THIEF | BUCKY BARNES

TWENTY ONE

CALLS
❝Then I'll explain everything, Cherry, please just wait for me.❞

Odessa didn't understand how Bucky had pulled it off, but she was currently sat in the back of a black SUV with him.

Bucky turned and gave the girl his full attention. He let out a deep breath as he gripped her hand tightly.

"You've got to listen to me." He paused. "If I tell you to do something, you do it." His tongue ran over his bottom lip. "I'm not having you risk your life whilst I end this mission."

"What is the mission, James?" Odessa anxiously questioned. Bucky brought his hand up and tucked some of her brown hair out of her face.

"That's not important, Cherry. What is important is you, so please, listen to my instructions. If I tell you to run in the opposite direction, you do just that."

Odessa nodded, closing her eyes and just enjoying the way his skin felt against hers.

"You're not going to leave me are you?" She whispered, she was terrified of him getting hurt.

"Never." Bucky responded, plastering a smile on his face. The truth is, he didn't actually know. He never did. But if something was to happen to him, at least she was out. At least Odessa was safe.

"We're here." Rumlow spoke as opened the door. Odessa grabbed Bucky's hand tightly, he offered her a reassuring smile as he stepped out of the SUV. "Arm up, James," Rumlow turned to Odessa. "You too." He chuckled.

Bucky looked between his choice of weapons before grabbing a grenade launcher, a gun and two knives. Odessa looked at the weapons, completely baffled by all the choices. Bucky noticed the panic on her face, before he handed her a small pistol, hoping that she wouldn't have to use it.

"Do you know how to use this?" Bucky questioned, making the girl shake her head. Bucky nodded and quickly showed her. "Only use it in an emergency." He whispered in her ear, giving her biceps a light squeeze.

Odessa slowly nodded, she took a small step closer to Bucky. He could tell that she was anxious. He grabbed her waist and pulled her into his chest, his hand cupped the back of her head.

"I'll protect you." He whispered. "Nobody's laying a fucking finger on you."

"Time to go, James." Rumlow spoke up louder as he walked away to go to help out inside.

"Stay close to me." Bucky whispered, he cupped the girls cheeks and connected their lips.

~

Bucky's finger hovered over the trigger of the grenade launcher, he took one hesitant look at Odessa before pulling the trigger and firing at a jet.

He fired a few more, killing a few people, earning a few shocked and anxious gasps from the brunette. One man ran over to Bucky, only for him to pull out his gun and fire at the man.

Bucky grabbed a grenade that had rolled in front of the girl and threw it into a jet. He quickly grabbed Odessa and hid her behind him as bullets were fired at them. He raised his arm to protect his face from being hit.

Odessa's eyes flickered around, people where screaming in agony and fires were crackling.

"James?" She whispered, her voice cracking slightly. Bucky grabbed her gun and shot through the wind screen at the pilot. He ripped off the door and pulled the man out. "James." She said more sternly, causing the man to snap out of his daze and face her.

Bucky looked around at the destruction that he had cause. Odessa's brown eyes filled with tears.

"You need to leave." Bucky instructed. "You can't stay here." He shook his head. "Meet me at the Smithsonian Institution." He cupped her cheeks. "Please wait for me."

Odessa nodded as a few tears rolled down her face. She knew this wasn't the Bucky that she knew.

"Then I'll explain everything, Cherry, please just wait for me." He rested his head against hers, Odessa nodded, placing a soft kiss on his cheek before running away.

~

Odessa dialled Mr and Mrs Forest phone number and prayed that somebody answered the phone.

"Hello?" Mrs Forest answered, causing Odessa to let out a relieved sigh.

"Is Savannah there?" Odessa questioned hopefully.

"Odessa?" Mrs Forest gasped, everyone thought she was dead. "Where are you?"

"That's unimportant. Are my siblings there?" Odessa snapped. She didn't mean to be so snappy with the woman, she just needed to know if her siblings were alive and safe.

"You're not meant to be calling this number. I don't know how you managed to get a hold of it, Odessa. But you can't have contact with my children anymore." Mrs Forest snapped angrily.

Mrs Forest had no idea how Odessa was alive, or if she had just ran away and faked her death. But she wasn't allowed contact with her siblings.

"Please, I just need to know that they're okay. Are they all okay?" Odessa sounded panicked.

She just wanted to know that they were okay. Odessa wouldn't know what to do if they weren't.

"They're okay. Now please, for their sakes as well as yours, don't call this number again." With that, the call ended.

Odessa ran hand over her face, she was glad that they're okay. That they were safe. She walked over to the Smithsonian Institution and allowed a chuckle to escape her lips.

She never thought that she would be back here.