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Months had gone by since that day at the lake. Countless therapy sessions had been endured, several hard questions asked, many many issues worked through. Bucky suffered through a few more anxiety attacks along the way, but they never hindered his resolve, thanks to Y/N. They had made progress, good, solid progress. Bucky was pleased; Y/N was thrilled. It's hard to see change when you're the one going through it. However, to the person guiding that change, every step forward is recognized. She was proud. She was genuinely proud of him. He wasn't "fixed," he still had struggles, but he was a lot better off then before.
There was something peculiar, though. Their relationship was strictly professional, Y/N knew that. However, she couldn't help but feel as though along the sidelines of their progress, they had grown to become friends. She knew that, clinically, this was not appropriate, but there were no corporate guidelines she was working under. She was helping him.
So, what would it matter if after all this was over, they were friends? What would it matter if his therapist also operated as his friend? Hell, she didn't even have an official therapist position here! Sharon just sent her to help. Y/N had decided she didn't care about the boundaries being crossed. Nothing ever went wrong with someone gaining a friend. It's fine.
Regardless, the two of them had thoroughly addressed the anxiety and the PTSD, and he now officially had both diagnoses. He understood himself and his brain so much better, and with Y/N's help, he not only acknowledged his disorders, but accepted them. She taught him to not see them as the enemy, not something that was wrong with him. They were just a part of him, same as his brown hair or blue eyes.
Bucky was so much more open now. He was less on edge and more comfortable, especially around her. In all honesty, he was usually his most comfortable with her. He had coping skills and everything!
This was all grand and good, but Y/N hoped with everything in her that it wouldn't be ruined by the present disaster.
-
"I thought he was automatically supposed to be king?" Y/N asked, confused.
She was at her weekly meeting with Shuri for Bucky's treatment plan, and the young genius had just told her she couldn't make it next week due to T'Challa's coronation.
"He is," Shuri started, "but it's Wakandan tradition to open the position up to a dual. So, his rule isn't set in stone."
"Oh... What if someone... challenges him?"
"Then they will fight! However, I have no worries. T'Challa is a great warrior, and though I doubt anyone would challenge him, he would win if they did."
She admired the faith Shuri had in her brother. She could tell their bond was strong.
"Couldn't you technically challenge him?"
Shuri revealed a kind of devilish smirk that only a sibling can muster. "Oh, I have thought about it. But I am much more useful in my lab, and T'Challa wouldn't know what to do with himself if he wasn't in charge."
She looked back on the memory anxiously as she stared in horror at the look on Shuri's face. A wicked mix of fear, grief, and stress drained all the color from the princess' normally dark, beautiful skin. Shuri had always radiated confidence and composure; seeing this change worried Y/N deeply.
"The King is dead."
Her face became void of any expression and all she could process was fear. She thought she gasped but she couldn't remember breathing out again. Her brain was frozen. Y/N was in a foreign country that just lost its monarch. She was alone, and all the people she was relying on to protect her just had their kingdom invaded and taken over by someone with the word kill as part of their nickname. She was almost certain that this would be her end.
"Dr. Y/L/N?" Shuri said unsteadily. "Did you hear me?"
"Yes- I... What are we going to do?" her voice was weak and small. Pathetic and afraid.
Then, thoughts of Bucky crossed her mind. What would happen to him? He could fight, she supposed, but he doesn't have any weapons or gear and he'd be against an entire regime. What if they killed him? What if they tortured him? Different scenarios quickly flashed through her brain, but she could only one concrete thought.
I have to find him.
"My family and I have a plan, but we can't take you with us."
Any remaining semblance of hope dissipated from Y/N's body, and she swore she could feel her veins quiver.
"What?"
Her voice felt far away.
"It is not ideal, and I'd never leave you unless I had to. But Agent Everett Ross is here. It's a long story, but as you know, he can't find out about Sergeant Barnes. He can't know that either of you are here. If we take you with us, it could compromise everything we've been working for," the nervous princess explained.
"So... what about me and Bucky?"
"Again, it's a long story, but there's a... sort of fallout shelter - I guess you could call it - that was built years and years ago. I will give you supplies and directions, and you two must go there and remain hidden until this is all over."
Fantastic. Y/N would get to play Cold War nuclear fallout in Wakanda.
"How will we know?"
Shuri gave her a somber look. A look of uncertainty and immense guilt.
"I wish I could apologize enough, my partner, but I do not know. I promise I will try to contact you as soon as I get any information, but for now we must hurry. We do not have much time."
With that, Shuri took the psychologist's arm and quickly led her her outside. It was late afternoon and the air was beginning to cool. They ran, locked together, until they met the Queen under a large tree among the outskirts of a nearby forest. The woman looked just as shaken up as Shuri.
Y/N could see bags of different shapes and sizes at the base of the tree. She could only hope whatever was in there was sufficient for survival.
Shuri immediately embraced her mother, but the moment was short lived as she then bent down to gather the bags.
The Queen placed her hand gently on the side of the Y/N's face. "I am so sorry, dear. This does not involve you in the slightest yet you are swept up in the middle of it."
Shuri handed her mother the bags and they both geared Y/N up with all her supplies. It was heavy. Really heavy. She realized she was carrying supplies for two. Then, there was panic.
"What about Bucky?"
"Barnes doesn't know about any of this yet. I thought it best he heard it from you," Shuri expained, "and we cannot afford anymore delays. Us or you. You must go now, tell Barnes what is happening and go. I wish I could be more help, but we simply don't have the time."
Y/N nodded, trying to process all the chaos. She was internalizing every bit of it. As a result, she was once again, frozen.
"Dr. Y/L/N!" Shrui exclaimed.
Her head shot up, snapped out of it.
"Go! You must go!"
And with that, she took off. She had been in Wakanda long enough to know her way around the castle's surrounding land. Her speed didn't last very long as she was carrying for two, but she tried all she could to keep going as quickly as possible.
Eventually she found herself outside of Bucky's living quarters. She didn't know what to do, so she knocked.
An array of different emotions went through Bucky's face. At first he looked pleased, but then he saw the horror etched into Y/N's features, and the bags she was carrying. He could tell something was wrong.
"What happened?" he asked, surprisingly calm, while immediately taking some of the bags from Y/N. He still only had one arm but that really didn't seem to matter to him.
She was out of breath, face flushed and eyes wide.
"The King is dead," she said breathlessly. "Someone... someone killed him.. and took over."
Bucky didn't look as scared as she felt. In fact, he looked... totally fine? She was so out of it she wanted to curl up in a hole and allow natural death. How was the anxious man she was accustomed to so at ease? The world just collapsed and she was right in the eye of the storm.
"Okay," Bucky said, gently taking another bag, leaving her with only one to carry, "What did Shuri say? What do we have to do?"
She shook her head, trying to regain her breath and her composure. "There's um - there's a fallout shelter thing we have to go to. Here."
She handed him a small device that Shuri gave her. It displayed a holographic map with coordinate and directions. Y/N knew he would've been better at locating it than she could at that moment.
"Alright," more of the calm voice filled her ears. "Anything else?"
"There are more details, but - we don't have time," she sighed, restlessly. Her voice began to shake ever so slightly. "Bucky, I'm so sorry. We have to go now. I promise I'll tell you everything."
"Okay," he said again. He bent down slightly, looking her directly in the eyes. "Y/N, we're gonna be fine, okay? We're good, and we're gonna be good. I will get us there, and I will keep us safe. I promise. Are you ready?"
She nodded, steeling herself.
Bucky looked at the map, then glanced up in the direction of the shelter. He took Y/N's forearm firmly. She gave him a look, confirming she was ready. And off they went.
- - -
okay that was so fun to write!
as always feedback and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated!