Love and Winter (Bucky Barnes) Hiatus

12 - of forgiveness

Chapter 12

    "Bucky, calm down." Steve tried to step into his way but Bucky just sidestepped him, continuing on the pat he had set off on.

    "You just left her there?"

    "Well, she's with her Godfather." Sam shrugged his shoulders but shut up once Bucky threw a glare in his direction.

    "He's right," Steve said calmly, "that woman... Reagan, was it? Tony will take care of her."

    "But she was my responsibility." Bucky frowned, eyes glancing down at the floor for a moment. "I was the one who pulled her into this."

    "How did you even meet?" Steve questioned, Sam muttering in the background that there was no time for this, to which Steve told him to go make that phone-call he had been talking about earlier.

    *        *        *

Giving Steve the short version, Bucky told him how they had first met in the bar she worked at, and that they had gotten to know each other from there.

    "And she knew who you were the entire time."

    "Almost." Bucky shrugged his shoulders, "I had no idea she knew until she sprung the news on me right before we came into my apartment and found you."

    "But you still trust her?"

    "I think so," Bucky replied, "I had a moment of uncertainty when she told me, but I'm gonna blame that on stress. We have stuff to talk about, but I do trust her. Had she wanted to do anything to harm me she would have, she certainly had a lot of opportunities."

    "So you are in a relationship with her?" Bucky looked at Steve and saw the growing grin on his face; "well at least that hasn't changed."

    "We're not in a relationship. Even if she had wanted that, it wouldn't happen. I can't put anyone through-" Bucky gesticulated at himself, his metal arm in particular, "- all of this."

    "Buck..." Steve said, smile falling.

    "Forget about it, Steve," Bucky sighed. "We need to get going."

*        *        *

    "Where did you send her?" Natasha asked, striding alongside Tony as they prepared to assemble some sort of a team.

    "Home."

*        *        *

Waking up all groggy, Reagan opened her eyes blearily; "what the..." she sat up unsteadily, not recognizing her surroundings.

    "Good evening, Ms. Collins, how are you feeling?"

The unfamiliar voice made Reagan turn around quickly, falling face first off the bed and onto the floor. Looking around she noticed the view from her window in an otherwise sterile room. "What the crap," she groaned.

    "Are you alright, Ms. Collins?"

    "Where the... Oh," Reagan sat up, rubbing the back of her head and looking around the empty room. "Oh, hell no. Did Tony send me to New York? Am I in New York? Answer me AI, now!"

    "Would if I could, Ms. Collins, it is hard when people are sputtering out questions at me."

    "Oh, excuse me, female Jarvis."

    "Mr. Stark named me Friday."

    "And he made you Irish. Figures." Reagan rolled her eyes, glancing up at the ceiling before getting to her feet. "So, Irish. Am I in New York?"