CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Evelyn, Steve and Sam made it to London three days later for Peggy's funeral. The choir started to sing as Steve and Peggy's family carried Peggy's coffin down the aisle.

The men placed it down at the front and Evelyn let out a whimper as her eyes welled up with tears and she quickly pulled out a tissue as she began to cry again. Steve sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his side as she began to cry quietly.

"And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words," the priest said.

Evelyn watched as Sharon walked up to the microphone. "Margaret Carter was known to most as a founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy. She had a photograph in her office. Aunt Peggy standing next to JFK."

Evelyn looked down as a guilty feeling washed over her. "As a kid, that was pretty cool. But it was a lot to live up to. Which is why I never told anyone we were related. I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage in a time when no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either. She said, 'Compromise where you can. But where you can't, don't.'

"Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye and say 'no, you move'," Sharon finished off her speech with a small smile and everyone clapped for her.

•

An hour after the ceremony, Steve, Sam and Evelyn opted to not watch the burial. Steve and Evelyn stood in the church as they looked at the photo of Peggy back in 1940, holding each other's hands as they reminisced in memories with her.

Evelyn could hear footsteps approaching from behind them and turned around to see Natasha making her way up to them. Evelyn sighed. "When I began getting my memories back and remembered everyone I knew back before the fall, I thought everyone was gone. But when I found out she was alive, I was just so grateful to have someone and lucky that she was alive," Evelyn told Natasha.

"She was grateful to have you, too," Natasha said quietly.

Evelyn sighed as she leant against Steve's side. "Who else signed?" Steve asked.

"Tony, Rhodey, Vision, Elijah," Natasha listed off.

"Katniss?" Evelyn asked.

Natasha shook her head, "Says he's retired."

"Wanda?" Steve asked.

"TBD. I'm off to Vienna for the signing of the accords. There's plenty of room on the jet," Natasha smiled lightly.

"I'll join you," Evelyn told her. "I won't sign the accords, I just want to put a statement forward about that damn raft prison."

"That's understandable," Natasha nodded, then looked towards Steve. Steve sighed and looked down. "Just because it's the path of least resistance doesn't mean it's the wrong path. Staying together is more important than how we stay together."

"What are we giving up to do it?" Steve asked. She sighed.

"I'm sorry, Nat, but we can't sign it," Evelyn told her. "Last time I put my faith into the government, they ended out being HYDRA."

Natasha nodded understandingly. "I know."

Steve tilted his head at her. "Then what are you doing here?"

"I didn't want you two to be alone," she told them. Natasha stepped forward and wrapped Steve and Evelyn into a group hug. Evelyn sighed in content as she rested her head on Natasha's shoulder.

No matter what decision was right or wrong, Natasha would always be by Evelyn's side through it all.

•

After getting dressed in appropriate clothing and reapplying her makeup, Natasha and Evelyn took a jet to Vienna for the signing of the accords.

They went straight towards the building and to their seats. "Excuse me, Ms Romanoff and Mrs Rogers?" Evelyn turned around to see a lady smiling at Natasha and her.

"Yes?" Evelyn asked.

"These need your signatures," she told them. They quickly signed on the tablet and smiled as the lady left.

"You know, I'm still not used to my name now being Rogers yet," Evelyn said.

"Well, you have been called Parrish for a big part of your life," Natasha told her.

"But it's been eleven months now," Evelyn chuckled.

"I suppose neither of us is used to the spotlight." Evelyn smiled at the familiar voice as she turned around.

"Oh, well, it's not always so flattering," Natasha replied with a smile.

"You seem to be doing alright so far," he smiled at Natasha, then turned to Evelyn. "Evelyn."

"T'Challa," Evelyn smiled. "It's been a while."

"It has. I heard that you got both engaged and married at the same time," he gave Evelyn an accusing look.

Evelyn shrugged. "This is why you need to get Instagram, T'Challa."

"Well I'm glad you two could make it," T'Challa looked between Natasha and Evelyn.

"Why? You don't approve of all this?" Natasha asked.

"The accords, yes. The politics, not really," he shook his head. "Two people in a room can get more done than a hundred."

"Unless you need to move a piano." Evelyn turned around to see T'Chaka.

"Baba," T'Challa smiled at his dad.

"Ms Romanoff. Mrs Rogers," he greeted.

"King T'Chaka," Natasha greeted.

"Please, your highness, you can call me by my first name. We have known each other for quite some time now," Evelyn smiled at him.

T'Chaka smiled back. "Will do, Evelyn."

"Please, allow me to apologise for what happened in Nigeria," Natasha told him.

"Thank you. Thank you for agreeing to all of this," T'chaka nodded then turned to Evelyn. "Thank you, Evelyn, for saving three of my own. I highly appreciate it."

Evelyn nodded, "No problem."

"I'm just sad to hear that Captain Rogers will not be joining us today," he said.

"Someone close to him just recently passed away and he's taking the time to grieve," Evelyn told him.

T'Chaka gave Evelyn a look. "But you are grieving, also. I can see it in your eyes."

Evelyn shrugged, "The difference is that I can conceal my grief well. After all, I am used to it," she gave him a sad smile.

"If everyone could please be seated. This assembly is now in session," the speakers said.

"That is the future calling," T'Challa smiled. "Such a pleasure." He shook Natasha's hand, then turned to Evelyn. "Good to see you, again, Evelyn."

"Likewise, T'Challa." Evelyn smiled, then turned to the king of Wakanda. "King T'Chaka," Evelyn nodded with a smile and then walked towards her designated seat beside Natasha.

"How long have you known T'Challa and T'Chaka for?" Natasha asked Evelyn straight up.

"For ten odd years," Evelyn replied. "I met T'challa when he was a teenager. I've been around a lot."

She smiled lightly, "I can tell."

"When stolen Wakandan Vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon, we in Wakanda were forced to question our legacy," King T'Chaka began. "Those men and woman killed in Nigeria were part of a goodwill mission from a country too long in the shadows. We will not, however, let misfortune drive us back. We will fight to improve the world we wish to join. I am grateful to the Avengers for supporting this initiative. Wakanda is proud to extend its hand in peace--"

"Everybody get down!" T'Challa yelled out.

Evelyn sprung into action and quickly pushed down the people beside her and covered them when an explosion went off. There were loud screams and smoke. And when the smoke cleared just a little, Evelyn looked up and around the room.

"How many....?" Natasha asked, coughing.

"At least twelve, including...." Evelyn glanced over to where the podium was and saw T'Challa rocking T'Chaka's lifeless body back and forth. His very own father. No one needed to witness the death of their father, someone so close to them.

Evelyn stood and went to head towards them when Natasha held her back. "Don't," she warned. "He needs this moment with his father." Evelyn nodded and looked around as people were getting helped out of the building. "Go to Steve. He'll be worried sick about you."

Evelyn looked up at Natasha and nodded, letting out another cough as her lungs had been full of smoke. She got up from her position on the floor with Natasha's help.

"What are you going to do?" She asked Natasha.

She sighed. "I'm just gonna make sure whoever survived is alright. I'll talk to T'Challa afterwards."

Evelyn placed a light hand on her arm. "Send him my love, please," she said.

Natasha smiled lightly and nodded before Evelyn left.

•

Evelyn had stumbled around Vienna on her way to the apartment complex. A lot of people gave her weird or concerned looks, and Evelyn knew why as she was all bloodied and dirty. When Evelyn arrived at the hotel and stopped in front of their door, she gave it the secret knock and it was immediately opened up by Steve.

"Evelyn?" He mumbled, and quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. She moved to sit down on a chair while Sharon ran to get tweezers. Evelyn pulled her shirt off as Steve knelt by her side. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Sharon knelt down besides Evelyn with a pair of tweezers and began pulling out glass pieces from her skin.

"There was a bomb," Evelyn explained. "People are dead."

"A bomb?"

Sam turned on the tv and it went straight to the news. "More than 70 people have been injured. At least 13 are dead, including Wakanda's King T'Chaka," the TV spoke.

"Oh, hell," Steve mumbled as he rubbed his hand reassuringly on Evelyn's thighs.

"You should have seen him. T'Challa. Holding onto his father's lifeless body," Evelyn mumbled and looked away distantly.

"It wasn't your fault, Eve," Sam told her.

Evelyn looked up at Sam. "It is. If I had sensed that someone was going to blow up their freaking van, then I could've stopped it in time. Instead, I was too busy thinking about myself like usual."

"Officials have released a video of a suspect who they have identified as James Buchanan Barnes the Winter Soldier. The infamous Hydra agent linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations." Evelyn looked towards the TV screen and let out a dry laugh.

"That's bull shit."

"How do you know that?" Sam asked as he turned around to her.

"Some people had blamed me for past assassinations after all of our files were leaked out into the world. We didn't do the majority of them, so I was found not-guilty, but I have a funny feeling someone is doing this to start something," Evelyn told them.

Sharon nodded, "I remember those reports, but I didn't believe for one second that you, the woman that Peggy constantly boasted about, would do something to kill that many people."

Evelyn patted Sharon's head. "Thanks Shaz. Can I call you Shaz?"

"No."

"I'm going to do that anyway."

When Sharon finished up taking the glass out of her arm, she exited the room to answer a call. Steve handed Evelyn some of her spare clothes he packed for her and she quickly slid into the warm jumper and pants.

Then, he quickly pulled her into a hug. Steve didn't say anything, and Evelyn was glad as she just wanted to hold him. Sharon walked back into the room and sighed

"I have to go to work."

•

After having a shower to get rid of the ash and blood, then getting dressed into more appropriate 'on the run' clothing, Steve and Evelyn stood side by side as they watched people get taken into ambulances. Evelyn watched the exchange between T'Challa and Natasha and so desperately wanted to give him a massive hug.

"You have the most weirdest definition of 'on the run' clothes," Steve told Evelyn as he looked down at her outfit.

"I'm sorry you don't look half as good as me," she grinned.

T'Challa walked away from Natasha and Steve was quick to call her. Evelyn plugged her headphones into the phone and put one in her ear and the other in Steve's so that they could both listen.

"Yeah?" She answered.

"Hey, Nat. How you doing?" Evelyn asked.

"Probably better than you. Did you make it to Steve?" She asked.

"Present," he replied.

Natasha stood up from where she was sitting. "I know how much Barnes means to you. To the both of you. I really do. Stay home. You'll only make this worse. For all of us. Please."

"I wouldn't give up on you if you were in his position, Nat," Evelyn told her honestly.

"I know you wouldn't, and that's what frightens me," she sighed. "Just, please don't get involved, you're already in their bad books, Eve."

"Are you saying you'll arrest us?" Steve asked her

"No," she immediately replied. "Someone will. If you interfere. That's how it works now."

"If he's this far gone, Nat, we should be the one to bring him in," Steve told her.

"Why?"

"Because we're the ones least likely to die trying," Steve told her.

"Bucky and I made a promise to each other a while back, and I'm not going to break that promise now," Evelyn told her. "Sorry, Nat." Steve hung up the phone and they walked into a small cafe.

"She tell you to stay out of it?" Sam asked as they reached the bar. "Might have a point."

"He'd do it for us," Steve told him.

"1945, maybe," Sam told them. "I just want to make sure we consider all our options. The people that shoot at you usually wind up shooting at me."

"Excuse me!" Evelyn called out to the waitress. She turned around and smiled. "Can I please have a chocolate muffin? I'm starving."

"Of course," she smiled and then walked out.

"Really?" Steve and Sam both asked Evelyn.

She shrugged in response. "A girls gotta eat."

"That's a true fact," Sharon spoke as she stood beside Evelyn. "Tips have been pouring in since that footage went public. Everybody thinks the Winter Soldier goes to their gym. Most of it's noise. Except for this." She slid Evelyn a folder. "My boss expects a briefing pretty much now so that's all the head start you're gonna get. And you're gonna have to hurry. We have orders to shoot on sight."

"Thanks, Shaz," Evelyn called out to her. She threw her hand up in the air to acknowledge her and then walked out of the cafe.

The waitress from before came up and gave Evelyn her muffin. Evelyn gave the lady the required change with a smile. "I hope you enjoy it," she winked at Evelyn and then strutted off.

Evelyn couldn't help the smirk that made its way onto her lips as she turned to Steve and Sam, who were looking at her with raised brows. "I knew I still had it."

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