**I do not own any of the characters, except for Beth. Shes mine.**

Chapter 9

Steve paces back and forth. Beth still wasn't home and it was going on midnight. He keeps checking his phone for messages and missed calls, but there never is one. He runs his fingers through his hair, for what seems like the hundredth time, and checks his phone again. Nothing. Suddenly, his phone rings. He doesn't hesitate to answer.

"Bethany?"

"Sorry. Not this time." Natasha replies. He sighs.

"Find anything?"

"I did, but you're not going to like it."

"Hit me."

"It was Hydra." His heart drops.

"How bad?"

"Pretty bad. Couple of the teachers and staff were killed. Students are all fine. No sign of Adam or Beth. Witnesses saw two men carrying an unconscious female into one of the vans." 'Bethany…'

"Where do you think they went?"

"My moneys on Hydras headquarters. Where that's located, I have no idea."

"Okay. Thanks, Natasha."

"Yeah. Ill let you know if anything else comes up."

"Sounds good." They both hang up and Steve resumes pacing. 'Be okay. Please, please be okay.'


Beth had long given up on trying to break her restraints. She had resorted to sitting quietly and staring at her feet. Then the door opens and Adam comes in.

"Poor Beth. Poor, depressed Beth." He kneels down in front of her. He puts his hand under her chin and forces her to look at him. "Don't worry. It'll be over soon." He lets go and stands up. She glares at him. "Well, I'd better be off. Gotta see a man about some plans to ruin your life." He walks towards the door.

"Wait." He stops and turns towards Beth. "What are you going to do to me?" He smiles.

"Oh, now she's curious. Some years ago, when you were first captured by Hydra, you were given great powers. Hydra gave you these abilities to use in service for them. Unfortunately, you chose a different path. You chose to join up with SHIELD. Hydra gave you everything. Your powers, a place to stay, training, and for what? You were ungrateful, to say the least. So, Hydra has a new plan. Relieve you of your powers and give them to someone more, inclined to use them correctly." Beth looks at him, confused.

"W-who?" He straightens up and smirks. Beth's heart stops. "…no."

"Yes! Say hello to the new face of Hydra!" He exclaims proudly.

"You can't!"

"I can, and I will. He walks toward the door. "You just wait and see." He opens and shuts it behind him, leaving Beth in the dark.


Eventually, Steve gets tired of waiting around and joins up with Natasha at SHIELD headquarters. Just as he walks in, Natasha pulls him aside.

"Fury talk to you yet?"

"No, why? Did he find something on Bethany?"

"Not exactly…"

"Well then, what is it?" She shifts and avoids eye contact. "Natasha…"

"Winter Sol… Bucky. He… remembered you." She looks up to find him staring blankly at her.

"What?"

"Fury went in to check on him after I knocked him unconscious, showed him a picture of you, and he recognized you." He stares at her. "He's still here if you want to…" Not letting her finish, he runs off. He runs down what seems like hundreds of hallways before appearing in front of the door leading to where Bucky was being held. He takes a deep breath and turns the knob. He slowly walks in to find Bucky sitting on the edge of his bed, head down and eyes shut. He shuts the door quietly behind him and Bucky's head quickly lifts up. Their eyes meet.

"Buck?" Bucky slowly stands up, their eyes still locked on each other. Bucky sighs.

"Hey, punk." Steve's heart breaks and he launches himself into Bucky's arms. They envelop each other in a big bear hug and tears run down Steve's face.

"Jerk…" They stay like that for almost an hour straight.


"So. How are you?" Steve asks. Bucky shrugs.

"Been better."

"I bet…" Silence.

"You?" Steve mimics Bucky's shrug.

"Same." 'Should I tell him about Bethany?'

"What have you been up to?"

"Where do I begin? We joined SHIELD, became part of a team called The Avengers, saved the world from an alien invasion. The usual." Bucky raises an eyebrow.

"We?" Steve stops.

"What?"

"You said, "We". Whose "we"?" Steve starts to sweat.

"Um…"

"Steve. I might have been brainwashed and frozen for 70 years, but I still know how to tell when you're lying." Steve gives up.

"Listen, Buck. This may not be easy to hear." Bucky just looks at him expectantly. "How much do you remember about before the war?" He thinks.

"Not much. Bits and pieces. Why?"

"Do you remember your family?" Bucky squints suspiciously at him.

"Why?"

"Bethany. Your sister. She… she's…" Steve sighs. "She's still alive." Bucky's eyes widen.

"Really?" Steve nods. "Wow. She's probably old as dirt now. 80, 85?"

"Technically." Bucky squints.

"What do you mean by that?"

"She still looks 17." Bucky's silent. "After the fall, Hydra captured her and tested out a new serum on her. She can't age." Bucky's glance moves downward and he plays with his thumbs. "When they unfroze me, we found each other and I've been taking care of her ever since. She's really quite amazing, Buck."

"Yeah. She always was." Steve rubs a hand over his face.

"There's something else, Buck." He looks up. "She's been taken again."

"What?"

"I… let her go to a dance and Hydra found her and they've got her somewhere. We don't know where." Steve can see the anger in Bucky's eyes.

"How long?"

"Couple hours." Bucky stands up and walks towards the door. "Wait, Buck." Steve follows him into the hallway.

"I can find her."

"What really? You know where it's at?"

"Nope. But people are looking for me, so it shouldn't be too hard." Steve grabs his arm.

"Wait. You can't just let yourself be captured again."

"Why not? I can handle them."

"But what if you can't?" Bucky looks at Steve.

"What?"

"I can't let you go alone."

"I'll be fine, Steve."

"Yeah, but…"

"Look. I can handle myself. Bethany's in trouble. I gotta get her out of there." He sees the determination in Steve's eyes and sighs. "If you really want to help, you can."

"I do."

"Okay then. Let's go."

Ta daa! Chapter 9, up and runnin! So, Bucky's back! :D Yay! Sorry if they arent really in character. I just sort of threw this together. :\ But hope you like it anyways! Ive pretty much got the next chapter written and the rest all figured out in my head. Its just a matter of having time to write it down. So yeah! OH and the new Avengers movie trailer was leaked a couple days ago! Yay! Havent watched it yet cause i feel like if i do, ill be too excited to wait. So im gonna save it for now.

Remember, reviews are like... like... dang. Im running out of metaphors... Bucky! Help me out!

Bucky: Who the hell is Bucky?

...not again...