Echoes of Blue

Chapter Fourteen

The Quinjet touched down at the Avengers compound in silence. The ride back from Wakanda had been heavy—emotionally more than physically. Lia sat quietly, staring out at the clouds as Bucky was lost in thought across from her, occasionally glancing her way but saying nothing. Steve piloted, his mind processing the memories they'd uncovered and what they meant for both Lia and Bucky. Lia struggled to grasp the reality of it all. She was a Hydra weapon. Bucky had been her partner, her love, and then he'd left her behind, whether he remembered or not. The weight of that betrayal—not of intent but of circumstance—hung between them.

As they stepped off the jet, the compound doors slid open, and Natasha and Wanda rushed out to greet them. "Hey, you're back!" Natasha said, smiling brightly, but her smile faltered when she saw Lia's face. "What happened?" Wanda immediately noticed the shift in Lia's energy, her brows furrowing in concern. "Lia?" she asked softly, stepping forward. "Sorry, I'm just... exhausted," Lia replied, her voice heavy. "I think I need to rest before we go over everything in the meeting." Her friends exchanged a glance, but neither pushed further. Natasha shot Steve a questioning look. Her eyes flickered between him and Bucky, clearly asking, What happened?

Lia didn't wait for an answer. She turned and walked back inside, her head low as she disappeared down the hall. Natasha turned to the men, crossing her arms. "What's going on?" Steve took a deep breath. "We recovered a lot. Memories from Hydra. It turns out..." He looked at Bucky, who was staring at the ground. "It turns out Bucky and Lia knew each other. They were partners—and I guess in love." Wanda's hand flew to her mouth. "Holy shit..." Natasha's eyes widened. "Wait, what? And you both just remembered?"

Bucky nodded slowly, jaw clenched. "Yeah. And then... I left her behind when I escaped Hydra. I didn't remember her, but still, I—" He stopped himself, unable to finish the thought. Wanda sighed, her heart breaking for Lia. "That's a lot for her to process in one day." Natasha placed a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "And for you too. You didn't know. None of this is your fault."

Bucky wasn't so sure. He watched as the girls followed Lia inside, but he stayed back, his mind a whirl of guilt, anger, and confusion. He turned to Steve. "I can't believe it, Steve. We were in love, and then it was all wiped away, just like that. I left her, and she was alone in that hellhole." Steve shook his head. "You didn't leave her, Buck. You didn't remember. That wasn't your fault." "I should've gone back for her." Bucky's voice was rough, full of regret. "I should've destroyed Hydra to get her out of there." "But you didn't know," Steve repeated firmly. "They took those memories from you. And her." Bucky clenched his fists, his metal hand glinting in the sunlight. "That doesn't make it hurt any less."

A few hours passed before Bucky gathered the nerve to knock on Lia's door. When there was no answer, he hesitated for a moment before opening it gently. Lia was sitting on her bed, her hands glowing faintly with her blue energy, staring at the tendrils of light curling around her fingers. Her face was tight with sadness, lost in thought. Bucky quietly stepped inside, sitting on the edge of the bed beside her. "Lia..." She looked up at him, her eyes red and tired. He could see the confusion, the hurt written all over her face. Without thinking, he reached out, taking her hands in his. "Do you want to talk?"

Lia stared at their joined hands, and for a long moment, she didn't respond. Finally, she sighed. "I don't know what to say. I'm trying to wrap my head around all of this. Who I was. What they made me. And... you." Bucky's heart broke at the sight of her pain. He gently cupped her face, turning her to meet his gaze. "If I had remembered you, I never would've left. I would've destroyed everyone in my path to come back for you." Her lips curled into a sad smile, and she placed her hand over his. "I know. I just... it's a lot to process. Knowing we were... whatever we were, and then forgetting it all. Even though I understand why you left, it still hurts to know I was left behind."

Bucky exhaled slowly, brushing a tear from her cheek. "Where do we go from here? After everything we learned?" Lia shook her head. "I don't know. I think we both need to come to terms with everything before we can jump into anything. We can't just... pick up where we left off, like nothing happened. We've both changed." Bucky nodded, though his eyes betrayed the disappointment he felt. He had longed for her—without even knowing it—since the moment they met again. He had been drawn to her, attached to her, and now he understood why. "I want to get to know you. The real you. Now, not just the Hydra version of us," Lia continued softly. Bucky forced a smile. "Okay. We'll start from the beginning, then."

They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of their past still hanging between them. Bucky finally broke the tension, offering a small smile. "I'm gonna order some food. How about we spend the night talking, answering questions, maybe watching some movies?" Lia's smile was genuine this time. "Yeah... that sounds nice." For the first time since the memories had resurfaced, they both felt a small sense of relief. It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't easy, but it was a start.