Hallowed (B. Barnes)

Chapter Forty-Nine

Dean walks ahead of the little group as they leave the diner, he's not interested in playing nice with a man he is internally blaming for keeping Sydney away from his family. He's wrong, but it is helping him deal with this. It helps him deal with the fear that she is about to walk out on her family again. Bucky walks with Sam and Sydney and Natasha brings up the rear texting in their changing circumstances to their superiors.

"So according to our contact there isn't much news about the Thule doing anything here" Sam explains as they head down the street towards their parked vehicles. "They've been doing a lot of work in the Fatherland...They're closing ranks. All jumpy. Apparently, something big is going down, something called Das Blut..."

"The blood?" Bucky asks him, and Sam nods.

"Yeah, he says that all the Thule high command are in one place..."

"You think that this pocket watch has something to do with...Das Blut?" Sydney asks, Sam shrugs.

"Well, we have nothing else to go on" Sam points out as he puts his phone away. "We'll see what we can find out about this new body" They approach the Impala, and Bucky touches Sydney's hand, silently asking her if she'll be going with him or with her brothers. He's hoping that she'll join him. They're going to the same location so it shouldn't matter too much. It's not a big deal. But it also goes noticed by Dean. He's watching them like a hawk as he leans against the car.

"Syd will be coming with us" Dean is quick to point out, and with a tone that literally means no one is to argue with him. Sam turns a look at his brother as Sydney lets out a breath. She and Bucky share a look. Bucky knows that Dean is going to be difficult. That's pretty obvious. Bucky knows that falling out with her brother a second time isn't what Sydney wants, he knows how much she regretted how it ended with them all and he won't be the reason that happens. He nods in agreement.

"You should go with them" He offers, she nods a little and turns to Dean who clenches his jaw and looks away. Knows her scolding eye when he sees it.

.........

Sam and Natasha head-on into the apartment building whilst Sydney, Bucky and Dean stay outside. Dean was reluctant to leave Sydney and Bucky alone, out of his eye line. He really is scared of losing her again, especially to love. He's been there. And it took them almost two decades to get back to a point that works for them. If she leaves again, with their line of work, he probably will never see her again. And he can't deal with losing more family. Not with Mary in the wind. Not after everything that they have been through. Sydney glances around the gathered crowd that always seems to come out when the police are out in force. Trying to work out what it is about all of this that is bothering her because something is. Sydney narrows her eyes as she looks around, sniffing at the air before her eyes land on a police car close by. She touches Bucky's arm, his eyes flickering to her as she walks away. Towards the car. Weaving through the crowd. There is a young girl inside of the police car when a young man approaches it. But he's not wearing a uniform. He doesn't smell like law enforcement. They tend to have a distinct smell to them. Sydney slows, lingering in the crowd, blending in but watching. The young man opens the car door, handcuffs the girl to the inside, slams the door shut again before he climbs into the front seat. Sydney looks back over her shoulder at Dean who has shifted to watch her. He nods at her and she nods back knowing what he is asking of her. 

.......

The police car pulls into a parking garage before it stops—the engine cutting out. The parking garage falls silent except for the dripping water that is falling from a broken pipe. Inside the car, the girl, Ellie, is watching the young man who has essentially kidnapped her as he clenches his jaw, pulling his cell phone from his pocket.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Ellie asks. "Please. Okay, look, look, I-I will give you whatever you want. Okay? I-I don't really have any money, but my grandparents left me stocks. Just – just, please, tell me what's going on"

"Oh, my God. Do you ever shut up?"

"Where you going?" Ellie asks as the young man opens the car door and climbs out. "Hey, you can't leave me here! Hey!" He shuts the door behind him, ignoring her cries and pleas for help. He moves towards where a black SUV is parked and begins searching for the set of keys that should have been hidden for him to use. He holds his phone to his ear as he moves.

"Father..." He speaks into his phone. "Yes, I have her. I'm here now. It's all locked. That is not fair. You know, I try with you. I really do. But you expect me to be a mind reader," He is still searching for keys. "And it's exhausting" His rant is interrupted by the clearing of a throat. "Father, I gotta go" He hangs up and then turns to find Sydney stood there, her hands in her pockets. She pulls one out to show him that she has the car keys for the SUV. She smirks a little and shrugs. 

"Family drama's a real bitch, right?" She asks him as veins creep up her face before she lunges towards him.