The rest of the mission went smoothly for Steve and his team. After Vision and Bruce extracted all of the necessary information, the team took to eliminating the entire facility, taking extra precaution in making sure nothing remained. All of the weapons Hydra was amassing were destroyed, along with SHIELD's.

When everybody was safe in the quinjet, Vision and Thor lit the place up. The place exploded quickly; Sam, Bucky and Steve had prepped it to be so. Bruce was still filtering the information they had gathered and so far, they had come across information useful to them. Information about smaller bases, scattered around the world.

For a moment, Steve forgot about what waited for him back home. He really didn't want to think of Coulson and Fury's reactions. Of course there would be lectures and talks of endangering the team, but Steve would not change his mind. Bringing Bucky along made him feel better - made him feel like there was still a part of his past life with him. And he was sure Bucky felt the same way as he slowly regained all of his memories and tried to validate himself once more.

"ETA 2 hours, gentlemen," Sam said, turning back from the wheel, "Seems like a smooth ride back home."

"A glorious battle indeed," Thor said, stretching his legs out as he leaned back on the bench of the jet, "And minimal battle scars."

"Talk for yourself," Sam muttered, making the team laugh. Steve and Bruce discussed the contents of the intel as Vision sat beside Thor as he looked over to Bucky. The long-haired soldier was leaning against the back of the bench as well - his posture far more rigid. His legs were at a perfect angle, straight and unmoving. The only thing fidgeting were his fingers as they interlaced and untangled between his stiff knees.

"You are nervous?" Vision asked, quietly, "I'm sure there is no need to be."

"You don't have my track record, bud," he said, almost a whisper.

"But we do share something…" Vision said, and that made Bucky open his incredulous eyes to him, "We were brought into this world by forces stronger than us and not necessarily with the best intentions. When Ultron attacked, he wanted to evolve. That is how I came to be. Thanks to the Avengers, he did not download himself into me completely. They let me be. I am neither Ultron or the program they added. I was new."

"But you never killed so many people like I did."

"I haven't been around for almost 90 years," Vision said, a sad smile gracing his face, "My point is, you were created from evil but now you are you again. I understand that. I see the potential in human beings, their will. You are neither the Winter Soldier nor the man you used to be. You are new. And you are making the best out of it. Captain Rogers sees it, and so do I."

Bucky smiled. They both turned to Steve who was already walking towards the rest of the group with Bruce in tow.

"Intel has been filtered and secured," Steve said, "Now we wait…"

"Wait for your ultimate demise," Thor muttered. The entire jet was filled with laughter.

Except for Steve.

It wasn't long after, they arrived exactly on time. The jet of the other team followed them 20 minutes later. And while Steve knew he was in some sort of trouble, he lingered behind in the jet with Sam and Bucky as they gathered the collected information. Vision, Thor, and Bruce had run off the moment they landed and the captain was certain they were already setting it so they could hack the feed of Coulson's office the moment they'd be called in.

Turning to the opened hatch of the jet, Steve noticed Wanda, Clint and Rhodey walk across the hangar, their hands covering their mouths to contain their laughs.

Steve grimaced - no doubt Stark not only bragged about getting Bucky out of the facility but gave Natasha a hell of a time teasing her.

And he wasn't off the hook with her even if she called him during the mission - even if she sounded pleasant and teasing.

He knew better.

Carrying the files with the information, Steve finished up. Sam and Bucky were waiting for him. And by divine timing, Stark and Natasha stopped in front of the jet.

"Rogers," she said, her voice icy, "You came back in one piece. Good."

"I told you I would," he muttered, placing the USB file in his belt pouch, "How did the infiltration go?"

"You know, lots of explosion, weapons destroyed, prototypes brought in for inspection, lots of dead bad guys," Tony said, waving his hand as if it was nothing, "Southpaw, how did you feel out there?"

Steve, Natasha and Tony all turned to him, standing quietly behind his best friend. It reminded Nat of a scared child behind his parent. And she was probably spot on.

"I stayed in one piece."

"Man of a few words, just like me," Tony said, pushing Steve off to the side to get a better view of Bucky, "Now, let's get talking. About Steve. Mostly about all those rules you said he would break."

Steve rolled his eyes and Natasha chuckled. Of course, Tony's tact wasn't the best but at least he got a small smile out of the damaged soldier.

"What a coincidence," Fury said, making the entire team turn to him. He stood in the entrance, his face devoid of emotion and standing in front of Hill and Coulson, "Stark, Barnes and Steve. Let's talk about rules and how many you two idiots broke."

Natasha took her opportunity to laugh a little louder this time, earning a scowl from Steve.

"See you after you get out of the principal's office," she said, a dangerously teasing smile on her lips, "Then you'll deal with me."

She walked off - and Steve swore she was almost sauntering off, her hips swaying enticingly as he looked back at him one last time. She knew he'd be looking at her. Cursing inwardly he knew the lecture he was about to receive would by no means be more damaging than the torture Nat would subject him to.

They were escorted to the main office and as soon as they were out of sight, Nat ran off to the rest of the group - she knew Barton would have the feed up and ready. She wouldn't miss the chance to see her captain and Stark getting yelled at by Coulson. The thought made her giggle.

Natasha arrived just in time. Thor, Wanda, Bruce, and Sam had taken the couch - situated in front of the computer screens Clint had set up. Three giant monitors showed the office from every angle. Vision and Rhodey stood behind the couch, arms crossed and smiling. She hurried off to the spot on the floor next to Barton and stole his bowl of candy.

"Just in time, Nat. The show's about to start. I bet Coulson's gonna give them the lecture of the century," Clint said, trying to grab a chocolate piece. His hand was unceremoniously slapped away.

"You're on," Nat answered, "I know Steve. He's gonna come up with a rousing speech about trust and freedom and put the top dogs to shame."

"Aw, Steve and Nat sitting in a tree…"

"You're playing with fire, Clint," Wanda warned, shoving her foot at him slightly, "I tell you this because I care."

They all laughed but quieted down when the lights in the office turned on. Steve, Tony, and Bucky filed in. Maria followed and ordered them to sit down.

The did without a word - it seemed Tony was already intimidated.

"That's my girl," Sam bragged.

Coulson and Fury followed in, slamming the door behind them.

"Principal Fury and Vice Principal Coulson are very mad," Bruce said, chuckling, "I bet 20 on Tony infuriating them more than they already are."

"No, Tony's too intimidated…" Rhodey answered, "You're on."

The three agents stood before the culprits, stern faces almost glowering. Tony sat with his head held high, arms crossed in front of him, tapping his foot. Steve had more sense to him - he was sitting as if it was just another meeting. Bucky was looking down, arms resting on his thighs and unmoving.

"They will not be as harsh to Barnes as they will to Rogers and Stark," Thor said, "Look at the poor soldier. I can tell Coulson has forgiven him already."

"Nah," Sam replied, "Coulson's pissed Steve and now Bucky are off being reckless when neither have signed his vintage sets."

"How did you know about that?" Thor asked confused.

"Steve told me," Sam said, "20 bucks they go hard on all three of them?"

"It is a deal," Thor said, eyeing the soldier, "I will not lose another bet."

Fury was unmoving, and Coulson was shaking his head and not knowing what to do with his hands, they moved from being crossed to rubbing against his face, to being stuffed in his coat pockets.

"We are the only one's who have not wagered, Wanda," Vision said, looking down at her. He smiled as she looked up at him.

"True. $20 on Stark and Captain Rogers getting put on leave for a month. Tony will be overjoyed and Rogers will be devastated."

"That's on point," Natasha muttered.

"I agree to that wager," Vision said, "But they will not be put on leave. Judging Director Coulson and Fury's stance and behaviors, they are angry but not ignorant to the fact Sergeant Barnes was exemplary in the field. I believe they will be reprimanded with tedious trainings while Barnes will be put through the filtering of SHIELD agents."

"Whew, don't mess with Vision," Clint teased, laughing, "You're done for Wanda."

Again they laughed. In the screens, Maria was going through the missions and asking for the intel they gathered. She was direct and gave them no slack. Once she finished, she snatched the USB files from Tony and Steve then stepped back.

"Higher it, Barton...we can't hear," Nat said, pushing Clint. The archer shuffled around and raised the volume. The voices were clearly heard now.

"Of all the stupid things you all have done, and that includes creating a robot out to destroy the world…" Fury said, looking straight at Tony.

"Oh, come on Nicky, you make one tiny miscalculation and people never forget it. You do remember when I made sure New York was safe, right? Alien invasion, selfless sacrifice?"

"Shut it, Stark, or I swear you will not hear the end of it," Fury answered.

Bruce laughed and Rhodey groaned as the loser handed over the winnings.

"Fastest $20 I've made in my life," Bruce said, "Thank you, Tony."

"What were you thinking? Breaking Barnes out of the facility is already enough to break protocol, but taking him on a mission," Coulson said, "Not only that, a mission where you are to face Hydra; the same people out to get him back and use him as a weapon."

"Now, I understand your recovery is going smoother, Mr. Barnes. I truly am satisfied with your performance in the field, but it was an unnecessary risk," Fury said, face serious, "I also understand your desire to redeem yourself, but that was not time to do so."

"I already recovered. I'm used to not resting," Bucky said, solemnly.

"But that was Hydra. This is SHIELD," Coulson said, "We care about our agents and make sure their well being is taken care of - even if you aren't an agent. That choice is up to you, but for now we are in charge of helping you recover."

"They are practically holding his hand," Sam groaned, "Not that it's a bad thing…"

"But it has cost you a loss of currency, friend," Thor said, laughter booming as he stretched out his hand. Sam gave him the bill and groaned again.

"Two down, two to go," Barton said, "And I don't hear Rogers making a sound. I think I'll buy myself a whole lot of pizza with those 20 bucks."

"He's coming up with his speech," Nat said, popping a candy in her mouth, "Just wait."

"Thank you," Bucky said, genuinely surprised at Coulson's words, "But I needed this."

"And if these two wouldn't have encouraged you, maybe you wouldn't be thinking that. I can't say I am entirely surprised by Stark with this behavior," Fury said.

"I think I'd like to take offence by that!"

"But Captain Rogers, endangering a mission by exposing your friend to being caught. That is something that surprised me."

"Oh, he's using the guilt route. Good one, Nick," Clint muttered. Natasha scowled.

"We had it under control," Steve said, his hands balling into fists.

"You had it in control last time and I'm sure you remember how it ended."

"Low blow, Fury," Sam said.

"Sir," Steve started but was quickly interrupted.

"Captain, you have to understand that we are looking out for our own. Sergeant Barnes could have been captured, tortured once more, and sent out to destroy the Avengers. This is serious. Not a game of fixing our friends. We look at the bigger picture. SHIELD is here to protect people and if that means keeping Barnes out of the field until we are certain he is stable then that's what will happen."

"Right, because SHIELD protecting people has always been the number one priority."

"Here it comes…" Natasha said as the entire team was entranced by the screens. She heard a pleasantly surprised Rhodey whisper a 'damn' under his breath.

"Excuse me, Rogers?"

"I understand what you are saying, Fury and I understood that bringing Bucky along would put him in danger. I knew Hydra would find out we have him and come after us if we failed to complete the mission. I knew that if anything happened to anyone of us because he lost control, I would be responsible. I knew that. I didn't save him once. That wasn't going to happen a second time. I had faith my team would succeed because they are the best at what they do. You sent us to destroy 500 Hydra agents - I didn't question you or asked for backup. Because I had faith my team would be more than capable of succeeding. Bringing Bucky along was not a mistake and I will not change my mind about it because I not only had faith in my team. I had...I have faith in Bucky. I knew he wasn't going to lose it out there. I trusted him to follow the team and follow the mission and follow my orders. Because we're a team and we trust each other. This was never a game of fixing friends for me, Fury. This is my life. I've always been dedicated to helping you and helping SHIELD. I know my priorities. I know Bucky's. I know my team's. As long as you and Coulson know SHIELD's, we're good."

The room was silent for a few minutes - and so were the viewers on the other side of the cameras. Without another word, Clint handed Natasha her winnings. She stuck out her chin smiling and took the cash.

Sam started slow clapping.

Rhodey whispered another 'damn' under his breath.

Tony brought his hands over his mouth to hide his excitement and smile.

"Captain, we do not want the Avengers to be separate from SHIELD. We are working together and that's how we hope to stay," Coulson said, sighing deeply, "And because of that, we have to set rules. Rules we expect to be followed because if you trust Fury, Hill and I, you'll know we're doing them for our Agents and the Avengers' own good."

"I understand."

"Then we can all agree with the following," Maria said, "If Barnes agrees, he is to stay here with the New Avengers for training and recovery. SHIELD will make sure to keep his health a top priority. Captain, you can help with his training whenever you'd like."

"I agree," Bucky said, looking at the group then turning to Steve, "Do you trust them?"

"I do…" Steve said after looking at Hill and Coulson. His eyes hesitated on Fury but ultimately he repeated, "I do trust them."

"Then so do I. I'll agree to say and recover."

"Excellent," Fury said, looking at Steve and Tony, "As for you two. We'll need some help…"

"Don't say it," Wanda whispered, already groaning, "Come on…"

"These files should keep you occupied until we forget about this incident. File duty for both of you."

"Time to pay up, as they say," Vision said, and grabbed the money Wanda was handing him.

"This might not be the only files you will sort through," Coulson said, "We have a great memory and it takes quite a bit of time to forget an incident. You'll sort through these and recommend the people you believe are SHIELD worthy. Some files are on Hydra bases and weapon dealings that need detailing. Have fun."

Steve and Tony visibly faltered as they were each handed thick files that when stacked on the floor reached their hips. The duo exchanged glances.

"Objection, technically I'm not part of SHIELD. Capsicle here is, but even if he weren't he'd still do it, but I don't have to."

"We'll see about that once I contact Pepper," Maria said, a soft smile playing on her lips. Tony didn't make a sound after that.

"I guess this means I'm going back to the Avengers tower and you'll be staying here," Steve said, helping Bucky into the new SHIELD issued bedroom in the living quarters of the facility.

"I'll be fine, punk," he said, "They'll help me recover and train and for once they'll let me make my own choices. Besides, your friend Sam will be here. I like that guy."

"He's your friend, too," Steve said, smiling, "Yeah, you'll be in good hands with the Avengers."

The two friends hugged, patting each other's backs as they let go.

"You helped me, Steve. You helped bring me back, so I think now's a good time to stop feeling guilty about the train accident all those years ago."

"I'll try."

"Besides, you need all your energy to keep up with your red-head."

"Natasha," Steve corrected, but Bucky just smiled, "Well, I gotta go. Jet's all set up and my files are waiting for me."

"You brought that upon yourself. I mean who in their right mind breaks a crazy soldier out of recovery and takes him on a mission?"

"You know what, Barnes…" Steve said, walking out of the room and shaking his head, "I'll see you soon."

After a brief nod, they parted. Steve was content; Bucky seemed to be steady and the peace of the facility would help him recover. With the help of Vision, Sam, Wanda, and Rhodey he'd be fully back in no time.

Walking back to the jet, he spotted the entire team. The hangar was noisy and full of agents now as they went about their duties. Wanda was hugging Clint while Sam and Rhodey spoke to Tony. Thor and Vision were saying their goodbyes while Bruce waited for his turn. Natasha was a little behind the group, hands on her hips.

"Is he all settled?" Sam asked when Steve was close enough.

"Yeah, he's happy to be given a chance."

"And I can tell he is more at ease now," Wanda said, "You did good captain."

Steve hugged her goodbye and said farewell to the rest of the team staying behind until he got to Sam.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Steve said, with a smirk. Agent Hill had walked into the hangar and given Sam a flirtatious wink.

"Better. You don't have to say it you know, I'll be there for him."

"I wasn't gonna. Kinda knew you'd be there," Steve said, and hugged his friend goodbye with the promise of seeing him soon enough. They boarded the jet soon after. Thor and Barton took to piloting the jet while Tony and Bruce went straight to the table filled with their discarded experiments and ongoing research.

All that was left was Natasha, sitting on the bench of the jet, eyes on him already.

"Is this seat taken?" Steve asked.

"Yes," she said, stretching her legs onto it. Steve frowned and took to sitting on the floor close to her.

"Nat…"

"I'm not angry about you taking Barnes to the mission...I can see why you did it and I could tell he was safe enough."

"He's my friend, Nat. Now, I know I have you and Sam. You are the closest people to me. But for a long time, I only had him."

"And that's why I get it," she said, slapping his hand away from grabbing hers, "What you are in trouble for is one, not telling me about breaking him out - really, you asked Tony for help - I'm disappointed. I would have done a better job at not getting caught. I assure you; and two, you caused Tony to find out about us and I endured days of constant teasing while you didn't."

"I'm truly sorry about that," he said, smiling at her. She returned his smile; that calmed Steve, knowing he really wasn't in trouble. That didn't mean; however, that she'd let him have it easy.

"I know you're sorry. I'm still going to make you pay, Rogers."

"I'll make it up to you," Steve said, resting his head on her thigh. She didn't push him away, which was good.

"Oh...will you…" Natasha said, her delicate hand running down his jawline and to his neck, leaving behind a tingling sensation that woke up his entire body. She shifted, bowing down to have her face closer to him.

Steve blinked at her sudden closeness and blushed slightly - a reaction he didn't really understand. All of a sudden he was flustered and uncomfortable in his constraining suit as Natasha's hand ran across his shoulder down to trace the star on his chest. He felt the feather light pressure of her fingertip as she did so, making his breath shorted. She grazed her lips against his cheek, kissing the corner of his ear and jaw softly. It made Steve wonder if her lips were made of silk. He almost gulped when he heard a soft sigh - one that could very well pass off as a moan - escape her lips.

"Natasha."

"I'll make damn sure you make it up to me," she whispered, her lips so close to his he could almost feel them; the warmth of her breath and the fragrance of her curls surrounding him completely. He leaned forward to close the gap between them when she pulled away quickly. The magic he was wrapped suddenly gone and replaced by the cold air around him. He was still uncomfortably hot and blushing when he looked up at her curiously.

"Like I said Rogers, time to pay up."

"Tease," he whispered, but only received her soft laugh for the rest of the flight back home.