Endless Winter (Bucky Barnes)

Chapter Seventeen

"Alright, enough funny business, Barnes can you show her to the armory? Stark will get her set up." Chester Phillips said, interrupting their bilingual pow-wow. "Of course sir," Bucky said, he put his hand on the small of her back and started guiding her out of the room, she turned her head and looked at him. "Who is Stark?" Jacklyn questioned, raising her eyebrows expressively.

He opened the door for you and she nodded sharply in gratitude, grinning tightly at him as they walked into a narrow hallway. It was obvious she didn't like the feeling she was being "escorted" somewhere, so she flinched at every other doorway she spotted. "You okay? You don't have to go, you know. " Bucky said, taking his hand from her back and walking alongside her, she looked at him.

"It's not that, I want to go. I want to give Hydra what they deserve," She said grittily while clenching her fists. 

"What's wrong then? You seem stressed," Bucky inquired, she gritted her teeth. "Please just back off," She said, hating the pity he felt for her. She wanted to be strong, she didn't want to have to lean on others forever just because Hydra tore her down, because it was her job to get back up again.

Bucky looked away, a look of pain flashed in his eyes for a moment and her heart fell. "I didn't mean to snap," she admitted sheepishly, casting her eyes downward. He stepped in front of her, stopping her in her tracks and placing both of his hands on each of her shoulders. She stared at him for a second, confused, her heart beating at a million miles an hour. "You don't have to be alone anymore Jack, I hope you realize that." He said quietly, and she strangely knew exactly what he meant by that. His hand trailed down her arm and to her hand, he intwined their fingers, brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her hand gently. 

He took a step back, releasing her, drinking in her starstruck gaze. "Bucky-" "The armory is right here," He interrupted, taking another step away from her and to a door, opening it for you. 

"The mighty Howard Stark awaits you, Jacklyn," He said jokingly, she took a second to recover before nodding and taking a step forward and past him into the armory. 

-

"So.. you're Stark?" Jacklyn questioned, looking at the array of weaponry in the warehouse like room. The stone ceilings were highish, the room stretched out long with guns and other types of firearms.  The room wasn't that similar to the one at Hydra, Hydra would have bombs and grenades laid out, which she was thankful to not see any. "Why? Like what you see?" The young man said, he wiggled his eyebrows at her. She stared at him weirdly, making him laugh. The man had dark brown hair, almost black, that was combed to the side neatly. He had a mustache that was a shade darker than his hair color, he was wearing a grey suit. It was obvious there was no room for mistakes with this man; lesson learned, he's rich.

She shook her head downward, realizing that she had been staring. She had a habit of over studying people, something she had obtained being stuck in the same cell for fifteen years with Hydra. 

"Okay, you can't use your voodoo mind powers in here, this place ain't built for that. Plus right down the halls are explosives." Howard said, chuckling at the thought. She flinched, startled. "Y-you know about that?" She stuttered, appalled by how Peggy so easily broke their deal. "I know what you're thinking, Peggy promised secrecy blah blah blah, but she has no choice but to give up any information like that since you'll be joining the Captain's team." Howard said, picking up a handgun and inspecting it with his hands. 

"Besides, only a small amount of people know. Captain Rogers, Agent Carter, I think Phillips, and yours truly." Howard said, jabbing his thumb in his direction, at the thought he looked up at Bucky. "And apparently now Sgt. Barnes." Howard said with amusement, staring at Bucky's shocked face. Jacklyn furrowed her eyebrows, she thought he'd known about her tremor abilities, considering he was standing on the pathway when she sent the super soldier Red Skull flying onto his back.

"Wait what's this about the deal with Peggy?" Bucky inquired, turning to Jacklyn questioningly. "I-I had been practicing with Peggy on controlling it so I could use it against Hydra. I didn't want anyone knowing so nobody would get hurt." She muttered under her breath.

"C'mon Jack, you could've told me." He said, hurt in his tone. Her heart swelled with guilt.  She didn't know what to say, she was going to, then she accidentally hurt Peggy's hand, and she didn't want Bucky to insist on helping and then she hurt Bucky too. But she couldn't choke any of those words out, she cleared her throat. "I couldn't have any distractions. There's more to it than what you saw at the Hydra base," She said, turning back to Howard Stark.

Bucky nodded, understanding. He didn't know why he expected so much from her, she'd been released from captivity less than a month ago, and he had only been 'with' her for a week, he felt like he had known her his entire life already.

"Already, Mrs. Roberts, we have a fine arrangements of deadly and dangerous weapons that will simply take your breath away. Both figuratively and literally." Jacklyn rolled her eyes as she followed Howard to the firearms.