"Why didn't you tell me about Isaiah?-" Sam fumed as they exited the house. The force of Isaiah's words were still reverberating through her. He'd been experimented on, treated like a lab rat. "-How could nobody bring him up? Steve didn't know about him?"

"He didn't, I didn't tell him."

"Aubrey?" his furious gaze turned to her.

"I didn't know, Sam. if I had…-" she trailed off, head shaking back and forth.

"So you're telling me that there was a black super soldier decades ago and nobody knew about it?" his voice raised with the words as he turned to Bucky. They came to a stop in the middle of the street. Bucky's mouth opened to say something but he was cut off by the sound of a police siren. A cruiser pulled up and two officers got out.

"Hey, is there a problem here?"

"No, we're just talking."

"Can I see your I.D?" one of them asked.

"I don't have an I.D, why?" Sam responded as the three of them eyed the officers with caution.

"Okay, Sir, calm down."

"I am calm, what do you want? We were just talking.-" he and Bucky growled at each other for a moment as the officer looked to Aubrey.

"Is this guy bothering you?"

"No-" her nose wrinkled as she answered "-do you know who they are? They aren't bothering anyone." The last words came out with a bite as the second officer leaned into the first, her super soldier hearing picking up their words "Hey, these guys are Avengers."

The first officer's face slacked in shock as he tried to recover, as he was talking another cruiser pulled up and more officers got out.

"Just, give me a second, okay guys?" The two hurried towards the others and Sam, Aubrey, and Bucky were left standing in the middle.

"I…I didn't tell anybody because he'd already been through enough." Bucky's voice was just loud enough for the three of them to hear. He looked as though he'd like to say more but an officer approached.

"Mr. Barnes, and, there are warrants out for your arrest."

"They've got pardons for all that" Sam interjected.

"Not that, they both missed their court-mandated therapy, it's like missing a check-in with your PO. I'm sorry but you're both under arrest." Aubrey felt her spine stiffen as she willingly walked towards the cruiser, Bucky a step behind. Cold metal cuffs were chained onto her wrist. And terror coursed through her as an onslaught of memories were unleashed by just that one sensation of the cold prickling her skin. Bucky settled beside her in the cruiser and he must have sensed her unease because once the door shut and it was just the two of them in the car, he spoke.

"Tell me."

"Bucky, it isn't our concern right now.-" swallowing a breath, Aubrey rolled her shoulders and stared out one of the windows, watching as the officers finished up with Sam. "-Why didn't you tell me.-" she couldn't keep the hurt from leaking into her voice. "- You know you can tell me anything. At least I thought you did."

"I never said anything because no one needed to know. He had gone through enough. I didn't want to add to his pain." The sorrow in his voice spoke volumes and the two remained silent, both whisked away in their thoughts as the officers drove them back to the station.

"Aubrey, I wondered if this would happen with Bucky, but you? I didn't expect this from you. I authorized you to come back to the U.S not get caught up in another terrorist takedown.-" Christina Raynor had started talking the moment Aubrey had stepped through the door. She had already begun feeling a slight amount of shame for not telling her poor therapist what she was doing. But she'd have gotten in more trouble then, then she was in now. "- You're tuning me out again. Aubrey."

Giving her head a slight shake to clear it, Aubrey met Raynor's eyes, making an attempt to pay attention. "Yeah?"

"You have more important things to be doing, you aren't going to be on a strict therapy schedule anymore" a familiar voice cut in. Walker came around a corner, giving Raynor a smile. "Like he said, the only thing you need to be released from my care is one more session. You'll have yours and then James and Sam are going to have one, alright?"

"Okay" her words were small as she leaned against the desk counter before following Raynor down the hallway into a room. Walker and his partner yelled something about waiting outside as the door closed behind Aubrey

Raynor seated herself, watching Aubrey with a look she knew too well.

"Would you like to start, Aubrey?"

"I don't have anything to say" the smile she gave was a weak one but she tried to make it real. Something in her felt like it was cracking.

"I think we both know that it's a lie, I can see in your eyes there's a lot going on in that brain of yours. Lots of confusing feelings and thoughts swirling around up there."

"There probably isn't enough time in the world to go over what I'm thinking."

"Try me"

"…Sam gave up the shield..for a memorial at the Smithsonian and…the government went behind his back and gave it to someone else. That isn't his fault…I know it. But Bucky is being so…weird about it. And he kept this huge secret from me and-"

"I'm not hearing much about what you're thinking."

"I...I don't know what I'm thinking. Sometimes I think I just get caught on a whirlwind and think the same thing that the person I'm closest to thinks."

"James? He seems to be the one you're closest to. So you're..copying his thoughts?"

"I guess? I don't know. Everything is always so confusing. There's so much all the time. When I'm left alone to be a normal human I can't stand it, but when I'm in action I don't know what to think. Is this all I'm supposed to be? Is there more I should be doing? More I need to be doing?-" pausing, Aubrey's eyes pricked with unshed tears as she puffed a breath out of her lips. "- Is being a weapon all I'm good for?-" heaving a breath, she stared at the floor. "- Sometimes I just….feel empty."

"Aubrey, look at me.-" Raynor waited until she lifted her eyes. "- You're finding it hard because you don't know how to just be. You've gone from one fight to another almost your whole life. You act like who you think those around you want to act, that suppresses your emotions. It's why you feel empty sometimes. I know you want to help Sam and James but after this? I want you to try and do things that you want to do. Try different hobbies out, get a job, find something you love and throw yourself into it. You're more than just a weapon. You know that. We've talked enough about it all for me to know that you know. Most people spend most of their lives finding out who they are. It's okay to have a difference of opinions, okay Aubrey?"

"Thank you-" she whispered. "- I...I think I needed to hear that."

"I know you did, and once you're done with this, I'll still be around if you want to talk."

"Okay, thank you, Doctor Raynor" carefully she shuffled out of the chair and headed towards the door.

"And Aubrey? James will open up to you when he's ready. If there's one thing I've learned about him, it's that some of the most painful things for him take time to work their way out."

Giving her a feeble nod, Aubrey exited the room, taking a moment to roll her shoulders and wipe the wetness from her eyes. Bucky gave her a concerned look when she came down the hallway but said nothing as she sent them towards Raynors room.

A/N* Merry Christmas and Happy New year to all my readers who celebrate it! In light of the coming holiday there most likely will not be a new chapter out Christmas weekend. Thank you all for your patience! Happy Holidays