Save Me || Bucky Barnes

48

"I'm telling you Steve, she's not here."

"Yes, I know that you want to find her but she's not here."

"Hey, Barnes. Tell your idiot of a friend that she's not here, would ya?" 

"I honestly think she jumped across the pond so I'm gonna catch a flight over there and check while you two deal with Tony's idiocy."

Sam let out a huff of annoyance as he ended the call with Steve and stuffed his phone back in his pocket. Steve and Bucky had to end their part of the search early to go deal with some stupid thing Tony did, leaving Sam to sweep practically the entire country by himself looking for a woman who did not want to be found.

After a while, though, Sam started getting the feeling she wasn't even in the country anymore so that's when he called Steve and that's when he got into the argument about whether or not she was still in the country. Sam ended up deciding to follow his gut so he headed to the closest airport and booked the next flight for London.

Sam had only been out of the country once, and that was with his military unit, so it was a little weird for him to be traveling by himself. Plus, he wasn't too fond of planes, so he slept through most of the flight from Phoenix to London.

As soon as he touched down, he began his search for Charlotte, much to his disapproval. Several times he had thought about giving up the search, taking a quick vacation, and then returning to Steve and Bucky to tell them he couldn't find her. He knew she didn't want to be found, and seeing as how she's an ex-assassin, it would be really hard to find her as time had already proven.

But, he knew that if he did that, then the boys would somehow find out because they always uncover his secrets. The boys would make him feel guilty and then he would end up looking for her anyways, so he figured why not just get it over with now? 

When he finally claimed his baggage and was making his way out of the airport, it was nearly 11:30 at night in London. So, he figured it would be best to start his actual search tomorrow after a few hours of rest. After he paid for a couple of nights at the nearest hotel, he settled in and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

-

The next morning, Sam wandered throughout downtown London, thinking Charlotte may be wandering through here in an attempt to blend in. That's what he would do if he were her at least.

But after a day of searching through the entire capital, Sam had had no luck whatsoever. This is the way the next few weeks went. Occasionally, Steve or Bucky would call and ask for an update, but they could never stay on long as they were either still dealing with Tony's evil robot or training the new recruits.

Sam had checked almost the entire country of England when he received a call from Bucky.

"Barnes, I really don't think I'm gonna find her. I'm coming home."

"No, no, don't! That's why I called," when Sam didn't reply, Bucky continued to talk, "Someone may have seen her in Paris. Please, just check that one city and if you don't find her, then Steve and I can take over the search."

"Fine. But if I can't find her, then what makes you think you and Steve can? She's been professionally trained for seventy years to avoid human contact whenever possible. It's just like a game of hide and seek and she's been winning for the past month and a half. We need to just give up and let her give up her hiding spot on her own time or just let her contact us whenever she's ready. That's all she wants."

"Don't you think I don't know that, Sam? I'm just trying to make myself feel better. I can't live with the guilt that I let her get away, again. I'm going to do every goddamn thing I can to make sure I don't lose her again. I don't want to interfere with her life, I just want to know where she is so we can help her if she ever needs it. That's all."

Sam took a deep breath before he said, "Alright, as long as that's it. But I'm coming back home after Paris. I'm tired of European food."

Bucky chuckled as he responded with, "Fair enough. See you soon, Sammy."

"For the last time, Barnes, it's Sam!"

"Whatever, Sammy." Bucky teased again before he hung up on his end of the call. Sam rolled his eyes before he began to pack up his clothes and book a flight to Paris.

"They are gonna owe me so much money after this damn trip." Sam muttered as he sat on the plane in Paris waited to get off. 

Then, while he wandered the street looking for a decent place to spend the night, he found her.

"Oh my God. I actually did it." Sam muttered to himself, astonished. He got a firmer grip on the handle of his duffel bag before he picked up his pace in order to keep her in his sight. When she ducked into an alleyway between a coffee shop and a painting gallery, Sam followed.

There, at the end of the alley, she waited for him.

"I noticed you the minute you stepped onto the street. I only hoped that I could get away quick enough." she muttered as Sam stood in front of her, his duffel bag now resting at his feet. She let him block her only option of escape, most likely because she knew that Sam posed no threat to her. 

She let out a quiet sigh before she spoke up again, "I had a feeling they would not listen to my instructions. Why did you not keep them from looking for me, Sam Wilson? That is your name, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am, but you can just call me Sam. As for why they ignored you, I know that they're worried about you. They don't want to make the same mistake they did last time, back in the forties."

"I am a trained assassin and am feared by most nobles across the globe. No one will hurt me," she argued, her arms now crossed over her chest.

"Maybe not, but now that HYDRA has fallen, people may come looking for you so they can use you. That's another thing Steve and Bucky are worried about."

"How long did it take for you to find me?" she demanded. She had thought of that possibility and it scared her, more than she would let this stranger know. So, she just chose to ignore his statement. 

"Nearly two months or so."

"Exactly. If it takes a United States Air Force soldier two months to find an assassin, I think I am doing fairly well on my own. Pass along a message to Steven and James for me. Tell them that I am fine and will reach out if I feel that I am in danger or if I am ready to return. Otherwise, they need to back off. Do you understand me, Sam Wilson?"

"Loud and clear, ma'am." 

"Good. Watch out for them. I know they are hurting, but I am hurting as well and need time to heal."

"Yes ma'am. I will do just that." Sam agreed, dipping his head in respect.

"Thank you. Farewell, Sam Wilson."

With that, she strode past Sam and walked out of the alley. By the time Sam had picked up his duffel bag and made it back onto the crowded street, she was gone.

~

Sorry about the semi crappy update, but I wasn't really sure how I wanted this part to play out. I wrote and rewrote this part so many times, but I'm fairly happy with how this one turned out so I'll update this one. As for the quotes that I posted a couple of days ago, thank you all for your input! I ended up going with the Dr. Seuss quote because it was the most relevant to my life now and most likely in the future as well. Anyways, I'm not sure if I'll update again before this Thursday so if I don't, I'll wish you all a happy Thanksgiving now! Enjoy your day with your family and friends and remember to tell those you are close with or those you value the most that you're thankful for them. I know I'm thankful for all of you who read my stories and who have given me support and advice in the past. Everyone of you holds a special place in my heart and I wouldn't be where I am in my writing and in my life without you all. So, thank you!