Come Back With Me

Do You Love Him?

"Ellie?" Bucky asks.

"Jaime?" She responds.

It sounds like him but did she really do it? Did she really break through to him?

"It's me," he whispers.

She flings herself into his arms. She couldn't bear to see him like The Winter Soldier. She's so relieved that she was able to break through to him. She should've never doubted him because she's seen time and time again how strong he is.

He hold onto her like a drowning man on some drift wood.

How could he have forgotten her for even a second?

It's been eight years since he last saw her and she's just as beautiful and amazing as she was when he left.

"I'm so sorry I left you, you have to know I never wanted to leave you," he murmurs into her hair.

"I know, love," she says.

He pulls back and looks at her.

"Are you happy?" He asks.

Her happiness is always what's been important to him. He knows she must have gone through hell when she thought he died.

"I'm happy," she whispers.

"I saw you with your kids. You sang them our song," he says.

He knows she's married but there's a large part of him that's really glad she never let him go completely.

"The song always brought me peace so I always hoped it would bring some to my children," she says.

"What're their names?" He asks.

"Steven Anthony... and James Buchanan," Lizzie says.

He freezes because he can't believe that she actually named one of her children after him. He needs to know what that means.

"Do you love him?" Bucky asks.

She knows that they aren't talking about the twins anymore.

She can't tell him that she married future him. She hates that she has to hurt him because she knows whatever she says is going to do that.

"Yes," she whispers.

There's a question he desperately wants to ask but no matter the answer, it's going to be painful.

"Do you still love me?" He asks.

"I'm always going to love you," she says honestly.

She will always love Jaime. She loved him when they were just kids and she'll love him when they are old and gray and every stage in between.

He's her Jaime, but he isn't her husband. Her husband is at home with her babies worried sick or possibly grieving if Steve thinks she died.

As he looks at her, he thinks of all the things that could've been. He knows that she'll never go for it but he has to ask. He doesn't want to go through the rest of life wondering about what if's.

"If I asked you to run away with me, would you?" He asks.

He can see instantly what her answer is from her expression. Maybe if she didn't have the kids, she would agree but she would never abandon her children.

"I know it was a long shot but I had to ask. I'm so glad you're happy and you got a family, I just always thought it would be with me," he says.

Lizzie has tears flowing down her cheeks. She hates seeing him in pain, she always has.