Bucky Barnes' Daughter

Chapter Fifty-Two

Ryan's POV:

I carried Serenity back to the jet SHIELD let me borrow to retrieve Serenity.  I wish I could have gotten to her sooner before the CIA tortured her for answers.  I knew the wounds were fresh and if our intelligence was correct, Serenity had been in their care for a total of two weeks.

"She's alive, right?"  Skye looked worried when she saw me carrying her.  "We didn't get here too late?"

"She's alive, just in a lot of pain.  They tortured her for answers."  I explain as I carry her into the infirmary we had on the jet.  Using my medical expertise I picked up from my father, I got to work setting up an I.V. and ensuring she wasn't in imminent danger at this present moment.

"Tell May to get us out of here.  I don't want them to change their minds."  I tell Skye who rushes upstairs.  "Come back to us."

"I'm awake."  She whispers but her eyes don't open.  "They wouldn't stop until I told them everything."  A single tear falls down her cheek.  "It lasted for hours."

"I won't let anyone hurt you again."  I assure her as I take her hand in mine.  The pain medications quickly took effect and she drifted into a dreamland.  My brother wasn't informed about Serenity's disappearance, but part of me wondered if I should have told him.  He cared deeply about the girl and knowing how intuitive he is, he'll discover the truth sooner rather than later.

Serenity slept for the entire ride back to the helicarrier.  It wasn't safe to bring her back to the Avengers right now.  We will need to make her disappear before the CIA releases her file to the media.  It would be a witch hunt if that happened.

"We'll be landing in a couple minutes."  Skye informs me as I glance at Serenity.  I watched her chest rise and fall as I tried to quiet my fears.  Where are we going to take her now where she'll always be safe?

"Has anyone alerted her parents?"  I ask Skye as she comes and takes the other seat in the room.

"They are going to meet us on the Helicarrier, but Ryan what are they going to say when they see her.  She's not doing so hot."

"She always pulls through."  I couldn't stop myself from saying it.  I knew Serenity deserved better than this but it was hard to grant her peace when her life was always going to be filled with people who wanted to kill her.

I fell the jet touch down and i quickly start disconnecting her from all the machines that were monitoring her health.  She doesn't stir when I pick her up in my arms and I was thankful she wouldn't remember anything right now.

"Serenity!"  Bucky immediately took his daughter from my arms the second I walked off the jet.  The two assassins looked exhausted but it quickly melted away when they saw the abuse she had suffered.

"We need to get her to the infirmary before she starts waking up again."  I inform the worried parents.  "She's going to be in a lot of pain when she wakes up."  

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

My eyes slowly fluttered open as I started to wake up.  My senses were numbed by the pain medications that were coursing through my body but I knew from the softer sheets and the pillow under my head, that I wasn't with the CIA anymore.

"Take it slow, sweetie."  Nat was at my side within seconds of me opening my eyes.

"Mommy," I couldn't say anymore than that before tears fell down my cheeks.  I wanted her to hold me as close.  I've felt so alone these past weeks and I just want my mommy.

She helps me move so she can lay next to me in bed.  I buried my head into her shoulder as I let her comfort me.  I almost lost everything and now that I'm thinking about it, life's too short to not call my parents mom and dad.

"Is she awake?" I heard Bucky ask as he comes into the room.

"She woke up a few minutes ago."  Nat explains as she strokes my hair gently.  "Serenity are you still awake?"  She asks and I barely nod.  "Does anything hurt?"  I nod.  The pain medications were helping but my body was still crying out as each movement of my chest from breathing causes me more pain.

"I'll grab a doctor."  Bucky leaves but returns within a few minutes with a couple doctors.  "Seri, we're going to have to move you for a few minutes, okay?"  I hold on tighter to Nat as I worry about being alone again.

"She's okay."  The doctor replies as he sits next to me on the bed.  "You're safe now, Serenity.  We're not going to hurt you here."  He explains after I inch closer to my mom.  "Can you tell me what hurts?"  He asks gently.

"It hurts to breathe."  I reply quietly. 

"Anything else?"  He asks gently.  "Do the cuts still hurt?"  The doctor seemed to know that I wasn't feeling like talking. I nod and he goes to the cabinets along the wall and grabs a syringe filled with medications.  "This should help."  He ensures me before injecting it into my I.V. line. 

I felt the effects of the medications almost immediately.  I felt myself slipping from the conscious world and I hold onto my mom tightly before drifting off again.

The interrogator holds the knife in his hand as I sob.  A long cut mares the skin of my arm making my blood spill onto the floor.  The pain was all too real right now and I wanted to make everything stop.  But I couldn't tell them everything.  I would end up getting killed before they would release me.

He slashes into my other arm causing me to scream.  My scream dies off leaving me sobbing silently.  

"You're one tough bitch."  The interrogator laughs as I tried to fight the need to make the pain stop.

"I'll tell you everything.  Please stop."  I finally beg after he cuts me six more times.