Amelia could sleep for hours on end, but there was one main issue. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see him. She saw Andrew Edgington. She remembered what he had done to her. She swore that she could feel his hands on her, touching her and groping at her. She thrashed around, trying to get him off of her, but he finally got what he wanted, one hand holding her chin and making her face forwards. He made her look at Helmut who was still trapped in his cell. She had no other option but to meet his gaze and see the horror behind his façade. And then she would wake up.

She woke up twice from the nightmare, Bucky asking her if she was alright as she gathered her breath. On the second time, he leant forwards and handed her a bottle of water. He unscrewed the top of it and she managed to prop herself up to drink from it. He took it from her once she was finished and she flopped back onto her front, her back protesting as she tried to stretch her muscles.

"I should go," Amelia said to him, well aware that she was laid in the bed that he was paying for. He had slept in the armchair for the past two nights while Amelia had laid there, only moving to use the bathroom and even that she struggled to do on her own.

Bucky arched a brow at hearing her. "In the state you're in?"

"Well, I can hardly crash in your room for many more nights, can I?" she said to him. "Besides, I want to go home…back to England…I know it might not be the wisest idea, but I need to go home."

And Bucky understood it. She would feel safer back at home. He could comprehend that because he had felt that once before when he had a home. He nodded his head and leant back in the armchair he had angled towards the bed. Folding one leg over the other, he rested his hands on the arms of it and tried to work out the practicalities of getting her back home.

"Fine, I guess you might be able to get back if that butler of yours agrees to fly you."

Oeznik had been to see Amelia, telling Bucky to move to the side once he had opened the door. All manners had been forgone and Bucky found that ironic considering that he was a butler. But he was concerned only for Amelia. He had sat by her bedside and Bucky had left the room for a while, giving them privacy to talk. Oeznik had told her that the plane would be ready to take her home when she was ready to go back.

"He's not my butler."

"Fine, Zemo's just loaning him out to you," Bucky said, waving a nonchalant hand in her direction. "But how are you going to cope when you get back to England? You're in no fit state to drive back home…you're refusing to go to a hospital-"

"-Because they'll only ask questions," Amelia interrupted him. They'd had this discussion as well, but she was stubborn. She was more stubborn than he had initially thought. "And the answers that I have aren't going to do anything other than land me in a jail cell."

"It was self-defence," Bucky said to her and she looked at him sceptically, her cheek burrowing further into the pillow and her hair fanning out behind her. Her curls were now limp, her hair feeling heavy and greasy. She longed to do nothing more than shower, but she couldn't, not with her bandages and wounds.

"I shot him, Barnes," she said. "You saw me shoot him when he was defenceless."

"I'd back up your story," Bucky told her. "I mean, I'd be lying and God only knows why I'd be bother to lie for you after what you've done, but what I saw down there…I think my conscience wouldn't be too bothered by lying."

"You don't need to lie for me because I'm not going to the hospital," Amelia said.

"Then how are you going to cope at home on your own?" he enquired from her. "Because every time you try to move you're almost crying in pain, despite being full of painkillers."

"I'll manage," Amelia told him and Bucky shook his head.

"No, you won't," he responded, "but…I'm willing to make a compromise."

Amelia was puzzled then. What was he talking about making a compromise? He sat up straight and prepared to put his idea forward, wondering how she would take it. It felt strange, he wasn't going to deny that. It felt odd to even propose such a thing, but he still wanted answers from her, but he wasn't going to push her for them after what had happened to her.

"I'll come back with you," he said to her. "But I want answers from you about what happened with HYDRA."

"So you're going to play nurse for me and I'm going to pay you by telling you everything that happened?" Amelia checked with him. "You know that I was going to tell you anyway, right? I mean, you don't need to come back with me…I hardly even know you. No, scratch that. I don't know you. I've met you twice, Barnes."

"And now you're sleeping in my bed after I helped save your life," he said to her. She knew he had a point on that. "Nothing about this situation is normal, so just accept the help because I've got nothing else to do and I get the feeling that you'd be better off not on your own."

She didn't want to admit that he was right on that point. She didn't exactly want to be on her own after what had happened and, for some reason, she seemed to trust the man sat next to her. What reason did she have not to trust him?

"Fine," she relented to him. "But you are under no obligation to look after me."

"Yeah, I know that," he promised her and saw her begin to try and sit up. He moved to help her, a hand going to her arm until she was perched on the edge of the bed, legs dangling off the side of it. Her upper body was bare except for the tight bandage wrapped all the way around her. She wore loose pyjama bottoms that certainly weren't hers, but she didn't mention that. The drawstrings kept them tight around her waist and she only hoped it was the doctor who had put her into them.

"Why do you want to help?" Amelia asked from him. "I've done nothing to warrant you helping me."

"Perhaps not," Bucky agreed on that point. "But I'm not a bad person and right now, I think you need someone because you have no one. You're on your own and at this moment in time, you shouldn't be…plus I still want those answers."

"You'll get them," she said. "Let me call Oeznik. I'll tell him that we're ready to go."

Bucky nodded and she reached for the phone as he began wondering just what he was going to find out from her when she finally did open up to him.

The flight to England had been long and tiresome. Amelia had sat up straight on the plane chair, not putting any pressure on her back. Oeznik had fussed around her when she had gone to lay down on the small couch at the back, draping a blanket over her. He made sure she ate and drank, acting like a kindly uncle to her. He was quite tender towards her and Bucky couldn't deny that. He seemed almost reluctant letting Amelia go with Bucky, but she promised him that she would be fine, pecking him on the cheek when they had landed in Norfolk.

A car was waiting for them and Bucky held the back door open, allowing Amelia to sit in it. She sat on the edge the entire time, any sudden jolt causing her pain and making her squirm. Bucky picked up on the reaction from looking in the rear-view mirror. He was in awe of her house when they arrived, picking out her house keys from her satchel and stepping inside. He left their bags in the hallway as Amelia moved through the large open planned space that was a double height with a dangling light all the way from the ceiling.

Amelia looked around her kitchen as Bucky stood in the doorway and watched her. "It's been five years since I was last here," Amelia informed Bucky, looking out of the large bifold doors onto the rolling hillside. "But nothing's changed…it's exactly how I left it."

"It's quite something," Bucky told her.

"Yeah." Amelia agreed.

She turned to look to him and she knew that she looked a mess. She had managed to shrug into a loose fitting blouse and jogging pants for the journey home. She had kicked off her trainers as soon as she had gotten into the house. Plus, she still needed to wash her hair.

"So, there's a guest room that you're welcome to," Amelia said and began moving back to the doorway, bypassing Bucky who simply followed her out into the open hallway. She climbed the stairs slowly and Bucky kept two steps behind her. "It has its own bathroom, but I'll need to put fresh sheets on the bed and I'm not sure if there's any toiletries in there either."

"I can sort all of that," Bucky said to her, but she was already opening the door to a cupboard in the hallway. It was a small storage cupboard with several shelves containing neatly folded linen. Amelia tried to reach for the top shelf, arm stretching above her head. She instantly winced as she made the movement and Bucky saw her double over in pain.

"I told you that I can sort that," Bucky responded and he was hovering behind her in an instant, an arm going around her waist beneath the bandage as she took deep breaths and tried to compose herself. "Come on, just sit down and relax."

Guiding her into her bedroom, she didn't complain as he urged her to sit on the edge of her bed. He looked around the room, noting three framed photos on her drawers. There was one of her with a man underneath the Eiffel Tower, both of them beaming at each other. Another was of an elderly woman, Amelia crouched down next to her in her wheelchair and smiling widely. The other was of Amelia with a man and a woman, dressed in a cap and gown with them flanking her.

"I'm fine," Amelia assured him, looking to him and nodding her head. "I'm alright."

"Do you need your painkillers?"

"I can get them-"

"-Just stay there," Bucky interrupted her and moved to his feet. "They're in your suitcase downstairs. I'll fetch them and a glass of water. Just don't move."

She had no chance to protest before Bucky had ran off again and left her in her room. Even that was exactly as she had left it, all the way from the book that she had left half read to the sweatshirt she had left on her ottoman at the end of her bed. Nothing looked any different, but Amelia knew better than that. Everything was different. She felt completely different too. She moved to her feet and wandered over to the full-length mirror. She'd avoided looking at herself the entire journey back to Norfolk, but she knew she had to see herself. From the front, she looked exactly like she had done before. She looked like the same Amelia. But she didn't feel like it. She felt so different. She took a moment to inhale a sharp breath before she unbuttoned her blouse and managed to let it fall from her shoulders.

She had to change her bandage anyway. She needed to clean the wound and ensure the bandage was tight. She had to do this eventually. She would have to see the extent of the damage sooner rather than later.

"What are you doing?"

Bucky had moved back into the room and had settled her box of pills onto her dressing table with a glass of water alongside it. Pulling his leather jacket from his body, he draped it on the end of her bed and then stood with his hands on his hips, crumpling the grey top he wore.

"I just want to see how bad it is," Amelia said. "And I have to do it sooner rather than later because these bandages need changing."

Bucky nodded once. She had a point there. "I'll give you some privacy. Just shout when you need the bandages and I'll bring your suitcase up."

She inclined her head and Bucky left her alone in the room. He stood outside of the door, closing the wooden frame until it clicked in the lock. He didn't go far, loitering in the hallway and walking up and down the wooden floor, his boots gently thudding against it. He placed his hands behind his back and looked out the window at the end of the hall, noticing how the clouds had rolled in, the skies darkening over the horizon.

He could hear her grunting from in the room, the noises clearly indicating that she was struggling. He didn't know what to do for the best. Should he ignore her and just give her privacy? Or did she need help? It took him a moment before he got up the courage to knock on her door once more.

"Amelia, do you need help?" he wondered.

It was another moment before there was a strangled 'yes' from the room. Opening the door, he stepped into the room and tried to avert his eyes as best as he could. She had the bandage halfway down her back, but was struggling to reach behind her to unravel it any further.

"What do you need?" Bucky questioned.

"Can you just…pass it back to me…from my back?" she asked him and he nodded his head. He stood behind her and looked to the floor as she began to unravel it and he moved it from her back as she took it from the front. Finally, it was gone. Bucky screwed it up as Amelia folded her arms across her chest, doing her best to protect her modesty. He turned around instantly and tossed the bandage into the bin in the corner. Amelia watched him keep his back to her and she looked over her shoulder into the mirror, arms still covering her chest.

She gasped at the sight, tears forming in her eyes once more and her breath coming out in short pants. The skin was raised and red, swollen and cut. The blood had dried and the wounds were gaping. They ran almost the entire length of her back shaped like a ladder and she was struggling to look away, despite how horrible she was finding the sight. Bucky didn't want to turn back to face her, not wanting to intrude on her while she was in a state of undress.

"It's horrible," Amelia whispered. She knew she was being vain. She knew she was concerned with surface level looks, but she couldn't help it. She felt like Andrew had taken so much from her. "How…it's…"

"Can I turn back around?" Bucky wondered.

"Yeah," Amelia managed to agree and she turned so that her back was to him and she moved away from the mirror, not wanting to look at them for any longer. Bucky let his eyes move to her back and his gaze drank in the marks as Amelia kept her arms crossed over her front. She looked so vulnerable and small. She reminded Bucky of a doll that was broken.

"They'll heal, Amelia," Bucky promised her.

"No, they won't," Amelia responded. "They'll turn into scars and will always be there…reminding me of what he did to me as if I needed a reminder."

"Hey, look at me," Bucky said and she turned her head over her shoulder, her gaze meeting his as he kept his distance from her. "You're stronger than him. You survived him. You survived him and you're strong enough not to let him ruin your life. Look at this," he said, indicating to his vibranium arm. "This is a permanent reminder of what happened to me, of what I was forced to do, but I'm not letting it ruin my life or define me…not anymore."

Bucky watched her as she looked to his arm and he found that he hadn't even bothered to hide it from her once. It was almost as though it didn't bother her in the slightest.

"And I'm not going to sit here and tell you I understand what you're going through because I know what he did to you…it's…I can't even imagine," Bucky said, mouth drying out and Amelia lowered her gaze to the floor at hearing him say that. "But you are stronger than him. You can't let him win."

Amelia gulped and her gaze moved back up to meet his. "Did you take a course in motivational speeches?" she wondered from him and he couldn't stop himself from allowing a small smile to form on his lips as he saw her own lips arch and he nodded.

"I had a best friend who was pretty good at making them," he told her. "And there you go, see? You're going to be able to move on from this, I promise you."

Amelia nodded, knowing that. She knew it, but she just knew it would take time. "Can you help me with the bandages, please?"

And that was the first time she had actively asked him for help. He muttered a 'yeah' and went to her case. Fishing the bandages out, he grabbed the antiseptic cream and asked her if she wanted him to apply it. She agreed and he felt her wince under his touch, his fingers slightly cold as he ensured the wounds were clean. He helped her with the bandages once again and made sure they were tight around her midriff before noticing her looking in the mirror again, pulling a face.

"I need to wash my hair," she complained.

"You do that and I'll change the bedding," Bucky said.

"You're not finding this weird?" Amelia asked from him, turning to look at him once more. He nodded his head, agreeing with her on that point.

"Oh yeah," he said. "This is totally weird, but I've been in weirder situations."

"I can imagine," Amelia said with a nod of her head. "But…thank you…for everything."

"You're welcome."

Bucky watched her disappear into the bedroom and he wondered just exactly what was going on in his own mind. It seemed almost like a mystery.

Amelia had managed, awkwardly, to wash her hair over the sink and had washed her body from the water she had pooled in the sink. She'd changed into a baggy Fleetwood Mac concert t-shirt she had from her time in university. Pulling her joggers onto her legs, she managed not to wince too much as she left the material hanging on her hips. She'd gone back downstairs with her hair damp down her back and found Bucky in the kitchen, sipping on a glass of water.

She told him that she would order them something to eat considering there was no food. They'd made awkward, but polite, conversation over the pizza Amelia had ordered before Bucky went upstairs to freshen up. Amelia had gone onto the patio and sank down onto the sofa there. She folded her legs underneath her body and kept her back straight, not letting herself rest back and put pressure on it. She held a glass of whiskey in her hands. It was the same whiskey Helmut drank. She always kept a bottle in the house just in case.

"Should you be drinking that while on medication?" Bucky wondered from her.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I'll be fine," she told him and he sat down at the other end of the sofa. "Besides, I think I'll need it if I'm going to tell you everything."

Bucky shook his head. "You don't need to do this tonight."

"Yeah, I do," she replied. "I owe you this much after what you've done…and then you'll be free of me."

Bucky didn't want to deter her from telling the story, but he didn't want to push her. It was almost night time, the air turning cold and he was amazed she wasn't getting chilly with her still damp hair and short sleeved concert t-shirt. He had to admit that he had Googled Fleetwood Mac as soon as he had gone upstairs.

"I lost everything in Sokovia," she began. "I had a fiancé there. We'd met in Paris…it was kind of a whirlwind romance, really. We moved quickly. One minute we were dating and then the next we were engaged. It was his birthday and I'd organised this party for him. I'd invited his friends…and my parents had flown to Sokovia especially for the party. I was due to fly out, but things…my job…it could be intense."

Bucky remained still, sat on edge and watching her as she sipped on the whiskey once more.

"I missed my first flight and couldn't pick my parents up from the airport. Lukas went for them…he is…was…my fiancé," Amelia explained. "I should have been with them when it happened. I should have died with them, but I was too concerned about staying at work. There was some big deal about to go through and there was this meeting…no phones allowed…we had to brainstorm the best way to sell the company to the client. I came out of that meeting and saw the news before I grabbed my phone."

Amelia knew that her old phone was lost. She had no idea where it was. "They'd left me voicemails, asking me to get over there as soon as possible before it happened…and then…there were just messages of them telling me how much they loved me. I had to listen to my mum and dad cry down the phone and tell me how proud they were of me…how I was everything to them…and then I had to listen to Lukas…God…" Amelia trailed off. She could still remember his voice. She could remember him fighting the tears to declare how much he loved her, how his life had been nothing but better since he had asked her for a phone charger that one morning in Paris.

"I was filled with so much hatred," Amelia whispered, admitting it openly. "I hated myself for even allowing my parents to go to Sokovia. I blamed myself, but I knew who was really at fault…the Avengers…they came to Sokovia. They claimed to have saved it, but they didn't. They completely destroyed it. Families were ripped apart…people died…and they just went home. They went home as if nothing had ever happened to live their lives. They just left us to pick up the pieces."

"They felt guilty, Amelia…you need to know that."

"Them feeling guilty doesn't bring my family back, does it?"

"Neither does seeking revenge," he replied.

Amelia bit her tongue at that, not wanting to admit that he had a point. And so she continued with her story instead. "Either way, I wanted them to hurt. I wanted them to feel just a fraction of what I felt…we felt," Amelia clarified. "Helmut wanted the same thing too. He'd lost his wife and son. He was Lukas's best friend and we…we worked together for over a year to get it."

He continued watching her intently.

"We learned everything about HYDRA that we could and knew that they were dangerous. There were scientists trying to make more super soldiers and we knew what could happen if they succeeded. Can you imagine? An army of enhanced individuals…what damage they could do? We'd already seen the damage the Avengers did to Washington…New York…Sokovia…we didn't want anyone else to go through that. Plus, there was the fact that HYDRA weren't likely to use the serum for good. They'd use it to create more of you, no offence."

"None taken," he assured her on that point.

"We found the scientists and dealt with them one by one," Amelia said, taking another sip of whiskey again.

"Dealt with?" he questioned her choice of words.

"Killed," Amelia said simply and Bucky continued to eye her with caution. The woman in front of him didn't look like a killer. But Bucky knew that looks could be deceiving. "We killed them before they could do any damage…me and him…but ultimately, our goal was splitting the Avengers up. We found Karpov and that book of his. It was only then when Helmut went rogue."

"But you still went after him."

"To try and stop him from making any more mistakes," Amelia said, swirling the whiskey in her glass around slowly. "We knew that something had happened to the Starks and HYDRA had been involved…and you…we read that you had been woken up the night before they had been killed. And then we found out that Stark had recreated the serum but it wasn't any good. We just needed evidence that you had been the one to kill the Starks so we could tell Tony…we knew he'd never forgive you and we knew that Captain America would never abandon you. That was how we would rip them apart."

"By using me," Bucky said.

"It wasn't supposed to go as far as it did," Amelia said to him with a shake of her head. "The UN…Helmut using you…I didn't agree with any of that. In fact, I felt sorry for you. I'd read about what HYDRA had done to you and I felt so sorry for you."

"But you still went ahead with your plan."

"It was never anything personal," Amelia assured him, but she doubted it was reassuring in the slightest. "I just wanted to send the evidence to Stark…make him turn his back on the others…split everyone up…what happened in Siberia wasn't what I planned."

"But it was what he had planned."

"He went his own way," Amelia said, remembering that all too well. She could still remember their final night together in Cleveland as if it was yesterday. "He lied to me and went off on his own. Helmut…he was even more hellbent on getting revenge than I was and I couldn't stop him."

"He killed innocent people."

"I know," Amelia said. "I know what he did. I don't need a reminder."

"But you still love him?" Bucky questioned her even further.

She looked down, eyes flashing with tears and set on the dwindling whiskey in her cup. "Yes," she admitted to Bucky openly. "I want to hate him. I want to despise him for everything, but I can't… I know that nothing excuses what he did…but that doesn't mean that I don't love him. I just wish things had been different. I wish that he had just stayed in Cleveland with me."

"What happened in Cleveland?"

"Nothing."

"You said that you would tell me everything."

"Barnes, believe me, I have told you everything, but what happened in Cleveland isn't something that I want to talk about with you," she said and looked him in the eye. He was about to challenge her, but he didn't bother. He could see that it was personal. And so he left it.

"You lied to him," Bucky said suddenly and Amelia sipped on her drink again. "You lied to him on the phone and you lied to Oeznik…told him you were fine…didn't mention the scars…what happened."

"Because Oeznik would tell Helmut and Helmut would then just sit and stew in that prison cell. There's nothing he can do and I don't want him to worry about me or blame himself."

"And was it not his fault?"

"What?"

"Well, would you have ever gone after William Edgington if it wasn't for him?"

"Don't you get it?" Amelia asked from him. "I willingly went with Helmut. I chose to go with him. He never forced me to do anything I didn't want to. On the contrary, he often tried to stop me going with him because he was worried it was too dangerous. So don't do that, Barnes. Don't blame him for anything that has happened to me."

Bucky was quiet then as her tone turned even sterner as she finished talking to him. Nodding once, he silently promised her that he was going to leave it alone.

"William Edgington would have killed me if I didn't kill him," Amelia said. "His brother…he wanted revenge…found out who I was…and he'd been plotting it for weeks. He moved into my apartment block and wormed his way into my life. I never saw him for who he was…but then the Blip happened and I disappeared before he could have his revenge, but he got it eventually. He tracked me down and he got it."

She gulped back the last of the whiskey and closed her eyes for a moment. "Perhaps this is my penance."

"What?"

"After everything I've done," she said. "I'm hardly a good person."

"No one deserved what happened to you," Bucky said. "And don't ever think that way again. No man should do what he did to you…no matter what you've done…you didn't deserve that."

Amelia nodded once, placing her glass down on the table in front of her. "So now you know," Amelia said to him. "You know why we did what we did. You don't need to stay with me any longer. Feel free to get a good night's sleep and then I can help you search for flights."

"Yeah," Bucky agreed weakly with her and she moved to her feet.

He watched her walk away, taking her glass with her and leaving it by the sink. He knew that he wouldn't sleep that night. He was going to struggle not to have a nightmare and he didn't need to wake her up with one of those. He sat outside for a while longer before making his way into the house. He poured himself a glass of whiskey from the bottle she had left on the worktop and wandered through the open planned kitchen. It felt almost like a show home as opposed to a place that was lived in. Everything almost seemed too perfect.

He went into the living room at the front of the house that was more like a snug. There was an l-shaped grey, fabric sofa sat across from a log burner. A coffee table was on a fluffy grey rug with a coaster on each corner. Sitting down on the couch, Bucky turned the reading lamp on that hung over the edge of the seat. He noted a book on the arm and picked it up. It was an Austen. It looked battered, pages of it folded over the spine creased. He opened it up and noted how some pages felt loose.

Amelia didn't entirely strike him as a fan of Austen. She was hardly the hopeless romantic type. Then again, perhaps she was if she still had feelings for a murdering Baron. Bucky began to read the book, knowing that he wouldn't get to sleep anyway. He kept glancing at the clock on the wall sporadically. It was only when he heard a loud scream did he note the time. It was three in the morning.

Dropping the book to the side, he stood up and moved through the house towards the noise of the yells. They were definitely coming from Amelia's bedroom. He took off up the steps and didn't pause before entering her room. But there was no one there. It was just her in her bed. Her duvet had fallen down to her waist. She was laid on her front, an arm pressed underneath her body and the other fisting into her pillow. Her face was contorted and she was gasping for breath.

"No…get off me…let him go…Helmut…"

It was obviously a nightmare and Bucky was relieved for a moment that she wasn't in any danger. He took a moment to inhale a sharp breath before he moved closer to the bed. He was able to make her face out in the darkness, grateful for that. He bent down by the side of the bed and moved a hand to her shoulder. He knew he shouldn't wake her. He was taught never to wake someone from a nightmare, but he didn't know if he believed that. There were times when he wished someone would wake him from his.

"Amelia," he spoke her name. "Amelia…come on, wake up."

He continued to shake her until her eyes opened wide. She didn't sit up or move, just laid still. Her eyes adjusted to the dark and she saw Bucky crouched by her bedside, his hand moving from her shoulder and sitting on top of her duvet.

"You were screaming," Bucky explained the reasoning why he was in her room.

She nodded once, clearly becoming more coherent as time passed. She struggled to sit up, pushing herself into a kneeling position on the bed. Tucking her hair behind her ears, she remained knelt there. She said nothing, trying to shake the nightmare that she'd had. She didn't want to think about it. But it was all she could think about.

"What was I screaming?" Amelia wondered.

"I…it doesn't matter," Bucky promised her, turning on her bedside lamp considering her eyes had adjusted to the room.

"Barnes, just tell me," she urged from him. She wanted to know how much he had heard and if he was able to work out what she had been dreaming about.

"You told someone to let go of you…and to let go of him…you mentioned Zemo's name," Bucky said and Amelia nodded. "Listen, it's none of my business what happened in the nightmare. You don't need to explain anything to me, but…you're not the only one who has nightmares. I know how hard it can be to sleep when you're scared of what you might see."

Amelia turned her gaze onto him. He was looking down to the ground. Hesitantly, he picked himself up and sat down on the edge of the bed. Leaning forwards, his back was to her as she remained knelt on the centre of the mattress. He began to talk, his voice low and almost sounding fragile.

"I remember everything that I did when I go to sleep," Bucky said. "I see the faces of people who I killed…who I hurt. I see them all and I remember exactly what I did. It kills me to know that was me."

"But that wasn't you," Amelia whispered. "You never had a choice over what you did."

"Still doesn't make it any easier," Bucky said. "So the nightmares…I get it, alright? I get not being able to sleep."

"You know, you're not a bad person," Amelia said to him and he turned his head over his shoulder to look back to her. She was looking down onto the sheet covering her mattress, focusing on the white material of it instead of looking at Bucky. "What you did as the Winter Soldier wasn't your fault…and if you were a bad person then you would never have bothered with helping me, but you did."

"I just did what was right," Bucky told her. "Just like the Avengers did all those years ago. They just did what they thought was right."

She peered back over to him and shook her head. "They were dangerous…and while they had good intentions, they still hurt people. People still died because of them and you're not going to make me see it any other way."

"Worth a shot," he shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm not known for being easy to persuade."

"I'm getting that," he said and he saw her lips arch for a moment. "Listen, try and get some more sleep."

"Doubt that's going to happen now," Amelia retorted and made a move to stand up, her back aching as she moved and Bucky stood up, hovering around her and seeing her trying not to wince in pain. "What were you doing up so late anyway?"

"I couldn't sleep," Bucky said. "I was reading a book downstairs. I think it's one of yours."

"Which one?"

"Emma," he said and Amelia's face flashed with a happy kind of sadness as she remembered her favourite book. More than that, she remembered Helmut had been reading it when she had first visited him.

"Yeah, that's mine," she confirmed to him and he could only watch as she seemed to move in a daze through her room, her mind clearly elsewhere. He didn't need to ask her to guess where that was.

...

A/N: So no Zemo in this chapter, but he'll be back imminently. We're going to be moving onto the show very soon! Would love to know your thoughts in the meantime, though!