The Ends Of The Earth

chapter twenty one- bloody fists

When Liza woke up, she found herself curled up in a bed that was definitely not hers. When the awfully familiar scent flooded her nose, she instantly relaxed. Rubbing her eyes as she sat up, she noticed a note on the bedside table.

Liza picked it up.

"I'm downstairs training if you want to come join me.
Love, Bucky"

Groaning as she pulled the covers off of herself, she finally decided to get up for the day. She quietly walked over to her room to get changed for some easy training. Although her body wasn't fully healed, she'd be damned to lay around for another day and do nothing. She always had to be busy with something. Otherwise, she'd be tortured by her thoughts.

"Hey, what are you doing out of bed?" She heard a concerned voice ask her as soon as she walked into the kitchen.

"Getting water?" Liza responded with furrowed brows.

"I could've brought it to you." Clint said as he walked towards his niece.

"I'm fine, I promise. You can even ask Banner, he said I'm healing quicker than anyone he's ever seen." She gave him a tight-lipped smile as she grabbed water from the fridge.

Clint frowned, but he knew he couldn't keep being overly protective. It would only irritate Liza. One thing she didn't like was being cottled. It made her feel anxious, like she couldn't take a step without being carefully watched. Almost like it was when she was with Hydra.

At least when she was with Hydra, they didn't force her to stay in bed all day when she was injured. Hell, they did the exact opposite. They would push her until she fell unconscious.

Clint sighed and pulled Liza into a hug, similar to the one he gave her when she first woke up in the lab. "I'm sorry. I just - I want you to be safe, okay?" He held the back of her head with his calloused hand. Years of training and fighting would do that to you.

"I'll be with Bucky." She informed, "I'll be perfectly fine." She added, pulling away from her worried uncle. Most of the tension in her uncle evaporated. His shoulders dropped into a state of relaxation or as close as he could get to it.

"Okay." He nodded with relief in his eyes.

Clint had learned to trust Bucky in these past few weeks. Really trust him. Ever since that day when they had found Liza in that old broken down shed.

Clint trusted Bucky to protect his niece. Which he only trusted himself and Natasha to do. The list was short and hard to get on. But another name was added to that list as soon as he saw Bucky fighting harder than anyone there to get her back.

"I love you, Uncle Clint." She whispered. She looked so innocent like this. Like she had when she was younger when she was free from the ugly despairs of life.

"I love you more." He whispered back and pressed a soft endearing kiss to her forehead.

"Don't push yourself too far." He warned her with a loving look.

"I won't." She smiled at him as she disappeared around the corner. Clint leaned back against the counter. He ran a calloused hand down his face as he let out a breath he had been holding in for far too long. She was back. He repeated that to himself over and over again. It was something he had to keep reminding himself of. She was back home. She was safe now.

Liza made her way down to the gym. Her pent-up rage begged her to let it free. It clawed its way into her chest, rippinging apart anything in its way until it was released from its cell.

When she walked through the doors of the gym, she was instantly met by the most amazing view anyone could ever be blessed with: James Barnes shirtless. Almost instantly, the clawing in her chest simmered into an ache, no longer screaming at her to let it free but still reminding her about its presence.