For six long months, she lived in peace. In silence. In solitude. In her Manhattan apartment.

Everything was fine.

Everything was okay.

Up until she was asked to speak at a ceremony for Captain America, for the people want to hear from his wife.

They said the mantle of Captain America was to be retired, and so would his shield that is now in the possession of Sam.

She wants to say no, with everything in her being, she wants to say no.

But, alas, Steve's voice rings in her mind, and she's reminded of what he stood for. Not only Captain America, but Steve Rogers.

With a sigh, she accepts the offer.

She got assigned a different therapist, and has her appointment the day after the ceremony.

In Washington D.C., she stands in the nation's capital as she listens to Sam deliver his speech.

" Steve represented the best in all of us. Courageous, righteous, hopeful. And he mastered posing stoically. The world has been forever changed. A few months ago, billions of people reappeared after five years away, sending the world into turmoil. We need new heroes. Ones suited for the times we're in. Symbols... are nothing without the women and men that give them meaning. And this thing... I don't know if there's ever been a greater symbol. But it's more about the man who propped it up... and he's gone. So, today we honor Steve's legacy. But also, we look into the future. So, thank you Captain America. But this belongs to you. And now, I would like to invite a very special person to come up and say a few words. Lauren, if you will."

And she does. Lauren makes her way up onto the stage with a round of applause filling the air. She stands at the podium and sees all the eyes staring back at her.

" Before the Battle of New York, Captain America was an idea. What he did for our country during the second world war was so incredible, people from all over the world tried to make another one... but there's only one Steve Rogers. Sure, you can throw another super soldier into the uniform and call him Captain America... but there will never be another Steve Rogers. Which is why, today, we hang up the shield for good... and say goodbye."

She finishes her speech with teary eyes as the room applauds once more. She and Sam both carry the shield to the display case where a man with white gloves puts it in the glass box where it should stay forever. As the shield is encapsulated, Lauren can only think of him... and this is her final goodbye. Goodbye to Steve Rogers. Goodbye to her husband. His memory will always be with her, but she wants to honor his words and move on. After all, he didn't want to be the thing holding her back.

After what seems like an endless amount of handshakes and thank you's, Lauren gets some alone time with her friends as they walk through the exhibit.

" I've been at home. My sister and my nephews, man. When I left, they were babies. I come back and they're little men," Sam says.

" Time flies," Lauren says.

" Well, you should bring them out to D.C. sometime. I'll teach them how to fly. You know, I mean, the right way," Rhodes says, making Sam chuckle.

" Is that what you call flying?" She teases.

" Oh, I'm sorry. Not all of us have magical superpowers, " Rhodes says.

" Neither did he," Lauren said, " But that's what made him special."

They all share a moment of silence as the photos around them remind them of the person they lost.

" Crazy nobody's gonna be carrying the shield," Rhodes says.

" Hey, we went for 70 years without anybody carrying it when Steve was on ice. I think we'll be alright," Sam says.

" That was a different time, Sam," Rhodes says, then eyes the woman, " I see you're gonna make me ask."

" Ask what?" Lauren asks.

" Why didn't you take up the mantle?" He asks.

And with that, her eyes widen in disbelief.

" Me?" She asks, " No, no, no. I was his wife, not the next in line. I am... I was, an assassin... I don't think that's exactly Captain America material."

" Just a thought," Rhodes says as he shrugs.

" Besides... he gave the shield to you," Lauren says as she turns to the Falcon, " Why didn't you take it?"

" When Steve first told me about the shield...the first words I said were it feels like it belongs to somebody else. That someone else is Steve," Sam says.

The heavy feeling on their shoulders is ever so present as they look at all the war propaganda that created Captain America.

" The world's a crazy place right now. People are... well, nobody's stable. Allies are now enemies. Alliances are all torn apart. The world's broken. Everybody's just looking for somebody to fix it," Rhodes says.

They come across the exhibit with Steve's first tactile uniform and his shield, the simplicity being symbolic in of itself.

" I'll be in touch," Rhodes says, then leaves the two be.

Sam and Lauren continue to gaze at the exhibit, then Sam side steps closer to her and puts an arm around her shoulder. No words are spoken. No movements are made. They stay there for a while until the time felt right to walk away. Sam walks the widow to a car, for they both are headed to the airport. He opens the door for her and they both step inside. She stares out the car window in silence, until finally it's broken.

" How've you been holding up?" Sam asks.

" Some days good, some days not so good," Lauren says as she keeps her gaze fixated on the world outside the car.

" You been doing anything fun?" He asks.

" I've been making a lot of pasta... lots and lots of pasta," She says, making him chuckle.

" It's the Italian in you."

" I'll make it for you sometime."

" I'd love that."

They soon exit the car and enter the airport and go there respective ways. In her apartment, Lauren collapses on her bed, both physically and mentally exhausted from the day.

The next day, she reluctantly gets up and goes to her therapy appointment. She enters the room with painted trees along the wall that attempt to give a false sense of serenity. The therapist sits in front of her, legs crossed, note pad on her lap and pen in hand. Lauren examines all of her features to read her, something the therapist notices.

" You're reading me," She says.

Lauren's eyes go up to meet hers.

" I am," She confirms.

" You don't trust me?" Dr. Raynor asks.

" Should I?" Lauren asks.

" If I am to treat you, I'm kinda gonna need some trust," Dr. Raynor says.

Out of pure instinct, Lauren seeps into the mind of the doctor before her. Before she gets too far, Lauren pulls out of her mind and shakes her head.

" You were reading my mind, weren't you?" Dr. Raynor asks.

Lauren doesn't look up, instead, she stares at her lap.

" Listen, I know you're powerful, and I know you don't trust me. But, I'm going to ask that from now on, no more mind reading, no poking around my thoughts, nothing like that," Dr. Raynor says, " I'm not sure why your previous therapist put up with that, but I will not."

" Is that what this is?" Lauren asks as she makes eye contact," I get put onto a different shrink because my last one gave up on me? Or because I need someone stronger?"

" Do you think that you're projecting your abandonment issues onto your healthcare providers?"

And with that question, Lauren pauses. She never once considered the fact that she had abandonment issues, but after a moment of thought, it all makes sense. After all, everyone she's ever cared for has left one way or another. Lauren slumps back in her chair, so entangled in her thoughts, that she doesn't notice the therapist writing on her notepad.

The session comes to an end, and Lauren grabs her thinks to walk out. She closes the door behind her and walks down the hallway without consciously thinking. She looks down at the ground as she walks, and because of that, bumps shoulders with an all too familiar face.