The Spark That Never Dies Part: One

Chapter Twenty-Four

You woke up with a jolt, but thankfully Natasha didn't seem to notice as she laid with her back turned, snoring softly.

Covered in a cold sweat, you slipped out from the bed and went to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror you saw a flash of her beaten and bloodied face before you blinked, making your current state come into view. You didn't even realize how heavily you were breathing until you glanced down to flick on the faucet, forcing you to notice your heaving chest. You put your hands under the water that soon started running red and you panicked, shutting it off.

Taking a deep breath, you braced yourself on the sink, and peered up again at your reflection. This time you weren't alone, it was your father behind you with an evil smile that had goosebumps popping all over your skin. Before you could even process what was happening, he grabbed you by your hair and slammed your skull into the mirror. Your vision was cluttered with black spots and you opened your mouth to scream, but nothing came out. The searing pain in your head rattled you, making you start to shake from the blow. But it wasn't over as he grabbed your hair again, your fingernails clawing at his arms, drawing blood, and he only laughed as he lined you up for the cracked mirror. The first hit made the break of a spider web in your reflection and your own blood seeped from it as he breathed on your neck, pulling you back to help his projection before slamming you back into it, his contorted grin being the last thing you saw before everything went black.

This time when you woke up, Natasha was shaking you.

"Fuck, I'm sorry." You bent your knees and put your head between them, regulating your breathing.

It was something you taught yourself to do every night when Hydra would let you sleep, and the fear would finally set in. It was in the beginning before they made you into their machine where all feeling was lost.

"Stop apologizing." She pleaded in a whisper, rubbing your back comfortingly.

"Try to go back to sleep." You told her, crawling out of bed.

"Not without you."

"I'm just gonna grab a glass of water," You softened as you looked back at her, sitting up in your bed with the blanket falling near her hips, "I'll be right back, okay?"

You were silently begging her to let you go, just to tell you in that moment that she was fine, that everything was fine. You needed the false sense of security to get your head screwed on straight again.

"Okay." She reluctantly agreed, laying back down, and subtly watching as you grabbed a robe before leaving.

You tied it around your waist and strolled down the hall, knowing you were just stalling for her to fall back asleep so she wouldn't notice when you never did. Padding your bare feet out of the elevator, you tried to clear your mind.

Nightmares were normal and you have dealt with them for years.

Natasha is safe and your father is dead.

Finally glancing ahead of you, you noticed you weren't alone on your little adventure to the kitchen.

"Hey, Bucky." You greeted and he smiled sadly into his cup.

"Hi, doll."

"Nightmares?"

"Yeah," He nodded solemnly, "They've been terrible lately."

"Really?" You frowned, "Is it because of everything with Hydra?"

"I think it's because my pet shop buddy has been missing for almost two weeks."

"I'll go get dressed." You smiled, reached up to kiss his cheek, and then padded back to the elevators.

~Small Time Skip~