Coulson pulled up the picture and my whole world stopped. Hydra sent a picture of my parents, bloody, bleeding from multiple wounds, most likely dead.
"Kat, I'm sorry. We found this just a few minutes ago. They called it, your parents are dead, I'm deeply sorry," he apologizes.
It wasn't his fault. "I th...th..thought they were at S.H.I.E.L.D.," I stutter.
"They were in hiding after the Triskellion was lost," he informs me.
"Wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D. protecting them?" I ask.
"We tried to find where they were, but our calls didn't go through. They didn't want to be found," he answers.
I notice something in the picture. "Coulson can you z..z..zoom in on that wall?"
Small, written in blood, was Give us back the Asset or they won't be the last. I look around the room, clueless. Who is the Asset?
I feel Bucky stiffen up behind me. I look up at him and his eyes are sorrowful. He stand there, frozen before saying anything.
"I'm the Asset. They want me," his voice sounds loud over the silence.
"Mr. Barnes, you will not go to them. I won't allow it," Coulson reads Bucky's mind.
"I have to. They're going to keep killing people if I don't turn myself in," Bucky argues.
"Then, we'll attack them. We're not giving them what they want," he says one word into a phone I didn't notice he had, "Foxtrot."
It's code for Mission Foxtrot, where all agents go into hiding at their safe houses or secret bases. Steve runs in the board room and looks around.
"Coulson, did you just order Foxtrot?"
"Yes, I need everyone except Cap, Bucky, and Kat to leave," he orders.
"Why did you make everybody but us leave?" Bucky questions.
"You two are under my protection. Cap, it's time to get the Avengers," he answers.
"No, if we're attacking Hydra, I need to go. This is happening because of me," Bucky says stubbornly.
"We can't just let you walk in there," Coulson argues.
"Why not? I could be bait."
"Bucky, that won't work. And I don't want to lose you, too," I speak up.
The three men turn toward me with sorrow in their eyes. Bucky speaks first, "We don't know that it won't."
"Bucky, they got you once, they can get you again. Let the Avengers do their job," I tell him.
"Kat, I can't sit back and watch other people get hurt because of me," Bucky responds.
"Bucky, you don't know this, but they battled freakin' aliens. Aliens! I think they can handle some Hydra agents," I tell him.
"Can we have a moment to ourselves?" Bucky asks Steve and Coulson.
They nod and leave the room.
"Kat, your parents are gone because of me," he says softly.
A pang in my chest reminds me that they really are gone. "It's not your fault. Hydra did this."
"Maybe, but they did it to get to me."
"Well my parents are the ones dead! That has nothing to do with you!" I shout.
Bucky pulls me into his chest. "They know about us. When I saved you back at Hydra, they figured it out. Hydra knows you're my weakness and that if you're hurt, I'm hurt. They're trying to get to me through you. And I'm trying to stop it from happening again."
"I never talked to my dad like you told me to. I haven't told him I loved him in a long time. He and I were on bad terms," I sob into his chest.
"He knows you love him. He knows you didn't mean to hurt him."
My whole body shakes as I cry into Bucky's chest. He holds me and gently rubs my back. After a few minutes of me letting everything out, he lifts my chin with two fingers.
"I'm sure he's proud of the woman you've become and things you've accomplished. He's forgiven you," Bucky looks deep in my eyes.
"But what about my mom? I haven't told her I loved her in a long time, either. I didn't get to say goodbye. She won't get to help me get ready for my wedding, or see my kids, I can't talk to her or my dad ever again," I start crying again.
"But they'll be with you in spirit. You may not be able to talk to them in person, but they'll always be listening," Bucky comforts me.
A knock on the door interrupts my crying. I hiccup as Bucky tells them to come in.
"We're calling the Avengers in. They're taking the fight to Hydra. Hydra won't get away with this, I promise you that. Katarina, you and Bucky are going to stay here for updates on the Avengers and you're under our protection."
"Okay, thank you," I remark and leave the boardroom.
Bucky doesn't follow, thankfully. I need some alone time to cry in the shower and I need to get some things off my chest.
I get to my room and break down in tears before I even cross the threshold. I strip on the way to the bathroom, not caring about the mess I make. I turn the water on as hot as it goes and sit on the floor. It's gross I know, but I can't stand right now.
"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry for everything. For going against you and going into the field. I'm sorry for being a horrible daughter these past few months. I'm sorry for not being sorry until you were already gone. I'm sorry for not talking to you since I took this mission. It's inexcusable and I hope you'll accept my apology. Lastly, I'm sorry for not making every moment we had together count. I took you for granted and now...you're...gone. I just can't believe you're gone," I whisper the last part.
I sit on the shower floor and cry until the water flowing from the shower head gets cold. I get out and find some comfortable, ill-fitting clothes to wear. I put them on and crawl into my bed, sobs shaking my body. I don't hear the door open or notice anybody in my room until Bucky crawls in beside me.
I curl into his chest and hold on tightly to his shirt, pretty much ruining it with my tears and balling it up.
"Shh, it's going to be okay. It's okay."
Not the most comforting, but he's trying. Bucky slowly combs through my hair and that's pretty comforting. He wraps his arms around me, careful that his metal arm isn't pushing on me too hard.
I start to calm down and start dozing off. I can't keep my eyes closed for long because the picture of my parents flashes before my eyelids. I whimper and Bucky sits up.
"What's wrong?" Bucky asks, worry evident in his tone.
"I won't be able to sleep tonight. It's too soon...," I trail off.
"It's okay, I'll stay awake with you," he replies in his sleepy voice.
"No, you won't. I hear your sleepy voice. Go to sleep, I'll be fine," I tell him.
"No, I don't want you to be alone," he sits up.
"I'm not alone. You're here," I stare off into the darkness of my room.
"Physically. If I'm sleeping, I won't be much support for you in your time of vulnerability. You were there for me, so I'll be here for you. Simple as that," I can tell he's staring at me in the darkness.
"But you need sleep. It's not practical for you to stay up all night with me," I reason.
"I don't care about practicality. If I'm sleeping, you're sleeping. I'll drug you if I have to," he makes it sound very convincing.
"Bucky, I see my dead parents every time I close my eyes, okay? I can't just ignore that."
"Then, I'll drug you. You won't even dream."
"As great as that sounds, I politely decline."
"Kat, I seem to remember someone lecturing me about working out too much. This isn't healthy. I don't care if it's one night or ten. You need sleep."
"Bucky, I can't sleep! What don't you understand about that? They're all I see when I close my eyes! I need to stay awake."
"I'm not going to let you do that," Bucky says and gets out of bed.
He walks down the hallway and I check to make sure he's gone before I sprint away. I stop after a few hallways over. I make it to the control room and sit in there by myself. He can't make me sleep. I won't sleep until I don't see my parents when I close my eyes.
A/N
So, I've decided to include Age of Ultron in this story, but not have Bucky and Kat participate in the events. They'll be standing by as everything happens. They'll have their fair share of action when the time comes, I'm just really not comfortable with my writing of action sequences. I feel as if I don't cover the action well enough, but eventually I'll try for you loyal readers 😉 (ooh, plot twisttttt)
It might just be a while before Bucky and Kat are involved in any action. And I'm going to go into their relationship a little more (if I haven't described it enough already!). Right now, I'm touching on the more emotional side of this story, so I can show the characters and their emotions. I don't want them to come off as emotionless robots. *cough cough* Ultron
I'll be replaying the action as they're watching and hearing about it, from either Bucky or Kat's perspective. It'll give this story a different feel and I hope you all are as excited as I am to see how it turns out. Thanks for being awesome!! I appreciate each and every one of you!! Thanks for existing and reading my story 😀