryofreezer. "Thank you, Shuri, for everything you're doing for him. It means the world to me."

Shuri shrugged, kicking her legs back and forth.

"Of course, Joana. You haven't been here very long, but we've all taken a liking to you. Especially Okoye," Shuri told her with half of a smile.

Joana smiled back.

"I don't really deserve it."

"T'challa says you fought admirably in Germany. Okoye has seen you in the training rooms. She says you would make a great warrior. Maybe you should talk to her."

"About what?"

"Becoming a Dora."

Joana couldn't help but laugh.

"I am nowhere near qualified."

It was Shuri's turn to laugh.

"Joana, you're probably the most qualified person I've ever met. You have had four lifetimes on many of the Dora trainees. You could do it, you know. You could be a real asset."

Joana was almost feeling somewhere near good until Shuri said the word, the one word, "asset". She lowered her head. She glanced back up at Bucky.

"I will do everything I can to repay you and your people for your kindness, but when Bucky is healed, I think I'm going to ask His Highness if we can...I don't know...maybe get a small hut on the border, do some farming. I think he...we...need to lay low for a while," Joana told her. Shuri sighed.

"I think you're right. You deserve that much. And please do not call my brother "His Highness", it's strange. Just call him T'challa. I'm sure he would be happy to give you and Barnes something."

"Your people are so kind. Thank you, for everything."

Shuri slid off the table and held her hand out to Joana.

"Come, Little Fox," Shuri said with her innocent smile. "Let me show you more of my home." Joana looked warily between her hand and Bucky's container. "He won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Besides, sitting around here all day is going to get boring in about three minutes."

Joana rolled the idea in her head for a few moments, glancing back and forth. Shuri was right, but Joana had spent so long waiting for Bucky, she didn't think a few more days would matter much to her. Then she thought about him, and what he would tell her to do. He'd tell her to go, wouldn't he? He would tell her that she needs to live her life and if that means exploring the Wakanda palace, then that's what she would do.

Joana smiled at Shuri and slid off the bed, taking the hand outstretched to her. Shuri made a quiet squeal, a sound Winnie might have made when they were kids. The thought alone made Joana smile.

"Let's start by getting you in some proper Wakandan attire," Shuri told her, pulling her along, out of the bleach white medical bay that was starting to feel all too stuffy. Joana followed Shuri down the beautifully decorated halls of the palace. Joana was sure she had never seen anything like it in her entire life. Sure, she had never been in a palace before, so there wasn't much to compare it to. The ground and walls were a solid black color, so black, Joana felt that if she only looked down, she might fall into deep space.

She looked at the tapestries flittingly as she and Shuri ran past them. Brilliant yellows and greens and red woven together made wonderful pieces of art that told story after story. They told stories that Joana didn't think she would be able to decipher if she studied them for years. Shuri pulled her into a large suite with a giant window that overlooked the green of the country.

"And here I thought you lived in your laboratory," Joana said, half mockingly, half in awe of the view.

Shuri laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Sure, that's what most people think. I haven't slept in this bed in a week." Shuri sent Joana a smile. She lead her toward another door that Joana assumed was the closet. When Shuri opened the door, Joana almost gasped at the sheer amount of clothes inside. Shuri walked in and sighed.

"I haven't worn some of these clothes in ages. Most of them should fit you. You're not much bigger than me." Shuri pulled some clothes off of shelves. She talked about sizes and colors and patterns and shoes and hairstyles and jewelry and every now and again, she would glance back at Joana. Joana sat on a small, round cushion in the middle of the dressing room nodding with a smile every time Shuri asked her a question. Finally, Shuri returned to her with a set of clothes.

"Here, I think these would be good on you. Vibranium is woven into it, so you'll be protected but from what, I'm not sure." Shuri handed her the clothes and pointed her towards the bathroom. "I'll be waiting for you when you're done."

Joana nodded her thanks and took the clothes into the bathroom. She felt strange, standing in the bathroom. It was the first time she was truly alone in a long time. She tried to avoid looking in the mirror, afraid of what person would be staring back at her. The injuries she had sustained from the battle in Germany were still covering her body. Shuri had offered to heal them, but Joana declined.

Joana slowly stripped herself of the black clothes she had been wearing for the past few days. She stood in the colorful bathroom, staring at the wall and the clothes she had place don the toilet. A light breeze blew through the window, creating goosebumps across her bare skin. Joana stood there, staring at the wall, feeling an emptiness in her chest, in her mind, in her heart.

"Everything alright in there?" Shuri called through the door. Her voice snapped Joana out of her trance.

"Yeah," Joana called back, pulling the clothes on as quickly as she could. "I'm good."

Shuri had dressed Joana in a tight fitted, bright yellow tank top-styled shirt with a matching yellow shawl embroidered in black pictographs. She wore a pair of skinny, black pants that might have been a bit too tight, but she liked the way they extenuated her thigh muscles. Joana fiddled with the shawl as she exited the bathroom. When Shuri saw her, she clapped her hands together and grinned.

"If only Barnes could see you now," she said with a white-toothed grin. Joana felt her face heat up.

"Oh hush," Joana said with a sheepish smile. She was confused because, for the first time since the 1940s, she was wearing something other than military gear or work out clothes. For the first time in forever, she felt almost...normal. Shuri had made her feel that way.

"One last touch before we leave," Shuri told her, motioning for her to sit at her feet. Shuri was sitting on the bed. Joana didn't hesitate before sitting at the foot of the bed. She already trusted Shuri's judgment so she was willing to let Shuri take over for a few minutes more. When she first felt Shuri tug on her hair, her heart froze and she reached up to grab Shuri's wrist and pull her away. Shuri jumped when Joana grabbed her and she noted how ridged Joana had gone, but she didn't freak out. She understood.

"It's okay, Little Fox," Shuri said to her, "I'm only brushing your hair. Then I'm going to braid it. Is that alright?"

Joana nodded her head, her eyes filling with tears. She was amazed how someone like Shuri, someone so young, was so quick to understand. No one had really understood why she flinched and grimaced and cowered in the ways she did. Sometimes, it seemed like Bucky didn't even understand. But Shuri didn't pretend to understand, she just went along with it. Joana sniffed, trying to hide her tears.

She let Shuri tug on her hair, pulling out the knots. Every time she felt a pull, she saw Aleksi yanking her hair back. She felt Pierce dragging her across the floor by the strands of her head. She remembered Rumlow tearing clumps of hair from her head for the fun of it. A tear rolled down her face. She shut her eyes and focused on the way Shuri's fingers grazed her scalp. She tried to recall the times that Natalia had done her hair for her, the way her hair was silky smooth afterward. She pictured Danika in her mind, sweet, sweet Danika, pulling her hair tight into a bun so to impress the Commander. She heard Danika and Natalia humming an old Russian tune as they did so.

Tears leaked from her eyes as she opened them. She started to hum the tune that Danika and Natalia hummed, just realizing that it was the same one and that she knew it better than any other song. As Shuri carried on, Joana started to forget the faces of the men who had hurt her and was filled with the nostalgia of her old friends and her new ones.

When Shuri had finished the braid, it was almost down to her mid back.

"That song was very beautiful, Joana," Shuri told her, her voice soft. "Where did you learn it?" Shuri stood and helped Joana up as she answered.

"My old friends used to sing it to me while they did my hair. You just reminded me of it."

Shuri grinned again. Joana was sure she was never going to get used to that smile.

"I'm glad I could be of help."

Shuri and Joana left Shuri's bedroom almost an hour after they had first entered it. As they walked slowly down the halls, Shuri started to talk again.

"I think, after we've finished this tour, the first thing you should do is shower because, no offense, but your hair is a little greasy," Shuri told her. Joana let out a laugh.

"No offense taken."

Joana followed Shuri around the palace, listening to her talk about everyone and everything. Joana was introduced to some of the elders and a few important families. She met children and animals. She saw rooms of artifacts and beautiful rooms painted in what seemed like pure gold. She was in absolute awe of the entire palace.

"I've been saving the best of the palace for last," Shuri said with a grin as she pulled her into one last room.

Joana had been to many armories in her lifetime, many training rooms. She had even admired a few of them, but none of them came anywhere near to the armory that stood within Wakandan walls.

Her jaw fell open and her eyes filled with water once again. Goosebumps scattered her legs and bare arms. She dropped Shuri's hand and walked to the first weapon she saw. She grazed her fingertips over the shaft of the pointed spear, unsure if she should touch it.

"That is a weapon common to the Dora," Shuri told her, hiding a grin. "Everything in this room is made of vibranium. I designed most of them myself."

Joana spun around to look at Shuri with a smile.

"You? You designed these?" She looked back at a pair of rings made of the same material. "They're stunning. You are truly talented."

Shuri mumbled a humble thanks and allowed Joana time to look around in silence. Joana had never seen anything more beautiful than the weapons that were displayed in the room. She had a second of thought that lead her to the fact that, before all this had happened, Joana Kegley wouldn't have seen this room as beautiful. Before the thought could even fully develop, the door opened and in stalked three of the Dora Milaje.

"Princess Shuri, what are you doing in here?" The Dora at the front, the General, Okoye, said. Joana had met Okoye just briefly and had been immediately stunned by not only her beauty but her strength. She was partially hidden behind a few racks of weapons, but upon hearing Okoye's voice, her feet pulled her out in the open. Her lips turned upwards into a smile as she caught sight of the Dora.

"General," Shuri said, straightening her back. "I was just showing Joana the armory. I thought she would like to see it."

Joana walked up to Shuri, standing with her head bowed beneath the gaze of the three Dora.

"Joana, it is good to see you again," Okoye said, nodding her head once. Joana smiled at the other two Dora, but she didn't know her names. "I see you are wearing the Princess's clothes."

Joana looked down at her outfit, realizing how it must seem to be wearing the clothes of a princess.

"Oh, I-"

"Ayo," Okoye said, turning to one of the Dora. The soldier, Ayo, turned to look at her. "Get some clothes and bring them to Joana's rooms. We do not want her wandering around dressed like the Princess, now do we?"

Ayo nodded. She crossed her arms over her chest and left the room.

"You didn't have to do that," Joana said as Ayo left. "I could have gone to get them myself."

Okoye shrugged.

"You are our guest."

There was a quiet moment between the four for a few brief moments. Joana couldn't take her eyes off Okoye. The way the woman stood just breathed power. Her eyebrows were pressed together, but there was a tenderness in her eyes that Joana couldn't unsee once she had seen it. She felt her lips pull upwards into an awe inspired smile the longer she stared at Okoye.

"If you two are done staring at each other," Shuri said quite loudly. Joana dropped her smile and coughed looking over at Shuri. "I think Joana and I are going to return to my room."

Joana nodded a few times.

"If you would ever like to come train with us, Joana," Okoye told her as they started to leave the room. "Our doors are always open. You know where the training room is."

Joana nodded again, leaving behind the room that was so elegantly decorated in weaponry. Shuri was silent as they walked back to the room. As soon as the door was shut and Joana was sitting on her bed, a devilish grin crossed Shuri's face.

"What?" Joana asked with a chuckle. Shuri sat next to her and bumped Joana's shoulder.

"What was that about?" She asked.

"What was what about?"

"You and Okoye."

"I don't understand."

"Oh please! You two were staring at each other for at least a minute."

"She wasn't staring. And neither was I!"

"Okay, Little Fox, whatever you say."

"Oh shut up." Joana crossed her arms and stared angrily at the wall. "What do you want to do now?"

"Well, I for one, know you would probably like to go check on Barnes, but I think it's good for you two to be apart," Shuri said.

"So what do you want to do?"

"You've never heard of Vine, have you?" Shuri asked, with another wicked grin.

"Vine? No I don't think I have."

"Good."

Hours later, deep into the night, Joana and Shuri lay across the bed, staring at the holographic screen emitting from Shuri's beads. Shuri clicked the start of the 10th Vine Compilation of that night. It took Joana a long time to understand the humor of "Vines" but she slowly started to understand and by the time it was midnight, she was laughing almost as hysterically as Shuri was.

"I'm so confused," Joana wheezed, wiping tears from her eyes. Shuri sucked in deep breaths.

"That's probably enough of that." Shuri turned off the screen and rolled on her back. Joana did the same.

"You know," Shuri piped up a few minutes after they stared into the darkness of her room. "I always wanted a sister."

Electricity sparked through Joana and she snapped her head toward Shuri, whose eyes were almost completely shut. She was talking in delirium, from a lack of sleep. But that didn't mean the words weren't true. Joana's heart began to race. She hadn't been a sister in over 70 years. And she had only known Shuri for a day or so. Could Shuri really see her like a sister in that short of time?

Her head spun and she was going to ask Shuri about it. However, before she could, she heard Shuri's soft breaths that told her that she was asleep. Joana sighed and closed her eyes. She didn't even have time to be amazed at how tired she felt before she fell asleep.

Joana didn't dream, and if she did, she didn't remember. It wasn't anything memorable. No memories, no nightmares, nothing. She just...slept.

When Shuri woke the next morning, she wasn't surprised that Joana was no longer there. With a sigh, Shuri rolled out of bed and walked toward her closet to get dressed. Neatly folded on the small chair in the middle of the closet was the outfit that Joana had won the day before. Shuri couldn't help but smile.

She set out to find Joana, but, on the way, a soldier stopped her to tell her that Okoye had gone to pick up T'challa from America. Shuri had heard about her father a few days before and she was trying to do everything she could to not think about it. Which might have been why she was distracting herself with Joana.

Joana was exactly where Shuri thought she would be. She was in the medical bay, sitting on a bed, watching the frozen man inside. Shuri sat beside her and Joana flinched. Shuri nudged her with her shoulder.

"Knew you'd be back here," she said. Joana looked over and smiled.

"I had to make sure that he was still here. I know it sounds stupid." Joana laughed at herself a little. "Where else would he be? But-"

"I understand. I mean, after everything you told me, I would never want to leave his side either." They were both quiet for a moment, staring at the tube. "My brother is returning today."

Joana turned to look at Shuri again.

"That's good news!"

Shuri nodded.

"He's going to be crowned king. I'm excited for my brother, but..." Shuri's sentence fell off.

"If he's king that means your dad is really gone," Joana finished, understanding well enough. Shuri nodded. "Well, I guess that means we have to go get you dressed in something nice and do your hair."

Shuri's eyes lit up. The look in her eyes made Joana smile.

"Really? I mean, you don't have to. You'd probably much rather go training with Okoye."

Joana scoffed.

"Sure, it sounds like fun, but I'll have a lot of time to train with her, but she's not even here right now. Besides, you could probably use a friend right about now."

Shuri gave her a smile. Joana and Shuri hopped off the table and left the room. Joana only looked back at Bucky once before leaving.

*********

Heeeeeey guys. It's been a cool minute since I've updated. I'm going to do a Black Panther chapter, an in between chapter, and then an Infinity War chapter after this. I'm super excited to keep writing! Thank you everyone for your patience. Love you all!!

Love,
Authorsbane