The Soldier's Luna (Bucky Barnes x OC)

Chapter 24

The safe house that Steve took us to was a small cabin by the lake, surrounded by the woods somewhere in Maine. It was a two bedroom cabin with a small loft that had a twin size bed. Steve insisted that he slept in the loft so Natasha and I could have privacy, but I refused for him to do that, especially since Steve's feet were basically hanging off the bed.

Tony told us that Petrov managed to escape before the team got there. Petrov and his men didn't leave anything to trace Bucky. I tried to astral project myself so I could see through Bucky's eyes of where they were taking him, but there wasn't any landmarks or signs that could give us a hint of where he could be.

I was sitting outside on the porch swing. The view of the lake was beautiful, but I wasn't able to fully admire it. If the circumstances were different then, I knew that I would appreciate the view more. As the sun went down, I walked to the small pier that was close to the cabin. My mind reflected back to when Bucky and I stared at the sunset at the park.

Biting my lip, I closed my eyes and tried to sense Bucky. It was very faint, but he wasn't in pain. He was tired, but was trying to keep himself aware. If there was any possibility of escaping he needed to be prepared to take it. I tried seeing if there was a way he could sense me, but I lost control and let go. I took a few deep breaths when a rush of nausea hit me.

"You alright?" Steve asked, coming up behind me. He stood next to me, looking out at the lake too.

"You know I'm not," I answered him. "How are you holding up?"

"We'll get him back, Iliana."

"That's not answering my question." I looked at him. He didn't meet my eyes. "Do you blame me for what happened?" I whispered softly.

Steve turned to me. His expression softened. "I would never blame you for this, Iliana. I'm just worried about him, that's all."

I rubbed my forehead. "I still can't believe this happened. I should've known better. If I didn't go in that room, Bucky wouldn't be going through all that pain again. I shouldn't have let them take him."

"He wouldn't have wanted anything to happen to you. If either of you were taken, we would be in the same position we're in now. If it was you instead of him, I doubt Bucky would sit this one out though. Knowing him, he'd probably look for you on his own."

"Is that why you've been keeping a close eye on me the whole time we're here?"

"I'm a man of my word," Steve mumbled softly.

I thought back on something Bucky said to Steve before he was taken, along with what I sensed in Steve. "Bucky said something to you before he was taken. He said you promised him something. What did he make you promise, Steve?"

Steve looked at his shoes, sighing softly. His jaw clenched before he looked back at the lake. "Do you want to see it or do you want me to tell you?" Steve's hand was reached out to me. I grasped it and closed my eyes so I could see what he wanted to show me.

"There you are," Steve said as Bucky came out of his room. "I've been looking everywhere for you, Pal."

"How was the mission?"

Steve grimaced, "Let's talk inside. I don't want to risk Iliana hearing anything." Bucky opened the door to his room. He sat down at his desk chair as Steve sat down on the armchair. "I don't know how this man is Iliana's father. Either she doesn't fully remember who he is or he was just a skilled liar and manipulator. Just by the way he spoke about her, he didn't view her as a daughter. He only sees her as a tool—a weapon."

Bucky's jaw clenched as he shook his head in disgust. "I got a bad feeling about her going to see her father, Steve. I don't think she should go."