Before We Rise

Chapter 5

Steve placed me on his bed and he took off my shoes. He helped me into one of his shirts, not caring if he saw me part naked. I crawled under his covers and adjusted myself in them. Steve laid down next to me and pulled me to him. I landed my head on his chest and fell asleep to his heartbeat.

"PAPA!" I heard her scream and I jerked around. A little girl was kneeling on the ground in a dead wheat field. "PAPA!"  I walked over to her and touched her shoulder. She jerked around and looked at me. It was me as a little girl. "You killed our papa."

"Momma, please." I stood in the corner of our old house as I watched my mother strangling 'me'. She leaned over 'me' and squeezed 'my' neck harder. "Please! You're hurting me!"

"Loraina, stop!" My father ran into the room and tackled my mother. He held her down to the floor, restraining her arms. Her head jerked around to me and her normal face was quickly turned to her burned one.

"You did this to me. You should have been the one who died."

I let out a scream as I jerked awake. I thrashed around in the bed, feeling like the blankets were suffocating me. Steve came running into the room and forced me to him. He forced my arms down as he hugged me tightly to him. I cried into his shoulder wishing the nightmare would go away.

"Shh. I got you. I'm right here. I have you." He whispered in my ear. I slowly stopped fighting him as tears streamed down my face. I clung to him for dear life, fearing he would slip away. He laid us back down on the bed and started to rub a hand up and down my back.

"It's alright. I'm here. I got you." I felt him kiss my head as I fell right back to sleep.

"All scans appear to be normal. I had Jarvis keep track of your brain waves over the last few days. A few spikes here and there during the night but nothing too serious." Banner informed me.

"Thank you, Bruce." I used his first name. He smiled at that.

"Don't worry, I'll get you better in no time." He patted my leg and I jumped off the table. I thanked him again before walking out.

I walked back to Steve's room and noticed a dress hanging on the mirror with a pair of shoes on the ground under it. I went over to it and felt the fabric. I smiled before slipping it on.

I sat down on the couch as I watched everyone around me. I saw Steve and Sam playing pool and Steve looked up and we caught eyes. I smiled at him before standing up. I walked up the stairs onto the next level of the living room. I stared out the window, amazed by all the lights.

"Riley?" I turned and looked at Clint. I smiled at him.

"How are you doing, Clint?" I asked him.

"I should be asking you that." He replied back.

"I've been better." I admitted.

"You know it's okay to get he-""Clint, I don't want to talk about that." I interrupted him.

"You have to tell someone other than me." Clint said.

"Please don't become my therapist, Clint." I pleaded with him.

"I'm not. I'm being your friend. Just please, think about it." I looked at him again and he had a serious look on his face. I smiled slightly and he jerked me into a hug. "You're going to have to tell Steve sometime."

"I will. Now's not a very good time." I whispered. He nodded and pulled back. He sighed before walking away, leaving me with a pat on the shoulder. I turned and watched as everyone started to leave and I walked down, sitting back on the couch. The team sits in the circle of couches, Steve sitting next to me, a beer in hand.