Ever After

Part 26 - It Has To Be You

"You're what?" You almost knock the vial out of his hands. "Do I get a say in any of this?"

"I told you. It's for the best Belle." He manages to store the vial in his pocket before storming around the room looking for your time suit, the one he'd kept. "For both of us."

"Why?" You feel fresh tears fall down your cheeks, before the anger completely takes over. "Because YOU say so? Because you've been lying to me these last 2 years? Because you can't live with your own guilt...."

"YES!" Steve whirls round to face you, pain mixed with guilt and shame etched over him when he see the look of hurt on your face. He walks over to you grabbing your face and kissing you deeply but you push him away. "I never lied about loving you Belle, but I have to let you go."

"Why?" It's all you manage to get out in between sobs and fits of anger.

"You wouldn't understand. It's killing me to do this but..."

"Explain it to me then."

Once again Steve places his hands on your face, using his thumb to wipe away the tears that have mixed with the water dropping from your hair. The look in his eyes is full of pain, one you hadn't seen him in since 1945; the first time Bucky had..

"He spent a lifetime alone." He continues to wipe your face, tears running down his own. "You spent a lifetime alone." He presses a kiss to your forehead. "I don't want him to go through that again. You can help him."

"But you were going to leave him before..."

"Only because I thought he had you." His hands travel down to your waist, pulling you closer into him so you have to use your hands against his chest to steady yourself.

"And what about me? What about what I want Steve?"

"You want Bucky to be alone?"

"Don't twist my words." You bark out, trying to fight from his grasp, but he wouldn't let you go. "That's not fair. You know I don't. But..." Curling your hands into fists you hit him as hard as you can, but again Steve was the stronger of the two. "But you're forgetting that if I go back then you're alone. I lose you. And I can't Steve..." You crumble, letting your head fall into his chest before wrapping your arms around him. "I can't lose you again."

You both stand in silence, just wrapped up in each other. You're determined you are not going back; Steve resolute that you will. After a while Steve pulls away, knowing that if he doesn't send you away now, he never will.

"You'll be fine Belle," Trying to be strong, he can't quite stop his voice from cracking. "But I deserve to be alone. You and Bucky survived, I can too. It's my penance."

"It's not just about you Steve." You just shake your head, stepping backwards away from him. "You can't make me go back. As much as it pains me, I know Bucky would understand us being together."

"And what about what you promised Frigga?" You look at him confused, before the memory of Thor's mother asking you to help him; the promise you made completely forgotten.

"I think...I thought..." Fresh tears come as you think about the suffering of your other friend; yet again he would be left. Alone. "No." You try to shake the guilt off but can't. "I have earned the right to be selfish here. I think I'm owed happily ever after Steve and that's with you."

"Belle..." He pleads, taking a step closer to you, but you move away from him. Starting to feel the cold coming through your soaking clothing you head back towards the fire, standing in front of and rubbing your arms to try and get warmth.

Arms wrap around your waist as Steve joins you, kissing your shoulder before nuzzling at your neck. Despite wanting to shove him away, you can't, you need the contact. You both stand in silence, enjoying the warmth the fire brings, even if your body feels frozen after Steve's revelation. "How come you have any particles left?"

"I stole some more in 1970," Steve sighs heavily. "I wanted to bring you back here, for one night. One night of dancing and then...home." You can't help but smile at the thought. "But then you..."

"Ran off to save Bucky." Steve nods beside you.

"I used up some to travel to Siberia. By then we only had enough to get us both away. There's only enough for one person." He sighs again deeply before kissing the back of your head. "It has to be you."

"You still don't get it Steve." You let your head fall back into his chest, pulling his arms more tightly around you. "This is where I want to be."

Twisting you quickly, Steve's lips crash into your with such force it almost knocks you from your feet. As his hands run through your still damp hair, you wrap yours around his waist. Pulling him as close to you as you can, never wanting to let go. Trying your hardest to let him know, in your kiss, that you're not going.

Lulled into a false sense of security, you don't notice Steve clipping the pearl hair grip into your hair, before his hands travel down your shoulders. While his touch fills you with want and need, he's merely tracing every outline of your body; knowing he'll never see you again.

Clasping your hands from his waist he intertwines his with yours, running a thumb over your knuckles; committing everything to memory. Resolving that if he doesn't act now, he won't ever let you go he quickly snaps something onto your wrist before apruptly pushing you away.

"Captain's orders Belle," his voice breaks as tears stream down his face. Taking a few more steps away from you, as the beeping from your wrist counts down, you're almost in a state of shock at what's going on. "I love you." Steve whispers before you disappear completely. "But it's the end of the line for me."

***
"Come on man, get them back!" Sam yells while Bruce furiously pushes buttons.

"Hey, if you have any bright ideas, nows the time!" Bruce yells in frustration.

Bucky, the only calm one sits by at the lake; while the pain of losing the two people he loves most runs through him, the thought that they're together at last makes him smile. He doesn't listen anymore to the shouting match behind him, or the sound of the machine whirring back to life: he's calm and collected with just his memories.

"Bucky?" Sam yells over to him. "BUCKY!"

"They're gone Sam." He yells back, trying not to let his voice break. "They're not coming back."

"Bucket..." The strangled sob from your voice makes him turn in an instant. Running back over and catching you before you completely collapse to the ground.