It was a week later when Lucy woke up feeling wrong. That wasn't the best way to describe it. She hadn't felt right since Bucky left, but this was different, worse. Something was very wrong, Bucky was...hurt, maybe more.
Lucy had no idea how she knew just that she did. The woman didn't question it, she launched from her bed, sprinted out of her apartment and banged frantically at Steve's door with all she had.
She didn't stop to think that it was 5:13 in the morning, and that she was wearing bikini panties and a tank top that left nothing to the imagination.
The door opened so suddenly that Lucy beaned Steve in the nose with her fist. She heard a sickening crunch and the side of her hand ached from the impact.
Lucy pulled her hand to her chest and rubbed it, while Steve lifted a hand to his bleeding and broken nose.
"Ok was not expecting to get a broken nose from a civie at.." Steve looked at the watch on his wrist "5:14 in the morning. What can I do for you Lucy."
If things hadn't been so urgent with Bucky the situation would have been a hell of a lot more awkward.
"Bucky." Lucy whimpered. "something's wrong."
Steve changed in an instant. He went from the sweet puppy dog Steve to Captain America. It was like a whole different person stood in front of her. If it weren't for the nose bleed that still dripped down onto Steve's white tank top then Lucy would have sworn an alien abduction and switchero had taken place in front of her.
"What happened." Steve demanded reaching out and grabbing her shoulders.
"I don't know, there's just something... I feel it here." Lucy said frustrated at not being able to articulate it and pointing at the center of her chest.
"Ok it's ok." Steve said, but Lucy wasn't sure if he was saying it to her or himself.
"I'll try calling him," Steve said, turning and disappearing into his apartment.
It took Lucy half a second to process that statement before rage flowed out of her belly. She stomped after Steve.
When she located him he was standing by the counter with a phone pressed against his ear.
"Are you telling me, you have contact info for Bucky and you didn't share it with me?" Lucy asked, shaking.
Steve wasn't paying attention to her, he was tapping his finger impatiently and holding the phone in a white knuckled grip.
Lucy could hear the sound of faint ringing on the line, but no response. Steve slowly lowered the phone to the counter.
"No answer." He rasped out.
"Steve you have two seconds to hopefully correct what I just heard and saw. Because you can't be telling me that you have had Bucky's number and you didn't give it to me."
Steve must have finally clued into her presence and temper because when he turned, his eyes were big and he took a hesitant step back from her.
"I want an answer."
"Umm maybe"
"Ok, that's it. You're dead. He is dead. He better wish he is in life threatening peril because if he is not I'll kill him myself."
"Look.." Steve said, raising his hands toward Lucy in a placating manner.
"Don't even think about justifying this. He is my soulmate. For the last 14 days I have wanted to tell him how I feel, and haven't been able to and now he's hurt or worse. So you can either help me or fuck off." Lucy said then stomped out of Steve's room and to her own.
She could feel him trailing after her like the lost puppy dog he could be. Lucy rolled her eyes but ignored him. She went to her bedroom and started digging through the pile that was mailed to her by Bucky.
She finally found what she was looking for and pulled out a slip of paper with a number written on it.
"What's that?" Steve asked, curiously as she passed him in the hall headed back to her kitchen.
"None of your damn business Rogers, since we're obviously keeping secrets from each other." Lucy snapped.
The woman caught Steve's wounded look out of the corner of her eye, but she was too pissed to care.
She grabbed her new stark phone off the counter and opened it with her thumb. She punched in the number and pressed the phone to her ear.
It rang.
"Hello." The female voice answered on the other side of the line.
"Hey Katerina, it's Lucy. I'm so sorry to disturb you at this hour, but it looks like Ivan managed to get himself in trouble without me."
She heard a soft chuckle on the other side of the line. "Of course he did, the fool. Doesn't he know by now that it's better to take your soulmate with you."
"About that, how did you know that he was my other half?" Lucy asked conversationally, hopping up on the counter and getting comfortable.
A full blown tinkling laugh came from the other side of the phone. "Oh honey, We knew his name wasn't Ivan. The poor boy is a terrible liar. But we also understand the need to protect one's identity. It's hard to miss the scars and the look he gets in his eyes. We knew he was hurting, but when we saw him with you he looked so at peace. Nicholas and I may be old but we can still put two and two together."
Lucy couldn't help the laugh she let out at that.
"So what can I do for you Lucy? Our entire empire is at your disposal so you can bring that boy home."
"Oh Katerina this is why I love you. Honestly I'm not sure. I figured you guys would be better at finding missing people then I would be. For one Bucky, that's Ivan's real name, took the gun you gave me. Told me he didn't trust me with it or something."
