Chapter 14

It was early, but the morning sun was already beating down on Danielle and James. As usual the heat barely affected James, keeping his shirt drier than the dirt they stood on. Danielle on the other hand could feel the pool of sweat developing on her lower back.

She placed the bag of grain she was holding on the cart. "I'm going inside to grab a drink. Do you want anything?"

James set down the bale of hay. "Bring me back a bottle of water?"

"Sure."

"Wait, you forgot something?" He said, stopping her from walking away.

"What?" Danielle furrowed her brow.

"This." James closed the distance between them and placed a sweet kiss on her lips.

When they pulled away, she smiled at him, blushing slightly. James turned away and Danielle started back to the hut. She first went to the bathroom and washed her face with cool water to stop her sweating if only for a moment. She smoothed the flyaway hairs away from her face, then moved to the kitchen. As she dug through the fridge for the two coldest bottles of water, she heard voices outside the hut. Danielle crossed to the window to see a group of people standing around James.

Instantly she recognized King T'Challa standing across from James. She could hear muffled words being spoken, then one of the others surrounding James stepped forward and placed a large case on the back of the wagon and opened it. James peered inside and spoke to the king. As the king spoke, she watched James's body language, trying to read any expression that would clue her in to what was being said.

The dark look in his eyes made her heart sink.

T'Challa finished speaking and he and his companions walked back to their vehicles and drove away. Danielle watched James standing at the end of the cart, staring into the case the king had left behind. He reached his hand up slowly and shut the lid, leaving his hand resting on the top. Then as if he knew Danielle was watching him, James looked directly at her through the window.

She flinched at the sudden eye contact they made across the yard, and she moved back to the fridge to busy herself. Soon, she heard James enter the hut, taking slow steps toward her until he reached the kitchen table and placed something heavy on it. Danielle wasn't searching in the fridge anymore, but she didn't dare turn around and look at him.

Danielle swallowed the lump in her throat. "What was that about?"

James moved around the table to the fridge and reached for a bottle of water with Danielle still standing in the doorway. He placed the bottle on the counter before grabbing the door to the fridge and closing it. She remained still, staring straight ahead.

"He brought a gift." James finally said.

"What kind of gift?"

James looked over at the kitchen table. "Open it."

Danielle moved from her spot in front of the fridge to the place in front of the case on the table. She opened the lid and stared at what was inside.

All the air left her lungs.

Laying inside the case was a metal arm made from Wakandan Vibranium. She recognized the darker material as the metal that most of their tools were made out of. Shuri had designed an arm that could replace the one James lost, and Danielle couldn't look at it a moment longer.

She turned her back to the case and to James, covering her mouth to stifle the sobs that threatened to escape.

"King T'Challa told me there's a war coming." James spoke.

"And what does that have to do with you?" Danielle asked.

"He said it's going to take all of us."

She faced him. "He has an army of highly trained warriors. He doesn't need you."

James shook his head. "This is bigger than any war we've ever fought. Do you remember New York and what those aliens did? That was only a handful compared to what is coming."

"Then Steve and his friends can handle it. You don't have to get involved."

"Steve is on his way here. That's why T'Challa asked for me," replied James.

"This isn't fair!" The tears overflowed from Danielle's eyes. "I know I sound like a child, but it's not fair. We've only had a couple of months to be together. To be happy. We shouldn't have to give that up." She broke down then, covering her face with her hands.

James closed the distance between them and pulled her into his chest. Tears formed in his eyes and fell silently into her hair as he hugged her closely. This was the part he had dreaded since she had walked back into his life. He knew that one day he would be pulled back into a fight, and he would break her heart all over again.

"I know it's not fair." James spoke softly into her ear. " It's not fair that I had to wait seventy years to meet you. It's not fair that we've only had a few happy months. And, it's not fair that we don't get to spend the next fifty years building a life together. But if I don't fight, we may never get a chance to try."

Danielle pulled back to see his face. "We'll fight together."

James' eyes grew wide. "No. No, you aren't going anywhere near this fight."

"I'm trained in hand-to-hand combat and I'm a weapons specialist."

He pulled away from her suddenly furious. "This isn't Hydra, or any kind of enemy you've fought before. I won't let you throw yourself on a battlefield to die."

"You won't let me?" Danielle questioned, fueled by a new anger. "You think I can't handle myself in battle?"

James sighed, irritated. "That's not what I meant."

Danielle's eyes fell to something behind him. "Do you want me to prove it to you?"

"What does that mean?"

She walked past him to the kitchen table and lifted the metal arm out of the case. "Let's train. Like old times."

He stared at the arm in her hands, unable to speak.

"Put it on. Let's go! Let me show you how tough I can be." She stepped toward him, holding out the arm.

"Danielle, don't."

"What are you afraid of? I can handle myself." She threw the arm at him and he caught it easily with his other hand.

James stared at it for a moment before peeling the cover on his shoulder off with his finger and attaching the metal arm. It clicked into place then James swung the arm around in a windmill motion to lock it. The energy surged through the arm and he tested his fingers on his metal hand, flexing them up and down. With the arm secured and working, he turned his attention to Danielle.

She turned into a fighting stance, waiting for him to make the first move. Their eyes remained locked as he took slow steps forward. He stopped far enough out of her reach that she couldn't throw a punch at him, then he dropped to his knees, his head hanging to his chest.

"I know you can handle yourself. I know you're strong enough to survive," he sucked in a breath, "but I'm not."

And then it all made sense.

James wasn't telling her no because he didn't believe in her strength or her skill. He was telling her no because he couldn't live with himself if something happened to her. Danielle realized how selfish she was being in believing she was the only one who had something to lose.

She dropped to her knees in front of him, and her hands cupped his cheeks, raising his head so she could see his eyes.

"I'm sorry." She brushed the hair back from his face. "I'm so sorry."

He nodded his head, tears flowing down his cheeks. Danielle wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him close to her body. When she felt two arms wrap around her gently, she hugged him tighter to assure him that she was okay. His arms tightened around her until they were pressed so firmly together she didn't think there was any space left between them.

"I just got you back. I don't want to lose you." He said.

"I don't want to lose you either."

"I can't talk you out of this, can I?"

Danielle kissed his cheek. "No. Just like I can't talk you out of it."

"Then we might as well make the most of our time together." Before Danielle could ask what he meant, James stood with her still in his arms. She locked her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bedroom.