Working With The Winter Soldier

Chapter Thirty One

"It's nice to have you back, Buck", Steve said.

Bucky leant back in his chair, "it's nice to be back"

"Jenkins didn't have comfy chairs?", Natasha teased.

"No, he's one of those rich guys with hard chairs", Bucky chuckled.

"I can agree with you there", Matteo said as he walked in the room. "My mother never cared for it."

"Matteo, hello. How you doing?", Bucky said as he looked up.

"I'm doing okay", He replied and sat down.

Nat and Steve looked at eachother.

"Maybe we should go", they said in unison.

Bucky screwed his eyebrows together, and with that, they fled the lounge.

"Any ideas on what that was about?", Bucky turned to Matteo.

Matteo sighed, "you've been gone a while"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise you had been longing for me", Bucky replied sarcastically.

Matteo shook his head, "You're a handsome man Barnes but no, that's not what I mean."

"Then what?", Bucky replied.

"I feel like, I should tell you", he screwed his eyebrows together, trying to think. "As I know, she won't be able to."

Bucky stared at him.

"Well she, um.", he paused. "We."

Bucky felt a sense of anger, feeling like he knew where he was heading.

"Seriously?", Bucky replied.

"What?", Matteo asked, confused.

"You guys are together now", Bucky stated.

Matteo screwed his eyebrows together this time.

"I thought you weren't into eachother like that?", Bucky asked.

"What? No", Matteo groaned. "We're not together."

Bucky was taken aback. "Then what was you trying to say?"

"We lost the baby."

They both sat there in silence. Bucky felt speechless for once, unsure of what to say.

Matteo sighed, "Y/N made it to 7 months, she was doing so well. We found out we was having a little girl, Y/N was so excited. She bought all the clothes, the bottles, the cribs. Everything. One day while I was helping Steve out on a mission, I get a call from Bruce. Y/N was experiencing some pain again, Me and Steve dashed back to the tower, but it was too late...." Matteo started to tear up, "Bruce tried everything he could, but nothing worked. Baby girl was trying to enter the world early, but there was complications"

"I'm so sorry", Bucky breathed.

"Y/N still hasn't come to terms with it, she's been distant to everyone, going her old ways I suppose, well atleast that's what everyone else has said.", he looked in the direction of the bedrooms, "if she's not on a mission, she spends all her time in her room, refusing to leave. I've tried talking to her, but it's been a lost cause. In reality, I don't know her all too well."

"Has Nat tried?", Bucky suggested.

Matteo turned back to him, and nodded. "We all have, she just sits there in silence."

"Oh", Bucky replied.

"She was mad when you left, by the way", Matteo changed the subject.

Bucky sighed.

"She said she had a good thing going on with you, she never felt as happy as she did. But once you disappeared, it all went away.", Matteo added.

"I really wanted to tell her...", Bucky replied.

Matteo smiled slightly, "I know".

"Any suggestions?", Bucky asked.

"Be gentle, take your time. Im sure she'll warm up to you again.", Matteo replied.

Bucky just nodded.

"Anyway, that's what I wanted to tell you. I'm sure you wanted to ask where the baby is and meet them. I'm sorry it turned out to be a different story.", Matteo said while standing up.

"I'm sorry it was different for you", Bucky replied.

"It's okay, our baby was too precious to be on Earth. Maybe in another lifetime", Matteo gave him a small smile and left the room.

-

"You understand what you did was a massive violation, Grant?".

"Mhm", Y/N hummed in response.

"Mhm? Is that all you can say?", Fury asked.

Y/N just nodded.

Fury shook his head, "breaking your comms system, during a high steaks mission, is unforgivable, and a means to a high punishment"

Y/N looked at her lap.

Fury sighed, "Y/N, talk to me. What happened out there?"

Y/N slowly looked at him.

"I'm not sure...", she said quietly. "I guess the moment I saw it was Barnes, a sort of rage took over. I couldn't hear Sam over the comms, just noise. I didn't know what he was saying, I just know the noise was irritating me."

Fury stayed quiet, pleased she was opening up.

"When Barnes left, he didn't tell me why. And then seeing he was working for the other side brought back so many feelings and trauma, that I just lunged for him, I wasn't thinking straight. I haven't for months...", she stopped talking and stared back down at her lap.

Fury sighed and knelt down in front of her, trying to look in her eyes.

"Y/N, its okay to be in pain. I told you it was going to take some time to heal. I should, but I'm not going to give you punishment for your actions. However I am ordering you to desk duty. Just for a few weeks, or more if you need too. I really want you to work this case with Barnes, but that's something you can do from a desk.", Fury said.

"But-", she tried to say.

"I know, I know. You're annoyed at Mr Barnes, I'm not gonna stop you from being mad at him. Just work with him. Please?"

"Fine.", she replied.

Fury stood up and made his way to his chair.

"I think I also recommend you reestablish your talks with Dr Marshall", Fury suggested.

"I never stopped them", Y/N replied.

"Oh, well then. Continue with what you're doing", He replied.

Y/N nodded and left the room.

Fury picked up his phone and dialed a number.

After a few seconds of ringing, a 'hello?' Was heard from the phone.

"I think it's time we went ahead with Operation Frost", Fury replied.