What Matters {B.Barnes Daughter} ✔️

~Ten: Remember~

"How long of a drive is it?"

"About four hours."

"Four hours stuck in a confined space with three boys... I'm not gonna pull through."

Bucky laughed, closing his suitcase and zipping it shut. "You'll live."

Fourth of July weekend had arrived, which meant two things: The Fourth of July, obviously, and Steve's birthday.

"Well, it is for Steve. How old is he going to be again?"

Bucky scoffed. "100."

"Huh?"

"26, and look at the time! We better meet Tony down in the lobby."

{ * * * * * }

"Come on, Gramps! Don't break your hip on the way down!" Tony teased.

Everyone was waiting around in the lobby, suitcases and bags surrounding them. The trip to the beach for the weekend had been Peter's idea, and everyone happily complied to it. Lizzie was especially excited, considering she hadn't even been out of the county before.

"I'm coming, Stark!" Steve called from the stairs. The sound of booming footsteps and a suitcase pounding against wooden floors echoed throughout the lobby, and got louder until finally, Steve appeared at the bottom of the staircase.

"Took you long enough," Bucky said, scoffing

Steve shot him a glare before rolling his eyes playfully.

"Alright people, what are we waiting for? There's a huge Atlantic Ocean waiting for us just four hours away!" Sam exclaimed, smiling.

Everyone let out celebratory cries before picking up the handles of their suitcases and rolling them across the floor out towards the cars.

Tony, Steve, Bucky, and Lizzie all climbed into one car, while Nat, Peter, Sam, and Clint climbed into another. Bruce had been on the verge of a "major scientific breakthrough," so he volunteered to stay behind.

"Who's driving?" Bucky asked as he climbed in the backseat.

"Me, obviously. Gramps doesn't have his glasses on, poor fella can't see a thing," Tony said, opening the driver's side door.

"Are you just going to harass me the whole trip?" Steve asked, throwing open the passenger's door and climbing inside.

"Oh, you know you love it."

"I actually don't."

"Don't lie."

"We're not even five minutes into this trip... I'm never gonna make it," Lizzie said dramatically, leaning against the window of the car.

"You and me both," Bucky said, nodding towards her.

"Hey, Barnes, can I ask a question?" Tony inquired, pulling out of the tower's parking lot.

"I'll probably regret this choice later, but sure."

"If you get in the ocean, will you rust?"

Bucky let out a breath, obviously annoyed. "I don't know. But, you surely will in the penalty for losing the bet."

"... Touché."

{ * * * * * }

"Alright, pit stop!" Tony said, pulling into a gas station parking lot.

"Tony!" Bucky whisper-yelled. He directed to a soundly sleeping Lizzie leaned against the car window.

"Well, wake her up then!" Tony said more quietly.

"She's only been out for about twenty minutes. She's sleeping well. I'll just stay here with her, I don't need anything from inside," Bucky said, nodding.

"Alright, whatever you say. But, wake up Gramps, will you? You know with his weak bladder and everything he probably has to go," Tony said with a sly grin.

"I heard that," Steve mumbled sleepily.

"Oh, good. You remembered your hearing aid this time." Tony jumped out of the car, snickering, as Steve reached for him, sliding out of the car after him.

Bucky let out a sigh, shaking his head. "At least he's not picking on me today."

He leaned against the car window, gazing out of it with curious eyes. Almost everything was new to him. The car models, the advertising, even the traffic lights were a different style.

He was amazed, but sorrowful that he had missed so much. Those were years he could never win back, years that were brutally yanked from him and replaced with decades upon decades of pain and regret.

Suddenly, beside him, Lizzie began to stir. She was twisting uncomfortably in her sleep, her face contorted into one of agony.

She let out a whimper, and before Bucky could reach over to wake her, she jolted awake, gasping. She seemed to be confused by her surroundings for a moment before she took a deep breath, remembering where she was.

"Lizzie?" Bucky asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. She leaned against the back of the car seat, letting out a raspy breath.

"Are you okay?" Bucky asked.

She turned to him and nodded once. "Yeah... yeah, just... just a bad dream."

Bucky saw fear racking the girl's eyes that she was obviously attempting to hide.

He unbuckled his seatbelt and slid over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Come here, doll."'

She nuzzled her head into his shoulder thankfully and took a deep breath.

It was just a dream. Right?

{ * * * * * }

Remember.

The word echoed in her head like an explosion.

Remember.

It rang over and over again in her ears with no retaliation.

Remember.

She screamed, clawing at her ears until they bled, praying it would stop.

R E M E M B E R.

Blood covered her fingers, and she still scratched at her ears relentlessly.

R E M E M B E R

Then, there was nothing.