It worked.
The way it worked in the movies.
We all got back... all except Natasha.
She did exactly what she told me she would. She sacrificed herself so that all of us would get our loved ones back.
I don't even know what this makes me anymore. I knew all along the outcome of this.
I knew it.
How can I look Bruce in the eyes now when I knew his loved one would die on this mission and did nothing to save her?
How can I look Clint in the eyes now when I knew his best friend would die on this mission and did nothing to save her?
How can I look in the mirror when I knew she would die on this mission and did nothing to save her?
I swallow my guilt away not being able to look anyone in the eyes. I watch from afar as Bruce throws the bench on the other side of the lake and I feel my vision getting blurry. Am I pathetic? Selfish? I didn't even try.
I feel a warm wave on my arm and I realize it's Wanda's hand. She presses her lips into a thin line and gulps.
"It's done now. Let her die with dignity. It was her choice and she made it a long time ago." Wanda tells me caressing my arm and I nod as a tear escapes my eye. Wanda pulls me into a hug and my arms tighten around her.
We move inside and soon enough the boys follow. Bruce decides he should be the one to bring everyone back and before he could snap his fingers I think about all the fan theories about this snap.
"Banner, wait!" I say getting everyone's attention. "Please think about the people who were in airplanes or boats, or elevators, or any means of transportation," I say and I can see everyone's eyes widen like this thought did not even travel through their minds.
"She's right. If they come back to the exact point in space, their chances of survival are zero." Clint backs me up and I nod while Banner sighs as his job just got harder.
Bruce manages to snap his fingers and I hear Clint's phone vibrating. I smile looking at Wanda knowing this means it worked. I cannot believe the time has finally come to get James back.
My mind opens a portal and I see it's Wakanda. Steve smiles nodding at me and I jump through it followed by Wanda. As the portal closes I hear the explosion in the compound reminding me that the War is not over yet. But my body cannot wait to feel James. I see people being reconstructed from thin air and I feel my legs picking up the pace. I don't even feel the ground under me as I am sprinting to the place I lost James five years ago.
"James!" I shout looking around and not seeing his face navigating through the woods. I stop looking around.
"Y/n. What has happened to us?" I hear Challa's voice next to me and I instantly have tears in my eyes hearing his voice. I turn around to hug my arms around him. It is so good seeing a familiar face after all this time.
"Thanos won, it's been five years but we found a way to bring everyone back.", I explain smiling and he seems a tad confused.
"Brother!" Shuri runs in our direction wrapping her arms around her brother and I smile at the scene. I feel the background being filled by someone's presence and I focus my attention on James stepping into my sight.
I gulped looking at him as the time freezes for a second. His big smile manages to take my breath away even after five years. I feel my legs melting as I am stepping toward him, each step becoming bigger. My body feels like it cannot wait for another step so it jumps straight into his arms. His smell invades my everything and my arms cling hard to his shoulders. Both his arms tighten themselves around my waist. I don't even know when my legs found their way around his torso but it feels like I just need to feel him all at once without ever wanting to let go.
"I'm here." He whispers in my ear proving to me once again that he knows my reactions so well he knows it's all I need to hear right now. "I'm here honey." He kisses the side of my head he has access to as I am suffocating in the crack on his neck. I don't even care about the smell of alien blood on his clothes from the previous war as I just pictured this moment for so long now. I just cannon believe it's finally here.
I lean out a little needing to see him again and his blue eyes smile looking at me so I pull him into a hug again making him chuckle. I move my head slightly to the left to finally feel his lips and I cannot believe how good his lips feel.
"Hi", I whisper and he chuckles.
"Hey."
I chuckle hugging my arms around him once again needing just one more before I can calm down. I take a deep breath letting my brain cool down and I unwrap my legs from his body so he knows it's time to put me down.
"How long has it been?" James asks the serious question looking around and I sigh looking at him showing him the fingers from one hand. "Months?" He furrows his brows and I shake my head.
"Years. Five years." I gulp realizing him I need to feel his hug around me again. "How did you know you were gone?" I muffle the question on his chest squishing my body on his.
"Your hair is shorter." He says making me smile through happy tears. "I'm sorry you had to go through it alone." He whispers and then he presses his forehead on mine softly moving his lips to mine. How is he taking this information so easily? He disappeared for five years and he does not seem fazed at all
"It was not all super bad." I smile and he chuckles telling me he cannot wait to hear my stories. I guess all the times Hydra froze him and woke him up in a different year is the reason he is so calm right now.
I hear steps around us and I look at all the Wakandians gathering up closer to us as Challa is debriefed by Wanda. I smile looking at them as it feels like my sister is finally meeting the big brother.
"War's not over. We need to regroup. We managed to get the Stones from the past and bring you guys back, but Thanos's past self came after us so we're dealing with an even more power-hungry monster." I say and Challa agrees to prepare everyone with new weapons. I can tell his people are agitated and confused, but they manage to regroup faster than I thought was possible.
I see a portal opening and I see Wong winking at me.
"Are you ready? They need us." Wong speaks and I nod opening more portals at once to the Avengers compound. James looks at me proudly.
"Wow, you've really improved your magic skills." he chuckles but as soon as he sees what lies through the portals his smile fades. "Promise me no stupid ideas of risking your life." His hand finds mine squeezing it a little.
"Isn't that what the Avengers do?" I ask looking at him, remembering what Natasha did for all of us.
We all step out of the portal and I can see the moment Wanda sees Thanos it feels like all the anger she pushed down and tried to tame all these years has now resurfaced and amplified. Steve smiles looking at everyone coming through all the portals and being here I can feel the goosebumps spread on my skin. This scene always made me feel like this but now that I get to be part of it I can't even describe it. Challa's people chant in Xhosa bringing up everyone's morals. Ant-man turns giant and not even the sound of the crushing rocks can over power the volume of Challa's people. We all end up close to Steve, Thor, and Tony and silence fills the atmosphere.
"Avengers!" Steve shouts catching everyone's attention like the leader he is. "Assemble." He instructs throwing my all-time favorite line and then in an instant, everyone runs toward Thanos' army. Angry screams and gunshots deafen my ears. The scene starts to become more and more gruesome as blood is spilled.
I cannot move as everything happens so fast and it feels like the aliens are just coming out of nowhere. I see everyone fighting alongside Steve and I get lost in my own head. I see a creature running toward me and it seems as if my survival instincts have dropped to zero. I feel blue blood ricocheting as a gunshot splits the creature's head making its insides splash.
I feel like my body is reacting almost in slow motion.
I gulp looking around and I realize James actually killed that thing.
I take a step back not being able to process just yet what is happening.
I fought no wars. I was safe and sound in the last war with Vision and Wanda while everyone else was fighting outside.
"Y/n." I hear James' voice coming closer. "Hey look at me." His voice is soft as he turns to shoot yet another creature dead. "Hey, Y/n! Look at me!" His voice growls now demanding as his hands softly cup my face. "You don't have to be here, alright?" He speaks but my eyes focus on another creature running in our direction.
James presses his lips clenching his jaw as he turns around putting his metal hand around the alien's throat squeezing so hard he lifts it up and in a sudden move throws it down cracking its skull on a big rock. He turns his attention back to me and sighs.
"If you decide to stay. Do us all a favor and be the person you were what it felt for me like 30 minutes ago. I need the woman who stood before Thanos and almost defeated him all on her own." He presses his forehead on mine and I gulp looking at him. "You're stronger than I ever was and I need that version of you if you decide to stay." He whispers and I nod. "Can you do that?" He asks me and I nod not quite believing it. "Yeah I know you can, now say it. I need you to say it." He looks into my eyes but once again my attention is caught by a fast-crawling creature.
I take a deep breath and open a portal to Wakanda in front of the creature closing it as it reaches half its body splitting the alien in two.
"That's my girl. You got this doll. Let's wrap this up so we can have that wedding already", he smirks proudly and I chuckle feeling the adrenaline finally hitting me. The two of us finally join the others and I try to remember all the spells I can actually do. I am so happy all my training with Wanda is paying off now.
The smell around me gets more and more gruesome combining sweat, gunpowder, blood, and dust. But the more I fight the more I seem to become confident. The Stones are out in the open now and everyone tries to protect them. Challa loses the gauntlet as Thanos' double sword is swinging his way, but I see Wanda covering Challa going straight for Thanos.
I swing a conjured weapon at an alien and I end up facing Strange. We both let our guard down realizing who the other person is. I chuckle at the sight and he smiles.
"I see these years have done you some good. I noticed you're better with spells." He smiles and I wrap my arms around his neck.
"I've missed you." I feel my heart beating with joy as I finally see my best friend.
"I know. I am amazing." He raises his brows smirking and I shake my head laughing.
I notice James is fighting two creatures and another one going behind his back. I frown as I can feel its mind, just like I feel the rats when I am directing them. I chuckle realizing what I can do to it and I turn to Strange.
"Wanna see something truly amazing?" I ask wiggling my brows pointing to the alien whose mind I took over and just how I could manipulate the body of rats I do it too to this alien making it shoot itself. I smile proudly and Strange looks confused.
"How did you? Go, now!" suddenly I see huge blasts coming from the ship of Thanos and I notice one will fall straight near Bucky so I open a portal, and put up a shield around us.
James smiles looking at me.
"God I love it when you're saving my ass." He kisses me briefly before turning and shooting more enemies. The fire Thanos rains at us is almost killing us. Rocket and Groot are thrown our way so I try to expand the shield but I don't know for how long I can hold it. It's taking so much focus and attention to hold it steady and with the ground moving around us, I am really struggling. Captain Marvel finally gets to us destroying the ship in the blink of an eye and finally, the Stones get to her. I gulp knowing not even she will defeat Thanos.
"You okay here?" I ask James and he nods so I open a portal close to Scott's van. That's where Captain Marvel will be blasted unconscious when Thanos will destroy the quantum tunnel.
The Gauntlet with the Stones is already on the ground and Thanos is heading toward it. Thor and Steve try to hold him off. I get the Gauntlet and I take away the Time Stone out of it. Thanos rids himself of Thor and Steve and runs towards me but all I can think about right now is using the Time Stone on Thanos and Thanos alone turning him back into a child. He looks at me holding the Stone at him and I can see the green circling around my wrist only it's frozen. I try to move my hand but it feels like something is not letting it function. No no no, please don't tell me the fucking shield around me that protects me from magic is doing this.
Thanos almost laughs in my face clenching his fist on my clothes and lifting me up. He takes the Stone from me and throws me so hard that I fly away from him. I feel something catching me and I smile seeing Wanda's magic carefully putting me down. Captain Marvel flies to him as Thanos puts on the Gauntlet but he takes the Powers Stone and punches Danvers away from him.
Tony gets up and runs to Thanos trying to steal the Stones away from him. I gulp watching the scene already knowing what's about to come. Guilt takes over me again. I had already let Natasha die and she knew what she was up to. Tony has a child, he has Morgan. Yet another child will grow up without her parents. I cannot look at the scene. I don't know what to do.
Thanos pushes Tony away smirking at him, but I can already see the Stones in Tony's hand as I am behind him. There's nothing you can do now. Just like there was nothing you could do to save Natasha. My inner voice tries to calm me down but I just get angrier and angrier. I was a coward. I could have said something to the Avengers.
Maybe we could have found another way. Or perhaps we couldn't have and we wouldn't have gone through because we don't trade lives and maybe I wouldn't have gotten James back ever, maybe I was selfish, perhaps that's why I didn't say anything to anyone. Who else sees just what is in their best interest than villains? Am I the villain in my own story? Was there something I could've done to save Natasha? Even if you did, you would have changed the timeline. The Ancient One warned you about not playing with that, you did well.
I sighed closing my eyes lost in this moment. I remember when the Ancient One, came to visit me in the hospital after James put me in there. As I look around all I can hear are her words.
I never said you were evil. I draw energy from the dark dimension too and I hate every minute of it, but one must break the rules in order to serve the greater good. No one is born good or evil. We can choose the path we are taking with every decision in our lives.
"I am inevitable", Thanos smirks snapping his fingers and I tilt my head
Is there something I can do now to spare Morgan the pain of growing up without her father? To spare Peter the pain of losing yet another parental figure? To spare Pepper the pain of losing her husband?
There is nothing wrong with seeing things from a different perspective. As I said, you did what you thought was best at the time. Steve's words echo in my head and at this moment I am not thinking anymore. I feel my legs moving towards Tony with no instructions.
"And I...", I look at Tony who is already taking the power of the Stones as they positioned themselves in his suit. "Am..." he pants as he looks Thanos in his eyes and I gulp almost like I am seeing this through a screen. "Iron Man" He adds and I kneel on his right side as he snaps his fingers I grab his arm taking from the heat of the Stones having no idea whatsoever what I'm actually doing.
I can see the colorful energy traveling from Tony through me and he watches me confused. I can feel in this split second that I can almost talk to the energy. I can feel it spread all throughout my body evenly and I try to draw all of it away from Tony. I feel my sight getting blurry until I lose consciousness completely.
Doc, was this supposed to happen?
No, you were the one who was supposed to die.
Doll, don't do this to me. We were supposed to get married after this war.
Friday?
Scan complete: Life functions: critical.
Step aside. Let me try something.
I feel a frozen wave traveling through my body. I feel like I am shivering. I feel a hot rush through me making me sweat. I feel my muscles tensing up and I feel I am losing all control. What the hell is going on?
I open my eyes and I am surrounded by darkness. I feel water running on my feet and I am not sure where I am. I see green reflections in the water. I step along the black river and I notice a fall. The only light seems to be the tone of green that travels in the water that's falling into a pool.
"Will she be loved?" I hear the voice of the Ancient One and I turn around to follow the sound of that voice.
"Yes, I found a place where she will be safe and loved." I don't recognize the male voice but I can only assume it's Agamotto. His voice is calm and imposing at the same time.
"What if she's safer here?"
"Deidre stop, she's not. That universe is harmless, I'll proceed with the bounding spell, and that way he won't ever get to her." The man says reassuringly and it makes me smile as I never truly knew her name was Deidre.
"Neither will we, Motto. Are we willing to risk the fate of another universe?" I can hear the pain in the Ancient One's voice.
"We've created it for this."
The Ancient One still seems to not see eye to eye with Agamotto. "I want her to know us. I need her to know about the dangers of her world."
I see Agamotto giving in with a slight sigh. "I will try to persuade Stanislaus, appease him in some way."
"The watcher? They do not meddle. Motto, I believe this to be a mistake." The Ancient One scoffs but the man seems set in his ways.
"This one is different. I can talk to him, he is fond of telling tales. He's different." Agamotto speaks.
"So my Enya will think these are just that? Tales? Made-up stories? What if we got this wrong?"
Silence sets in once again the river flows in reverse and I see light. I feel my mind has finally entered my body and I can feel the ground beneath me.
"Stephen, what is happening?" James' voice breaks the silence around me.
"Friday? Give her another scan." I hear Stark's voice clearly now.
"Scan complete: Life functions: stabilizing."
I open my eyes and I see blurry shades of James, Stephen, and Tony. Did I do it? Did I manage to save Tony?
I move my head barely able to keep my eyes open and notice the snap worked, Thanos is gone and I am surrounded by all the Avengers.
"Stay with us, Y/n." I can feel the distraught in Stephen's voice.
I move my eyes around and I feel dizzy. I look at James and I try to stand up. I lift my upper body and he moves quickly kneeling next to me. He wraps his arm around me but I feel like I cannot probably talk. I take a deep breath of dusty air. I feel my stomach turning upside down and heat waves taking over me making me sweat uncontrollably. I place one arm down and turn away from James feeling the need to throw up. I watch as blood comes out of my mouth.
"She's just been exposed to six beacons of high gamma radiation. Guys she has hours at most." I hear Bruce as he runs closer to the scene.
"My lab. Now! You too Stark." Shuri speaks and I feel James picking me up as Stephen opens a portal.
I feel my stomach turning again and I look at James who feels uneasy as he stares back at me. He lifts my head up looking around in distress.
"I got you." He whispers trying to stay calm but I can feel his voice shaking.
I feel the blood mixed with the stomach acid making its way to my mouth and I try not to let it out but it comes so strong. I see a bowl flying to my face and I see the red mess dripping into it from my mouth.
"You'll be alright." Wanda caresses my hair.
"Lay her down here," Shuri instructs them and in a second I feel a lot of wires and tubes attached to me. "Griot, scan her and tell me the damage. We'll start with a blood transfusion. Prepare my lab for the stem cell transplant."
I feel everyone buzzing around me as my skin seems to disintegrate. I cannot recognize any facial expressions as I don't see clearly. All I know right now, James, Wanda, Stephen, Bruce, Steve, Tony, and Pepper are all here. I can see a scan of Tony's body as well but not much else as the burns on my skin are getting to painful to focus on anything else.
James's POV
I look at her struggling to make sense of the world around her and I wish I was there holding her hand. Shuri incubated her so the chances to save her are higher and there is nothing I can do to help her.
"She's going to be alright." Steve pats my shoulder and I gulp nodding hoping that is the case.
"Chances of her survival are rather low Captain.", Stephen speaks but he looks at me. "She might not make it." He adds clenching his jaw as he turns around. I feel my heart so heavy looking around.
"Stephen, hold up." I take a few quick steps toward him. "What if we..." I sigh not knowing if he even knows the truth about Y/n. "What if we take her back?" I whisper adding realizing hiding that is stupid if it can save her life.
"Back?" He asks furrowing his brows. He gulps widening his eyes. "Oh, back. No, it wouldn't work. She was irradiated already, and that won't leave her body. Her best chance is right here." He explains and I close my eyes not wanting to see or hear anything.
Stark gets up from his table and he seems fine. He was not incubated as there was no trace of radiation in his body. He notices I am staring at him and I see him making his way toward me. He squeezes his eyes looking up at me.
"I was wrong about her." He speaks looking at Y/n through the window. Bruce is the only one allowed to stay with her as he will not be affected by the radiation coming from her body and I watch as he cleans the fresh burns on her skin.
I am not sure what to say to this man whose father I killed. The last time he looked at me he wanted to kill me.
"If she needs anything... don't hesitate to call." Stark stretches his arm towards me and I gulp looking at him. I shake his hand thanking him and he nods looking down.
She knew he was supposed to die and she chose to save him even though she had no idea what it will do to her. She's too damn good for her own well-being.
I look at her and I can see her lips are purple and she's shivering. I need to be there with her.
I don't know what Banner and Shuri are doing. I open the door and wrap the blanket around her.
"Sergeant Barnes!" Shuri screams. "Get out of there! She'll irradiate you." She tells me but I cannot leave Y/n. She is so cold she could be dead right about now.
I take her arm and kiss her forehead.
"I'm not leaving you. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." I whisper into her ear. She was supposed to become my wife today. She cannot die.
"Bucky! Get out of there." Steve decides to join Shuri in trying to get me out but I just cannot listen to either of them. I hear the door open and I feel Steve putting his hand on my shoulder. "Come on man. There's nothing a couple of men out of their time could do. Let the people who can actually save her do their jobs."
"She's dying Steve. I can feel her slipping away." I whisper trying to hold back the tears.
"I'm not leaving this room. Not without her." I look into his eyes and he sighs.
"It won't do her any good if you get sick as well." He states but I don't care. I'd rather die with her than live in a world where she's not here.
I feel her hand softly squeezing mine as Shuri's machines are filtering her whole blood. I take a wet wipe and clean her face as she had blood all over her as she threw up. I don't want to leave. I cannot leave her. Shuri comes in and stops all the machines.
"What are you doing?" I ask her confused.
"She needs to rest. If we keep this up, we are going to become the reason she dies." She tells me and I gulp. "Come on, we need to clean her and set her up the right way. She's stable for now." Shuri instructs and I nod letting her people handle my fiancé.
Steve comes in and tells me he and Stark will leave as the world is probably in a lot of chaos now. As I look around, Wanda is the only one still here.
"You can go with Steve. Y/n is stable for now." I say and she shakes her head.
"She's the only person I have left. I'm not leaving until I can hear her say she's okay." She gives me a weak smile and I nod. I have no idea when they became so close but it seems like she's more of a friend to Y/n than Stephen is. He was the first one to leave.
"Bucky, we cleaned her and changed her into accessible clothes, she's monitored every second by Griot. I would highly suggest we all go get ourselves clean as well. We did just fight two wars one after another. Get some sleep. Come back later. The worse part has passed now." Shuri tells me handing me Y/n's cell phone.
I walk into the room she's sleeping peacefully in an induced coma and now I'm afraid to even touch her. How is she so beautiful even with her skin all burned from the radiation?
I take a seat next to her bed and as I look at her phone the screen unlocks. I smile remembering how last night before the war she put my face in here. I cannot believe I was so dumb to fight with her. I promised her I would not let anything bad happen to her. I promised her that if anyone touches even a strand of her hair, I will not stop until they are dead. Here I am sitting next to her bed while she's barely breathing on her own, having no one to punish for it.
I should've been next to her. I should've held her still, I should've protected her. Who am I kidding? She's stronger than me. She would've put me down in a second.
I was not supposed to talk to her in Romania, I was scared of who she was and the danger implied not knowing it. I was not supposed to make any friends. I was supposed to stay in hiding alone. Now I'm scared of losing her. I'm scared of waking up and not finding her next to me. I'm scared I would never hear one of her nicknames when she's calling me. I'm scared I will never hear her giggle that always makes my heart melt. She's so amazing I am scared that even if she wakes up she realizes what a terrible mistake she made with me. I can't even protect her.
I shouldn't have talked to her. I dragged her into all the mess my life is. She was safe before me.
"You have to wake up, Y/n.", I whisper looking at her. "You made me promise I will let someone else in if something bad happens to you. Don't make me break my promise please, wake up." I say looking at her. "I'm never going to find someone else. I'm never going to get over you. I've made up my mind. I want you and only you. No one else. Because you're my kind of perfect. It's you. No one else ever was or will ever be. It's you I want to wake up next to every day. It's you I want to fight with when shit hits the fan. It's you I want to find solutions to our problems. It's you and no one else I want to make happy. I just need you to fight a little longer and I promise I will fight every single day to give you the life we always talked about. We'll move back to Romania. We'll have coffee at Mugs every morning and I will never leave you again. We'll have no more wars to fight. Just wake up, please." I promise to her not knowing if she can hear me.
I cannot believe it's been 5 years and she still chose me. Five whole years and she ran into my arms like she's been dusted as well.
"Hey." Someone catches my attention and I turn to the door to see Wanda. "I got her." She speaks stepping closer to the bed Y/n lies in.
"It's alright. I don't want to leave her side." I'm not moving a muscle and she shakes her head chuckling.
"Do you seriously want to be covered in dust sweat and alien blood when she wakes up?" She asks and I look down at my clothes. "I think she deserves a little more, wouldn't you say?" Wanda states trying to convince me. She is right though, she deserves so much more.
I nod standing up and Wanda promises me she won't leave her side. As I reach the apartment I and Y/n had before the whole Thanos situation, I realize how dusted everything is. It's really been a long time. I look at the couch and I remember just how scared she was before this double war. I missed five whole years with her. I take off my clothes and step into the shower. As the water runs down my body I realize I have an open wound. I sew that shut and I look at myself in the mirror. I really need to do something about my hair and beard. I shave trying to make myself look more presentable and I put my hair in a bun. I pull a t-shirt over my head and put on the jeans I know she loves as she said they give me a perfect ass. I chuckle remembering the smirk on her face looking at me.
I hurry back to Shuri's lab and I see Wanda caressing Y/n hair. I tilt my head watching the scene.
"She's dreaming of you", Wanda says letting me know she felt my presence. "I never felt her so calm." She adds and I smile.
"I think it's the drugs", I whisper moving to the other side and Wanda shakes her head.
"I've seen her high, it's not the drugs." Wanda chuckles looking at me and I let out a soft laugh remembering how Y/n is when she is high. She was always a little ball of energy no matter what drug she tried.
I look at Wanda as she's stroking Y/n hair and I recognize the look she has. It's the same one Y/n has when she looks at me. I breathe heavily looking at the scene in front of me. It's been five years. What happened in these five years? Why is Wanda still here?
I clear my throat watching her so close to Y/n. For some reason, it bothers me how close she's to Y/n.
"I got her from here. You can go get some rest." I tell her trying to create some space and I see her giving me a cheeky smile. She takes a step back and turns to a chair sitting in it. I don't like this. She's not leaving. I squeeze my eyes looking at Wanda as I tilt my head.
"Did something happen in these five years that I should be aware of?" I ask her not able to let turn off these conflicting thoughts. "Did she? Uhm- does she have someone else?" I add as the redhead is confused.
"No." She laughs looking at me. "Not that I know of." She adds and I gulp nodding. "But I don't think there was any more room in her heart for anyone else. She really loves you Barnes", Wanda tells me calming me down.
I sigh looking at the seat next to her and I drag my legs to it sitting down. "She really couldn't wait to get you back, it's all she could talk about lately." She smiles weakly at me and I nod. "Don't break her heart." She whispers and I smile looking at Y/n.
I don't think I'd ever be capable of breaking her heart. She's the most precious person in my life. I would die before I would hurt her in any way.
"Strange said she might not make it", I whisper knowing just how good he is at diagnosing someone. He was the one who put my mind back together after all and he was sure I will make it, but now, he was almost sure she has no chance.
Shuri managed to do several blood transfusions and they even started the stem cell transplant. They stopped inducing coma and she's supposed to wake up soon. Wanda is still in Wakanda. We started to get along. She told me about her time with Y/n and even though I am pretty sure she is in love with my fiancé, I still like her company better than going through this alone.
I look at the body of my baby and I notice her skin acts as if it starts to get burned from inside out.
"Shuri!" I yell as the effect seems to spread fast.
"Griot, what is going on?" Shuri asks and the voice of her machines informs us that what she's experiencing right now is basically her body irradiating itself again meaning no matter how many blood transfusions and stem cell transplants and antibiotics will be done to her she will always end up irradiated.
"We're just prolonging her death," I whisper to Shuri and she gulps closing her eyes. I feel my heart pumping faster and I'm not sure I can keep my calm. I don't like this.
I take her hand in mine and I feel her so warm. I press my lips to her forehead and I see her opening her eyes. I'm scared of how red they are.
"Hi, doll." I smile trying to hold back my tears. I feel her squeezing my hand softly. She looks around and I am not sure who she is looking out for.
"Is Stark okay?" Her voice cracks in whispers and I smile nodding.
"Everyone is okay. Tony, Strange, T'Challa, Steve, Wanda, everyone is safe." I assure her and she nods giving me a weak smile.
"Will you?" She whispers and right now I cannot hold back the tears anymore. She's dying and she still cares about everyone else but herself.
"We'll both be okay." I smile and as soon as I see the bloody tears on her cheeks I know I am lying. I wipe her red tears away. I was supposed to be gone, not her. I was supposed to die. I don't want to live without her.
"Can you-" she shifts her body and I see her hand patting the edge of the bed next to her. "I want to feel you." She whispers and I gulp nodding. I lay next to her and hold her close to me. She lays her head on my chest and I run my fingers through her hair knowing she loves this.
"Find my-" her voice is raspy and I can barely understand her. "Parents" she coughs and I see blood in her hand.
"Shh. Don't force yourself." I gulp trying to get ahold of my own voice. "I will find them and I will explain everything," I tell her knowing there's no more time to lie to either of us. I need her to find her rest. I look at the monitors and I can tell her heartbeat gets slower and slower.
I see a sparkling circle opening and I see Strange stepping into the room. I stare at the dark circles around his eyes and I can tell he did not get much sleep.
"Hold her up." He struts to the bed holding a cup in his hand. I do as he says without questioning him. He put her head back and shoves the content of the cup down her throat.
He cups her head watching her. He tilts his head a couple of times and looks at his watch.
"Come on, come on." He whispers and I look at him confused trying to hold Y/n still. I feel her body stiffing up and I frown.
"She's getting colder." I speak and he nods looking at his watch. He murmurs something. I hope this is his desired outcome. "Stephen?" I feel her ice cold and I am not sure what the plan is. I start to become uneasy. He pulls a pipette out of his many pockets and drips it in both her eyes in equal measure.
"Open her mouth." Strange instructs and I am utterly confused. She's so stiff. I part her lips and I see Stephen pulling out another glass bottle with a brown mixture in it. He takes the cap off and the smell hits me. I don't even want to know what is in there. He pours it into her mouth and looks at the watch again counting the seconds.
"Come on Y/n." He whispers and as he does I can feel her body warming up though mine becomes filled with adrenaline. I am not sure what is going on. He looks at the monitors in this room as if he can actually read everything and takes a deep breath relieved. Maybe he can read them, I keep forgetting he was an actual medical doctor.
He takes a step back turning away from us. I carefully place Y/n on the bed confused about what had just happened.
"Stephen?" I ask standing up from the bed but not moving away from it. I see his back raising rapidly. "What did you do?" I ask him concerned but I calm down as soon as I see Y/n's skin healing.
"Found a cure for her." Stephen tells me and I can feel my heart smiling. "What did you think I was doing these last three days?" He turns around to face me and I nod feeling guilty for judging him. He was the first to leave. I really thought he left because she had no chance of survival, but he left to make sure she has at least one.
"Thank you." I press my lips into a thin line.
"I didn't do it for you." He hits me with his reply. He never really liked me, but I guess I was an asshole to Y/n when I forgot her. I deserve his remarks. "When she wakes up, she might be a little cheerful, a little more than that, it's the effect of the spell." Stephen explains and I nod.
I feel Y/n breathing normally now and I can feel her body softly recovering and her eyes opening. She starts chuckling huskily and it makes my heart melt listening to that sounds. She is better. She is alive.
"Come investigate me, doc, I'm feeling a little strange." She glues her eyes to her best friend and I can tell they have a connection as his face changes when he hears her. "You've missed me too." She giggles looking at him.
"Don't tell anyone or I'll deny it." He walks closer to her and she opens her arms to hug him. "Don't ever scare me like this either." He tells her while they're embracing each other.
"I promise." She smiles and I can see her eyes landing on me.
"Alright. You, kids, have fun." Strange winks at her and he opens a portal leaving.
Y/n jumps up on her knees chuckling and turns all her attention to me.
"Heyy trainwreck." She giggles wrapping her arms around my neck and I laugh hearing her favorite nickname for me as I hug her I feel the tears running down my cheek. I almost really lost her a few moments earlier. I hug her tight not wanting to let go of this moment.
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A/n: Isn't Dr. Strange the cutest? There we go with a happier chapter. Hope you liked this one.
Let me know your thoughts on this in the comments and also if you want me to write some more.
Have a MARVELous day!
Lots of love
-Kate G.