Time After Time (Book 3)

Fears and Family

A quiet hour down by the riverside was just what Betty needed. She'd spent the previous day working with the Dora, basically as a live target, her forcefield keeping her free from harm as she ran and flashed around the training circle. It was only fair, she thought, the Dora had taught her so much that it was nice to be able to give them opportunities to train that they wouldn't normally get. Saying that, it had been exhausting so this morning she'd picked up her book and wandered down to one of her favourite spots with a blanket, lay on the ground, and lost herself in another world. That is, until a familiar shadow fell across the page she was currently reading, making her jump.

"Bucky! Jeez! Quit sneakin' up on me like that. You're not supposed to use your assassin skills to torment your wife. I should stick a bell on you like the damn goats...."

She let out a yelp of surprise and her book fell to the ground as Bucky scooped her up over his shoulder with his arm and, with an impish grin, started to walk. She couldn't focus for a second, distracted by the way his ass looked in the pants he wore, even upside down, but when she realised where they were headed she started to squirm.

"Bucky put me down. No Buck, don't you dare, I'm serious. Bucky." Her squirming turned more urgent, and she kicked her legs desperately. "Bucky! Put me down. Don't do it, nooo JAMES don't do it! Noooooooooo!" She shrieked as they reached the edge of the river and he tossed her into the water.

As she rose above the surface, coughing and spluttering, she could see him on the riverbank, wheezing with laughter.

"James Buchanan BARNES! How fuckin' dare you!!! "she raged. "I should..." she tailed off as she remembered what she actually could do.

Bucky's expression turned a little wary as he realised she'd stopped remonstrating and was staring at him intently. She raised her arm out of the water, palm upwards and then clenched her fist, drawing her arm back towards herself. One moment he was standing on the bank and the next he was falling into the river near his wife, who was cackling hysterically. He pushed his hair back from his face and swam over to her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Fuckin' hell..." he grumbled good-naturedly.

"You tossed me in the damn river Buck!"

"Yeah, well, why didn't you teleport away, hmmm?" he asked.

"I got distracted by your fine ass you gorgeous, annoyin' brute!" she complained, splashing at him with every word.

"Sorry Firecracker, I couldn't resist," he grinned pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"You're not sorry," Betty argued.

"No, I'm not," he agreed with a chuckle. "It was worth it."

They waded out of the river and walked slowly back home in comfortable silence, hand in hand. It was so warm that they were already half dry by the time they reached their little hut.

"I'm gonna take a shower Baby," Betty said, turning to go inside.

"I gotta feed the animals, no point in changin' till I've done that," Bucky shrugged, leaning down to kiss her.

Rubbing her washed hair with a towel, Betty ducked to leave the hut and caught sight of Bucky launching sacks of grain onto a cart, hair still damp from the river. She watched him work, letting out a low noise of appreciation at the view, and saw his back stiffen sightly but he added an extra wiggle to his hips as he continued. Damn super soldier hearing, she blushed with a wry smile.

She saw him halt again, this time standing straight up and turning towards the hill behind the hut. She followed his gaze and noticed that they had visitors. T'Challa and Okoye approached, with a contingent of palace guards, with the king carrying an all-too-familiar metal case. Betty's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach, laying there leaden, as the king got close enough for her to see the grim expression on his face. She hung back, instinct guiding her, not intruding but close enough to make out their words.