Bound By Purpose

I'm Alright

It's getting later. With every passing moment my thoughts become worse and worse. We need to move out soon or we won't make it back to camp without being intercepted by other German soldiers. "Ready to head out?" Dugan asks me reading my mind. I bite my lip and solemnly nod. He lends his hand down to me and I'm about to take it but all of his attention is suddenly transferred to the distance. I whip my head around to see what's going on. A smile immediately takes me over. With all the strength I have left I push myself half up from my spot on the ground and let myself stumble forward. It takes a moment for Bucky to realize it but as soon as he sees me struggling forward he starts to run towards me. I'm about to stumble to the ground out of breath but we've reached each other. I jump into his arms and the momentum swings me around in a full circle before my feet are back on the ground again.

After so long of not being able to hold him, not even touch him, It finally feels like I'm safe. His arms are so tightly wrapped around me that I can barely breath, but I don't care at all. My eyes are closed and my head is on his shoulder. All that matters is that I have him back. He's safe and he's mine again. "Thank god you're alive." I say opening my eyes to see Steve standing behind us a few feet. I owe everything to Steve for getting him out. Bucky loosens his grip on me and I slowly slide backwards so I'm able to look into his eyes. There's something different about them. They look broken. He hasn't said a thing. What went on in there? The time for questions will be when we get back to base. I hide the concern in my eyes.

"Well I wasn't gonna leave you two behind, but it seems like you were both capable of handling everything yourselves." He says with a familiar smirk. His smirk makes me less nervous, and when he dips his head down for a kiss I let my fear slide away. When the men around us start to whistle and hoot at us we release. I look over Bucky's shoulder to Steve who is patiently biding his time.

"And you..." I start stepping towards Steve. I don't get very far though because Bucky won't let go of my hand, which I don't mind. "You're a sight for sore eyes. So glad you could make it Captain."

"My pleasure ma'am, what can I do for you?" I smile.

"First you can give me hug, and then; if you don't mind, show us back to base." He smiles and nods towards me before giving me an awkward hug. Bucky still won't let go of my hand and my other arm is useless so I can't quite devote my attention towards Steve. He steps back and yells out to the remaining soldiers.

"Base is about 15 miles west of here. If we leave now we can get there by morning. I don't know how many Hydra soldiers are behind us but I wouldn't count on them giving us grace if any caught up with us." The soldiers know they can trust Steve now. All around me people are moving in a tornado of new equipment and weapons. Left in the middle are Steve, Bucky and I.

"What about you Eve?" Steve says moving his hand to my shoulder to examine it. I almost forgot about it. I'm still in that numbing throbbing pain, but I'm beginning to grow extremely tired again.

"I'm alright." I say shrugging my shoulder away and into my own hand, that Bucky has finally let go of. "I said some stupid stuff when we were caught, and their leader didn't like that much so he shot me with some sort of... I don't know I just know it wasn't a bullet. But I had a medic wrap it up so I should be good to make it."

"Okay." He nods truly trusting what I've said. "Keep me updated. Howard will look at you when we get back." I give a small smile and nod at him. He turns and walks away to help some others with the injured.

"You are not 'alright'." Bucky says from behind me.

"Yeah and neither are you." I say turning. "I've studied you all my life, when your eyes aren't twinkling I know something's not right." I clench my jaw and stare into his dull eyes.

"Okay I'm not alright. I'll admit it, but you need to tell me the truth too, so we can help each other. You were... I thought you were gonna die. You didn't just get over it like a cold."

I kick the ground really not wanting to talk about it but needing to. "It's been on and off. Usually when my adrenaline goes down it starts to act up. Right now though I'm fine, besides being a little tired."

"That's all?" He says holding my upper arms.

"That's all." I confirm though it's a lie.

Steve reappears from the darkness. "You guys ready to head out? We've got a long walk ahead of us. There's room for both of you in a tank if you don't think you can make the walk."

"Nope I'm walking it." I say. "Give my spot to a soldier who's really hurt." I push past by both my boys and find Dugan in the crowd, not wanting to discuss the subject further. He hands me a gun that I sling across my back.

"Feeling up for this princess? It's a long march..."

"I can handle it." I say. Our caravan starts to move. With each step I can feel my body start to be taken over by the serum once again. I take a deep breath. I won't let it take me this time. I focus all my energy into the next step, and then the next, and the next. I'll finish this if it kills me.