Come Back With Me

I'll Try My Best

If Lizzie and Bucky thought saying goodbye for boot camp was hard, it was nothing compared to this goodbye.

Bucky and Lizzie lay in bed and gaze at each other. They take in every single detail that they will miss to get them through the coming days, probably even the coming years.

Bucky's hands are never idle and he memorizes her body with his fingers. His hands finally still and rest in her long blonde hair.

Eventually, they can't delay the inevitable any further and they are forced to get up. The ship won't wait for Bucky and he will get in big trouble if he misses it.

They take the taxi drive to the ship port in silence with Lizzie sitting in Bucky's lap.

The cabby doesn't say anything because he can tell by Bucky's uniform that this is a goodbye and he can't bare to tell them to separate.

As they get out, they pay the cab driver. When they look around the port, they see plenty of people saying goodbye. Some are crying and some are laughing, enjoying their last moments together.

Bucky leads them to an area that will be a little less out of prying eyes.

"Ellie, I need you to promise me that no matter what happens, you will survive this. If something happens to me, I need you to live for me. I can't promise that I'll come home but I have a strong feeling we will see each other again. If not in this life, then the next," Bucky says.

Lizzie goes to respond but then they here an announcer say that it is time to board.

"You still have to read me the ending of The Great Gatsby. I'm going to be quite cross with you if I never get to finish my favorite book," she says.

"I'll try my best, doll," Bucky says with a sad smile.

Then, he leans in and kisses her. He pours in every ounce of love and longing he has in his body into that kiss. He makes the kiss one that they can hold onto in their memories.

He can feel her tears against his face and taste the salt against his lips.

Bucky finally has to release her, even though he desperately doesn't want to.

Once he pull away and rests his forehead against hers and lets a few tears drop from his eyes. Even though he was trying to hold back his tears, he couldn't help letting a few escape.

"I love you so much, Ellie, more than anything I could or ever will love," Bucky says.

She shakily breathes in because she knows it's her turn to say goodbye.

"It has been a pleasure to be loved by you. I thank my lucky stars every day for bringing you to me. I love you with all that I am or will ever be," Lizzie says.

He picks up her hand and kisses her knuckles right over her engagement ring. Bucky begins stepping backwards and holds onto her hand until he can't any longer.

When he left at the bus station before boot camp, he turned around when he walked away so he wouldn't break down and stay, but not this time. He doesn't care who he runs into, he's going to look at her until he physically can't anymore.

Eventually, he enters the ship and he runs to the closest balcony so he can continue looking at her. They stay looking at each other all the way until Bucky's boat begins to move. He begins to run to the back of the ship in order to keep that connection just a little longer.

He knows he probably looks ridiculous but he doesn't care at the moment. The only thing he cares about is the girl on the platform who's getting harder and harder to see.

He stands at the back of the boat until he can no longer see the dock. Even when he can't see it, he continues to stare out.

He is so distracted that he doesn't even realize that a man approached him.

"You leave your girl over there?" The man asks.

"She was as good as my wife," Bucky explains.

"What was her name?" He asks.

"Elizabeth but everyone called her Lizzie. I was the only one who called her Ellie," Bucky says.

"She must be pretty special," he says.

"One of a kind, I don't think the world will ever see her like again," Bucky says.

They lapse into silence, unsure how to continue the conversation.

The man holds out his hand for Bucky to shake.

"My name is Timothy Dugan but everyone calls me Dum Dum," he says.

Bucky reaches out and shakes his hand.

"James Barnes but everyone calls me Bucky," he says.

Lizzie doesn't leave the dock for hours she just sits there and watches the ships coming and going from the port. She knows it's impossible but a small part of her is hoping to see Bucky's ship sail back to say the war was over.

She wishes that the war was just over so she could have him back already. He wasn't even gone for a full day and the pain of missing him was already unbearable.

"I know you're still mad at me but I needed to be here for you," Steve says.

She turns around and sees Steve standing there.

She's still mad about his recruitment attempts but she needs her twin right now.

She runs up to him and throws her arms around his neck.

Steve is her safe place. He is always someone she can run to when her world starts falling apart. He is solid and consistent and she needs him right now to help hold her together.

"Please don't go, Stevie. Please," Lizzie begs.

Steve stays quiet because he knows that he can't promise that.

He feels horrible because he's leaving his sister at her most vulnerable. She's in such pain and he knows that he's about to cause her some more.

He decides that he will tell her tomorrow. He'll tell her about the chance he's been given. Today, she needs to grieve Bucky and he can't take that away from her.

Also, a part of him wants one more day without her hating him because he knows when he does leave, she'll never forgive him.