A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this posted; it's been a crazy month! I hope you enjoy the chapter; please leave a review and let me know if you are enjoying it!
XOXO - Presephone

"FALL BACK!" Rollins screamed to the remaining agents and threw another grenade towards the super soldiers. They dove out of the way as the grenade went off, each one taking cover behind a tree.

After returning to their senses, Steve looked around the tree to see the remaining agents disappearing into the trees. He glanced over to James and met his hardened gaze; with a short nod, the pair left the cover of their trees and began chasing after the agents.

They can't get away, James thought, not if there is another remote.

They were almost to the treeline surrounding Gerry's cabin, and James narrowed his eyes at Rollins, who was already climbing the ladder of the helicopter. Rollins was the last one climbing the rope, and the helicopter started to rise upward and panic set in; James ran as fast as he could and prepared to jump toward the ladder.

The moment they broke through the tree line, they both saw Rollins smirk as he leaned out of the helicopter and pulled the pin from the grenade before dropping it down towards them. Steve had just enough time to duck behind his shield but was still thrown back against a tree from the blast.

His ears were ringing as he regained his footing, immediately looking up to see the helicopter quickly retreating. He looked around for James, but he couldn't see him anywhere, "Bucky?!" he shouted quickly, looking around Gerry's shed and the surrounding trees, "BUCKY?!"

James had started running as soon as he saw the grenade falling from the helicopter. He wasn't ready to face Steve; he couldn't. He needed to get back to Emmaliene to make sure she was okay. He had to get back to the house, pack up and get them out of there.

As he ran through the trees, he could hear Steve still distantly calling his name, but he focused on the ATV that had suddenly turned off in the distance. The sun was beginning to set, and he wanted to get to the house's treeline before the forest was plunged into darkness.

He ran for what felt like hours when he finally came to the treeline. He could hear Gerry shouting at the other man who was with Steve. He was carrying Emmaliene, who must still be unconscious, as Gerry took the stairs two steps at a time to open the door that leads into the kitchen. James watched in silence as he saw one of the lights go on that he knew to be Emmaliene's room and then turned back off. He saw them come back out onto the deck as he heard a branch snap near him.

James moved silently behind a tree as he saw Steve step out from the treeline, still looking around. He looked up and saw the pair on the deck and sprinted the rest of the distance. James moved around to the spot behind the poolhouse and quickly moved to the edge undetected. Peering around the edge, he saw the trio of men moving around in the kitchen, and he took a moment to sprint under the deck where the ATV sat.

He heard the back door open again, and he moved to the back of the underside of the deck. He heard murmurs and plans to secure the perimeter and keep eyes out for anything that would raise suspicion.

James waited for them to be far enough away; then, he made his move.

Emmaliene's eyes slowly opened, and she saw nothing but her darkened room. She reached for her head and could feel where a bandage had been placed over her temple where the bullet had grazed. She sat up and winced as her headache made its presence known. She pushed the covers away and walked to the bathroom, flipping the light on and grimaced at the bruises on her neck. She could clearly see the individual fingers of Rollins' hands and quickly looked away.

She changed into a fresh tank top and leggings and walked into the hallway. She could hear soft voices from the kitchen as she looked into the room James had been in and saw his bags were gone. She wondered if he had left as she closed the door, turning around to see Gerry at the end of the hall.

"Hey, peanut," Gerry had a sad tone to his voice. Emmaliene crossed her arms across her chest and walked towards him. He stood up straighter and pulled her into a hug.

"I really want to kick your ass right now," Emmaliene sighed heavily, "but I feel like you've had enough of that for one day."

"I appreciate that," Gerry chuckled, "I'll let ya kick my ass from here to hell and back tomorrow. How's that sound to ya?"

Emmaliene pulled away and looked up at Gerry, "Deal."

"Come on with me," Gerry looped Emmaliene's arm in his, "There's some fella's ya oughta meet."

They walked into the kitchen, and the other men present stood up straight. Steve nodded in her direction, "Emmaliene."

"Captain," She looked from him to the other man.

"Ma'am," Sam also nodded.

Emmaliene arched an eyebrow, "I don't know, but I'll punch you if you call me 'ma'am' again."

Gerry nudged her shoulder, "Be nice, Emmy."

She looked at Gerry, "That was me being nice," she looked back to Steve and Sam, "Trust me, you'll know if I'm not nice."

She moved to the kitchen and sat on one of the bar stools, resting her head in her hands. A moment later, she saw a bottle of ibuprofen and a glass of water slide into her line of vision.

With a muttered thanks, she opened the bottle and swallowed one of the painkillers, enjoying the taste of the cold water. She sat up straighter and looked around the room, "Where's James?"

There was a tense silence before Steve cleared his throat, "I couldn't find him after the fight. I was hoping he would've come back here."

"Peanut," Gerry spoke up, and Emmaliene looked at him, "do you know who James really is?"

"If you mean— Did I know that he is a soldier who was supposedly killed in World War II? But it turns out that he's a brainwashed master assassin from an evil organization, and now he's gone rogue so he can try and regain his life back?" Emmaliene looked at Gerry with a deadpan expression, "Then yes— Yes, I know."

Gerry incredulously stared at her as she took another long sip of her water. After several long moments, Gerry's teeth clenched, and his expression hardened, "When ya first showed up here, ya had a bullet wound on yer side. Ya look me dead in the eye and tell me if he's the one who shot ya."

Emmaliene shifted uncomfortably on the stool, and she could feel three pairs of eyes watching her. She took a deep breath and looked at Gerry, "No, he didn't shoot me." There was a heavy silence in the room, and Emmaliene thought to herself, Don't bring up the bruises if he doesn't.

"Do you have any idea where Bucky would go?" Steve hopefully asked.

"No," Emmaliene shook her head, "A week ago, I didn't even know who he was."

"Why was he at your business?" Sam asked.

Emmaliene spun around with an arched eyebrow, "How did you know—" She cut herself off and thought back for a moment, "The dossier… It was you."

Sam nodded his head, "I had hoped to give it to you personally; but, when I saw who was with you, I thought it better to keep my distance."

"Did you look at the files?" Emmaliene hesitantly asked.

"No," Sam confirmed, "I was just the messenger."

Emmaliene nodded and looked outside at the darkness. She slid off the barstool and sighed heavily, "I'm going to the gym to work out some frustration. You guys can—"

"With all due respect," Steve cut her off, "I don't think that you going to the gym is wise."

"The gym is in the basement," Emmaliene replied, "As I was saying… You guys can stay here for the night. But I want you gone tomorrow, and that is non-negotiable. While you're here, I have one rule, and it is also non-negotiable."

Steve and Sam looked at her quizzically, and she continued, "The master bedroom on the second floor is off-limits to all of you," her eyes flashed to Gerry, and he gave her a sad nod.

"Of course, peanut," the older man nodded, "I promise that none of us go in there."

Steve furrowed his brow, "Why is it off-limits?"

"It's the master bedroom," Emmaliene looked sad, but her jaw tightened, "and it's off-limits."

Without another word, Emmaliene walked out of the kitchen and down to the gym.

Jab, Cross, Slip

Breathe

Sweep, Squat, Kick

Breathe

Jab, Cross, Hook, Uppercut

Breathe

Her combinations continued until she could feel that she was swinging with no method. She stopped and rested her hands on her hips, trying to catch her breath. She dropped her head, closing to her eyes and listening to the silence of the room. She moved towards the bench to get her water bottle but froze as she held the bottle to her mouth.

All the lights went out in the room.

Her breathing swallowed as she stood perfectly still. She slowly looked around and saw a shadow by the far door. Her jaw tightened, and she softly spoke, "You better tell me who you are, or I will kill you."

"I told you already… If you try to kill me one more time today, you'll regret it."

Emmaliene relaxed slightly as James' silhouette moved towards her, "Well, I wouldn't threaten you if you wouldn't lurk in the darkness."

"I only lurked in the darkness to ensure your well-being without distraction."

"Giving me mini heart attacks is not good for my well-being."

They stared at each other for a long moment, and all they could hear was the fans in the rafters of the gym. When Emmaliene spoke again, her voice was softer, "Why didn't you come back with Steve?"

"I can't," James shifted uncomfortably and looked away from her, "I'm not ready."

For the first time since learning who he was, Emmaliene felt a pang of sadness for James. She had been so focused on getting away from HYDRA that she never thought to consider how all of this was affecting him. She hesitated for a moment and then reached out and placed her hand on his upper right arm, "That's okay, James," she felt him relax slightly under her hand, "You can take all the time you need."

He cleared his throat and stepped back from Emmaliene, "I'll stay in the area, make sure you're safe. But we need to move on from here soon."

Emmaliene nodded, "I know where we can go."

"So, you agree that we should stay together?" James tilted his head.

She slightly rolled her eyes at him, "That's the running theory. But you still have 5 days left of your trial run."

James smirked momentarily and then turned to walk back into the shadows.

"James," Emmaliene called after him and saw him turn, "My one question today… Why don't you feel ready to talk to Steve?"

She couldn't see his face but could hear a hint of sadness in his voice, "I'm not who he thinks I am… Not anymore."

Without another word, James walks away and is enveloped in the shadows.

Lightning illuminated Emmaliene's room for a moment as she continued to toss and turn. She finally heaved a sigh and sat up, crossing her legs underneath her. She hesitated slightly before she reached for her bag, looping it over her shoulder and leaving her room. She walked softly up to the second floor, and she paused at the top step. She looked at the closed doors of the master bedroom and felt a familiar twinge of grief in her chest. She approached the door and placed her hand on the intricately carved wood.

"Ya okay, Peanut?" Gerry's soft voice pulled her from her memories.

Emmaliene looked over at him, leaning against the door frame of his bedroom. She could feel the back of her eyes begin to sting, but she quickly blinked them back.

When she finally spoke, there was a quiver in her voice, "No."

Gerry walked towards her and held out his hand to her, "Come on, ya look like yer on yer way somewhere."

"The study," Emmaliene smiled, "There was a flash drive along with that dossier. I can't sleep, so I might as well learn more about what the hell is going on."

"How about I keep ya company?" Gerry offered as they walked down the hall, "I can't seem to sleep much myself."

"I'm still furious at you," she side glanced at the older man as she opened the door into the study and turned the light on, "But you're still the only one I fully trust in this house."

Gerry chuckled as he walked into the room and took his usual seat in one of the chairs by the fireplace, "Now, what's in these documents of yers?"

Emmaliene took the chair that was opposite Gerry and opened the messenger bag. Her hands trembled slightly when she handed the dossier over to him. Gerry took it, and his eyes darkened as he stared at the HYDRA symbol. He opened to where pages had been flagged and began to read.

His eyes danced back and forth as he read the pages, his demeanor shifting from relaxed in his chair to sitting straighter and resting his arms on his knees as he turned the page. Emmaliene knew that he had reached the end of the 'Liquidation' section when he sighed heavily and closed the book. He leaned back into his chair and rested his chin in his hand, "My God, peanut..."

"I know," Emmaliene muttered in reply, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Gerry cleared his throat and met her gaze, "We learn what we can. Then we take 'em down," He gave her a sad smile, "Why don't you show me what's on that computer stick."

Emmaliene scoffed and smiled as she pulled out the laptop and walked over to the desk, "It's called a USB drive."

Gerry waved his hand and grunted, "Whatever."

They opened up the computer and pulled up the files. Emmaliene explained what the 'Permissions' folder had held. Gerry didn't feel the need to watch the video and looked at the other folders, "Do me a favor and click on that one, peanut," he pointed at a file, "I don't like the sounds of the title."

Emmaliene followed his gaze and took in the title of the folder.

Extinguishments

She clicked into the folder and felt a knot grow in her throat as she whispered, "What the fuck?"

There was only one video file in the folder with a haunting title.

"24 December 1993."