Baby Barton

Chapter 76 Steve Rogers

"Has there been any news?" You ask weakly leaning against a desk in Tonys lab you look around at Natasha, Clint, Tony and Bruce waiting for answers. Every single one if them looking more exhausted than the next.
Your body is healing itself, you are unsure if the weakness you are feeling is because of your fight with Bucky, or losing Chloe.
Stop!
She's not lost yet.
But if she is...
Nat turns her body so she faces you, folding her arms in defeat, "nothing, no body. No sign of Chlo." Theres a crack in her voice, you notice the heaviness of her eyes, when was the last time she slept?
"Can we stop saying 'body' like we're assuming shes dead!" Clint sits in a chair in the corner of the room, his whole body looking weighed down like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.
He has the weight of his world on his shoulders.
You are finding it hard to look at him, guilt sits heavy in your chest, sorry for unintentionally mistreating Chloe the way you did.
Replaying the stupid argument over and over. Regretting every word.
Deliberately rubbing salt in your wounds by replaying her throwing herself on top of you, screaming for Bucky to stop.
"I love him!"
Did she really mean it? If you could have, would you have said it back.
You never expected Chloe to be the one to say it first.
You aren't focusing on that because it means nothing if she isn't here with you. Yet again putting herself in danger to save others, to save you after everything she had gone through, the torture she endured. She was still willing to shield you. And you couldn't even tell her to stay.
But Natasha was right...no body had surfaced there also has been NO wind of her. None.
"I think we need to prepare ourselves f...for the worst." You look down sorrowfully.
You aren't giving up or losing hope, but you barely survived how on earth could Chloe have?
Clints fist slams into a computer screen, "my baby sister is alive!" He roars getting up from his chair looking at all of you, his voice quivers "she off licking her wounds somewhere."
You wish you shared his optimism.
Would she have had the strength to fight the current in the river?
Clint runs his hands over his head frustrated, his usually deep voice going higher as emotion takes over, "or high in a gutter..." he sniffles trying to push it back, "but she isn't dead." His voice almost pleading, begging... but to whom?
You share a glance with Nat who's eyes are glistening with worried tears, she tilts her head at you. Sort of asking you to not give up, to stop talking about her as though she is dead.
You're not saying that you are giving up, but you need to consider all options.
Because if she is...dead...when you see her body you'll be prepared.
Even though you wont.
Please god let her be alive.
Tony laughs exasperatedly his bruised ego clear as day, Bruce shakes his head discouraging him, "stop Stark." He mumbles.
"No!" He snaps. "This could have all been prevented." He points a pen at Steve and Nat, "if you hadn't run off on your little side mission we wouldn't be standing around here arguing about a body." He looks down sheepishly at his feet.
Bruce steps forward turning a screen to face the group, Bucky's war photo sits on the screen.
"What about this 'Barnes' guy?" He taps it with a pen, "any sign of him?"
You still can't believe that Bucky is alive, that he has been used as a weapon for all these years. The culprit of countless assassinations spanning decades, your best friend. The one you watched fall to his death from a freight train.
The one who saved you so many times, but you couldn't save him.
Clint stands in front of you Bruces question igniting a spark of hope inside him, "you think he knows where she is?" His voice frantic at the possibility of new information.
You hate to pull the rug of hope out from under him but it's impossible, "Bucky pulled me from the river then disappeared," you close your eyes trying to piece together everything from that moment onwards, and she just wasn't there. "Chloe wasn't on the shore with me." Tears run down your cheeks, Natasha slides her hand into yours comforting you.
You feel like a fraud, you shouldn't be comforted. You should be chastised.
You wish Clint would punch you repeatedly.
Where ever Chloe is, dead or alive.  You wish you could take her place.
Tony steps in front of you puffing out his chest, "Chloe has a thing for serial killers and assassins," he intentionally tries to get a rise out of you, "if shes not in the bottom of that river then my moneys on her being with him."
He always has to dredge up the past.
The arrogant son of a bitch.
Where was he when buildings were exploding?
Sunning himself in Malibu with his latest squeeze no doubt.
Big man in a suit of armour. But where was he when you needed him?
So this attitude actually says more about him.
"Is that right Tony? You'd know all about that. Not still jealous that she chose—"
"ENOUGH!!" Clint's voice tears through the room.
Tony throws his hands up in surrender, knowing he's taken it too far.
"I'm just saying IF Chloe is alive, she relapsed..." his eyes widen, "against her will...against her will..."
Where he going with this...
"Then she isn't thinking straight. She fought so hard for her sobriety...you all saw it. She would have taken on anything. Relapsing to her is worse than dying." He looks at you and Clint almost apologetically, "its worth exploring."
Your heart sinks into the pit of your stomach, "but she didn't relapse," you exhale guiltily, "she was forced against her will b...by Bucky. He's the last person she'd go with."
You turn to Clint, "I'll find her."