DISCLAIMER: I only own Melanie and other OCs

Over Ninety years of knowing Steve Rogers and I will never understand why the only way to get the Star-spangled man with a plan to any kind of Medical facility is literally dragging his 240+ pound, Chemically enhanced ass, Considering he was so sick as a kid and knows perfectly well that Doctors can help him. Unsurprisingly, this time was no different.

Once I got him down to MedBay and on to a bed, I got Oxygen into him. (I'm training to be a field medic for the team.) I could hear the battle raging upstairs, The sound of bodies hitting the floor. Something inside me told me to get in there and help, but I steadied myself when Steve`s whole body was racked by shivers.

"What the F*** am I going to do with you Punk?" I asked, not expecting a response. My friend was sweating buckets, and I didn't know if it was from the poison, or the gas.

I tensed up when I heard footsteps racing down the hallway outside, "find the Experiment," A voice yelled, "tear this place apart if you have to!"

Something inside me boiled; Although I hadn't met Melanie yet, But as someone who had spent almost a century enslaved by HYDRA, I knew what it was like to be treated less than human.

The Door broke open and A bunch of HYDRA agents burst in.

"Where is it?!" The Leader yelled.

I leapt to my feet and drew my gun from my back pocket (Old habits).

"Stand Down Soldat," The Leader of the group said to me, "We're looking fo 2."

"Her name's Melanie, you ass-hat." I replied before shooting him straight in the forehead. Then i turned my gun on the trio of lackeys behind him. "Anybody else?" I asked.

They all rushed me at once, pushing me to the ground and my gun misfired, unleashing the remaining bullets into the ceiling and window.

"F***," I said, "Now you're asking for it."

I pinned one to the spare medical bed with one arm and simultaneously pulled a knife from my pant leg. I stabbed the second guy in the shoulder and sent the third flying across medbay with a swift kick to the guts. He collided with the cracked window and toppled backwards out of it. straight to the pavement 100 storeys below.

Two down, two to go.

I'd just about knocked out the the guy that i had pinned to the bed when i heard the unmistakable click sound of a Gun cocking.

I looked up, The Guy that I'd stabbed in the shoulder had a gun pointed at Steve's head.

"Surrender Soldat," He said, "Or the good Captain gets it."

I let go of the guy i had pinned and raised my hands in surrender, "Don't hurt him. Please."

The HYDRA agent laughed, "You actually think you have a choice in the matter? You're a weapon. You don't get to..."

Before he could finish that sentence however, his gun was snatched from his hand by a web. and Seconds later, Spider-Man dropped from the Vents

"Dude, Visiting hours are over," the web-slinger quipped. shooting a web straight at the HYDRA agent's face, "Time for you to leave."

"Couldn't agree more kid," I added. Knocking out the other one with a punch to the jaw.

We tossed the HYDRA agents, including the corpse of the leader. out of Medbay and barred the door.

"Wait a second kid," I realised, turning to Peter. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

I looked at him quizzically, "What happened?"

"it's a long story." Peter sighed.

"I think I got the time." I said, sitting down on the spare medical bed and patting a spot beside me.

It was surprising how quickly Peter had wormed his way into my heart in the year that I'd known him. He reminded me of a young Steve in a lot of ways.

Peter sighed again as he sat down beside me and pulled off his Red spider-man mask, revealing a battered, bruised face. Bruises that hadn't come from any kind of HYDRA fight.

"Peter..." I began, "How did you..."

Peter looked at the floor, "There's this kid at school. His name's Flash. He's a rich kid. like me. but he's..."

"He bullies you?" I guessed, "You're being bullied?"

"It's ok really," Peter replied.

"No. Peter. No. This," I gestured to his face, "This is not ok. anyway, what happened?"

"Flash... he said some awful things. about Gwen and MJ."

I nodded. I could only imagine the kinds of things that a rich kid brought up the wrong way would say about strong, independent, intelligent young women like Gwen Stacey and Mary-Jane Watson.

"What happened next?" I asked.

"Ned, Harry and I jumped in to defend them. and then... we got called to the office. Ned's parents showed up, as did Norman. But.. Nobody could reach Dad."

"For reasons that are now inherently obvious," I said, gesturing to the bullet-ridden ceiling. My point was solidified by the tell-tale thump of another body hitting the ground on the floor above.

"So I took responsibility for starting the fight." Peter continued, "As far as the teachers knew, Harry and Ned were tryna pull me off. Hopefully that'll spare Harry from..."

I nodded proudly. remembering doing the same thing for Steve after many a playground scrap. "That was a noble thing to do."

Peter sniffled, "So.. I got suspended for a week. since Flash's got a concussion and needed stitches after I slammed his head into a locker."

I involuntarily winced. Peter slamming you into something was not a light blow, due to him having the proportional strength of a spider.

"Does your Dad know that Flash's been bullying you?" I asked.

Peter shook his head, "He's got more important things to worry about."

Nothing'd be more important to him than you. I thought, "How about I make you a deal?" I asked. "Tell your Dad about Flash bullying you. and Nat and I won't go and do something about it."

Peter's brown eyes went wide, "You wouldn't..."

"Kid, I've Destabilised whole Governments. I shot Nick Goddamm Fury for F***'s sake. Some snobby rich Palooka's a piece of cake."

"Ok, Ok, I'll talk to Dad." Peter sighed.

"Good," I got to my feet and went to one of the blood-spattered supply cupboards. Rummaging through it, I found some Iodine and a few cotton balls. Then proceeded in using those supplies to patch up the Spider-kid.

"Bucky?" Peter began.

"Yeah Spider-Squirt?"

"Thanks for listening."

"Anytime kid, anytime."

Sometime after, Peter left to rejoin the battle. And I couldn't stop thinking about what He'd told me. How long had he been getting bullied by this Flash kid?

I got jolted from my thoughts by Steve coughing. God, I hadn't heard him cough like that since the 30s, before the serum.

"Come on Pal, wake up," I said.

"Buck?" Steve murmured, his blue eyes flickering open.

"Hey Stevie, how`re you feeling?"

"Like S**t."

"that's because you're a F***ing idiot, you should have come down here as soon as you suspected someone poisoned you," I scolded.

"Sorry Buck..." Steve mumbled before coughing again.

I eased myself into the chair beside his bed, "It's not me you should be apologising to. It's your future husband."

Speak of the Devil, There was a pounding on the Medbay door.

"Barnes, it's me. Open up." Tony called.

"Prove it!" I called back, not wanting to risk more HYDRA agents.

"How the f*** am i supposed to do that?" Tony asked, "I'm telling you, it's me."

"Tell me three things about Steve. Three things that you can't read in a history book." I replied, "If you're really my best pal's fiance, you'll know them off by heart."

"He used to put newspapers in his shoes, he goes crazy for Apple cake and he threw up on Coney Island when you took him there."

I looked over at Steve, who nodded weakly. It was Tony.

I pulled away the Barricade that Peter and I had constructed and opened the door.

Tony rushed in and stopped dead in his tracks.

"What the Hell did you do to the Medbay?" he asked, turning to me.

"Had a... visit. took care of it." I replied.

"Tony, Melanie, is she?" Steve asked, getting up on one elbow. I immediately recognised the body language, it basically read "Screw my condition, I need to go be a hero."

"She's fine Sweetheart," Tony replied, pushing Steve back down into the bed, "They didn`t find her."

"Where is she now?"

"Actually, i think she might be on her way down. she`s worried about you," Tony informed.

I stepped away and started to head to the door

"Where you going Buck?" Steve asked

"Melanie`s on her way down, so i was just..."

"Barnes, we think it`s time you and Melanie met," Tony said.

"but..." I protested

"She can't keep hiding, she needs another person that she, and we can trust to protect her," Steve insisted.

"But you can't trust me, I`m Dangerous!" I reminded, "I could hand her right back to them, or worse."

"You`d never do that Buck," Steve assured.

"It`s not me i`m worried about, it`s the soldier."

"We're working on that okay. We know a girl who's good at the whole mind manipulation thing, she's doing some research. " Tony informed.

"Okay, Okay," I sighed, "Just, Don`t tell Melanie about my past, I don't want her to be frightened of me."

"Deal."