Familiarity

Chapter 14

"HYDRA knows," Director Fury stated, looking at each person sitting at the table in one of the conference rooms at SHIELD. Emilia couldn't help but think back to what Bucky had said a few days ago and how they knew and that she should have laid low, but she didn't and now her father was buried six feet under. She kept her eyes on her hands, her fingers fiddling with the zipper on her leather jacket as Fury continued.

"They want their weapon back, and we need to stop them from getting it. I need Emilia Hate under protective services as HYDRA has caught wind of her accomplishments and wants that technology for themselves," Fury explained. At the mention of her name, Emilia's heart started to race, she looked over at Bucky who kept his sight on the table, his attention on Fury's words.

"I can watch over Emilia and Bucky," Steve started, but Fury cut him off quickly looking over to him.

"I'm sure you can Rogers, but I want Romanoff on this one. You need to stay in Washington and help me with something else," he ordered. "SHIELD will be sending the three of you to Compiègne, France to keep you on the down low. Don't do anything stupid over there. Dr. Hate, I have already sent agents to your place to grab your things. You'll leave tonight, I will be in contact later." He exited the room leaving most people at the table stuck in a daze.

Steve stood up, being careful not to make much noise with his chair, and followed the director down the hall. "Alright Hate, let's get moving," Natasha said standing up too.

Emilia followed instructions, still numb from the events that unfolded over the week and before she knew what was happening, she was on a plane sitting beside Natasha and Bucky.

"Compiègne, such a cute town. It's only an hour away from Paris you know," Natasha said as they took off, just trying to fill the suffocating silence. "Look, I don't want to be here just as much as you, so can you at least talk to me?"

"Why did we leave my mother?" Emilia asked.

"She's not in danger, your father just got caught in the crossfire," she said quickly rolling her eyes to look down to the back of the plane.

Emilia scoffed turning away from the two and crossing her arms over her chest ignoring whatever that redhead had to say to her for the rest of the flight.

**

"Here we are," Natasha said hopping out of the small taxi paying the man in cash.

They arrived at a farm house with a large amount of yard, and a barn tucked behind the house. The house was made of stone, and had moss growing up the walls, Emilia could only imagine what it was going to be like inside. She grabbed her duffle bag and made her way to the door, finding it unlocked. She opened it and stepped inside. The house smelled like old and musty, but considering how far off the map it was, it was nice. Not too fancy but not too old school either, obviously property of SHIELD. She walked up the stairs and saw two doors at one end of the hall, and two at the other. She explored and claimed the room beside the bathroom, leaving Natasha and Bucky to fight over which room they wanted. She hated the fact that she was in a secluded house in the middle of France, with the love of her life, and couldn't even find the energy to blink. She sat on the edge of her bed looking around her room when Natasha knocked on her door.

"Hey, do you think you could take the room down the hall, it'd be easier to keep you guys safe if you were closer," she explained standing in the doorway.

"Uh, yeah I guess so," she answered grabbing her bag and exiting the room. When she walked past Natasha, the woman stopped her.

"I'm sorry for being so insensitive earlier about your dad, I just don't get fazed by that stuff anymore."

 "It's okay," she muttered walking down to the rooms. She opened the door to the room on the inside that seemed to be already occupied. There was a bag thrown on the bed and a shirt sprawled over the footboard.

"Uh, this is my room," Bucky mumbled from behind her making her jump.

She jumped further into his room to get out of his way, and instantly turned red when she saw he was just wearing a towel. Damn he was ripped, she thought staring at his bare chest. He shuffled past her uncomfortably, keeping his metal arm on his side farthest from her. "Sorry," she said still standing in his room.

"Do you mind leaving?" he asked slowly trying to sound polite.

"Oh right, yeah, I'll just go over to my room," she chuckled walking backwards out of the room. His blue eyes were intense, he watched her back out of his room and shut the door. "Fuck, why am I so embarrassing?" she mumbled turning to her room.

"It was kinda cute," Natasha called from down the hall.

Emilia turned around quickly staring wide eyed at the woman leaning against her doorframe.

"No it wasn't."

She walked into her room sighing before collapsing on her bed. She closed her eyes breathing in deeply and started to cry. She tried to be as quiet as possible, letting the tears drop down her cheek, as her throat went raw from struggling to keep the sobs inside. It was a tough week, and she hasn't been in contact with her best friend since Alex's funeral, and it pained her that she cannot be there for her mother back in Washington. There were so many things she could list off that would make the pain in her chest intensify, so she tried to stay numb and not think, and that's what she did as she wasted time laying on her bed.

"Emilia," Bucky knocked on her door.

She opened her eyes, and to stare at him, he's image blurry due to the amount of crying she had done. "Yeah?"

"Are you hungry?"

"No, not really," she said still looking at him, taking in the view.

He suddenly took long strides towards her, causing her heart to speed up, she was not expecting him to react like that. He sat himself down beside her on her bed, their shoulders no more than an inch apart. "I know," he said quickly, almost too fast that Emilia didn't catch it.

"You know what?"

"You're Connie's granddaughter, and it's okay. I'm okay with it," he whispered looking at his feet resting on the ground beside hers, whose toes barely grazed the boards. She shook her head unsure of what he was talking about, then he grabbed her hand and she died a little. His hand was warm, and calloused from years of being an assassin, she looked up from their hands to his eyes, not sure how to react.

She smiled slightly, the corner of her mouth tugging gently at her lips as she grabbed his metal hand too, cold in contrast to his other. "And it's not weird?" she asked still hung up on the whole dating the girl and then dating the girl's granddaughter thing.

"Not at all, you're not my kid," he chuckled. "It's okay to have feelings like that, I've heard about that genetic memory you talk about before. You can't control your feelings, but I'm sure it'll pass.

It surprised Emilia that he could joke like that, thought that he would be serious all the time, she didn't know what to say. His words pained her. He thought what she felt wasn't genuine, and here she was thinking this conversation was going to go somewhere else. Emilia pulled both her hands back from his and nodded keeping her gaze on the floor.

"Let's go get something to eat," he said standing up.

She nodded following him down to the kitchen in silence.