Come Back With Me

She's One of His Favorite People

When Bucky returns to school, it is clear he has been the subject of a lot of gossip.

He quickly hears that Royce has been expelled.
Good, he thinks, because Bucky didn't know what he would do if he saw him again. He knows he will have to see him at the trial but that was a problem for another day.

He expected to return to school as a pariah. Royce was well liked and he worried that people would defend him even with hearing the full story. However, most seem to be on Bucky's side.

People constantly come up to him to give their condolences and ask if he's doing okay. They tell him how wrong it was for him to get in trouble for defending someone. Not a single person asks about Ellie and he doubts they even know her name.

By the time he leaves school, he is so sick of answering the same questions. All he wants is to see Ellie and Steve. He can't wait until they are back in school.

He notices how cold it is getting. They are nearing the end of November so he knows the snow should be starting up soon.

He walks to the hospital so he can bring Steve and Ellie's school work. Ellie's teachers were still willing to give Ellie a pass on work for a bit but Ellie insisted that she didn't want to fall behind. She didn't want to have to repeat a grade and not have Steve in her classes anymore.

He greets Betty at the front desk and heads up to Ellie's room. When he opens the door he notices that it is only her in the room.

"Jaime!" Ellie says.

She says it like he's one of her favorite people in her world. She's one of his favorite people now.

"Hey, Ellie. Where's Steve?" Bucky asks.

He removes his coat and takes his seat next to Ellie.

"I love my brother but he is driving me crazy so I sent him home to get me some of my things. He didn't want to leave me alone but I told him you'd be here after school so I wouldn't be alone too long," Ellie says.

"Do you want me to go so you can have some time for yourself?" Bucky asks.

"No, no. I just want to go five minutes without being coddled. I want to have a regular conversation where someone isn't walking on eggshells around me. I want you to stay but I'll throw you out the second you ask how I'm feelin. I'm fine, I'm stronger then I look, you know," she says.

He takes a good look at her. She does look better for sure. She has the color back in her cheeks and she is sitting up more steadily. He knows for a fact she is stronger than she looks because she wouldn't be here otherwise. She may be the strongest person he knows.

"You know Steve just worries about you. You didn't see him when you were hurt, it was horrible. You know you'd be just as bad if he was in your place," Bucky says.

"I know, I know. I just want to get back to normal," Ellie sighs.

Bucky doesn't want things to go back to normal. He wants her to get better but he doesn't want to go back to just being around her to make Steve happy. He wants to be her friend because they want to be together.

"What're you thinkin so hard about, Jaime?" Ellie asks.

He didn't realize he had been silent for so long.

"Are we friends Ellie? Not just because Steve is our best friend but because we want to be," Bucky asks.

She reaches for his hand and he can't help but thinking how he loves how warm she is. The last time he touched her skin, it was ice cold and she was dying in his arms.

"We're going to be the best of friends Jaime, I know it. I'm never wrong, so you're going to be stuck with me a long time," Ellie concludes.

He hoped that was true. Steve and Ellie were some of the best people he's ever met. They might actually be the best people he's ever met.

"I think that that is something I could manage," Bucky says.

The two sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"Thank you for saving me," Ellie finally says.

"You don't need to thank me. I did what any decent person would do," Bucky says.

He looks uncomfortable and Ellie can't help but wonder why.

"Why do you feel you're not deserving of my thanks?" Ellie asks.

Bucky looks up at her. How could she read him so easily? He hesitates before answering because he knows that she will shoot down any reason that he gives. He also knows that she won't back down until he gives her an answer.

"I didn't save you. You're in a hospital bed and if you weren't as strong as you are, you'd be dead," Bucky says.

"Well I'd be dead for sure if it wasn't for you. If you weren't around that day then you'd probably be helping Steve and my mom get ready for my funeral," Ellie says in exasperation.

He knows that neither of them are going to win this argument so he remains silent.

"I haven't told Steve yet but I'm not going to testify," Ellie says.

It takes Bucky a minute to realize what she's talking about but then he's up out of his seat.

"You're not going to testify?! Ellie, if you don't testify then it's likely that he walks. They have no real evidence except for you!" Bucky yells.

"You think I don't know that! Of course I do. But I also know that one of the laws in our country is the right to face your accuser. I am an accuser James. Which means Royce will get to face me in court. I see him enough in my nightmares and I can't bare to face him in real life," Ellie yells back.

Then she starts breaking down and sobs rack her body.

Bucky has never been that good at comforting but he doesn't hesitate to pull her into his arms.

He lets her cry until she can't anymore.

"I'm so scared all the time. I shouldn't be but I am," Ellie says.

"I was terrified that day. I really thought you were going to die. Actually when I first saw you, I thought you were already dead. I was so scared but I got through it," Bucky says

Ellie looks up at him in curiosity.

"How?" She asks quietly.

"I got through it because I knew that if I didn't, that you wouldn't make it. You helped me get through it. I'm going to help you get through this. I'll be with you every step of the way and I'll protect you. I'll be in the front row of the court room and every time you get scared, I want you to look at me," Bucky says.

She burrows her head back into Bucky's neck but he can feel her nod.

"Okay, I'll do it," She says.