Helena Stark: A WWII Survivor

chapter twenty-two: Say

As Steve helped Bucky up and limped out, Tony started to speak. "That shield doesn't belong to you," Tony accused and I knelt down next to him, trying to get him to stop. "You don't deserve it. My father made that shield!"

As Steve dropped the shield, it made a hollow sound as it hit the concrete. It echoes the hollowness of my heart, the heartbreak I felt as my family was split into two. 

"Why don't you stop them?" Tony asked.

"I can't," I told Tony sadly as I helped him sit up. "I can't, Tony. I j-just can't." 

Tony's face softened when he looked at me, "I'm sorry. We both just watched them die." 

"It's worse than that," I said sadly as I stood up and grabbed the shield before carrying it back to Tony. I know that Bucky remembers everything. 

Every time he was woken up. 

Every time he was tortured. 

Every time he killed someone on HYDRA's orders.

And worst of all, Bucky remembers every time that they used me to make him do. Each time they tortured me in front of him, in ways that I didn't think possible, we both remember that.

~*~

I was walking around the compound when I saw a delivery guy walk up. "Can I help you?" I asked.

"I'm looking for a Tony Stank and Helena Rosa," the man said.

"Tony Stank?" I asked, trying not to laugh. "Um, right this way, Mr. Lee."

"Thank you, miss," Mr. Lee said as I led him to where I know Tony was helping Rhodey try out the new prosthetics. Ross has been in here, so have others, all to interrogate me in the weeks following Steve and Bucky vanishing. 

As I told them then, and as is the truth now, I haven't had any contact at all from Steve. Even if I wanted to help them, Steve would never give me any information that would put me in a bad position. 

"Hey, Tony," I said as I opened the door. 

"Are you Tony Stank?" Mr. Lee asked him. 

"Yes, this is Tony Stank," Rhodey said as he started laughing. "You're in the right place. Thank you for that!"

"It's pretty great," I agreed as Tony looked like he wanted to smack the both of us. 

"Never dropping that, by the way," Rhodey reminded. "Table for one, Mr. Stank. Please, by the bathroom."

"And this for Mrs. Helena Rosa," Mr. Lee said.

"Thank you," I said as I took the package and opened it, but what came out wasn't something I was expecting. I knelt down to pick up a small velvet box, but I couldn't open it. I just stared at it in my hand, that I didn't notice that Tony was standing next to me. 

"He asked Rosemary," Tony said. "Didn't ask me, but-" 

"I didn't think he would after," I said gesturing around. "Did you open it?" 

"I did," Tony said as he walked back to his desk and emptied the box, and out dropped a burner phone. "Did you know?"

"When I was told about the accident, I didn't think it was an accident," I said. "But, considering I've only been out of the ice for a year, and was more concerned on finding the guy who I helped create, I never looked into it. 

"I guess I was too afraid."

"Steve never told you?" Tony asked.

"There were a lot of things he never told me," I said honestly. "There were things that he had to do, things he had to hide from me. And there were things I didn't tell him."

"Something this big?" Tony asked as he gestured at the letter in his hand. 

"I never told him a lot of what HYDRA did to me, and I know Bucky won't either," I said. 

"And you're not-" Tony said, before turning away angrily. "How can you still call that guy your friend."

"Because it wasn't him, Tony," I said gently. "The things HYDRA did, he had no choice. We had no choice."

"What did they make you do?" Tony asked.

"I made that arm," I said. "Didn't think it would ever get blown off of his arm."

Tony shook his head, and then FRIDAY started speaking. "Priority call from Secretary Ross. There's been a breach at the Raft prison."

"Yeah, put him through," Tony said. 

"Tony, we have a problem," Ross began. 

"Uh, please hold," Tony said. 

"No, don't-"

I smiled, "guess you do like watching it blink."

"Just so you know, if he had asked me, I would have given my blessing," Tony said as he handed me the box that I hadn't opened yet. "Even with everything, I just want to see you happy. Dad always talked about how he would do just about anything to try to make you happy.

"Instead all of his attention got focused on Rosemary," Tony said as he kissed my cheek and then walked away. I opened the velvet box, and I found a ruby ring in the middle. I smiled as I thought of the meaning behind it and took it out. 

"I miss you," I whispered as I slipped the ring onto my left ring finger. "And I love you." 

~*~

The End