Let Go: Winterwidow

Chapter 19: Black Van

 Bucky's ears started ringing strangely. Both his breathing and his heart seemed to have stopped as he started into the nothingness. His boy. His precious, beautiful, wonderful boy... Stevie was... no, no Natasha must have been wrong, she HAD to be!! Stevie was alive and would be alive when he got back to the apartment and would always be alive as long as Bucky had some say in it!

Who decided his time was up before it had even begun! Definitely not the man who was going to go home to his baby and his wife and mend all the things that had been broken and love them both. No, no no.... The universe had gotten it wrong again. Stevie was still alive and he would be able to see him smile and laugh.... to play and to grow... to live the life he was destined to and deserved!!

Bucky picked up his phone and slipped on his shoes, then threw himself out the doorway. He cursed himself for not going back sooner to see his family- his WHOLE, and about-to-be happy again family. Sam flinched and looked up from his breakfast cereal and social media as Bucky- still looking like a mess- hurtled out the doorway and to the front door.

"Barnes!-" he called but Bucky was already out, willing to run across town just to get back to his wife and his baby. Nothing was going to stop him!

Bucky was outside and on the ground, running as fast as he could through the sidewalks and down various sidestreets. He didn't want to waste any time hailing a cab so he just booked it, ignoring the cramps in his side and his shortness of breath as he ran as hard as he could. He would've kept running forever just to undo all the stupid things he did. He left Natasha and Stevie, for starters. That was probably the most stupid thing he's ever done in his entire life. He also fought with his wife which was yet another extremely stupid thing- he should know better than to fight her because he knew he'd always lose.

Bucky stumbled and almost fell as he had to catch his breath. He wheezed and bent over his knees, looking around him. He was probably about halfway there now, but it might as well be a thousand more miles to him. He wasn't going to give up though and he started jogging again when a sleek black van pulled up in front of him, cutting him off. He tried to run around it but it just pulled up further and he raised his hands up in an exasperated way at the tinted windshield.

"What's your problem, man!" he snapped as the window was pulled down to reveal Coulson at the wheel with Fury in a pair of shades. Bucky gasped and scrambled back slightly.

"My problem is that you're really out here in broad daylight with boxer briefs on and a robe," he said casually then nodded towards the backseat, indicating he wanted Bucky in.

Bucky glared and glanced down at himself, realizing he was right. He knew he didn't have any time to waste so he pulled open the door with spite and climbed in. Coulson stepped on it and the wheels screeched before the car shot off down the street, making Bucky tumble before he finally got buckled.

"H-Hey!" he exclaimed and he could've sworn he'd seen Fury smirk. "I sure hope you're taking me to Nat..."

"Where else would we be going, Barnes? It's not like we're planning on kidnapping you," Fury said as he kept his gaze ahead. "Who'd want to hold a loud-mouthed bother like you?"

Bucky growled but then a thought occurred to him. "H-How did you know where to find me?..."

This time Fury did turn to give the brunette a meaningful look. "How do you think?" he growled.

Bucky stuck out his lip in thought for a moment, but he supposed he did know the answer already. "Nat..."

"Congratulations, give him a gold star," Fury replied with venomous sarcasm and rolled his eyes as Coulson tossed back a little packet of gold stars a kindergarten teacher would reward her student with for answering the math question right.

Bucky huffed and tossed it out the window with spite. That seemed to make both of the other men smirk and it just annoyed the brunette more. "Oh, ha HA. Can we please just focus on getting me to my wife and my baby?"

Natasha had to be mistaken. Stevie couldn't die, he just couldn't! And these two chumps seemed to think that he was gone too, by the pitiful looks they gave him as they stopped on his street and he opened the door.

But before Bucky had the chance to get out Fury grunted in his direction and made him look back exasperatedly.

"You owe me, Barnes. This ride may have been a favor for Natasha, but I don't taxi imbeciles cheap."

"Is there ever a time of day when you DON'T insult anyone," Bucky asked as he slipped out and circled around the car to talk to the darker man through his window, yearning to leave and get back to Natasha and Stevie. "Ugh, fine, how much?" he asked as he pulled out his relatively empty wallet.

"I ain't talking money, you fool," Fury sighed heavily and rubbed his temple like an impatient father. "You're going to join us for a more... civilized job interview."

Bucky raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And what if I don't want to?"

Fury narrowed his eye slightly at the brunette who didn't back down this time. That seemed to impress him slightly but he still kept that glare. "Then you're gonna have a pretty shit homelife situation, aren't you?"

Bucky thought concerned about Natasha would want and then it was his turn to sigh as he started edging back towards the door. "Fine, fine... I'll do it."

This time, Fury did chuckle as he gazed at Bucky who frowned in confusion. "I never said you had a choice."

And with that, Nick gave a hit to the van door and Coulson pulled out, then sped the two away down the street and into the near distance, leaving Bucky as bewildered as ever.