A/N - I am not lingering on a lot of the plot of Captain America, because I am going to try and keep it mostly to moments within the story, want to concentrate on her time with the Commandos and with Bucky. He's going to have to fix what Abraham's death broke in her. And she's going to be a balm against everything he went through at Hydra (Zola)
July:
Tatiana has a window now. A small thing, not big enough for her to escape through but enough to let the spring sunshine shine through, it gives her a patch of sunlight that she can sit in. It's not much but...she supposes it's something. She finally allowed them to bring in a bathtub and a divider so she can bath, in peace. Some days she'll drag herself over to it when it's filled and just sink into the water, hiding her tears from those that watch her. Every time she thinks she's all cried out, more will come, more will come and cripple her. She can't bear the pain. It hurts so much. Because she is alone for the first time in years, in decades. Since she was that skinny street rat Abraham found. Except she eats now. She has to eat. She's grieving but she's not suicidal. So she eats what they give her and then goes back to her patch of light to lay in the silence.
.................
August:
Tatiana hasn't spoken since her visit from Peggy after Abraham's death, she doesn't answer the questions, doesn't let them near with medical supplies. She's completely unresponsive and disagreeable. Peggy doesn't blame her. She really doesn't. If it was her, she would be exactly the same. Tatiana's freedom has been stolen from her, her closest friend and ally is gone, Bucky is gone. And whilst the loss of Abraham hit her hard, she didn't realize how much she would miss Bucky, without her nightly fix of his smile and his eyes see feels utterly lost. She has nothing. She is nothing. Tatiana leans back in her seat, her fork tapping on the edge of the plate in front of her, across from her Peggy sighs a little watching Tatiana poke at her food. She's taken to coming to sit with her just to give her some company, Howard does it too, brings in reports and sits with her. Despite the situation, they do both like her, they both hate to see her locked away like this. But she's dangerous. And unique. And that scares the humans.
...........
October:
"Happy Halloween, Tatiana" Peggy tells Tatiana, her eyes on the woman as she kicks at the wall in front of her. She sits at the far side, her back against the bed, her feet pressed to the wall. She took a turn in her mood in the last few weeks. Going from subdued to violent again. She lashes out at everyone. Hence why she's currently wearing a straight jacket, she'd lashed out and clawed at the guy that brings in her food and they'd held her down and forced her into this stupid piece of clothing. She's struggling, in her head. Her heart aching. She can't even bring herself to look at Peggy who sets a small tin of candy on the table for her. "I brought you some candy" Peggy offers. Tatiana doesn't even look at her. Peggy sighs, her shoulders slumping forward slightly. "Yeah, I didn't think you'd talk to me" Peggy admits and then leaves, shutting the cell door behind her as she goes. Tatiana lets out a sob as she suddenly starts to cry. She's had this bad feeling for days, in the pit of her stomach that something terrible is happening and she can't figure it out. She hangs her head, letting her hair fall over her face. Peggy watches her sadly.
.................
November:
In a briefing room in an underground bunker, Steve Rogers stands over a table where a map lays. It's been a rough few months for him too. He's so far from the young man Tatiana first met. Taller. Broader. Enhanced.
"The fourth one was in Poland, here, not far from the Baltic..." Steve explains as he sketches precise coordinates on the map, perfectly duplicating the one he found in the Hydra factory, the same place he rescued Bucky from. After everything that happened with Bucky, after these last few months. He wished he had a way to contact Tati to tell her about Bucky. To tell her that he's okay. That he's fine and he's back. Steve might not be an expert on love but he is an expert on Bucky, and he knows how much that spunky little woman means to him. The smile on Bucky's face. The twinkle in his eyes. Bucky loves her. Peggy raises an eyebrow at Steve who seems to have paused. Steve clears his throat. "And the last was outside of Strasbourg, say thirty, forty miles west of the Maginot line" He looks up from the map again. "I only go a quick look"
"Nobody's perfect" Peggy comments. An aid picks up the map and carries it across the room. Steve and Peggy turn as Howard approaches, a blue hydra cartridge in his hand.
"Hey, aren't you supposed to be picking up a medal right about now?" Howard asks Steve.
"I'm off the publicity circuit" Steve answers. Just then, Colonel Phillips approaches from across the room.
"Rogers, you just embarrassed a senior senator in front of a dozen reporters and ten members of Parliament" He hands Steve a medal. "You should get a medal just for that" He sees the Hydra cartridge. "You figure out what this is, yet?"
"If you believe Rogers, it's apparently the most powerful explosive known to man" Howard answers.
"If?" Steve asks.
"Well, either you're wrong or Schmidt's damn near rewritten the laws of physics" Howard admits. "And I'm rather fond of the laws of physics..." Phillips moves toward the room-sized map table.
"These are all of Hydra's factories?," He asks.
"The ones we know about" Steve answers. "But Sgt. Barnes said Hydra shipped all the bombs to another facility. And that...wasn't on the map" Phillips studies the map, deciding. Then walks toward his office.
"Agent Carter, coordinate with MI6. I want every Allied eyeball looking for that main Hydra base"
"What about us?" Peggy asks him.
"We're going to light a fire under Johann Schmidt's ass" Phillips answers and then turns to Steve. "What do you say, Rogers? It's your map. Think you can wipe Hydra off it?" Steve stares, finally given the responsibility he's wanted.
"I'm going to need a team" Steve admits
"We've already started lining up the best men" Phillips assures him.
"If you don't mind, sir...so Have I" Steve counters. Peggy and Howard share a look, both conveying an idea. Howard shrugs a little and then nods to her. It could work. A better solution has been considered.
"Sir" Peggy starts turning to Phillips. "If I may offer....one name" Phillips raises an eyebrow, Peggy takes a breath. "Erskine" she offers, Phillips' eyebrows shifts lower in thought. Steve looks at her. "His...daughter" She elaborates for Steve and then turns back to Phillips. "You know what she can do, you know she's....unique, give her something to do....something good"
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(1) Wild Cat (B.Barnes)
FanfictionBook One: Kangusha Queen She's the biological daughter of Wolverine and Catwoman. And she's got the claws to prove it. But Tatiana's life has been far from easy. But perhaps a change is due, perhaps joining the Howling Commandos is the place where s...
