Chapter 35- Rescued and Falling

Steve, Bucky and Yelizaveta hit the bottom deck as it exploded in flames. Yelizaveta let out a scream as a beam landed on her stomach, pinning her to the deck. "Get this off me! Dad, Steve, help!" Yelizaveta screamed out as she clawed at the beam, futilely to dislodge it.

"Elizabeth, don't move," Bucky ordered sharply.

"What a waste," Pierce said as he looked out the window as the helicarriers came down.

"So, you still on the fence about Rogers' and Barnes' chances?" Natasha asked sarcastically.

"Time to go, Councilwoman. This way. Come on. You're going to fly me out of here," Pierce said to Fury's shock. Pierce wasn't acting like someone who accepted defeat graciously if he was taking Natasha as a human shield.

"You know, there was a time I would've taken a bullet for you," Fury said, in a last-ditch attempt to appeal to what remained of Pierce's humanity.

"You already did. You will again when it's useful," Pierce snarked.

An electrical sizzle then filled the air and Natasha fell to the ground. Pierce in the moment of distraction, failed to see Fury raise his gun and fire point-blank at him. Pierce went through glass as Fury went to Natasha, who was either unconscious or dead.. "Romanoff. Natasha," Fury said fear in his voice for the first time ever. "Natasha! Come on!" Fury ordered urgently. Natasha opened her eyes slowly.

"Ow. Those really do sting," Natasha said with a whimper. Fury helped her off the ground and to the chopper that he had come in on.

Elizabeth's friend- Steve, his name was Steve,- came over to the beam, pinning her to the deck. The helicarrier continued to fall. "Steve, hurry! Get this off me!" Elizabeth nearly screeched.

"Bucky, grab her hands and I'll lift. When she's free, pull her out," Steve said to the Soldier.

The Soldier nodded briefly and with a pained grunt Steve tried to lift the beam as the Soldier grabbed his girl's hands tightly.

If Rumlow was weakening, he was having a hard time convincing Sam of it. He continued to punch at him and tried hitting him with the kid's sword. He threw Sam across a desk and through glass. Sam landed with a painful grunt. Rumlow stood on a desk, a gloat crossing his features. "You

"You're out of your depth, kid," Rumlow said, raising Liz's sword. Sam then noticed what looked like a helicarrier and he took off running as it smashed through the window behind him. He heard Rumlow curse as the air filled with loud banging.

"Please tell me you got that chopper in the air," Sam said into his earwig to Hill, Fury, or Natasha; he didn't care who right now.

"Sam, where are you?" Natasha said as the floor started to shake and the walls broke apart around him.

"41st floor! Northwest corner!" Sam shouted.

"We're on it! Stay where you are!" Natasha ordered.

"Not an option!" Sam said as rubble landed right beside him and he ran to the large windows. He jumped out and into a chopper. "41st floor! 41st!" Sam shouted at Fury as Natasha helped him sit up in a seat.

"It's not like they put the floor numbers on the outside of the building," Fury said sarcastically.

"Hill! Where's Steve and Vet? You got a location on Rogers and Barnes?" Natasha asked into her headset.

Yelizaveta watched as Steve tried to pull the beam off of her and her father held her hands as the helicarrier was in flames all around them. "Dad, Steve, hurry! We're going down," Yelizaveta said as she curled her fingers around Bucky's and held tightly.

"Okay, Buck! Pull!" Steve ordered with a grunt as Bucky pulled her out and into his arms.

"Dad, you know me and you know him," Yelizaveta said indicating Steve.

"She's right, Buck. You do know me," Steve said with a determined glint in his eyes.

"No, I don't!" Bucky screamed and hit Steve hard with his metal arm.

"Dad, please. Yes you do," Yelizaveta said, gripping Bucky by his flesh arm.

"Bucky. You've known me your whole life. Me and you made promises that if we ever had families that I would protect yours and you would protect mine if anything ever happened. I have been taking care of yours ever since I met her two years ago and I didn't know she was yours. She is, Buck. You named her after your mother whose name was Elizabeth Barnes and your name is James Buchanan Barnes," Steve said before Bucky hit him again.

"Shut up!" Bucky screamed in rage as he hit Steve and pushed him back.

Steve pulled off his mask as both he and Bucky got to their feet and Bucky shot hateful daggers at him. "I'm not gonna fight you. You're my friend," Steve said as he dropped his shield into the Potomac.

Yelizaveta moved over to where Steve stood and they both looked her father in the eye. With a roar he pushed Steve to the ground and started to hit him with his metal arm. "You're my mission. You're my mission!" Bucky yelled between blows to Steve's face.

"Dad, stop!" Yelizaveta screamed, trying to grab at Bucky's flesh hand holding Steve by the collar of his uniform.

"Then finish it. Because me and Liz are with you to the end of the line," Steve said weakly. A confused pained look entered her father's eyes as he held his metal arm up, prepared to hit Steve again. He lowered his arm as he turned his gaze to Yelizaveta.

"Elizabeth?" Bucky asked as he raised his flesh hand to her face and stroked her cheek as if it was fine marble. Yelizaveta leaned into his hand, kissing the palm gently.

The Soldier felt everything click into place as he looked at first his daughter and then Steve. Steve? Steve was his friend. He suddenly remembered a scrawny little punk who wouldn't walk away away from a battle. He then remembered Steve saving him in Germany. He had been restrained to a table and Steve had freed him. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back," the Soldier said almost hesitantly.

"How can I? You're takin' all the stupid with you," Steve said faintly and then grinned. Tears then spilled over Bucky's eyes and down his cheeks as he looked at his best friend and his daughter. Her face was still cradled in his large hand and he remembered when her head could fit inside his hand easily. Bucky moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her neck and pulled her into his arms, kissing the side of her head as tears rolled down his cheeks and into her dark hair. A loud crack filled the air and Bucky felt the helicarrier break and he felt himself pitch forward. He wrapped his arms tightly around his daughter's thin shoulders, forcing her face into his chest. He felt Elizabeth's fingers grip large handfuls of his battle jacket as they went into the water.