Remember Me | Steve Rogers

5

22 Days After

Nina's POV

I sit in my car outside of Tony's cabin, waiting for the right time to go inside, to join everyone else before Tony's funeral, but I feel glued to this seat. There's a knock on my window, getting me out of my daze and I see Bucky standing outside my door. I clear my throat, and open the door. 

"Hey Buck." I greet him, pulling him in for a tight hug, and when he releases, he gives me sad eyes. 

"How are you doing kid?" He asks, and I give him a weak smile. 

"I'm okay." I answer quietly, and he nods. I know he knows that I'm lying, but this is Tony's funeral not Nat's. 

"Let's go in." He insists, and I nod, following him inside the cabin. 

"Nina!" Morgan shouts, running up to me and I bend down to give her a tight hug. 

"Hey sweetie." I greet her, and she walks away, going over to her mom, who walks up to me. 

"Thanks for coming." Pepper greets me, and I hug her. We both have pain, but hers trumps mine, losing the love of her life, and the father of her beautiful child. 

"Of course." I reply, and she smiles, and takes Morgan to the kitchen. I walk in further, greeting everyone that I know. I hated hearing their apologies, because this is Tony's time, and he would roll in his grave knowing that he doesn't have everyone's full attention. 

After a little bit of mingling, we all head outside for Tony's funeral. Seeing Morgan and Pepper saying their goodbyes to Tony breaks my heart. 

"Heading out so soon?" I hear behind me as I'm walking to my car, and I turn around to see Steve with a freshly, shaved face smiling at me. 

"Yeah, I've actually got a long drive to Ohio." I answer, and he nods.

"Ohio? Didn't know we were still assigning missions." Steve asks, and I purse my lips.

"I'm actually meeting Yelena. We're going to see Nat's gravestone." I answer, and Steve's face drops. 

"I never got to say I'm sorry." Steve mentions, and I let out a sigh. 

"Don't be. She died saving lives, she died being the sister I knew." I comment, and he gives me a light smile. 

"Well, don't be a stranger." He adds, and I nod. I turn back around, getting into my car, and see Steve walking back to the cabin, and I drive off. 

The drive is long, very long to Ohio. Remembering the times when the three of us lived here, once upon a time. I pull up into Yelena's driveway, and shut off my ignition. I set my forehead on my steering wheel, wanting the voices in my head to stop. For everything in my life to stop, take a beat for once. 

Once I pick my head back up, and take a deep breath, I grab my duffle bag from the back and walk up the front steps and ring the doorbell. 

"Dobro pozhalovat' domoy." Welcome home. Yelena greets me, and I smile at her. I walk inside, giving my sister, a long, needy hug, and when we part, we both have tears in our eyes that haven't dropped yet. I drop my bag by the door, and I'm greeted by a cute, rather large dog. 

"This is Fanny." Yelena explains, and I smile at her, bending down to pet her dog. 

"You are very cute Fanny." I greet her dog, and I smile again. A genuine smile that I haven't had in a while. I stand back up, and follow Yelena into the kitchen, when she hands me a beer. 

"Nashey sestre." To our sister. I toast, and Yelena clinks her beer with mine. We both take a big gulp, and then Yelena clears her throat. 

"The guest room is the first door on your right." Yelena informs me, and I nod at her, and tell her goodnight. I spend a little time downstairs, looking around her house, and missing our sister dearly. I find myself on the floor of the kitchen with a bottle of vodka in my hand, tears rolling down my face. 

"If I had just listened to my gut, and went to help you. You could still be alive." I whisper to myself, and taking another gulp of vodka. I struggle to get myself up, and drag myself up the stairs to crash into bed, to have yet another nightmare of my sister dying.