Rogue (Under Rewriting)

Chapter Eleven

Washington D.C., 2014, even later that night

Alex and Steve stood in silence in a hospital observation room as they watched Nick and the multiple doctors around him. Alex stood along the back wall of the room so Steve could have his space. She glanced a couple of times at a dark-headed female who was on the phone. She had only just met the man but she couldn't help but be a little sad about what was happening.

Alex had felt like she failed. She tried to save his life in the car crash and succeeded but she couldn't truly save his life. She had been too focused on what was happening inside the room to focus on what was happening outside the building.

Alex shook her head and turned back into the real world when she saw a redhead run into the room and up to the window. The woman's hair had grown out and was now straight. She wore dark jeans and an army green jacket which made the girl look a casual kind of stunning in Alex's eyes.

"Is he going to make it," Natasha asked with a shaky breath.

"I don't know," Steve admitted, not moving his eyes away from the medical devices.

Her voice was now monotone. "Tell me about the shooter."

"He's fast. Strong." Steve looked down at his hands.

"Had a metal arm," Alex spoke up from the back of the room. She slowly made her way forward to the window as the redhead stared at her. Alex could see in her eyes that she wanted to say something but she held back.

"Ballistics," She asked as the dark-headed female walked up to the window.

"Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable." Her voice came out firm but Alex could hear a small amount of heartbreak.

"Soviet-made," Natasha said as a look of realization flashed through her eyes.

"Yeah," The other woman said, looking over at her.

They all went silent as the doctors started working faster. The beep of a machine started getting faster as the doctors worked. Alex watched as two nurses started charging the defibrillator.

"Don't do this to me, Nick." She heard Natasha mumble from her right side. The defibrillates once more still not getting a pulse. "Don't do this to me, Nick. Don't do this to me."

"What's the time," One of the doctors asked as Steve walked away.

"1:03, Doctor," A female voice answers.

"Time of death, 1:03 a.m." The doctor gave a sigh as he took his mask off. Alex and Natasha were the last two left in the observation room after the dark-haired women walked out.

"I'm sorry," Alex spoke breaking the silence that had consumed the two.

"Why are you here? Are you here to get close and try to kill one of us again?" Natasha's harsh voice bit at Alex but she didn't let it affect her.

"I'm not here to kill anyone. I've been in hiding for the last two years and now I'm back in a life I'm not sure I want. Two years ago I told myself I was done killing people, I told myself that I was done with the life they made for me," Alex paused trying to think of the right words. "I'm not asking for you to trust me. I know that won't happen for a while but I'm asking for a second chance. I didn't know Nick for long but he seemed to give me a little bit of trust. That's all I'm asking for. Let me help you find him. Let me help you find the Winter Soldier."

Natasha looked at Alex for a few seconds, searching her eyes for any sign that she was lying. Alex stared back into the green eyes of the redhead which gave her a warm feeling.

"I don't trust you. I never trusted you. You know, Steve trusted you. He always seemed to talk about you when I asked where he had been. You broke his heart, Alex. Why?" Natasha was trying to make Alex feel bad and it was kind of working.

"I never meant to break his heart. I didn't think that we would become such close friends." Alex looked down at her hands as Natasha looked at her face.

"Well, you did. You can help us but don't think for a moment that you are welcome to stay. We will go separate ways when this is all over," Natasha said before walking away towards the door.

*****

Alex had quickly made her way home and was currently sitting on the couch. She heard a small shuffle before Bailey turned the corner. She was wrapped up in a blanket with her eyes half-closed.

"AJ?" Bailey let out a small yawn as she walked closer.

"Yeah, it's me," Alex confirmed as she placed her head in her hands. She felt the couch dip in next to her and a head lean on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Bailey's voice was small and barely hearable but enough for Alex to hear.

Alex lifted her head from her hands and turned to face Bailey. "I think so, yeah."

"You don't seem okay. You seem like you got a lot on your mind. What's up?" By now Bailey had thrown the blanket over Alex's shoulders so they were both covered.

"I've messed up bad in life. I knew it would come back around but I didn't think it would be this soon. Now I have to worry about if they find me. I have to worry about protecting you too now." Alex ran a hand through her blonde hair leaning back on the couch. Bailey followed so she could stay covered.

"You'll figure it out, you always do," Bailey said through another yawn.

"Thanks, Little Monster. Go back to sleep, you need it," Alex said, standing up and helping Bailey up. She wrapped the blanket around the girl and pushed her toward her room.

"Night, AJ."

"Night, Little Monster." Alex turned back to the couch when she heard a knock on her window. She grabbed her gun and made her way to the window. She leaned down to face the person on the outside when she saw a flash of red hair. She slowly opened the window, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"What are you doing here," Alex yelled in a whisper. She looked at Natasha like she was crazy. The redhead looked around the room.

"What do you know about the Winter Soldier," Natasha asked in her normal voice.

"Shh. Keep it down," Alex said, glancing at Bailey's room before looking back at Natasha.

"Don't 'shh' me," Natasha whispered this time.

"He, uh, he used to train me when I was younger. He helped me become the person I was two years ago. He's difficult to beat if you don't know much about him," Alex informed sitting on her couch.

"Okay, you won't be totally useless," Natasha said, putting her hands on her hips.

"You know you told me to go to bed, yet you and your girlfriend are being very loud," Bailey said standing in her doorway.

"Go back to bed," Alex said, walking toward the girl to push her back into her room.

"Well tell your girlfriend to keep it quiet," Bailey shot back.

"I'm going to shoot you in the thigh if you don't shut up and go to bed," Alex threatened as she grabbed the door handle.

"Yeah, yeah. I've heard that one before and it's yet to happen," Bailey said, backing up into her room. She quickly got into bed as Alex pulled out her gun and pointed it toward her thigh. She shut the door and put the gun away before turning back towards Natasha.

"Girlfriend?"

"Uh, yeah, she doesn't know what she's talking about," Alex said, waving the girl off.

"Didn't know you went that way," Natasha asked with a smirk.

"Uh, yeah." Alex scratched her head as an awkward silence grew around the two. She couldn't help but think that she saw a smile growing with happiness when she confirmed that she wasn't straight. Did Natasha like her a little or was her heart clouding her mind. Alex didn't know but a small part of her wished it wasn't her heart clouding her mind.