The Clone

31.

"I've been thinking" Bucky starts rubbing the arms of the chair he's sat in, Sam Wilson sits across from him, though these sessions are technically no longer need, Bucky actually has grown to like them, to use them, and Sam gets to see a side of Bucky no one else does, utterly love sick.

"About anything in particular?" Sam asks, Bucky nods.

"I want to revisit the whole....me and Sara living together thing...I want to ask Sara to live with me......here in the tower" Bucky answers, Sam smirks.

"Is that something you think she'd want too?" Sam asks, Bucky digs his fingers into the arm of the chair.

"I hope so" Bucky whispers. "I mean I think so....she sleeps in my bed every night any way"

"But it's different sharing space" Sam offers. "Making space for her, not just her but her things"

"I can do that" Bucky offers. "For her" Sam raises an eyebrow.

"You really have come a long way in 9 months" Sam offers, Bucky looks down and smiles a little. "She's good for you, really good for you"

"I think so too" Bucky agrees and then makes a face.

"What?" Sam asks, Bucky looks up smiling. "What are you plotting?"

"I want out" Bucky tells him. "I don't want to fight any more, I want a life, I want a wife.....I want a real home with Sara....and being here in the tower.....I don't see that happening"

"Slow down" Sam warns.

"Well it will take some time anyway, to find a house, to....figure out how to pay for it, I mean SHIELD doesn't pay me that much and..."

"Bucky" Sam warns.

"Then I'll have wait a few months to get a ring"

"Stop" Sam snaps, Bucky looks to him. "You're getting too far ahead of yourself" Bucky leans onto his knees.

"I've been waiting more then 70 years to find someone like her, someone that I want to do all these things with" Bucky admits.

"I know" Sam assures him. "But it's been months" Bucky sighs. "Start small...." Bucky nods a little. "How are you gonna ask her?" Sam asks, Bucky shrugs and smiles.

......................

Bucky is first to bed that night, he has it all planned out in his mind, he'll ask her to move into his and Steve's tower apartment, and he'll see where they go from there. Sara grabs her cell phone from the bedside table.

"I've been looking for this all day" she complains as she climbs into bed, Bucky watches her warmly. Yep, this girl, this woman, he wants to go to be and wake up with her every day for the rest of his life, however long that is going to be. "Missed calls" she mumbles. "From Sam" Bucky frowns. "Winchester" she adds.

"It's real confusing knowing two Sams" he grumbles getting comfy, she chuckles and leans over to kiss him. "What does he want?" Bucky asks when she pulls away, Sara shrugs and looks to her phone.

"He left a message" she answers and then sets the phone to her ear to play the message.

"Sara, it's Sam....I...listen something happened and..." his voice breaks. "It's Bobby, It's bad, Sara, it's....really bad. I....we're in a hospital in Hammonton, New Jersey..." the voice message cuts out and Sara looks down trying to process.

"Sara?" Bucky asks sitting up behind her. "What is it?" he takes her cell phone from her. "Sara?"

"I have...it's Bobby" she whispers trying to control her emotions. Bucky watches her before scooting closer.

"Okay, what do you need to do?" he asks her, she looks to him.

"Hospital" she answers. "I have to go to the hospital" he nods.

"Alright, let's go" he offers, she blinks at him.

"What?" she asks confused.

"Let's go" he repeats. "That's what you need, so that's what we'll do, okay?" she nods and he climbs out of the bed. "How far are we going?" he asks, she watches as he grabs a bag from the wardrobe.

"New Jersey" he looks to her and then sets the bag back and then starts dressing instead.

"Sara" he states as she stares at the blankets. "Sara, honey, it's going to be okay" he assures her moving back to her. "But you need to get changed" she nods a little and climbs out of bed.

"Can I borrow a shirt?" she asks quietly, he nods and grabs one of his button ups fro the wardrobe and hands it to her. He strokes her cheek, she presses her head to his chest. He kisses her head and wraps an arm around her.

.....................

Sara approaches Bucky at the car and he holds out his hand for her weekend bag, they'd decided on packing one just in case they need to stay longer. He kisses her forehead and moves to the trunk of the car to set it next to his as she climbs into the passenger side, her hands shaking, her body coursing with worry, concern and fear. She can't loose anyone else. It's not fair. Bucky climbs into the car and looks to her, Sara sits up straight her hands in her lap, fingers fiddling with her other fingers, he reaches over and threads his with hers, she looks to him.

"Thank you" she tells him. "For.....coming with me"

"I wasn't going to let you do this alone" he offers. "Not when you are this upset" she looks down at their joint hands and pulls them closer to her.

....................

Bucky parks in the hospital parking lot before turning off the engine and glancing to Sara, she's been quiet, silently working through her emotions, Tony may have warned him that she has issues because of the cloning, that she knows how to process so he should just let her. Seconds pass and she remains still and silent next to him, then minutes, he taps his fingers on the wheel and then turns to her.

"Sara" he whispers, she looks to him and then nods a little.

"What if...." she starts.

"We don't know anything yet" he interrupts. "Let's just go inside, honey" she smiles softly.

"I like that" she admits, he frowns. "Honey...." she adds. "I like it" he presses his forehead to hers and she closes her eyes.

"Come on" he whispers pulling back, she nods again and climbs out of the car, pulling her jacket closer to herself as she closes the door. Bucky takes a deep breath and joins her.

"The last time Bobby was in hospital" she starts. "It was...when he lost the use of his legs" Bucky frowns and looks to her. "He got them back" she adds. "Long story" he nods and takes her hand as she reaches him. "Sam sounded...." she hugs his arm. "This is different" she whispers.

"Whatever it is" he starts. "You'll get through it, like you have everything else" she looks up at him, he gives her a reassuring smile. It doesn't work.