Steve POV

He really didn't know what to do. Bucky had backed out of the room, and Skye's body lurched every second. For a minute, he'd felt perfect, and then this happened.

He walked out of the room to join Bucky, and to see what had bothered him.

"She'll be alright, Buck, I hope you know that." Steve put his hand on his soulmate's shoulder.

"It's not that." He looked like every hope had been drained out of him, and Steve was worried.

"Then what is it?"

"I… I hurt her Steve." He stuttered, looking up guiltily. Steve looked confused, and Bucky elaborated. "Hydra, they got her and she wouldn't give up information so they… they brought me in."

"Oh God, Bucky. I'm so sorry." He pressed his lips to the man's shaved head, and reached his arms around his torso. "You have to understand that that wasn't you."

Bucky pulled out of his arms. "But it was me, Stevie."

There was an awkward moment of quiet before a strangled scream from the room behind them interrupted their thoughts.

"STEVE, BUCKY GET IN HERE." Demanded Bruce, trying to hold down a very upset Skye.

"Skye its ok, we're here now. Skye, I need you to look at me, that's it, good job." Bucky gently held down Skye's shoulders to keep her from bolting out of bed. Suddenly, she seemed to realize the same man who was holding her, had also been torturing her a few moments ago.

"no… no no no, please don't hurt me, please I'll do anything just don't hurt me…" She looked at him with fear, desperately trying to get away.

Steve stepped in for Bucky, who looked like he had just been slapped. "Skye that wasn't him, he was brainwashed. Remember? We talked about this earlier."

"Oh my god. Buck I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I just- "sobs took over her as she pushed into the corner of her bed and put her head on her knees.

"Doll, its ok. I'm so sorry I didn't remember sooner." Both men took steps towards Skye, reaching their arms around her shoulders and midsection, pulling her close. The two held her in their arms as her crying grew quieter, and finally stopped all together. The silence was peaceful and, for a while, the whole world disappeared.

"So, what do we do now?" Skye whispered, looking up at her soulmates.

"I think we should talk." Steve glanced at Bucky, who nodded his approval.

"About what?" She asked, moving their arms tighter around her body.

"Well," Bucky started, "We don't know anything about you! City you grew up in? Any embarrassing school stories? Weird boyfriends? Ever gotten shot?" He added the last one with a laugh.

"Once." Skye murmured.

Steve looked at her with shock, "Skye, please tell me you were joking."

"It was me being stupid, nothing to worry about." She shook her head, dismissively.

What she hadn't noticed, however, was that her hands had compulsively moved to cover an area on her torso, the exact area she'd been shot.

Steve knew what she was doing. It was exactly what Bucky did when he didn't want him to see something. "Skye, show me."

"Steve, it doesn't matter, just let it be."

"It matters to me."

"Me too." Bucky added.

"You can't even see it!" She lied.

Steve knew that she wasn't going to show them, and if they were ever going to get to know each other, he'd have to see it. He looked to Bucky, who, he could tell, was thinking the same thing.

In one swift motion, he sat up, turned around, and lifted the top of Skye's shirt just enough so that they could see the bullet scar, but nothing else.

"Jesus Christ, Doll, that doesn't look like nothing." Bucky commented, looking at her sympathetically.

"Tell us what happened, Skye. We want to help." Steve said softly.

Skye understood that they were her soulmates, and that eventually they would know everything, so she saw no reason to not tell them. She started with the train mission, how she and Fitz had been separated from the group and went to track down Quinn. She outlined walking into the house, finding Mike in the basement, having Quinn pull a gun on her, and the feeling of the bullet penetrating her skin. By the end, she was in tears.

Somehow, when Steve wasn't looking, Tony had come in, and, staring at him now, he realized that Skye telling him who had shot her wasn't the greatest idea.

"I swear to God if that man ever steps foot in front of a street camera ever again, I will track him down and make him wish he was never born." Tony roared, pounding his fist against the bed frame.

"Dad take a breath" Skye commented, looking around the room to see the mixed reactions.

"No, he's right." Steve commented, and Bucky looked like he agreed.

"Can we just leave it? It's not like he kidnapped me or something. That was Ward." Steve audibly growled, and Bucky looked like he was going to punch someone, most likely Tony.

She, again, explained what had happened, which, again, ended with everyone wanting to kill Ward.

Skye was tired of people treating her like she was a sad puppy that needed help. All she wanted was someone to realize that no one needed to take care of her, that she could take care of herself.

"Can you all just leave?" Skye interrupted their hushed conversations as they looked at her.

"What?" Bucky questioned, looking around to understand if Steve or Tony had understood what she meant.

"Can you get out?" She repeated, more forcefully this time.

"Skye, we can't just leave you in here alone." Bucky cautioned. She looked to Steve, her eyes pleading, as Tony whispered something to Buck.

"Guys let's just give her five minutes." Steve directed, understanding what she had wanted.

"Steve?" Skye murmured.

"What is it Doll?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime." He smiled and walked out of the room, leaving Skye alone.