Chapter 16

Months passed and eventually the Avengers settled back into their everyday routines. Bucky went back to his playboy ways, Lizzy continued training. Things didn't quite go back to normal for Bucky and Lizzy. They didn't spend as much time together and they didn't argue as much. Lizzy stopped complaining to Bucky about his harem of women, it hurt too much to watch them come and go, wishing it were her in his arms. Bucky stopped making jokes about Lizzy being a sexless prude, he was intimately aware of how untrue that statement was, no matter how much he tried to forget. They were civil, colleagues; Bucky hated it. He missed her wit, he missed the way her nose crinkled when she was mad at him, he missed her jokes at his expense, he missed talking to her, even if they were just fighting. Lizzy wasn't much better, she was nursing a broken heart and cursing herself for letting herself become one of Bucky's many discarded flings. She started sleeping in Thor's room, he was never there and she couldn't bear to hear Bucky sleep with a different woman every night.

It had been three months since Tony's stupid party, and this was getting out of hand. Tony knew something happened that night, everyone's mood shifted. He wasn't as oblivious or careless as everyone pretended he was. Barnes and Santiago were going through...something and it was starting to bum everyone out. Rogers wouldn't talk to him, neither would Sam and Natasha. He would make one of them break eventually. It ended up being the kid who spilled the beans. He had eavesdropped on a conversation between Steve, Bucky, Sam and Natasha. The idiots were in love and refusing to admit it. He knew what that was like, he remembered when he and Pepper got together. Things couldn't go on this way, and Tony tried to think of something to do. Fury ended up providing the answer.

He marched in to Tony's office with a thick packet. "We have a human trafficking ring in South America causing trouble. We need to get someone in there and get us enough info to shut them down. It may take a while, I'd say a month, minimum." Tony had just the man for the job.

"Santiago!" Tony called her over.

"Yes Tony?"

"I've got a job for you, if you're interested. Human trafficking operation in South America, we need intel to shut them down, we figure it'll take about a month, you speak Spanish and you'd be able to blend in with the locals, what do you say?"

Lizzy thought about it. A month away may be just what she needs: clear her head, get away from Bucky for a bit while she moves on. Yeah, it was a good idea, she accepted. Besides, this was her first big solo op, she was flattered that Tony thought of her.

"Great, I'll let Fury and Cap know, you leave tomorrow, make sure to pack a swimsuit," he winked.

Tony headed to the gym where he knew he would find Steve.

"Hey Capsicle, I'm gonna need you to take Santiago off the roster for the next month or so."

Steve, Sam and Bucky turned to face him. "What? Why? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, good news actually. Kid's got her first solo op in South America, she'll be gone for a month at least, maybe more," Tony pointedly did not look at Barnes and tried to keep his face neutral.

"She's going alone? That can't be safe," Bucky protested.

"Why not gramps? She's talented, capable, she can hold her own."

"I'm not saying she can't but shouldn't she have some backup?"

"You volunteering?" Tony challenged. Bucky looked away, he gave a small shake of his head. "Alright then it's settled, make sure you say your goodbyes, Casper leaves tomorrow."

That night was movie night and Lizzy took the opportunity to say goodbye to everyone, she would miss the team, but she thought it was for the best. Bucky didn't come, she tried not to take it personally. She went to bed early that night, she had basically moved into Thor's room by that point so she crashed there. The next morning, she woke up early; no one at the compound was awake and she climbed into the car that would take her to the airport.

Bucky decided not to go to movie night. He wanted to see her alone, so he waited for her to come back to her room for the night. He sat by and listened but he never heard her come in. Eventually he asked FRIDAY where she was, she told her Lizzy was asleep. He must have missed her somehow. He went to bed with a sigh. Maybe he could catch her before she left for the airport.