[Quiet in the Chaos]

Epilogue 2

As you may have guessed this story is coming to an end :(((( i have a few more epilogues in mind, but after that, Dani's and Bucky's story is done. I want to thank you all for all your votes and support, please comment and let me know if you've enjoyed this stories - and any ideas for an epilogue are welcome x

                                     ~58~

9 MONTHS LATER.

Not again.

"You're OK, honey," he reassures her - although useless - as he steps behind her, scooping her hair back with his metal hand and his other palm rubbing in circular motions around her back. "I'm here, Doll, try to breathe."

She heaves again, so hard she's sure her insides are pouring out. God, this is attractive. Every morning for four mornings. After a few moments, she eventually stops, her head hanging tiredly before she lifts it and eases herself back from the toilet.

Bucky slips his arms around her helping her up. His expression tightens in concern, but still he keeps his voice quiet. Her face is pale, large rings encircling her eyes. "I want to take you to the doctor, Dan, this isn't right. You're sick."

She holds up a hand. "I'm fine."

"You're not."

"Buck-"

"No, Dani- Shit," he lunges forward, catching her before she hits the floor, her body limp in his arms.

•••

  Dani sighs as the doctor finishes taking her breath sounds, letting her gown fall down over her back. She didn't miss the pause of shock when her eyes landed on her scar littered skin.

"Are the sickness and fainting your only symptoms?"

Dani nods while Bucky answers with a side eye, "No. She's achy."

The woman smiles at him. "OK, I'm going to send Doctor Archer into you, sit tight."

Dani thanks her quietly, lying her head back on the pillow. "I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that," he responds calmly, brushing his thumb over her hand that hangs off the hospital bed.

"OK."

He breathes a sigh through his nose, pressing his lips to her fingers. "I'm worried about you. Let me take care of you."

"I don't like being-"

"Taken care of? I know. But you don't have a choice."

She smiles weakly, resting her head back on the pillow. She squeezes his hand tightly, her voice lowering as she says quietly and solemnly, "Don't leave."

Understanding cascades over his eyes. "I won't, Doll."

The wires, the monitors, the needles. It's familiar. Sickeningly familiar. The check up earlier, he saw how she struggled with it. And it sickened him he had to put her through that.

"Danielle Larson?" The doctor steps in, a practised, yet warm smile on her face as she closes the chart. "My name is doctor Archer, an ultrasound has been ordered for you, are you ok with that?"

Dani nods slightly. Bucky leans forward. "Is she OK?"

The woman smiles, as if she's heard a partner's concern ten times that day. She gels her stomach, carrying out the ultrasound. "I'm about to find out."

Bucky grips her hand a little tighter. What is she hoping to find? Internal bleeding? Swelling? Tumour-

"Congratulations," she smiles, "You seem to have a healthy baby, just some morning sickness I think."

Neither move.

Neither speak.

Impossible.

"Look again," Dani tells her hoarsely. Her voice is different. Hollow. Distant.

This is a sick joke.

Hasn't she suffered enough?

The woman glances to the screen and between the pair. "You weren't trying?" she presumes hesitantly.

Dani's lips part but nothing comes. She feels like she might be dying. This joke - it's sick. Why is she lying? HYDRA. Are they here?

"She can't," Bucky steps in, clearing his throat, his face deathly pale. "She can't."

The doctor pauses, her brows pulling together as she tilts the screen towards them. "Look for yourselves." She watches their faces freeze and unfreeze, pale and colour until she says. "I'm going to give you two a minute."

"It's not possible." She refuses to believe it. It's not true. She's going to wake up. When there's no reply she looks to Bucky. Tears roll silently down his cheeks and he reaches a hand to her face and gently caresses it.

"She lied," he whispers in realisation. "She lied to us. To you."

Dani's head shakes and her eyes narrow. This is too much. This is not possible.

She mourned.

She grieved.

And yet, she stares at the small shape she sees to be her child on the screen. A large hand lifts her hand onto her stomach, his hand on top of hers. "We're having a baby, Dani," he whispers.

We're having a baby.

The words she thought she could never here. "Are you sure?" she asks hoarsely. She needs to be sure.

He laughs, a laugh of pure shock and joy. "Yes."

Then she's crying. And they're both crying. Then he's planting kisses all over her exposed stomach. "We're having a baby," she smiles through her tears.

He reaches up, planting kisses all over her face, messy, intertwined with their tears. "You're going to be such a good mom."

Mom.

She's going to be a mom.

"We're going to be parents," she whispers, grasping his face in her small hands. "We're going to be parents."

He nods, a grin spreading wider across his face. He leans down, his face above her stomach. She looks down. "What are you doing?" she laughs, tears still free flowing down her face.

He hushes her, "I'm trying to talk to my kid, Doll. Give us a minute."

She laughs. She cries. She laughs. She isn't sure what she's doing right now.

"Hey kiddo, this is your daddy," he murmurs against her skin. "I can't wait to meet you. You're going to be the most loved kid in the entire world. And we're going to ride bikes, but if you don't like that we can go to the beach, but if you don't like sand we can go to a football game, if you don't like sports we can get ice cream. Everyone likes ice cream."

He kisses her again. Rambling, mad rambling, but she doesn't mind. "But you can't hurt your momma again, don't make her sick. I don't like it when she's sick because I worry. And Im gonna worry about you too. So you have to stay safe and look after her for me while you're in there, OK? And once you're out, I'm gonna spoil you, OK?"

"Bucky," she laughs, her tears staining her pale face. She place her palms on his cheeks and pull him up to her face, the tips of their noses touching. She tries to smile, though it's shaky through her stifled crying. He hums, smiling down at her. She wipes his tears softly with her thumb. "I cannot wait to have our baby. And I cannot wait for you to be a father, to see you with our kid. And I want you to know that I love you so much."

He presses his forehead against hers. "We've got this," he whispers.

"We've got this," she grins.