The final arguments: a long, drawn-out tennis match. Each skilled wordsmith painting a picture so vivid that it was difficult for observers not to find themselves drawn in, first on one side, and then with equal conviction on the other.

Bucky ground his heels into the floor, and the vein in his jaw throbbed with each heartbreaking sentence. Guilty. He was so sure. He half believed it himself. Surely the judges saw that, surely, they knew, he may not have chosen to become the winter soldier, but it had still been his too-powerful hands that did it. Shay's testimony had buoyed him up for a moment, but hearing the final damning assertions of the eloquent Prosecutor? It didn't seem that Shay's word could possibly be enough to sway the judges.

The photo's, video and audio clips that played through his dreams, muddled into a confused mess of pain, gut-wrenching horror and a well of self-loathing deep enough to engulf him. What could Shuri or the doctors say, what could anyone say. Someone had to pay for these things. And it had been his hands.

"Dismissed."

Bucky followed Shay and Steve out of the stifling courtroom and breathed in the warm dry air like a drowning man.

Steve caught his tell and patted him firmly on the shoulder, "relax Buck, you've got this one in the bag, I know it."

A restless afternoon followed by a yet more restless night found Bucky staring at the ceiling in Shay's room, his back on the thin mattress she had insisted on rolling out for him. He could still feel the cool hard tile under his spine and he relished in any sensation that wasn't related to the roiling in his gut or the anxiety he felt about the unsteady breathing of the woman on the bed.

A second day spent trying not to smack the desperate optimism out of Steve. Bucky wanted to scream, to cry or be absorbed into the ground under him.

Instead, he took a long walk with Shay and Pippin, greeting the aunties and uncles with a calm smile as they passed. He fed the goats and played with the children who called him Mr. Wolf. He sparred with Steve and Ayo, ate the extra helpings Anhi packed into the basket for him. And he carefully packed up every photo, drawing and expression of art that had been pinned to the wall in the little hut he had built.

It would not be his home again.

Any moment now the summons could come to condemn him to a life in the raft, or free him to the impossible hope of a home back in New York.

Too short a deliberation did not bode well, Fredricks had said after the first four hours had passed. Now Bucky wondered if a long deliberation was worse. It certainly felt unbearable.

Steve's continuous forced positivity was nearly as smothering as the cloud that hovered around Shay. Bucky couldn't help watching as she paced; her right pantleg tightened around the hidden stash of cards on her anklwith each stride.

I want Steve and Shay to have the life they deserve. He pleaded silently with the God he had once believed real. Maybe I don't deserve a second chance, but they do. and… and I want to live. Please.

Three simultaneous chimes signaled the end of their vigil.

The court assembled again. Once they were strangers, now each face was familiar after three weeks of congregating in the same room. Three weeks of evidence and testimony of all that had been done to and through one James Buchanan Barnes in the decades since he was presumed dead.

The jury of judges walked in, each footstep a tiny gavel pronouncing the arrival of Bucky's future. They arranged themselves behind the table but did not take their seats as Judge Lawrence stepped up to the microphone at the center of the table and prepared to read the ruling.

"Before we begin, I would like to reinforce that this court's ruling will be final." He cleared his throat gravely and continued, "as to the primary charge that Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes is the Hydra entity known as the Winter Soldier… Not Guilty."

Bucky shuddered as the meaning of those words landed, and he heard the choked sob that escaped from the place he knew Steve and Shay sat.

A long list of charges associated with the Winter Soldier's actions followed, with a firm "not guilty" at the end of each.

"As to the charge of resisting arrest… guilty."

The judge raised his head now and seemed to study the crowd. "There are, however, mitigating factors to be considered for Sergeant Barnes's actions relating to the charge of resisting arrest. He had reason to believe that he was a greater danger to the public, in custody, than out of it, at that time.

"Further, he has demonstrated a willingness to put himself on the line for others, in his service in the United States Army and in the recent battle against the greatest enemy mankind has ever yet faced.

"We sentence Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes to a one-year probationary period, to report to his probations officer bi-monthly and attend a minimum of 12 therapy sessions with an approved therapist. This-" the judge raised a hand to stop the murmuring that had begun, "judgement has been given with consideration for the long period of imprisonment Sergeant Barnes has already suffered, for which there is no sufficient compensation. We will therefore be recommending the United States Army to honourably discharge Sergeant Barnes and provide him with the pension appropriate to his service.

"The court is adjourned."

The final gavel fell and rippled into celebration and mutterings from the assembled.

Bucky found his feet, disbelief warring with relief on his face as he was swallowed by Steve's arms.

"I knew it, I knew it! Told you, didn't I?" Steve exclaimed, finally letting him go.

Bucky dipped his head and beginning to smile, nodded, "yeah, you did."

Shay waited just behind Steve, grinning and looking just a little awkward. Bucky raised his arms hesitantly and she stepped into the hug, whispering, "you're free, James! I'm so happy for you."

There was a quaver in her voice, like tears threatening to break loose and he squeezed a little tighter before letting her go and turning to thank the high-priced attorney.

Fredricks' smile was genuine and he shook Bucky's hand firmly, "congratulations, Sergeant."

A dozen more faces that Bucky recognized though who's names he didn't know stepped up to shake his hand. A blonde man that reminded him of a smaller Steve, exchanged a few words with Shay and shook her hand with a wide smile before approaching Bucky.

"Everett Ross. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sergeant Barnes."

Bucky looked him over before shaking his hand slowly. "What branch?"

"Air-force, formerly." Everett saluted and smiled again, this time it reached his eyes. "Not that we need to dig up that old rivalry, though hey?"

Something clicked for Bucky and he felt as though he'd been transported back to the trenches, chatting with another officer about the horrors of war with that blasé attitude that kept the hurt locked away.

"The airmen were the crazy ones back in the day, flying off in those aluminum deathtraps. I wanted to know how it felt to fly like that, but I was better off with both feet on the ground, I had to keep this guy from throwing himself out without a chute a time or two though."

Shay punched Steve in the shoulder and he grinned sheepishly.

"I have it on good authority that you'll be getting that pension the Judges recommended." Everett added. "Add on seventy-some years of interest, should be enough to help you settle-in wherever you'd like to go."

"I- thank you."

Everett turned to go, speaking again to Shay, "we'll see all of you at the award ceremony?"

"Of course, a deal's a deal."

"I'll send you the details."

"Thank you, Everett."

"Likewise, Sharice." There was a hint of a laugh in his tone and he vanished into the dissipating crowd as though he were made of smoke and shadows.

Okoye waited at the door, ready with the key to remove the bracelets from Shay's wrists. The cuffs were unlocked and lifted gently from her wrists but Okoye didn't put them away, instead she offered them to Bucky.

"We won't need these anymore. If you would be so kind?" Okoye asked him with a raised brow and a smirk.

"Gladly." Bucky responded, crushed them in his vibranium fist and dropping the mangled mess into the open box she offered him.

"The King requests your company at a banquet this evening to celebrate."

Steve spoke for the trio, "we'll be there."

"A car will be sent for you at 7." Okoye said placing a familiar hand on Shay's arm, "Shuri has sent her selections to your home, let me know if everything fits correctly, will you?"

"Of course. And- Okoye?" Shay paused, squeezing the hand on her arm gently and letting her relief pour through the connection, "thank you."

Steve and Bucky were surprised to find themselves included in the fashion choices of the young Princess, having assumed she had merely sent Shay a formal dress. But there was a matching garment bag hanging from each of their respective bedroom doors by the time they returned.

Bucky pulled the thing into his room, rather than unzipping it in the hallway where Steve was eyeing it curiously. A note fell out of the starched collar. Shuri's distinctive scrawling penmanship.

Sgt Barnes,

This banquet is being held in your honour so it would

be rude not to wear the appropriate attire.

p.s I know you dislike the press, but just this once,

try to enjoy it.

Not a simple dinner with the royal family then. Bucky ran a thumb across the smooth lapel of the suit, neither as coarse nor as heavy as he remembered it. He swallowed thickly as the zipper revealed the rest of the outfit.

A soft knuckle-knock interrupted his reverie.

"You alright in there, Buck?" Steve asked softly.

Bucky opened the door, still reeling from the shock of the sentencing and the uniform laid across his bed. "Steve?"

"Yeah Buck?"

"I need to shave."

It was his first coherent thought and it tripped from his tongue before he could wince at the stupidity of it. He had gotten used to his appearance, the long hair, the metal arm, and the full beard he'd allowed to grow out as he healed. There wasn't enough time to address the first two, but shaving was doable.

Steve grinned and scrubbed his own facial hair ruefully. "Yeah buddy, me too."