There was nothing she could say to fix this and truthfully, right now, she didn't feel like explaning everything. Defeated, Bea slid down the nearest wall. Her legs gasped a sigh of relief. She hadn't had a break since she'd climbed the cliffside of a Hydra base.
The time to dwell on the events that had happen wasn't granted to her, as Bucky turned his questioning stare on her.
"You two seem close?" He said suggestively, "You weren't this close before."
"He basically helped me raise Brooke. I owe everything to him." She thought back to when Steve had 'died' and a shiver travelled down her spine. "So when I say that accidently causing Steve's death completely killed me, I mean it. He's my best friend."
"He's mine too. Though… he seems pretty intent on ignoring me."
"Don't take it personally. I think he's trying not to get too attached. We've lost a lot." Bucky slid down the wall next to her and she remembered what they were wearing. Bucky still donned his world war 2 military uniform and her tactical gear had the Hydra badge shining on her arm. It wasn't a good look – wearing Hydra clothes most definitely died out in 2015. She reached over and ripped the badge off before someone got suspicious. "We should probably find you some clothes…"
"I don't mind people staring," He commented, "I'd rather we took the time for you to explain everything to me."
She really didn't want too. She'd much prefer listening to the instinct of her body telling her to go to sleep. Even with the super soldier serum running through her veins, she may have over compensated and her bed at the Avengers base was calling her – but she couldn't leave Fifteen. She had to wait and find out if she was okay. Fifteen hadn't left her side during Brooke's birth.
With nothing else to do and a promise she had to keep to Steve, she tiredly turned to Bucky, "okay. What do you want to know?"
The next hour of her life was spent delivering the hardest explanation. Part of it she didn't understand herself. The complex of time travel lost on her. She kept her voice down as patients walked to and fro. They already looked like a crazy couple with one in tactical gear, the other in military wear. She didn't need people overhearing what she was saying either.
She told him about the snap, about the Avengers, what happened to Steve, what happened to Fifteen, Hydra and Zola. Bucky listened carefully, not interrupting her. Her word was all he had to go on.
It was only when she got to Brooke did she pause. She hadn't explained yet that Bucky was the father of her child and he too had been there.
"You okay so far?" She eased looking up at him.
"Think so. Still a lot to take in."
"There's more and…" she prepared herself for the worst, "and I need you to forgive me for this."
"Forgive you for what?"
She sighed, inwardly preparing herself for the blow that she was about to give. "In this timeline, I told you that you fell off the train. The train which I stopped you getting on." He nodded his head, remembering. "Truth is, in this reality you fall off and everyone assumes you died, when really it's Hydra that gets to you. They turned you into an assassin called you the winter soldier."
Bucky nodded slowly but his eyes were faded out trying to imagine it, "Guess you really did save me then. Sucks to be this reality version to not have you around to save them."
"Don't say that yet," Bea cringed, "Just… wait… Hydra didn't just turn you into a weapon. During your years training to be an assassin, they kept you in a cryochamber for seventy years. It's like being frozen in ice-"
"So I'm still alive out there?" He hesitated, looking back at where Steve had disappeared.
"Kinda. When Steve destroyed Hydra he also freed you. Which is…which when I met you."
She remembered the night so well. Nine O'clock at night. The shield helicarriers had just crashed. Traffic was hell. She'd ordered pizza. He'd startled her by making a noise.
"At the time, all you wanted was some dry clothes. I worked at a clothes store at the time you see." It sometimes felt like only yesterday. She was so young then, all she worried about was how to pay the next bills of her apartment and whether she should get Chinese food or Indian that night. "For some reason he didn't scare me… even though it was all over the news that he was a killer and assassin." At the time his eyes was what stopped her from calling the police. There was no anger or the crazy eye of a mad killer she'd read about all day on the news. Just fear. "I think he was more scared than me.
"I couldn't help myself. I just had to help him." Twitching a smile, the memory was more familiar to her than her own face. "And I wasn't an Avenger like I am supposed to be today. I literally just folded clothes for a living. It was the worst job ever… but… I just knew he wasn't a bad guy like everyone was saying he was. He just wanted to be better and he made me want to be better…"
"That's strange…" Bucky frowned at her. She jumped, almost forgetting why she was telling this story. He sadly, but knowingly smiled. "If I remember correctly, you said the same thing about your kids' father."
Of course. He had figured it out. Perhaps it was the way her eyes faded away at the memory. Or the playback of a small smile that felt unnatural on her face. Or maybe he could sense her heart fluttering in speed as she thought about him.
"That snap you were talking about where half the universe went. You said it happened five years ago," he recalled, "He disappeared then?"
"he did."
"And your kid. She's five?"
"She is…"
She waited for him to look mad, or even disappointed but he just looked away sadly.
"I should have known," he said after a moment of silence, "I always wondered why you looked at me twice."
"Buck-"
"Hey, it's okay."
"it's not okay. I led you to believe we could be something." She had sometimes believed it herself. "There were moments when I didn't believe what the Avengers was doing was possible and I considered staying with you and if it wasn't for Brooke – I might have. I just missed you so much."
He gave her a pointed stare, "You mean you missed this timelines version of me."
As the words came out his mouth, he rolled his eyes at them, realising how ridiculous he sounded.
"I thought you'd be different, the both of you," She shook her head. Relieved that it was going so well – that he understood… that he wasn't mad. It still didn't stop her wanting to hide herself in his arms, "Even though you've been through so much, I still see you as the same person."
Bucky didn't say anything for a long time. Only moments ago they were holding hands, attempting to crash a plane into the ocean. Now, it felt like the ocean was between them. She had created this in her own making – her own foolishness and selfishness. She heard Steve's voice in her head criticising her. Criticising her for replacing Bucky the way she did – She had been so desperate to see him, to feel his love again that'd she'd broken the man's heart before her, to have it.
And why too was she still worried that the snap wouldn't work. That she didn't want to completely reject this Bucky in case her one couldn't come back.
She opened her mouth to apologise again but Bucky finally spoke. "What now?"
"… W-what now?"
"Yeah. What do I do now?"
She blinked her eyes dry of any tears that were planning on falling and answered, "Well, I suppose you can stay at the Avengers base for a bit and if this reverse snap works, the guy who invented these particle things – Pym Particles they were called – that lets you go back in time, he might have a few more and you can go back home… to the 1940s. But I'm not sure about that-"
"You won't be going back I assume?"
"My life is here."
He didn't look surprised but nodded solemnly. "You know I got on that plane to save you," he considered, not looking at her, "might have been for the best if I'd have just lost you there…"
Her whole body shook. On instinct she wanted to retort back… somehow get mad… angry he could possibly be mad at her. She had just missed him so bad! She couldn't help it. Her whole life had fallen apart in the past five years and the one remedy had been given back to her. Five years of missing him, five years of fear of Hydra, five years of raising their daughter alone, five years of loneliness, self-isolation, self-loathing… days where she had just wanted it to end and snap the whole universe away and herself with it.
But he didn't ask for any of her troubles. He didn't deserve any of this.
"I know…" she finally agreed bitterly.
He deserved so much better than her.
Bucky opened his mouth to say something. Fearing the hatred that would spill out of her mouth, she took a deep breath to prepare herself. To suck back any tears –
But what he had to say never left his lips.
It started with a cold gush suddenly entering the room, like someone had opened a window and let in a draft. Shivering, Bea clutched her Hydra jacket tightly around her, both their heads circled the room to find the sudden disturbance.
Suddenly, directly in front of them, an old man rapidly appeared out of nowhere. It was quick. Just like a television screen had been zapped on.
Agape, Beatrice and Bucky froze where they sat. The old man heaved as if he'd suddenly been winded. Confused, he looked around and saw them staring at him.
"My dear, do you know where a nurse is?" He asked softly, "I'm having hallucinations again."
"Umm…Receptions just down the hall," Bea pointed, not knowing what else to do. Was- Was she hallucinating? Judging by Bucky's wide eyes, it was apparent she wasn't. Unless she was imagining that too-
Then it happened all around them. A lady and her baby flickered to life at the end of the hallway. Right next to them in the empty seats a young teenager was brought back and went to bite down on a snack that was no longer in his hand. Startled screams echoed from hospital rooms.
Automatically her hand grabbed Bucky. She wasn't sure what to expect – were they being attacked? She still had the Hydra gun hidden in her holster. Prepared to shoot, she-
The baby at the end of the hallway wailed out a cry.
"What the fuck just 'appened?" The teenager next to them was staring at his hands. They were shaking, "I turned to ash for a minute."
Realisation dawned on her.
"Holy shit!"
In an instance she leapt to her feet. Her shoes slipped off as she clopped fast down the hallway. Leaving Bucky behind. The Avengers… they had done it… They had – had they? She didn't dare believe it. Yet with each hallway she travelled down on her journey to reception, she found more and more people. The hallways doubled in numbers and noise as people tried to work out what they were doing here whilst others gasped in shock.
"Please, please, please be true," She begged to a god she didn't believe in until she was outside and she ran straight into the road, "TAXI!"
Screw leaving tomorrow, she was getting a quinjet now and would pick up Brooke on the way to Wakanda. She was going to see him.
No taxi wanted to stop for her and when she did hail one down, it was only because the driver had no idea what was going on, until he saw the busy sidewalk and froze in amazement. Irritated he was ignoring her. She gave him the middle finger.
"Excuse me," She tapped the lady behind her who was filming the whole thing, "Can I borrow your phone. I've got to ring someone?"
"In a moment." The lady snapped.
"Oi! This is kind of important."
"bigger than all of this? I'm gonna get so many youtube views."
"Yes! it's bigger than this!" tempted to slap the phone from her hand, she settled for a glare. When someone tapped her on the shoulder, she was prepared to punch whoever dared- it was only Bucky… "Bucky! I'm sorry but I've got to go…"
"This is the snap you were talking about? Everyone's come back? This is why you went back in time?"
"I think it worked… I need… I need to find out," she exclaimed in glee. She couldn't stand still, her feet rocked back and forth like sugar streamed through her veins. "He might be back… I can't believe this-"
Suddenly, a loud crack set off in the sky and a large black shadow loomed over them. Bucky stared agape over her shoulder, his fingers tightening on her arm.
"What the hell is it?"
She couldn't deal with much more today.
Spinning to the source of many pointed hands gasping at the object she saw a large space ship, break through the linings of the sky, bigger than any cloud. She couldn't see the Avengers base, but knew it was roughly where the space ship loomed.
Except it wasn't simply looming. It was firing. Dozens of missiles launched. Falling. Straight down. It disappeared over the horizon of tall buildings covering her view-
BOOM!
Though it was miles away. Bea ducked her legs for cover and brought Bucky down with her. The earth vibrated beneath them.
Smoke billowed high in the sky as the ground shook from the explosion. The space craft hovered there menacingly. It took a moment for Bea's brain to catch up with what had just happened.
"No…" She uttered weakly. Steve. Steve was there and so was everyone else.
With no phone or vehicle, she began to frog march over to the taxi rank. Analysing quickly what car would be the quickest.
First losing Natasha. Then Fifteen's face is burnt off. Then Bucky. Then the snap – now this. She couldn't take much more!
Heaving, she sprang open the driver's door of a taxi. "I need you to take me to the Avengers base."
"Uh- did you not just see what happened!"
"Drive me there or get out and I'll get myself there."
The driver looked at her like she was crazy. Perhaps she was, but she didn't have time for this. Reaching in, she fisted his shirt and tugged him out. He was weightless to her and she chucked him aside like he was nothing but a paper aeroplane.
With him gone, she slid into the drivers seat. A second later, Bucky was in the seat beside her.
"What's going on over there?"
"I know as much as you on this one," She said desperately, putting her foot on the pedal and driving. She just… hoped everyone was okay.
Don't let me lose you too, Steve.
*~It started with Pizza~*
Driving there wasn't easy. The explosion was so large debris had blocked half the roads leading to it. One house close by had been completely crushed by a falling rock. Detour after detour, Bea had made it as far as she could driving and screeched to a stop. Bucky hadn't been wearing a seatbelt and almost crashed through the front windscreen.
Whatever was happening, it was large. Colourful figures danced in the sky. It looked like iron man and someone else. She thought she saw Ant-man suddenly huge and had to squint her eyes – large aliens floated through the sky, looking like transformers. She hadn't seen anything like it, except when aliens invaded new York in 2012 and it was all over the tv.
"you should go back," She barked at Bucky, "you can watch over Fifteen for me."
"And you're going to just walk into that."
"Steve's there," She fired back determinedly, realising that it would take her awhile to walk the distance from here to the car and she began to assess the terrain – maybe she could drive the taxi a little further. There was debris that had fallen to make the perfect ramp…
"If Steve's there I'm helping."
"You don't have too. He's not your Steve remember."
"I thought you just said me and your version of Bucky were the same person. If that's true then it's the same with Steve… besides, can't let a dame like yourself walk into there with nothing but your good looks."
She pushed back the butterflies that erupted at his words and stormed back over to the taxi. "I don't want you in danger."
"Tough. Shouldn't have brought me here." He said, sitting along beside her. He looked at her nervously for a moment, "-you're going to floor it aren't you?"
"Yep."
With no warning, she zoomed forward. The taxi immediately met the ramp and Bucky hit his head on the roof off the car.
"You're going to crash!" Bucky had found the seatbelt and realised now what it was for. He clasped tightly onto the handles.
"No. I'm not." She gripped the wheel tighter, "you always wanted to see flying cars."
"How did you – oh, never mind – fucking….AHHHHH."
They flew. The car's wheels left the ground. She had no chance to regret her actions when seconds later they landed with a sharp skid. Bea's driving skills were tested as she spun the wheel in numerous directions trying to keep it straight and avoid hitting anything. The battlefield was becoming clearer.
She squinted. Taking her eyes off the road – it looked like… Thanos's army? But that couldn't be right. He'd died. Thor had killed him.
"-BEA!" Bucky screeched. Taking control of the wheel himself, he spun it. The car skidded, turning in a circle. Crashing her foot on the break. It creaked to a stop. The sides scrapped past a few tumbled bits of rock.
"That's close enough." She decided, undoing her seatbelt and getting out the car.
"I don't have a weapon."
"Good. It means you can stay back," she instructed, already running into battle but Bucky was beside her. The only weapon she had was the Hydra pistol, which she had taken from Red Skull. When she was closer enough, she tested it and zapped a few aliens she recognised from the Wakanda fight five years ago, who were trying to sneak around the edges and circle the Avengers in. The Hydra gun fired and hit their target. The aliens disappeared without a trace in a waft of blue light.
Once they had gone, Bucky searched around where their bodies had gone and found a gun.
"Were they zombies?"
"Aliens."
"Right."
"Any other questions?" Not that she could answer them. She had a few herself. Like why were there so many Avengers here? She swore she saw Wanda's red powers amongst the sea of chaos. When Bucky didn't have any more questions – or couldn't think fast enough to come up with any questons - she turned away from the scene to face him. "I've got to find Steve. If we lose each other, please stay around the outskirts."
"Will do ma'am."
"don't call me that, Sergeant."
He smirked and they ran off together, joining the battle. It didn't take long to lose him.
She ducked as something went flying overhead. Shot at oncoming creatures. Rolled out of the way as rocks of debris was lifted up into the earth. She saw one of Thanos's henchmen who could somehow levitate things with his mind throw it passed her. She raised her gun but couldn't get a good aim on him as he moved things in front of himself.
With no idea where to look first, she focused her fight on the few aliens in front of her and took them down. Ducking for cover, she landed rather painfully. A second later a black figure crashed down next to her.
"Bea?" Clint exclaimed, and Bea's eyes widened when she saw the twinkle of the infinity gauntlet in his hands.
"What the hell happened?"
"Nebula." He gushed breathlessly, "She wasn't the current Nebula – I don't know." He sounded tired of all of this, "there's doubles of everyone now a days it seems… look – I gotta get this thing outta here."
Even just sitting there, she could tell more aliens were surrounding them than anyone else but her gun had unlimited ammo and she fired it off recklessly, trying not to blast anyone on their team.
"I got you covered. Run for it." She told him.
Clint gave a curt nod. They didn't know each other very well, but, for Natasha, she'd protect him with her life. Jumping over the debris, Clint ran away. Aliens chased after him and Bea did her best to fire as quickly as possible, but soon he had run out of her vision of sight.
A surge of lighting littered the sky nearby. She turned at the blast of colour, expecting to find Thor but instead Steve was up against his own army of Aliens holding… Thor's hammer? She thought she'd read somewhere only Thor himself could pick that up… or at least something like that.
Racing to the person she had been looking for, she fired a round at the aliens. Together they cleared them out.
"Steve!" She jumped into his arms, ignoring the blood and dirt grinding into his skin, "Holy shit. You scared me!"
"I scared you?" He chuckled.
"Everyone started appearing and then I saw the alien ship fire at the base. I thought you'd died!"
"Yeah…" wincing, she realised she was hugging him maybe a bit too tight and let go, "that did hurt a bit."
"Don't do it again – now explain why we're fighting Thanos's army again? Something about Nebula? And why is there so many people? Did I see Wanda earlier?" They were punching and shooting at aliens as they talked but it didn't distract them.
"I don't know why Thanos is here, just that he is and he wants the stones."
"He wants to half us again?" She inwardly groaned. They'd only just fixed it and she hadn't seen Bucky yet… she swore when this battle was over she was going straight to Wakanda. Nothing was going to hold her back.
"Worse. He wants to end all life. We've got to stop him."
"Got it." She nodded and began to ran off to where the battle was thickest. She didn't think her gun would work against Thanos (when was anything that easy?) but she had to try, before she could stray too far from Steve, he jogged beside her, catching up easy.
"Bucky's here."
"I know he is," She looked around to try and catch sight of his military uniform but he just blended in now amongst the fire and smoke, "I brought him here in a taxi. Told him to stay back but he didn't listen-"
"No." Steve sharply shook his head. "Bucky, as in our Bucky."
Her legs screeched to a halt. "What? H-how?"
"Don't ask me the science of it. Some wizards made portals and they all came – that's why there's so many of us."
Instantly, her eyes scanned the area. Hoping. Begging to catch sight of him. Everyone was moving too quickly – If only she could slow everything down. She turned back to Steve desperately. Maybe he knew where she was.
"I lost sight of him ages ago," Steve answered her stare, "but he's here." She turned but Steve's voice called her back. "Hey! Don't get distracted out here."
It was too late. The army felt unimportant as she weaved in out and out. Running as fast as her legs would take her. Heart beat drumming in her ears. More determined than ever she pumped the trigger of her gun. The less of them there were, the easier she would be able to see them. The fight called Steve elsewhere and she was alone again.
Black Panther now had the gauntlet. She saw Steve striking lighting somewhere. Wanda was one to one against Thanos. She stopped her search of Bucky to watch it momentarily. The red mist erupted from her hands, effecting the very space around her, colouring the air with her power.
Bucky! – Her head reminded her – focus on him.
Then there – like a miracle had happened - he was.
Battling two Aliens at once. Bucky Barnes grabbed them by the throat with his metal arm and crushed them together.
She thought it was physically impossible for her get out of breath now, but at the very sight of him her lungs tightened. She couldn't focus on breathing. Not when he was actually in front of her. Mud and sweat covered his face, but she didn't think she'd ever witness a more beautiful sight.
As if he could sense her watching, his eyes found hers.
Smiling slightly, he leapt to action and began to jog towards her. Not with the same desperation as she had – then again, to him, he had only seen her five minutes ago.
Beatrice raced across the now apocalyptic field. Surprising herself by how fast she could run. But it still wasn't fast enough. How far away was he? It felt like the stretch of a whole ocean between them.
From the corner of her focused eye, she witnessed an orange glow glisten over Bucky's head. In fact, all around them bubbles of orange circles were held up. Wondering what it was, she paused to a halt. Bucky did the same. They were still quite a distance away from each other.
She realised it was the wizards that were holding them up but didn't notice the bolts of fire power about to rain on them. No one was around Beatrice, no wizard to hold a protective bubble over her, no shield to cover. Bucky's eyes widened as he saw what was about to happen and he started to sprint towards her. The alien ship looming above them began to fire down fast pellets of bullets down.
Bucky's blur of figure disappeared as bullets cut a line between them.
Bea had no time to cover-
Suddenly her hand was yanked upwards and she springs into the air just as a crash of fire burnt where she stood.
"On your left."
"Sam!" Bea screamed in delight at the familiar face. Clutching tighter to his hand. He was wearing the Falcon suit. The two zoomed into the air, only just avoiding the bullets raining down on them.
"Good to see you bumble-Bea," he hollered down at her, she could barely hear him over the wind and unlike everyone else, she didn't have any comms, "Apparently it's long time no see."
"You bet it has been."
"Where's Fifteen?"
Gulping, she told him, "She's at hospital. She was in an explosion earlier."
"Is she alright?" panic strained his voice.
"I don't know…"
Sam didn't talk for a while and dropped her off on the ground as soon as the bullets had stopped firing. He flew off without another word.
With no idea where she was on the battlefield, she annoyingly had to start her search again. No longer bothering to fight the aliens unless they sprang at her, she sprinted through the fight. Once or twice she caught sight of the 1940's Bucky – her heart would leap in excitement, before realising it wasn't who she was looking for.
Thanos's army was smaller in numbers now. He had hit more of his own soldiers in firing down on them and the Avengers had dealt with most. It was easier and quicker to move-
Finally, she saw the glint of a metal arm and wasted no time racing towards it. Not letting any aliens. Bullets. Infinity stones, keep her back.
She would make it to him. Nothing. Nothing was going to stop her.
Finally, she was behind him. His back faced away from her as he dealt with the alien in front of him. When she was close enough, she breathed, "эй, солдат."
She hadn't spoken Russian much in the last five years. She hoped she said it right.
Bucky stopped shooting his gun, hearing her over the chaos. Her hear beat pulsed in her mouth and her legs shook as she finally stood in front of him. Unsure why the sudden urge to be sick penetrated her stomach, she bit her lip closed. A smile attempting to break loose. Here he was. Finally.
"Эй, красавица."
In an instance, her arms wrapped fully around him. Hugging him before the world can take him away gain. Gripping him so hard that she feared she'd rip the back off his jacket.
"Tell me I haven't actually been gone for five years." Bucky spoke into the crook of her shoulder. Now she was holding him, she couldn't choke back a torrent tears, and she began to cry with the force of thunder rumbling across a deserted land. He knew it to be true. "Bea… no, don't tell me."
Her tears burned her eyes as if they'd been too dry for too long. Finally, pulling away she kept him at arms length. Not daring to let go. "How could you tell?" sniffed Bea, "was it all the wrinkles?"
"Some wizard landed in Wakanda and told us," He told her, smiling sadly, "As for the wrinkles, I don't see any. I do, however, see some extra padding around the arms." He rubs her arm affectionately, "What's Romanoff been getting you to do? 50 kilos a day?"
At the mention of Natasha, more sobs racked up in her chest. "N-Natasha's she's d-d-d-dead…"
"no…" Bucky gasped, "How? When? I was only gone five goddamn minutes…"
"We can talk about it later," she decided. Natasha would want her to focus on completing the mission. Whatever it takes, was the last thing she had said… Whatever it takes. She had Bucky back but the fight wasn't over, "Let's just work on getting rid of these arseholes."
A rabid alien scream reeked beside them. Spinning, they saw one of the creatures pounding on four legs after them. Bucky pushed her out of the way, expecting to knock her over with his strength, but she barely budged and the alien continued to roll towards her-
Suddenly a shot whizzed past her ears. Striking the alien in the chest. It blasted a horrifying screech, blue thick blood splattered as it fell dead.
She turned to see who had saved them. Standing on top of some debris was the other Bucky still in full military gear. Awkwardly, Bea thanked him with a thumbs up and her eyes shifted up to the Bucky standing beside her.
"What?" Bucky scowled at the image, "So this is a dream right – I am hallucinating?"
He sounded almost relieved, but was unable to take his eyes off the exact copy of himself.
"Unfortunately, not," she told him and pinched his arm, "See? Not dreaming."
"Then what did I just see?"
Reaching up, she kissed him on the cheek, "I promise I'll explain everything later but it's a long story and probably requires you sitting down."
"What else did I miss?" Bucky looked defeated, looking around as if expecting these 'missed' things to jump out and surprise him.
"Nothing much," Bea said, thinking of Brooke. Her heart doubled in beats. "Just some… stuff."
An alien ran at them again but Bucky dealt with it swiftly but before they could engage in the battle properly again, he caught her arm.
"Bea… I'm so sorry for leaving you…"
"it wasn't your fault," Bea said, "just… try and not leave me again… please? You have no idea how much I missed you."
Rejoining the battle again was pointless as, as soon as Bea raised her gun, Thanos's soldiers and the rest of the Avengers were distracted by something happening across the field.
Thanos stood in the centre, every eye clasped on him as he held the gauntlet in his hands. Raising it up. Ready to snap. Beatrice couldn't hear what was being said, but a smirk in his lips followed it. His fingers came closer together… Dropping her gun, she waited for the inevitable… snagging Bucky's fingers away from his own gun so she could hold him… he wouldn't take her again. She wouldn't let it. She couldn't let it. Not again.
His fingers snapped together and Bea snapped her eyes shut.
She waited.
And waited…
Bucky's hand was still in hers.
"Bea…" Bucky whispered, "it's Stark…"
Braving it, she tentatively opened her eyes. Thanos was still standing there, but the Infinity gauntlet was bare. Instead, sitting on his knees was Tony Stark. The Infinity stones stretched around his own hand and the power of them surged into his veins, lighting up his whole suit. Then… he clicked his fingers.
It happened in a moment. One of the Thanos's soldiers flickered to dust beside them. Bea turned into Bucky's chest, reminded of when it had happened to him. Then, a few more soldiers turned to ash. All of them became nothing but gust billowing in the wind.
Then… it was quiet.
She could hear the breaths of each Avenger around them, chilling her bones. None of them got up to cheer or celebrate that they had won the battle. For in victory, there is also sacrifice.
Where he had knelt saving the universe, was where he fell.
Tony Stark was dead.
A/N Sorry for the late update. This one took me longer to edit than expected. Once again, I'm sorry if this felt like a vomit of stuff happening all at once but THEY'RE REUINTED. Only 30 chapters later. Lol.
And we have 2 Bucky's on the scene. If you know anything about me, I absolutely hate writing love triangles – and it was when I reached this chapter that I realised I may have accidently written one into this story. But hey, if you're gonna do a love triangle… make two of the people the same guy, eh?
Also the reviews for last chapter were really overwhelming and just lovely to read. So thank you so much!
LunaEvanna Longbottom: haha, I think it's definitely a little bit of both. You wouldn't be back here every update if you didn't enjoy the pain :P What'd you think of his chapter?
BuckyBarnes07: Thank you for the review! Honestly. Trying to have Bea explain everything got me confused myself. I somehow made a story about time travel 10x more confusing. Oops. Thanks for reading!
Narnian702: Thank you so much for reviewing! It means so much to hear your thoughts. And I'm glad I managed to deliver a half decent plot twist. Let me know if you thought this chapter was okay? I'm not sure if I did the Bea explaining everything to Bucky part well.
NeoMulder: haha interesting, but very confusing. It was when I got to this chapter that I realised how I'd dug myself a hole because I had to talk about Bucky and Bucky 2.0 both together in a scene and it just didn't work. So it's just got me referring to him as ww2 Bucky and her Bucky. Honestly… I did not think this far ahead. Lol. But I'm glad I managed to deliver a half decent plot twist to you. Also I loved your idea about the whole sacrificing thing to have Natasha come back, that I genuinely tried to see if it could work into the plot because I'm going to miss Natasha so much, but it would just be a whole other long tangent of storytelling so I've decided not to do it but I loved the idea so much! (mostly because of how god-damn tragic that would be)
Sofiarose613: I'm so relieved. I thought people would hate me bringing Bucky into the future, but so glad you loved it! Thank you so much for reading and continuing to come back! It means so much.
Guest: haha, glad I'm keeping you on your toes. But yes Steve is going to go back in time still, I'm sorry to say. Thank you so much for reviewing!
Fede67489: I'm sorry for taking so long to update! My main concern at the moment is I'm catching up to where I'm writing. Lucky we're in quarantine at the moment so I've got time to write some more but thank you so much for your review and sticking with this fic since the beginning. It feels so long ago so it actually means the world to me. What'd you think of this chapter? Just as good?
SomebodyWhocares: haha, don't we all… thanks for reviewing!
A special thanks to those people who have been reading this story since the beginning. Even I struggle to stick with it, so goodness knows how you guys are :P THANK YOU!
