Alchemy Jones → Bucky Barnes [1]

19|KEP AND NICO

Bucky sat beside Ally's hospital bed, watching her lay still in the curtained cubicle. He stared down at the white tiled floor as there was nothing else to look at. He could hear the grunts from a patient who didn't have the same luck Ally did. That at least made him glad for the curtains, he didn't have to see what kind of trauma hid behind.

He was back in Brooklyn, back in the hospital he watched Steve's mother slowly die, the same hospital he was born in almost twenty-five years ago. Now, he was there because Ally had been shot by HYDRA's leader, the infamous Red Skull. She passed out before anything truly terrifying happened. He was glad she was unconscious, he didn't want her to see the suspense of him and Steve escaping the base.

She stirred in her sleep, her shoulder wrapped with gauze and white bandages. It startled him to see her like that because he was like that only days ago. Steve tried to get Bucky to talk about what had happened while he was held prisoner to HYRDA, but all Bucky could tell his friend was that they had experimented on him just like they had Steve.

Only, Bucky didn't do it as willingly.

"Hey," Ally's voice brought him down to Earth. "My shoulder hurts."

Bucky immediately leant forward to kiss her lips. "You scared the living shit out of me doll, I thought you were gonna die back there."

Ally sat up with the help of Bucky, looking down at her healing wound. "What happened? I remember I was shot but it all happened so vividly– almost as if it was a slow motion film."

"You rescued me from HYDRA sweetheart, you and Steve. If it weren't for you two, I'd probably be dead or maybe something even worse. We were about to escape but the Red Skull and Zola stopped us and well...he shot you," Bucky explained, trying not to think about his time spent as Zola's lab rat. "But the nurses said you're healing real fast."

Ally felt like her head was going to explode. As much as she tried to hold it in, the cry came out like a sudden storm. The beads of water started falling down one after another, slowly but enough for Bucky to climb into her bed and cradle her. "I thought I lost you," she mumbled into his chest. "I thought you were dead. You stopped answering my letters and I suddenly felt like I lost a part of me."

"I'm right here Ally," he kissed the top of her head. "I'm right here doll and I'm not leaving."

"Did Steve tell you?" she sniffled. "About everything?"

"I told you that you were meant for so much more." Bucky nodded his head, lacing their fingers together. "The SSR wants you to be the female face of the war."

Ally shook her head. "I'm not meant for this, I can't do that. Steve was meant to be the Captain America that the public sees and will praise. He was supposed to be a super soldier and save people, lead them right into justice," she wiped her nose. "I didn't mean for this to happen to me."

"Take a deep breath alright?" he told her, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. "They won't release you unless you're collected and I damn well know you want to take me home and show me off to your family. We don't have to talk about this now, let's just worry about getting you home."

"Okay," she agreed, taking in what felt like her first breath of air. "I can do that."

"If you can do that doll, you can do anything."

—

Ally was discharged from the hospital earlier that afternoon. Together, Bucky and her took a taxi straight to the Jones' residence. Having to explain how she got shot in the shoulder was the hardest part, they had to think of a really detailed allaby. Steve was busy with the governor at the SSR headquarters, they'd be meeting up for drinks later that night.

The plan was to tell her parents she was shot in combat, which was technically true. She was rushed out of the battleground and there would be no mention that she was actually in Austria.

They walked up to the front door, Bucky carrying Ally's suitcase. Ally looked up at him and chuckled. "You've been fixing you hair for five minutes now Buck, it's just my family."

"Yeah I know but this is gonna be my first impression as your boyfriend."

Ally couldn't help the silly grin on her face. "I guess that's true, isn't it?"

The door swung open and Rosa grabbed both of them, squeezing them tightly in her arms. Ally winced but said nothing, she was too overjoyed to comment on her gun wound which was now just a subtle bruise. "Dio benedica la tua anima!" she sobbed, grateful to see Bucky just as much as Ally. "I'm so glad you are safe James."

"Hello Rosa," he pulled away, smiling like an idiot. "It's good to see you again ma'am."

Two boys in suspenders came running down the stairs, both shoving each other to get to the door first. Kepler, being the oldest and tallest, made it first and smothered Ally. "You say goodbye to Nico but not me? I'm beginning to understand where I stand big sis– Bucky Barnes!" Kepler shook his hand and slapped him on the back. "It's good to see you man."

Nico came out from behind Kepler, his hands shoved in his pockets. "Come on guys! I've got something to show ya'!"

Bucky and Ally exchanged a look before following Nico down the hallway and into the backyard. What awaited was something completely unexpected. As the two entered the backyard, Bucky felt his lips tug up even more and Ally covered her face.

Strung from two trees was a banner that read 'Welcome Home Bucky!'. Though it was just Kepler and Nico who had done it, Bucky was beyond grateful. He looked down at the smaller boy, smiling proudly.

"It was Nico's idea," Kepler explained. "He got the paint and banner, I just helped string it up."

"It's great, really, thank you." Bucky said, still admiring the banner.

"You boys never seize to amaze me." Ally wrapped her free arm around Nico, and then Kepler.

Rosa and Harold stood by the doorframe, watching their daughter and Bucky gape over such a small token of appreciation. They loved Bucky and Steve, but they somehow always had a feeling Bucky would join their family in a different way then Steve did. "Come on boys, let them have a second to themselves."

Ally kissed her brothers on the cheek. "I love you guys so very much." she told them as they left, one after the other. Ally leant her head against Bucky's shoulder. "I think they like you more than me."

"Well, if it counts, I like you more than them." Bucky smirked.

"Shut up," she groaned. "That was so cheesy."

"You loved it."

"Yeah, I did."

—

Nico came out from behind Kepler, his hands shoved in his pockets. "Come on guys! I've got something to show ya'!"