Gemma shook her head, and stepped away from the door. Fury walked right in, and sat on the bed, obviously unconcerned by Gemma's apparent annoyance. She scoffed, and glanced around, trying to understand. How had he found her, and why? Grinning, like he knew her thoughts, he watched her as she tried to recover from her confusion.

Fury grimaced, and decreed, "Your boy, Bucky Barnes, has gotten himself into a lot of trouble. Captain America and Iron Man just had a showdown in Germany, and he was there. So, on top of the bombing, he's going to be hunted by the U.N. for breaking the Accords they made to stop vigilante heroes."

"Nice story Director. What does any of this have to do with me? I've been helping Bucky stay under the radar for over a year. I've got his back." Gemma hissed.

"Aw. I'm flattered he told you about me..." Fury mused. Suddenly, his amused grin dropped. "Listen, Miss Frost. Bucky flipped his lid, and the Winter Soldier made an appearance. He's not stable, not now. He's going to need someone to talk him into what he's going to need to do to stop the bastard from coming back." Fury elaborated.

Gemma sat on the edge of the dresser, and folded her arms. Of course he wanted to make her do the dirty work. Bucky had been right when he'd said Fury was like the man behind the curtain. He pulled everyone else's strings, while he watched on without a care in the world. Fury eyed her closely, tapping his fingers on his knee. He expected her to do what he wanted, no questions asked? Good luck with that. Gemma huffed, and stared back, shrugging her shoulders.

"So what? He was brainwashed. He's been in control of it for the past two years. He can stop it from happening, I've seen it. And what about you? Why aren't you out helping them if you are so aware of how bad it's getting?"

"Gemma, all the asshole that triggered him had to do was speak a few words, and Bucky was his puppet. He has to be deprogrammed. He has to prove he's no longer a threat." Fury exclaimed. "And I'm not really here. I'm not technically supposed to know about any of this."

"Right, well, maybe you should step up, instead of observe from the sidelines." She said, starting to pace. "Anyway...Where on this God forsaken planet are people capable of reprogramming Bucky? More importantly, who would be willing with everything he's been charged with?" Gemma challenged.

Fury grinned, obviously untouched by her grievances. "I'm so glad you asked. Come, sit and I'll tell you..."

xxxxxxxxx

Gemma laid on the bed, Fury long gone. He had informed her that there was a child prodigy in Wakanda that had the capabilities to help Bucky. Gemma just had to be willing to push him to go see her. Simple, right?

"God, why can't you just let us be happy?" Gemma demanded, as she stared at the ceiling tiles.

Before she knew where she was going, Gemma found herself back on the beach. She watched as the waves crashed on the shore, destroying sandcastles and washing away any sign of their existence. She wondered, did the children know that everything they had built would be annihilated in a single moment? Or, like her relationship with Bucky, did they expect it to stand strong forever?

Gemma sat on the sand thinking through what she would have to say to Bucky to convince him to get help, if that's what he needed. He was strong, and he knew that he could mostly stay in control of the Winter Soldier, but what if he never had to worry about it again? Would that not be worth a little bit of lost time?

Gemma continued her inner monologue as she went back up to her room. As she stepped inside, she froze. Sitting side by side on the bed were Steve Rogers and Bucky. She laughed, and ran to Bucky, taking him up in a long awaited hug. He groaned, but held her tightly with one arm.

Gemma finally released him, and looked him over. His face was badly bruised, but that wasn't what made her gasp in horror. His metal arm was gone, grotesquely torn off at the shoulder.

"Bucky, what happened to you?! Who did this?" She queried, dragging him back to the bed, and pulling him down onto the mattress.

"Gem, it was Tony Stark. But it's complicated. When Steve and I went to stop the real bomber from waking the other enhanced, he'd already killed them. He had lured us there to get Stark to follow us. He showed him the murder of his parents, which I committed. It set Stark off, and he attacked us. I caused this." Bucky declared, watching Gemma, ashamed.

She shook her head, and started pacing the length of the hotel room. She'd pause for a moment, mouth agape, then snap it shut and continue pacing. Tony Stark had hurt Bucky because Bucky had hurt him. All the same, she knew that if she ever met him, she would kick his ass.

Realizing that Gemna was seathing, Bucky sighed softly, and stood slowly from the bed, wrapping his arm around her tiny frame. He stopped her in her tracks, but she wasn't done. Huffing, she glanced at him, ready to protest, but paused mid breath. He was heartbroken, the deep sadness reflected in his eyes. She threw her hands around him, rubbing his back in soothing circles.

Holding him tenderly, she whispered, "I'm so sorry. I know how you feel about the victims of the Winter Soldier. You can't let this undo all of your progress, though. I love you too much to let you do that to yourself."

Bucky sighed, and kissed the nape of her neck. They held each other like life depended on it, because in that moment, for them, it felt like it did. The finally let go when Steve accidentally knocked over the lamp on the nightstand. They glanced at him, and pulled apart, taking each other's hand. Steve looked around, embarrassed. It was going to be a long night.

Bucky was the first to speak. "It's been a hell of week, we should get some rest. We still have to find out what to do about, well, everything."

"Right, well, except for the bomber, Zemo. T'Challa took him to the authorities. But, yeah, we're definitely up a creek. Let's get some sleep, and then we can figure it out... I'll take the floor." Steve proposed.

Bucky was about to object, but Steve shook his head. He grabbed an extra pillow and blanket, before lying down on the thick carpet, closing his eyes. Gemma clicked her tongue, before pulling Bucky to the bed. He stared off into space, like he wasn't quite there in the moment with her. She was worried about him. Maybe he did need to go to Wakanda after all. She brushed his thick hair behind his ears, and started going about getting him out of his soldier gear.

Slowly, she pulled off his torn jacket. As she slipped it over the jagged remnants of his arm, she gasped again. It was almost torn from his chest, leaving bloody edges where metal met flesh. It was more gruesome than she could have imagined.

Without a word, Gemma went to her bag, and pulled out a first aid kit, her contribution to their emergency packs, but she'd assumed the super soldier would be the one fixing her up. Oh, how the tables had turned. As she came back to the bed Bucky sighed, and tried to take it from her. She took his outstretched hand, shaking her head.

"Don't even try it, Soldier Boy." Gemma warned playfully, as she sat back on the bed.

Cautiously, she started wiping away the blood with an alcohol swab. Bucky held her thigh, trying to anchor himself against the sharp pain from the alcohol. Gemma internally scoffed. Bucky had just lost a limb, and the sting of alcohol was too much for him?

Gemma finally finished cleaning the wounds, and wrapped Bucky's shoulder in gauze. As she put the first aid kit on the nightstand, Bucky grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her down onto the bed. She stared up into his glinting eyes, and held his cheek gently in her palm. He was wide awake, and his eyes blazed with desire.

Without a word, he captured her lips with his, and ran his fingers through her thick curls, trapping her in his lustful embrace. She was all for a good time, but not when one of them wasn't really in the moment. She to slow his advances by pushing him away. He broke the firy kiss immediately, and grimaced at her, appearing to be hurt by her rejection.

Gemma ran her hands up his back, as she whispered, "I know you're feeling a lot of emotions right now, and you're trying to get through them. But maybe this isn't the best method, not with Steve Rogers sleeping at the end of the bed. I will do anything else to help you, whatever you need."

His anger slowly subsided, and he dropped his face to her chest. She expected that he was going to try to sleep with her again. She couldn't have been more wrong. He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself. To Gemma's surprise, a soft sob broke past his lips, muffled by her body, but it was obvious what the sound had been.

She lifted his head, bringing his forehead to hers. "Bucky, you're safe. I've got you. Okay? We'll figure everything out in the morning."

Bucky took a deep, calming breath and laid back on his side, taking Gemma with him. Laing back, tears rolled down his temples. She huddled up next to his less abused side, sliding a hand across his bare chest. Gradually, they fell asleep in each others gentle grasp.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As the sun rose, it slowly began shine through the shear curtains, waking Gemma. She stretched, opening one eye against the light. She glanced around the room, trying to focus through the fog of sleep still clouding her vision. Slowly, she closed in on Bucky.

Sitting at the dining table, Bucky and Steve were deep in discussion. Gemma stayed down, watching them, studying them. She listened in, as they tried to keep their conversation between them.

"...get the others out of that floating prison, and I'll take you to Wakanda myself. I promise. Also, I'll watch out for your girl, while you're getting rid of the Winter Soldier jargon." Steve whispered.

"That won't be necessary, Steve," Gemma announced, sitting up, "I'm fine. I'll help you break into this prison you speak of, then I'll stay in Wakanda, with Bucky."

Bucky cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes on her. "Really? You would stay with me when you don't even know what it's like there?"

"Actually," She bit her lip, trying to think of how to explain herself, "well, I know plenty about Wakanda. I know because Nicky Fury was here. He told me about the unique technology they have there, and how it could possibly help you."

Bucky came to sit beside her, and asked, curious, "Why would he do that? He hardly knows me."

"True, but he believes that you are the good guy, and to stay that way, you need to rid yourself of the Winter Soldier programming."

"Right. Well, he's not wrong. But, first, we have to save the Avenger's that got arrested because of us." Bucky admitted, glancing at Steve.

"I may have some ideas about that." Gemma offered.

Steve gave her a shocked smile, before glancing at Bucky, asking, "What does she do for a living, again?"

Gemma sighed, "She is a Computer and Software Engineer, with a side job that can only be called cyber hacking. I'll have everything in that prison that runs on electricity shut down before you can snap your fingers. I also have my black belt, and Bucky's been training me, if that helps."

Bucky grinned as Steve looked between them, his mouth gaping. Bucky shrugged his shoulders at him, amused. This wsd all old news to Bucky. Steve closed his mouth, and cleared his throat. He wasn't just going to accept her help.

"Well, I guess you're in." Steve stammered. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you two meet?"

Bucky and Gemma laughed, simultaneously, "Strip club..."

Steve choked, "What?!"

Bucky elaborated, stating, "Gemma was walking home from work one night, when she came across a group of unsavory characters outside the club. They tried to mess with her. I was in a shop across the road, and was about to intervene, but she started taking them down two at a time. She had one giant guy left, as another got back up, pulling a knife. I stopped his attack right as the big guy dropped. I broke his wrist, which drew her attention. She punched him in the face, and he went down..."

Gemma interrupted, "I had it under control, but it was nice to have back up. Anyway, I thanked him, and went on my way, but Bucky refused to let me out of his sight until I was safely back home. After my night, I was kind of creeped out by him. Still, I saw the kindness in his eyes, and decided to give him my number. And that's that."

Steve nodded his head. "And you just so happen to be a hacker engineer? Coincidences aren't really a thing in my line of work..."

Gemma sighed, "Yeah, he was skeptical too. But I was working for a startup software company at the time, hardly the CIA. I've proven my loyalty time and time again. If you can't trust me, trust Bucky. He knows me."

Bucky interjected, "She is not a spy. She's on the other side of this, helping expose the illegal acts of many governments. She is a hero in her own right."

"Alright, I get it. I don't mean to be suspicious. I just don't have many people I can trust right now, but if Bucky can, then I can." Steve remarked, rubbing his neck.

"Good, now, when do we leave?" Gemma quipped.