Chapter six is finally up! I know this one took me a while. Holidays were a bit crazy, and I needed a bit of time to get this one sorted out the way I wanted it. Anyways, I figured it was about time, since I haven't updated since LAST YEAR. haha. thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Six

"Hey," Bucky said. He stepped off the rope with a little help from Steve before it dropped back down to pick up Sam.

Steve and Bucky were standing in silence, Steve with one hand on the other man's shoulder, looking at him looking at him with a strange expression of combined sadness and happiness. After a moment, Steve pulled Bucky into a hug.

"I missed you pal," He said. Bucky, after a moment's hesitation, embraced the other man.

Alessia looked away, not entirely sure what she was watching. Are they friends or...? Sam, meanwhile was at last being lifted into the jet. Clint helped him onto the floor safely before hitting a button that closed the trapdoor.

Where to, Cap?" Clint asked, making his way over to the cockpit.

Steve had pulled away from Bucky, leaving a hand on his shoulder, and said. "The safest place you know."

"The safest place I know," Clint began, "Isn't the safest place I know anymore."

"I have an idea," Sam said. Steve nodded, and Sam joined Clint in the cockpit.

"Why do we need to go somewhere safe?" Alessia asked, confused. Steve turned to her. "I thought.. I thought we were safe now."

"It's me." Bucky said. His voice was husky, and he was looking down. He'd brushed Steve's hand away. "It's because of me, isn't it?" He asked, looking at his friend. Steve sighed and nodded.

"What?" Alessia asked, more lost than ever. "I don't understand."

"Bucky.. is wanted. By the American government." Steve said. Alessia felt her stomach drop.

She looked from Steve, whose expression was completely serious, to Bucky, who stared at the ground, face blank. The jet jolted into motion and Alessia staggered back, still trying to make Steve's words make some kind of sense.

"For-for what?" She asked, wondering why on earth someone like Bucky, who was seemingly good friends with Captain America, could have done to be wanted by an entire government.

"Believe me, you don't wanna know." Bucky answered. He turned and sat on one of the seats lining the walls of the jet. Alessia glanced at Steve, who met her eyes for a second before looking away. He looks like a sad puppy Alessia thought, watching as the Captain moved to sit next to his friend. They look like a couple of puppies who got locked out in the rain. It would have been adorable if Alessia didn't have bigger things to worry about. She walked over to the control panel where Sam and Clint were conversing about air flow and ascension rates and things Alessia didn't understand.

As she approached, Sam stopped to smile at her and Clint glanced up and nodded in acknowledgement. They're acting so cool about this, Alessia thought. Are we going on the lam from the law? Because if we are they should DEFINITELY not be acting so cool about this!

"Sooo," Alessia started "I'm trying to figure out what's going on here. Where are Pepper and Jane? And where are we going?"

"Pepper and Jane are probably almost in New York by now." Clint answered, eyes still peering out of the windshield at the vast white wasteland they were soaring over. "The rest of the team found them sooner, and Tony was particularly insistent he get them somewhere safer soon." Something about the way he said it made Alessia feel like she was being given a half truth. She looked up at Sam, whose face seemed to confirm this theory, but she didn't press for more. Instead she asked: "So where are we going then?"

"We're landing the jet in a boys summer camp- They'll be closed for the season, so no one should be there." Sam answered. "And from there-"

"From there its a twenty minute drive to the nearest greyhound station," Clint broke him off. Sam looked over, startled. "Really?" He asked.

"Really." Clint said, pulling up a map on one of the screens on the pilot's control panel. "And you're going to take the bus home, Alessia." He said.

"You're sending me off on a greyhound?!" Alessia asked, indignant. "Really? I don't believe this."

"Alessia, you don't realize the seriousness of the situation." Clint turned the pilot chair to look at her. "You're not ready for what we're up against, and I'm not going to drag you into it."

Alessia crossed her arms, teeth clenched, and looked at Sam. His face was serious, and when she looked over at Steve and Bucky, they still had the sad look of lost lonely puppies huddling together in a storm. She glared at Clint, but didn't argue. Instead she turned and sat opposite Steve and Bucky and stared decidedly at her knees.

Clint landed the jet about three hours later. Three hours which passed in complete silence, and during which Alessia ran over scenarios in her mind. Yet the more she thought about everything, the less sense it made. She was only sure of a few things. She listed them off to herself as she sat in the uncomfortable seat, trying to put together a coherent picture of what they all meant. Bucky is wanted by the government, which means someone thinks he's a threat to national security, which means he had to have done something really REALLY bad. The Avengers were here, at least Tony Stark was, and with a separate jet, but they left before they knew what happened to us. That means Clint, Steve, and Sam brought a second jet knowing they were going to have to use it. Tony Stark also has the laptop Pepper grabbed and all the info she was able to get off the other computer. And I'm expected to hop on a greyhound and head back home like none of this happened?

It was late at night when they finally got to the boys camp. Clint lowered the jet onto a large expanse of grass facing some of the small, wooden cabins. Alessia had never been to a summer camp, and so her first thought was of horror movies. Arriving at night, and disembarking only to see a massive lake, glimmering black under the starry sky, only enhanced this feeling.

Alessia stepped onto the dewy grass outside, still in her bare feet. "C'mon, I think I remember where they keep the food." Sam was saying, leading the way. "Then we should try and get a little sleep before planning our next move."

Alessia followed him, Steve and Bucky just behind him, toward one of the larger cabins. Clint stayed in stride with Alessia.

"You can sleep for a bit," He said "But you're heading to that greyhound station first thing in the morning."

"Are you going to tell me what's really going on?" Alessia asked him, lowering her voice so that the others couldn't here. "Why is Bucky wanted by the government? Why did you ditch the other Avengers? Why is Camp Crystal Lake the safest place we could find?"

"Alessia," Clint said, rubbing his eyes in exasperation "This isn't your battle." Sam had lead them too one of the buildings and was picking the lock on the door. "And why exactly not?" Alessia hissed at him, trying to keep her voice down so that the other three wouldn't hear her. "I got kidnapped by the same people, and I can help. You don't have to treat me like a kid, anyways, you can at least tell me whats actually going on."

"What do you know about the people who kidnapped you?" Steve said, suddenly turning around. Oh shit, he could hear us, couldn't he, Alessia realized with a jolt. I'm just forever awkward, aren't I?

"ahh, Pepper hacked the system while we were there." Alessia said, recounting what she could remember. "Apex gold unlimited. They do weather analysis. And also kidnap people I guess. We couldn't figure out what they were really up to based on what Pepper got out of the computer."

"It's a front," Steve said, "For something worse."

"No shit, Captain Obvious." Alessia quipped. "What were they going to make you guys do anyways?"

Sam unlocked the door. It swung backwards into the dark rooms beyond.

Sam entered the cabin, followed by Steve and Bucky. Alessia waited until a light flicked on to go after him. Clint hung back with her, keeping his eyes on the landscape around them. It was unnerving, the way he was watching the shadows. It meant he was paranoid, and that made Alessia feel nervous.

The room they entered was a kitchen, all wooden and cabin-like, just large scale, like a school cafeteria. Sam started going through the cabinets and Clint closed the door behind him. Steve leaned against the counter and gave Clint a questioning look. Clint nodded.

"Apex gold unlimited wanted Stark Industries to destroy all of their weapons, leaving us defenseless against attack."

Sam had found canned beans and was starting to heat them up. Alessia took a quick glance at the the four men around her. Sam's back was too her, but Steve and Clint looked serious, and Bucky had reverted to the dead pan he had been sporting earlier.

"So, how did you three get away with coming in a separate jet?" Alessia asked. Steve raised his eyebrows. "'Get away with'?" he asked.

"You're telling me nobody thought you were taking it just so you could whisk this one off and away from the fuzz?" Alessia asked gesturing at Bucky, who was leaned against the wall across from Steve, hair hanging in his face and starring blankly into space still.

"Pretty sharp," Sam commented with a chuckle from the stove. He turned around to answer her question "We did have to get kind of crafty with it. Although you have to remember that other jet was Stark's and all he wanted to do was get on it and leave. I don't think he would have cared what we were going to do as long as he was able to get Pepper before she got hurt."

"Aww." Alessia said, reflexively bringing her hands to her heart. Steve raised an eyebrow at her, Clint rolled his eyes, and even Bucky looked up to scoff at her. "What? That's sweet." Alessia said defensively, making her hands into fists and replacing them at her sides. Sam chuckled a little while he went back to cooking.

"So what are we going to do?" Bucky asked.

"We're working on that," Steve said. His sounded pained. "Unfortunately there aren't a lot of options left to us. I've been looking into the legality of it, but there is no precedent for someone who- someone like you." Steve said, his voice hesitant. Again, Alessia wondered what Bucky could have done to be wanted by the government.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room which was broken when Sam turned off the stove with a click and said: "Alright, soup's on!"

Sam opened a cabinet and revealed a massive stack of tin plates and cups upon cups of silverware. He pulled down a stack of plates and one of the cups full of spoons and started serving up ladles full of pork and beans. Alessia would normally have wrinkled her nose at something like that, but seeing as she'd only eaten fruit so far that day, and how much she'd exerted herself, she was glad to take what she could get.

Alessia had sat down at the table to eat, as had Steve, Bucky, and Sam. Clint however, stayed in guard mode by the door. Alessia knew that it should have made her feel safer knowing that Clint was being wary, but it did the opposite. Is this place not really safe? She wondered. Does Clint think there's a chance someone could find us here? Someone looking for Bucky?

Alessia was nearly finished with her plate of canned pork and beans, and was beginning to taste how gross they really were. Probably because they're not as warm, She thought, and considered warming them back up herself. It would be very easy to heat the plate up with her hand. But probably not appropriate table manners considering the circumstances. Instead she forced them down as they were, trying not to think about what they were made of.

Unfortunately, instead she found her mind trailing off in darker directions. Those men in the hallway... She'd only been trying to protect herself, but still she'd managed to do more damage than she meant to. It was possible some of them died. It was possible all of them died. If I'd just kept up with the group, Bucky would have taken care of them in like, two seconds. She thought, raising her eyes as discretely as possible to look at Bucky across the table from her. Nobody would have died. It was weird though, she thought, still looking at him. He's not just some guy. Why didn't I wonder about that before? He seems like he'd be deadly... if he wanted to be. But.. he doesn't seem proud of whatever happened to put him on a wanted list. Maybe it was an accident.

Alessia was pulled abruptly out of her thoughts when Bucky glanced up to find her starting at him. She quickly looked away and tried to look busy scraping up the last few beans on her plate.

Steve had already finished, and had started cleaning up. Only once Sam had also stood up to help did Clint finally serve himself some food and sit down. Alessia hovered behind Steve at the sink, waiting for a moment to squeeze in and wash her plate. Instead, Steve took it from her and washed it for her. Alessia turned around to try and see if there was something else she could do so that she wasn't being completely useless, but Sam had already wiped the counters down and moved the cans to a recycling bin.

"Alessia," Sam said, apparently noticing her discomfort standing idle, "Try and see if you can find a key ring so we don't have to pick the locks to the cabins."

Alessia at once set herself off, opening every drawer (most of them were full of whisks, serving spoons, oven mitts, and so on,) checking every cabinet (mixing bowls, cookie sheets, one had a tool box) and finally the closet. Mostly cleaning supplies, some things like a bag of charcoal and box of extendable forks for roasting things on a fire. She opened a huge box, which was full of fishing lures, and after taking out the top tray, found a lanyard with three keys and a whistle on it.

Alessia handed it to Sam. Steve had made quick work of the dishes, and the kitchen stood clean. Clint had finished and was washing his plate. Bucky was still sitting at the table, it seemed he hadn't moved since he sat down. Alessia glanced at Steve and saw that he too had been watching Bucky with a concerned probing stare. Whatever their relationship was, It seemed to Alessia that they had been very close, but she was still trying to figure if they had only been friends. I mean, it isn't my business.. Alessia thought. Still, they don't SEEM like a couple. Were they really just very close friends? She wondered, trying to brush it off as inconsequential. It wasn't like she had never seen a gay person before. Why should she care if Bucky was like that? I don't care. Alessia told herself firmly. It isn't my business.

Clint finished washing his plate, and the five of them left, led by Sam to another cabin. This one was a proper sleeping cabin, with two bunk beds. After some debate, Steve decided to take the first watch, leaving the other four with the bunk beds in the cabin. Clint at once took the top leftmost bunk, murmuring something about how he slept better at heights anyways. Sam offered Alessia and Bucky the other top bunk, but both declined, So he climbed into it instead.

This left Alessia and Bucky with bottom bunks. Bucky kicked off his shoes and settled into the rightmost one, beneath Sam. Alessia, who was still barefoot, and in her over-sized crappy sweater and jeans, took the bunk underneath Clint. Dew had left the bottoms of her jeans wet, and she wished she had something clean to change into. If Clint thinks I'm stepping foot on a greyhound with no shoes... Alessia thought, burrowing into the rough blankets.

Across the room she could see Bucky settling into his bed. Alessia peeked through her blankets covertly and watched him for a few minutes, thinking about everything, trying to make sense of it. Under normal circumstances, the events of the past few hours would be enough to keep Alessia up all night, but she so exhausted, she only managed to fight off sleep for a few minutes before she fell into a deep slumber.

Alessia woke up with a jolt. She sat up quickly, forgetting where she was for a minute. Bucky was still asleep in the bunk across from her, but Steve was in the one on top now. The blankets were scratchy, and she was covered in sweat. She threw the blankets off of herself and slid out of the bed, heading for the door. It was open a crack, and when she pushed it open more, Sam appeared, standing to face her.

"Alessia, what are you doing up?" Sam asked. He seemed on edge.

Alessia yawned. "What time is it?" She asked, stepping out of the cabin and joining Sam on the grass outside. "Three-thirty," Sam replied, checking his watch.

"Where are the bathrooms?" Alessia asked. Sam took the lanyard off from around his neck and pointed to another cabin about twenty yards away. "Watch yourself alright? I'm gonna stay here." He said. Alessia raised an eyebrow and took the lanyard from him. "What am I watching out for? Jason Voorhees? I think I'll be fine to go the bathroom."

Sam clicked his tongue but didn't say anything. Alessia started off towards the cabin he had pointed to. It was further away than it looked, and Alessia was really getting sick of the dewy grass. It was making her ankles itchy. When she finally got there and forced the skeleton key in the lock, she pushed the door open to reveal a grimy bathroom. The kind you see at campgrounds where everything is perpetually damp and smells like mud, horrible air fresheners, urinal cakes, and an outhouse. The kind you're not supposed to go barefoot in, even when taking a shower.

"Lovely," Alessia murmured, reaching for the light switch. Her fingers found one, and switched it on. A single bulb flickered for a moment, accompanied by a whining sound. After a few feeble attempts at lighting, it fizzled to a dull yellow glow, that didn't do much to illuminate the room. The buzzing, whining noise persisted, but Alessia decided she liked it better than the perfect eerie silence of the bathroom anyway. Alessia let the door swing shut behind her and held a hand out in front of her. She lit it, maintaining a slow, steady flame with one hand and opening the doors of the stalls with the other. While it seemed most of them had been cleaned fairly well before the camp cleared out the last time, only one of the stalls was actually stocked with any toilet paper.

The soap, mercifully, was full. Alessia gave herself a generous pump and scrubbed her hands. Then another for good measure. Then she splashed the water on her face, her hair, and behind her neck. Some of it got on her shirt. Alessia stared straight in front of her into the darkness that was the mirror, and watched as slowly, subtly, smoothly, she could see her form illuminated with an orange-red light. She felt the water evaporating off of her skin, and seconds later, the orange figure in the mirror lost focus as the steam leaving her body fogged up the glass.

Alessia sighed heavily. She didn't want to go back to sleep. She didn't want to get sent off on a bus in the morning. She didn't really know what she wanted, but she was sure she didn't want to keep going like it was just another day. She didn't want to go to work and teach four to six year-olds how to ice skate. She didn't want to tell her parents that she'd gotten sick or whatever Clint's story had been. She didn't want to watch while her roommates brought guys home and teased her about when she was going to live a little, or was she too embarrassed of her friends to let them meet her guy?

She wasn't. She was just a loser. She was just some loser who works part time at a ranch, part time at an ice rink. She was just some loser who drives a beat-up '98 Toyota Camry that's barely running, and wears mostly clothes from goodwill or from high school. And now she was just some loser who got kidnapped by accident, a loser so good-for-nothing that she's getting kicked out for incompetence.

I'm fucking fireproof and I'm still too much of a liability. What does THAT say about me? Alessia could still faintly see herself glowing orange in the mirror. Sometimes, when she got angry, she would get really hot. But she wasn't angry. The orange in the mirror was fading. She felt depressed, and even though she wasn't tired or hungry, or worn out in any real way, she felt a cold chill. Like icy hands were clutching her heart. I'm worthless. She thought miserably.

Alessia sighed and trudged back across the room to the door. She opened it up, ready to make the journey back to the cabin, and was shocked to see bright artificial light flooding the scene.

The helicopter from which it originated was so quiet, Alessia hadn't even heard it over the buzzing noise from the bathroom light. She squinted her eyes against the light to see what was going on by the cabin. Some dark shapes were thrashing in the distance. Alessia realized with a sickening drop of her stomach that it could only mean they had been found. It must be the FBI or the CIA or some other agency that worked for the government. Alessia shut the door at once, backing away quickly, slipping on the damp tile floor and landing on her backside. We're done, we're dead, we're so, so dead. She thought, heart beating rapidly. She was too scared to think, to move, to do anything, so she sat there, blood pounding in her ears on the floor of the bathroom. We are so, SO dead.