We Can't Go Back

Something to Fight For

The tension from the other night held for several days but eventually, through gentle touches and reassuring words, they began to fall back to their normal.

They didn't talk about the truth Bucky unloaded or the words that she said to him. She didn't tell him she loves him again but she showed him in every word and action.

There were issues to be sure but they were happy. They should have known that it wouldn't last. It never really did with them.

She was cooking lunch when she got a call. Steve had called a few times to check in but the calls were basically just to hear her voice. He would know if there was something wrong through their renewed twin bond but they missed each other. The calls never long enough for the call to be tracked. Still, it had been a month since his last check up.

However, when she picked up the phone, she could immediately tell that something was wrong.

"Liz?"

"Steve? What's wrong?" She asked panicked.

Steve hesitated and she knew that he didn't want to make this call. She already knew what he would say before he could say it.

"We need you, Liz. I need you," Steve said pained.

Then Steve went on to tell her about Ultron and his plan to destroy the world. She should have never left Tony unsupervised.

"If this literally wasn't the end of the world, I never would have called you," Steve said.

She had sat down and was staring blankly at the floor. She wasn't prepared to leave. She didn't want to fight. She wanted to stay on this little farm on the coast of Ireland with the love of her life. She didn't have a choice though. If she didn't fight, there would be no farm and no love of her life.

"I'll be there soon. Where are you?" she asked.

"Seoul. We are waiting for a quinjet. Barton had to bring the cradle to Stark," Steve said.

"Who's 'we'?" She asked.

"It's a long story but we'll meet you in New York," he said.

"I'll beat the quinjet so I will pick you guys up. I just have to say goodbye first," she said.

She could tell her brother hated this. She knew that he hated to tear her away. Not just for her sake but Bucky's as well.

"I'll see you soon," she promised before hanging up the phone.

"Goodbye?" She heard his pained voice from behind her.

She turned and nearly dropped the phone in surprise.

"Who are you saying goodbye to?" He asked though they both knew the answer.

"That was Steve. He needs me," Lizzie tried to say as nonchalantly as possible. He would never let her go knowing the danger she was headed into.

"Don't do that," he said angrily.

"Don't do what?" She asked.

"I'm not stupid. Steve loves us both too much to pull you out of Project Recover Bucky unless it was for a really good reason and I mean a life or world ending reason. So either Steve is dying or the world is," Bucky explained.

She knew he wasn't stupid but him putting this much together was dangerous. He's a fighter and he won't let her go that easy. Still, she never had a very good poker face.

"They need me," she said.

"I need you," Bucky pointed out stubbornly.

"They need me more," she said sadly.