A Feast of Scraps - A Captain America Fanfiction

Ch 1 -Rescue

I kept my hands in my pockets as I approached the lab. It was late, and this was a top-secret area of a hidden government compound, but I'd made sure that everyone here trusted me over the past year. My almost full clearance had gotten me through the first few layers of security earlier in the day and then I'd tucked myself away in the archive room. My presence after hours could be explained away with my civilian clothes and the right smile if I got caught. If they searched me, well, that was another matter.

I hitched my backpack higher on one shoulder.

Putting Bucky back into cryo sleep had been a special kind of torture for me. Fighting for his freedom, hell, for everyone's freedom, had cost so much. Things would certainly never be the same with Tony, and the rest of the team looked at me differently now too. All of that, and then to lose Bucky again?

My heart beat faster and I resisted picking up the pace. I looked back over my shoulder before reaching the last door. Natasha had said the cameras would be down, but you could never predict people. What if one of the guards decided to wander back off the usual circuit? There was a tight knot in my chest at breaking Bucky out this way. T'Challa had trusted us, giving Bucky this safe haven, tucked into the jungle when I could count my allies on one hand.

I punched in the code for the door, intentionally leaving my fingerprints on the key pad. Natasha had argued, but ultimately, it was only fair to T'Challa to know I'd betrayed him. With any luck, he might not launch a full scale search knowing that it was a Captain America inside job. But whatever his reaction, there was no help for it. Bucky couldn't be left here for someone else to find and activate. It was too big of a risk, and telling anyone the secrets I'd found just wasn't an option.

Keep telling yourself that, Rogers. The deeper truth gnawed at me. I needed Bucky back. I set my jaw and pushed the thoughts away. Focus on right now.

I knew how to open the vault. I'd made sure to pick up enough detail each time I visited. My own facility clearance just had to last long enough to get us out. I hurried to the capsule and checked my watch. Perfect. Natasha's decryption device was heavy as I hauled it out of my bag and fixed it in place.

I could feel sweat break out across my chest and back as it worked its magic. The capsule hummed as it slowly tilted from horizontal to almost vertical. The hatch made a soft suction sound as I released the last clasp. As I opened the glass, a fine mist curled around my hand and face. Bucky's face was pale, blank, but even in cryo sleep, he didn't look innocent the way he had when we were younger. His features were manly now, rugged with all the suffering he'd endured. Not to mention the suffering he'd created.

Bucky didn't move as I unhooked all the tubes with shaking, fumbling fingers. God it was good to see him again, even if he looked half dead. "Buck, wake up." How long would this take? Should I just carry him out? That could work, but getting him out under his own steam would be a hell of a lot safer. Then there was Bucky's waking state to consider. Would he wake up fighting if he was slung over my shoulder? Had they programmed that into him, if he didn't hear the right words, or see the right faces when they brought him back to life? I have to reach him. He has to know it's me.

I reached in and lightly squeezed Bucky's bicep. "Buck?" It was a relief to feel that his body was warm at least. I slid my hand up to Bucky's shoulder. "Come on man, we gotta go."

Bucky's eyes slid open. One second he was just a limp body and the next, I could feel the muscle under my hand tighten and come alive. Bucky's intense gaze was scary. There was no two ways about it. He was a force to be reckoned with, but he was also the only person that I could call family anymore.

I managed a tight smile. "You okay? I came back for you."

Bucky's eyes flicked behind me to the empty room and back.

"Yeah, it's just me. And yeah, we gotta be kinda quick about getting out of here."

Bucky's right arm came up and clamped hard on my wrist. "You're in danger?"

Okay, so it was the real him. My chest felt tight. He thought about me first. "Not just yet, but we will be. Can you move?"

He pushed forward, lifting his upper body out of the cryo cradle. He lifted and flexed his new cyborg arm and rolled his shoulders. He flexed his neck and nodded. "So, you're busting me out?"

I smiled and shrugged. "Looks that way."

His lips tightened and he locked eyes with me. "I'm not safe. You know that."

I ran both my hands onto his shoulders. "Look, we don't have time for this. Come on." I pulled gently and he stepped out of the chamber, shaking a little. He grabbed my jacket to keep from stumbling and I put an arm around him in case he needed me to take some of his weight.

His eyes held mine and he shook his head once. "You can't trust me, Steve. You know that."

This place had sensors on its sensors. I wasn't going to say anything that anyone could play back later. "We can't talk here. You just have to trust me to do what's right. Can you do that?"

He searched my face, his brow furrowed and I had a moment of sharp fear. Was it fair to ask that after what he'd been through? He needed to make his own choices, not be told to follow and trust. But what if he refused? I'd tried to live without him and I didn't want to do it again. Ever since coming up from under the ice, I'd been existing, surviving. Having him back had changed that.

When he gave a quick nod and pulled away from me to stand on his own, my breath caught on the surge of relief that went through me.

Author's Note

I'm so excited about sharing this story here! I'm a huge Marvel fan and a queer author, and discovering the Stucky stories on here was like Christmas! That's a thing?? Stay tuned for the next installment (6 total). *Fangirl fanning self*

I'm also releasing my 3rd (traditionally published) novel and to celebrate, I'm sharing THIS story as a Giveaway on my website in case people would rather have the whole thing NOW as an epub, mobi or pdf file. (Plus the download has a tad more editing). Here's the link, my darlinks, http://michelefogal.com/newsletter/ and please let me know what you think of the Steve and James that live in my head. Are they like yours?

Hearts!

Michele