A/N: I can only say sorry for how long this has taken to upload. Been a busy gal and all, but to make up for it I have made this chapter especially long. Anyways Read on and enjoy. :)
"Hulk!" Bucky shouted.
The hulk turned his head and Bucky pointed in the direction in which he had seen the blue red and white shield. Hulk jumped slightly over a crowd of people and began to head in that direction, with a roar as loud as to burst eardrums the hydra agents surrounding Steve froze and looked worryingly up at the enormous creature charging towards them. They started to fire at the beast but all that did was make him more angry, hulk started to smash and throw the enemy far away with enough force so that they didn't get up. The Hulk's bright green eyes scanning the ground for the flash of blue that would reveal the Captain's position, within a few minutes he had found him.
Steve was in a bad way, curled under his shield as protection, his face bloodied and bruised and bones broken in unusual ways. Scooping him up, The hulk roared back to Bucky who was also fighting too many men, he was beginning to lose hope and energy. Bounding back towards the Winter Soldier, Hulk protected Steve from the never ending onslaught of people. How were there still more coming from the woods?
Suddenly and without warning several missiles shot down the people closest to Hulk and Bucky. Tony had finally arrived. He barely acknowledged his friends down below, more intent on creating a circle of safety for them, using all his missile power then swooping down lower and getting more violent to the people who had threatened his science bro, Capsicle and his new friend. Moving closer to his friends, Tony gave them an order when he saw Steve motionless in the crook of Hulks enormous arm.
"Get out of here. Hulk protect, James on the rear. Go back to your truck, I will meet you there shortly." With this comment Tony continued to fight Hydra pushing them further back into the woods. Hulk gave a second wistful glance towards the fighting but began to run in the opposite direction. Bucky had his mind under control due to worry for Steve, and kept an alert watch on the enemy trying to chase them. They were easily disposed of.
...
Reaching the truck Hulk placed Steve in Bucky's arms who transferred him into the car carefully. Hulk sat down with a thump and closed his eyes with concentration, a few slow minutes later and an exhausted Dr Banner appeared. Bucky averted his eyes and Bruce ran off to the house to get some fitting clothes. A few seconds later and he returned clad in casual jeans and a t-shirt, running back to Bucky he had a medical bag clasped in his right hand.
"James, can you let me see Steve?" Bruce asked tentatively, keeping an eye on the soldier who was protecting his friend.
With an enormous amount of effort, Bucky sidestepped slightly and allowed the doctor access to the back door of the truck. He resumed his protective stance outside the door and watched, unable to do anything else to help Steve.
"Steve? Can you hear me?" Bruce said, full on doctor mode initiated.
There was no response from the soldier, he began to mope up the blood from the multiple scrapes and cuts from his face. It looked even worse then before. Bruce had a grim mask set on his face and with a deep breath began to treat him as best as he could, which was only the minor cuts and putting pressure on wounds to stop blood lose.
"Hurry up Tony! He needs to get to hospital." Banner said to himself, worried as only a doctor could be.
Bucky hearing this last statement began to pace backwards and forwards by the side of the car, annoyed at himself for not doing anything sooner. "I was right, you do like being punched! You stupid punk!" Waiting five more minutes Tony arrived at the truck with minimal dents in his armour.
"What kept you!" Bucky growled.
"Just a few missiles, armed gunmen nothing important. What's wrong?"
Bruce chose that moment to appear from the car, "Tony, we need to get Steve to hospital. I cant treat his injuries here, they're quite deep, several broken bones and is unconscious." He relayed off the minimal amount as to not cause Bucky to become more agitated and protective.
"Right, I'll take him to the nearest hospital." Tony suggested.
"That's not going to happen, where he goes I go!" Bucky stated.
"James, he needs medical attention. This is the quickest way for that!" Bruce said trying to reason with the stubborn man.
All were silent for a few moments as they allowed Bucky to have time to think.
"Take him there. Stay with him! We will be no more then 20 minutes behind. Any change in condition you get in touch within the second! Understood Stark!"
"Got it."
Bucky reached into the car and removed the wounded man, he placed his jacket around Steve's shoulders and zipped it up tightly. As he handed him over to the metal man he ruffled his blonde hair fondly, his face tightened as he let go of his friend and frowned as he watched Tony fly out of sight.
"Could you drive?" Bruce asked the hulk transformation causing him to become exhausted, his eyes beginning to close of their own accord.
"Of course. Um, you, were, um" He coughed self-consciously, "Er, thank you for rescuing him. You were good?" Bucky replied unsure of the correct words to use.
"Anytime, me and the other guy would do anything for them. They're great people you know?"
"Im starting to sense that. Steve was always that way, we have no option but to protect the little guy. Its a mystery how though, hes an idiot."
They laughed shortly and entered the vehicle and were soon on the move towards the hospital.
"Is it a good idea me going to the hospital, what if Hydra is waiting?" James mused out-loud.
"Trust me; they wouldn't dare touch you in there either way. Not with me, Tony and you in there. They'd have to be stupid... Romanoff probably knows by now, spy's know everything as soon as it happens." Bruce replied, his eyes closed slightly yawning. "You don't happen to have anything to eat do you? It helps after transforming to increase glucose levels."
"There's some chocolate in the glove compartment." Bucky said.
"Thanks."
...
Reaching the enormous hospital, Bucky pulled the truck onto the sidewalk and left it barely remembering to take the keys. Bruce grabbed a hoodie for Bucky to wear, to cover the easily recognised metal arm, he then sprinted after the soldier into the huge doors of the hospital. Bucky had already reached the receptionist desk and had found the location of Steve, he began to tear off in that direction while Bruce panted and followed slower behind.
Loud voices were coming from the direction of Steve's room, Bruce began to sprint harder to get to the source of the commotion.
"James you cannot go in there! They are operating on him!" Tony was restraining the soldier, who was fighting the restraint trying to get with his friend.
"Tony! Let me go!"
"Cant do that I'm afraid!"
"You wont have a choice in a moment."
"James, Tony enough!" Bruce came over and split the two men up. "Now James you listen to me. I will see when you can enter in a moment but for now they are operating and so he has to be kept in completely sterile conditions, which if you enter will become re-infected with bacteria. I know you don't want to wait, but there isn't a choice right now."
Bucky glared at the two men but pulled a chair from the side of the hall and placed it directly in front of the door. Tony and Bruce looked at each other with mild humour, concern for their captain evident in their face. Bruce and Tony also sat down, Tony had already taken his armour off, Bruce looked mentally and physically drained.
"Who wants coffee?" Tony asked, unable to stay still for more than two minutes.
"Get us all one for now, we could use the energy." Bruce said, seeing that Bucky was going to be unresponsive for a while.
Tony obliged and moved off to find a decent coffee machine. Bruce yawned loudly, moving his hand to cover his mouth, "Sorry" he mumbled.
"Get some sleep Banner." Bucky said, continuously frowning as he waited for news.
"You sure, I can stay up." Bruce asked hoping he would be allowed to get some rest, although feeling bad about not waiting for news of his friend.
"Sleep. I will keep an eye out." Bucky promised.
"I know you will." Bruce replied sleepily his eyes closing, within moments he was sleeping peacefully. Bucky looked wistfully at the slumbering man, he couldn't remember the last time he had had a full night sleep free of nightmares. Recently he had taken to not sleeping at all, he was worried that when he was sleeping, at his most vulnerable, Hydra would take him over and make him hurt his new found friends. He could not allow the winter soldier out! Not unless there was no other choice, when he could protect his Steve.
Bucky swore mentally at his fool of a brother, he was always getting beaten up, but this time it was for him. Back in the good old days, Bucky had taken Steve's beating without question for the little punk but now it was the other way around, he didn't like it.
Tony came strolling back, balancing 3 mugs of coffee in his grasp along with milk, cream, sugar and various other assets for the drinks. Bucky reluctantly stood up and helped the man with his load,
"I didn't know how you wanted them." Tony said, commenting on Bruce's state. "Banner's sleeping."
"Yea he is, leave the guy alone. He did good today." Bucky stood up for the snoozing scientist.
"So did you I am told."
"Not really, if i wasn't here then Steve would be safe and not in hospital surrounded by medics."
"But he wouldn't be happy."
Bucky turned his head slightly to gaze at the genius, unable to believe what he was saying.
"He cant be happy with me here. I just cause trouble and get him into dangerous situations."
"And all the same he is. You aren't going anywhere, it would crush him. Even if I have to drag you back by your hair!"
"Hair can be cut." Bucky smiled.
"Then I will drag you back by your-" Tony grinned evily.
"What?" Bucky looked apprehensively at the smirking man.
"Now that would be telling." Tony promised winking at the stunned soldier. "You look exhausted James!" Tony commented.
"Yea well, nothing I can do about that."
"Nightmares?"
Bucky froze, trying to override his normal attitude of keeping everything hidden. With a deep focused breath he replied,
"Sometimes... Yea."
"Me too you know. You don't have to hide it James, I did to begin with and it started to drive people away."
"I cant let him know. Especially now. There's nothing anyone can do."
"You can talk about it."
"Then let the whole world know how weak I am." Bucky laughed with no humour.
"No one thinks you're weak, especially after surviving all that Hydra" He spat out the word in distaste, "What they have done to you!"
"That's the problem, you only have half of it." Bucky flinched holding up a hand slowly and shakily. "Can we stop please. I cant."
"I have some new designs for the arm..." Tony said with a frown and a smile on his face.
"You'll have to show me later."
"Sure will."
"Tony."
"Yup." He replied sipping at his hot drink, burning his tongue in the process.
"Thank you for helping us!"
Biting his tongue between his teeth, "No problem bud. Ow! That was hot."
"I know I am but what are you?"
"Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist."
Bucky grinned and nodded at the self proclaimed man.
"You can drink that you know."
"Yea sorry. How long are they going to be do you think?"
"I don't know. As long as it takes for them to fix him."
Bucky's shoulders lowered slightly in despair and he seemed to fold into himself a bit more.
"Hmmm, you know what I'm craving right now?"
"What?"
"Tacos, I have no idea why. Or banoffee pie. Or both."
"Interesting." He said sarcastically.
"I know."
...
The hours stretched out, each one feeling like an eternity. About 2 of these agonising lifetimes later Tony got up out of the chair and was just about to go and find out what was taking so long for them to get information when a scrub clad doctor moved out of the room, banging into Bucky's chair in the process.
The winter soldier jumped up and span around ready to face his attacker, Tony grabbed his shoulder as the man automatically went into a crouch. He stood up slowly, realising who the man was.
"What news?" Tony demanded.
"He's in a stable condition."
Tony went over to Bruce and shook him gently, with a slight murmur of drowsiness the scientist awoke looking a lot better then previously.
"The doc is here Bruce."
With this he pulled himself up out of the chair, and demanded to know all the rates and procedures that they had used.
Bucky interrupted without hesitation.
"Can I go and see him!"
"No, I would advise you to wait a bit longer." The doctor replied.
"Why? You said he was stable, so if he is then I can go and see him or he isn't and you are lying to us."
A few minutes later and Bucky was going into the spacious room where his friend led bloodied and bruised on the paper thin sheets of the medical bed. His eyes were closed and the only way Bucky could see that he was alive was due to the beeping of the machines and the steady rise and fall of his chest. Tony and Banner stayed outside with the doctor to continue to know how Steve was doing.
Bucky reached the bedside chair and sat down into it heavily, his eyes never once leaving Steve's face. He clasped his hand gently, felt how cold it was and placed his jacket over him.
He sat in silence for several minutes unsure of whether Steve could hear him, but his guilt began to grow.
"I'm so sorry Stevie. I never meant for this to happen. I should have stopped you or gone with you. Its all my fault!" Still grasping his friends hand he placed his head by the side of Steve's chest on the bed itself and waited for a long time for his friend to awake. Around an hour later, Steve awoke slowly eyes adjusting to the bright light of the room. He felt a slight pressure on his hand and turned to look, Bucky had began to doze off in that uncomfortable position. Squeezing slightly on his hand, Bucky woke up with a jump.
"I had them on the ropes."
"I know you did punk." Bucky replied wondering when these simple phrases had contained such deep meaning for them both. "I'm sorry Steve. I should have been there with you."
"No, don't apologise Buck. Never apologise." Steve replied coughing slightly his through dry and grating.
"I have to. Its all my fault." Bucky replied lowering his head in shame.
Rising up from the bed slightly, Steve looked his friend in the eye.
"It is not your fault! You didn't make me go out there, it was my choice and I would do it again a thousand different times!"
"It proves one thing though?"
"What's that?"
"I was right, you do love getting punched." Bucky smiled through his concern to his brother of sorts.
"Whatever jerk. Did Stark arrive? What happened to Banner?"
"They're both fine. They are outside. Tony arrived near the end, Banner or Hulk I should say found you and carried you to safety."
"Could you get them in here, I need to check." Steve worried.
"Of course punk."
Moving over to the double doors Bucky peered out, Bruce and Tony were both sat on the chairs beside the door, they looked up as Bucky came round.
"Steve wants to see you both, he's gonna be okay!" Bucky grinned a grin as wide as a chesshire cat.
"I'm going to be the first to say it. I told you so!" Tony grinned in return. They both simultaneously stood up and waited for Bucky to enter first before following him in. Bucky walked over to the chair once more and sat down in it. Steve had completely sat up, determined not to look weak in front of his friends and team mates.
"Hey Capsicle, gave us a bit of a scare there." Tony said his eyes gleaming.
"Well apologies. Thanks for coming."
"It was my fault it was the least I could do."
Steve scowled at the group of three.
"I swear to god, if one more person says it was there fault. I will have to kill you!"
"Okay okay, calm it frosty." Tony said hands held up. Bucky patted Steve's forearm gently while Bruce grinned a wide smile.
"How you doing Steve?" he asked.
"Bit sore but good. Sorry if you had to suit up Bruce."
"Its no problem, I had to anyway otherwise this fool would've tried to take them all on by himself."
"You have some good strength on you Bruce." Bucky interjected. "Not many people can hold me when I am trying to get away."
"No problem James."
"Thank you Bruce." Steve replied looking more exhausted with the amount of talking he was doing.
"So when do I get to go home?"
The three guys looked at one another unsure of the answer.
"Well the docs want to keep you under observation for the next week or so." Bruce said.
"I am not spending a week here. I have things to do."
"Like what?" Bucky answered sure of the answer that he wasn't going to give.
"Just stuff. Nothing important. Tony could you have me out of here before then?"
"Maybe, I'm not sure."
"If you can't I will just walk out of here."
"Oh no you wont punk. Even if I have to watch you 24/7."
"Buckyyyy." Steve whined, "That's not fair! You know I don't like hospitals, you need sleep as it is."
"Oh no don't make it like that. I know you don't but its the best place for you!"
"Well Tony has an entire floor devoted to a medical bay at Avenger tower..." He suggested. "And I'm sure Bruce wouldn't mind a vacation right now."
Tony laughed with Bruce,
"Inviting yourself in now are we?"
"You did say I could stay." Steve grinned at Tony.
"Of course you can but only if Brucie agrees with this."
"Bruce?" Steve asked hopefully.
"Tony I said don't call me that! Yes. I will come to the tower with you guys."
"Woohoo." Steve clenched both fists in success.
Bucky coughed to grab the smiling mans attention. "Someone else you care to persuade punk."
After a moment of thought Steve looked at Bucky with his puppy eyes, big sky blue and shimmering. Bucky couldn't look away.
"Please Bucky. I don't want to stay here any more. Dont make me." Steve said a tremble in his voice. "Buck, please."
Bucky's resolve faltered, "You're an idiot, you know?"
"Is that an agreement?"
He narrowed his eyes and nodded slightly, then smiled at Steve's wide grin.
"You love it really!" Steve said happily.
"You need to teach us how to do that!" Tony said mischievously.
"Some other time Stark."
...
It took barely an hour for the hospital to release Steve into Banner's care, probably due to the fact that the three avengers and overprotective bodyguard would have managed to smuggle themselves out either way. From between the grey storm clouds a beam of sunlight came down to earth, shining onto the small group of men below. They stepped into Stark's raven black limousine and sat down comfortably onto the silver grey upholstery, all facing each other.
"Well that went well." Bruce chuckled.
"Yea I guess it did. Thanks for that guys." Steve grinned and leant back slightly.
"Well I guess the cat's out of the bag." Tony said humourlessly.
"I understood that reference." Steve said tired.
"I know you did buddy. So back to the tower?"
"Yup, if that's okay Tony."
Tony rolled his eyes, "Of course it is Capsicle. It seems to be the safest place for you guys to be at the moment."
Noticing that Steve was involuntarily closing his eyes, the tone in the car lowered slightly to allow the weary man to sleep.
With hurried anxious thoughts running through Bucky's head, the others didn't notice his pained expression as false recognition flashed through his mind. *This is all my fault. I need to protect him. I have to go. He can't get hurt because of me again. He can't.* A single tear slid from his eye, but was immediately wiped away. Emotions never helped anything. He had a mission again, at long last. A mission of his choice. Something he had almost dreamt off, but now hated the reason for it. His mission was keeping Steve Rogers safe without him.
He had many things to sort out with the others, his new friends to make sure that they ensure Steve understood why he was doing this. Hydra would be coming. They would always keep coming for their asset.
...
"Steve either you let Bruce check you right now or I swear to Thor that I will tranquilise you with the new Hulk night night gun!"
"Tony I appreciate your offer and everything but that won't be necessary, I am perfectly fine and to be honest it's not your style." A wan smile showed that the man sat on the sofa truly thought he was above going to medics when it wasn't needed.
"You're right." The genius admitted, getting a shocked look from the soldier. "Its not my style but it is James'."
"You wouldn't!"
"Don't try me. You know he would do it as well if it helped."
"You guys are mean to me sometimes."
"We have to be Steve. You are too pig headed for your own good." They laughed briefly together and walked to the medical room. Tony turned around when he saw that they reached the room successfully and went to look for Bucky, who had been sat in his floor for almost the entire day since they had returned. As he knocked on the large soundproofed door, Tony heard a weak mumble of assent. Opening the door, he saw that Bucky was sat on his bed cross legged staring at the wall, shoulders hunched, deep in thought.
"Hey James, are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine Tony. Just thinking..."
"For an entire day?! Steve is worried, he doesn't say it but still."
"What should I do? If I am here you are all in danger... but if I go it would break Steve's heart. I couldn't do that to him."
Tony took a deep breath, he had to handle this right. "James, what I think you should do is talk to Steve. I know I would prefer it if you stayed here, it's safer and there are more of us to protect you here. Steve would like it too, he needs to settle down. Since he came out of the ice, all he has been doing is running around after other people. It may just be that it's our turn to do the same for him. Whether by making new armour for him or just letting him relax more, but at the end of the day it is up to you. It's your call. But I ... we will help you with it. You don't have to be told what to do ever again, never forced to do anything against your will. You could be safe."
Bucky nodded slowly and resumed his trance; he had a lot to think about. Tony stared at the broken man with sadness in his eyes, wondering what he could do to get him to stay.
"Get Jarvis to call if you need anything. Anything at all!"
"Thank you Tony. For everything." Bucky answered grimly.
A/N:Thank you to all followers and reviwers, you are as awesome as Captain's Shield :)