Chapter 39 - Steven Rogers

It's been a few weeks since Rachel returned, and today is the day that she has finished all of her rehabilitation. Tony decided to throw her a little Avengers get-together as soon as she returned, but Bruce shut him down, saying she was still too weak. So Tony pushed it back to tonight, saying that all of her progress deserves to be celebrated. I'm getting ready, buttoning the last button on my blue shirt, when Sharon opens the door. I smile at her through the mirror.

"Hey," I say as she looks through the door. 

"Hey. So, do we have to go? I find this whole get-together pointless. You guys basically see each other every day." Sharon states a tad annoyed. I roll my eyes and smile.

"Of course we have to go. Rachel's my best friend. And I've left her alone for weeks." I say.

"And I can appreciate that. But I still think this whole thing is pointless," she says as she tucks back out of the door. "Ready when you are!" she calls.

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All the Avengers, even Thor made it for the party. We are sitting around now, waiting for Rachel to make an appearance. 

The conversation is very lively as I listen to Thor's stories from Asgard. He talks about Jane and something called the Aether. Eventually, Rachel emerges from her room, the bruises a faded yellowish purple now. She looks beautiful despite it, her features lighting slightly when she sees all of us in the room. 

I try to look away from her, but I can't. Sharon pinches me on the bicep, shooting me a playful glance. Rachel walks over to the group with her head down, the ghost of a smile lighting her features. Natasha is the first one to greet her. I jump up from the couch and go over to her.

Rachel's POV

Tony's arranged a little Avengers get-together for me tonight. I'm really excited about it because it will be the first time I'll be able to see Steve, all by himself, no Sharon to get in my way. I need to tell him about what I have been thinking. I just need to get my thoughts out. 

I know it's stupid to get my hopes up about Steve, but he did tell me he loved me. Even though he said that as he was dying, it still means something... Right? It has to. I have to talk to him tonight. No wait, that's stupid. I need an outside opinion, Natasha, Clint, and Tony are probably sick of me talking about it. I have to call Sam, he'll know what to do. Plus, he hasn't heard from me since I was kidnapped. 

Wow, what a friend I am. 

I quickly pick up my phone and call Sam, putting it on speaker so I can get ready for the get-together as I talk to him.

Sam picks up. "Hello?" 

"Hey! It's Rachel." 

"Rachel? You're back? Since when? I didn't get a call!" My steps stumbled a bit, surprised no one told him. It's been like seven months.

I sigh. "Good to know that Steve hasn't been a bad friend just to me," I pause. "I'm fine, so don't ask. I just needed to talk to you about Steve." I hear him sigh.

Concern fills his voice. "First of all, are you alright?"

"I think so. Physically I'm healing up but..." 

"I know," he says. "You don't have to tell me about it now, but just know, I'm here." 

I smile. "Thank you, Sam." 

"What do you want to know?"

I shake my head and shrug my shoulders. "What is going on?"

"After about three months of you being kidnapped, the Avengers stopped focusing on mourning for you and started looking for you even harder than they already were. They even completely stopped looking for Bucky. Steve was extremely depressed. He told me about how much he loved you and missed you but how he couldn't do anything. I told him to start looking for you with the others and I think he listened. I guess he met her at the tower one day; she works for the CIA and she was there on task or something."

"So are they friends?" 

He sighs. "I guess. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I think. He couldn't have just called you?" Sam lets out a dry chuckle from the other end of the line. "I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe I just need to move on or..."

"Don't do that, Rachel. You need to fight for him. You guys have been fighting for each other for so long, don't give up now. You know, the first day I met you and saw the two of you together, I noticed that there was just something about the way you looked at him. I just knew. You guys would end up together and last. Just promise me you'll at least try." He says, cutting me off. 

I nod to myself. He's right. I can't give up now... Not when we got so close.

"Sam, you're right. Why not give it one more try?"

"That's right." I can hear the smile in his voice. "See you when I can." 

"Bye." I hang up and start to get dressed. Nothing fancy, this is basically just a family reunion. I smile at the thought. 

I have to try. We would've come all this way for nothing. I pull on one of Tony's hoodies and a pair of jeans. I throw a quick glance to the mirror, rolling my eyes at the big letters on my chest. This hoodie is ridiculous, the huge font spelling out "IRONMAN" across my chest. What a dweeb. I quickly tie up my hair and toss on a pair of sneakers. 

I can do this. I can do this. 

I walk out with a smile on my face and my head down, watching the ground in front of me, trying not to trip. I hear a pair of boots clicking their way over to me and I look up to see Nat walking towards me, arms open for a hug. I sneak a glance behind her to see Steve on Natasha's heels. I smile in relief briefly, only to be crushed at the sight of Sharon. Just as Nat reaches me, I back away, the small bit of confidence I built up shattered. 

"I can't do this," I breathe as I turn to flee back into my room. 

Steve's POV

Rachel ducks back into her room after mumbling something to herself. I stop dead in my tracks, confused. Natasha does the same thing, turning to look at me. Her gaze shifts slowly to something behind me. 

Sharon. 

I didn't expect her to react in the way that she did in the hospital. Sharon and I have never done anything, she's been a friend to me in Rachel's absence. Something has gotten lost in translation. Sharon heaves a slight chuckle. Natasha hardens her stare. I turn around to face the rest of the Avengers.

"I don't understand," I say. The Avengers stay silent except for one.

"What on Earth do you mean, you don't understand? You broke her Steve." Clint says. I look at him confused.

"I hit a low point and I needed a friend." 

"Yeah, Steve, we all hit a low point! Tony lost his sister! Nat and I lost the closest thing we've ever had to a sister. Bruce lost a friend! You are so nïave if you thought you were the only one that lost something!" He pauses. "Your 'death' broke her!"

Natasha chimes in. "HYDRA told her for months that you had died. She didn't know that you were still living until Bruce told her when she woke up. Her feelings toward you never changed, and the fact that you didn't have the guts to clear this up earlier..."

Clint cuts her off, pointing an accusing finger at me. "Did you know that you were the only one that she thought of to get you through the day? She had faith that you would come for her one day."

Tony cuts in, his voice the calmest I've ever heard it. "You haven't talked to her since she's been back. She delayed her therapy, in the hopes that you would show up and help her." 

I start to walk into her room, going to apologize. But Tony, Thor, and Clint jump up in front of her door. 

"She needs time Steve. Rachel's tough, but not this tough. She needs to heal." Clint says, and walks into Rachel's room, locking me out. Tony and Clint let go of my arms. I turn around, only to see Sharon stand up.

Sharon lets out a big breath. "Well, I see how it is." 

"Sharon... I..."

"Save it, Steve. I'll have you out in two days." She says and slams the door.

"Well so much for the party," Tony says. I look at Tony, furious. But then my face softens in realization. "Yeah, I've got your room ready," he says as if he was reading my mind. "Although, I don't know how Rachel's going to feel about that. But we are a team after all." he finishes, one of his eyebrows raised. 

I offer him a grateful smile, sadness and anger still playing on my features. The door to Rachel's room opens, and I watch as she walks out, tear stains on her face. She pauses, already halfway out of the room.

She breathes in a trembling breath. "I'm going to be on the roof, collecting my thoughts." 

I watch her walk out, my eyes watching her until the wall blocks her from my view. Clint emerges from her room shrugging, obviously confused, and still very angry at me.