Chapter 73: Ain't No River

The knowledge that life was not permanent in the stone made Mika much more careful as they continued their trek west. They came across plenty of other people fighting, sometimes over people or sometimes over locations. She tried to stop a few of them, figuring people didn't know how permanent their actions could be, but she soon realized that this could quickly become a question of her own safety. And as much as she hated to see it all happening, she put her head down and continued walking, focusing on her task. It was hard enough to figure out which direction they needed to go since there was no sun to direct them; they couldn't afford any other distractions.

She wished she could take her time as they walked, wished she could explore the areas and the landmarks that they passed, but she needed to get to New York. The world hadn't tried to break apart since that last time, but that didn't mean that it was solid or safe. And if she was going to have to watch the world end again, then she was going to do it the same way she did the first time - in her husband's arms. She did take solace in the fact that this wasn't the actual real world that she was traveling through; one day, when they were able to get out of here, she and Bucky would go back and visit all these places. They would take pictures and eat food and meet all the people, and in between adventures they would go back home to their little corner of the world and live the life they'd always wanted. Once they got back, they could have a family.

She tried not to think about the news Lwazi gave her that last day on earth, knowing that if she let it come to the forefront of her mind then she wouldn't be able to shake it. And she had goals that she needed to achieve. It was only late at night, after she'd filled a page or two in her journal and Dominic had sulked into another room after once again giving the we're both adults clown act, that she allowed her hands to rest on her abdomen and tried to feel any sign of life. And every night, before she could come to any conclusion, she shoved the thought away and tried to sleep.

She felt completely elated when she looked up and realized that the street signs were in French. France! France was a coastal country! She couldn't help but increase her pace, her heart in her throat the whole time as they kept going west. And yet, as she got lighter and happier, Dominic seemed to get more surly, and what little conversation she allowed was brusque and agitated. And the closer they got to the ocean, the angrier he got.

Mika felt like she could breathe again the moment they stepped into Le Havre. This was it, the moment she'd been working towards. But while she was eager to keep going, Dominic seemed to be grasping for any excuse for them to slow down, gesturing towards the darkening sky and the people milling about. He'd been dragging his feet the past couple days, and now he was full on digging in his heels.

"Okay, what's your problem?" Mika finally asked, rounding on him in the middle of the street. The city was more populated than most that they stayed in, making it more difficult for them to find a place to stay.

"I don't have a problem." he said petulantly, actually crossing his arms and looking away from her like a child.

"Clearly you do, otherwise you wouldn't be a bigger asshole than usual these past few days." she pointed out, making him roll his eyes.

"I've just been following your stupid rules. Nothing more, nothing less." he stated, a muscle in his jaw clenching as he held in whatever was in his mind. Mika perked an eyebrow at that; Dominic was never one to think before he spoke, or to hold anything back. She crossed her arms over her chest, deciding to take a different approach.

"I'm going to the docks tomorrow. And from there, hopefully I can charter a boat to New York." she said, watching his face closely. Just as she expected, his cheeks colored red, his gaze hardening.

"So you're still on about that?" he asked lowly, showing an impressive amount of restraint. Or perhaps it was just the calm before the store. This time, it was her turn to roll her eyes.

"And you still think I'm going to change my mind?" she countered, not bothering to hide her tone. She'd given him too many chances over the last couple weeks, and he was on dangerously thin ice. If she was honest, she hoped that he would stay in France, and let her continue on her own. It was getting harder and harder to say yes to him. His facade finally broke and he threw his hands up in indignation.

"He's not coming for you! Stop pretending that your marriage to that creep mattered to you!" he exclaimed, making Mika's jaw drop. Anger rose in her like a tsunami, but before the words could come crashing out of her mouth, she stopped, and took a breath. She needed Dominic to know, to understand, that this was not something he was going to win.

"I'm pregnant, Dominic." she said. She didn't know if it was still true or not, but he didn't need to know that. This time it was his turn to be shocked, even speechless for a moment at her admission. And before he could get any words out, he was interrupted by someone calling his name in a decidedly French accent.

"Dominique!" she said, distracting both of them. Dominic visibly paled as the tall, gorgeous, blonde girl came up to them, jumping into his barely open arms. He looked over her shoulder at Mika, his expression saying this isn't what it looks like, but the whole interaction made it difficult for her to bite back laughter. Because she knew it was exactly what it looked like, because they'd had this moment before, but this time she didn't care. This time, it didn't hurt. This time, she only felt relieved.

The blonde girl was chattering very quickly in French, clearly expressing how much she'd missed him and happy she was to see him. Dominic continued to look vaguely panicked, as if he was trying to figure out how he was going to backtrack. Plus, he was still reeling from the information she shared. The girl pulled away, noticing that his attention was elsewhere, and immediately straightened up.

"So sorry," she said in English, her accent thick. Now that her attention was on her, Mika could see exactly how beautiful she was. She reached her hands out, grasping one of Mika's in both of hers. "How rude of me. I'm Jolie, a...friend of Dominique's." Mika could sense the hesitation in the other girl, wondering exactly who she was and what their relationship meant. She didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, or get Dominic in trouble.

"Mika." she replied, shaking her hand with a warm smile. "And friend is a strong word for how I feel about Dominic."

She watched as the girl deciphered her words, trying to look subtly between the two of them. Mika still smiled, while Dominic was still flushed and would be sweating if this world allowed it. He finally plastered a fake grin on his face, chuckling as lightheartedly as he could manage.

"Mika and I have known each other for a very long time." he explained, making both women wonder what exactly he was trying to imply with that statement. Mika decided to shut down whatever it was.

"We've been making our way towards the coast. I want to see if there's a way for me to get to New York, to find my husband." she said. In that moment, she could swear she saw Dominic deflate a bit, but she held her ground. This was it, his last stop. Jolie clasped her hands in front of her chest, blinking back tears.

"That's so romantic!" she exclaimed. She reached out, grabbing Mika's wrists. "You two, you must stay with me tonight. I share an apartment, very close to the port, when it gets light again you'll be right there."

"No, Jolie, we couldn't possibly-" Dominic started to say, but Mika cut him off.

"That would be perfect. Thank you so much." she said, actually feeling sincere in her words. She'd been stressed about where they would stay tonight, having seen a few people that seemed a bit rougher around the edges. She didn't need to take any risks, not with the most dangerous part of her quest before her.

"Yes, of course! Any friend of Dominique is a friend of mine." she said, finally letting go of one of her hands so she could reach out and grab Dominic's, his face quickly forming into a smile as she reached for him. "Come, come, the light is fading. We must go."

Jolie was also a fast walker, for which Mika was very grateful. Two fast-walking women meant that Dominic could no longer loiter and slow them down. And if he tried? Well, they agreed that he could catch up. The apartment Jolie led them to was small but cozy, and the little details that were present said that she had lived there in the real world for a long time.

"I'm sorry, normally I would have food and wine to offer you, but…" she laughed nervously when they arrived. Mika could spot two other bedrooms in the flat, and a third door that was closed; that must be the person that shared it with her. One of the bedrooms was completely blank, while the other was tastefully decorated.

"Don't worry about it. Thank you for giving us a place to stay." Mika said, stretching her arms over her head. The sky was such a dark shade of purple that it was nearly black, the starless night ominously threatening to swallow them whole. "I think it's just best to rest, it's been a long walk." She refused to use we for anything in the conversation, wanting zero claim on Dominic. He had another friend here, one that could keep him company until they figured out how to get back where they belonged.

"Oh, of course, yes." she said. She looked between the two of them and the two bedrooms, trying to decide how they should make the sleeping arrangements; would it be inappropriate to have Dominic stay in her room, or should she ask Mika? The girl was so sweet about everything that Mika wanted to make it easy for her, and spoke up before she had to try and figure it out herself.

"Would you mind if Dominic shared your room? I'll be leaving early, I don't want to wake either of you." she explained. Jolie looked visibly relieved at the question, glad she wasn't going to have to figure out the dynamics all on her own.

"That is fine, as long as it is fine with you." she said, addressing Dominic. He clenched his jaw for just a second before putting a smirk on his face, though Mika could see that it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Of course, love." he replied, making Jolie's smile widened. Mika nodded at the two of them, giving an awkward gesture somewhere between a wave and a salute as she stepped back towards the spare bedroom.

"Perfect. Thank you again, Jolie. I think I'm just going to go to bed." she said. The girl gave her a fond goodnight wish before Mika walked into the room, closing the door behind her and reveling in the blissful silence, and the knowledge that come tomorrow, she'd be crossing the sea to New York and wouldn't have to worry about Dominic anymore. The room was empty except for a bed, but that didn't matter to her. That was all she needed for right now. She laid on the mattress and wrote in her journal, getting every last detail down before allowing herself to fall asleep.

A woman of her word, she woke up early, even earlier than she originally anticipated. The sky is still plum in color, trying to make its way back to red. Mika wondered, if she wished hard enough, if she could make a sun appear in the sky. She closed her eyes and tried as hard as she could to envision the sun, but when she opened them, the sky was still just a solid sheet of purple. With a sigh, she picked up her bag and pulled on her boots, determined to be on a boat as soon as possible. The apartment was silent as she tip-toed out the front door, closing it softly behind her before heading towards the sound of the ocean. Jolie was right; she only needed to cross a couple of streets before the coastline opened up in front of her, actual waves lapping at the shore. How were there still waves, when there was no moon? Perhaps the water was just pulled by the collective consciousness that thought it was supposed to move. The marina had boats at every slot, but most of their windows were dark, and they gave the distinct sense of being empty. Could she pilot a boat, all by herself? She'd never done it before, and it would certainly be dangerous, but the risk would be lower if she didn't have to worry about starvation or exposure.

She slowly walked down the dock, looking for any sign of life in any of the crafts. Were they only here because other people remembered them being here? That seemed to be the case. Panic started to creep into her chest, telling her that she was done, that her plan had failed, that she was stuck waiting here for who knows how long until someone saved them. You did your best, Little Bird, Bucky's voice said to her. But she couldn't help but feel like she failed him. He'd done everything to help her learn to survive on her own, and all she'd been able to do was walk to the French coast.

She was in full self-pity mode by the time she reached the end of the dock, and she sat down to hang her legs over the ledge and stare out at the water. Somewhere, across the weird indigo sea, Bucky was waiting for her. She'd been able to walk all this way, but she had a feeling that swimming would be out of the question.

"Gonna hurt yerself if ya keep thinkin' that hard." a man's voice drawled, startling her. She nearly fell off the dock she turned so fast, clambering to her feet. An older gentleman, hair and mustache gone grey, stared at her from the bow of his boat. He was leaning his forearms on the railing, and his skin was the ruddy leather color that accompanied years in the sun. The accent is what really surprised her, though; he sounded like the men from the Western movies.

"Are you...French?" she asked carefully, making him chuckle lowly. He hopped off the boat, landing so easily on the dock that she wondered if he simply looked a lot older than he was. She definitely knew multiple men like that.

"Not quite, darlin'. And I don't s'pose you are either." he said, his voice gravelly. When Mika didn't reply immediately, he continued, "Was born here on base, lived here 'til I was two. Then we moved back to New Orleans. Name's Lee Miller."

"Mika. Mika Barnes. I'm from Romania. Walked all the way here." she said in return, taking his outstretched hand and figuring if he was sharing then so could she. Her heart was thumping painfully in her chest; could this man help her? Would he?

"Hell of a walk." John said, his silver eyebrows raised high. "Just passing the time?"

She gulped and took a breath. It was now or never. "Trying to get to New York. Back to my husband."

He was quiet for a second, taking in her words. His expression was unreadable, and Mika held her breath as she waited for him to respond. "That's mighty romantic, darlin', but I gotta play devil's advocate a bit: how do you know he's over there waitin' for ya?"

"We were together, when the snap happened. I went just before him." she explained, gripping the strap of her bag. "Can you take me there?"

"There's no sun, no stars, no way for me to navigate." he said, looking as apologetic as he sounded. "I'm sorry. All's I got left is this compass, and she don't even point straight anymore."

He held up the compass, showing how the needle was dancing in steady arcs back and forth across the rose. Mika furrowed her brows; something about it made her want to investigate it further. She unconsciously reached for it, and he barely hesitated before holding it out to her. As soon as it was resting on her palm, the needle stopped, it's point directed west of them. She looked up, her jaw slack, and found that Lee looked just as surprised as she.

"Well I'll be damned." he said, his hands on his hips. He stood up a little taller then, his eyes going out over the ocean. "Guess we've got a direction."

"So you'll take me?" she asked, her voice betraying how hopeful she felt. For a brief moment she stopped, remembering that she didn't know this man, and that she couldn't be sure she could trust him. But he had a boat, and a magic compass, and a gentle demeanor. And she couldn't help but feel that it was meant to be. Lee continued looking out over the ocean, weighing the possibilities.

"Ya know, I think I just might." he said, one corner of his mouth lifting in a grin. "Long time ago, my wife told me that I needed to start listenin' to the world when it tried to say somethin'. And I think it's talkin' to me now."

"Your wife, is she…" Mika didn't know how to ask the question. Is she here with you? But Lee shook his head before she could finish.

"She died a long time ago, before any of this mess came about." he replied. Only then did she notice the gold band on his ring finger; it was just a touch too big for him, and when he moved his hand, she could see the pale skin underneath that had been hidden from the sun for years. Mika went to apologize for his loss, but he seemed to have no interest in it, instead going back to the boat and pulling down the metal ladder. She followed him eagerly as he climbed up, accepting the hand he offered to help her the last few steps onto the boat. Her heart was pounding, and her fingers ached slightly from how tightly she was gripping the compass, but she didn't care. All she could think about was going.

As Lee started getting the boat ready, Mika looked back towards the shore. In the distance, she could see Dominic standing at the edge of the dock, hands in his pockets. She couldn't read his expression from where she stood, but she could see that he wasn't making any moves towards her. And she wasn't about to get off the boat to go to him. As Lee pushed the boat away from the dock, Mika held her hand up in a final goodbye. She'd gotten him this far, and now he was on his own. He didn't wave back; he simply turned and walked away.

…

Bucky was getting really tired of this stupid red sky.

It always looked angry, which in turn made him feel angry. He was still stuck in New York, the only thing keeping him there being Dr. Strange's words: you'll pass like two ships in the night. And even though it went against every fiber of his being, he heeded his words, because the risk was too great not to.

It was still quiet down below on the streets. Without the necessity of food and work, people were more inclined to sleep in, or to stay inside. But Bucky was always up early, sitting on the roof and keeping an eye out. Some less than savory characters had started banding together, trying to lay claims like they were stuck in some terrible 1940's gang film. Bucky, Sam, and Peter took it upon themselves to try and keep a little bit of the order, especially once they realized that life could still end in this place.

He could hear Peter before he saw him, the quiet psst-chck of his web shooters alerting him to his arrival. He looked up as the kid landed on his roof, the iron on his spider suit glinting red in the light as he walked over, settling casually on the edge of the rooftop with him.

"See anything?" he asked, making Bucky nearly snort in amusement.

"Same shit, different day." he responded, looking back out over the cityscape. Dr. Strange tried to get them to set up shop in Manhattan, but Bucky had no interest in staying in the Avengers tower. Instead he returned each night to his Brooklyn apartment, and even though it was weird to see his life from before the War, it still felt better than in the massive tower that just begged for trouble. Peter nodded, agreeing with his sentiment. He swung his legs like a little kid, his heels tapping softly against the side of the building. Bucky was hoping he'd be content to sit in the silence, but knew better by now.

"Mr. Bucky?" Peter asked, his own awkward way to start a conversation.

"Just Bucky, kid." he replied, getting tired of explaining to him that he wasn't an authority figure.

"Right. Bucky." he said, trying it out and still obviously feeling weird about it. "What, uh, what do you think is happening? On the outside?"

Bucky paused; he hadn't actually thought about that. "Not sure. Been worried about other stuff."

"You're not worried about getting out of here?" Peter asked incredulously. This time, Bucky did allow himself a brief huff of a laugh.

"I'm sure they'll figure something out. But until then, we gotta keep it all together in here. There's nothing we can do otherwise." he explained. After years of missions, he knew which ones were in his power to affect, and which ones were others' responsibilities.

"And find your wife." Peter offered. Bucky's amusement dropped then; he couldn't help but feel like he was abandoning Mika by not going to search for her, even if he'd already been told that the search would be fruitless.

"Yea. Kinda my only goal." he admitted. It's not like it was earth shattering information to Peter; that was all Bucky had talked about since they met. Peter rested his elbows on his knees, his face giving away that he was weirdly concerned about something, but afraid to ask. "Spit it out, kid."

"Huh what?" Peter said, sitting straight up and attempting to look innocent (and failing miserably). "I didn't - I wasn't - I don't-"

"Your face gives you away. Just say whatever you're thinking." he deadpanned. Peter let his mouth hang open for a second as he tried to decide how serious Bucky was, then closed it and looked down at his hands before saying,

"No, I - it's just, this whole time I…" he trailed off, still getting his thoughts together. "I just, you know, knew you as the Winter Soldier. Mr. Stark had all this crazy intel on you and…"

"It's all true." he said. He knew Tony had all the details of his missions by now, all his sins organized in a nice little packet. But he'd closed the book on that part of his life, and had no problem saying so.

"But you're married." Peter said, though the statement was more of a question. Ah, so that was the piece that didn't fit. "And she's your biggest concern and I can't help but think that...maybe his intel was wrong."

Bucky sighed. He didn't know what brought on this conversation, but he almost welcomed it. It was nice to know someone besides Mika saw him as more than just the Winter Soldier. "I'd probably still be some version of the guy in the file if it weren't for her."

"So love...changes things?" he asked, and Bucky got the sudden impression that they weren't talking about him anymore.

"What's her name, kid?" he asked. He was never one to beat around the bush, even before everything he went through with Hydra. Peter blushed furiously, telling him that he'd been right. He looked like he was thinking about trying to lie to him, but ultimately gave up.

"MJ." he said softly. Bucky nodded.

"Look, I got two pieces of advice for you." he said, thinking of his journey with Mika and everything that had happened between them, both before and after they were romantically involved. "The first is that you can't expect them to change. You have to love them for who they are." That had been Dominic's mistake, though why he tried so hard to get Mika to change was beyond Bucky. He thought she was perfect just the way she was, including all her flaws. Lord knows he had enough flaws of his own.

"No, no I never would." Peter said quickly, looking appalled at the thought. "Expect her to change, that is. I mean, what's the point of liking her if I want her to be different? Then I wouldn't really like her. I just...I mean, I like her. And she always said she's not gonna date in high school, which like, I totally get, but I'm just hoping that maybe, if she liked me too, she might change her mind about it. But if she didn't, then, well, I mean I'd still like her but-"

"The second piece of advice, kid," Bucky interrupted before Peter could really get rolling arguing himself, "is not to wait too long to say anything. Make your time count." He didn't want to think about what would have happened if he'd simply sat on his feelings, and he also didn't want to think about how many weeks of his life he wasted by hiding them. As much as Peter annoyed him, he liked the kid, and wanted him to learn from his mistakes.

"Oh. Yea. Yea that makes sense." he said, going quiet and looking at him seriously. Bucky carefully returned his face to neutral, trying not to give his thoughts away. But then, why was he trying to hide his thoughts from a kid? He should know how much it hurt to miss the one that you love. He looked away from Peter, dropping his eyes to his hands as he ran his metal thumb over his palm; the pain helped distract from the shard in his heart. Peter finally figured out his concern, and gently said, "I'm sure she's gonna be okay, mis-Bucky."

"I hope so, kid." he sighed. He couldn't afford to think otherwise.

A sudden scream rose a few blocks over, and Bucky glanced skyward for a second before climbing to his feet. Peter hopped up at the ready, shaking his hands out like he was trying to warm up for the fight. Bucky laughed, shaking his head before gesturing towards the disturbance and starting down the fire escape, knowing Peter was swinging down right behind them.

There weren't terribly loud sounds of fighting; in fact, there were almost none. But the scream they heard before was still sounding, though it was muffled. Bucky did not care for that at all. He ran through the streets, following Peter as he used his webs to fly. They finally found the source in an alley; one guy stood guard at the mouth of it, while two others were wrestling a woman towards the back. Peter landed feet first into the chest of the lookout guy, sending him flying into the wall. A few patchwork shots of web stuck him to the bricks, ensuring that he wouldn't be getting up any time soon. Bucky sprinted in after him, punching one guy in the jaw and grabbing the other by his shirt collar, throwing him back away from the woman. Instead of running, she sank to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest, still screaming at what was going on around her. Peter sank next to her, trying to say something soothing while protecting her from the melee.

The first guy found a bat and swung it hard at Bucky, but he easily caught it with his metal arm and ripped it away. He tossed it over to the side, giving the guy an unamused look. But instead of giving up, the guy took it as a challenge, holding up his fists and shifting toward him. God, they never learned. The guy sent his fist out, and Bucky easily tilted his head out of the way. Another swing, and another dodge. He was tired of this game, and waited for the guy to finish a third punch before socking him in the side of the head, knocking him unconscious.

"Bucky, watch-" Peter's warning was too late, the second guy slamming the discarded bat into Bucky's back. It hurt, yea, in an annoying way. The blow barely shifted him forward but managed to break the bat in half, and he quickly turned. The other guy saw the look on his face and immediately regretted his decision, changing his mind and trying to run away. Bucky grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him into the wall, holding him there as he eyed him darkly.

"Messing with women is a real asshole move." he said lowly. The guy nodded fervently, too scared to speak. In a past life, Bucky would have killed him. He wasn't going to kill him now...but he wanted him to believe that he would. "I catch you doing this shit again, we find out what happens when you die again. Got it?"

"Y-y-yes." he stammered out. Bucky almost grinned; he didn't mind being terrifying if it was to get people to clean up their acts.

"Good." he said. But he still didn't trust the guy had learned his lesson, so he slammed him against the wall, knocking him out as well. The concussion would heal, the world had shown them that much. He dragged him over next to his buddy and Peter webbed them up as well, giving them a little time to think about their decisions once they woke up. The woman, now standing and still shaking, looked at him gratefully.

"Thank you." she said, her voice raw from her screams. She held herself tightly, shying away even from Peter's touch. "I don't know what would've happened if…"

"Don't worry about it. You're safe now." Bucky said gently. He remembered that night, so many years ago, when Mika had experienced something similar. She'd asked him to stay with her until Elena got there, saying she was afraid to be by herself. "Do you have someone here? Someone you can go to? You shouldn't be alone right now."

She nodded carefully. "My sister. She's still asleep. I was just going for a walk…" she trailed off, her eyes blinking as she tried not to cry.

"We'll take you home." he said, his voice solid and sure. Peter still stood protectively next to her, his eyes drifting over to the other guys every so often. Bucky tried to speak without words: the web would hold for a while. They could come back and give these guys another stern talking to.

"I'm okay, it's just down the block." she said, hugging herself tighter. Ah, right. She probably didn't want to be by herself with men any longer than she had to be. She was already subtly putting space between them. "But really, I can't thank you enough."

"No thanks needed." Peter replied, giving a winning, friendly-neighborhood-Spiderman smile. The woman nodded, turning on her heel and running for the apartment building down the street. It was an odd interaction, for sure. But everything about this place was odd, and they were just going to have to try and hold it together until they got out.

"Bucky?" a woman called his name, the sound so familiar he wondered if he was dreaming. He turned slowly, afraid he was hallucinating, but Peter was looking in that direction too. There, just a few yards away, stood Mika. She had a bag over her shoulder and a compass in her hand, and she was there. She'd made it back to him!

"Mika." he breathed, rooted to the spot. She ran to him, closing the distance quickly and falling into his waiting arms. He squeezed her tight, tighter than he should, amazed that she was here, and real, and that they were finally back together. He was so caught up in the moment, he completely forgot Peter was there.

"Holy shit, this is your wife?!"

Our faves are finally back together! Yay! They've gone literally through hell and high water! Also does everyone love Peter? He's so. much. fun. Also, fuck Dominic!

Thank you so much for the reviews! Not gonna lie, I thought y'all would be more excited about this arc, but hey, it's all good! We're getting close to Endgame, so you'll get to see how things change there!

I really love hearing all your thoughts and cherish every message I get, so please let me know what you thought of this installment!

-XM