Till The End

Chapter 15

Staring at the A4 brown envelop on the table, I tap my fingers on the wood and glare at my name stamped in black ink. SHIELD. This can't be good.

Hearing footsteps, I instantly throw it under my bed and grab my sketch pencil, pretending to draw at the desk. I feel hands wrap around my waist and glance behind to see Bucky pressing his face against my back.

"What are you doing?" I ask, slipping my hand on top of his around my body.

"Just came to see you." He admits and I can feel him smile against me.

"Captain! Cap! Come get your child! She's ruining everything!" I hear begging screams.

"Damn it." Bucky hisses.

Standing up, I wander out of the bedroom and stop in the hallway to see Tony shouting at Kitty. All of a sudden, Bucky is in front of her and glaring at Stark. Storming over, I scoop a shaking Kitty into my arms and she clings onto me.

"What is going on?" I shout.

Tony glares at me, throwing his arms around in anger and gesturing dramatically.

"She's been messing with my things and she's changed the settings on Jarvis so he's a girls voice and now he's not doing anything I say." Tony explains angrily.

"She's a child. You should have child proofed your equipment then!" I argue.

"I shouldn't have to child proof it!"

"You're a genius, you'll sort it out." Bucky points out.

He turns on his toes and storms out of the room and down the corridor. Kitty fidgets against my chest, making me hold her tighter.

"She's 5, why do you have to be rude?" I question.

"Because she's messing with things that aren't hers!" he shouts, with a big smirk on his face.

"You're being so selfish, Stark. Everything is a joke to you!" I say.

Sliding my arms around Kitty, I carry her into her bedroom and place her on the floor. She walks to her wooden dolls house and starts to play with the people. Sitting with my back against her bed, I watch her and she glances back at me with fear filled wide eyes.

"Can you play with me?" She asks.

"Sure."

Moving forward, I sit beside her and pick up a wooden girl. Kitty giggles, grabbing another doll and making high pitch noises. She picks up a man doll and starts to talk in a deep, low voice. I join in, but use a girly voice and Kitty laughs harder.

After a while, Kitty begins to play on her own and I stand up. Wandering out of her room, I walk into my bedroom and sit at the desk. Grabbing the envelop from under the bed, I throw it onto the desk.

I stare hard.

I don't want to open it. But I need to.

Sliding my finger under the flap, I pull out the wedge of paper inside. I sigh in relief as I realise it's just the files I had sent. All the profiles of recent Hydra Agents that have been killed. Hopefully I can find a pattern or a link between them, that will help me find out who is sending Bucky's threats. But I haven't heard anything recently.

I sit there for a few hours, comparing every profile but find nothing. Nothing.

Sighing, I slide the papers back into the envelop and throw it back onto the desk. Leaning my head on my hand, I stare at the marks on the wooden desk. There's no pattern. Why isn't there a pattern? I need to make Bucky safe.

*

"What did the forensics team find?" I ask.

Fury sits opposite me in his office with a full view of all his workers. Bucky is sat beside me, bouncing his knee up and down nervously and glancing over his shoulder to see Kitty sat at one of the computers playing on a game an Agent is showing her. Fury leans back in his chair, unfolding his arms slowly and glaring at us.

"The fire started with matches being thrown into your loft. The scientists also found the fire may have started downstairs too." Fury explains.

"At the same time?" I quiz.

"They believe so." He says.

"There must have been more then one person then." I point out.

Bucky raises his head, confusion written over his face.

"That is a possibility." Bucky mutters.

"Is there something you are not telling us, Captain Rogers?" Fury questions.

I glance at Bucky, he nods. I'm about to speak, tell a lie, when Bucky interrupts me.

"I'm being threatened." He announces.

Fury sighs, leaning forward and staring at Bucky, as he starts to squirm in the seat.

"By who?" Fury quizzes.

"I think Hydra, but I don't know."

"What sort of threats?"

"Saying they're going to kill me and hurt everyone I know. Some say they're going to wipe me again, train me and turn me into an assassin that I'm meant to be." Bucky explains, his voice slightly muffled by him keeping his head low. Under the table, I slip my hand into his on his knee.

"How long has this been going on for?"

"A year."

I tense at that. I didn't know it was that long. A year. Bucky's been hiding this for a year and didn't tell me. He thought he could handle it for a year.

"Mr Barnes, we can offer you a space in the protection scheme if you would like?" Fury offers.

"What does that include?" He asks.

"A new identity, new house, new friends, new life." Fury lists.

"What about Steve?" Bucky questions, looking at me.

"He's Captain America and there is no way of hiding that. You will be on your own, Barnes."

"No. I can't. Not without Steve." Bucky admits.

"Are you sure Bucky? Id rather you did this alone and I know you're alive, then you die with me." I point out.

"No. I don't want to. I'll be fine. I've handled it for a year, a while long won't make a difference." Bucky argues.

"Okay. Well, the offer is still there." Fury says.

"Thank you, but I won't be needing it." Bucky replies.

"Okay. Tony said your house will be ready within a few weeks."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Don't mention it."

"We should get going." I announce, standing up.

Fury stands up too, shaking my hand and then he shakes Bucky's hand. I push open the door and Kitty jumps off the chair, clasping my hand. We wander to the lift and out of the corner of my eye I see Kitty grip Bucky's hands too. The doors spring open and we walk through reception. I lead the way out of the doors and around the corner to the car park.

The second I step off the pavement around the building, there's a deafening sound. Like a siren that rings in my ears. A gun shot. I instantly pull Bucky to my side and wrap my arms around Kitty, who screams into my ear.

Where did the bullet go?