Author's Note: Hey guys, thank you so much to everyone reviewing and favoriting and following. You guys are making life so much better.

Just wanted to let you know, things really aren't getting better for me. If anything, they got worse. I'm kind-of out of it mentally and emotionally. I'm trying to write you guys the best story I can write but, a lot of things in my personal life is really just destroying me. This is the only happiness I really have right now, so thank you to those reviewing. Reading your comments are really making things a little easier, so please, keep reviewing.

I'm trying not to let my personal life influence what happens in the story, however, it's a little easier to write the bad parts now… we'll get out of the bad stuff eventually. For now, hang on.

Reviewers:

Kalli: Thank you so much, I hope to get more out soon!

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WinterSoldierFan: Please don't kill me!

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Megan1130: I know, we all knew it was coming and still hated to see it happen!

Guest: I'm SO glad someone caught that! Thank you haha

SleepPatterns: Don't cry! It'll get better, eventually… hopefully…

ILoveGoodBooks777: I know, it's happened, now we're back to square one and who knows what'll happen now! Thank you.

And of course…

Read, Review and above all... Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Marvel. It would probably make my life awesome.

Riley jumped when Maria opened the passenger door to the van; the back doors opening to reveal Natasha, Steve, and a person she didn't know. Riley looked in the rearview mirror to see Natasha glaring at her as he held her shoulder. "So much for being dead, Rye." Natasha said, glaring slightly.

"Surprise?" She retorted.

"I'm not a fan of people coming back from the dead." Natasha said sternly as Riley started the van and began to drive to the safe house.

"You've been shot?"

"Yeah, so if we can get somewhere safe as fast as possible, that would be appreciated." Natasha said harshly. She didn't hate Riley, she was just overwhelmed at the sight of her friend alive and well. The last she heard about Riley, she was dead over a month ago.

"Riley, this is Steve Rogers." Maria interrupted the two.

Riley nodded as she spotted Steve in the rear view mirror. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Captain."

"Riley is the sniper from the highway." Natasha added.

Steve nodded in recognition. "You're a good shot."

"I don't miss." Riley gloated causing Maria and Natasha to roll their eyes.

"And this is Sam Wilson." Steve introduced the male to his right.

"Pleasure." Riley said.

"Same." Sam replied. "So where are we going?"

"We have a safe house." Maria said.

Riley saw in the back seat, Natasha had lost a lot of blood. She knew Ghost had shot her, he was the only one capable of tripping up the great Black Widow. Riley had to get her to the doctor at the safe house, and fast.

The group safely got to the safe house, Steven was helping Natasha walk in. The doctor was already on his way down the hall to meet them. "She's lost about a pint of blood." Hill said to him.

"Let's get her to the medical ward." The doctor said.

"She's going to want to see him first." Maria added.

Natasha looked at Riley, a little confused. "Yes, well, I'm not the only surprise." Riley mumbled as the group headed to the back room where Fury lied. This was the first time Riley saw him since she had left for Russia two months ago. He was awake, responsive, and had been waiting for them.

"It's about damn time." He said as he looked at the group.

"I'm really not a fan of people coming back from the dead…" Natasha repeated herself.

The doctor walked Natasha over to a nearby chair and began to work on her shoulder. "I'm going to need some space." He said.

Riley nodded to Steve and Sam. "Let's get out of here." She said, the three left the room and went to the main area.

"So what have you guys been doing here?" Sam asked curiously.

"We're all that's left of the good guys. At least, that's how it feels right now." Riley said. "We were tracking Rogers and Romanoff to make sure they were okay, while the braincases over there looked over something called the algorithm."

Steve recognized the term. "You know what that is?"

Riley shrugged. "Not really, I'm just here to snipe. Apparently it's important though. On my mission in Russia, we stumbled upon it when I sent information back to Fury and Hill."

Steve suddenly had a realization over who Riley was. "Wait a minute, you went to Russia to find the Winter Soldier, didn't you? Natasha mentioned you, she said you were confirmed dead."

Riley grimaced. "As I said in the car… surprise?" Riley sighed. "I was sent to kill him, it didn't go down that way. I was needed for a separate mission so Maria and Fury had me placed as KIA."

"So no one would know what you were doing?" Sam asked.

"Exactly."

Steve was more concerned about something else. "Did you see him on your mission?"

Riley saw the recognition in his eyes. "The Winter Soldier?" She nodded slightly. "Briefly." She lied. Sam didn't catch it but, Steve did. "Listen guys, I need to go practice for a little bit. Don't get into too much trouble, alright?"

Riley was missing him more and more. The more she tried not to think about him, the more he came into her head. She found herself wondering if he missed her too. Did he lose all sense of reason when he thought of her? Did she drive him insane like he did her? Did he want her like she wanted him?

Why did she want him in the first place? Although their time was brief together, she felt like he understood her. She felt safe with him, she felt like she found her way home. Did that make sense to him too?

Riley inhaled deeply, shooting a few bullets into her new can target before checking her magazine. "You know—" She began. "My Granddad is a huge fan of yours." She knew he followed her, he had questions; questions Riley wasn't sure she even had answers to. "He used to tell me stories all the time from back in the war."

"Did he fight alongside me?" Steve asked, watching Riley carefully.

She smirked slightly. "Didn't everyone in the war technically fight alongside you? As long as they weren't working for Germany or Hydra, of course." She turned to face him finally. "What can I help you with, Captain?"

"What can you tell me about the Winter Soldier?" He wasn't wasting any time, he needed to know all he could about what happened to his friend.

"What is there to tell?" She shrugged. "Why would I know anything? I only saw him briefly."

"You and I both know that's not true."

"What makes you say that?" Riley asked.

"I saw how uncomfortable you got when I asked before." Steve said. "You know more than you're letting on. Please, I need to know what's happened to my friend."

Riley's eyes went wide for a moment. 'His friend?' She asked herself. "You know him?" She wasn't sure if Steve could even hear her, she barely could get the words out.

Steve nodded. "I've known him my whole life." Riley felt like she had just found the missing piece to this crazy puzzle. Steve knew him. Steve Rogers knew Ghost and had answers. Maybe not all the answers but, he had some answers. Maybe, just maybe, he could really help Ghost remembering who he is. "If you know anything about him—"

"I went to Russia to find and kill the Winter Soldier." Riley began. "That was my mission, I was the best option for a surprise sniper attack. I could take him out and no one would be the wiser." She paused for a moment. "I missed; I never miss but, this time I did. He came after me; he found me and threatened me. I was pretty sure I was a goner. I was stuck in Russia with this master assassin that could snap my neck if he wanted to."

"But he didn't?"

Riley shook her head. "He made a different call. After that, our lives just seemed to mesh together. I wanted and still want so much to help him."

"What did they do to him?"

"They put him in cryostasis." Riley said. "He said that they'd wipe his memory when he'd wake up from it. He could only remember his missions and whatever they prepped him with. When I met him, he was starting to push through; remember things he had forgotten." She lost her smile. "I didn't know why but, I wanted to help him." Her eyes were pleading as she asked him. "Steve, tell me about him. What's his name, what was he like, how old is he? I just—" She paused, realizing she was revealing more than she would have liked. "I'd really like to know."

"His name is James Buchannan Barnes, or Bucky as everyone called him. He'd be about ninety-eight now, if neither of us were frozen. He was my best friend. Bucky was witty, sarcastic, always quick to have a comeback." Riley found herself smiling, that sounded just like Ghost. "But he was always a good guy. He always stuck up for me, fought for what was right. He was loyal down to the end. When I had nothing, I always had Bucky."

"He's still sarcastic." Riley added. "I guess that part of him is hard to erase." She choked on a laugh as she lost her humor all together. "He won't remember you. However, I think if he sees you and actually talks to you, he'll slowly start to remember."

She was vulnerable, her emotions were on her sleeve and Steve could see it. "You seem to care a lot for him."

Riley tensed. "I'm an assassin, Captain. We both are. We don't feel those sort of emotions." Steve didn't believe her. "But, I'm compromised. I haven't been able to kill him and I'm pretty sure I never will." Riley admitted. "We were strangers entangled in this web. We found comfort in each other. I don't know why or how but, we were what each other needed." She folded her arms across her chest. "I want to help him, Captain."

Steve let a small smile slip. "We will. We just need to convince him to come with us."

Riley smirked. "I think I can do that. I'm almost positive he'd trust my judgment on this one."

The two heard Sam clear his throat, he had walked in at the end of their conversation. The two turned their heads to face him. "Sorry to interrupt but, we're going to start debriefing soon."

"Shall we, Captain?" Steve nodded. The two followed Sam back to the main area where Fury, Hill, and Romanoff were sitting.

"We have to stop the launch." Riley heard Natasha say as they came closer.

Nick Fury placed a brief case on the table, opening it to reveal three data chips. "I don't think the Council is taking my calls anymore." He said sarcastically.

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"When the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized. Zola's algorithm that Riley had sent to us confirms the targets." Maria Hill explained.

"We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting with our own." Fury added as he shifted uncomfortably.

"I assume three chips means we have to do all three ships?" Riley asked.

"Exactly. One or two won't cut it. We need to link all three for this to work. If one ship remains operational—" Maria paused. "A whole lot of people are going to die."

"What about the people on board?" Steve asked, not wanting to put any innocent lives in danger.

"We have to assume everyone onboard those carries is HYDRA. We need to get passed them, insert the server blades, and maybe we can salvage what's left—"

"We are not salvaging anything." Steve said harshly. "We are not just taking down the carries, we are taking down SHIELD."

"SHIELD had nothing to do with it." Nick argued.

"You gave me this mission, this is how it ends. SHIELD has been compromised, you said so yourself. HYDRA was right under your nose and nobody noticed." Steve was right, everyone knew it.

"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed." Fury glared with his one good eye.

"And how many people paid the price before you did?" Steve said.

Fury sighed. "I didn't know about Barnes." Riley felt butterflies in her stomach at the mention of him, and not the good kind. These were like flesh eating butterflies that swarmed her stomach.

"Would you have told me if you had? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? SHIELD, HYDRA, it all goes." Steve's word was final.

Maria sighed. "He's right."

Silence took over the group as they all stared at the chips, Fury still watching Rogers, however. "So…" Riley finally asked. "What's the plan?"

"We need to have the place on lockdown. Steve, Sam, Riley and I will go to the Insight headquarters." Maria began to explain. "From there, I'll take over the servers. Steve and Sam will exit to the bay holding the Helicarriers. Hopefully, we'll reach them before launch. If not, you guys will need to find a way up there." She said looking at Sam and Steve.

"Not a problem." Sam said, knowing his Falcon suit would do the trick.

"Natasha, we'll need you to be disguised as one of the Council. You'll need to release any and all data and Intel regarding HYDRA and SHIELD. Fury will join you to override the systems." Maria said.

"You want me to compromise everything?" Natasha asked. "All our secrets, including my own, will be out there."

"We need to take HYDRA down and expose them, and that means exposing ourselves as well." Hill said. Natasha nodded, as much as she didn't like it she knew Maria was right. "Riley, we need you on the ground. You need to cover Steve and Sam from any unwanted personnel coming up." Maria inhaled deeply before adding. "Only if you think you can do it. He's going to be there."

Riley nodded. "I'll take out whoever I can; covering them won't be a problem. Once the Soldier comes out though, I may have to abort."

"And that's fine. If it comes to that, get to higher ground and cover whatever you can from there." Maria said.

Riley knew she'd have to do that. She was compromised and only Steve knew it. She wouldn't be able to kill Bucky. However, she'd help out on the ground as much as she could until he showed up. Of course he wouldn't kill her, right?

"Everyone get ready, we head out in an hour." Fury said.

The group dispersed, knowing this mission could go either way. They had to prepare for the worst; unknowingly for Riley, the worst was yet to come.

Steve, Sam, Maria and Riley began walking to SHIELD headquarters. The four of them walking in silence as they went. Steve, slowed down a little to walk with Riley. "If you see Bucky—" He started.

"I won't kill him, Captain." Riley confirmed, sadness in her voice. "No matter what happens today, make sure you help him. Okay?"

"We'll both be there to help him." Steve said.

"You're so confident, Captain." She teased. "I guess that's why you're in charge."

"A little faster, you two." Maria called back to them. "We're almost there."

Riley let a small smile form on her lips. "Let's go, Captain."

Getting into the server room was a lot easier than they had realized. They simply knocked on the door and took over. The Agents in the server room didn't really question them, and those that did were then told about what was really happening. Soon, the server room was on their side.

Natasha was in place, she was disguised as Councilwoman Hawley and had gone to the overlook, the very top floor of SHIELD with Pierce and the other councilmen. Everyone was in place.

Steve had taken over the intercom, and made a speech. "Attention, all SHIELD agents. This is Steve Rogers." He began. "You've heard a lot about me over the last few days, some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was, it's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you." He took another breath. "They almost have what they want: absolute control. They shot Nick Fury and it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way, unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it always has been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."

Sam and Riley smirked as they looked to each other. Sam teasing Steve over his speech. "Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?"

"Seemed pretty practiced, Rogers." Riley added to the joking.

"They're still launching the Helicarriers." Maria interrupted them. "It's time."

Steve, Sam and Riley nodded. The three rushed out of the room and headed for the Helicarriers.

The bay doors were opening, leaving a crack on the floor. Sam, opening the wings on his Falcon suit, took to the sky. Steve dropped down the opening bay doors to land on a Helicarrier. Riley, took her auto rifle out, ready to fight anyone that stood in her way.

Anyone that came out of the doors was assumed and enemy. They had their guns ready as they rushed out the door and to stop Captain America. Riley was ready. She had had auto rifle ready and began shooting. She hated "spray" guns, they weren't very accurate, even with her behind the trigger. Yet, more shots hit than missed.

The Helicarriers went up into the sky, Riley had protected Steve and Sam for now. She had to keep it going. Riley dodged behind crates, shooting at anyone that tried to shoot Sam out of the sky. No one was getting passed her.

He was fully loaded with different weapons. His armor was strapped on tight, his arm fully operational. He was ready. His mission was to stop the enemies from taking over the Helicarriers. As far as he was concerned, they were all targets. He had no attachment otherwise.

The Winter Soldier was released into the playing field, a grenade launcher in hand as he walked onto the launching bay. He shot one jet, the explosion grounding any SHIELD Agents that would try to help. He had to get up to the Helicarriers, he had to stop their plan. He also had to stop the red head that came into view, she was the ground target.

Riley was nearly missed by one of the explosions on the launching bay. She hid behind a cargo box, as she tried to regain her bearings. People were running around in total chaos, SHIELD Agents had finally joined the battle, however, with the jets exploding, they were grounded. She had to stop it, she had to stop him.

Riley removed herself from cover; that was when she saw him. He walked towards her, fire surrounding him as he continued forward. There was one jet left and he was heading right for it. Riley had to distract him so a helping SHILED Agent could board. She grabbed her handguns, placing her auto rifle down and began to shoot at him. She wasn't aiming directly for him, just enough to throw him off.

The Winter Soldier dodged the attacks, going behind a crate and waiting for the shooting to stop. Once he knew he was in the clear, he came out and began to shoot back.

Riley lost her balance as she dodged behind the crate once more. "What the hell is he doing?" She yelled. She saw one of the SHIELD Agents running to the jet, she had to protect him from the gunfire. Riley turned out of cover again, the Winter Soldier was much closer now. She shot more warning shots, only to receive actual threatening shots in return. In cover once more, she saw the jet was starting up, ready to take off.

That was when He jumped onto the jet. Riley quickly pulled up her guns. "Don't do it, Ghost!" She yelled at him.

He turned around, and without hesitation… pulled the trigger.

She felt pain. She felt light headed, sick, and above all… betrayed. Riley looked down at her stomach, red seeping through her shirt as she fell to her knees. He shot her, he hardly even looked at her. It was almost like he didn't recognize her.

It clicked in her head as the Winter Soldier shot the pilot and jumped into the cockpit of the jet, flying off to the Helicarriers… he was wiped. "They wiped him…" She fell backwards against the crate she had been hiding behind. Her body began to shake, she was going into shock as she pressed on the communicator in her ear. "Steve… he's been wiped." She said. "I've been shot." She breathed out harshly.

"Agent Campbell, stay with us." Maria said.

"Riley, what's going on down there?" Steve asked in a panic. "He's been wiped?"

"He doesn't remember me…" She gasped, her body shaking more-so.

"She's going into shock, Steve." Maria said. "Hold on, Riley."

"He…" She felt her world fading. "Doesn't remember…" Black began to swarm around her vision, she was losing consciousness. Riley Campbell felt herself slipping. Her last thought before her consciousness slipped was him… it was always him and would always be him.

Final Thought: Is this the end for our Riley? Will they be able to help Bucky Barnes be himself again? Who knows? Review to find out! Thanks for reading!