First We Were Friends - A Bucky Barnes Novel

Chapter 18. Same Old

After a 12 hour flight they landed on the deck of a navy aircraft carrier with Bucky at the controls. There was a sizeable crowd watching him hover over the flat surface as the landing signals operator waved his wands directing him to a specific part of the deck. Once Bucky made contact the LSO gave the all clear and the quinjet was locked into place. Bucky lowered the ramp while he and Clint completed the landing checklist. The other members of the team already had their go bags then he grabbed his and joined Sam who was waiting at the bottom of the ramp.

"Nice landing!" yelled someone from the observation deck.

He looked up and could hear several people say his name, seemingly surprised that he was rated on this extremely advanced aircraft. Sam grinned.

"You're famous," he said loudly then he waved when he heard someone call his name.

"So are you," replied Bucky. "Don't make it weird."

Sam laughed and clapped Bucky on the back as they were ushered into the carrier's interior. As they and the rest of the team headed to a briefing room they noticed sailors parting before them, watching them pass by. In the briefing room they were assigned shared cabins and sailors were designated to guide them to their berths. Once they were in their cabin and the door was closed Bucky turned to Sam.

"Of all the nerve," he said. "He set me up. Made such a big deal of me being able to stay for my honeymoon then manipulated Julia into letting me go. This has Chennai written all over it, Sam."

"If you weren't on your honeymoon you would be the first one on the quinjet," responded Sam. "Admit it. If it's HYDRA, you're in. You will never allow yourself to miss a mission if it involves HYDRA."

Bucky sat on the bunk, somewhat deflated. As angry as he was Sam was right. He would always be the first one to volunteer for a HYDRA mission. Wiping them off the face of the Earth was his primary mission in life. He ran his hands down his face and looked at his friend.

"He could have at least said it was them," he countered.

"And risk scaring Julia?" replied Sam. "That would have been worse. I'm not excusing him keeping us in the dark but the word scares the families and you know it. It's better they don't know. He was right about one thing; your presence will make a difference. No one knows HYDRA as much as you do except for Zemo. At least he's not on this mission."

Bucky smirked. Sam always had a way of making him see both sides of the equation. He had about 15 minutes before they could go to the mess and get some food. Their briefing would be right after. If he wanted to call Julia it would have to be now. He told Sam he was calling her and his friend left, giving him some privacy. When her face appeared on his cellphone she smiled broadly at him.

"I was wondering when I would hear from you," she said. "Thank you for the flowers. They were beautiful."

"It was the least I could do," he replied, "after abandoning you. It was a long flight as well and I was piloting the second half. It's been a while since I landed on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Good thing I haven't lost my touch."

"Bucky, don't blame yourself," she said. "I'm the one who said it was okay. I got the IUD removed already. When you get back we can start making babies."

"I like that," he smiled. "I'll start the minute I'm in the door."

She laughed and he felt a surge in his groin. It was incredible how she could turn him on even over a video call.

"I'm guessing you didn't have a chance to talk to Bob," she said.

"No, to be honest I didn't even see him. We geared up as soon as we arrived at the compound and were in the air within minutes," he replied. "It's a bigger mission than even Rhodes knew but we don't get briefed for a little while yet."