Date : 14.11.18
Title : Memory In My Heart
Author : ElaineDex
Chapter : 16 of 16
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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Bucky tried not to wince as Molly squeezed his hand, giving a low, growling moan as another contraction took her and even though Bucky had hated his metal arm, he had to concede that it would have been beneficial in this instance and he bit his lip as Molly's nails dug just a little deeper.
"You're doing great Moll…" he told her once her grip had loosened and he felt he could speak without sounding pained, after all, he was hardly in as much agony as she.
"I need to push," she replied, her eyes turning to the midwife who was attending her.
"Not yet Mrs Barnes…not yet…" the woman replied and Molly let out another growl of frustration and tried to relax in between contractions, as she'd been told to, but it was getting harder and harder, the pain more unbearable.
She laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes, feeling the sweat running from her hairline and she could have cried when she felt Bucky dabbing gently at her skin with a towel.
"Thank you…" she murmured softly, her eyes opening and as a moment of panic gripped her she asked irrationally, "You won't leave me will you?"
"I'm going nowhere…" Bucky replied reassuringly, bending to kiss her forehead, "…I wouldn't miss this for anything…" Indeed, he had been surprised to learn that he was even allowed to be by Molly's side at all throughout the birth. He remembered how it was back when he was a kid and even just before he'd signed up; men were told in no uncertain terms to wait in another room of the house whilst their wives birthed their children and there was no going to any hospital that was for sure.
He looked around the bright, clean room that Molly had been given in the Wakandan hospital and was grateful for medical advancement.
As Molly lifted her head again, he felt her grip tighten on his hand and he steeled himself as another contraction left her gasping and red in the face.
From that point on things got more intense until eventually, and much to Bucky's relief, Molly gave one final push and their child was born and both he and a panting Molly watched as the midwife checked the baby and announced, "Congratulations! You have a son…" and as if on cue, the baby let out his first cry before settling as he was placed on Molly's chest.
"A son…" Bucky murmured, sounding in awe as he bent to kiss first Molly's forehead and then the baby's.
Molly smiled and nuzzled at the baby before resting her head back on the pillow to look up at Bucky.
"What shall we call him?" she asked as the midwife began to fuss around her.
"I…I'm not sure…" Bucky replied, one name coming to his mind, but they hadn't discussed what to call their child up to that moment and he wasn't sure how to broach his thoughts, but, almost as though she could read his mind again, Molly asked, "What was your father called?"
Bucky smiled and shook his head.
"George…" he replied, looking at the baby and Molly reached to catch Bucky's hand.
"George James Barnes…."
They exchanged a look and the silent decision was made.
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For the first couple of weeks after George was born, Molly stayed with him at the apartment as it was easier to deal with a newborn in a place that had good facilities and it was only when she felt she had recovered from the birth herself did she, Bucky and the baby move into the farm house.
Life was simple, but it was good and Bucky had never felt happier; even his mind gave him a break as the nightmares stopped.
"Do not get too complacent about them though," Shuri warned as they left her lab one day, "They might yet return, so be prepared…do not let them take from you what you have worked to build."
The warning had sounding a little ominous, but Bucky had tried to brush it off as he walked home, Shuri's words forgotten as he entered the farm house to find Molly feeding George and he watched, spellbound as his child suckled at his mother's breast.
OoOo
It was two months until Bucky's next nightmare and waking in a cold sweat, he left the house early to tend the animals, trying his hardest to wipe the dream from his mind…images of war and lives lost haunting him until he made to return home and the dream became a reality.
On the edge of the field where he had been working, T'Challa awaited him, a long box sat on a table, its lid open, a few soldiers dotted here and there, watching.
Bucky approached, looking at T'Challa who appeared sombre.
It took Bucky a moment before he could bring himself to look at the contents of the box, almost already knowing what he would see when he did….and he wasn't wrong.
The arm was a magnificent piece of work, art and technology and a part of him could see and appreciate that much at least…the rest….
Sighing deeply he murmured, "Where's the fight?"
"On it's way…" T'Challa replied, looking truly sorry for bringing this to Bucky's door.
Somehow resigned, Bucky followed the King back to Shuri's lab, listening to the explanation for the new arm and the reason he was needed…the new enemy that threatened not just Wakanda, but the world.
T'Challa continued to speak whilst Shuri fitted Bucky with the arm and he carefully avoided her eyes, not wanting her to see how much he hated this…how much he didn't want this…he didn't want her to think he was ungrateful for all she had done for him…how much they ALL had done for him.
Much later he returned home, moving his arm this way and that, getting used to the feel of it and when he stepped inside the house, he turned his body so that Molly wouldn't see it straight away.
"Hey…" she said softly, placing George down in his basket, "…we were starting to get worried. You don't normally stay out all day…are the goats okay?"
"They're fine…" he replied, but his assurance only made Molly frown and she stepped closer to him, her eyes searching his face and he looked down as she said, "And what about you? James, what's the matter?"
Taking a breath, he slowly turned to face her so that she would see the new arm and for a moment she merely stared before in the end, the urge to touch it proved too much and she traced her fingertips over the intricate markings that were engraved in it.
"It's Vibranium…" she stated, sounding a little in shock.
"So I'm told…" Bucky replied, his tone making her lift her eyes to his and what she saw there was not good.
"Why?" she asked, her voice low and Bucky knew what she was asking.
"There's a new threat…a new enemy…they need everyone…"
"But you…" Molly shook her head, "…you've done enough! I don't understand….what threat? What enemy?"
Bucky reached for her as her voice began to get louder, his hands holding the tops of her arms.
"I have to help Moll. Steve and the others are coming too…they'll be here in a couple of days and now we know why he hasn't been in touch…"
Molly shook her head, denial raging through her. "No! Not you…not now…George needs you! I need you!"
As tears blurred her vision, Bucky pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as a whole world of pain threatened to engulf him. Molly clung to him, burying her face against his shoulder. A part of her knew he had to do what was right, that if he could help the Wakandans face this new threat, then he should, but oh how unfair she felt it all to be. Bucky had been through enough and he didn't deserve this.
"When this is over…we should leave…we should go somewhere where we…" she hiccuped through her tears and Bucky pulled back enough to cup her face with his own hand.
"Come to bed…" he told her, "…I need to love you…"
Molly nodded and swallowed her tears, unmistakeable desire running through her at his words, her own need to be close to him allowing her to temporarily block everything else out and checking that George was safe and sleeping soundly, she let Bucky lead her through to the bedroom.
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The morning of the inevitable came and at first Molly refused to acknowledge that Bucky was leaving. It was only when he emerged from the bedroom dressed in combat style clothes that she stopped what she was doing, her hands shaking too badly for her to continue on and Bucky took them in his.
"It'll be alright…" he told her softly and though she wanted to believe him, a terrible sense of foreboding had been growing within her for days now.
She nodded and swallowed tears as best she could as Bucky released her hands and crossed to where George lay in his basket, watching as he scooped the baby up and cradled him.
"You know that you have to evacuate to the palace grounds before nightfall?" Bucky said, knowing already that she did, he just wanted to hear her confirm it again.
"Yes…" Molly said, feeling cold and numb, the thought of him having to leave making her feel sick with fear.
Kissing the back and breathing in his unique baby scent for a moment, Bucky then lay George back down and crossed to Molly, pulling her into his arms to hold her tightly.
"You know I can't promise you Moll, but you have to know I will do everything I can to come back to you both…"
Molly nodded, unable to speak, holding him tightly instead and returning the kisses that he gave her until eventually he moved away and headed for the door, where he stopped and turned back to look at her.
"I love you…" he told her and through her tears she replied, "And I love you…"
Then he was gone.
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Bucky couldn't help the wry smile that came to his face as he walked toward Steve from behind T'Challa. They hugged and Steve smiled and asked, "How you been Buck?"
"Not bad…for the end of the world…"
There was something almost comforting about knowing he was going into battle with Steve at his side. It gave him hope…
24 Hours Later
The explosions were getting closer, Molly was sure. She cradled George against her as the people around them began to panic. There were cries of, "We should leave here…" and "Save yourselves…" and as she tried to make her way toward the part of the palace where Shuri's lab was, chaos seemed to erupt all around her.
Picking up her pace, she all but ran through the corridors, the explosion ahead of her taking her by surprise and what happened next seemed to happen in slow motion. As smoke and debris flew toward her, she turned, wanting to protect George from the blast, but he stuck one of his little arms out like he was waving and somehow deflected a huge piece of metal pipework before it hit them, sending it flying in the opposite direction as it glanced off of his tiny hand.
Molly screamed, thinking that her two month old son would have serious injuries to his small hand and arm, but when she crouched down, hunched over him as the dust from the blast settled and checked him, he seemed perfectly fine and for a moment she struggled to understand and then it hit her.
The super soldier serum that Bucky had been injected with must have somehow transferred to his son. How was that even possible? Was it even possible?
Molly looked down at her innocent baby and felt a whole host of emotions run through her. If it was true and if anyone ever found out….
Standing, she tucked George more closely against her and picked her way through the rest of the damaged corridor. If she could just get to the lab she might be able to test George and find out if what she had seen was some incredible fluke or if indeed hers and Bucky's son had Winter Soldier Serum in his DNA.
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Time had lost meaning for Steve, indeed the same could be said for everyone who had fought and lost someone in this fight. His feet felt heavy as he made his way toward the area where he had been told Molly had been moved to, his eyes meeting hers across the room full of the injured and he saw how she held hers and Bucky's son against her as though he could ward off the bad news that he had to deliver.
He came to a stop before her and she looked up at him, tears already filling her eyes.
"Molly…" he began, but she shook her head and he paused, wondering if to give her the tiniest bit of hope that he himself was clinging to, the look of intense loss and pain on her face persuading him that it was worth it.
"He might not be gone…there may be a way…"
The End