CARTER

Sharon couldn't describe the sense of calm and comfort that enveloped her when Bucky stepped out the front door to meet her with a concerned look on his face. Her mind was rattled with what happened at the rally and the news of Zemo's escape the entire drive home. There was a sick feeling in her stomach at having to crush Bucky's world, but the look of surprise on his face when she pulled the shield from her trunk was enough to squash the feeling down for the time-being.

"Why the hell were you and Sam at that event? And how in the hell do you have that?" Sharon tossed the shield lightly at him which he caught with ease.

"It's a long story. Just kiss me Barnes." His arm holding the shield looped around her and pulled her into him. Yep, all her shitty thoughts left her mind as he bent to kiss her. Goddamn he was sexy holding the shield.

"As nice as this is," Bucky murmured against her lips, "are you okay?" He pulled back from her to get a proper look at her face. "Sam said he was following you because he didn't trust what Ross was up to. And then he called again and said you were in a panic because shit was going down and then he hung up on me."

"I'm okay. I promise." She pressed a reassuring kiss to his lips. His eyes fell shut and his forehead met hers. "I'm sorry I scared you. In my defense, everything went to shit in a span of twenty minutes."

He sighed. "I saw the rally on the news. Please tell me what happened behind the scenes."

She gave him one last quick kiss before grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the house. "I will when Sam gets back. Come on, I didn't eat lunch and I'm starving."

After making herself a sandwich, Sharon turned on the TV and they spent the rest of the afternoon planted in front of it watching replays of Walker losing his mind on the crowd. The only camera that caught sight of Sharon running onto the stage was the one that she put herself in front of in order to spare the woman behind it. It got a great view of the back of her as well as Sam landing next to her to join the fight. Then it got great coverage of Sam and Walker fighting before the fight moved backstage. Sharon was thankful her face wasn't shown or identified for everyone to know who she was. Every news outlet was wondering who the 'mystery woman' was that tried to stop Walker before the Falcon showed up. And now everyone was speculating who will take up the Captain America mantle. It was already trending for the Falcon to take it. A clip of Sam wielding it while trying to fight off Walker was going viral.

Sam finally arrived home in the middle of the afternoon looking a little too happy. Sharon smiled into her drink when Bucky asked about his dopey expression. His date must have gone well.

"I got to punch Walker in face." Sam used to cover the real reason. He winked at her with a knowing smile.

"I wanted to punch his face." Bucky grumbled.

Sharon and Sam filled Bucky in on what happened with Walker at the event before she finally filled them in on Ross' shitty proposition. Both men were fuming and shouting about the raw deal Ross tried to manipulate her into. Bucky looked exceptionally livid about Ross spinning her cooperation into a romance with Walker. Sharon rubbed her eyes and turned off the TV as they continued to argue even though they were technically agreeing with each other.

"Enough." She finally stood and turned her back to them. "I have to tell you something else and it's worse than Ross' threats." She ran a shaky hand through her hair. Her eyes stung with tears and she brought a hand to her mouth in worry. Her palms were sweating. She was about to destroy them with the news. She was about to destroy Bucky with the news. She was frightened to speak the words because then it was real. It was real and she had no idea how he was going to react knowing his biggest threat was walking free somewhere.

Both men looked up at her with concern. "Sharon?" Bucky stood, but she put a hand up.

"No, you need to sit for this." Bucky sunk back into the cushions.

"Sharon, you're scaring us." Sam said quietly.

"Good. Because I am scared and you should be too." She admitted. Both men visibly stilled at her words. She let out a long breath as she worked up the courage to tell them. She couldn't look Bucky in the eyes. She didn't want to see the absolute devastation when she broke the news.

"It hasn't hit the media yet. Ross is doing everything in his power to prevent it for as long as possible." She ran her hand through her hair again. "There was a breakout. Zemo got out and he's missing." It was as if the air was instantly sucked out of the room. Bucky's face paled as he sat numbly before her.

"When did Ross tell you this?" Sam asked.

"Just after you left."

Sam's jaw tightened. "And you didn't think to call me?"

"Ross didn't have any info other than it happened and I didn't want to ruin your date until there was more to tell." Sharon defended. Sam's eye bugged when she spoke the word 'date.' He glanced at Bucky and realized he wasn't even paying attention. His head was bent and in his hands. Sam's hand reached out tentatively to grasp Bucky's shoulder.

"Buck?" Bucky just shook his head. "What else do you know?" Sam turned to her.

"Nothing. But Ross said he'd give us any resources we need if we want to hunt him down." Bucky stood suddenly and silently stormed out the back door and out into the yard. Sharon and Sam just watched him go.

"Funny how Ross suddenly likes us now that his agenda is ruined and he needs our help." Bitterness was in his voice.

Sharon ran a hand down her face. "Even Ross isn't sadistic enough to want the Winter Soldier unleashed on the world again. He's going to inform us of any leads and send us with his top men if we want the job."

"I want it." Sam stood and went to the window. Bucky had fallen to his knees at the edge of the yard. Sharon moved to stand next to him. "What about you?"

"I'll do anything to keep Zemo from tormenting Bucky any further. He deserves peace and if killing Zemo brings it to him, then so be it."

WILSON

Sharon made dinner to keep her hands busy while Sam kept his eye on Bucky and the news. He was still slightly bitter that Sharon hadn't called him immediately and told him about Zemo, but he understood. There was no information other than that he was out and she wanted him and Bucky to enjoy just a few more hours of a victory before ruining it. When dinner was ready she went out to get Bucky. He was still sitting at the edge of the yard, staring out at the field behind them that eventually led to the ocean. Sam watched from the window as Sharon's hand made smooth circles along Bucky's back as she bent to talk to him. He eventually got to his feet and let Sharon lead him back to the house.
Sharon and Sam picked at their food and Bucky didn't eat at all. Sharon cleaned their plates before falling back into her chair at the table. It was silent between the three of them. The air was thick and tense.

Bucky was the first to speak. "As long as he's out there, I'm not safe to be around."

Sam's brows furrowed. "Yes you are. Shuri fixed you."

Bucky ran a hand down his face. "We think."

"What do you mean 'we think?' She fixed you in Wakanda." Sam pressed. Steve assured him that Bucky was fixed. And Shuri seemed just as confident. No one questioned his healing when they came to fight Thanos and ever since there was no sign or inclination that Hydra still lingered deep within his mind.

"As far as she can tell, she was able to fix everything Hydra put in me. I wrote down the words that commanded me, but we never had the actual book to use to make sure we got everything. We tested it and I never lost control, but…" He rubbed his eyes. "But I'm not confident."

"But the book was destroyed right?" Sam looked to Sharon. "Or does the CIA still have it?"

"I don't know." She said quietly.

"Well can you find out?" His was voice was raised. Sharon sent him a warning glance.

"It wouldn't matter any way. Zemo would have it memorized." Bucky's shoulders slumped in defeat. "He doesn't need it."

Sharon's hand covered his on the table. "I know this is bad, but right now we don't even know what his agenda is. He may not even care about using you anymore. You were a tool to break up the Avengers and the Avengers aren't a team anymore. There is no reason to believe at the moment he is coming for you." She tried to reassure him.

"He'll come for me. I'm a fucking weapon." Bucky stood from the table suddenly and stalked off toward his room. Sharon sighed and leaned back in her chair. For a moment he thought she might go after him, but instead she stayed put. They sat in silence until Bucky reappeared with the case for his arm. He set it on the table and opened it before tugging his shirt off and beginning to pull the metal from his body. Sharon didn't seem surprised by his actions.

"Buck." Sam watched him place it in the case and shove it toward him. "You don't have to do this."

"I'll sleep better knowing I'm less of a threat." He fell back into the chair next to Sharon.

"Come on man, he could be on an island halfway across the world sipping margaritas right now. There's no need for this. We trust you and we'll protect you. You're safe with us." Sam emphasized.

Bucky shook his head. "You're not safe with me. Until he's found I won't go on any missions and the arm stays off." Sharon was unusually silent. Her face was unreadable as she watched their exchange.

"And what if we don't find him for weeks? Months? Years? What, are you just going to sit on your ass?"

"Sam." Sharon finally cut in, her tone warning him that he was going too far. If this moment wasn't deathly serious, he would have told her she reminded him so much of Steve in that one warning that it made his head spin. For a moment he pictured himself in the back of that police cruiser with Steve and King T'Challa.

"Sharon and I are going to go after him and we could use you. You followed him to Siberia. You're the only one who's fought him." Sam reasoned.

Bucky's hand clenched. "I didn't fight him. He hid behind a wall and ran for it while Stark tried to kill me."

"He's just a man, Buck. There's nothing special about him. You could eliminate him with your eyes closed."

"Not if he can command me." Bucky's eyes were darkening and body tensing the longer the conversation went on.

Sam's frown deepened. "We could still use you. Zemo is smart and we need all hands on deck."

"I said no."

"No isn't an option." They needed him whether he liked it or not.

"Do you think I want to do this?" Bucky's voice was low and dark.

"Then don't." Sam shot back loudly. Sharon's jaw clenched and she stood so quickly her chair toppled backward. Both men jumped at the noise. She grabbed Sam by the arm and forced him up out of his chair and dragged him protesting straight out the front door.

She rounded on him and pointed a finger in his face. "Watch it Wilson." It was the first time she'd ever turned her death glare on him. "I won't have you bullying him into something he doesn't want to do."

"Are you saying that as his friend or his girlfriend?" He crossed his arms.

Her lips thinned. "Does it fucking matter?" She turned from him with her hands on her hips before spinning back to face him and poke her finger to his chest. "Don't turn this into some boyfriend girlfriend protector bullshit. You know you're crossing the line. You've worked with vets for years, put aside your personal feelings and treat him like someone who needs guidance and help. He's scared and just trying to do what he thinks is best. If you push him he's just going to resist further. Give him some time to process this before you try to convince him to do anything."

Sam let out a long sigh and turned from her. He couldn't look at her angry expression for another moment. This was the first time they had truly disagreed and held any anger toward each other. But deep down he knew she was right. Bucky was scared and overwhelmed and not in any state of mind to make any decisions. He needed time to process. Him taking off his arm was his way of feeling as if he was in control of the situation.

The front door opened suddenly and the pair turned to see Bucky looking livid. "Are you two done talking about me?"

Sharon's eyes met Sam's. "Yes." She brushed past Bucky and stalked back into the house without another word. Bucky watched her go before he turned back to Sam.

"Do what you need to do Buck, but I trust you with my life. And I'd feel much better knowing you were out there with us." He stepped past Bucky and left him standing in the doorway.

CARTER

The tension between the trio continued for days. Sam begrudgingly took the case off the dining table and stashed it in his room. Bucky was quiet and spent much of his time in his room with his journals or on the back deck in one of the chairs. He asked Sharon for space that night she broke the news so she slept alone in her room the last three days. On the fourth night she woke with a startled scream.

She was drenched in a cold sweat and her hands were shaking. She clenched them tight to stop the trembling. Her mind was muddled with images of the Raft, press conferences next to Walker, and running that had slipped into her dreams. She didn't even register the commotion going on outside her door until it was thrown open and two guns were raised and scanning the room. She stared at both Sam and Bucky in their underwear and on high alert. The guns lowered slowly when they realized there was no imminent danger, just Sharon trying to come down from her nightmare.

"Right… I'll just…" Sam awkwardly stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him. Sharon fell back against her pillow and let her eyes slip shut. She rubbed them tiredly, trying to erase the images that still lingered. She could hear Bucky move to the side of the bed, set his gun down, and hesitantly slide in next to her. She could feel the uncertainty radiating off of him. They'd barely spoken in days and it was usually her comforting him not the other way around.

"You okay?" His hand tentatively reached out and wrapped around her stomach. Her hand left her eyes to rest on his arm. She turned her head to look at him. His blue eyes were searching hers in the darkness.

She gave a small nod. "Yeah, just a bad dream. Stay with me?" She asked quietly. His eyes softened and he pulled her into him until her back was to his chest. His nose buried in her hair as their bodies relaxed into each other. Apparently he needed this as much as she did. Her fingers entwined with his on her stomach.

"I missed you." His lips met her neck. Her eyes slipped shut at his words.

"I miss you too." She replied quietly. Even though they had been living in the same house for the last few days, it felt as if they weren't. There were no shared meals or time spent together since their talk with Sam the other night. Her days were mostly filled with research and long conversations with Sam about Bucky and Zemo.

"Thank you for giving me space."

Sharon's fingers squeezed his. "You never have to apologize for needing some time to yourself. You know where to find me when you're ready."

His arm tightened around her further and his legs shifted to tangle with hers. "I'm ready. Want to tell me about your dream?"

She sighed. "It was just my fears about what it would be like if I had to take Ross' deal or run."

"I'm sorry."

They laid there quietly for a long moment. Sharon stared at the blank wall and just savored the rise and fall of Bucky's chest against her back. Her voice was just above a whisper as it cut through the silence. "Would you go with me if I had to run again?"

"Yes." He didn't even hesitate. Her eyes slipped shut at the sense of relief that washed over her at his answer. If everything went to shit, he would follow her. He would follow her and be with her. She wouldn't have to do it alone again. "I'd never let you go on the run without me. And I'd never leave you. Not like he did."

He'd never leave her. Not like Steve did. It was her biggest unspoken insecurity that lingered deep within her. The one insecurity that they'd never fully addressed after getting together. Her fear that one day he would walk away as if it never mattered to him. As if she never mattered to him. His words enveloped her in warmth and comfort. Her heart swelled and tears prickled at the edges of her eyes. She knew it wasn't just some hollow promise, it was true and genuine. He'd never leave her. They'd never leave each other.

"Would you go with me?" He asked quietly, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Yes." She didn't hesitate in her response. His arm tightened around her and he pressed another kiss to the back of her neck. His warm mouth was soothing against her skin. He peppered her with soft, slow kisses. The brush was his lips and scruff sent a shiver down her spine that did not go unnoticed by him. The hand on her stomach dipped slowly causing her breath to hitch. Her body shuddered when his fingers stroked against her. She gasped and moaned loudly causing Bucky to laugh lightly against her neck.

"Shh…" It had been almost a week since they'd last had sex and after three days of him keeping to himself, she was apparently wound tighter than she realized. She turned in his arms and smashed her lips to his. Her swelling emotions and quickly spreading lust were overtaking her body. She needed to feel him. Her leg wrapped around his waist and she arched her hips to rub against him. They both moaned in unison. His palm was spread wide across her waist and fingers digging into her skin as he tried to control himself. She couldn't stop herself from grinding against him hard.

"Fuck Share."

"Shh…" She repeated back to him before taking his lower lip between her teeth. Bucky groaned and tugged at her underwear until she finally broke away long enough so they could both shed their clothes. They attempted to be quiet after that, but Sharon was pretty sure they failed. It was hot and fast and slightly desperate. Both of them were gasping and cursing at the intensity of it. Sharon collapsed on top of him and buried her face in his neck as she tried to come down from her high. His arm held her body to him as he tried to control his breathing and get his wits about him again. She pressed lazy kisses to his neck as his fingers trailed her spine. Neither of them wanted to move, they were content to stay there, bodies meshed together and sticky with sweat.

Sharon was the first to move when she finally rolled off of him and fell back into the pillows. She couldn't wipe the smile from her lips. A smile spread across Bucky's face at the sight of her.

"What?" He asked.

She suppressed a laugh. "Sam is going to kill us tomorrow."

Bucky did laugh. He reached for her and pulled her in for a kiss. "He can move out."

—

"We're renting a duplex next time or somewhere that the rooms are on the opposite sides of the house." Sharon winced at the implication of Sam's words. Then she winced again at the sour look he was giving her. Yep, he definitely heard them last night.

She took a large gulp of her coffee, ignoring that she was burning the shit out of her tongue, to hide her evident discomfort in Sam hearing them having sex. "Sorry." She mumbled into her mug and looked anywhere but his eyes. "So… how was your date? I never did ask you."

He raised an eyebrow at her attempt to change the subject. "It was okay."

It was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "Just okay? You seemed pretty happy when you got home."

He smiled. "It was really nice. She was really nice, but I don't know. I haven't dated in so long and the thought of dragging her into our world… it's hard to find someone who can relate and understand the chaos."

Sharon gave him a small smile. "Maybe that's a good thing. Keeps you grounded, gets you away from it a bit and to remember what it's like to be normal. Look at Clint and Laura, she accepted it and it gave him and Nat perspective that fighting isn't the only thing in life."

He sighed. "So wise Thirteen."

"I try Wilson." She smirked into her mug. It felt good to be smiling and talking about something other than Zemo.

"But seriously, you two have to keep it down." Sharon choked on her coffee.

"Ignore him." Bucky appeared in the doorway with his own cup of coffee. "Once he gets his own girlfriend we'll be saying the same thing to him."

"No, because I'll have respect for your ears or I'll stay at her place." Sam countered.

Bucky shrugged. "Good, then we won't have to keep it down. Right, doll?" He winked at Sam for good measure.

"Okay, I'm done with conversation." Sharon abandoned her cup and retreated back inside. As nice as it was to be laughing and joking with the boys again, this was not the topic she wanted to be laughing and joking about. Sam was like her brother. And no girl wanted to talk to their brother about their sex life. For the briefest of moments her heart ached for Natasha- she was the closest person she had to a sister minus Hill now. Nat would have just smiled coyly and asked how good the sex was.

Sharon peeked around the corner of the kitchen to spy the men through the glass door. They were smiling and laughing as if the last three days hadn't been an emotional rollercoaster. Bucky was a rare breed and still working on accepting emotional help. Sharon knew that once he worked through his shock and emotions he would be back to himself and ready accept help when the time was right. That was the great thing about their trio, they understood each other. The tension was gone and all that was left was their friendship and trust. They would get through this, they always did. She smiled to herself as Sam showed Bucky something on his phone causing him to laugh. She'd do anything for those boys.