The Daughter Of Love & Mischief

7/8

Bucky pulls his jacket over his shoulders once he returns home, his eyes seeking out any sign that Ali is home but he finds none, he really hoped she would be home first, so he wouldn't have to sit around waiting and worrying, he's really hoping she found something, just after all this time he needs something, some knowledge, just something for him to cling to. He looks around and already starts to fidget. He takes a breath and then moves to watch tv instead, something to keep his mind on. He finds some movie that's been on half an hour and stares at the screen, willing Ali to hurry up. And almost like his prays are answers, the front door opens and Bucky is bolting out of the seat moving towards Ali.

"Did you find anything?" Bucky asks literally right behind her as she closes the door. Ali chuckles and turns to him.

"Let me get my coat off first" she scolds lightly pulling off her bag and jacket. "And yes...." she answers, "I found out some things about you....and some about Steve" He frowns at her as she opens her bag and pulls out a manilla file. She hands it to him and he holds it tightly in his hands.

"This is everything?" he asks her.

"Everything I had time to find" she touches his shoulder and smiles. "I'll start dinner, you read that" she starts to pass him but he grabs her hand. "Bucky" she whispers.

"You do it" he begs of her handing the file back. "I can't" she takes the file with her other hand and then pulls him towards the couch, which he drops down onto heavily. She joins him softer and opens the file to the first page of data, she doesn't need to read it she remembers what she found, but he needs to see her reading it not just plucking it out of her head.

"Your name is James Buchanan Barnes" she tells him. "Born March 10, 1917 and you grew up to be a sergeant of the 107th Infantry Regiment during the second world war"

"And Steve?" He asks quietly. "Is he dead?"

"No" she answers, he looks to her. "He's alive, very much alive" she smirks. "When you said the name Steve Rogers something inside of me registered it, like it was familiar and it wasn't till this that I realised why" she pulls a print out from the file and turns it to him. "Steve Rogers is Captain America, and Bucky Barnes is his childhood best friend" Bucky takes the print out from her, a photo of him and Steve together. "That's you" she points out, he nods.

"This is....familiar" Bucky offers looking at Steve. "I think I crossed him as the Winter Soldier....but it's hazy" he whispers softly. "You are sure Steve's alive...?"

"Yes, he is living in New York" Bucky looks to her. "Upstate at the Avengers facility" she flicks through the file and pulls out a photo of the original Avengers, surprisingly little on the current team. "With these guys" she hands him the second photo. "I can try and contact them, if you want" she offers, Bucky touches the photo of him and Steve.

"No" he answers.

"Bucky" she starts.

"I'm not ready" he whispers handing the photos back. "Thank you but I'm...not ready yet" she looks to him sadly. "I know, Ali" he offers. "I know this is what I wanted, but I don't feel...."

"Then we wait" she assures him, he looks to her with a small smile. "I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do" she assures him, he motions for her to move closer and she does, he wraps his arms around her.

"This is why you found me" he whispers warmly, he kisses her head and takes the file from her as he pulls back. "Thank you for looking into this" she nods against his shoulder.

.................

It takes Bucky another 4ish weeks before he decides he does want to see Steve, that he manages to get over that initial hesitation. She knew he would in the end. From what she read he and Steve shared a bond more like brothers then friends, she knew he'd end up wanting to be near him. He sits on the edge of Ali's bed as she talks on the phone in the next room, he's not listening, he can only hear his own blood pounding past his ears. He's going to see Steve again. He's actually going to see Steve again after....he doesn't even know how long, 2 years? 3 years? He doesn't remember how long ago it was that he was in Washington. His heart just won't stop pounding. He can't calm it down. Ali's hand is on his shoulder as she crouches in front of him. He lifts his eyes to hers.