Come Back With Me

I'm So Tired, Jaime

The summer quickly passes and soon enough, the twins are back to school. It isn't long before Lizzie starts to fall apart.

Bucky hasn't seen Lizzie in a couple days. Between her school and their jobs, they hardly get any time together. He knows that she is at home right then so he decides to visit her.

He walks into the house and up to Lizzie's room. Lizzie finally found enough courage to go through Sarah's stuff and move into her old room so now Lizzie had her own space.

He knocks on the door and he doesn't get a response. He hears movement inside so he decides to knock again.

"I'm busy!" Lizzie yells through the door.

"It's me, can I come in?" Bucky asks.

"I'm busy!" Lizzie yells again

Bucky is hurt by her dismissal, they haven't seen each other in a few days and she won't even say hello?

"Wow, I feel so loved, Elizabeth," he says spitefully.

He hears a loud bang and then the door is opened. He can tell Lizzie is furious.

"You think I don't miss you, you idiot? Of course I do but I have a five page paper I have to finish before I leave for work in thirty minutes. If I don't finish the paper now, I'll have to finish it at one in the morning before I have to wake up at 6 am. So as much as I'd love to see you, I'd prefer to not die of sleep deprivation. I have only slept ten hours in the last three days so I'm sorry if I'm a little impatient," she says angrily.

He doesn't say anything. Instead he just pulls her into his arms. She fights him for a minute before surrendering to his comforting touch. The stress of the last months finally hits her and she realizes how utterly tired she is. She feels so safe in his arms that she begins to cry.

"I'm so tired Jamie," she sobs into his chest.

He begins to slowly sway her from side to side and rubs her back soothingly.

"Shhh, it's okay. I got you," he whispers into her hair.

He picks her up and sits on the bed and sets her on his lap. She cries for a little while but stops suddenly when she sees the time.

She crawls off of Bucky's lap in panic. She's going to be late! She's never late. She's so distracted that she doesn't even realize she began changing into her uniform with Bucky still in the room until he clears his throat uncomfortably.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Jaime," Lizzie says.

She is still in a state of undress so Bucky is staring respectfully at the ceiling.

"Not exactly how I imagined seeing you undressed for the first time," Bucky jokes uncomfortably.

"You've imagined me undressed?" Lizzie asks.

"Besides the point, El. Anyways, you're not going to work today. You're going to call work and tell them you're sick," Bucky says.

"I can't, I'm not sick," Lizzie dismisses.

"You are sick, you're exhausted," Bucky says.

"I'm not, I can go to work," Lizzie tries to get ready again.

"If you can tell me what 32 times 6 is, I'll let you go to work," Bucky says.

Lizzie knows that she can easily do the math but when she tries to crunch the numbers in her head, she can't do it.

She begins crying again in frustration. She just stands there in the middle of the room in her bra and underwear, crying like a child.

Bucky doesn't want to seem like he's taking advantage of her while she's got so much skin exposed but he needs to comfort her.