𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒~ 𝐵.𝐵𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑠

T W E N T Y T H R E E

There was a missile strike and luckily I managed to protect myself just in time with my powers. But Natasha had passed out and Steve was now leading us to somewhere that was supposedly safe.

• • •

"Hey, man." Steve's friend says a bit confused as he opens the door, "I'm sorry about this. We need a place to lay low." Steve tells him, "Everyone we know is trying to kill us." Natasha adds making the man pause a moment before replying, "Not everyone." He says opening the door wider so that we could enter.

"I'm Sam. Sam Wilson."He introduces holding his hand out as Steve and Nat  continue on to freshen up, I take it with a smile. "Rosalie Burns." He gives me a nod, "I think almost everyone knows you." He says with a small chuckle, "we learn about you in history." My eyebrows raise, "you do? All good things I hope." Why was I apart of history classes?

"When we learn about the war, you're included in the captain America section." I nod, "so what do you know?" I ask intrigued at the fact there were a ton of strangers out there who had been taught about me, "not that much, you were an SSR agent?" I nod, "you had been friends with the captain since childhood." I nod again, "you were engaged to his best friend?" I stop for a second my fingers finding the ring again, "I'm sorry." Sam says noticing my change in demeanour, "it's ok that's right too." I say twisting the small band around, "anything else?"

"Well we weren't taught this in class but there is the famous conspiracy that your ex husband Richard tried to murder you?" I nod, "that true, he did it's why I'm a superhero." His eyes widen like I've just indulged in a state secret, "wait really?" He asks in disbelief, "yeah stabbed me and everything even tried to dispose of the body." He shakes his head, "what an asshole." I laugh, "you got that right."

"Hey I'm done." Nat says entering the room to let me know I could go freshen up. I walk into the room to Steve day with his head bowed. "You ok?" I ask sitting in front of him, he looks up at me and forces a smile, "I'm good." I shake my head, "come on I know you Stevie." He smiles slightly at the old nickname, "what about you?" He says, "what about me?" He nods to my fingers which were pulling my engagement ring up and down the small chain.

I let it drop. "I- he's on my mind a lot." I admit feeling my eyes begin to tear. Steve frowns, "I know it's stupid because it's been so long but I just I can't stop." I cry making him wrap his arms around me, "Rosie, it's not stupid, I miss him too, everyday." He says as he just lets me cry in his embrace.

"You never take it off?" He asks about the ring, "never," I shake my head holding it tightly, "I also have..." I trail off as I pull the dogtags from under my shirt, Steve's eyes shine, they had fallen off Bucky before he fell from the train and Steve had picked them up. But once Steve died I took them, I lift them off of my neck and hold it out to him, "you can have them back." He shakes his head, "it's ok they belong with you." He assures me taking them from my hand to place back around my neck.

"Steve." He looks to me, "I'm so glad they found you." I say making him smile softly. "I'm so glad you're still here."

"I made breakfast. If you guys...eat that sort of thing." Sam says walking in making us nod, Steve follows him to kitchen whilst I stay behind to freshen up like I was supposed to.

• • •

"So, the question is: who in SHIELD could launch a domestic missile strike?" Natasha asks as we all sit in Sam's kitchen, I'm the only one who's actually eating. "Pierce." Steve says instantly. "Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world." Natasha adds making me sigh, "great."

"But he's not working alone, Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star." The what? I didn't know what they were talking about since I didn't go on any missions with them recently. "So was Jasper Sitwell." Nat adds, "So, the real question is: how do the three most wanted people in Washington kidnap a SHIELD officer in broad daylight?"

"The answer is: you don't." Sam drops a file in front of Steve. "What's this?" Steve asks, "Call it a resume." Natasha picks up a photo of Sam with his para-rescue team, "Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you." She says before she turns to Steve. "You didn't say he was a para-rescue."

"Is this Riley?" Steve asks Sam looking at the picture, "Yeah." He says with a bit of sadness, "I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs. What did you use, a stealth chute?" Natasha asks interested, "No. These." He hands Steve the file, Steve opens it and reads it, I glance over Steve's shoulder, "I thought you said you were a pilot."

"I never said pilot." He smirks, "I can't ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason." Steve says shaking his head. "Dude, Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in."

"Where can we get our hands on one of these things?" Steve asks, "The last one is at Fort Meade, behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall." Steve looks at Natasha who shrugs her shoulders and then to me who nods. "Shouldn't be a problem." He says as he throws the file onto the table.

"You know Sam this breakfast is delicious."