Battlefield ★ Bucky Barnes

XLIII. Only You Define You

It was nearing 8:30 P.M. Most of the passengers on the plane were taking the rest of the night to relax, but Connie wasn't one of them, despite orders she had been given to rest. Connie's only priority at the moment was finding Jemma and apologizing for everything she had said to her earlier. Her anger had driven her actions and her words, and at the time Connie was still trying to process everything that was happening to her. She felt guilty about the way she had snapped at Jemma for saving, and she felt guilty about making her upset. Now that Connie had processed everything to some extent and accepted it, she was ready to make things right with Jemma.

Connie padded quietly across the carpeted floor of the plane as she made her way toward the stairs. She would never be able to get over just how enormous the plane truly was, nor would she be able to get over just how luxurious it really was. She knew better than anyone that Nick had this plane constructed for Phil, and she couldn't help but wish Nick loved her as much as he loved Phil. Having her own plane would be a dream come true for Connie, but as of the moment, it was a bit far-fetched.

The sound of footsteps could be heard on the stairs, and Connie looked over to find Skye working her way down them. The moment Skye saw Connie, she smiled, a gesture in which Connie was quick to return. She hadn't seen or talked to Skye all day, so if felt nice to finally have the opportunity to do just that.

"Hey," Skye greeted her happily. "I was just coming to check up on you."

"Thanks, I appreciate that," Connie replied. She moved to sit down on the couch and Skye sat down beside her.

"So, how are you feeling? How are you?" Skye asked her. She was more than aware of what Jemma had given her earlier to make her heal so quickly, but she had been so busy handling other matters that she wasn't aware of anything else that had happened. Skye worried, though, that Connie would be forced to suffer the same side effects that Phil had, but because no one but Jemma knew what was really going on with Connie, Skye was forced to continue worrying alongside everyone else.

Connie shrugged and began to play with her hands, a habit she had picked up within the last few hours since she'd woken up. "I'm still struggling a bit to come to terms with everything, but I think after everything calms down I'll be okay again. . .hopefully."

Skye cocked a brow, unsure of what exactly she was referring to. "Come to terms with what, Connie?"

"They didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Skye asked curiously. "I've been with Phil all day working on a bunch of S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff. What's going on?"

Connie let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "Well, the stuff that Jemma injected me with sort of removed any trace of the super-soldier serum from my body; my DNA is as normal as can be and my blood is clean."

"Oh my god, doesn't that mean you're. . ." Skye trailed off as she grew wary about what to say next, but Connie knew exactly where she was going with her words, and she nodded as if to confirm that her words were true.

"It means that I am no longer a super-soldier," Connie said quietly with a frown on her face. It was still difficult for her to think that she no longer had her abilities, and it was difficult enough knowing that after the day was over, Connie would be forced to start all over again, or so it seemed. "Everything I am and everything I've been. . .stripped away by the touch of a single needle. Some people would look at me and laugh knowing why I was so upset, but those people wouldn't know that I feel as if I've lost who I am."

Skye shook her head quickly and placed a comforting hand on Connie's shoulder. "No, don't think like that, Connie. Sure, the serum might have helped you become the person you are today, but the serum itself does not define who you are as a person; you define who you are as a person. A solution in a bottle can't do that for you."