Bucky's Choice

Chapter 21

A/N: Mentions of violence, blood and SA

The ride back on the quin jet was filled with silence and tension. Sam wanted to wait till after the mission was over to talk to Steve about Kelsey.  Once the plane was in autopilot, Sam sits next to Steve. "Steve, we need to talk." "Ok, What's up?" "We need to talk about you and Kelsey. About what happened last night." How did Sam know? What did she tell him? "What did she tell you?" "It was more what she showed me. Man, why?" "It was an accident. I wasn't trying to hit her. I moved my hands and she was closer than I expected." "Really? And I suppose that's your new makeup routine? A black eye?" Steve flinches at the look that Sam is giving him. "Look, we had a fight and things got out of hand. She hit first. Once we get back we will talk ok?" "You better straighten your shit out. This isn't gonna help Bucky come back." "I know." The jet lands and they notice the compound is eerily silent. Just as they get to the lounge, an inhuman scream is heard and Steve automatically knows who it is. "Bucky?!" They both run in a mad sprint to the cells. What they see is horrifying. The cell walls have blood splattered around and the room is trashed. Bucky is in the middle of the room, sobbing like a baby, cradling Kelsey's body. It's obvious she is dead by the way her eyes are almost white and her skin is now a bluish color. 

Steve bends down and tries to move Kelsey, but Bucky screams at him to get away. Sam can't help but feel sorry for both Bucky and for Kelsey. Why the hell was she down here? "What the fuck was she doing down here? She knew he was dangerous." "Sam, I don't know. Bucky, baby? Is that you?" "Steve, she's gone. Our baby is gone. I killed her!" He starts sobbing again and even Sam shed a few tears. Steve finally gets Bucky to reluctantly let her go and gently puts her down. "Bucky, let me take care of you. Sam will take care of Kels." Bucky shakes his head, but he has almost no strength left. Steve picks him up bridal style and easily carries him to his room. Once inside, Steve carefully strips Bucky of his bloody clothes. Tears fall down Steve's face. Both happy and sad tears. Bucky has stopped sobbing, but tears still fall down his face, and he looks catatonic. "Buck, baby? Can you hear me?" He doesn't respond. Steve helps him stand and brings him to the shower. Steve quickly undresses and walks them both underneath the hot spray. "C'mon baby, talk to me please? I love you so much!" Steve lets his emotions go and sobs into Bucky's shoulder, holding him tight. "She's gone Steve. I killed her. She's really gone. What have I done?" Bucky keeps repeating this over and over. "Shh, Buck. It's ok. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't you." After both of them are clean, Steve dries them both off and lays Bucky back onto the bed. He stares at the wall and Steve curls behind him. "You're safe now. You're home." 

Sam assess the room and can't imagine what the hell happened in here. He calls out to FRIDAY. "FRIDAY, play the security footage from the cell from the last 6 hours." "Yes, sir." He watches as Bucky paced his cell for a few hours then he sees Kelsey enter his cell. He shakes his head in disbelief. "Kelsey you idiot." He watches in horror as we watches the Soldier torture, beat, and rape her. He feels tears streaming down his face. "Bucky's never gonna recover from this." He turns around and starts to pick up the body when he notices some of the blood spatter disappearing. "What the fuck?" Then he sees Kelsey's body disappear. "FRIDAY, where is Kelsey?" "She is in Agent Romanoff's room sir." "How long has she been there?" "She just arrived sir. Odd." "What's odd?" "If my readings are correct, the prisoner is also in Agent Romanoff's room. And he also just appeared." Sam leaves the cell and heads to Nat's room, stopping by his room to drop off his gear. He knocks on Nat's door and Bruce answers. "Hey Sam." "Bruce? What are you doing here? Where's Nat?" "Umm, she's not.." "It's ok Bruce. Let him in." Nat's voice is heard, cutting Bruce off. Sam enters and sees some medical equipment and the prisoner on her bed, seemingly passed out. "What the hell is this? Why is he here and not in his cell?! AND WHERE IS KELSEY?!" "Well, she's..." "Did it work?" He looks over to the bathroom and sees Kelsey standing there, looking like she hasn't slept in years. "Sam, did it work? Is Bucky back?" He takes a few moments to realize that she is actually here and alive. "Yea. He's with Steve now, mourning you." At this, Kelsey collapses and passes out from exhaustion. "Kelsey!" Nat runs over to her and takes her head in her lap. "Sam, help me put her in the bed with Daniel. Please?" Sam grunts in frustration, but comes over and lifts her up and places her in the bed next to Daniel. Both of them look like hell. "Will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?" Bruce checks on Kelsey as Nat comes up to Sam. "You see.."

24 hour prior

"I have to die." "What?! Die! What the hell does that mean?" Nat stands up and paces in front of Kelsey fuming. "Nat, the kid down in the cells, Daniel? His power makes you see your greatest fear. When he fought Bucky, he lost control and now the only way for him to be himself again is to live out that fear." "I still don't understand how this involves you dying?" Kelsey takes a breath and motions for Nat to sit back down. She takes her hand and slowly looks at her. "Daniel thought Bucky's fear was hurting those he loves. But it's more specific than that. His fear is losing control and killing the one he loves. Mainly me." "Why not Steve?" "Steve can fight back. He can survive if Bucky used his full strength, I wouldn't. Did they ever tell you what happened at the bar with Steve?" "Bucky told me the cliff notes version." "In reality, Bucky is stronger than Steve. His anger and aggression make him more deadly. It's the reason he is the Soldier now. That's the side of his personality that would be able to do it." Nat takes her face in her hands. "Jesus Kelsey, I can't let you die." "Well, that's where Daniel comes in." Kelsey explains the plan and Nat's jaw drops. "That is insane! Is there a guarantee that this will even work?" "No. But it's the only way Nat." Nat took a few breaths than looks at Kelsey. "What do you need me to do?" 

Present

"Basically, the kid created a physical illusion of Kelsey and that illusion is what Bucky killed. The downside is that Kelsey still felt it all. Every hit, every bruise. I don't fully understand it myself, but he connected her to his powers and then she controlled the illusion." "Will she be ok?" Bruce comes up to them, blowing out a breath. "They should be ok. Physically they are exhausted, but mentally, we won't know till they wake up." Sam crosses his arms and sighs. "What about the guys, who's gonna tell them?" "When she wakes up, then we tell them. It's been a hell of a day for everyone, so lets just get some rest. Sam is not happy about waiting, but he knows that both Steve and Bucky are not in a place to seeing Kelsey alive right now. He heads to his room and hops in the shower. Laying on his bed, he has a hard time sleeping, knowing that this may change the dynamic of the Avengers forever. Nat moves a chair to your side and holds your hand. "C'mon baby, wake  up. Please come back to me." She kisses her hand and caresses' her hair.