Chapter 13

21 October 2017, Rogue Avengers' Quinjet, Someplace Else

"Why the f*** does every one of these little excursions that Nat takes us on have to be in the pro-ballplayer post-game level stinking armpit of the world? Honestly, Steve. Lemme know. Why?"

Barnes growled, "Aw, shuddup, Wilson. This one's easy. I've gotten more s*** done in Qatar than anywhere else in the Middle East except Yemen. Abu Samra is a barely more than a village, so we're pretty safe here. Besides, it's a village into which I may or may not have lobbed a few RPGs in the past, so it has a minimal amount of infrastructure. So, this job ain't somethin' that even needs our calibre of skills. H*ll, even the Marines could probably get it done, since brains ain't really needed here."

Rogers snorted with poorly concealed amusement, but he kicked Barnes' boot firmly.

However, Barnes returned to absently polishing his Wakandan-modified SVD rifle, as he muttered, "But no d*mn way Air Force could do s***."

Genuinely angry, Wilson threw his bag down on the seat and replied, "Right, well maybe you two supersoldier Army types should go do it yourself then. Romanoff and I will just take a f***in' nap in the quinjet. I could use a day off."

Rogers looked at Wilson with surprise and quietly asked, "Do you want to take a break, Sam? Seriously?"

"Honestly, I'm tired of being shot at. I'm tired of eating the weird MREs that Barnes refuses and Natasha won't touch. I'm tired of saving the day and getting a kick in the a** from the people we help. I'm tired of being an outlaw. I'm tired of Stark sitting in his d*** tower back home and judging all of us. What the h*ll is he doing? Nothing. All this stuff out here that, once upon a time, SHIELD or the Avengers would have managed is now suddenly left to the four of us. That's grade-A prime-cut bull, Steve. When are they going to wake up and realise that the world is no longer safe? The Sokovia Accords failed."

Rogers walked across the floor of the quinjet and laid his hand on Wilson's shoulder. "I know. It's not fair. None of this is right. However, if we go back now, then we get thrown in jail and all these people will have no one to turn to for justice. What else can we do?" He looked over at Natasha, who was very carefully watching them, and asked, "Nat?"

Romanoff sighed. "Maybe it is time for you to make the call, Steve. We tried starting the process with Clint and that failed. Maria tried and was rebuffed. I'm not sure how else we get a dialogue started. Stark isn't going to call you. He's too bitter."

Barnes snarled angrily, "If he wants my head on a platter, then he can have it, Romanova. However, in no universe does Stark get to lock Steve up just because Stark doesn't like the consequences of what happens when he acts on emotions and not logic."

"Buck."

"No, Steve. Listen. I may not have had any say in what my body did when they controlled me, but it was these hands that choked the life out of Stark's mother. If he honestly thinks that killing me or locking me up in that Superhero Supermax thing that Ross has out in the ocean will make it all better, then fine. He can have me. But he doesn't get you."

"Not going to agree to that, Bucky."

Barnes shrugged and glared at Rogers without malice. "Tough s***, buddy. If that's what needs to happen, then it does. But seriously, if Stark is that much of a s*** that he cannot admit that his attempted murder of me is a larger crime than your self-defence assault against him, then you need to reconsider trusting him. In many ways, he's even more unstable than I am."

Romanoff nodded. "He is, actually. Stark has been dangerously unstable for years. However, he is also the key to us being able to return to New York or, at least, no longer being a fugitive. You know that I'm willing to stay out here indefinitely with you, but I think we all know that this isn't a life that we can live for long."

Rogers sighed. "I'm amazed we have all survived so far without serious injury."

Wilson dropped into his chair and asked, "So, what are we going to do, Steve? I told you that I'd follow you and I will. However, it sounds like we all know where this is heading."

Nodding miserably, Rogers replied, "Wanda says that Tony just isn't ready. I think we really only have one shot at this. If I call too early, then we all lose."

Surprised, Wilson asked, "You are talking to Maximoff again?"

"Of course. Actually, I never stopped. She is keeping track of Stark through Vision."

Barnes gently placed his weapon beside himself, as he demanded, "You don't think that Vision knows everything about us through Maximova?"

Rogers shrugged and raked his hand though his hair, before he responded, "I think that Vision does know, yes. However, he is waiting to do anything about it, since Wanda asked him not to talk to Tony about it. Yet, if any of you think that Tony doesn't already know where we are and what we are doing, then you need to reconsider immediately. Nevertheless, as long as neither of them are put in the position of having to openly lie, then we should be safe. That doesn't give us forever."

Barnes knocked his shoulder against Rogers.

Interpreting his best friend's message correctly, Rogers then looked over at Wilson, who nodded. Then, he turned his eyes on Natasha with an intense look that both Sam and Bucky had gotten all too used to seeing recently.

Romanoff just sighed and said exhaustedly, "Ok, Steve. I'll put some things into play. I don't know when it will happen, but I will keep you all informed."

21 October 2017, Safe House Outside of Abu Samra, Qatar

"Thank f***, seriously."

Clint laughed. "Tell me what you really think, Stark."

Stark snorted. "I think that I'm tired of Cap internalising all his misery, as he forces himself to soldier on and then he passes the joy and fun onto us in training. Seriously, that man needed a girl."

"Making your bondmatch is a lot more than that, Stark."

Leaning his camp chair as far back as the tent wall, Stark laughed and waved his hand airily. "Yeah, I know. That's why I only date Betas. I've never wanted to bondmatch. I know that I cannot do what you do, Clint."

Clint frowned, but shrugged good naturedly. "Nah. Anyway, I think Cap will put me to shame with Clémence. He's the traditional sort of Alpha. Me—I'm winging it and flying by the seat of my pants every moment of the day. Nat saves my bacon at least once a week about some Alpha s*** that I'm too ignorant to know about. One of those weird rules or traditions, usually, but since Eleanor was raised to expect all that s*** then I'm going to make sure she gets it. I just got to work at it, right? There's a reason that carnie f***-ups who didn't even finish high school don't usually get to match anything better than C-ranked Omegas."

Tony frowned and carefully regarded Clint with his head tilted to one side. "Do you seriously believe that, Clint? Because that's bull-f***ing-s***. You put to shame pretty much every other Alpha I know with the devoted way you treat Ellie. She is your queen. I remember what Ellie was like the day she came into my building. She was terrified to even ask to use the phone to call that piece of s*** cousin of hers. Now, Ellie is helping Barnes' poor hostage—oops, I mean his match—actually get a life and she even managed to find Cap a girl. What the f***, man? You're the one that is giving her that confidence, Clint. You think you need anyone's help with how to be the perfect Alpha to your AAA princess?"

Clint stared with shock at Tony before he said only, "Thanks, but trust me, before they sent me out on this s***hole mission, it wasn't like that behind closed doors. I literally f***ed up every day. She's been doing all that cr*p after I left, Stark. Nat is the one with her right now. If Ellie feels confident, then it is because she feels safe with Natasha and she isn't having to deal with my bulls*** every day."

Stark shrugged and pulled a device out of his pocket and began fiddling idly. "If you say so, buddy, but Eleanor is so crazy about you that even Barnes has commented on it. And usually that man doesn't notice s*** about any woman but his own. I don't think that Romanova has much to do with it. She feels safe with you, pal. When I did my guardian interview her before your bondmatching—which is a truly s*** tradition, let me tell you—it was clear that Eleanor was desperate for security. You provided that, Barton."

Heavily setting his Stark-modified Hoyt Buffalo on the table in front of him, Clint said fiercely, "Yeah, we're gonna need to stop this conversation now, Stark. Thanks, but no."

Stark shrugged acquiescence. "Not going to fight you on it, Barton. Your match, your rules."

"D*** f***ing right."

After a long pause, Stark looked up at Clint and said with obviously false bonhomie, "So, change of subject then. How long before Cap decides to grow his family?"

Clint kicked a chair closer to the table and then sat down on it forcefully. As he spread a pile of arrows on the surface next to his bow, he said with studied calmness, "Oh, there's going to be a baby before their first anniversary. No doubt."

"Yeah? Because Barnes seems to think otherwise. I quote, "Steve is so shocked to have a girl givin' him any kinda notice that he ain't gonna wanna give that one-on-one attention up for a while." So, take that under advisement when you place your bet."

Peering at the fletching on one of his trick arrows, Clint shrugged. "Nope. Gonna go with a year max."

Stark asked, "How much?"

"Uh, 500."

"Ok, I'll take that and I say two years."

Stopping as he walked out of the motel bathroom, Wilson rolled his eyes. "Man, every time I walk into a room, you two fools are up to something. You'll bet over any-d*mn-thing."

Clint muttered, "Bored." However, Stark loudly asked, "Well, Wilson, you in?"

"D*** straight, I'm in. I say 18 months max."

"Confidence. I like it. But I'm going to trust Cap's bro and stick with two years max."

22 October 2017, Ste. 4102, Avengers Tower, New York City

"Bucky? Are you in here?"

Bucky looked up from his magazine—Превосходные запасы и оружие для проницательной Альфы (Superior Supplies and Weaponry for the Discerning Alpha)—which Emilie immediately recognised as his favourite to peruse when he was having a day with bad flashbacks. "You ok, beautiful?"

"Yes, I am fine. Actually, I was wondering if we could take a walk together down to that good cake place tonight."

Dropping the magazine on the table, Bucky stood up and replied, "Of course, we can. I'd like that."

"Lev would be happy to have both of us together, too."

Bucky looked down at his dog and said calmly, "Levya is happiest when he's pleasing me, baby, and he knows nothing pleases me more than taking care of you."

"But he is an Alpha-companion, not an Omega guard dog."

"Levya is one the smartest dogs that I've ever known, Emilie. He may not have been trained to be an Omega guard dog, but he knows what he needs to do for you and I didn't even have to teach him."

She looked up at him with a sparkle in her eye, as she said, "That's true. However, I do think he is happiest when he is at your side. He and I have that in common."

Bucky laughed. "You are full of surprises tonight, my beautiful."

"Well, you're going to be away for several weeks and I want to make sure that we have some nice time together before you go. It is going to be miserable when you're gone."

"Yeah? Sometimes I wonder, Emilie. I know that I'm not easy to live with."

Emilie shook her head and admitted, "No, you aren't. I won't lie to you. However, I would always, always rather live with you than without you. I love you. I am so glad that I met you at Sebastien's engagement party."

"Are you? Honestly? If it were not for me, then you would probably be matched to a wealthy young businessman who would treat you like a queen and would never make you cry."

Emilie tucked her hand into his and fervently replied, "I don't want someone else, Bucky. I've never wanted someone else. You do treat me like a queen, despite the possessiveness. I will always belong to you. Completely. I don't understand how you can think that I could even consider someone else after I met you."

"Because I'm f***ed up, baby. My brains are like rotten scrambled eggs. I'm a bitter, angry, screwed up mess. How is that something you could truly want? You were mere weeks out of school when I met you. You'd never had the chance to meet other Alphas."

"So? Why would I want to meet them? I'd already met you."

Bucky groaned. "I wanna be better about this, baby. I don't want to f*** around with our bondmatch like this anymore. I gotta do something to make you happier."

"You did. We are here at the tower now, so I'm close to two other guardian-class girls: my cousin and my school friend. You don't realise how rare it is for guardian-class Omegas to have friends after we are matched. This is beyond wonderful, Bucky. I know that you didn't want to come here, but the fact that you did it for me means everything."

He shrugged uncomfortably. "I did it for Steve, too. Our sibling bond is breaking and it scares me. I haven't put the time in at all. I've been treating him like s***. Despite the fact that I know—absolutely know—that Steve would pull his fingernails out before he did anything to hurt me, I've doubted and questioned whether I could trust him around you. As honourable as Steve is, he would never damage someone else's bondmatch, yet I have acted as if I expected him to place his hands on what is mine."

Emilie asked cautiously, "Yes, I believe that. Even before he met Clémence, he wasn't going to try to do something inappropriate. And you know that I'm more securely wrapped up in you than all the gold in the depository at Ft Duffield, Bucky."

"I know. I swear that I do trust you even though I have trusted no one else. You would never accept another Alpha acting inappropriately towards you. I do know this, baby. I have no idea why my brain leaks out my ears and I start acting like a chump whenever another unmatched Alpha is around you. Or even matched Alphas if they're upper-level like Steve or Barton. I am the one who has been wrong about all this, not you."

"Bucky?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I love you. You only."

He frowned with embarrassment and said, "I know, darlin'. I love you."

Emilie tilted her head and then hopped up to kiss his cheek. "Do you know? Truly? Because I want to be sure that you really understand. I know that things haven't gone according to plan. I know that we haven't had a baby yet and we've had some rocky times. But even if we never have a child, then I won't love you less. I need you to help me through all of this, no matter what happens."

Bucky wrapped her up tightly with his metal hand behind her head and the other on her lower back. "You will always have me."

"Good. Nothing is going to take me away, you know."

Bucky kissed the top of her head and then rested his cheek on her hair as he said, "My life has never really gone that way though. I have had plenty of luck, baby, but it's all the s*** kind. So, when I get something good, I know it won't last."

Emilie wrapped her arms around his waist and said seriously, "But Bucky, we've talked about this so many times. You know that everything has changed now. HYDRA was a horrible, horrible thing. And the war was awful. But even though you got dragged into the future away from everything you knew, through a terrible journey on the way, your bonded brother was here waiting for you on the other side. That is incredible luck. And you also have me. I don't know about other Alphas' matches, but yours is completely and totally in love with you. So, you have what you want. You do."

"Yeah, baby, I do."

Emilie nodded. "So, let's go enjoy our evening together. Is that ok?"

"Very ok."

"You don't mind giving up reading your magazine?"

Bucky smiled genuinely down at her and then kissed her forehead. "You know perfectly well that I've memorised the entire thing. Particularly the special section."

"Bucky?"

"Yeah, beautiful?"

"How many representatives of that special section would I find in our apartment if I knew where to look?"

He looked down at her in shock for a moment and then burst out into sincere, loud laugher. "Not as much as I would like, but just enough that I get a pleasant thrill as I count each of those items when I do my daily weapons check."

"Ok, so, when are you going take me downstairs to learn how to fire my new weapon?"

"Wow, Emilie. You're hitting all the highpoints on my great date checklist: guns, cake, night time walk, and you. Feels like my birthday or somethin'."

Emilie laughed merrily. "No, but seriously, can we go down there later? I want to try it out. It looks so much more exciting than that pretty little enamelled one I'm allowed to take out into public."

Bucky snorted with sudden amusement before he commented, "That is because it isn't an American Omega weapon, baby. It is Russian. That means it is meant to kill, not wound. It's got a great little punch to it. You're going to like it."

"I believe you."