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rhymingtree · 2 years

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FROM THE SHADOWS - Chapter Fourteen

Chapter 14 || Edge of Infinity

word count: 10.1k

summary: Bucky and (F/N) come back home, allowed a moment to ignore the impending chaos looming over them.

Also, they help Sam fix a boat.

Warnings: I don't know enough about boats to write about fixing them. A little bit of sad. Sam talks some sense into his friends. Mostly fluff.

— — —

NEW EDEN

It was the dead of night when they had gotten home. (F/N) drove through the streets slowly, looking at every building and every house they passed, with Bucky doing the same next to her. They both hadn’t been home in months, and she hadn’t realized how much she had missed it until she was driving down the silent street again.

A heavy weight was lifted off her chest driving down the familiar streets of New Eden, despite being empty. There was barely a sign of life. It was so different from the first time they had arrived in town together, but she didn’t mind it.

She had gotten used to not knowing what would come out of the darkness, to steeling herself with every step she took and every way she went, anticipating danger like she had been. The danger knew to thrive in the darkness she once hid in.

But not in New Eden. She and Bucky were safe. At least for now.

She stared up at the house as the Firebird rolled to a slow stop. It was the same as she had left it months ago, except it wasn’t covered in snow, and the light coming through the windows was warm and inviting her back inside, not waving her goodbye.

She looked over at Bucky, and saw that he was already looking at her, with a look of exhaustion hidden behind a veil of relief. His hand went to her thigh, and she could feel the cool touch of his hand through her clothing, which in turn, warmed her heart.

“You ready?” He softly asked.

“As I’ll ever be.”

---

Amma was waiting for them inside the house, sitting on the couch with Moonshine, whose excited barks they could hear before they even got inside. She had run up to the two of them so quickly, wrapping her arms around (F/N) before she had time to put her bags down.

“Oh, sweet-tart,” Amma hummed into her ear. It felt like a dream, seeing her again, being held by her again. She let (F/N) go, but kept her hands on the soldier’s cheeks, studying her face as if it had been ages since they last saw each other. Her thumb softly traced the faded scar below her eye, She clicked her tongue at her, worry taking over her features. “What happened here?”

She smiled at Amma reassuringly, gently bringing her hands down, “It’s nothing, Amma. I’m alright.”

Amma didn’t believe her, but decided to ignore it for the time being, only bringing her back into a hug that squeezed (F/N) tight.

Bucky approached, arms wide open. Amma embraced him with a wide smile, “I missed you both so much! You’ve been away too damn long.”

“I missed you too, Amma,” he chuckled as the woman tried to wrap her arms around his broader middle. “We’re home now.”

She snapped up, pointing a threatening finger up at him, “And you better not leave again.”

Bucky glanced over at (F/N), watching as she slowly shrunk away from Amma.

They will leave again. Even Amma knew that by now. The Flag Smashers will pop up again, and surely they’ll be there. Even when that’s over, even if they swore they’d stay home and keep away from the fight, neither of them can keep that promise.

Something will happen that will bring them back into the chaos, but they’ll be damned if they let it pull them apart again.

Moonshine was jumping up at their feet, not knowing who to greet first. Bucky and (F/N) knelt down to pet him, hug him, let him give all the kisses he couldn’t give while his parents were away.

“You’d gotten so big, boy,” (F/N) told him. A flash of sadness had overcome her as Moonshine ran around the room in excitement; how easily could she have been forgotten by Moonshine, who had still been a puppy when she had left for Macau. Somehow, in Boone and Duke’s care, he hadn’t. “I missed you too, Moonie.”

Looking over at Bucky, bright with happiness as he hugged Moonshine, she realized that she in her absence had been the one to forget. Being gone for so long and stuck in a cycle of rectifying the sins of others and committing her own, she had forgotten the life she had left behind.

She forgot she had a family to come home to.

The look on Bucky’s face told her he'd never let her forget that again.

— — —

It had been two days since they had gotten back home.

Two days of waking up next to her, feeling her skin cool against his despite the summer sunlight intruding into their space. Two mornings of sleepily holding each other, enjoying the quiet songs of birds before Moonshine ran into their room to greet them good morning, barking and jumping until they got up to feed him.

They had settled back into routine smoothly, almost as if they had never left. The folks in town had welcomed them with warmth but had left them alone to rest, most likely having been reminded by the Roper twins and Amma to get settled.

Bucky spent every second of those two days watching her move around the house with a loving smile. He found every chance he could to be beside her, touch her, smell her, hear her talk and laugh… Each glance she gave to him was memorized and counted like they were bars of gold, kept securely in a vault in his mind.

He refused to admit that he was afraid of losing her again, that something would catch them off guard and she’d be whisked away to another part of the world he couldn’t reach, and he’d be in solitude, to be judged and prodded by people he never trusted. So he took every chance he could get to remind himself she was there. She was home. And she had told him time and time again since they got back, she was never leaving again.

(F/N) was doing everything she could to make up for the seven months she had left Bucky alone. Two days of making the house feel lively again, playing with Moonshine, watching movies. cleaning up the house. Two nights of bliss that lasted only hours but felt like an eternity, and had them tangled together until morning came.

She knew it would somehow come to a stop sooner rather than later. She knew the Flag Smashers were planning something, and that the world hadn’t stopped spinning even if they hid away in their own corner of it. But for her sake and Bucky’s she pretended it had, she pretended that time had stopped.

It was strange to be aware of danger looming when all you wanted was to be happy. Living a life like hers made her used to it. It was strange to know that this was of her own accord, that Bucky was, indeed real. Their home wasn’t a fabrication, he wasn’t an illusion that was too good to be true, and they weren’t stuck in time. They weren’t trapped in an enclosure.

They were just happy. They were free.

They were dancing on the edge of infinity, she and Bucky lived a life where the abyss looming below them was less than new, but always scary. She was comforted by the knowledge that should the abyss pull them down, they both had the strength to pull themselves back up, and do it all over again.

And it was only a matter of time before it did.

---

Duke called them on their third day of being home.

It was early in the morning, (F/N) was making coffee while Bucky was walking Moonshine around town. She and Bucky had… tired each other out the night before, and her eyes were still heavy with sleep. The sudden ring of her phone jolted her awake more than the steaming cup of coffee she held in her hands, it almost burnt her as it sloshed around the mug while she ran to answer it.

Seeing Duke’s name on the screen sent a wave of relief through her, but had also given her a pang of dread.

“Good morning, Captain,” his gruff voice greeted her, the smile evident on his voice. “How have you and Barnes been? Settling back in all right? ”

“More than all right, Duke. We’re all glad to be home.” (F/N) smiled. For the first time in months, she didn’t need to lie to anyone anymore. Everything truly was all right. At least to her and Bucky; at least for now. “Any updates on Karli?”

“None so far, but listen, that wasn’t why I called–”

“What about Carter? Any movement on her end?” She took a quick sip of coffee, ignoring the annoyed huff Duke replied with.

“You aren’t supposed to be thinkin’ about that,” he scolded. “You’re supposed to be relaxing. Sleeping in. You aren’t on that mission anymore.”

“I can’t help it. I hate having to leave a mission unfinished, especially one this dangerous.” And she did wish she could forget about it for even just a little while, but doing so meant letting the threat they had already broken down fester and grow back to be worse than before. “I thought you were calling because something was happening.”

“Can’t I call a friend just to see how she’s doing?”

“Sorry, Duke. Your friend is just peachy,” she smiled, keeping her voice light and cheery.

“Fuck off, (F/N).”

“I love you too, buddy.” Raising her cup to her lips, she asked. “Why’d you call?”

“Boone’s finished repairing your helmet, and Wilson’s Redwing is ready for pickup.” Duke told her, pausing for a suspiciously long moment. “And the Senator wanted you to come by the base. He’s got something to discuss with you.”

(F/N) frowned, “So something did happen?”

“That wasn’t what I said,” he sighed. “He just wants to talk. Nothing more.”

She scoffed, “I doubt that.”

The front door opened, taking her attention away from Duke’s snark reply as Bucky and Moonshine entered the house. Bucky looked up at her as he took off Moonshine’s leash, and the smile on his face faded away as he saw the concern on hers.

“Everything alright?” He walked over to her, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead while reaching for the cupboard, looking for another mug. “Who is it? Boone?”

“It’s Duke,” she told him. “Turner wants us to go to Olympus, apparently he wants to talk.”

Bucky looked confused, directing his quizzical brow at the coffee machine, “Now?”

She raised the phone to her ear again, “When can we come by?”

“Today, if you can. He’s taking the girls on vacation for the month, so you’ll have until tonight.” He must have sensed her trepidation because she left no reply, and simply said, “I’m sorry about this. We all agreed to give you and Barnes more time to yourselves.”

“It’s okay,” she looked over at Bucky, nodding at him. He gave her a reassuring look and nodded back. “We’ll be there.”

— — —

OLYMPUS BASE | Senator Johnson’s Office

Turner’s office gave her a sense of calm. She could hear the life and the bustle of the base from here, the planes descending onto the air field, the chatter from the lobby traveling to her ears, it eased her. It was familiar.

It helped that Bucky was sitting next to her, looking out the floor to ceiling windows, enjoying the view of the sky, watching the sun bring itself higher onto the clear blue canvas with an easygoing smile on his face. When he glanced over at (F/N), her smile grew, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

He squinted at her, “You think something’s wrong?”

“I think something’s happening, and Duke didn’t want to tell me on the phone,” she murmured back. “But I don’t know what it is, if it’s Karli, or Carter, or something else.”

“Well,” he said softly, reaching over to take her hand, “it isn’t anything we can’t handle, right?”

She squeezed his hand back, returning his comforting tone. “Right.”

Though part of her was starting not to believe it.

“Sorry to keep you two waiting,” Turner’s voice chirped in, wheeling himself into the room as silently as he ever had. He smiled up at them as he stopped behind his desk, “How’s it been back home?”

“Right as rain, Turner,” (F/N) smiled, her cheery eyes not betraying the dawning feeling of dread in her gut. “You got questions I have answers to, or are we just here to catch up?”

“If it’s the latter, you could have just invited us over for lunch, Senator,” Bucky said, raising a suspicious brow at him.

“So, Dugan didn’t tell you everything, huh?” Turner leaned in, his elbows propped up on the desk.

“He told me absolutely nothing. Only that you wanted to talk.”

“Right, just a couple of things that I thought you both–” Turner paused, eyes flicking from Bucky to (F/N), “You, Barnes, and Wilson should know.”

Alarms started blaring inside (F/N)’s head, and she quickly tried to silence them, focusing on Turner. “It’s urgent?”

“It hasn’t even happened yet.” Turner shrugged. “But it will soon. The GRC will be holding a vote for the Patch Act in New York, they’re already getting the final draft of the law written, and I’ve tried to talk them down, I really have. Whatever it is that council is planning, it won’t end well for anyone. I said no before I was even asked.”

“What’s with the Patch Act?” Bucky asked, focusing on Turner.

“The Patch Act is going to get an international vote, and if those dumbasses say yes, millions of people are gonna lose their homes because of American intervention. Again. And we fuck up everytime we’re given a responsibility at a global scale. This Act isn’t going to be any different.”

“You think they’ll say yes?” (F/N) asked.

“No. But enough people will,” Turner said angrily. He brought his hand down on the desk, “After what you did in Manila, they’ll be hounding you again, they’ll say the op was in interference with the GRC’s own activities or some shit. If they say yes, it'll be harder to keep you outta trouble.”

Bucky’s anger rose as well, shaking his head, “She saved hundreds of people the GRC completely ignored.”

“That’s why they’ll be after her–they’ll be after me, too.”

She waved away their concern, “Why should Sam know about this? Yeah, it’s big, but why?”

Turner’s eyes darkened, his voice lowered. “It doesn’t matter if they say yes, because you know who’s gonna be there to stop them from having a vote in the first place.”

“Flag Smashers.” Bucky’s shoulders tensed. “That’s their next move. New York.”

Turner stopped him, “We can’t be sure about that, James. It’s a shot in the dark.”

“But they’ll know we’ll be there if they do.” (F/N) added, “And they’re not gonna be the only ones who know I’ll be there.”

“Carter?” Turner asked, doubtful. “You think she’ll leave Madripoor for that?”

“It’s a shot in the dark,” she returned, “She’s out to get me. She knows what I did. If I’m there for Karli, she’ll be there for me.”

Turner sighed, leaning into his chair, “Hold on, think about this. This was Wilson’s mission from the start, and they benched him. Wilson and anyone else involved are no longer allowed to intervene.”

“Says who?” (F/N) asked with a smirk.

“Says a lot of people who will smite the three of you if you step in.” Turner said back.

“I trust you’ll be able to confront them should they try to smite us, won’t you, Senator?”

“I’m tempted not to,” Turner said, making (F/N) laugh.

“If they go to New York, we’ll be there too.” Bucky said resolutely. “We’re finishing it there.”

“The Flag Smashers and Carter. Two birds with one very crowded public ambush, hopefully without anyone dying,” (F/N) said, with a giddy, nervous smile. “It’ll be fun. Just like Manila.”

Turner shook his head, glaring at them as they both stood up, “Please don’t make it like Manila. I just got that under control.” He wheeled himself towards them, reaching up at (F/N). She leaned down and hugged him tight. “Whenever you’re ready, you and the team can start talking about how to handle the night of the vote.”

(F/N) smirked, a dangerous glint of mischief flashed in her eyes, “Can’t wait.”

---

OLYMPUS BASE | Training Facility

Boone had told them to meet them at Alpha Two’s firing range once they were done speaking with Turner. She was leaning on the weapons table when they got there, tapping her fingers on the surface impatiently.

She beamed at them as they entered, “Ah, here they come at last. The Ghost and the Wolf.” She crossed her arms, “Turner couldn’t let you go, eh?”

“What can I say? He missed us,” (F/N) said, giving Boone a questioning look. “Where’s Duke? I thought he’d be here.”

“Left with Jack just before you two got here. Monitoring threats out in Europe to find out where Karli last went. I’ll be joining them too, tomorrow night.” She slid two cases towards them. One was sleek black, embossed with Ghost’s emblem, the decorated skull gleaming as she picked it up. “Fixed up your helmet and suit, it’s as good as new. The staff was a bit trickier, but I got it sorted. You’ll just have to get used to its weight again.”

Bucky nodded to the other case, bulkier than the other. “What’s in this one?”

Boone hummed, pressing her thumb on the handle. The scanner lit up from red to blue. Bucky looked inside as Boone lifted it open, and he felt his heart stutter with sudden pride.

The Exo-7 Falcon shone up at him, sturdy Vibranium wings painted red, white and blue. Beside it, Captain America’s suit in new colors for a new Captain. On the lid, a brand new Redwing drone.

It would suit Sam. He was always sure that Steve chose the right person to take the mantle, but now he truly knew. Sam was the only person in the world capable of carrying the shield and donning these colors.

“The Dora Milaje sent it over last night, and the Redwing worked perfectly. It’s about time they go back to their rightful owner,” Boone smiled at the awe on Bucky’s face, sharing a look with (F/N). She shut the case again, “When will you be bringing this over to Wilson?”

“I was thinking we could drive by today and drop it off,” (F/N) answered, looking to Bucky to see if he agreed. “It’s a quick drive over to Delacroix, and if we don’t stay long, we’ll be back home by sundown.”

“We’ve got a message to relay, I guess we better tell him sooner.” Bucky assented.

The door swung open, and Boone’s smile grew wider. (F/N) and Bucky turned to see a shorter, younger blonde with an easygoing grin and wide green eyes looking at the three of them.

“Ah! Призрак, Волк, finally I see you again,” Yelena greeted them, her Russian accent melodic and cheery. “Did Boone Cavanaugh tell you about the New York mission?”

“Yeah, told me about how you took care of Smiling Tiger. Good job, Widow,” (F/N) smiled. “She also told me you spent all your time touristing.”

Yelena glared at Boone, “Красться.”

Boone only smiled back, “She asked, I answered.”

“How was it, though? New York?” Bucky asked with a curious smile.

“Pretty boring actually, for my first time. But the Broadway shows were fun.” She walked to the weapons table, recounting her trip happily. “The Statue of Liberty is being redone, it’s so weird. They’re putting Captain America’s shield on her hand. I don’t think I like it.”

“Wait, really?” (F/N) asked, eyes widening. Her head swiveled towards Bucky, “They’re seriously going through with that?”

Boone laughed with a mischievous glint in her eye, “I’m kinda hopin’ something big crashes into it before it’s unveiled, like some kind of alien invasion, or a rift through reality or something like that.”

“It’s not just that!” Yelena added, “There’s musical about Steve Rogers too… it was really expensive.”

“Oh, that’s why you came home with half your money gone?” Boone asked, giving her a side-eye. “Yelena…”

“No, I didn’t buy a ticket! I’m way too smart than that,” she defended. “... I did something else.”

Boone raised a brow at her, “You and I are gonna discuss this later.”

(F/N) looked fondly at the two women, smiling at their banter. She wanted to stick around longer, but Bucky gently holding her hand and clearing his throat snapped her away from the moment. He leaned closer to her ear, “We gotta go.”

She nodded, looking over at Boone, who was admonishing Yelena for her money spending habits. “We’re heading out, Boone. We’ll call you later.”

“Stay safe, you two. Drive responsibly, (F/N),” Boone told her as she waved goodbye.

Bucky looked over at Yelena, “Next time I see you, tell me more about that musical.”

Yelena’s eyes brightened, “Maybe I can get you tickets.”

Bucky scoffed, looking back as he and (F/N) walked out the door. “Legally, I hope.”

— — —

DELACROIX | Wilson Family Seafood

Everyone turned up. Everyone he had called and asked help from had come over with a smile on their face and eagerness to help. From all over town and from New Orleans, there were friends of the family, and people who owed his parents favors. They didn’t come here just for him or Sarah.

They came here for Paul and Darlene.

Sarah was checking on their supplies, listing down people’s names and what they brought and what they’re doing so she knows what she’ll send them back home with from the kitchen. It was already a busy morning, each person had their own job to do, and those who didn’t come sent over their own materials, asking for nothing in return.

All the people who had come to help, all the things people were willing to do for his family, warmed his heart and brought his determination to get the boat fixed with full force; for a moment, he forgot about Karli.

About Walker.

About the shield.

About Isaiah.

All that sat on the back of his mind now, his family came first. The boat comes first.

Tommy and Carlos were bringing out the equipment from the truck, muttering about how they were going to get the engine out without a forklift. Sam walked over, grateful and in awe of how much they’d brought to help.

He wished he had done this sooner.

Carlos reassured him with a jolly smile, “Look, word goes out the Wilson family needs help? Well, we still got a bit of usefulness in us.”

Sam gestured to the box, “How do we get it off the truck?”

The truck jostled, making Sam and Tommy jump. They looked up at the engine being lifted up smoothly off the truck; someone was heaving it off the truck without a forklift, and Sam didn’t have to guess who was behind it.

Bucky carried it on his shoulder away from the truck, grunting as he placed it down on the table. He turned around to look at him. “You’re welcome,” he said to them, reaching down for a case.

Sam frowned, confused. He approached Bucky with a questioning glare despite the pleasant surprise he felt to see him.

“Just dropping this off.” Bucky placed the case down on the ledge of the truck. “You can sign for it and we’ll go.”

The case itself added more to his confusion. He never called Bucky, nor did he call (F/N), thinking they’d want to be left alone after what they’d been through with Karli and Walker. Sarah knew how to contact her, but she’d never call (F/N) without telling Sam. He isn’t here to help,

He touched the case, feeling the metal grooves on the lid. Is it…?

“(F/N) and I called in a few favors…” Bucky explained, meeting his eye.

So it was.

Before he could continue, a pipe burst near the dock. Air hissed loudly as it escaped through the loose bolt. Sarah ran over, calling his attention to the pipe.

He rushed to take the wrench on the floor, but someone beat him to it.

(F/N) grabbed the wrench and tightened the bolt with ease, twisting it up quickly as she looked up at him, wide eyed as he looked at her. She glanced at him as she worked, flashing him a smile, “Hey Flyboy.”

He didn’t even see her coming. He didn’t see both of them coming.

Her eyes flicked over to Sarah, who had been watching her bashfully from the boardwalk. Her smile widened, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Sarah gave her a small wave, holding her clipboard closer to her chest.

Sam’s head snapped up to his sister, befuddled at what had just happened.

“I was gonna get that,” Bucky told her, earning a little laugh from her.

“He could have used the metal arm,” Sam suggested, looking between the two super soldiers.

“And let him have all the fun?” (F/N) asked, placing her hands on her hips and swaying around.

This was the most laid back he’d ever seen her. She was frighteningly alert and on guard throughout their mission, unrecognizably so. Her head was constantly on a swivel, constantly watching and ready to jump at anything. It was like meeting her for the first time again, when he, Steve and Natasha had broken into her house and brought her into the mess that was the fall of SHIELD.

But now, she was more like the woman he befriended, the (F/N) who was inseparable from Bucky and made fun of him at the Tower and allowed herself to forget, just for a little while, what she had been through and what could come next.

“Besides, I wouldn’t have used it,” Bucky deadpanned. “I’m right-handed.” He looked up at Paul & Darlene, “So this is the boat?”

He smiled proudly. “This is it.”

“She’s beautiful,” (F/N) said, shielding her eyes from the harsh light of the sun with her hand as she admired it.

Bucky hummed, looking at the water. After a moment of quiet, he glanced over at (F/N), holding a short, silent conversation with her. Then he looked over at Sam, “You want any help?”

Maybe he should say no.

But something told him not to. Something told him this was probably gonna be the only chance he’d get to rekindle his friendships with both of them. This would be the only time he, Bucky and (F/N) could talk about everything but the shield or rogue super soldiers. And besides, he needed all the help he could get. What could help him better than two super soldiers?

He reluctantly nodded. (F/N) patted him on the back kindly as he walked away.

Bucky walked over to Sarah, flashing her a charming smile as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m Bucky.”

“Oh,” his sister looked up from the clipboard, a small hint of red blooming on her cheeks. “Sarah.”

Sam froze, his head whipping back to see both of them looking up at his sister.

Sarah’s blush became more obvious when she looked over at (F/N), “You must be (F/N).”

“Yes, ma’am.” She reached her hand up, and Sarah took it, shaking it warmly. There was a small look of surprise in her face at how firm (F/N)’s grip was. “How’d the house treat you and the boys? Hope it was comfortable enough.”

“Yeah, it was. Thanks so much for that by the way,” Sarah said sincerely.

She shook her head, “It was the least I could do. Anytime you or your brother need help, I’m only a call away, Sarah.” she looked over at Sam, her smile disappearing as she saw the look on his face. “What?”

He didn’t realize his eyes were angrily burning a hole into her and Bucky’s oblivious faces, and at Sarah’s delighted one. Part of him regretted saying yes now that Sarah looked more than happy to have the two of them over, and that the two of them were so flirtatiously polite.

God, what gave those two the right to be so charming?

— — —

Sam had been trying to get the engine going all day. With all his attempts to fix it, he had gotten the instruction manual memorized, and could probably recite the thing in his sleep.

Bucky and (F/N) had spotted all the disrepair on the boat within minutes of stepping aboard, catching the leaks to be caulked and the rusting gunwale to be removed. They helped him plan out and divide the work between all three of them, saving the engine for last. But with how quickly they were getting things done, and how unfazed they seemed to be with taking over his own work, he decided to focus on the engine while they worked on deck.

As if hearing his frustration, (F/N) had left Bucky alone to sand the wood planks to join him at the helm. She leaned on the door, wiping sweat off her brow, “Having trouble with that?”

He rolled his eyes, falling into the chair with a loud, exhausted sigh. “Maybe I should’ve asked you to deal with it sooner, it would be up and running by now.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, I haven’t stepped on a boat in years.” She went to man the helm, rolling up her sleeves and taking a screwdriver, lifting off the panel to expose the wires in the control box.

“Except for the one you infiltrated last month?”

“I didn’t exactly go undercover to fix that one,” she said, inspecting the mess of wires under the panel. “Mind if I take a look downstairs?”

“I already did, about a hundred times. I don’t know what’s wrong with her.”

“Maybe it’s just a loose bolt in need of tightening,” she said, screwing the panel shut. “But if it’s something we can’t get done before the sun is down, then I might be down there for a while.”

“Sure.” (F/N) stretched her arms as she headed to the engine rooms, and Sam decided to take a break. He could barely rest though. His mind kept going back to her.

Relaxed and more conversational, he might actually get to ask her how she’s been without getting thrown overboard for prying. There were a few weeks where he tried to reach out to the both of them, when he had heard Bucky had moved to New York and was seeing a therapist. Alone. He tried calling (F/N), getting automated messages every time.

The number he dialed did not exist.

It had been five years since he’d talked to her—no, six. Maybe she got a new phone. Maybe she changed her identity in that time and left, only coming back when Steve and Natasha came to convince her that they could get everyone back. He wanted to know what happened to his friends in the five years he stopped existing along with the rest of the world.

About fifteen minutes of being alone, staring at the GPS with his head swimming with thoughts, he heard her climb back up to join him, sweaty and frustrated.

“I don’t think we can fix that today, we’ll need more time,” she huffed, leaning her hand against the headrest of the seat. She looked down at Sam, seeing the apprehensive curiosity on his face. “What? Is the GPS busted, too?”

“Nah, just wondering if we could talk.” He said, masking his carefulness with a smile. “How have you been?”

She laughed, as if she’d been holding her breath waiting for him to speak. “‘M fine. I should probably look at that too.”

“No, I mean how have you been the last six years? Something tells me you’ve been real busy since after the funeral.” He stood up, stuffing his hands into his pockets as she moved to take his seat. “‘Bout six months ago, your cyborg boyfriend turned up in Brooklyn alone. Thought you’d have wanted to come with him when he got help.”

She scoffed, turning the GPS on. “Wouldn’t call that therapist help.”

“Tried calling him, but he wouldn’t answer the whole time. Stubborn,” he shook his head. “Were you in a deep cover thing when he moved out, or—”

“Deep cover?” She froze, looking back up at him. She moved away from the GPS, her brows creased together. It took her a while to answer. “No, I wasn’t in deep cover. I wasn’t on a mission yet.”

“Seriously? I couldn’t contact you for weeks, your phone number wasn’t registered. It was like you dropped off the face of the earth,” Sam’s voice became more serious. “Barely a few months later, you’re out doing god knows what on the other side of the world, and it’s taking a toll on you.”

“Everything’s taken a toll on me, you know that, Sam.”

“Then why didn’t you stop? You could have retired, like Steve. You could’ve stayed with Bucky.”

“I wanted that more than anything,” she told him, her voice suddenly shaky. “After the shit I’ve been through, you’d think I would throw in the towel, but no. I signed up for all this shit. I signed up to fight and get blood on my hands, even if it gets harder to wash it off. When we get dirty, the world becomes a bit more clean, even for a little while. It’s all I’ve ever known. There ain’t a way out even if you make one yourself.”

Sam shook his head, looking at her sternly. “C’mon, that isn’t true and you know it. You have a way out, and you deserve to take it.”

She smiled sadly, her lips quivering. He could see in her eyes the walls that she had taken down slowly building back up, “If I could, I would. I’d pack up my suit and throw it in the ocean. But in a world like this, if you can wear that suit, if you can handle the heat, for better or for worse, you gotta.”

“(F/N),” Sam walked closer to her, spinning the chair gently around so she faced him, and saw that he was genuine. “You’ve lost enough. And you’re losing yourself too.”

“Sam,” she smiled, tears welling in her eyes. “I already have.” He was taken aback by that, staring at her like she’d grown another head, or said something so bone chilling it took him out of the conversation. She laughed, “In a way, I did. It’s why I dropped off the face of the earth, like you said.”

“The fuck are you talking about, (L/N)?”

She waved him away, standing up to leave, “Look, if you wanna know, go and talk to Boone, she can send you the files.”

“I don’t wanna read it from files, girl. I gotta hear it from you,” he pulled her back down on the chair. “What happened?”

---

How the hell was she gonna dig her way out of this now?

Sam deserved to know what happened to Wanda, she was his friend too. She tried to tell him about how she enslaved an entire town in her grief and confusion, roping innocent people–her and herself included– into an elaborate sitcom life.

Wanda had found a way out, but it was quickly shut down, trapping her in the reality of everything she had lost. She tried to tell Sam that Wanda was the one to disappear, not telling anyone where she had gone or what she was doing, impossible to track.

She tried to tell him how Wanda brought Vision back to life, giving herself a family. How she apparently had magic—reiterating, different from Doctor Strange, but not too different.

She tried to tell him how Wanda made her forget everything and everyone, that she and the whole town didn’t exist outside the walls she made.

She tried to tell him how Wanda gave her a way out by trapping her in her twisted happiness, locking away everything else. How she had a life of peace created from chaos, how she was given a taste of a home and a life she had lost.

She didn’t tell him about Danny. About how he was so alive, so real. Or about Ollie. How he’d been haunting her, watching her, and how he’s still in her nightmares even today. About how she had forgotten Bucky, and the life she had with him. Sam didn’t need to know that; he didn’t need to know how much she hated herself for what Bucky had to see or feel or do trying to bring her back.

By the end of her spiel, she was barely keeping her tears at bay, and Sam had gone from confused, to horrified, to sympathetic.

He could see that she was keeping so much from him, but decided not to push. What she had told him was enough.

“…That’s why I left, jumped into the fight. When you’re given everything you could ever want and then realize it’s all fake, and you were never really happy… it almost kills you. So I ran away from it.”

“You think putting yourself in danger and pushing us away is gonna help you?”

She shrugged, “Maybe.”

“I wish you told me sooner,” Sam murmured. “Look, (F/N), it doesn’t matter where you end up going or what you end up doing, it doesn’t matter what happens. You’re more than the fighter you think you are. You are my friend, you are the love of that bionic asshole’s long life, and you’re a hero. A helper. A good person.

“Nothing will change that, not even scary witches or whatever. And if I have to remind you of it every damn day, I will.”

“Bold promise, Wilson,” she smirked, standing up with a groan. “Good thing I know you’re a man of your word.”

“Damn right I am.” Sam straightened, glad to see her smile return. “You and Barnes think you can lone wolf your shit, and I get why. But the thing is, you don’t have to. It would be easier for everyone if you remember you’re not alone.”

“Thanks, Sam,” she glanced outside the window, the sun was tucked behind clouds, slowly making its way down.

“You two should stay for dinner,” Sam mentioned, opening the door. (F/N) tried to say no, but he was already opening the door, “I’ll tell Sarah to set two more plates.”

— — —

Bucky had helped him bail the water off the deck, telling him about the lead Aftermath had gotten on Karli’s next move. He was too exhausted to listen or think about another fight. So he was thankful when (F/N) had walked on the deck, with Sarah behind her carrying bottles of beer and a can of soda.

Sarah had persuaded them to take a break, and the three of them sat on the boat, quietly listening to the sea breeze and enjoying the slow, gentle sway of the boat. The whole day he had with them and his family, seeing them both laugh and smile freely, it was everything he wanted.

They helped tremendously with the boat, and though there was more work to be done, he would have barely gotten anything done if it weren’t for (F/N) and Bucky. He wanted this to be how he spent his time with them, he hated how cold they had gotten in the past few months.

Not that it was anyone’s fault. Bucky was still recovering, and he just learned about what happened to (F/N). He knew why they were distant. But he hated how they had to rebuild a friendship that was already close to unraveling while fighting things that only seemed to bring them farther apart.

The case carrying his new suit and wings was laying atop the cooler, and he couldn’t help but think the friendship he wanted with both of them were dependent on how many times he fought by their side, and they his. He wondered if Bucky would go cold again if he refused to take the shield. He wondered what could bring him and (F/N) apart too.

He heard Bucky stand up with a groan. The bottle clinked as he picked it up, his eyes on the clouds. “We should probably leave soon, it’s getting late.”

(F/N) sat up, gulping down her soda. “Yeah, we better get home before dark.”

Sam scoffed and looked at both of them with an offended glare, “So, you’re just gonna set me up like that, huh?”

“No, we just don’t make it weird for your family,” Bucky said, shaking his head.

“Just stay here,” he insisted. “Besides, you don’t wanna drive around here at night, harder to navigate around the swamp area.”

“We don’t wanna intrude, Sam.”

“You’re not intruding anybody,” he insisted, “Look, the people in this town are the most welcoming people in the world. They don’t care if you wear small T-shirts or if you have six toes, or if your mom’s you aunt, or if you–”

“Okay, I get it,” Bucky chuckled, eyes sparkling as he smiled. “I get it, the people are nice.”

Sam laughed as well, relaxing, until he stiffened again, pointing a warning finger to them both, “But don’t flirt with my sister. Using your weird charms on her, not allowed.”

“No, of course not, Sam,” (F/N) said sarcastically. “Sarah’s too proper a lady to be with the likes of us.”

“Shut up,” Sam said, holding back a laugh. “If you two try anything, I’ll have Carlos cut you up and feed you to the fish.”

“Okay,” Bucky said, nodding solemnly and moving to get away from Sam before he makes up a better threat. (F/N) laughed, barely able to stop giggling when Bucky left the boat.

He loved seeing his friends laugh. He loved how laidback they were, it refreshed him. But knowing what’s about to come, the (F/N) he found in Madripoor could come back, and he and Bucky would be left to pick up the pieces.

— — —

MADRIPOOR

“I have a job for you.”

Sharon Carter stood in her gallery, the room completely quiet, save for her hushed, tone, patient yet demanding. Her security guards watched over her from every entry point, making sure no one went in or out.

Whoever it was she was speaking to on the phone was yelling at her, rapid French was spat out from the other line, making Sharon roll her eyes.

“Oh, please. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be rotting away in that Algerian prison.” Batroc quickly replied, cursing at her loudly. She lifted the phone away from her ear, sighing in annoyance as he finished his shouts and whines. She brought it back, “You finished?”

Batroc’s voice was low this time, telling her something slowly.

“I can give you double this time, I promise you won’t regret saying yes.” Carter promised. “What’s it gonna be?”

Finally, he agreed, telling her that his main priority was killing Sam Wilson.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But all I need you to do is watch Morgenthau, and bring her over to me. And if I’m paying you what I’m paying you, you have to bring someone else down.”

“Qui?”

“Ghost.”

Batroc laughed, but before he could retract his agreement, Carter added. “It’s this or nothing. If you’d rather say no, I can always give the Directorate General a tip to where Georges Batroc is hiding in the Alps.”

He cursed at her again before agreeing, quickly hanging up the phone. With a sly smile, she turned away and faced her men, walking out of the gallery. “Get the jet ready, we’re heading to New York in ten.”

— — —

Sarah really was a great cook. By the time the three of them had entered the house, she and her two boys were setting the table, steaming plates of seafood spaghetti and red beans and rice being arranged for them. She clicked her tongue at them, “About time you three showed up. Didn’t wanna have to call you inside like the child you are, Sam.”

The sun had set by then, and Sam’s family were insisting that they stay the night and make themselves at home.

“A small thank you for letting us stay at your house,” Sarah said, joined by AJ and Cass’ repeating their thank you’s, telling them how quiet it was, how nice the town was, with how everyone seemed to know they were there, and were ready to help them with anything they could need.

The boys were curious and inquisitive, ecstatic to hear (F/N) and Bucky’s stories about the Avengers, about working with Sam, and how annoying working with Sam was. They laughed and talked and ate until Sarah had to tell her sons to get ready for bed. At the end of dinner, both (F/N) and Bucky had stood up, reaching over to take their plates.

“No, no no, stay in your seats,” Sarah ordered, slapping their hands away.

“Come on, we insist–”

Sam blocked their hands, standing up himself, “You’re our guests, you don’t do the dishes when you’re guests!”

“Hey, I was raised better than that,” (F/N) said back, pushing his hand too.

While Sarah and Sam were busy yelling at (F/N), Bucky had quickly gathered the plates and stacked them together, marching to the sink and waiting for her to stop distracting them. When they realized what they were doing, Sam stood up and tried to push Bucky away.

Before the playful argument grew too loud, Sarah pulled her brother away and let them do the dishes.

“We’ll set up the couch for you two,” Sarah told them. “Don’t worry, it’s a foldable, you’ll fit.”

---

Summer nights in Louisiana were warm, yet they held each other close as they laid there, tight in each other’s arms despite having a lot more space to lay on. Trying to fall asleep, Bucky listened to the sounds of the waters outside, making a lullaby with the hum of the wind and (F/N)’s steady heartbeat. He could feel her fingers playing with his dog tags.

Bucky looked down at her, and she looked up at him, eyes sleepy and wide awake at the same time.

She looked beautiful like this. She looked serene.

“What are you thinking about?” She said softly.

He smiled, “Let’s run away somewhere.”

“Oh,” she said, her fingers stopping their movements. She rested her hand on his chest, “Like on vacation?”

“Yeah. Just you and me, sweetheart.”

“Where would you wanna go?”

He looked up at the ceiling, thinking. His mind zoomed through so many places and couldn’t land on any. So he answered, “Anywhere… everywhere. As long as I’m with you.”

Something flashed in (F/N)’s mind, her eyes widening for a split second as she looked up at him. Her smile wavered, “Yeah… we’ll do that. Soon.”

“You know, we could go to a beach. Go surfing,” Bucky offered. “Or we could go hiking somewhere.”

“What about a trip to the city? Maybe Paris? We could go back to New York, when everything’s over.”

“Yelena said something about a Broadway musical.”

“The one about Steve?”

“Yeah–”

“Absolutely not, James.” She laughed, trying to muffle the noise. If he wasn’t wary of waking anybody else, he’d keep insisting on it, just to hear her laugh.

“We could get a place somewhere quiet. More quiet than New Eden. Like a cabin in the woods,” he held her closer, putting his face between her shoulder and neck, relishing her scent. “Or we could buy an island of our own.”

“We can hide away and just… disappear,” (F/N) said wistfully, her voice getting softer and slower. “That would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

He closed his eyes, imagining it. Waking up with her, doing nothing and everything with her in their own abode, and then closing his eyes at the end of each day with her right beside him, getting ready to do it all over again. No fighting or amending. Dancing at the edge of infinity, away from the chaos they have floated away from long ago.

“It would be.”

— — —

“Boom! Pheew!”

Bucky’s eyes fluttered open at the sound, his body still heavy with sleep. He could hear more faint whooshing sounds, excitedly whispered from the doorway.

“Woaaah,” he heard Cass and AJ by the door, playing together in a mock battle. AJ held the shield, heavy in his arms, lifting it to block his brother’s punches and blasts.

(F/N) was still sound asleep, his arm around her waist. She was unbothered by the boys’ playing, even if they had roused him awake.

“Hey,” he softly called to them, lifting his head off the pillow to look at them. They turned around, eyes wide and apologetic. He put a finger to his lips, gesturing for them to stay quiet.

Alarmed, Cass and AJ ran off, leaving the shield inside the bag they took it from, forgetting to zip it closed.

He smiled, watching them hurry out of the living room. To those boys, and maybe to a lot more kids than he thought, the shield was more than a weapon, or a relic, or a legacy.

It was hope.

A sudden ringing came from (F/N)’s phone on the coffee table, jolting her awake and out of Bucky’s arms. He sat up as she rolled away and grabbed her phone.

“Who is it?” He asked, voice still raspy.

“It’s Boone,” she told him, standing up and answering the phone.

---

The sun had barely risen when Boone had called. It made her worry, she was rarely an early riser, and would never call unless it was something important. Bucky had left the house as soon as she got out of the living room, opting to take a walk along the dock.

She stood outside, keeping her voice hushed.

“What is it?”

“It’s Carter,” Boone said, sounding like she hadn’t slept all night, running on an energy drink. “You were right. She’s following Karli to New York.”

“And?”

“Right before she left Madripoor, she called an untraceable number. I’m still trying to figure out who she’s contacting, but she’s gettin’ ready for something big.”

“Is she expecting me?”

“You were already right about one thing. It’s likely you were right across the board.”

She inhaled, staring out at the pathway leading into town, away from Sam’s home.

Whatever’s coming is coming soon. She’d rather not get pulled out of the slow life she and Bucky had made, but strangely, the call for action had her itching to get it over with.

“I’ll be on the base tonight.” She walked back into the house, feeling her blood run cold again. “I have a plan, just get the team ready to listen.”

— — —

When Sam got up to tend to the engine again, Bucky and (F/N) were still fast asleep on the couch, huddled together and facing each other like they had fallen asleep in the middle of a conversation. It was another thing to bring him a little bit of happiness.

It had been a great annoyance seeing the two of them together in the Tower, attached at the hip, with both gazing lovingly at each other. It was one thing to be the target of Bucky’s quips and jokes, it was another to have both of their smartassery combined.

When things blew up and chaos broke out in the Tower, leading to Bucky’s recovery in Wakanda, and then to Thanos, he grew to miss seeing them together. Their relationship was humanizing, a reminder that the people fighting by their side were humans, and for a long time, were in pain and solitude.

It quieted a small part of his mind. It relieved him that his friends were more than at peace together.

Bucky had wandered into the engine to help him about an hour after he did, and after he had gotten it to sputter out a little bit more than it did yesterday, he and Bucky took the water pump out to check for repairs. Bucky had been frowning at the manual the whole time he tried to explain it.

“There should be a three-sixteenths bolt that goes in the big gear,” Sam tried to say.

Sarah interrupted him, “Excuse me! No.”

At the same time, (F/N) was strolling toward them, carrying her phone. Sarah hadn’t noticed her coming, and stood over Sam with an angry glare. (F/N) stopped right next to her.

“Hey, Sarah,” she and Bucky said at the same time.

Suddenly, Sam mirrored his sister’s expression, directing it at them both.

Sarah shot (F/N) a brief smile before glaring at her brother again. “I told you specifically the water pump was not the problem, and yet here you are.”

“Yep, Samuel,” Bucky agreed.

“In our defense, we were supposed to be done long before you woke up.” Sam said with a sly grin.

“I don’t come up to the sky to tell you to barrel roll or whatever, so don’t come here and start messing with things you clearly don’t understand,” Sarah remarked, eliciting a chuckle from (F/N).

Offended, Sam rose from his seat while Sarah thanked them for leaving her alone.

“Listen, Sam,” (F/N) started before they could leave. “Bucky and I need to leave soon, there’s been an emergency.”

“Wait, why?” Bucky said, stepping towards her. “What happened?”

“I was right,” she murmured quietly. She smiled at Sam, “I’ll get the car ready.”

“Can’t you stay for lunch?” Sam said, rushing to catch up with her.

“Sorry, but we can’t.” She said seriously, hoping Sam catches the hint. “There’s something I need to get done.”

He paused, studying the look on her face. “Okay. But give us a minute.”

“Sure.” (F/N) nodded and turned away, heading back to the car.

Sam led Bucky to the back of his house, an expanse of land with scattered trees, close to the forest and leading to the road out of town. He took the shield out from the living room and pointed to the trees. “Help me practice my aim.”

— — —

Vibranium split through the bark of the trees, letting out a loud crack that rang through the woods. After a few more throws, they had tied mats onto the trees to cushion them and let the shield bounce and fly back to them.

Sam was proficient at throwing it, and it looked right, perfect on his arm. Yet every time he caught it, there was doubt in his eyes.

“Feels weird… Picking it up again,” he remarked. He threw the shield to the farthest tree, and it bounced to the other until it went to Bucky, who caught it smoothly with his metal arm. He looked down at it, “The legacy of that shield is… complicated, to say the least.”

Bucky sighed, looking apologetically at his friend. “When Steve told me what he was planning, I don’t think either of us really understood what it felt like for a Black man to be handed the shield.” Sam looked shocked, gasping softly at Bucky’s confessed realization. “How could we? I owe you an apology.”

Bucky handed the shield back to Sam.

“I’m sorry.”

Sam took it from him, giving him a reassuring look. “Thank you. But you should know, I understand. You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”

And he did. He knew why he had clung to the legacy the shield carried. And he was happy he listened to Sam, and to (F/N). He was happy that he was learning and healing.

“Whatever happened with Walker, it wasn’t your fault,” Bucky added. “I get it. It’s just that shield… Steve wanted you to take it, he chose you. So when you retired it, it made me feel like I was letting him down. And I was irrational, I was alone. It made me question everything. You know, he gave me his book,” he took it out of his pocket, and Sam was surprised to see him still holding onto it. “I figured if it worked for him then it’d work for me.”

He sighed, suddenly feeling the weight of it all crashing down on him, the weight that was lifted when he came home again, and returned when he realized the impending chaos he’d step into again.

“I understand, man,” Sam said with a nod, “This might sound like a surprise but, it doesn’t matter what Steve thought.” Turning away, he flung the shield away, hitting a tree and coming back to his arm. “You gotta stop looking to other people to tell you who you are.”

When Sam threw it, it went back to Bucky, and he saw his reflection looking back up at him.

“Let me ask you.” Sam faced him, crossing his arms on his chest. “You still having those nightmares?”

He hesitated. In the past week, his mind has been calm, but without (F/N), without a purpose, for months, his answer would be, “All the time. It means I remember. It means part of me is still there. Which means the part of the Winter Soldier is still in me.”

He threw the shield hard, and it bounced on the tree. It flew fast towards Sam. Catching it, he asked, “You up for a little tough love?”

He nodded, bracing himself.

“You wanna climb out of that hell you’re in, do the work. Do it.” His voice was firm, concise.

“I’ve been making amends.”

Sam shook his head, “You weren’t amending, you were avenging. You were stopping all the wrongdoers you enabled as the Winter Soldier because you thought it would bring you closure. You go to those people and say sorry, because you think it’ll make you feel better, right? But you gotta make them feel better. You gotta go to them and be of service. You don’t have to correct other people’s wrongs, you just gotta do what’s right.

“I’m sure there’s at least one person in that book who needs closure about something, and you’re the only person who can give it to ‘em.”

Bucky almost laughed, “Probably a dozen.”

“That’s cool. Start with one. And you know–” The sound of tires slowly rolling up on the gravel made them turn to the road, the Firebird making its way towards them. He smiled as it stopped, and (F/N) stepped out and walked to them. “…You’re never alone.”

Bucky felt the weight lift off him, calm washed over as Sam gave him a comforting smile. “Good talk.”

He laughed, his hand meeting Bucky’s as it went to shake his.

“You two having a good time playing frisbee?” She said, lightly putting her hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “It’s time to go.”

Sam looked at them both, “Karli isn’t quitting.”

(F/N) nodded, “Call us when you’re ready. And we’ll call you with a plan.”

“We’re teaming up officially?” Bucky asked, bending over to pick up his bag.

“Nope.”

“I have my own team, which neither of you are a part of,” (F/N) retorted. The three walked together to the car.

“We can make our own, separate, independent team,” Sam offered.

“We’re not that good,” Bucky said back.

“Definitely not,” (F/N) agreed.

“But we’re professionals,” Sam added.

“Definitely.”

“And we’re partners,” Bucky said.

Sam snapped his fingers, correcting him, “Co-workers.”

“We’re also a couple of guys with mutual friends.”

“One of whom’s retired.”

“So we’re a couple of guys, working with her.” He pointed to (F/N).

“I can live with that,” Sam said with an approving nod.

“Wonderful, you’ll have to make a nice partnership name,” (F/N) said, walking ahead to open the car door.

“Like lawyers,” Bucky said, opening the backseat and throwing his bag inside. “The Falcon, the Ghost, and the White Wolf.”

“Put that on a T-shirt.”

Sam chuckled at their antics, stopping them before they got in the car. “Thanks for the help, you guys.”

“Thanks for letting us stay the night.” (F/N) said, putting her jacket back on.

Bucky patted him on the shoulder, “See you soon, Sam.”

“Stay safe.”

They both jumped in the car, and he heard the engine hum as he turned away. When he looked back, his friends were driving off under the shade of trees, back to their home, and soon, back to the chaos in the shadows.

tagged: @darke15 | @turtleedovee

#from the shadows #aftermath abridged #battle scarred universe #ch. 14 || edge of infinity #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction

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