CHAPTER SEVEN:
GUARDIAN ANGEL

CELESTE STOOD THERE, AN EYEBROW raised as she looked at Bucky who was standing at her front door with a look on his face. One that made Celeste cock her head slightly before holding up a hand and walking away from the door before grabbing a coat Peggy had allowed her to have, placing it over her arms before grabbing her house keys and walking outside, locking the door behind her.

"Walk with me?" Celeste requested. He nodded and the two started to walk down the road, and for once it was day and not night. Though Celeste had to admit that she did enjoy looking up at the stars when they walked, wondering what the other angels were doing up there without her. "Alright, talk to me. You have this look on your face, and it's honestly making me worried."

"You have the same look on your face." Bucky noted, making Celeste frown slightly. Bucky nodded his head. "I want to enlist for the war. And so does Steve. But, he won't qualify because of all of the problems that he has. And I guess I'm just scared for him."

"Wait, you want to be in the army?" Celeste asked, and suddenly fear started to creep within her. Maybe this is what she was supposed to protect him from. Maybe this was why her father had sent her down here. This was her purpose.

"Who doesn't?"

"Me." Celeste answered. "I don't Bucky. It's dangerous. A lot of things could happen."

"I'd lay my life down if that's what it took to defend this country." And that was what worried her. She bit the inside of her cheek, her eyebrows furrowing. "But that's not why I have this so called look on my face."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I called Eve last night. Her mom isn't doing so well. And Steve was sick last night, so she's got a lot on her shoulders. I'm worried about her. I don't want her to get too overwhelmed." Celeste frowned slightly at the news.

"I hope her mother's okay." Celeste frowned. "I actually met her the other day. She seems like a real sweetheart."

"Funny. She said the same thing about you. Apparently you saved her?" Bucky rose an eyebrow at this, wondering what the story was behind that.

"I did." Celeste nodded. "A guy wouldn't let go of her and I thought I'd step in. Arrived just in time if you ask me. In fact, Evelyn looked like she was going to murder the poor bastard."

"My, you and Eve are the only two girl's I know that curse." He sounded amused by this and Celeste chuckled.

"Bucky, I'm pretty sure Evelyn and I are the only girls that you do know." Celeste smiled, shaking her head. Bucky smiled at this as well making Celeste wrap her arm around his, leaning her head on his shoulder as they continued to walk.

"What do you say we stop for a bite?" Bucky questioned, glancing down at the girl with a small smile on his lips as he watched her look up at him through her eyelashes.

"I'd like that very much kind sir." The duo made it to the nearest restaurant, one that allowed for you to eat outside. They ordered their food, sitting there, eating, and talking to one another as if they had known each other for years. But the entire time, that worry was clawing at the back of her mind. And as she sat there, she couldn't help but think about something she had thought about since she first met Bucky. Should she tell him about what she was? It had been a weight on her shoulders, one that had been lifted off momentarily when she told Peggy, but even then she hadn't met Bucky yet so the weight was full force.

"Doll, is everything alright?" Bucky's voice snapped her from her thoughts, making her blink and look up at him. She forced a small smile on her face, nodding her head.

"Yeah, everything's perfectly fine. Just thinking, that's all."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Celeste pursed her lips for a moment before sighing, shaking her head and then placing a small smile on her lips. "It's nothing. I just. . . I'm worrying myself that's all."

"Is this about wanting to join the army?" Bucky questioned. He took her silence as an answer. "Celeste, for all we know I won't qualify."

"Please." Celeste scoffed, rolling her eyes slightly. "You're a healthy fit guy that has the strength to hold a gun. Of course you'll qualify."

"Don't worry about me, alright?"

"Too late." Celeste sighed.

"You sure everything's alright?"

Celeste nodded, swallowing before she started to stand up. "Yeah, listen, I'm going to go. I've given myself a headache from thinking so much and I need to lay down. Thank you for lunch though."

"You're welcome." He watched as she stood up, grabbing her things before turning on her heel and quickly leaving. The man was confused. He thought that maybe it was just him and she just seemed to be acting weird, but when he saw her stop halfway down the sidewalk, he knew it wasn't just him. He paid for their food before standing up, furrowing his eyebrows as he watched Celeste turn around and make her way back towards him.

And the first words that left her mouth surprised both of them. "Bucky, I'm not who you think I am." When the words left her mouth she froze and started to panic. She was silently cursing herself in her head, wondering why she just said what she said.

Bucky stood there for a moment, confused. "What do you mean?"

Now she had to answer. She had no choice but to continue the words that had mistakenly fallen from her mouth. She closed her eyes before opening them and meeting his eyes. "I'm not exactly human."

"Oh?"

"I'm an angel." There, she said it. She let the words fly from her mouth, and suddenly her shoulders seemed even more tense, standing there and awaiting for his response. But his next worse immediately allowed the weight to fall from her shoulders, a breath of relief coming from her lips.

"Doll, I already knew that."

Celeste chuckled. "You flatter me, Barnes."

He smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "I try."

"But seriously. . ." Celeste sighed before nodding for him to walk with her, which he did. "That first night that we met, that you took me dancing, I told you that I came here looking for someone." He nodded his head, remembering that conversation. "That I was supposed to protect that person from something, I just didn't know what. Well. . . you are that person that I'm supposed to protect."

"What, like a gaurdian angel?"

"Yeah." She pursed her lips before looking up towards him. "You are taking this extremely well."

"A woman that claims she's never been dancing but dances like you had, I knew there was something up." Celeste smiled, shaking her head. "So, what are you supposed to be protecting me from?"

"That I still have yet to figure out, but even if I knew I wouldn't be allowed to tell you."

"A rule book?"

She sighed. "Sadly. In fact, I just broke another rule by telling you what I am. I'm just waiting for my father to appear and rip me away from earth and assign another angel to protect you."

"Well you better not break anymore rules then." He told her, making her cock an eyebrow at him. "I don't want a guardian angel if it isn't you." Celeste shook her head, biting her lip as she tried to hide the wide smile that formed on her face. She was surprised at how well the conversation had gone, and quite frankly, she wished she had told him sooner.