Hallowed (B. Barnes)

Chapter Forty-Seven

Bucky can't let Sydney go. Not yet. He's not ready to sink back into reality. So for now, he holds her. Her body curled into his chest, his arms around her, her head on his shoulder, her fingers clutching to the back of his jacket. Dean shifts on his feet, uncomfortable with what's happening. He clenches his jaw and shares a look with Sam who shakes his head, telling him to just let them get on with it but Dean snorts and turns to Sydney and Bucky.

"As great as this is" Dean offers, but doesn't sound pleased at all. "We still have a case. Two dead people....the Nazis"

"Right" Sydney whispers in agreement then runs her hands over her face to calm herself down. Bucky's hand touches the small of her back, curling into her jacket. Terrified he's going to blink and she'll be gone. "Urm..." She looks at Bucky who seems to understand that he should introduce himself here. She's not really sure what to call him anyway. He'll always be James to her, but that's not really his preferred name.

"Bucky" Bucky offers. "Or James..." He looks at Sydney who smiles a little. "Bucky" He corrects himself looking at her brothers. She is still the only one he likes calling him James.

"Barnes" Natasha comments as she moves to his side. She gives him a look and he realises that he is still working. That this is still his job. His mission. To investigate this incident. And now Bucky knows Sydney's involved, he assumes this is something to do with the supernatural. "Natasha Romanoff" Natasha introduces herself.

"Sydney Winchester," Sydney tells her. "Sam and Dean...my brothers"

"Your brothers" Bucky whispers as he looks between Sam and Dean. He remembers talking about them. A lot. He knows that things happened. That she hadn't spoken to them in a very long time. Yet here they are. Together.

"It's a long story" Bucky looks at Sydney to find her watching him back, talking to him.

"After" Dean warns and gives Sydney a look. She just rolls her eyes back at him and nods for them to go upstairs.

.........

Bucky walks with Sam and Sydney as she leads them onward. This whole place is creepy. The antique items give off a weird vibe. Bucky doesn't like this place. Probably because they don't know what caused two people to turn to ash and anything could be lurking around the corner waiting for them.

"So if you are here that means this is something....supernatural?" Bucky asks Sydney who shrugs slightly. They don't know yet.

"Maybe" She answers. "That's why we're here. To find out" She leads them into a back room where she'd found her clue.

"Yeah. What was it that you...." Sam starts but falls silent when he and Bucky enter the room full of Nazi relics. "Oh. That's, uh...Wow"

"I know" Sydney agrees as Dean and Natasha join them. Each of them is as surprised as she was the first time she came in here. "Looks like Scrooge McDuck lady got her rocks off by collecting Nazi memorabilia" She offers Dean who snorts and gives her an amused look.

"So this might not be a you thing after all" Bucky comments as he looks around the room.

"Normal people don't just burst into flames" Sydney teases.

"What could do that?" Natasha asks her.

"Urm hex bag, a cursed object...." Sam answers instead with a shrug. "Hmm according to Marv's ledger, the watch belonged to a member of Hitler's inner circle" Bucky raises an eyebrow at Sydney who turns to Sam.

"So where is it now?" She asks him

"I don't know. The police didn't report finding it" Sam answers. "And I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that it's probably not out there" He nods out the door. "And probably not in here"

"Yeah" Dean agrees.

"I mean...Nazi connection? The immolation M.O.? Sound like anybody we know?" Sam turns to Dean who frowns a little before he realises.

"The Thule" Dean answers. Sydney frowns.

"The necromancy guys?" She asks.

"Right, you weren't here the last time we dealt with them" Dean comments but there is a tone there too. Sam raises an eyebrow at his brother. Sydney understands though. Dean's mood is sour because they ran into Bucky. Not because he's jealous or being protective of her as his sister. No...He's scared she's going to run off again. With Bucky this time. He's scared of her leaving them and it being another fifteen...twenty years before they see her again, if they ever see her again. She can read it all over his face. He's seeing it happening again. Sydney chooses to ignore him instead. Bucky and Natasha share a look, clearly both reading it as much as everyone else. Being spies. It's easy for them.

"So maybe they took the watch, and torched the bystanders" Sydney offers. Dean lets out a breath and looks around the room.

"Nazis" He complains. "I hate these guys"

"I think everyone does" Sydney comments as she glances at Bucky, his fingers clenched into a fist.