AN: Thank you so much to all reviewers/followers/readers. I appreciate your support! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this so far. Let me know what ou guys think of this chapter. Happy reading, everyone!
CHAPTER 13
"Strings," a deep voice echoed.
It was dark and the only source of light were red slivers of energy that flashed through the darkness.
"So many strings to hold me down," the voice continued as he hummed a familiar tune and began to sing. "I had strings, but now I'm free. There are no strings on me..."
Bucky watched people around him run for their lives as buildings fell and collided onto the streets. Sirens came from different directions. Then, he saw her. Her body laid flat on the ground and a stream of blood that dripped from her temple down to her chin. Was he dreaming? It all seemed so real.
"Bucky?" A familiar voice said behind him. As he slowly turned around, he found a scrawny Steve standing behind him. "Hey, Buck."
Suddenly, large chunks of the city above him crashed down around Allie's body. He tried to move his heavy legs, but the more he struggled it seemed as though the distance between them were further. He watched a building slowly tilt in her direction before it fell on top of her.
"NO!" He screamed as he jolted up in his bed. Once he realized that it was just a dream, Bucky was relieved. Relieved by the fact that Allie wasn't really hurt and the city was well intact. Then, as he thought of her, a feeling overwhelmed him. He hadn't felt that way in a long time until he dreamt of Steve for the first time in months. Whenever he appeared in his dreams, so did she. However, this time was different. They were both at their most vulnerable state. Steve was his old scrawny self while Allie was either knocked out or dead. He hoped she was somewhere safe, anywhere that was far away from him.
Allie woke up in a panic, covered in cold sweat. It was such a strange dream, but it felt so real. It was almost as real as one of her visions, but Steve was so skinny. It couldn't possibly be the future, could it? She also saw her soldier, but that wasn't possible. He made it perfectly clear that he wanted nothing to do with her. Yet, the expression on his face told her otherwise. However, she reminded herself that it was just a dream.
FEBRUARY 21, 2015 SOKOVIA
"I trust that you have nothing but good intentions, Ms. Pierce," Zemo warned her, gently. "I promise if it turns out that you're just an American spy-"
"No, I'm not," Allie interrupted him. "I swear to you that my intentions are nothing but good."
Zemo gave her a hard, long look. "Then why my family? Hm? Out of all citizens of Sokovia, you choose me. Why?"
She turned her head away from him and walked his son play on the swings with the other children. "I don't know why. I told you about my visions. I don't control them," she looked back at him with a smile. "I only want to help."
He sighed and sat down on a bench nearby. He took his time to observe his son and the other children before he replied. "You know, my mother was a psychic as well?"
This caught Allie's interest and she took a seat next to him. "Really?"
"Yes," he looked back at her. "My father wasn't much of a believer but I always had faith in my mother." He dug his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded up picture. As Zemo handed it to her, he continued his story. "I had a sister once, she was so beautiful, just like my mother."
"Was?" She repeated as she unfolded the picture.
"One day, my mother told my father that she would be taken from us but he didn't believe her. He told her to stop worrying and that they were just nightmares. But, then it happened."
Allie stared at the black and white picture of a little boy holding a bundled up baby.
"That was the last time I saw my baby sister."
"I'm so sorry," she handed him the picture back. "How old was she?"
"Only a few days old. My mother died a few years later. My father is convinced that she died from a broken heart," he said grimly.
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
"Because my mother's gifts had its flaws, which is why my father had a difficult time believing," he explained.
Allie thought about it for a moment. "That's because her visions were based on decisions, just like me."
Zemo looked at her suspiciously. "How old did you say you were again?"
She furrowed her eyebrows at him, but before she could answer, Ivan (Ee-vahn) interrupted them.
"Papa!" Ivan yelled as he ran toward his father. "Look at what I've found!"
Zemo's hard expression softened as his son ran toward him to show him a rock. "Well, would you look at that?" He took the rock from his son to get a better look. "We'll have to add it to your collection."
Then, across the park, she saw him. It felt as though time had stopped, and everything in the world no longer mattered. Although he wasn't facing her, she knew it was him instantly. She turned back to Zemo and his son. "Excuse me, I'm sorry for cutting this meeting short, but I saw spotted an old friend. We'll meet again next week, same time?"
"Yes, that sounds perfect," he smiled tightly at her as he watched her walk away.