**Yeesh this chapter got redone a few times, so apologies if there are a few more mistakes than usual**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter Five: Say It Anyway

Kade leaned against the corner of the room, facing the far wall, her arms crossed over her chest with one leg draped over top of the other, trying her best to look as calm as possible; though the relentless tapping of her foot proved otherwise. Bucky stood nearby, his hands tucked in his pockets, and a steady eye on the door.

Ford and Williams took the chairs close to her and Bucky, a heavy wooden table separating them from a lone empty chair on the opposite side. The clock on the wall ticked away, and to Kade, it was obnoxiously loud in the painful silence of the room while they waited for the guest of honor. One of the attending doctors stated that it was an evaluation room that was used to assess the mental state of the "residents" at random points to determine if they were improving or not.

She spotted the cameras mounted in each corner the second they walked inside, along with the one sided mirror along the wall she was halfway leaning against; so understudies could observe and take notes as needed. Kade worried the inside of her lip, thankful that they negated the offer to record the interrogation, providing that's what it really was. She knew what Ford was planning to do even without reading his mind.

The sound of the door latch had her heart in her throat and her nerves locking in place, if she wanted to run for any reason, she would find it impossible. One of the orderlies stepped through, acknowledging the presence of the four inside as he moved close to the door, allowing entrance of another. Kade stopped breathing when he walked in the room, her tongue and throat going dry and she fought back a wave of nausea; likely brought on by the tight pull of her nerves.

He looked nearly the same as he did when she last saw him. His curly blonde hair was a little longer now, but not as vibrant in color as it once was; early signs of gray showing up along his temples and forehead. He was still thin, and she noticed the slightest bit of aging in his face, making it clear that the years were not as kind to him as they were to Kade. She found it slightly un-nerving that he looked, by all matter of the term, sane, even wearing a light long-sleeve shirt and scrub pants. His facial expression was soft, if not welcoming as he walked further inside.

It was at that moment that his attention spanned the room, and his soft blue eyes met with ocean colored orbs. He looked surprised, his eyes widening and his mouth barely coming open, as if he wanted to speak but was at a sudden loss of words. The rush of emotions that raged through her mind was becoming harder to conceal, her knuckles going white as a result; fingernails digging painfully into her palms.

"Kade?" Simon breathed, taking a small step toward her.

She withdrew a ragged exhale, narrowing her eyes dangerously. He stopped in his tracks, eyes half lidded with hurt while he retracted his approach, lowering his head in defeat as he made his way toward the opposite side of the table to take a seat. Kade couldn't pin his behavior, torn between confusion and infuriation. What the hell was going on!? There was no way in hell he could become that docile in only six years! She had steeled herself for the crazed maniac that tried to have her killed, not the submissive coward that was seated just a few feet away…she didn't know how to handle this.

"Take as much time as you need, use the emergency button by the door if there's a problem" the orderly advised, closing the door behind him as he left.

Bucky cocked his head to the side to look at Kade, watching her jaw flex, hearing the soft gritting of teeth; she was nothing but a big ball of tension by the looks of it. He quickly turned his attention back to Simon, seated in the chair on the other side of the table, his hands folded over each other as he forced a polite smile for the agents. There was no denying it, even he was slightly un-nerved by the display, especially after seeing how deranged the older Whitmore sibling had become shortly after Kade was infused with the stone. The question bounced around his head, now more than ever. Was she right? Was he just putting on a front to cover up his schemes? Or was this genuine recovery?

"How are you doing Mr. Whitmore?" Ford asked, brandishing a friendly smile.

"I'm doing well, so to speak, but…please…Simon will do just fine" Simon replied softly, clearing his throat.

"Okay then, Simon. I'm agent Ford with the F.B.I, you can call me Ford if you want, or agent, or agent Ford, I don't really care about formalities, and I don't really care for beating around the bush either, so I'll get strait to the point…tell me what you were after at the plant?" Ford asked sternly, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table.

Simon's eyes darted between Ford and Williams, even daring to glance at Bucky with some silent plea for an explanation. The agent was rather quick to pick up on that.

"Don't play dumb, the Ambrose plant in Virginia. We know for a fact you're responsible! Your prints were found on the scene, that's hard evidence Whitmore, indisputable! You'll be behind bars so fast it'll make your head spin! So spare us all the hassle and just tell us what you were after!" Ford threatened, his voice low and hostile.

Simon looked taken aback by the sudden rush of information, his eyes wide with shock and his mouth opening to speak; though no words managed to form right away.

"I-I'm sorry agent...but I don't know what you're talking about…really" Simon pleaded.

Kade's stomach bottomed out, hearing a near pitiful whine in his voice. An icy chill danced across her veins, forming goose-bumps across her flesh when she read him; there was no possible way!

"Still wanting to use that card huh? I guess you're used to it working. After the shit you pulled in the past, you should have been put on death row…makes me sick to think that the whole "insanity" act still gets people off scott free!" Ford hissed, clearly getting agitated.

"That…that's not-" Simon stammered.

"You honestly think we haven't read up on you Whitmore?" Ford sneered.

"Please stop calling me that" Simon pleaded, sounding hurt by the very mention of the name.

"Your track record is miles long, and that's just what they were able to prove. Of course, there's also that affiliation you had with that cult…God, Williams what did they call themselves?" Ford groaned, feigning ignorance for a moment.

"The Triad" Williams answered flatly.

Kade thought she was going to break skin, drawing her knuckles tighter.

"Ah yea…as if one whack job wasn't enough, you had to go and round up a whole troop of em. Bunch of circus freaks from my understanding"

"They weren't circus freaks" Kade mumbled under her breath.

"What?" Ford snipped, turning back to face her.

She froze, swallowing hard, realizing that she had spoken her own thoughts; and that everyone in the room was now staring at her in a mix of annoyance and bewilderment…Simon included. Kade shrugged it off, averting her gaze away from them. Bucky managed to pull a dumbfounded look away from her, wondering what prompted her to speak out like that. It wasn't exactly like they owed anything to the Triad, being as most of their members tried to kill them, save for the few that helped them take Simon off his soap box. It dawned on him moments later that Kade's birth parents were former members; but why get so defensive...she never got a chance to know them.

"Nothing" she quipped.

Ford clicked his tongue against his teeth in irritation, turning back to Simon. Bucky was really starting to see what Kade disliked about this guy.

"It doesn't matter anyway, it's just another pile of dirt for the jury to bury you with Whitmore" Ford smirked.

"I told you, please stop calling me that" Simon begged, clenching his fists and lowering his head enough to hide his eyes.

"What's the matter? It's the name you were born with!" Williams spat.

"That doesn't mean I deserve it" Simon retorted.

She was at a loss for both thoughts and air for a moment, taking in what he just said. His thoughts were as confusing as his behavior. He was guilty, she was sure of it…at least she thought she was. Ford let out a low sigh, abruptly standing up, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket and casually walking to Simon's side of the table.

"You don't deserve a lot of things…and you sure as hell don't deserve special treatment after everything you've done" Ford growled, partially seating himself on the table right next to Simon.

Simon opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly silenced as Ford continued talking.

"In any case, we can sit her flapping our jaws back and forth, but in the end it's gonna go one of two ways, neither of which really work out in your favor, so how about we stop wasting time, and skip right to the ending huh? Option one, you give me a confession, written, right here right now. You also give me the identity and whereabouts of your two partners, and there's a small chance I might be able to guarantee life in prison. I wouldn't really hold my breath on the chance of parole, but hey, it's better than death row right?..."

The sudden enthusiasm in Ford's voice had Kade sick to her stomach.

"…But then there's option two. That's the one where you keep going with your little innocent charade. You're put in front of a judge, fake a vicious mental breakdown like you did last time, you're shot up with drugs and shipped off to Greenbriar to spend the rest of your miserable life in a padded room. However, the district attorney isn't gonna be satisfied with that, they're gonna need someone to take responsibility for the crime…and that's where the next of kin comes into play" Ford stated, smirking.

Both Bucky and Kade snapped their attention to Ford, an equal look of confusion stamped on their faces.

"W-What?" Simon stammered, visibly taken aback.

"She's guilty by association now, and not even her Avenger status could get her out of it…no matter who she hires to fight it. That's a twenty five to life sentence she'll serve in your place…Simon" Ford threatened.

"No, you can't!" Simon begged, attempting to stand before Ford forced him back down by the shoulder.

Kade saw Bucky take a step forward, his shoulders tensed, and she could hear the metallic whine of his arm. Williams shot to his feet, trying his best to serve as an intimidating block for the soldier. She turned her gaze to Ford as he pushed himself from the table, walking behind Simon's chair and leaning over his shoulder; bracing himself with the back of the chair. Unbeknownst to anyone in the room, her eyes flickered as they narrowed.

"What the hell?" Bucky growled.

"Social services will take the kids of course, it would be rather irresponsible of us to leave them in the care of a father with such a violent history" Ford smirked, ignoring Bucky completely.

Williams took another step in front of Bucky, nearly coming nose to nose with him.

"I advise you get out of my face" Bucky hissed, gritting his teeth.

The agent held his ground, hiding the thought that he might be biting off more than he could chew.

"Those kids won't ever see their parents again…I'll make sure of that" Ford remarked, nearly purring as he spoke.

Simon was shaking, his hands clenched so tightly together; his eyes glassy with tears.

"You smug son of a bitch" Bucky snarled, pulling his right fist back as if readying to deck Williams.

"Don't get riled Bucky…he's just bluffing" Kade remarked calmly.

The silence that filled the room was deafening, and all eyes shifted to her direction. Ford looked ready to kill as he stood up, narrowing his eyes dangerously at Kade. Simon lowered his head again, sighing heavily, relaxing his hands as the shaking came to a stop.

"Oh you think I'm bluffing princess? We'll see if you sing the same tune when I put you in cuffs" he laughed.

"You can threaten me with an arrest all you want, you won't be able to hold me on a bullshit charge" she retorted, letting her arms fall to her sides as she pushed herself from the corner, staring him down with a heated glare.

"Bullshit!?"Ford spat angrily.

"The only way I could even be considered guilty by association is if I had contact with him in the past five years…which I haven't. That was silently implemented several years ago, not a fact made known to the general public so that pricks like you could still use it as leverage. You want to try it, be my guest, but I'd think it through a little harder first, because if you do, I will personally see to it that your career never recovers...and that...we know is fact"

Ford audibly grit his teeth, and a vein could be seen extending over his forehead; visibly livid.

"Who the hell do you think you are!? How could you know that?" he hissed.

"Because she read your mind" Simon answered softly.

Kade's breath hitched and she diverted her eyes to him, much like everyone in the room. Again the silence wrapped around the room tight enough to choke someone.

"What…did you say?" Ford growled.

"She's probably been doing it the entire time…reading my mind too…"

Simon inched his head upward, as if scared to look at Kade.

"…It's the only reason I'm not dead yet, right?...I know you don't want it to be true…but you know I'm innocent" he finished, his voice wavering with fear.

It felt as if something in the form of restraint snapped in her mind, and a surge of energy went through her veins like pure electricity.

"To hell with this, I have half a mind to-"

"Get out" Kade seethed, cutting Ford off effortlessly.

"Who the fuck do you think you're talking to!?" Ford barked.

"I said GET OUT!" Kade snarled, slamming her fist backward into the wall; her eyes going a bright blue.

Both Ford and Williams went rigid, their eyes flashing a bright blue as well. In an instant, they turned docile, moving toward the door like they were in a trance; nearly dragging their feet as they walked.

"You too Bucky" she stated calmly.

He turned to her, eyes laced with worry and about to protest her instruction.

"I'll be fine…I need to do this on my own" she assured, turning her eyes to Simon.

Bucky hesitated a moment, practically forcing himself to move. He was concerned, but it was misplaced. She was more than capable of handling herself, especially against someone who was otherwise helpless; Simon however was an entirely different story.

The moment he cleared the room, the door slammed shut behind him and he heard the distinctive click of the handle; locking him and the agents out. Ford and Williams stopped in their tracks, suddenly glancing around like they were lost until catching sight of the soldier behind them. Ford wheeled around, visibly distraught.

"What the hell just happened!? How-" He cut himself off, eyes going wide as he lunged for the door, trying to force the handle.

"What in god's sake does she thinks she's doing!?" Ford howled, slamming his fist against the door repeatedly.

"She's getting the truth her own way" Bucky replied, folding his arms across his chest as he stepped toward the window.

Ford ceased his pounding against the door, stepping over in front of the window, his breath ragged.

"Fuck that! She's just interfered with a federal investigation, that's-"

"Jesus Christ! Shut the fuck up!" Bucky spat, taking a threatening step toward the agent.

Ford flinched back, his hand going for the gun strapped to his belt when he froze, staring Bucky down as if waiting for the soldier to make another move. Williams came around to Bucky's flank, a hand on his gun as well. Seconds felt like hours, nobody moved, hostile glares were exchanged, but it was Bucky who relaxed first, finding no point in being baited by Ford; never-mind the guy probably deserved it.

The soldier turned his attention back to Kade and Simon, seeing that neither of them had moved either, but even at this distance he could see the tight grip of Simon's hands, his head lowered down with strands of hair covering his eyes; trembling like a leaf in the wind. It wasn't that surprising, since Simon likely knew more about the power of the stone than he originally let on six years ago, he knew that being locked in a room with the one person who wanted him dead more than anyone else on the planet, was probably not going to work out in his favor.

"She screws this up…and I will make due on what I said in there…I will tear your family apart" Ford warned, stepping up to the window again; his arms folded across his chest.

Bucky steeled himself and ignored him.

She stepped quietly up to the side of the table, leaning forward and resting the weight of her upper body against her hands as they pressed against the surface of the table, lowering her head and letting strands of hair fall around the sides of her face; not saying a word.

The display was un-nerving for him, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop shaking. He pulled his tongue across his dry lips, swallowing hard and attempting to speak. His words failed him, along with his voice, leaving him to close his gaping mouth feeling ten times smaller than he did before.

"You got something you want to say? I suggest you say it now" she seethed.

He flinched, struggling to muster up enough saliva to coat his dry throat, willing himself to speak with every fiber of his being.

"What good would it do? Nothing I say…will make a difference…not really"

"Say it anyway"

There was a moment of silence, but that clock on the wall was suddenly much louder than it had been moments before; at least to Kade anyway.

"I'm sorry" he breathed.

She didn't move, and it felt like her entire body just shut down and rebooted. He was apologizing!? Confusion wrapped around her mind like a vice, and it seemed the only outlet that could be translated for it at the present time was anger. Without warning she pulled away and grabbed hold of the side of the table, slinging it up and over to the other side of the room where it crashed violently into the wall.

Simon tucked his hands to his chest, eyes wide with fear as she stepped toward him, grabbing a handful of his shirt and practically forcing him to his feet as she pushed him backward; his chair clattering to the floor and jamming between the back of his right leg and the wall. Kade pinned him there so forcefully that he felt the pressure of her hand against his collarbone, forcing the tiniest yelp of pain from his lips.

"You're sorry!? After everything you've done, you're sorry!?" she hissed, her brows furrowed against narrowed eyes.

He said nothing, grabbing hold of her assaulting hand in some attempt to give himself leeway against the pain she was currently inflicting.

"How dare you even think that I would ever forgive you! You murdered our parents, you put my son in danger, you tried to kill us, and you think that by saying you're sorry it's gonna make it all better!?"

Simon stiffened against her, then slowly started to relax, letting his hands fall to his sides, closing his eyes.

"It never will…nothing I do can atone for what I've done…I know that now" he muttered, his voice breaking.

Kade's breath lodged in her throat as he opened his eyes, seeing tears brimmed at the corners. She released him instantly, watching as he fell to the floor in a heap, barely catching himself with his hands to keep from hitting his head.

"What are you trying to pull? Don't think for a second that your little water works show and a sappy dialog about feigned guilt is gonna-…I'm not buying your act" she growled.

"I'm telling the truth!..." he pleaded, turning his head to meet her eyes; tears streaming down his face.

"…not a day goes by that I regret what I've done to you…"

"Stop it" she warned softly, lowering her eyes to the floor; clenching her fists.

"…the one person who could have given me peace, is the person I've hurt the worst"

"I said STOP!" she spat, reaching down and grabbing hold of his shirt again, forcing him down to his back.

The fear in his glassy eyes was easily read, and his hands were desperate against her grip as she hovered over him; using her own weight to keep him down.

"I'm not playing your games anymore Simon, do you understand!?" she growled.

"That's not-"

"I came here to get the truth, and I will do it, with or without your cooperation"

"No! Please Kade!"

The fight in him was gone the instant she raised her hand to his face, pressing her thumb into the center of his forehead; her eyes fading completely blue. It took only a literal time frame of seconds for her to get what she needed out of him, abruptly releasing him and stumbling back; teetering slightly. Simon let out a low, painful groan, reaching up to cradle his head in his hands, rolling over to his stomach and laying listless in the floor.

Bucky looked on, his nerves tingling with worry, watching her stand there motionless; staring at him. The thought crossed his mind, as to what she might have seen, and if it might have been the excuse she needed to end his life. She suddenly threw her head back, letting loose an aggravated growl. The furniture in the room was suddenly thrust to the walls and the window exploded into a web of cracks, startling Bucky; the agents flinching back several steps.

"The fuck was that!?" Ford snipped.

Before the soldier could open his mouth, the door came flying open, and Kade came out, ignoring them completely as she strode down the hall. Bucky wasted no time in rushing after her, as did Ford.

"Hey! What did you do to him!?" he barked.

She didn't even falter in her steps, keeping silent.

"I'm talking to you damn it!" he hissed, reaching up and grabbing her shoulder roughly.

Bucky didn't have a chance to plant his fist into the agent's spine before Ford was abruptly slung into the wall; pinned there by an unseen force. He caught Williams out of the corner of his eye, coming up on his flank with his gun drawn. The soldier wheeled around, catching Williams by the wrist with his right hand, twisting the agent's arm around his back and forcing him against the wall. Williams let out a strangled bark of pain, dropping his weapon as Bucky tightened his grip.

"You're both done! Assaulting a federal officer will put you in prison for life!" Ford threatened, trying to fight against Kade's hold.

"That's providing you say anything about it" Kade purred, turning to face him.

"If you think you can scare me into keeping quiet about this, you've got another thing coming!" he seethed.

"You'll keep quiet, because neither of you were ever here…" she remarked calmly, her eyes fading over blue.

Bucky saw their eyes flicker again, and Williams went slack in his hold.

"…you never spoke to us because you never saw us. You questioned Simon and several staff members…their story backs the security footage…he's innocent…go bark up someone else's tree" Kade stated; the bright blue of her eyes fading back to normal.

The soldier promptly released Williams, stepping back as the agent looked around bewildered before reaching down to retrieve his gun; holstering it and making his way down the hall. Ford was lowered back to the ground, he too looking rather confused as he followed Williams.

"How long until that wears off?" Bucky asked, walking up to Kade.

"It won't" she answered, forcing an assuring smile.

He stared down at her, sighing as if to give off his obvious concern. She usually wasn't the type to get rattled so easily that it would force her to use her powers like that, so for her to up and mind control two federal agents, then wipe their memories of the event, meant that no matter how much she said she was fine, or what kind of smile she could force…something was wrong.

"We should go" she advised, turning to leave.

Bucky said nothing, following close behind her as they made their way down the hall; an orderly meeting them halfway.

"Is everything alright? I thought I heard shouting" he asked.

"Everything is fine…but he's gonna need an asprin and a nap" Kade replied, gesturing her head toward the evaluation room as she continued walking.