Battle Scars (A Bucky Barnes Fanfic)

Sixty-Six

Bucky and the other lead me to the house. Inside, we find Pepper waiting.

"What do you need me to do, Vega?" she asks, looking at my wounds.

"Where's Caleb?" I ask, not caring about myself.

Pepper sighs "Upstairs asleep, now we need to do something about your back"

"I'm fine," I say, brushing her off.

"You're not fine Vega, you need it bandaged," Shuri says "I'll help you if you tell me where the supplies are"

I groan in pain; I feel blood coming out of my wounds, Bucky steadies me as I sway a bit.

"Take her to the kitchen, I'll get the supplies from the closet," Peper says.

I look at her "Thank you"

"You don't have to thank me, you're my daughter too"

I smile then wince, Bucky and Steve help me to the kitchen and I sit on a chair backward, head resting on the back, Bucky kisses my head. Shuri kicks the others out as Pepper comes in with the stuff.

"Vega, I need your bra off, we're going to have to wrap your body completely with how bad these are"

I sigh and nod. With some help from Bucky as the ones on my shoulders make it hard to move, I get my bra off and I cross my arms over my chest. I wince a bit as Shuri cleans the wounds, Bucky rubs my arm, trying to comfort me.

"We're going to need to wrap you now since we have the bandages on," Shuri says and I nod.

I sit quietly as they wrap my entire upper body up, making me kind of look like a mummy.

"We had to do it this way because of how big and deep they were, but this also helps as you won't be able to wear a bra until they heal"

I sigh "I remember, this is how it was when I was with Hydra except they didn't wrap me up"

Bucky kisses my head. Shuri turns to him.

"Do you have a shirt she could wear, it might be loose on her"

Bucky shrugs unsure "I have some in my closet of his, I sometimes have worn them to bed, they're big yeah," I answer.

Bucky gives me a soft smile. "I'll go get one," he says, and Pepper shows him to my room. Moments later he comes back with one of his long sleeve shirts, I smile and he helps me into it.

Shuri and Pepper leave the room and I turn to Bucky. He looks at me concerned.

"You ok?" he asks, brushing some hair out of my face.

I try to hold it in but my vision blurs with tears "I just really need you to hold me" I say.

Bucky pulls me to straddle his lap and gently rests a hand on my hip while the other strokes my hair as I cry. Bucky kisses my head.

"It's ok, I've got you doll"

"I'm a monster," I whisper.

He makes me look him in the eyes "No, darling, you're not. They hurt you and were going to hurt Caleb. You did what you had to, and I'm so proud of you. You protected our son, just as you have done the last five years"

I shake my head "I've ruined him Bucky, I never wanted him to have to learn everything he knows at this age. I told myself he wouldn't grow up as I did, but he ended up doing just that. I failed him."

Bucky wipes my tears "No, doll, no. You feared for his life and did what you had to do to protect him and make sure he could protect himself. "

I rest my head on Bucky's shoulder."I love you"

"I love you too, you should rest"

I groan "But my bed's all the way upstairs and I don't want to move"

Bucky chuckles "Pepper said you could rest on the couch for a while"

I nod, and Bucky carries me to the couch. He sits next to me and I pull him so that we both are laying down, me by the edge, I lay on his chest; he has one arm under his head and the other resting on my hip gently. I have one arm under my head and the other on his chest. Bucky kisses my forehead.

"Get some sleep doll," he says and I smile, closing my eyes.

......................................................

I must have drifted off because I wake to voices talking over me.

"Is she ok?" I recognize Steve's voice.

"I think so, at least enough to sleep," Bucky replies, his voice vibrating in his chest under my head. I feel him stroke his hand over my arm. "I almost lost both her and Caleb today, Steve, after just getting her back and meeting him. I was so scared"

"I know, you love her so much and I know it would destroy you to lose her and now your son too"

"That kid is something else," Bucky says and I can hear the smile in his voice "he looks like me mostly but in so many ways is like Vega and he's so smart too, he was telling me all about sea turtles, which are his favorite animal and then was talking about his favorite book which just so happens to be The Hobbit, the kid defiantly takes after both of us with that"

"Yeah he does, he's a nerd like both of you"

I open my eyes and turn my head to Steve "I take offense to that"

He looks terrified; he knows I hate being woken up. "Oh shit," he says.

I roll my eyes and sit up with Bucky's help. "Speaking of, where is my son?"

"Coloring with Morgan in the kitchen," Bucky says, running a hand through my hair and kissing my temple.

I nod "Ok, is he ok?"

Bucky nods "He was a little shaken earlier, but he's ok now or at least seems to be"

I sigh and Bucky hugs me. I smile as Caleb comes running in holding a picture.

"Mama! Daddy, look! I made it look like Mama as a wolf!" He exclaims ad jumps on the couch with us. I smile but wince a bit when my back hits the couch at the impact. Bucky looks at me, worried.

"You ok?" Bucky asks.

I nod and look back at Caleb's picture. He colored the wolf black but added what looked to be flames near its feet on the ground. I smile.

"Wow bud, you did really good!" I tell him.

"That is really good" Bucky adds smiling at our son.

"Really?!" Caleb says excitedly, looking at us.

We nod and I smile as Bucky and Caleb hug before Caleb runs off to color more.

Bucky kisses me "I love you"

"I love you too"