AN: I lied! I wrote most of this before I moved and finished it on my drive from Texas to Nevada. I'm really happy with the way it turned out but I'm even more excited for the next two chapters!

Title song: Fallen by 30 Seconds to Mars

Chanel's dress (but imagine that it's black): products/red-glossy-sexy-split-evening-dress?variant=cea1fb2f-9b32-4327-8174-84d27d8d4229&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIutnh9Ouk8gIVhK6GCh1EKQv3EAsYAiABEgKwxPD_BwE

Chapter 12: Some Sweet Violent Urge

Monaco didn't look how Sam had imagined. For a place referred to as the "billionaire's playground," it looked like the set of a bad 70s movie. The luxury cars were the only reminder that a third of the population were millionaires. However, once in the hotel suite, he couldn't deny that the view of the Mediterranean Sea was a sight to behold. The crystal-clear water seemed to stretch on forever, inviting him to set sail and leave his worries behind.

Bucky's annoying huffs and thuds as he threw his luggage and shoes around drew Sam out of his daydream. He turned from the window with his arms crossed.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong or just annoy me to death?"

Bucky rolled his eyes, about to give a smart-ass reply, but bit his tongue. Sam noticed him soften and cautiously approached, putting a gentle hand on his left shoulder, making Bucky flinch.

"Just spit out; it's just you and me." Sam waved his hand around the empty hotel suite.

Bucky sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh; he really wanted to tell Sam what was bothering him. He couldn't keep it in anymore.

"I overheard something I shouldn't have."

"Snooping is never good." Sam frowned and sat next to him on the bed.

"I know, I know," Bucky grumbled. "I had good intentions. Chanel was having a nightmare, and she was with Zemo." Bucky's jaw clenched as he spat Zemo's name out.

"I heard her tell him about Cameron and the drunk driver she killed. I just don't understand why she would tell him of all people. I mean, I know she doesn't want a relationship or anything but am I that low on her list that she'd rather talk to Zemo?"

Sam had quit listening after the first sentence, his head spinning trying to catch up.

"What did you say about the drunk driver? She didn't kill him; he went to prison."

Bucky's stomach sank as he realized his mistake…Sam didn't know. "I misspoke; forget it." Bucky retreated from the room, praying that Sam would let it go.

Sam followed him; his brows furrowed. "No, no, you didn't. Tell me exactly what you heard."

"Sam—"

"You can't say something like that and then just pretend it didn't happen." Sam cornered him in the suite's tiny kitchen.

"Fine. She said she killed the drunk driver."

"When?" Sam whispered; his palms were sweating, and he felt like he might be sick.

"After coming back from the Blip. When she realized Natasha was gone."

Sam hung his head, shocked that it had happened so recently.

"After all of this time?" He mumbled to himself as his thoughts spiraled.

What am I supposed to do now?

"Sam?" Bucky was starting to worry. Sam had been quiet for far too long. "You can't say anything to her."

Sam's head snapped up, defiance in his eyes, but he quickly looked away, knowing Bucky was right. "Why wouldn't she tell me? What am I supposed to do now?"

Bucky shrugged; his own feelings were still just as strong. "I don't know," he huffed. "I just assumed you knew. But you know how you are; she's probably afraid you'll judge her."

"I wouldn't!" Sam scoffed defensively.

Bucky gave him a pointed look.

"Okay, maybe a little, but come on, she murdered someone, and I'm just supposed to ignore it?! It doesn't mean I love her any less. I understand. Cameron was everything to her. I was there to see the pain firsthand."

"Just keep it to yourself. I'm sure she'll tell you in time."

Sam frowned at Bucky's tone; the anger behind his words hadn't faded at all. Before he could say anything, there was a knock at the door, a hotel attendant dropping off several wardrobe bags.

"Ms. Thomas says to try these on and be ready by the time she returns." The attendant gave Sam a nod and then left.

"They're dressing us up again; I'm beginning to think they like this part a little too much." Sam threw the wardrobe bag with Bucky's name on it at him and then disappeared into the bathroom to change.

He looked at himself in the mirror and vowed to bury the information Bucky had told him and his resulting feelings. He could act normal until she was ready to tell him on her own. Maybe he hadn't been attentive enough; he would do better.

After settling in, Chanel and Zemo had quickly left the hotel to go shopping. Despite her headache and the lack of alcohol in her system, she was excited as they walked past rows and rows of designer shops. She had to control herself and remember that she only needed practical clothes, nothing fancy. Zemo happily trailed behind her, swiping his heavy metal card when required.

"What do you plan on wearing this evening?" Zemo asked as he admired a black silk dress on display in a shop window.

Chanel smiled at his subtle hint. "How about that?"

She walked into the store with confidence as everyone seemed to deduce that Zemo was someone of importance rather quickly. A friendly shop attendant greeted him and offered to help Chanel find whatever she needed.

Zemo left them alone while he quickly picked out suits for himself, Bucky and Sam. He knew Sam's size already, but he had to guess at Bucky's. He frowned when he caught himself spending a little too much time thinking about the size of Bucky's thighs as he looked through racks of slacks. Sure, he had been in prison for a long time, but James? The super soldier that he intended to kill if he didn't kill him first? He needed to focus.

Zemo settled on a deep purple suit that he hoped would fit and went to find Chanel. She was throwing clothes over the poor attendant's frail arms. Zemo could hardly see the petite woman behind the pile of dresses.

"I thought you were going to wear the black dress?" Zemo questioned as he approached. He took the dresses from the attendant and started hanging them up on the dressing room wardrobe rack.

"Maybe, we'll see." Chanel shrugged with a smile and disappeared into the dressing room. She wasn't about to miss her Pretty Woman moment. If Zemo wanted to spend money on her, she would take him for all he was worth.

Zemo sat and watched as she tried on dress after dress. They all looked good on her, and he told her as much.

Chanel was changing into another dress when she heard Zemo's phone ding a few times. "Is that Sam?"

He didn't reply, and she asked again, still receiving no response. "Zemo?" She frowned and opened the curtain only to find his chair empty. She walked into the store calling his name but instead was greeted by the store attendant. She explained that Zemo had left but first had paid for the suits and the black dress she had seen in the window.

Chanel grimaced and thanked the clerk before going back to the dressing room. She quickly dressed while the store clerk bagged up the black dress for her; she hadn't even tried it on.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck!

Okay, calm down. All is not lost—yet.

She would have counted this as a win for Zemo, but she had put a tracker in his boot soon after they had met. Once she was out of the store, she tracked his location on her phone.

Where the hell is he going?

Zemo's location was moving quickly, and he was heading toward the coast.

She panicked for a moment; if he left, she would be fucked, but he would know about the tracking device if she followed him.

She decided to hail a cab and head back to the hotel while she watched his location. He was now stopped at a restaurant near the coast. She chewed her cheek and decided to shoot him a text asking what he was doing.

His reply was almost immediate.

Miss me already?

Chanel rolled her eyes and threw her phone in her bag as the taxi pulled up to the hotel.

"Wait here, I'll just be a second."

She dashed into the lobby and had the attendant take her bags up to their suite. Reentering the cab, she told the driver to take her to Zemo's location.

The restaurant was small, and Chanel didn't want to risk going inside. She had the driver park a block over. From her vantage point across the street, she could see the restaurant without being seen.

Through her binoculars, she spotted Zemo inside the restaurant sitting with a dark-haired woman.

Is that a purple streak? She looks a little old to be sporting that.

"Okay, Zemo, who the hell is this bitch?" Chanel muttered to herself as she watched them.

Zemo looked relaxed as usual; he always looked like he owned every room he was in. The woman was trying to exude power and control, but Zemo was no match. Chanel smirked when the woman finally gave up and slumped back in her chair.

Before any food was brought to the table, Zemo stood up, took a business card from the woman, and left the restaurant. Chanel watched him exit and pull his phone out. Hers started ringing immediately, Zemo's name on the screen.

"Oh, hello, runaway. Where the hell are you?"

"I'm sorry I left you. I had some business to take care of. I'm at the coast, why don't you come to meet me? Have you been on a yacht before?"

Chanel retreated to the taxi waiting for her and climbed in, telling him to press the gas.

"I don't do water, and therefore, I don't do boats. Just get your ass back to the hotel." She hung up before he could reply.

"Zemo picked these out?" Sam admired his navy-blue suit in the mirror. Bucky was looking at his purple one with disdain.

"Yes, they are very nice, so be sure and thank him," Chanel called from the bathroom as she finished up her makeup.

"How does he know our sizes? And they didn't have anything black?" Bucky grumbled.

"He's a resourceful and observant man," Chanel answered as she walked past them. "And you two could use a palette change. It looks nice on you."

Chanel sat on the couch, her hair and makeup were done, but she still donned the fluffy white hotel robe.

Bucky tried not to stare as she rubbed lotion over her legs and chest. Even if his brain was mad at her, his dick wasn't. This was made especially apparent when she came out of the bedroom in a floor-length black silk dress with an unholy slit up to her right hip.

"Zip me up?" She asked Bucky.

"Sure, doll." Bucky swallowed hard when she turned around; the zipper sat right above her ass which looked delectable, wrapped in the tight silk.

Fuck.

His hand acted on its own accord, resting on the swell of her ass while his vibranium hand slowly pulled the zipper up. He stared at her in the mirror over the mini bar, enjoying the way the fabric tightened around her curves as he moved the zipper.

How is it possible for her to look even more perfect than usual? Fuck me.

His hand trailed down her hip, his fingers gently caressing the exposed skin where the slit of her dress began. It dawned on him that she couldn't be wearing any underwear and his fingers swiftly moved under the skirt.

Chanel grabbed his wrist, but only after his fingers had explored enough to get an answer to his question.

"Later. We have work to do."

"Sorry," Bucky mumbled and quickly walked away.

Weak. Get it together, Barnes.

Chanel followed him further into the suite where Zemo and Sam were waiting. Their relaxed demeanors made Chanel smile; she liked to see them getting along. Zemo was giving Sam pointers on blending in as he slipped a fancy gold watch onto his wrist.

Chanel handed everyone earpieces so they could stay in contact and then slipped her pistol into her thigh holster.

Her phone rang, and she answered and hung it up without speaking, drawing curious glances from the men.

"Confirmation that Andre is at the casino. Are we all clear on the plan?"

"Basically, stay out of your way," Sam mumbled.

"I mean, you're not wrong. But seriously."

"I'll be at the poker table, Bucky will be at the slot machines, trying not to draw attention to his old ass, and Zemo, for some reason, gets to roam around as he pleases."

"Zemo is the only one that can blend in well, and I need someone to be mobile. You're all just here for backup in case of an emergency. Try to blend in and have fun." Chanel led the way out of the suite, taking deep breaths.

"You've got this," Sam whispered with a pat on her shoulder.

Chanel nodded, the anticipation of the evening swirling around in her stomach like an angry swarm of bees.

Deep breaths.

What's the worst that could happen?

Everyone was in place; Sam sat at a poker table having too much fun gambling with Zemo's money. Chanel was stood behind him, pretending to be his date. She kept her hands on his shoulders, and every now and then, she would lean over and whisper something in his ear. Bucky was trying his best to blend in at the slot machines. Using Zemo's money did improve his mood a bit. So did the staggering number of older women who seemed to be drawn to him like moths to light. He found it immensely funny that they had no idea how much older he was than them.

"Is Andre here yet? If I have to sit through one more cougar proposal, I might not have the strength to turn them down." Bucky smirked when Chanel's eyes immediately landed on him and then zeroed in on the older woman sashaying away from him.

"Maybe you should let someone spend money on you, James. You might like it." Zemo couldn't help but throw in his unwanted comments. Even though Bucky wasn't in his line of sight, he could practically hear his face settle into a grimace.

Chanel hadn't spotted Andre yet, but she kept her eyes open. Zemo was across the room at one of the many Craps tables. He was in good company; Chanel recognized several celebrities and politicians. The casino was busier than usual, the rooms filled with people who thought they were the most important ones in the building. It was easy to blend in with people like that; they were always so focused on themselves that they barely noticed anyone else.

Chanel recognized the president of France just as Andre Black stepped up to shake his hand. Andre took the president's place across from Zemo at the Craps table, and Chanel licked her lips in excitement. She leaned down and told Sam that Andre had arrived; Zemo and Bucky heard her through the earpieces.

"Go to the bathroom, wait a few minutes and then go join Bucky at the slot machines. Make sure no one sees you. Zemo, I'm coming to you."

Sam did as he was told, and Bucky barely contained his snicker when Sam's voice came over the comms.

"Holy shit, this is the nicest bathroom I've ever seen. Is this real gold?!"

"Focus, dumb ass," Bucky muttered.

Chanel sidled up to Zemo's side.

"Ah, my good luck charm has arrived." He held out a pair of dice for her, and she gently blew on them before he tossed them onto the table.

As the crowd erupted in celebration, she looked up at Andre. He was staring at her curiously, but his focus quickly shifted to something behind her. At the same time, Chanel felt a cold hand on her lower back.

"Hello Schatzi," Stephan's voice purred in her ear.

Chanel controlled her surprise better than Zemo did, and she shot him a look that said, leave.

He did, joining Bucky and Sam at the slot machines.

"You got benched too? What happened?" Sam followed his angry gaze and groaned when he saw Stephan with his arm around Chanel's waist.

"How does this guy keep finding us? Is she calling him?" Bucky angrily pulled the slot machine lever over and over until Zemo stopped him.

"Don't lose all of my money, please."

"This isn't good," Sam watched as Andre walked away from the table, a small group following him into the restaurant.

"What do we do?" Bucky started to stand up, but Zemo pushed him back down.

Zemo ignored the glare Bucky sent him. "We remain patient."

"Stephan, what are you doing here?" Chanel asked through a fake smile while she pretended to fuss over his shirt collar.

His hands ran over her necklace before sliding over her curves.

"Oh, you know I couldn't let you have all of the fun," he said teasingly with a squeeze of her ass.

Before she could say anything else he grabbed her lips in a kiss that told her exactly how much he had missed her. Chanel turned around, flustered, and continued to watch the game as Stephan's arm wrapped around her waist.

"Where are your friends?" She asked.

"They're busy elsewhere. Where are the rest of yours? It's a shame Zemo ran off; I've wanted to speak to him."

"What could you possibly need to talk to Zemo about?"

Stephan leaned over her to move poker chips on the board before settling his lips at her ear. "Did you fuck him yet?" He whispered with a tinge of anger.

Chanel didn't answer as she watched Andre walk away. She pushed Stephan's hands off her. "Come on, he's leaving."

"Who are we following?"

"If you don't know that, then why the hell are you here?"

Stephan gripped her arm tightly and yanked her back toward him. "Don't be a brat; answer my questions."

Despite herself, a shiver of desire shot down her spine, and she paused to fill him in.

"His name is Andre Black. I was after him in Paris. A friend of Sam's gave me some intel on the Power Broker, and his name was mentioned several times."

Stephan's features darkened at the mention of her Paris mission. The trip was worth it then; he would finally get to kill the man responsible for her near death.

Chanel spotted Andre in the casino's restaurant. When he saw her approaching, he sent away the rest of his party, smirking at her cockily.

Chanel sat across from him; Stephan pulled up a chair from another table, ignoring the protests of the table's occupants, and sat close to Andre.

"Chanel?" Andre's French-accented voice asked.

Chanel didn't answer. Instead, she pressed her gun firmly against his knee under the table.

"Nice to make your acquaintance. I would have killed Henri for his stupidity if you hadn't, but the rumors appear to be true; you are hard to kill," Andre said, unbothered by her silent threat. "And much more beautiful than I could have imagined." He firmly moved his hand over her leg and squeezed her thigh. Chanel didn't flinch, but Andre smirked in response to the growl that came out of Stephan's mouth.

"Who is this, your guard dog?" Andre barely glanced at Stephan and kept his hand on Chanel's thigh.

Stephan reached under the table and pulled his hand off her leg, quickly twisting it until the bones snapped. Andre's scream of pain drew the attention of his security team, who rushed to the table, guns drawn.

"Tell them to leave," Chanel said calmly as she moved her gun up to his crotch.

Andre nodded at his team, and they slowly retreated again.

"I have some questions for you."

Andre composed himself, trying to gain his power back. "What can I help you with, ma belle?"

"I'm looking for the Power Broker. Is that you?"

Andre raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"So the bitch sold me out," he muttered, barely audible. "Who sent you here?"

Chanel cocked her gun. "Are you the Power Broker? I won't ask again."

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but no, I am not."

"I don't believe you." Chanel pressed the gun harder into his flesh.

Andre's patience was wearing thin. He leaned forward with a growl and pushed her gun away. "You have no power here. Leave now while I still allow it. Otherwise, I might be inclined to do the Power Broker's work for her."

Chanel raised an eyebrow. "Her?"

Before Andre could answer, a loud pop reverberated around the restaurant causing the patrons to scream. Andre's face landed on the table with a loud thud, blood quickly pooling out and staining the white tablecloth.

"What the—?"

Stephan holstered his smoking gun and hauled her to her feet.

"We've got to go now."

"What's going on? Chanel!" Sam's voice blared through her earpiece.

"He's dead," Chanel managed to spurt out.

"Dead?!"

"Stephan. Stephan fucking shot him in the head." Chanel's brain caught up, and anger flooded her veins.

She heard Zemo's calm voice give instructions to Sam and Bucky, but she quit listening as she yanked her arm out of Stephan's grasp.

They were standing in the entryway of the casino. Surrounded by gilded decorations, chandeliers, and a poor doorman who tried once to scold them for yelling but quickly walked away when Stephan shot him a deadly glare.

"What the fuck were you thinking?!" Chanel screamed.

"Lower your voice," Stephan commanded. "What does it matter? He tried to have you killed. We need to go, now. I have a car outside."

He tried to pull her toward the door, but she resisted. He could easily make her, even before the serum, but he wouldn't stoop to that level.

He turned to her, a frustrated look on his face. He was so close to having her back.

"Come on Schatzi, don't be difficult, we're going home."

Chanel took a step away from him, now angry for a whole other reason.

"God, Stephan, you are fucking out of your mind! You came here and killed my only lead because you can't handle me fucking someone else?! And now you're trying to take me with you after I repeatedly told you that I don't want to go?!"

"So you did fuck him?!" Stephan had lost his composure now and was yelling back at her.

"No!" Chanel shouted exasperatedly. "No, I didn't! But you know what? I might! And you know what else? You know who I did fuck?" Chanel backed him against a wall, trying her best to wound him with her words and giving zero thought to the fact that the others could hear every word in their earpieces.

"The Winter Soldier. Several times now."

She knew this would piss Stephan off for several reasons. He always wanted to be the most dangerous one in the room; he wouldn't like the idea of her being with someone who had been significantly more deadly than he had been.

She smirked at the rage in his eyes and continued, not yet satisfied. "The high of fucking someone who could snap my neck without a second thought was more thrilling than anything I ever did with you."

That did it. Stephan could have killed her if he didn't love her so damn much. Their screaming match escalated significantly, and they didn't notice the patrons running out of the building or the police sirens that were growing closer.

Suddenly the air shot out of Chanel's lungs as Bucky hauled her over his shoulder and retreated before Stephan could even react.

"What the fuck Barnes?! Put me down!"

Bucky ignored her, quickly pushing through the crowd of people and around the building. He didn't put her down until he reached the ugliest yellow car that Chanel had ever seen.

In between the shiny Porsches and Maseratis, it looked like a clown car.

Sam sat behind the driver's seat, urgently waving Bucky forward.

Bucky dumped Chanel on the sidewalk and walked around the car to climb into the backseat.

Chanel smoothed out her dress, anger still roiling in her veins, before she got in the car and sat next to Bucky. Neither of them looked at each other, their arms crossed, and glares focused on their windows.

Sam pressed the gas and took off as quickly as the car could manage.

No one said anything for several minutes.

Chanel broke the silence. "What is the deal with this car, Sam?"

Zemo groaned, "don't bother. Of all the cars he could have stolen, this is the one he chose."

"Shut up, Zemo, you could use some humbling," Sam said. "So what happened? Was it him?"

"No, and I think he knew who it is, but Stephan didn't let me get to it. He used female pronouns, though."

"Intriguing. You really need to find a solution to this Stephan problem. As much as we all loved listening to that argument…it's not practical." Zemo met her eyes in the rearview mirror with an amused smile.

"Shit, you heard all of that?"

"That's how the earpieces work, Chanel." Sam rolled his eyes. "You two stay here while Zemo and I get our stuff from the hotel room."

Sam parked the car in an alley behind the hotel. Then he and Zemo calmly walked around the building to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

"Did you call him?" Bucky snapped.

"Of course not!" Chanel whipped her head in his direction. She shifted in her seat so that her body was facing him, resulting in the slit of her dress opening wide. "And don't manhandle me like that again. I can't believe you did that," Chanel seethed.

"I saved your ass." Bucky couldn't take his eyes off of her exposed flesh, pissing him off more. "Besides, I think you liked it."

Chanel was about to yell at him more when she noticed where his gaze was trained. She smirked, she didn't know what his problem was, but maybe she could fuck whatever it was out of his system.

"You know, I'm disappointed we won't be staying here. I was looking forward to you taking this dress off of me."

"I'm not in the mood, Chanel." Bucky shifted in his seat and turned to look out the window.

"Oh, you're not? So you don't want to hear about all of the things I've been thinking about doing to you?"

"No, I don't." Bucky swallowed thickly. Why was it so difficult to ignore her?

"Come on, Bucky, let me just tell you one, one thing."

Bucky didn't answer; he knew if he opened his mouth, it wouldn't give the correct response.

Chanel took his silence as a sign to continue. "I think you'd look real pretty tied up on my bed."

Bucky closed his eyes and tightened his jaw as he tried to ignore her. He didn't want this, didn't want her if he couldn't have all of her. But the quickly growing hardness in his slacks was difficult to ignore.

"Or maybe you'd like me tied up for you?"

Bucky groaned, and Chanel smiled wickedly. "That's what I thought. You'd like me at your mercy. Your little doll." Chanel paused and waited for his reaction to the nickname, he licked his lips, but his eyes remained closed. "You strike me as a good girl type. Do you want me to be your good girl, Bucky?" She cooed.

His eyes snapped open, and Chanel thought she might regret taunting him. Her usual sweet Bucky was nowhere in the dilated eyes that stared at her, half-filled with anger and half-filled with lust.

"Come here," he commanded gruffly.

Chanel had never moved faster than she did at that moment. Bucky lifted her onto his lap, her back flush against his chest.

"I told you that mouth was going to get you in trouble." His hand quickly slipped under her dress and drug over her wet folds. "I could fucking smell you as soon as you got in the car. You know what I think? I think you like being treated like shit. I think it turns you on," he taunted.

Chanel whimpered as she pushed her hips back against his erection. He was right, Stephan had worked her up, and this is what she needed, what she craved.

He didn't say anything else as he pushed her hips forward, and he took his thick member out of his pants, quickly shoving himself deep inside of her.

Chanel was surprised by the sudden stretch; she had really hit a nerve with him. Her face was pressed against the headrest of the driver's seat as he found an angle that worked in the small car.

"God, this car is disgusting. Why couldn't Sam have stolen a Lamborghini?"

"Please, you'd have spread your legs in any car."

"Bucky!" Chanel's shocked moan filled the car as he drove his hips up into her forcefully.

He bit and sucked on her skin, sure to leave bruises for everyone to see.

The little car rocked back and forth in the dark as Bucky increased his pace. Chanel's cheek was pressed against the headrest, her foundation smearing over the tan seat. She yelped when Bucky's hand came down swiftly across her ass.

Bucky groaned when the action made her clench around him. "Is that what you wanted?" He didn't wait for her answer before he did it again. He didn't know why he had even done it in the first place; he'd never done that before. It was like he was mad at the way her ass made him weak, made him succumb to her taunts. He couldn't get it out of his head.

"Fuck, Bucky, Jesus! More, give me more!"

Bucky pulled her back against his chest and lifted her leg up onto the driver's seat. She threw her head back against his shoulder and moaned loudly when he started circling her clit.

"Hurry up, doll, come for me; I can see Sam and Zemo coming this way."

Chanel whimpered and tried to relax; she was so close she could taste it.

Bucky was barely holding himself back, waiting on her. "I thought you were going to be a good girl for me," he growled in her ear. His vibranium hand tightened around her throat, and she came with a shout.

Bucky held her hips down as he found his own release with a string of expletives leaving his mouth.

They quickly separated and fixed their appearances as Zemo and Sam approached the vehicle. Sam knocked on Bucky's window.

"I was calling you. Zemo got a different car, come on."

"Sorry," Bucky mumbled as he climbed out of the car.

Chanel waited for him to open her door, and when he didn't, she frowned and then felt stupid. Why would he?

"Couldn't stand that car, could you?" Chanel laughed at Zemo as he settled himself behind the wheel of a sleek black Range Rover.

"I could not do one more second." Zemo smiled and then took off, heading to the airstrip where they had left the jet.

"So now, where are we heading?" Chanel asked.

"Torres just updated me," Sam answered. "Madani died in Riga, Latvia. It's not far from where the last attack was. I say we head there and see what we can find."

"I have a place we can go," Zemo offered.

"Of course you do," Sam sighed.

"Thank you, Zemo. You're our lifeline, it seems." Chanel narrowed her eyes at Sam's annoyed glance. It wouldn't kill him to be nice.

Chanel took a deep breath in preparation to breach the subject of Sharon's lies. She was even more convinced that Sharon was up to no good now.

"Sam, I think that Sharon is lying to us."

"Chanel, don't start." Sam pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Listen to her. She has a point," Zemo defended her to Sam's annoyance.

"As I was saying," Chanel huffed. "The woman she claimed to get the information from couldn't have given her that file. Zemo talked to her; she didn't know anything. Plus, it seems too coincidental that Andre's name just happened to be in the file, the only name I recognized. And Andre seemed pretty convinced the Power Broker is a woman."

"What are you trying to say, Chanel?"

"Right now? Just that she lied. I don't know why."

"We need all of the friends we can get right now," Bucky chimed in, "I don't think it's smart to antagonize everyone you meet."

"I have to agree," Sam shrugged his shoulders apologetically at Chanel's glare.

"Whatever," she mumbled and put her earphones in for the rest of the ride.

She was pissed off at herself and the stinging tears in her eyes. Why was she getting so emotional? Had she expected Bucky to back her up? Sure, but why was she fucking about to cry over it?

He didn't even kiss me in the car.

She thought it was hot in the moment, riling him up and letting him use her like that. But afterward when he still hadn't softened and barely looked at her…she didn't like it.

She wiped a tear off her cheek quickly as it slid past the frame of her sunglasses.

Bucky heard her faint sniffle and looked in her direction.

Is she crying?

Guilt twisted his stomach, and he chewed on his lip.

Should I say something?

Before he made up his mind, he caught a glimpse of Zemo's phone as he typed a quick message. Chanel's phone promptly buzzed, and she opened the message, a faint smile on her face. Bucky slyly read the text from Zemo.

Are you okay, draga?'

Chanel typed a quick response, her fingers sounding angry as they tapped against the screen.

Sam is irritating. Bucky is being an ass. I just need some space. Don't text & drive.

Bucky felt bad, but at the same time, their casual conversation just reminded him why he was upset with her in the first place. He retreated into himself and leaned against his window, ignoring her for the rest of the trip to the jet and the flight to Riga.

Riga was a pretty city, and if Chanel hadn't felt like she was slowly dying, she would have been more excited to be there.

Going 24 hours without alcohol should not be this hard.

She dragged behind the group, thinking about what kind of liquor Zemo might have at his home. She was tired of listening to them bicker anyway. It was always something; everything turned into a fight.

Chanel minded her business until she heard Zemo bring up what happened to his home country, cannibalized by its neighbors, and the memorial that now stood there. When Sam and Bucky didn't even respond, Chanel made a mental note to berate them about it later.

"We're here," Zemo announced as he ascended the steps to his home.

"I'm going to go on a walk." Bucky started to turn away from the group, heading back in the direction they had come from.

"You good?" Sam asked, shooting Chanel a concerned glance.

"Yeah. I'll see you guys in a bit."

Sam watched him walk away, and Chanel could see the concern on his face.

"Don't worry. You guys go get settled." She turned and caught up with Bucky.

"What are you doing?"

Bucky gave her an annoyed look. "I don't need you following me right now."

"What's that?" Chanel pointed to the small ball in his hand.

"Seriously, can you just go back to the house?" Bucky bent over to pick up another Kimoyo bead.

"No, Sam is concerned."

Bucky laughed dryly. "Right. Just stay right here."

Bucky turned down an alley and rolled his eyes when Chanel followed. Before he could tell her to leave again, Ayo appeared behind him, and Chanel's eyes went wide.

Bucky turned around, nervousness swirling in his stomach. "I was wondering when you were going to show up."

"I'm here for Zemo."

Ayo was speaking Wakandan, but Bucky seemed to understand everything she was saying. Chanel just watched in awe. She had only heard stories about Wakanda and the Dora Milaje. Sam had told her about his limited interactions with T'challa, and Chanel had been immediately obsessed. She constantly pestered Sam to become better friends with him so that they could visit the elusive country. The Dora Milaje were legends, and as someone who enjoyed fighting more than most, she had dreamt about watching the Dora in action. She knew her jaw was hanging open, but she couldn't pull herself together enough to close it.

Bucky was almost amused by how starstruck Chanel seemed to be as she shrunk back behind him. But Ayo was clearly unhappy. This was no time for amusement.

"With time, will, and resources, the Winter Soldier programming was removed from you like a rotten fur." Ayo's words were pointed and sharp, accusing.

"And I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for everything you and Shuri have done."

Chanel knew that the Wakandans had been the ones to help Bucky get his life back, but she was curious how exactly that worked. She was lost in her own thoughts as they continued to talk until she heard Bucky speak in Wakandan and her mouth popped open again in surprise.

"3 days, White Wolf. And then we come for him." Ayo gave Bucky a menacing glare and then stared at Chanel suspiciously before disappearing.

Bucky was already stalking away before Chanel could get any words out.

"White Wolf?" Chanel was on Bucky's heels, brimming with questions.

He ignored her, acting as if she wasn't there while he briskly walked back to Zemo's house. Before he could climb the steps, Chanel grabbed his jacket and forced him to look at her.

"What is your problem?!"

When Bucky didn't answer her, she continued.

"Is this about the other night at Sharon's? Because I thought we were on the same page. I'm just pretending with Zemo."

Bucky turned to give her a withering look. "I don't think you can tell the difference between who you're pretending to be and who you actually are."

Chanel balked. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Forget it. It doesn't matter. You clearly don't want me to know you, and you clearly don't want to know me."

"Bucky—" Chanel reached out for him again as he tried to turn away from her.

"No." He moved out of her reach. "You only wanted me because of the metal arm and who you think I am. You got the Winter Soldier. It's done. There's no need to keep pretending like you want anything else from me."

Chanel stood stunned on the sidewalk as Bucky turned away from her and entered Zemo's house.

What the fuck?

Chanel wracked her brain for what she had done or said to make Bucky say something like that.

Stephan. Shit.

Her needling of Stephan in the casino...she hadn't meant it like that. She was just trying to piss Stephan off.

But, no, he was acting weird before that.

She started shaking as angry tears pooled in her eyes.

And how dare he say shit like that to me. He doesn't fucking know me.

Fuck.

She needed a drink badly.

She composed herself and entered the house. It didn't look like much from the outside, but the inside was stunningly beautiful. The large entryway led into an expansive sitting room and kitchen. Stained glass windows let the sunshine light up the space. The ceiling was impossibly high, and Chanel had to crane her neck to look at the ornate railing of the second floor. She ran her hand over one of the marble columns supporting the second level in awe.

"Holy fuck, Zemo. This place is practically a palace."

Zemo grinned and waved her into the room. Chanel finally took in his appearance. Clearly, while she and Bucky were gone, he had taken a shower. He hadn't bothered to get dressed. The deep blue robe that was tied loosely around him matched the blue decor around the house. She tried not to stare too hard. That gold necklace was her fucking weakness, though. So much of his chest was exposed, and she literally had to close her eyes to stop staring.

When she opened them again and joined them in the kitchen, he was searching through the cabinets. He grinned when he found what he was looking for. A container of butter cookies.

"So, I heard you met a Dora." Sam poked Chanel's side to get her attention.

"I wouldn't say met. I stood there like a starstruck idiot while she talked to Barnes."

Bucky rolled his eyes at the use of his last name.

"I was worried you might have flown into a jealous rage again," Sam teased.

"I don't get jealous." Chanel elbowed him in the ribs, making him wince.

"They gave us 3 days before they come to take Zemo." Bucky walked out of the kitchen and sat on the L-shaped couch with a sigh.

"It was sweet of you to defend me," Zemo teased.

"Hey, you shut it. No one's defending you," Sam jumped in before Bucky could snap. "You killed Nagel."

"Do we really have to litigate what may or may not have happened?"

"There's nothing to litigate; you straight shot the man!"

Zemo shrugged and returned his attention to his cookies. Chanel was mesmerized when he balanced one on his finger; sticking the tip of his finger through the hole in the middle of the cookie. She followed it as he talked with his hands. She didn't hear their conversation anymore; her thoughts focused on not grabbing his wrist and devouring the cookie off his finger in one bite.

"Tell him, Chanel." Sam turned to Chanel, finding her not listening at all.

"What?" Chanel finally looked away from Zemo's hand and turned to Sam.

"Bucky doesn't know what a TT is; back me up here."

Chanel furrowed her eyebrows. "How long was I zoned out? Why are you talking about your aunt?"

"See! I told you!" Sam shouted. "Now, my point was that surely there will be some kind of gathering for Donya Madani. I bet Karli will be there."

"Good thinking. So your plan is still just to talk to her?" Chanel slumped against the counter, her body language screaming exhaustion. When Zemo offered her a cookie, she took it thankfully.

She smiled slightly when he went back to the cabinets and pulled out another tin. He tore into a piece of Turkish Delight.

Who knew that feared Helmut Zemo had such a sweet tooth?

"Pretty much," Sam sighed.

"I'll warn you again. The serum has corrupted her; you're seeing things in her that aren't there. She will not stop. She will escalate until you kill her. Or she kills you." Zemo genuinely sounded concerned.

"I have to agree with Zemo. You need to be careful. I don't think she would hesitate to kill you." Chanel chimed in.

"Maybe you're wrong, Zemo. The serum never corrupted Steve," Bucky challenged.

"Touché, but there's never been another Steve Rogers, has there?"

Chanel could feel another argument coming on, and she didn't have the strength to listen to it. "Zemo?"

He turned away from Bucky, quickly forgetting the conversation. "Yes, draga?"

"I'm falling asleep standing here."

"My apologies. Please, let me show you around. I assume you'll want to room with Sam again?"

"I guess. Maybe I should make you and Bucky room together, and I'll sleep by myself."

Sam shrugged, unbothered by the idea. "Whatever you want, but I'm not going to move out of the way if you try to sneak in during the night."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Bucky muttered to himself, but Chanel easily heard him.

She narrowed her eyes at him and stopped herself from saying something snarky back, instead following Zemo upstairs to find some peace.