Days had passed after the battle against HYDRA in Swiss.
Bucky sat on the couch with the TV turned on. His eyes were staring at the screen, not really watching what was happening. He'd been doing this since they had buried Julia. A knock on the door 'woke' him up. He looked up, blinked a few times and stood up after a second round of knocking. He opened the door and saw Natasha standing there.
"Hi," she greeted with a smile.
"Uhm…hi."
"I was nearby and wanted to check on you." Bucky looked confused at her. "Can I come in?"
Bucky blinked a few times. Then he realized this was reality. "Oh, sure." He stepped aside and let Natasha into his apartment.
She entered and looked around. The living room was small but big enough for one person. She saw an old couch, a coffee table and closet with the TV in it.
"Nice place."
"Thanks," Bucky reacted. "Would you like to drink something?"
She turned around to face him. "I won't be here for long." She lifted a plastic bag. "I have some lasagna leftovers. I bet you can use a decent meal."
Bucky smiled and took the bag from her. "That's nice of you." He took it to his kitchen and placed it in the fridge and closed the door. On the door of the fridge was Julia's note. He read it.
"Everything okay?" he heard Natasha.
He sighed and looked up at her. He saw her leaning against kitchen counter. "It's something stupid."
"Tell me. What's stupid?" Natasha asked, while she hoped he would explain.
Bucky crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the fridge. He remained silenced as he was searching for his words. Natasha waited patiently.
He took a deep breath.
"Julia was the first person I have met who got involved into HYDRA and escaped." He looked at her. "The absolute first person. Never in my life after HYDRA have I met anyone knows the struggle to break free from them," he explained.
Natasha nodded. "And so were you… for her," she added. A silent followed. She observed Bucky while he stared to the ground. She noticed the dark circles underneath his eyes and he looked tired. "Bucky?" He looked up at her. "Get some sleep."
He nodded, but his mind wasn't on earth. Natasha walked over to him, gave him a kiss on the cheek and left his home. He heard the front door closing. He opened the fridge again and took out a can of beer. While he opened the can and drank from it, he walked back to the living room. He swallowed the beer and removed the can from his lips.
"Hey," he heard a soft female voice.
His body froze as the voice sounded familiar to his ears. Slowly he turned around. He dropped his can and took a few steps back, eyes widened in shock. He couldn't believe his eyes.0
"Oh my god," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Julia?"
There she was, in his apartment. Slowly she walked up to him. "I'm sorry. I was too late to say goodbye to you." She stopped, just five feet away from him. "So, I'm here to say goodbye."
Bucky was confused. "How…I mean…you…" he stuttered.
She smiled at him and embraced him. His eyes widened when he felt her arms around his waist. Slowly and unsure he placed his hands on her upper back and placed his chin on her head with his nose into her hair. After a moment, tears welled up in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Julia," he sobbed. "I should have kept my mouth shut." Julia held him a little tighter. "If I hadn't freaked out you wouldn't have been killed by that asshole."
"It's okay, Bucky. I'm not mad at you," she said as she looked up at him. She smiled and placed a bare hand on his cheek. "But I'm thankful."
Once again Bucky was confused and they looked into each other eyes. Gently she pulled his face closer to hers. Their nose touched each other. Julia moved her lips to his forehead and kissed it. During the kiss Bucky closed his eyes. He could hardly imagine that she was here in his apartment. He felt her releasing him. He opened his eyes and looked up. He blinked his eyes when he didn't see her. He looked around.
"Julia?"
He looked at the spot where he had dropped his beer. It was clean. Quickly he went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He saw four cans of beer, two pizza slices, but no package with lasagna. He closed the door and leaned against it. He rubbed into his eyes. "What the hell is going on in my head?"
The doorbell rang. Bucky looked up in shock. Slowly he went to his front door, but was scared to open it.
"Natasha?"
"No, it's me. Steve."
He leaned with his head against the door. "It's Steve," he whispered to himself.
At the other side of the door, Steve waited patiently till it opened. Suddenly the door rushed open and his friend flew around his neck. "Buck? Dude? Are you okay?" he asked worried.
Bucky burst out in tears, almost hyperventilating. "I'm going crazy, Steve!"
With Bucky stuck against his body, Steve went inside the apartment and closed the front door. He took his friend by the shoulders, gently pushing him off him. He looked in his eyes, which were filled with tears, pain and regret.
"What happened?" Steve asked him, while they walked to the living room. They both took a seat on the couch.
"She was here."
"Who?" Bucky hid his face in his hands and cried. "Do you mean, Julia was here?" His sad friend nodded while he still hid his face in his hands. Steve shook his head in sorrow, laid an arm around Bucky's shoulder and pulled him closer for an embrace. He had never seen his friend so vulnerable.
"I feel so stupid, Steve. I had soldiers die in my arms and got sad about it." He rubbed his eyes and released his face. "But with her…" He shook his head in misunderstanding. "I don't understand myself and why I feel and act like this."
"Listen to me, Bucky," Steve said. "You both have in common that you escaped from HYDRA. You both had a rough past because of that." Bucky nodded his head while he listened. "And I bet she is grateful you found her and helped her or else she wouldn't have come here to say goodbye."
A moment of silence on Bucky's side.
"Natasha said the same."
Steve looked confused at him. "Natasha? How? She is on a mission with Tony."
Bucky sighed. "As a hallucination. Just like Julia." He looked at Steve. "I guess it's better to go to sleep."
Steve patted him on the shoulder. "Good plan, buddy." They stood up and embraced each other. "You know I'm here for you," Steve said, in his ear.
"I know. Till the end of the line."
He put the key in the lock and opened his door. He entered his apartment and went to his living room. He stood still as he saw her looking at his picture wall. She looked up to him.
"I really love your friendship with him," Julia said. Steve smiled. "It's so unique." She walked up to Steve and stopped with enough distance between them. "Please take care of him."
"I will," Steve promised.
She smiled. She gave him a salute. He did the same in return, as she slowly faded away.
Steve released a sigh. He walked to a window and looked up at the dark sky. The sky was black like coal. But there was one bright star. Steve looked at it and the star started to flicker. He smiled, knowing it's her and that she was safe now.
