Come Back With Me

The Adventures of Bucky Barnes

New Years quickly came and the Barnes family had all the Rogers over for the occasion. The adults chatted inside while the kids ran around in the backyard.

Rebecca and Lizzie found the bang snaps and kept trying to hit Steve and Bucky on their feet.

Steve and Lizzie watched as Bucky and Rebecca danced around to some upbeat jazz. The pair had practiced dancing together since Rebecca could toddle and it showed. They were both excellent dancers.

Rebecca tries to teach Steve some steps and stands next to him to show him how to place his feet; though she isn't very successful.

Bucky grabs Lizzie's hand and pulls her to dance but she digs her feet into the ground.

"No, Jaime! I'm a horrible dancer. I'm a sidelines kinda gal," she says.

He grabs both of her hands and begins to twirl her around.

"Haven't you ever heard? It's all in the leading," Bucky says with a smile.

She fights him a little more but eventually she allows him to lead her around the yard.

She notices that he's right, it is all in the leading because she's dancing and laughing like she never has before.

They are still dancing when they here the countdown start.

"Three...two... one... Happy New Year!"

Lizzie smiles up at Bucky and he smiles back. She kisses him on the cheek.

"Happy New Years Jaime," she says with a smile.

She then runs off to wish her brother and his sister a happy New Years.

Bucky doesn't understand the feelings stirring in his chest as he remembers the warmth of her lips on his cheek.

After New Years, Lizzie returns to school to little fanfare. No one at school even acknowledges her existence. She likes it that way though, as long as she has Bucky and Steve, she doesn't need anyone else.

The biggest change is that Bucky has become attached to their sides. Sure, he still had friends he talked to in his classes but every minute outside of classes was spent with the Rogers twins.

It was the second week in January when Lizzie was informed of the date of the trial. It was March 10th, which was the day of Bucky's 14th birthday.

"I'm so sorry Bucky. You don't have to come to the trial," Lizzie says.

"Of course I'm coming, don't be stupid. We can celebrate that piece of garbage going to Juvie and my birthday after," Bucky says.

"You act like it's a certainty. The jury might choose not to convict even with my testimony. They aren't supposed to convict unless they believe him to be guilty without a shadow of a doubt. They may just doubt the memory of a girl who experienced a severe head injury," Lizzie explains.

"That's stupid! He might get away on a technicality!?" Bucky asks.

"It's called 'due process' Jaime and it's a part of the fifth amendment. It's supposed to be there to protect our constitutional rights," Lizzie says.

"Well it's wrong if it lets people like him walk," Bucky says angrily.

"Well, no system is perfect. Say you were forced to commit a crime against your will, the system would give you a chance to prove that you weren't in control. While the jury may still convict, it would give you a chance to plead your innocence. The system is meant to help people like that because some crime isn't black and white," Lizzie defends.

"Well, in this case it is black and white. Hurting people is wrong, no matter the justification. If you hurt someone, you deserve to be locked up," Bucky says sternly.

Lizzie knows that she'll never get him to see reason. He won't understand unless he ever has to face judgment for a crime he didn't commit. She knows he'd never hurt someone of his own free will so she hopes that's something he never has to learn.

Before they know it, the day of the trial (and Bucky's birthday) is finally among them.

Steve and Lizzie sneak into Bucky's room through his window early in the morning. The twins stand at the end of Bucky's bed.

"Happy Birthday Bucky!" The twins yell.

Bucky is so startled that he falls out of his bed. The twins laugh and Bucky glares up at him.

"I hate you," Bucky grumbles.

"No, you don't," Steve says as he sits on the edge of Bucky's bed.

Lizzie holds out her hand to help him up but Bucky pulls her to the floor instead. She falls on top of him and knocks the wind out of him while she remains perfectly fine.

"I didn't think that through," Bucky grunts in pain.

"Nope!" Lizzie says, emphasizing the 'p'.

"Would you forgive us if I told you we brought pancakes and a gift?" Lizzie asks.

"Depends, do the pancakes have chocolate chips?" Bucky asks.

"Duh," Steve says.

Lizzie rolls off of Bucky and stands up.

"Can I help you up or are you going to be stupid again?" Lizzie asks while holding out her hand again.

He let's her help him up.

"It's my birthday, I'm allowed to be as stupid as I want," Bucky says indignantly.

The trio spread a blanket on the floor and split the pancakes. Once they are done eating, the twins present Bucky with a present.

"It's from the both of us," Steve says.

"You guys didn't have to get me anything. You made pancakes," Bucky says.

"We can take it back," Lizzie teases.

"Well you already went through the trouble of getting it so the least I could do is open it," Bucky teases back.

He opens it and sees a comic book but it's not a real comic book. The title reads "The Adventures of Bucky Barnes and The Rogers Twins".

The illustrations inside are done artfully in their hands.

"It's the story of us so far," Lizzie says.

"With a bit of embellishments," Steve adds.

He flips through and can't help but smile at the illustrations of the day they met. Specifically when Lizzie had shoved him to the ground. He noticed that the incident was included but it was more vague and made him seem more heroic than he actually was.

"I love it guys," Bucky says earnestly.

"Well, you're our superhero so it's only fitting for you to have a comic book," Lizzie says.

"Well you two are the best sidekicks a guy could ask for," Bucky responds.

But Bucky can't help but think that it's the other way around.

He didn't realize it at the time but he knows they saved him too.

That's what they do, they save each other.