After the call with Fury ended, Sam looked around the office he and Bucky had been called to. He walked over to the large beanbag and plopped himself down after giving it a tentative feel. Sam looked over at Bucky who was sitting leaning on the desk and declared that he felt like he was floating and it was the best chair ever.

Bucky rolled his eyes and abstained from commenting. He was wondering where Alex was and if she knew that Fury had left. The feeling that something wasn't right was still nagging at him but he attempted to quell his concern with the fact that Alex hadn't called saying she had heard from Sciple.

"Now what?" Bucky asked.

"We wait," Sam said as he lounged in his seat.

"Why is waiting always your plan?" Bucky exclaimed angrily. "For them to create an army of super soldiers? For a war to start? No."

"What do you suggest?"

"Tell them they can have a sample of my blood to analyze," Bucky said as he began to pace at the front of the room.

"Them who?"

"Raynor. Walker. They know something. We get to Sciple, probably find Zemo along the way. All good."

"We're not doing that," Sam said calmly shooting Bucky's idea down.

"Why not?"

"Because it won't work," Sam stated as Bucky stopped and looked at him angrily.

"I won't let you sacrifice yourself," Sam said while sitting up as straight as he could. "Zemo... ending the Super Soldier Serum experiments... the whole thing is not out of our grasp. We just need to be patient. Besides, Fury won't agree to it."

"He might."

"Well, Alex won't."

"Alex is a therapist not mission control," Bucky reasoned. "She tried to get Sciple to stop. This is the same thing."

Sam shook his head. "Ask her. She's in the building somewhere, right? Call. Send a text."

"No."

"Why not? She wants Sciple to stop, too," Sam replied poking at Bucky. "I know why not... because she's gonna tell you hell no. Then, she's gonna sit the White Wolf down to work through this martyr thing you got going on."

Bucky tried to protest but Sam kept talking. "With any luck, she gets you to realize I'm right."

At that moment, the door opened and Alex walked in. Sam and Bucky's heads spun around. Their expressions of surprise were mirrored on her own face. Fury had assured her that his call with them would be over quickly when he asked to borrow the room.

"Now you can ask her," Sam said with a smug look at Bucky.

"Ask me what?" Alex said and was met with silence and a stony face from Bucky.

"Ask me what, James?" Alex repeated.

From the beanbag, Sam smiled broadly. Bucky glared back at him and quietly told Alex it was nothing, just an idea about what they were going to do next. Sam hoisted himself out of the chair and took the opportunity to tell Alex what Bucky had suggested. As he expected, she quickly shot down the idea with a decisive no. With a somber expression, she pulled Bucky aside.

"What would make you even think of doing that?" she asked in a low voice.

"Sitting around waiting isn't helping," Bucky said. "Zemo has been a step ahead of us this whole time. If he finds them and the serum first, more people will die."

"So, you want to take their place?"

Alex watched as Bucky's serious expression turned to one of frustration. He glanced away and exhaled before focusing back on her. "You know as well as I do that the person in charge of this whole thing, Zemo or whomever, isn't going to just let you go," she said.

"Zemo won't kill me," Bucky said.

Alex looked out the window to collect herself as anger and worry swept through her. Sam watched them and quietly edged closer to the door sure that tempers were going to explode any second. Bucky wore a stony expression, but after a bit of hesitation slowly reached out and gently directed Alex's face back towards his. Although her jaw was clenched, her eyes were filled with concern.

"He won't," Bucky said in a whisper and slowly dropped his hand.

Alex's face seemed to burn where his fingers had rested. She shook her head, both moved and annoyed. If Sam hadn't been there, Alex would have made an impassioned plea. Instead, she tried a different approach. "If I have to tell Olivia that you won't be eating her green beans anymore."

"It's gonna be okay. You're going down a rabbit hole," he told her.

"I'm being realistic. Wait a day or two. Think it over a bit," Alex said. Before he could say a word either in agreement or dissent, she whispered, "Please, Bucky."

Bucky's eyes softened as he looked down at her and any argument left his mind. The office door opened again and Alex took a step back. She looked at the clock, greeted the man at the door, and announced she had a meeting. Before Sam exited, she called out to him, "Try to talk some sense into him."

"I'll give it another shot," Sam replied. Bucky hung his head slightly as he followed out the door realizing he was outnumbered.

Sam kept shooting Bucky sideways glances as they walked down the hallway. When they got outside Bucky demanded to know what the looks were for.

"Did something happen when Alex was staying with us that I should know about?" Sam asked.

"No. Why?"

Sam shrugged, "You two seem pretty close."

"She's my therapist," Bucky said with emphasis.

"You're not going to be in therapy forever."

"Sometimes it feels that way," Bucky said and started walking.

After her meeting, Alex went home. She gave in to Olivia's request of watching a movie. It was one they had sat through about ten times and after trying to pay attention Alex's mind wandered. She found herself remembering the way Bucky's fingers felt against her skin and the look of comfort in his eyes. Her reverie was interrupted by Olivia asking if she had seen what the main character had just done.

When Alex spoke to Fury the next afternoon, he shared that he had spoken with Bucky and Sam. She groaned when he told her he had agreed to Bucky's plan and that the next day, he was going to call Christina Raynor.

"Please reconsider," Alex said earnestly.

"Barnes made a good case."

"Here's my case. He's not thinking of the big picture."

"Which is?" Fury asked.

"This will add more trauma that he doesn't need. He needs time to heal."

"He's handled things so far."

"Nick, his way of handling things usually involves bottling it all up inside," Alex responded.

She went on to point out that it was highly likely that once they had him, they wouldn't let him go. And, if they did, he would be dead or very close. Fury tried to argue and reminded her that Bucky was stronger than anyone he might encounter. Alex was unwavering in her conviction that Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes would not use that strength to save himself. Fury was just as stubborn in insisting that they move forward with the plan.

"I won't be part of this," Alex declared.

"What are you saying, Alex?"

"I'm saying that I will not be the one to put him back together after this. Get someone else. Hell, tell Christina you need her and her rules back."

"Alex," Fury said sternly.

"You wanted me to get close to him. I did… probably too close. I care what happens to him… even if you don't," Alex said and bit her lip. The pain not only kept her focused but also kept the tears at bay.

"Take a few days away, think about this," Fury said. His suggestion was a surprise and was stated in a tone much gentler than Alex had expected.

"I have thought about it," she managed to murmur.

"I repeat: Take a day or two to think things over." The old Fury had returned and his words were no longer a suggestion. Her hasty resignation was being put on hold for the moment as far as he was concerned.