Chapter 25: Tying Up Loose Ends

Natasha and Bucky made it to the hospital, walking inside. He put his hands in his pockets as the two of them approached the nurse's stand. The ladies behind the desk directed them upstairs to a waiting room where they found Steve sitting and reading a magazine. He looked up when they entered and stood. "You guys okay?"

They nodded. Bucky stepped forward and swallowed as he asked, "How is she?"

"They haven't really told me anything," Steve said, "They took her in for surgery and that's the last I heard. They told me it could take a couple hours," he glanced over at the magazine he set down, "Figured I'd do a little reading while I waited."

Bucky turned away from them, trudging toward the wall. Guilt washed over him. Again the loop ran in his head. The blood, her eyes, her body crumbled on the floor. Balling his fists, he gritted his teeth. He remembered Dr. Mirnov smiling at him, telling him his mission. Grabbing a chair he yelled as he broke it against the wall.

Steve came up beside him. "Whoa Buck," he said, "Calm down. They'll take care of her."

He glanced at his friend, eyes pained, "I did this. It's my fault she's lying in a hospital bed" he gulped and looked away, "It's my fault she's dying."

"Hydra wiped you so you couldn't remember. They're to blame, not you" Steve said reassuringly. Pausing a second he asked, "How did you remember by the way? You already snapped out of it before Natasha said the trigger word."

Bucky put his arms on the wall and leaned forward, dropping his head as he answered, "She said she loved me."

"She…she loves you?" Steve blinked, before saying, "That's, wow that's amazing. I knew you two had something going on. Not that I'm surprised. You've always had a way with the girls. But that, that's big Buck," he put a hand on his shoulder, "Her saying that brought you back?"

He turned back to his friend and dropped his arms to his sides, "Everything came back. Everything in my head was completely rewired."

Steve was about to say something else when one of the doctors came out. "I'll be right back" he said, before meeting the doctor halfway. While they were deep in conversation, Natasha moved closer to Bucky.

"So she loves you huh?" she asked.

Bucky didn't answer just stood there, watching Steve and the doctor.

Natasha said, "I told her about us you know."

He glanced over at her, wide eyed and she chuckled. "She doesn't mind," she said, "She was actually pretty fine with it. Most girls aren't that laid back."

"When did that come up?" he asked.

"Oh you know, girl talk," Natasha said with a smile. Silent for a second before glancing at Steve, she added, "I hope you know she won't be safe here for long. We only got her out but they'll be coming for you both again."

Bucky gritted his teeth and said, "They won't touch her."

"That's sweet and all, but I think they're still going to try" she said.

Looking at her he said, "Then we go after them first."

Natasha glanced up at him and asked, "You think they're still in the building?"

"I'm betting on it" he said, glancing back to his friend.

"What about Steve?" she asked, looking in the same direction.

"He can protect her" Bucky said, turning back to Natasha, "Time is of the essence."

"What are we waiting for?" she said, cracking a grin.

Bucky and Natasha told Steve the situation before disappearing out the door. He didn't like being left behind but accepted it since he brought Kelly inside in the first place. They walked back in the main doors of the building, aiming their guns towards anyone who stood in their way, but it was quiet. No one manned the desk and the men Steve took out earlier still lay on the ground.

Together they made their way up the stairs, guns pointed in front of them. Each room they passed was empty. Finally they came to the end of the hall where they heard a woman's voice talking. "He will be retrieved shortly. His mission is complete. The girl is bleeding out as we speak."

They two of them stood at the door, guns aimed at the woman's head. Suddenly Dr. Mirnov spun around in her chair, "Sergeant Barnes, you've returned again. Congratulations on a mission complete."

He gritted his teeth, "She's not dead and she's not going to be."

"I think the blood on the wall in the lab suggest otherwise," she said, standing. "You're here for your next mission and luckily for you, she's standing behind you. Kill Natasha Romanoff."

Bucky growled then advanced on Dr. Mirnov. "Sputnik," she said with a grin.

He kept on going and the woman said, "This isn't possible" as she backed up. He cornered her and grabbed her by the throat with his metal hand. Lifting her up, she doctors eyes widened in panic. "Sputnik!" she shouted.

"That word doesn't work on me any longer," he growled then squeezed. Dr. Mirnov struggled, arms and feet failing as she gritted out, "Hail Hydra!"

The doctor fell limp in his arm but Bucky still kept his grip tight. After a minute or two, he dropped her to the floor and turned towards Natasha. "Let's burn this place down."

"Now we're talking," she answered, grinning.

Bucky broke the large table with one hit from his metal elbow. He tossed her the lighter he grabbed earlier. "Hold that thought," she said, going to the hidden cabinet in the room, "These people always love to have their booze on hand to celebrate so…" she unlocked a secret compartment and held up a bottle, "Hmm, a 20 year old scotch. That'll do."

Natasha poured it all over then flipped open the lighter and dropped it. The two of them walked out and left. Unfortunately not everyone in the building had disappeared. A man and woman shot at them. Bucky tossed Natasha his gun and she shot forward, hitting the man in the kneecaps and the woman in the chest. He took his knife and slit the throat of the man and she shot the woman. They made their way down to the ground floor when Natasha turned to him and said, "Let me make sure this place burns…"

Without another word she disappeared down a hallway, heading for the electric room. She grabbed a few grenades from the men who were down and unpinned all of them as she cut wires. Running out, they both got out the glass doors just as the blast resonated through the building. The ground shook as debris fell from the top. Together, they headed back down the sidewalk in a fast job, back to where Steve waited.

When Bucky and Natasha returned to the hospital, they found Steve talking with the doctor. His arms were crossed and lips in a straight line. Bucky swallowed. She's dead. I lost her. Turning away, he gripped the sides of a chair. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he turned to see Steve there. "She's alive, Buck," he said, "They say she's stable and she'll be fine. She needs rest, but you can go in and see her."