Her White Wolf

Chapter Thirty-Five

James followed behind her and smacked her ass lightly as they reached the stairs. When they reached the bottom and walked into the kitchen, he made eye contact with Steve and raised a brow at him. "Our girl is quite the stubborn one."

Steve raised a brow in reply. "Meaning?" he asked, resting his hands on his hips.

"She wants to go to New York," James explained. He knew Steve would notice her flushed cheeks, but he didn't have a way to tell him with Sam being with them at the moment.

"I don't see why I can't support you too," Cleo pointed out to the group.

Steve eyed her up and down and glanced at Bucky, giving him a knowing look before he nodded. "Okay. I appreciate it, babe, I know it means leaving the clinic."

Cleo brushed that off with a wave of her hand. "The accident and pregnancy allowed me to cultivate some really good connections so I can get coverage when it's important."

"I don't mind that she goes," James commented. "As long as things stay safe."

"Absolutely," Steve agreed immediately. "The moment things start to smell funny; I want you and Grant to come back."

Cleo wanted to argue, and for a moment she even moved to begin to, but she didn't want Grant in danger either, and if anyone should stay with him and out of the way it was her. She wasn't a soldier. "Okay."

"I can make sure you have a hotel room big enough for all of you," Sam told them.

"A suite would be good," Cleo noted, allowing for some space for Grant to sleep quietly away from them. She pulled some potatoes out of a bowl on the counter and a head of broccoli.

"Sam," Steve questioned, turning towards his friend. "What does the government know about our... situation here?" he asked.

"Not much," he answered honestly. "Just that you've settled down in Wakanda."

He nodded, glancing back at James and Cleo. "Maybe that's... better, for now," he suggested, though he hated the feeling it gave him in his gut. It wasn't that he wanted to deny them, but... information in the government's hands could be used against them in some way.

"They know that Buck is here, and you want to be close to him, that's about it," Sam told him.

"Okay. I'm fine with that being all they know," Steve said surely.

Cleo nodded in understanding. "Grant and I will stay at the hotel while you all work out your business," she agreed. She didn't need to be in the government's face.

James nodded. "If I need to, I can always come back to the hotel too."

"They probably wouldn't suspect anything with you being there," Steve thought out loud, settling his hands on his hips. "They know we're close. I just don't want to give them any more ammunition."

"We won't," Sam assured. "All of you will be safe."

"Then I guess we have some packing to do," Cleo said simply as she put a pot of water on the stove.

James grinned. "After dinner."

"Yes. After dinner," she agreed, rolling her eyes a little in amusement.

Dinner was a welcome break from the discussion about what was ahead of them. Once dinner was finished, Steve took Sam upstairs to show him to the guest room as Cleo and James worked to clean up.

As he finished loading the dishwasher, James turned and grinned at Cleo as she wiped off the counter. "Are you okay, babe?"

Cleo raised her brows as she looked across at him. "Yeah, yeah I'm okay," she replied, though as she pondered the question more completely, she wondered if she really was.