Second Sphere

You are free

I groan quietly as I blink my eyes open. Looking around I see the interior of the plane. My side feels right and I reach down finding stitches where the wound once was. Bucky is sitting next to me, his head in his hands, not noticing I've woken up.

I can hear his quiet sobs in between his talking, "I'm so sorry." He keeps repeating.

"Buck, man are you crying?" Sam asks softly walking over.

Buckys head shoots up and he glares at Sam. "No."

Sam goes to ask another question but Bucky's glare makes him close his mouth and he walks down the aisle back to his chair.

Bucky buries his head in his hands again and I sit up gently pulling his hands away from his face.

"Birdy." He says softly, his voice rough from crying.

I don't say anything I just lean my forehead against his own and hold his face in my hands. I let him cry and I remember the last time we were in this position.

Six years ago. Back in Wakanda. When Ayo, had led us up a hill and we sat by firelight as we were about to perform the final test to make sure Bucky could no longer be controlled by the code words.

"It is time." Ayo said softly.

"You sure about this?" Bucky asked.

"I won't let you hurt anyone." Ayo reassured him.

"Neither of us will." I say taking his hand in my own.

Ayo begins, "Longing. Rusted. Seventeen."

"It's not going to work." Bucky says shaking his head, more to reassure himself than us.

Ayo continues, "Daybreak. Furnace. Nine. Benign."

I can feel Bucky grip my hand tighter as he stares into the fire, fighting off tears and his own demons.

"Homecoming. One. Freight car." Ayo waits a moment. "You are free." Bucky looks at her tears running down his face and she repeats herself, "You are free."

The sobbing begins, relief. Tears of relief. I don't say anything I just take his face in my hands and rest my forehead against his own. My own tears running down my face. And we stay there for a while. Ayo leaves us to be with one another and eventually Bucky pulls back.

"I'm free." He whispers, tears still staining his cheeks.

I wipe them away, "Yeah, you are." I say smiling.

But right now these are not tears of relief, just bitter sadness and pain. It calms after a moment or two and he pulls back, only to pull me into a hug.

"Don't do that to us again Birdy." He whispers into my hair.

"I won't." I say softly. We stay tucked next to each other for a while. Just sitting, not saying anything. Sam glances over every so often but doesn't say anything and even Zemo who is sulking in a corner is uncharacteristically quiet.

The flight is relatively quiet. Sam was able to call in to Torres to request information on Donya while I was passed out.

When his phone rings Sam is quick to pick up, "Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Thanks good work." Sam hangs up the phone. "They found Madani. Dead. She died in Riga, a city near the Baltic Sea."

"I have a place we can go." Zemo speaks up. "I, for one, am looking forward to coming face to face with Karli. Oeznik, we're changing the course."

Bucky, Sam, and I give each other quiet and knowing glances.