Finding Bucky didn't seem to be the main issue by the end of the day. It was waking Bucky that was the big problem.

They had let him sleep for a good five hours before finally getting impatient and shaking him by the shoulders. Zilch.

This was followed by blasting music next to his bed, getting Iris to scream as high and loud as she could in his ear, and throwing cold (ish) water over his head.

All they got was a few sleepy grumbles and a bruised nose for Iris (he thought she was a fly and tried to swat her away)

They'd taken refuge in one of Fury's old bases Tash had sent them the coordinates for, the whole interior very sleek and Fury-ish. There was even a coffee machine, though someone had used up the last of the actual coffee. Iris stood in the main office, overlooking the rest of the building, while waiting for Natasha to arrive from the States. Her and a few other agents were coming to help with the rehabilitation and debriefing of Bucky, all bad blood and bullet wounds forgotten between him and Fury at the prospect of a new toy.

That niggling claw of paranioa was back again, this time ripping it's way through her stomach. What if he didn't remember her? What if he didn't want to remember her? He had Steve now, there was no need for her. They'd all get on great, three soldiers against the world, though Sam would probably need a steroid boost to keep up.

A commotion began down below her. She stared in awe as Bucky and Steve appeared, talking animatedly. In her head she was rushing down the stairs and throwing herself into Bucky's arms, not letting him go, not even for a second.

In reality she stood still, the claw finally finding it's purchase.

"Steve?"

The blonde looked up, expecting to see Sam by the door. But the doorway was empty, and the voice too groggy and quiet and near to be anyone but-

"Bucky?"

A laugh erupted from his lips as he pulled the man up from the bed and into a hug, murmuring 'I thought you were gone' like a mantra.

"Not quite Steve. Now would you mind telling me what the hell happened to me? I look like a goth!" He exclaimed, pulling at the black body-suit only to continue staring at his silver arm. "Oh. Wait. Arm...suit...guns...yeah, I remember. Oh shit, I shot you!"

Steve carried on laughing, nodding wildly. He was real. He wasn't gone.

"I shot you! Right here!" He stabbed Steve's stomach, barely a centimetre from the actual wound. "With an actual gun and everything! I COULD HAVE KILLED YOU!"

Despite his frantic tone, Bucky was wearing a gigantic grin identical to Steve's. "You almost did, you son of a...Jesus, Bucky!"

"Sorry. No son of Jesus here." He joked.

"C'mon Bucky, you've got to see the other two. We've all been looking for you-"

"How long did my hair get?" Bucky interrupted, tugging a strand of hair in front of his face while emerging into the main room. Sam spotted them from where he was on the comms with Natasha and her team.

"I know!" Steve almost shouted, his hands splaying dramatically from the pent up adrenaline.

"I need to get this cut. Is there a barber's around here or..."

"I dunno. I think you can pull it off. Iris liked it, anyway." Steve winked slyly. Bucky's face changed from confusion to shock in a single millisecond.

"What? Is she...she's here? Oh my God, what do I say? Last time I saw her I was a zombie soldier! Wait, no. Last time I saw her was in woods. Last time she saw me I was tackling her! Jeez, she's gonna hate me. I remember her! She was amazing. One of those girls who...what was it you used to say? I'm saving my dance for a lucky girl or something. Well guess what Stevie? She's her. She's the girl, I'm sure of it! And she's here. She's fucking here. What the fuck do I say?"

Steve and Sam watched him as he jumped randomly on the spot, emotion changing manically. "Calm down. She should be up in the control room, and I'd just let her do the talking." Steve suggested, sharing a grin with Sam as Bucky rushed up the stairs.

"Shouldn't he be checked for insanity first?" Natasha's voice rattled through on the mic Sam was holding. Steve wrinkled his nose.

"Nah. And anyway, the only one who can do those tests here is Iris, so..."

"Are you following? Why aren't you following? I want to hear this."

"Hear what?" Steve asked, taking the microphone while following Sam and Bucky up the stairs.

"I want to hear the guy who shot my in the stomach turn into a pile of goo over a silly crush. Perfect mixture of adoreableness and sadism on my behalf."

He rolled his eyes, reaching the room last. And almost dropping the mic in the process.

Sam and Bucky stood looking the 'perfect mixture' of worry and frustration. On the screen in front of them was an alert sent by Fury to all his safe houses, and by the wall two of the guns and her bag was gone.

"Shit."

She was going to go downstairs. The paranoia she could dismiss as long as she put on foot in front of the other, but that had all been stopped when the computer behind her sprung to life and began flashing.

All it took was one look of the man on the screen and his last whereabouts and she was gone, out the door with bag and guns in hand.

Bucky would just have to wait. Adam Rowell was calling her.

Author's Note

Quite a bit of swearing- hope you guys don't mind it. Also, massive apologies for the wait! It's been a totally hectic week- I've barely had time to sleep let alone update. Thanks for your patience :)

Next chapter- Consequences

"I knew you'd be here."