Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with Marvel, Captain America, the Avengers, etc. Only original characters and ideas are mine.

AN: Sorry for not posting earlier; I was trying to figure out the best way to end this story, and still leave it open for when the next Marvel film comes out, or I post my own fic in the future (whichever comes first).

Anyway, please enjoy the chapter, and please don't forget to review. Thanks.

Chapter 7: Secrets and Strategies:

When Secretary Ross showed up, I got worried. Natasha told me that he'd arrived in Vienna to check on how things stood, and when he'd heard that the Winter Soldier was in custody, he'd made for Berlin as soon as he could.

"And what do I find when I get here?" he growled at Tony and Natasha as he ushered them into a conference room, leaving the rest of us standing outside. "The Winter Soldier gone! Men and women hurt! And I don't suppose you have any idea where Rogers and his pals are?"

Tony looked pissed off as the door closed, and he made a reply I couldn't catch. Natasha didn't look much happier, but the quick glance she threw my way told me that she was on my side in this.

A slight vibration in my pocket indicated that I was getting a text, but there was no way I was going to risk answering it in front of the others. If it was from Steve, they'd try and track him, using him as a means to get their hands on Bucky.

Quietly excusing myself from the others, I headed for the bathroom. Once inside, I locked myself in a stall and pulled out Sunny. Without going above a whisper, I told my computerized device to make the line secure, so that no one could trace my calls or messages.

Steve's first message was that the three of them were okay, and hiding out somewhere, though he wouldn't say where. It was for the best, I guess –if someone did manage to hack into Sunny, they'd find Bucky in no time. I couldn't let that happen, to him or to Anna.

The messages that came next almost gave me a heart attack. They talked about how HYDRA had forced Bucky to assassinate someone in order to get their hands on five packs of Super Soldier Serum. The serum had then been given to some of HYDRA's top soldiers, and now those dangerous individuals were in Siberia, in stasis, for when the organization needed them again.

'This is bad,' I repeatedly thought to myself. 'This is really, really bad.'

And what did they think I could do to help? I was in a UN building with almost a dozen superheroes in the next room, and some of them might turn me over to Secretary Ross the minute I told them what I knew.

'I have to tell Anna, though. She needs to know about Bucky.'

The door to the bathroom opened, and I froze, my fingers just finishing a message to Steve. As I hit 'send,' footsteps approached the stall I was in.

"Adena?" a quiet voice whispered. "It's Anna."

Sighing in relief, I opened the stall door, glad that we were the only two people in here. Still, I didn't want to risk there being a listening device in the bathroom, so I merely motioned for Anna to stay quiet as I handed her Sunny. She glanced over all the information, tears forming in her eyes as she began typing a message.

After she sent it, she handed Sunny back to me as she tried to get control of herself. Looking back through the sent texts, I smiled when I saw that she had sent Bucky her love. Without saying a word, I pulled her into a hug, just as a knock sounded outside the door.

"Hello?" Wanda called through the door. "Adena, Anna, you're needed by the Secretary of State."

Frowning, I pulled back from the hug and hastily tucked Sunny into my pocket. "We'll be right there," I called.

Linking hands, Anna and I headed back to where the Avengers still stood, some of them scowling at Secretary Ross, who was giving me a glare of his own.

"Mrs. Rogers," he coldly greeted me, "I'm guessing that you have some clue as to where your husband and his associates are."

I crossed my arms, meeting his glare with a calm, innocent look. "Nope; no idea whatsoever."

The Secretary's face darkened as he strode up to me. However, I wasn't intimidated. "You don't scare me," I flat out told him. "I've been kidnapped by crazed demi-gods, twice, and survived murderous robots who have tried to wipe out all life on earth. So this whole effort of yours to try and get me to tell you anything isn't going to work."

"I'll have you arrested," he threatened, nodding towards the door, where some of his Secret Service men stood. "I highly doubt that you'll like where you end up."

Behind me, I could hear some of my friends walking up, and risked a glance over my shoulder. There, I saw Cyan, Wanda, Pietro and Natasha taking protective stances, while Rhodes, Vision and Tony held position on the other side of the room. From the looks on their faces, I got the feeling that they wouldn't fight Ross's men, but they definitely wouldn't help arrest me, either.

"That wouldn't be a good idea," Tony pointed out. "I doubt that the public will like the idea of you guys arresting Captain America's wife. The guy is a national hero, and if you haul in his wife, that kind of thing could get ugly really quick."

Ross did not back down. Instead, he stepped closer, ignoring the Avengers who formed a protective, powerful wall behind me. "I warn you, Mrs. Rogers," he whispered, leaning in so that I alone could hear him. "If you don't pass on whatever information you learn about Barnes, I'll put you in a hole so deep, not even the Avengers could break you out."

By then, my blood was boiling. I didn't hesitate to look him right in the eye. Two could play at this game. "Bruce was right. I can totally see why your daughter never keeps in touch with you."

For a second, I thought he would hit me. Then there was a sudden gust of air from my left, and Pietro was by my side, arms crossed. If Ross tried anything, Pietro would have him eating the marble floor before he even laid a hand on me.

Several silent seconds ticked by as Ross considered his options. Finally, he took a step back and put his hands behind his back in a military stance.

"Stark, remember our talk," he warned before stalking out of the room, taking his guards with him.

When he was gone, I heaved a sigh of relief. "Well, that was fun. Although, next time he decides to act like an ass, remind me to kick him where it counts."

Anna gave a weak chuckle as she reached out and pulled me into a hug. "Don't ever do that again. I was terrified that he'd follow through with that arrest threat!"

"He just might," Natasha grumbled. "Seriously, Adena, do as your cousin says and don't try that again! You scared the hell out of all of us!"

"Most of us," Cyan put in. "I was confident that she would win the argument."

Pointedly ignoring them, I turned to face Tony. "What did Ross mean, about that talk you had?"

Tony held up a hand and pulled out one of his tech devices. After activating it, he made sure his back was facing the glass doors, so that no one could read his lips.

"He gave me 48 hours to bring in Barnes, Steve and Wilson," he explained. "I promise I'll be gentle with them, but if they put up a fight, I'll have to defend myself."

"What'll happen if you catch them?" Anna asked, looking even more worried than she had before.

Tony sighed. "I don't know. There are a lot of countries that want to get their hands on Bucky, but he's still a US citizen, so we might get first dibs. After that, it could be years before a court somewhere comes down with a judgement on his punishment."

I couldn't let that happen. Being separated from Bucky and waiting for sentencing by a court of law would drain the life out of Anna.

"What if I could prove that Bucky is innocent?" I asked, looking at everyone in the room. That got everyone's attention. "I don't know where Steve is, and I don't want to know, but he says that whoever interrogated Bucky is the one behind the bombing in Vienna. When Bucky finally got himself back together, he said that this imposter psychiatrist wanted to know about an important, hidden HYDRA base in Siberia."

Even Rhodes looked interested by that. "Does Barnes know what's there?"

I took a deep breath. "Well, apparently HYDRA both feared and admired Bucky's handiwork so much, they decided to make a few more Winter Soldiers."

That got a few rounds of cursing going, but it died down quickly. Soon, everyone was agreeing that a group of Avengers had to head to Siberia to find the base, but not who should go. I stood there, listening, as everyone volunteered and argued over why they should go and others should not.

Finally, I sighed, rolled my eyes, and went to take a stance at the front of the room. The Avengers standing nearest took notice, and like a wave spreading across the room, the rest soon grew quiet.

"Okay, let's think things logically," I said, exasperation showing in my voice. "From what I can tell, there are two ways of doing this: explosively loud, or swift and stealthy. By that, I mean that some of you favor going in, guns and missiles blazing, while others will want to get in, find out what's going on, and take care of business afterwards. Am I right?"

Everyone nodded. "Okay, then, I can see both sides for this. Blowing stuff up is good, but this is a complicated situation. We need information, and the imposter psychologist is the only one with answers."

I looked between Tony and Natasha. "Any idea who he is yet? I mean, they have him on video, so they must have been able to grab an image of his face and run it through all kinds of police or government databases, right?"

Tony punched a few buttons on his smartwatch to access the data. "Friday's been linked to several different police and government communications lines. Friday, what'd you come up with?"

"There's a priority upload from Berlin Police," Friday immediately answered. "The Task Force called for a psychiatrist as soon as it discovered Barnes was coming in. The UN dispatched Dr. Broussard within the hour. He was met at his car by this man."

A photo of the actual Dr. Broussard and his impersonator appeared on the holographic projection produced by Tony's watch. "The fake doctor is actually Colonial Helmut Zemo, Sokovian Intelligence."

"Damn it," Rhodes muttered. "A plan this elaborate, by a former Sokovian military soldier? It's got to be some sort of revenge plot."

"Keep going, Friday," I ordered, ignoring him.

"Zemo ran Echo Scorpion, a Sokovian covert kill squad," Friday continued.

"Of course he did," Pietro sarcastically commented. "Those in the kill squads were the best, and they were feared because of it. It explains how well thought-out this plot was, and the number of bodies that seem to be adding up."

"What happened to the real Broussard?" Wanda asked, moving to stand with her brother.

"He was found dead in a Berlin hotel room, where police also found a wig and facial prosthesis approximating the appearance of one James Buchanan Barnes," Friday finished.

While the rest of the group went quiet, Tony angrily exclaimed, "Son of a bitch!"


Now that it's been established that Bucky was, in fact, innocent, Anna currently had a much happier expression on her face. She was still worried about him, of course, but since the Avengers were now on her side, she was much less stressed out.

The only thing causing a bit of conflict within the group were the team members going on the mission to Siberia.

That particular argument lasted for hours, and in the end, everyone had to go to bed angry and frustrated that the group hadn't been chosen yet. I think the only people who slept relatively well were Anna and me, because we both knew that the men we loved were safely hidden away.

The next morning, after more arguing, the Avengers decided on the best people for the trip to Siberia. The group included Natasha, Wanda, and Pietro. It had been decided that this would be more of a quiet, covert mission, so Natasha would be in charge. Wanda's abilities would be something the enemy wouldn't count on, and Pietro's speed would be useful in scouting the area for traps, guards, and other dangers.

It was soon decided that more 'fire power' was needed, so Vision offered to go along, in case they needed backup.

"There's someone else I'd like involved in this, but I'm not sure if they'd agree," Natasha confided as they started prepping for the flight north.

I was puzzled. "Who'd you have in mind?"

She hesitated. "Well, I had one person I called, but he said he'd rather stay and keep an eye on you, than head out with me."

Now I was confused as well as curious. "Who is it?"

She smiled.


"Come on, Clint," Natasha pleaded over the phone. "I need you on this, and so does Steve!"

A heavy sigh passed through the phone. "Nat, I'm retired," Clint calmly reminded her. "Besides, the kids and I are going waterskiing this weekend. I promised."

He knew that Nat hated to do this to him, as well as the kids, but this was clearly important to her. "Clint, a lot of the world is out for blood -namely, Bucky's blood. You were with me when Coulson brought him in, so I know you'll try and help him, if only for Adena's sake."

"I feel for them, but Adena supported my retiring, Nat," Clint stated, catching movement out of the corner of his eye.

He spotted Laura with Nathaniel in her arms, and motioned for her to head to the kitchen. She nodded and did as he asked, concern flickering over her face. She knew that this call had to be urgent, for him to be talking privately to Natasha.

"Daddy, did you say Auntie Adena's name?" Lila asked as she skipped into the room, her voice growing excited when talking about her third favorite female (after her mother and Auntie Nat, of course).

Clint smiled at his daughter's smiling face as he put his friend on hold. "Yes, sweetie. Auntie Nat says that Auntie Adena might need my help, but I think she'll be fine. She's got lots of good friends."

Despite his words, Lila looked worried. "But Daddy, if Auntie Nat thinks she needs help, you should help her! You're a hero, so you have to help."

As much as he wanted to argue with her, Clint couldn't do it. He was as fond of Adena as his daughter, and he knew that Laura would never forgive him if something happened to her.

"Okay, sweetie," he gently said to his daughter, "Let me finish talking with Auntie Nat."

She nodded and danced off, probably to draw Adena another picture. So far, he'd mailed a dozen to her over the past few weeks -in return, Adena had sent several 'thank-you' notes (which Lila had stored in a little treasure box in her room), and new sets of paper and pencils, which Lila used to create more artwork to send to her Aunties.

"You do realize you need to go, right?" Laura's voice said, bringing him back from his thoughts. In her arms, Nathaniel was sucking enthusiastically on a pacifier and wearing a onesie that Nat had bought him. The baby smiled and giggled as Clint tickled him under his chubby chin.

Clint sighed and shook his head. "I promised I was retired. And I don't want to disappoint the kids. I've done that enough over their lives, and I don't want to do it again."

"But Adena and Steve need you," Laura insisted. "This time, it isn't the world that needs you -it's your friends. And I want you to go help them. The kids will understand. We can go to the beach next weekend."

God, did he love her. "Tell Lila that I'll give Adena her love, and a hug. I'll try and be back in a few days."

With a quick kiss, he rushed to go grab his stuff, talking to Natasha as he packed up.


"I cannot believe Nat talked you out of retirement," I muttered as we sat staring out a tall glass window, a few miles away from the government building.

Clint had arrived a few hours ago, not long after Natasha and her team of Avengers had flown off to Siberia. They'd be arriving there by tomorrow morning, if the weather held. This left the rest of us quite a bit of time to burn.

Tony had convinced Everett Ross to let us leave the government building, but only if Sharon and Richie came with us. We were currently holed up in an expensive hotel penthouse, which was much more comfortable and allowed a lot more privacy. Rhodes had the television on, and was flipping back and forth between channels. Tony was pacing outside by the pool, his phone pressed to his ear as he talked to Pepper and sipped from a water bottle.

My main concern was Anna, who was dozing in one of the bedrooms, with Cyan keeping watch outside her door. I'd insisted that he take up that particular task -after all, I had the rest of the Avengers keeping an eye on me, but with Bucky in hiding, Anna had no one to watch her back except me. And I was a very bad fighter.

Clint shrugged. "Laura insisted. She knew that since the Avengers are divided over this whole Accords business, their vision is a bit clouded." He grinned. "She figured that, with Steve away, you needed someone with a clear eye to watch your back."

He put a hand on my shoulder. "And I've got your back, Adena."

Smiling, I hugged him. "Thanks, Clint. That means a lot." I looked over at the table to my right. "And thank Lila for the picture. She knows blue is one of my favorite colors."

In my pocket, Sunny began to vibrate, signaling a call or text was coming in. I retrieved him, and read the message that appeared there.

"Steve says that while the mission in Siberia is going on, he wants to meet with the rest of us," I whispered. I'd told my husband about what Natasha was doing, and was surprised when neither he nor Bucky asked to go with her. "He asks to meet someplace private tomorrow afternoon, so that we can all see and hear what's going on."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Clint muttered, "But it might be necessary. Why don't you set up the meet, and I'll go break the news to the rest of the group?"

"Don't forget to remind Tony that he can't tell either Secretary Ross or Everett Ross about it," I emphasized. Clint hadn't been to the government building; Natasha had sent him straight to Tony's penthouse, so he hadn't met either man.

Clint nodded and headed towards the others while I texted Steve, my stomach tightening into knots as I did so. Something big was about to happen -I just wish I knew what.


After getting a response from Adena, Steve sighed and put the burner phone away.

"You okay, Cap?" Sam asked, coming to hand him a plate with a just microwaved frozen chicken pot pie on it. "Is something wrong with Dee?"

Steve smiled at his friend's nickname for Adena. "She's fine. I just miss her, that's all."

Sam rolled his eyes and handed over a fork. "Come on, Steve. We've had Avenger missions that lasted longer than this. A couple days away from your girl aren't going to kill you."

Giving the food a doubtful look, Steve found himself very thankful that food poisoning was impossible for him. He and Adena sometimes went to a restaurant near their apartment for fresh pot pies; after their first time there, Adena swore that she'd never eat frozen ones again, and didn't keep any in the house.

This certainly didn't appear much like the restaurant's, but he did need to eat. Even though it didn't look appetizing, he took a bite of the steaming crust.

To his surprise, it wasn't that bad. It was a smaller pie, but the gravy was good, and the chicken wasn't gamy, so he was able to finish it quickly.

After Sam had taken the empty plate away, Steve went to Bucky's side. His best friend was pale and sitting slouched on the faded brown couch in the living room. The blinds were drawn, so it was safe for the three of them to move around, as long as they didn't cast any shadows.

"It'll be okay, Buck," Steve tried to assure him. "We'll be seeing our girls soon."

"But the other Avengers will be there," Bucky sighed, rubbing his face with his metal hand. "What if they try to take me in?"

Steve took a seat beside his best friend. "We won't let that happen, and neither will our girls. Can you imagine the Avengers trying to get through the two of them to get to you?"

Bucky had to smile at that. "No contest in that fight."

The two men chuckled and clapped each other on the shoulder before turning in for the night. But even with that bit of humor, neither one slept well.


AN: Review?