Amelia could feel the chill in the air as soon as the door to the plane opened once they had landed in Sokovia. She had handed Oeznik his coat back, insisting that she could hardly take it with her. He had protested, but Helmut had wrapped her up in his own fur collared coat, helping her slip her good arm into it and then leaving it over her shoulder once more. She knew she looked a mess, well aware of the fact that she should probably still be in hospital.

"I have arranged for clean clothes to be delivered to your hotel room," Oeznik informed the pair of them as they stood by the door, prepared to go. But Helmut knew that this was the last time he would see his old friend. "A car is waiting for you here. I will return to Latvia and pick up Ms Baker's bag considering it contains her passport…house keys…phone."

"You're a life saver, Oeznik," Amelia said and she kissed him on the cheek.

His lips arched and he exchanged a soft gaze with her. "Anything for you, Ms Baker," he promised her, his veiny hand moving to take hold of one of hers, squeezing it firmly in his grip. She kept her lips arched and tried not to cry as she had done for the entire journey. She had struggled to stop herself from sobbing at the thought that she might not see Helmut again after this. The next time she was on this plane it was likely that he would not be with her.

"Oeznik, can you please return Amelia back to England when the time is right tomorrow?" Helmut queried.

It was still dark outside, the sun not having broken over the horizon. It felt strange to be checking into a hotel while it was still so early, but they had the room for the entire day. Helmut had told Amelia that he could give her that so that they could sort everything out between them.

"Of course, sir," Oeznik responded.

"And look after her for me," Helmut said, clasping a hand onto his friend's shoulder while Amelia rolled her eyes, clinging tightly to the coat that was far too big for her. "I know that she doesn't need anyone to look after her, but for my sake."

"I promise," Oeznik said and tears started to form in the old man's eyes. "And you are certain this is it? You are certain that this has to be goodbye?"

Helmut didn't want it to be. He would much prefer for this not to be goodbye. But he couldn't do anything else. He knew that this was the way it had to be. He took a moment to compose himself and then nodded firmly. He was wavering sometimes, wondering if he could outsmart the Dora Milaje, Captain America and James Buchanan Barnes. But running away had never been his plan.

"I am certain," Helmut retorted. "Take care, old friend."

Helmut wrapped his arms around Oeznik, embracing the man tightly. He could feel his butler clinging onto him, hands on his back and not wanting to drop away. But Helmut was the one making the first move. His gaze met Oeznik's and he nodded firmly to him, silently promising him that everything was going to be fine. He would see to it that it was.

"Goodbye, Oeznik," Helmut said.

"Goodbye, sir," Oeznik replied.

Helmut moved to the doorway of the plane before Oeznik sobbed openly in front of him. He moved his hand to Amelia's back, fingers pressing into the small of it. He guided her forwards and down the steps. Opening the back door to the car, Helmut let her climb in first before he followed. Glancing back to the plane, he saw Oeznik stood there and he managed a soft smile for him before telling the driver they were ready.

Lowering his gaze to his lap, his hands laced together, fiddling idly. He continued drumming his thumbs against his knuckles before he felt Amelia's hand move to sit over both of his. He picked his gaze up and towards her. She could only manage a sad smile before he allowed his hands to hold hers up to his lips, kissing her knuckles tenderly. He set their entwined limbs back down on his lap and they lapsed into silence together for the remainder of the journey.

"She escaped."

Sam knew that Bucky was annoyed. It was clear as day. After what had happened with Walker, both of them were still on edge. They had the shield back after fighting with Walker in an abandoned warehouse following him killing a member of the Flag Smashers in cold blood. In a way, Bucky could maybe understand how Walker had felt. If someone had dared to kill Steve like Hoskins had been killed then he would want revenge. He was human and revenge was an emotion that was only normal. But he knew that it never led to peace. Plus, Walker had killed an innocent boy. He hadn't been the one to kill Hoskins.

They had gone back to the hospital together after the fight and changing, both of them bloodied and bruised. They looked like they did need medical attention, but they had suffered worse. Sam was carrying the shield by his side as Bucky spoke to the receptionist who informed him what had happened. He spoke fluent Latvian, often wondering how he remembered speaking other languages after the Winter Soldier programme had been wiped from him.

"How?" Sam asked. "She was hardly in any fit state to escape."

"The nurse looked at the CCTV tapes and said that an old man had left with her. I would imagine, based on her description, it was Zemo's butler."

"So he sent his butler to do his dirty work?"

"He could hardly show his face here, could he?" Bucky responded and the nurse behind the desk called over to him once more. He moved over to her desk and she handed him a clear bag. It contained all of Amelia's clothes from the night before. She clearly thought that he would want them and, in a sense, he did.

He took the bag, thanking her and holding it firm in his grip before he noted the brown envelope inside of it.

"What's that?" Sam wondered as Bucky peered into it and reached for it.

Tugging it out, he opened it and pushed his fingers inside. Sam's eyes widened as he pulled out a large ring with a glimmering emerald stone on a gold band. Bucky looked down to it. "Her engagement ring," he said. "She never takes it off."

"Probably had to take it off when they gave her an x-ray or some other scan?" Sam suggested to Bucky and he nodded. He imagined that was what had happened too. It was another moment before he composed himself and remembered when he had held onto the ring for her in Madripoor.

"Probably," he agreed weakly and placed the ring into the inside pocket of his jacket, keeping it there for safe keeping.

"You're going to go find them, aren't you?" Sam said.

Bucky didn't respond. He didn't need to respond. It should be pretty obvious that was his only plan now. He didn't care about the bruise on his cheek or the fact his lip was cut. He didn't care that his ribs ached from where Walker had launched himself at him. He only cared about finding the criminal on the run and the woman who had willingly gone with him.

"Be careful," was all Sam could say as Bucky shot him one last look and left the hospital, prepared to find the two of them.

"Should you have taken that off?"

Amelia was stood in the middle of the suite with her arms dangling by her side, sling long gone and discarded. She was trying to move her shoulder, knowing that she had to keep exercising it so that it didn't stiffen up.

"The doctor told me to keep it on only for a day or so," Amelia said. "Well…that's what Bucky said. He translated for me when we were in hospital. Besides, it feels fine so long as I don't lift anything heavy."

"I cannot see you being required to do that while we are here," Helmut informed her and she nodded.

She had left his coat sat on the chaise longue at the end of the bed, the sling discarded in the bin. She was looking in the mirror, her good hand moving to her injured shoulder and touching it. Helmut was perched on the end of the bed, holding a glass of whiskey in his hands. He was bent forwards slightly, his gaze trained on Amelia and watching her intently.

"Does it hurt?" he questioned.

"Not much," she said to him. "I think it is more just like a dull ache than anything else."

"Do you need any painkillers?"

"No," Amelia said to him, turning to look back to him. "I don't need anything, maybe just a hot bath or shower because I look an absolute mess."

Helmut's lips arched. "You could never look a mess."

"You know that you don't need to flatter me, Helmut, I'm pretty much here with you…don't need to charm me anymore."

"Hardly charming you if I am stating the truth," Helmut responded, taking another sip of his drink. He placed it down on the coaster on the bedside table. Standing up, he moved towards her, seeing how she had flushed red from the compliment. His own lips arched in amusement at the sight.

Moving his finger to her chin, he tilted her head back and kissed her chastely, forehead resting against hers once he had pulled back. "I'll run you a bath."

"I can do it."

"I want to," he responded.

Amelia let him go into the bathroom then, not bothering to argue. She paced around the suite, hearing the running of water from the bathroom next door. The room was modest compared to some of the ones they'd stayed in before, but it was still nicer than most places she was used to. The carpets were still plush and the artwork expensive. There was a giant TV on the wall across from the bed that Amelia had almost sunk into as soon as she had perched on the side of it.

It was a few minutes after Helmut had gone into the bathroom did she move into it, seeing him stood over the tub, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He had a hand running through the water, stirring up the bubbles that had foamed up.

"Do you think you can give me a hand with this?" Amelia wondered from him.

He nodded, turning the water off once he was certain it was deep enough in the free-standing tub. He moved over to her and swept her hair over her shoulder so that it hung down her chest. His fingers tugged at the buttons on the back of the hospital gown, loosening them and letting the material part around her. She shrugged it off her and Helmut did his best not to let his gaze roam too much, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

"Don't go," she said, grabbing his wrist as he began to leave. Her hand ran up his arm, dancing along his shoulder until she had curled her fingers around his neck. "Please?"

"You're sure about this?" he asked her, knowing full well that if he didn't go then he knew what it would lead to.

"If this is the last day together then I just want it to be how it used to be…like when we were living in Norfolk…just us."

"I don't want to hurt you anymore, Amelia."

"Don't worry about me," she said to him and he chuckled.

"You think I can't?" he asked her.

"I know you can't, but I'll be fine. I'm not expecting you to change your mind, Helmut. I know it is made up that whatever you do, I'm not coming with you. But that doesn't mean that I won't stop trying...but right now...I just want it to be us. We hardly have any time and I don't want to spend it worrying or you concerned about me."

Helmut nodded his head once as she stood on her toes and he knew her intention. He craned his neck downwards so that she didn't have to strain and her lips met his once more.

Amelia had felt like a prune after they had left the bathtub. It was only when the water had turned cold, the bubbles gone, did they abandon it. Moving back to the bedroom, Amelia had slipped into a fluffy white robe with Helmut's help, her hair damp down her back. He had grabbed his own robe and pushed his own locks back from his face, cheeks slightly red from the warmth of the bathtub. She had asked him if he wanted anything to eat and he suggested that they get room service. As soon as it had been delivered, Amelia had let the man in, Helmut hiding in the bathroom for safe measure. He pushed the trolley in between the bed and the dresser, Amelia tipping him and thanking him for bringing the food. That was how they found themselves sat on the bed, food in between them. Helmut had the pillows propped up against the headboard, legs stretched in front of him. Amelia sat to the other side, legs crossed beneath her. She picked at a fry, popping it into her mouth.

"You know that he will be there tomorrow, don't you?" Helmut asked from Amelia.

She nodded. She knew.

"Yeah," she agreed weakly with him. But she didn't know if she was prepared to see Bucky again. Either way, it was going to happen. She was going to come face to face with him.

"And you know what I expect him to do."

"I suspect, arrest you," Amelia said, placing another fry into her mouth. "Even though you said you had no intention of going back to that cell so I am not sure why you are letting him do this."

"He won't arrest me," Helmut said with a soft shake of his head, picking up a fry and admitting that it did taste quite good. He had given Amelia free rein over choosing whatever they were eating. He doubted he'd have picked burgers and fries. "I suspect he might actually kill me."

Amelia choked on the bite she had taken. Coughing into her fist, she shook her head. "No," she said to him. "He won't."

"There is still some of the Winter Soldier inside of him," Helmut said to her. "And I have seen that numerous times over the past week. There is a darkness in him, just like there is a darkness in all of us, and I imagine that it would be for the best if he did kill me. Do not hold it against him."

Amelia's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" she demanded from him. "You think that I wouldn't hold it against him."

"Amelia, I am ready for it," Helmut promised her. "I cannot live the life I want…the people I love have either died or I cannot be with…there is nothing more. I almost wish for the sweet relief of death as opposed to a lifetime of solitude with my own thoughts."

"Helmut," Amelia could only whisper his name, looking down. He looked over to her and realised that there were more tears on the way. But he didn't want that, not for tonight. He moved the plates to the side so that he was able to lean across to her, hand stroking her cheek softly.

"What did you say to me earlier? You wanted to forget everything for a night."

"It's hard to do that when you tell me that you want Bucky to kill you," Amelia said back to him dryly. He nodded once. He suspected that she had a point on that. It was another moment or two before he moved to kiss her, his lips pressing to hers gently and she let him but didn't reciprocate, uncertain if she could.

He moved back after a moment. "What did you think I was going to do, Amelia? Tell me."

"I…I was hoping you would change your mind," she confessed to him and he smiled sadly at that, thumb running along her cheekbone softly. "I wondered if I could change your mind tonight and convince you to go…get away from here…but Bucky…he won't do that, Helmut. He isn't like that anymore. Trust me."

"I do trust you, but I see inside of him that the Winter Soldier is still there," Helmut retorted to her and she continued to shake her head. She didn't believe him. She couldn't believe him because all she had seen had been goodness inside of Bucky.

"You're wrong," Amelia said to him firmly.

"We shall see tomorrow," he told her. "But I suspect it would be for the best if you stay here."

"No," she answered without a moment's hesitation.

Helmut sighed, hand dropping from her cheek. "I just want to make this easier for both of us."

"And I am not leaving you until I have to or until I've changed your mind," Amelia retorted. "So you're stuck with me, do you understand that?"

"Why did I have to fall in love with such a stubborn woman?" Helmut grunted, flopping onto his back on the mattress, head perched on the pillow. Amelia looked down to him and she wondered if he realised what he had just said to her. She brushed her hair behind her ear and hesitantly shifted on the bed, feeling her backside growing numb from sitting too long.

"You…do you know what you just said?" Amelia asked as the silence grew heavy around them.

"I'm aware," he said to her, the words also weighing heavy on his mind.

Amelia shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "You know, you've never said it to me before," she said to him.

"I wrote it in my letter."

Amelia scoffed and shook her head. "I am not counting that."

He propped himself up onto his elbows so that he could look at her. His brow arched on his forehead and he tilted his head. "Why would you not?"

"Because it was a quote from a book," she said to him.

"It described all that I wanted to say."

"But you never said it to me before, did you?" Amelia retorted. "Stealing Austen's work isn't genuine."

"Then you want to hear it from me directly? Is that it? You want me to whisper sweet nothings to you? Make a grand romantic speech? Because I can't do that, Amelia. It's not who I am and it's not what I do…the quote explained that, I felt."

"I don't want grand romantic gestures," Amelia told him. "I just want you to tell me how you feel, that's all, in your own words."

Helmut flopped back to the bed once more. "I'm not very good with words."

She scoffed. "It's never been an issue before," she responded and then wondered if she was asking too much from him. She moved to stand up and picked up the plates from the edge of the bed. Placing them down on the trolley, she busied herself with tidying up. Helmut watched her, once again propped up on his elbows. He sighed and then realised that this would be the last chance he had to try and tell her what he felt.

"Come here," he said to her.

She looked at him, clearly unamused. "Did you forget your manners?"

"I'm a Baron, I was raised with impeccable manners," he retorted and she rolled her eyes. "Now, come here."

"No."

Helmut grunted lowly and shook his head. "You never make things easy," he complained.

Moving to his feet, he walked across to her and grabbed her by the wrist as he sat down on the chaise longue. He was delicate with her, not wanting to aggravate her shoulder. He pulled her down so that was straddling his lap. She didn't complain as she remained perched here, her hands on his forearms as he held her waist.

"Telling you how I feel isn't easy because for a long time I fought against what I felt," he admitted to her and Amelia was quiet, biting down on her tongue so that she fought any urge she had to interrupt. "I felt as though I was betraying Heike by falling for someone else because she was the only one for me. Her and Carl were my world and they were snatched from me. I felt bitter and resentful. I didn't feel anything else for such a long time until I got close to you…and you were right…sleeping together perhaps wasn't a wise idea. It led to feelings, like we knew it would."

He lifted one hand up to her shoulder, running along it and letting his fingers sit against her neck softly. "And spending time with you…I laughed again…I smiled again…I never thought that would happen, but it did. It was because of you. I fell in love again because of you, Amelia. You mean so much to me and I don't know how to tell you that…I don't know how to express it…because it wouldn't be enough. Nothing I say or do would be enough to explain how much I care for you…because you, Amelia Baker, have been everything to me."

She moved then, her lips latching onto his. She kissed him frantically, not wanting to let him go as she clung onto his forearms and her lips moved over his hastily. A hand tangled into her hair at the back of her head, keeping her pressed to him as his other arm wrapped tighter around her waist. He closed his eyes, trying to remember this moment and make it last for as long as possible. But they needed air eventually. He kept his forehead pressed to hers as he spoke, waiting for her to open her eyes before he said those words he had withheld from her for so long.

"I love you, Amelia," he said and a sad smile formed on her face. She nodded, hand going to stroke along his cheek.

"I love you too," she said to him and moved to kiss him once more, both of them feeling content for a few more fleeting hours.

Standing at the memorial, Amelia was amazed that Helmut had agreed to let her come. She had half expected him to leave her or find a way to lock her in the hotel room. But he hadn't. She had stuck to his side during the entire journey. There was no one at the memorial. It was eerie. The wind had dropped and the sun was shining low in the sky. Amelia pulled at the blue winter coat she wore over her jeans and jumper. Her hand snuck into her pockets as Helmut stepped forwards and spent a few moments reflecting on his own.

Stepping back, he fell into line with Amelia and she looked up to him. "You alright?" she asked him.

"Yes," he promised her.

"You know that it's not too late, don't you? We can go…Oeznik can take you somewhere else."

Helmut's lips arched and he shook his head. "Even now, you are still not giving up on me."

"Would you give up on me?"

"Never."

"There we go then," Amelia said to him and she peered up at him as he continued to stare at the statue before them, gaze clearly clouded over as a sad smile remained on his face. "Helmut, there has to be another way."

"No, there isn't," Helmut said to her. "And you know that. Besides, we are certainly out of time now."

She wondered what he was talking about before she saw him. He had snuck up on them, his footsteps quiet and his breathing shallow. But he was there. Standing to the side of them, Amelia saw that he had a bruise on his cheek and he was wearing a navy winter coat, the collar stood up and against his neck. Amelia moved around Helmut, almost as though she could protect him.

"Bucky," she said his name.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be," Bucky urged from her, voice harsh and strained as his gaze met hers and she chewed the inside of her cheek. "You ran away when I told you not to."

"You practically locked me in a hotel room."

"For your own good."

"I know what is for my own good, Bucky," Amelia retorted.

He scoffed. "Clearly not," he retorted back to her and she bit down on her tongue, not snapping back at his comment.

"She knows what is coming," Helmut said, turning to look at Bucky over the top of Amelia's head. He moved a hand to her wrist, running his finger up and down it soothingly. "I confess, I had expected you here sooner."

Bucky didn't reply to him.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of killing you."

Bucky's tone was dry as he responded to Helmut. "Imagine my relief."

As if Helmut could kill him. But Bucky was everything he despised. He was a super soldier, but the fact was that he was different to the others. He was almost unique, in a sense. Helmut moved around Amelia, standing in front of her.

"The girl has been radicalised beyond salvation. I warned Sam but he didn't listen to me. He's as stubborn as Steve Rogers before him," Helmut said. "But you…they literally programmed you to kill. James, do what needs to be done. Karli has people everywhere and there is only one way to make sure you cannot continue her mission."

"Helmut," Amelia whispered his name and he looked to her, shaking her head slowly. "That's not him."

Bucky looked to her as the two runaways exchanged glances between each other. Was this Amelia sticking up for him? Bucky tried to keep his face neutral, not wanting to show any emotion. She had faith in him. She had faith in him when sometimes he doubted himself. Swallowing back a lump in his throat, Bucky moved his hand to his pocket, feeling the gun there.

"I appreciate the advice, but we're going to do it our own way," Bucky said.

Helmut chuckled once dryly and then looked down. "Yeah, I was afraid you would say that," he confessed. "Then do what needs to be done now."

And Bucky pulled the gun from his pocket. Amelia's eyes widened as she saw it and watched him hold it by his side. Shaking her head, she looked to Bucky and began to step forwards, but Helmut grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her from advancing towards him.

"I told him you would never do this," Amelia snapped at Bucky. "This isn't you. You're not a killer…not like us…please, Bucky, just let him go. Let him go and you'll never hear from him again…either of us."

"Amelia," Helmut said, turning her to face him. She tried to push away, but his grip was far too tight. The tears were now filling her eyes, blurring him in her vision as she shook her head, refusing to accept this. "It's alright…it's all alright…"

"No!" she snapped at him, hand pressing to his chest. "No, it's not alright."

"Yes, it is," Helmut retorted. "I'm okay. Trust me, I'm okay."

He moved a hand to her cheek and stroked it softly, keeping both of them faced to the side. He tried to distract her, keeping her gaze away from Bucky as he raised the gun and he kept her close to him. He turned his head to the side as Amelia tried to pull Helmut away, but he wasn't moving anywhere. And she couldn't get to Bucky because Helmut had kept her in her place.

"Look after her," Helmut demanded from James. "I know you care for her."

Bucky only nodded once as Helmut offered him a small nod back. He told him that he was ready and Amelia shook her head, still shouting loudly as Bucky kept his gun aimed at Helmut.

"Bucky," Amelia blabbered, but he pulled the trigger anyway.

There was nothing. There was no noise of a gunshot. Helmut flinched, prepared for it as Amelia shouted once more. But then she saw that Bucky had lifted his vibranium arm up. Bullets fell to the floor, clattering around him and Helmut realised then that Amelia had been right all along. He was a changed man. A realisation came over Helmut's face before a look of sorrow.

"What the hell?" Amelia demanded from Bucky.

But before they could say anymore, three women dressed in red marched from behind them, surrounding Helmut. Amelia had never seen the Dora Milaje before, but Bucky had told her all about them when he had stayed in Wakanda. And just like that, Amelia knew there was no escaping now. They'd missed their chance.

"I hold no grudges for what you thought you had to do," Helmut told Bucky, realising what was coming for him. His heart sank and he wondered if he should have just done it himself; if he should have taken his own gun and pulled the trigger himself. But he hadn't. He truly thought that Bucky would do it. Either way, there was no running now. "I also took the liberty of crossing my name off the list. I see you crossed Amelia's off already."

Still, Bucky remained silent as Amelia tried not to cry loudly. Her sniffs were the only noise they heard in the still clearing. Helmut turned to look to her, not caring that he had an audience. Another woman had joined Bucky, standing by his side and Helmut recognised her as the one who had spoken to him that day they had come for him in Latvia.

"Why did you not just run?" Amelia demanded from him.

"Because running without you would be futile," Helmut confessed to her. "You know that this is it now, don't you? You know that this is goodbye."

"You said that before," Amelia reminded him, hand moving to sit against his chest as he nodded down to her, picking his hand up and tucking her hair behind her ear, well aware that the Dora were growing restless by the way he felt their glares at the back of his head.

"But I think this time it is true," Helmut responded. "We stole some more time together…but that's all it was…stolen."

"I don't even know what to say," Amelia responded. Words were failing her.

"Well, that is a first," Helmut said and she looked up at him, wondering how his lips could be arched in an amused smirk. But before she had a chance to say anything, he bent down and kissed her, knowing that he had to be quick. But he needed to. The movement was swift and gentle, Amelia longing to deepen the kiss, but he pulled back from her once more, not wanting to get in any deeper than he already had. He brushed his lips by her ear and whispered so that only she could hear. "I do love you."

"I love you too," she whispered back and he stepped away from her, the warmth of him leaving her, the smell of his cologne becoming weaker. He stood between the three women once more as Amelia bit her tongue, focusing on the pain of that instead of the pain in her chest.

"Goodbye, James," Helmut said to the man across from them who had remained stoic. And then he looked to Amelia once more. "Goodbye, Amelia."

Amelia could only meet his gaze, trying to blink away the tears before Helmut began walking forwards and away from her. She watched as he turned his head over his shoulder, glancing back to her and she said nothing, the lump in her throat seeming to swell in size before he looked back to the aircraft that had landed silently on the edge of the clearing.

"We will take him to the Raft," the woman next to Bucky spoke. "Where he will live out the rest of his days."

Bucky nodded, agreeing with that. But then he saw Amelia begin to take a step forwards and towards where Helmut was going. He moved quickly towards her, grabbing hold of her by the arm and halting her in her movements. She tried to pull away from him, but he was refusing to let her go.

"Don't make this worse," he urged from her. "Amelia, don't make any of this worse."

"How can it be worse?" Amelia demanded to know from him, but she stopped her worming around.

"You should make yourself scarce in Wakanda for a while, White Wolf," the woman said to Bucky, already moving away and towards the aircraft.

"Fair enough," Bucky called back to her. "But I might have a favour to ask."

Amelia managed to push Bucky from her and she began walking away once Helmut was out of sight. Sighing, Bucky scratched the back of his head and looked to Okoye as she glanced at the back of Amelia. She arched a sceptical brow.

"Perhaps it would be best if we get in touch with you?" she suggested.

"Thanks," Bucky said and he began to chase after Amelia as she moved towards the main road where they had left the car. She pulled the keys from her pocket and unlocked it, knowing that she was in no fit state to drive.

"Amelia, wait," Bucky called out to her, but she ignored him. She opened the driver's door, but Bucky was behind her in a second, closing it before she could climb in. She turned around, pressed up against the car and Bucky.

"What the hell was that?" she snapped at him, her hand hitting at his shoulder. It didn't move him or hurt him and he remained where he was. "Why did you even pretend to do that? Did you know what I thought?"

"I had to prove him wrong," Bucky said. "It was the only way."

"By pretending to shoot him?" Amelia snarled. "Do you…I told him that you weren't that man and I thought you weren't until you did that!"

"And now you do?"

"No. Now I think that you're just an asshole," Amelia snapped loudly.

"I would never have shot him. You know that my plan was always to bring him in and I did. I did what had to be done and he's back where he belongs. And I know that you hate me right now. You hate me for coming after him and I understand that, but I did the right thing. Deep down you know that. Deep down you know that I did what had to be done."

Amelia was silent, mainly because she knew he was right. She knew that this was the right thing, but it didn't make it any easier.

"I need you to move," Amelia said to him. "I have to go."

"Amelia, don't run away."

"I'm going home," she retorted.

"You're in no fit state to drive."

"I'm fine," Amelia snapped at him loudly. "I just need you to move."

"Let me drive you-"

"-Bucky, no," Amelia interrupted him. "Just leave me alone."

"I will drive you to the airport and then leave you alone, but I am not letting you get behind the wheel of a car two day's after you dislocated your shoulder and might have had concussion," he said, his voice stern. He snatched the car keys from her and she didn't even protest this time. She simply moved to the passenger side and climbed in silently, slamming the door behind her. She did her seatbelt up as Bucky pushed the driver's chair back to give his legs more room. Placing the keys into the ignition, he let the car's engine hum before he moved his hand into his pocket.

Pulling out the ring, he handed it to Amelia. She took it hesitantly and slipped it onto her finger. "You left it at the hospital," Bucky said.

She nodded her head, looking at her engagement ring before folding her hands into her laps. Bucky put the car into gear and set off. He was halfway down the road before she spoke.

"Thank you for bringing it back," she managed to choke out.

"You're welcome," he replied, turning to look to her.

He didn't make anymore conversation with her as he noted her cheeks were tinted red and stained with tears. She was looking out of the window. His grip on the wheel grew tighter and he wondered if she would ever be able to look at him like she used to again.

A/N: So...as you can tell we are definitely coming to the end of the story now! Just a couple of chapters to wrap things up. Thanks so much to guest, micrographia (thanks for catching up!) and ArtemisLuna85 for reviewing the previous chapter. Would love to know what you think!