Bucky Barnes' Daughter

Chapter Forty-One

"What do you mean you're going to Russia?  Don't you have any idea how attendance works here or the simple fact we have a meet this weekend?  You can't keep disappearing every time you feel like it!"  Jason screams as Dima starts barking from his place downstairs.

"I have no choice."  I keep my calm even though his anger was making my heart race.  "I'll explain everything someday but right now isn't the time."

"Why do you keep secrets from me?  I thought you were my friend."  He turns to leave and I feel my emotions running wild.

My eyes close as more memories force their way to the surface.  It would be only a matter or time before he found out the truth.  He wouldn't want me after that.

"I am your friend," my voice broke as Jason left the room.  I fight the urge to run after him.  But there was no use offering an explanation when even I didn't understand my past.

"He'll understand when the time comes."  Ryan offers as he appears in my doorway.  I hoped he was right.  "Coulson offered us a team to help us find the man who wiped your memories."

"How much would they know about me?"  I ask as I put on my boots.

"Enough," he replies as I feel my hands shaking.  "We can't find him alone."

I knew he was trying to help but part of me wanted to do this on my own.  But i would never be able to escape my past and dragging more people into this mess would make things worse.

"HYDRA probably still has tabs on the guy with my memories. I just don't want anyone to get hurt."  I inform him as I grab my suitcase.  We head downstairs where Dima starts crying at me.  I felt guilty for leaving him here but I knew he would be well taken care of.

"What happens if my parents come home before we get back?"

"We'll cross that bridge if we get there.  Right now let's just worry about finding your memories first."  He responds as I kiss my dog goodbye. 

The drive to the airport took us a few hours.  I fell asleep sometime along the way, mostly because I didn't sleep at all last night.  The stress of hiding this from my parents and potentially discovering the truth, all added a lot of tension to this new adventure.

When we arrived at the airport, Coulson's team was already waiting for us.  I nervously followed Ryan as he starts catching up with the SHIELD agents.  The agent in charge approaches me as I observe from my place by the car.

"I'm Agent May.    I'm in charge of this team."  She appeared stern but I could see a small amount of understanding in her eyes as I nod.

"Serenity, but you probably already knew that."  I reply before she leads me over to her team.  "Serenity this is Simmons, Fitz, and Skye."

"Is it true you turn into a cat?"  That was the first thing that Fitz had to ask.

I nod not wanting to go into details.  But then again, I haven't shifted since my brother died.  I start to wonder if my twin was actually my twin or not.  So many questions that needed answering.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Any idea where we're going?"  Skye asks as we sit around after eating dinner.

"Ukraine, by Kiev."  I respond as I continue rereading my journal, hoping for some sort of clue as to where we are going.  There was only six cities that he could possibly be in.  That being said, I don't want to stay in HYDRA's territory for too long.  Someone would tip them off to the fact I'm back.

My thoughts drift back to my brother.  Did they know he was dead, and that I was the one who killed him?

Hydra seems to always know when one of their experiments dies.  But if they knew he was dead, why didn't they send someone else after me?  I thought i was too valuable to allow me to escape?  

"You grew up under Hydra, what was that like?"  Skye asks as May joins us.  She seemed to be watching me like I was going to go on a killing spree or something.  I assume she has a high enough clearance to know everything about me.  Skye, however, was kind of in the dark.

"I don't remember much of my childhood.  That's why we're heading to find the mutant who locked away my memories.  But I remember the last ten years or so."  I inform her.

"How old are you?"

"Probably close to 75 years old.  But no I have no clue what year I was born."  I start flipping through the journal as I feel another memory coming to me.

"Winter, why don't I age?"  I stand staring at my reflection as Winter finishes gearing up for our upcoming mission.  I haven't aged in several years now.  Essentially I am stuck in a eighteen year old's body.

"If I knew, I would tell you.  Are you going to gear up?"  He comes over and wraps his arms around my waist.  I lean back against his chest as I focus on his beating heart.  I let my worries ebb away as his love washes over me.

"Do you love me?"  I ask before looking up into his eyes.  He smiles before leaning down to kiss me.  I put my hands behind his neck as I pull him closer.

"I'll always love you."  He promises before continuing to passionately kiss me.  Every part of me tingled as if his love could bring me back to life. 

"Promise to keep me safe.  Don't let them kill me."  I beg as he lifts me up in his arms.  His kisses threaten to make me lose focus.  "Promise me."  I demand as I take his face in my hands.

"You always make me promise that, and I always tell you the same answer."

"Just say it one last time."  I plead knowing I wouldn't hear him say it again.  Hydra will wipe his memories of these moments before we will have time to slip away again.  "Please."  

"I will always keep you safe."  I bury my head in his shoulder trying to remember every detail of this moment.  "I love you, Vera."