Erin's heart was beating a million miles an hour or at least that's what it felt like. Her and Bucky were strapped up and ready to leave the facility. She honestly didn't know where they would go or how they would get in contact with SHIELD but as long as they were far away from the Hydra facility that's all that mattered.

She stood as close to Bucky as possible while he slowly opened the steel door leading to the outside. "About ten miles down the road there is a hanger, if we can get to it without setting off any security then we should be able to hijack one of the helicopters inside" He said to her as his eyes scanned the blizzard through the slit in the door. She could already feel the cold seeping it's way in.

"Security?" She stage whispered "I thought this was an abandoned facility?"

Bucky pulled a grimace "Just because they don't use it doesn't mean they want anyone else playing with their toys"

He pulled his hand up and signalled for her to follow him out. Erin pulled her coat as tight against her skin as possible, keeping one hand on her backpack. As they got out the doors she could see they were at the back of the facility. It was clinical in design but in the middle of a forest. She could see from a quick glance around some of the buildings looked ancient, they must have found an old ruin and built on top of it.

The blizzard was like nothing she had ever experienced before. This is what she would call a Siberian winter. Maybe that's where she was? She'd have to ask Bucky later...if they got out alive.

She followed him out into the tree line, they were both in a half crouch position walking as quickly as they could. If anything, the blizzard was a perfect cover for anyone trying to remain unseen.

As they reached the tree line Bucky suddenly put his hand up. Erin stopped immediately and watched as he slowly turned around, clearly trying to listen for something. It sounded almost like...music?

The next thing she knew, Erin was lying ten metres from where she was standing with Bucky covering her, the snow freezing her cheek where she had landed. He had grabbed her and flung them both deeper into the forest as a helicarrier passed in front of them. The music she heard was definitely the rhythms of AC/DC. She knew exactly who that was. There's only one man on this earth who goes into battle with such an entrance.

"STAY DOWN!" Bucky shouted above the noise of the carrier and music. Erin tried to tell him but he was already moving away towards the carrier, his gun in position. This was going to end badly.

The helicarrier turned round slowly and the entrance opened up enough for four people to jump out into the snow below. Erin saw Bucky getting ready to shoot.

"BUCKY, NO!" She screamed as loudly as possible, this caught his attention giving the leader of the group enough time to make his way forward.

Her heart and soul soared at seeing Steve. Her wonderful Steve. Erin didn't realise until that moment how terrified she had been that she might never see him again. She scrambled to her feet, she could barely feel her face and fingertips. The cold here was unforgiving.

Bucky turned back around, confused at her interruption. His whole body froze when he finally saw who was in front of him.

Bucky felt like a million knives were driving in to his brain at once. One side was screaming friend, the other was shouting foe. Which was it?

Steve Rogers, his very own best friend was standing in front of him. Erin's voice drifted through his thoughts 'Steve is your best friend'.

Captain America, his target was standing in front of him. His orders are to kill.

The target was in his Captain America suit as shown to him in photos at his briefing. He was dangerous. He had to be eliminated.

Steve, he never thought he would see him again. His brother.

The target spoke "Bucky? Is that really you?" It sounded like Steve.

"Steve…" His voice ragged, full of doubt. This can't be real.

He nearly fell to his knees, his head was ready to explode, he was in agony. A scream ripped through the air. He didn't realise it was his own.

Suddenly two more threats appeared floating in the air above Rogers. One looked like a man with metal wings, the other looked like a robot, all metal but it spoke "Drop your weapon Barnes, let's talk. We want Sinclaire back"

Sinclaire? Did he mean Erin? Now he remembered, she told him her name was Erin Sinclaire. It seemed like a memory but was it? Before he could decide, he noticed the robot was armed, small missile launchers were coming out of his suit. The Winter Soldier knew what he must do.

Bucky shot at Stark with such speed that he didn't have any time to react. The bullet hitting him straight in the middle of his forehead, or where his forehead would have been if his armour wasn't protecting him. Sam swerved the next bullet that was aimed at him.

All hell broke loose.

Steve ran straight for Bucky, he knew he had to get Erin out of here. She was unarmed and weak, he could see it in her face. What happened to her? He needed to distract Bucky long enough for Natasha to rescue Erin. He signalled with one hand as he ran, he knew Black Widow would see it.

A fight unlike any other that Erin had witnessed began between Steve and Bucky, it was almost like a dance. They matched blow for blow, their speed and intensity unrivalled in each other. She would have called it beautiful if it wasn't absolutely terrifying. She saw Natasha with her striking flaming hair run straight towards her, her eyes never leaving Erin's.

She could see that whatever Stark had done had triggered Bucky's brainwashing. He was back to being the soldier, she stood no chance in trying to stop the fight between them. She started running to Natasha, the snow crunching under feet. They were nearly at each other, Erin reached her hand out to grab Natasha's when Stark, Steve, Sam and Bucky tumbled through the small space between them. Erin fell backwards from the sheer force, she felt a very sharp sting in her side. She cried out as she fell and hit the soft snow beneath her.

Her eyes closed for what felt like an eternity, when she opened them, she looked down at her waist, there was blood everywhere. She had been stabbed.

The pain hit her so hard she screamed.

Bucky had managed to throw Stark into Sam, they both hit a solid pine tree with a satisfying thud, nearly breaking the tree in half. Steve had been hit hard by the metal hand in the jaw, he was trying to get his vision to readjust when he heard her scream. He looked up, he could see Bucky make his way towards her "No!" Steve shouted, trying to redirect his attention.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Natasha bring her hand to her head, slowly trying to sit up, she was out for the count too. How powerful had Bucky become?

Steve stumbled as he tried to make his way across to Erin, to stop Bucky murdering her. He couldn't lose her again.

But he knew he was too late, he saw Bucky reach her, Steve made one last ditch effort to half run to her side. As he got closer, he stopped short, Bucky was holding her head? His metal hand putting pressure on her wound. What was he doing? He had knelt down so he was close to her.

The Captain silently crept the last few metres but was close enough to catch his words "Erin, don't leave me… I need you"

Steve made his way even closer until he was standing directly behind Bucky, he looked down at Erin. Her eyelids were fluttering open and closed, her breathing was ragged judging by the rise and fall of her chest. Their eyes locked, Erin looked between the two of them before using the last of her strength to bring her hand to her head and tap it twice while keeping her eyes on Steve's.

Bucky clicked on to what was going on a second too slow. Steve picked up his shield and hit Barnes hard over the head, knocking him out cold. He not to gently shoved him out the way and grabbed Erin's hand, keeping his other on her wound.

Erin gave Steve a weak smile "He's still in there Steve. I've been with Bucky for a short time and he's wonderful, like you said" she was struggling to get her words out, time was against her and he knew it.

"Please keep your eyes open. Don't go falling asleep on me now, we need to get you back on the carrier" Steve tried to reassure them both, as he went to pick her up from the snowy floor, she screamed again "I know it hurts but stay with me, we'll get you fixed up, I promise"

He made his way as quickly as he could to the carrier which had landed itself thanks to Jarvis. He brought her into the hanger shortly followed by Natasha. He put Erin down one of the stretchers in the middle, he held her hand the entire time.

Natasha went straight into action grabbing the med kit and essentially pushing Steve out the way. He watched helplessly as Natasha gave Erin an adrenaline shot and got out the needle & her lighter.

As she worked she took a quick glance at him "Steve I've got this. Go grab Barnes and secure him, check Stark and Sam aren't dead. This is still a monitored Hydra facility and it will be swarming with them soon, get going" She might be ruthless but the Black Widow was good at keeping a plan together.

The Captain took one last glance at Erin's face, her eyes now closed, before making his way back into the blizzard.

Barnes was still lying where he left him, not far in the distance he could see both Sam & Stark flying their way over.

They worked wordlessly with two of them grabbing the unconscious body and hightailing back to the carrier. Steve worked on tying Bucky up as Stark logged the coordinates for one of his safe houses back in the States.

The carrier rose and rose until it was way above the cloud line and flew as quickly as possible away from where they just were.

Natasha was just finishing sowing the gash on Erin's waist up when Sam came over "How is she doing?"

"She'll live. She's going to need time to heal though...we all do. I never thought I'd have another encounter with the Winter Soldier" Her concentration went unbroken as she continued stitching "I've never seen anything like that, apart from, well, Steve"

He knew exactly what she meant. They were pretty much matched in every way except the Winter Soldier was completely ruthless which meant he was more dangerous. It didn't sit well with Sam that someone like him was on board.

He left Natasha to finish up and found Steve at the end of the carrier. He had secured Barnes as much as humanly possible. He was tied up in every type of knot all around his body. Sam still didn't think it was enough.

"He's dangerous, Steve"

"I know. But Bucky is still in there, deep inside. Erin told me so, I saw it"

"He tried to kill her!"

Steve sighed and sat down against the bench "No he didn't. He was trying to stop the bleeding. He told her she couldn't leave him. Bucky is still in there. Sam, please trust me"

Sam had never seen the Captain look so worn and shocked. He still wasn't happy with the situation but he decided to drop it. For now.

"Just spoke to Natasha, she said Erin will be fine. She's finishing up her stitches"

Steve put his head into his hands "Thank god. I don't know what I would do without her"

Sam sat down with him, putting his hand on his shoulder "Steve, do you love her?"

"Of course I love her, she's my best friend"

Sam chuckled slightly, earning him a confused look from the Captain.

"Nah, Steve, I mean, are you IN love with her? I see the way you look at her, like she's water and you've been in the desert for thirty days without a drink" The smile hadn't left Sam's face.

Steve nearly laughed "No! No no, she's just my friend. Yeah we live together and back in my day that would have been a scandal but nothing has ever happened. She cooks for me, we watch movies, I train her, we hang out all the time but that's all it is" As he spoke, he realised he was actually maybe trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince Sam.

"Sure thing buddy. Whatever you say" Sam slapped him on the back, a grin plastered on his face as he made his way to the cockpit. Steve tried to sputter objections after him but he couldn't form a sentence.

Was he in love with his best friend?

Erin slowly opened her eyes, she felt a hand in her hair, it felt nice. She could feel the pain in her side. Oh god, she'd been stabbed. She remembered. As her vision came into focus she saw she was on the helicarrier. Steve was sat right next to her, that's whose hand she felt gently stroking her hair.

"Steve..." She croaked out. This felt a lot more safe than the last time she woke up from blacking out. He looked down at her, she could see tiredness in his eyes. What had happened?

"Erin, I was so worried about you" Steve gently spoke, looking down at her, his hand still in her hair "Don't sit up just yet, you've got stitches in your waist. We need to check them when we land"

She nearly couldn't believe they were here, together. Everything that had happened since she last saw him hit her at once. The terror, the torture, the sense of not knowing. The sense of survival. The flood gates had opened and she started sobbing. The rest of the team went to keep an eye on Barnes while Erin and Steve caught up.

He knelt down on the floor of the carrier so he was next to her, silent tears falling down his cheeks as he wiped hers away. They talked in slow, low voices, trying to catch up one another on everything they had missed since they last saw each other. Both were in equal shock. About Fury, SHIELD, Bucky, Hydra.

Steve was relieved that Bucky could be brought back but he loathed what the Winter Soldier had done to her. He knew Bucky would hate himself for it but it didn't make any of this any better. He had hurt her in ways he couldn't even imagine but Bucky was a victim too. He was being controlled. Steve honestly never thought anything would increase his loathing of Hydra but he felt it deep in his core. It was almost painful, the blind hatred of Hydra.

Stark came over interrupting Steve's dark train of thought "Hey Sinclaire, how you doing?" He was being unusually kind, he smiled down at her.

"Well Tony, it feels like I've been stabbed. Yes, in fact, indeed, I have been stabbed"

He burst out laughing and even Steve cracked a smile, she smiled back at them both "I can't help it. Stark brings out the sarcasm in me"

"You're trying to tell me you're not like this all the time?" Steve teased her, Erin lightly hit him with her hand in retort.

"Well I'm glad you're not dead. Would be too serious around here without you. We'll be at the safehouse, ETA thirty minutes so we can properly look at that injury, if you can even call it that" Erin rolled her eyes at him "I swear I will beat you when I can move" she threatened.

Tony walked back towards the cockpit, another deep laugh coming from him "Yeah sure thing Tinkerbell"

Steve looked down at her with a smirk on his face "Glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humour" She smiled back "Me? Never"

He put his hand back in her hair, gently stroking it, noticing that the red colour was fading and he could see her dark brunette roots peeping through the top. It was a beautiful colour.

Steve sighed deeply causing Erin to look back at him "Something wrong?"

He smiled "No, just glad you're back" She smiled again, humming slightly at the feeling of having her hair stroked.

It seems that yes, Steve was in fact in love with his best friend.