The morning after our mission I woke to an empty room. Groaning. Every movement was slow, careful, measured, as I got myself ready for the day. The softest pants I owned, a big sweater thrown over my favorite Captain America tank top, I padded to the door in bare feet, opening it to see Steve sitting on the floor just outside.

"Good mornin', Cap. I hope you didn't sleep there." He rose to his feet, eyes studying me. "I'm good Steve, how's your friend?"

"He's locked up." He dropped his head in shame. "Tony… and Buck- He agreed." I put a hand on his shoulder.

"He's got a lot to process. And so do you." I wrapped my good arm around him. "We'll figure it out, all of us. Together."

We followed the aroma of bacon and my favorite flavoured coffee into the dining area. I walked slowly to mask a limp and before I made it to the table Steve pulled out a chair for me. The buzz had died down as I entered, now Bruce was watching me, examining my slow deliberate movements. Nat handed me a steaming mug of coffee (the chipped one I was so fond of) and Sam set a plate in front of me with extra bacon.

I felt Steve's hand rest a moment on my shoulder, and held back unbidden tears.

"Thanks, you guys." Nat smiled and Sam nodded, no more words were needed. I sipped the coffee and sighed deeply. I knew the warmth of 'sense' encompassed the others, as it wrapped me in an invisible embrace. Family.

Having eaten my fill and refused fourth portions of bacon, I spoke to Sam, Steve and Nat. "I know it was a rough fight yesterday, how are you all holding up? Anything I can help with?"

Steve shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea. With your injuries, you should be resting."

Nat agreed and Sam added. "Besides, Stark would kill us for letting you."

"That I would." Tony said, lounging at the end of the table.

"You should be on bed rest." I hadn't expected Bruce to weigh in, he'd been more distant with everyone lately.

"I'm a little sore but I'm not made of tissue, I can't just sit in bed all day!"

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Sam's tone was sarcastic. I hadn't paid attention this morning, dressing in the dark. "You like death warmed over."

"Thanks for that! No more hugs for you, bird-boy." I chuckled at his indignation.

"And how about our new… acquisition? I can help. It can't hurt for me to just talk with him." I looked determinately into reluctant eyes. "Let me do something!" my tone dropped in shame as I concluded. "Distraction helps with the pain."

"Fine."

"Under strict supervision. And if it gets to be too much, we pull you out."

It was decided that Nat would be my keeper for the day, she was less likely to be swayed by puppy eyes. And, I was allowed to leave the apartments on the condition that I stayed off my feet. I had seen the worry yesterday, the attention I'd been getting at breakfast. The desire to assure my safety and assuage their fears and guilt was evident, so it was for their sake that I acquiesced.

"Alright, I surrender-" raising my hands in submission "-now can you stop beating yourselves up over what happened?" Tony opened his mouth to speak, "And no beating each other up either!" I stared him down. "I didn't know that freezing wouldn't work on the arm, neither did you."

"I assumed it was armor or some sort of augmentation. We should have considered the possibility-" Steve started.

"We made the best decisions we could with the information we had Steve." I placed a hand on his arm, willing him to let it go.

"I didn't think he would hurt you." The pain and confusion in Steve's blue eyes was heart wrenching.

"I accepted the risk, and I'm fine now," I smiled gently, Steve's eyes trailed across my face and to what I was sure must be a spectacular bruise on my neck. "Let's not get on the 'what if' train, the ride isn't worth the price." His blue eyes pierced mine, slowly he nodded.

"Ok, just… be careful in there, ok?"

Nat wheeled me down the hall to the containment unit, identical to the one where I had met The Hulk. Double walls of thick plastic, secure doors, and a viewing window, where Nat parked my chair. Looking in through the glass I saw the hunched form of a man on the narrow bed.

I wheeled myself to and then through the secure door, tapping my badge for access to the secondary room, just one layer of protection. I could feel the fear permeating the room, despair rolling in thick clouds as the figure lifted his head to watch me. I wheeled myself right up to the final door and opened it.

"Don't- Don't come in here." The voice was hoarse.

"Ok. Is it alright if I just sit here then?" I asked exuding *Calm, gentle, safe* steely blue eyes flickered to my face. An expression of disgust mixed with something self-loathing registered in my senses, before he turned away. I sat and watched, noting the pattern of his breathing, the knuckles on his right hand whitening, fingers digging in to the bed frame.

"Sargent Barnes?" He flinched. "What would you prefer I call you?"

"Nothing," He spat, then in almost a whisper, "you shouldn't be here."

I waited a beat before saying, "I'm sorry," remorse coloured my tone. He turned a little more towards me but didn't look up.

"Why?"

"For what I did to you. Yesterday."

"You're sorry?" The words exploded from him.

"Yes. I was really hoping I could convince you to come in voluntarily."

"It wouldn't have worked."

"I know, but we had to try." A long silence followed, empty darkness despite the well-lit room.

"You shouldn't be here." His words were venom, and I wondered who he hated more: me, or himself.

I realized that my presence wasn't helping. I could feel the anger and fear roiling around him but I didn't understand why exactly.

"Alright, I'll go. Steve would like to talk with you, would that be OK?" I asked softly.

"Sure, whatever."

I didn't resist as Nat wheeled me back to the apartments. I was struggling to piece together the senses I'd picked up, harsh words, the tortured eyes. His movements were absolutely confident, and yet his posture suggested shame. The one thing I was certain of, is that the man in that cell posed no present danger. Hopefully I could convince Tony to let him out, he would not heal in a cage.

"We need more information." I had barely voiced the thought when Nat handed me a tablet.

"He was debriefed last night while you were getting stitched." I touched the skin over the injury remembering the feeling of the muscles being repaired. There was no swelling, no incision, just a lingering ache.

Pouring over the report I started to piece things together.

There was a list of knowns, his memories still somewhat fragmented

He had woken from the fall off the train, bleeding out in the snow. Hydra found him, replaced what was left of his arm with metal, shot him up with a super-soldier serum and then put him through a brain blending series of electroshock treatments and intensive training. He'd been put on ice for the intervening years, pulled out only for missions, wiped when they ended and then back into the freezer. Apparently, all it took was a specific set of Russian words to turn him into a mindless machine.

He had begun to remember after the first fight he'd had with Cap, only to be wiped again before being given the mission to kill Captain America. The old words of a-long forgotten memory Steve had uttered in the moments before they fell, had triggered a flood of fractured memories.

The pieces were starting to fit. He had been trapped inside a body outside his own control, aware and powerless to stop the actions it took. I had used his body against him, like hydra, I had taken away his control, his ability to choose, his mind would equate me with them. I thought I understood why he had reacted as he had done.

I wrote up a brief report, explaining why I thought Barnes was not a danger, but rather, needed protection. If someone with the right sequence of words found their way inside, everyone would be at risk. Sargent James Barnes needed to know that we could protect him from the Winter Soldier.