Chapter Text
Bucky’s bike skidded as he braked, heart seizing when he saw the broken railing and the faint glow of taillights below.
"Keira!"
The bike tipped on the slick road but he didn't care. He sprinted down the hill. The rain was relentless, soaking him through his clothes, lightening brightening up his surroundings for a moment. The car that had collided into her was still on the road, a man climbing out, a bloody cut on his head but he seemed fine, just dazed a little. But right now his only concern was Keira and making sure she was safe.
He reached her car, running over to the drivers seat he ripped the door open and his heart could have fallen out of his chest at the sight of her. She was laying on the wheel, her head to the side and blood everywhere.
"Keira?" he called out to her but she didn't move.
Bucky carefully undid her seatbelt and gently carried her out of the vehicle, her head falling back like a ragdoll, her eyes closed and blood pouring down her face from the injury on her head. He got down on his knees, his body was so close to collapsing as he settled her down in his lap, moving hair away from her face, watching as the rain dropped against it. He wiped her cheek and checked her pulse on her neck, it was faint, but there.
"Keira, hey," he called out to her, gently shaking her. "Hey, look at me, sweetheart. Can you hear me? Open your eyes baby."
Bucky wiped the rain from her face, panic rising in his throat and clawing at his heart.
"Please," he whispered, voice broken. "Don't do this to me," he begged, brushing her wet hair from her face as a tear fell down his face.
The roar of repulsors filled the night air and a moment later Tony landed beside them, face pale behind the mask.
"No - " Tony started but his voice failed him.
"She's still breathing," Bucky said, his voice ragged and still fixed on her. "But it's faint."
Bucky stood with her in his arms and started to walk away.
"Where are you going?" Tony demanded, grabbing his arm but Bucky carried on walking.
"The hospital, where else? I'm not waiting for a fucking ambulance!"
Tony's jaw tightened as he pulled him back again. “Let me take her,” he said firmly. “I’ll get her to the hospital a lot faster then you.”
Bucky frowned and shook his head but Tony's grip tightened.
"Let me help her Barnes, I swear on my life I will take care of her."
Bucky hesitated only a second before nodding, hands shaking as he laid her carefully in Tony’s arms. Her head rested against his chest, her eyes never once opening and fear clawed deep in his chest.
"Please...I can't, she -"
"Buck, it's all gonna be ok," he assured him but Bucky was afraid, this might be the last time he would see her alive.
Tony gave him a nod before taking off into the storm, leaving a broken and tearful Bucky, standing there and watching them disappear off into the night sky. He felt so fucking helpless he could scream.
Suddenly, he remembered the other guy that was involved in the accident and in a flash he picked the guy up from the floor and shoved him up against his car. The guy cried out in pain, already injured from the accident and now in total shock at the brutality of Bucky's anger.
"If something happens to her, I swear to fucking god i'll -"
"It -it wasn't me I swear!" The man begged him, holding onto Bucky's metal arm that kept him up against his vehicle. "She swerved into me, I swear to god! Plea -please don't hurt me my -my wife she -she needs me."
Bucky was so angry he wanted to kill the man standing right in front of him, but he knew when someone was scared, when someone was telling the truth. He let the man go and caught him before he fell to the floor before grabbing his phone and calling an ambulance. He told the man to stay clear of the road and wait for the ambulance before he ran for his bike and took off.
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The hospital waiting room was too bright, too sterile. Bucky hated hospitals, the noises and the machines in the background, waiting around and feeling completely helpless. It was torture and he knew torture, but this seemed worse somehow. The rain was still heavy outside, the sound of the raindrops lashing against the windows and the steady clock ticking away on the wall was driving him crazy.
Bucky hunched forward in the chair, his elbows on his knees, eyes tracing the faint streaks of mud and blood on his hands, her blood...
Tony was pacing the far wall, still in his suit but without the helmet. The waiting game was getting to him too, he had desperately tried to go in with her, but even despite his popularity he was told to wait.
The others had arrived one by one. Steve was first, his jaw set tight. He sat next to Bucky and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to anchor his best friend once again, just like he had months ago when Keira had been taken and tortured by Hydra. Bucky remained stoic but Steve knew he was dying inside. He was scared too, they all were.
Wanda was stood crying, her hand over her mouth when Tony recalled what had happened. Natasha held her, a tear also falling down her face. Banner on the other hand walked straight back out of the room, guilt written all over his face. Natasha followed him out and gripped his arm gently.
"It's my fault," he said, rubbing a hand over his face.
Natasha shook her head and punched him in the arm.
"Ow- hey! Are you craz -"
"Shut up Banner. Don't do that, blaming yourself like that. Keira was determined, hell I would have probably done the same. Nothing you could have done would have stopped her from finding out the truth."
She tugged on his arm and made him look at her, "Do you understand me?"
Banner looked away with a sigh but nodded, he knew Natasha was right, Keira was never one to back down.
Their attention was cut short when they spotted a doctor walk into the room, they joined the others and listened to what he had to say.
Bucky and Steve rose from their seats as they all gathered around the doctor who seemed exhausted. Bucky's breath stuck in his lungs as he waited to hear the news. They were all frozen, like none of them could muster up the courage to ask what they all wanted to know.
Tony stepped forwards, his voice sharp but full of fear. "Is she okay?"
The doctor hesitated, just a fraction of a second, but it was enough to make Bucky's stomach drop.
"She's stable," the doctor said finally, adjusting his glasses. "The surgery went as well as we could’ve hoped for. We were able to control the internal bleeding and relieve the pressure caused by her head injury. Given her history of previous head trauma and amnesia, we’re going to keep a close eye on her neurological responses over the next 24 to 48 hours."
"But she's gonna be ok?" Bucky asked, needing to hear once more that everything was alright.
"Yes, she will stay in ICU for monitoring and once we’re confident everything is progressing normally, we’ll move her to a regular room."
Bucky’s voice was rough with exhaustion and fear but he felt like he could finally breathe again. “Can I see her?”
The doctor studied him for a long moment before nodding once. "I'm afraid she's not awake yet, but you can visit her. She's in room 9G."
Bucky didn’t wait a second longer, he just strode past the man, rushing down the hall toward Keira’s room without another word from anyone else in that waiting area. He spotted her room and stepped inside, only for his breath to leave him once again.
Bucky slowly walked towards her, she looked so small in that bed, pale as a ghost under the dim hospital light next to her. He was wrapped up in guilt, if only he had been straight with her, told her the truth, if only he had stopped her harder from leaving. It was all his fault. If even she didn't remember his once again, he would make sure he spent the rest of his life making it up to her.
He reached for her hand and placed it into his large one, watching her carefully. Wires were hooked up to her, a gas mask over her face, a bandage around her head and a large gauze that had been stitched on the side of her forehead. Somehow, she was still the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, reminding himself of just how fragile life could be when you you loved someone this much and what he would do or sacrifice just to make sure she was safe.
The steady rhythmic beep of the machines that she was hooked up to was the only sound in the room. His thumb skimmed the pulse point on her wrist, counting the faint beat of her pulse, slow and even. Bucky exhaled, shoulders finally relaxing as he sunk into the chair next the bed.
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart" he whispered softly, bringing her hand up to his lips where he placed a gentle kiss. "I'm here, baby. I'm right here."
Bucky watched the slow rise and fall of her chest, every breath like a miracle. His hand tightened on hers, eyes burning as he leaned forward. Despite the nurses telling him he couldn't stay long he remained seated next to her, there was no way in hell he was ever leaving her again. The nurses eventually gave up and decided to let him stay.
Hours passed and Bucky had closed his eyes, his hand never leaving hers. He thought he imagined it at first, but when he felt her twitch for a second time his eyes flew open and he stood above her.
"Keira?"
Keira's eyes slowly fluttered open before closing again, her brow creasing slightly as she moved her head to the side.
Bucky leaned in closer, hovering above her. His thumb brushed over her hand again, applying a smaller amount of pressure. "C'mon... let me see those pretty eyes."
A little gasp, escaped her lips, just a whisper of sound. Then her eyes opened, unfocused and half lidded.
"Bucky?" Her voice was rough, disoriented. "What -“
Bucky swallowed hard, his voice raw. "That's right, babygirl, I'm right here. Can you hear me?"
Keira's eyes cleared slightly, landing on him hovering above her. Confusion faded into a hint of disbelief, as if she needed tangible proof that he was actually here.
"Bucky," she breathed again, fingers flexing in his grip.
Bucky tightened his grip, his eyes burning and his heart full, she still remembered his name. "Yeah... it's me, doll. I'm right here." His thumb brushed against her knuckled again as relief settled over him.
Keira looked at their hands, the hospital sheets, and then back to him, struggling to remember what happened.
Bucky moved closer, squeezing her hand. "It's ok, you're safe." Her gaze finally focused, and in that moment, every emotion he'd been trying to hold back broke.
"I almost lost you, Keira," his voice cracked now, raw and unguarded as a tear fell down his face. "When I saw you in that car…" He shook his head, unable to put the terror that had torn through him into words. "Fuck, doll. For a second, I..."
"You came after me?" she asked, her voice small and quiet.
Bucky smiled and wiped away his his tears before taking her hand in both of his hands and kissing the back of it.
"Of course I did," he answered her, cradling her hand against his heart.
"Don't ever scare me like that again," he managed a strangled half laugh. "I don't know if my heart can take losing you."
Keira's fingers tightened weakly around his, her gaze searching his face. The raw emotion in Bucky's voice, the way he was looking at her like she might vanish if he blinked, it made something deep inside of her chest twist painfully.
"I’m sorry," she whispered, her throat a little sore.
Bucky leaned in closer again, bringing his free hand up to brush a strand of hair from her face. "Don't apologize, sweetheart. Fuck, I'm just… I'm just glad you're awake. I'm glad you're alive. I'm glad you...remember my name this time."
His voice broke on the last word, something that might have sounded like a laugh if it weren't mixed with a broken exhale. He brought her hand to his face, pressing his lips to her palm again.
“We were gonna name her Rebecca."
Bucky blinked, frowning in confusion as he stared down at her.
“What?”
Keira's hand drifted slowly to her stomach, and her eyes glistened as she looked at him. “The baby, we were gonna call her Rebecca. After your sister.”
Her hand drifted to her stomach. "After your sister," she whispered.
Bucky's breath caught in his throat like a knife. His entire world narrowed to that one movement, her hand resting against her stomach, her words slicing through him with perfect, painful clarity.
"You..." He swallowed hard. "You remember that?"
Keira's lips started to tremble as she nodded slowly, tears slipping free now. "I remember everything."
The air left Bucky's lungs in a rush as those words hit him. His hand trembled around hers, the room spinning. She remembered everything? Every painful, broken thing they'd been through together? Every kiss? Every promise? Every moment of joy and every broken piece of them they'd rebuilt over the last couple of months together?
His heart was like thunder in his chest, her face swam in his vision before he cleared his throat. "You -you really remember all of it?"
Keira nodded again, tears streaming silently down her face. "Everything."
Bucky's hand caressed her face, still going slow, because he didn't know yet if he was allowed to touch her like that. Then she looked at him, so damn vulnerable and beautiful.
“I love you Bucky.”
The ache in his chest gave way to something raw. The world narrowed to a sharp point around them, and all he could see was her. Her eyes. Her face. Her body and the genuine love behind her eyes. His girl, his Keira was back. He smiled and for the first time in a long time, he felt like he could breathe, like the world felt less heavy.
"I love you, sweetheart. So damn much." With that he leaned down and gently covered her mouth with his, kissing her until she needed to breathe again.
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Six months later
The compound was glowing with fairy lights, laughter spilling through the living room and music in the background and everyone looked lighter than they had in months. At the centre of it all, Keira stood with a diamond ring on her finger, its sparkle catching every bit of light in the room.
Bucky was beside her, his hand never leaving hers, as if he still couldn’t quite believe she’d said yes. His thumb traced over her ring every few seconds like a habit he’d never shake.
Tony raised a glass. "To the happy couple!" he announced grandly, grinning ear to ear. “Barnes, I didn’t think I’d live to see the day someone would voluntarily put up with you forever, but I guess miracles do happen.”
Laughter rippled through the room. Bucky rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth lifted in a rare, unguarded smirk as he squeezed Keira’s hand again. "Careful, Stark," Bucky shot back, but a smirk still tugged at his lips. "Might have to rescind your invite."
The room erupted into laughter again, Natasha’s amused snort the loudest among them, while Steve clapped Bucky on the shoulder with an approving grin.
But when Bucky turned back toward Keira, his gaze softened instantly. That quiet intensity reserved only for her as she leaned into him, that beautiful smile on her face.
Tony noticed Keira’s empty hand and offered her a glass of the expensive champagne he had picked out for tonight. “Here, sweetheart. You’ve earned it. Stark Industries’ finest.”
Keira smiled and shook her head gently. “No, thank you, Tony. I’ll pass.”
Sam, ever the opportunist, leaned back on the sofa with a teasing grin. “What, you pregnant or something?”
The room went dead silent. Wanda smacked him on the back of the head. “Samuel Wilson!” she hissed.
Sam’s eyes widened. “I -what -I was joking!”
But Keira just laughed softly, turning toward Bucky. He was already watching her, like he knew what she was about to say before anyone else did. Her eyes met his, full of quiet joy.
“Actually…” she said, voice warm and sure, "I am.”
Keira caught his gaze. "...I am," she said softly.
The room went silent again, until chaos erupted.
Tony spat out his drink; Steve choked on his; Nat and Wanda’s mouths dropped open. Then the entire room erupted, shouting, laughter, tears, Wanda squealing, Natasha hugging her so tightly she could barely breathe.
Even Tony stood there, dumbfounded before muttering, “Well, I’ll be damned,” and raising his glass again.
Bucky just stood there behind her, arms wrapping around her waist, his metal hand resting protectively over her stomach. He kissed her temple, whispering something that only she could hear.
Keira tilted her head back slightly, catching Bucky's lips in a soft kiss, her fingers tangling gently in his hair as she turned, the cheers around them fading into background noise.
“Guess the universe finally decided to give us a second chance,” she murmured.
Bucky leaned down until his lips brushed her ear. “No, doll,” he whispered back, “You did.”
The room blurred around them, friends laughing, music swelling, Tony pretending not to cry, but all she could feel was Bucky's heartbeat against her back, steady and certain. And for the first time, it didn’t feel like the end of something. It felt like the beginning.
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A/N: Thank you so much for reading this story all the way to the end!
Every comment, every theory, every moment you worried over the characters or cheered them on, it meant more to me than I can put into words.
Writing this felt like sharing a little world with all of you and seeing you care about these characters the way I do has been the best part of the whole journey. Your support, kindness and excitement truly kept me going.
Thank you for every chapter you clicked, every message you sent, and every bit of love you gave this story. I’m incredibly grateful for you, and I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I loved creating it. ❤️
I am working on a new story and will start posting soon but I do also want to take some time as Christmas is here and I have so much to do. But I promise another story is on the way but please do be patient if the uploads are a tad slow. Once again thank you! ❤️