Miss America

Chapter Seventeen

 . . . . . 1 Year Later: With Bucky. . . .

Bucky awakes to find a group of children surrounding him, the children are startled by his now being awake and run from the hut giggling heading towards Shuri. 

"Are you playing around with that man again?" She asks amused. 

"No!" They lie badly and in unison, smiles on their faces. 

"You're teasing him again?" She says, although it's more of a statement than a question. As she hugs the children hello, Bucky exits the hut taking in the beauty of the Wakandan lakeside. 

"Emhlophe Ingcuka" the children whisper in awe "White Wolf" they echo before running off to play, Bucky joins Shuri close to the lakeside. 

"Good Morning Sargent Barnes" She says politely. 

"Bucky" He says gently, after all that she'd done to help him, he had always found it so wrong she should address him by that title. She was a friend, an ally and someone along with all of Wakanda that he owed his life too. 

"How are you feeling?" 

"Good, thank you." 

"Worried about this evening?" 

"I was trying not to think about it." He jests, but he's not really joking "has there been any news?" Bucky looks at Shuri as they walk. 

"Not yet, but they're all in such deep hiding, it's a miracle we've heard from them the once." Bucky looks deflated "But, I assume there is good news coming, Captain Rogers' has sent us word he's arriving tomorrow." 

"It'll be good to see him." Bucky says, and although he means it, Shuri could tell thats not the name he'd wanted to hear. 

"She might be there also?" Bucky nods, not sure if that was worse or not. "Come, there is much to do." She takes Bucky off to further integrate him into Wakandan life. 

. . . . . . .

"It is time." Ayo says in English to Bucky, who sits, in the darken woods, lit only by the fires Ayo had lit. 

"You sure about this?" Bucky was hesitant, almost convinced it wouldn't work, the terror in his face was evident. 

"I won't let you hurt anyone." Ayo made a promise, and almost a threat at the same time. But she knew, she knew this was it, he had to believe in himself, in the work that she and Shuri had done. She begins to talk in Russian. 

"Longing... Rusted... Seventeen..."

"It's not gonna work." Bucky was on the verge of crying, in a panic, a mess, expecting to change his nightmares appeared in his head as he waited.

"Daybreak... Furnace... Nine..." Ayo continued as she strides around him, and slowly Bucky's tension of fear becomes one of inaudible crying, in shock "Benign... Homecoming... One... Freight Car..." Nothing. no Winter Solider, no HYDRA, it was gone. Bucky's eyes met Ayos who looked upon him softly. 

"You are free." She says "You are free." repeating this as Bucky breaks down, his emotions all bubbling, the relief too much for him to comprehend, a look of such gratitude he could not form words was sent in Ayo's direction. She gives him a moment to himself as he allows his emotions to flow. Oh how he wished you were there.