Is there anyone left out there?

Oh, hey! There you are gorgeous. I'm glad you're reading this, because it means the universe did it's job in keeping your feet on the ground and air in your lungs. Let me join it in saying you're something very special. Don't forget it.

First of all I wish you and your families the best during this time of horribleness. I haven't abandoned this story, as with everything in life, it's just been put on hold.

Thanks for all the views, follows, and comments.

PrincessCecelia & Grace713555 & SpringLetters & Jhessill - your comments make me smile.

Tigpop- you made me pick up the pencil and finish this chapter thanks for all of your kind words! They mean so very much.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

-Wakanda- POV Universe- 6 Hrs. Before the Antidote's ETA in New York -

A woman with a slick blonde pixie cut typed furiously on the keyboard of a Wakandan computer. Her ears straining any incoming footsteps. It was hard to hear over the sound of her heartbeat. She pushed up her sleeve to check the time. Only minutes were left to add her name to the log of doctors who were traveling to New York with the antidote. She passed through walls and walls of code. It was a long shot. Wakanda hadn't stayed impenetrable by chance, but she had come too far to give up now.

A part of her was still in shock that she wasn't one of the doctors chosen to go.

She was the one who had made many of the final suggestions to the medicine, and she never doubted that they would work because... she was the one that had created the virus in the first place.

A plan twenty years in the making was going to be destroyed if she couldn't get on that plane.

Her and her team had planned for every variable, every fluctuating chance of possibility that may have arisen. Time, location, even the weather had been prepared for. All of the targeted Avengers were sick. She had two people inside S.H.I.E.L.D and another two stationed at the tower. The final part of the plan was for her to be on that flight, destroy the antidote, get inside the building, and watch them die herself.

What she hadn't counted on was the indescribable force of stupidity that resulted when fragile male egos were tested. She had offered too many opinions and too many solutions. The male-shoveness arses got jealous, and to get back at her, chose to leave her behind.

"Stay back to log in data my a*s," she whispered.

Okoye was making her final rounds for the night. She adjusted her spear on hearing curse words, from what should've been Shuri's empty laboratory. It was pitch black besides the glow of the computer screen reflecting on the face of a desperate doctor.

Okoye got close enough to see what she was trying to do before slamming the butt of her weapon hard into the ground.

"And what do you think you are doing?!" she demanded.

Even though Leyva was taller than Okoye, it didn't feel that way.

"Nothing ma'am I was just..." she started.

"Hacking into our systems." Okoye finished angrily grabbing the woman by the crook of her arm. " I knew it was a mistake to let you Americans in. I told T'challa a million times."

The beautiful warrior quickly undid everything Leyva had done, , and began to take her to a holding quarter.

Leyva was strong, and never one to cry. She never cried, or smiled or showed much of any emotion for that matter. . That god given right had been taken away from her a long time ago. All she had was a stone cold resting b-face and hopes of revenge.

. But right then a single hot tear raced down her face reminding her just how badly she wanted this.

"No!" she yelled slapping at Okoye.

The General's eyes took on a crazed look, as she fought not to pin Leyva's collar to the wall behind her.

" You have ten seconds to explain yourself. If you want to keep breathing, I better like the answer."

" I think there's something wrong with the antidote going to Avengers tower," Leyva lied. " I tried to tell them, but no one would listen. I need to be on that plane!"

"If you were supposed to be on that flight. You would be plain and simple," Okoeye said, snatching the woman up again and continuing to the cell.

"They won't listen to me!" Leyva explained. " Those pigs are too concerned about meeting freaking Tony Stark and taking all the credit!"

Okoye paused, she always hated that funny shaped beard, and could never understand the hype around such a tiny man.

Leyva followed that distaste by playing the feminist card.

" It's not a coincidence that the only other woman on that plane happens to be sleeping with the head of research development! Please," she continued. " I need to be there. It might be a matter of life and death. I was trying to add my name to the list , that's all."

Okoye scrutinized the woman carefully. Reasoning that another doctor couldn't hurt, especially if it meant putting some misogynist men in their places.

" Hurry, get your things quickly," she ordered.

Leyva tore down the hallways and found her room. She was only worried about grabbing two things. Her pack of passports and currency and an unmarked nine millimeter pistol. She met Okoye on the roof. The plane had already begun takeoff hovering feet off the ground.

"Let down the hangar, and that is an order!" Okoye shouted into her earpiece and over the hum of the engine.

Like a light leading into heaven the flap began to lower, making the landing strip glow. Leyva clutched her duffel closer as the wind whipped furiously around her.

"They need your name for the manifest!" Okoye shouted as she herded her into the aircraft.

"Leyva!" the doctor replied.

"Last name?"

"Withers. Leyva Withers reporting for duty."

"

Bucky's POV -

She was calling my name. I liked the sound of it so much I would probably follow it to the grave and back.

"James?".

It sounded strange though, not at all the way I liked it dipped in sugar and kind of sassy off the though I was only half awake I knew something was off. I tried to open my eyes but the sound of a painfully loud gong had me shut them again. Weirdly, that's when I could see her. A dark muscled arm had her in a choke hold. I needed to get to her. She lost consciousness, and I would've ripped the guy in two if the gong didn't return and have me holding my head again. The next moment she was fine. Even better she was with me. The lights were off, but I could feel her fingers wandering across my face leaving sparks of electricity as they went. I hugged her close, as tight as I could without hurting her.. I kissed her.

Oh man, did I kiss her.

"James, I'll be back," she said.

No. Where was she going? Why did she sound so scared. The guy was gone. As I pulled her in closer I realised I was gripping at nothing but air. My hands fumbled wildly to find her, to make her understand she was safe. I wouldn't let anything hurt her.

Another cymbal crash. Blinding pain.

"Dammit where were those things coming from?" I thought angrily.

Friday turning the lights on bright, brought me back to the right time. I was back in the tower and my eyes were still closed. So, whatever I was seeing behind my eyelids wasn't real. I needed to snap out of it.

I tried to blink through the haze. I couldn't tell if it was a panic attack or some kind of relapse, but I knew I wasn't all there, and that Nat was still in trouble. I absolutely destroyed my headboard and the plaster of the wall behind it to grab another gun I had stashed.

I aimed true and steady from memory to the audience of an empty room.

I heard her voice, she had been in the room with me at some point, right?

I tried to separate fact from fiction. Only one thing was clear: she needed me, and I couldn't find her.

"Friday?" I called.

"Yes. Sgt. Barnes?" she answered.

"What year is it?"

Friday answered.

"Is the tower being attacked?" I asked.

" No sir, there is no need for the gun. However, Ms. Romanoff is experiencing extreme discomfort and may require assistance. She refuses to alert ." The A.I said.

The bed was empty though. My room was changing colors and shapes. It was like when Steve overlayed two different photos. All of the features and details started to merge, and I couldn't tell exactly what he was looking at. Two scenes from two different places, different times.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, tapping the barrel of the gun to my forehead.

"Get it together Buck," I ordered myself.

I had to ground myself enough to process, so I started off with five things I could see.

One- The color of my carpet ivory with specks of blue.

Two- There was a hole in my ceiling. A hole me and Pete had made earlier crashing through the vent trying to save Natasaha.

Three- The slick black tarp that was used to cover the hole, billowed in and out as the air tried to flow freely again.

Just like my breathing five seconds in, five seconds out.

Slowly the furniture and the colors of the mystery room disappeared. I saw my much too big closet in its rightful place.

Four- The Iron Man night light Tony had put in as a joke when Steve and I were on vacation. It's mini reactor glowed dimly, beckoning my sanity back to shore.

I was home. I knew this place. I felt a strange sizzling sensation at the back of my head. It seemed to clear up my vision completely, and the sound of the gong was gone.

Five- A familiar Captain America sweatshirt was on the floor . The one she had fallen asleep in.

I crawled over the side of the bed to find her legs tucked under in an awkward angle, she cradled her side. I was beside her in an instant.

I didn't know what to touch, so I didn't. Her breathing was shallow.

"Natasha, I'm here. You have to tell me what's going on. What hurts?"

She waved me off. I was starting to hate that little motion of hers.

"Nothing, it's just cramps," she lied.

I had sisters and a mother growing up. I would gladly fight the Germans again then to be in a household of women around "that time". Things got ugly very quickly, but it didn't scare me off.

" Okay well that still doesn't explain why you're on the floor," I said.

She said she was going on a run for tylenol, and that excuse would have checked out if she had actually made it there, instead of being sprawled out in front of me.

" I'll go get it." I responded quickly, " But you have to let me check you out first."

She gave me one hell of a look.

"Dammit we're being targeted Nat. For goodness sake let me check you over," I demanded.

She saw I wasn't going to drop it, and allowed me to help her lie flat. Friday read that her temperature was higher than the past few days. I felt her throat, checked her heart and moved down to her stomach.

"Do you mind?" I asked before lifting the edge of the pullover.

She looked off into the distance, past me, before shrugging a yes.

If I wasn't so worried about her, I don't know how I would've felt in the situation. As scared as I was that something may have been wrong I still got chills from being that close to her. My head still hurt something awful.

My fingertips brushed against a jagged scar above her hip. I had done that. I felt horrible, and would've said something, if she hadn't almost passed out when I moved down a little further. That spot seemed especially tender, and I didn't like the connotations. Emergency Response Barnes took over. She had all of the symptoms: high fever, stomach pains, tenderness around the abdomen. It could just be assumed that the vomiting and the pain were just a part of the virus, but coupled with the other things, I didn't like what it was spelling out.

"Natasha, we have to get you down to the Medbay now," I ordered.

"'I know," she sighed.

"What do you mean you know? You know your appendix might be bursting?" I asked sarcastically, my voice getting a little higher than normal.

She shrugged again. " The thought may have crossed my mind."

"What's wrong with you?" I asked before gathering her in my arms. The jostling hurt her.

"I'm sorry, but we have to get you to Bruce," I said, taking the steps by two.

"Sam! Sam?!" I shouted while stampeding through my apartment.

His head was stuck in my icebox.

"Yeah?" He answered.

"I have to take Natasha downstairs, I'll be back as soon as I can,"

He looked up from his rummaging, seeing something was seriously wrong.

"Shi*, is she okay?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly,"I hope so."

"Mr. Barnes please have Ms. Romanoff put on the mask provided for her before entering the elevator."

That was a quick fix. The elevator ride was short, but when the doors opened it was a blur of white coats, face masks and confusion. The six doctors who had come to meet us couldn't agree on whether to address the possible organ failure or shower us in bleach and acid first.

My shirt was balled up in her fist, some goon made an attempt to take her from me and caught an elbow to the face.. His hands clasped at his broken nose as blood squirted everywhere. I didn't have time to be sorry.

I was relieved when Bruce finally pushed through the cluster. He had a gurney with some type of plastic over it.

"Everyone calm down!" he ordered. "It's two hundred and fifty feet too the operating room in the bay no one is going to get exposed."

"You two," he said speaking to the one with the busted nose and guy to the right of him. "Go get cleaned up and head back to the lab..The rest of you are with me."

We wheeled Natasha into the Medbay past where Pepper slept, and into one of the bright white rooms they used for operating.

An older looking surgeon with white hair and thick glasses was already waiting. They still had to determine if it was in fact appendicitis, but everyone started sterilizing just in case.

I stood there looking stupid, like a deer in the headlights.

"Excuse me sir," the doctor said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah doc, sorry?"

"It seems we will have to remove the appendix right away. I'll need you to step out and let go." he said.

Let go? Crap, I didn't even notice I was holding her hand. I loosened my grip but she didn't. That girl was holding on with all her strength and let me tell you it was a lot.

"Sir please let go!" The doctor barked.

I ignored him, instead bending down to whisper into her ear. I stroked the hair out her face as I did.

"Sweetheart you gotta let go okay?"

She bit the inside of her cheek. The tides of water in emerald green eyes rose, she fought to hold back the river. That told me what she wanted more clearly than words ever could. So I didn't make her say it.

" Hey it's going to be alright." I winked at her, before catching the grumpy doctor by the shirt tail.

It was his turn to get a little intimate whisper session of his own.

"I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?" I asked menacingly.

"Dr. Leonard," the man said shakily while fumbling to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Well, as you may know we don't do too well with people cutting us open. Call us crazy, but in this line of work we don't do too well in hospitals in general. Kinda spooks us. That's understandable right?" I asked, tightening my hold just a fraction.

"W-w-e-ell yes of course," he stuttered.

"Right so you understand why the lady is a little nervous?"

He nodded.

"So what I'm going to do is stay right here until you sedate her and then I'll step out. But don't get too comfortable, because I'll be right outside that door and if anything goes wrong. I'm holding you responsible, got it?"

"Yes," the man trembled almost letting out a squeak when I finally let him go.

I may have laid it on a little thick, but I didn't want any trouble from him. Ordering me around, who did the guy think he was? My Ma? Not a chance.

"I'm not going anywhere," I told her, clasping her hand again.

They prepped for surgery and within ten minutes everything was ready.

A nurse placed a mask over her face.

"Ms. Romanoff, we're giving you something to sleep okay? Countdown from ten for me please."

I don't think she counted. She just looked at me. I held her gaze with a tiny grin on my face, the kind of lopsided ones that the girls used to like. I told her I'd see her in a little bit.

She seemed like she wanted to reply, before her eyes fluttered shut. Bruce squeezed my shoulder signalling it was time to leave.

"You're going to stay in here right?" I asked him.

"I'm not a surgeon but I'll keep an eye on things so don't worry."

My feet felt like lead as I left her in there.

Seconds felt like hours and the hours like days. Eventually I went to sit with Pepper to get my mind off of it.

Tony had waited until she fell asleep before going back to the lab.. He left his computer and a bunch of empty coffee cups as evidence. When I sat down her eyes opened immediately.

"Oh, sorry Pep. I didn't mean to wake you up." I said apologizing.

"You didn't, I just wanted Tony to leave. It's driving him crazy not being able to solve this."

"Playing possum are we?"

"It's for a good cause, he doesn't need to worry about me on top of everything. If I'm asleep, he feels a little less guilty."

"Do you need anything?" I asked.

"Some water please?" she asked.

I poured her a glass and helped her sit up.

"What's going on? I heard a lot of noise earlier," she inquired.

"Natasha's appendix burst. She's in surgery," I explained.

"Oh my god." she whispered.

We sat in silence. I flexed the panels in my arm when I was upset. A soft shifting and whirring noise that would drive Steve crazy. Pepper put a hand on my knee.

"Hey, she's going to be alright. Appendix removal is easy. She's been through worse."

I nodded, not bothering to hide my worry from her. Pepper was smart and discerning, of all the people I trusted, Pepper Potts was pretty high on that very short list. She was honest, and in a world of lies and liars, a truthful person is gold.

"So?" she asked after a while.

"So?" I picked an eyebrow up.

"So, what I'm trying to figure out is if you've been in love with her this whole time, or if this is new?"

I was floored.

"What?"

Pepper smiled, knowing she had struck a chord at least, if not the absolute truth.

I scratched my head.

"She questioned if we were even friends a few days ago. I'm just trying to be there for her."

" That's who you are as a person James. It's your nature to be there for people. Especially when they need someone. I feel like there's more to it though.

The whole stunt of everyone trying to put us together was getting old.

"Well I found out yesterday that I shot her. Scarred her life. Most guys would feel guilty about that kind of thing . Maybe what everyone is seeing is me trying to make up for that."

Pep looked down sadly, " Oh honey, I thought you knew."

"Nope."

"I guess we just assumed Steve told you or you read about it. She doesn't hold it against you, you know?"

I disagreed.

"She avoided me for six months. She was scared of me Pep, and I don't blame her."

"Okay, I'll admit she may have avoided you, but Natasha doesn't get 'scared'. "

Pepper explained that Natasha felt fear, anger, and love like the rest of us, but showed it differently. One thing Pepper knew for sure is Natasha wasn't one to get intimidated. She had seen too much, had done too much to be afraid of a tall guy with a shiny metal arm.

"Did you say sorry?" she questioned.

"Yeah."

" And what did she say?"

"Not to be."

"See?"

"No."

"We've never seen Natasha so comfortable around anyone, well besides Clint, and you're having a hard time being separated, literally sleeping together."

"What?! No practically the whole team was there."

"Really, because the room looks pretty empty to me?" Pepper argued innocently.

I checked the team's group chat to find a pretty grainy photo of Natasha and I hours before. Tony had gone absolutely nuts. The rest had sent surprised, heart or laughing emojis. Clint was awfully quiet and I had a feeling that I activated his big brother mode.

"Does roach spray work on spiders too?" I asked while pocketing my phone again.

" All I'm saying is that something... special is going on. And since you're the newest member of our little family. I just thought you should know."

"Thank you"

"Of course." She closed her eyes.

I debated with myself for a moment. I knew I should let her sleep, but after what she told me I wouldnt be able to let it go.

"Can I tell you a secret ?" I asked.

"Sure," she said, propping her head against her hand.

It's weird how when you're conflicted the strangest things catch your attention. In that case I realized my feet were cold. I hadn't been wearing shoes, and my socks didn't match. One blue. One black. My toes twitched in anticipation of the confession I was about to make.

" It's like I'm having deja vu with her. I've been getting these flashes, almost dreams. Like my mind is trying to tell me something. It's scaring me a little Pep. I've got this weird instinct to protect her. I haven't felt anything like it since I've been back."

Her lips pursed in contemplation, before she lifted and dropped a shoulder.

"Well part of it, like I said, is you just being a good man. And the rest, whatever it is, from where I'm standing is not a bad thing. Maybe try not to push yourself so hard about it, time usually has the answers we're looking for."

"Smart and beautiful," I said true to the fake flirtiness I had with only her.." Tony better watch his back."

I kissed her cheek and told her to get some rest.

"I'll tell him." She laughed, " Wake me up when Natasha's out of surgery okay?"

"Sure thing."

I took the chair from Pepper's room and found a bench to drag outside of the operating room.

I sat up camp and tried to follow her advice about not trying so hard. Soon after that my phone rang.

" T'Challa?"

"How are you my friend?"

"I'll be better when the vaccine is here."

"I'm watching the plane leave now. It should be there within a few hours."

"I appreciate it brother, thank you."

"Of course. We will be in touch," the king said affirmatively ending our conversation.

What I loved about T'Challa is when things got serious he was a man of few words, but those words carried more weight than any. It was as good as done.

What we didn't know was at that very second the vaccine was being destroyed by a psychopath on that very flight he watched leave.

I didn't have time to feel relieved, Bruce burst through the operating doors looking frantic.

Worse than frantic, he was turning green.

I jumped up.

"Bruce!? What's going on?"

He was fighting it as hard as he could, with a knee to the ground.

I put a hand on his shoulder, telling him to breathe.

" What happened man?"

He started returning to his normal color

When he finally met my eye line and I saw that he was crying.

I froze up.

"Bruce what happened?" I whispered.

With a shaky voice he answered.

"Her heart stopped."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A Cliffhanger?! I know.

I Promise I'm not going to kill anybody. Well maybe ?... No... NO! I promise no one is going to die. There's enough suspense and death in the world. I wouldn't dare leave you wondering until the next update. It does make the climax all the more interesting though.

Thanks for reading ya Gorgeous Being...Until Next Time. xx