Healing

Chapter Seven-Returned

*Bucky's POV*

I've never felt fear like this in my life. Fuck me for not letting Stark put a tracker on my bike. "How hard is it to find a sixteen-year-old?" I ask Tony for the third time and Natasha slaps the back of my head. The whole team is huddled in Tony's workshop as we try to find our girl. Most of which are pissed at me. Including myself.

"She's your sixteen-year-old, asshole. She knows how to go untraced. Left her phone, stole your bike, I'd be impressed if I wasn't so worried." He prattles on and I huff, standing from my place on his couch and pacing instead.

"She'll be fine. She's smart, strong, resilient, more than most of us." Sam assures me quietly and I try to take his words to heart. Stark's phone dings and he whips it out while continuing to type on his various screens. Then he stops and his shoulders sag in relief.

"Damn, kids really are smarter than us. Pete says he's with her and they're both safe." We all breathe a sigh of relief and I stop my pacing.

"Where?" I ask instantly and Tony shakes his head.

"Doesn't say. Friend code." Pride colors his voice at his kid's loyalty, but all I can think about is how I don't know where mine is.

"We're going to let her have her space," Steve says with knowing eyes on me. "We all broke her trust and we owe her at least a little time to try and understand." My jaw clenches and unclenches, but I nod. Not like I have any choice in it anyway. I storm out and sit in the gathering room, the chair turned to the windows so I can see the driveway. The news is on in the background just for something else to buzz around in my mind other than worry. A heavy sigh sounds behind me and I know its Steve. "Doubt she'll be back tonight, Buck."

"If she is, I'll be here," I respond and he sighs again, then sets another chair beside me and settles down. I glance over at him then back out. "It's my fault. You were right. I should've told her years ago." A lot of good it does to realize it now, but there it is.

"She'll be back, Buck. She just needs some time to cool down. Peter's with her and you know the both of them won't let each other get hurt."

"Mm, they also manage to cause heaps of trouble when they're together."

"But nothing they can't handle." He smiles a bit. "They're a lot like us when we were kids. We made out alright." I snort.

"We both semi-died, punk."

"Yeah, but we made it here. Jerk." He counters and I hum a soft laugh before looking over at him. "It'll turn out alright," Steve assures me and I nod, feeling a bit better but knowing I won't sleep till she's back here. We both turn when there's noise from the coffee pot and find Tony fiddling with the machine before walking over.

"So, is this the waiting party?" He sighs and we all turn back to the windows.

"Apparently," I answer and we fall silent for a beat. Then the rare quiet is interrupted by a deep voice saying 'Breaking News' on the tv. Steve looks over and grabs my shoulder. Seeing the sudden concern on his face, I stand and look to the television to footage of bright blue light coming from a park near May's place. They don't know the source, but the park has apparently completely died. Fuck. Stark's phone starts ringing and plays that weird ringtone he has for Peter.

You're my dad! Boogie woogie woogie! It sings and Stark immediately answers. "Kid?"

"Yeah, so I'm trying to keep the friend code, but I also feel like this kind of fits under parent code which overrides friend code sometimes-" I hear Peter on the other end of the phone and Tony shakes his head.

"Pete, are you two alright?" He interrupts him and there's a pause.

"We're okay." A weight lifts off my shoulders. "But I think Percy's passed out. She did this crazy thing in the park and starting glowing like a flashlight and everything in the park lit up and-" I swipe the phone from Tony and hold it to my ear.