(1) Wild Cat (B.Barnes)

Chapter Sixteen

Dinner is awkward. Logan and Victor stay. And Tati just wants to disappear. Logan was right. If he had no idea she existed then it's not his fault that he wasn't there. She was alone. And all she had was that hope that her father would find her and make it all better. But he never did. And she was alone. She hated him for so long. And no he is here and she just doesn't feel that any more. She's just sad. Tati clenches her jaw and then sets her food down, she turns to Bucky.

"I'm just going to take a walk" She whispers to him, he nods a little and watches as she walks away from the camp. Bucky eyes follow her as she goes.

"Buck" Steve states and nods for him to go after her. To make sure she's alright. Bucky nods and follows after Tati. He knows how hard this must be for her.

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

The trees are silent as Bucky makes his way through them looking for Tati, but she's sneaky and silent, she could be anywhere. He lets out a breath and sets his hands on his hips.

"Kitten?" Bucky asks and then looks up, finds Tati laying on a branch above him. He lets out a sigh because there is no way he is getting up there to her. "I know you're upset, but do you think you can come be upset down here where I can hug ya?" She turns her head to look down at him. He raises an eyebrow at her. She lets out a breath and then pushes herself off the branch. Landing on her feet, she moves closer to him. "You okay?" He asks as he touches her arm, drawing his fingers down to her hand.

"Just feels weird" She whispers, stepping closer to him so she can set her head on his shoulder, he wraps an arm around her and touches her back. "Meeting him. Thought I would be happy....but I'm not. He just reminds me of what I lost out on. What I am...At least here, with all of you, I can forget that I am just some...freak of nature with these powers"

"Hey" Bucky scolds her, because he is not having her say that about herself. She lifts her head and looks at him. "You're not a freak" He whispers to her as he brushes his hand over her cheek. "You are the strangest, most unique woman I have ever met" He repeats words once said to her. Words that feel like forever ago. It really does feel like it was so long ago. Not two years. But more.

"Two years" She whispers when she realises how long it's been since this all started. Three years ago, she met Bucky. Two years since the expo. A year and a half since she was set free.

"Yeah" He agrees. "I know, feels like a lot longer ago, right?" He pulls her closer and brushes her hair back from her face. Her eyes flicker up to meet his. "I'm going to tell you now" He whispers, she gives him a look back. Because she's not sure she's ready to hear it. But he needs to tell her. He needs to actually say those words. "I know" He stops her from arguing. "But...I think you need to hear it and I need to say it...I love you" He admits. She pushes at him but smiles. It wasn't as bad as she thought it was. Hearing him tell her that he loves her. She doesn't know why she was so scared of it. He gives her a look and she sighs a little, letting him pull her closer again. "It's okay" he assures her. She doesn't have to say it back. She's never been in love, she doesn't know what it feels like, but what she feels for him, she knows that it is probably as close as she is ever going to get to feeling romantic love.

"No" She stops him. "I don't..." She then shakes her head trying to find the right way to phrase it. "I've never been in love" She admits. "But I know that what I feel...about you, it's pretty close, I think, I don't..." He kisses her to stop her from talking. He knows. She might not have gotten there yet, but he knows. She sighs into the kiss, relaxing. He threads his fingers with hers and then pulls her back towards the camp.

"Hey, about Logan...maybe, just maybe, this is just as weird for him" He points out as they head back towards camp. "Finding out he has a daughter....that someone he used to care for is dead..." She looks away from him, because yeah, maybe Logan is feeling just as bad as she is. At least she knew he was out there somewhere. He had no idea she was.

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

Come morning, the camp is in full swing, packing up everything to get moving. Logan stands with Tati. He's attempting to say goodbye but he's not the most affectionate or articulate of people, even with his own daughter it would seem. He folds his arms over his chest.

"Sorry about..." Logan starts and then stops, he's not very good at the whole comfort thing. He settles on patting her shoulder.

"Yeah" She whispers back and nods. She's not very good at it either.

"You come out the other side of this war, come find me, kid" Logan offers, she nods again and then watches as Logan and Victor leave. Tati rubs the back of her neck and then turns away, moving back to where the Howling Commandos are packing up their trucks. Bucky glances at her, wants to check on her but he needs to finish packing up. They're heading back to SSR headquarters. So some civilisation, finally. Bucky heaves up an equipment box into the truck and then closes it up. Tati touches his back and he looks at her.

"You okay?" He whispers to her, she nods and kisses his cheek before climbing into the truck with Dum Dum. Bucky joins them as the other Commandos climb into their designated truck. Steve is the last one in, making sure everyone and everything is set to go. Checking on his team. Steve and Bucky share a look, Steve's asking if Tati is okay, Bucky shrugs a little and then nods. She's as good as can be considering. Logan just threw her for six. Arriving in her life. In the middle of a war. It's not the greatest time to do a family reunion of sorts. Bucky wraps his arm around Tati's shoulders and pulls her closer, setting his lips to her head. But they've got her back. All of them do.