Disclaimer: I own nothing Captain America-related, not even Bucky Barnes…though I might consider asking Marvel to loan them and the rest of the Avengers to me for a while. Until then, only original characters and plots/ideas are mine.

AN: Here it is: the reunion of Bucky and Steve! It might be a bit anti-climatic for some, but there will be more of the two friends bonding later on in the story, so don't worry. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review. Thanks.

Chapter 18: Overdue Reunions:

Looking at the floor, Bucky tried to restrain the constant urge to hit something.

About an hour ago, he'd received a call from Director Coulson, who informed him that an escort would be arriving to take him to another location. Bucky hadn't liked the idea of being moved, not if HYDRA might try and contact him with more information on Anna.

Coulson, however, wasn't giving him a choice. "Just sneak out the back, jump a few fences, and be at the southwest corner of the next block in fifteen minutes," he said firmly, his tone allowing no room for arguments. "I'll have a pair of agents at the house while we move you to another location."

Bucky had wanted to know why he was being moved, and had been ready for a huge shouting match until Coulson informed him it was so he could meet the team that was going to help him rescue Anna. That was all Bucky needed to calm down and go along with the plan.

In the end, he'd done as ordered, and made it to the designated location in time to be picked up by a black SUV. Since it was night by this time, and at an unlit corner, no one had really noticed his movements.

Now he was in a vehicle, headed who-knows-where, and the ride to the new location was agonizing. All sorts of different scenarios involving poor Anna and HYDRA's most skilled agents, scientists, and interrogators had flashed through his mind, the conjured images twisting his stomach into a mess of knots.

As of those weren't bad enough, some of the images triggered memories of his own torments at the hands of HYDRA's worst. It took every ounce of strength and willpower to hold back the urge to punch a hole in the side of the SUV, his fists clenching and unclenching as he struggled to remember Anna's smiling face and comforting presence to keep himself calm.

When they finally reached their destination, Bucky couldn't get out of the car fast enough, his hands opening the door before the car had even slowed to a crawl. His exit had alarmed the agents still inside the vehicle (he heard their shouts as he jumped out), but he didn't care –any more time in that car, and he'd start turning it to Swiss cheese.

Looking around the parking structure, Bucky scowled as he realized they were underground somewhere. The place was solidly built, and obviously meant to withstand a large earthquake or an attack from above. He approved.

An open, large metal door was to his right, and standing in the doorway was an Asian woman, her arms crossed as she eyed him carefully. "Mr. Barnes," she greeted him. "I'm Melinda May. I'm to escort you to the workout room, where you can pass your time while I go retrieve the rest of the team from the airstrip."

He immediately knew that she had to be one of the best agents in SHIELD. Her cool, calm demeanor spoke of a level head, and he could see how her hands remained close to her weapons, all of which were hidden in various places.

"Thank you," he politely said. "I appreciate that."

Agent May studied him carefully, obviously trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not. She seemed to come to the conclusion that he was, because she simply nodded and motioned for him to follow her.

He was led to a section of the building that was a recreational area. There was the gym, complete with a boxing ring, a weight-lifting room, two locker rooms (for men and women), and a small snack area stocked with water, juice, and healthy snacks. There were also stacks of clean towels everywhere, within easy reach.

Best of all, there were only a very few people around using the equipment, which meant he would likely be undisturbed while he blew off some steam.

"The others have been told to leave you alone, both for your safety and theirs," Agent May told him. "Help yourself to whatever equipment you prefer, as well as the food and drinks. When the other team members are here, I'll come get you."

Then she was gone, and Bucky had zeroed in on a punching bag in the corner that wasn't being used. He then pulled off his shirt, his tank top, and the gloves he'd pulled on before leaving the house. He replaced those gloves with some bandages, before going to town on the poor, defenseless bag.

How long he worked at it, he didn't know, but when he finally stopped for a few breaths, he saw that he'd punched at it so long and with such force that a seam had come loose. There were small streams of sand pouring from the loosened seams, and the bag was starting to have odd lumps and dents in it.

"Wow," said a female voice beside him. "That's some workout."

He whirled around, coming face-to-face with a young woman standing close by, clearly amused. "Sorry, but you've been at it for a few hours. The rest of your team is on its way, so now would be a good time to cool down, eat something, and clean up."

She held up a black backpack. "There's a towel, food, water, soap, shampoo, and clean clothes in here. I'll wait outside the men's room, so that I can take you to the meeting room."

Bucky thanked her and accepted the bag. He immediately went for the food and water, and once those were gone, he headed for the showers. To his surprise, he actually felt better after a good long soak under a steady stream of hot water.

Half an hour later, he stepped outside, where he was met by the young woman from before. "You look a lot better," she greeted him with a smile.

Bucky managed to smile back. "Thanks, Agent…?"

"Skye," she replied. "Just Skye; no last name."

He gave her an odd look, but didn't press the issue as she motioned for him to follow her. "So, who is going to be on this team of mine?" he asked.

Skye chuckled a little. "You'll see in a second."

They went down several hallways, and came to as stop before a metal door marked Conference Room 12. Skye tapped on the door, and opened it when a voice called for them to enter.

Stepping into the room, Bucky froze in his steps. He didn't even hear the door shut behind him, he was so shocked at the sight that greeted him.

"Bucky!" greeted a familiar male voice. It was Steve.

Even though he'd expected to see Bucky, Steve was still a bit shocked to see his old friend again.

Actually, 'shocked' wasn't quite the only word to use. He was thrilled, excited, anxious, and more than a little guilty, all of those emotions stewing together inside his gut. While most of his feelings were normal ones when it came to reuniting with an old friend, guilt still weighed on him. His mind kept replaying the last time he'd seen Bucky, falling from the train when Steve had failed to grab his hand and save his life.

'I let him fall,' his mind kept repeating. 'I let him get captured by HYDRA, tortured and experimented on, and turned into a mindless assassin and killer.'

Looking at the man before him, he almost didn't see his old friend. This Bucky still had the longer, shaggier hair when they'd last seen one another aboard the Helicarrier, and the rough stubble, though both were much neater now. Instead of the battle gear he'd donned as the Winter Soldier, he wore black jeans, a black shirt, and a black jean jacket. Both hands were bare, so his metal hand clearly stood out and shone in the light emanating from the ceiling lights.

Daring to glance into the other man's eyes, Steve was relieved that the confusion, anger, and emptiness that had once been there had faded. There was still anger there, but it wasn't directed at Steve or anyone here –it was clearly reserved for the people who had taken Anita Wallace (called Anna by her friends and family).

Steve couldn't hold back a tiny surge of jealousy. He was Bucky's best friend, and so he should have been the one to try and help him remember their past together, not a civilian.

Then he remembered all the good that Adena had done for him, and his anger and jealousy faded. Things would have been much worse for him, if Fury hadn't brought Adena to his apartment that morning. She'd been a solid, comforting presence, and exactly what he had needed at that point in his life.

It was clear that Anna had done the same for Bucky. While he was clearly furious that Anna had been taken, Bucky had lost much of the hostile aura that he'd once projected. He had softened somewhat, and seemed almost approachable, which was something Steve hadn't thought he could accomplish in such a short time.

Eying his best friend, Steve watched him squirm a little under everyone's eyes as the room went silent. There was so much that Steve wanted to say, but he didn't know how.

A soft sigh came from his right, and before he could stop her, Adena moved forward, walking straight up to Bucky to offer him a hand with a smile. "Hello, Bucky. I don't know if you remember me from our Potomac River encounter, but I'm Adena Rogers. I'm Steve's wife."

Her smile broadened a little. "And I've got to say, I'm very glad to meet you, at long last."

To Steve's surprise, Bucky smiled back as he took her hand and shook it. "It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Rogers," he greeted her. "I'm sorry that our first meeting wasn't under the best circumstances."

Adena laughed. "That's alright. And you can call me Adena; everyone else does."

Bucky's smile slowly faded. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep Anna safe," he quietly apologized. "I tried, and failed. I hope you can forgive me for that."

Steve watched his wife's smile soften and turn sympathetic as she put a comforting hand on Bucky's shoulder. "I don't blame you for this," she bluntly told him. "HYDRA is a horrible group full of horrible people who will do anything to get their way in the end. If they hadn't gotten her this time, they'd have tried again, this time with a larger and more violent group. At least this way, you're here and in a position to help get her back."

The corner of Bucky's mouth turned upwards, and Steve knew that Adena had managed to put some of his worries at ease. At least Bucky knew that she didn't blame him for Anna's kidnapping.

"Right now, we need a plan to get her back," Natasha said, getting everyone's attention. "Steve, Adena, you know me, Bucky, and Agent May. The other addition to our party is Skye."

She nodded towards the young woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. "Skye is one of the best computer techs we've got. She's also a grade-A hacker."

Skye smirked when Steve, Adena and Bucky looked at her with surprised glances. "If HYDRA left behind any electronic trail, I'll do whatever I can to backtrack that to the source."

Bucky looked like he didn't believe her. "You're really that good? Not that I mean to insult you, but you seem rather young for that."

"She's being modest," Agent May said, her face showing just the tiniest hint of amusement. "She's more than good –Coulson trusts her with quite a few tasks he feels no one else can do. The saying on our team is that if Skye can't hack into it, no one can."

The younger woman's cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink. "Thanks, May."

Agent May nodded. "So, let's try and see what we can come up with."

Everyone immediately took a seat at the metal conference table, eager to start.

Two hours after we sat down to discuss plans to rescue Anna, we decided a break was needed. Agent May went to call Coulson while Natasha sat next to Bucky and began to quietly talk to him. It was clear that Bucky wasn't happy about our taking a break, but he held his peace as everyone except him and Natasha left to stretch their legs.

I quietly trailed behind Steve, who went to help himself to some snacks from a nearby coffee bar. As I pulled a bottle of lemonade from the small fridge, I watched Steve pour himself a cup of coffee, flavor it the way he liked it, and slowly sip it down. He then grabbed a bag of nacho-flavored chips and immediately began eating his way through the contents.

Wincing, I decided not to say anything. Nacho-flavored snacks were his least favorite things to eat –if he was downing an entire bag without noticing what he was eating, he must really be upset about something.

"Steve," I gently said, putting my hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "What is it? What's wrong?"

He finished eating and tossed the bag in the trash, not saying one word as he washed his hands in the sink and dried them. When he continued to stand there, a silent statue, I sighed and put my drink aside. My hands now completely free, I went and stood before him, my arms going up to wrap around his neck.

"It's about Bucky, isn't it?" I quietly asked. "I take it you expected a warmer meeting after so many years apart?"

Steve sighed and put his arms around my waist, pulling me close. "I thought we'd be happy to see each other," he admitted. "I thought we'd connect again. But instead…"

I pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. "It's been seventy years, Steve," I chided him. "He's been awake for quite a few of those years, and in that time, he's been put through hell by HYDRA. He probably doesn't remember much about your past together, and anything he does probably feels like a dream or hallucination. You need to give him time to remember."

My husband sighed again, and leaned in for a soft kiss. "Thanks, love. You're right; I'll give him time. Maybe, after this whole mess is over, I'll try again."

"Actually, I think now might be a good time," chimed in a voice behind Steve. We both looked and found Bucky standing there, an embarrassed look on his face. "That is, if you're open to it."

I released my hold on Steve's neck, and gave him a gentle shove on the chest. "Go. It's what you've been waiting so long for."

Steve nodded and kissed me again. "I'll see you soon."

Any idiot could see that one man was thrilled and relieved to be reunited with his friend. However, a glance at the other man showed that his anxiety over this was deep, and not in a good way.

The door closed on the conference room, leaving them alone. While Steve stood ready to hug his long-lost best friend and bother-in-arms, Bucky looked as though he were going to be sick. He had no idea how to proceed, so he decided to simply offer the other man a chair.

"Please, take a seat," he said, before taking one himself.

Steve looked a little hurt, but did as he was bid. The two men sat and stared at one another for several minutes before Steve made the first move.

"You look good, Buck," he said, smiling a little. "It seems that Anna has done wonders for you."

Bucky didn't know whether to smile or wince. Anna had been good for him, but thinking about her right now struck like a knife into his chest. The guilt of letting something happen to her was still incredibly strong.

"She's done so much for me," he whispered, looking down at his metal hand. "Can you believe that she didn't even really react much to this?"

He held up and wiggled his metal fingers, remembering the feel of her hand on his. "I honestly don't know how she managed to accept me as a man, and not the monster HYDRA made me into. She's always telling me that I'm not a monster, that I'm a human being. If it were anyone else saying that, I wouldn't believe it. But with her, I'm starting to."

Steve gently cleared his throat. "I'm so sorry, Buck. It's my fault you're like this. If I'd tried harder to grab your hand…"

Bucky looked at him. "I don't blame you, Steve," he said, catching the other man off-guard. "I know you tried to save me –I remember you reaching out to grab me. You tried to get to me, but couldn't. The only people we have to blame are Zola, his cronies back in those days, and HYDRA. They did this to me, not you."

As much as he wanted to argue, Steve knew it was pointless. He would always carry the weight of guilt of letting his best friend fall, but now that he knew that Bucky didn't blame him for everything that had happened to him since that fateful day, it wasn't so heavy a burden.

"I know that you were hoping for a warmer reunion than the one I gave you," Bucky said, catching Steve again by surprise. "While I have been remembering a lot about our growing up together, I don't think that sort of thing is possible right now."

The crestfallen look on Steve's face hit the other man with a wave of guilt. "Don't get me wrong, Steve. I know, deep inside, that you're my best friend. I can feel it. But it's been a long time since we were war buddies, fighting together and going out on the town with girls. Things are very different now –you've got a wife, and you're a hero, an Avenger.

"I, however, have a very sordid past as a killer of good people, innocent people. As much as we both want the old Bucky Barnes to come back, I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon, if ever."

He raised his right hand to halt Steve's protests. "My memories are coming back, but in pieces. Sometimes, I can't bring up memories for days, and it's frustrating to the point where I almost bash a whole through the wall. The only thing that keeps me from tearing the place apart is Anna."

Bucky swallowed hard and looked down, his metal hand clenching into a tight fist. "I need her back, Steve. As much as I want to be your friend again, I really need Anna. She's the only thing that keeps me together, mentally and emotionally. There's no one else in the world who can do for me what she does."

The sound of Steve chuckling pulled his attention back towards him. "I know what you mean. Adena had the same effect on me, when I first woke up in this century. She kept me steady and focused, which is what I needed when my head was spinning."

Bucky followed Steve's gaze to the gold wedding band that sat on his left hand. "The next thing I knew, I was falling for her, and months later, we were married. I owe Fury a lot for bringing her to New York and housing us together. If he hadn't, I'd be in a pretty rough place right now, even after more than two years of being exposed to modern culture."

Staring at Steve's left hand, Bucky couldn't help but wonder if he should follow in Steve's footsteps in regards to Anna. He didn't think he was falling for her, but the feelings he had for her were something he couldn't remember feeling for any other woman.

There had been many women in his past, but only one that had mattered, and that had been his mother. He'd loved his mother, but that was a special bond between a mother and her son. She'd been the light in his life for years, and the memories he had of her were ones he would always cherish.

What he'd felt for the girls he'd dated weren't worth really thinking about –they'd been flings, pretty girls a good-looking young man chased for fun. They'd exchanged glances, kisses, and phone numbers, but not much more than that. Anything that had progressed further had stopped just as quickly as they'd started.

But Anna…

He pulled his mind up short. No, it was best not get ahead of himself. He needed to get her back, first, and make sure she was alright, because if HYDRA had hurt her, they would pay.

"We'll get her back, Buck," Steve said, pulling him from his thoughts. "But if we're going to do that, we need to let the others back into the room."

Smiling slightly, Bucky nodded. "Okay. But before we do that, let's promise to sit down for a long talk after this is all done with." He held out a hand. "Promise?"

Grinning broadly, Steve reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight for a brief moment, just as he'd always done when they were kids. "Promise."

AN: Review?