Certainty (A Bucky Barnes Fanfic)

━◦○◦6.3: Stay With Me◦○◦━

episode 6 - One World, One People

After a couple more kisses, Shamara and Bucky walked back to the subway's entrance, holding hands. Shamara kept looking up at Bucky. Something released from his face, making him look . . .

Happy.

And she felt happy too. And it was . . . light and warm and layered on dozens of deeper feelings that she had come to know better. It was fluttery, yet grounded in Bucky's hand tucked against hers. Everything else in the world was uncertain, and she didn't care. Not then. She didn't even care about the question mark lingering over her life.

They turned the corner and spotted Sharon leaning against a wall, who gave a smile bordering on a grimace. Blood stained her hands as she clenched her stomach. Bucky and Shamara hurried over to her, and Bucky held out his metal arm.

"Good thing I was wearing a bulletproof vest," Sharon moved her hands to support herself on Bucky's arm.

"How were you shot, then?" Shamara pressed gently on the wound, looking to see whether the bullet was still there.

"Karli was really close. I got Batroc, and she took her chance."

"You need pressure on that. You are right; it's not as bad as it could be, but still not good," Shamara narrowed her eyes at Sharon's coat.

Sharon nodded, taking it off without Shamara asking and holding it against her stomach. Shamara put her arm around Sharon. She and Bucky supported Sharon around the corners and down the street towards the crowd of police and medics. It took longer than it should've, but Sharon kept stumbling.

"You need to get to a hospital," Bucky released her as she leaned against one of the police cars.

"I'm not pardoned, remember?" Sharon shifted with a grimace.

"Pardons are no good if you bleed out," Bucky straightened, looking up as a figure appeared in the sky.

Shamara followed his gaze. Her throat tightened as Sam flew down, carrying Karli's body for all the cameras to see. Senators, council members, and reporters all clamored for attention, and Shamara slipped her hand back into Bucky's as they walked forward. He squeezed twice. Then lifted her hand to his lips. Sam set the teenager's body on a stretcher, letting the EMTs take her away.

"Such a waste," Shamara breathed, shaking her head.

"I know," Bucky tucked her closer and kissed her head. "I know."

Sam's expression looked heavy as he walked to the council members just ahead of them. Walker also stood nearby, staring at Karli's body. But without remorse.

"Are you still going forward with resetting the borders?" Sam asked the council members, his voice challenging.

"Our peacekeeping troops will begin relocating people soon," one of the women nodded. "The terrorists only set us back a bit."

"You have to stop calling them terrorists."

Shamara looked at Karli again as the paramedics wheeled the body into the ambulance. She hugged Bucky's arm, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. If things had only been a little different, it could have been Shamara's fate. Angry, desperate, lost. It was so easy to fall into violence and get trapped when the world had done you such violence.

"Your peacekeeping troops carrying weapons are forcing millions of people into settlements around the world, right? What do you think those people are gonna call you?" Sam didn't even seem to notice the dozens of cameras on him. "These labels, terrorists, refugee, thug, they're often used to get around the question 'why?'"