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You stepped into Betty’s apartment, dropping your keys on the kitchen counter. You ran your hand over your face, sliding your jacket off your shoulders, slipping the shoes off your feet. You swallowed hard, lifting your head when you heard the footsteps.
“There you are.”
Betty was smiling when she walked into the room, the kitten hurrying just behind her.
“Did you have a good trip?”
“We need to talk.”
The smile slid from her face, confusion and worry taking its place. Betty reached out for you as she spoke, arm falling by her side when you took a step back.
“Honey, what’s wrong?”
You swallowed, keeping your eyes trained on her feet. You couldn’t look her in the eye, no matter how badly you knew you needed to. You let out a shaky breath, your voice quiet when you spoke.
“What happened to me?”
“Y/N? What—“
“Tell me about my accident.”
Betty studied your face, feeling her own heartbeat kick up.
“Honey, we’ve been over this.”
“Go over it again.”
Betty took in a breath, letting it out shakily.
“I got the call late, late at night. You’d been in a terrible accident and you were in the hospital.”
“What was the damage to the car?”
Betty’s eyebrows furrowed.
“What?”
You lifted your head then, meeting her eyes.
“The car I wrecked. How bad was it? Did I ding the fender or did I total the thing?”
Betty swallowed.
“You totaled it.”
“Did you call the insurance company or did Dad? Did we get any money for it?”
Betty’s mouth moved, but no words came out. You continued your line of questioning.
“Where’s the car now, Betty? Did they tow it away from the site? Put it in a junkyard somewhere? Rip it apart for scrap metal? Come on, big sister. Why can’t you answer me?”
“You were in a coma, Y/N. I had bigger things to worry about than the insurance payout.”
You slowly nodded as she turned away from you, walking to the pantry. You let her get close before you started talking again.
“But you see, here’s the thing. I called the insurance company. A claim was never made for any accident on my car.”
You watched Betty’s hand falter as she reached for the doorknob, saw it begin to shake.
“I don’t know why that would have happened, unless maybe Dad was trying to cover something up. Was I drunk when I had the accident? High? Did I kill someone, and my dear ol’ Dad’s trying to protect me?”
Betty glanced over her shoulder.
“You know he’d do anything for you.”
“Including cover up a murder?”
“You didn’t kill anyone, Y/N.”
You slowly nodded.
“So why didn’t you file a claim?”
“I told you, I was worried about more important things.”
“Okay, then why didn’t Dad file a claim?”
Betty turned back to the pantry and you shrugged your shoulders, slowly rounding the corner.
“You said it yourself. Dad would do anything for me. Why didn’t he file a claim? Better yet, why didn’t he go after the company that made my car? Why don’t we own Ford or Chevrolet or Prius or whatever? Because you know Daddy would never let anyone get away with almost killing his baby girl.”
Betty was pale when she turned to face you. You stared at Betty as she looked back at you, lips trembling and eyes wide. You gave a shake of your head, licking your lips before you spoke as calmly as you could.
“Or, is it because there never was an accident in the first place?”
Betty swallowed, voice pitched low.
“There was an accident.”
“But not with a car, right?”
After a moment, Betty shook her head. She started to open her mouth, lips still trembling, but you gave a hard laugh.
“Don’t … don’t lie to me. Not anymore.”
“Honey—“
“I’m going to ask you one more time. What happened to me?”
You stared at your sister, who held her ground and stared back at you. You moved your hand to your mouth, fingers trembling as you touched them to your lips. You broke the eye contact, walking backwards a few steps, then lifted your head to meet her eyes.
“Tell me the truth, Elizabeth.”
Her eyes widened at your use of her full name, and she nodded.
“There was an accident.”
You nodded.
“Give me the details of it.”
You watched Betty swallow, could almost see the wheels turning in her head. You pressed your lips together, waiting, and your heart fell when she spoke again.
“Honey, I wasn’t there. I can’t tell you what actually happened.”
You stared at her, then slowly nodded. You swallowed yourself, nodding again.
“I get it. I understand that. But you see …”
You shook your head, lifting your eyes to hers.
“I think you’ve got a pretty good idea.”
Betty was so pale, blue eyes watching you as you slowly walked around the kitchen. You pulled out one of the barstools and sat down, turning to your sister, feeling an odd sense of calm when the cat jumped onto the counter and bumped your arm with his head. You scratched the top of his head, smiling softly when he started to purr. You looked back to Betty.
“See, this little trip I just took? The one to check on some things for Dad? It wasn’t for him. It was for me.”
Betty blinked, and you watched her throat work as she swallowed.
“I had a few meetings, caught up with some friends.”
“Matt Murdock?”
“That’s not important right now.”
You stood up from your seat, waking to pick up your purse and pulling out the comic books. You flipped through them, stopping when you found the one with the bright green lettering on the cover. You swallowed, setting the comic on the table beside your sister, turning it to face her, tapping a finger on the cover.
“Tell me about this.”
Betty’s eyes were saucers in her skull, frantically looking to you and shaking her head. You slowly shook your head back at her, tapping the cover again.
“Don’t lie to me, Betty. Not anymore.”
“Y/N—“
“Tell me about this, Betty.”
One tear slid down Betty’s cheek as she shook her head, staring at the comic.
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. You can.”
Betty shook her head again.
“Let this go. Please, just forget about this.”
“I can’t!”
You moved shaking hands to your head, walking away from your sister. You took a few deep breaths, then turned to face her.
“Something happened to me, Betty. And I’m not talking about the accident.”
Betty’s eyebrows furrowed and you shook your head.
“I need you to tell me the truth. Don’t sugarcoat it and for the love of God, please don’t lie to me anymore.”
“Honey, what happened?”
You shook your head.
“Tell me first.”
Betty gave a shaky exhale, closing her eyes before she turned to you. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. You could tell that whatever would come from her lips would be a lie.
You clenched your teeth together, unable to keep the tears from falling. You hung your head and let the sob out, quickly moving out of the way when Betty reached out to hold you. You shook your head, tears soaking your cheeks as you met her wet eyes.
“Do you remember when we were kids? When Dad had left us yet again with some babysitter, some nanny we barely even knew? We made a pact. Do you remember it, Betty?”
She nodded.
“Of course I do.”
“What was it?”
“That we—“
She went still and you nodded. You sniffled and picked up where she left off.
“That we’d never lie to each other. You’d never leave me like Dad always did, and I’d never leave you. And no matter what, we’d never, ever lie to each other. Even if we had to lie to Dad, we wouldn’t lie to each other.”
Betty closed her eyes at the mention of your father, and a gasp left your lips.
“Oh my god.”
She looked sad blue eyes your way and you nodded.
“It was him, wasn’t it? Dad … Dad put you up to this?”
Betty looked away from you, hanging her head as she turned her body away from yours. You lifted a shaking hand to your lips.
“He’s the reason you …”
You walked to face her, eyes wide.
“What did he say?”
“Y/N—“
“Tell me. What did he say to you to make you go along with this bullshit?”
Betty swallowed and you shook your head.
“What was it? Did he say he’d take me away from you? Keep us apart? Because that’s the only explanation I can see that would make you agree to lie to me for a solid fucking year, Elizabeth.”
She met your eyes and you saw all the answer you needed. You slowly nodded, giving a humorless laugh.
“How could you … you had to know it wouldn’t happen. You had to know he couldn’t keep me from you.”
“He was all over you! He hired you for his campaign, for Christ’s sake. You know the General. You know he’d make it happen, and damn any consequences.”
“But you know me! God, Betty. The only thing I’ve ever been able to count on was you. You’re more of a parent to me than he ever was, and no matter what he said or did, I would do whatever it took to be with you.”
Betty hung her head again, hand moving to cover her mouth. You looked towards the window as a tear slid down your cheek. You sniffled and walked back to the table, picking up the comic book. You ran your fingers over the cover, then walked closer to her. She didn’t lift her head, so you stepped closer, putting the comic in her line of sight.
“I know it was real. The Avengers were real. This comic actually happened. I know because I asked a complete stranger, and he told me the truth. Someone I’ve never met before, or at least I don’t think I’ve ever met, gave me answers to every question I asked him. So I know what happened.”
You heard Betty’s sharp intake of breath, and you went on.
“I know that you were in this story. They took you out of the comic, most likely at Dad’s request, but you had something to do with this.”
You tightened your hold on the comic, then brushed a hand over the cover as you spoke.
“I know I was kidnapped. I know the Avengers came to rescue me and it went horribly wrong. I know Dad put on a farce of a trial and locked them all away. I just hoped I’d have a little more backup and a little more ammo before I confronted him.”
You gave another hard laugh, shaking your head.
“All the lies, everything you did to keep me from finding out the truth … and it had the effect you were trying so desperately to keep from happening anyway. Goodbye, Betty.”
You dropped the comic, stepping away as the pages fluttered and the book fell onto your sister’s feet. She lifted her head, shaking it as she watched you walk away.
“Wait.”
You didn’t answer her, gathering your purse and walking towards the door. Betty shook her head, stepping forward and reaching out for you. You flinched away, turning to face her, trying not to let the tears in her eyes affect you. Betty let out a shaky breath before she spoke.
“You said something happened to you. What was it?”
You gave her a sad smile.
“That’s what I was hoping we could talk about. They’re running blood tests to try and figure out why …”
You adjusted your purse on your shoulder, stepping past your sister and going to the cabinet on the wall. With minimal effort, you pulled the entire cabinet off the wall, holding it in your arms as you turned to face your sister, peeking around it to see the horror on her face, and you shrugged your shoulders.
“I haven’t turned into a giant green rage monster yet, but maybe that’ll come later.”
Betty stumbled back and grabbed onto the back of one of the barstools. You nodded, dropping the cabinet to the ground, not flinching when the contents inside shattered. You took in a breath, letting it out slowly, nodding once before you walked away from Betty, through the door and out to her car. She heard it start and sank to the ground, unable to hold back the sobs as she cried.
She crawled over and picked up the comic book, cradling it in her hands before lifting it to her chest, holding the comic over the place where her heart was breaking.
You sat in your sister’s car, parked outside your father’s office building. You thought about waiting and confronting him at home, but you had no clue if or when he’d be there.
You flipped the visor down and groaned as you took in your red, splotchy face, courtesy of the tears you couldn’t hold back anymore as you left your sister. You dug in the middle console until you found a napkin, using it as best you could to clean what was left of your eye makeup and to try and dry your cheeks. You held the napkin in your hands and sighed, lifting your head to look out the windshield again. You swallowed and climbed out of the car, shutting the door and locking it behind you.
“Excuse me. Are you alright?”
You closed your eyes, taking in a breath before glancing back over your shoulder. A man was standing a few feet from you, holding both hands up where you could see them. You narrowed your eyes and he gave you a smile.
“I noticed you crying in your car. Bad day at work or …?”
You sniffled.
“Just a bad day in general.”
“Anything I could do to help?”
You shook your head, a soft smile on your lips.
“No. But thanks for asking.”
“Anytime.”
You held his blue eyes for a moment, feeling something in the pit of your stomach. There was something familiar about this man, something … safe.
“Excuse me.”
He looked at you, one eyebrow raised. You shook your head, taking a step towards him.
“Have we met?”
He smiled, a crooked tilt of his jaw that sparked something in your mind.
“I don’t think so. Pretty sure I’d remember your face.”
The soft smile on his lips made your cheeks warm, as you caught onto his unspoken words. You nodded, looking towards Betty’s car and giving an almost-silent laugh.
“Sorry. I just … you seem so familiar.”
“Would you believe me if I told you I get that a lot?”
“Probably not.”
“Then I won’t say it.”
You gave another quiet laugh, nodding your head.
“Sorry. I’m usually not so … awkward.”
“It’s no problem. It’s refreshing, really.”
Your cheeks were on fire as you shook your head, making your way to the elevator. You stepped into the car as the doors opened and the man called out to you.
“Maybe I’ll see you again sometime.”
“Maybe so.”
He grinned at you as the doors closed and you widened your eyes as you slowly shook your head.
You passed your father’s secretary, ignoring the way she jumped to her feet and started babbling for you to wait. You didn’t, pushing open the door to your father’s office.
You stopped in your tracks, mouth falling open when you saw one wall being used as a screen. You saw a man on the screen, thrashing as though he were being tortured, but only for a split-second before your father pressed a button, making the screen disappear as he scrambled to his feet.
“Y/N, what in the devil are you doing? You can’t just come barging in here.”
You shook your head, one shaking finger pointing towards the wall.
“What was that?”
“That was none of your concern.”
“Dad—”
“Leave it, Y/N. Now, what was so important you couldn’t even knock?”
You couldn’t get the image out of your mind. It was grainy, tones of blue overlaying the screen. It was silent, but you could see the man’s mouth open as if he were screaming. You swallowed, tasting bile on the back of your tongue as you spoke again.
“Who was that?”
“Y/N, if this can wait, I’m incredibly busy. We can have dinner and discuss—“
“No, it can’t wait.”
The General stopped, turning towards you with one eyebrow raised. His eyebrows furrowed when he got a good look at you and he took a step towards you.
“Is something the matter?”
You blinked, shaking your head.
“What would make you think that?”
“Your face is red. Have you been crying?”
A soft, patronizing smile came to his face.
“You and Betty fighting again? Don’t worry, dear. You two have these little spats, then come back thick as thieves again.”
You slowly nodded.
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s what’s going to happen this time.”
The General nodded, moving to rest a hip against his desk.
“Is it about a boy?”
You refrained from rolling your eyes, the dismissal on the tip of your tongue before you stopped.
“Actually, it is.”
“That Manhattan lawyer you’ve been seeing?”
You swallowed again.
“No, it’s a kid from Queens.”
You watched the General’s eyebrow twitch before he schooled his face into a look of passive interest and you went on.
“And a kid from Brooklyn, back before the War. A few women from Russia, a marksman and a couple of military vets. A genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist, and a doctor who used to work in Harlem before he nearly devastated it.”
The General stared at you as you slowly took a step forward.
“You know anything about that, Dad?”
“I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about.”
“See, I don’t believe that.”
Thaddeus straightened, eyes narrowing as he studied you.
“Y/N, what is it you’re accusing me of?”
You licked your lips, doing your best to keep your spine straight.
“What happened to me?”
“What are you talking about?”
“My accident. What put me in a coma for a year, Dad?”
Thaddeus sighed, turning to walk behind his desk again.
“Honey, we’ve been over this.”
“Actually, no. We haven’t.”
Thaddeus sighed again as he sat down, shuffling the papers on his desk.
“You had an accident.”
“Yeah, I know. Give me the details of it.”
“Your sister can explain it better than I can.”
“Because she was there and you weren’t?”
Thaddeus looked up and met your eyes at that.
“Y/N, you know how busy I am.”
“So busy you couldn’t even take time off when they thought I was dying?”
“Well, you weren’t.”
You gave a laugh, crossing your arms over your chest.
“God, you’re a piece of work.”
“And I’m still your father, so watch your tone.”
You stared at the man in front of you and you swallowed before you spoke.
“I went to Betty and she wouldn’t say anything other than what I’ve heard a hundred times. The same company line you’re giving me. I just … don’t understand why you’re both lying to me.”
Thaddeus sighed, pressing a button on his phone that was blinking.
“What is it, Amanda?”
“He’s here, sir.”
“Send him in.”
You narrowed your eyes.
“We’re not through talking.”
“Yes, we are.”
Your eyes widened, blinking as you watched your father stand up, sliding his suit jacket over his shoulders. You shook your head.
“Dad, I’m not done talking with you.”
“Well, this is what happens when you barge into my office while I’m working. I have meetings, Y/N. I can’t just clear my schedule because you’re fighting with your sister.”
“I’m not fighting with her; I’m trying to get the goddamn truth out of someone!”
You whirled to face whomever it was when the office door opened. A man stopped in the doorway, a smile on his face.
“I’m sorry, your secretary told me to come in.”
You stared at the man, the one you’d encountered in the parking garage, watching him look from your father to you, eyebrows raising when he recognized your face. A soft smile came back to his lips and he stepped towards you, holding out a hand.
“Hi. John Walker.”
You blinked, then set your hand in his.
“Y/N Ross.”
He repeated your name softly, giving your hand a gentle squeeze.
“How are you, Miss Ross?”
“Y/N, please. And I guess I’m just leaving.”
Your father cleared his throat, and you looked back to him.
“Why don’t you stay? You and John can get acquainted. You’ll be seeing a lot of each other after the election.”
“Oh?”
Thaddeus nodded.
“I’m tapping John to be my Secretary of State.”
You looked back to him, eyebrows raised.
“Secretary of State.”
“And with you as Chief of Staff, we will be seeing each other often.”
You blinked before you slowly nodded, glancing towards your father when he cleared his throat again. He pointedly looked at yours and John’s hands, still entwined, and you quickly pulled your hand back, cheeks aflame once more. You shook your head, taking a step away from John Walker, closer to the door.
“Y/N?”
You looked to your father, sighing and shaking your head again.
“We can talk later.”
John stepped closer to you.
“Please don’t go because of me.”
“It’s not, I promise. I … goodbye.”
John was smiling as you stepped out the door, and you pushed your fingers through your hair. You gave a hard exhale, shaking your head once more before making your way back down to the parking garage.
You sat on the bed in your hotel room, chopsticks in one hand as you ate from your takeout container of sushi. You stared towards the television set, which wasn’t on, and chewed. You readied your next bite with soy sauce and a smear of wasabi, popping it into your mouth and chewing, tears coming to your eyes and coughing at the burn that came from a bit too much wasabi.
Your mind was churning, too many questions without answers, and you had no one to turn to. You wanted to talk to Betty so bad, but after the way you’d walked out on her earlier, you didn’t think you could. You thought of calling Matt, but talking to him about another guy just felt wrong.
Not to mention the fact that you were apparently Captain America’s girlfriend and John Walker was definitely not Captain America.
You readjusted your legs and propped an elbow on your knee. You put your chin in your hand and slid your eyes from the quiet TV to the mirror on the wall. You snorted at first, at the whole “Mirror, mirror on the wall” aspect, before you tilted your head and bit your lip.
You set your chopsticks aside and crawled out of bed, careful not to spill the sushi or the soy sauce on the white sheets. You walked to the mirror and looked up and down, studying yourself.
“Everyone I love has been lying to me for like a year. Neither one of them will tell me the truth, no matter how many times I ask. Betty, I can kind of understand, but Dad? He dismisses me like I’m some kid. And then on the next breath, the guy I’ve never met tells me I’m Dad’s chief of staff?”
You shook your head.
“And then there’s this … John Walker? Who is John Walker and why would Dad make him Secretary of State?”
You met your own eyes in the mirror.
“Who is John Walker?”
You went for your bag and pulled out your laptop. You fired it up and sat at the desk in the room, crossing your legs as you tapped on the keyboard and mouse.
You had both legs crossed under you as you read yet another article.
“Three Medals of Honor? I thought … wait, what do you get a Medal of Honor for?”
You opened a new tab, typing your question in the search box. You tapped on another article, reading it to yourself.
“Highest and most prestigious military decoration … awarded to recognize those who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor.”
You pursed your lips.
“What kind of valor do you have to show to get three medals?”
You shook your head, sighing as you pushed the computer away. You leaned back in the chair, putting your legs on the floor as you stared up at the ceiling. After a moment, you spoke softly.
“I don’t think just confronting Dad will work. I’m going to have to dismantle it from the inside.”
You glanced back at the computer screen, sitting up in your chair. A smile came to your lips.
“And I know just the lynchpin to help me.”
Over the next few weeks, you put your feelings aside and went to work. It was tough, doing your actual job of trying to get your father elected, and your own secret mission of trying to get the answers he refused to give you. You worked closely with John Walker, and to be quite honest, the man was charming. He had a nice smile, a way about him that put you at ease, and a natural way of flirting that kept your cheeks and your heart warm.
You ignored calls from Eddie Collins, aka Tony Stark, and only saw your sister on the rare occasion she came to your dad’s office.
You spent most of your free time at the Air and Space Museum, in the Captain America exhibit. You soaked up all the information you could on Steve Rogers and the Avengers, hoping and praying that one day, something would spark in your memory.
That came in the most unexpected way.
“Oh, good. You’re here. Just in time.”
You raised an eyebrow at your father as you set your purse on a hook beside his door, sliding your coat off your shoulders and hanging it over the same hook.
“What’s going on?”
“Something we’ve been working towards has finally come to fruition.”
“You’ve taken Arizona?”
Thaddeus chuckled.
“Not quite.”
You crossed your arms over your chest, pursing your lips as you waited. You glanced at the watch on your wrist and sighed.
“Dad, I’ve got a call with the French ambassador in a few minutes. I’ve got to speak with him before he goes home for the day.”
“This will only take a moment, Y/N.”
You sighed again, hearing your phone vibrate in your purse. You walked back to the hook, pushing your cost aside and unzipping your bag.
“What are you doing?”
“I got a message.”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
“My phone’s on silent.”
“And you heard it?”
With your back to your father, you rolled your eyes. Yes, you could hear nearly everything, no matter what the sound level. You could also see perfectly, even the leaves on the tallest trees in crisp detail. You heard a door open as you unlocked your phone, exhaling tiredly when you saw the message from an unknown number with a New York area code. Queens, to be precise.
Call when you see this. Urgent!!!!!!
So many exclamation points, so little time, you thought. Peter could wait, but you hated to just leave the kid on read. You started to type a response when your father gave a laugh.
“Here we are! This is perfect. Absolutely perfect!”
You kept your phone in your hand as you turned to see what your father was chuckling about, the phone hitting the carpet with barely a sound as it fell from your palm.
“Y/N, what do you think?”
You saw the concern wash over John’s face, unable to do anything but blink as you stared at the man in front of you.
“Y/N, where are your manners? It’s not polite to stare. Tell John how good he looks! This is exactly what we needed, exactly what is going to push us over the top.”
“Y/N, are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
You gave a jerky shake of your head. Not a ghost. Nowhere near a ghost. You felt your mouth moving before you could actually speak.
“What … what are you doing?”
“What does it look like we’re doing? We are giving this country a symbol of hope. Something they can put their faith in again. Not just John here, but our administration as a whole. A shining example of the best of us.”
You felt sick. You felt dizzy and nauseous and the tiniest bit angry. You shook your head, one shaky hand lifting to point to what your father was holding in his hands.
“Where did you get that?”
“This is the final piece. John, this is what will make the public fall behind you and listen to whatever you have to say.”
Your father held out the object, and John took it, a smile coming over his face as he slid his arm through the straps. Thaddeus stared at him with pure pride on his face, a smile breaking over his lips.
“Our new Captain America.”
“No.”
Thaddeus and John both looked your way, and you shook your head. You felt your body began to tremble, head jerking as though you couldn’t keep it still. Thaddeus sighed.
“Y/N. What’s the matter now?”
You lifted a shaking hand towards the shield on John’s arm.
“That’s not yours.”
“Y/N—“
“It doesn’t belong to you. Not to either one of you.”
You turned to your father, eyes wide.
“Where did you get that?”
“It belongs to the country. To the people of this country.”
“No, it belongs to Steve Rogers.”
“Well, he’s not here, is he?”
You saw the look on John’s face, the shame that crept across his features for just a split second. You tilted your head as you stared at your father.
“No, he’s not. But you know where he is, don’t you, Dad?”
Thaddeus raised an eyebrow at you and you swallowed before speaking again, venom dripping from your words.
“Where is Steve Rogers?”
Thaddeus slowly lifted his head, making eye contact with you before pressing his lips together and shaking his head.
“I don’t know.”
You felt your breathing speed up, matching the galloping rate of your heart in your chest. You swallowed and shook your head.
“You see, I don’t believe you.”
“I can only do so much, dear. If you can’t—“
“No, you’re lying. I don’t know how you can look me in the eyes and lie straight to my face, but enough is enough. Where are the Avengers?”
Thaddeus’ eyebrow lifted.
“Those little comic books you’ve been reading? Y/N, you do know the difference between fantasy and reality, don’t you?”
You gave a hard laugh.
“Do not stand there and try to gaslight me. I know the Avengers were real. I know you’ve done something horrible and put them away somewhere for some punishment you think they deserve.”
“Trust me, if the Avengers were real, they deserve everything they’re getting.”
You put your hands over your mouth, eyes meeting John’s for just a moment before you looked back to your father. You closed your eyes, opening them again and staring at your father.
“Dad. What happened to me?”
Thaddeus rolled his eyes.
“Y/N, we’ve been over this, and frankly, I’m tired of it.”
“You’re tired of it?”
You blinked, feeling your hands begin to vibrate with the rage you suddenly felt.
“How dare you stand there and say you’re tired of hearing about my accident. The accident that you barely know anything about, because you couldn’t be bothered to let your own daughter in a coma disrupt your routine!”
“I’m the Secretary of State, Y/N. I couldn’t just take a sabbatical.”
“I’m your daughter! You wanted to put me in a nursing home and couldn’t even be bothered to visit me more than once!”
Thaddeus shook his head and you stepped closer to him.
“Where are the Avengers, Dad?”
Thaddeus cut his eyes at you, but didn’t answer. You stood your ground, looking from your father to John Walker. You gave him a nod.
“Do you know where they are, Walker?”
You saw John’s eyes flick over to your father, saw the subtle shake of his head Thaddeus gave. You shook your head and blew out a breath, taking a step closer to John Walker.
“You are not Captain America. You will never be the man Steve Rogers is.”
“Was.”
You whipped your head to face your father.
“No, is. Steve is—“
“Where, Y/N? Where is he? Your great ‘Captain America,’ is where exactly? Oh, that’s right. He’s where he belongs.”
“In jail somewhere?”
Thaddeus smiled at you.
“He’ll never see the light of day again, which is exactly what scum like him deserves.”
You swallowed back the bile that threatened, a smile coming over your face.
“You see, Dad … there’s a lot you don’t know. A lot you’d like to know, and a lot you’d like to change, but … one thing is certain.”
You stepped between him and John, going to Thaddeus’ heavy oak desk. You stood behind it as you spoke to them, eyes on your father.
“I know what happened to me. And I know your part in it. I’d like to think you were innocent, John, but let’s be realistic. A good, honest man would never put on that suit unless Steve Rogers handed it to him with an order to wear it. You know I’m right.”
John at least had the decency to look ashamed, glancing at the floor. You turned your eyes back to your father.
“I don’t understand you, Dad. I don’t know how you can be so … selfish all the time.”
“Selfish? You think—“
“You don’t know what I think because you don’t know anything about me!”
You felt your body trembling with rage again and you shook your head.
“I know what you’ve done and I will not stop until I get to the bottom of it. Now you either tell me where the Avengers are or I will tear this office apart until I find it for myself.”
“I think the best thing for you, Y/N Ross, is to get out of this office right now.”
You blinked.
“Or what? You’re going to call security on me? You’re going to lock me away like you did the Avengers? You know they don’t deserve it.”
“I’m not asking again, Y/N.”
You stared at your father, bringing your hands up and slamming them down on top of his desk, seeing the horror on his face when the desk cracked and splintered, falling into two separate pieces. Thaddeus stared at the desk with wide, shocked eyes as you walked around it, stepping between him and John again, going to the hooks on the wall and gathering your things.
“I’ve always been on your side, Dad. Even when you were wrong, I was always on your side. That stops today. You can lie and tell yourself that you did it for me, you did it to protect me, but we both know that’s bullshit. You did it for you. Just like everything else, it’s always about you.”
You slid your coat over your shoulders, looking to John.
“And you. I expected better. I expected more, but I guess you’re just like your mentor, aren’t you?”
You shook your head.
“Neither of you are worthy to even look at that shield. And I won’t stop until the Avengers are … well … avenged.”
You opened the door and left the office, bypassing the elevator and taking the stairs, not stopping until you were in the parking garage at the car you’d been renting. Your hands were still shaking, the overwhelming urge to cry almost encompassing you.
“Y/N!”
You straightened, eyebrows furrowing when John Walker appeared before you, in a normal suit and tie. He shook his head, lifting the bag he was carrying to hold in both hands, offering it to you.
“You’re right. Everything you said in there was true.”
You didn’t answer him, looking from the bag to his eyes. He shook his head again.
“I don’t know where they are. He never told me. He just took me there and—“
“What did you do?”
John shook his head, eyes cast to his feet.
“Nothing. I should have stopped it, but I … I didn’t. And you were right. I don’t deserve to even look at this shield, but I couldn’t leave it with him.”
John lifted his blue eyes to meet yours and he held out the bag towards you.
“Go back to your sister. Maybe she can help you.”
“John.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Y/N.”
You took the bag from him, and as soon as you did, he turned and walked away. You closed your eyes and blew out a breath, setting the bag in the backseat before getting in the car and driving away.
You pulled into Betty’s driveway and put your head in your hands. You couldn’t hold the tears back anymore, sobbing into your hands as you rested your forehead against the steering wheel.
“Y/N? Honey, open the door.”
Your fingers fumbled for the button, unlocking the door. It opened and Betty was there, hands gently rubbing your back and arms.
“Hey. Are you hurt?”
You shook your head and she reached around you to unbuckle your seatbelt.
“Talk to me, sweetie. What happened?”
You lifted your head and looked at her, tears rolling down your cheeks.
“I’m still mad at you.”
“I know.”
“I just didn’t know where to go.”
“You can always come to me, Y/N. Mad or not.”
You scrambled from the car, sobbing as your sister held you. Betty rubbed your back, sighing as she pushed you away and gently wiped your tears.
“Get back in the car. There’s somewhere we need to go."
You stared out the window as Betty drove. You’d finally stopped crying, just giving little sniffles every once in a while. Your eyebrows drew together when she pulled into the driveway of a little cottage in the country. You sat up and pushed a wrist under your nose, shaking your head.
“Where are we?”
Betty sighed.
“This is your home.”
You looked from her to the cottage, opening your door and stepping out. You stood beside the car and Betty came to stand beside you.
“Go on. The key’s under the mat.”
You made your way up the front walk, finding the key where Betty said it would be. You unlocked the door and stepped inside, taking in the cozy space. You made your way into the living room, sitting on the plush couch. Betty walked in the door, closing it behind her and smiling as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“I don’t know why I didn’t bring you here sooner.”
She glanced down and you nodded.
“Yes, you do. You didn’t want to give Dad any ammunition.”
Betty nodded and you sighed, studying your hands before looking up to her.
“I’m still upset with you, but … I get it.”
Betty’s blue eyes looked at you and you shrugged.
“I saw a new side of Dad today. Thought he was going to call security on me.”
“On you?”
“Well, I broke his desk.”
Betty narrowed her eyes.
“The oak desk? The heavy one that—“
“Our great-great-whatever carved out of the biggest tree in Virginia at the time? That’s the one.”
Betty pursed her lips and you smiled. You looked around the room and shook your head.
“It’s familiar to me, but I can’t … explain why.”
You met your sister’s eyes and she gave you a soft smile.
“This was your home, honey. Yours and …”
“Steve’s?”
Betty nodded and you stood up, making your way around the room, going into the kitchen. Betty followed you while still giving you space, crossing her arms over her chest as you stood at the kitchen counter. You looked to the stove, then the sink, turning to take in the small table and two chairs.
You looked back to your sister, slowly sinking to the floor. You sat with your back against the lower cabinets, knees drawn up, hands covering your face. Betty made her way over and knelt beside you, one hand gently brushing over your hair.
“Honey. Hey. Talk to me.”
“It hurts.”
“What does?”
You shook your head, letting your hands fall, teary eyes finding hers.
“I miss him. I don’t remember him, but I miss him. Everything in here is just screaming at me and I don’t … it just hurts.”
Betty moved to sit beside you, one arm wrapping around you as you rested your head on her shoulder. Betty smiled, resting her head against yours.
“Hey, I brought that bag in from the backseat. It’s super heavy. What’cha got in there?”
“A body.”
“I figured.”
You gave a quiet laugh, then sighed.
“I don’t know for sure. John handed it to me.”
“John Walker?”
You nodded, and Betty patted your arm before she stood up. She offered you a hand and you took it, standing to your feet. The two of you made your way into the living room, where Betty had set the bag on the couch.
“Seriously, I think I might have torn a muscle lifting that thing.”
You rolled your eyes, unzipping the bag and taking in a breath. Betty waited behind you, but after a moment, she spoke.
“Honey? What is it?”
You turned to her, mouth open.
“It’s the shield.”
“The what?”
Betty rushed to stand beside you, blue eyes widening when she noticed the red and white rings of the vibranium shield.
“Oh my god, this is Captain America’s shield.”
You nodded, and Betty held the bag open as you pulled the shield out. The bag fell to the couch as you stared at the star in the middle, grabbing both sides and turning to your sister, unknowingly holding the shield in the exact same way as Betty had seen through Wanda’s eyes.
You felt like everything around you stopped. You could feel your lungs inflating, then deflating. You could hear the rush of the blood in your veins, and the steady beat of your heart against your eardrums. You could see Betty standing across from you, and you could see her mouth forming your name. One second, your life was the way you’d gotten used to. The next, the shield clattered to the ground at your feet.
“Oh my god! Y/N!”
Betty hit her knees, gathering you and sliding your head into her lap. She grabbed a tissue from her pocket and held it against your nose, which was bleeding.
“Wake up. Please wake up. Y/N? Oh, god.”
You gave a soft moan and Betty let out a sob, laying her palm in the center of your chest, feeling the throb of your heart.
“It’s okay. You’re okay. Just breathe. I’m going to call an ambulance—“
“No.”
You reached a shaky hand up, taking a weak hold of Betty’s wrist. She pressed the tissue against your nose and you took in a shaky breath. Betty shook her head.
“What happened? You just stood there and went so pale, then you just crumpled.”
You blinked your eyes open, staring up at the ceiling. Betty ran her other hand over your cheek, sniffing as her tears continued to fall.
“Betty?”
“What, honey?”
“I remember.”
Betty’s eyes widened, and you nodded, eyes trained to the ceiling.
“I remember everything.”