Afghan War army veteran Bucky Barnes has spent the last nine years working as a private investigator, the only job he could get after being found responsible for the deaths of two young boys in Afghanistan. After a year in military prison and a dis...
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That night they slept in the same bed but Natalie kept to her side, respecting his personal space. To be honest, he missed it as he had become used to the smell of her hair, the weight of her hand on his chest, and the sound of her breathing. But this was what he had asked for and she was telling him, by her actions, that she respected his need for some emotional detachment. Of more immediate concern was what they were going to do with the information they had found so far.
The next morning they were in the middle of cooking breakfast when the front door burst open and an older man came barging into the house yelling, "What the hell are you doing here, Bucky? This is my house."
Bucky stood protectively in front of Natalie and looked at the older man. An older woman was right behind him.
"Hi to you, too, Dad," he said bitterly. "I needed a place to keep my client safe and I figured this was as good a place as any. It has been until now. We'll leave."
"Like hell you will," said the older man. "Your client? Looks more like your girlfriend to me. You have your nerve."
"Same old Dad, always jumping to the wrong conclusion," said Bucky. "Natalie, go pack our bags while I deal with him."
Natalie moved to go up the stairs but the older Mr. Barnes blocked her way. She looked helplessly at Bucky and he sighed.
"Dad, meet Natalie Madison," he said. "Her sister Amber was murdered by Brock Rumlow last week. Yeah, Staff Sergeant Brock Rumlow who you thought so highly of. Natalie witnessed it and I was tasked with keeping her safe until they had enough evidence to keep him behind bars. The arrest warrant was issued the other day but so far he has eluded capture. He also killed Tim Dugan, for letting us stay at his house the first night we went on the run. So, if you really want to fuck me over then don't let my client leave and we can all get killed, just so you can go on believing that I'm the killer of two innocent boys."
Bucky was shaking in his anger and disappointment at his father. The look on his father's face as Bucky explained went from disbelief to horror to shame. Bucky's mother, who had been standing behind her husband, pushed past him and hugged Bucky hard. He hugged her back, kissing her head as she began crying. She looked up at him and touched his face with her hand. Then she turned back to her husband with fury on her face.
"What more do you need Jim?" she demanded. "We read all about it in the newspaper. Tell him, tell him that you read about that poor girl and couldn't believe that Rumlow would do such a thing. Here's her sister. She saw him do it, Jim. We read about Tim Dugan as well and wondered who the unknown assailants were that would go after such a good man. Well, now you know. It's the man you believed over your own son. You can't even say you're sorry can you? The apology is stuck in your throat because you don't want to lose face or admit you were wrong all along."
She turned back to Bucky and held him desperately. Natalie came over, put her hand on Mrs. Barnes arm and the older woman hugged her in response. Bucky kept looking at his dad, hoping for something from him but it was like his dad was catatonic. There was no reaction whatsoever until his father yelled "Shooter" and tackled Bucky down to the ground, pulling all three down with him.
