Baby Barton

Chapter 129 - Chloe Barton

The gentle hum of the Quinjet always had a way of soothing your soul. It was like a lullaby, rocking you back and forth as it glided through the air. Maybe it was the result of spending too much time in a cramped jail cell, but you found comfort in the motion.

As you sat up front with Steve, Bucky lounged in the back by the weapons. Steve gave you a sly wink, signalling that you were only 30 minutes away from your destination. But before you could fully relax, he pressed his lips together and announced that Starks was on your tail.

Despite the looming threat, you couldn't help but feel grateful that Tony was coming along, even if he was still mad at you. You took a deep breath, savouring the scent of Steve's hair before moving to sit next to Bucky.

"Hey," he greeted you, his long hair obscuring his face.

You took another deep breath, preparing yourself for the conversation you knew you needed to have. "I owe you an apology," you said, feeling guilty for dragging him into your mess.

Bucky didn't respond, and you could feel the weight of his silence. "I forced you out of your peace, your calm," you continued, "and I'm sorry for that."

Bucky finally spoke up, his voice tinged with humour. "You should apologize for calling me a...what was it again?"

You furrowed your brow, confused. "I didn't call you anything."

Bucky chuckled, "You definitely called me a pussy."

You couldn't help but laugh at his wit, feeling the tension between you two dissipate. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry for that too," you said, feeling lighter but tears still stung your eyes. 

Bucky sighed, "I know a bit about the kind of guilt you're feeling, so know that you didn't force me to come anywhere.  I owed it to you after everything that I done to you."

Your gaze softens even more, the tears that had been building begin to fall, "This is what I'm talking about.  You didn't do anything Buck, it was HYDRA.  All of it."

You knew that Bucky knew you were right, but it didn't make it any easier.  He just stared out of the window, probably reliving every second of the last 70 years.

"But I still did it." He said quietly.  Out of the corner of your eye you see Steve dip his head.

As you gazed out into the winter sky, you couldn't help but feel a sense of despair wash over you. You wished with all your heart that you could make Bucky see the truth, but it seemed like an impossible. Maybe dragging him out here was the wrong thing to do, but you felt like you needed to explain your part of it.

You took a deep breath and began to speak, your voice trembling with emotion. "I was ready to give up and take the fall, but Clint said something that made me realize that maybe we are victims in all of this too. You and me."

You reached out and took Bucky's hand in yours, hoping to show the depth of your feelings. Bucky turned his head slowly to look at you, his eyes filled with confusion and pain.

"What did he say?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"When I was ready to give up, he said that by my logic, you should go to prison too. And I just didn't think that was right," you said, forcing a weak smile.

"I should go to jail though," Bucky replied, his voice heavy with guilt.

"No, you don't see it," you said, your voice rising. "Clint was able to see past what the Winter Soldier did to his sister. He understood that it wasn't you. So why couldn't I understand that I was in the same position?"

You paused for a moment, swallowing the hard lump in your throat. "We are both victims of circumstance, Bucky. We didn't choose this life, but we can choose how we move forward from here. We can choose to fight for what's right and say a huge fuck you, to HYDRA and the government."

"5 minutes," Steve regretfully interrupted, as if we were all on a tight schedule to save the world.

 He quickly turned off the lights as the jet touched down on the fresh snow. Bucky handed you both guns from the lockers, but you couldn't help but cringe at the thought of using one. It had been ages since you had touched a bow, and even though you were the best at what you do, it just didn't feel right holding it anymore. So, you had to make do with your trusty knife and a gun.

Let's talk about Steve for a moment. There was something about the way he looked in that moment that made you want to swoon. He was just everything. The way his blonde hair was swept to the side, the sad little look in his blue eyes. You wanted to grab him, kiss him and cut and run, but when did that ever work out?

You take a deep breath and told yourself to calm down. "No going back now, fellas. Hope you packed your thermals," You said with a snort.

Steve let out a short chuckle. "It's cold alright."

"No kidding, my nipples could cut glass," You joked.

"Hey Buck, remember how freezing it was riding in the back of those ice cream delivery trucks after we hit up Coney Island?" Steve reminisces with a smile.

Bucky mirrors his expression, completely engrossed in their stories. "Was that the time we used our train money to buy hot dogs?" he asks.

This side of them is something you rarely get to see, but when you did you shut the hell up enjoying being privy to it. You can't help but feel emotional as they recall their past adventures.

 "You blew three bucks trying to win that stuffed bear for that red head, remember?" Steve chuckles.

Bucky nods, a wide grin on his face. "What was her name again?"

"Dolores, you called her Dot," Steve reminds him.

Bucky shakes his head in disbelief. "She's gotta be a hundred years old by now."

Steve slaps Bucky on the back, and they share a reassuring look. "So are we, pal," Steve jokes. The contrast between their past and present hits you like a cold gust of wind.