Disclaimer: I don't own Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Agents of SHIELD, etc. I own Jamie.

Chapter 18
Not Over Yet

"It was him," Steve said, pulling everybody's attention to him and away from their own private thoughts. They were all shoved into the back of one of the trucks, two armed guards keeping watch over them to make sure nothing happened. "He looked right at me like he didn't even know me."

"Maybe he doesn't," Jamie muttered. She was shaky and in even more pain now. Up to two gunshot wounds now, one grave and another through-and-through. She was beaten and bruised and wanted to crawl into bed for a week, maybe more. But she knew this wasn't over. Or hoped. She couldn't let herself think that a situation was truly over, not again. Not after captivity.

"How is that even possible? It was, like, seventy years ago," Sam pointed out. He had his own points, but he hasn't been around as much weird as the rest of them. They all knew it was more possible than anybody else could believe. After all, Steve was there with them, wasn't he?

"Zola," Steve stated. "Bucky's whole unit was captured in '43. Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him and…"

"None of that's your fault, Steve," Nat said groggily.

Jamie hadn't even noticed that Nat was as wounded as she was. She too had a gunshot wound, hers to her left shoulder. "Hey, stay with us, Tasha," Jamie told her. "It's not nap time."

"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky," Steve muttered, not hearing anything anybody was saying. She couldn't blame him. Jamie hadn't really seen what the assassin looked like, but she was hearing Steve and what he was saying. It was a complete shock to her too, but she didn't know Bucky at all, so she could shove all of those thoughts out of her head and focus more on their situation and Natasha's health, which was a lot worse than her own at that moment.

"We need to get a doctor here," Sam asked the SHIELD STRIKE member next to him. "If we don't put pressure on that wound, she's gonna bleed out here in the truck."

The guard raised her electric biton threateningly towards Sam, but never made contact with him. Instead, they flipped it around skillfully in their hand and jammed it into the member next to them, electrifying them. To make sure they were incapacitated, they shifted in their seat and kicked their foot into his head, knocking him out completely.

What the fuck? Jamie thought, shifting her green eyes from the unconscious person on the floor to the person suddenly helping them.

"Ow," she groaned, taking the STRIKE helmet off. She placed it in her lap, revealing her brown hair tied back. It was Agent Maria Hill, right hand to Director Fury himself. "That thing was squeezing my brain." She took a moment to look at the shape everybody was in, her eyes fixating on Sam. "Who is this guy?"

"Uh, Sam, this is Agent Maria Hill," Jamie introduced. "Hill, this is Sam."

"What's he doing here?" She asked.

"Helping," Nat added.

"How did you get here?"Jamie asked.

"No time to chat," Hill said. She rolled the unconscious SHIELD man out of their wait and kneeled on the floor, pulling something out of her pocket. It looked like a mini handheld laser. "We've gotta get out of here." She used it and slowly made a circle into the floor.

"Oh, that is so cool," Jamie said. "Can I get on?"

They commandeered a van and drove it all the way out of the city. It looked like a large dam, though Jamie still didn't know the area as well as she would've liked to be able to figure out exactly where they were, or why. Obviously it had to be a safe place but why here was beyond her. Hill got out first, then Steve, who helped Natasha, since she was in worse shape than Jamie. Sam hopped out after and pulled Jamie out with him.

Jamie glanced around once they were out, seeing the sky slowly grow to black once more. "I'm okay," she assured him. "Help Steve with Nat."

"You sure?" He asked.

"Yeah," she told him, smiling reassuringly.

And honestly, Jamie was in better shape than Natasha. Nat had lost more blood quicker than Jamie had, and she suspected that had to do with where and how they were shot. They both got shot in the shoulder, but Jamie had still had her healing factor when she was shot and it managed to clot just enough before she was injected with the neutralizer. It was still bleeding, as was her other wound, which had reopened because of the crash, but again, started to clot. She knew now though, if she moved too much or tried anything too strenuous, she'd be much more like Natasha.

Once inside the dap dam, Hill called out to a doctor that was running down the long hallway. "Two GSWs. Though Romanoff's lost at least a pint."

"Maybe two," Sam added.

"Let me take her!" The doc said, motioning with his hand. "We'll tend to the other after."

"She'll want to see him first," Hill said.

And it was obvious to all of them that they were all wondering the same thing. Who was 'he' that Hill was referring to? Was it Clint? Did he make it there to try and help with the mission? Was it Bruce or Tony? Though nobody really would've liked to have to deal with Tony. They probably wouldn't have been happy to see him, though even if they were, they wouldn't have admitted it because that man's head didn't need to be any bigger than it already was, that was for sure.

They were lead into what looked like a makeshift medical bay with a plastic curtain and everything. Hill drew it to the side and stepped out of their way so they could see who was laying in the medical bed before them.

Right there, before their very eyes was Director Fury. He wasn't dead, but he sure as hell looked like he had been there and back. Though, of course, with his signature eye patch.

"About damn time," he muttered to them. "Sit, we've got a lot to discuss."

Once Natasha and Jaime were seated, both getting looked at by individuals. Nat had the doctor that had rushed to meet them, Jamie had the nurse that assisted him with Fury. The wound to her stomach was dealt with first, though all it really needed was to be cleaned and patched up like before. Her shoulder had to be cleaned, sown and stopped bleeding before they could cover it to prevent infection.

"Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, and one hell of a headache," he said, telling them what was wrong with him.

"Don't forget your collapsed lung," the doctor reminded him, hands pressed against Nat's wound.

"No, let's not forget that," Fury muttered. "But other side, I'm good."

"They cut you open. Your heart stopped," Nat stated.

"Tetrodotoxin B," Fury said. "Slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work so great for him, but we found a use for it."

"Why all the secrecy" Steve asked. "Why not just tell us?"

"Any attempt on the Director's life had to look successful," Hill answered.

"Can't kill you if you're already dead," Fury stated. "Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust."

They had all moved to the table, and Fury looked a bit better now than he did when they arrived, but he still didn't look all too great. Jamie was concerned that he shouldn't be up and out of bed, and he probably shouldn't have, but nobody could really tell Fury no. Plus, they had to inform him of exactly what had gone on. Firu Steve went, then Natasha, and Finally Jamie. Everything was slowly starting to add up together for him. It was quite evident on his angered face.

He just sat there for several minutes staring at a photo of Pierce, after hearing their accounts of what happened. "This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize," he finally said. "He said peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility." He lazily dropped the photo on the table, letting it slip from his fingers. He leaned forward, looking at them all annoyed. "See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues."

"We have to stop the launch," Nat said, getting back to work instead of complaining about people.

"I don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore," Fury pointed out. He did open the briefcase next to him though, showing three data chips.

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"Since we can't ask to stop the launch, we'll have to do it manually," Jamie told him.

"Exactly," Hull said. "Once the helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites, becoming fully weaponized."

"We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own," Fury said.

"One or two won't cut it. We need all three carriers for this to work because if even one of those ships remains operational, a whole lot of people are gonna die," Hill said.

"We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA," Fury went on. "We can get past them, insert these server blades and maybe, just maybe we can salvage what's left…"

"We're not salvaging anything," Steve snapped. "Were not just taking down the carriers, Nick We're taking down SHIELD."

"SHIELD has nothing to do with this," Fury protested.

"You gave me this mission. This is how it ends," Steve persisted. "SHIELD's been compromised. You said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed."

"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed," he grumbled.

"How many paid the price before you did?" Steve asked.

"Look, I didn't know about Barnes," he said, thinking that was what this was all about.

"Even if you had, would you have told me?"Steve retorted. "Or would you have compartmentalized that too? SHIELD, HYDRA, it all goes."

"SHIELD wa founded with good intentions to help people, protect them. And it has, but SHIELD isn't SHIELD anymore. It's not the same SHIELD that was founded," Jamie said, backing Steve up.

"They're right," Hill said.

Fury looked at all of them, hoping someone would back him up on his side, but everybody agreed with STEVE. SHIELD wasn't SHIELD anymore, and it had to go. Someday it might be able to come back, to be the SHIELD to protect the people that it was meant to be, but not now. Not yet.

"Don't look at me. I do what they do, just slower, and less blue," Sam said. Jamie just rolled her eyes, before watching Fury again.

"Well," Fury started, leaning back in his chair in defeat, "looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain"

Jamie didn't know what to say to Steve. What could she really say? She wanted him to feel better but she couldn't lie to him. Bucky wasn't exactly his Bucky anymore. And maybe Bucky didn't really remember him. Maybe whatever they did to him, made him forget. Or his own conscious did it to protect him. Who knows how much he has gone through, and what kind of trauma that would cause to his psyche?

But if he didn't remember, would he ever? He was going to try and do his mission, and he was going to stand in their way. If Steve couldn't get through to him, then what was he going to do? Could he take care of Bucky for the sake of the mission?

But she couldn't just sit there on the ledge of that dam, looking at the city with Steve and not say anything, could she? Her best friend was hurting. It was her natural instinct to try and make him feel better.

"Steve," Jamie said.

"Are you going to tell me not to go after Bucky?" He asked, obviously been thinking about everything people have been whispering.

Jamie thought about it. She knew that the mission came first, but if she had the opportunity to go back and save Aaron before his mind was corrupted by Cerberus, she would do it. And even though she knew Aaron wasn't her Aaron, and that he had some horrible things, killed their friend even, she didn't want him dead. She dreamed of seeing him straightened out, doing good again and with his brother. She couldn't be a hypocrite. Not when she practically thought the same thing herself.

"No," she told him. He clanged over at her, his brow knit in confusion. She placed her hand on his arm comfortingly, pulling him closer. She rested her head on his shoulder, eyes looking into the distance at the city. "No, you do what you have to do. I'll stand right by your decision no matter what."

"Jamie I…" Steve said, looking down at her, his voice filled with emotion as it died off. "I….Thank you…"

Jamie just tightened her hold on his arm. "Hey, you're my guy," she told him. "Anything you need, just name it. Anything, anytime, anywhere."

Steve sighed, staring out again as well. "You always say things like that," he muttered. "I feel like…I could never do anything good enough to deserve that. Could never do enough for you."

"You don't need to," she told him. "Just be you. I like you when you're you," she chuckled.

"Opposed to being whom?"

"Nobody," she chuckled. "You're just overthinking things, sweetheart."

Steve shook his head, a small smirk on his lips. They grew silent, getting lost in thought once more, though not moving from their positions. Neither of them would admit it, especially to one another, but just being there together, not saying anything was a comfort. Especially when it was just the two of them. It was comforting to know that they were there, that a single touch of a hand or a hug, or a kiss to the cheek could be so uplifting, or warm and welcoming.

"He's gonna be there, you know," Sam said, walking up to them.

"I know," Steve answered, not even turning his head to look at Sam.

"Look, whoever he used to be and the guy he is now, I don't think he's the kind you save. He's the kind you stop," Sam said.

"I don't know if I can do that," Steve admitted.

"Well, he might not give you a choice," Sam said. "He doesn't know you."

Steve nodded his head, finally turning to look at Sam. "He will," he said definitely. He turned his gaze back to the scenery. "Gear up. It's time." Steve worked turned, and Jamie let him slip out of her hold.

Sam kind of looked torn. He knew that Steve was being stubborn, but he knew how much it meant to him. He felt bad for being the bad guy in confronting him about it. "You gonna wear that?"

"No," he answered, turning to look at him as he walked away. "If you're gonna fight a war, you got to wear a uniform." And with that, Steve was gone.

"Great, think I pissed him off?" Sam asked the female.

Jamie shook her head. "No," she said. "He knows what he has to do, and he knows what his heart is telling him, but it hurts." She turned to look at him straight on. "He won't let millions of people die, but if he can help it, he's not going to take out Bucky."

"You know him that well to be able to tell that?" Sam asked.

"Yes and no," she answered. "It's just what I would do."

"Yeah, but you don't have to," Sam said.

"No, but my best friend back when I was in the military now works for the same people that captured and experimented on us, so I kind of know what he's going through. It's not easy."

"You people live in a soap opera," Sam chuckled.

Jamie laughed with him, taking his arm and leading him back inside. "You have no idea."

So a little bit of Jamie making Steve feel a little better. Oh, and there's a poll on my profile about who we want to pair Taylor with, so if you guys go and vote that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to the following for their reviews on the previous chapter:

Queen of Erebor- Yes and no, lol. It was just the perfect place to cut off. I hate reading cliffhangers as much as you do.

CJ/OddBall- Yeah Jamie's gonna sleep for a week. At least she has a healing factor. Not as strong as Steve's, or Wolverine's, but better than a regular person.

dleshae- I know, I'm so mean to Jamie.

seasidewriter1- I'm glad you enjoyed binge reading the chapters!There were only a couple thins I knew that I wanted to do during the movie, everything else has just come as I go, so I'm glad people are liking what it's become.

Jo- Yay! I love it when I do good and people like it! I hope this one was up to par as well.

Jedi Jelsa777- Ant Man won't be a long thing though. It'll only be about a chapter, I believe. And I had a hard time placing Jamie into the first. I really wanted one-on-one times with her and Bucky, but I couldn't figure out how to do it with how tight the scene is, you know?

KnowInsight- Yeah, all of this seems a bit easy to Jamie, the pain wise, with everything she was put through in those years with Cerberus.