CHAPTER 22

"Hey," Veronica greeted quietly, making Pietro look up. He'd been in what they called the holding cell for about two hours, and had lastly chosen to take a seat, his back against the wall.

The holding cell. It was an interesting name, but perhaps fitting, as that was all it did. Hold people. The circular room was welllit, in fact, uncomfortably so, and with walls made of think glass, Pietro felt observed - even though the room next to, the one holding the holding cell itself, had been empty until that moment.

"Hi," Pietro greeted, quickly getting on his feet. He neared the glass slowly, observing Veronica's still bodylanguage.

"I'm sorry," she whispered quietly. If it hadn't been for the speakers and microphones on both sides, Pietro knew he wouldn't have been able to hear.

"No, no, do not apologise, draga mea, for you have done no wrong," he promised calmly, resting his hand against the glass.

"It's my fault you're in here," Veronica stated. Pietro shook his head.

"It is not. I chose to do what I did," he assured her.

"I don't understand why," she admitted, making it sound like a question.

"Neither do I," Pietro admitted, a cold smile on his lips; "I am not one to lose my temper."

Veronica thought for a second.

"Well, you didn't, did you? You didn't just... Lose it, you asked if I'd be okay first," she explained with a shrug, resting the tip of two fingers against the glass, imagining Pietro's hand against it.

"Yes... It seemed more important that you were okay," he admitted.

"You could probably have avoided all this," Veronica said instead.

"If I hadn't done it, yes," Pietro agreed.

"No... I mean, if you'd just said why you did it," she corrected. Pietro looked at her. At her jeans, tank top and half zipped-up hoodie. Her hair still intact, but makeup removed, almost entirely. A hint of eyeliner - or was it mascara - still rested beneath her eyes as well as her lips still having a hint of the red colour they'd blasted earlier, earning them a soft pink shade instead.

"That is not my story to tell."

"I have to tell them," Veronica said in a dark voice.

"You don't have to do anything," Pietro replied quickly; "It is not so bad in here. I do not mind staying for a bit."

"Don't worry. I'll tell," she decided with a sigh. Pietro wasn't sure how to reply.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"You know, I could probably just let you out," Veronica mentioned, gesturing to the control panel; "But let's do it properly. I'll tell them," she repeated.

"I'm sorry I was late," Pietro mentioned after a few seconds of silence.

"Don't worry about it," I promised, waving it off.

"You didn't miss me?" he joked calmly, his cheeks lifting as he smiled.

"I always miss you when you're not here," I stated before clearing my throat; "Anyway, I'm gonna go get you out."

"GUYS! Meeting!" I yelled loudly, quickly being surrounded by Avengers.

"You okay, kid?" Natasha asked as she took a seat on one of the couches.

"I'm okay. Although, I'm here to tell you to let Pietro out," I stated bluntly, making them all moan.

"We went over this," my dad claimed with a sigh.

"Yes. But this time I'm admitting that it was my fault," I continued.

"What do you mean it was your fault?" Steve asked in a deep voice.

"I mean that it all was because of me. I asked Pietro to do it, he didn't even want to," I lied.

"Vee, if you're trying to take the bla-""I'm not," I interrupted Bruce coldly.

"Why did you do it?" Steve asked, not looking fully convinced. I shrugged.

"I was mad at him."

"You broke up with him," Natasha commented; "Why would you be mad at him then?"

"Well, I didn't... It's a long story," I decided with a sigh, hoping to be able to keep the story as close to true as possible.

"We're gonna need to hear it if you want us to believe you," Steve pointed out. I took a deep breath.

"I guess... I was mad because I'm not over him, okay? I thought I did the right thing by breaking up, but... Yeah, it was a mistake," I told with a shrug. It scared me how natural the lie seemed to come out, and even more so by how easy it was to sell it.

"I guess we have to let Pietro out, then," Bucky mentioned.

"Yes!"

"He's still not off the hook. He still used his powers to hurt someone with that as the intention," Steve mentioned before sighing; "But yeah. Let's go let him out."

"Bucky," he stopped him, holding a hand out to block his way.

"And Veronica. We're going to the hospital," he stated as the room emptied out.

"Why? Are you okay?" I asked.

"You need to apologise," Steve stated coldly, grabbing my arm and pulling me along.

"You don't think this seems kind of weird?" Bucky whispered to Steve as they walked down the hospital hallway, Veronica following a few meters behind, looking more and more uncomfortable by the second.

"What is?"

"This. Veronica didn't seem especially heartbroken when they broke up," he pointed out.

"Well, you know how she is. She probably just kept it on the inside," Steve pointed out with a shrug.

"Maybe," Bucky agreed hesitantly; "But it still doesn't add up. Revenge aren't really her thing, is it? And you saw how she reacted to Pietro being in trouble, why would she ask him to do it when she knew we were going to have to do something to make sure it wouldn't happen again?"

"She's a teenager, Buck, she's driven by her emotions," Steve shrugged it off.

"Here we are," he mentioned, gesturing to the door with 218 written on it.

"Ready to go in?" he asked Veronica, who shook her head.

"Too bad," he said before practically pushing her in.

"Hey, do you mind if I go see Peggy?" he asked Bucky quietly.

"Of course not. Will you be okay?" Bucky replied, supportingly placing a hand on his arm.

"Yeah. If you could just watch over Veronica until I'm back."

"So. You missed me after all?" James asked from the bed. I slowly took a step in.

"I'm here to apologise," I stated, avoiding his deep blue eyes.

"Well, I'm all ears." I looked out the window. The city view was nice, even if it was dark. The stars shined, and I turned around to face James.

"I'm sorry you got hurt," I stated quikly.

"No, you're not," he mentioned, sounding almost amused.

"No, I'm not," I admitted; "In fact, seeing you like this has probably been the best part about my birthday so far."

"Mh. Sassy as ever," he complimented, closing his eyes as he sat himself up.

"Yeah. You must've missed my mean comments," I replied dryly.

"Tell me, Veronica," he began; "Why are you really here?"

"I told you. To apologise."

"Liar."

"I don't think that's a word you get to throw around like that," I mumbled. He smiled.

"Anyway. Have you missed me?"

"Probably as much as you missed me," I stated with a shrug.

"You always were witty. It's one of the things I loved about you," he added.

"You never loved me," I hissed, taking a step closer to the bed.

"Maybe not. But as I said, I'm ready to keep playing pretend. I'll tell you all the lies you want," he promised.

"I don't doubt that."

"I love you," he repeated.

"That I do doubt." A silence spread across the room, and I noticed how tense I was.

"They don't know, do they?" he asked curiously; "Your family. They don't know what we did."

"What you did," I corrected.

"It takes two," he pointed out.

"Sex takes two. Rape takes one," I quoted; "And it was all you."

"How come you haven't told them?" he asked instead.

"I don't want them to know," I replied honestly.

"So you do think it's your fault," he stated.

"You should be thankful for that. If they knew, you'd be dead."

"I could tell them," he mentioned with a shrug.

"Why would you do that?" I asked suspiciously.

"Because I know you won't let me," he replied quickly; "But don't worry. I won't tell them. If you stay with me."

"What do you mean stay with you?" I asked.

"Stay with me. I want to be with you. I won't tell them if you go out with me," he explained in a simple way.

"If you don't tell them, nothing happens. If you do, they'll kill you. I'd say I have the upperhand," I said, my voice full of fake confidence.

"If I don't tell them, nothing happens. If I tell them, they'll be mad at you for not having told them, and they can't really hurt me, can they? You saw what they did to your loverboy for using his powers. They can't exactly go out and do it themselves now," he mentioned with a shrug; "Which, speaking of, did anyone tell you that I've decided not to press charges? For now, at least. God, who knows what would happen if I changed my mind." 

"So. You missed me after all?" Bucky heard James ask behind the door.

"I'm here to apologise," Veronica stated coldly.

"Well, I'm all ears." A silence spread in the room.

"I'm sorry you got hurt," Veronica's voice said.

"No, you're not."

"No, I'm not," Veronica admitted quickly; "In fact, seeing you like this has probably been the best part about my birthday so far."

Bucky looked puzzled at the door. Maybe she really was angry with him.

"Mh. Sassy as ever."

"Yeah. You must've missed my mean comments"

"Tell me, Veronica," he began; "Why are you really here?"

"I told you. To apologise."

"Liar."

Veronica mumbled something Bucky couldn't make out, and he leaned closer against the door.

"Anyway. Have you missed me?"

"Probably as much as you missed me."

"You always were witty. It's one of the things I loved about you," he added.

"You never loved me," Veronica said angrily.

"Maybe not. But as I said, I'm ready to keep playing pretend. I'll tell you all the lies you want," he promised.

What the hell...

"I don't doubt that."

"I love you," James said, making Bucky's eyebrows raise in confusion. What was going on between those two?

"That I do doubt."

"They don't know, do they?" he asked curiously; "Your family. They don't know what we did."

"What you did," Veronica corrected.

"Please tell me you're not eavesdropping," Steve commented in a tired voice, making Bucky stand up straight quickly; "I already parented one kid today, don't tell me I have to make you go in and apologise too."

"Steve, I know you don't believe, but listen here for a second, there's something's going on!" Bucky insisted, pulling Steve over to the door.

"How come you haven't told them?" James asked.

"I don't want them to know," Veronica replied.

"So you do think it's your fault," he stated.

"You should be thankful for that. If they knew, you'd be dead."

"What are they talking about?" Steve asked, his face a lot more serious than it was a second ago.

"I don't know, you interrupted me when they were about to say!" Bucky complained.

"I'm glad I did. Listening in on their conversation is wrong," Steve preached, taking a step away from the door.

"You were just listening yourself!" Bucky complained.

"If you want to know what's going in and ask," Steve suggested, making Bucky look up.

"Brilliant idea!" he complimented before practically kicking the door down and yelling 'WHATS GOING ON IN HERE'.

Steve sighed deeply; "He just meant to ask what you're up to."

"Well, I just asked Veronica if she wanted to start dating again," James said in a calm voice. Bucky and Steve looked at each other before looking at Veronica.

"And?"

"I said yes."