Secret Family

Gone

Tony and Nat came into the room after Bucky came back inside. When they walked in Bucky was sitting blankly in one of the chairs and Steve was sitting next to him. Steve looked over at the two but Bucky kept staring ahead at Maddie. She was so full of life.

"It should have been me." Nat said crying. She turned around and hugged Tony.

Tony wrapped his arms around Nat and let her hug him as long as she needed. She was crying softly in his chest. Natasha wasn't one to let emotions get to her but Maddie and her were super close.

Nat was wearing a hospital gown and had an IV connected to her arm. She had bruises and cuts all over her body. Her left arm was in a sling because she broke it. Nat was going to be in the hospital till tomorrow afternoon.

That night Bucky and Steve went home. Neither of them had said anything since Maddie passed away. Bucky plumped down on the couch while softly crying. Meanwhile Steve walked to Maddie's room and stood in the doorway. Flashbacks took over his mind and he could see Maddie dancing around in the room to her favorite song and then to one of the many nights they would be up late talking before they found Bucky and then the final flashback was the three of them hugging in the middle of the room. Steve couldn't handle it anymore and sat down on the couch next to Bucky. They sat very close and Bucky was leaning against Steve. Both had tears streaming down their face. Steve wrapped his arms around his husband, pulling him close. Bucky cried into Steve's chest getting his shirt wet from the tears. Steve, on the other hand, was trying to stay strong but it didn't work. They stayed like that and eventually the two soldiers fell asleep.

The next morning Steve awoke to the phone ringing. He and Bucky were still on the couch, in the same clothes they wore yesterday. Steve picked up the phone as Bucky woke up. When Steve hung up he looked blankly at Bucky.

"She's gone" he said.

"I know she's gone" Bucky said not wanting to remember the events from the day before. All he wanted was to hear Maddie yelling for the two of them to wake up so they could go on a morning run.

"No I mean her body is gone. When the nurse went to prep things the next morning she was gone." Steve said confused and hurt.

Bucky shot up and busted through the front door not even caring about the fact he was still in his clothes from yesterday. Steve quickly followed after him trying to get him to calm down.

"Where are you going?" Steve asked stepping in front of his husband.

"To find the people responsible for this." Bucky said pushing Steve away.

Steve knew who he was talking about. The person who hit her and the person who stole her body but before Bucky could get any farther they ran into Tony in the hallway of the apartment building.

"Stark?" Steve asked.

"Come with me" Tony said leading the men to his car.

Confused they got in. Steve was in the front with Tony and Bucky was in the back. After 10 minutes they pulled up to the compound. Steve and Bucky were still confused. They followed Tony into the elevator.

"Where are we going Stark?" Steve asked as the elevator doors closed.

Tony didn't say anything but stared at the screen marking the floor numbers they were on.

Once they reached the floor, they realized this was the medical floor. Tony led them into a room. When they walked in Steve and Bucky gasped.