THE FADING FALLEN ● Bucky Barnes X OC ● 18+ ● ENGLISH [COMPLETE]

Chapter 20

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There was still a lot to prepare before the party the next night.

While Shuri and Tony continued to be heavily busy, but seemed overjoyed in the process, the others scattered to the winds and took a breather.

Sam and Steve stayed close by and went over some possible attack strategies with T-Challa and Natasha. They couldn't sit completely still with what was about to happen.

Wanda and Vision dropped off for a few hours and were out of sight.

Bucky was also nowhere to be found and Emilia thought she would run into him that afternoon at the huts by the lake when she went to visit the children and Badru and Taio. But there was no sign of him.

She wondered if everything was all right with him. He seemed normal in the morning, but things were not as they seemed. That night he had another of his nightmares.

Emilia just arrived outside her room when she heard someone else leaving his. Curious as she was, she crept down the hall and saw Bucky, who disappeared into the elevator shortly after.

It was hard for her not to follow him. But after what had happened between them in the last two weeks, she really forced herself to do so.

She was aware that there was definitely something there. She had feelings for the grouchy and yet gentle stubborn guy. Still, she didn't want to admit it to herself.

In fact, Emilia was just as much of a stubborn ass, so she diverted her thoughts to Bucky as best she could. So she decided to take a trip in the late afternoon to relax a bit.

On the late walk back to the palace, she thought about what she had found out about her alter ego. Josephine claimed that she would have to live with the consequences. But what were those consequences?

She said that people are blind and lose sight of themselves.

This had happened to Emilia more than once. She had let herself be driven by anger and revenge. And that had almost destroyed her - at least that's what she believed.

So should she just accept what she had done? The way Josephine had said she should?

"Argh... what the hell she wants from me?!"

Silently cursing to herself, Emilia entered the grand entrance hall of the palace. It was already shortly after eleven o'clock. She had taken a little longer than she expected, while she strolled through the dark woods and streets.

Actually, she just wanted to go to bed and sleep.

Yawning, she headed for the wide staircase. Already in the middle, she could see the elevator when something glimmered in the darkness to her right.

She looked over the railing and from one second to the next the exhaustion was gone. Adrenaline kicked in and shot through her body.

'What the... ? Where is he going?'

She turned on her heel and crept down the stairs. Careful not to make any noises, she watched as Bucky took the exit to one of the lower floors.

"This guy's completely insane..."

Whispering, already seething with anger, Emilia followed him down the dark, deserted hallway.

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He knew that he really had no business being here. Yet Bucky couldn't help himself.

Once again, his latest nightmare wouldn't let him go. It seemed like he could never escape it.