Thirty miles was a good day and a half march, and that was with soldiers who hadn't been held captive and in some cases – Steve kept an eye on Bucky – tortured. The halest men were stationed at the back to make sure no one fell behind and the weakest men rode on the tank. Steve would've preferred Bucky hitched a ride on the tank but he stationed himself right in front, gun in hand, right at Steve's side.

After five hours of walking the cold, muddy road, they stopped for a rest under the cover of woods as the sun came up.

"How you holding up?" Steve asked Bucky. They were both sitting at the bottom of a large fir tree.

"Hey, I'm just walking slower so you can keep up," Bucky said. "I'm surprised you lasted this long, I only stopped 'cause I know you need a rest." He grinned when he finished saying it. "Somebody's gotta watch out for you, Stevie."

"Yeah," Steve agreed with an answering grin. "I guess you do."

They settled back against the tree, shoulder to shoulder, and for several minutes neither of them said anything, and Steve listened to the sound of all the other men settling down in the woods around them.

Then, "Hey, Steve?" Bucky turned slightly towards him, speaking softly. "What that – that guy – said back at the factory, what he said about leaving humanity behind?"

"Yeah?" Steve said. But he didn't know what to say beyond that. He'd been thinking about that all night, what Red Skull said about them both leaving their humanity behind. Had Steve left his humanity behind? Was something twisted, misshapen, and evil lurking in his soul if not under his skin? What was he supposed to say to Bucky? How was he supposed to answer that?

But Bucky wasn't looking for answers.

"Just – what he said," Bucky went on. "It had nothing to do with you. Okay? I don't want you thinking it did. He mighta left humanity behind but that's because he didn't have much humanity to begin with. You – that's not you. All right? That'll never be you."

It took a minute for Steve to find his voice to answer.

"Yeah. All right. Thanks."

Bucky nodded and looked away, into the woods and over the further countryside.

"If it was you," he added, even more softly, "You never would've come looking for me."

"Well, somebody's gotta watch out for you, Bucky."

"Yeah," Bucky agreed. He looked at Steve. "I guess you do."

The end.