We woke up wrapped up in one another, without a toddler announcing that Bucky was waking me up just like "Rora" - which meant that I could help wake up Bucky in a way that Rora never got around to with Prince Phillip. It also meant that we - well I - forgot that we still had ONE guest left in the house.

Shaking and out of breath, Bucky was chuckling as I lay under him, waiting for my heart to go from full on gallop back to somewhat normal. Staring up at him, about to ask just what the hell was so funny after THAT - he shook his head and reminded me - "Sam." Fuck.

"How loud was I this time?" My skin was hot, but that could be from the heat after the exercise Bucky and I just performed, the closeness between us, OR my blush.

Fingers brushing the hair away from my face, while his left hand curled around my hip, holding me closer still. "Loud enough to make Sam try to force a pit stop on us to the local church," he was grinning as his head lowered, and I sighed at the first brush of his lips against mine. Me and my big mouth.

Sam had showered before we managed to leave our bedroom and take our own shower. He was waiting in the kitchen, eating leftovers from dinner, with a cup of coffee and a look that warned that he was locked and loaded with PLENTY of comments about what he'd heard from upstairs. I went to the fridge, hiding my face and searching for the juice I knew Connie had bought, while Bucky went for the coffee. No one spoke, not yet.

I had the juice in my hand and closed the door, while Bucky had a glass waiting for me and his coffee poured in a mug when Sam felt the time was ripe. "Well, well, well," opening the juice, I carefully poured my drink, trying like hell to ignore our new resident hero. "If it isn't Bucky Barnes and -" I shut my eyes. "I think Brooke's earned a hero name, Bucky." Shit. "What do you think of 'Banshee'?"

Bucky snorted his coffee out, that's what he thought. I handed him a towel and flashed a heated look at Sam who didn't look the least little bit chastened. "'Banshee'?" He was smirking. "I doubt I was making noise to warn anyone about impending death," that lost him the smirk. "You didn't know that's where the term came from?" He stared. "A 'banshee' is a female Irish spirit whose wail warned a house of an impending death." Sam opened his mouth like he wanted to fix it, but I shook my head. "Bucky just calls me his Hellcat," I shrugged and leaned into his side. "I think that name suits me better, don't you?" It was addressed to Bucky and he was focused on me.

"Much better," he leaned closer and nipped my nose before kissing it. "Leftovers for breakfast?" I agreed and we went about our morning like normal, while Sam looked like we took away his favorite toy.

We were on the road well before noon, once Sam got over the shock of my car. And the shock was well worth witnessing.

Bucky drove with me riding shotgun, and Sam sat behind me - which had Bucky chuckling again for some reason. They agreed to switch off driving duties, to let me focus on taking action shots - or to shout out when I wanted them to stop so I could capture something MORE on film - and we made good time, but it was late when we got in. Dropping Sam off at Sarah's, then Bucky and I were back at the hotel/motel that we'd stayed at during our first visit to Delacroix.

We checked in and smiled when the front desk clerk remembered us and gave us the same room, as if it were any different from the others. Taking our bags and my camera paraphernalia up in one go, I had to wonder - when the door clicked shut behind us - if he felt the butterflies come back to life like I did? When his lips met the back of my neck, fingers sliding down my arms to find the hem of my shirt, I realized that he did, but instead of that first rush of uncertainty we'd felt - we both knew exactly where we stood - so when I turned so our lips could meet and my fingers worked to rid him of his clothing too - there wasn't the hesitancy that we'd had that first night.

Morning came too damn early - birds too damn loud - and my voice too damn hoarse. Bucky was far too perky and I was far too tired. The nightmares were still coming, but Bucky looked as if he hadn't had one. Lucky duck.

He brought me water and then ushered me to the shower. I was too tired to truly enjoy more than showering, so that's what we had to make due with, but once I was more awake I wanted to kick myself.

"Ugh," his eyes were twinkling as he side-eyed me as I grumbled. "I wasted our morning didn't I?" We were in the car and headed toward a bakery I'd spotted when we were visiting the last time. "Now I'm really pissed off at myself."

Bucky's hand reached across the seat and took mine. "Hey," sighing, I looked over at where he was comfortably driving with one hand, the top down and the breeze ruffling his hair. He looked so peaceful and at ease. Damn. "It's fine, we have the rest of forever to make up for one morning, Brooke." Rolling my eyes, his smile grew. "What are we getting at the bakery?"

A cake, that's what we were getting at the bakery. A big white confection that might have a huge dose of chocolate. I must have looked hungry because the baker AND Bucky both insisted I have a cupcake to go. "What?" I asked, biting into my treat, as both of them watched me. "I haven't had breakfast." I hadn't, we got a sort of late start and I was in a mood.

"I've never seen you eat like that," Buck was looking at me like I might take a bite out of him, and not the sexy kind. "Do you want another one?"

Truth was I DID want another one. And maybe a third. I was HUNGRY. But he was looking at me like I was less than cute eating my first, so I abstained. He bought two more anyway. The baker boxed them up and added a cup of coffee for Bucky and a bottle of milk for me. I carried the cupcakes and drinks while he handled the cake.

"I feel like Bryn," I muttered, getting into the car and sulking. "Milk and cupcakes to appease my tantrum."

He chuckled after he secured the cake and joined me in the front seat. "You are NOT having a tantrum, you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed." I shot him a look. He was looking at me like he wanted to ask a question that was sensitive and he was afraid he was going to ask it in the wrong way. "Are you -" He stopped, took a deep breath and restarted. "What I'm trying to say is, is it your -" I stared at him, waiting and wondering if I could go ahead and eat another cupcake?

"What?" I really wanted the cupcake, whatever he wanted to know he could ask, just let me have cupcake number two.

"It's just -" Bucky squinted, like he was trying like hell to find the RIGHT set of words. "I've woken up next to you after every sort of night imaginable so far, and this morning was different." I nodded, I wondered what flavors the other two cupcakes were - the first one was vanilla, did the baker put in a chocolate too or was I stuck with two more vanilla? "And this morning you were a little more -" There wasn't anything wrong with vanilla really, but if I was going to end up with three cupcakes in one morning, I'd rather have a little variety - vanilla, chocolate, and - "is it that time of month?" Wait what?

I blinked and looked up at Bucky. "What?"

He looked like he'd rather go a thousand rounds with any super powered villain I could call up than have to ask me the question again. "I was just wondering - since you seemed to be a little bit different this morning -"

The snort that came out of my nose probably scared all the waterfowl from here to Canada. Poor Bucky. "You want to know if I'm a horrible bitch because it might be Aunt Flo's visiting time?" He gave an almost imperceivable nod. "No." He swallowed. "I mean, it might be when she's SUPPOSED to come, but she won't."

Now he was a little confused, the same confused puppy as the night we met. "She won't?"

"There are so many birth control options, Bucky, that I chose the one that keeps Flo at a permanent distance." I grinned and he sighed. "I don't know why I'm super moody - it could be residual hormones, I guess." I shrugged. "Can I have another cupcake now?"

He shook his head and laughed. Putting his sunglasses on, he told me to go ahead. "If it keeps you happy, go for it, sweetheart." Almost giddy at the thought of another cupcake, I opened the box and played eenie meenie, "the one with the sprinkles is chocolate," he offered and I swear to God I squealed loud enough to make him swerve.