A/N: Hello dear readers, enjoy this next chapter! XOXO - Presephone
The guards were standing in front of the front door, the AK-47's at their sides. They nervously scanned the darkness beyond the reach of the porch light and lamp post. A snapping twig causes them both to grip their weapons tighter, trying to determine the source of the noise.
When one of the guards turned back to his counterpart, he was horror-struck to see him falling to the ground; a jagged cut across his entire neck. When he fell to the ground, the remaining guard saw the figure of a man clad in all black, a menacing mask covering the bottom half of his face.
He opened his mouth to scream, but before a sound could leave his throat, a dagger sunk into his neck. He fell to his knees, clutching his throat as the masked man approached.
"James!"
After the guards were dead, he moved into the house as silent as the dead. He drew a handgun and attached the silencer as he crept down the hallway. He could hear loud voices yelling and-
"James! I need you to wake up!"
He flung open the door and raised his gun, pointing it directly at the head of the startled man behind the desk-
"James... Please..."
His eyes fluttered open and quickly adjusted to the dark cabin. He confusedly glanced around as he slowly remembered where he was. Who he was. He looked down to find himself straddling Emmaliene on the floor.
His gaze drifted to her face just as her green eyes rolled into the back of her head.
"FUCK!" He screamed as he released his metal hand from around her throat.
He lurched backward until his back struck a wall, watching as Emmaliene gasped and coughed as air rushed back into her lungs. Tears were streaming down her face as she stayed still on the floor, taking several deep breaths before pushing herself up until she was sitting. She took another deep breath before looking up at James.
His eyes were wide in horror and his mouth agape. He was trembling as he struggled to hold her gaze. He looked to the ground, and Emmaliene could see the shame etched into his furrowed brow.
Emmaliene carefully went onto her knees and spoke no more than a whisper, "James?"
He continued to stare at the ground.
Emmaliene moved towards him, "James... I need you to look at me."
"D-don't," He shook his head, "Don't c-come closer."
"Okay," Emmaliene stopped her advance, "but I need you to look at me."
He shook his head another moment before hesitantly meeting her gaze. He could see the dark red marks on her neck, and he felt a tidal wave of guilt wash over him. He wanted to look away, but he was caught in the gaze of her green eyes.
Her eyes were soft, and her voice was low, "Five."
James shook his head again, "Emmaliene I—"
"Stop," her voice was firm, but her eyes remained kind, "Five."
He took a long deep breath, "Rug... Couch... Table... Window... Door"
Emmaliene closed the space between them slightly, "Four."
"Wall..." James rested his head against the wall, "Jeans... Breeze… Floor."
"Three."
"River... Crickets... Ceiling fan."
"Two."
"Pine trees... Apple Pie."
Emmaliene let out a soft chuckle and glanced at the open pie on the table, "One."
"Sweat."
The heavy silence stretched into countless moments as Emmaliene continued watching James. She could feel her pulse in her neck along the heated lines where he had grabbed her.
James had his wild eyes trained on the floor as he counts the seconds of each breath he takes. He could feel her gaze on him, but he wouldn't look at her. He couldn't look at her. He felt the prickling sensation of anxiety beginning to spread across his chest again.
He silently stood up, walked to the back door of the cabin, and stepped out. He spared a glance back and found Emmaliene still kneeling on the floor, her eyes closed.
He ran.
Emmaliene didn't know how long she sat on the floor. After James had left, she continued staring at the wall as the situation replayed in her mind.
She had been startled awake at the sound of his scream and had immediately grabbed her gun. She moved quickly into the living room, thoroughly preparing to find HYDRA agents crawling all over the cabin. But, instead, she only found James; alone on the floor. His blanket wrapped around his legs as he writhed around.
Sweat beaded along his hairline as his eyes darted back and forth behind his eyelids. Emmaliene felt a pang of sadness seep into her chest; she knew the signs of a nightmare all too well.
"James?" She called from the doorway of the bedroom.
His eyes opened, and he stopped moving, but the silence remained.
Emmaliene walked forward and kneeled next to him. She had just outstretched her hand to touch him when she felt the cold metal of his hand wrap around her throat. In the next moment, she found herself on her back, eyes wide and staring into the lifeless gaze of James.
No, not James.
The soldier.
"Какой дурак мешает солдатской миссии? (What kind of fool gets in the way of a soldier's mission)" His voice was calm and mechanical. And terrifying.
"James," she gasped and gripped his wrist, trying to loosen his hold on her. At the mention of the name, his eyes narrowed, "Ты не солдат. Уже нет. (You're not the soldier. Not anymore.)"
His emotionless eyes held her stare, but he didn't speak. His hand began to tighten, and she gasped, "James!"
Emmaliene snapped her eyes open again and took several deep breaths. She stood up and went back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She made her way to the bathroom and flipped the light on, stepping in front of the mirror.
She gasped as she touched the irritated skin of her throat. The bruising wasn't dark; however, you could see the distinct outline of each finger. She traced the bruise with the tip of her fingernail and felt another stab of sympathy in her chest.
James could feel his hands trembling against the bark of the tree as he tried to catch his breath. This was a mistake; he lectured himself; I could've killed her.
He took the final steps forward and knelt next to the small pond. He cupped the cold water in his hands before unceremoniously splashing it against his face. He sat the rest of the way down and stretched his arms out across his knees. He stared down at his metal hand, curling and flexing the fingers as his mind continued racing.
She shouldn't be around me, he reasoned; she should just—
"James?"
Her gentle, questioning tone cut through his silent debate like a knife. He doesn't turn around, but he can hear her take a single step forward. He tensed and closed his eyes again,
James took a deep breath, "You should go on your own from here."
"What?" Emmaliene's voice took on an incredulous tone, "You are the one who insisted we stay together in the first place."
"That was a mistake," James shook his head and turned to face her, "It's not safe- I'm not safe."
Emmaliene's eyes softened, and she took another step forward, "James, you had a nightmare. It happens. If I hadn't woken up from mine the other night who knows what-"
"It's not the same." He cut her off.
"I know," she nodded, "but it doesn't mean you need to leave. It doesn't mean that I don't..." Her voice trailed off.
"I shouldn't have put you in this situation," James shook his head and walked past her, "I should've kept my distance. You aren't safe with a monster like me."
"James," Emmaliene spun around and grabbed his metallic bicep. As soon as her hand made contact, he lurched backward as if she had burned him. Fear flashed across his eyes before finally meeting her gaze. She looked at him for a long moment before speaking again, "You are not a monster."
"How can you say that?" He furrowed his brow, "I just attacked you; I could have killed you without even realizing! You should already be gone. How can I keep you safe when I can't even protect you from—"
"Stop it."
In two short strides, she was in front of him; both her hands were clinging to the sides of his face. "You are not a monster," He tried to pull away, but she didn't relent, reestablishing her grip on his face, "You know how I know that you aren't? Do you?" His silent stare prompted her to continue.
"Monsters don't give a fuck if others see them as one."
Her words were articulate and logical, piercing through him as if lightning to a rod. He stared at her for a long moment, "We train twice as hard so you can get away if— If needed."
James took a step back, and Emmaliene dropped her arms back down to her sides. He looked away from her again and murmured, "Deal."
"Now that we're agreed," Emmaliene sighed in relief, "Let's go eat apple pie for breakfast and get back on the road."
The large conference room had a projection in the center of the table. The wall entirely made of windows had been dimmed, but you could still see the distant treeline.
"What do you mean they are off the grid?" Nick pressed a finger to his temple as he leaned back in his chair, "How can a group, using the technology they have, be untraceable?"
"Well, they were part of SHIELD," Tony explained, "Access to the same cloaking technology. But where there's a will, there's me. JARVIS is scouring the entire world for any sign of them."
"Well, you better find something soon," Nick stood up and readjusted his jacket, "I can't keep this girl safe if I don't know where these bastards are hiding out."
"About that," Tony clicked a button, and the projection vanished, the windows allowing the sunlight to stream back in, "When are you going to tell me who this mystery girl is?"
"When I think it's something you need to know," Nick turned and looked out the window, watching as a helicopter rose into the sky, "Until then, find this group. Or you'll find my boot up your ass."
"Excuse me, but—"
"Always goin' on with yer damn threats like ya mean 'em."
The pair turned to see an older man walking into the conference room with Steve and Sam trailing behind him.
"Threats?" Nick challenged, "As I recall, I beat your old ass several times."
"Only when I wanted ya too, rookie." Gerry smiled wide as the others gawked at the pair. Not used to seeing the former Director talked to like this. He stopped in front of Nick and put a hand on his shoulder, "Ya look like hell, Nick."
Nick tilted his head and then let out a chuckle, "You aren't winning any beauty contests yourself."
The pair hugged and sat back down.
"I'm sorry, what?" Tony pointed between the two of them before his eyes settled on Nick, "You know how to hug?"
Sam gave a short laugh as he and Steve sat down. Steve leaned back and gave a curt nod, "Tony."
"Boy scout," Tony looked to Sam, "Pigeon."
"Now that we're all here," Nick cleared his throat, "Let's get started."
Rollins flipped through the pages of the yellow notebook as he sat in the SUV. He glanced up every once and a while to see Rumlow chatting with the older woman outside of the diner. She chuckled at something Rumlow had said and lightly smacked his shoulder. Rollins rolled his eyes as Rumlow casually walked back and climbed into the SUV.
"Well?" The third passenger asked from the backseat.
"She hasn't changed her plan so far," Rumlow started the SUV and pulled back onto the road, "They were in here yesterday. Apparently, the 'cutest couple she ever did see' are eloping to Niagara Falls."
"That's gotta be a lie," Rollins chimed in.
"It's not," The backseat passenger corrected, "After she was kidnapped, it was suggested that it be the first stop in her escape plan. She'll have two more stops unless we can get to her first."
"Suggested by who?" Rollins questioned.
"Pierce," Rumlow answered.
They had driven in silence until they had gotten to Toronto. Once they reached the more rural area on the city's outskirts, Emmaliene had parked behind the small house, and she and James quickly moved inside. It was small, with only one bedroom and a bathroom with a small kitchen. A small fireplace with a couch sat in front of it; a lone quilt draped over the back.
James insisted on doing a perimeter check, so Emmaliene busied herself with making a late lunch for the pair. She had arranged to have some fresh groceries delivered, knowing that the next leg of her plan would have her here for the next few days.
She started cutting the vegetables while the meat began cooking on the stove. The delicious aroma began to fill the small house as she slowly sank back into a relaxed state of mind. For the first time since her former Godfather's death and her life turned upside down, she felt a semblance of peace.
James didn't need to do as in-depth of a perimeter search as he now found himself conducting. He needed to clear his head, to just be alone for a while. He still didn't fully trust himself after what occurred this morning.
The area wasn't as wooden as her home in Maryland, but it hid the house well enough from the main road. They would be able to see any vehicles that approached.
As he reached for the back door handle, he was immediately assaulted by the aroma of roasting potatoes and carrots. He could hear the sizzle of the meat just as the scent hit him. He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes.
"James Buchanan Barnes! You're going to burn my damn kitchen to the ground!" The woman shrieked as smoke filled the room.
James quickly opened the windows and began fanning the door, "It's under control!"
"I asked you to watch the stew!"
"I'm sorry, Mama," James tried not to laugh as he fanned out the last of the smoke, "I got distracted, shooting marbles with Steve."
"Speaking of," his mom looked out the open front door, "You better go check on that boy before he coughs up a lung."
"James?"
James looked out to see Steve bent over while he coughed, "Shit!" He ran down the stairs to check on his friend.
"Language!" He heard his mother call after him, "Don't make me beat you with a spoon."
"James?"
He snapped his eyes open and jerked his arm back as he felt a warm hand connect with his skin. Emmaliene jumped back as well and had a concerned look as she spoke again, "Are you okay?"
His eyes darted around to find himself hovering in the open doorway, "W-What?"
"You opened the door," Emmaliene explained, "then you just froze."
"Sorry," James exhaled and moved into the kitchen and closed the door behind him, "I— umm... I was remembering."
"Remembering?" Emmaliene questioned as she stirred the pot on the stove, "Remembering what?"
"My mom," he sat down at the table. A soft smile crept onto his face, "Steve and I were playing marbles and weren't paying attention... We burned her stew," he let out a soft chuckle, "Thought Steve was going to die from the smoke. Then I thought that Mama was gonna beat me for burning the potatoes."
He looked up to see Emmaliene watching him with brightened eyes, "Did she?"
"No," he chuckled again, and Emmaliene detected a subtle accent long-forgotten creeping back into his voice, "But she did hit me with that spoon for laughing at her so much over the stew."
Emmaliene laughed, "Well, I'll keep that in mind and make sure you stay out of the kitchen."
James met her amused gaze again, "Deal. I'll stick to cleaning dishes."
"Man after my own heart," Emmaliene joked and turned back around and pulled several bowls from the shelf. She ladled the stew into the bowls and set them on the table, "This was my mom's recipe. She always made it whenever I was sad or having a bad day."
They ate in comfortable silence, James going back for several servings until hardly any stew left for Emmaliene to have a second bowl. He hesitated as she finished and took the bowls to the sink, "You could give my Mama a run for her money with that stew."
"Well, I will take that as a compliment," Emmaliene laughed as she threw away the paper towels and brought the silverware and empty pot over to the sink, and reached for the dish soap.
It disappeared in front of her, and she looked over to see James looking at her with an arched eyebrow, "The deal was I do dishes."
"Alright," Emmaliene raised her hands in mock surrender, "I won't fight you."
She backed off and sat cross-legged on the couch in front of the fireplace, tucking her feet underneath her. She got lost in her thoughts as she heard the dishes clatter in the water.
She felt the couch shift as James sat down next to her. A wave of melancholy swept over her as she continued staring out the window. Without a word, she stood up and walked to the fireplace, her eyes scanning the bricks that made up the chimney. She reached up to a brick that was a shade darker than the others and wiggled it free. She reached into the hole and grabbed a cellphone from inside, and turned it on.
Emmaliene could feel James watching her closely, but she didn't look his way. She opened up the contacts and dialed the only number, switching the phone to speakerphone as it began to ring.
"Emm—"
"Signora?"
The voice, on the other end, answered after the second ring.
"Quando vola l'uccello? (When does the bird soar?" Emmaliene's eyes flashed to James.
"Puoi aspettare tre giorni? (Can you wait three days?)" The male voice asked.
"Due, al massimo. (Two, at most)" Emmaliene replied, "E in arrivo una tempesta. (A storm is on the way)."
"Riaccendi il telefono domani all'alba. (Turn the phone back on at dawn tomorrow.)"
The line disconnected.
Emmaliene turned the phone off and placed it on the table in front of the couch. The silence was heavy between them for a long moment before he finally spoke, "Emmy?"
She turned to look at him, and plainly stated, "The final step in the plan is getting out of the country— Italy."
James watched her for a long moment, "What happened to you?"
Emmaliene looked away and stood up, slowly beginning to pace. She wrapped her arms across herself and took a deep breath, "Four years ago, I was kidnapped. Mercenaries broke into my apartment in Manhattan and grabbed me. They must've known that Alex was my Godfather and demanded an obscene amount of money as well as information that they wanted."
Emmaliene turned away and looked out the window; she saw lightning flash in the distance, "I was held in a warehouse for two weeks. They… They tortured me and sent a new video to Alex every few days. Alex and a team of his agents found me right before the men had threatened to—"
Emmaliene wiped a tear from her eye, "After I got home, I stayed with Gerry for a while after that, Alex stayed with me in Manhattan until we decided that I should get out of the city. A fresh start somewhere else."
"That's why you moved to DC."
Emmaliene silently nodded her head, "Once I moved into my townhouse, we spent a lot of time reconstructing it with the panic room and forming the escape plan.
"The plan was supposed to be if mercenaries ever came after me again. I never imagined that I would use it for something worse," Emmaliene continued staring out the window as she felt James stop next to her. She knew that he was watching her, but she couldn't meet his gaze, "I was always terrified that they would find me again and finish what they started. But if HYDRA gets me, I don't know what they'll..."
Emmaliene trailed off, but James knew what she would've said. He hesitated only a moment before he reached up and turned her to face him. She wouldn't look at him, so he slowly raised his hand and cupped the left side of her face. He wiped away a tear as it dropped from her eye as she finally met his gaze, "They will need to kill me before I let them take you."
Emmaliene closed her eyes as more tears trailed down her face. She could hear the sincerity in his words, and it caused her heart to soar and break simultaneously. She momentarily leaned into his touch before stepping into him and wrapping her arms around his waist.
James tensed at the action, unsure what to do. He couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged him. He tentatively wrapped his right arm around her shoulders. He relaxed slightly as Emmaliene seemed to nuzzle in closer to him and his grip tightened.
"Well, let's not make that our first plan."
She felt him chuckle as his cheek settled onto the top of her head, "Deal."
As the sun was setting, Gerry tapped his fingers impatiently against his knee as he sat on the bench. The shade of the tree did little to stop the heat. He looked out to the treeline, not knowing what he was looking for, but nonetheless searching.
"This seat is taken?"
Gerry looked up and met the eyepatched gaze, "Never for you."
The pair sat in silence for a long while; both lost in their thoughts. "I didn't see it, Nick," Gerry mused, "He was in front of me fer Emmy's whole life, and I didn't see it."
Nick sighed and leaned back against the bench further, "Neither did I," He held out an opened beer, and Gerry took it, "He was just that good."
The shrill ring of a phone shattered the heavy silence between them. Gerry almost jumped out of his skin as he dug into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He felt a rush of adrenaline as he looked at the caller ID.
RESTRICTED
He answered the call and silently held the phone to his ear.
There was a long pause before, "Gerry?"
The old man exhaled a breath he had been holding, "Ya have no idea how happy I am ta hear yer voice, Peanut."
"Are you doing okay?" She asked.
"Don't ya worry about me," Gerry dismissed her question, "I'm at some fancy compound with those Avenging folks. I'm here with Nick. Can I put ya on speaker?"
"Sure."
Nick clicked the phone to the speaker and held it between the two of them, "Go ahead Peanut."
"We made it to our second stop," Emmaliene started to explain, "We're in a rural area outside of Toronto."
Gerry silently nodded, "Ya plannin' on stayin' there?"
"No," She continued, "I have a call into contact of mine. We're going to be getting on a plane in the next few days."
"To where?" Nick chimed in.
"I don't think I should say yet, not until we're there." Emmaliene said, "Hey, Nick."
"Good to hear your voice, Emmaliene," Nick said, "I wish it were under better circumstances."
"Me, too," You could hear the sadness laced into her voice.
"We've been trying to track Rumlow's movements," Nick began to explain, "but he's off the grid. But we're keeping our ears and eyes out for any sign of them."
"Thank you, Nick," Emmaliene said.
"Of course," Nick nodded, "I'd feel a lot better if you would come to the compound."
There was a long silence before she spoke up again, "I won't put you guys in that position."
"Emmy," Nick countered, "Of all people to put in that situation, these are the most well equipped."
Another long silence, "I'll call you again when we get to our last destination. If you don't hear from us after five days..."
"I'll get Stark ta turn yer phone back on and ping yer spot," Gerry stated, leaving no room for argument.
"Stark?" Emmaliene groaned, "I wish you hadn't brought him into this; he's not exactly my biggest fan."
"He doesn't know that it's you specifically," Nick explained, "Just an asset that we need to make sure HYDRA doesn't get their hands on."
"Well, that'll be fun for him when he finds out," Emmaliene scoffed, "I'll make sure to keep you in the loop as much as I can, Nick."
Nick silently nodded his head again, "Please do, Emmy."
"Gerry? Can you take me off speakerphone?"
Gerry glanced at Nick and gave him a sympathetic look. He clicked the phone off the speaker as he stood up and walked a little further from Nick, "I'm here Peanut."
A long silence.
When Emmaliene finally spoke again, Gerry could hear the slight tremor to her voice, "If anything happens, Gerry-"
"Don't even think it, Emmaliene," Gerry stated firmly, "We'll hunt these bastards down, and then you'll come home."
"I love you, Gerry."
He sighed and took on a somber tone, "I love you, peanut."
Emmaliene turned the phone off and tossed it on top of her bag in the corner. She then pulled herself to the center of the bed, wrapping her arms around her legs and pulling them close to her chest.
There was a soft knock on the door before it opened with a creak. She looked up when she felt James stop at the edge of the bed. "I let Gerry know that we're here. That I'd call him again once we get to our last destination."
"Good," He nodded, "Gerry was probably losing it, not hearing from you."
"Almost," Emmaliene chuckled, but her smile didn't reach her eyes.
"I just finished a check of the grounds again," James continued, "I was gonna try and get a few hours of sleep. You should, too."
Emmaliene silently nodded in agreement. James hovered for another moment before turning away. He had just reached the doorway when he heard her whisper, "James?"
He turned to see her sad eyes looking at him. He furrowed his brow, and then she continued, "Will you..." She seemed to shift nervously, "Will you stay?"
James felt a strange feeling rise in his chest, "You mean..."
Emmaliene nodded again.
He hesitated in the doorway and closely watched her. Silently he moved towards the edge of the bed as she moved to one side and climbed under the blanket. He sat at the edge and removed his boots and t-shirt, leaving him in jeans and an undershirt. He covered himself in the blankets and shifted to get as comfortable as possible before closing his eyes.
For the first time in years, neither of them worried about what dreams lurked behind their closed eyes.
The loud shouts broke through the silence, causing Gerry to jerk awake in his bed.
"What the-" He mumbled as he got to his feet and opened his bedroom door.
The moment he stepped into the hallway, he saw Steve run by with his shield strapped to his back. Gerry quickly followed after him until he found himself outside.
"Nick!" He yelled over the quinjet engine, "What the hell is goin' on?"
Nick turned around and met Gerry's gaze, "JARVIS finally got a hit on Rumlow. You and I are going to stay here to monitor the situation. Stark, Rogers, and Wilson are going to intercept them."
"Where'd they finally turn up?" Gerry called out as the quinjet rose into the darkened sky.
Nick hesitated for a long moment and heaved a sigh, "Toronto."