Help Me To Heal

Damn it!

"I swear to god Chip I will tie you down if I have to"

"Ooh Sargent Barnes, I've warned you about threatening me with a good time"

Bucky sighed heavily and ran an exasperated hand down his face "Chip, I love you more than life itself but my fucking god you are the most infuriatingly stubborn individual in the entire god damn universe"

Lexie giggled girlishly "aww Bucky bear, I love you too!"

"That was not supposed to be the take away you got from that statement Chip"

"well tough titties" she retorted, sticking her tongue out playfully.

Bucky strode over to where she was stood in front of the wardrobe and pulled the clothes out of her hands and threw them on to the bed "I said you're not coming"

"And I said you're not the boss of me" Lexie scowled at him before continuing to rifle through the clothes in her wardrobe, looking for something in particular.

"Alexandria for fucks sake this is not a game"

"I never said it was James"

"Baby please" he pleaded, his tone softening  "I'm begging you.. We have no idea what Karli has planned for  the GRC meeting, I need to have my full focus and if you're there I'll do nothing but worry about you."

Lexie sighed, looking over at Bucky who was now sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. He was already dressed and ready to go wearing a navy blue and black leather jacket that had only one sleeve allowing his vibranium arm to be on show - something he had started doing since that day at the mall - paired with his usual black jeans and army boots. She crouched down in front of him, holding on to his knees for balance "it'll be different this time Buck, I promise"

"I'm begging you Chip, please.. I won't cope if something happens to you" he looked at her pleadingly

"I'm sorry Bucky, but I'm going. I can't sit here with my thumb up my ass while you and Sam put your lives on the line. I did it when Steve and everyone else went back for the infinity stones, and when they fought Thanos and we lost so much.. I lost so much. I lost Nat and Tony and Steve too in a way. I know I wouldn't have been much help, but what if I could have been you know? What if I could have saved one of them? What if I could have taken their place? The world would still have the heroes they need, Clint would still have Nat.. Morgan would still have her father.." she let out a shaky breath, tilting her head back willing the tears not to fall while Bucky looked at her sadly.

"Sweetheart it's not your fault, you couldn't have done anything" he wiped away an errant tear with his thumb

"I know you're probably right.. But I can do something now. You're not going up against aliens wielding a glove bedazzled with doom stones, she's just an idealistic girl with a bad plan and super soldier strength.. something I probably am more familiar with than anyone else who is not a super soldier. I can help Bucky, I want to help.. I need to help."

"I just need you to be safe.."

"I will be!" Lexie stood up and began rummaging through her clothes again before pulling a small black case from the recess of the closet, laying it on the bed before opening it up with a flourish to reveal black fabric with hints of red detailing. Pulling it out of the case, revealing it to be a jumpsuit, she held it up to her body "Tony gave me this years ago, he told me it was something he had been working on for Nat but that Nat didn't want it. What he didn't know is that I asked Nat about it and she said she'd never seen or heard anything of it, so I know he made it specifically for me but just didn't want to come across like he cared too much as usual. But basically it's a suit designed very similarly to hers, except this one is made of a prototype fabric that is cotton thin, but is supposedly bullet proof, can't be cut and drastically reduces the impact of physical attacks"