Time Bomb

Chapter 38

My phone rang and I saw Clint's name pop up. I answered it.
"What the hell's re you doing?" He asked urgently.
"I'm sorry, Clint. But I can't let them risk their lives for mine. I have to do something." I said calmly, having made up my mind completely with my decision.
"Dani, I would have come with you. All you had to do was ask." He said and I could hear the sadness in his voice.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not risking your life in this either. You have a family, Clint. I won't take you a way from that." I said.
"Please just come back, we can go together. Laura will understand." He said and I knew he was standing outside where the jet had been landed.
"No, Clint. I know you care about me and you want to help, but please... you just stay there with your family. Stay safe. At least I'll know you and your beautiful family are out of harm's way. I need you to just trust me on this, please." I said, feeling tears threading to spill.
I heard him take a deep breath before he spoke again.
"Fine. But you put that damn chip on the dash somewhere in you. Click the button on it to activate it. It'll tell me your exact location at any given moment. I love you, Dani. Come back in one piece and ALIVE." He said and hung up. I found the chip and clicked the tiny button in the center to activate it. I decided to stick it on one of the two dog tags of Bucky's that I've been wearing for years now. I tucked the tags back under my shirt and watched as the California coast came into view.

"Arriving at destination, prepare for landing." The system said and I braced myself for landing. It was smoother than I thought, figured with how fast it was going that the landing would be tough but it wasn't. I checked Bucky's location once more... he's still in the same location. Only a short 5 minute walk from here. The jet opened up for me to get out and I made my way towards Bucky's location.

As I approached a clearing after walking through an orchard of trees, I saw everyone surround a man I could only assume is my father. As I focused my eyes on everyone, I felt that familiar heat rising in my chest. Tony down on his knees next to Steve who looks to be passed out. Thor and Loki both also knocked out. Sam seems to also be passed out a few feet away from me but what has my blood boiling is my father having a chokehold on Bucky.

"Let. Him. Go. Now." I said as I approached my father. Tony and my father both turned their heads so fast towards me.
"Dani, get out of here!" Tony yelled, but I ignored him. I kept walking closer to my father, quickly closing the space between us.
"I said.. LET. HIM. GO." I repeated and my father got an evil grin plastered to his face.
"Or what? You can't do anything to me. You don't have your powers anymore. I don't have use of you anymore. But I can however, hurt the people you love for taking the thing I wanted from you." He said and tightened his grip on Bucky's neck.
"Take me. Let him go and take me." I said, not wanting to play his games.
"Oh? You'd risk your life for his? How loving. You must really love this one." He teased.
"I'm serious. I'll go with you. You can run your tests. You can lock me up. Whatever you want. Just let him live. Please." I said came face to face with him, Bucky desperately trying to move me out of the way.
"Bucky, no. I won't let you or anyone else risk yourself just for me. I can live with my decision to go with him, but I CANT live with myself if you didn't live." I said, turning to face him. Letting my tears fall as I looked into his eyes.
"Why would I take you anyway? You're of no use to me." My father said.
"Because I'm pregnant." I said and instantly he let Bucky go.
"You're pregnant?" Bucky asked, his voice raspy from being chocked. I turned towards him and kissed him sweetly.
"Yes. I only just found out yesterday morning. Otherwise I wouldn't have down 4 full glasses of whiskey when I first got to my hideout." I said and watched my fathers face go pale.
"No. You weren't supposed to be able to have children. The tests when you were 16 proved that with the results." He started going on about the different blood tests that he had gotten results for a few days after he let me go.
"It doesn't matter what your tests said cause they were wrong. You were wrong. Now I'll give you one chance to leave and never come back, or... or my child's powers will erupt you into ash. I myself may not have them anymore, but my child does. I've felt it since I found out you were in the states. I wasn't sure what was happening until yesterday but now I know. And I've also learned that with each generation, these powers get stronger. Considering his or her father is a super soldier, I doubt you'll live through this blast." I said confidently, Bucky standing guard behind me.
"What do you pick? Leave or be killed? And I promise you, if you think about leaving and managing to find your way back, I will make sure to kill you on sight." I added and showed off my own evil smile. He didn't say anything, he just ran off. Pure fear in his eyes.
I fell to my knees and began crying as Sonia s he was out of sight. Bucky immediately at my side.
"Dani?! Are you okay?" He asked urgently, pulling me into his arms.
"I've been holding everything in since I saw him. Now that he's gone, I can't hold the tears anymore. But they aren't sad tears anymore. I'm happy. Happy that you're okay. Happy that everyone will be okay. No one died." I said and let myself fall against his chest.
"Thank you, Dani. If you hadn't shown up, I'm not sure we would have made it out alive." Sam said as he approached us, having woke up from being passed out.
"Hey Sammy, you okay? I saw you were passed out." I asked and finally managed to stand back up, wiping my tears away as everyone else slowly started getting up.
"I'm good, took a nasty punch but I'm good. Thanks. Glad you're okay too." He said and hugged me.
Before anyone else could say anything, a quinjet landed close by and Clint walked out with T'Challa.
"Dani!!! You're okay!" Clint yelled as he ran into me, spinning me around in his arms.
"Oh god, you're gonna make me throw up. Please put me down." I said and Bucky laughed.
"I'm so sorry I'm late, but it seems my assistant wasn't needed after all." T'Challa said gracefully as he approached us all. Everyone now on their feet and standing around me.
"So... is it true? Are you really pregnant or were you just lying to get rid of him?" Bucky asked from beside me. I smiled and turned to face him.
"Sergeant James Bucky Barnes, you are going to be a father." I announced and smiled at him. The look on his face of pure happiness letting me know he's okay with it.
"You're pregnant??? No wonder you haven't been able to keep food down the past few days." Clint said and pulled me into another hug, this one much more gentle than the last.
"Congratulations, sis. I'm happy for you." He said in my ear.
"Alright! Let's get on the jet and go home everyone! We have a celebration to arrange!" Tony said and we all smiled and shook our heads.