Chapter 4 - Trouble

After spending the entire day searching for anything that would prove Steve wasn't guilty, Bucky was exhausted and aggravated. He wasn't concerned for himself, but for Steve. He knew that Steve wasn't out to get him. After all, he had known him for like, ever. They had only found more clues that pointed back to his friend.

He walks into the living room with his toothbrush in hand and shirt over one arm. Steve was arguing with Natasha and he catches the end of their conversation, "...fine. if you REALLY think that it may prove the point!"

Steve marches past Bucky and into the bedroom that they share. "What was that all about?" Bucky inquires of Natasha.

"I told Steve he should sleep on the couch for the next few nights."

"Why?" He wonders as he grabs a cup and pours himself some juice.

"To prove that he isn't 'out to get you' so to say. If the others, namely Tony for he is the most suspicious, see him doing everything in his power to only be with you while others are around and trying to figure out who it really is then maybe they'll cut him some slack."

"That doesn't seem right. There is no reason that this should even be an issue. Steve isn't going to hurt me" Bucky sticks the bottle of juice back in the fridge "If anything, I should be the one to sleep out here. If it makes you feel better to have us separated."

Natasha shakes her head "I don't think he'll go for that."

They walk back in the living room only to see Steve already asleep on the couch, bundled up in the blanket from his bed. "Well, I guess I get our room to myself tonight. Good night" he raises his hand in a symbol of farewell then they part ways and go to their own rooms.

When Bucky woke up the next day he felt like something was wrong but he couldn't figure out what. He pulls a shirt on before wandering out into the kitchen where everyone usually gathers. Natasha, Clint, and Bruce were eating cereal and Sam was talking to Tony. Bucky rubs the sleep from his eyes and looks around, "Where's Steve?"

Bruce looks up from his cereal, "No one has seen him all morning, but my guess is that he is in the gym."

Bucky mutters his thanks and then heads to the elevator. On his way down to the 45th level, he decides to suit up and practice his fighting skills while he was here. He also realizes that Steve hadn't woken him up like he normally did. Steve was always an early riser and Bucky couldn't stand it. He hated the way Steve would be so chipper and ready for anything before 10 o'clock. If he got his way, he wouldn't get up until noon. He glanced at the clock on the elevator wall and realizes that it was 11:47; almost noon.

Everyone else had gotten a late start too. Or was cereal their lunch?

He walks into the dressing room and throws his training suit on before heading into the training center. He looks around the room, but Steve is nowhere to be seen. ''Maybe he is on the balcony'' he says to himself as he crosses the room to the slightly open door at the other end.

He pushes the door open and walks towards the edge, but not too close. Bucky wasn't too fond of heights. He had been made to overcome his fear many times when he was controlled by Hydra but he'd rather not if he didn't have to.

He looks around but no one was there. ''That's strange'' he mutters ''Then why was the door open?'' His face wrinkles with confusion as he looks over the balcony. He shrugs and is about to go back in when he hears a gun go off and a bullet thunks into his leg.

He turns to see someone wearing all black, including a black burglar mask and gloves. She held the gun out in front of her and pulled the trigger again. His reflexes take over and he stops the bullet with his metal arm.

When the gun is empty of bullets, she tosses it aside and rushes at him. He finds himself wrestling with an equal opponent for once.

The fight carries on for quite a while and he winces as he was forced to put weight on his wounded leg. After what seems like an eternity, she has him pinned up against the waist-high rail. His eyes grow wide as he realizes that this is the end.

She places a hand on his chest and shoves, sending him over the edge. At the last moment, he grabs her mask and yanks it from her face.

What he sees shocks him. It wasn't only that her eyes glimmered with guilt and regret, but, she looked almost exactly like his sister, Rebekah, had. He was so startled that he whispered "Beky?" as he fell.