Wanda's water broke as they were ordering coffee and tea from a shop down the street from their apartment. She was about to ask if they could take the coffee to go, that she wasn't feeling great, the nauseous creeping up her neck. She was wearing a pale blue dress, the light material helping her body temperature cool, when she felt wetness gush between her legs.

Shock made her freeze, afraid to look down, knowing full well what was happening. She shook her hand, squeezing Bucky's hand feebly, but he was still speaking to the man behind the counter about their drinks.

"I can't do this," she whispered, squeezing his hand again. "Bucky."

Looking down, she glanced at the fluid by her feet, her head becoming dizzy. She opened her mouth, trying to say his name again, but she was falling sideways. A pair of arms catched her tightly, steading her. She found Bucky's eyes, trying to open her mouth again, but winced as a small prick stabbed her neck.

Bucky's eyes went hard, glaring at the man holding his wife. "Get your hands off her."

"What's the matter, Winter Soldier? I'm just here to say congratulations."

Bucky reached for her, but the man tugged her away and she was shoved into a chair.

The bubbling panic in her head intensified, and she tried to sit up. She could have this baby without him. Looking down at her dress, the material stuck damply to her knees and calves and she swallowed hard. Trying to make the fog around her dissipate, she pressed her hand to her belly. The baby kicked and she could nearly feel its panic. Lifting her head up, she found Bucky being grabbed by the front of his shirt by the man that had caught her. She recognized him; he had ordered in line before them.

Dragging his head forward, the man spoke quickly into Bucky's ear.

Wanda spotted the blood on his shirt, dripping from his nose. The panic nearly consumed her and her eyes welled up.

Swimming his fist up, Bucky hit the man with an uppercut that nearly broke his jaw. Wanda raised her hand, unsure of what spell to cast, unsure of how she can help, and completely unsure of how she could fight her husband.

Bucky was bleeding from his nose, dripping into his mouth and stubble. The last time she'd seen Bucky with blood from his nose was when the trigger words had rendered him mute, dragging the Winter Soldier back to the forefront of his persons.

She couldn't fight him and not hurt him.

She would never hurt him.

But she had to protect their baby.

The man must've been enhanced, because he got back up from a hit that should've killed a normal person. He swung, but his arm suddenly paused, a moment before it hit Bucky's head.

Bucky turned, looking wildly for his wife. His jaw was tight from focusing against the words, the words that once held so much power over him. Now they couldn't control him, but frightened him all the same. It was a pale comparison to Wanda.

Standing slowly, her eyes burned bright red, right hand twisting slowly as tendrils of red move between her fingers.

"I am going to have my baby today," her voice was deadly calm, as if she wasn't moments from delivering, as if she wasn't nearly kidnapped. "And you aren't going to get in my way. So you need to leave now."

The man had gone rigid still, neck veins protruding as his face turned red. His skin was strained, eyes bulging, and small red lines grew from his eyes where blood was dripping. As the foam protruded from his mouth, Bucky spun wildly.

"Wanda, stop," he demanded, looking between the man and his wife, who didn't look anything like her. "Wanda!"

At the sound of his voice, she faltered, emerald eyes blinking in confusion. Bucky rushed to her, cupping her face as he spoke quickly. "We're okay. We're goin' to be fine, but you need to stop, please..." Glancing over his shoulder, he looked at the man, knowing full well she was killing him. "Wanda, please. You're going to kill him."

"He was going to hurt our family," she whispered, a dazed look on her face.

Bucky kissed the side of her head. "No, he won't. He tried, but he failed," he mumbled into her hair, watching her arms slowly lower. "No one's ever going to hurt you again."

Her hands dropped, in which Bucky let out a relieved sigh as he heard the man gasping for air behind him. Bucky whirled around, hauling the man to his feet as the police entered, weapons drawn. "Who are you?" he seethed, face inches from the other man.

He was still gasping, still struggling to breath but he smiled, his teeth crooked. "Hail HYDRA."

Bucky dropped him in disgust, leaving him for the police to handle.

"Bucky, the baby's coming."

Wanda was stark white, her bottom lip trembling as he scooped her into his arms. Clint and Sam entered closely behind the police, dressed in their hero attire, and Wanda was sure she was going to puke from the dizziness.

The rage that Bucky had been controlling was starting to leak through, but she couldn't make out all his words, couldn't focus on his face. So she pressed her nose into his neck, arms around his shoulders, trying to ground herself in his essence.

"She needs to be looked at now. she was injected with something---"

"Are you su--"

"I can fucking smell it on her, Clint!"

Wanda felt him put her down, the surface of whatever she was laying on was too soft and she shifted uncomfortably.

"They want her to go into labor, and they fucking got it." Bucky was pulling his hair, one hand gripping hers tightly. "But it's too early. She's only 34 weeks. Banner said she had to be 36."

Wanda realized her eyes were shut, and when she peeled them open, she was being lifted into an ambulance. Clint and Bucky were far away, but she could still hear them, and she smiled deliriously at the power her baby had lent her.

"We've got this, go take care of her," Clint said, voice hushed. "You gotta be with her for this. If you miss this, you'll never forgive yourself."

"I need to fucking find them," Bucky snarled. "They tried to take her from me. I'll kill them all."

Looking around wildly, Wanda gripped the hand of a S.W.O.R.D. agent, hard. "I need Bucky. I-I can't do this without him." She inhaled deeply, blinking a few times as she slowly realized the pain in her abdomen were contractions.

"We're ready to move, let's go," the agent stated

Wanda grinded her teeth. "Not without him." The agent ignored her, and she sat up, taking a deep breath before she shouted, "James Buchanan Barnes, get your ass over here right now, or I will never let you see thi--" She was cut off by a contraction, the pain squeezing her so hard her ears rang.

"Let's go, we've gotta go now!" The ambulance doors slammed shut and she sobbed. Would she really have this baby alone?

He hadn't answered when she called for him. He'd always answered her. Always.

She sobbed again, the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Wanda, it's gonna be okay." Cool metal fingers touched her cheek gingerly, and her eyes flew open, being met with his cloudy blue ones. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he whispered, lacing his hand with hers. "I-I didn't...I let my guard down, I should have never--"

"Bucky?" She was breathing quickly, squeezing his hand, trying to realize he was actually there and it wasn't just a dream, remembering that she wasn't actually alone.

He kissed her fingers. "I'm right here." Kissed her knuckle. "Not goin' anywhere." He paused, letting out a sigh. "Apparently, you've got my back, too. That was some intense magic."

"They were going to hurt you again," she whispered, feeling her jaw clench. "Your nose was bleeding. I thought that the words would make you...I couldn't let that happen."

He nodded, giving her palm a light squeeze. "I know. It didn't. I'm sorry it scared you." Another contraction rippled through her and she wheezed, eyes furrowed, and Bucky reminded her to breathe deeply. "We're almost to the tower. They're expecting us. Just a little longer, sweetheart."

"What if I can't do this?" she whimpered.

His eyes softened, and he stroked her hair with her free hand. "You're one of the strongest people I know," he assured her. "You can do it. We get to meet our baby soon."

She gave him a watery smile, tugging his hand closer. "Promise not to leave. Don't leave."

"I promise," he whispered, kissing the back of her hand. "Never."