Forged in the Stars : Bucky Barnes

9. A New Mission.

"What did you see?" Steve questioned sitting next to his friend as Clint was piloting taking them somewhere he deemed safe. He had never seen Stella in this state even after some of her worst nightmares and he feared she would never be okay again if they didn't find him soon.

The copper-haired girl lifted her head slightly looking over at Steve he was giving her his infamous "I care about you and you need to talk to me" look that she was all too familiar with. It was the same look she got every time she woke up from a nightmare. She sighed running her hands over her face and through her hair "A lot of things, first I was back to the day I was looking for you. Which, as you know, is a famous past-time from the nightmares. I could see you off in the distance and I took off running for you, but then everything around me changed and you were gone. It was pouring rain and I was on a curb, I didn't even realize why it felt so familiar until my mom's car pulled up."

"The night Bucky broke things off."

"Yep," Stella agreed emphasizing the p at the end with a pop. "As you know, my mother never arrived. I was just so happy to see her that I ran into that car and hugged her. She told me," she took a moment trying to will the tears to stay at bay she'd had enough of crying that day. "She told me she and my father were proud, that I had a family now." Stella's voice broke as she finished and she took another shaky breath trying to ready herself to talk about the last part. "Then I saw him, he held me and I felt like I was all put back together. Until I turned around and watched him being tortured and then put on ice, I read all the files you know, everything I could get my hands on about the Winter Soldier project. Rumlow had kept a tally of the times he would hear Bucky mention me like they were trophies. They said he fought so hard, that in the beginning, they almost thought it was a failure. Then suddenly it worked, they broke him and he was compliant he was their puppet. Rumlow wrote down that he'd mention my name and have no clue why he did, Brock got some sick sense of joy from it. I was in S.H.I.E.L.D. so many times, how did I miss him why didn't I find him?" she finished with a sob as Steve pulled her close to him hugging her.

"There's no way you could've known Stells, you can't constantly take the entire world on your shoulders you're going to break apart doing that." he said soothing her they sat that way for a few moments before Steve spoke up "she got to me too."

"What did you see?"

"At first I was in a dance hall and it was great Peggy was there," Steve said eliciting a groan of disgust from Stella which he chuckled at. "I know, but let me finish. I realized it wasn't what I wanted we had our dance and I left her side. I sat down with an older man who seemed way too familiar, but I couldn't place it until he spoke and I realized the voice was my own. He asked me what it was all for when we still ended up alone. Suddenly the dance hall was more of a battlefield though everyone was still all smile and laugh. Soldiers were laughing together holding pressure over wounds." Stella reached for Steve's hand giving it a reassuring squeeze which he acknowledged with a small smile. "Everything just disappeared and I was by myself and I looked into the mirror of the bar and saw I had become the older version of myself, completely, utterly alone."

"You'll always have me  Stevie, you know that right? I mean I went crazy looking for you I never stopped believing I'd find you one day. You'll find someone like Bucky and I found each other and she's going to be everything you need, maybe not what you expected, but what you need."

The pair sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Stella got up to walk over to Nat sitting next to her. "He's totally taking us to his home right?"

"The only place that only four people in the world know about," Nat agreed.

"Who do you think is going to be the most shocked?"

"Your brother for sure, he's tried to get Clint hooked up with countless of his past escapades."

Stella nodded with a small laugh, "you okay?"

"Are you?"

"Touche. I don't know if I can finish this one, I'm just unsure how to break it to everyone else. Steve barely wanted me to come so I know he'll be fine but I'm sure Anthony will make it about him somehow."

"Go find him Stells, if anyone can bring him back it's you. Both times we fought him he hesitated he never went for the kill when his training should've made him. I don't understand it he went through far worse than I ever had with the red room and I only hesitated once. That kind of love doesn't disappear. I wasn't going to tell you this until we figured Ultron out because I didn't want you to get distracted and hurt, but I think I have a lead."

Shock spread over Stella's features for a moment but then a tiny spark of hope blossomed into a fire and her mind was set. "Tell me everything."

Nat gave all the information she had as they arrived at Clint's farmhouse getting off the jet and walking towards the home.

Clint introduced everyone to his family and Stella couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as the kids ran to Nat showering her in love. 

"Hi Stella," Laura said acknowledging her.

"Hi Laura, good to see you again. Never thought I'd see the day Nat looked so domesticated."

Laura laughed lightly "the kids love her."

"What are you two laughing about?" Natasha questioned joining them. 

"Oh nothing you're just so soft around the kids makes it hard to believe you could kick my ass at a moment's notice."

"Don't you forget it," Nat said smirking at Stella "how is little Natasha, huh?" Nat said touching Laura's stomach.

"She's, Nathaniel."

Nat let out a faux gasp leaning down to the evident baby bump, "Traitor."