Echoes of Blue

Chapter Nine

The Quinjet descended towards the Avengers compound, the usual smooth landing completely overshadowed by the urgency gripping the team. Inside, everyone was tense, the sound of Lia's shallow breathing the only thing breaking the silence. Bucky held her tightly in his arms, his face pale with fear, refusing to let her go.

As the jet's doors opened, Tony, Bruce, Wanda, and Sam were waiting outside, laughing and ready to greet them after what they thought was a successful mission. But their smiles faded the moment they saw Steve and Natasha rushing out, followed closely by Bucky, who was carrying Lia's unconscious body. "What the hell happened?" Tony's voice was sharp, eyes widening as he took in the scene. "Bruce, we need the med bay, now!" Steve barked, already moving towards the entrance with Natasha by his side. Bruce snapped into action, gesturing for them to follow. "Get her inside, quickly. Tony, I need you in the lab!" Bucky followed them in, his eyes wild with panic, refusing to let go of Lia. He clutched her as if she might slip away at any second. Tony jogged alongside them, dialing in to JARVIS for a full med bay setup.

Once inside the medical room, Bruce quickly assessed Lia's condition. "Everyone out. Now," he commanded, his voice unusually stern as he began working on her wound. But Bucky wouldn't budge. "I'm not leaving her," he growled, his fists clenched, his gaze fixed on Lia's pale face. "Bucky, let them do their job," Steve said, placing a firm hand on his friend's shoulder. "I can't," Bucky's voice was shaking, panic laced with desperation. "I'm not leaving her." Steve squeezed his shoulder tightly. "You have to. She's in good hands. Let them help her, or she might not make it." Bucky's resolve wavered, but he finally let go, stepping back with reluctance. His eyes never left Lia as Bruce and Tony worked on her. Steve and Natasha guided him out, and the doors to the med bay slid shut.

Hours passed, it felt. Bucky paced outside the room, his mind racing. Every minute that passed felt like an eternity. Natasha and Steve stood nearby, exchanging worried glances, knowing there was little they could say to calm him down. Finally, the doors opened, and Tony and Bruce stepped out, both looking utterly exhausted. Bucky's heart raced. "Is she—" "She's stable," Bruce said, wiping his brow. "She'll be okay. The bullet... it was laced with something. It was stopping her from healing. But we managed to remove it." Bucky exhaled a shaky breath, relief washing over him. "Can I see her?" Tony nodded, though his expression was weary. "She's going to be sore for a while, but yeah, go ahead." Bucky didn't waste another second. He rushed inside the med bay, his footsteps quiet as he approached Lia's bed. She looked pale but peaceful, her breathing steady. He pulled up a chair next to her, his hands trembling as he gently took hers in his.

A small while later, Lia stirred, her eyes fluttering open. "Bucky?" His heart skipped a beat. "Lia," he breathed, leaning forward, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank God, you're okay." She offered a small smile, though her face was still pale. "I'm okay... don't worry about me." Bucky shook his head. "I was so scared... I thought..." His voice cracked, unable to finish the thought. Lia squeezed his hand, wincing a little as she shifted in the bed. "I'm fine. Just sore."

There was a moment of silence before she spoke again, her brow furrowing. "Bucky... what did that doctor at Hydra mean? He said... this was my home." Bucky stiffened. He had hoped she wouldn't remember that part. "I don't know," he didn't fully lie, though his voice wavered. "He was probably just trying to mess with your head, get in your mind to throw you off." Lia's eyes searched his, clearly unsure. "But what if he wasn't lying? What if there's something I cant remember? You know, how I'm unsure of my past." Her voice was quiet, filled with uncertainty. "Did you guys bring him into custody to question him?" Bucky's expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "No... I killed him." Lia's eyes widened in shock. "You... killed him?" "He shot you, Lia," Bucky said, his voice strained. "I wasn't going to let him get away with that." "But..." Her voice cracked slightly. "What if he had answers? What if I could've figured out who I am... where I came from?" Tears welled in her eyes, her frustration clear. "Now I'll never know."

Bucky's heart sank as he saw the hurt in her eyes. He reached out, trying to console her, but she turned her head away, overwhelmed by everything. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I... I just reacted. I didn't want to lose you." "I know," Lia whispered, her voice soft but strained. "But I needed answers, Bucky. Now I'll never get them." She closed her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I'm tired," she said quietly. "Can you... Can you please leave? I just need some time." Bucky felt a sharp pang in his chest. He stood up slowly, his throat tight. "Yeah... I'll go. I'm sorry."

He stepped out of the room, closing the door softly behind him. The moment he was outside, Steve and Natasha were there waiting. "How is she?" Natasha asked, concern in her eyes. Bucky shook his head, his voice low and filled with guilt. "She's upset. I think I... I fucked up. I reacted too fast. I killed the guy, and now she won't get any answers about her past." Steve frowned, glancing at Natasha. "What do you mean, about her past?" Bucky sighed heavily. "The doctor there, he said... that Hydra was her home. That she was one of them." Natasha's eyes narrowed, and Steve's jaw tightened. "We'll need to talk to Tony," Steve said, his voice firm. "If there's any way to dig deeper into her past, we need to find out what happened to her. There's got to be some records left at the base." Natasha nodded. "We'll look into it. We'll figure this out, Buck."

Bucky only nodded, his heart heavy as he glanced back at the med bay window. Through the glass, he could see Lia lying there, her shoulders trembling slightly as she cried quietly to herself. The sight broke him inside. "I just wanted to protect her," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. Steve placed a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "You did what you thought was right. We'll fix this." Bucky barely registered their words as Steve and Natasha walked away, already making plans to talk to Tony. He stared at Lia through the window one last time, his chest tight with regret. She needed answers—answers he had taken away from her.

And now, all he could do was leave her alone to her pain.