Hi everyone, sorry for the long wait between updates. Here's an extra long chapter for you to enjoy ;) And because he insisted, Tony has now been added to the characters list.

"Hello Blanche," Clint greeted her as she walked into the gym.

Darcy gave a two fingered salute. "Sophia."

"I heard you had some excitement while I was out." He winced at the shiner around her eye.

She nodded matter of factly. "Yep, you missed all the fun. Where do you go so randomly anyway?"

He shrugged as he stretched. "Fell back into it with this girl I know, sometimes it gets messy."

"Can't let her go huh?"

"Something like that."

"Gotta follow your heart and all that. So, what do you have in your nest of tricks for me to learn today?"

"Throwing a proper punch for one. Nat said you hurt you hand in your last cage match." He raised his arms, his palms up and facing her. "Hit me, but not too hard. I just wanna see how you carry yourself."

Giving a shrug, Darcy did as she was told, making sure to twist her hips as she did so. Clint easily blocked her punch but nodded approvingly. "You didn't hesitate, good. Remember in addition to using your hips, put your shoulder into it as well and follow through with the rest of your body. You're not going to be able to match the strength of opponents twice your size, it's just not possible. Unless you're super powered- are you super powered?" She snorted and he continued. "Exactly. Your first option will be to dodge and run. Always take that option, you're smaller and have fast reflexes so you should be quicker than they are. But if you can't immediately get away, you'll have the element of surprise on your side as they won't be expecting your hit to have a lot of power behind it. And always make sure to go for the fleshy parts of the face and body. Now let's try again but this time I want you to dodge me when I reach for you."

He came at her and she sidestepped as best she could. He nodded approvingly. "Good. Ok, we've got about an hour before you have to go with Pepper to the police station so dodging and avoidance is all we're going to be working on today, especially with your most recent injuries."

She couldn't argue there. She still felt a twinge in her wrist from the punch she'd thrown earlier in the week. She heaved a put-upon sigh, though she was smiling cuz it was still totally cool. "Okay, attack me." She never thought she'd say those actual words to an Avenger.

Maybelline Weston was a tiny, nut brown woman in her early seventies and a total dynamo. Darcy liked her immediately, especially as Maybelline started giving the same cops hell who'd given her the brush off a few nights before. Especially the police chief. Neither Darcy nor Pepper had spoken a word outside of hello since they'd met Maybelline at the police station. They hadn't had to, as she had marched up to the front desk and then straight through to the chief's office. Then they both sat quietly and watched as Maybelline, demure in her pearls, smart pantsuit, and kitten heels, went on the offense with the ferocity of a shark.

"So Officer Roberts, when this young woman's statement was taken, did your department follow up with any potential witnesses?"

"I-"

"Did you search for her attacker in the group of people you arrested?"

"It was-"

"Did you even take what my client had to say seriously?"

"I just figured it would-"

"Oh, you just figured did you? You just figured she really wasn't attacked and groped against her will; it was just the excitement of the crowd? Despite the fact that she was clearly injured and distraught when she was brought in. You just figured she didn't know what she was talking about? Despite the fact that she clearly was not inebriated. You just figured she was trying to cause trouble? Despite the fact that she did not resist arrest. Tell me, which one of these options is a true and correct representative of how you run your precinct?"

Chief Roberts said nothing as Maybelline pulled a sheet of paper from her purse and slid it across his desk. "This is my client's statement of the night's events along with a detailed description of her assailant; I suggest you pay attention this time."

The police chief opened his mouth to respond but Maybelline was on a roll. "And as for the so called 'illegal' device that was confiscated, we're going to be needing that back."

Roberts was already shaking his head. "No, she brought a highly dangerous weapon into my city and discharged it in the middle of a crowd. She's not getting it back."

Maybelline smirked. "I see you subscribe to 'all of the above'. So you admit to willfully ignoring the rights of a citizen you are sworn to protect, in your city?"

The chief turned bright red. "Now listen-"

Maybelline held up a hand, "No I don't believe I need to any longer, I have everything I need and something for you as well." She pulled the next notarized document from her purse and placed it on his desk. "This is a statement from Stark Industries stating that the device you confiscated was a prototype in its early stages of testing. Miss Lewis kindly agreed to take it with her when she left the offices of her employment for the evening, so researchers could see how long it could be detected on the company's sensors. When Miss Lewis was reaching for the pepper spray in her purse, to defend herself after being grabbed from behind by an unknown assailant, she picked up the device instead-purely by accident- and it malfunctioned, coincidentally electrocuting her attacker and saving her from further harm."

She placed another paper on top of the others. "That is a letter from the mayor of your city authorizing the release of the scientific equipment in your possession."

When the police chief crossed his arms and gave a mulish glare she held up two more papers with a raised brow. "I also have one from the senator and the president. Shall I keep going? I'm quite sure I'm getting to the point where you will have to arrest yourself for corporate espionage and high treason."

They were out of the station 30 minutes later with Darcy's statement given and her 'scientific equipment' reclaimed. She sooo totally wanted to be Maybelline when she grew up! She was already making mental plans to bake that woman a cake. She thanked her profusely and Maybelline responded with a card with her personal number and a promise to help whenever she was needed because Darcy 'didn't look like a senseless fool who would abuse the privilege'.

Maybelline held her arm out for a cab as she gave Darcy a warm smile. "As for that ridiculous suit being brought against you, I'm setting up a response and a counter suit both of which will be delivered by the end of the day. It sounds like this little weasel somehow found out about the company you keep and is looking for a payoff. Unfortunately for him and his two brain cells that will not be happening, don't even worry about it dear. And I mean what I said, you need me for anything else you use that card. "

Darcy smiled. "Yes Mam."

Maybelline turned to Pepper and made plans for their usual lunch the following week; then got into the waiting cab with a whimsical "Ta darlings!" and rode off into the horizon of the city.

Darcy looked at Pepper with wonder. "She's so awesome; she's like the best lawyer ever."

Pepper chuckled as she sent a text to let their driver know they were ready. "She's my mentor."

Darcy looked up in surprise. "Really? Wow no wonder you're so badass, you came from her!"

Pepper laughed. "Come on I'll take you to lunch, you can tell me how it's been at the tower since I went back to Malibu."

Darcy smiled as the car pulled up. "You want to know how much crap Tony's started since you left."

Pepper winked and got into the car. "That too."

He watched from across the street as the two women got into the car, focusing on long glossy brown hair. She was ok. A little banged up but still fighting. He cursed himself for not being able to help her a second time, the first being when he left her in that hell to follow 'orders'. Every time his mind cleared of the fog he wondered how much more those bastards would take from him. His fist clenched, the faint sound of grinding metal reaching his ear. Apparently even more than he'd realized.

After he watched their car pull out into traffic he headed in the opposite direction. Not really having a destination in mind, just feeling the need for movement. He didn't like being in one spot for long; there were so many people around, brushing past or bumping into him. Indifferent citizens or practiced agents? Anyone could be hiding behind an everyday mask. Like he was.

He continued to wander, thinking out his next moves. Something caught his eye and he stopped; a storefront. He stood in the middle of the entrance, unable to make himself move on, until a saleswoman approached him. Her appearance made him take an unconscious step back. She looked like her.

Ignoring his gloved hand and tattered coat and ball cap, she smiled welcomingly. "Hi, welcome to Bear-O-Matics, did you want to build a furry friend today?"

He glanced past her at the colorful displays and wares, coming to a decision. "Yes," he said.

Darcy popped another piece of sushi into her mouth as Pepper poured them more sake. "Well yeah, he's been popping up all over the place but I think it's because he's bored. And he misses you. I'm probably like a cat video to him right now, distracting and slightly comical."

Pepper shook her head. "You're more than a cat video Darcy. And I'm glad you're here. It might not seem like it but he's better when he's distracted. You're a good distraction."

Darcy squinted at the strawberry blonde sitting across from her. "You're more than a little bit drunk aren't you?"

"Only slightly tipsy and so are you. But that doesn't mean it's not true." She signaled for the check. "Tony doesn't trust so easily to just let others into his space. You might be a distraction but you're one that he's letting in, and he seems to be causing minimal damage."

Darcy snorted, causing Pepper to as well. The slightly tipsy CEO raised her brows. "Hey that's a win in my book!"

They left the restaurant and were walking towards their car when another sedan drove up and parked behind it. The window rolled down and Tony called out, "Get in pranking assistant, there are people to be fucked with."

Darcy glanced quizzically to Pepper who sighed and flapped a hand towards the other car. "Go ahead, I will tell Jane you'll be back at the tower later. I won't say why until I'm out of the room."

Darcy chuckled as she hopped into the passenger side of the car. "Smart move Miss Potts."

There was a box waiting for her at the security desk when she got back to the tower. There was no return address and the guard manning the desk couldn't tell her where it came from. Considering the reaction a mysterious package with her name on it got the last time, Darcy decided to risk opening it on her own this time. With the help of Jarvis and that cool laser of course.

She trotted into her room in a better mood than she had been that morning. Lunch with Pepper and shenanigans with Tony having been a great help. "Hey J-man, I'm gonna need that cool bio laser thingy. Oh, also don't tell Tony, Jane, or Pepper yet that I got another package? Please? I wanna at least enjoy that someone out there is sending me gifts for five minutes."

"Yes Miss Darcy, but I cannot fulfill your second request as Mr. Stark already knows. He is on his way."

"Dammit! Well ok, as a privacy concern could you not let him in for five minutes after he gets here? Please? My life isn't in danger right, the package is safe to open?"

The green lasers quickly crisscrossed over the box. "Yes Miss Darcy, the package is safe. As to your privacy concern, I will see what I can do Miss."

Darcy was just pulling back the flaps on the box when she heard the knock at her door. "Ok kid, what did you do to Jarvis to get him to seal the door? Let me in."

"Sure," she called out brightly, "In about five minutes." She grinned up the ceiling, "Thanks Jarvis."

"Of course Miss Darcy."

The first thing she noticed upon opening the package was a canister of dark chocolate cocoa powder, 93% to be exact. Next came a bag of ground Jamaican blue mountain coffee. Two chrysanthemums tied together with simple twine, one white and the other violet, followed. Last was a Thor themed teddy bear with its left arm missing and a pretty lethal looking tactical knife strapped to its back.

She was still holding up the bear/knife combo when Jarvis announced, "Your five minutes are up Miss Lewis."

The first thing Tony noticed upon entering the room was the big freaking knife strapped to a mutilated teddy bear. He promptly freaked the fuck out.

After Clint-who'd happened upon their screaming match on his way to the gym- surprisingly got Tony to calm down; Darcy agreed to take the coffee and cocoa to Bruce's lab to be properly tested. She and Tony bickered in the elevator the whole way down, much to the eye rolling amusement of Hawkeye.

Bruce heard them before they entered his lab and turned to see what was giving Tony Stark cause to lecture like a responsible adult.

"You don't just take food and candy handed out by strangers, kid!"

"Okay 1, I didn't get it from a stranger, I got it from Soldier-"

"Not helping your case there," Clint interrupted.

Ignoring him Darcy continued as she placed the goods on a table away from Bruce's other work. "And 2 I'm not stupid, I was about to head down here to do exactly what we're doing now, before you burst in and started screaming dramatically!"

Glancing past her, Tony looked at Bruce. "Are you hearing this? When have you ever known me to scream?" He nodded to himself, "I will admit I can add a certain amount of dramatic flair to things, but its good drama. I spice things up, everybody has fun-"

"And he's back," Bruce muttered to himself before stood from his desk and approached the others across the room. "Okay guys, if you're going to have these arguments could you maybe not do it near, or you know, in my lab?" He nodded to the box on the work table. "What's that?"

"Gifts from a friend-"

"A friend?! Tell me what kind of friend sends you a mutilated teddy bear with a knife in its back?!"

"The knife wasn't in its back it was attached to it! And he sent me coffee and cocoa too."

"Same difference. Look kid it boils down to this- it's a threat and you're getting an escort every time you leave this tower, simple as that."

She sighed in frustration but before she could retort, Bruce interrupted. "Okay if I'm understanding this right, you guys want me to test something?"

Darcy turned back to him with a smile. "Yes," she handed over the contents of the box, "Could you make sure the cocoa and coffee are safe to drink, please?"

Bruce took the items and headed over to his workstation. When he didn't hear movement, he looked up to tell everyone he'd have the results in a few hours but the sight of Darcy's nose bleeding stopped him. He hopped back up to help her, Tony and Clint seeing the problem seconds later.

"What's wrong?" Darcy asked noting the looks of worry on their faces.

Bruce grabbed a couple of tissues from the box on his desk and handed them to her. "Your nose is bleeding." As she held the tissues up to her nose, Bruce pulled out a chair for her to sit down. "Are you feeling dizzy, sick or feverish? Do you normally get nosebleeds?"

She shook her head as she staunched the flow. Tony handed her more tissues. "Think maybe you need to run some more tests Doc?"

Before Bruce could reply, Darcy pulled the bloody tissues away from her face as she hopped up and tossed them in the trash bin next to the desk; the bleeding had stopped. "Nope, I think I've been poked and prodded enough this week." She didn't feel sick or dizzy, it was just a little nosebleed and she was tired of feeling so vulnerable around everyone every time something bad happened. She wanted everything to go back to normal; as normal as normal could be in her world anyway. "I'm gonna go to Jane's lab, shoot me a text when the testing is done?"

At Bruce's nod she left the room, followed by a quiet Hawkeye.

Bruce turned to find Tony stuffing something in his pocket. Was that-

Tony clapped his hands together as he started pacing around his lab. "So Bruce, how's the lab treating ya these days?"

"Good I guess." Bruce watched as Tony absently picked up the stuffed animal Darcy had insisted on giving him, which in turn had caused the other members of the team to follow suit. In addition to the kitten from Darcy and the Iron Man bear from Tony, he had an old fashioned type bear with glasses from Steve, a long green and purple snake from Natasha, a plush beaker and test tube set from Jane, a walrus in a cape (for some inexplicable reason) from Thor, and an Einstein bear from Clint. Even though they never gave them to him directly (they just started appearing mysteriously in the lab), aside from Darcy, Bruce knew who they came from. And what they meant; peace and comfort. It was the team's way of letting him know that they were there for him, and whenever he looked over at the growing pile he felt it. It kept him sane in his daily struggle against the monster inside of him.

He focused back on Tony who was staring down at the brown and white plush kitten in his hands like it held the answers he'd long been searching for. "You ok there Tony?"

Shaking himself out of his daze, Tony cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. I'm good."

When he said nothing else Bruce asked, "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Nope, not really. Just let me know what the results of the testing are if you don't mind. And….."

"And?"

"What do you know about gene splicing?"

"What?"

"Gene splicing, you know, tomatoes with fish dna? They fucked up apples and now they don't taste the same anymore? Human ear on a mouse? That whole GMO craze?"

Bruce looked at Tony, noting his jittery motions and mildly disheveled appearance, recognizing it for what it was; though no one else had apparently. "Good god man, how long has it been since you slept?"

Tony shrugged noncommittally, disregarding the fact that he now felt like he could hear colors. "Eh.. couple days? It's not important, I'm functional. Look, I wanted to pick your brain on the sort of procedural aspect of GMO's."

Bruce just stared at him. "Procedural aspect? Tony-"

Tony held his hand up. "But not right now, I see you're busy." He tossed the kitten from hand to hand briefly before putting it back on the pile. "Tell ya what, come to my lab later and we'll talk then. Sound good? Good. Later Banner."

Bruce stood in the middle of his lab staring confusedly at the empty doorway Tony had just gone through. "What just happened?"

Three hours later…

"Darcy, do you have my latest calculations? I can't find them anywhere."

"…"

"Darcy?"

"…"

"Darcy?"

Sighing in frustration, Jane looked up from her work and turned towards Darcy's desk. Darcy had her face buried in her mug trying to catch every drop of coffee she could. It was soo good. Jane stood up and walked over, intending to look for the calculations herself in Darcy's tray, but paused as she smelled the delightful aroma wafting from the cup.

"What's that?" Jane asked.

"Coffee." Darcy mumbled into the mug.

Jane edged a little closer. "Got any more?"

Darcy chugged the rest down quickly and smiled. "Nope."

"That was so mean." Jane spluttered laughingly.

The mean girl in question shrugged. "Sorry Janie, but I don't play when it comes to my caffeinated beverages."

The waifish astrophysicist snorted. "Where'd you get it from anyways?"

"Soldier."

Jane gasped. "What? Darcy, that's not safe!"

"Well I haven't started foaming at the mouth, so…" At Jane's aghast look Darcy relented. "It's cool Jane, I got Bruce to test it first; multiple times. I'm not that crazy."

Releasing a sigh of relief Jane continued to search Darcy's tray for the missing calculations as she listened to Darcy describe what else had been in the package she'd gotten. She'd had too many scares where her friend was concerned. She still had nightmares about Darcy's kidnapping; she could only imagine what Darcy was going through. And now Darcy was getting little 'gifts' from one of her kidnappers? What even was that? Why was this person, this 'Soldier', so fixated on her? Maybe she could get Thor to speak to Heimdal about this…

She asked the next question on her mind, a little hurt. "Why didn't you tell me you got another package?"

Seeing the look on Jane's face, Darcy hopped up from her chair and wrapped her arms around her best friend. "I'm sorry Janie, I really just didn't want you to worry, ya know? I mean we're finally getting back to a regular routine, I'm all healed up," at Jane's slight grimace she amended, "Well mostly, and you were finally fully back on the Science! and I just didn't want there to be another thing. So much has been happening and I just wanted you to have a little normal routine back. I know working here wasn't your first choice and that the transition and Tony have been irritating you. I mean, you actually made me breakfast this morning."

"What's wrong with that? You need to eat more."

"See? That right there, you didn't used to do that."

Jane crossed her arms defiantly. "Yeah well maybe I've changed, or better yet maybe I woke up and realized how easily I could lose the people I love. Maybe we deserve breakfast!"

Sensing she hit a nerve, Darcy gave Jane another hug. "Maybe we do but I don't want it to keep us from doing the things we love, okay?"

Jane gave into the hug. "Okay; but you have to tell me when something important happens, Darcy. I don't like feeling helpless."

"Okay."

"And you're totally having an escort whenever you leave the tower. Tony sent me an email and I agree with him, the bastard."

Darcy sighed dramatically. "Fine."

"I love you Darce."

"Love ya Janie."

Darcy sighed when she saw Steve get onto the elevator later that night. She'd noticed him hanging around anytime she'd tried to sneak out earlier in the day. Jarvis must have betrayed her movements, the jerk.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing Steve."

"What am I doing Miss Lewis-" She glared at him.

"Darcy?"

"Well it's obvious. You're following me cuz you got the email that I apparently can't be trusted by myself."

"We trust you Darcy, it's just that there seems to be a lot of…incidents happening around you and we just want to make sure you're safe."

Darcy stared him down as the elevator descended to the ground floor, coming to a decision as it dinged. "Fine," she acquiesced, "you can come with me to the movies." He nodded hesitantly and she chuckled, "Don't worry, I'm going to a theater that shows the classics. We'll slowly ease you into the last 70 or so years of pop culture."

He relaxed and smiled as they walked towards the door. "Ok."

"Where are you guys going?" Tony and Bruce had come around the corner from the garage.

"Movies," Darcy replied as they walked past.

"Where?"

"The theater that shows all the old classics," she poked Steve in the arm, "that way this one's delicate sensibilities won't be too shocked."

Steve chuckled good naturedly as Tony got a funny look on his face.

"Well hold on a minute, let me get Happy to drive you."

"We're cool Man of Iron, let the man have a night of rest. Besides, what kind of trouble could I get into with Steve around?"

Darcy glanced over at Steve to see if he was enjoying the movie and frowned at the pitiful sight he made. The poor man was scrunched down in his seat as if the characters would jump from the screen and attack him any moment. "Hey," she hissed, "what's your deal? Why are you sitting like that?"

He craned his head slightly in her direction and spoke lowly, "I think the woman two rows over recognizes me. She's been staring ever since we came in. If this is anything like what happened to me on the subway last week, I may need to leave." He looked at her earnestly. "I'm sorry Darcy."

Darcy looked over at where he had stiffly nodded his head and rolled her eyes. The woman in question was pretty and she knew it. She seemed to undulate in her seat the longer she stared at Steve. Darcy could tell by looking at her that she was about to launch a full-fledged seduction at Captain America. Poor Steve was searching the exits like a hunted man-which he was, thanks to his new admirer.

Darcy scowled at the thought. "Like hell. You are enjoying this movie harassment free." She got up, evading Steve's slight headshake and grasping hand, and walked over to the woman who had just taken out a tube of lipstick and was freshening her lips. She glanced at Darcy as she approached but dismissed her, trying to lean around her to get a better view of Steve. This just pissed Darcy off even more.

She stared, not even bothering to be pleasant about it. "Um excuse me, but is there any reason you're staring at my boyfriend so hard? Seriously, I felt like your eyes were all in our conversation earlier and you're sitting nowhere near us."

Seemingly taken aback by Darcy's direct approach, the woman regrouped nevertheless. "Well honey, when you bring Captain America out in public you're going to have to get used to the staring." She then looked Darcy up and down smugly, as if she found her lacking. "If you're feeling insecure, maybe you shouldn't be sitting with him in the first place."

Darcy smiled sweetly and gave a soft chuckle. "Wow, Captain America. He wishes. Hell, I wish; I wouldn't be stuck with all his student loans and his nagging mother. Ha ha, he's gonna get a kick out of this." Still smiling she leaned closer into her personal space. "But if you come near me and my boyfriend at any time during or after this movie, there's gonna be more red on your face than that tacky lipstick. Enjoy your movie!" With a finger waggle Darcy walked away from the gaping woman.

As she got back to her seat, she trailed her hand across Steve's neck and shoulders. He shot her a startled look but did nothing else but watch the screen as she sat down. She leaned over casually and whispered into his ear, "Laugh in amused disbelief. Do it now." Steve complied, chuckling on cue.

"Now," she murmured lowly, "don't read anything into this, don't freak out, and for God's sake play along. This is just the cherry on top of the little 'back the fuck off' sundae we're creating here." Darcy smiled brightly at Steve and gently caressed his cheek. Then she leaned in and sweetly met her lips to his, allowing him to adjust before she deepened the kiss. Thankfully he reciprocated. Surprisingly well. Hmm..she was totally grilling him about this later. She pulled back and leaned into his side. "Now put your arm around me, that's it. Is she looking?"

Steve cleared his throat and covertly glanced behind them. "No, she's staring straight ahead."

Darcy nodded into his shoulder. "Good, now you can actually enjoy the movie."

When Steve did nothing but clear his throat again, Darcy sighed. "Ok what? I can actually feel you blushing Steve. I didn't even slip you any tongue. And don't think I didn't notice just how well you did mister!"

Steve cleared his throat again. "Nothing, just wow."

Darcy snorted. "Ha, you're not the first I've had to fake kiss and I actually like you." When he didn't reply she sighed. "You're up close and personal with a girl right now Steve, deal with it."

Steve relaxed (finally) and smiled as he turned back to watch Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing on the screen. "Yes mam." He looked back down at her. "Thank you."

Darcy raised her hands. "See, now I'm a superhero too. Saving men one awesome kiss at a time." She added as an afterthought, "But don't tell your buddy Bucky- you know if he ever stops being a freakin ninja. He and I have some unfinished business."

Steve perked up. "Really? What unfinished business?"

"Well Steven, when a man sends you a get well bear attached to a knife, it's got to be saying something. I just wish I knew what that something was…"

"Not to mention the coffee." Darcy had told him about Bucky's latest gift on the way to the theater.

She placed a hand over her heart. "Steve never in this lifetime will I ever forget the coffee. How he even knew that I'd like it is still a mystery. I mean I haven't even seen him since I've been kidnapped and we only had that one conversation. And It's driving Tony and the spy twins up the wall with trying to figure out how he's getting these little get well wishes past security. And Jarvis- I know you were working with him earlier when I was trying to sneak out. I'm paranoid they're gonna microchip me. And Jane! She actually made me breakfast this morning."

"What's so bad about that?"

"This is the same woman who once pointed to a stale box of graham crackers when I asked if there were any frozen waffles left."

Steve laughed. "We're just worried about you Darcy. You're still in danger, hence the escort everywhere you go."

She nodded placidly as she watched the screen. "I understand, it's just a little frustrating is all. Not so much with you though cuz at least I get to help you catch up on all the pop culture you missed while you were asleep. And who knew Tony freaking Stark could be so clingy. I thought he looked ready to blast you when we left tonight. That was weird."

"Yeah that did seem kind of odd, even for him."

"Eh, billionaires, what can you do?"

The finished the movie and were walking back to the tower in companionable silence when Steve broached the thought that had popped into his mind during the last end of the movie. "He used to do that you know."

Darcy glanced up from her phone. "Huh?"

"Bucky. Before he became.. The Soldier. He just used to have this way of figuring out what made you happy, what you really needed, and he'd get it for you. Before my mother died I got sick, really sick. Remember I told you I was enhanced before I joined the war? Well I was sickly before that, weak. My asthma alone nearly killed me multiple times over the course of my life. Anyway, that time I think it was an infection. I honestly thought I wasn't gonna make it. But Bucky wouldn't let me give up. He'd come by and sit with me, help my mother around the house; he'd even bring us food when he could. He had his own family to look out for but he'd still come, to make sure I was still around to get him into fights he said. So one day he tosses a pad and pencils my way and says 'Draw somethin crazy punk, maybe it'll shake you out of that stupor you're in.' I didn't know he knew I liked to draw that much, sure I'd do little scribbles here or there but I always tossed them out."

Darcy was smiling, imagining a less muscular Steve and a less intense Bucky. "What did you draw?"

"Bucky riding a giant pig into the sunset," he answered with a grin. "He swore up and down I drew that pig better than I drew him."

"Did you?"

"Of course, but I never admitted that to him."

"Ha, I knew you were secretly a smart ass."

Steve laughed. "But that's not the only time. I remember during the war we were camped out in this little clearing, it was snowing and we were trying to keep warm. Bucky comes back from patrolling the perimeter with a couple of rabbits and declares its Christmas. I don't remember the date exactly but I knew it wasn't Christmas, but me and the other Commandos played along anyway. We roasted the rabbits and Bucky passes around a few bottles of whisky and chocolate bars he'd been saving and says 'Enjoy it boys, it might just be our last.' And we did, we ate and drank and talked about what we'd do after the war. Bucky joked he might open a florist's, that way he'd get to see a pretty girl every day. Two days later we lost him in a mission to capture a high level target."

"When I saw him again in D.C. it was like finding my long lost brother, but he didn't remember me, he didn't know who I was. It's like I've lost him all over again." He trailed off into silence, caught in the memories of his lost friend. A kernel hope blossomed; maybe not so lost if he's sending a girl flowers, he thought with a small smile.

Darcy's hand on his shoulder brought Steve out of his quiet reflection. "You'll get your brother back Steve." She smiled. "Besides if he was able to come out of the fog while I was kidnapped and realize that something was wrong, that the situation we were in was wrong, then he's not all the way gone. And you're still in there somewhere too."

Steve smiled; Darcy really had a way of shining a light on a dark situation. "Thank you."

Bruce sipped his tea as he looked out across the city skyline through the reinforced bulletproof glass in his lab. What was Tony up to? Bruce had seen him casually slip one of the tissues with Darcy's blood into his pocket earlier. That coupled with the continuous questions about gene splicing was beginning to give Bruce cause for concern. He was worried his friend was headed down a path that would get either him or Darcy hurt. And he had the feeling that Tony wouldn't be Tony anymore if he was responsible for that.

Feeling the urgent need to talk some sense into his friend before he did something stupid, Bruce set his half-finished cup of tea down and went in search of Tony.

She was just headed to Tony's lab to see how Steve's identity could be better disguised when she heard the shouting.

"I said it could be an option, Could Be An Option! Bruce? Buddy? You calm…"

"RRRRRRAAAARRWwAARRR"

Darcy stood stock still in the hall as she heard the sounds of glass breaking and metal twisting inside the lab. The Green alert tone started blaring throughout the building.

"Jarvis, the suit-any suit. Now!"

Darcy was slowly backing away from the door when it crashed down in front of her, along with half of the wall. Hulk stomped through with an angry sneer, pausing as he saw her.

Darcy, frozen in place after meeting the angry glare of Hulk, gave a little wave. "Heeeyy George…"

Hulk charged forward, his arm sweeping out with an angry grunt.

"Nooo! Kid run, now, run! Shit, where the fuck are the others?!"

Everything seemed to slow down as somewhere in the back of her mind, Darcy heard Tony yelling, saw him white faced and flying toward her with his suit still assembling around his body, but for some reason she couldn't get her legs to work. She just stood there watching an abnormally large green hand coming towards her. This was probably gonna hurt. Dammit.