Bring Me Home // Bucky Barnes

Chapter LXXVIII - Bring Me Home

Seven Months Later

Pain. There was nothing but pain.

Elizabeth sucked in a shaky breath as she buried her head in Bucky's chest. His hand brushed over her back as he stood beside the bed and she cried. She felt him move to her hair, his fingers combing through it softly as she desperately tried to focus on him and only him. Another wave of agony washed through her and she cried weakly into Bucky.

He felt useless, completely and utterly useless. He watched as she rocked on her knees. He held her as she cried into his chest. He whispered words of encouragement and tried not to cry with her. He needed to help her. He knew he couldn't help her.

"Shh Doll." His fingers brushed over her cheeks as he pulled back and held her face gently. He brushed his fingertips over her closed eyes and she whimpered again. "It's okay. It's all going to be okay. Remember what Bruce said okay? Just breathe until it passes. Breathe."

Elizabeth took a deep breath as she opened her eyes, her face contorting with pain for the briefest moment before the pain ebbed and her body slackened a little. She stared up at him. Her eyes were wide and afraid and sparks of blue flickered in the depths of the browns. She sighed as she leant into his touch and Bucky kissed her softly, wishing he could ease the pain. As the next sharp pain came her hands gripped the sheets beneath her and flames of blue lapped at her skin. 

"I can't do this Bucky." Her voice dripped with fear as she crawled closer to the end of the bed, wrapping her arms around him and crying as he held her. She felt the tightening of her stomach as another contraction came and she groaned loudly as more blue spilled from her fingertips. "I can't. It hurts Buck. It hurts and I can't do this. I'm not strong enough."

"Hey, hey." He rubbed her back gently as he whispered. "You are so strong Lizzie. You survived Zola, and war, and loss. You survived the ice. You found me and you looked after me when I - when I didn't know who you were. You brought me back Doll. You have so much strength in you, don't you see that? I know you can do this."

"The pain Bucky." She sobbed into him and his arms tightened around her. "I need the pain to stop or I'm going to lose control."

Bucky chuckled and Elizabeth pulled away. Her brow furrowed and her lips jutted into a stubborn pout as she glared at him. Disbelief laced her mind as she watched him laugh and Bucky tried to stop; a small smirk still pressing against his lips.

"You aren't going to lose control Doll." He traced the frown lines that puckered in her forehead and sighed when she closed her eyes again. "You know how I know this?" 

She shook her head.

"Because in a few short hours we are going to be laying here, holding our child. And that, my beautiful, strong, incredible wife, is going to keep you in control. Okay?"

"Mhmm." She bit down on her lip as another wave of pain tore through her and Bucky sighed. His hand moved to her stomach as he dropped down and lowered his voice to a whisper. She laughed as he looked up to her with playful eyes.

"Hey kiddo." He pressed his lips against the hospital gown and Elizabeth rolled her eyes at him. "It's Daddy. Now, I know you're having a nice time in there, protected and cozy, and I know it's really nice staying safe in there, but I need you to hurry up now." 

Elizabeth laughed as Bucky dropped his voice even lower and she brushed her fingers through the waves forming in the overgrown crop of his hair. 

"I really want to hold you now. Besides," he laughed as he spoke and Lizzie sucked in a sharp breath with another stabbing pain in her stomach, "you are kind of making Momma grumpy over here because she's in pain and grumpy Momma scares me a little."