Let Go: Winterwidow

Part 13: Furious Fury

For the next week, Natasha and Bucky were working their hardest to get both a hold of Fury's cooperation and Stevie's health stable. Apparently neither seemed to be going according to plan.

While yes, Stevie was doing much better than he had when they had first rushed him into the hospital, he still had a lingering head cold which could affect his recovery and his fever was still too high to be safe enough to bring him home. So the two had devised a plan that they would take turns being at the hospital whenever they could and as long as they could for their son, since there was so much work to be done.

Fury's office hadn't been answering any of their calls which worried Natasha the most since she was familiar with them. She had worked for Fury maybe a year before she had started dating Bucky so it wasn't much like the man not to answer any phone calls.

"Maybe they filed bankruptcy or something? It's happening all the time nowadays," Bucky suggested and thought bitterly of his own work laying him off a week previously.

"No, I still have his own personal number... I guess I made him my emergency contact since we became a little more friendly with each other- not THAT kind of friendly, gosh Buck don't just assume!" the redhead laughed as Bucky's expression changed indifferently. "But seriously, I'm stumped. And don't you think they would've announced bankruptcy publicly?"

Bucky shrugged as he lounged on the stiff sofa in Stevie's medical ward, still exhausted from lack of sleep. As of now, both of the couple could be there to support and watch their baby, which pleased them both. Natasha was tired herself, but that was due more to the fact that she was trying to find someone who had seemingly fallen off the face of the earth without a trace.

"I just don't understand..." she said as she slumped on a chair next to Steve's baby bed and reached in absentmindedly to stroke his little rosy cheeks. The blonde cooed weakly and raised his little hands to hold hers tightly and Natasha smiled at that. "But I'm not going to quit until I find him... we need the money for your medical bills, huh, little guy?"

Bucky sighed and stretched with a groan. "I know you won't quit Nat, but maybe we should start looking in other directions too. If I don't get this job, so what? There are plenty of other places that are hiring right now."

Natasha gave her husband a really? look that made him shrivel back slightly into the cushions. "Like what, a McDonald's? Honestly honey, I think this might be our best option."

"But if this goes under then we'll have nowhere else to turn. McDonald's is better than nothing after all," Bucky huffed. "Look, it's always wise to have a few jobs on the table so we have options, footing, you know? I think that we should be searching around and not just for someone who obviously doesn't want our business."

"Obviously doesn't want our business? I think that's a little harsh considering all that Nick has done for me," Natasha said with a bit of angst in her tone. "I love you, but I think I know what I'm doing."

"And I think I know what I'm doing as well, love," Bucky said, an edge on his tongue. "Nat, I know you think you know this guy, and by all means keep trying to contact him, but while you do that I'm going to get myself a job, alright?"

That made the redhead stand up from her spot beside Stevie, who was now making small distressed sounds as the tensions continued to rise between the two. Bucky crossed his arms defiantly and stood his ground, waiting for Natasha's reaction to his rudeness.

"Excuse me? I sure hope for your sake that I heard that wrong," she growled as she glared at Bucky who sighed dismissively and looked out the window without a care. "Because I think that you're being a bit of an asshole right now."

"Oho! An asshole am I now?" that aggravated Bucky more but he didn't rise from his spot quite yet. That relieved Natasha slightly for she knew if he did things would escalate quickly and that would upset Stevie. "Well if that's all I am to you right now, then why don't you go and have your own space for a bit- don't worry I'll make sure Stevie doesn't come down with anything else."

Natasha bristled at that and wished she had more self control when it came to her anger, but the Russian blood that ran through her veins only kept her hot headed and ready to tear anyone's head off. "James, I'm doing all that I can to get you a suitable job that will actually support our family. Some truck stop McDonald's isn't gonna do squat so why don't you leave the options to me, alright? In fact, maybe I'll get a job too-"

"NO!" The harshness in Bucky's voice shocked both Natasha and Stevie for a moment. It even seemed to surprise him, but he tried to compose himself better. "No, I need to do this..."

"And why's that? It's alright that you got sacked at that other complex, no one was going to survive long in those circumstances anyways," Natasha continued, recovering from her husband's outburst. She knew she was being a little inconsiderate, but she didn't care at the moment. "And last I remembered, YOU were the one that picked THAT job. So let's see if I do a better job getting you employed, hm?"

Bucky's face fell and Natasha knew that she had stricken a tender chord with him. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, thinking that this disagreement was stupid and knew she was in the wrong, no matter how much she hated to admit it.

"I'm sorry James, that was unfair of me..." she said rather grudgingly but she did mean it. Bucky, however, didn't look much moved. "Really, I am. I know you're trying your hardest, I am too... maybe you've been staying too much with Stevie. Why don't you go home and get some rest while I stay, okay?"

Bucky sighed heavily and stood up while shaking his head. "Fine. I'll just go home and sleep while you keep trying to find ME a job. Seems fair enough." He then headed for the door, which to Natasha meant he was still very much upset by their disagreement.

So she walked after him and took his wrist tightly in her own hand, knowing that she wasn't going to let him go like this.

"Natasha, c'mon, let me go," Bucky said in an exasperated voice as she turned him to face her once more with a more determined expression. "I thought you just said you wanted me to leave..."

Let go.

If there was one thing in this forsaken universe that Natasha would never ever let go of, it was her husband and best friend, Bucky. No matter how terrible their fights were, or mountains that came in between them, she would always keep him in her heart. And she was going to prove that to the love of her life no matter what! So she pulled him close into her tight embrace and gave him a tender kiss, letting it linger on as long as he wanted it to. She felt his surprise turn to passion as he returned the kiss and held her waist closer, then nuzzled into her neck softly.

"I'm sorry Nat...." he whispered, but she cut him off. "No, don't be. I've been on your case all this week and I should be sorry... I shouldn't treat anyone I love like that..."

"So, does this mean I'm not an a-hole after all?" Bucky said with a teasing smile, thinking better than to swear in front of Stevie again. Who knows what the little tike could learn from a conversation like this?

Natasha chuckled lightly at that and nodded, pressing herself against Bucky's warm and familiar chest. "Yes Buck, it means that you're not an asshole..."

Bucky tsked and picked her head back up to give her another heated kiss. "Language hun, not in front of Stevie..."

"Mmm... I make the rules around here, James," Natasha murmured as their lips broke apart again and this time it was Bucky's turn to chuckle. "So... I'll let you take the reins on getting yourself a job, only as long as you promise to keep me in the decision. Deal?"

"Deal."

Natasha sighed happily and let her husband hold her for a while, enjoying each other's closeness. She loved Bucky more than life itself, along with her Stevie as well. She knew that things could either get better or worse from here, so she prayed for the best for her sinking family, and life.

What she didn't realize was that a slim black van had pulled up to the hospital. Inside there was Nick Fury.

A very, furious Fury...