Chapter 81: No Peace

Bucky should have known the peace wouldn't last.

He and Mika had thirty-four blissful days in their apartment, spending the time exploring the city and each other and this new world following The Blip. He and Mika also agreed that "The Blip" was possibly the dumbest name they could've chosen for the phenomenon, but since those in positions of power currently weren't involved in the actual dying in the Blip and the Stone Sickness afterwards, they got to give it a cute nickname and call it a day. They still had money saved from their time in Wakanda - no one was around to distribute it - as well as a few bonds that Bucky so smartly stashed in his safe deposit box before getting drafted. For once, they had time to stop and think about exactly what they wanted.

Until the men came knocking.

Bucky couldn't help but perk up as he heard multiple pairs of boots coming down the hallway towards their apartment, hearing them even before Luna noticed them. He made a real effort to stay in his same position, running his hand through Mika's hair as she laid on his lap, but she was his wife, and always able to notice the little shifts in him that no one else did.

"What is it?" she asked in Romanian. They got to practice their English all day long, and while she was very good at it, she still preferred to speak her native language at home. She sat up, giving him a concerned look.

"Nothing, just thought I heard something." he replied, pulling her close for a kiss, adding this one to his memory. The boots were getting closer.

"You're kissing me like you did that last day in my apartment." she said, pulling away from him. "Bucky, what is it? What's wrong?"

They stopped at their door. They knocked.

"I don't know." he said honestly, barely heard over Luna's barking. That was relatively true; after all, he didn't know exactly who was here for him, or exactly what they were going to do. What he did know is that there were four people outside; likely three of the four had tactical training.

"Are you expecting someone?" she whispered. He tilted his head to the side, trying to decide how to answer. Was he expecting someone eventually? Yes. Was he expecting them today? No.

They knocked again.

"Stay here." he said. Luna trotted back from the door, her hackles raised and a growl low in her throat. He gestured to the couch, and while she hesitated for a second, she eventually joined Mika on it. He paused at the door, preparing himself and reminding himself of exactly who he was. Then he opened it.

"Ah, Mr. Barnes." Another man in another suit smiled at him with another fake smile, flashing a FBI badge at him. Behind him stood three other men in suits, though theirs were ill fitting and obviously concealing weapons. "So good to meet you at last."

"Wish I could say the same." he replied. The man's smile didn't falter, but it did become a little more strained.

"Right, well, my name is Agent Parsons. May I come in?" The guy was trying really hard to appear polite. Bucky saw right through it.

"No." he said. He heard Mika shift on the couch behind him, and he moved to make sure she was blocked from view.

"Was that your partner? I'd love to meet her." Agent Parsons continued. Bucky must have made a face similar to his days as the Soldier, because the men behind Parsons changed the placement of their feet to a more defensive stance.

"No." he said again. "Let's cut the bullshit, Parsons. You didn't track me down hoping for an invite to dinner."

Parsons sighed, as if he were genuinely put out by Bucky's attitude. "Well, I was hoping we could at least have some semblance of conversation first. It tends to make what follows easier."

"If you're not here to arrest me, then fuck off." he said. The men changed their stance again, this time to more offensive. If he were in a different state of mind, he might have considered that a threat, and acted accordingly. At that moment, he simply gave them a once over, and hoped they understood how little of a threat they posed to him.

"Well, that's the problem, Mr. Barnes." Parsons said, shaking his head. "I kind of am here to arrest you. And Ms. Corsof."

"Barnes." Mika said, coming up behind him and putting a hand on his low back. "My last name is Barnes."

"Ah, well, considering neither your name change nor your marriage license were filed in your country of origin, I'll be referring to you by your maiden name." he said, giving them a completely unsympathetic smile. "If that's alright by you."

"It's not." she said, her voice an octave higher than usual. "The King himself officiated our wedding-"

"Paperwork is paperwork, even when a King is involved." Parsons said, holding up his hands. "Now, we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way."

"Really? That's the line you're going with?" Bucky deadpanned, perking an eyebrow. Anger simmered under his skin, but he didn't give into it. These guys were expecting the Winter Soldier; they wanted his rage, wanted any excuse to take him down. He'd met a thousand people like them before, and took them all down. He leaned over and said to Mika in Romanian, "They're like bad movie villains."

"The worst." she agreed. Based on the blank looks they got, none of the men present spoke Romanian. Ah, that would be most advantageous.

"Which will it be, Mr. Barnes?" Parsons asked. One of the henchmen actually cracked his knuckles, and Mika wasn't able to stop the eye roll.

"Listen, let me make a call-"

"No. No calls." Parsons said. Clearly this interaction was already taking longer than he anticipated.

"Even prisoners get one call." Mika pointed out. Bucky nodded, agreeing with her and infuriating the man more. "Besides, we know Captain America. And the old Captain America."

"There's only one Captain America." Parsons snapped, and both of them were afraid to ask who he meant, because Sam was the right answer and he didn't seem like someone who would agree with that. "And now is not the time for character witnesses. That will come later, after your trials."

"Right." Bucky said, nodding again. "And what exactly are the charges against us?"

"Jesus Christ, you're really asking that?" Parsons was quickly losing his cool, and while it amused Bucky, it also meant that the man could be more dangerous. If it was just him, that would be one thing. He could always fight his way out if he needed. But Mika was here, barely better from the ravaging her body took from the Stone Sickness. Neither her weight nor her strength were where they wanted it. A few moths ago, he wouldn't worry about her defending herself, especially against these clown acts. But right now, he had to protect her.

"I know my sins." Bucky said. He still lived with them every day. "What about Mika?"

"Let's start with aiding and abetting multiple criminals, then tack on purposeful hacking and attempted sabotage of Stark Tech, hacking an international airport security system, evading arrest, and then, of course, jail break from a maximum security prison." Parsons listed them off as if he'd been practicing them the whole ride there.

"Oh, I forgot about the airport." Mika murmured. Hacking Tony Stark's suit was one of her crowning achievements, may his soul rest in peace. "Technically I was already tried for those though. Isn't there, um, uh-" She snapped her fingers, trying to remember the word.

"Double jeopardy?" Bucky supplied.

"Yes! Double jeopardy!" she said, giving him a fond smile. Bucky couldn't help but grin; he knew exactly how this was going to end for him, had seen it coming for years. But perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, with Mika next to him.

Parsons pinched the bridge of his nose. "This has been fun. Really, it has." he said, his tone saying that this was not fun at all. "But I need you to come with me."

"This is bullshit." Bucky pointed out.

"Then we sort out the bullshit and you come back."

"I have bread proving right now-"

"Enough!" Parsons snapped, slapping the door in frustration. Bucky opened it all the way, stepping close enough that he could count the hairs of Parsons' sparse mustache.

"Do not raise your voice at my wife." he said lowly. They wanted the Winter Soldier? Fine. They could have him. "If you know what I've done, then you know that you didn't bring enough fire power. If you want cooperation, then I suggest you check your tone."

"I was counting on you being compliant, yes." Parsons said. The word made Bucky flinch, and Mika's hand on his back was welcome and grounding. "So come with me, or I can call up the other three cars worth of guys to settle this."

Part of Bucky wanted to fight. But he couldn't risk it, not with Mika here. She'd already met the Winter Soldier and stayed with him anyways, he didn't need to remind her of it any more than necessary. He nodded, stepping back into their apartment and pulling on his boots and gloves. Mika looked startled, but followed his lead, pulling on the sneakers next to the door. She bent down to kiss Luna on the nose, murmuring that they would be home soon.

"No matter what," she said in Romanian, barely loud enough for him to hear her. "You're not who they say you are."

"I am." Bucky said. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it tightly despite the metal. "We always knew this day would come."

"Maybe." she said, and part of him realized that she hoped they'd live on without this, that after the Blip and all the shit that went down afterwards, they'd be allowed to simply live in peace. But Bucky knew better than that. "But I love you. Nothing will change that."

"I love you, too." he said as they stepped onto the elevator. He pulled her under his arm, tucking her close to his side so the metal arm was between her and the men in the elevator. He didn't like the way they looked at her.

"Stop that." Parsons hissed over his shoulder.

"Stop what?" Mika asked, cuddling closer just for spite.

"Talking in that language." he said, as if it was something they just made up. How did this guy become an agent?

"Maybe you should learn Romanian. It's never too late." she said. "After all, Bucky learned to speak with the Wakandans and he's over a hundred now."

"You love to bring that up." he deadpanned.

"I changed my mind." Parsons said, his smile now more of a grimace. "No talking. At all."

Mika huffed, but listened to the order. The elevator reached the ground floor, and they marched out to the street. A whole fleet of black cars were parked at the curb; apparently, Parsons was not bluffing about backup. Doors opened on all of them, more men in ill-fitting suits standing up and looking at them. Parsons waved them off, and they returned to their seats. He opened the door of the nearest car, gesturing for them to get inside. Bucky held Mika's hand as she ducked into the car, taking one last cursory look of the street before sliding in himself. At least sixteen people close, ready to strike. No sign of overhead tracking. Windows were bulletproof and doors were reinforced. They weren't expecting an assault, but they were anticipating him.

Smart.

The first car pulled away from the curb, the whole line following. They managed to navigate New York City traffic with terrifying ease, taking them further into the city. They passed Stark Tower, and the Avengers campus. Wherever they were going, it was not affiliated with any of their friends.

They pulled into the circle drive of some vague government type building, one that probably served multiple functions. It seemed nondescript at first, and then Bucky spotted the guards armed with assault rifles, and the metal casings around the doors. This wasn't a building. This was a bunker.

The car stopped, and Bucky took Mika's hand, tugging her out his side instead of letting her go through the open door on her own side. He kept holding it as they followed Agent Parsons in, locks in the doors thudding into place as soon as they were all the way in. He felt Mika's grip tighten on the metal hand, her eyes scanning wildly for a way out.

"Bucky, this is scary." she said in Romanian, trying to keep her voice low. Unfortunately, with the open entryway, her words carried well. Parsons snapped his eyes back.

"What did I say about talking?" he said. Another agent came up to them, this one clearly in the muscle division with his bulletproof vest and rifle slung across his chest. He took Mika's arm, and maybe he was just innocently trying to lead her somewhere, but Bucky didn't know that, and didn't trust him. He untangled his metal hand from Mika's, grabbing the man's forearm. He didn't crush any bones, which he was pretty proud of, but he did make sure the man knew it was an option.

"Let. Go." he said. They could arrest them, fine. But if they thought he was going to allow them to separate, or that anyone was going to touch Mika in any capacity, then they were wrong. Bucky had spent the last however many years (did he include the Blip years? He didn't know) trying to distance himself from the Winter Soldier. But seeing the fear in the guy's eyes reminded him that sometimes there were advantages to the Soldier.

"Jesus - Marks, let her go. Don't be a dumbass." Parsons said. The man let go of Mika, and she pulled her arm back, dramatically rubbing the spot he'd grabbed. Bucky held on for an extra few seconds, just to make a point, but she gently touched his elbow.

"It's okay." she said, speaking in English. Bucky released the grip one finger at a time, the gears and clicks echoing in the airy room. He wasn't helping his case, he knew that. But he was not going to take any chances here.

The elevator dinged, and Parsons nodded towards it. "If it's not to inconvenient, we can get this show on the road." he said. Bucky didn't like his tone. Or his attitude. Or anything about him, really.

It was a cramped ride up to one of the top floors, what with all the security that joined them in the box. The muscle guys shifted nervously, their eyes flicking towards Bucky constantly as if he were a grenade about to go off. He sighed, bowing his head against the looks. It wasn't that he didn't think he deserved them; he knew he did. With his actions today, he was asking for them to question him, daring them to test their luck against the Winter Soldier. How easily he'd slipped back into the defensive mindset, his old training coming to him like his last mission was yesterday. Shuri had saved his mind, but old habits died hard.

Mika bumped his shoulder, getting his attention. She gave him another affectionate smile, bolstering his confidence. Hydra had done a lot of things to him, given him a lot of skills that he never wanted and methods he still had nightmares about using. They'd given him a long life of unbearable memories. But with that extended life, he found her. And after all they'd been through together, what was a little trial?

The room Parsons took them to was, surprisingly, a tactical nightmare. Large windows faced the south, and a row of very important looking people sat at the front. He hoped the glass was reinforced, because there was currently nothing blocking them from any sniper views across the street. He casually moved so that he was between Mika and the windows; if anyone took a bullet, it would be him. He had the highest likelihood of survival.

He hated that they were making him think like this again.

The tactical side of his brain, the side that Hydra found and exploited so readily with their serum, was never completely quiet no matter how much healing he did or how much time he spent out from under Hydra's thumb. Right now, this situation was sending it into overdrive, and instead of doing any techniques to quiet it, he leaned into it. Mika said that he wasn't who they thought he was. She was right. But he would have to use everything they gave him to prove it.

"Ah, the man and woman of the hour." The man in charge said. He wore an Army uniform with a few decorations, but Bucky didn't know half of them and didn't care. The men and women next to him were a mixture of suits and uniforms, and all of them looked at him as if he were a dangerous animal. These people really had no faith in him, huh? "Mr. Barnes, Ms. Corsof-"

"Barnes." Mika reiterated. "My last name is Barnes."

The man gave her a look like a parent humoring a child. "Alright. Mrs. Barnes-"

"And he's a sergeant." she interrupted again, which probably wasn't a good start to the proceedings.

"I'm sorry?"

"Well, you're in military uniforms, so I assume things like that would be important to you. He is a sergeant. A - a -" She turned to Bucky, telling him the words she wanted in Romanian.

"'Well decorated' is what she was looking for." he said with a smile.

"Yes! Well decorated soldier. He worked with Captain America, you know." In another life, Mika might have been a lawyer. She wasn't a good one now, but he still appreciated the effort. Speaking of which-

"If we're being tried," Bucky asked, "Shouldn't we have legal counsel?"

"This isn't so much a trial as it is a sentencing." a woman in a suit said. Bucky raised his eyebrows.

"What about due process and all that?" he asked.

"Well, Sergeant Barnes," she said the word with distaste, as if he were spoiling the names of sergeants everywhere. "How do you plead?"

"Not guilty." he said, as if the answer were obvious.

"Me too." Mika said, standing tall and crossing her arms over her chest. Only Bucky noticed the way her hands were shaking.

"Denied." another man in uniform said. "Ms. Corsof-"

"Barnes."

"Mrs. Barnes, you've already been tried and convicted in the charges brought against you. You did not serve out your sentence. In fact, you were part of an orchestrated prison break, which is now a shiny, new charge against you."

"That was-" Mika went to defend herself, but Bucky put a hand on her back to stop her. She was right with whatever she was going to say, but if she didn't think before she spoke then both of them were going to be in even more trouble. The uniform smiled, but it was not humorous.

"Thank you, Sergeant Barnes." The original man said. Bucky had a feeling that, if he met this man in 1943, he would have punched him. He might still, depending how the day went. "If you two could please take a seat, then we can begin."

Bucky and Mika shared a look, and he nodded. They were going to be okay. They'd survived aliens, and getting turned to dust, and a magic sickness that nearly killed her. They could survive this. He pulled out the cheap government chair for her and let her sit, noticing how thin she still looked as she crossed her legs and started spinning his mother's ring around her finger. She'd been through so much, and all because of him. But instead of throwing himself a pity party, affection burned through him. He would take care of her. He'd promised her that in Wakanda, and he would continue to do it here. He sat down in the chair next to her, making a point to scoot it over so they were as close as possible.

"Right." The big guy said. His name was on a plaque in front of him; Bucky was not going to give him the respect of looking. If they couldn't get Mika's name and his rank right, then he didn't get a name. "Mika - may I call you Mika?"

"No." she said. The man kept the smile on his face, however annoyed he was.

"Mrs. Barnes then." he said, finally getting it right. Bucky still didn't look at his name plate. "We understand that recently you've had a trying time with the Stone Sickness. And, even with your actions in Germany and on the Raft, we can understand that you might have been, ah, under duress."

"I don't understand." she said, furrowing her brows.

"Should we get a translator?" the woman in the suit asked, making Mika's eyes blaze.

"I understand English, I just do not understand what he is trying to imply." she said, turning the glare on the main man. Bucky, unfortunately, knew exactly what he was implying.

"Well, the Winter Soldier was known for, ah, using many tactics in order to achieve his missions-"

"My husband is not the Winter Soldier." Mika said. He put his hand on her thigh, but this time she didn't heed his warning. "And I don't like what you're saying. You want to claim that I was 'under duress,' is that it? I was. I was under duress. Because someone framed him, and I did everything in my power to save the man I love from whatever torture you all had in store for him."

She didn't need to sound so proud of herself, but Bucky liked it.

"Mrs. Barnes, please consider this." the man said, obviously restraining himself. "I cannot help you, unless you first help me. This is just a discussion of how we can move forward."

"What is the idea right now, then?" she asked. "To put Bucky behind bars and slap my wrist, say I was just a silly woman tricked by the Winter Soldier?"

The man said nothing, but the look on his face said that was the exact plan. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by the doors slamming open.

Steve strode in, fire in his eyes. Even if he was back to the same stature he had before the serum, his face easily reminded everyone in the room of the station he used to hold. Bucky knew that, if needed, Steve could tag back in again and run on spite alone.

"What the hell is this?" he asked. The limp took away some of the weight of his entrance, but Bucky still appreciated it. He had a cane with him, but it was currently tucked under his arm with a huge file.

"Captain Rogers, this doesn't concern you." The military man spoke with a warning, but Steve was never good at heeding warnings. Bucky also noted that Steve got to keep his ranking.

"You arrest my best friend and my sister-in-law under inappropriate charges and you wanna tell me it doesn't concern me?" he said. "Pardon my French, sir, but that's bullshit."

"Captain Rogers-"

"These two are entitled to legal counsel, and that will be me." he said, pushing his way through the security guards that weren't giving too much effort at stopping him. He came to stand next to Bucky, slamming the heavy file onto the table. "I have here evidence for acquittal and pardon for both of these people-"

"Now, hold on," the man at the end of the line spoke up. "This isn't a circus, you can't just barge in and demand-"

"But that's precisely what you did to these two." Steve said, gesturing towards Mika and Bucky. "I have here letters from Pepper Stark and King T'Challa Udaku, not to mention extensive research on Hydra methods of brainwashing and torture-"

"Where would you even find that?!"

"Oh, I didn't." he said. "Natasha Romanov. You know, the Avenger that died to save half of everyone? She found all this years ago, just in case this nonsense cropped up."

The room fell silent, the memory of Natasha filling the room. Tears came to Mika's eyes, the loss of her friend still very raw. Bucky had no words; Natasha owed them nothing. In fact, he owed her already, since he'd been part of the organization that shaped her and molded her as a Black Widow. And even now she was helping them. The man in the middle sighed, waving his hands.

"Hearing is adjourned for now. Apparently, we have evidence to look at." he said. Bucky and Mika let out a sigh of relief, and the man gestured for Steve to come up. Before he could move, Bucky caught his wrist.

"Thank you." he said. For years, as the Winter Soldier, he fought alone. What better way to remind him of who he was than to surround himself with allies?

"I'll put it on your tab." Steve said with a wolfish grin, grabbing his file and limping up to the front table. Bucky and Mika relaxed for a moment, leaning against the table.

"Excuse me, excuse - look, we can do this posturing all day, but I can pick out your deepest fears, so do you really want to play?" a voice said behind them. They looked up to see a middle aged woman in a smart blouse-slacks combo. She wore heels and civilian clothes, but Bucky could spot an Army soldier a mile away. Even now, they all stood the same. The security officer barring her path hesitated before stepping aside, staying within range to grab someone if he needed.

"Who are you?" Mika asked, automatically suspicious. Bucky didn't know whether to be sad that she had learned to react this way, or proud at how fast she learned. He decided to go with pride, because otherwise it might crush him.

"Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, my name is Dr. Christina Raynor." she said, holding out her hand to Mika first. Okay, one point for her. "I'm a military psychiatrist, and I think I might be able to help you."

Look who's baaaaaaack! I'm so so excited to be writing for Mika and Bucky again! I've missed them so much! Btw, there will be MASSIVE SPOILERS going forward for F&WS, so if you haven't watched it and want to avoid it, then...do so lol.

I hope this past year and a half has been kinder to y'all than it has to me. I know things are still crazy, but hopefully this can bring a little joy to you and me both. I'm also in the process of writing an online dating AU for Mika and Bucky over on tumblr, where my username is whindsor. If y'all want, I can also post that up here!

Updates may be a little irregular at first. I'm now juggling two stories, so it might take me some time to find my stride and time management skills. That said, I'm also going out of town next weekend, so I may not be able to update at all! It's gonna be an adventure for all of us.

Love y'all, missed y'all. Hug your friends close.

-XM