Edelweiss || Bucky x Reader

Chapter Thirteen

Schmidt strides over to me and holds up a slightly blurred picture of a man entering a Brooklyn antique shop. Even though his features aren't clear, I still know who I'm looking at. My tiny brother, too short for his fancy uniform. Boots that his feet are undoubtedly too small to fill. Sleeves that go to his fingertips. My brother, a soldier. Just like he's always wanted. I don't smile, but for the briefest second, my heart does.

"Steve..." I whisper.

"How do you know this man?" Schmidt asks.

"He..." I start, searching for a believable connection. The less they know, the better.

"The truth, fräulein." Schmidt chimes.

He's not asking because he wants an answer. He already knows. He just wants to hear me say it.

I sigh, surrendering this battle. "He's my brother."

"Fascinating." He says quietly, a sickening smile spreading on his face. "The captain has a sister."

Captain?

"It would seem that you've become quite valuable sooner than I had thought you would, my dear."

For once, I don't know how I'm going to get out of this one. Punching my way out just isn't going to work. No one's coming to save me. So what now? Before I get the chance to think about it, two more men come into the room. One unties my right hand and foot and the other my left. They lift me from the chair with my arms around either of their shoulders so that my feet just barely brush the ground.

"Keep her with the experiment." Schmidt says. "Dr. Zola will be with them shortly"

The men nod and take me down a few hallways and up a few floors, but I have no sense of where I am in the building, so none of it means anything to me.

Eventually, they stop in front of an unmarked door. One man unlocks and opens it and they bring me inside. I'm not sure what exactly the room is. The walls, floor, and ceiling are concrete. I see two operating tables equipped with restraints for the poor soul having a procedure done in this place, but that's all I have time to take in before they drop my battered body on the floor.

"A gift." One guard says to someone else in the room as he leaves.

I groan in pain and scrunch myself into a ball, squeezing my eyes shut. Seconds later I hear shuffling, and then someone is beside me.

"Y/N?" Asks a voice. No— Bucky's voice.

My whole body relaxes and I let out a soft breath.

He's ok.

"Oh no..." he says softly, sounding like he might cry. His hands cup my face, gently tilting it side to side, examining every cut and bruise. "No, no, no...Y/N...what did they do to you?"

I open my eyes and crack a smile, despite my split lip. "It's just a scratch." I say, placing my hand over his.

"Why are you here? You can't be here-"

"Because It's too dangerous? Yeah, I think  I figured that much out." I wince in pain.

"But how?" He asks, helping me sit up against the wall.

"I... drove here." I manage, checking myself for any broken bones. Other than a  possible broken rib, I think I miraculously made it out ok.

"Why would you..." He starts. I smile at him sadly, answering him without saying a word. "...for me." He shakes his head like he can't believe what he's seeing, falling silent. He just pulls me into him and holds me tight to his chest, one hand on my lower back and the other cradling the base of my head.

"My sweet girl..." He says to himself, under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." he says, holding me tighter. "Nothing. Just sleep doll, I've got you now. I won't let them hurt you ever again."

I nod. God, I'm so tired. My body aches, my hair is dyed red with blood— I just want to sleep. So I shut my eyes, and there on the concrete floor, I drift off in his arms.

...

"GET AGAINST THE WALL!" Someone shouts. I lift my head from Bucky's chest, woken by the sound of three or so Hydra soldiers storming into the room. I'm disoriented, having just been asleep, but Bucky helps me up and I stagger over to the wall with him, my strength returning ever so slowly.

"Just do what I do, ok?" He whispers, and I nod. "They're going to take me out of the room, but I'll be ok. Promise me you won't try to stop them." Confused and increasingly afraid, the events of the past day or so come flooding back to me. Dr. Zola, Dr. Zola... Schmidt said what? That he'd see us shortly? Was this him now?

"You know I can't promise you that." I say.

"Please. I can't watch you get hurt for me again." He pleads.

I purse my lips and nod.

He places his palms on the wall and I follow suit. I take a deep breath in, trying to calm my racing thoughts, though it doesn't work all that well.

God, I'm so stupid!

What on Earth made me think I could do this? I have no training, no backup, nothing!

Oh, but you know what I do have? A fucking crush. And look where that got me.

I shake my head and squeeze my eyes shut, willing myself not to cry. There's no point in it now.

What the hell did I get myself into? I should've never taken the jeep, should have just turned around, should have just left it to the professionals— I could have avoided all of this. I'd be sitting with Lucy right now, talking about something stupid, laughing about god knows what.

But he'd still be here.

"I'm so sorry Buck," I whisper to him, my voice shaking. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't you dare be sorry" he says, turning his head ever so slightly to look me in the eyes. "We're making it out of this and we're making it out together, am I clear?" I nod in response.

Now's your time, Y/N. You might not get another chance to tell him. I take a breath. "Buck, I- Hey!" Someone grabs me by the back of my neck and throws me into the center of the room. I fall to my knees and try to push myself up, but get shoved down by one of the men standing over me.

"STOP!" Bucky shouts. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE ME, DON'T DO THIS TO HER!"

"You look just like him..." Says a voice from above me. It's the man in the glasses and lab coat I had seen when I was first captured. Is this Zola? And who is he talking about? Steve? "Let's see what made your brother so special." I'm still processing his last sentence when two of the men grab my arms and start to take me out of the room.

"Bucky- Hey, get off me! BUCKY HELP ME!" I cry out for him.

"YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HER!" Bucky screams at them. "STOP!"

The last thing I see as I'm carried out of the room is Bucky struggling against two guards as he tries desperately to get to me.

And out of everything that I have been subjected to, that image is easily the most painful.