Chapter 12:

Grace woke with her head on someone's chest and a hand running through her hair softly. She stayed still for a moment, just enjoying the feeling of being so comfortable. The lingering cologne was easily recognizable. It was Steve, still in bed, still holding her in his arms. She nuzzled against his firm chest, smile growing as she woke up completely.

"Good morning," she said, and the hand stroking her hair paused momentarily. She opened her eyes and lifted her face to meet Steve's loving gaze. "I'm surprised you're still in bed. It isn't often you sleep in anymore."

"Sh," he cooed to her, but he wasn't smiling. He wasn't relaxed and comfortable with her laying on him like she expected him to be. His jaw was tight and his eyes were sad. Steve tried to smile, but Grace could see right through it. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Steve, what's wrong?" She sat up completely, looking around the dark room that she realized didn't belong to her. "Where's Bucky?" Steve shook his head at her, wrapping his arms around her and tugging her back down onto him.

"Dont say anything, Grace. Just relax." The room was more like a cell, dark, damp, with nothing but a bed and a toilet and sink in the far corner. Grace's eyes widened as her fear grew. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep between Steve and Bucky the night before after passionate intimacy with the both of them. What could have happened while she slept?

"Steve, where are we? What's going on? Please tell me," she frowned, practically begging for some answers. Steve took a deep breath, and he was just about to speak when the door to the dark room opened, temporarily blinding them with a bright light. Grace jerked upwards, looking at where the door opened and a silhouette was now standing. Steve sat up this time, too, sliding off of the bed and getting to his feet.

"Come on, Cap. Times up," a familiar voice told Steve. Grace looked over at him, then back at the silhouette. The light faded, her vision adjusting, and she realized that it was Stark standing there, his arms crossed over his chest and a pair of sunglasses on. Grace turned her gaze back to Steve. "You know the rules. You have to be separated."

"Steve, what is this?" Grace asked, eyes starting to water as he walked towards the door. He paused, looking back at her with saddened eyes, which only made her start to panic more. "Where's Bucky? Where are we?"

"They found us, Grace," Steve finally sighed, dropping his gaze to the floor. "Vision sold us out. Everyone was taken last night. They drugged you and Bucky while you were sleeping because they were afraid of what you would do. They promised I could be here with you until you woke up as long as I cooperated and didn't fight back. I'm sorry... They were going to kill you if I tried anything. I couldn't stand the thought of losing you, Grace. Please, forgive me." He disappeared through the door then, and Grace ran to it just as it slammed closed, leaving her in the dark again.

"Steve, don't leave me!" She screamed, beating her hands against the thick metal door. "Don't leave me in here! Steve! Please take me with you! Get me out of here, don't leave me! Please..." She slid to the ground, sobbing mercilessly as the dark seemed to engulf her. There were no windows, no lights. She was alone in a nearly pitch black room that was only illuminated by the bright light slipping under the door. Grace hugged her body as her sobs rocked her back and forth, still screaming and begging for Steve to help her.


Bucky was forced down into a chair, thick metal bands clasped down on his wrists and ankles even as he struggled. Vision was standing there in front of him, his presence necessary to make sure that he didn't try anything. The ten soldiers that were holding down the still groggy Bucky got him strapped in, then immediately backed away as he started thrashing about violently, struggling to jerk his wrists and ankles free.

"Are you happy now, Vision?!" Bucky snapped, teeth grinding and eyes fixated on his traitorous friend. Vision looked away from him, unable to stand the weight of his own guilt at the moment. "They got what they wanted thanks to you. And for what? A promise to let Wanda go? To let her live free with you while the rest of us are locked away? How does Wanda feel about your decision, Vision? Hm? She happy with it?"

"I am sorry, James. I have to protect her. They were going to find you with or without me. At least this way Wanda is not forced into a cage."

"You love her, and that's why you wanted to protect her," Bucky scoffed, "but what about Grace? Hm? She's going to be locked in a cage, and there's nothing I can do about it. Nothing Steve can do. All because of you. At least we had a chance to protect her before you sold us out. We could have protected Wanda, too, with your help. But instead you chose to betray us, and to hand over Grace like they wanted."

"The orders were to kill you all on sight," Vision told him. "I protected all of you by making this deal."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Bucky rolled his eyes, sitting back in the chair, chest rising and falling rapidly as he caught his breath. Vision looked at him one last time, then disappeared through the wall. A few minutes later, after Bucky gave up trying to get out of the chair, Tony came into the room, taking off his sunglasses and sliding them onto his collar.

"For the record," Tony cleared his throat. "I was against this." He shifted his stance to a more confident one, then stared directly into Bucky's burning eyes. "I wanted Grace to be brought into custody under different circumstances. I didn't want her to be forced into a dark room and isolated. However, they seem to have found a less than honorable purpose for her."

"What does that mean?" Bucky asked.

"It means they're going to use her as a weapon, Barnes. They did their research, and they found the word sequence that can set her off. If she doesn't willingly comply, they're going to force her to do their dirty work, which includes looking for the other Winter Soldiers."

"They'll destroy her," Bucky shook his head. "Tony, please. You can't let them do that to her. Please dont let them do that to her. She cant handle that guilt. You cant let them flip that switch. She's a good person, Tony. She doesn't deserve that."

"For once, we actually agree, Barnes. However, we can't take on the entire world. The UN is a pretty powerful organize with file cabinets filled with information on us, things to use against us. Grace is one person. No matter how good of a person she is, she isn't worth the lives of all the people that would die if we tried to go up against the UN."

"She's worth more," Bucky frowned. "Please, Stark. Let me out of here so I can save her. Grace is innocent. She won't survive switching from the Soldier to the girl. Especially if they make her kill for them. You know as well as I do that the government isnt opposed to killing innocents if it means they get what they want."

"They do what they do to protect the masses, which is something you never understood, Barnes. I don't think she deserves it, nor do I think she's a bad person. I'm more than surprised however that you let yourself get so close, Barnes. Is she really that spectacular that she was able to get through that whole angsty bad-boy thing you got going on?"

"You don't know her, Stark. Maybe if you did, you would help her."

"It doesn't matter if I wanted to or not. I cant help any of you. I signed the accords. I made a deal. Part of that deal required me not to intervene when they tell me I can't. Unlike you, I'm not fond of being a fugitive. I want a life."

"That's why you'll be alone forever, Stark. You don't stand for anything anymore."

"I stand for what's right."

"No. This isnt right. You don't stand for good, you stand for yourself."

"We needed to be put in check!"

"We lived for years without damaging anything," Bucky scoffed. "We still did good. But there was no world-threatening disaster we had to stop. In war, there are such things as necessary casualties. It isn't right, and its tragic. But those people didnt die for nothing. None of them did. You saved the entire human race. For as smart as you are, Stark, you were easy for them to manipulate. Just a few photos of innocents and you fold. Never stopped you from making weapons before."

"Go to hell, Barnes." Stark left the room then, leaving Bucky to try even harder to get out of the chair. He started to scream for Steve, for Wanda, for Sam, for anyone that could hear him. Grace needed to be rescued. She didnt have much time before she wasn't Grace anymore. Bucky knew what that was like, and he wasn't going to let it happen to her. He had to spare her of that guilt, that pain, and that fear.