Summary: While the team is on a mission, Sharon and Bucky meet the new neighbor.


Agent

Sharon looked out the window at the moving van parked next door. In the driveway, an older black woman was shouting instructions at the movers.

"Spying on the neighbors?" Steve asked, coming to stand beside her.

"We have neighbors to spy on again. Someone bought the house next door."

"Anyone we should be worried about?"

"Not unless HYDRA is recruiting old ladies," Sharon joked. "She looks harmless enough, but I won't know until we go over there and meet her."

"Not sure you get the point of a hideout," Steve said.

Sharon gave Steve a challenging look. "You do not want to play this game with me Rogers. It will not end well for you. I'm not suggesting we attend the Block Party, but I think it might seem a little suspicious if we don't say hello to the woman moving in next door."

"We never met the last owner," Steve said.

"That's because he was a grouchy old fart who yelled at me every time I mowed the lawn before noon. And we don't need you to pick up the slack now that he's gone."

"Quiet," Steve whispered. "Natasha will hear you and I'll have to listen to a hour of cradle robbing jokes."

"I'm just trying to be a good neighbor," Sharon said.

"Oh yeah, I know exactly what type of neighbor you are, Kate," Steve teased her.

"Right, so you know I can be friendly and still maintain my cover."

"Until you come barging in with a gun," Steve muttered.

"Well unless someone shoots up the house next door, I don't see that being an issue."

Steve cleared his throat. "He's living with us, remember?" He said quietly.

"I really forget that was him sometimes," Sharon said, looking around the room to be sure Bucky hadn't heard them. "I'd just like to have someone in this neighborhood that waves when I'm jogging, and we should know who we're living beside."

"No, it's a bad idea," Steve said. His phone beeped. "But we have a mission, so we'll have to discuss this later."


"Everyone clear?" Steve asked the team after he finished the briefing. They nodded. "Good, we move out in 30 minutes."

"Who's the stay behind?" Natasha asked. Steve tapped his fingers on the table. He had forgotten about that.

"Is that even still necessary?" Wanda asked. "It's starting to be kind of a hassle."

Steve looked to Sam. He hadn't mentioned any problems, but that didn't mean Bucky should be left alone.

"Probably good to keep it up for a little while longer, just to be sure," Sam said.

"We can discuss it when we get back, but I don't want to alter protocol right before a mission," Steve agreed. Wanda had a point, but he still had his doubts about leaving Bucky on his own.

"Not like you and I ever have to do it anyway," Scott said to Wanda. He frowned and looked at Steve. "Is there a reason for that?"

"I'll stay," Sharon volunteered before Steve had to answer. "I think you can manage without a chauffeur on this one."

"Alright, gear up and move out," Steve said.

The team dispersed to prepare but Steve stayed back to talk to Sharon.

"Are you going to be ok here?"

"I'll be fine," Sharon assured him. "We'll get take out and watch some movies. I'll get him to tell me embarrassing childhood stories about you. It'll be fun."

"Well be careful, the news said there's been a rash of break-ins in the area."

"Any moron who breaks in here has it coming," Sharon said.

"I know, I meant watch your aim. We don't need to deal with a police report if you kill an intruder." He kissed her quickly. "And please don't go over to the neighbors," he pleaded.

"Don't worry about me, just come home safe," she said as he headed upstairs.


The scent of chicken and sage wafted through the kitchen when Bucky came up from the basement. Sharon was watching the oven timer intently.

"What's that?" he asked.

"It's not for us," she said apologetically. "We have a new neighbor so I was going to take it over introduce myself."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Bucky asked, grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl. The smell was making him hungry. "We're supposed to be laying low."

"You sound like Steve," Sharon said. The timer dinged and she took the casserole out of the oven and set it on a trivet.

"Where is Steve?"

"They had a mission. They should be back in a couple of days."

Bucky chuckled. "So you're going over while he's not here to talk you out of it."

"Everyone seems to forget that this is my house. I'm letting you all live here out of the goodness of my heart," she reminded him, "so if I want to make friends with the neighbors, I will."

"Well I never said I was going to stop you." If she was like Peggy, he wouldn't be able to. Steve always did have a thing for strong willed dames.

"Good. Are you coming?" Sharon asked.

Bucky considered for a moment. He hadn't talked to his neighbors in Bucharest, but there were a few people around town he saw regularly. He missed that interaction. Even if it was risky, it had made his life feel normal. It would be refreshing to talk to someone besides Steve and the team.

"Let me go change."

"Take your time, this has to cool."

Bucky put on his glasses and styled his hair. He and Natasha had been playing with different looks. She had suggested he cut it, but he was still holding off from that. He couldn't decide how short he wanted it. His old style from the war didn't seem to fit him anymore, but he wasn't sure what would.

He put on a long sleeve button up shirt over the t-shirt he was wearing and put on a glove. He needed to come up with a more discreet way to cover his arm. So far, no one had asked about the glove, but wearing sleeves in the warm weather drew some looks, and he was getting tired of being hot all the time.

When he came down, Sharon was wrapping foil on the casserole dish.

"So, what's our story?" Bucky asked.

"You're my boyfriend's loser brother, and you're living with us because you lost your job."

"Can't I be something less pathetic?" Bucky asked, following her out the door.

"Be whatever you want, just be believable and remember not to use your real name," she said.

"I know how to do this," he said. "I stayed hidden for two years."

"Fair point," Sharon said. "I'm used to doing this with Steve and he can be a little-"

"He doesn't lie well," Bucky finished.

"He does not," she concurred, picking up the casserole dish. "Ready?"

They went next door and rang the bell. There was no answer. Sharon shifted the casserole to one hand and knocked. Again, there was no answer.

"Maybe she's not home," Bucky suggested. He wondered if Sharon would want to go into the city if she wasn't. He had put a lot of work into his disguise and he hated for it to go to waste.

Sharon knocked again. Bucky heard a string of cursing from inside the house and the door opened.

"Sorry about that!" the old woman said, wiping her hands on a grubby pair of blue jeans. "I've been trying to fix the sink all morning. What can I do for you?"

"I'm Sharon and this is-"

"Jimmy," Bucky said, quickly offering his right hand for the woman to shake. "We live next door."

"Eileen Mackenzie," she said, shaking Bucky's hand.

"We brought you a casserole," Sharon said. "I figured you'd be too busy to cook dinner."

"How thoughtful!" The woman said. "I wish my oven worked so I could actually heat it up."

"Oh no!" Sharon said. "What's wrong with it?"

Mrs. Mackenzie threw up her hands. "Damned if I know! Nothing works in this house."

"Jimmy's pretty good with his hands," Sharon said. "Maybe he could take a look?"

"Oh if you don't mind, dear," Mrs. Mackenzie said.

Bucky shrugged. "Not at all."

"Well, come in."

Mrs. Mackenzie showed them into the kitchen. It was decorated in an array of strange colors and bold patterns. Most of the appliances looked old and well used.

"Pardon the mess," she said. "It's a bit of a fixer upper, but it's got character."

"That's one way to put it," Bucky muttered.

Mrs. Mackenzie took the casserole from Sharon and put it in the refrigerator, which seemed to be the only new appliance. She handed Bucky a tool box.

"Stove's over there. We'll get out of your way. Let me show you the backyard Sharon. I'm really not sure what to do with it yet if you have any suggestions."

They went out the back door, leaving Bucky alone in the kitchen. He took off his glove and rolled up his sleeves to the elbow. Opening the toolbox, he looked at the array of tools inside. He had vague memories of fixing things for Steve's mom in their apartment. Steve's father had died before he was born and his mom had never had much money, so Bucky had taken over the task of keeping the Rogers' apartment in working order. Steve wasn't really strong enough for a lot of repair work and his mother was afraid of the dust or dirt triggering his asthma. Even so, Steve was so eager to help it was hard to say no. Bucky let him pitch in where he was able, asking Steve to hand him tools or fetch things. Usually, Bucky could have done it quicker by himself, but he always enjoyed having Steve there to talk with while he worked. Sometimes, Steve would sit back and draw and they would race to see who could finish first.

Whistling some old song from a cartoon, Bucky opened the oven and set to work.


Sharon followed Mrs. Mackenzie back into the house. The garden was a mess and she still knew very little about her new neighbor. Mrs. Mackenzie had a strange talent for talking a lot and saying very little.

"And how is it going young man?" Mrs. Mackenzie asked as they walked into the kitchen.

Bucky wiped his hands, hiding his metal arm with a towel. "There was a loose screw in the heating element," he said. "I think you'll need a new one soon, but it should work for now."

"Wonderful! Say, how are you with plumbing?"

"Not bad," Bucky said cautiously.

"Well, the faucet is leaking and the sink is clogged," Mrs. Mackenzie said. "Come on, Sharon, I'll show you the rest of the house."

Sharon left Bucky in the kitchen and followed Mrs. Mackenzie into the living room. Boxes were piled against the wall and the furniture was placed haphazardly around the room. Most of it was fairly new as though it had been purchased recently.

"I haven't had a chance to unpack a damn thing. I tried get a glass of water and ended up fighting that damn sink until you showed up. Your boyfriend is a lifesaver."

"Oh he's not my boyfriend," Sharon said quickly.

"Don't be shy dear," Mrs. Mackenzie said. "I lived through the 60's. It takes a lot to shock me."

"Well I do live with my boyfriend, but Jimmy is his brother. He hit a bit of a rough patch so he's staying with us until he's back on his feet," Sharon said. "We share the house with some friends too. Helps pay the mortgage."

"Well, I'll have to have you all over for dinner once I get this place fixed up." She led Sharon upstairs. "Four bedrooms, not that I know what I'm going to do with half of them."

"Where did you move from?" Sharon asked, trying to steer the conversation toward Mrs. Mackenzie's background.

"California. I retired a few years ago and I just needed a change."

"What did you do before you retired?" Sharon asked.

"Oh, this and that. Life's too short to stay in one place, you know?"

"Do you have family back in California?" Sharon probed.

"A brother, a sister-in-law, and two nephews. Good boys. They said they'd come visit. One of them will, we'll have to see about the other."

She led Sharon back down to the den and moved a few boxes to clear off a seat. Sharon tried to peek in one but it only contained throw pillows. This was going to be a long afternoon.


"That was exhausting," Sharon said as they left the house.

"You're not the one who had to fix half the kitchen," Bucky griped.

"Where did you learn to do that?" She realized how little she knew about Bucky beyond what Steve had told her and what she had read on the Winter Soldier. She had spent the afternoon trying to gather information on the woman next door, but how much did she really know about the man across the hall?

"Wait, you didn't know I could?" Bucky asked, surprised.

"No," Sharon confessed. "I just needed an excuse to snoop around the house and keep her talking."

"I should have known," Bucky muttered.

"A month after you move in, Mr. Orman decides to sell his house," Sharon told him. "He's in perfect health and he's lived there since 1964. There's no reason he would suddenly leave. I have detailed dossiers on everyone in the neighborhood and no one poses a significant security risk. We don't know Mrs. Mackenzie and I needed to be sure it was safe."

"You could have told me!" Bucky said. "I do understand espionage. I could have helped. I was alone most of the day."

"You're right," Sharon said. "Dinner is your choice. Anywhere you want to go."

"I think I just want to get take out and watch a movie," Bucky said.

"Have you tried Thai?" She suggested. "I'm in the mood for Thai?"

"You said it was my choice, and we're getting Chinese," Bucky said.

"Fine," Sharon said, unlocking the kitchen door. "So where did you learn to fix a stove?"

Bucky shrugged. "I'm not sure. I used to fix stuff around the house so I guess my father taught me. And I think I learned some of it in the Army." In reality, much of his technical knowledge was from Hydra, but he didn't want to discuss it right then. "Steve didn't have a father so I used to fix stuff for his mom. In Bucharest I worked as a handyman since it was one of the few things I could do that paid cash."

"And you still can't use the coffee maker."

"I could probably fix it." Bucky joked. He went to the sink to wash his hands. "Did you at least find what you needed?"

"No, everything was boxed up. But she's willing to have us back over so I'll get a chance to look around when she's had a chance to unpack. Can we please get Thai?" Sharon pleaded again.

"Fine," Bucky conceded. "But we get to stop for ice cream."


Bucky and Sharon sat on the sofa. They each had a pint of Haagen Dazs. Sharon had strawberry while Bucky had opted for Vanilla Swiss Almond. He let a spoon full of ice cream melt in his mouth.

"Ice cream was not this good in the 40's." he said. "I don't know what they've done to it, but it was a good change."

"See, the future isn't so bad," Sharon said.

"So why didn't you just tell Steve that you wanted to gather information on the new neighbor?" Bucky asked. It seemed like a reasonable precaution to him.

"You know how he is," Sharon said. "He'd rather confront things head on. He can keep a secret just fine but he's not really comfortable with spying on people. Deep down he still trusts people and he wants to think everyone is who they says they are, even if he knows better."

Bucky let another spoon of ice cream melt on his tongue. "Is it weird dating a guy 70 years older than you?"

"It still bothers you that he kissed my Aunt, doesn't it?" Sharon said.

"Your entire relationship is weird." Bucky said. He set the container on the table. "I'm just curious if it gets the way."

Sharon grinned. "Is there someone special?"

"No, I haven't been on a date since 1944." Bucky said. He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to have a relationship after everything that happened. It was the last thing on his mind, but part of him still held out hope.

"Honestly, it's not that different from anyone else," she said. "At the end of the day, on the couch in front of the TV, he's just Steve. We talk about what we want to do on the weekend, bicker about stupid stuff. Just like anyone else. Sometimes he says something odd or doesn't get a joke, but it's cute."

"The Captain America thing didn't phase you?"

"Well, I didn't meet him in a normal way," Sharon confessed. "I was assigned to protect him and I lived across the hall. For about a year he thought I was a nurse. He wasn't supposed to find out the way he did."

"What happened?" Bucky asked. Sharon froze with the spoon in her mouth. "What, did you walk in on him in the bath?" he teased.

She set the ice cream on the table. "When the Winter Soldier was sent after Director Fury, Fury hid in Steve's apartment. I lived across the hall and when I heard gunshots, I had to go over and make sure he was ok."

Bucky swallowed a spoon of ice cream to quiet the churning in his stomach. Sam, Sharon, and Natasha had all been in DC with Steve and it was unrealistic to think they would never mention it. He didn't like being reminded of the things he had done, but he was tired of everyone acting like they had stepped on a landmine when something came up in conversation. Natasha at least was upfront about their encounters. It stung when she mentioned it, but she never treated him like he would break.

Bucky forced a smile to put Sharon at ease. "So you just barged in and said 'I'm Peggy Carter's niece, are you alright?'" He said with forced levity.

Sharon laughed and picking up her ice cream again. Even if it was fake, the tension had eased. "No. He didn't find that out until Aunt Peggy's funeral last year. I introduced myself as Agent 13."

Bucky's laugh was genuine this time. "I spent years trying to find him a girl and he found two without me."

"Hmm, I think we found him," Sharon said. "But you two have different taste in women."

"You're right about that," Bucky conceded. "I'm happy for him though. It was hard to watch him sometimes, not just getting overlooked by the girls, but no one gave him much credit. People can be shallow. He's an incredible guy, but no one really saw it until after the serum. I was so worried leaving him behind when I shipped out, but I think I was even more worried afterwards. I was afraid everyone would get blinded by all the newsreels and propaganda and no one would really see that skinny guy inside. I'm glad you could, 'cause that's the best part of him."

"Yes, I saw through all the glam to the guy who can't figure out how to load a dishwasher properly," Sharon joked.

Before Bucky could respond, the sound of glass breaking drew their attention.

"Did you hear that?" Sharon said.

"Yeah, next door," Bucky said.

Sharon took her gun out of the holster to check it. "Stay here, I'll check it out."

Bucky caught her arm. "Hell no. I'm not letting you go alone."

"I'm a trained SHIELD Agent," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but you're still not going alone," he insisted.

"Is this one of those macho 1940's things?" Sharon asked impatiently.

"Call it what you want," Bucky said. "I was always taught you look out for your best pal's girl."

Sharon scowled. "Your concept of gender roles needs some serious updating," she said, putting the ice cream in the freezer.

"Yeah, well it's not happening in the next hour-" Sharon cut Bucky off with a raised finger.

"You call me sweetheart, I will put you through a wall," she said.

"Ma'am," Bucky finished. This woman was so much like Peggy it was frightening.

"Are you armed?" she asked reluctantly, taking a silencer out of the junk drawer.

"A knife," Bucky said.

"Good, probably best to go in quiet. Mr. O'Leary across the street has the police on speed dial."

"What's the plan?"

"We'll go around back. Maybe she's just beating up the kitchen appliances."

"If she broke that sink again, I'm stabbing her in the ass."

Sharon took point and they went to the backyard. Bucky wrenched a board free from the fence and they slipped through. Staying low, they ran along the edge of the yard to the porch. The lock on the back door was broken. Sharon looked up to the second floor. There was a light on in the far right window.

"Give me a boost to the awning," Sharon said. "I'll sweep the top and work my way down, you sweep the first floor and come up."

He hoisted Sharon up and she climbed in through an open window. Bucky crept in the back door. He heard voices coming from upstairs.

"Where is it, you old hag?"

"Please, I don't know what you're talking about!" Mrs. MacKenzie cried. She was alive at least and the man was looking for something, which meant she was safe for the moment.

Bucky checked the ground floor rooms. He quietly wedged a chair under the handle of the basement door to block the exit and moved silently up the stairs. Sharon was crouched in the bedroom across from the stairwell, her gun aimed down the hall where the noise was coming from.

"I heard her say there are two more in the basement," she whispered. "You get them, I'll get this one."

Bucky nodded and slipped back downstairs. He opened the basement door and eased down the stairs. The two men were by the washing machine with their backs to him.

"Where is it?" One of them grumbled as they tore through a stack of boxes.

He crept up on the nearest one and grabbed him from behind, strangling him with an arm. The man kicked over a box and the second one turned. He looked at Bucky for a minute before recognition lit up his eyes. Bucky slammed the first man into the wall and drew his knife. These were no ordinary burglars.

He attacked. The man fend off the first wave but a knee to the back brought him down. Bucky pinned him to the wall.

"What are you after?"

The man laughed. "Hail HYDRA."

He cracked a tooth. Bucky shoved his hand in the man's mouth and ripped out the cyanide capsule.

"HYDRA is dead." Bucky spat. HYDRA was gone. It had to be. He was free.

"Cut off one head-"

Bucky grabbed the man's throat with his metal hand.

"I know the one I'm going to start with!" He jammed his knife into the man's jugular and then pressed his right hand against it to stop the flow of blood.

"You're going the bleed out and no one is going to help you," he said. "Before you die I want you to know that turning me into that thing was the biggest mistake HYDRA ever made. Whatever is left of you, I am going to rip apart with my bare hands."

He took his hand away. Blood spurted from the wound, spraying all over Bucky's face and arms. The man fell to the ground, weakly trying to bring a hand up to his neck. Bucky stomped it back to the floor, feeling several bones crack as the life drained out of the man. He heard a noise from the corner. The first man had come to and was gaping in horror at the blood drenched Winter Soldier. Bucky grabbed him by the throat with his metal hand and squeezed. The man kicked him in the stomach but Bucky's grip never loosened.

"Bucky!" He heard a woman yell. He tightened his grip. HYDRA would pay, starting with these two.

A muffled gunshot made him flinch. He dropped the man and ducked to the side. Another shot went through the man's forehead. Bucky looked at the door. Sharon was there. In front of her was Mrs. Mackenzie holding a gun.

"They were HYDRA," he said to Sharon. Suddenly he couldn't breathe. Both his hands were dripping with blood, none of it his. He could feel drops rolling down his face and soaking into his shirt. "They were HYDRA," he whispered, staring at the pool spreading across the floor.

"Bucky," Sharon said, approaching him cautiously. Bucky focused on her voice. This was Steve's girl. He could trust her. This was Steve's girl. He didn't want to hurt her.

"Bucky," she said again. "This is Eileen MacKenzie, SHIELD special service."

"Retired of course," Mrs. Mackenzie explained.

Bucky looked at the woman. Sharon had used his name. "She knows who we are?"

"I'll explain later," Sharon said, coming over to him. She put a hand on his shoulder. He could feel the wet blood soaking into his shirt under the weight of her hand.

"You should get him home," Mrs. Mackenzie said to Sharon. "I'll check on you tomorrow."

Bucky let Sharon lead him out of basement. The blood has smeared onto her hands and her clothes.

"They were HYDRA," he reminded himself.

"Yes, they were," Sharon said, "but they weren't after us. They thought Mrs. Mackenzie had some file they wanted. You had to do it, they saw you and they would have blown our cover." Sharon sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as him.

"They were HYDRA."


Bucky was shaking as she led him up to the bathroom. Sharon tried to focus. They had to clean up the blood. They could worry about the rest later.

"Ok, into the shower. Just leave your clothes on the floor, I'll put them in the wash." Sharon waited outside until she heard the shower start. Quickly, she gathered up the clothes from the floor and took them down to the basement. She rinsed them in the sink before throwing them in the washing machine, then stripped off her own clothes and washed her hands and arms in the sink. Shaking the water off her hands, she looked in the dryer, hoping to find something to wear. Everything in there was Steve's but it would do for now. She took a t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts.

With the clothing taken care of, she ran upstairs to clean any traces of the blood from the house before Bucky got out of the shower. He didn't need any reminders of what had happened. The cold fury in his eyes when she had found him frightened her. From the stunned confusion after she had snapped him out of it, she could tell it frightened him too. Sharon went to Bucky and Steve's room and found him a clean set of clothes. She laid them on the bed and went back to the kitchen. She opened the cabinet under the sink to get the cleaner out. Her stomach convulsed and she quickly stood, leaning over to vomit into the sink. She hadn't seen the other man die, but he had bled out from a neck wound. From the blood spatter, she was sure Bucky had done it.

She retched again. They were HYDRA, they had to die, but she knew Bucky could have done a cleaner job of it. He wanted them to suffer. He would have choked the second man if Mrs. Mackenzie hadn't shot him first. She waited a minute to be sure she was done, then rinsed out her mouth and took a bottle of wine out of the fridge. She took a quick swig, and got the cleaner and a sponge.

The water was still running when she went upstairs. She slipped quietly into the bathroom and cleaned the blood smear off the linoleum. Then she took a quick glance around to be sure that he hadn't touched anything else, and went to the hallway. She traced their steps back through the house, mopping up any drops of blood. She rinsed out the sponge and cleaned up the kitchen floor. Stepping outside, she turned on the garden hose and sprayed down the walkway and the fence.

With the evidence washed away, Sharon went back in the house and took a wine glass out of the cabinet. She filled it from the bottle on the counter and drank the entire glass without stopping. She set the glass down with a clink and leaned against the counter.

"Are you ok?" Bucky asked from the doorway. His hair was still wet, but the blood was gone.

Sharon reached for the bottle. "This is the part of the job no one ever sees," she said pouring the wine into her glass. "Drowning your doubt and self loathing in a bottle of cheap wine." She finished the glass and set it aside. "We didn't have a choice. They were HYDRA. They would have killed us."

Bucky took a seat on the other side of the kitchen island. "I haven't killed anyone in three years," he said. Sharon reached into a high cabinet and took out a bottle of whiskey.

"Bucky, they were HYDRA," she said, pouring them each a glass. "We had to kill them or they would have given us away. We didn't have a choice."

"I know," Bucky said, staring at the glass. "But I wanted to kill them. He said, 'Hail HYDRA' and something in me just snapped. I wanted to see them die."

Sharon sipped the whiskey, feeling the burn in her throat. "Those bastards took everything from you, of course you want them dead."

Bucky picked up the glass, but just held it for a moment. "I've never wanted to kill before. In the war, I was just doing it to survive, to protect my friends. With HYDRA, I didn't feel anything." He threw back the whiskey and set the glass down. "I wanted to see him die, slowly. I wanted him to suffer, to feel helpless." He looked at her. Sharon felt a chill run through her body.

"It'll be ok, Bucky." she said quietly. "We saved Mrs. Mackenzie and no one is coming to find us."

"Wait, we?" Bucky said.

Sharon took a sip of her whiskey. "I told you I'd take care of the one upstairs," she said. She could still hear the shot from her gun and the thud of the lifeless body hitting the carpet. She took another drink. "All the years I've been doing this and I still can't get used to this part. I can pull the trigger without hesitating, but afterwards," she trailed off.

"I don't think you're supposed to get used to this," Bucky said.

He refilled both of their glasses. They drank. Sharon stepped toward the fridge and stumbled. The bottle of wine was starting to hit. Bucky jumped up to help her.

"You're done," he said, picking her up in his arms.

"You take this whole, watching out for your pal's girl thing pretty seriously," Sharon said.

"Yep, that's how they raise us in Brooklyn."

Sharon laid her head against his shoulder as he carried her upstairs. It was the metal one, but he was surprisingly gentle with it.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't know it was going to be that messy. Steve is going to be pissed."

"He won't care," Bucky assured her. "He'll just be glad you're ok."

Bucky carried her into her room and set her on the bed. He turned to leave but she caught his shirt.

"Don't go, I don't want to sleep alone tonight."

Bucky sighed. "Let me go get my stuff."

"No!" she slurred. "Can I sleep in Steve's bed? It smells like him and I really miss him." Steve wouldn't be back for two days, but all she wanted right now was to curl up in his arms and forget this night ever happened.

Bucky helped her off the bed and led her across the hall to his and Steve's room. The bed was perfectly made and the sheets were crisp, but it still had his scent. Bucky pulled back the covers and guided her into the sheets. He threw an extra blanket on top. It was warm, but the weight was comforting.

"Goodnight," she yawned.

Bucky crawled into his own bedding. "Goodnight."


Sharon came down early the next morning. Bucky had expected her to sleep longer. By his count, she had drunk an entire bottle of wine and two glasses of scotch in less than an hour. It was a miracle she was every standing today.

"Oh my god," she moaned, sliding into a chair at the island. "I'm getting too old to do that." She lay her forehead on the cool granite.

"What can I get you?" Bucky asked.

"Coffee with lots of sugar and toast. Make some bacon, I'll decide after the coffee."

"There's coffee, but it's kind of bitter," Bucky warned her as he took the skillet out of the drawer.

"Whatever, just need the sugar," she moaned. He handed her a mug.

"Is that how you always deal with this?" he asked.

"Yep," she muttered, lifting her head slightly to sip the coffee. "God, you really don't know how to use that thing! I thought Steve was exaggerating."

"I would have gone to Starbucks, but I thought we should lay low."

"Ugh, probably." The toast popped up and Bucky put it on a plate for her. She picked at it weakly. "I'm sorry you ended up taking care of me last night. Should have been the other way around."

"You held it together pretty well at the beginning," Bucky said. He had been glad for the escape from his own dark thoughts. He didn't regret going with her, it was the least he owed Steve, but he didn't want to dwell on what had happened in the basement. "You never told me what they were after."

"Nothing," Sharon said. "Bad information. But it had nothing to do with us, our cover is intact."

"Except she's with SHIELD." Bucky said. He knew that there were parts of SHIELD that had not been involved in Hydra, but he was still cautious of anyone who claimed allegiance to them.

Someone knocked on the door before he could say more. Sharon perked up, but didn't move. Bucky went to the front door and looked through the peephole. Mrs. Mackenzie was standing there. He cracked the door slightly.

"Mrs. Mackenzie, what can we do for you?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. "Unless you know how to get brains out of carpet, but I have a few tricks for that myself."

She handed Bucky a box. "I thought you might be a little slow getting started this morning so I brought you a coffee cake. I wanted to thank you for last night. Mind if I come in? I feel like I have some explaining to do."

"This may not be the best time," Bucky said. Sharon wasn't well and he wasn't sure he trusted this woman.

She looked at him. "I think it really would be best if I did, Sergeant Barnes."

Bucky's hand went for his knife but it wasn't there.

"Who is it?" Sharon asked, coming down the hall. "Bucky let her in," she said when she saw Mrs. Mackenzie.

Sharon led her to the kitchen, Bucky followed at a distance, ready to run if things turned. Sharon and Mrs. Mackenzie sat at the table.

"Who were those men?" Bucky demanded.

"You heard them! They were HYDRA, or at least what's left," Mrs. Mackenzie said. "Serpents take a long time to die. Like I told you last night, I'm retired from SHIELD. They think I have a file with God knows what in it, but they got their wires crossed."

Sharon sipped her coffee, trying to look stern. "I don't think it's a coincidence that you moved here."

"You're right. My nephew Alphonso set this up. He's a SHIELD agent. He said that he and some of his friends have an arrangement with you, and Agent Coulson wanted to have a secure drop point for anything they might need to hand over. My nephew coming to visit looks a lot less suspicious than the men in black knocking on your door. And they thought you could use the extra security."

"Why now?" Sharon asked.

"Three weeks ago, they intercepted security footage of that incident at the mall. They managed to edit out any identifying features of Sergeant Barnes appearance, but they thought an extra set of eyes might be prudent."

Bucky sighed. He had been seen after all.

"I don't mean this to sound rude, but, if those men found you, how can we be sure it's safe?" Sharon asked.

"They gave away their hideout. That attack helped bring down a large cell. They were tracking me. I met with Agent Coulson and he gave me the mortgage agreement and insurance papers. They screwed that up into some file they've been chasing. It was a coincidence. The location is not compromised, at least not by anyone who matters."

"So, why didn't you tell us this to begin with?" Sharon asked.

Mrs. Mackenzie laughed. "Boredom. I know it's silly, but I wanted to see how long it would take you to figure me out. And to be honest, you wouldn't have believed me if I'd be upfront about this."

"Probably not," Sharon admitted.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your hangover," she said, standing to leave. "I took care of the cleaning, so don't worry about that. I still have plenty of repairs if you'd like to make a little money, young man."

"I'll think about it," Bucky said. Mrs. Mackenzie left and Bucky returned to the stove. "Do you still want bacon?" he asked Sharon.

"So much bacon," she said.

Bucky took out the bacon and a couple of eggs for himself. "You know, she's not bad really. At least there's someone here we don't have to lie to. Steve should like that"

"Less talking, more bacon." Sharon moaned. Bucky chuckled and turned on the burner.


When Steve came home, he was expecting Sharon to tell him about some garden party they had been invited to next door. The story she told him was far more disturbing. He went up stairs to find Bucky. He was sitting on his sleeping bag reading through his journals as usual. Steve dropped his gear at the foot of the bed, Bucky looked up.

"How was the mission," he asked.

"Not nearly as exciting as what happened here." Steve said.

"Sharon told you?"

"I don't think she'll let me forget that one for a while. I figured she wouldn't listen to me, but I didn't think she'd be right." Steve sat down on the bed. "She told me about what happened in the basement. She said you insisted on going with her."

"I feel kind of stupid for going now," Bucky said.

"Thanks for not listening to her," Steve said. "She's good and I know I don't have to worry about her, but I do."

"Couldn't let your best girl go into that alone," Bucky smiled. "Hang on to that one. And don't crash a plane in the Arctic again. I don't think you'll get that lucky a third time."

"Probably not," Steve said. He paused. "Are you ok?"

"I don't know," Bucky said quietly.

"I'm sorry you were in that position, but you didn't have a choice," Steve told him.

"I did," Bucky contradicted him. "I did have a choice. It wasn't a great one and I'm not sure I like what I decided, but it was my decision."

"Why did you do it?"

"I don't know. He said HYDRA and I felt this anger. I just wanted to hurt them, make them suffer some of what they did to me. I even ripped out his tooth to keep him from committing suicide. I wanted to die slowly. I wanted him to feel helpless. I sliced his jugular and watched him bleed out."

"And?" Steve prompted. He felt sick just listening to Bucky tell him about it.

"I didn't enjoy it, I was just angry." Bucky grimaced. "It scared me. He had to die, but I didn't have to be cruel. That wasn't the Winter Soldier, Steve, that was me. I didn't know I could be that sadistic. I'm no better than they are."

"That's not true," Steve said emphatically. "You're nothing like them, but you're still only human. It's normal to want revenge."

"Yeah, but I don't like it."

"Then don't do it again." Steve told him. "It was you Buck, you made the choice. Even if it was a mistake, it was yours. That's something right?"

Bucky looked at him. A faint smile crossed his lips. Steve stood and gave Bucky a hand to help him off the floor.

"And next time, you'll make a better choice. But you'll make it. HYDRA isn't in control anymore. It's all you in there." He tapped Bucky's forehead.

Bucky shook his head, but he was smiling. Steve threw his arm around Bucky's shoulders.

"Come on, there's Yankee's game on."

"We should go sometime," Bucky suggested as they headed down. "I haven't been to a baseball game in 75 years."

"Me either," Steve said. "I think I was waiting for you."

-End-