Living Nightmare

Chapter Ten

Bucky takes a break after searching half the compound, but that doesn't mean he stops worrying for one second.

He's pacing the floor in the living room as Thor, Bruce, Clint and Natasha sit on the couches.

"I- I don't know if maybe she fell asleep a- and if she slept walk again. If she did, she- she could be anywhere. What if she left the compound and we've got no way of tracking her down. She could be in danger- other people could possibly- we need to find her" Bucky rambles on nervously. "I need to find her but I don't know where to look-"

"Bucky" Natasha finally interrupts him. "You need to calm down. We are going to find her, no one will get hurt, everything will be okay."

"Cap and Sam are looking around the rest of the compound" Thor mentions. "One of them will find her soon enough."

"Yeah, and if she left, she can't have gone far" Bruce adds. "All the cars are still here and it would take a while to leave these grounds on foot."

Bucky nods, but he is still worried.

Luckily, Sam gets back to them a short while later.

"Guys" he calls as he enters the room. He looks around all the others, whom are expectantly waiting for news. "I found her."

"Well... where is she?" Clint asks.

Sam gestured for everyone to follow him, so they do. They walk together through the compound until they get to one of the labs.

This lab is used much less than the others. It's on the far side of the compound, away from the bedrooms, the kitchen, the lounge, etc.

This lab has a cell.

And that's where you are.

The others walk in to see your back facing them. You're sitting next to the wall, leaning sideways on it. You're holding your legs to your chest. They can't see your face.

Bucky slowly approaches the glass that separates the two of you.

"Y/n" he says softly. You don't turn to look at him.
"What are you doing in there, doll?"

No answer.

"Jarvis, can you open the door please" Natasha requests.

"I'm afraid a four digit code is required."

"Y/n come on" Bucky pleads. "Can you please come out of there?"

You still don't say anything. The others can't see the tears in your eyes.

"You don't deserve to be in there" Bucky tries to convince you. He can't change your mind. You believe it's exactly where you belong.

Bucky turns to the others for help.

"Y/n, Bucky's right" Nat agrees. "You don't deserve to be locked up. No, we don't know what you did, but we know you didn't do it on purpose. You had no intention of hurting anyone so you can't feel guilty about it."

Everyone's quiet for a minute, trying to figure out what they could say to you to change your mind. No one can think of anything.

Out of frustration, Thor picks up a chair and throws it at the glass. It doesn't break. Inside the cell, you don't even flinch at the noise. You're numb to everything around you, blocking everything out.

Bucky sighs and turns his back on the glass. He leans against it and slides down until he's sat on the floor.

"What now?" Clint asks.

Bucky doesn't say anything. He avoids eye contact with them all.

"I guess we wait" Natasha shrugs.

"For what, exactly?" Bruce frowns. "For her to starve in there? For her to over think every little thing to a point where she will want to find a way to stop it all?"

"Please don't say that" Bucky mutters.

"We can't force her out of there" Nat argues. "I don't see what else we can do but wait for her to feel better about it."

"She's more likely to feel worse than better" Bruce said.

"What do you suggest we do Banner?" Thor questions.

Bruce hesitates to answer. "I don't know" he admits. "But we need to get her out because she's not safe with her own thoughts. You guys must know how that feels. I know I do. Knowing you could hurt someone, and have it be completely out of your control? It's exactly how she feels right now."

"Yeah I get that" Natasha says. "But it's a problem that we don't have a solution to right now."

"So we give up on her?" Bruce asks.

Natasha doesn't say anything. They all exchange looks with each other, accepting that there just might not be anything they can do right now.

They glance at Bucky. He's ignoring all of them.

He's still leaning with his back against the glass window, but he's looking over his shoulder, watching as you remain perfectly still.

He knows you're awake, but he knows you too are drowning out what the others are saying.

As he watches you, he's thinking about nothing other than the fact he wants to hold you in his arms and make you feel safe, tell you everything's going to be okay. But he's already tried that, so he knows it wouldn't help anyways. He knows that you've reached a point where you're not allowing yourself to believe that things could get better.

He's not sure he believes it can either.