AN: Well here it is guys. The end. It takes place right after the last chapter, so Wanda has just gotten off the phone with Sam.

Anyways, thank you so much for reading my strange little story; it means a lot.
Full warning: Bucky uses some bad language words. And is kind of a nerd.

Wanda hurries out to the car, not wanting to make Bucky have to wait any longer than necessary. She hops in and buckles her seat belt before she notices something odd: there are the usual water bottles and protein bars, yes, but there's also an iced coffee in the cup holder. She takes a sip; it's a mocha. Then she notices the giant bag of M&M's on the console. So her favorite drink and her favorite snack.

And even odder: Bucky doesn't start the engine right away. He seems to be struggling to make himself say something, and it hits her like a ton of bricks. She knows what's coming next.

"It's fine," she cuts him off before he can start. "You don't have to say anything." That just makes him more determined to talk, apparently, so she says, "No, really, I understand. I would not want me here either." She's trying to unbuckle her seatbelt, but she can't seem to work the stupid latch.

"What?" He's looking at her like she's insane. "What are you talking about? Me not want you here?"

He's giving her this endearingly confused look, but then his face drops. "Wait, you think... Jesus, Wanda, I'm not asking you to leave."

"I would not blame you if you did," she says quietly.

"No. No, no, no," he says, becoming agitated. "I was just… I was trying to say sorry." He sighs. "I've really fucked things up, haven't I? I always fuck things up." He leans forward, his head falling against the steering wheel with a thump. "I'm so sorry. You've been so good to me, and I've been horrible to you. I don't know why you're still here." His voice grows quieter. "Every time we stop at one of these dumb gas stations, I'm terrified that you're finally going to do the right thing and run away from me as fast as you can."

She thinks back over everything he's done lately, remembers how agitated he got whenever she took a long time to get back to the car, how he didn't want to stop at all if he could help it. She's misinterpreted the situation horribly. She thought he was acting out of irritation, but it was fear all along.

"I thought I was making things worse," she says, to fill the silence.

He sits up straight. "Are you joking? Are you joking? The only reason I haven't gone completely nuts is because you're here."

"I thought you were going to be the one to leave," she confesses, staring intently at her coffee as she swirls the straw around. "I thought that I'd come out of the gas station and you would be gone."

He doesn't say anything for a long time, and she finally glances up at him. He looks horrified, like he might throw up. "You thought I would just abandon you out here?"

"You thought I would do the same to you."

They're looking each other in the eye for the first time in what feels like ages.

"Bucky…"

"No, Wanda," he says seriously, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I know I've been shitty, but I never thought…" he lets out this frustrated noise, "I don't ever want you to feel like I don't want you around. I do, always." She gives him a look. "Ok, fine, not 24/7, I need space occasionally…"

"Like any normal human being."

"Yes, yes, but I don't ever want you to feel like I don't want you. Because that's the opposite of true, sweetheart. I love you."

It's certainly not the first time he's said that, but it may be the most important time.

"I love you, too, you know. And I think we both fucked up," she says. She considers it a little more and can't help but chuckle. "You know, really, we're perfect for each other. We're both such idiots."

She opens the bag of M&M's and starts eating them with her normal system: eat the blue ones first, so Pietro can't steal them, and pick the red ones out for Bucky.

He's watching her with a fond smile. She offers him a red M&M and smiles back.

It's as if the dark clouds surrounding them have been blown away. It finally feels like they're on a trip together, rather than just trying to escape or wandering aimlessly. A lot of it is an act, both of them putting on brave faces, like they've made a tacit agreement to try harder for the other's sake. But things really are a little better.

They're stopping more often, sitting down in diners and restaurants to eat. One day Wanda asks the waitress what there is to do in whichever town they're in today, she can't remember its name. The waitress tells Wanda about a haunted graveyard nearby which was once supposedly a meeting place for a coven, and before Wanda can even process her excitement Bucky's asking the waitress to draw a map on a napkin.

This starts a routine: Wanda will ask the waiters, waitresses, and gas station clerks about what there is to see in the area, and Bucky will take her to visit anything that sounds interesting or strange. She makes sure to take pictures with the camera Tony gave her on the last day of Hanukkah (and which Peter has been showing her how to use). She can't wait to show some of them to Pietro, like the pictures of the Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail and the World's Largest Ball of Twine, because she knows that without photographic evidence he'll never believe these things actually exist.

She's decided to make the most out of this rare opportunity to enjoy herself and worry about the consequences later, and it seems like Bucky has, too. He tells her ridiculous facts about American history and space, and he grins when she can't tell which ones are true and which ones he makes up. He holds her hand, and he taps his foot when a good song comes on the radio. And sometimes they don't make it to a motel: he'll pull over and push the seat back as she climbs onto his lap, and she'll tangle her hands in his hair as he kisses her senseless.

"So," she asks with a smile, "what do you think?"

He doesn't even bother to respond, staring around in awe.

They've finally, finally made it to the Grand Canyon. It was a difficult trip, and it took much longer than it should have, but it was worth it.

Wanda had worried that it wouldn't live up to Bucky's expectations. This was something he'd wanted to do since before Hydra, before the war, since he was a child, really, and she knows that things are going to be different from how he pictured them.

But the modernization delights him. He's enthralled by the glass platform ("Skywalk!" he corrects her indignantly). He badgers all of the park rangers with questions. They take a helicopter tour, they go hiking, and they watch the sun set and rise.

They're camping, which Wanda wasn't sure about, since she thought it would remind her too much of being homeless in Sokovia. And it does bring up old memories, but surprisingly she doesn't hate it. It turns out sleeping in a tent by choice (not out of necessity) can actually be... nice. Especially when she's sharing the tight quarters with Bucky and not her hyperactive, snoring brother.

In fact, she's enjoying all of this almost as much as Bucky is: she's always loved nature and the outdoors. Her family used to take trips to national parks when she was little. Her mother and Pietro would both groan and complain, though, so eventually Wanda and her father started going alone. They didn't talk much on these trips, but that was kind of the point. They would get up as early as possible and drive for hours, crossing borders they weren't technically supposed to cross and spending money on petrol that they really couldn't afford. But as her papa said, "It was worth a little trouble to be able to breathe and think freely." Her mother had rolled her eyes with a smile, but Wanda knew exactly what he meant. Even after all these years, after the memories of her parents have faded to the point where sometimes she forgets what they looked like, those trips she and her father took, and the lakes and trees and waterfalls they saw, are still crystal clear in her mind.

She tells Bucky all this one morning while they're waiting for sunrise. She can tell he's surprised, because she never talks about her childhood if she can help it. He listens quietly and looks touched that she's sharing this with him.

"Papa would have liked you," she says, and she knows it's the truth.

They've finally decided it's time to leave, but Wanda insisted that Bucky get one last look, because who knows if they'll ever make it back here? So they're standing on a spot that a ranger recommended, and she was right. The view is spectacular. And miraculously, they're alone, even though it's a beautiful day.

Well, OK, not miraculously. Wanda may have been using her powers to make other people avoid the place. Normally she doesn't like to manipulate people like that, not anymore, but every now and then it's necessary. And Bucky deserves this quiet moment.

The look on his face says it all. He's not smiling, but he looks...open, unfiltered in a way he hasn't in a while.

He's been happier since that conversation in the car, yes, but she knows he's at least partially been playing a part for her benefit. And as much as she appreciates that effort, she appreciates this more. Seeing him standing there, just reacting, not worrying about how a normal person should react and adjusting his face accordingly, really is kind of miraculous.

This is the Bucky she fell in love with. The man who, despite everything that's happened to him and been done to him, was strong enough to still have a tiny bit of hope. Who was willing to trust her (her of all people) enough to let her see all his secrets.
This is her Bucky, and she's missed him so much.

And there's no way in hell she's going to let anyone intrude on this moment.

They're heading back to the Tower. It's time; they're both as ready as they'll ever be. They're not in a hurry, though, so Wanda asks Bucky to stop so she can stretch her legs. There are a bunch of pretty wild flowers by the road, and since she forgot to charge the camera battery at the last motel (which is entirely Bucky's fault for distracting her all night long) she digs her phone out to take some pictures. By the time she comes back to the car Bucky is sprawled out with his arms behind his head, smiling as the sun hits his face. He looks utterly relaxed.

Of course she takes a picture. And she sends it to Steve without a second thought, because they always send each other pictures of Bucky and Natasha and all their teammates doing silly things and being happy. It's habit, even after weeks of not talking to Steve.

She hesitates for a second when she realizes what's happened, but she doesn't regret sending it. And she's certain it was the right thing to do, so she also sends "I'm really sorry".

They've started driving again when Steve responds.

"I'm sorry, too. We'll talk when you guys get back."

He takes a long time typing the next message, and she knows he's both struggling to hit the right tiny buttons and debating how much to say over the phone.

She's missed her friend.

He finally sends, "Glad to see him so happy."

Her throat is tight as she answers, "Me too."

And she is. She's incredibly grateful that she gets to see Bucky so happy, that he let her come on this trip with him, that out of all the people in the world she's the one sitting next to him. She has no idea how she got so lucky.

She doesn't realize she's started crying until Bucky squeezes her thigh and asks if she's all right. She nods, and she smiles, and she says that she's more than all right. And she knows it's the truth.