Little Ballerina (A WinterWidow Story)

Ch. 4 The Little Ballerina

Ch. 4

Bucky didn't know what to do, there was something about this girl that excited him, but also terrified him. She was so familiar to him but he didn't know how. Like a dream, instead of the nightmares he was used to.

He was tired and didn't feel like talking so he sat in the carrier room instead of in the pilot's cabin with Natasha.

He focused on her red hair and that dream he couldn't quite remember, so he shut his eyes and quickly drifted off.

Natasha got the jet up into the air and frowned while looking out of the clear expanse of endless blue and found herself upset. She usually loved flying but today it didn't feel as fulfilling.

She set the gps to the coordinates Fury gave her and when they were somewhere over the ocean she put the jet on the autopilot. She took the headset off, stretched and told Friday to alert her if anything happened.

She opened the door ready to give Barnes hell about ignoring her and acting strange, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him asleep in his seat, head resting against the seatbelt.

Her heart softened at the sight of this great, scary ex-assassin with a metal arm muttering in his sleep.

She grabbed a blanket and shook it out, and placed it over the sleeping man. She took a good look at his face, he was just as attractive as she remembered. All those years and he still looked the same. She was ready to leave when she heard a name she could never forget.

"Natalia"

She wasn't ever sure she heard it until she got closer.

"Natalia... Talia no. Natalia. Don't hurt her"

Her heart stopped.

He couldn't remember that over everything else they had shared. She had endured a lot but that is her most painful memory that she could never fully bury. But that was the point wasn't it?

Her shock turned to panic when he started to move and shout in his sleep.

"Don't. Not again! I won't forget, not again" he sounded in so much pain, she couldn't stand it.

She sat next to him, her hand on his shoulder,

"James, it's alright. It's just a dream. It's me" she said soothingly while rubbing her hand on his shoulder and back while he shook.

His head snapped up and his metal hand shot out and gripped her throat. He stood above her, looking down at her, pushing her head into the wall.

She gasped as he cut off her air. Her hands wrapped around his wrist, trying to push him away.

He had a look in his eyes that she couldn't read, they clouded like he couldn't see her.

"J-James" she gasped out

He shook his head but his hand stayed at her throat.

She found breathing harder, her kicks and hits were getting softer and she felt herself getting weaker.

"James, it's Natalia" she breathed.

She saw his eyes clear as he looked at her in shock. His eyes flittered from hers to his hand still wrapped around her throat. He immediately let go.

"Oh, Natalia. I've got you" he whispered into her hair as he caught her slumped over form.

She coughed and as soon as she caught her breath she sat up straight facing him, her hand on her aching neck.

"Do you remember?" She asked hoarsely.

He nodded his head, "the memories have been coming back for a while now. But I wasn't sure it was you until just now".