Chapter 2

Steve was guiding the two through the floors and the rooms, Bucky didn't focus too much, he kept watching for trouble around the next corner. This building was unfamiliar to him and with something so valuable to him, he could not chance anything. No Ceres was not exactly his child, well not exactly. She was a mixture of his chromosomes and some modifications created by Zola. She had been meant to be a valuable weapon to the cause and a breeder for more super assassins. He had grown very attached at their first meeting. It was that parental nature that kicked in, and to him she was his world.

For a while he had been very protective of her, he would often find down times after missions to spend with her, HYDRA thought the time was being spent teaching the child fighting techniques, instead Bucky used the time to bond with her. He taught her the English he knew. Sometimes he would play games with her, things they made up. Being brain wiped so often, he sometimes had a childlike mind. Then again, Bucky always had the child like mind. The two were so alike, well she was pretty much a clone. There were differences of course, but he loved her.

HYDRA had only frozen her to keep her young until all the little stones could be fused with her DNA. He didn't understand these stones, but he heard the child screaming in pain in one of the most recent injections. The item was red and had come from a man known as the collector with a small purplish stone. They were merely being added to fragments of a blue stone, a golden colored stone and a green stone. She had never screamed much with the others. The red had taken a bit more time to formulate, and Bucky could hear her cries of pain. He had killed many agents that day. He had fought to stop the pain, he was subdued quickly. The men told him if he did it again they would just harvest the girl's blood and kill her.

He stopped fighting that day. He did everything HYDRA asked, to protect his kid. He stopped going missing after missions and he became even more responsive. It saddened him that a child had to go through so much pain in her life just because of him.

He blinked, Steve was in front of him. "Bucky, you okay?" The man was asking.

He nodded, as he looked around again, this place really did seem safe. Perhaps he would be okay here and the child wouldn't know pain again. With the help of the doctors he may also learn more about the stones. There was one missing he knew that much. Bucky looked at the kid, still in Steve's arms. She was messing with his hair, it was the first time she had seen that much lightly colored hair. Steve laughed at her actions, sending a huge grin to her face. Bucky sighed and smiled, almost like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"So, Ceres, you doing okay?" Steve asked her, curious to her personality and thinking back to how his friend used to behave before the war.

"I am okay. This place is very big." She commented, looking around. "And I like the windows." She marveled at all the bright lights from the city.

"I like them too, the views are wonderful at night." Steve agreed. "You know I bet Tony could make you a room to yourself with toys and fun gadgets. I don't think he's ever had a kid around, so you may get him creating for a whole new group of people." He added, with thought. He had never really been around a little girl, well there was Bucky's sister Rebecca. She was a lot of fun.

Most had this story of Bucky, they had thought the two had been raised together. That was more false than it was true. Bucky had come into his life on a cold winter day, he had been working in the shop, sweeping up while watching people buy what little they could afford. When he looked up a man was putting something in his jacket pocket. Steve watched from around a corner as the man put something on the shelf and turned to leave. Steve, curious as to what he had just seen, walked over and saw a Star of David necklace sitting on the shelf. He looked in the guy's direction, biting his bottom lip. He picked the necklace up and walked to the door, he told the guy at the register he would be back in a second and he jogged out. He was completely out of breath before he found the guy. He was cuddling a small girl in his lap as she nibbled on the chocolate bar the man had grabbed. Steve looked at the necklace and then to the pair, they were obviously in trouble. Steve walked over to him and held out the necklace. That day he had taken Bucky home to his mother. Bucky had found ways to keep both families together and he had a way of bringing home money and food, Steve to this day didn't know that secret.

Steve realized his train of thought was running around when he felt a small pinch on his ear. Ceres had playfully pinched his ear to get his attention back.

"My legs are getting numb." She told him, her eyes furrowed a bit with annoyance. Steve gave her a sheepish look and set her down to the ground.

"Sorry." He sighed, as he looked back to Bucky. "She is very much like a little you."

Bucky gave Steve a contemplative look. There were parts that had slowly come back it was what kept him from killing Steve the first time and the second time. "Perhaps one day you could tell me more about those days?" Bucky asked, softly. He was beginning to want to know the truth of who he was.

"Sure thing Buck." Steve commented excitedly. He wanted to help Bucky comeback. He wanted to help him become whole again.

Bucky put his hand on Ceres' head and ruffles the hair. Steve watched as the girl laughed. The two were obviously close. It may be the closest thing he would ever have to family. That is if Bucky still wanted to be family. Like they had many years ago.

"Sir, Mr. Stark wanted me to inform you the he has finished making the meal. He figures your guest are starving." JARVIS said.

"We will be right there." Steve responded, as he reached out for Bucky's flesh hand. "Come on, I will help you get to the dinning area."

Bucky froze for a moment at the touch of his hand. He let the feeling sink in, knowing the feeling and almost remembering a few old memories. He gave Steve a weak smile and a small nod, ready to follow him forward.

"I promise, Tony's cooking will not kill either of us." Steve assured him.