Shattered Thoughts : Book Two (Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier)

Chapter 38

   Lulu came to a skidding stop next to Willow, pulling her friend up off the ground. "Willow!" A shard of ice had gone through Willow's side. That combined with the sudden wrenching of her injured spine sent flashes of pain through Willow. 

 Tallulah was trying to drag Willow up, toward the jet, toward help. She didn't realize how much pain she was causing Willow.

 "No, stop. Lulu," Willow managed to gasp.

 Lulu stopped trying to drag Willow up the hill, "We have to get you help."

 "No. I have to get you to help."

 "No. Tallulah, please, Just hold me," Willow coughed.

Lulu laughed through her tears, "Are you honestly quoting Merlin at me right now?"

"I couldn't think of anything better. And I meant it, just hold me, please..."

 Tallulah wrapped her strong arms around Willow's frail frame, holding her close. "Alright." Holding Willow's broken frame brought back horrifying memories that surged to the forefront of Lulu's mind. This wasn't the first time she'd found Willow half dead on the ground. The first time had been when Willow's father had beaten Willow almost to death, Lulu had found her a few yards from her house, bleeding on the ground. The second had been just minutes after the bomb went off, and she'd held her best friends body, and watched the blood pool onto the pavement. But now, now she knew Willow would be fine. Help was coming, Bucky and Steve would be here soon. So Willow held Lulu closer to her, trying to shield her friend from the falling snow. 

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  Bucky and Steve came sliding down the side of the mountain five minutes later, and found Lulu holding Willow, the white snow stained red with blood. Lulu looked up at them as they ran over, her teeth chattering, "She-She's bleeding."

 "She'll be fine, Natasha's bringing the jet down," Steve said, as he bent down and began prying Willow from Lulu's grip. "Bucky can carry her up to the plane, your leg needs attention."

  Bucky couldn't believe it, but somehow Tallulah found it within herself to joke, she winked at Steve, "Really Rogers, now is not the time to be complimenting my legs."

 Steve rolled his eyes, "You know what I meant Lulu."

 Bucky bent down over Willow, who had lost consciousness, and gently scooped her up off the cold ground. Her skin was ice cold, and she seemed impossibly frail for someone who just minutes ago had been standing at eye level with him. Bucky pulled off his jacket and tucked it around Willow's shoulders like a blanket. "It's going to be alright Willow, your safe now," he whispered. 

 Willow seemed to have heard him and she muttered something along the lines of, "Says you...I've saved your butt more times than anyone....I got this...."

 Bucky smiled as he stood up, carrying Willow and headed towards the plane.