I Wish I Could Tell You Something...

Part 15

*Oh, Sebby, My Sebby.*

At the tower, Steve and Bucky were rushing around trying to get everything prepared for the rescue. They were acting as though they were chickens with their heads cut off.

"Steve, did you get my gear from my floor?" Asked Bucky.

"I was going to get it as soon as I finish calibrating the new stealth gear that Bruce and Tony designed for the team to use on missions." Said Steve. James ran into the room.

"I wanna help." He said, running over to the elevator as though he was going to go fetch Bucky's heavy gear. Bucky laughed and followed after him and picked him up.

"No, Slugger. You know the rules. You are going to stay here with Clint and Thor while uncle Steve and I are gone getting your mama back." James' eyes got big. He didn't want to go back to that messed up daycare. Bucky understood his discomfort. "Don't worry. I gave them rules that they have to follow this time. It won't be as bad as last time. I promise." James wrapped his arms around Bucky's neck.

"But I wanna help." He mumbled. Bucky sighed.

"You are helping me, buddy." James looked up at him interested. "By staying here and staying safe, you are helping me the most. You are helping me more than Steve is."

"Really?"

"Of course, because you are my big boy who is a good helper." That did it. James was sold on the idea. Bucky put him down, and James ran around the room with his arms outstretched like an airplane.

"I'm helping! I'm a big boy!" He chanted as he ran around. Bucky chuckled and walked over to Steve.

"Way to go, Buck. He really believed you." Said Steve. Bucky nodded.

Both Steve and Bucky looked over at the elevator when they heard it arrive on the floor (Steve's) which they were on. Tony entered the room.

"How is everything coming?" Asked Tony.

"Pretty well, we think." Said Steve.

"Remember, if you all need anything, just ask. Please, it is the least I can do." Said Tony.

"Thank you, Tony. I really appreciate the gesture." Said Bucky. Tony nodded and remebered the reason for his visit. He walked closer to Bucky, nonchalantly, trying to look at his metal arm. The star was covered by a t-shirt sleeve.

"You know, Barnes, I am really interested in learning more about this arm of yours. It is truly amazing. Would you mind rolling up that sleeve. I'd like to look at where the metal meets the skin. I mean, if you don't mind." Bucky glanced over at Steve and then rolled up the sleeve. Tony scanned every inch of the shoulder, as fast as he could, but saw nothing our of the ordinary.

"Does it look as amazing as you imagined it to look?" Asked Bucky. Tony looked up at him and tried to form a response. He cleared his throat.

"Yes...umm..it is quite extraordinary. Would you...uh..mind if I took a closer look at it once you return with your wife?" Bucky shrugged his shoulders and put the sleeve back down.

"I guess. I've never had anyone interested in studying my arm." He said glancing over at Steve who's eyes were squinted in confusion.

"Great. Well, I hope that the final planning for the rescue goes well."

"It'll be better now that we are here." Said Sam from in front of the elevator. Scott stood next to him. They had both apparently arrived during the arm confusion.

"I'll leave you all to it. I wish you all the best of luck." Said Tony as he departed from the floor.

"From everything I've heard from Dr. Pim, that was a surprising way for a Stark to act." Said Scott.

"Even Stark's can be surprising on occasion." Said Bucky.

"How are you two doing with the packing?" Asked Sam.

"We think we have almost everything ready. I have to get my gear, but other than that, I'm not sure what else there is to pack." Said Bucky.

"I'll go grab that now." Said Steve, and he left the room.

"How are you feeling?" Asked Scott. Bucky sighed.

"As good as I can be, I think. I really just need her to be here. I have been without her for too much of my life. After this mission, I'm done. No more missions for me. I need to keep her and James safe. I need to get a normal job and give us all a normal life, like it should have been. I owe it to them."

"Owe what?" Asked Sam.

"A house with a whitewashed fence, a yard for James to play in, and a dog. She told me a while back that she wanted all of that. I want it too. I want it for her, but mostly for James. I don't want him to have to grow up in a crowded apartment building with no grass in sight. I don't want him to have to worry about whether or not he will have food to eat when he gets home from school. I will be there for them so that (Y/N) doesn't have to work two jobs to afford living in a dump of an apartment. I will give them better, and I will be there for them. I will give them better than what I had. That's what I owe to them, Wilson. It's what they deserve." Sam and Scott were speechless for a few moments.

"Well, then, it's a good thing you got us. We're gonna make sure that your dreams get to be reality." Said Scott. Bucky smiled at them.

"Thank you, guys. I really appreciate it." Just then Steve arrived in the elevator with Bucky's tactical gear.

"Did you know that Natasha was leaving this morning?" Asked Steve. Bucky was surprised.

"No. I knew she was going to be gone when we would be rescuing (Y/N), but I didnt realize she would be leaving the morning we are going. That is really strange." Said Bucky.

"I want to know why she has been acting so strange. She can be distant at times, but she has been acting even more distant than normal. Almost like she has been hiding something." Said Steve. Bucky nodded his head.

"I agree. Well, we can't focus her behavior now. We need to focus on the rescue. Hopefully in 24 hours, we will be on our way back here with (Y/N). That's all that matters now."

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You, Clara, and Nikolai all paced around your cells, anxious for the next day's plans. You all looked over to the main door when you heard it being unlatched. You saw two Hydra guards supporting Gabe as they took him back to his cell. One unlocked the door, and then they threw him in. He fell on the floor with a grunt. The guards then left the hall, and the door was locked once again.

"Gabe, are you ok? What did they do to you? Where were you?" You bombarded him with questions. He stayed where he had been thrown.

"There is a plan. Danger is eminent. Beware. Death comes quickly." You were confused. You looked across the way at Clara, and she looked puzzled too.Where his comments directed towards your plan? Did Pierce know about the plan? No, that would be impossible. It must be some other plan that Gabe was talking about. But what plan, and what death was eminent?

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I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS UPDATE IS SO LATE!!!!! This does still count as gift number three, though, so Merry belated Christmas! I hopefully will be updating a little more often as this story does draw near its conclusion (😭 enter dramatic sobbing here).

This book is now officially 3/4ths of the way done. That thought makes me sad. Anyway, last night, I stayed up for an hour and planned out all of the following chapters, so I now know how everything will end, and how we get there! It is scary information to know, FYI.

Anyway, I have nothing else to add! Have a great (enter length of time till the next chapter gets posted)!

Love you all!

~Peggy 💙😆⚘😙