Sorry this is late going up, school has been bonkers!

Hope ye all had a lovely Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) and if you don't celebrate it at all, I hope you had a nice day on December 25th! :)

Enjoy!

Bucky looked at her blankly. "I don't understand."

Cecy bit her lower lip. Coulson had warned her that this might happen.

"When you fell," she explained, "you were knocked out practically straight away, correct?"

Bucky looked down at his hands. After a few seconds hesitation, he agreed with her. "Right."

Cecy stayed silent until he turned to look at her. "Sergeant Barnes, if you can remember anything else, we need to know."

"Well I... I did hit my head off something when I fell," he protested, "but I can remember waking up on the snow, it was freezing cold, and I could barely see anything. I looked down, and I could see that my arm was gone, and the snow all around it had gone red. I tried to drag myself over to one of the rocks so I could try to stop the bleeding. I think I managed to wrap my arm in something, and then I heard voices."

"Voices?"

"Yeah. As much I could understand, they were either German or Russian. I didn't think it would be smart to have been found by either of them so I started digging. I dug down deep enough with my arm that I could climb into the hole and have snow covering me, and I sorta curled myself into a ball and- I fell asleep," he finished, as if surprised by how his story had ended. He looked at her with renewed realisation. "I've been asleep for seventy years?" he said in disbelief, "How is that even possible?"

Cecy had this answer prepared. "When you passed you, you went into what was really a glorified coma. You should have frozen to death; hell, the knock you got to the head should have paralysed you, or given you permanent brain damage. You shouldn't be upright, holding a conversation with me or recognising that your surroundings aren't right. But you are doing all of these things, became of the version of the super serum that runs through your veins. It has, instead of letting you die, preserved your physical and mental state almost perfectly. It is truly amazing," she finished, "that you are alive at all. But you are, all because of that-" she waved her hand, searching for a suitable word, "-stuff."

Bucky closed his eyes as he asked his next question, as if he was almost praying that she wouldn't answer it. "Is there anyone I know left alive?"

Cecy hesitated. "Honestly, not many," she answered truthfully. "Director Carter passed away two weeks ago, most of the Howling Commandos died before the turn of the century. Timothy Dugan is still alive though, he's in a nursing home in France. He'll be 100 in two months."

"At least there's someone," he said to himself. "When did-," Bucky stopped himself.

"When did what, Sarge?"

"Nothing." Bucky changed his mind. "I don't want to know."

"Sarge, as well, there is another person you might know of, in fact he's partially the reason we found you in the first place," Cecy said with a surpressed smile.

"Who?"

"Captain Rogers. He's alive and well, and we found him only a few years ago."

Bucky's eyes widened in pure disbelief. "Steve's alive? You found- what?"

"It's a very long story," Cecy told him, as she heard a buzzing in her ear, "But before I tell it to you, do you mind if I ask the Director and the doctors in? They are all anxious to meet you, and make sure that you're alright. Physically, at least," she added after a pause.

"Sure, go ahead, but can you tell me about Steve? Please?" he begged again and Cecy felt her heart break some more at the undisguised love and care in his voice when he spoke Steve's name.

Cecy nodded as she lightly tapped her ear. "Whenever you're ready, Director."

"Excellent work Lewis, well done," came the reply, as Bucky jumped a foot in the air beside her.

"What was that?!" He exclaimed with panic, momentarily forgetting about his long lost brother.

"It's my earpiece," Cecy explained patiently, "it's the newest model, meant to be impossible for anyone else to hear. But you heard it clearly?" she asked as she slipped it out of her ear and held it in the palm of her hand so Bucky could see it.

"Yeah, clear enough, I suppose," Bucky was looking at the tiny piece of metal with amazement.

"It lets me talk to people outside this room. Kind of like a radio," she said after a moment's hesitation, "but it's only heard by one person."

"Those would have been handy during the war," he observed.

"I'll bet they would've," Cecy said with a smile as she slipped her earpiece back in again. Bucky cracked a smile back at her as the door opened and Coulson, flanked by Fitzsimmons, entered the room.

Cecy immediately stood up out of respect for her superior officer, and Bucky mirrored her actions without hesitation.

"Sergeant Barnes," Coulson said as they shook hands, "it is an honour to meet you. I'm Director Phil Coulson, of SHIELD."

"So you're the guy in charge of all this?" Bucky asked.

"Indeed I am." Cecy suppressed a smile as Coulson desperately tried to conceal his inner fanboy.

"May I introduce Doctor Leopald Fitz and Doctor Jemma Simmons," Coulson indicated each of the agents in turn. "Jemma will be in charge of your physical health and well being and Fitz can construct a new arm for you, if you want it."

"A new arm, Mr Coulson? What do you mean?"

Coulson gave a small smile, unscrewed his left forearm and held it out for Bucky to examine. "Long story short, I lost my arm in the field and so Fitz made me a new one. It's so realistic no one else will know it's not real. It feels real too."

Bucky's jaw had hit the floor in amazement, and he looked at Cecy, then at Fitz. "You can make me a new arm?"

Fitz stepped forward. "Yes, however I just need to take a few measurements first-"

"Hang on, I need to check his vitals first!" Jemma protested, and Bucky turned to her in surprise. "Doctor Jemma Simmons, Sergeant," she gushed excitedly, and they shook hands.

"You're a doctor?" Bucky asked curiously, before turning to Cecy. "Women can be doctors now?"

Cecy braced herself for some fairly sexist comments. "Yes, they can."

Bucky turned back to Jemma. "About damn time too," he agreed, nodded at Jemma and then Cecy, before his eyes widened in shock. "Begging your pardons, ma'ams."

Jemma and Cecy shared a confused look. "For what exactly, Sarge?"

"I apologise for using that kind of language in front of ladies," he explained. "There is no excuse for it, and I apologise."

"No need, Sarge," Cecy patted his arm affectionately, "I'll leave you in Fitz and Simmons capable hands."

"You will come back though, won't you?" Bucky asked, suddenly anxious.

Cecy looked at Coulson for confirmation, and he nodded.

"Of course Sarge," she smiled at him, "I just have some things I need to do, and I'll come back to give you the grand tour."

At her confirmation of her return Bucky visibly relaxed, and let Fitzsimmons examine him thoroughly.

Coulson followed Cecy out and shut the door behind him.

"That was outstanding work Lewis, well done," he praised her warmly. "Your sister would have been very proud of you."

Cecy's eyes filled with unexpected tears at the shock mention of Mandy, and she turned her head away. "Thanks, sir," she said to the wall.

She felt Coulson squeeze her shoulder in comfort and walked on ahead of her. Wiping her eyes hastily, she followed him. She was giving the famous Bucky Barnes the grand tour, and she'd be damned if she was going to be a wuss crying over her sister. She could do that in her spare time. So she held her head up high, and followed Coulson to the briefing room.

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