All of me

Chapter 8

I was trying to find the gym, a worker stopped me, I tilted my head,
He said" Hello, Charlie." He removed the sunglasses, it was a doctor... from... no! I whimpered, trying to back up. I hit the wall," Your father is looking for you, wants you to come home."
I whimpered" No..." He pulled out a needle, I yelped," No!" Fire ignited and surrounded me, I heard his screams. I heard a thud, I breathed heavily, I screamed in pain, I fell, pulling my knees up to my chest, crying out.
I heard Nat say" Oh, god, what happened?! Charlie! Guys, I found him!" I heard running,
I heard Steve say" Charlie?!" I breathed heavily, everything was getting dizzy." We have to calm him down, he's gonna die in there."
Tony said" He critically burned an agent, Cap."
" There has to be a reason. Wanda, Pietro, go." I heard the whooshing from Pietro speeding around me, then Wanda made the fire go away, I whimpered, my body hit the floor. Nat pulled me up, my body jolted, she shushed me. Steve lifted me up, I squeezed my eyes shut," Charlie? Charlie!" I whined," Hey, what happened? What happened?!"
I mumbled" Agent not... Father knows where... I am... I-I... Needle." I breathed out then everything went black.

Steve's POV
Charlie mumbled" Agent not... Father knows where... I am... I-I... Needle." Then he passed out, I looked at everyone,
I said" He needs to cool." I walked away from them, getting into the elevator.

I got to my room, going into the bathroom, I turned on the shower and started filling the tub.
Once it was full with freezing water, I pulled off Charlie's clothes except for his boxers. I laid him in the water, his breathing picked up, then settled back to normal. I stared at him, wake up, wake up, come on, Charlie wake up for me.
I whispered" Charlie? Charlie..." He whimpered, his eyes fluttered open and he saw me. I sighed, and ran my fingers gently through his hair, he thrashed around," Shh, shh, it's okay, you're just in water, okay?" He calmed down," Can you tell me what happened?"
He mumbled" The agent was a doctor from Father... Father wants me to come home. I got scared... he pulled out needle... I'm sorry."
" It's okay, you didn't do anything wrong. That's called defending yourself, no one can blame you for that."
" Father found me... he'll get me."
" I won't let that happen. I'm always gonna be around to protect you, okay, Charlie?"
" Okay." I held his face, he nuzzled into my hand, he started shivering, I smiled and lifted him out of the tub, I put him down. I wrapped a towel around his shoulders, he took the other and wrapped it around his waist. He yawned, it always exhausts him when he flames up uncontrollably. He wobbled, I sighed and lifted him up, his arms wrapped around my neck.
" Your room or mine?"
" Stay." I nodded and carried him to my bed, I laid him down, then got next to him. I wrapped my arms around him, he nuzzled his face against my neck." What if Father finds me? Like really finds me, if he comes here..."
" I told you, Charlie, I'd never let him take you away."
" But you'd get hurt... everyone would get hurt."
" Protecting you is what matters."
" I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me."
" Charlie, I'm not letting anyone take you away again, okay? I'm protecting you from him, whether you want me to or not."
" Okay..." I kissed his head, he yawned, I rubbed his side,
" You should get some rest... you were in your flames for a while." He laid his head on a pillow, his face nuzzled against it, his eyes closed. After a few minutes, I heard his snores, I continued rubbing his side for a few seconds before getting up to inform the team on what happened.

I walked into the floor's lounge and saw everyone waiting,
Tony said" The agent's in critical condition, coma."
I said" Not an agent. Charlie's 'Father' knows he's here, he was a doctor from where Charlie was from. Must have escaped with his father. He was going to take Charlie back to wherever they are hiding out now. It was self defense, Tony."
" Fine, but I still think he's dangerous."
" If his father knows he's here, and if he can get people inside without no one noticing... Charlie's in danger, he only got lucky that he remembered a face."
Bucky said" How are we supposed to protect him if he's not always with us?"
" Someone has to be around him, he's... vulnerable."
Tony said" That must have hurt to say about your boyfriend, Steve."
Nat said" Shut up, Tony. Charlie has been nothing but good, the worst thing he's done is burn toast on accident! And now the man who's tortured him his entire life is back and wanting to take him."

Charlie's POV
I heard Father's voice,
He said" Charlie... you should never have left, you've made a big mistake and you will face the consequences. I'm coming for you. And I will kill all of those people who took you away from me."
My eyes snapped open, I sat up, breathing heavily, no, I can't let anything happen to them, to Steve... I can't let anything happen to anyone. Father will kill whoever gets in his way, no, I cannot let that happen. I whimpered and got up, I tiptoed out of Steve's room, I heard them in the lounge, I got to my room and pulled on clothes. Then I tripped over the legs of my joggers, I hit the ground hard, I yelped. I heard running, then my door opened and I saw Steve and Bucky.
Steve said" What are you doing, Charlie?"
I mumbled" I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me... maybe I'm better off with Father." I kept my gaze down,
" You're not going anywhere, especially back to the man that tortured you for your entire life."
" There's a thing behind my ear... I can hear him... he's gonna kill you, all of you."
" What?"
" It's... it's a chip... I-I think."
" Why didn't you tell me this before?"
" You'd take it out."
" Don't you want it out?"
" It really, really hurt to be put in."
Bucky said" It needs to come out, Charlie." I gulped, but nodded my head,
" It'll hurt."
" Bruce will try to make it as painless as he can."

I whimpered in pain as Bruce pressed against the chip behind my ear,
Bruce said" Steve, Bucky, you're gonna have to hold him still." I laid down, Steve laid his hand against my neck, his other hand went to the side of my face and rubbed his thumb on my cheek. Bucky held down my shoulders and chest. Bruce cut into the skin, I breathed heavily,
Bucky said" Don't burn us, Charlie."
I whimpered" I'm trying." Bruce grabbed the chip, my eyes glowed, I yelped. Then he pulled it out, I screamed in pain, then clung to Steve, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and clung to his neck.
Steve said" Let Bruce patch it up, okay?" Bruce cleaned it and put gauze and bandage over it, I was whimpering like crazy." It's okay, Charlie. You're okay. I've got you."

We got back to my room, I was still clinging to Steve, he laid down with me on top of him.
He whispered" Why don't you go back to sleep, okay? I'll be right here."
I whimpered" What if he comes after me?"
" I'll protect you, I swear, Charlie."
" Okay, Steve." I nuzzled my face against his shoulder, he moved me to his side. I laid my head on my pillow, his arms wrapped around me, I yawned and fell asleep instantly.