Happy Saturday.

I missed my mid-week chat with you all by posting, but it's finally the weekend so I can put up the chapter. I hope you all had a great week xxx

Chapter Thirty-Six

Bucky was in the common room with Tony and Pepper. The others had drifted off to do their own thing, and Steve was in the city. Bucky didn't know what he was doing there, he'd been secretive about it, but he was looking forward to him getting back so that he had someone to talk to.

Tony and Pepper were locked in their own bubble, Tony staring into space and Pepper trying to comfort him. Bucky felt awkward being there, but at the same time, he felt he should be.

Tony was really struggling. He'd not seen Peter for three weeks, and Peter wasn't answering his calls or texts. He was desperate to just go to him, but he was wary of Peter's aunt, who had been in contact. She knew he was trying to reach Peter, and she said he wasn't ready. She agreed calls were okay, but she'd told him not to come in person and railroad Peter into contact.

Bucky was frustrated, too, as he knew Peter had to be suffering without Tony after what happened. Worse, Mind hadn't made an appearance since the plane crash, so they had no insight into Peter then or now.

All in all, it was a tough few weeks for all of them, Tony most of all.

Bucky got to his feet and made for the kitchen to get himself a fresh coffee when he heard distant fast footsteps. He stiffened and then relaxed as Steve ran into the room, his eyes wild and roving. They settled on Bucky, and he gasped, "Queens! Proof!"

Tony's head snapped up. "What about Peter?"

Steve held up a hand, drawing deep breaths. "I saw Queens. I went to his place to talk to him."

Tony was on his feet and crossing the room in an instant, Pepper hurrying behind him and placing her hand in his. "How is he?" she asked.

Steve shook his head and said, "He's… Well, he's not okay, but that's not the point."

"Not the point!" Tony growled.

"We'll get to that in a minute, Tony," Steve said. "Bucky, Peter found proof you're innocent!"

Bucky took an automatic step back, hand coming to his chest. He was without words, and it seemed Tony was, too, but Pepper said, "What proof?"

Steve's eyes darted between her and Bucky as he answered. "When Natasha did the data dump of all the SHIELD files, to show the Hydra's infiltration, there were details of Bucky's time as The Winter Soldier. Peter just showed me. Buck, I think it's enough to clear your name."

Bucky's mouth dropped open, and then he huffed a laugh. Of course, if any of them were going to find a way for him to be free, it would be Peter. Even though they had no bond yet, he was coming through for Bucky again.

"Damn, bud," he muttered.

"How did we not know about this?" Pepper asked.

"I never looked," Tony said quietly, his eyes distant. "I had Jarvis find and wipe any mentions of me, but I didn't look deeper."

"Well, it's there," Steve said eagerly. "We can find it all, every detail, and work out a way to take it to the authorities without telling them where you are. I think you should go to Wakanda. I'm sure T'Challa would give you sanctuary."

For a moment, Bucky felt a swell of hope, the thought that he could be free now instead of waiting years for his pardon, but that hope quickly burst like a soap bubble.

"I can't," he said, voice dull. "I've got to keep my cover for Zemo."

Steve's eyes widened. "Buck, this is about your freedom!"

"And the connection with Zemo is about protecting Peter," Bucky said. "I'm not giving that up so I can clear my name." He crossed his arms over his chest and set his jaw. "No."

Steve ran a rough hand through his hair. "Okay. Yeah. We do need Zemo… We can make it work, though. There has to be a way. Let me think…"

"How's Peter?" Tony asked.

Steve frowned at him, an angry retort obviously about to come, and then he took in Tony's eyes, pleading with him, and said, "He's okay. Completely healed, but not himself. He's still really upset about what happened. He thinks you're angry with him. I told him you're not, that you're just worried; I tried to make him understand, but…" He shrugged. "I don't think he took it in. He changed the subject. That's how I found out about the proof." He looked to Bucky. "He was asking how you're doing."

Bucky felt a wave of fondness at the thought that Peter, who didn't know or love him yet, was concerned for him. It was like a warm touch through the years that parted him from the Peter he knew best.

"I've got to see him," Tony said. "If he thinks I'm angry, he's probably screwing himself up. The hell with May—I'm going there."

Pepper squeezed his hand. "You can't go against her wishes if you want her to let you see him in the future, Tony. Talk to her, tell her what Steve said. I'm sure she'll agree that you should see him."

Tony nodded slowly, a line between his eyebrows.

Steve turned back to Bucky. "You've got to do this, Buck. We can make it work with Zemo. Just because we're clearing your name, it doesn't mean you can't still be his contact. He'd believe we wanted your name cleared. This might even help—it shows we still have no idea you're working with him."

Bucky considered. He did want his name cleared, but he wanted to help Peter even more.

"We can ask T'Challa," Steve went on, seeming reassured by the fact Bucky wasn't arguing. "With his support behind you…"

Bucky held up a hand. "It's too big a risk, Steve. The connection with Zemo has to come first."

"But you can do both!" Steve said, a hint of anger in his voice now.

"You can," Pepper agreed.

There was movement behind them, and Vision drifted through the wall. Bucky barely glanced at him, Steve's voice already calling his attention back to the room as he said, "Look, Buck, we're doing this one way or another," but Tony cut across him.

"Mind? Finally! Where the hell have you been?"

Bucky turned and saw the change in the eyes, which meant Mind was the one in control. He felt a pang of sympathy for Vision, who was so often having his awareness canceled out and being sent to see Peter and the Stones. The pang was quickly replaced with eagerness for news of Peter, though.

"I didn't come because Peter did not send me," he said. "He has been… struggling."

"Because of what happened?" Tony asked, worry lines cutting around his eyes.

Mind nodded. "Peter does not just see what happens; he also feels it. He was suffering with the remembered guilt and how he is feeling now. As Peter is depressed here now, in 2016, he is too depressed in 2023."

"Peter's depressed!" Tony said, voice cracking.

"Yes," Mind said. "But he has felt some reprieve from his conversation with Mr. Rogers and gathered enough focus to send me to see you." He looked to Bucky. "He wants this for you. He wants you to clear your name."

Steve smiled smugly. "Knew he would."

"But this risks my contact with Zemo," Bucky said. "Peter can't want that."

"He disagrees," Mind said. "Peter believes it will reinforce the idea that you are still undercover and serving his plan. It is natural the Avengers want you to be a free man, and Zemo knows of the evidence as he used some of it against you in Siberia."

"The video of my parents," Tony said quietly.

"Exactly. Peter says it's your choice; he can't force you in either direction. But what he wants is for you to use the information he just imparted to you to clear your name."

"And if I'm found guilty and locked up?" Bucky asked. "What then?"

Mind's eyes were grave as he answered. "Captain Rogers breached the Raft to rescue his friends once before. He can do it again."

Bucky grunted a laugh. "Not while remaining a free man. Look, I get Peter wants this, and I see why you all would, but we have to keep the connection with Zemo. Tell Peter I'm sorry but, this time, I can't do what he wants me to do."

Tony cleared his throat. "We're doing it."

Bucky narrowed his eyes. "I just said—"

"I heard you, but we'redoing it, whether you want it or not. Peter is the one calling the shots on this whole plan, and he wants this. We can keep your connection with Zemo and make this happen. We'll send people to Wakanda with you to maintain the cover that you're in the know."

"Yeah, I'll come," Steve said.

"No," Bucky said roughly. "Peter needs you more than I do. We're not doing this!"

"Yes, we are," Tony said implacably. "It's what Peter wants, and he's the one that is in control of this path we're on. We're doing all this for him."

Bucky glared at him. "That's not fair. You know he won't be thinking of the overall plan now. He wants what's right for me." He looked to Mind. "Thank him for me. Tell him that I understand that he wants this for me, but it's too big a risk."

Mind sighed. "Would you like to hear him tell you himself? I can pass the message back for him to come to you through the altered mindset of BARF."

Bucky was tempted, he wanted to speak to Peter more than almost anything, but he wanted the plan to work more. If he spoke to Peter, he wouldn't be able to deny him what he wanted. This time, he was going to do what he knew was right, even if that meant he had to deny himself time with Peter.

"Bucky…" Tony growled.

"No." He held up his hands and shook his head. "We're not doing it. And if you try doing it without me, I will leave. You know you can't lock me in here if I don't want to be here. I will leave."

Steve smirked. "Which will screw up your connection with Zemo even more than you going to Wakanda."

Bucky cursed.

"Why not stay here and do it anyway?" Mind asked. "Yes, being in Wakanda would give you greater protection, but the authorities don't need to know you're not there. If T'Challa was prepared to say you're under his protection, then no one needs to know you're not there."

Bucky shook his head, frustration welling in him. "This is a bad idea."

"Maybe," Steve said, tone cheerful. "But we're doing it. Besides, we're getting nothing from Zemo yet. He's called ten times; he's asked you a lot of questions and told you nothing of what he's doing or who he's serving. That plan might be a dead-end anyway. And…" he said expansively, "if your name is cleared, you'll be free to act when this threat, whatever it is, comes for Peter."

Bucky closed his eyes and took a breath. He was sure this was the wrong thing to do, but he didn't feel he had any more cards to play to stop it.

It was true they had nothing from Zemo—not even a location as his calls were all traced around the world to Tony's call. Happy had found no one that appeared to be a part of Nemesis' plan, and Tony assured them he would find them if they were there, and Friday found no suspicious activity on any employee account.

"Fine," Bucky snapped, throwing up his hands. "Tell Peter I'm doing it."

Steve beamed, and Mind nodded. Tony seemed distracted again, eyes distant, and Pepper was watching him carefully.

"Peter will be pleased," Mind said.

"Yeah, I bet," Bucky grumbled. "But tell him I'm not pleased, and I'm only doing this because of him."

Mind's lips twitched in a smile. "I don't need to tell him that. He already knows."

Bucky huffed a laugh. "Yeah, I bet he does." He pushed his hair back from his face. "Okay, we'll do it. I want to be able to help him when the time comes, but if this goes to hell and screws things up with Zemo, I'm going to…"

"To what?" Steve asked curiously.

Bucky spoke in a growl. "If this screws things up, I'm going to kill Zemo. If he's not an asset to us protecting Peter, he's a threat, and I won't let that stand."

Mind surveyed him for a moment, something knowing in his eyes. Perhaps he thought Bucky wouldn't do it. If that was what he thought, he was wrong.

As committed as Bucky was to doing the right thing, to what Peter would want him to do, which was protecting life, Zemo posed a threat to Peter, and Bucky would not let that stand. If protecting Peter meant ending Zemo's life, he would do it and face Peter after with a clear conscience.

As much as Peter's opinion mattered to him, as much as he wanted Peter to be proud of him and what he'd done in these years he had, his life mattered more.

For Peter, in spite of Peter, Bucky would kill again.

So… We've got Bucky on board, too. It's not going to be an immediate process to clear his name, but we'll get there. We'll also finally have Peter and Tony together again in the next chapter.

Until next time…

Jadey xxx