"Bucky? Is, is that really you?" Steve's voice cracks upon seeing Bucky enter the room.

Bucky's body tenses, aware of how all eyes are now on him. His heart speeds up and his breathing changes, he is ready to bolt. No! Payton in upset and needs him; Payton comes first. Then he will panic and run away.

Ignoring Steve and the others, "Payton, what's wrong?"

"She is not supposed to be here! She was not invited!" Payton snaps, pointing her finger at Sharon.

Bucky follows the line of her finger to the blonde woman standing beside Steve. Her hand wrapped around his arm, clearly in a possessive manner. The glare she is sending Payton's way is reason enough for Bucky not to like her. Protectively, he steps in front of Payton, narrowing his eyes at the blonde.

Sharon scoffs, rolling her eyes, "Oh my God! You really think I would want Steve coming here with you with how you chase him around like a little lost puppy? You still cannot accept that he wants me and not you! Now trying to use his best friend to get to him. Pathetic!"

"Wha…" Bucky glances between the two. Payton is in love with Steve? So, was that the real reason she wanted to help him?

Payton moves around Bucky, flicks her eyes up to observe his expression. She knows that she is going to explain everything and ease any worries he has. But first she is going to have to deal with Sharon first.

"Oh Please! We slept together twice, almost a year ago. One of those times was before you stepped into the picture, before he found out you were Peggy's niece. So YOU were the other woman. And if you hadn't noticed, I avoid him like a fucking plague unless I have to deal with him for work. Now bitch leave!"

"Bitch? Really?"

Sharon moves to rush Payton, but before can even touch the smaller blonde, Bucky has Payton pushed behind him once more, roughly shoving Sharon back into Steve,

"Woman or not, you don't touch her." Bucky's glare hardens, glowering at both Sharon and Steve, "You brought her here knowing she would cause problems for Payton. Knowing that Payton wouldn't want her here. And that fact pisses me off more than you might think. I don't need to know your history with Payton to know that is a jackass move. Get her out and you follow her."

"Buck…"

"No! Get out now!"

Payton gasps at his command, and lightly places her hand on Bucky's flesh arm, her gentle touch causes him to relax slightly. "Bucky, don't forget why we invited him."

He turns his head towards her, "Don't matter Payton, he brought her here just to upset you. I'm not goin' to let that slide."

Natasha is the first one of the observers to break from her shock and speak up, "Maybe you two need a moment to collect yourselves. I'll get the drinks passed out."

"Thank you, come on Bucky."

Payton laces her fingers through Bucky's pulling him to their bedroom and shuts the door behind them.

Bucky sits on the edge of the bed, running a hand down his face. Payton stays standing by the door, giving Bucky his space.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." her voice soft, timid.

He exhales slowly, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know how? I was scared? Maybe, I didn't want my opinions of Steve to anyway influence you. Like I said, I don't know if he is the same as when you knew him. The Steve I know is an asshole."

"Did you help me just to get to Steve?"

"What? NO! God no! Hell, if anything, I should have left you in Romania in spite of Steve, never having gone to find you in the first place. No, I wanted to make sure that if Steve ever found you again, it wouldn't affect any progress you have made in recovery on your own. I have not lied to you Bucky, I swear, the only thing is I left out a little information about mine and Steve's relationship. A relationship that ended about eight months ago, if not a little longer. Do… do you hate me?"

Bucky's head jerks up, blue eyes locking together, "No, sweetheart, I don't hate you. A little mad, upset maybe, but I can't hate you. Come here."

Payton makes her way over to Bucky, sitting next to him to curl into his side. She gives a small smile when he places a kiss on her forehead.

"Tell me everything now, please."

And she does. She tells him how Steve would degrade her, talk down to her and about her, how she even tried to change herself to get his attention. She tells him how they never really had an actual relationship, just slept together twice. And how each time after he became an even bigger asshole to her.

"He would act possessive of me, make promises about wanting to move on from his past and made it seem like he wanted that with me. Then turn around and just...be so cruel. After Sokovia, I thought it might happen, his behavior changes towards. I guess maybe it was because I died…"

"What?!" Bucky's exclaimed, interrupting Payton.

She turns her head down, fiddling with the hem of her dress, "Uh, yeah. In Sokovia, I got shot. Coded for three minutes, but they brought me back, see."

Payton grins up innocently at him, using her hands to frame her face.

"Don't get cute on me now Payton, not after you just told me you died. That is something serious."

"I am fucking adorable and you know it."

Bucky rolls his eyes, laughing at her, "Yeah, yeah, anyway?"

"Oh um, yeah. Steve's behavior changed, started taking care of me, even told me he loved me. But I realized it was guilt he felt, not love. Guilt in not protecting me, in me getting hurt, I'm not sure. Not long after he told me he loved me, I caught him with Sharon Carter, the woman from down stairs. Apparently he started fucking around with her not long after Peggy died. Because, you know, he couldn't have Peggy, might as well fuck her great niece. Sharon likes to rub it in my face that she got Steve, not me."

"So why does Sharon think you are jealous?

Taking a deep breath, she shakes her head, "I honestly don't even care about Steve. Any feelings I had for him are long gone. Sharon is fuckin' delusional. I never really had a problem with her; I blamed Steve, not her, for cheating. But then she went psycho bitch and started attacking me. And Steve lets her, always finding excuses for her. One time I had to go to his office for Tony, and caught them in there having sex. She actually threw something at me; I don't remember what, left a bruise. God, Natasha wanted to kill her for that. Steve just said that it was out of surprise and she didn't mean to, but after that she kept saying how I did it to try and keep them from being together. Then there are the training "accidents" where she "accidently" knocked me out, dislocated my shoulder, gave me a black eye a couple of times, oh and broke my finger. Yet, they both still think I don't like her because I'm jealous."

She forces out a laugh, "I even went to tell him that I found you, and they were together. She started a fight with me while Steve just stood there, letting her, even after I hinted that it was about you."

As Payton is talking, she does not notice how Bucky's hands clench, his body begins to shake. Finally, Bucky snaps.

He is racing out of the bedroom with Payton fast on his tail, at least as fast as she can in her heels. Bucky storms down the stairs and into the living room where everyone is gathered, including Steve and Sharon. Before anyone can react, Bucky's fist connects with the side of Steve's jaw.

"What the hell?!" he shouts from the floor, glaring up at Bucky.

"I want you the fuck out of this house. You and that bitch!"

Steve is quick to get up, shoving Bucky, "Don't talk about Sharon that way?"

Bucky pushes back harder, slamming Steve against the wall, "I am not going to tell you again. Get the fuck out."

"Bucky don't do this." Steve pleads

"You are really going to pick the little slut over your best friend? Did you miss the part where they slept together?" Sharon sneers.

"And that doesn't seem to keep you from spreading your legs for him does it?" Bucky snaps, glaring at her

"You…"

"Don't even think about it. I can take you and him both out before you have time to blink. Now get out!"

"Bucky! Stop this! We have been best friends since we were children. Don't let some little bitch get between us!"

Bucky punches Steve once more, kneeling down with his knee digging into Steve's chest, "Watch how you talk about Payton. She has done more for me in the past two months than you can even imagine."

"I wanted to help you," Steve groans, fighting against Bucky, "I would have helped you if you would have let me! I looked for you I swear!"

"And who actually found me? Payton! Payton found me while you were busy getting your dick wet!"

Standing up and pulling Steve with him, Bucky drags Steve to the door, "I don't even care who found me or not, I didn't ask you to come looking. What pisses me off is how you have treated the woman who has shown me more care and love than I deserve. I will not allow you to continue to hurt her any longer. Now last time, get out!"

He opens the door, shoving Steve out to the front yard. Turning to glare at Sharon, he says nothing but without Steve there to protect her, Sharon quickly leaves. Before slamming the door shut, Steve looks up at Bucky with devastated eyes,

"I hope you know what you're doing Buck. I've wanted nothing more than to get you back."

Bucky's expression softens slightly, "Wake up and lose the bitch and we might talk. Until then, I don't want you anywhere near me or Payton, not if she will be around as well."

Payton stands off to the side, tears in her eyes and she helplessly watches Bucky trudge back up to the bedroom,

"Bucky…" she whispers.

The room is silent after the emotional display, until one decides to speak,

"Well, Payton, you never said we were getting dinner and a show."

"Shut up Tony."