Winters War

Chapter 14:

~Bucky's POV~

       I don't know how to feel or think after what she said. All I know is she is hurting very deeply and I don't know how to make it better. "We have some real serious shit going on."Sam finally says, "so how about this? I will squash it right now, we go deal with that and when we're done, we both can go on separate long vacations, and never see each other again." "I like that."I tell him. After that he makes another remark and leaves the room.

        I give him a few seconds and start to follow. "I know that look. What's wrong?"she asks me. Really? She really doesn't know what's wrong? "What was rule number 2?"I ask the Doc one last time. "Don't hurt anyone."she answers. I think that rule might already be broken. "Goodbye Doc."

      "Well I feel better." Sam says as we make our way outside. Blue leans against a building trying to relax and be left alone but looks like that was too much to ask. John has his hand pressed into the building as he leans in front of her. She looks extremely uncomfortable but can't seem to get away. His companion turns on one of the police sirens to really grab our attention. It really wasn't needed. John stops his flirting and turns to us.

      Blue's eyes fall on me as she quickly leaves Johns side and heads to mine. Her head is down, her arms are crossed as she reaches me. She stands slightly behind me, enough to feel safe but still enough to show that she's now afraid. "Gentlemen."John says as we slowly walk that way. "Good to see you again. Look if we divide ourselves, we don't stand a chance, you guys know that."he says. I lean against the car this time Blue stands in front of me. She is so close that her back is practically touching my chest.

       Her body language still looks rugged and highly uncomfortable as John barely tears his gaze away from her to look at me or Sam. Slowly I begin wrapping an arm around her waist. She jumps and tenses at the touch. "Just trust me."I whisper in her ear. She tries to relax as I fully wrap my arms around her and gently pull her into me, my head resting on her shoulder.

         The tension in her muscles seems to melt away a little as she gets her breathing under control. I can smell faint remnants of my cologne clinging to the clothes she is wearing. When John turns to look her up and down again he quickly makes note of me holding her tightly, protectively. He swallows hard and turns away. "Thank you."she whispers. "Of course doll." "Well the leaders name is Karli Morganthau. We've been targeting civilians who've been helping Karli move from place to place."John says.

       "They geotagged a location, then scrambled the signal."announces his friend, "but our satellites have found their symbol popping up in various displaced communities all across Central and Eastern Europe." "We think that she's taking medicine she just stole to ones of these camps." "Well there are hundreds of those all over the planet since The Blip. So I guess you'll have to look real hard." I say, my grip still tight on Blue.

     "Good thing I have 20/20 vision huh?"say John, annoyance covering his facial expressions. I can't help but smirk. "Where is she now, Walker? Do you know?" "No we don't Bucky."his voice begins to rise. Tension floods back into Blue's body as she backs up just ever so slightly. I give her a small squeeze to let her know it's okay. "It's only a matter of time before we find out." "Things are really intense for you, aren't they, Walker?" "Take it easy."Sam starts, "Walker is right, it is imperative that we find them and stop them. But you guys have rules of engagement and all kind of authorizations you have to get. We're free agents, we're more flexible."

      "That means we don't want to work with you."Blue says. "A word of advice then. Stay the hell out of my way."he snaps. Suddenly I see the blue sparks jump around between Blue's fingers. Gently I place my hand over top of hers and stop them. "Now's not the time."I tell her softly. She just tools her eyes and begins to walk away. "Buzzkill."

      Our footsteps seem to echo as we pass buildings, the cool air beginning today take its toll. "What are you thinking?" Sam asks. "Well, I know what we have to do." "And what would that be?"Blue jumps in. "When Isaiah said "my people"." "Don't take that to heart, that's not what he meant."Sam continues. "No, he meant Hydra."I tell him, "Hydra used to be my people." "Not a chance."he says. "No, no it makes total sense. Hydra was trying to perfect the Super Solider Serum, when they saw how it worked with Steve and then Isaiah.....nothing and I mean nothing would have ever stopped them from finding him and getting what they want."says Blue.

        "And Walker doesn't have any leads."I tell them. "I know where you're going with this and it's a no."Sam tells me, his gaze trying to pry its way into my brain. "He knows all of Hydra's secrets. Don't you remember Siberia." Suddenly a pair of footsteps comes to a halt. "You're joking right? This is some cruel sock joke right?"

         She tries to cover up the shaken tone in her voice but I can still hear it, I know it's there. "Blue he's our only shot."I tell her as I slowly approach her again. "Bullshit. There has to be another option, there has to be someone else." "Blue..."." "No, don't you Blue me....last time I saw that man my world fell apart beneath my feet. My whole life was flipped upside down and now you expect me just be perfectly okay with waltzing in there and talking to him. What's your plan anyway? Sit in some room with him and be friends?"she snaps.

       "Well." "Oh my god of course you are."she spins on her heels and walks the other way for just a second before spinning around. "Life might have been all sunshine and roses for you when you last saw him but it wasn't for me. I was thrown in prison! I expected the love of my life, my best friend in this whole god forsaken world to come back for me and save me but I was wrong. He was busy pretending to protect me."

       Part of my heart fluttered when she said I was the love of her life, like she still had something there for me. The other part of me however began to hurt even worse now. "That man took my world and shattered it, I was alone all that time searching for you, killing Hydra agents, protecting myself. I had nothing left because of that man. Nothing. The only good thing that ever came out of any of that was teaching me that I don't need someone to save me, I can do it my damn self."

      Her eyes were cold, her gaze was as strong as the buildings around us. I could feel the tightness in my jaw as it clenched. "There is too much at risk for us to do this Bucky, we have a little girl back home waiting for us. She is more important than all of this, than him." Suddenly she takes my hand in hers, "please don't let him out." For the first time since she has been back I can hear the vulnerability and fear in her voice. "We have to do this Blue, I'm sorry."and with that I gently pull my hand from hers.

       I won't ever let him hurt Storm, or Blue ever again, but I need to stop all this. I need to prove that Steve was right about me. "Okay then."Sam softly says, "we're gonna go see Zemo."