The building was like he remembered, but as he followed the corridor he found the right door, he knocked on it lightly as it opened on its own. He could see the room still had the furniture, there was no sign of a struggle.

The office was empty of anything personal, or paperwork, and while he found himself trying to find anything, a clue to where he could have gone, he couldn't find anything. To Bucky it was trying his hardest to make Jessica feel safe back here, and with Doctor Russell being dust in the wind, he knew that he was either in hiding, or being taken out by whoever the Power Broker was.

Opening his phone, he found her number dialing it quickly. "Hey doll…" He spoke lightly as he heard that she had picked up. "He's long gone," he said lightly still trying to find something.

"Guess he really did mess up…" Jessica kept moving around the kitchen, she knew that she was living with Bucky for her safety. "Do you think the Power Broker is punishing him?" She asked sitting down with a cup of coffee.

Bucky sat on the desk, "Who knows…" He exhaled thinking about what he was doing, "But for now we're going to have to figure out where to go from here." His voice was soothing, opening a draw he froze seeing a pile photographs of himself and Jessica the first one he picked up was of them sitting in the café drinking coffee on the first day they met. Bucky inhaled sharp seeing his face, and how his expression haunted him, he crunched the photo in his hand before letting it drop to the ground. He glanced back seeing many pictures of himself, and also of Jessica, then picking up the last picture was of him and Jessica in their bedroom, it seemed to be taken from a long distance, but he made the details of their bodies, he felt sick at someone taking a photo of them in the act, but he knew that it was important to figure out what the plan was for Jessica, and to get in front of a possible storm.

"Maybe you should just come home," Jessica was playing with her shirt, she couldn't think what their next move was going to be, but for now she just wanted him with her.

Bucky listened to her tone, he knew that she was falling into a depression, "I have one more thing to do, and I'll be home." Moving more photos aside he saw the writing, The Power Broker is watching, it was written on the inside of the desk in blood. He couldn't stay in the office any longer, and he closed the phone when she hung up on him.

The feeling of the apartment alone made her feel forlorn, as she walked from the lounge to the bedroom, she laid down taking in feeling of the sheets. Jessica lightly stripped off her clothes, her hands playing over the mattress in an attempt to connect, her eyes closed trying to hold onto herself.

It was hard to pinpoint what had happened, what was she expecting to happen? She couldn't explain, and while she knew a part of her knew that Doctor Russell wouldn't be found, her eyes opened as she laid on the bed staring at the wall, her hand reached into her hair pulling it back from her face trying hard to stop her pain. She was meant to be happy, she had her family, she had friends, she had her happy memories, and most of all she had Bucky.

Closing her eyes again Jessica wasn't sure what professionals would call this, but her mind was still as foggy as ever, her memories were her own again. She thought back to her life as a teenager, with all her drinking, and screwing around. Thinking it would make her happy, but in the long run it didn't. She then joined the academy, became an agent of shield, when that fell, she was an FBI agent. Her life was a series of events doing things to try and make her feel like she was being a good person, but only to have it all lead her into being kidnapped, for trying to find her cousin Sharon for the family. To be forced to have a serum that could have killed her, but it didn't. Jessica was a new kind of super soldier, she was also a pawn in a bigger game, and with a simple phrase of words, she was whatever that person wanted her to be.

Her hands going to her stomach, the feeling made her want to be sick, she didn't want to be someone's puppet, and the flashbacks were coming in more vivid, and it wasn't just when she slept, it was any time, and it was getting harder to hide it from Bucky.

The lounge was empty as he opened the front door slowly, he wanted to call out, but felt like something wasn't right. Bucky was listening to the sound of silence as he made his way from the lounge, seeing the bedroom door open he moved in seeing her on the bed.

He wasn't expecting to see her this still and getting closer he could see that her eyes were close as he careful laid on the bed beside her.

Her eyes fluttered open feeling him with her, she gave him a smile that she knew wasn't quite meeting her eyes, "Hey…" He brushed his hand against her cheek, he knew her expressions well, and now as he watched her eyes, he could see something wasn't good. "Doctor Russell is not the only way we can find out."

"With the flag smashers all dead, and Doctor Russell MIA, there is no one who can tell us who made me this way…" Jessica rolled herself away from Bucky, her hand reaching for the sheet to pull over her face. "Not like you can ring up Wakanda for help deprograming me…" Her tone was bitter, and Bucky knew it was because of him helping Zemo that the country wouldn't want to do him any more favors.

He felt the sting, but he knew it wasn't her fault, getting under the sheet with her, he wrapped his arm around her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I'm going to figure this out," He whispered into her ear, he could feel her trembling, and the knowing she was hurting was making him hurt too.

Jessica brought a hand up to brush the tears from her eyes, she bit her lip trying her hardest to keep it together. "I'm so scared," Her voice was horse, "I don't want my feelings to be fake, I don't want my whole reason to be, is just a villain's means of getting." She bit down on her lip closing her eyes tight. "I won't let anyone turn you back into that monster!" Her voice a sting to Bucky as he spun her to face him.

"No!" He asserted himself, "I won't believe that…" He was softer, he watched her eyes on him and he brushed the hair from her face. "You can never hurt me."

"Then why do I feel that I can lose everything in a second," She cried feeling the pain in her chest, "I don't want to be the reason everything you have done to be better, to unravel…" her head shaking, "I can't do it, I won't be that." Her bottom lip was shaking as she felt her emotions boiling over. "I'd sooner die!"

Bucky felt shocked, his hands on both sides of her face forcing her to look at him, "I won't let that happen." He was forcing his words to her, "We will work this out." He couldn't believe it.

She focused her eyes away from his for a second, "I thought the second I remembered who I was, I'd be better." She shook her head, "I thought it would be all fixed, and I'll be normal again."

"I thought so too…" Bucky stopped, "About me." He was quick to add feeling her curl against his chest, he reached to his neck taking his Dog tags off, he carefully then placed them around her neck.

She felt as he moved her hair with the Dog tags around her neck, her face finally meeting his, "Why?" She held them in her hand softly closing her fingers around them feeling warmth of the gesture.

"Because you need to know I'm not going to stop until you are free…" He tilted her chin to meet his face, his lips brushing on hers in a tender kiss, with his fingers tracing down her jaw, her hands holding his shirt. Bucky's lips embraced her bottom lip, he could feel her opening to him as they held each other.

Breaking the kiss Jessica took slow breaths, her fingers tracing the outside of his face, her attention on his. "How did I get so lucky?" She whispered.

Not knowing what to say Bucky embraced her leaning in kissing the tip of her nose, he watched her eyes wanting so much to be able to fix everything in a heartbeat. "I'm still trying to figure it out." He rested his forehead on hers, and closed his eyes just holding her against him.

She wore one of Bucky's t-shirts as she walked to the kitchen, her bare feet cool on the tiled floor holding a coffee mug close to her chest. The kitchen had a large window that was a view of the Brooklyn bridge, the light grey of the clouds were heavy in the sky as she leant on a counter studying the movement of them across the skyline. She was feeling better, but some reason she couldn't quiet shake her nerves.

Snapping out of it she glanced to her phone buzzing on the side, she reached over seeing the face of Sam, and his personal ring tone. "Hi…" She said in a light tone.

"Sorry to call so early," Sam was surprised by the tone of her voice but continued. "I've just called to say I might have a lead…" He was listening for a reaction.

Jessica played her fingertips over the Dog tags still around her neck, her eyes still focused on the window. "On Doctor Russell or," She stopped listening to a sound coming from the bedroom.

"The Power Broker," Sam added, "word is they are setting up a big operation outside of Madripoor." He felt like he was doing the best he could, "Jess…"

"I'm here," She finally replied, "Bucky checked out Doctor Russell's office, but he's long gone, and there has been no sighting of him for a while now." She was watching the kitchen door before focused back to the conversation. "Apparently he wasn't even Doctor Russell, I've been looking into him, and the real Doctor Albert Russell passed away in twenty eighteen."

"Are your parents still doing the thing?" Sam asked wanting to put them on a lighter subject, and he was hoping to get something good from this month.

Jessica walked to the kitchen door closing it slowly, "Yes, remember there is a dress code." Her voice dropped trying to be a low whisper, "So don't forget to dress for the period…" Her voice trailed off hearing the footsteps coming closer.

"I'll see you there." Sam hung up the phone quickly.

Jessica jumped as the kitchen door opened with Bucky standing in just a pair of sweatpants, "Who was you talking to?"

"Sam," She waved her phone putting it back on the counter, "He thinks he's got a lead on The Power Broker making a move." She picked her coffee mug back up taking a sip of it trying to keep an innocent face.

He felt something was off as he made his way to the coffee machine, "Okay," He poured the drink out studying her face closely. "Why do I feel like I am missing something?"

"No reason," Jessica held the mug up to her lips drinking slowly, her eyes never left his face as she stood still. Taking the mug down placing it into the sink she turned to smile, "I have some stuff I need to take care of before we leave for my parents' house." She nodded, "I am pretty sure I'll be super, super busy." She nodded, "Bye…" She quickly turned to rush out of the kitchen but froze feeling Bucky's left arm holding the back of the T-shirt she wore.

Bucky knew she was not going to turn around, "Your parents' house?"

Jessica slowly turned on the balls of her feet, "Yes, they invited us for a thing, and I said we would love to go." She tried to smile bigger but knew he would see right through it. "I am hoping to be able to catch Sharon."

"She got a pardon," Bucky smiled feeling good that something that horrible happened because of him was made right. "And what is this event?" He asked knowing she was looking nervous. "Jessica…"

"It's my parents, they like to have events," Jessica's eyes wide on Bucky's face, placing a hand over his on the t shirt she kept a smile. "So, like I said, super busy." She wished he'd let go.

He felt odd with her expression but slowly let go, Bucky felt her fingers trailing up his chest as she stood close to him now. "Why do I feel like I should be nervous?" He asked seeing her eyes.

"Don't be nervous," She brushed her lips to his with a quick kiss, "I have to get some things," She added with another kiss.

He took in the sensation of her lips on his, he held her chin keeping her face close to his, "You going to be, okay?" He asked softly.

Jessica nodded, "I'll keep my phone on me," She closed her eyes as he kissed her once more.

Bucky found himself staring, "No answer calls you don't know the number." He felt like a nagging parent, and not her lover, but she leant up kissing him again.

She held her hands onto the band of his sweatpants as the kiss deepened, Jessica didn't want to let go of him, but broke off relentlessly. "I Love you Sargent Barnes." She stepped back.

"Love you too Doll…" Bucky reached for her cheek, "Dinner date night tonight." He reminded her as she spun to leave the kitchen, "I'm pretty sure I would like to go out…"

Jessica laughed, "Bucky, I wish you learnt to cook." She turned to face him one more time from the hallway, "But fine we can go out for dinner." She pointed, "But no pizza." She headed into the bedroom to get ready for the day.

Bucky walked down the street as he passed the restaurant, he found himself always getting here every day looking in the window of Yori eating, he paused trying to think when the best time would be to talk to him again, but as he see Leah standing at the bar, she gave a light wave.

He lifted his hand to wave back but turned to see Yori's sad eyes staring at him through the window making Bucky put his hand back down, he knew it wasn't time yet as he walked away.

He didn't know how much time was going to have to pass before he could talk to Yori again, but every time he'd see the old man's face, he would feel the guilt all over again.

"Hey wait!" Leah called after Bucky, she stopped running as he turned to face her, she looked flustered as he knew she was catching her breath. "I've not seen you in what feels like forever." Her smile was happy to see him now, and he could only think of the awkward date.

"I've been busy," He stopped feeling his phone in his pocket reading over the message, "How have you been?" He asked trying to not be rude.

Leah shrugged, "I'm good, just working." Her head tilting towards the restaurant, "Been waiting to see you again." Her voice lingered, and she was studying over how Bucky stood.

"Ah," He knew what was happening, "I wish I could stay and chat," He waved his phone lightly, "But I'm meant to be meeting my," He paused trying to think of the right words to say about Jessica, because she wasn't just a girlfriend.

Leah frowned for a second, "Boyfriend?" She asked.

"Girl…" Bucky added, "Woman," He felt the awkwardness in his voice, "She's asking me about suits." He chuckled seeing her message again.

The silence wasn't long before Leah smiled, "Well she's very lucky," She tapped her hand on her arm stepping from one foot to the other. "I better get back to work." She pointed before walking away from Bucky.

He watched as she hurried away, and he wondered what he was to her, a handsome stranger that came into her life, but he wasn't just the fantasy from a novel.

Glancing down to his phone seeing it was ringing now, "Hey Doll,"

"Sorry I didn't mean to call, but now I've got you, can you pick up some popcorn kernels." Jessica was standing at the front door, she was meant to have gone out, she told Bucky she was going out, but now she was staring at the door.

Bucky licked his lip watching the people around him making noise, he tried to hear anything in the background of her part of the call, "Why can't you buy them?" He asked, he had a feeling she'd not left the apartment.

"I completely spaced, yea I'll buy them." She focused on the door in front of her, "Bye love…" She hung the phone up still looking to the door.

He exhaled hearing the phone go dead, he closed his phone placing it back into his pocket, he wasn't going to dwell too much on it as he found himself walking down the street, it was knowing all the things that needed to be sorted, but at the same time everyday life had to carry on.

The bank wasn't overly busy as he found himself in a line, he knew he was going to figure a way to get up to date with his finances, he knew that Sarah and Brad was always offering to help him and Jessica out, but Bucky couldn't bring himself to accepting the charity.

"Everyone down on the ground, and no one gets hurt!" A menacing voice shouted after shooting off a shot gun. People in the bank dropping down to the ground covering their heads, and the man behind the voice was staring at Bucky as he was the only one still standing. "Did you hear me!" The man was marching towards Bucky.

He did hear him, Bucky just wasn't scared making a note of the man getting closer his face, he had two people with him that were smaller, that leader must be the one who was trying to intimidate Bucky. "I really just want to fix my account, so I can go home." His voice was tired as he could tell the mask was to hide the robbers face.

"And if you don't get down, I will blow your fucking head off!" He was spitting in Bucky's face, he was trying to scare him, but he looked more annoyed.

With a quick grab of the barrel of the gun Bucky twisted it up making it useless, he pulled the man closer with the broken shotgun, "Again, I don't want trouble…" His voice a dark growl, "I just wanted to sort my account out so I can go home a see my girl." He was squeezing the barrel of the shotgun with his vibranium arm, "So, are we going to be having a problem?"

The two other men staring at Bucky, they didn't know what they were seeing, "What do we do?" One of them asked the other not knowing at this point.

"Shoot him, you fucking idiots!" The leader shouted feeling Bucky's left arm pulling the shotgun from his hand, and he used the butt of the gun to knock him out.

The two men realizing what they had to do, but Bucky moved too quickly for them to aim right, one hitting him in the left arm, but some reason it bounced off it, and Bucky snatched the gun from him breaking it effortlessly, the other was struggling to get the safety off, he didn't want to hurt anyone, but as he got it off bucky had already snatch it from his hand. "I know employment is hard to find, but bank robbery…" He shook his head; he could hear the sounds of sirens. "Not good…" He dropped the broken gun.

People getting back to their feet now, and they watched Bucky feeling glad he was there as they broke into a round of applause as the cops entered the bank seeing the three criminals either knocked out or looking shocked. They stood in riot gear, and surprised that the job was done, then one of them watching Bucky. "Thank god you were here." He said giving Bucky a salute.

Bucky exhaled, "I just wanted to check my account." He let go of one of the robbers as the police started to arrest and do their part of the job.

Knowing it wasn't going to be long before the cameras turned up, Bucky wanted to leave, he wanted to be out of the bank before someone would recognize who he was, put a camera in his face, ask him questions he wasn't ready to answer. He was just meant to run an everyday errand, and he wanted nothing more to get home, see his girl dressed up for him to take her out.

"Okay…" Jessica juggled bags in her hands, she finally managed to get out of the apartment, but after checking out at the grocery store, she was getting bombarded with phone calls and texts from her family. "Mom…" She tried to watch where she was heading back to the apartment, "Yes, I will check it out, it's probably on YouTube by now." She exhaled stopping outside a restaurant as one of her paper bags broke dropping her fruit on the floor. "Shit!" She snapped, "No Mom, I have to go." She hung up the phone feeling frustrated with herself.

Yori stepped out of the door hearing the commotion, he glanced to the girl standing over a broken grocery bag, her face was covered with her long hair as she looked defeated. "Let me help you…" He got to her quickly picking the fruit off the ground, he could see she was upset. "They just need a wash, and they'll be fine my dear." His voice was soothing.

Jessica watched as the old man was helping her, she smiled putting her phone in her pocket, she lent down also putting the fruit among her other bags, "Thank you." She sighed trying to figure out how she was going to get the bags home, she didn't realize she was carrying four, three since one broke. "I'm Jessica by the way." She felt comfortable with him.

"I am Yori," He focused on her eyes, warm brown looking back to him with compassion, "You are too young to be so busy." He held one of her hands in his, she had a beautiful face, and he was simply happy to help her.

Jessica got to her feet again seeing he'd taken two of the bags, "I try to do too much at once." She felt better watching Yori smiling at her. "You really don't have to."

"No, I insist," He glanced to the path in front of him, "I'll assume you live close." He was sure he might have seen her face before but couldn't place it.

Jessica exhaled lightly, "I'm just up there," She pointed her finger towards some apartment blocks, it wasn't too far from the apartment, but she felt bad having Yori offer to help her out.

"I know where to now," He started to walk with her as she was holding one of her bags and he was holding two, she wasn't used to the idea of someone wanting to help her, but she was happy that Yori was there at the right time.

She slowed her pace down, "You're too kind," She thought of how she wasn't expecting someone to help her, and she didn't want to really rush herself now. "I mean you think Gentlemen were going extinct." She joked while feeling the day had a bit of a chill to it.

"Well, they don't make us like the used to," Yori joked holding the bags trying to not drop them, he stopped seeing Jessica lightly take one from him. "I guess women are too independent these days." He laughed at himself.

"Sorry, I had a grandma who taught me I had to look after myself first," She thought of her grandma Peggy, and exhaled thinking of how much she missed her advice.

Yori nodded, "Your grandma sounds like a very lovely woman," He watched her face as he complimented her grandmother.

"She was," Jessica sighed trying to not think too much of her grandparents getting closer to her building, "Thank you so much." She took the bag off him placing it on the pavement to get her keys from her pocket. "I have to repay you somehow."

Yori took her hand in both of his, "If you find yourself at that restaurant, treat me to a drink." He squeezed her hand, "You slow down, and enjoy your youth." He kissed her fingers walking away from her.

Opening the door to enter the building Jessica watched Yori heading off, she smiled picking her bags up heading back into the building. Getting to the apartment she opened the door to move through the lounge, it wasn't quite homely yet, but as she got to the kitchen she placed the grocery bag on the counter, taking her phone out and finding the latest news report.

The video was an interview and Jessica found Bucky's awkward face next to a woman holding a microphone in front of him. Her questions were the basic ones, how did you feel? how did you do it all by yourself? Finally asking him if he was an avenger. Jessica rolled her eyes, she knew of the avengers, but for the time being they wasn't being highly active as she thought of the memorial to Iron man, and also Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, her grandfather.

Bucky didn't seem like he wanted to be there, he answered the best he could, and while she could hear in his voice, he wasn't liking the attention, and she stopped the video looking back to the food she needed to put away.

Her phone buzzed with another phone call, not knowing the number she was cautious pressing the answer button, and then loudspeaker so she could hang up quickly if needed to. "Hello…"

"Is this Jessica Baker?" A woman's voice asked, she sounded friendly enough and she could relax.

There was a pause, "Are you safe to talk openly?" The woman was serious.

"I am…" Jessica froze, "Maria?" She asked feeling the voice was too familiar to her now.

Marie laughed on the other end of the call, "I've been trying hard to track you down, and then I found out through the grape vine that not only are you alive, but you are currently living with the one and only James Buchanan Barnes…" Her tone more back to her friendly manner.

Jessica closed her eyes for a second, "I am," She spoke softly.

"And all this time I thought you was more into the Black Widow," Maria was sounding more cheerful, "Look, I've had Cap, Sam." She corrected herself, "New Captain America I can get behind," She added with the flirtation in her tone.

"Maria, back to the point!" Jessica snapped starting to put her groceries away.

Maria cleared her throat, "Sorry, just killing time until…"

Jessica jumped hearing the buzzer of the apartment going off, "you're here." She hung the phone up heading the intercom seeing Maria was standing outside, "Come up." She buzzed her in a few seconds rushing to a mirror to examine her hair, she took her jacket off, and then played with the Dog tags hanging out of her shirt but held them lightly hearing the door knock.

A/N: This story will be updated every week, next update will be 12th August 2021