Olivia Vitale is trying her best to get her life back on track. After escaping an abusive relationship, she moves back to her home city of Joy. She promises her roommate Carol to take it slow with relationships. That promise becomes harder to keep a...
"And that's what you want to do? You're sure 'bout it?"
"Nah, I'm not sure of anythin', but I think it's the right thing to do."
"I'm okay with it, we both know I owe you a lot more than that."
"We'll be gone for a long while. Maybe forever."
"If that's what you want... What about Sam?"
"He'll come by, and I'll talk to him."
A pause.
"I'm real happy for you, Buck. Seems at least one of us found happiness, huh?"
"You'll get there eventually. Took me a damn while too."
"Yeah, maybe... Sharon still hanging around The Compound."
"Nothin' can make her leave."
"Great. That's good..."
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The surroundings are familiar to her. A comfortable beeping of a heart monitor sounds while a smell of homely disinfectant wafts her nostrils, but the odd thing is her arm. No, her entire body hurts in such a terrible way, physical pain in places she hasn't been aware of until now. Olivia groans tiredly and blinks at the harsh lights within the room.
"Liv?" A tired voice croaks while another shock of pain hits her side. The memories slowly come back to her. Brock. He was there and he had- she was going to. "Hey, sugar, easy now."
His warm form slides up next to her in the bed and she's relaxing before she has the time to register who it is. Bucky wraps an arm around her and helps her sit up, careful with the side where her stab wound has to be. The shock hits her at once, coming first as a lump in her throat that she doesn't even try to stop and then she's crying, bawling her eyes out, shaking while he tries to hold onto her and comfort her the best he can.
"It's okay, we're okay now," he mumbles and kisses the top of her head while she tries crawling into his lap. "Hey," he shushes softly, "don't move like that on ya own. Gonna get hurt, sweet girl."
He tugs her body into his embrace, holding her tight to him as she sobs. It's her worst nightmare coming true after she worked so long to try and reverse and force herself through everything he had done to her. It all comes crashing down, memories she had tried to repress and the ones she had struggled so hard to fight through. It's impossible to keep the things Phil taught her in mind.
Because the reality hits her that no matter what she does, in the face of someone like him, someone who won't stop at any cost, she's powerless. All the systems supposedly put in place to protect her can't help her. Nothing she does will ever be enough. Realisation strikes her all at once and she stares up at the broad-shouldered man, the bags beneath his eyes and unkept scruff plenty of evidence as to how long he has spent by her side.
