5:00pm

"I'm going to miss you Eden" Jill said with a pout.

"I'll be back for the wedding in two months. You could always come to D.C you know. Once Brooke gets moved it, you should come for a visit." I added, throwing my suitcase in the back of my SUV.

I walked around to my driver's side door to give her one last hug. The three of us had spent our last day together going through pictures that Jill's mom had pulled out of her attic. Sleepovers…Homecoming dances…senior prom. We had eaten lunch on the patio talking about the old days, remembering all the crazy times we had together.

At 4:30, I knew I needed to start packing so I could get back on the road. I had decided last night after talking with Bucky that I wanted to be home a little earlier than 9:00 and surprise him. I knew if I left by 5:00 that I could probably make it home by 8:30pm. I had lain in bed last night thinking about him, contemplating what I would do when I saw him again. I had missed him terribly during the last three days. All I wanted to do was cuddle up on the couch with him, watch a movie, and eat takeout.

That's not all you want to do Eden.

Okay, maybe I had a little more planned than that. I wasn't going to allow any distractions to occur, I was going to have Bucky all to myself tonight.

Jill stepped back to allow Brooke to give me a tight hug.

"Have fun tonight with Bucky." She whispered in my ear.

I pulled back and smiled at her, nodding my head.

"Call me" she said with a wink.

I got into my SUV and waved my final goodbye before backing out of the driveway. When I was clear of all the traffic and out on the open road, I turned up the volume and sang to the radio. It was so loud that I almost didn't hear my cell phone ringing.

Bucky!

"Hey Bucky...guess what! I'm already on the road; I'll be home around 8:30" I said, before he even had a chance to speak.

"Eden, I need to tell you something" he said, a serious tone in his voice.

Oh shit!

…...xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx…...

I heard her take a deep breath before asking, "What's wrong?"

"I won't be able to see you tonight...I…I'm leaving tonight…on assignment." I said quietly.

Silence

I had to look down at my phone to make sure we hadn't been disconnected, "Eden?"

"An assignment….but I thought…I thought they wouldn't allow it…you said they told you no. Where are you going? When are you coming back?" I could hear the anxiety in her voice.

"I can't tell you were I'm going Eden and I don't know when we will be back. Director Fury changed his mind; they need me to go with them." I added.

"Why do they need you Bucky?" she asked, her voice louder.

"In the past, I may have spent some time at the facility where we are going." I muttered.

"When you say in the past, do you mean when you were the Winter Soldier? You're going to a HYDRA facility! Bucky! You can't….you can't go…what if…if something happens?" I heard the panic in her voice and it broke my heart.

I guess you can't deny it anymore Bucky…Eden does have feelings for you.

"Eden, don't worry, we've already mapped out a plan, everything should go smoothly" I insisted.

Silence

"Eden?" I asked again, looking down at my phone.

"Bucky, exactly how long have you known about this assignment?" she asked slowly.

Shit!

"Yesterday" I muttered.

"Yesterday! Why didn't you tell me Bucky? I would have come back last night!"

"I didn't want to ruin your day with your friends." I said quietly, unsure if I really believed that myself.

Why didn't you tell her last night? What is the real reason?

"Bullshit Bucky Barnes! I can see my friend's anytime." she said angrily.

She was mad. This was a side of Eden I had not seen before. I knew she had a right to be angry with me and knowing I was the cause of her anger made me feel like shit.

"Did you not want to tell me goodbye?" she asked, I could still hear the anger in her voice.

"Eden, that's not it….this isn't easy for me…I've never had anyone to say goodbye to. This is all new to me...I…"

"What the address?" she asked, her voice so low that I asked again to be sure I heard her correctly.

"The address Bucky! What's the damn address of where you're leaving from?" she shouted.

I called out the address to her and then said, "We're taking a chopper to the airport…we leave at 9:00pm"

"Dammit! You don't leave until I get there Bucky, do you hear me? You don't step a foot in the helicopter until I get there."

"Eden…." Before I could say anything else, she interrupted, "Not one foot Barnes!"

I sighed, "Ok, I'll try…are you mad?"

"I am beyond mad…I am furious" she insisted.

"Eden…I'm sorry, I know I should have…" I started.

"Don't Bucky! We will talk about it when I get there" she interjected.

"Okay" I whispered.

I heard her let out another long shaky breath "Please wait for me Bucky, I'll be there as soon as I can"

"Be careful Eden"

I don't think I ever felt as alone as I did when I hung up that phone.

…...xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx…...

"Shit" I shouted, slamming my hands on the wheel after throwing my phone in my passenger seat. Hot tears were streaming down my cheeks. That complete jerk! I couldn't believe he didn't tell me the moment he found out about his assignment. I was beyond furious with him…I was….I was…

You're scared Eden. What if he leaves tonight and doesn't come back?…then what?

I knew I wasn't really mad at Bucky, I was scared for him. He was putting himself in danger unnecessarily.

I looked at the clock. 7:30

I only had about 70 miles to go…I would make it….I had to make it.

I spent the next hour thinking about what I was going to say to him. I would tell him what complete jerk he was for not telling me. I was going to let him know how much that hurt me.

You're going to sob like a baby and beg him not to go.

Traffic slowed down as I got into the city. I could feel the tears of frustration making their way down my face. I had to make it there in time…I had to see him.

I pulled up to the address Bucky had given me at 8:45…..15 minutes to spare. It was a tall unmarked building. I made my way to the glass double doors and rushed inside. There was no one manning the desk just inside the doors. To my right I saw an elevator and I pushed the button repeatedly until the doors opened. I pressed the button for the highest floor and waited until I reached the top to rush through, not waiting for the doors to open completely. Down the hall I ran, until I came to a door marked, "Roof Access"

When I busted through the doors, I saw a group of people standing next to a helicopter. Other people were bustling about, checking cases and equipment piled next to the aircraft. Bucky was nowhere in sight.

Two men looked up when I busted through the doors, not recognizing me, they headed in my direction, hands dangerously close to the guns holstered on their hip.

"Stand down men, she's with me" I heard a strangely familiar voice.

The men nodded, "Yes sir Cap"

I turned to see Steve behind me, dressed in his Captain America suit, his shield slung over his shoulder.

I don't know if it was because I was genuinely glad to see him or because he had just stopped those two men from dragging me off that roof top, but I threw my arms around Steve in a quick hug.

"Thank you, where's Bucky!"

"He's talking with Director Fury, he will be out here soon" he said, patting me on the back gently.

"You'll take care of him right? I mean, nothing is going to happen to him." I asked, hearing the panic in my voice.

"Of course Eden, I'm not going to lose him again. I'll bring him back to you" he promised and then slipped me a piece of paper.

After looking at the paper, I smiled up at him, "Isn't it wrong to give your number to your best friend's girl?" I was just teasing him but the look of shock on his face brought a giggle from my lips.

"I just wanted you to have it in case there was an emergency...I would never…I mean not that I don't think your swell…I just…."

I stuck my hand out to stop him, "It was a joke Steve."

He smiled at me again and put one arm around my shoulder and leaned down to whisper to me, "There was something I wanted to ask you about….your friend…the red head…"

Before he could finish what he was saying, an all too familiar voice said, "You want to remove your arm from around my girl?

I turned to see Bucky walking toward me. He was dressed in all black, the leather tactical vast strapped to his chest left his metal arm uncovered, only a black glove on the hand. The utility belt around his waist held a variety of knives and as he got closer I saw a gun holstered on his hip, another strapped to his back.

He looked lethal, like the highly trained assassin he was. He looked dangerous.

He looks HOT!

Steve stepped away, his hands up in the air, a smile on his face. He walked away to give us privacy.

Bucky finally turned to me, an unsure look on his face. I stood there, looking at him angrily for a moment, before breaking down and rushing into his arms. I could feel the tears brimming at the corners of my eyes, a large lump in my throat forming. He held onto me, rubbing the small of my back. He didn't have to say a word, I had already forgiven him.

I heard the helicopter start up and looked over to see several people, Captain America included, stepping into it.

I heard Bucky sigh, "It's time Eden, and I have to go"

I pulled back from him, staring into his sad eyes. He touched his fingers to my cheek and leaned in like he was going to kiss me.

I pulled back from him. I saw the look of confusion on his face, the hurt in his eyes.

"I don't want our first kiss to be our last kiss Bucky" I said gently.

He looked at me again, "Eden, I'm coming back to you, I promise."

I nodded my head, "I know…and we can have that first kiss when you get back…let's call it an incentive"

He smirked at me and nodded his head. He pulled me in for one last hug and then stepped away. He turned to walk to the helicopter and stepped aboard. I watched as the chopper lifted into the air, Bucky waving at me.

I waved back, trying to choke back the sobs as I watched him fly away, instantly regretting not letting him kiss me.

He's coming back Eden, he promised.