𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 | bucky barnes

22: Talking

[Three days after the events at the airport, June 2016]

Cat liked time to think.  It was easy to find.  Especially when there was nothing to do, and no one who really wanted to talk.  Maybe they were sitting with their thoughts, too.  It was easy to get lost in your own head.  Especially for Cat.

She thought about Bucky.  The next time she would see him would be as he was under the ice, in cryogenic sleep. 

She wanted to see him for real.  She wanted to talk to him, she wanted to hug him, she wanted to sit down and watch a movie with him.  She wanted to be with him.  For real.

They dropped Sam, Scott, and Clint off at an airport in Europe.  Cat hadn't been paying attention to where they were— and she hadn't known which language was on the signs nearby.  Bucky would have, she thought.

Wanda was to stay with Natasha, Steve and Cat.  She had been all over the news recently— everyone would know her face.  They weren't going to take any chances.

It was a very silent quinjet. 

Steve had told Natasha that he was going to take Cat to Wakanda.  Nat offered to stay with Wanda at a safe house somewhere.  Steve agreed that was a good idea. He made some calls and got them a safe house in Maine.

Wanda and Cat had heard this conversation from the backseats. 

"Why is it you're going to Wakanda?" asked Wanda.

"I wanted to see Bucky," replied Cat.

"Where did you meet him, anyway?"

Cat smiled at the memory. "In Romania," she replied.  "In the market.  We were friends for a while."

"And when they tried to capture him..."

"I roped myself into this, and tried to stop them."

Wanda smiled. "You're more than a friend to him."

"Am I?"

"I saw the way he looked at you when you weren't looking."

Cat looked down at the floor and smiled.  Wanda seemed satisfied with the happiness she had brought on, and continued to look out the window, as she had before.

——— ✪ ⍟ ✪———

They landed in a place practically in the middle of the woods.  There was a clearing which they had landed in, and a path sprouting off from it.  If you followed the path, you would come to a cabin between the trees.

All four got out.  There was a man waiting for them when they got to the ground.  He had dark skin and hair, and was smiling.

"I should've known you were who Steve called," said Natasha, walking down and giving the man a hug.

"Hey, who else would get you luxury like this?" he replied, gesturing to the house between the trees. 

"No one," smiled Natasha.

"Thank you again, Rick," said Steve, shaking the man's hand. 

"It's no problem," replied the man.  "Everything you need should be in there, food, clothes, weapons, if applied."

Natasha nodded as he talked.

"By the way, I'm sure you've heard of Wanda," said Steve, turning around and introducing them.  "And this is Catarina."

"Nice to meet you both," said the man, shaking each of their hands in turn.  "Rick Mason."

"You as well," replied Cat.