Hey guys! I have been sitting on this story for a while. It might be a one shot if I don't get enough people wanting it continued, but I wanted to get it on paper and out of my head. Let me know what you think! I love hearing from you, if you like my other Bucky/OC than you'll like this one as well! I am still writing my other fanfics don't worry! When I get inspired by something, I can't stop thinking about it until I write it out. Let me know what you think and if you want to see more. Please don't forget to favorite, follow, and review! Thank you so much.

The Italians and the Russians never got along. It went way back, the distaste springing from their mother countries original hate for one another. What caused the original spark? No one really knows. They spoke different languages, held different customs. It was likely they just hated one another because they were different. As much as we would like to think we are advanced, that we've come so far since the beginning of time, we really haven't. We still fear the unknown. It was sadly human nature to hate what was different from you.

It didn't help when both peoples came to America, only to find that they hadn't escaped each other. It was made even worse when the separate mobs began forming. Two violent, cruel gangs whose people hated each other right from the start. Both wanted to control New York City, but could never truly because the other was in the way. The only thing that both could agree on was that they hated one another.

And that hatred went deep. They had been killing each other off for nothing short of fifty years. Men, women, even the children had been taught to hate and kill. They didn't discriminate. This life was to cut throat for anyone to be soft. They were just getting better at it to. The police had no idea what was going on right under their noses.

Many rumors circulated about where the feud truly began.

The most popular said that the deep hatred began when a man and a women, one from the Italian mob the other from the Russian Mafia, fell in love. They kept it a secret for years, running back and forth to each other and avoiding their family's scrutiny. To make a long story short, the girl's father found out and shot her. Right between the eyes. The Russians didn't tolerate disloyalty. She was supposed to be married to one of his high ranking members, but she was impure. He had to make an example out of her. The Italian man swore vengeance.

He shot his lovers father, rather publically. The two gangs had avoided each other since then, each constantly plotting how to destroy the other. Or so the story goes. Many people don't believe it. A Russian women and an Italian man, both from the mafia, would have never fallen in love. It just didn't make sense.

It had been a long time since the hatred began. Now no one cared why it started, they only cared how they were going to finish it.

In a mansion just outside New York City, the head of the Russian mob, Alexander Pierce, stood staring out the window. Pierce knew that he was a cruel man. He did what he had to do to stay in power. That often meant sacrificing the weak for the strong. Many didn't approve of his methods, but he did what needed to be done. He didn't lose sleep at night and that's all that mattered to him.

Pierce was pleased with himself. He had been giving himself an imaginary pat on the back for the past few months. He had failed at the same task so many times, he had been about to give up. But Pierce never took anything sitting down. It had taken years of work and fake documents, but he had finally gotten a man on the inside. The Italians had no idea that the mole was present.

Sam Wilson seemed like an average guy to the untrained eye. He was ex-military, mid-twenties, looking for money… He was the perfect stereotypical guy who would be looking to enter the mob to make more money. He was a good guy, but when times get rough even good people did bad things. Pierce wondered why someone like Sam had gotten so desperate, he didn't seem like a criminal. But he didn't really care enough to ask. This man was a means to an end.

Getting him inside wasn't easy. Pierce had to pick the man carefully. If he had been too involved within the Russian Mob, the man would be caught. But if the man wasn't loyal enough, they would simply switch sides and give the Italians intel.

Don Salvador did extensive background checks before employing anyone new, so it took no small amount of effort to get Wilson in. Wilsons all around wholesomeness is probably what got him in. Salvador probably didn't expect an ounce of dishonesty from that man. He hadn't been assigned to anything important, just protecting one of the boss's daughters. But being so close to her, he was inside the mansion itself. He would be able to hear things that went on in private meetings. At least that was the goal. Wilson came back to report every other week.

So far, he had come up short.

"What can you tell us about them?" Pierce demanded. He didn't bother to mask his irritation anymore. He was growing frustrated with the constant lack of new knowledge Wilson was bringing back. It had been at least two months since he brought any information worth listening to.

"They're good. Getting better." Wilson responded, standing behind him. "They've been taking a new backroads route to transport their weapons. The transports have between six to eight men. Two sit in the front of the truck, the rest in the back with the goods."

Finally something useful.

That's why his men couldn't get hits anymore. Pierce had to come back from Russia because the American side of the business was falling utterly short. They hadn't manage to steal weapons or drugs from the Italians in months. It was causing some tightness in their funds. It also turned Pierces attention to the lack of strong leadership. After he figured out a way to take them down, he was going to send Barnes to run the show.

The Winter Soldier was cold, empty, and cruel. He had no problem doing the dirty work that lesser men shivered thinking about. He did what needed to be done to make money and further Pierces agenda.

"Interesting" He said.

That still didn't explain how they were managing to avoid them at every turn. Every time his men seemed to be getting a lead, it would slip right through their fingers. They would come up empty. Maybe it was time they simply obliterate the competition.

Something needed to be done. The Triad was beginning to become more and more bold. They couldn't fight both the Italians and the Triad. They would lose ground quickly. A full blown street war between the Russians and the Italians would be catastrophic. The winning side would be weaker, allowing for The Triad to come in and simply wipe out the survivors.

"What about the mansion?" Pierce mused. "The grounds? Would we be able to sneak men in to get rid of them?"

If they cut the heads of the snake, they wouldn't be able to organize a counter attack. Making it simple to sweep in and destroy them in the middle of the night.

"Not likely." Wilson snorted. "The Salvador's mansion is locked tight, a small army patrolling the grounds constantly. The mansion is a fortress as well. You'd never be able to get inside, even if you did kill the men guarding them. You're losses would be too great for the mission to be worth it."

Useless.

"Not even with a man on the inside?" Peirce asked raising an eyebrow.

"I don't think so Sir." Wilson responded honestly.

"Well what do you think then?" Pierce said, visibly irritated. "What useful information do you have?"

"I don't have access to much. I've been assigned to guard his daughter for months." Wilson responded. He wasn't trained to hide his emotions. Not like most of Pierces men were. He could see a flicker of fondness in the ex-soldiers eyes.

"Which one?" He asked uninterested.

"The youngest." Wilson responded.

"The most useless you mean." Peirce deadpanned. His test had worked. He saw a flicker of irritation flit through Wilson's eyes. He liked her. But enough to betray them? Probably not. Just enough that he would hesitate if Pierce's command was to shoot her between the eyes. Not a threat. Not yet.

"…Yes, Sir."

He wanted to laugh at his sentiment. The girl would probably have him skinned alive if she found out who he was working for. It had surprised Pierce when Salvador had used someone with a skill set like Wilson's to guard his youngest daughter, rather than do something more useful. Wilson wouldn't have had to have any training because of his military experience, been able to jump right into raids… Instead he had chosen to assign him to his youngest daughter.

Sentiment. This is why Pierce didn't have children. They made for clouded judgement and foolish decision making. Having strong men constantly guard his children is probably necessary. His enemies constantly trying to destroy what he loves.

That's it.

"If we can't destroy them, maybe we can control them." He thought out loud. "Tell me, how many children does Don Salvador have?"

"Five." Wilson responded automatically. "The oldest is his son, four daughters follow after that."

"I bet you he's trying to find suitable husbands for the girls." Pierce said, a wicked grin slowly forming on his face.

If they could control the Italian Mafia, make an ally out of them for a short period of time, they could take out the Triad together. Pierce wasn't a fool. He knew that the Italians would never in their right mind make an alliance with the Russian mob. He didn't want to be anywhere near them either. But if they take out the Triad, it would no longer be a two front war. The Italians would feel a false sense of security, then he could strike.

Even if they didn't help willingly, Pierce didn't need an ally. He needed a puppet. Love is the easiest way to control someone. Perhaps this could work…

Pierce looked up to see Wilson with a sour look on his face. Pierce thought that maybe this could be done.

But Wilson didn't seem convinced. Salvador may not be overly found of most of his children, but he would never give the Russians a mean to control them. Salvador wasn't a soft man. He had his son, his heir. Girls were only useful when rewarding men with beautiful wives in this world. The only child the mob boss was fond of was his youngest daughter. The rest he could do without. Salvador certainly wouldn't allow himself to be controlled. If Salvador gave one of his daughters to Pierce and the two mobs clashed, that daughter would certainly be dead. Then Salvador would have to retaliate or look weak to the people he leads.

"Salvador isn't a stupid man." He explained, saying each word slowly. "He wouldn't give up any of his children, not even his least favorite, to the Russians. Not willingly at least."

"It'll take no small amount of charm, but any man can be fooled." Peirce said. "I already have a plan in the works."

"What can I do?" Sam questioned. He wanted to be involved. He knew that Salvador would never give Marina up willingly, but he owed it to her to at least try and help her avoid that fate.

"Does Salvador own anything that he would be willing to trade for one of his children?"

"I…" Sam wanted to say no. But he knew that wasn't true. "Yes. A weapon. It's just recently been designed. It's deadly. He may consider it then."

"How would we get it?" Pierce asked.

"I can take care of that…" He mumbled. This wouldn't be an attack, it would be a stealth mission. One man. If he could get that one man inside unnoticed, than the plan would be a success.

"Good man." Pierce said. He chocked his head toward Sam slightly. "How long have you known about this new design?"

Shit. Sam really didn't know about it until recently. But he didn't want to say anything to Pierce. He hadn't really known what he had gotten himself into when he signed up to be a double agent, but betraying them didn't sit right with him. Sam didn't report it when Pierce originally asked, so he knew he had to tread very carefully.

"Not long." Sam sighed. "I wasn't sure if it even existed until a few days ago."

"And you didn't think to report back sooner?" Pierce said raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't want-"

"Cut the shit, Wilson." He interrupted. "I'm not a stupid man either. I know what it looks like when a man wants to protect someone. Remember where your loyalties lye or you'll regret it. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir." Sam said.

Sam knew that he wouldn't ever be able to truly keep anything from Pierce. He was trained in deception and cruelty. He was trained to see when a man was lying or trying to hide something. But Wilson still felt that guilt. Don't make the mistake of thinking he cared about the man he worked for. He didn't have any loyalty to Salvador. The man was cold and cruel and everything that was wrong with the world. He was a lot like Pierce.

It was the person under Sam's care that made him hesitant.

"And what man would want to marry a member of the Italian mob?" Sam asked, changing the subject.

"Leave that to me." He said, waving his hand dismissively. "Tell me about the women."

And Sam did. He told him about the oldest girl, Vera, she was twenty seven. She was harsh and cruel but had deep knowledge of strategy. He had seen how she tried to pick on Marina. Sam always did his best to avoid her and keep Marina away from her. Vera knew the inner workings of the Italian mob, so she would be useful if they could fool her somehow. But same knew she was the least likely to be controlled. If she didn't have an older brother, Sam was positive she would have inherited the entire show.

The second was Alana. She was twenty five. The girl, for lack of a better word, was a whore. Images that made Sam want to gag flew through his mind. He had caught her more than once in closets with guards in compromising positons. She spent most of her time flitting around the mansion trying to seduce the guards. Her father had a hard time keeping them away from her. She had even tried coming after him when Marina slept. She didn't have much of a brain, but she made up for that with her other assets.

The third was Selena. She was the intellectual, twenty four years old and utterly dull. She spent most of her time reading or working on designing weapons. She would be the most useful if they could convince her to make weapons for them. For someone with such a large brain, she lacked in personality. The girl sounded more like a machine than a person.

Finally, there was Marina. She was the youngest, a few months shy of her twentieth birthday. Marina had a different mother than her older sisters. Her father had remarried after his first wife died in a tragically suspicious fire. While all of her siblings were bitter, she was sweet. She saw the good in everything and was far too innocent to be forced into a marriage with a man she had been raised to hate. So he tried to make her sound as useless as possible. But it was no secret that she was her father's favorite.

Later

That night, Sam had left the front door of the expensive home unlocked. It was long after darkness had fallen over the city, a shadowed and silent figure sat motionless in the trees. He watched and waited, his focus sharp and unbreakable and all the more deadly for how undetectable it was. The guards had no idea he was there. He had easily jumped silently from tree to tree, making his way closer and closer to the house completely undetected.

This was no easy task. Slipping in and out of the Italians mansion was going to be difficult. But he was the best. He heard those beneath him. The rumors about how he had an unnatural devotion to his job. Some of the rumors made him want to snort. Some made the cold emptiness in his chest deepen. They talked about how he had lived up to the fearsome reputation that he had gained over the years. How he would kill simply for thinking of doing something wrong.

But none of this fazed him. He knew what he was.

He was going to jump down from the tree and make a run for the house. He hadn't seen anyone in hours. It had to be almost 3:00am. He just needed to slip inside, acquire the weapon, and then finish the mission. The back door opened with a loud creak causing him to pull out his knife. He would make quick work for them, a hit to the jugular and he would be good to go.

He paused. A girl. Young by the looks of it, with wild chocolate brown hair. She looked troubled. She was humming some irritating repetitive tune while walking down the stone pathways.

Damn. It was one of Salvador's daughters. He couldn't kill her, so he'd just have to wait for the stupid little thing to get bored and leave.

He watched her follow the stone path, to a small comfortable looking chair. She was so small, standing face to face she would barely reach his chin. But he didn't let that fool him. He could tell she was strong. The way she carried herself told him that. She looked around for a few more seconds, before settling in the chair and pulling out a book.

He didn't understand what a spoiled little mafia princess could be so troubled over. The women in this life had is easy. The hardest thing they had to do was marry, sometimes to men they didn't know. But even then the men in this life were rich, powerful, and could give them everything they could ever want so long as they keep their husband happy. They had no idea the horrors they were being kept safe from. They should be grateful for the safety that they're provided.

Every Italian women he had met in this life was spoiled, stupid, and a pain to be around. Most of them were prisoners. One's he couldn't execute fast enough. The Russians didn't raise their women to be so weak. He wondered what this girl was so upset about. Did her father not buy her the shoes she wanted? If not that, it was probably something equally as vain. She probably wasn't even really reading that book.

He hated them. More than anything. The Italian mafia was the reason he had turned out this way. So empty and cold. They had taken everything from him. He wanted nothing more than to take that weapon and kill every person in that damn house. It took so much not to jump down from his hiding spot and throttle the girl were she sat.

After a few more minutes of waiting, the girl seemed to be pretty distracted. He could sneak past her easily-

"Pretty little Marina." A sharp voice interrupted his thoughts. A massive girl, nearly as tall as him, was stalking towards the chair. She looked foul, but not because she was ugly. Her face was scrunched up, like she was constantly frowning or like she was smelling something bad. She looked like she was coming to pick a fight. This was going to be very interesting.

"Leave me alone, Vera." The girl, Marinas, soft voice responded. Her voice fit her small frame, timid and musical. She sounded resigned, trying her best to avoid the massive female. She didn't seem like she wanted to fight this girl, her attention remaining solely on her book.

"Why?" She snorted. "Are you gonna run and tell Daddy?"

Salvador. He's not surprised that he produced the foul creature yelling at the tiny girl in the chair. He was a disgusting man, so it only made sense for him to have disgusting children. He had seen men who take pleasure out of hurting other people. Vera had the same smirk on her face. He could hardly believe that the two girls were related. They looking nothing alike. Their temperaments also seemed very different.

"No." She said, still focusing on the book in front of her.

"This is a joke to you." Vera said, crouching down to Marina's level. She was trying to get a rise out of the other girl. It didn't seem to be working. "It's been so easy for you. We've all had to sacrifice. Everyone but you. All you have to do is bat your eyelashes at him and he gives you anything you want."

Marina sighed, closing the book and letting it fall to her lap.

"I don't want anything." She said.

"Maybe not." She said, sick smile still in place. "But he's protecting you from that savage."

"Antonio is hardly a savage. I've seen how he treats you. Like an equal. That's much more than you could ever hope for in this life." Marina was trying to show this girl the bright side of a situation, when her body language clearly was screaming she wanted to crush the tiny girl. She picked the book up again. "He's fairly handsome to."

"Hope for? What do you know about that? You'll never have to marry anyone. You wish for anything and it's yours." She hissed in Marina's face, trying to snatch the book from her lap. The girl seized Marina's wrists in her hands and began squeezing, her words coming out faster and faster. They were being fueled by anger. "Our father will keep you locked up here forever. He doesn't really love you. No. You remind him of his dead bride that he killed my mother for-"

A sickening crack and Vera's howl interrupted the silent night. Did she just…

"Enough." Her quiet voice came.

"Stupid girl." Vera hissed, cradling her arm. "You're lucky father adores you. I wish someone would take you, kill you, I don't even care! I would snap your little neck if-"

"Hello little one."

Sam Wilson. The rat. He had interrupted Vera's threat. She had silenced her incoherent rant when she had seen the body guard come to Marina's aid. He could see the veins in her neck pulsating from her anger as she stormed back into the house, still cradling her dislocated arm.

He sat next to her with a sigh. Wilson grabbed Marina's wrists, flipping them over to reveal dark purple bruises already beginning to form on her forearms. He looked pained. Pierce was right. He would report this back. Wilson cared about the young one.

Idiot..

"I can get your dad-"

"It's okay Sam." She interrupted with a small smile, withdrawing her arms. "Her bark is worse than her bite."

"Alright." He sighed. "I'll be right inside if you need anything."

"Thank you."

He completed his mission quickly after that. Wilson had made it easy for him to sneak past the guards.

The manor was quiet when he returned from his mission. He knew that Pierce would be up and waiting for him. To hear if he had succeeded in taking the weapon. He left the motorcycle in the garage and silently walked inside.

He thought back to the small girl in the garden. James Barnes hardly ever found himself surprised. That little girl had snapped an arm out of place like it was nothing. He didn't want to say he was impressed. But that took strength and skill.

Interesting. Very Interesting.

The Next Night.

The Salvador's had discovered that their prized possession was missing in the middle of the night. They weren't even sure what its capabilities were yet. If the Russians decided to use it on them, he was sure that they would be wiped out within the month. All they knew was that they needed it back.

It hadn't even been an hour since they discovered that it was missing that they had received a call. Their price, no doubt. His man had given him the phone quickly with an urgent nod of the head.

"You took the tesseract." Salvador said coolly after taking the phone.

"We did." Alexander Pierce replied. Salvador wasn't surprised it was that snake behind the robbery. He saw no point in dragging this any longer than it needed to be. He would give this snake anything he wanted for that weapon back. There was no doubt Pierce knew that already.

"Get on with it then." He said. "What do you want for it?"

"It seems to be worth quite a bit. Maybe we'll keep it?"

"You wouldn't be calling if you didn't want something." He sighed, growing bored of this false banter.

"Fine." Pierce said. "One of your daughters."

One of his daughters? That hadn't been what he was expecting. He wanted to say no, but Salvador knew his men wouldn't allow this weapon to be in the hands of the Russians because of something as simple as sentiment. Saying no would make him look weak. He had four daughters. He could spare one. Maybe Alana. The girl was useless. But not without knowing the true reason.

"Why?" He asked slowly.

"Insurance." Pierce lied simply. "You won't use this against us."

"Really?" Salvador scoffed. "If you were so afraid of that you would just keep it. My daughters are beautiful, but not worth the weapon. Tell me the real reason."

"Either you give me what I demand, or I destroy all of you were you stand." Pierce snapped.

"Fine." Salvador bit out. "Which one?"

"My Captain will decide which he wants for his bride." Pierce said, before the line went dead.

Marina POV.

"Marina. Please come down." Sam called up into the trees. He couldn't see her, but he knew this is where she retreated to when she was trying to get away. Sam could tell she didn't enjoy being the daughter of a gangster. She didn't enjoy the money or the guns or the glamor. Not like her sisters did. She often hid up in the tree's to get away from it. He had told her countless times not to climb, but he knew trying to tell her to do anything was useless.

"Why?" He heard her call down from the trees. He heard the playfulness in her voice. It was so hard to be stern when she sounded so sweet and good.

"You're father requests your presence." He said sarcastically. He saw a blur and before he could blink she had landed gracefully on the balls of her feet directly in front of him.

"Oh?" She gasped, putting her hand on her chest in mock surprise. "What does my father want pray tell?"

"You could break your leg falling out of that tree." He mumbled. He saw her roll her eyes and continue walking. He spoke louder when she laughed at him, "I wouldn't have a job after that."

"You worry too much Sammy." She said turning back and smiling at him.

"How many times am I going to have to ask you to stop calling me that?" He sighed more to himself than anything.

"At least once more." She shot back.

"Girls. Come in." Her father said seriously.

Marina looked up and felt unease come to her. Her father's face was pinched tight, something was very wrong. Not many things made her father anxious. He had seen many awful things, so nothing small would make him squeamish. She hadn't seen that look on his face. Not since her mother was killed. If the look on his face wasn't a dead giveaway, the white-knuckled grip he had on the door was.

"What's wrong?" Vera deadpanned, as she pushed past him and walked into the office. Never one to beat around the bush. Marina could see the bruising near her elbow. Whoops.

"You all should probably sit down." Her father said, gesturing for the luxurious sofa near his desk. Marina's mind raced. What was going on that required all four of them to be there? She wasn't involved with her fathers… less legal activities. So this couldn't be that kind of meeting. She had no relatives besides her sisters that she knew of, so no one important could have died.

Her mussing could have gone on and on but her father had beat her mind to the punch.

"The Russians. They got in here last night."

Marina wanted to punch herself. She had known. There was someone in the trees. She knew it. She had felt eyes on her while she sat out in her chair, she should have listened to her instincts. She should have told Sam, should have said something. If she did, maybe they wouldn't be in this situation.

"What?" Alana said, her red stained lips forming an O.

"We don't know how yet." Her father continued. "There didn't even seem to be any sign of forced entry. But they took something. Something valuable. "

"How are we going to get it back?" Vera asked. She was ready to jump into action, storm the field right then and there. But she noticed her father stiffen even further when she asked that question. Something wasn't right. Her sisters didn't notice how tense he was.

But she knew her father.

"That's what we're here to discuss." Her father said each word slowly, drawing them out like he was trying to soften the blow.

"Just tell us." Vera snapped.

"One of their terms." He said. "One of you is going to marry one of their men."

Her jaw nearly hit the floor. Marina had expected something entirely different. She had thought up some really impossible things throughout her life. Things to escape the reality of her situation. But this was something she had never imagined. How could her father expect one of them to marry a Russian? Marina didn't know very much about life inside the mafia, but did know the two gangs did not get along.

She also knew it was a Russian Mobster who had shot her mother.

She never expected her father to trade one of their family members for something so expendable. They could rebuild a weapon, replace it, or steal it back. They could never replace family. She couldn't believe he would give up a daughter to one of them. Everyone knew that her father adored Marina's mother. He went on a rampage when he found out what had happed to her. This was so unlike him. She didn't understand.

"You expect us to marry one of them?" Marina asked. She sounded genuinely concerned. "For a weapon?"

"You're not going to marry him." Her father scoffed, like the idea was completely absurd. "You're only in here because this is family business. He'll prefer one of your older sisters-"

"Hold on." Vera said, a sarcastic laugh bubbling in her throat. "This man won't even get the chance to prefer her. Let's not pretend you are going to let little precious Marina anywhere near him. She's going to be tucked away somewhere safe, so it's guaranteed to be one of us."

Silence. Her father didn't look guilty, he just rolled his eyes. His irritation with Vera was evident. Marina knew that he didn't care for her sisters feelings. She could tell he thought she was just wasting his time with their accusations. This was something he thought his sisters should know. One of them would be marrying this man. Not Marina. He would never willingly give Marina up to any man. He would tell them to their faces that he loved Marina more.

She knew she would pay for this later. They would probably all gang up on her this time so she wouldn't be able to get away.

"Own up to it." Vera commanded, after a period of silence.

"Do you think I care for your petty insecurities?" Her father snapped. "Learn your place. Marina is too young to be married. She'll be staying here."

"Of course she is."

Marina flinched as her sisters glared at her, storming out of the office.

The Next Day.

"They hate me Sam." Marina said, sighing wrapping her hands tighter. The tape she used around her knuckles would always come loose when she was sparing. Marina didn't really mind though. She wore the bruises on her knuckles like a trophy. It showed how far she had come. Her father had insisted she learn to defend herself from a young age, but he had no idea she would take such a liking to it.

At first he tried to discourage it because it wasn't lady like, but he didn't have the heart to deny her something she truly loved. It was a plus that she fought better than most men twice her size. She could tell Sam struggled to keep up with her sometimes.

"It's not your fault." He said, trying to comfort her and whipping the sweat from his forehead.

She knew it wasn't her fault. But that didn't make her feel any better. It didn't make her sisters love her. They looked at her like she was a demon summoned from their personal hells. Marina was an outsider in her own home. She always had been. It got even worse once her mother died. She wanted a family. She wanted to live somewhere away from the crime. Maybe even be normal. What she wouldn't give for her father's favoritism to be placed elsewhere.

"I remind him of my mother." She said finally. "That's why he's so…. Protective."

"What about your sister's mother?" Sam asked. "Do none of them remind him of her?"

"Yes. I think that's the problem." Marina wanted to laugh at his innocent question. She hadn't been born yet, but it was a well-known fact that her sister's mother was a wretched women. "It was an arranged marriage also. From what I hear from the staff that remember her, she was a horrid women."

"Jealousy is an ugly emotion." Sam sighed.

"Your right." She said shrugging her shoulders. "I shouldn't blame them. I wish he didn't favor me so obviously."

She had finished tapping her hands.

"Now come on." She said, holding up her fists. "And stop holding back."

Marina stood there, waiting for him to strike. For such a large guy he barely made any noise when he was walking around. She knew he was waiting, trying to get her to let her guard down. When he finally lunged at her, he gripped her wrist with crushing force. She managed to whip around and break the hold easily.

He had swung at her, but she was faster. Gripping his wrist, she used her momentum to kick off from the back of his knee and swing her legs around his shoulders. Her elbow slammed into his head. Sam fell straight on his back, with a triumphant Marina sitting on his stomach.

She stood and straightened her clothes carefully.

"Why do you fight in a dress?" He asked, as she reached down to help him up.

"Why don't you fight in a dress?" She asked, her tone sarcastic.

Marina fought in a dress because when she truly needed to fight, she wasn't going to be in a little sports bra and leggings. She was going to be in her everyday normal clothing. Marina preferred dresses to pants, so that was what she would be wearing if she was going to be out and about. The logic made sense to her.

"That'd be a sight." Sam snorted. Marina saw a giant bump forming on Sam's head, right were her elbow had connected.

"Oh God! Sorry!" She squeaked.

"It's fine." Sam chuckled, swaying a little when he stood. "That's- That's just enough for today."

"Come on then." She said, laughing a little at his stuttering. "Let's go to the kitchen for a snack."

They walked through the house, chatting about nothing. He would always ask about what books she was reading, even though she knew he wasn't actually interested. It was sweet. He actually listened to what she had to say and didn't turn his nose up at her. When she thought about it, Sam was her only real friend.

Which was sad because he was paid to be around her.

Marina walked past her father's office and sighed. She knew she should go in there and see what he wanted to eat. When he was working, he would often go without food for an entire day without even realizing it. He worked himself nearly to death and he wasn't getting any younger. Just because she was angry, didn't mean she should avoid him.

She pushed the wooden door open.

"Papa. Let me get you something to-"

Her words stuck to the roof of her mouth and her tongue felt like sand paper. She saw her sisters first. They were all dressed in their very finest. Tight dresses and make up. They looked nothing like themselves. Then she saw a man standing near her father, stiff and regal looking. Alexander Pierce. She recognized his face.

"Marina." Her father whispered in horror.

"Papa!" She said, whipping her head around. "What's….going on?"

She saw movement behind her father and her gaze followed.

Her eyes locked with a man standing in the corner. She looked around. This must be the man that was picking his bride. But he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but that room. He was young, somewhere in his late twenties. Certainly not the decrepit old man her and her sisters had been imagining.

She could feel her eyes go wide as saucers when she stared at him.

He was handsome. She didn't want to admit it, but it was frighteningly so. He was tall and strong, the suit he wore stretched over his chest. He had long dark brown hair, one side tucked behind his ear and the other hanging in his face. His jaw was sharp and covered in a thin layer of stubble that made him that much more beautiful. His skin was lightly tanned, his mouth was pulled tightly into a scowl. He stared at her with dead, strikingly blue eyes.

That stare. She could feel that this was the man in the trees by his glare alone. It was so intense she swore she could feel in burning through her. She was drawn to him. That was wrong, wrong, wrong. Her attention was drawn when her father gripped her shoulder and attempted to shove her out the door.

"Marina, leave." Her father all but shouted. Before she could recover, the beautiful man was speaking.

"Eta devushka" He said to the other man, his voice rough like gravel. He mustn't talk very much. She couldn't help but be fascinated, the Russian language was fascinating. He didn't have time to wonder what he said before Pierce was staring at her.

"Her." Pierce said, nodding towards Marina.

He couldn't mean her her. Marina looked behind her, but she was the only one standing on that side of the room. Her heart rate was beginning to speed up, but she couldn't move from where she was standing. This couldn't be happening.

"Not her." Her father tried to argue. "She isn't old enough."

"Her." He confirmed.

The Russian men that Pierce brought with him had begun advancing on her, but her father stepped in front of her. They were holding automatic weapons much too close to them for comfort.

"I said not her." He tried to reason. "Take any of the other girls. Not her. Please"

She was shocked. Marina had never heard her father beg before. She thought he would always be too proud for anything like that. But his pleading didn't seem to have the desired effect. Pierce simply smiled, nodding his head. Her father showing his weakness did nothing but solidify that she was the one who would be going.

"Our deal was he could pick which one he wanted." Pierce shrugged "He chose. Take her."

"You're not taking her anywhere!" Her father insisted, pulling out his small hand gun. He pointed it between Pierces eyes. But Marina heard the clicking of five automatic rifles being aimed at her father's chest.

"Enough!" Pierce snapped. "We'll kill everyone in this house, starting with her, if you don't give her to us now."

"I won't." He said shaking his head. Pierce sighed.

"Barnes. Grab her." The handsome man moved forward, shoving her father out of the way. He grabbed one of Marina's wrists and all but dragged her to the door.

"Don't touch me!" She yelled, snapping her arm down and breaking his hold. His shock bought her some time. She turned to run to her father but he had easily caught her around the waist and pulled her to him.

"Let me at least say goodbye to her!" Her father finally snapped, silencing the chaos.

"Fine. Two minutes." The man dropped her to her feet.

"Nina, listen to me." He said, gripping her chin to get her attention. "Listen! It's going to be fine. I won't let them do this to you. I'll figure something out. We have the tesseract back, it'll only be a matter of time before we get you out of there. We'll destroy them all. They can't force you to marry him either. They can't do it without your consent. Do you understand? Don't let them trick you into signing your life away. No matter what they tell you."

"I understand." She said, trying to regulate her breathing.

"Good girl. Now be calm. Don't let them see-"

"My weakness. I won't." Marina nodded again, letting her father's words harden her resolve. She knew it was hardly as simple as not showing weakness. She was going to be taken to these monsters home. She was going to live with them. She wouldn't be able to break, not even in the solitude of her own room. She prayed that her life wasn't over and her father truly was going to find her a way out of this. She prayed she wasn't going to spend the rest of her life tied to a man she despised.

She really couldn't see a positive outcome. Each scenario that played in her brain was worse than the last. She told herself she would survive. For her father. For herself.

"You're strong. You'll be fine." He said, gripping her shoulders. She could tell he was trying to convince himself, not her. He turned to the man next to her.

"Can she take her body guard with her?" Her father asked.

"Fine." Pierce said waving his hand. "Blind fold her and take her to the car."

He watched as they dragged her away, for the first time feeling helpless.