Once Amelia had managed to bundle Bucky into the kitchen, she had flicked the switch to the kettle. Her mother had constantly told her that nothing serious could be discussed without it being over a cup of hot tea. She busied herself preparing it, placing the teabags into the mugs and pulling the milk out ready. Bucky was perched on the stool at the breakfast bar, his gaze constantly fleeting down to her stomach as he watched her move around.

"You never called ahead to tell me you were coming," Amelia commented, unable to stand the silence. She had to find a way to fill it somehow. Bucky nodded his head solemnly once.

"It was a spur of the moment thing," he defended himself.

Amelia arched a brow and looked to him, folding her arms and letting them sit on top of her stomach. "It's a nine hour flight, Bucky, it's not a spur of the moment thing," she responded to him and he shrugged.

"I guess I just wanted to come and I was worried what you might say. We didn't exactly leave things off great, did we?"

Amelia bit down on her bottom lip. He had a point there. Things hadn't exactly been friendly between them, despite the fact she knew that Bucky had done what he had told her he would do. She couldn't really blame him, despite being particularly angry with him. It was another moment before she composed herself and the kettle boiled. She poured the hot water in and left the tea to brew, standing on the other side of the breakfast bar from him.

"I didn't enjoy leaving it like that," she said to him and he could see the honesty in her gaze. She almost looked upset with herself. "You're my friend and deep down I know you did the right thing, even if I hated it."

"But I understand why you were angry," Bucky assured her. "You love him and I know that. I understand it…I just wish things were different."

"So do I," Amelia said to him with a nod of her head. "But they're not and we are where we are. We just need to try and move forwards, but I know you have questions."

"Yeah," he said, voice a gasp of disbelief while he looked down to her stomach one more time. She added the milk to the tea and removed the teabags, dropping them straight into the bin. She slid Bucky's across to him and she took the seat at the end of the bar, leaving a stool in between them. Holding the mug in her fingertips, she grasped it tightly and waited for the questions to begin.

"Go on," she urged him.

"Well, I mean I have questions, but I don't know where to start," Bucky said to her and her lips arched wryly. He scratched the back of his head as his other hand held the handle to the mug that was sat on the breakfast bar. "I guess the most obvious question is…I mean…it's his, isn't it?"

"Yes," Amelia answered with a nod of her head.

"When?"

"I can't be certain. It was either that night in Madripoor or the night in Sokovia," she replied. Bucky nodded thoughtfully. He knew about the night in Madripoor. He had practically seen the two of them at it. But then they had been together in Sokovia. Bucky should have known. What else would she have been doing with him?

"And clearly you weren't…well…"

"Careful?" she suggested the word for him and he gave a nod. "No, clearly not. I thought that I had been. I had the pill with me…but it's not always a hundred percent effective and I can't admit to taking it regularly."

"And when did you find out you were pregnant?"

"About three or four weeks after I got back," Amelia replied. "I started feeling sick in the morning. At first I guessed that it must be food poisoning, but then there were other things. I took a test and it confirmed it."

"And the baby…I…well," Bucky turned awkward, peering into the depths of the milky tea as he wondered if he should ask her the question that was praying on his mind now. He inhaled a deep breath and then peered over to her through his lashes. "You always told me you never wanted kids," he said, hoping that would lead onto the answer he was looking for.

"That wasn't a question," Amelia commented.

"You know what the question is."

Sighing, she nodded. She knew exactly what the question was. Blowing the steam from the top of her mug, she sipped on the warm liquid, letting it burn the back of her throat before placing it back onto the black worktop. She held the mug with both hands and looked into it, both of them clearly struggling with eye contact.

"I didn't want kids," Amelia said. She had openly admitted that. "They were never a part of my plan and I admit that. This has all been a massive mistake. I know that. I did book an appointment at the hospital…early on…when I thought that I didn't want this. I went to talk about an abortion and decided that it was the only way forward. What do I know about raising a kid? And Helmut…he's not going to be around…it's been bad enough having the press call me his whore. The sexism and misogyny I can handle. Can you imagine what they would do if they found out I was pregnant? I didn't want to think of it and I didn't want to do this."

"Then what changed?"

"I had the appointment all booked," Amelia said to him. "I was going to go through with it, but then I'd lay awake at night…I'd hold my stomach and think about how there was something growing there…and I wondered if it would be a boy or girl. I wondered how it might feel to hold my own child…and I know this is going to sound ridiculous because the baby inside of me hasn't even fully formed yet. It's about the size of a grapefruit or some other fruit or vegetable, but I just loved it."

Bucky watched her as she smiled, dropping a hand to sit on top of her stomach. She looked down to it and continued talking. "I told myself I was just being hormonal and that I needed to be practical. I went to the appointment and they gave me these pills. They just sat there next to the glass of water and no matter what I did, I couldn't take them. I didn't want to take them. The nurse could see I was hesitant. She told me that I didn't need to rush into any decision and that I could take my time. And I did. I didn't want to do it. I walked out of there and never made an appointment to go back."

Bucky continued to watch her stroke at her stomach before sipping on his tea now that it had cooled down. He kept the mug in his hands and placed one foot on the bar of the stool in between them. "And you're happy with that decision?"

"I made the right decision for me, I guess," Amelia said to him. "I'm scared…absolutely terrified…because I'm doing this on my own. I don't have anyone with me to teach me how to do the right thing."

Bucky shook his head quickly. "You're not on your own," he said without even thinking.

There was silence once more between the two of them. Amelia looked away, almost feeling guilty at his words. Bucky looked to the ceiling and pondered on them himself. He didn't have the first idea about how to look after a baby. Did she also think that this was his way of trying to inject himself into her life?

"What I'm saying is that if you need help, you know I'll help you," Bucky clarified and Amelia looked to him gratefully then.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "But we both know that it might be for the best if that's not the case. I don't want to see you hurt, Bucky."

He shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "I can handle it," he promised her, but he didn't know if he was telling the truth. "We were friends once before, right? What's to stop us from still being friends?"

"I don't want to give you any false hope or you hurt yourself by staying here," Amelia said and Bucky's lips arched at hearing her. Even now, she was concerned for him. "Because I really do care about you."

"I know," Bucky said to her with a knowing nod of his head. And he did know that. "And if it gets too much for me then I will keep my distance, but right now I get that you must be nervous. You're six months pregnant, live out in the middle of nowhere…we don't need to discuss feelings or anything like that. We can just be friends and if you want me to stay then I will. I'd probably feel better if I did."

"You're such a worrier," Amelia said, her smile back on her face. He chuckled at that, but he didn't disagree with her. He was, in fact, a worrier, but only when it came to her it seemed.

"Yeah, so just let me worry," Bucky retorted. "So…what have the doctors said so far?"

Amelia slipped down from her stool, confident that the awkward parts of their conversation were finished. She went to the cupboard and pulled out a packet of cookies. Opening them, she chewed down on the end of one before leaving them on the breakfast bar. Bucky helped himself to one, noting that they were the brand that he always bought when he had been staying with her.

"Everything seems to be coming along nicely," Amelia informed him. "I've told them that I don't want to know if it's a boy or a girl. I'd prefer to keep it a secret. I have the picture from the scan if you want to see it?"

"Sure."

Amelia moved to her bag that she had flung on the kitchen worktop. Diving into her purse, she pulled out the small picture they had given her. Handing it to Bucky, she let him peer onto it, brow creased and eyebrows scrunched up. She chuckled at the sight of him.

"Yeah, it took me a while to work everything out…but that's the head," she pointed out to him over the top of the image and he nodded, finally able to see the resemblance of a body.

"Hard to believe that's growing inside of you."

"You're telling me," Amelia replied and he set the photograph down. "But I have cleared out my office and made it into a nursery. I just had to put the desk and bookcases in the guest room."

"You've done the nursery? Should you be lifting heavy objects?"

"I'm pregnant, not completely incapacitated," Amelia deadpanned with him. "Come on, I'll show you."

He climbed from the stool and followed her up the stairs, walking a few paces behind her as he noted some new artwork pieces hung up along the staircase. Coming to the nursery door, Amelia turned the handle and stepped inside, her feet sinking in the plush new grey carpet she'd had fitted there. Bucky followed her in, hands in the pockets of the black jacket he wore. Looking around, he whistled lowly at the sight of it.

"Very fancy," he commented.

"You think?" Amelia wondered back, moving around the room.

"It looks nice."

The walls were a soft yellow colour and the furniture all matched, all the way from the dresser to the crib. The covers on the crib were plush and there were stuffed animals in the corner of the room, a mobile hung over the crib. It looked like a typical nursery.

"Some of this must have cost a fortune," Bucky commented, noting the nursing chair in the corner.

Amelia shrugged. "I guess I'm lucky enough not to need to think about it," she admitted, not ready to tell Bucky about what Helmut had done. But he was the elephant in the room and Amelia only hoped that Bucky wasn't going to bring him up. But she should have known better.

Bucky ran a hand over the changing table and looked outside the window over the driveway and rolling hills before him. And then he finally asked her the last question he had been too nervous to ask.

"Does he know?"

Biting down on her tongue, Amelia sat down on the stool that came with the nursing chair. She clasped her hands together and shook her head. "No," she admitted to Bucky.

He nodded thoughtfully. "Do you want to tell him?"

"I don't know," she confessed. "He…there was this time in Madrid when we were working together and just sleeping together…and I worried that I might be pregnant because my period was late. He wasn't exactly thrilled when he found out, but nor was I. We weren't together and there weren't feelings involved like there has been after that."

"You think he'd be angry?"

"No," Amelia said, knowing the kind of man Helmut was. "I don't think he'd be angry, but I just think that he'd be sad. He had a child taken from him before and now…if he finds out I'm pregnant with his child…what good would it do? It would only hurt him because there is no chance for him to be a part of its life, no matter what happens. I can't have him sitting in the Raft and thinking about me raising his child."

"Because he'd have wanted to be involved?"

"I don't know," Amelia said. "I mean, yes, probably, because this is Helmut we are talking about. He would have stood by my decision and if we hadn't worked out then I can't see him wanting to abandon his child. It's not who he is. I don't know if I can tell him and see the look of hurt on his face."

Bucky nodded, understanding what she was telling him. But a part of him wondered if she was making a mistake not doing that. He bit down on his tongue for a moment and folded his arms over his chest, glancing to the ceiling. Amelia noted his look and let out an exasperated breath, her own hands folded together on her thighs.

"What?" she asked from him.

"Nothing," he responded and Amelia cocked her head.

"Tell me the truth," she urged from him.

He sighed himself then and leant against the crib, toying with the mobile above it. "You know that I'm not Zemo's number one fan, don't you?" he said and she scoffed, giving him a look as if to say 'really?' She could have worked that out without him saying anything to her. "Yeah, of course you know," Bucky said, spinning the mobile once more. "But…I know that in his own way he does care for you and I know that he's not going to be able to do anything to help you raise this child, but if I was him…I think I'd want to know."

Amelia was apprehensive to respond then. Glancing at Bucky, she tried to work out if he was being entirely honest with her. But the look on his face told her that he was being serious. "You would really want to know? Even though you can never do anything with the information? The chances of him meeting this child…playing a role in its life…Bucky, we both know it's not possible. Isn't ignorance bliss? Isn't that what they say?"

"But is it?" Bucky retorted. "And don't tell me you don't want him to know. You two were as thick as thieves at one stage."

"Of course I want him to know," Amelia said. "But I want him to know and be free…able to do something with the information. This just feels too much."

"Well, you can take your time to think about it if you want," Bucky said to her. "And…I'm not saying that I can do this for definite, but I might be able to get you in to see him, if you really want to see him."

"How would you do that?"

"I know Captain America, Amelia, I think he might be able to pull a few strings," he said, his lips curving upwards and Amelia also smiled back to him. Bucky pushed himself away from the crib and crouched down in front of her, balancing with ease.

"Thank you," Amelia said and he shrugged.

"It's what friends are for, right?" he checked and she nodded, her own smile seeming to grow on her face.

"I watched everything that happened with The Flag Smashers and Karli," Amelia said to him. "You saved a lot of lives that night."

He shrugged, not used to being the saviour. "Just did what I had to do."

Amelia shook her head. "You could have sat back, but you didn't. You stepped up and helped those people in that burning van. It was admirable and you had plenty of people in awe of you…and the worst part was that all I wanted was for you to get away from them."

Bucky's brows knitted together. "Why?" he questioned her.

"Because you were risking yourself. You were putting yourself in harm's way and I didn't want to see you hurt…even though I know who you are and that you are more than capable of looking after yourself."

Bucky moved a hand to sit on top of hers, squeezing it firmly. "I'm sorry I didn't really respond to your voicemails. I should have said more…come sooner."

"But you're here now," Amelia said. "And that's the important thing. We're okay, aren't we?"

He continued to smile at her, moving his thumb over her knuckles. "We're okay," he promised her.

Amelia wasn't sure if she was making the right decision. But Bucky had told her that time was running out. Eventually she would be too far along in her pregnancy to risk flying. And so she had told him that she would do it. She would go and see Helmut. It had taken weeks for Bucky to call in favours, asking Sam for his help. Initially, there had been reluctance, but Amelia had then tried to call in Helmut's lawyers and the legal pressure coupled with the pressure from the new Captain America caused the relevant authorities to relent. The journey to the Raft was long and exhausting. Amelia had almost felt sick when she had seen the jail emerge from the sea. This was where they were keeping him. He was in the middle of nowhere.

Quickly brushing away a tear before it fell and Bucky noticed it, Amelia kept her hand by her cheek. She could hear blood pounding into her ears, her heart beat quick and her leg bouncing up and down nervously. Her other hand sat on her stomach as she wondered exactly what Helmut was going to say when he saw her. As the helicopter descended, Amelia watched as the sun slowly set over the horizon, the waves high and vicious against the Raft. Once they were on the ground, Bucky took the lead, greeting the man in charge of the facility. Amelia was happy for him to take charge, unsure if she could even speak.

Bucky climbed from the helicopter as the man continued talking to him. Bucky held his hand out, helping Amelia down and making sure she was alright. They followed the man inside, the howling of the wind disappearing once the door was closed. Amelia ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back from where it had blown into her face.

They were talked through security procedures and searched. Amelia left her bag in a locker, leaving her phone and keys with it from her pocket. But then the security guard found the photo in her pocket.

"No," Amelia said quickly as the woman's eyes peered down onto it. "I just…he…it's for him. There's nothing harmful on it."

"You can't give the prisoner anything," the woman responded.

"It's just a scan. That's it," Amelia said, hand going to her stomach and the woman's gaze dropped down to Amelia's hand. She almost looked sorry for her. "Please, just check it if you have to and then give it to him."

The woman looked to the man in charge who shrugged, seemingly indicating that they could do that. She sighed and nodded, relenting to Amelia's request. Bucky walked by her side for the remainder of the journey to the interview room where they were going to bring Helmut to.

"You're not to touch the prisoner or reach for him," the man continued dictating the rules to them. "We will be behind a screen watching the entire time and he will be restrained to the floor and the table."

Amelia shook her head behind his back. Was this all necessary? It was the question she wanted to ask. Helmut was no threat to her. But he was locked away on the most secure jail on the Earth. Opening the door to the interview room, Amelia looked around it. There were mirrors on each wall, no doubt one of them let them watch in on the conversation. There was a steel table in the middle of the room with two chairs either side of it. On one side there were steel rings where handcuffs went and on the other there was a plastic cup of water.

"You going to be alright?" Bucky asked from her and she turned to look to him.

"Yeah," she promised him.

"Take a seat, Ms Baker. We'll bring him in soon," the man informed her and Amelia took a seat.

Bucky gave her a reaffirming nod before the glass door slid closed, leaving her alone in the room. Shifting on the seat that was slightly too small for her, Amelia found herself to be rather uncomfortable. She couldn't fold one leg over the other due to her stomach and so she just leant back, wondering if Helmut would notice it while she was sat down. Nervously, she tossed her hair back from her face and then drummed her fingers against the surface of the table. She was feeling particularly impatient, just wanting to see Helmut. She wanted to tell him and see how he reacted, just to make sure everything was going to be alright.

It seemed like forever for the door to hiss open once more. Amelia's eyes shot up and she looked directly across to it. Her stomach churned and her chest ached as soon as she saw him. He was being escorted by four guards, his hands handcuffed and linked to his ankles that were also cuffed, ensuring he only just shuffled forwards. He was wearing a blue shirt and blue trousers, a long grey top underneath his shirt, the ends of it poking out from the short sleeves. He looked even worse than he had done when Amelia had visited him in Berlin.

They walked him to the table and his gaze met Amelia's all of the way, not once looking away from her. He let the guards simply cuff him in his place, not caring for them when she was sat across from him. He saw the horror in her eyes. Of course, she would be horrified. He was being kept in the middle of the ocean and under constant guard. His entire life was dictated to him. And along with the horror he saw, he spotted the pity as well. There were a range of emotions fleeting across her face. Horror. Pity. Longing. Sorrow. It was all there.

"Don't worry," Helmut said as soon as the guards had left, the glass door snicking shut behind him. "It's worse than it looks."

"I don't even know what to say," Amelia admitted to him.

He shrugged his shoulders, the metal of the cuffs clinking against the steel of the table. "You don't need to say anything, Amelia. It is what it is and I have come to accept that. However, I confess that I was shocked to receive a visitor. I had been informed that I would not be given access to any."

"Is that even legal?"

"You would have to ask my lawyers."

"I have vast experience with your lawyers, Helmut," Amelia said dryly and despite the situation, he smirked at her comment and she knew that she had to push herself out from where she was hiding behind the table at some stage. So far, he seemed not to have noticed her swollen stomach or the fact her cheeks were slightly puffier than usual.

"I take it they transferred my assets to you?" he checked with her.

"They did indeed," Amelia said. "You didn't need to do any of that, Helmut."

"But I wanted to," he responded. "I will not be in need of my wealth anymore. I would rather it go to you. What you do with it is your choice."

"Well, thank you," Amelia said to him. "But most of it is just sat in my bank account or in a safe in my house…I…I haven't really been able to sort anything out recently."

"You have time," Helmut said to her. "But that still hasn't answered the question of how you are here or why you are here."

Amelia whistled lowly, her breath shaky as she knew that it was now or never. "The how is easier to answer than the why," she said to him. "Bucky pulled a few strings to help me get in here to see you. Plus, your lawyers were pretty good at helping too. I just needed to see you."

"Why?" Helmut asked and Amelia looked him in the eye.

He saw that she was beginning to well up, tears pooling in the corner of her own eyes. She closed her eyes and finally did what she had to do. Placing her hands on the table, she let her palms fall flat on the surface and then pushed herself upwards. Standing on shaking feet, she looked at Helmut as his gaze finally looked down and he spotted something that he should have spotted as soon as he walked in. But, he had to confess, he was more focused on Amelia.

His mouth dropped open slightly and a hand went to run over his chin. It was clear why she was here.

"I'm almost eight months," Amelia said to him, watching his face for a reaction, but so far he was almost impassive, gaze set straight at her stomach and face almost unreadable. He said nothing and Amelia continued talking, needing to fill the harsh silence between them that she could never stand. "I didn't know how to tell you because I know that this was never planned. We had the pregnancy scare back in Madrid and we agreed that we couldn't have a child together…but so much has changed since then," Amelia sat back down and Helmut's eyes lifted to her face, watching her as she spoke, almost trying to plead with him not to be annoyed with her.

"When I found out that I was pregnant, I had planned on going…and…I wasn't going to keep it," Amelia admitted to him. "I sat there with the pills in front of me, Helmut, but I couldn't take them. I couldn't take them because I love this baby already. I just felt a need to protect it. I know I told you I never wanted children and believe me this wasn't part of the plan, but I can't…I can't let go of it…not now."

She finally let out the breath she had been taking in and her hands held onto her stomach. She waited for him to say something, but he was uncharacteristically silent. Amelia wanted to lean over and grab his hand, shake him to get him to talk. She just wanted to be able to touch him.

"Say something, Helmut," she pleaded with him.

And then he chuckled. The noise was low and dark. "I don't exactly know what to say," he responded to her. "You're having my child, Amelia…a child I'll never be able to see."

"I know," Amelia whispered, voice turning smaller and more fragile. She glanced down then, almost as though she felt guilty for this.

"I…I just can't believe you've decided to go through with this," Helmut said to her and he shook his head. Glancing up, she looked hurt at his comment.

"You would rather I have aborted it?"

"No," Helmut retorted. "It is your body and it is your choice, Amelia. I just thought that children were something you never wanted to have, but I…I suspect I can understand why you've changed your mind. I do understand, but it doesn't make it any easier."

"I'm sorry."

Helmut shook his head. "You have no need to apologise," Helmut said to her. "I do believe it usually takes two to end up in this predicament and I cannot say that I was entirely careful, which I usually am…but being back with you…I just got caught up in everything."

"I know we did," Amelia said to him.

"And I already lost one child, Amelia, and now I am about to have another that I have lost before I have even met," Helmut responded and she bit down on the inside of her cheek, trying to stop herself from crying at the entire situation. She knew that it would do no good, but her hormones were all over the place and all she wanted to do was cry.

"I won't let our child not know you, Helmut…know who you are…"

"You have to," Helmut said to her, leaning forwards slightly. He wanted to stand up and move. He wanted to go over to her and hold her to him. "Amelia, listen to me, but it would be for the best if you didn't mention me. I don't want them knowing what I've done…where I am…the resentment that might come your way because of that…if people knew-"

"-I would tell the truth," Amelia interrupted. "I'd tell it the truth about who you are."

"And who you are?" Helmut responded.

"Amelia, we are both not innocent and we never claimed to be innocent. We've done things that the world would consider abhorrent…our child…our child cannot know them. It's the past. I am the past. I cannot be your future. This child is your future and I have no doubt you will do an amazing job as a mother."

"I'm not convinced."

"I am," Helmut said. "Because I know you, Amelia, and I know that you are going to be such a loving mother and the child will want for nothing. You will ensure that. You have all of my assets so I know you are financially secure, but more importantly, the child will have so much love and affection from you."

"Christ, Helmut," Amelia whispered and dabbed at her eyes with the ends of her fingers, sniffing loudly. "I just wish things were so different because I feel so sorry for you…that you can't be with me…know our child…"

"And it hurts me too," Helmut promised her. "Because now instead of spending my every waking minute wondering about you, I am going to be spending it thinking about you and our baby."

"I can write," Amelia said to him. "I can try to write…tell you how everything is going…and I'll never stop trying to visit."

Helmut's lips arched sadly. "Amelia, I truly appreciate that, but we both know that it would be for the best if you moved on and never saw me again. Live a life that doesn't involve me because I would only complicate things…just…as painful as it is, live your own life. Do that for me."

"How can you even ask me that?"

"Because I have no desire to be selfish and hold you back in the past," Helmut told her.

"Easier said than done."

"I know, but I need you to try."

Amelia could only nod once. She could try, but she would make no promises. She didn't know if she could give him what he wanted her to give him. She was still unable to forget him. He plagued her thoughts nearly every minute of every day. She sniffed once more and wiped her eyes again. She took a deep breath before she winced and Helmut stiffened as he saw her face scrunch up.

"What is it?"

"The baby…it has a mean kick on it," Amelia said, placing her hand to her stomach.

"Strong like its mother."

"I don't know, it was its father who taught me how to fight," Amelia responded and Helmut's lips arched as Amelia stood up. "Want to feel?"

"Ms Baker, no touching," a man's voice echoed through the room and Amelia looked to the glass.

"He's handcuffed to the table. He won't do anything to me…Bucky…" she appealed to the other man she knew who was listening, hoping he would de-escalate the situation. There was silence then and Amelia continued her movements towards Helmut.

She managed to lean back against the table, her thighs brushing against it. Helmut picked his hand up and placed it on her stomach, his eyes level with it. He waited patiently and Amelia guided his hand to where she could feel the kicking. Leaving it there, she watched as his lips picked up as he felt it too. He chuckled as Amelia looked down, relishing the warmth of his palm on her clothed stomach. His fingers ruffled up the green material of the jumpsuit she wore and her hair fell into her face as she looked down at them.

"He really does have a kick on him."

"He?" Amelia asked.

"Just a hunch," Helmut said.

"Funny, because I think it might be a girl," Amelia responded and Helmut shook his head.

"No, I would wager a boy."

"I'll take that wager," Amelia responded and moved a hand to his hair, brushing it from his face. She left her fingers to sit in the soft locks, Helmut closing his eyes and memorising her soft touch.

"And James…he's here with you?" Helmut checked, eyes still closed as Amelia continued stroking his hair gently, his scalp tingling underneath her skilled fingers. He was enjoying the feeling of this far too much for him to feel coherent.

"He's been helping me recently…we're friends," Amelia said and Helmut's lips arched sarcastically, but he said nothing. If she wanted to move on with James in the future then it was her opportunity to do so. He wasn't going to say anything on the matter because it wasn't his place.

"I'm glad you have someone to help," Helmut admitted to her.

"Ms Baker, time is almost up."

The voice caused irritation to bubble up inside of her and Helmut sighed, opening his eyes and looking to her. He moved his hand from her stomach and Amelia looked upwards.

"You look after yourself and our child," Helmut urged from her. "And you know that…I need you to move on. I need you to try and be happy again…not be closed off to moving on in the future. Just forget me. Try, for my own sanity as much as yours."

Amelia scoffed. "The chances of forgetting you are slim, Helmut," she muttered. "But I can promise you that this child…I'll look after it because it comes first now. It's everything to me."

Helmut smiled then, the motion tender and genuine.

"You think you'd get in trouble if I kissed you right now?" Amelia wondered, voice a whisper in the hope no one heard.

"I'm in a cell in the middle of the ocean. I don't think I can get in much more trouble," Helmut promised her and he rose from his seat, taking the lead and pressing his lips to hers. His kiss was forceful and full of longing. Amelia moved a hand to the back of his head, but he couldn't get his hands onto her due to the fact they were cuffed and stuck between them. And so he just moved his mouth over hers, inhaling her perfume as he heard her moan gently beneath him.

He must have only been kissing her for five seconds before the door opened and footsteps stormed in. Amelia was pulled from him, Bucky holding onto her arm and hauling her back as she let him. She knew there was no point fighting. Helmut was unchained from the table and floor by the guards who had brought him. They began to pull him back and out from the room, but he looked to Amelia and Bucky as he went.

"Take care of her, James," Helmut said. "She means a lot to me."

"Not just to you," Bucky said before he could stop himself.

Helmut chuckled and nodded. He could see that clear as day. "Yeah," he said with a nod of his head as he was forced to the door. Looking to Amelia, his gaze met hers once again and he smiled sadly. "I know that I will always love you, Amelia, but I need you to move on from loving me."

She nodded once. She would try. He gave a soft nod to her.

"Goodbye, Amelia."

"Goodbye, Helmut…and I do…I do still love you."

"I know," he promised her with a soft smile before he was forced out of the door and out of sight one more time. Amelia remained stood on shaky feet, along with Bucky in the room before the man in charge stormed in and began yelling at her about disobeying protocols.

Bucky told him to leave her alone, an arm going protectively in front of her as he fought her battle for her. She didn't even listen because she didn't even care. Her mind was still on Helmut and the fact that she'd had to say goodbye to him for the third time and it still hadn't got easier.

...

A/N: ONE MORE CHAPTER TO COME. So the next chapter will be the final one - more like an epilogue really. Please do let me know what you think before we wrap things up and thank you for reading this far and sticking with the story. It really means a lot to me!