I come up hard, baby.
I'm in for real, baby.
Gonna keep movin'.
Gonna go to town.
It had been six days since the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA and the destruction of the Insight Helicarriers. Steve had been in the hospital for all of those days. And he hadn't been awake for any of them, the longest process of his healing since becoming a Super Solider.
Sam was nice enough to let me shower and change at his house. He came with me to the hospital to watch over Steve. I never left after that. I couldn't leave him. It just...didn't feel right to.
I sat next to Sam at Steve's bedside. Marvin Gaye's Trouble Man played. Sam was nose deep in a book while I rested my temple on my closed fist, hugging my legs with my other hand, drifting in and out of light sleep. I was still exhausted after the Attack on the Triskelion, but I was in better shape than I was after New York.
I come up hard.
I come up, gettin' down.
There's only three things.
That's for sho'.
Taxes, death and trouble.
"On your left."
Sam and I looked up. Steve's head rolled over, a tired smile plastered on his war-hardened face. I grinned.
Sam put his book down. "Glad to see you're okay."
He chuckled weakly. "Yeah, you too."
He stood and stretched. "I'm gonna get some coffee." He lay a hand on my shoulder. "You want some?"
"Yeah, if you wouldn't mind," I replied.
As Sam left the room, I moved to his vacant chair, pulling it forward to sit closer to the bed. "How are you feeling?"
Steve propped himself up a little, pulling an expression of discomfort. "Like I've just been hit by tank."
I smiled. "Thanks for that piece of imagery."
He chuckled. "It's happened to us before." He groaned. "How long have I been out?"
"Six days."
His eyes widened. "Six days?"
I frowned in worry as I leaned forward. "Steve, you were in pretty bad shape. Bucky knocked you around pretty good. He pulled you out of the river before I found you."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know. He disappeared after I found you."
"Then we gotta find him." He tried to get out of bed with an agonised expression.
"No, no, no." I pushed him back down. "You're not going anywhere. You need to rest."
"I've been resting for the past six days."
"And you're going to rest for a few more if need be."
He sighed in exasperation as he gave in. "So. What have I missed?"
I leaned back into my chair. "The remnants of S.H.I.E.L.D. is unstable at the moment. With everything being uploaded to the Internet, there's a lot we have to answer for. Nat's dealing with that. She's at a court hearing at Capitol Hill with the high ranking Senators, so it's all up in the air right now."
"If everything's on the Internet, does that mean Project Hourglass is out?"
"Everything that project gathered about me is out for all to read."
He raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem too worried about that."
"I'm not. The world has seen an egotistical ass in a metal suit, an Asgardian wielding a hammer, agents with bows and guns running the streets, a big green monster." I smiled. "And a war hero from World War II who hasn't aged a day." I shrugged. "They won't be surprised to find a Trojan with magical time powers running with the crowd."
Steve smiled warmly. "You never cease to amaze me."
I raised my chin. "Mission accomplished."
I patted his shoulder affectionately. "Rest up, Steve. We're meeting Nick tomorrow."
Before I left the room, he grasped my wrist. "I kept my promise. I came back."
I inclined my head, coupled with a smile. "I know."
We met Nick at the cemetery the next day. We stood at his grave. Any evidence contradicting his death was destroyed, including his infamous eye patch.
"So, you've experienced this sort of thing before," he asked.
"You get used to it," I replied.
"We've been data mining HYDRA's files," Nick described. "Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship. I'm headed to Europe tonight." He turned to me. "Wanted to ask if you'd come."
I rolled my shoulders and breathed out heavily. "There's something I gotta do first."
Nick turned to Sam. "How about you, Wilson? Could use a man with your abilities."
Sam glanced at me before replying. "I'm more of a soldier than a spy."
Nick looked at Andi expectantly. She shook her head. "My contract with S.H.I.E.L.D. ended when it fell. I'm not going back, Nick. Besides..." She sighed as she buried her hands into her jacket pockets. "...I've got demons of my own to deal with."
Eilian. I assumed that was who she was referring to.
Nick nodded in satisfaction. "All right, then."
He shook hands with Sam and I. He exchanged a respectful nod with Andi. "Anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me right here."
"Stay safe, Nick," Andi said. "Being a ghost isn't always as safe as it seems."
He walked away, blending into society as if he'd never appeared. Although I wasn't fond of the man, I wished him luck. He was going to need it.
"I better be heading off," Andi interjected.
"Don't be too far away."
She grinned. "I won't."
She hugged me. She smelled amazing as always. I was going to miss her scent at my side. I was going to miss the feel of her in my arms. I shook off that feeling.
"Call me and I'll be there."
"I know."
"You should be honoured." Nat walked towards us, a file in hand. "That's about as close as Nick gets to saying thank you."
I released Andi and offered a final smile before approaching Nat. "Not going with him?"
"No."
"Not staying here?"
"Nah. I blew all my covers. I gotta go figure out a new one."
"That might take a while."
"I'm counting on it." She then wore a business-like expression. "That thing you asked for, I called in a few favours from Kiev." She handed me the file. It was in Russian, but I knew what was inside. "Will you do me a favour in return?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"I've seen the way you look at her." Her eyes flicked to Andi bidding a farewell to Sam behind me before stepping through a portal, it snapping shut behind her. "Don't wait forever. She may have all the time in the world, but she can't wait for you."
"Is that life experience?"
She grinned mischievously. "You could say that."
There was a moment of silence between us as we examined each other. I held her in the highest regard. I considered her a good friend. I'd have her back for as long as she had mine. I hoped that nothing bad would happen between us.
Nat lightly kissed me on the cheek before turning on her heel and stepped away. "Be careful, Steve." She turned. "You might not want to pull on that thread."
I didn't reply as she went on her way.
I opened the file. There was a large photo of Bucky in what looked like a cryogenics tube. A small photo of him in his army uniform from 1942 was pinned at the bottom of it.
"You're going after him," Sam deduced.
"You don't have to come with me."
"I know. When do we start?"
❈Author's Note: Hey, there! If you liked this chapter, please consider giving it a quick vote! Thanks for reading!