History

Chapter 34 - Catching Up

The unmistakable clunk of heavy metal footsteps alerted Steve to Tony approaching down the corridor. He gently released his hold on Lily who's sobs had subdued into the occasional sniffle, her grip tightening on Bucky as Steve pulled away and stepped out in to the corridor to meet Tony.

"What's going on Cap? You three went quiet on comms, I hope you didn't sneak of for a super ménage a trois!"

"Tony" Steve sighed, running a hand down his face.

"I make inappropriate jokes Rogers, it's who I am. Don't act surprised, now wanna tell me what's going on?" Tony shrugged unapologetically.

"Lily has her memories back" he said solemnly

"Isn't that good news? Why do you look even more serious than normal?"

"She found her dad"

"Oh"

"He's dead"

"Ah. No answers then?"

"She got her answers."

"Oh?" Tony looked to his right and saw through the window Lily and Bucky in a tight embrace, and just behind them a metal table with a man who looked older than time itself slumped across it, the bullet wound between his eyes and the pool of blood spreading across the table and dripping on to the floor making it pretty obvious he was dead.  "OH! Oh.."

"Very insightful Tony" Steve shook his head

"Was it Barnes?" Tony asked cautiously

"No" Steve replied flatly, avoiding eye contact.

"Well it wouldn't be you golden boy, so that just leaves... no.."

"Yes"

Steve and Tony turned to look at Lily stood in the doorway, her eyes red and swollen, Bucky's arm wrapped protectively around her waist.

"Oh flower" Tony sighed sadly "I'm so sorry"

Lily shrugged, holding back the tears. "Please can we just go home?" A wave of panic hit her when Tony raised his eyebrows. "I mean... if.. if that's ok? I know I've fucked up real bad and I'm really sorry.. but if.."

"Flower.." Tony smiled warmly at her "the compound will always be your home and you will always be welcome there ok? I guarantee every one of us has done worse things than you have. I mean your boyfriend killed my parents and I still let him reside under my roof and eat my secret stash of Girl Scout cookies

"You have a secret stash of Girl Scout cookies?"

"That's what you took away from that?" Tony smirked "good to have you back kid" he smiled at her fondly but she avoided his gaze, choosing to stare only at the floor or up at Bucky.

"What's the status on the rest of the team?" Steve asked, breaking the momentary silence.

"They're headed back to the quinjet. Intel has been secured and the base seems to be clear, but Romanoff has rigged it to blow just to be sure. So we better get a move on before she gets bored of waiting and blows us up with it."

Wearily they all headed back to the quinjet, with Tony and Steve going off ahead under the false pretence of making sure it was safe, when really they were just trying to give Lily and Bucky some much needed space.

"Do you really have your memories back?" Bucky asked hopefully

She smiled up at Bucky "we were in the cabin, on the lumpy couch and I was reading the Hobbit and you were staring at me like a creep. That's when you asked me to marry you. I always knew I loved you Buck, but that was the moment it changed, it became stronger. From the moment you slipped that ring on to my finger I knew nobody else could ever compare, I knew if it wasn't you then it was nobody. You are the other half of me James Buchanan Barnes and there is nothing I would not do to protect what we have."