Relentless

A big grin crossed Zara's face as she closed her suitcase and fastened the lock. She lifted it off the bed and propped it against the wall beside Bucky's. She made a mental note to thank Stark when she saw him tonight at the party, he'd very, very graciously given her his credit card, plonked her down in front of a computer and told her to 'go nuts'. She'd behaved herself - as much as she loved shopping online - and bought clothes for both her and Bucky. Plenty of board shorts and shirts for him, and summer dresses, skirts, bikinis and a few pieces of lacy lingerie for herself. She bit her lip thinking of how good his reaction to the matching red set was going to be. Just for good measure she'd bought herself a hair straightener that she could also curl with, and some new makeup as well... There may or may not have been a couple of pairs of shoes in there as well.

Holy crap, I'm turning into a girl...

She let out a chuckle at the thought, her cherry Doc Martens catching her eye in the corner of the room, making her smile.

Well, not too girly thank god... Only a part time girl...

She glanced at Bucky's alarm clock that was beside the bed, she'd have to start getting herself ready for tonight. She felt her hair which was finally dry, all she had to do was put some loose curls in it, slip into her dress and 'put a face on' as she liked to say.
When the straightener was hot she started taking chunks of hair, straightening the roots and twisting through the lengths. She pondered the last two weeks which had gone past rather quickly. Not a whole lot had happened since then, Reeves had discharged herself from the infirmary and they'd had a couple of brief chats. Zara had thanked her profusely for helping her get out that day, for the car and phone, and for everything that she'd done. As it turned out, she'd suspected Thomas of being under some sort of control, and she'd been right on the money. She'd had quite a few sessions with him, and so far not once had his story changed, even when she questioned him from different directions. They couldn't be sure what exactly had transpired with him, but they'd get their answers when Candice arrived in the next few days.



Zara smiled to herself as she blotted her lipstick and fluffed her hair. She'd pulled the bathroom door shut when Bucky had come home, not wanting for him to see her till she was ready. She sat on the edge of the bath to slip into a red pair of pumps and clasp her bracelet onto her left wrist.
"Zee, you ready, babe?" Came Bucky's voice from the other side of the door. She smiled, shaking off the butterflies in her stomach. From the second she'd pulled the tight little black dress on, she'd doubted her decision to buy it. It was a simple bandage dress, straps were on the thicker side and it was almost backless. Definitely a daring choice for her to make, but she was feeling good, and she wanted to knock Bucky's socks off. She turned in front of the full-length mirror as she let out a breath.

Here goes nothing...

She made her way to the door and unlocked it, pulling it open. Bucky stood up from lacing his shoes, his mouth wide open, and for that second she doubted herself, thinking it was a bit much and she should change...
"Holy shit..." He breathed, his mouth curving into the same sexy smile that it did when he was about to get lucky. Zara giggled as he made his way over to her, his lip between his teeth and his hands reaching out to settle on her hips.
"Like it?" She asked a little shyly, his fingertips pressing into her as he let out a throaty chuckle. "I'll take that as a yes then..."
"Do you think we have time for a qui-"
"No. No we don't" She giggled, putting her hands to his chest. "But when we get back tonight we'll have plenty of time" She said, giving him a playful wink.
"I'll hold you to that, Jones..." He purred, leaning to kiss her neck below her earlobe. She closed her eyes and exhaled, feeling her heart race a little. Bucky smiled against her skin, letting out a chuckle as she pushed him away.
"You're a tease..." She said as she turned the light off and headed for the door, turning to wait for him.
"I'M a tease? Says the girl with legs for days and a body that could stop traffic..."
"Um, have you seen YOUR body lately?" Zara chuckled as they stepped out into the corridor, Bucky smiling as he locked the door behind them.
"Seems we're a good match then" He said, putting his elbow out.
"That we are" She smiled, looping her arm through his.



Bucky held the door open for her and she stepped in, her eyes scanning the room as they had the habit of doing these days. She felt his hand give her shoulder a squeeze, both their eyes darting up on hearing a familiar voice.
"Bucky!" Steve called, waving to them both. They made their way over in single file through the small crowd that had formed. Steve stepped in to kiss Zara's cheek, his cheeks flushing red a little as he complimented her outfit. Bucky grinned, making some remark about finding Steve a girl of his own, the three of them laughing together.
"Oh, before I forget, we have a couple of new members here on our team" Steve said, calling out to the young man and woman behind him.
"This is Wanda Maximoff" He said, "Wanda, this is Zara Jones" He said, gesturing between the two girls who smiled warmly at one and other, shaking hands.
"And Wanda, this is my good friend Bucky Barnes" He added, "Bucky, Zara, this is Pietro Maximoff, Wanda's twin brother"
Pietro took Zara's hand, raising it to his lips to kiss, making her giggle.
"Miss Jones, you must be an angel, no?" He asked, looking mesmerized, into her eyes.
"Um, most definitely not" She chuckled, embarrassed.
"That's even better then," He purred, giving her a wink. Bucky cleared his throat loudly, interrupting them.
"Bucky Barnes" He introduced himself, gripping Pietro's hand tight enough to make him uncomfortable as he shook it. Pietro raised a brow at Bucky, muttering a 'nice to meet you' as Bucky put his arm around Zara's shoulders.
"You two are..."
"Yeah, we are." He said, giving him a smile that was not 100% friendly. Zara bit her glossy red lip to stifle her own laughter. She'd never seen Bucky possessive and as much as she shouldn't admit it, she found it hilarious.

"I might go get a drink, Buck. Want one?" She asked, the bar catching her eyes. She definitely needed something to help her loosen up.
"No thanks baby, I'm good" He smiled, giving her a kiss on the temple.

"Makes his girl get her own drink..." Pietro murmured to Wanda, loud enough for Bucky to hear. Bucky shot him a somewhat dangerous look, making Wanda giggle.
"I'm capable of getting my own drink, I'm not a princess" Zara said, giving him a smile.
"Oh, I beg to differ..." Pietro disagreed.
"You're just begging for an ass kicking, Maximoff" Bucky threatened, snapping into 'angry Bucky' mode. Pietro took a step back, seemingly not the only person who'd suddenly become worried. Zara grabbed him by the arm, shaking her head at him when they made eye contact. Bucky gave her a wink to let her know he was still in control, Pietro taking his cue to leave and go hit on somebody else for a while.



Zara blew out a breath as she headed for the bar, ordering a shot of Jack Daniels and a mixer. The second she swallowed the shot she felt better, allowing herself to breathe, feeling the tension fall away from her. She picked up the Jack and Coke mixer, turning to step away from the bar when a familiar voice called out to her.
"Zeejay!"
Zara grinned when she saw Jess hurrying over as quick as she could in her too-high heels. Zara let out a chuckle as she put her arms out, Jess hugging her tightly.
"Oh my god, don't let me fall over" Jess chuckled.
"Not in a million years" Zara promised, flagging the bartender down who came and took Jess's order. "How are you feeling? You look gorgeous!" Zara enthused, stepping back to admire Jess's emerald green satin mini dress and black pumps.
"Feeling awesome, and if I look gorgeous, you look like a fucking model" She laughed, downing a vodka shot and chasing it with a mixer. The girls clinked glasses, turning to look around the room.
"Sam looks cute, doesn't he?" Jess said, looking over at Zara who nodded in agreement.
"I heard he's single..." Zara said, taking a sip from her glass.
"Yeah, so did I, that's why I bought this dress, I heard he liked green." Jess said. "How do I look, be honest..."
"Jess you look HOT" Zara grinned. Jess grinned back, fluffing her hair and adjusting her boobs.
"Bucky looks cute as well..." She said, taking a sip of her drink, Zara agreeing with her again as they admired him from across the room. "It's such a shame isn't it?" Jess said, disappointment in her voice.
"What?"
"That he's off the market and even worse I heard Jones was here tonight. That's his girlfriend"
Zara just about spat her drink out, her hand going to her mouth as she forcibly swallowed it down. Jess's eyes shot over to her, Zara barely able to contain her laughter.

"I know, right?" Jess said, taking in Zara's reaction, "We have to scope this chick out. I bet I can guess who she is..."
"Jess, I know who she is-" Zara said with a kind smile.
"Don't you dare give it away. I want to test my intuition."
"No, you don't understand, it's m-"
"Zee! Hush, puppy!"
"Okay, but just for the record I tried to tell you."
"Yes, noted." Jess chuckled. Zara rolled her eyes, biting her lip as she tried to contain her laughter.
"Now let's play a little game, what kind of girls does Barnes go for? I'm tipping tall, leggy blondes. Think Jessica Simpson in Dukes of Hazard" Jess said, sounding every bit the psycho-analyzer.
Zara laughed out loud as she swallowed the last mouthful of her drink, the bartender bringing them another round.
"Not even CLOSE" She chuckled. "He can't stand ditsy, barbie girls."
"What about the brunette next to him, she's pretty. Maybe he goes for girls like that?" Jess said thoughtfully, looking to Zara for a clue.
"That's Wanda Maximoff, and they've just met, but you're getting warmer to his 'type'!"

Jess let out a breath and frowned as she took a sip from her glass, eyes scanning the room for potential girls, and ended up locking eyes with Sam who shot the girls a smile. Zara waved at him, making him wave back, and before long he excused himself from his conversation to join them.
"Stunning..." He said, gesturing at them both, making them giggle. He hugged kissed each of them on the cheek and after a bit of small talk, Zara excused herself to head to the bathroom to give them some privacy.

Bucky was deep in a circle of conversation, seemingly mediating between Steve and Tony which was nothing unusual. Every so often Pietro would wander over to stir him up a little which Tony found highly amusing. As much as Zara was tempted to stand and watch, she let them be and headed to the ladies room.
She looked up from the stream of hot water as she washed her hands, catching the face of a pretty blonde girl in the mirror looking right at her. Zara stood, yanking a length of paper towel from the dispenser, drying her hands and tossing the paper in the trash.
"Hey Zara..."
"Hey Rachael, how are you feeling?"
"Much better, thanks to you" She said, embarrassed, looking down at her feet for a moment before making eye contact. "I just wanted to say thank you for getting us out of there. I know we really got off on the wrong foot - and that was completely my fault - but yeah... I just wanted to thank you, and say sorry for all the stupid shit I did."
"Oh, Rachael, that's fine. Don't even mention it." Zara said, waving her hand as she spoke.
"No, it's not. I was so freaking jealous of you, and I know I caused a lot of trouble. I'm really sorry Zara. I think about it a lot and I wish it never happened. I was a total bitch, and deserved everything I got."
Zara cocked her head as Rachael's big brown eyes glazed over, pulling her heartstrings. Zara stepped over to her, arms out and gave her a big hug, Rachael hugging her back.
"Apology accepted" Zara said as they pulled away.
"Thanks Zee, it means a lot. Please pass my apology onto Bucky as well. I don't like my chances of getting near him without being shot or strangled" She chuckled. Zara nodded and promised to pass the message on, leaving the bathroom and heading back over to the bar again.

She stepped back out into the main room, tucking her lip balm back into her tiny sequined clutch, looking up to lock eyes with Bucky across the room. She shot him a flirty smile, letting her brow arch a little as she closed her eyes and reached up to fluff her hair. She gave herself a mental high five when she opened her eyes again, satisfied with her efforts when he bit his lip in response. Zara stifled a giggle, staying 'in character' as she turned to make her way back to the bar, letting her hips do the talking as she walked across the room. She turned her head for a second, checking over her shoulder to catch him still watching her, shaking his head as he did.

"He hasn't taken his eyes off you all night" Jess said, a slur in her voice as the night wore on. Zara giggled, realizing that wasn't the only one who'd had a little more to drink than intended.
"What are you talking about?"
"Barnes. I think Barnes is hot for you. There. I said it." Jess said, hands up and eyes closed like a preacher. Zara cocked her head thoughtfully and gave a shrug.
"You think I'm his type?"
"Honey, in that dress, you're everyone's type. Maybe even my type if I keep doing these shots!" She said, making the two of them laugh. "He hasn't had a girl near him all night - well none that he's even bothered to look at, anyway. If Jones really is here then obviously they're avoiding each other. I think they're on the rocks - we never see her anywhere. Hell, I think he spends more time with YOU than he does with her, and to be honest I always wanted you guys to pair off. you're so cute together" She said, going a little doe-eyed as she smiled.
"You're such a sap..." Zara chuckled. "Now can I tell you who it is? Please? This is getting embarrassing"
"Oh my god he's coming over here" Jess said, smoothing her dress and checking her makeup in the reflection of her glass.
"Of course he's coming over, he's probably heard every word you've said. Gotta be careful what you say in earshot of a super soldier" She giggled as Bucky closed in on them, wrapping an arm around her waist.
"You're both right" He said, cocking a brow, "I do hear everything, and you..." He said, looking into Zara's eyes as he pulled her closer, "...have been driving me crazy all night."

He tilted her chin with his metal hand, kissing her a little too passionately than was appropriate in public. Jess let out a loud, excited "WOOOOT!" making Zara laugh as she pried herself away from Bucky.
"I knew it! I KNEW it!" Jess exclaimed loudly, Bucky joining in on the laughs. "Good friend award to me for setting you hotties up" She added, Zara shaking her head.
"We've been together a while" Zara admitted with a smile.
"What? How long!?"
"Longer than memory serves" She said, looking over at Bucky and back at Jess. "Jess, do you seriously not know who I am?"

Jess shook her head, frowning with confusion as she did the math in her head, shrugging when she still came up with nothing.
"Jess... I'm Zara Jones" She said, watching Jess' mouth drop open. She shook her head in disbelief, looking back and forth between her and Bucky who nodded, confirming what she'd said to be true.
"Well fuck me sideways... YOU'RE really Zara Jones?"
"Yes, I'm Zara Jones, I promise" She chuckled as Jess pulled her in for a hug. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the truth, nobody was allowed to know, both for my safety and theirs. Coulson made my identity confidential..."
"The same Zara Jones who blew up a Hydra base? Obviously not the same Zara Jones who died in the Hydra battle-"
"Actually yeah, that's her, one and the same." Bucky said, his expression softening, "But I got her back..."

Jess threw her hands up as she absorbed the new information, shaking her head.
"How the hell do you die in battle, and come back to life? How does someone- Why would- Oh my god I have a million questions..."
"I didn't die, I was taken. Well I did die, but they brought me back to life-"
"-What was it like?"
"I have no idea-"
"They wiped your memories?"
"Yes-"
"So they-"
"-Jess" Zara cut her off. "I promise to answer all your questions, but let's enjoy tonight and talk about it another time?"
"Sure, oh my god I'm sorry... I'm just all like... Wow!"
"You're not mad at me?" Zara asked, cringing a little.
"No, not at all, well maybe a little, but not really... I can't believe my best friend is Zara freaking Jones... Zeejay... Z.J... I don't know how I didn't get it, I feel like such an idiot. Do I call you Zara now?" She stammered, rushing through her words as her brain ran at a million miles per hour. She raised her hand to call the bartender over who put another cocktail in front her. Jess took a gulp of her drink and placed her hand to her forehead, suddenly realizing she was quite drunk. Bucky reached out and steadied her with his hand, earning a grateful smile from her.
"Call me whatever you like. Zara, Zee... Stark calls me Zeejay which is where it came from."
"And where did Morgan come from?"
"Seether fan" Zara chuckled, earning a nod of approval from both Jess and Bucky. Jess downed the last of her cocktail, her eyes drifting to the empty area in front of the DJ booth. She shook her head in disappointment.
"I think I've had enough to drink that that dance floor needs us" She said with determination. "Think they take requests?"
"Let's go ask!" Zara said, taking her hand as they made their way over to the booth. Bucky flagged Sam down, who made his way over when he heard a great dance track come on, a groove in his step. He gestured over to Jess, giving him a smile, Sam grinning back to him.
"What do you say we show these girls a good time?" Bucky called over the music.
"Only if you can keep up, Barnes!"



Zara sipped at her Gatorade bottle as she approached the 2 person quinjet, Bucky throwing their suitcases in the back and climbing into the pilot's seat. The door on her side popped open, Bucky leaning out the door with his arm out to pull her in. He reached up, flicking switches overhead, the engines coming to life as the doors closed.
"I can't believe Tony lent us a jet..." Zara said in amazement, Bucky flashing her a smile as he buckled himself in, nodding to her belt, prompting her to do the same. She let out a yawn as she tightened her safety belt, still gripping her Gatorade as she watched him push the lever to set them in motion.
"How's your head?" He asked, poking fun at her.
"Much better after an aspirin, that's for sure!" She laughed. "What a great night..."
"It really was, wasn't it? Hopefully you can get some sleep when we're in the air" He said, reaching over to give her thigh a squeeze.
"I need it, you kept me up all freaking night" She chuckled.
"Well, you'll keep that in mind next time you strut around in tight little dresses and stilettos" He said, giving her a wink which made her giggle. "Ready?"
"Ready"
"Here we go..." He said, his hands going for the control, making the engines roar. The jet rolled forward, taking off into the air fast but also incredibly smoothly. A smile crossed her lips as she looked over to Bucky who'd interlocked his fingers with hers, returning the smile. The sun was just starting to come up, making the sky glow pink and orange. They were fortunate enough to get a clear morning, and as they headed towards the ocean the view was only going to get better.
Bucky reached up and flicked another couple of switches, bringing up a light on the display in front of him.
"And noooow... We're invisible. Nobody can find us" He said, the corner of his mouth curving into a smile. "I've officially kidnapped you" He chuckled. Zara let out a breath that could only be described as one of relief - times a hundred. She let her body relax into the seat, her man beside her at the controls and the whole world opening up in front of them...



***



Zara giggled to herself as she sipped whatever delicious, fruity drink the bartender had handed her. It had to be melon and lime, maybe a dash of pineapple in there? She had no idea. They'd flown to a nearby island where a huge party had been thrown, some sort of traditional festival near the beach. The local nightclubs had opened their doors and Bucky had gotten them into one of the more exclusive ones when he'd flashed enough cash at the bouncer. Zara stirred her drink with her straw, the ice clinking against the glass. She was careful not to spill any on her short, floaty white dress. Life was too short to not wear white she'd decided, besides, it showed her tan off and made her feel like a movie star. All those hours lazing around with Bucky on the beach in the sun had certainly paid off.
Bucky had made a quick dash to the men's room, Zara waiting for him out on the dance floor, not wanting to miss any action. She smiled to herself as she danced, thinking of their past three weeks, they'd done everything he'd promised. Even given the swimming thing a go which had started out with her hanging onto him for dear life, much to his amusement, and ending with her eventually swimming independently. They'd even gone snorkeling down in the reef, Zara surprised at just how balanced and graceful he'd been underwater. She'd assumed that he'd find it hard, especially guessing how much heavier his metal arm was compared to his flesh one, but once again he surprised her with just how adaptive he was.

Lots of things about him surprised her, she'd enjoyed getting to know him away from the chaos that was their day to day life at Shield. Relaxed Bucky was a whole other person it seemed, he was so much fun to be around, and she was sure she'd never laughed so much in her whole life.
"Hey there" Came a husky voice as she was hugged from behind, a familiar metal arm holding onto her tightly.. Zara giggled as she playfully tried to push him away, feeling his lips on her neck, kissing her, his teeth finding her earlobe.
"Look what I found..." He purred, holding a Polaroid camera in front of them.
"Oh my god, where did you get that!?"
"Oh, that is a secret, Miss Jones" he chuckled, "now smile..." he added, holding it up in front of them with his flesh hand and taking a few snaps. She felt him kiss her cheek, snapping another couple of shots. Zara giggled, it seemed that 'exhibitionist Bucky' was making another public appearance. She felt his metal fingertips tracing her collarbones and tightening at the base of her neck for a moment.

Such a poser.

"Now close your eyes and kiss me..." He whispered. She grinned and obliged him, feeling him reach out to take another snap of them, making her laugh when she pulled away.
"Keep those eyes closed" He said, "I have one last surprise for you. Trust me."

Zara nodded as she felt him take her hand, and put the photos in it. She smiled nervously, biting her lip, her brow arched.
"Count to three, and then open them. I'll be back for you, Zara. Don't you worry about that..." He said, dramatically, turning her body and letting her go. She giggled again at his antics, counted to three silently, and opened her eyes. She looked around, not really sure what she was looking at and suddenly she was a little annoyed. She blew out a breath, noticing that her drink was gone, maybe he was getting her another. She looked over towards the bar, and couldn't see him. Her heart picked up its pace a little, she didn't like suspense, and Bucky usually knew better than to put her in these kinds of situations. Maybe it was the whiskey, she could smell it on him when he kissed her just now...

But Bucky didn't have a whiskey, he had a cocktail with me... Unless they're serving them in the bathroom..

Zara's stomach knotted as she looked back over to the men's room door in time for Bucky to step out, giving her a smile and a wave. Suddenly she felt sick as she peered down at the photos in her hand, picking the top one up off the pile and giving it a shake. If Bucky was just coming out of the bathroom, then who the hell had she been kissing? She peered back up to Bucky who'd picked up on her worry from across the room and was quickly making his way over to her.
Zara's eyes drifted back down to the photo she'd been shaking, the picture developing quickly before her. She covered her mouth and let out a scream, tears leaking from her eyes. Bucky ran the last few steps, concern on his face as he read her terrified reaction. Wordlessly she thrust the photos at him, watching his face change from worry to rage as he gripped her around the wrist and ran from the club, dragging her behind him.

There was a fresh jet cloud above them, spurring Bucky on even more as they made their way to their own Jet. The doors popped open, Bucky getting in and then pulling her in, checking the radar to find it empty.
"FUCK!" He cursed, slamming his hands down on the dash, making Zara jump. He was so angry he was shaking as he pushed the button to close the doors and activated the radio controls.
"Stark, this is Barnes, come in" He said aggressively as he flicked through the photos, pausing when he came to one, looking over at Zara, trembling in the seat beside him. He let out a breath, catching eye contact with her, only for her to look away, tears still coming from her eyes.
"Hey..." He said, turning her face with his flesh hand.
"I'm so sorry, I thought he was you... She stammered, pulling a tissue from the travel pack she'd shoved under the seat.
"Don't you dare be sorry, that fucker tricked you, and I'm going to slit his throat...I'm going to make him BEG me to slit his throat..." Bucky said, his voice dangerous. Zara's lip trembled as she blotted her eyes.
"He has a metal arm the same as yours, I stupidly assumed nobody else had one, it didn't even occur to me till afterwards that it was on the wrong fucking side... I'm so stupid!" She fumed, "I don't blame you for being so mad-"
"I'm NOT mad at you, Zee. This isn't your fault, okay?" He said, leaning over to kiss her, wiping her cheek with his thumb. "Guy with a metal arm comes up behind you and starts-" He paused, jaw clenched, letting out a breath to calm himself. "Well, what were you supposed to think? It's not your fault."

He made another radio call, both of them buckling themselves in as Bucky got the jet airborne, not nearly as smoothly as usual.

"DAMN IT STARK, ANSWER ME!" He snarled into the radio for the third time.
"Fucking hell Barnes.. Do you have any idea what time it is!? What's going on!?" Came Tony's tired voice through the loud speaker. Zara looked over towards Bucky who was in full 'scary boyfriend mode' as they accelerated through the sky at an almost sickening speed.
"I need you to track a jet near us, I've deactivated stealth mode" He said, hearing Tony groan in the background.
"I've got you guys, but nothing else in the area, except for commercial flights... Might make it easier if I knew who I was looking for?" He said, after a few moments, sounding tired and bored.



"Grant Ward" Came Bucky's reply, his voice full of venom. "He found us, and he threatened Zara."
"Shit, is she okay?"
"I'm fine, Stark" She croaked out, blotting her eyes with the tissue again. "Just a bit rattled. I don't know how he found us, we did everything right."
"Sit tight honey, you're safe with Barnes. You guys get your asses back here and we'll track the son of a bitch down, and take him out." Tony said, bringing their co-ordinates up on an interactive map.

Bucky let out a single chuckle, a cold, remorseless look on his face. His eyes shot up to meet Zara's and he let out a breath as he reached over to tighten her safety belt, pulling the loose end on each of the shoulder straps hard, making her gasp.

"No. He's still close. I'm going after him, and when I find him I'm going to rip his fucking spine out..." He snarled, hitting the stealth mode switch again, wiping them off the grid.
"Hold on, babe..." He said, watching her as she gripped her harness, giving him a nod. He rolled the jet on its side, turning aggressively and forcing it into full speed, sucking them both back into their seats as he followed the clouds that had been interrupted by the other jet.
Zara jammed her eyes shut, trying to block the situation out. She'd been promised time away from the field until she'd gotten a firm hold on all her skills, and here she was being literally thrust back into it. Her heart raced and she found herself clenching her jaw, trying to settle herself. She already was a bit of a nervous flier, and here she was stuck in a stealth quinjet doing high-speed aerobatics with a super soldier at the wheel. A super soldier that someone had pissed right the fuck off...

She opened her eyes, glancing over at Bucky, that look of determination on his face sending a shiver down her spine. She definitely didn't envy Grant Ward right about now. His expression softened when he realized she was watching him. He straightened the jet and reached out to take her hand.

"You okay over there?" He asked, noticing the color had drained from her face. She nodded, swallowing her nerves as best she could, her hands still gripping the harness tightly.
"Hey..." He said, his voice soft now as he reached over to take her hand, giving it a squeeze. She closed her eyes and blew out a breath, opening them as she turned to face him.
"Are you with me?" He asked, his blue eyes looking into hers.

"Always..." She breathed, getting her bearings back again. She gave his hand a squeeze, earning a smile from him which seemed to give her the strength she needed

"Good. Lets go get this asshole..."