Chapter 25

Thunk. Clank.

Thea lifted her head up from the floor, grabbing Jamie and tucking him closer into her lap as she tried to assess the distant strange sounds…Thunk. Bang. Bang. And…gunfire? Bang. Thunk. Clank. Clank. Bang.

Cradling her son as he moaned in fear, Thea tried to hum a lullaby whilst she shifted Winnie to her other arm. For a while, the sounds seemed to disappear and then, all at once, they increased dramatically. Obviously, there was some sort of confrontation going on in the building somewhere.

Her body so stiff and bruised that she could not even hope to get up, Thea tried to focus her mind on listening. The percussive bangs seemed larger. Closer. And the metallic thunking sound was irregular, but maybe louder? The clanking and gunfire seemed connected somehow, but that didn't make much sense either. There wasn't any guarantee that the altercation had anything to do with a rescue effort. Oh! Oh dear, the clanking was Captain America's shield hitting things. Bucky had brought Steve. How had Steve got back his shield? The bangs…well, Bucky did like explosions. And the thunking sound…yes, that was him, too. He had taken the bait in their trap and come after her. Bucky had found them. Yet, they had expected Bucky to come, so, surely, they would be prepared. Thea choked back a sob as she fervently prayed that they wouldn't kill him. That her Yasha would be ok. That he would make it there to her, so the babies would be safe.

Thea brought Winnie closer and checked the baby's breathing once again. She knew it wasn't good that the baby had not wakened in several hours, not even to cry for food. No one had come in to check on them in hours. Not since they had dumped her back on the floor of their cell after using the blinding light and battery during the last interrogation. They must have finally decided that she had nothing left to tell them—and they were quite right, too. The pain had numbed somewhat, which Thea did not think was actually a good sign, oddly enough.

Bang. Bang. Then rapid gunfire came from more than one direction. Definitely closer. There wasn't anywhere to go or hide, nor was she capable of moving even if there had been. Thea pressed a kiss into Jamie's hair and hoped that none of her gaolers would come back to get her before Bucky and Steve made their way inside. The hatred that the older man, who had supervised the last 'interrogation', had shown towards her was terrifying in its intensity. She knew that it probably had more to do with Bucky than her, but the man's viciousness and his blatant loathing of her children made it clear that the reason for his hatred was less important than his willingness to act upon it. If the man believed Bucky might succeed in getting to her, he might very well decide to kill all three of them just to torture Bucky further.

As she laid on the floor and fought the wave of panic that threatened to overcome her, Thea listened to the sounds of the battle outside. When a particularly large explosion caused the floor to vibrate, Jamie began crying in terror and clinging desperately to Thea's arm. Her voice still hoarse from her last session of 'enhanced' interrogation, Thea tried to whisper just loud enough for Jamie to hear her. "It's ok, darling. All that noise is just Papa and his friends outside. Papa came to stop the bad men and bring us home."

The little boy lifted a hand to Thea's cheek and said, "Papa?"

"Yes, darling. He and Uncle Steve are stopping them right now."

"Papa." Jamie laid back down and said, "Wup Mmmer."

"Mummy loves you, too, my darling. Cuddle close, ok? Let's keep your sister warm, yeah?"

Jamie looked up at Thea and said, "Mmmer."

"Yes, darling, it's ok. I love you."

Suddenly an immense vibration shook the ground of the room they were in, which caused Jamie to scream in fear and Winnie to wake up. As she held her now squalling baby, Thea tried to keep her breaths as even as possible.

The sounds became more methodical and louder. Thunk. Thunk. Clang! Thunk. CLANG!

Thea lifted her head just as there was an enormous squealing and creaking sound at the entrance to the room. Then, the door was pulled completely off its hinge and tossed aside by a blueish-black metal arm.

Thea knew that the man advancing towards her was Bucky, yet she hardly recognised him. His body was hunched and tensed like an overwound coil as he stalked towards her. His eyes were wild, his cheeks covered in sweat and streaks of black and grey night camouflage paint, and his expression implied horrific slaughter towards anyone in his way. His hands were both streaked with blood, his hair hung wildly around his face, and his leg was oozing from a nasty injury.

Following close behind him was Steve. If she had not met Steve in much different circumstances and also known he was Captain America, Thea would have been terrified by the man she saw. His face was devoid of any emotion other than pure rage. His longish hair was as wild as Bucky's, face diagonally marked with grey and green paint, and the front of his black uniform had been ripped by something very sharp, since she could see the sliced skin underneath. The long cut along one of his forearms and gash across one cheek were both quite fresh. He did not pause to speak, but snatched up Jamie as Bucky was picking up Thea and Winnie. Neither man spoke, but immediately turned to leave. Steve was holding his shield—in the moment, Thea noticed that it was covered with dirt and blood—so it was in front of Jamie, who was tightly held in his other arm. Bucky adjusted Thea so she could hold Winnie whilst he carried her, then allowed himself just one kiss on her forehead before he charged out of the room.

Thea was crushed so tightly to him that all the nerves that had been inflamed by the last interrogation session seemed to ignite at once. She involuntarily screamed in agony, which caused both Steve and Bucky to stop and look at her with matching expressions of horror.

As his eyes darted around them, watching their perimeter, Bucky growled thickly, "Мы не можем остановиться, Белла. Их больше. Мы должны вытащить тебя отсюда." (Can't stop, Bella. There still are more of them. Need to get you out.)

"We have to get the children to safety. Please, Yasha, don't worry about me."

Bucky glanced down at her and nodded. She watched him as he seemingly had a silent conversation with Steve. They both then ran in the direction of the continued gunfire. Following Steve into the stairwell, Bucky took the stairs at a shocking rate, as he followed his friend towards the upper levels. Whilst they continued to climb, Thea focussed on keeping conscious and forcing herself not to let Bucky know just how painful his grasp on her was.

Finally, Steve stopped and looked back at Bucky. "Ok?"

"Better take the baby. Need to have more use of my hand."

Steve stepped forwards and said softly, "Thea, may I take her?"

Thea shook her head. "She's not doing well. It was very cold and they never gave us anything to drink."

She saw Steve glance at Bucky and then reply, "I gotta take her, ok? You're gonna need to hold onto Buck with both hands, so he can use a gun. You can't do that if you're holdin' onto Winnie. Lemme take her, Thea. I promise that I'll keep them both safe."

Looking up at Bucky, who was alternating his gaze between the stairs above and below, she saw the ravages of extraordinary emotion. She suddenly realised that the only thing keeping him from insanity was his Winter Soldier persona. If she forced him to become more like Bucky or, worse, like Yasha…then he might be unable to complete the mission. "Ok. She's very weak. Please."

"I'll keep her safe, Thea. I swear it." Steve gently took the bundled-up jumper that contained Winnie and laid her on top of Jamie and rolled them towards his chest.

"Как в Констанце, Белла." (Just like in Constanta, Bella.) She forced her arms to move and tried to wrap them around his neck. If they had very far to go, then she wouldn't be able to maintain the hold. Bucky rapidly pulled from his back the Skorpion that she remembered him constantly tending during their time on the run. "GO!"

Steve burst out through the door and ran so fast that Thea wondered if even Bucky could keep up. She screamed as Bucky began spraying gunfire to cover Steve, but when he started running, she realised that he was moving just as fast. Yet, as he ran, he turned and moved his weapon around to aim in multiple directions. Somehow, he managed to slide in a new clip before he released the Skorpion and began shooting with another weapon that Thea had not even seen him pull out. The sound was deafening and the pain in her body so overwhelming that Thea realised she was going to lose consciousness soon. Therefore, she shoved her right arm into the sleeveless side of his tactical vest and her left through one of the straps, then whispered, "I'm sorry, Yasha."

As soon as she awakened, Thea knew that she was not where she expected to be. This was not Wakanda: the smells and sounds were all wrong. But she was in a hospital bed, she was sure of that. It was better if they did not know she was awake until she at least had found her bearings. Bucky was not there. He would have known the instant she breathed differently that she was no longer asleep. Had they captured him? Was he…was he…no. No. And her babies? Oh, heavens above, if only her babies were safe somewhere. If they were not, then she would do whatever she needed to do to take revenge on whoever these people were.

"Но, добрый витязь, день проходит, a нужен для тебя покой."**

Waves of panic washing over her, Thea lay still for several more moments, trying to decipher what she was hearing. She knew it was Russian, but the voice was female. Her comprehension was not bad usually, but Thea was finding it difficult to understand for some reason. She could feel that she was on very heavy pain medication and her brain was too slow. Had they made it out safely? Was she now with some other group? If it was someone from HYDRA, Thea didn't think they would be speaking so pleasantly. Almost as if to a child…oh! Oh, she knew that little snuffling sound! That was her boy!

She opened her eyes and saw a petite woman with bleached blond hair reading to Jamie, who appeared enthralled. The woman tapped the tablet screen and, without looking up, said calmly, "Ruslan and Ludmilla. It seemed appropriate."

Thea tried to remember both who Ruslan was—she was sure Bucky had read her that story—and who this woman might be.

"Natalia Romanova, I work with Steve Rogers. Rogers and Barnes are down the hall. Rogers is awake, but your husband is still sedated. Your daughter is doing very well. They have her in a paediatric unit. She should be released tomorrow with no lasting effects. Your brothers are safe and suffered no injuries. Rogers' wife and children are also perfectly fine."

"Mmmer."

Both Natasha and Thea looked down at Jamie, who was reaching out with grabbing fists for Thea.

Natasha lifted Jamie up and settled him on the very edge of the bed with her hand at his back. "Just for a moment, little Yashka. Your mother is still getting better."

"Mmmer! Mmmer! Wup Mmmer. No seep, Mmmer." As she laid her hand on Jamie's head, he asked, "Papa?"

Thea kissed his head and said as calmly as possible, "I love you too, darling. I won't sleep right now, no. Your Papa is just fine. He's with Uncle Steve. They stopped the bad men, didn't they?"

"Mmmer owieowie."

"Yes, darling, the bad men gave me owies, but they're so much better now, aren't they? Were you enjoying the story Miss Romanova was telling you?"

Jamie looked up at Natasha and considered for a moment before he declared, "Ho'sho."

Natasha smiled brightly and replied, "Да, это хорошая история, умный мальчик." (Yes, it is a good story, clever boy.)

Jamie laid down next to Thea and put his head on her arm. "Seep?"

"Yes, darling, you may sleep next to Mummy if you would like." Thea looked at Natasha and asked quietly, "How long have I been here and where precisely is here?"

"You are in Geneva under private home care. They placed you in an induced coma for several days, but you've been out longer than that. It has been eight days."

"Oh! Eight days! I cannot imagine how Yasha must be doing."

Natasha made a wry expression, as she answered, "As well as you think he is doing. Your brothers have asked to be notified when you did wake. Would you like me to do so?"

"My brothers are still here in Geneva?"

"Mmmer nye seep. Nye ho'sho. Mmmer stay."

Thea's attention shifted immediately to her son. "No, darling, I won't sleep for a little bit, but you can rest right next to Mummy. It is perfectly safe."

"Papa zuhdo'ow?"

"Yes, darling, he is safe, too. You may see him later."

"Ya seeshash seep."

Natasha replied to him, "Да, Яшка, сейчас безопасно спать. Мама не спит, а папа увидится позже." (Yes, Yashka, it is safe to sleep now. Mama is awake and Papa will see you later.)

As she saw her son's eyes drooping heavily, Thea said in slow Russian, "Мама и папа любят тебя. Сестренка любит тебя. Теперь безопасно." (Mummy and Papa love you. Sestrenka loves you. It is safe now.)

She looked back at Natasha and said, "It is always Yasha who speaks in Russian with him. We decided Russian for him and English for me. It helped my comprehension too, since I had to know what Yasha was saying. But I always worried that Jamie would speak in a Russian-English hybrid, but that is the first time that he has done so."

"He will get his balance back. He has been through a lot."

"Yes, he has. He was separated from Yasha for months when Yasha was in cryostasis and we were in the safe house. He was so attached to Yasha before and when we were in Wakanda he was just barely at the point of feeling safe and close to Yasha again. Now only a few months later, my son was kidnapped and then left alone with a stranger during my torture sessions. And now that we are here, the only person that has always been there to sooth him—me—is in a coma for eight days. I think 'a lot' is an understatement."

"I agree. However, he will be back with you now and he can see your husband again soon. You cannot have expected a guarantee of anything as the wife of an international fugitive."

"No, of course I did not, but this would not have happened if I had listened to Yasha and stayed with him instead of trusting Steve and the Wakandans that I could safely visit Switzerland. He has kept us safe so far. I put my child in danger needlessly by taking them out of Wakanda without Yasha to protect us. I won't make that mistake again."

"I'm not sure even Barnes could have stopped this if he had been there, but you are right that it was a foolish risk to have taken. I understand why you did, but the people who took you used your sentiment towards your family as a weapon against you. They will use your children as a trap, as well, if they can. They do not care about you or your feelings except for how they can be a tool to further their agenda. I know this because I was trained to think like they were, just like Barnes was."

"I know. Yasha told me about you, actually. He remembers you from before, as well."

Natasha looked at her oddly. "Does he?"

"Yes, he remembers. He says that you would make an excellent ally and that he is pleased that you have been the one watching Steve's back on your rogue missions, since he cannot."

"That is very interesting. They have a complicated relationship."

Thea's voice was very quiet, as she replied emotionally, "Oh, yes. Yasha would not have been able to break through his conditioning if it had not been for Steve. He has talked about that day." Her anger evident in her words, Thea continued, "I…I am very glad that the people who trained him are all dead. And the people who handled him in DC. And that Pierce bastard. I am very, very glad he is gone. And Rumlow. Oh, I am so incredibly glad that Rumlow got what he deserved."

"Rumlow handled Barnes?"

"No. He worked privately with him on a mission. He was horrible to Yasha. Genuinely, he deserved a terrible fate."

Natasha spoke with perfect equanimity, yet her scepticism was clear to Thea. "We did not have any intel that the Winter Soldier worked independently with Rumlow."

"No, probably not, but based on what he did to Yasha, Rumlow was a shocking sadist."

Natasha sighed. "I worked with some like that. HYDRA doesn't appeal to the gentle and kind, unfortunately."

"Well, I hate them."

Shrugging slightly, Natasha answered a little disdainfully, "I don't have the luxury of hate right now. When they are no longer a threat then I will allow myself emotions about it. They are not our only enemies either. The people who took you were not HYDRA."

"I know. They laughed when I asked them that. They said they were trying to bring a monster to justice and put a dangerous threat under lock and key. They meant Yasha and Steve."

"Interesting phrasing."

Thea looked intently at Natasha, as she explained, "Yes, I thought so, which is why I made sure to remember it. The older man, who watched my last torture session, asked only three questions. Did I know that my husband had killed mothers and children just like me and my babies? Did I understand that by harbouring a terrorist that I had made it possible for them to put me in the prison on Guantanamo Bay? Did I understand that unless I cooperated that I would never be allowed to keep my children, since they were only half-human and I had allowed them to be raised in the presence of a known HYDRA terrorist and assassin?"

"Half-human. That is the first that I have heard of Ross attempting to define the Enhanced as fully nonhuman."

"Ross? Is that his name? Thank you. I will remember that."

Natasha nodded with approval at Thea's attitude. "He is the Secretary of State."

"Not for long, I think."

Shrugging noncommittally, Natasha almost smiled. "Perhaps."

"One of the men who had come with Ross later had a long conversation with one of my torturers. He spoke in Spanish with a strong Salvadoran accent, since apparently they don't have any capability for intel and don't know that I was an art historian at the Prado."

Natasha now laughed. "Priceless. What did you hear?"

Apologetically, but quite firmly, Thea said, "I would prefer to tell Yasha first. I hope you don't mind. I hope that I can trust you, but I don't know you."

"Certainly. If you were my partner, I'd be quite displeased if you trusted someone on face value. I am sure Barnes will agree. He is more Winter Soldier right now than he was at the Berlin airport. Rogers and Wilson seem to think that interacting with you will help him adjust. However, right now I think that you should expect that he will be the most hypervigilant and paranoid that you have ever seen him. I suspect you are familiar with that part of him."

Her eyes narrowed, Thea replied pointedly, "Very much so. He broke into my flat to force me to help him and then kidnapped me to protect me from HYDRA. Then when we were hiding in the nastiest, most squalid abandoned building possible, he killed three men who were threatening my safety after one of them suggested raping me. After that, whilst he had me stashed in a ruddy mausoleum, he killed a HYDRA agent who had recognised him and put the body in the boot of the car he stole. We drove hours in that car before I even knew that. That was in my first 72 hours with him. I know the Winter Soldier."

Natasha was regarding her appraisingly, as she stated, "And you married him."

"Of course, I did."

"Interesting."

Thea's expression flattened as she replied dismissively, "Not particularly. People fall in love and marry every day. Are you sure Yasha is still sedated? I'm awfully tired, so I cannot be certain how long I will be able to stay awake. You know he burns through medicine rather quickly."

"Normal meds, yes. This is a Wakandan drug."

"Oh. Well, that is different, isn't it? We aren't going to be able to go back there, are we?"

Natasha replied gravely, "No. Well, technically you are on Wakandan soil at the moment, but you cannot return now. They have begun to implement the plan."

"I thought as much when I saw Stark outside the compound. That made sense, since there seemed no other way for Steve to have his shield back. Quite frankly, I hate this plan."

Natasha nodded. "It is very cleverly designed, but I don't relish what is coming much, no. Mary-Claire Rogers has my respect for her strategic skill, however."

"Is there any way to be sure that Yasha isn't awake?"

"The most obvious one. He is not in here."

"Could I see Steve then, please?"

Natasha tilted her head. "If you like. It might be a moment, as he is technically a prisoner."

Thea fought to keep her eyes open. "I will try to stay awake."

AN: Two chapters in two days! So as not to have left you with a cliffhanger for too long, I decided to post this chapter today. The next one should come soonish, as it is typed and only needs editing.

** That line is from Alexander Pushkin's poem, "Ruslan and Ludmila". The poem is about how the hero, Ruslan, must save his beloved bride, Ludmila, after she is kidnapped by an evil wizard, Chernomor.

As for the Russian-English hybrid that Jamie is speaking, the Russian words are pronounced as any toddler might: missing letters and a few sounds. Ho'sho is хорошо (correctly pronounced rather like Horosho, but Jamie cannot make an r sound in the middle of words at this age), ya seeshash seep is я сейчас sleep ( correctly pronounced Ya syechas sleep, a hybrid sentence), Papa zudo'ov is Папа здоров (correctly pronounced Papa zdorov). Source: my own son's wonky attempts at hybrid speech at this age. :-)

I promised that the readers would eventually get to see the Winter Soldier interacting with Thea. This is the first portion of that. Here he is probably 80% Winter Soldier, 10% Yasha, and 10% Sgt Barnes of the Howling Commandos. On the other hand, the Winter Soldier did not go into combat here with Captain America. Technically, yes, but not in reality. This was Steve Rogers as he once was: an Irish kid from the same poverty-stricken Brooklyn tenement as his childhood best friend Sgt Barnes. Between Winter Soldier and Steve Rogers, the lethality against their foes was intense. In the next chapter, you will see how both Winter Soldier/Yasha and Steve deal with that experience.