Finally you came into my life 🤍

Chapter 32 ~ New Jersey

Reader's p.o.v.

Me, Bucky and Steve were on our way to New Jersey to find Valentina, along with some SHIELD Agents following us.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked them. Steve wad driving, I was next to him and Bucky in the backseats. 
"We stop Valentina." Bucky mocked me.
"I didn't ask this, genuis." he chuckled. "We arrive at the Camp Lehigh. Then what? What if it's a trap?"
"Why you say this?" Steve asked me.
"What if she wants us to find her. She maybe tried to make us seem guilty, but in the crime scenes she didn't really protect her identity."
The men weren't talking for few seconds.
"If she's waiting us, then let's knock her front door." Steve said with confidence and started driving faster.

After few hours we were few meters away from the Camp.
"Ok, here's the plan; I'll go alone and you'll wait for my signal." I said.
"Absolutely no! Are you out of your mind?" Steve said.
"Steve she may has a whole army. She won't be alone. I'll go find her and then you two will catch her off guard. Besides she tried to destroy my reputation."
"What if she askes about Bucky?"
"I'll tell her that SHIELD keeps him prisoner."
"Steve I agree with her." Bucky said softly. "Through the comm we'll hear her signal and we will attack."
"Besides, SHIELD Agents are here too."
"Be careful, ok?" Steve said, terrified but he kissed me tenderly.
"You have my back, I'm not scared." they smiled at me.
"Always." Steve answered and I got out of car.

I approached the main entrance and suddenly the large door opened. I smirked. Of course she knew I'll come, she's predictable.
I followed the headquarters Fury gave us and the door that lead to the underground headquarter.
"All clear here." I said to the guys through the comm.
"You're doing great, doll. Keep going." Bucky encouraged me.
I kept walking and I opened the door to get in. All were too easy and I didn't like it.
I was scared, but I wasn't gonna show it.
"We're right behind you, sweetheart." Steve told me. "There is another entrance few meters away."
I continued walking through the dark corridor, checking the doors carefully.
"Where are you Valentina?" I whispered to myself.

Suddenly, while I was walking the stairs, I heard footsteps and turned around.
"You came." Valentina simply said.

Steve's p.o.v.

"Fury should have been here with us. It's his mission too." Bucky said, his gun always ready to fire. Some agents were with us, while the others were splited up in other places.
"He and Sharon are too busy with the crime scenes. Now that they don't have y/n they do it all by themselves."
"I can't hear y/n through the comm." Bucky said and I panicked.
"You're right. Y/n? Y/n? Do you read?"
"Y/n?" Bucky tried. "Do you copy?"
Nothing.
 We looked at each other and started running. We didn't know where we were going, but we had to find her.
"Hold on sweetheart! I'm coming!" I whispered.

Reader's p.o.v.

"So, from criminologist to a SHIELD Agent." Valentina said with a smirk.
"What to you want?" I asked angrily. 
I was tied in a chair. My hands and legs were unable to move.
"If it consoles you, I care less about you. You're the bait actually. It's Fury who I want."
"Huh, it's your unlucky day. He's not here." I said.
I was surprised by myself that I was sarcastic and calm, even though deep down I was scared.
"So, who's with you? You're not so naive to come alone." I didn't talk.
"Do you want something to eat?" still nothing. "Oh, you don't want me to lose my patience, honey." 
"Fury is not here." I repeated. 
"You know, you and I are the same." she said and I narrowed my eyes. "I'm pretty sure you know my... origin story." she chuckled. "My relationship with Fury was exactly like yours with Captain America." my heart started beating faster.
"If you hurt Steve..." she laughed.
"What will you do in this situation you are?" I was tied pretty tight. "As I was saying, me and Fury were madly in love, until he betrayed me."
"And you thought that the best was to join HYDRA?" I mocked her and she slapped me hard.
"You won't interrupt me when I'm talking." I looked at her. "You would have done the same thing. And the whole trick with you being a couple with Bucky was good. I gotta say I believed it for a moment." I widen my eyes. "But you were reckless to come to my office and steal everything, without thinking that with a tracker in my computer I'll discover everything."
Then an agent came, holding a gun and came beside me.
"Something else you need to know about me is that I hate happy couples, so since Fury is not here, the gun must be used on someone else." I gasped and she smiled.
The agent put the gun next to me in a holder, pointing at the door.
"You see, the device is connected with the door. Anyone who tries to open the door, in this case Steve, is dead." I widen my eyes.
"You monster." I growled, trying to break free. Then my phone, which was on a small table next me, rang. Valentina checked it and smiled.
"Aww, looks like Cap can't be away from you. He'll come for you in to time."

Steve's p.o.v.

"Damn it!" I cursed as I hang up the phone. " She's no answering."
"She's with Valentina." Bucky said.
"You three check this side of the floor and you two search these rooms." I said to the agents.
"It was a terrible idea to let her alone. I don't learn from my mistakes." 
"Relax Steve. We'll find her."

After few minutes, I couldn't take it so I started screaming her name.
"Y/n? Y/n! I'm coming for you."
"I'll go upstairs and look." Bucky told me and I nodded.
"Y/n?" I was alone, looking everywhere for her.
I went to the last door of this floor and I widen my eyes when I saw blood on the wall and floor.
With my shield in front of me, I carefully opened the door and the first thing I saw was y/n being shot in the shoulder by a gun behind her, her blood on my face and then she faint in the chair that she was tied.
I stood shocked there, not knowing what to do. Quixkly I threw my shield on the floor.
"Y/n?" I run to her.
"Y/n come on! Open your eyes." I said as I kneeled in front of her and started untying her.
"Bucky!" I cried to the comm. "Bucky help!" My voice cracked and few tears fell from my eyes.
"Y/n stay with me!" her whole face was covered in blood. Her mouth was taped too.
I laid her on the floor and I felt relieved when I saw that she was still breathing.
"Y/n please, open your eyes! Hear my voice and stay with me!"
She opened her eyes and I smiled at her.
"Steve?" she whispered and I nodded.
"Yes sweetheart. Stay with me!" she was shocked and in pain. I turned my head and I saw Bucky, his gun ready, but his face was terrified.
"Get help! I'm losing her!" I told him, more tears were falling from my eyes. "We need to get out of here." I tried to pick her up in my arms.
"Easy Steve." Bucky told me and help me carry her. 
I held her in my arms as tight as possible, without hurting her wound and run to the car.
"Call Fury! Tell him to sent help, a helicopter, something." I told him and he nodded.
Y/n has rested her head on my shoulder, her eyes closed, but she was breathing.

Half an hour has passed and I was taking care y/n's wound, but my hands were shaking.
"Steve the helicopter came." Bucky said.
"If something happens..." I said and Bucked stopped me.
"Nothing will happen! She's tough."
"I can't lose her! I won't take it!" I covered my face with my hands and Bucky put his hand on my shoulder.
"We've slowed the bleeding, Cap." A nurse told me. "She's holding on." I grabbed her hand with my palms. 
"You can make it sweetheart. I'm here." 
Suddenly she stopped breathing. I panicked!
"No! NO!" Bucky held me back, while the nurse was trying to bring her back.
"What's happening?! Bring her back!" I yelled and Bucky was trying to hold me down. 

After an hour we were at SHIELD headquarters and doctors came to take her. 
"Report." Fury said worried.
"Gunshot wound to the upper back." Bucky said. "Exit wound in the chest."
I was too lost to talk or act.
The doctor and nurses put her in the bed.
"Get her prepped for surgery." The doctor said and took her.
"I wanna be with her." I said, but Bucky stopped me.
"No! We stay here and wait." 
I didn't have the strength to do anything.

~~~~

The hours were passing and no one came to find me.
"Why they take it so long?" I asked.
"They said it, it's a difficult surgery. They'll come."
Indeed the doctor and a nurse came.
"How is she?" I asked.
"She's alright." I took a breath and Bucky smiled. "You can see her."

Reader's p.o.v.

I slowly opened my eyes and it took me few seconds to realize where I was.
I looked next to me and I saw Steve, sleeping in a chair, still wearing his suit.
"Steve?" he quickly opened his eyes.
"Hey." he said and I could see that he was crying, because his eyes were red. "How are you feeling?"
"Better."
"You look better. Stupid, but better." I bit my lip and looked at him. "You took a bullet for me."
"If I haven't stepped in, it would have gone for your head." I said. "Kill you instantly." I said and my vision became blurred from my tears. Steve cupped carefully my cheeks.
"Taking a bullet for me was stupid." he said.
"You would have done it too. You worth it Steve and I would do it again." I gave him a weak smile.
"The doctors said you still have a long way. You need to rest because you have another surgery tomorrow." he kissed my hands. 
"Don't go." I whispered.
"I have some things to do and I'll come to check on you."
"What about Valentina?"
"She escaped somehow. Probably this whole mission today was to give Fury a message."
I didn't talk for few seconds.
"You scared me to death." he said. "For few seconds you were dead..." his voice cracked. "...but they managed to bring you back."
"I'm not going anywhere, darling." I held his hand and he smiled at me. 
"When I'll come back I hope to have good news." he said.
"Go take a shower and eat, ok?" he nodded. "Take Bucky too. I'll be fine."
He kissed my forehead and he left.

Author's note 📝
This chapter is mostly inspired by Agents of SHIELD Season 2 episodes 21 and 22.
Thank you for reading ♡