Outlaws

Chapter Eight

"So, what do we know?" James asks, his voice muffled from the other room as he rejoins the others. He has taken me to the kitchen and made me some tea after I had insisted that I would be fine and just needed a moment to myself now to process. I could tell it felt wrong to Barnes to leave me alone like this I could see he still feels conflicted about as he made his way out of the room.

He stood with me like that for I have no idea how long. He didn't say anything, he didn't protest, he didn't even try to get us to move. He just assured me he was there for me and allowed me to stay how we did for as long as I needed. I cannot find a way to express how grateful I am for him handling it the way he just did. As if he knows exactly what I need without even needing to ask.

            "Is she alright?" Stark asks him, I try to listen to their conversation as I hold the warm teacup in my cold hands.

            "She will be I think, the other person in that photo of Zemo was an old friend of hers."

            "I should have known." Steve chastises himself, I can hear his disappointed in himself for having missed such a detail.

            "How could you have known Steve?"

            "Because she mentioned it earlier, following the meeting with Mackenzie, that her friend was missing in action, another killed in action. I should have guessed the other person in that photo could have been one of them. Her previous squad had been tracking Hydra's movements. I should have known."

            "Hydra torture and kill so many people Steve, there was no way you could have known this would have been them-"

"You can beat yourself up about it later Rogers, we have the coordinates for the base right here." Tony interjects, "Rogers, Wilson, suit up. Friday prep the jet for departure."

            "Sure thing boss."

            "Wait why are you suiting up?" Bucky asks and I lean forward in my chair to try and hear better, trying to use my emotions as fuel to keep focus on the mission.

            "We are going to take a look at this warehouse and see what is going on. We don't know what to expect when we get there-"

            "I am coming with you." James declares, I can tell by his tone he doesn't care for them to argue back now. The determination in voice stating that he won't be sidelined anymore.

            "Buck, you gotta stay here, they are looking for you. You know we can't bring you to their front door. Stay with Ayla, make sure she is okay. This is just a recon run, in and out, you got nothing to worry about pal."

            "I don't know Steve, I don't like it, you can't keep benching me-"

            "Alright ladies, that's enough of that 'put me in the game coach' crap, come on Rogers, we gotta go." Stark announces as he leaves the room, two sets of footsteps leave down the corridor.

            Not knowing what to do with himself, left behind once again, he makes his way back into the kitchen to join me. Shoulders slumped forward in defeat he makes his way towards where I am sitting and leans against the table staring at his feet. His jaw clenching and unclenching repeatedly in frustration of feeling sidelined and useless while others are putting their lives on the line for him. A feeling I can relate to right now all too well.

            "Where did everybody go?" I say in attempt to break him out of his trance, knowing full well where the others have gone.

            "Tony, Steve and Sam are heading to check out that warehouse and do some recon."