Date : 10.07.18
Title : Memory In My Heart
Author : ElaineDex
Chapter : 11 of ?
Rating : M
Pairings : Bucky/OC
Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Angst, Maybe Some Strong Language.
Spoilers and A/N: Possible references to The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Black Panther (I have not seen Black Panther or Infinity War, nor do I claim to be an expert on The Avengers so please forgive any discrepancies. I am working off of things I have read and movies and trailers that I have seen. Thank you.
Disclaimer : I do not own anything to do with the Marvel franchise. This plot and any O/C's are mine.
Summary : (AU) Can a memory from Bucky's time as The Winter Soldier save him from having to live that kind of life again or will the darkness consume him and lead him to kill everyone he now holds dear?
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"Drive faster!" Hanning instructed the driver of the SUV and as the car sped up, Molly glared at the Scientist.
"You won't get away from him…" she told him and Hanning turned to look at her, giving her a dirty look before he pointed the gun he held at the roof of the car.
"Or maybe he won't get away from me…" he said and as he pulled the trigger, Molly lunged at him, knocking his arm and instead he shot the driver in the back of the head.
Bucky tensed as he heard a shot fired in the interior of the car below him, then hung on as the vehicle began to career out of control. Inside Hanning was yelling at Molly and trying to reach through to the front to grab the steering wheel and whilst he did that, Molly took a moment to put her seatbelt on, knowing that this was only going to end one way.
She was right and just as Hanning managed to grab the wheel, the speeding out of control SUV hit a pot hole in the country lane and it made Hanning yank the wheel to one side and somehow the car began to flip.
Bucky waited until the last possible moment to jump free of the car and behind him, Sam slowed up, both he and Steve watching as the SUV slid on its side, then rolled onto its roof before finally coming to a halt further down the lane.
"Shit…" Sam said, watching as Bucky moved toward the car.
Steve glanced at Sam, almost afraid to look back at the SUV, but when he did he saw Bucky heading toward it and he worried for what his friend might find.
As Bucky got closer to the SUV he could see that the driver was dead, but he could also see the bullet wound that had caused his demise; he saw Hanning sprawled in an awkward looking position against the windscreen…he didn't appear to be moving. Neither man concerned him though, he needed to see Molly…see that she was alright.
Reaching the car he bent and looked inside and saw that she was still strapped to the back seat, her head lolled sidewards and her auburn hair covering her face. Bucky moved around the car to the side she was on and wrenched the door off in one easy movement, flinging it into the hedges behind him.
"Molly…" he said her name softly and tentatively reached in to touch his fingertips to her neck, relief flooding through him when he found a pulse. She began to come around then, emitting a low moan and he leaned in closer, supporting her head with both his hands as she tried to lift it. "Hey…it's alright…" he told her, "…don't try to move too much…does anything hurt?"
Molly blinked and tried to get her bearings and for a moment she couldn't understand why she was suspended upside down, and then it all came back to her and she began to panic.
"James….it's Hanning…he has a gun…he was going to kill you…"
"It's alright…sshhh…Moll…" Bucky replied, wanting to get her out of the car. The guilt he felt for putting her in this position was beginning to feel like a crushing weight upon his chest.
"Does anything hurt?" he asked again, his voice sounding sterner than he meant it too and Molly blinked and croaked, "No…I don't think so…."
Bucky nodded and assessed the situation for a moment, then said, "Get ready to wrap your arms around my neck when I release the seat belt…I'll catch you, don't worry…"
"I'm not worried…I trust you…" Molly whispered and Bucky met her eyes for a moment, his heart aching in ways he didn't want to acknowledge and so instead he reached for the buckle on the seat belt, moving closer and Molly reached out her arms in readiness and on his count, she wrapped her arms around him as she felt herself beginning to fall and true to his word, Bucky caught her and moved out of the car, lifting her up into his arms so that she didn't have to try to stand.
Molly was glad for she didn't think her legs would have supported her. As Bucky strode away from the SUV, she saw Sam in the drivers seat of the car that had been following her and Hanning and Steve was just getting out, opening the back door for them.
"You okay Molly?" he asked and she nodded, offering him a wonky smile as Bucky passed him to walk around the rear door and then he gently placed her onto the back seat and as he went to straighten up she cupped his cheek with one hand and when he didn't meet her gaze this time, alarms bells began to ring. He moved away slowly and had just closed the door when she heard Steve say, "One of them is still alive…" and with a dread of many things, Molly looked ahead and saw Hanning stumbling from the car and her throat closed with fear as Bucky took off at a run, heading back toward the SUV.
"James!" she cried out, just as Steve called, "Bucky!" but he didn't stop, his mind focussed on one thing and Sam, Molly and Steve watched as he reached Hanning just as the other man was straightening up after crawling from the wreck of the SUV and punched him square in the jaw with his metal hand.
Sam and Steve winced as Hanning flew a few feet down the lane, Bucky following him, relentless in his attack and Molly covered her eyes. She had no sympathy for her former colleague, but nor did she wish to be the reason Bucky killed again…she didn't want him to have that on his conscience or hanging in between them.
Just when Steve was about to go and intervene, another black vehicle came into view in the distance and he shouted, "Bucky, come on…we need to go….more are coming…"
Bucky growled in anger and frustration and grabbed Hanning by the collar.
"You come after Molly or me again and next time you won't be so lucky…" he snarled and Hanning made a barely conscious whimpering noise, his face a bloodied mess and as Bucky released him he curled into a ball on the gravel.
Bucky headed back toward the car and refused to meet Steve's eyes as he passed him, slipping onto the back seat beside Molly and as soon as Steve was back on board, Sam turned the car around and they got out of there.
They didn't stop as they passed Steve's farm house, keeping on going, heading toward the place where they would meet the plane that T'Challa had promised would be waiting for them. If they were followed they weren't caught and after a tense journey they finally reached the field that was the impromptu airstrip and Steve let out a sigh of relief as they saw the jet that had just landed and that was taxiing across the grass toward them.
Steve, Sam and Bucky got out of the car and Bucky went around to Molly's side to help her out and she was about to say that she was okay, when her knees buckled and he scooped her up into his arms again.
"Thanks…" she murmured and he nodded, a concerned look on his face and she was about to ask him what was wrong and why he was being distant when the door of the plane opened and someone appeared at the top of the drop down steps.
"Shuri…" Bucky murmured and Molly looked at him as he seemed inordinately pleased to see the other woman.
"Come quickly, there isn't much time…" Shuri called to them and Bucky began to move toward the plane, Steve and Sam following behind. They boarded the jet and Bucky placed Molly down into a comfy seat before she was all but forced to watch him embrace the small woman who said happily, "Sergeant Barnes…it is so good to see you…"
"Bucky…." he reminded her fondly before adding, "…and you too…and I'm sorry about what happened to your lab…"
Shuri shook her head. "It is better now, do not worry."
They smiled at one another and Molly looked away feeling inexplicably like she was no longer wanted. Rationally she knew better, but Bucky had been less than warm since they had been reunited and she couldn't help but wonder if he blamed her for what had happened…but then, did he even know what had happened?
As if Shuri sensed Molly's awkwardness, she turned and leaned down and said, "Doctor Evans, I am Shuri…I cared for Sergeant…" she paused and smiled, catching herself and continued, "…Bucky…when he came to us last time; I will do so again once we return to my homeland."
Molly nodded, a headache beginning to build behind her eyes. So that was it then…she wouldn't be needed now…
She wanted to ask if she could help, share what she knew about Bucky's time with HYDRA, but it seemed there was no more time for talking as everyone was taking their seats ready for take off and tears gathered beneath her lids as Bucky sat across the narrow aisle, opposite Shuri. Steve slid into the seat opposite her and she blinked, trying to clear the moisture away before anyone noticed.
"You alright Molly?" he asked quietly and she nodded again, unable to speak for fear she would make a fool of herself.
"There's a Wakandan doctor on board…I've asked him to check you over once we take off," Steve told her and Molly swallowed and offered him a small smile.
"Thank you…" she managed to say, glancing at Bucky only to find him looking away, out of the small window at his side, though there was no way he couldn't have heard what Steve had just said.
The plane took off and once the seatbelt sign had been switched off, the doctor approached Molly as promised and checked her over, surmising that she may have a bit of whiplash, but no concussion and that it was lucky she had had her seatbelt on (she had informed him of this fact when he had inquired of the nature of the accident that she had been involved in).
He gave her painkillers and told her to try and rest for the rest of the flight and she thanked him, trying to catch Bucky's gaze, but he kept his eyes firmly averted whenever she was looking his way, determined to keep his distance from her now if that was what it took to keep her safe.
At some point during the flight, Molly fell asleep and Shuri covered her with a throw before excusing herself to go and speak with the pilot. Bucky chose that moment to head to the restroom and Steve got up, following him. He waited outside until his friend emerged and asked, "What happened?"
"I dunno Steve," Bucky replied, raking a hand through his hair, "I let my guard down…I shouldn't have…"
Steve shook his head. "You're entitled to want a life Buck…"
"But look what shit it causes…" Bucky replied, gesturing further down the plane to where Molly slept. "I put her in danger, I was selfish…"
Steve reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Molly wanted to help you…"
"And look what it almost cost her. Steve they sent me to kill her today…"
His expression said how disgusted and angry he was and Steve sighed.
"But you didn't do it," Steve reminded him before adding, "She said they drugged her…do you know how?"
Bucky met Steve's eyes at that new piece of information.
"No…I…I was in the barn…" he paused before going on, "…I fixed your bike, it was going to be a surprise." He shook his head again then. "I shouldn't have left her alone…I shouldn't have…" he stopped when Steve squeezed his shoulder.
"She's alright, as are you…and we're getting you away from there."
"But for how long?" Bucky asked, his voice strained. "I can't be around people Steve…I shouldn't have let Molly get close. When we get to Wakanda I need to tell her that I'm letting her go…that she's better off without me."
Steve sighed and tried, "Think on it first hmm? Things will be different soon, Shuri tells me she's ready to start working on your mind just as soon as we get there…"
"And so I need to concentrate on that and Molly…." Bucky paused, swallowing down the pain and sadness he felt inside, "…she needs to be as far away from me as possible."
Steve felt for his friend and decided to try and speak to Bucky again once they were in Wakanda. In the meantime though, in an effort to take the scowl off of Bucky's face he asked, "You really fixed my bike?"
"Well you would never have managed it…" Bucky replied as they made their way back to their seats.
End of Chapter 11