Come Back With Me

The Most Amazing Woman

Eventually, the two days pass and Royce is released. Lizzie decides that she's not going to let the fear of what he might do rule her life.

She hopes she has a lot of years left to live and she doesn't want to be constantly looking over her shoulder.

Bucky is constantly on edge. He's always scared that something is going to happen to her.

He convinces her to let him walk her home from the hospital on nights when she works.

Soon enough, Steve gets sick and can't walk with her to school. It is way to similar to the events of the incident for Bucky's comfort.

"Please, just stay home Ellie. You can miss one day, I know you work ahead," Bucky says.

"I have a calc test so I'm going to school Jamie," Lizzie says.

She continues to pack her school bag, but Bucky places his hands on hers to sill her movements.

"Then I'll call out of work and walk with you myself," Bucky says.

Lizzie stops what she's doing and looks at him.
She can see that he has genuine fear in his eyes.

She continues to gaze at his face and notices the stress lines that have marred his features. He has dark circles under his eyes from the sleep he has been missing.

She knows he's been having nightmares more night than night. She's tried comforting him but he denies he's having nightmares.

He can see that she's thinking through his offer.

"Jaime, Steve gets sick a lot. You can't miss work every time he's sick. Would it help if I called you from a pay phone once I got near the school and when I get home?" Lizzie asks.

Bucky doesn't love the idea. If something happens and he's at work, he won't be able to get to her quick enough. He works pretty far from the school.

"Please El, just this once. We can figure out a more solid system later. I just don't want to let you go alone," Bucky says.

Lizzie hesitates because she knows that this isn't a good trend to start.

"Please," he begs.

His tone is so desperate that Lizzie's resolve crumbles.

"Okay, Jaime," Lizzie whispers.

Bucky takes the day off work and walks Lizzie to and from school. While she's at school, Bucky hangs out with Steve for a bit.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" Steve asks.

Steve sits up a little more in bed so he can properly look at Bucky.

"I didn't want her walking alone," Bucky says.

Steve can't help the guilt that follows. If he wasn't always so sick, he could walk her himself.

Bucky can see the guilt on Steve's face and is quick to reassure him.

"It's not your fault. I've just been a little high strung recently so I've been having trouble letting her go," Bucky explains.

"I don't think he'll try anything with Lizzie again. I truly think that Royce never meant for things to go as far with Lizzie as he did," Steve says.

Bucky logically knows this but his nightmares bring up the fears every night.

Bucky has been trying to hide what's been going on with him for so long. He wants to be strong for Lizzie but he knows he needs to talk about it.

"I have nightmares every night of her dying. Sometimes it's her when she was twelve and sometimes it's how she looks now. Sometimes I relive that day and sometimes it's a whole other twist of reality. I've seen her die a hundred different times and in a hundred different ways and every time I'm too late to stop it," Bucky admits.

Steve has been worried about Royce getting released but not like this. He can tell Bucky was getting torn apart.

Steve did feel his sister die back then but it's nothing compared to what Bucky went through. He had to watch the life drain out of her while being useless to stop it.

Steve wonders if Bucky has always had that fear lingering and Royce just triggered it.

Bucky has always been so strong and takes care of everyone but himself.

"Have you talked to Lizzie about it?" Steve asks.

"No, I don't want her to worry about me," Bucky says.

"Chances are, she already is. Talk to her, she's usually pretty good at understanding," Steve says.

The pair talk for a few more hours before it's time to pick Lizzie up from school.

He searches the yard for her and then he sees her. He releases a breathe that he didn't know he was holding.

"How was school today?" Bucky asks on the walk home.

"Good, I actually talked to your sister today," Lizzie says.

"Rebecca?" Bucky asks.

"Do you have another sister?" Lizzie teases.

"You're right, stupid question," Bucky says.

"Anyways, I think I came up with an idea on how to deal with this situation," Lizzie says.

Bucky looks at her in surprise. He shouldn't be surprised though, she's always quick at problem solving.

"The days that Steve is sick, you can walk me to your parents house before work. Then I'll walk with Rebecca to junior high. The junior high is only five minutes from the high school so I won't be alone long. Plus, the area between the schools are always very populated," Lizzie explains.

He grabs her arm to stop her from walking and turns her around. He kisses her deeply before releasing her.

"I love you," he says.

She planned to go way out of her way just to make him more comfortable. She didn't tell him he was being silly or grumble about the inconvenience. She just found a solution that would give him piece of mind.

"You are the most amazing woman I've ever met," Bucky says earnestly.

"I dont know about all that but thank you Jaime. I just want you to be happy and if I have to go out of my way a bit a few days a month, so be it," she says.

She is being so caring and understanding that it just slips out.

"Marry me," Bucky says.