Four hours later the quin jet landed at Avengers compound, Emily was brought out between all the agents, as she was walking she saw Sam talking to Steve and a woman she didn't know, they all looked at her as she was marched by.

"Did she say much on the flight?" Steve asked, shocked.

"No, but I do think a doctor should give her the once over. She told me she was pregnant."

"Did she? Suppose we better check her and she gave you no trouble at all?" Steve crossed his arms and watched as she was walked into the compound.

"Alittle, she tried to knock the guys out, but I already had one cuff on. I think she might be telling the truth about being pregnant. Why come peacefully otherwise." Sam replied unsure where they would go with her capture now.

"Bucky didn't try to fight?" Steve now put all his attention on Sam. He needed to know exactly what his friend was doing.

"Nope she told him to run and he did. From what I saw they seem to live a very normal life, just like every other couple I know. They had jobs, they ate together, curled up and watched TV. Emily liked to read, she would often fall asleep reading and Bucky would carry her to bed. I feel horrible for separating them like this Steve." Sam looked down before walking away.

Steve tried not to let Sam's words get to him. He wanted Bucky to be happy of course he did, but he was a mess and needed help. Securing them here, would for now, be their best hope. Tony had had a room fitted out for her. They would be able to take the cuffs off her in there. It was Nat that spoke next.

"She didn't cause trouble the whole time she was kept by Hydra. She never really killed either, her file said she didn't have the instincts for it. They used her alot for interrogation. She has never known a life outside of Hydra, till she left with Bucky."

Emily was sitting on the small white sheeted bed in the small room she had been given, rubbing her wrist where the cuffs had been, she looked out the window at the lake by the forest.

"Do you need anything?" Steve asked standing at the door.

Emily looked at him. "No. Suppose I've had over a year of freedom, it's better than nothing. Will you guys take the baby off me?"

Steve realised she was serious. Her time with Hydra had conditioned her to think the worst. In her eyes they were the monsters right now. "No, we won't take the baby. We'll work it all out. I was hoping you'd allow one of the team to check you over."

He noticed she shuffled on the bed slightly, what the hell had Hydra done to her? But she nodded. "Sam said you like to read, I could get you some books."

She looked away from him muttering "You don't have to be nice to me."

Sensing he wouldn't get another word from her Steve decided to leave the room. Emily curled up on the bed. Her hands wrapped around her stomach. An hour later Steve returned with another person in tow behind him.

"Hello, I'm Dr Owens, Steve asked me to check you over. Is that ok?"

"Of course." She noticed his face, he was worried she was going to harm him in some way. She hated that look. "I won't hurt you. Plus this room is like the cell Hydra kept me in, I can't use my powers in here."

Steve noticed the sadness in her eyes.

"So...Steve said you were pregnant, do you mind if I give you an ultrasound?"

"Not at all."

She lays on the bed and Dr Owens pushes her top up, he then notices the marks on her body. He puts the ultrasound jelly on her stomach. He started the scan. "Do you wanna see your baby?"

Emily turns her head to the screen, she sees the little tiny blob he was pointing at.

"I'd say you're about 8 weeks."

She touched his hand. "Thank you."

He puts his hand on hers. She had a tear in her eye. He checked her blood pressure and a few other things."I'd like to do another ultrasound in about 4 weeks if that's ok?"

"That's fine. Not like I'm going anywhere." She turned away from them both pulling her top back down and headed towards the window.

….

Emily had been at the compound for over 2 weeks. Everyone tried to be nice to her, but she knew that they didn't trust her. She was, in their eyes, just another Hydra asset. Emily was curled in the chair by the window when she heard the door open. She didn't look up from her book as the person walked towards her.

"You don't look very dangerous. I mean i've read the file, seen the footage and I must say i'd love to see you bring a building down. Steve and the Doc say keeping a pregnant woman trapped in a room is archaic, so for that to change I was hoping you'd be agreeable in wearing this for us."

Emily finally looked up at this, Tony Stark was standing a few feet away from her holding something up between his finger and thumb. "I'm guessing you're the mastermind behind this room."

"I am. I mean Hydra had the right idea, I just upgraded it and changed it from a cell to this beautiful room with a bathroom and breathtaking views"

"A cell is anywhere with 4 walls and a door that you don't want to be. This may be fancy than the last, but it's still a cell." Emily sets her book to one side and sits a little straighter in the armchair. "What is it?" She asks nodding towards the metal ring Tony is holding.

"It's a bracelet. It works like the cuffs, it will not allow you to use your powers. It also has a tracker in it, so we will know where you are at all times."

"And what's to stop me taking it off?" Emily counters with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah well," Tony sits on her bed across from her. "once I lock it on your wrist, only I can take it off."

"That means I have to trust you."

"Well yes it does."

Emily looked at him, then held out her wrist. Tony put the bracelet on her wrist. He got up and got to the door, this time he didn't close it. The door was now open, she was no longer a threat to them.

Nat came to her room that afternoon. "How are you doing?"

"I miss Bucky, he's the only person that ever really understood me. He understood everything I'd been through. You guys don't understand, you just see me as something Hydra created."

Nat took her hand, it took Emily back at first. "Actually you and I aren't so disimular." Nat told Emily. "I wasn't part of Hydra and so I won't pretend to know what you went through, but I will say this. I know what it is like to be unmade and then remade into something that other people can use as a weapon. I know what it is like to have blood on your hands. I don't see you as dangerous to us. I see you as lost, scared and unsure."

Emily listened to Nat and for the first time since Bucky she felt safe in someone's else's hands. "How?"

"I'm sorry?"

"How do you know what it is like to be used as a weapon. You don't seem like the kind of person that would ever be used by anyone."

"If I tell you my past, will you put some trust in me?"

"I will try." Emily replied honestly before gesturing for the other woman to sit. She didn't say a word while Natasha recanted her past life. It was clearly taking a lot of effort for her to talk about this.

When she had finished Natasha looked out of the window before turning to look at Emily. "So...that was me back then and this is me now, people change. It took them time to trust me, but Clint was the first to hold out a hand for me and I'm going to do the same for you." Nat stood and walked over to the door. "So ready to get out of this room?"

Emily looked at Nat. "Can you show me where the kitchen is?"

Confused at that being the first place Emily had wanted to go when being offered a little more freedom Nat simply nodded and smiled at her. Emily followed her to the kitchen. The whole thing was huge compared to the tiny one she was used to. Nat left her. Emily must have spent hours in the kitchen, she made muffins, cookies, flapjack, and then Pasta for everyone's dinner. She took a small bowl and a muffin and was walking out of the kitchen, when Steve stopped her.

"You not eating with us?"

"I didn't think you would want me too."

Steve looked at her. He took the bowl of pasta from her and turned her back to the kitchen. He helped her set the table and called everyone one to dinner. He pulled the chair out and Emily sat down, she listened to them all chat and laugh, it took her a moment to realise that Nat had asked her a question.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked about your cooking. You seem to enjoy it?, I've never seen so much food in the kitchen."

"I find it calming, plus Bucky was….." Her voice trailed off, she really missed Bucky. Steve touched her hand and she gave him a half smile.

"You can talk about him, you know? It's not like he's a banned subject."

She looked at them all, she did have questions. They had so far been fairly nice to her, but she wanted to know what they would do with Bucky. "What will you do with him?"

Everyone looked at her. It was Tony that spoke first. "I'm gonna be honest with you. The government will lock him up, he has a...colourful past."

"So do I. How can you give up on him?"

They all looked at her, was she right? They had all done things they were not proud of, yet here they all sat. Emily left the table and went outside. She was down by the lake when Steve arrived next to her. She was shiving, so he put his jacket round her. "Does he remember?"

She looked at him. He had a sad almost lost look on his face. "He remembers bits. He knows who you are, he knows that you guys grew up together. He remembers glimpses of your past together, and I tried to help him."

"Do you love him?"

Emily was taken back at the question and her hands moved to her stomach. She had always thought that her love for Bucky was that of a friend, but she missed him so much, maybe she'd been wrong back then because right now Emily felt like she was living in a blur, numb to everything and want only to have him by her to be a shelter, a haven, someone to make the pain and worry go away.

"More than I thought possible. He taught me how to be happy."

"He was always good at cheering people up."

"He can't come back though. I can't let you put him in a cell."

Steve looked down at her, he knew in that moment, he couldn't let them lock Bucky up either. "I'm sorry we took you away from him."

Emily hugged him.

…..end of chapter 4