Author's Note:

Did any of you do any good tricks for April Fools? I once again, failed. But then thought of ideas- typical.

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And the 76! favs on this story! Woah! Incredible! :D

And of course, the reviewers, they are soaring! Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter, a little shout out to you: Princess2016; Amy Hamato; LilyRose14; Javie-1998 (twice!); Moustache1234; supesfan18; RomanogerLaucifer; TheJollyRoger; Sportsfan64; Guest; DENM (Once again, sorry for making you panic :P).


Bucky held up his metal arm and looked at it scrutinisingly, wondering why this had to be happening to him of all people. Sighing, he leant back on his bed, waiting impatiently for Tony to arrive so he could help fix this mess. He closed his eyes, listening to the shuffling beside him as Maria paced the length of the room. "Any word from Stark?" He asked.

"He said he was almost here an hour ago, which means that's when he left. He should be here soon." Maria responded, not halting her pacing.

"I hope so." Bucky commented tiredly. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and it was really pulling on the corners of his consciousness now.

Tony strutted into the room. "I've been waiting for you both in the lab. I don't make… bedroom visits." He turned away to walk straight back out, muttering, "Not anymore, anyway."

Maria rolled her eyes.

Grunting, Bucky got to his feet, his flesh arm automatically going to grip his metal arm as though that would somehow prevent it from acting up again. "You could've told us you were in the lab, you know." He complained, although Tony was already out the door. He hurried to catch up, Maria right beside him.

"Where's the fun in that?" Tony questioned carelessly before walking back to the lab, which seemed to be reserved for him. It looked like he had, in fact, been to the lab to drop off a few things, which included one of his Iron Man suits standing to one side. He picked up a few items only to lay them down as Maria sat on one of the chairs in the room.

"So… do you think you could fix my arm?" Bucky asked, making his way over to Tony. "I don't think we ever got the chance to clarify that."

Tony smirked up at him. "I'm good, but even then I need to look at your arm. Want to remind me exactly what's wrong with it? Squeaking?"

Bucky shared a look with Maria before staring at him incredulously. "My arm tried to strangle Maria!" He snapped. "How does one forget being told that?" He took a deep breath to calm himself down. Tony was busy, so he probably forgot things like that all the time. What mattered was that he was here to fix the problem now.

Tony was obviously not amused with Bucky's outburst and handed him a gas canister. "If you think you, or your arm, are losing control, breathe this in and it'll knock you out." He held out his hand and after a second his Iron Man hand engulfed his own before he turned his attention to Bucky. "Did you want to sit? Or stand?"

"I'll sit, I think." Bucky replied, not wanting to have to knock himself out and then collapse to the floor and be feeling those bruises later. He took a seat on one of the hard plastic chairs and held out his arm for Tony to better examine. "It was reacting to a codeword that we think HYDRA programmed into it." He informed.

"What code word?" Tony asked as he pulled a table closer to Bucky so that his arm could rest on it. "So this is a reprogramming thing?"

"Uh…" How was Bucky supposed to tell him the codeword without activating the strangulation programming? He sent Maria a pleading look. "Could you, like… whisper it, or something? I really don't want it acting up again." His voice was full of exhaustion, he could tell.

Maria slipped out her phone, and as she put it down, Tony picked his up and nodded. His Iron Man hand rested on the top of the metal arm, holding it in place as he tried to pry it open. "Ah… What is this made out of?" He questioned, picking up a different tool.

Bucky smiled sheepishly. "I'm not quite sure." He admitted.

"That's helpful." Tony muttered as he stepped away before attaching a few screens over the arm. "JARVIS, scan this for me."

"Yes, Sir." His computer responded.

Maria raised an eyebrow. "You brought JARVIS with you? We've already got one person with his voice here- Vision. Why not just use him?"

"Not the same."

"So insensitive, Maria." Bucky teased halfheartedly. He watched with interest as JARVIS scanned over the arm one way, then in the opposite direction, then from underneath- somehow.

"Don't side with him, Buck. That won't go well for you." Maria commented.

"Sorry." He replied quickly, not wanting to risk his life- Maria could be as scary as Natasha. "So, um, how's it all looking?" He asked Tony, who was examining what looked to be the results of the scan.

Tony flicked through several images. "I would explain what I'm seeing, but you wouldn't understand." He replied slightly cockily.

"Stark." Maria warned.

With a swift smirk, Tony brought up a 3D image. "The shadowed areas are what we are unable to scan due to the metal. JARVIS is still running some tests, though, so we should be able to combat that. There are several triggers, sensors and components which have caused the reaction you two experienced. That will all be useless until I can get into his arm."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Bucky asked worriedly. He might not have ever liked the mechanical arm itself, but being without it would be a serious handicap. If Tony ripped it apart in his efforts to get inside of it and couldn't put it back together, what could Bucky do? Go back to HYDRA and kindly ask them to fix it?

"It's physically joined to your shoulder, and it appears you'd die if we simply ripped it off. For fear of my life…" he glanced at Maria. "...we'll avoid doing that. But I can get into it; there's no metal too strong for me."

"Sir, it appears that Mr. Barnes's arm is made from Vibranium."

"We're doomed."

Bucky groaned. "Vibranium? Isn't that what Steve's shield is made of?" They were so screwed.

"Yeah. Let me analyse the images and see… actually." Tony took a step back. "JARVIS, analyse response."

"Certainly, Sir."

"Mercy."

Bucky barely had time to make an exclamation of horror before his mechanical arm came to life and launched itself at Tony's throat. He hurriedly braced his feet on the ground and tried to pull it away from the man. "Are you insane?" He cried, trying to restrain the thrashing limb.

"Yes." Tony replied, his Iron Man hand holding the metal arm as his other picked up the cannister and released the gas, holding it towards Bucky.

Maria jumped up at that, but didn't approach.

Unfortunately, Bucky saw no other alternative, so he reluctantly breathed the gas in until his head began to spin and his legs began to feel numb. His arm fell limply to his side moments before he fell to the ground, the last thing he saw being Tony's feet stepping toward him.


Steve was slightly surprised to find total quiet in Tony's lab when he entered later that day. He'd promised Bucky he would check in for an update on how things were going when he got back from the orphanage visits. He located Tony working silently at one of the desks, a holographic display in front of him. "Stark," He called to catch the other man's attention."Where's Bucky?" He looked around the room for his friend, but saw no sign of him or Maria.

"He's taking a nap." Tony replied simply, barely glancing up at him. "Find a kid you want yet?"

"We're still discussing." Steve answered slightly distractedly. "Why is he sleeping? I thought you'd be running tests all day!"

Tony looked up at him. "I am running tests, but I don't need him. His arm is made from Vibranium, so I can't get into it. Instead, I'm looking to see what needs to be done to fix the little reprogramming issue."

"Oh." Wait, Bucky's arm was made from Vibranium too? That did explain how Bucky had been able to catch his shield, actually. "But why is he sleeping? He's not one to take naps at," he checked his watch, "five in the afternoon."

"Since when did I become his nanny?" Tony questioned sarcastically. "And when did you become his overprotective parent?" He added before answering the question. "He lost control and we all decided it was time for him to take a nap."

"What? You knocked him out?" Steve demanded, shocked. "How could he possibly have lost control when the only two people with him knew very well to not use the one word that sets the arm off?"

Tony glanced at him, a small smile playing on his lips before he returned his focus to the 3D image.

"Dammit, Stark! You did it on purpose?" Steve asked incredulously. "I should have known. Where's Bucky now?"

"In his bed; where else does one sleep?" Tony replied. "And I needed to see where it was triggered from- now I know. All I need to work out is how to get to it."

Steve forced himself not to continue the argument- sometimes it was way too easy to argue with Tony. "So you can't get inside it, then? There's no weak spot you could get in through?"

The genius sighed. "Is there a weak spot in your shield? It could have been made by the same damn person."

"Then how do you plan to get in, oh almighty superior mastermind?" Steve gave in to the temptation just a little- Tony's attitude was so grating.

"I would explain, but you wouldn't understand." Tony replied. "In short terms, very carefully, there're probably kill switches which I'll have to be careful to not tamper with."

"So you need something small and controlled…" Steve said, suddenly having an insane idea.

Tony nodded. "In dumb terms, yes."

Steve smirked. "I think Sam has just the guy for you, then."


"Hey, Nat," Steve greeted tiredly as he walked into the bedroom they shared. "I just found out that Stark set off Bucky's arm on purpose and then gassed him into unconsciousness." He sat on the bed beside her and slipped off his shoes, throwing them into the closet before laying fully on the mattress.

"Seriously? How come?" Natasha questioned, sliding her laptop off the bed and to the side.

"I guess to see how it would respond? I'm not quite sure- it was just Stark being Stark, I suppose." Steve answered, rubbing his temples. "I'm gone for one day and everything goes to hell." He groaned.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "In your defense, this all started before you left." She slid closer, brushing his hair out of his face. "How long was Bucky knocked out for?"

He leaned into her touch. "He's still out. It's been almost four hours now."

"Then for now, it's not an issue." Natasha replied. "And I've sent Rhodey and Wanda off base for a few days while we sort Bucky out- we don't want any unnecessary panic for Wanda right now."

"Good call." Steve agreed. "I just hope this all gets sorted out soon…"

Natasha nodded. "We'll sort it out. Just try not to worry too much." She sighed slightly. "Because there are hundreds of things to worry about and I don't want you to feel down because of any of them."

Steve smiled softly at her. "That's very sweet, Natasha." He said, pulling her closer. After a few minutes of just enjoying each other's presence, his curiosity got the better of him. "So what have you been working on? What's on your mind?" She seemed a little… busier than usual. Mentally, at least.

"Chloe is due to testify next month- that's the earliest they can get a court date." Natasha admitted with a small release of breath.

"Are you going to go with her? You were a witness, after all."

"Yes, she needs all of the support she can get, but I'm not a valid witness." She informed him, not elaborating on her comment.

"Wait- since when are you not a valid witness?" He asked, confused.

"My past; they can bring up hundreds of examples that will discredit me. Besides, it's not like I really saw him sexually assaulting her. Her statement alone should be enough, but if it's not, I'll sort out the problem."

That sounded ominous, but he wasn't about to argue- in this case he was totally fine with her more… special methods. "I just hope that pervert gets what he deserves." He answered.

"He will." Natasha promised.


Bucky's head was swimming when he finally came to and his eyelids fluttered open. He was lying on… something soft. His bed? Yes, this blurrily looked like his room. The lights were on, but dimmed, and the curtains had been drawn. Groaning, he rolled over and tried to sit up, but his muscles ached so he paused and just lie there for a bit, staring at the wall.

Suddenly images assaulted him- him almost attacking Stark, being knocked out, being dangerous yet again. His breathing hitched at the thought that he'd put not only Maria, but also the person who was helping him, in danger. And no progress had apparently been made, which meant he was still a ticking time bomb. What if the time came when this accursed limb could never be stopped? What if they were taken off guard and someone was killed? What if he killed Maria? He started to feel light-headed, and vaguely noticed that he was close to hyperventilating.

Suddenly the mattress shifted and a body was lying right behind him, an arm around his shoulders.

"Stark is a bastard. I should have hit him harder on your behalf." Maria informed him in a surprisingly harsh tone.

"M-Maria?" He asked in surprise, rolling over to face her slightly. "You're still here?" He didn't know whether to be overjoyed at not being alone or to be terrified at the thought of hurting her somehow. With each new triggering of his arm, he began to lose hope that he could keep control over it. He'd just have to become a hermit so he wouldn't hurt anybody, he supposed. Shaking his head, he decided to settle for being relieved that she hadn't left his side and felt his breathing began to slow to healthier levels. "Thank you for staying with me. And you don't need to blame Stark. He wouldn't do that without a good reason." At least, he hoped not.

Maria ran a hand down his arm. "He's a jerk. And don't expect me to be leaving anytime soon. I've postponed my meeting in France."

He felt a swell of guilt. "I'm sorry you have to miss it because of me." He apologised sincerely. "I owe you one- or ten."

"No need; I've been looking for a reason to get out of it for ages." Maria replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was hit with a truck full of bricks." He admitted. "And like I really need to pee." Fatigued as he was, with Maria's help, he made it to a sitting position and made his way to the bathroom. By the time he got back to bed, she was apparently half asleep. It made him wonder how much sleep she'd been getting lately. He slid in beside her. "You okay?" He had to be sure she hadn't been attacked by his arm again when he hadn't been aware of it or anything like that.

Maria nodded, sliding closer to him. "I'm fine- just tired. I've been worrying about you for the last six hours."

Instead of expressing his guilt again- that wouldn't do anything productive- he carefully put his flesh arm around her with a sigh. "Well, I'm fine now, so you can go to sleep." He insisted.

She didn't take her time to snuggle up to him, placing a hand on his chest. "Maybe just for a few minutes."

He smiled despite his constant worry of hurting her and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I promise to wake you if anything happens. Don't worry about it." He reassured, knowing that the spy instinct in her was wanting her to stay alert.

"Hmm, okay." She drifted off to sleep.

With a content sigh, Bucky held her closer and listened to her even breathing before he eventually joined her in sleep.


Steve looked over the file. He absolutely hated saying no to any child. In a way, he'd be happy to adopt all of them, but he knew that wasn't feasible. "Zachary was too loud and hyper." He said regretfully. He glanced at Natasha, who typed something into her laptop and nodded in agreement. "But what about Selina? I really liked her."

Natasha tilted her head to the side and gave him her attention. "Selina... I don't think I personally spoke to her. What was she like?" She asked. Her attention popped over to the laptop as she typed something up- obviously getting up the official file of the child, like every other time- before turning back to him.

Steve smiled fondly. "She's about five years old, and she's very sweet and fairly mellow for her age." He described.

"She sounds lovely." Natasha commented, looking at her laptop. "She is, in fact, five years and four months old, been in the foster system for nine months after her mother drowned. No other family- as with most of the children." She paused, reading the information. "Two failed adoptions so far due to… not being the right fit."

"'Not the right fit', huh?" Steve asked skeptically. "I wonder what the real problems were."

Natasha shrugged. "It's not uncommon for children to be sent back. You said that Selena was sweet and mellow- children's emotions are delicate. She could have simply cried or yelled about something and they changed their minds. Or she could have done something wrong."

"Poor kid." Steve sighed. "I would definitely like to put her on our list of possibilities."

"Sure. I'll set up a meeting so I can meet her, too." Natasha replied, making a note. "What about…" She hesitated slightly, for the first time. "Chloe."

"Really?" He asked in surprise. "I mean… she's older, so there would be less time she would spend growing with us..." He liked the idea of adopting Chloe, but she didn't necessarily fit their age specifications.

"I know she's the wrong age and will age out in three years- she's definitely too old for her to truly see us as her parents, but... she'll be alone. She's not going to get the right kind of support in the system. I'd rather make a difference." Natasha ran a hand through her hair.

Steve pulled the laptop closer to himself so he see Chloe's file as he thought about it. Adopting Chloe… well, it would be harder. Chloe was older, and most likely remembered more of her life either before being in the system or during her time going from home to home. She was more than likely emotionally damaged. She would most certainly require more guidance, considering they had less time with her before she was a legal adult. She would need financial support and she would need especially good role models since she'd probably never had anyone to look up to properly. She would eat more and she would be more difficult to manage at times, being a teenage girl and all, and she probably wouldn't trust them for a while.

Natasha interrupted his thoughts before he had a chance to reply. "How about you think it through, and then we can discuss it."

Steve nodded gratefully. "Good idea." He picked up a file. "How about we take a break from this and grab something to eat? I think I've finally mastered homemade pizza." He offered.

"I'll be the judge of that; maybe by the time we choose a child and adopt them, you'll have mastered at least a few meals." Natasha replied with a smirk, closing the laptop.

"Hey, keep up that attitude and I'll put apple slices on your piece." Steve teased.

Natasha smirked. "My favourite," she commented before sauntering out of the room.


Thank you for reading.

BIG shoutout to ThisVioletofMine! Remember her name!