run to you - bucky barnes

twelve

Marci wasn't blind to the horrors that HYDRA created. After all she had seen the effects of their manipulation first hand throughout her battle with the Winter Soldier. But believing that her mother was HYDRA, that was completely unexpected.

The pair had transitioned to her living room. Bucky stood behind the back of her couch, still in a defensive state of mind. He knew he should relax, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Marci on the other hand was a mess. She walked over the the stone mantel that hung above her wood burning fireplace and grabbed a photo of her family, a picture that was taken only weeks before her mother left. She gripped it tightly as she paced back and forth.

"She was a biochemist," Marci took a seat on the loveseat, her eyes locked on those of her mother. "I never knew where, but I guess that's why." Marci looked up at Bucky.

"Do you remember it?" He questioned. "The experiments?"

Marci's head shook. "No," she said. "I remember going with her to work a few times. But the details, they're gone." She paused before she spoke again. "I was only four," her voice was breaking, Bucky could tell she was close to crying. That made him uncomfortable. "How could she do that to me? To my Dad?" She wiped the stray tears from her rosy cheeks. "The day she left she wiped all of my Dads bank accounts, took everything that was in the safe. We almost lost our house, I was so little though I didn't even know. Hell, I was happy to be eating ramen noodles for every meal," a deep sigh escaped her lips. Bucky and Marci made eye contact once more. "I know your memories aren't good, but do you remember them? Your parents?"

Bucky was surprised by her question, and hesitated before he answered. "No," he said. "I'm glad I don't," Marci was surprised by his response. "They'd be ashamed of what I've done."

"You almost killed me." Marci stated, her tone wasn't hostile but more factual.

Bucky eyes lowered to the ground, "I know. I'm sorry." His apology was genuine.

"But even I know that it was HYDRA, not you." Marci was completely certain about that, and him standing before her talking to her, allowed her to know that.

"Honestly, right now it's hard to tell them apart," his voice was quiet and his heart was overflowing with remorse.

"You should talk to Steve," Marci watched as his head perked up and the name of his former best friend. "He could help you remember who you actually are. I could call him-."

"No," quickly came out of his mouth. "Please don't."

"Why?" Marci placed the picture that was still in her hands aside on the nearby coffee table. She stood up, walking around the couch so Bucky and her stood face to face. He tried to step back, but his boots hit the back of the couch.

"He'd have so many questions. Questions that I don't have the answer to or questions that have answers that he won't like, ones that he won't want to know."

"Then tell him you're not ready. I promise you he'd understand. He's a good guy, James." Her voice was sincere, he liked that.

"I appreciate that, Sophia. I find him when I'm ready, when I know who I am." She felt weird hearing him say her, full name.

"Okay, then I won't call him until you ask me too."

"Thank you," He was grateful to her for that.

"But I guess this brings me back to my original question. Why are you here? Why me?" Marci wasn't sure what answer she was expecting, or even one that she wanted.

"I need your help," he began. "I going to find out who I am or at least who I used to be."

"But what do you need me for?" Marci's brows were furrowed.

"We are going to find your mom and make her fix what they did to me."

Marci's eyes went wide, "What? No."

"What?" Bucky sounded surprised by her answer. As he went through this scenario in his head, she never said no. Once she threw a blazing ball of fire at him, which singed his hair, but never said no.

"I'm sorry," She whispered. "I hope you find her, I really do, and I hope that you get your mind back and your memories back but I can't go with you. I haven't seen that woman in twenty years. I have no desire to change that."

Bucky ran his flesh hand through his hair while a deep sigh escaped his lips. "I can't change your mind?"

Marci shook her head no. "I can't help you."

"Okay," he sighed once more.

"You can stay til morning, if you want. You look like you could use a few hours of sleep." Bucky didn't answer at first, so Marci continued. "The couch is quite comfortable, if I do say so myself."

"I'll take you up on that," for the first time since her arrived at her house Bucky smiled. It wasn't big or toothy, but it was a smile.

"I'll go grab some blankets," she said before she spun on her heel and climbed her way up the stairs. She made her way over to the closet that contained all of her extra blankets, grabbing a few and a pillow. She brought them down stairs and laid them out on the couch. "Well, I'll be upstairs if you need anything,  last door on the left."

"Thank you," Bucky said.

"Oh, and call me Marci."

"Bucky," he nodded. Marci responded with only a smile and a light nod before she went back to her room. As she entered her room she left the door ajar, in case he needed to wake her, and tiredly climbed underneath her sheets. For the first time in a long time, sleep came easy to her but like always it didn't last long.

Around four in the morning Marci awoke to the agonizing cries of the Winter Soldier. She quickly rushed out of bed, but as she made it down stair she noticed he was still asleep. Beads of sweat dripped from Bucky's hairline as he spoke in a language Marci didn't understand. She was nervous to approach him, but she did anyway. Her hand reached out gently rubbing his flesh arm, "Bucky?" She shook him once more, "Bucky?"

His eyes shot open and his metal arm shot out clasping itself around Marci's throat. His stood up, lifting Marci in the air while pressing her back against the wall. "Bucky!" She wheezed. Her powers manifested itself in her hands, she clamped them down on his arm. The metal began to become malleable. Her vision became clouded with stars, she was running out of time. "Bucky!" At the sound his name he snapped out of his trace like state. Marci fell to the floor, gasping violently for air. Bucky eyes widen at the sight of her, he was completely unaware of what happened. He bent down to help her but she stopped him. "Don't," her voice was shaking. Bucky took a few steps back.

"Marci, I-," he was so distraught. He couldn't believe what he had done. "I'm so sorry."

"Leave," she stood up and backed her way to the stairs. "Please, I can't do this. You need to leave," Tears fells from her coffee colored eyes. Bucky's eyes lifted from the floor to meet her gaze. He could see the mark of his hand on her throat.

He nodded, "If you ever need me, I think I'm headed to Europe."

"Just go," her voice came out as a sob. She turned, quickly climbed up the stairs, and entered her bathroom slamming the door behind herself. Bucky heard the click of the lock.

Marci slid down the wall, so she was seated on the floor. Her body shook as sobs escaped her, she was struggling to find her breath. Her legs were pulled in close to her and her head rested on her knees which her arms were hugging. Within minutes she heard the front door shut, allowing her to breathe again.

She fell asleep on the bathroom floor, in a deep dreamless sleep. When she awoke only a few hours later, she went straight to her bedroom to grab her phone. She unlocked it, and opened her contacts. She held it to her ear as she awaited an answer.

"Sam," she spoke. "We need to talk."

——
I watched Endgame and now I wanna finish this. Oops