Echoes of Blue

Chapter Eleven

The meeting room felt unusually tense as the entire team gathered, Nick Fury standing at the front with a solemn expression. The atmosphere shifted when Fury cleared his throat, capturing everyone's attention. "I've got some information regarding Lia," Fury started, his one eye scanning the room before landing on Lia, who sat between Natasha and Wanda. Bucky, Steve, and Sam sat on the other side of the table, all quiet, waiting for Fury to continue. Lia frowned, feeling a knot form in her stomach. "What do you mean?"

Fury pressed a button, and the screen behind him lit up with an old, grainy photograph. It showed a masked figure, standing beside Bucky as the Winter Soldier, his expression cold and void of emotion. "This photo was taken over ten years ago," Fury explained. "At the time, Hydra had control of both of you." Lia's heart skipped a beat. "Wait... me? That's not me." She shook her head, staring at the masked figure. "It can't be." Fury's gaze softened. "We're not certain, but the resemblance is striking."

Bucky leaned forward, his brows furrowed as he studied the photo. "I don't remember this," he admitted, his voice strained. "If this is Lia... I don't remember her being there." Steve glanced between Bucky and Lia, his expression thoughtful. "It's possible your memories of her were erased... like they were with other parts of your time under Hydra's control." Lia's head was spinning. She felt Natasha's hand on her arm, a silent gesture of support, but her thoughts were racing. "There's no way that's me," Lia muttered, but her voice wavered with uncertainty. "I don't remember anything from that time."

Wanda chimed in softly, "The mind is complicated. It's possible they buried those memories so deep that they're hard to access." Fury nodded, taking over again. "There might be a way to find out for sure. T'Challa and Shuri in Wakanda have been working on memory recovery technology. They've helped Bucky before, and there's a chance they could help you too, Lia." Lia's eyes widened in nervousness at the mention of memory recovery. "Wakanda?" she echoed, her heart racing. "I... I don't know." Bucky's gaze remained fixed on her, the guilt from the Hydra base still fresh in his mind. He could see the fear in her eyes, the uncertainty. "It's your choice, Lia," he said quietly. "But they've done good work. If anyone can help, it's them." Steve nodded in agreement. "We can go with you. It doesn't have to be something you face alone." Fury added, "T'Challa is away on business, so the trip won't be for another week. It'll give you some time to prepare."

Lia bit her lip, her mind racing. "I don't know if I'm ready for something like this," she admitted softly. "What if... what if the memories I recover are too much?" Natasha squeezed her arm. "You don't have to decide right now. Take the time you need. But just remember, we'll all be with you." Lia nodded, though the fear lingered. "I'll think about it," she finally said. "I want to remember... but I'm scared."

The meeting ended, and the team slowly began filing out, leaving Bucky and Lia still seated at the table. Just as they were about to leave, Natasha paused at the door and smirked slightly before locking the door behind her. "You two need to talk," she said simply, her tone leaving no room for argument. Lia blinked, surprised. "Natasha—" she started, but the door was already closed. Bucky let out a nervous laugh. "Guess we're locked in."

Silence stretched between them, thick with the weight of everything unsaid. After a moment, Bucky finally broke it. "Lia... I'm sorry," he began, his voice quiet and full of regret. "For everything. For getting you hurt, for taking away your chance at answers... I never wanted to hurt you." Lia sighed, folding her arms as she stared at the floor. "I know," she replied, though there was still a trace of hurt in her voice. "But you did, Bucky. I just... I don't know how to move forward from here."

Bucky ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. "If I could go back, I would. I would've stopped him from shooting you without killing him. But in that moment... I just reacted. I was so scared of losing you." Lia's heart softened at his words, but the wound was still fresh. "I get that," she said softly. "I do. And I know you didn't mean to... but now it'll be harder to get those answers." Bucky's expression crumpled with guilt. "I'm so sorry," he repeated. "If I could fix it, I would. I just want you to be okay."

Lia closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She wasn't fully ready to let go of her hurt, but she missed him—missed their connection, missed their closeness. "It's going to be hard, Buck," she admitted. "This whole thing—remembering my past, if that even happens... it's going to be a lot." Bucky nodded, stepping closer to her. "Trust me, I know." he said quietly. "But I'll be with you through it all. If you let me." Lia looked up at him, searching his face for a moment before sighing. "I miss you," she whispered.

Bucky's heart clenched at her words. "I miss you too," he said softly, stepping forward and gently pulling her into his arms. He held her tightly, as if afraid to let go. "I just wish I could go back and fix it all." Lia rested her head against his chest, the familiarity of his embrace soothing her. "We can't go back," she murmured. "But... maybe we can move forward." Bucky pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, relief flooding him. "You really mean that?" Lia nodded, offering a small, tentative smile. "Yeah. I mean that."

Bucky exhaled, the weight of guilt and fear lifting slightly. "Thank you," he whispered, his forehead resting against hers for a moment before he released her. "Let's just take it one step at a time," Lia said, her voice steady but soft. "One step at a time," Bucky agreed.

They left the meeting room together, the tension between them finally beginning to ease. As they entered the dining room where the rest of the team was gathered for dinner, Lia found herself sitting beside Bucky. He glanced at her, and she offered him a small smile—one filled with a hint of hope. Bucky's heart swelled, knowing that, even though the road ahead would be tough, they were finally starting to find their way back to each other.