Alone
1945, the war had ended Belle was 24 and alone. 2 weeks after the end of the war fearing for her safety Howard forced her to move in with him. While everyone was celebrating the end of Hydra and the war Belle had fallen into a deep depression. She had been so consumed with depression, PTSD, and anxiety Howard had to hire an at home nurse to take care of her. There were days where she couldn't get out of bed, she didn't have the emotional, physical, or mental energy to even move and other days where she couldn't go to bed, it brought discomfort and high emotions just to even think about bed.
Even with Howard, Peggy, Jarvis, and Christina, her personal nanny, Belle felt so empty and alone.
Peggy couldn't completely understand why Belle was like this. Everyone had lost Steve and Bucky but she acted as if someone stole her life as if she died.
After hearing Peggy yelling at Belle to, "Get the bloody hell up!" and "Move on, they aren't coming back for you or for me or for anyone else for that matter!"
After all that Howard came clean and told her about the real relationship between Steve, Belle and Bucky. Peggy stopped yelling, her visits became less frequent, she eventually stopped coming altogether. Howard's visits as well became less frequent, he began to swallow himself in booze, Peggy, and research.
No time for Belle. But still, Jarvis and Christina stayed by her side, even after Christina left Stark's payroll she still visited Belle regularly. And Jarvis always came for dinner.
1946 a year to the day of when the war ended... and Steve died.
Belle's chest hurt as she sat up.
"Good Morning!" Jarvis greeted as he walked into her room and opened her blinds. "Beautiful day isn't it?" She didn't answer but Jarvis didn't expect her to. "Your breakfast is ready, you better come down before it gets cold." and he left.
Belle didn't say anything, she didn't move. It felt cold. She was cold. She wasn't cold, but cold. Like the cold she felt the day... the day they died.
Something bad was going to happen to her and she was okay with that. With a small smile on her face Belle climbed out of bed and went to her closet picking out her best white dress. Something bad was going to happen to her today and she was going to look her best. Strange as it was, Belle hoped she died today and that she joined Steve and Bucky on the other side. She was looking forward to the bad things heading her way today.
"What's the special occasion?" Jarvis asked when he looked over his newspaper to see Belle in a nice white sundress, he didn't make a big deal out of it afraid she might change.
"No reason. I think I might go for a walk today."
"Well, in that case, I'll go with you just let me-"
"No, Jarvis, you have work to do with Howdy. I'll walk alone and I'll be fine. I can take care of myself. You just tell Howdy and Peggy I said hi."
With a playful salute, Jarvis said, "Will do ma'am."
After a quick kiss on the forehead Jarvis was gone. Off to save Howard no doubt.
Nothing happened in the park much to Belle's disappointment, it looked so beautiful, she would have been okay with dying in such beauty. Nothing happened at the diner where she had lunch, a few nasty comments from a few men but nothing else. Also nothing happened on the walk home either. She wasn't dying today so why this strange feeling.
Belle sighed as she stood in front of her and Howard's apartment. Strange. She's probably the only person in the world who would be upset about not dying. Maybe she'd just have to do it herself. Maybe a gun or knife, surely Stark had some pills or something to put her down. Maybe she'd do the old fashion hanging or slitting of the wrist.
Belle hadn't even taken a step when she felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck. She caught a glimpse of Jarvis and Howard running down the street before everything went black. She felt more alone than before. She wasn't just empty. Now she was in the void.
"STOP!" Howard screamed at the car as it drove past him. Peggy pulled out her gun and began to fire at it. "Belle is in there!"
Peggy fired until she was out of bullets. Howard ran to her and said out of breath he tried to speak. "We... need... get her."
"Get in." Jarvis pulled up in a car and they hopped in following the car. They ended up leading a car chase through and out of New York before crashing.
"NO." Howard screamed watching the car get away with Belle. "No." he whispered.
…
A week later a woman's body washed up on the beach with no fingertips for fingerprints, no face to recognize, the woman looked tortured and torn. The only recognizable thing about her was her dress.
"That's her white dress." Jarvis cried, "Her best white dress."