The Captains Granddaughter (Bucky Barnes FanFic)

NJ Transit doesn't ask questions

~~~Maggie~~~

Bucky was running after the bus. I slipped to the back of the bus on the driver's side. I could watch him run after the bus but stay slicked down far enough to stay out of sight. It took a few stops for him to catch up. About two blocks from 59th street he was tailing the bus and would be on the bus by then. When he passed the back door to the bus, I moved to get off at the next stop. The bus stopped and I let a few people off in front of me and then rushed off the bus and right down to the subway. I glanced back, to see him getting off the bus. Head down and get downstairs. There are three lines at this stop. I know if I go downtown I can get to either Grand Central or Penn Station.

I hopped on the first train heading downtown, pushing myself in as the door closed. It was a mid-day miracle, the car didn't smell weird and there were seats. I grabbed a seat in the middle of the train so I could keep an eye on the train. No one screamed "I'm about to kidnap you" but I'm not going to just relax.

At the next stop, a familiar face came onto the train. Samantha walked onto the train. Her face lit up when she saw me and squeezed into the free chair next to me. "Are you OK? We've been so worried? Also, your grandfather had us moving furniture for him. He started moving it on his own and Jennifer and I stopped him. He seems oddly Zen with you not being there." She rattled off everything in Gilmore Girl Speed. The idea of Grandpa faking frail to get the girls to move something for him is funny and I let out a small laugh. This is the man who vacuums under the couch by lifting the couch one-handed.

"I'm fine. I'm going to be traveling for a while. My phone's MIA, can you let grandpa know I ended it with James." I looked around the train car.

"Ended it with James? The guy from the other night? You were a thing? Why didn't you tell us!" She was more offended I was possible with James than I was disappearing.

"He's one of Gramps' friends. Gramps thought he'd be good for me. It wasn't like that. It didn't work." I looked around and my eye landed on my sneakers. "I have two more favors I need to ask you. And you can't question it."

"Anything."

"Can we switch shoes and do you have any cash on you? I'll Venmo you when I can." She kicked off her running shoes without a second question. We switched shoes.

"I don't have too much cash." She was digging in her purse and found $65. She looked up at the sign. "This is my stop. Be safe. I'll talk to him." She gave me a warm hug before running off at 42nd street. The doors closed behind her and I had a moment to think while looking around.

It's Saturday. The guy that Samantha sees is in Hoboken. There's no reason she should be in Midtown. She also avoids Times Square. I need to get rid of her shoes. Even if I'm being paranoid, something is wrong.

I got off at 34th and went right into Macy's to their shoe department. I found a pair of basic sneakers on clearance. Instead of using the cash that Samantha gave me, I had the worker look up my Macy's card and used that and asked them to switch the 20s out for 10s. So I still had cash, just not the cash that she gave me. If I'm being paranoid, I don't want to trash her sneakers, but I can't keep wearing them or carrying them around. There aren't luggage lockers at the train stations but there are some services in the area. I found one of them and rented a locker on my debit card to keep charging by the week until I picked it up.

From there I headed over to Penn Station. I can't fly without my passport so that means I need to take the trains to disappear. If I can get to Philadelphia, I can meet up with some friends and use their computers to figure out my next step. NJ Transit lets me buy tickets with cash and doesn't ask questions, they don't want to know. Checking the big board it seems that I have 20 minutes.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I froze. "Maggie." I didn't turn, there was so much anger in the voice that I became a deer in headlights. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. James moved in front of me and enveloped me in his arms. His voice softened "thank God you're safe." He rested his head on mine. Through gritted teeth he forced out, he was trying to suppress his anger. "Don't ever do that to me again. Don't scare me like that."

"How did you..." My voice trailed off trying to figure out how he found me.

"We got to go. I'll explain on the way." He let me go only to take my hand and start pulling me with him. We walked towards the stairs back to street level. "When you weren't on the bus, I saw the subway. I chased after you and saw you slip onto the R. I didn't think you would take it all the way to Bay Ridge. Sam pointed out that it comes close to Penn, otherwise we thought you were heading to the Path." I stayed quiet. I didn't see him in the subway. As we moved, James called someone on his phone. "Sam, I have her." And hung up.

I pulled us over to the side out of the way of everyone. "James." My voice was pleading. "Let me leave."

"I promised Steve that I would take care of you. That I would keep you safe. I just didn't realize that you would be as stubborn as Peggy. We have to go." He started pulling me and I pulled back. I didn't mean to use as much strength but he definitely got the message to stop.

"I'm not going and if you pull me in one more direction I'm going to scream for the cops with machine guns to save me." He stopped pulling but still held my hand. "I'm serious James." I kept my voice low and looked around to see if anyone was watching a little too closely. He loosened the grip on my hand but didn't let go.

He was as frustrated as I was. "I know you're scared b--"

"Scared doesn't begin to cover it." I pulled my hand away. "They're going to kill me if they get me again. If they don't actually do it I'll wish they did. I finally have a life again. Until you came into my life, I hadn't had a nightmare in years. Two nights with you and it's like they never stopped. My only option is to run." Behind James was a monitor for outbound NJ transit trains. The Train to Trenton was going to be boarding soon.

"Then you'll never stop running."

"I'll be alive."

"Running is not living."

"Neither is being captured." I leaned into the wall staring at him.

There was a loud bang and the concourse started filling up with smoke. James body pushed me down to the ground to shield me from the explosion. Everything was muffled as alarms started going off and people were running. James was screaming something at me and I couldn't hear it. He pulled me up, pointing to the exit. His lips said RUN and I started running towards the exit, an arm wrapped around my body when I felt myself being pulled back into the smoke, my hand still in his. I squeezed onto his hand trying to not let go. I don't know if I screamed, I couldn't hear it. I did my best to start fighting back. There was a pinch in my arm and things started getting hazy. James kept hold of my hand trying to pull me away from them. I couldn't fight back. I could feel my grip on James waning before things got quiet and the world went dark.