Hey, guys! I'm so, so, so , SO sorry I haven't updated. Work has been killing me and so have finals. That and writer's block. Not sure why it was hard to write this chapter. But I hope you guys enjoy it. I also hope that your Christmas and New Years (or whatever you celebrate) was wonderful! And thanks for the feedback of the last chapter! It made me soooo happy to see that you guys are enjoying this story! :)

Bucky sat in the chopper beside Steve, trying not to revert back to his original state before the blond had brought him to S.H.I.E.L.D. months before. It was familiar yet unfamiliar at the same when his skin itched beneath his old uniform that he'd worn so many times in the past; however it had been slightly modified to hold more space for throwing knives, Bucky's weapon of choice. It had surprised Bucky, that Friday at midnight, after coming to the base to have Natasha throw the dark bundle of his uniform at him. He'd thought he'd never see it again, and when he and the others went to suit up, Bucky tasted something foul. As if something evil and unwelcoming had pulsed his veins.

Steve was once again going over the plan for the millionth time, but Bucky had tuned him out, only waiting for orders from Agent Hill in the front of the chopper. He already knew what the plan was: get in, search the base, take down any threat, find and retrieve any data. Simple. He remembered the plan the minute Agent Hill had went over it the day prior. It took all his willpower to tell the blond to give it a rest.

Bucky distracted himself from Steve and Natasha conversing quietly, looking over the gun in his hand. It had been quite some time since he had held a lethal weapon in his hands. He ran a finger over the barrel, quickly assessing its model. It was a Glock Nineteen, nine millimeters, made in Austria, twenty shots. He had its twin in the other holster of his belt, along with several magazines in his pockets. Even though it was on safety, Bucky couldn't help but skim his pointer finger over the trigger. He could see Natasha's fiery hair and Steve's blinding smile through the corner of his eye, and he suddenly saw himself in his mind rising up from his seat and pulling the trigger on the two of them before anyone could blink. It could be so easy, so quick. And the thought that Bucky could do it so easily made him nauseous.

Steve flashed his friend a worried look. "Alright, Buck?"

"Fine," he nodded, breathing in through his nose.

Minutes were passed in silence after the small exchange of words. Bucky glanced out the small window, seeing land steadily approach at the dead of night. It was around two in the morning and the ocean below was black against the stretch of the night sky. The chopper crossed over the whole of the Parque Nacional de Cienaga Zapata, or roughly translated to Swamp Shoe National Park, only no one really called it that. The chopper slowly descended the sandy beach just southeast of the Bay of Pigs; one could easily spot it. It was a spot that had no inhabitants whatsoever, and no surveillance.

"Now, we want this clean and smooth," Agent Hill said, opening up her laptop and placing a headset on. "Get in and out. Spend no more than an hour."

Steve nodded, pulling the hood of his suit over his face. With another nod towards Natasha and Bucky, he slud the chopper door open and jumped out, landing gracefully onto the sand. Bucky had taken lead as soon as they crossed into the area heavy with trees and vegetation. The deeper the team of three ventured, the more flashbacks came. The mission depended on Bucky's memory, and he'd stop every few yards, remembering small details before continuing on. Bucky had stopped at a tree stop near a rock that resembled a human head; he remembered that a man had been shot here the last time Hydra was had occupied the area. The flashback was clear to him, especially since it was him that had shot the man.

Shaking his head, Bucky picked up where he left off with Steve and Natasha close on his heels. He cut through the low branches, jumped over rocks and fallen trees, Steve doing the same; however, Natasha, despite her agility and stamina, had a harder time with nature.

"You sure you know where you're going, Barnes?" Natasha asked, picking a twig out of her hair.

"Yes," he answered without looking back.

"How far in do you think it is?" This time it was Steve.

"It's close."

Natasha sighed. "How close?"

Bucky looked over his shoulder to shoot her a glare. "It's close. I know what I'm do-"

The sound of his boot hitting metal echoed clearly, and the ex-assassin jumped back quickly, hand drawing to his holster. Steve and Natasha stopped their jog before they could crash into him. Bucky stared down at the ground below him, tilting his head to the side. His eyes flickered around his surroundings quickly, and he drew out his gun out of precaution. Extending his foot again, Bucky set his weight on the ground once more, and a metallic creaking emitted from the earth. If it was earth, that is.

"Something's here," Bucky said, crouching down and swiping his hand over the ground to move the shrubbery and dirt.

"Do you think this is it?" Steve asked his friend as he and Natasha both crouched down and moved the rest of the dirt.

A large metal square was peeking out from the ground; it was rusted with age and there was a handle.

Bucky nodded. "This is it."

He motioned with his right hand for Steve and Natasha to take a step back, moving to grab the hand of the hatch with his other arm. He gripped whatever was left of the handle as best as he could and, in a swift flourish of his arm, tore the hatch open. He threw the rusted metal aside, peering over the hole in the ground which was pitch black. Bucky swung his legs over and let them dangle over the opening in the earth, looking at the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with a nod of his head before jumping down. Landing on his feet gracefully, Bucky straightened his posture, gun in hand. He heard Steve and Natasha jump in after him just as quietly.

It was dark, very dark, and Bucky had to reach for the thin flashlight in his pocket and click it on. He shined it over his feet and slowly up and around their surroundings; it was a hall that smelled faintly of rain and dirt. The trio slowly made their way through the hall, the two assassins letting their fingers graze over the triggers of their guns while the soldier held his shield close to his side.

Bucky swallowed thickly, seeing that every time he blinked, he saw ghosts. He saw and felt people running around, talking to each other or handing over secret files. When his eyes focused, the figments disappeared like mist. All that remained of the past were the metal walls and linoleum floor beneath his feet.

"How long do you think it's been abandoned?" Natasha directed her question to the brunet.

Bucky barely gave her a shrug. "A good thirty, maybe forty, years. Hydra never bothers to stay in one place."

He couldn't see her nod in response. The three stopped when they came to two halls branching off.

"We should split up, cover some ground," Steve said, looking down one hall that had water dripping from the ceiling.

"You two go down this one, I'll go down here, " Bucky nodded down the hall to their right.

Steve frowned. "Are you su-"

"I can hold my own, don't worry."

Steve looked uncertain, and Bucky knew why. He was worried that he'd find something that might trigger him, unleash the Winter Soldier from its cage. It was a justified worry; Bucky knew that Steve would begin to worry and wallow in guilt if the Winter Soldier suddenly lost his memory again because the blond hadn't accompanied him. However, if there was a trigger, Bucky's only worry would be that he'd remember his previous mission: to kill Steve and Natasha.

Even worse: sobering up to see that he had attempted or succeeded in their demise.

But still, Bucky gave Steve a reassuring smirk and said, "Think of it like those raids we did back in the war."

He got a little smirk in response before the blond sighed. "Alright, if you find anything, call."

Natasha brushed past Bucky and walked down the opposite hall, calling, "Come on, Barnes. We've got work to do!"

Bucky audibly groaned and he could hear Steve chuckle as he parted from him. He was hoping that she pair up with Steve, but it seemed that the fates weren't working in his favor.

Natasha lead the way with Bucky a few steps behind her, darting his eyes around the walls surrounding him. He could feel the damp, cold air making the material of his suit become heavy. The smell of rotting earth was very prominent and he knew that he'd smell like it when they returned to D.C. after the mission. He could foresee a helicopter ride of Natasha complaining how frizzy her hair would get because of the air; he wasn't looking forward to that.

They came to two rooms with rusted metal doors opposite each other. Bucky tried the knob of the door to the left, and it gave in easily. Moldy, stale air rushed out and Bucky had to suppress a cough. He cautiously entered with Natasha close behind. There were a few desks and filing cabinets, some overturned while others were pushed to the walls. The room was torn apart with papers strewn around as well as manila folders, as if someone had been searching for something but to no avail.

The dark haired man ran his eyes over the floor, walls and ceiling, trying to see if he could remember anything at all. No clue came to him.

"Looks like someone was trying to find something," Natasha spoke up, kicking a glass bottle out of the way.

"And whatever it was, they couldn't find it," he replied. Bucky's eyes trailed from the desk in the corner to the floor, searching for some indication of... something.

"I'm guessing that when Hydra moved, they took everything with them?"

Bucky frowned. "Just the important stuff."

Bucky stopped circling the room and stared at the desk at the far wall, particularly the leg. He came closer, tilting his head to the side before kneeling down.

Natasha arched her brow at the super-soldier. "Barnes?"

"If I know Hydra," Bucky said as he moved the table to the side and ran his hand over the linoleum flooring. He couldn't help but smirk when felt one of the squares of linoleum rising slightly higher than other parts of the floor. "They always have something hiding right...under...our...noses."

Bucky dug his metal fingers into the floor and peeled away the flooring. Dirt and insects fluttered into the air, and from behind him, Natasha grimaced. From the spot Bucky had exposed, there lay a few manila folders with Russian written across them. He pulled him out, shaking the dust and dirt off of them before handing them to Natasha.

"I have to say, Barnes," the red haired woman shot him a grin. "I'm impressed."

"We should leave," he said and rose from the floor. "Tell Steve to meet us here. We got what we need."

Seconds after Natasha had called, they could hear Steve's footsteps come bounding down the hall. Natasha had let the blond glance at them before holding the folders securely to her side. Steve couldn't help but shoot the brunet a smile.

"Not bad for your first mission," Steve clapped Bucky's shoulder.

Bucky rolled his eyes as they exited the room. "You're forgetting that I've been doing this for decades."

Steve and Natasha had taken the lead while Bucky took the back. His eyes shifted to the door on the opposite that he and Natasha hadn't scoped out. He stopped walking and suddenly felt his body gravitate towards it, stretching out his arm to grip the handle of the door. Like the office, this door also gave in easily. Bucky sucked in a breath when he walked in, stopping in his tracks as his eyes quickly swept over the room. It wasn't as torn apart save for the wires that poked out of the ground as well as a rusted generator laying on its side. However, Bucky's eyes were drawn to a certain spot in the middle of the room where something was missing. At one time there was a large chair, but now only bolts stuck out.

He closed his eyes and his ears rang as his memories of his own pained cries jolted him. A wave of nausea passed over him and he swallowed thickly. He opened his eyes when he heard Steve come into the room.

"Bucky? Did you find something?" He asked.

The brunet only shook his head and turned around to leave the room.

"Just bad memories."

Bucky let out a sigh when the hot water hit his back. It was around eight in the morning when he had come home, and the super-soldier wanted nothing more than a hot shower and bowl of cereal. He didn't want to sleep due to the fact that he just couldn't.

He scrubbed the sweat and grime off of him before shutting the shower off and wrapping himself in a towel. He dressed in flannel pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt that was already covered in cat hair. The brunet frowned, reminding himself to go out later and buy a lint roller.

Maya meowed when he entered the kitchen and wove herself around Bucky's legs. His phone rang on the counter just as he bent down to pet his cat. He straightened up, expecting it to be Hill or Steve to talk about last minute things. Bucky only smiled and swiped his thumb over the screen to answer.

"Good morning," he said, looking down at Maya as she meowed again.

"Good morning," Eva's chipper voice said from the other end. "Do you like brioches?"

He cocked his brow, but remembered that she wouldn't be able to see it. "What, dare I ask, is a brioche?"

Her tinkly laugh made the hairs rise on the back of his neck in a strange yet nice way. "It's a type of Italian croissant. They're selling them down at the Italian bakery near my place."

"And I'm assuming that you want me to come over?" He was sure that Eva could hear the smile on his voice.

He leaned against the counter and watched Maya jump up onto the granite and nudge his shoulder with her head. Holding the phone with one hand, he opened the cabinet above that held the bag of dry cat food.

"You assume correctly," Eva said. "When can you come over?"

"Anytime is good," Bucky said as he bent down to pick the food bowl off the floor and set it beside the cat. "I guess it'll be a good time to tell you some sort of, although not really, exciting news."

"Wow, some news, huh?"

"Yup."

"Well, don't leave me hanging!"

He chuckled into the receiver as he poured some food into Maya's bowl. Bucky scratched her back when she crunched on the dry bits.

"I'll tell you when I see you there."

She sighed. "You don't just say that and not tell me, y'know."

"It makes it funner that way."

"Did you just say 'funner'? That's not even a word!"

"Jeez, what are you? The grammar nazi?"

"Oh har, har."

The two of them laughed over the phone, and Bucky couldn't seem to get rid of the smirk off his face. Maya had abandoned the bowl of food and sat on the counter beside the brunet.

"So," he said. "I'll text you when I get to your place."

"Alright," Eva said. "See you soon."

They said their goodbyes, and Bucky locked his phone and set it on the counter. The smile still lingered and he ran a hand through his hair. This is what he needed, he thought. A day with Eva to take his mind off the mission and his new job.

He felt a gaze piercing his side and he turned his head to see Maya's knowing eyes staring him down.

"Don't look at me like that," Bucky said to his cat.

Maya meowed at him and then jumped down to the floor. He watched her venture off into the living room before pushing himself off the counter and retreating to his bedroom.

Bucky quickly dressed and slipped his coat and gloves on, pocketing his keys and making sure Maya had food and water. He left his apartment, and buried his hands into his pockets when the cold air blew against his face. It was either the first of second of December- Bucky couldn't remember -and the cold was biting and freezing his breath. The clouds above looked as if they would sprinkle snow, much to Bucky's dislike.

He took notice of all the Christmas decorations the district had put up; ribbons were wrapped around the streets lamps, and snowmen or Santa Clauses dotted the windows of nearly every store he had walked past. It was a bit overdone for his taste, and every time he blinked, all he could see was red, green, and gold. If he met up with Steve or Sam later, he knew they'd be wanting to decorate his apartment with tinsel or God knows what else. Bucky wasn't exactly the festive type; he didn't really like things that were flashy and he most certainly didn't want anything with glitter near him. If Steve so much as came near him with a Christmas sweater, he'd jump out the window. Literally.

But he wasn't going to refuse sugar cookies or chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

About twenty minutes later, Bucky was walking up to the front of Eva's apartment builder, pulling out his phone and sending her a quick text. He waited a minute or two before she came bounding down the two concrete steps. This time she remembered to wear her scarf and hat.

"About time you wore a hat," Bucky smirked.

Eva rolled her eyes and shoved Bucky's arm, although he barely swayed. "Shut up."

He shot her a smirk before she started to lead the way to the bakery. Bucky walked beside her and he could feel the unnerving gazes from the people on the street or hanging around the front of stores. He could never get used to the fact that she lived in this part of D.C., or how she hadn't been mugged yet.

"So, the good news?" Eva looked up at him expectantly. "You going to tell me or not?"

"You're rather impatient."

"Well, if it's good news, I'd like to hear it."

He chuckled to himself. "Maybe I should put it off-"

"Bucky!"

"Alright, alright. I got a job."

They stopped right in front of the busy bakery, and just as Bucky was about to step in, Eva pulled on his sleeve. She had a smile that looked like gold when he looked at her.

"A job?" She said. "Bucky, that's amazing!"

"It's not that special…"

She gave him a pointed look. "Of course it's special! Bucky, I'm so happy for you!"

"Don't I feel special now," he grinned. "You should buy me a celebratory muffin for the hell of it."

"Alright, I will," Eva said as the two of them stepped inside and out of the cold.

"No, Eva, I was kidding. Please, don't-"

She only laughed and Bucky had to suppress an eye roll, but a smile was planted on his face. Just as they had stepped in line, the first snowflake of winter fell from the clouds.