Gravity - B. Barnes

-17-

"There's my girl!"

"Samantha!" Kat laughed as Sam slunk down the steps of his Louisiana home and embraced her. "Oh, it's good to see you. I missed you."

"I missed you too, KitKat, even if you are annoying as hell."

She laughed again. It felt good to laugh. "Oh, you love me and you know it."

"He does. He hasn't stopped talking about you coming for a week." Sarah stepped out onto the porch and Kat approached to embrace her.

"I thought that was me he was excited to see." Bucky pouted as he carried their luggage up the stairs, smiling as he clapped Sam on the back.

"Oh don't worry, your bromance is still in tact." Sarah chuckled as she embraced Bucky.

"Buck, why don't you take those upstairs while I catch up with KitKat." Bucky nodded, planting a quick kiss on her forehead as he passed.

Sam sank onto the porch steps and Kat followed. "I really did miss you, Sammy. It's been, what? Four months?"

"Five, I think."

Kat nodded as she thought of the last time she'd seen her old friend. Max had been arrested in Bucky's apartment, and a week later Sam had flown in.

"Any updates on the charges?"

"Supposed to be some motion hearings coming up, but Bucky and I don't have to attend. Victims witness advocate will handle it with the lawyers. No date for a trial yet. Could be months...or years."

Sam hummed in response. "But you're doing okay?"

"Yeah. For the most part. Work is good. Bucky is...amazing..."

"But?" Sam leaned back and crossed his arms.

Shrieks of joy and laughter came from the other side of the house, followed by a roar as Cass and AJ came careening around from the back of the house, Bucky chasing them.

Kat chuckled softly and shook her head, a small smile crossing her features. "He's such a dork. He's come a long way from when we met."

"He really has. You're good for him." She rolled her eyes. "You got a good thing here. You deserve a good thing."

"Do I, though?" She glanced at Sam, who stared at her in challenge. "I'm serious. Look at all the trouble I've caused to-"

"No. Max caused that trouble. Not you. That wasn't your fault. He wasn't who he seemed when you met him."

"But-"

"And he was wrong about you. Bucky? He's got it right. Trust him."

"Sammy-"

"And I'm proud of you. For getting out when you saw the truth about Max. Most women don't leave and if they do, they barely survive it. Not only did you survive, you won. You got justice. He's going to go away for a long time, and you have someone who loves you way better than he ever did. Embrace it, Kat. Enjoy it. But don't tell me about the gory details. I don't wanna know about what you two do when you're alone. You can save that for Sarah."

Kat chuckled. "Noted." She watched as Bucky hoisted both of Sam's nephews in the air, kicking and screaming, before dumping them at the bottom of the stairs.

"Samuel, your nephews are terrors." Sam and Kat laughed at Bucky's comment as the boys tore off into the yard again, and Bucky sighed.

"You're good with them." Kat stood and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm gonna go cleanup after the flight and see if Sarah needs any help. Samantha doesn't want any juicy gossip so..." She winked and the screen door snapped shut behind her.