Enemy Lines (Steve Rogers) - 2

10

Mo couldn't have anticipated the next twenty four hours that followed. The group had headed off to find Ultron, with her choosing to stay behind. Tony had tried to 'recruit' her in some ways, stating his reasons, however both Mo and Steve had heavily objected. 

"I'm not who you want me to be."  She looked at Stark as Steve kept one arm protectively around her waist. 

"Tony..." Steve warned with a shake of his head. "Don't...it's not a good time." The last thing that Mo needed was Tony trying to convince her to pick up the shield. Thankfully Stark backed off on seeing Steve's face and the group made for Sokovia just hours before.

Mo had been to see Peggy again, telling her about everything that Helen had found, and getting upset as she tried to hold back her tears from her sister. "I just feel like I've failed Steve." 

"Nonsense!" Peggy scoffed. "This isn't your fault, and you know it You can't blame yourself for something that others have inflicted on you." she smiled tenderly, "Mo...if the doctor says there's a chance then surely you should take it?" 

She shook her head. "I'm terrified Peg, really I am - I just know deep down it won't work, and then we'll have to go through the pain of knowing all over again. Knowing that I can probably never give him a child? I just feel, less of a woman because of it." 

"Moo Moo" Peggy threw her a look, calling her by her childhood nickname that hadn't been used in so many years. "It does not make you any less of a woman or define who you are. How does Steve feel?" 

Mo shrugged. "How do you think? He's devastated but he wants us to at least try the medication..." She bowed her head. "I don't know if I can go through it. Already it's reminding me of being like an experiment again."

"The Mo that I knew always took risks back in the day. She never gave up hope. Where is she now?" 

"Scared of the world and what the future brings. She's hiding away and hoping that she wakes up and everything is right - just how it should be." 

"Well only you can make that happen." Peggy patted her hand. "Have you mastered how to use that phone of yours yet?" 

Mo nodded with a small smile. "Some of it, all these 'app' things are rather confusing though. Sometimes even Steve can't do it and we both just stand there and laugh at the fact that technically we're so old we shouldn't even be doing this..." 

"Well it's just as well you're not my age then." Peggy chuckled. "You'll call me when you get home? I worry about you venturing out alone, especially with how you've been." 

"I'm a little better with it now, finding my bearings. I'm heading straight back to the tower- I promised Steve I would wait for him there until he gets back."

Peggy nodded. "Good. call me." she hugged her sister and watched her make for the door. "Mo..."

Mo looked back at her. "You're not old. You're still so very young - you have a long life ahead of you, savour every moment of it that you have with Steve..." 

What had come next was something that Mo hadn't wanted. 

They knew who she was...

All around her, people pulled out their phones, filming, taking pictures - there was talk, whispers. "Is that Captain Carter?", "It IS her..." , "That can't be?", "quick get some pictures!" , "she totally just stopped that bus with her bare hands!" 

She hadn't meant to draw attention to herself but she couldn't have let the damn bus crash into oncoming traffic, the driver slumped over at the wheel as it hurtled towards the busy intersection. 

Holding out her hands she pushed as hard as she could against the vehicle, feet skidding along the road as she tried to slow it down, cars and pedestrians moving out of the way. 

The bus slowed until finally coming to a stop before it could smash into traffic, the dust clearing as people looked on. 

That was when they noticed her...

"Oh bugger..." she muttered as people surrounded her, phones out. 

Mo had to get out of there...

She needed to get home. 

**

Steve waited patiently as the phone rang and rang, his wife eventually answering muttering a mixture of British profanity's. "Blasted phone! Bloody thing..." 

"You alright?" He smiled weakly to himself upon hearing her voice. 

"No...I...is everything okay? Are you coming home?" She asked. 

"It's not good, we're stopping off at Clint's but we're gonna head to our place after - you'll have to stay put in the tower until..."

She stopped him. "Darling...I'm at home..." 

There was a pause. "What?" 

"I...look it's a long story, but I'm there. I can't go back to New York though, not now..." 

Steve became a little concerned. "Lizzie...what happened?" 

"I stopped a bus..." 

"Oh? You got on it? That's some progress..." 

"No Steve...with my hands..." Ok, he wasn't expecting that. He heard her sigh and then mutter, "This is the worst week of my life..." before hearing her begin to sob once more. 

His voice softened more. "Sweetheart...it will be ok. When I get home we can discuss everything..." 

"Hey cap, your wife's on the news." Tony said, showing Steve his phone. The headlines all talking about 'Captain Britain' and whether she'd risen from the grave, if it was really her, if so then how?  

This wasn't good - well the timing wasn't great but perhaps now Mo wouldn't have to feel as anxious as she had been. Unfortunately for Steve he knew that this, mixed with their news from Doctor Cho, would only make her sink back into a depressive and seclusive state. 

He was hurting, she'd made such great progress and now? It would set her back. Steve had never felt as helpless as he did right now. 

"I'll be home soon, make yourself a cup of tea and try to relax, please..." the last part almost sounded as though he was pleading with her. 

"Ok..." The barely audible voice came down the line as she tried to calm herself. "I love you, please don't be too long." 

"I promise. I'll be home soon." He told her and then they hung up. Leaving Steve with a feeling of unease and Mo sinking to the floor from where she felt herself losing her mind once more. 

It was all too much. 

This was too much.