Bucky wouldn't tell me just who he had in mind for me to talk over my mental trauma with, at least not in the shed in the dark. Once he was content with the security of the shed, we let ourselves in the house through the backdoor. His cell chirped and he groaned.

"What is it?" I was opening the fridge to grab water, thinking if we were heading for a long conversation I wanted to be hydrated.

"I had Chris," grinning at how easily he found a fit inside my group of insane friends. "Help me out with an app and -" he sighed. "I want to sit here and talk things over with you, but -"

"Work calls?" I shook my head and moved closer to him. "It's ok," I looked up at him and smiled. "You are a HERO, Bucky Barnes, and when you have to go - you have to go."

He pulled me into his arms for a kiss, long and lingering. "Do me a favor?" I had to tilt my head back to look up at him, but when I did I nodded. "Don't watch the news, please?"

"I won't." It was an easy promise to make. I didn't want to be a nervous wreck while Bucky went full Avenger. "Go suit up," he shook his head and kissed me again. "I'm serious," I murmured when he pulled back. "If you don't, can you imagine the shit Sam is gonna give you?"

He groaned and pulled away. "Fine." I moved into the living room, turning on the lights as I went. No news, but I thought I could put on a movie - stream something that way no "BREAKING NEWS" could break in and stop my heart. I heard him coming down the stairs and grinned when he came in to say goodbye. "Damn," my mouth went dry seeing him in his suit.

"Don't give me that look, Brooke." It came out stern and damned if that didn't make me even hotter. "And don't bite your lip like that." Fuck. He shook his head and kissed my forehead. "I can't kiss you goodbye, if I do -" He groaned and pulled away. "I have to go."

I nodded, hoping like hell that this wouldn't be another pineapple situation. "Be safe?" It came out breathless and husky. And instead of leaving he came back and kissed me even more breathless. "I thought you said -"

"Leaving without kissing you would be a crime." His eyes were on mine and his hand was cupping my cheek. "I love you."

"I love you." He was smiling when he finally pulled away, and then with a quiet goodbye he was gone.

I did as promised, I didn't watch the news. I didn't have to. Not with the updates I got from Connie and my other well meaning friends. Updates about Bucky going to the GRC meeting and how all hell had broken loose when the terrorist organization known as "The Flag Smashers" had shown up. I heard about motorcycles and explosions- hostages and rescues - Sam flying in and finally showing himself as the Captain America that Steve, and though he'd banter against it, Bucky expected him to be. I missed the speech, I missed the coverage, but I got the highlights.

I waited and waited. I stared at my cell phone, so quick to chirp with texts from everyone who I cared about, BUT the one person I MOST wanted to hear from. I paced. I drank copious amounts of water. I went to the bathroom thanks to drinking copious amounts of water. I paced some more.

It was late, or early, when I finally heard his key in the lock. And another voice with his - a feminine voice.

I peeked around the entry of the livingroom to see a blonde woman, who looked vaguely familiar, leaning against him. She was murmuring to him, clutching against his chest, and I felt a rush of pain - as if I were witnessing something intimate, but then he looked up and smiled at me.

"Brooke, you stayed up," Bucky eased the woman, closer. "This is Sharon Carter," oh, the name sparked why she'd looked so familiar. "She's had a bit of an -"

"I was shot," she blurted out. "I'm fine," I looked into her face and realized she WAS fine, and high as hell on pain meds. "They patched me right up at the ER."

I bit my lip to keep from chuckling, laughing at a woman who had been shot would be a terrible thing, but Bucky's eyes were twinking when they met mine. "She needs a place to rest for the night." I nodded and considered our options. "I don't think she can make the stairs."

"There's a half bath down here," I opened the hallway bathroom door and flipped on the lightswitch. "There's a spare toothbrush and some toothpaste in the drawer." I told her, even though I wasn't sure she was making sense out of my words. "I'll grab some blankets and a pillow from the linen closet and make up the couch -"

"I'll do that," Bucky offered, tilting his head toward his burden. "I think Sharon might prefer YOUR help over mine with any personal things."

"Smooth, Barnes, real smooth," Sharon snickered and I joined her. High or not, she had a point. "I could use a change of clothes, if you could spare something?"

"No problem," I told Bucky where to grab something and helped Sharon into the half bath. "It's not really much, but it'll get you clean enough."

"They told me he found someone," she was trying to focus on my face, while I helped her sit on the closed toilet seat. "You're not freaked out by ALL of it?"

I shook my head and considered where to start with helping her. "Bucky is amazing," I smiled when he knocked on the door and handed me what I'd asked for through the slimmest crack he could manage. "He makes me happy."

Sharon nodded, and held up her arms like I imagined Bryn would and I couldn't hold back my laughter anymore. Helping her get ready for bed on the sofa that Bucky made up, I wondered why it was so much easier to explain how I felt about him to his side of the equation than to mine?

Sharon was easy to get settled once we got her changed out of her ruined clothes. Then Bucky and I, tired beyond belief, went upstairs. I turned on the shower, because while soaking in a hot tub with him sounded like heaven - I wasn't sure we'd stay awake.

A shared shower, that was for actual washing and nothing more, and then we were in our bed, curled together in our night clothes. His arms wrapped around me, his breath warm against my cheek.

"You never told me," I was fighting the pull, the drag into the nightmares. "Who?"

"Who?" He was fighting his own pull, exhausted from battle and heroism, and yet I wanted to know.

"Who do you think I should talk to?" It came out in a yawn, but I wanted to know - did I have hope?

"Ah," he snuggled deeper into our bed and into my warmth. "He's one of the BIG THREE if you ask Sam." Bucky chuckled and I sighed into his warmth. "Dr. Strange, Brooke, he's - well, I don't completely understand everything he talks about, but I think he might have answers that you need."

"Dr. Strange?" I couldn't fight the pull anymore, and neither could Bucky, I felt his sigh and the brush of his lips against my temple, but then the flashes and the pain.