All characters from Marvel belong to Disney as well as all characters from Twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer. I own nothing except my version of events.

A/N: Aww did you guys like the last chapter?

Steve is being an idiot and both Bella and I are very mad at him right now but it's ok. We're both hoping it will get resolved soon enough...

Oh and the box I mention Bucky is in is the same one shown in Captain America: Civil War

Chapter 22 You'd Do It for Me

"What do we do with him now?" My dad asked, as we watched Bucky struggling against his restraints. "We can't keep him like this forever."

"We won't have to. We can talk to him. Tell him what's happened to him and see if we can get through to him." I encouraged.

"It's too dangerous." Steve broke in, staring right through Bucky.

"How?! He's restrained and even if he gets out of them I can stop him."

"We shouldn't have brought him here." Steve ignored me, speaking too coldly for my liking.

"And leave him there for Hydra to kill after he failed to get rid of you? No way!"

"I put you in harm's way because of him." He said as a matter of fact.

"No you didn't." I responded angrily.

My dad interrupted then. "Look, Steve, I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't know what had transpired at the time. You didn't do anything wrong." My dad tried to say, seeing now how hard Steve had taken his words.

He didn't say anything but I could see how angry he was by the tension he carried in his jaw.

"I can talk to him, see if I can–"

"No!" He cut me off. "You're not going in there alone with him and that's final." He said with a raised voice.

My eyes widened a fraction, looking at him a bit startled.

Steve flinched back at my response. He closed his eyes for a few seconds before turning his body away from me and leaving the room altogether. We all watched him go silently, not knowing what to do or say to make the situation any better.

"I'm sorry, Bella." My dad said apologetically.

"Don't be, it's not your fault. He would've responded the same way whether you would have said something or not." I said sadly but turned my attention back to the man that needed it more at the moment. "I still think I can talk to Bucky... I'm not opposed to going against Steve's order. He's being stupid and I'm not putting up with it."

"It'll be hard, Bella. He's been brainwashed repeatedly." Nat broke in then. "Clint and I read over his file while you were being healed. It didn't have much but enough that I'm not quite sure how we'll be able to break him out of it... if at all."

"You're looking at it scientifically but you don't know for a fact that he can't be reached. No one has even attempted to try. What if we try it first, and if it doesn't work then we figure something else out. We can't leave him like this." I said, frowning at the figure I was talking about as he grunted in his effort to escape from his current prison.

"I think Bella's right." Clint said helpfully. "We talk to him first and then we figure out where he's at mentally. We can't make assumptions about anything right now. He's restrained and completely at our mercy like this. If Bella is ok with going against Steve's word then we should support her. We all know he's not thinking straight right now."

"Is it just me or does it feel like we're suddenly picking sides?" Pietro asked.

"No. You're not picking sides. Just follow my orders and you'll be fine." I said a bit cheekily but sobered up quickly with my next words. "Either way, I'm the one who will deal with the aftermath."

"Are you sure he's worth putting your relationship on the line for?" Wanda asked.

"Don't trust me dear sister?" I asked, turning to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't say that. It's just that… it's a big risk you're taking here, Bella. I just want to make sure you are aware of the fact that there will be consequences to pay if things don't work out the way you think they will."

"I know that, but I have to do it. Steve would do it for me if the roles were reversed. Like Clint said, Steve isn't thinking clearly right now. He thinks he somehow chose Bucky over me and he feels guilty about it, but he shouldn't. I was the one who knocked Bucky out and told Steve to take him with us. I wasn't going to leave him there either."

"I thought you said the next time you saw him you'd kill him?" Pietro asked curiously.

"And I would have but lucky for him his mask fell off at the right time and we recognized who he was. Look, it really doesn't matter. The point is I know I can get through to him."

"Not tonight." My dad butt in. "We can do it tomorrow, once we're all well rested and we've all had time to think things over. We all need a clear mind and I still have to check on Edward and Pepper. We can reconvene again tomorrow after breakfast." He determined.

We all nodded quietly but I wasn't at all happy with what had been decided. I wasn't going to leave things like this, I was already making other plans. I was tempted to do it on my own but I figured if I didn't ask for help from some of the others it would make things worse.

I made my way to the communal kitchen, some of them following after me knowing I'd never let it go as easily as I had if I weren't already planning something else on the side.

"You're not going to leave things how they are, are you?" Emmett asked, watching me intently as I gathered food to prepare for our meal.

I turned around to look at who had gathered before admitting to my plans. It was just Clint, Emmett and Wanda. I zeroed in on Wanda, she wasn't going to be happy and I wasn't sure if she'd be willing to go against Steve's order. "You sure you wanna be here for this?" I asked her before I revealed my plan, analyzing her every move as I spoke.

She silently watched me too, until she finally nodded. "I don't feel right going against him but I have to admit you're right. He's not thinking clearly. Besides, if something does go wrong I'll feel better being there to watch your back."

I released a relieved breath, glad that I didn't have to worry about her telling on me but that I'd also have her support.

"So what's the plan?" Clint asked.

"I'm going to eat dinner with Bucky." I said as nonchalantly as possible. They all raised their eyebrows in surprise having not expected that response. "I want to give him some sense of normalcy. I'm pretty sure no one has treated him like the human being that he is, metal arm aside. They've controlled him like a robot, as one of the many weapons at their disposal. I need to appeal to the human side of him, to remind him that he's a person too. We've already failed by restraining him. He's angry and confused. He also probably thinks we're going to kill him or at the very least torture him like Hydra did. We have to show him we're different. We have to get him to trust us and then maybe we can help him break the control Hydra has on him. I'm not stupid, I know we can't do miracles. It's going to take time. It won't happen overnight but we can work on it for as long as it takes until we bring him back." I said with conviction. I would do the impossible to bring him back, no matter how long it took.

"I have to admit, it sounds like a good plan. The scientists would want to experiment on him first but it's not what he needs. It's better if we do it this way, but we won't be able to keep this from them for long. You know that right?" Clint asked.

"Oh I know. I figure we have, the latest, by morning before someone figures it out, but If I can catch even the smallest shift in Bucky, I can prove to everyone that my method is the best one. I don't want Bruce and my dad to treat him like a lab rat. That's the last thing he needs right now."

They all nodded in acceptance and helped me finish preparing the food. We all took our trays, Emmett taking the tray meant for Bucky. The plan was for them to eat while I spoke to Bucky alone. They'd watch over us quietly and promised not to interfere unless they had to.

A part of me realized what a huge gamble this was. Going against Steve didn't feel right but it was something I had to do. Steve was wrong and the truth of the matter was that Steve was still feeling guilty for putting his friend before me. He thought he would protect me against all and when he was unable to do so he cracked. I understood why he felt that way but I also didn't agree. If anything, in that moment, I loved him more than ever. He'd placed his complete trust in me, knowing I'd be able to take care of not only myself but him and Bucky as well. It had meant so much to me at the time but now with the way he was acting he was slowly stripping it all away from me. Leaving me empty and utterly disappointed.

I didn't want to feel this way but I couldn't help it. I was sure we would have another serious discussion after we'd both calmed down but for now I couldn't stand being near him. Especially while he was unnecessarily spiraling into self-loathing and regret.

So here I was, sneaking into the fifth circle of hell to speak to Bucky. What made it worse was that I was dragging my friends along with me. They were in some way betraying the others as well, relying solely in their faith in me, but it was the only option. The sneaking was a necessary evil. We were treating him like a monster and I knew he was anything but.

They all took their positions near the back and I set my dinner and Bucky's on the table by the controls. Clint got to work, overriding the system without alerting the others of our unauthorized entrance. I was suddenly glad Clint had offered his support without having me ask for it. Pietro and Nat have been teaching me how to work the systems but I knew the bare minimum. I wasn't all that great with tech. I was now realizing I was more the muscle of the team, it was kind of funny seeing as how I was the youngest and physically smallest of the group.

The door slid open and I looked to the group behind me. They all nodded and I silently grabbed the rolling chair by the computers, pulling it behind me as I entered.

Bucky looked up at me with a blank expression, not giving me a single hint as to his current state of mind. Not that it mattered, I would have still talked to him either way. I placed the chair in front of his box and sat down. Not happy with the glass blocking him from me I got up again, pressing a button on the side panel to lower the window separating us. This was slightly better, at least the glass wasn't in our way anymore and it made it at least a bit more personal. The cuffs around his arms and legs didn't help but I figured one step at a time.

I sat back down in my seat and watched him, his hair was greasy, like he hadn't showered in a while. His clothes were filthy from our fight earlier and he looked angry, the scowl currently on his face was a clear indication of that but as I looked at his bright blue eyes I knew there was more to him. He was more than he was letting me see and I was set on digging through all of that garbage to get to the man underneath.

I could see he had been studying me just as much as I had. I broke off into a happy smile before introducing myself, "Hi, I'm Bella."

He looked at me with a scowl still in place and spoke in Russian.

"Hmmm... You know I don't know any Russian but I can only guess you said something along the lines of, 'I'll kill you in your sleep.'" I responded cheekily.

His scowl relaxed a small fraction and I took that as progress. I continued speaking knowing he wasn't going to respond to me again, in English or Russian. "Ok, so I figure you're not going to talk. So how about I talk for the both of us?" I rearranged myself in my seat, reclining back into the chair trying to not seem too overbearing. "I can only imagine how confused you must be. One minute we were fighting, I was kicking your ass, about to kill you... and now here you are, strapped to a chair with just your raging thoughts running through your head. I'm sorry it has to be this way. I voted for you to be removed from the manacles but they said you were too dangerous. I guess they're not wrong but they're also not entirely right." I declared. Not breaking my stare I leaned forward, conveying the complete truth behind my actions. "I need you to be Bucky again."

His scowl had been slowly dissipating but there was still a hint of it marring his features. "Why?" He finally asked.

"I've got a couple of reasons. You don't deserve to be treated like this and I firmly believe that everyone deserves a second chance. A chance at redemption, but if I'm being honest with you I'm mostly doing this for selfish reasons. Because I know it would break Steve's heart to have found you, after thinking you had died, and then for you to remain this mindless killing robot Hydra has created for the rest of your life."

His face cleared then and he winced, shutting his eyes in pain and grunting. It went on for a few more seconds before he shook his head and came back. "Steve... His name... It hurts to think about him." He managed to say.

I frowned at his words. I knew he wasn't the same person but this seemed to go deeper. More than him willingly turning into a killer. "Do you remember who Steve is?" I asked.

He groaned again. "I don't... know. It's... familiar."

"Do you remember anything about yourself? Your childhood? Your real name? What happened to you?" He groaned again shutting his eyes in pain. "Stop." I ordered. "If it hurts, don't do it. It's ok if you don't remember. I can tell you as much as I know."

He grunted one last time before he stopped and opened his eyes, sweat now dripping down his face. He looked incredibly uncomfortable with the sweat almost dripping into his eyes. I stood up, pulling my legs up over the box and sitting on the ledge. I unzipped my sweater, sliding it off and then I reached forward, wiping his face with the sleeves. He watched me the entire time, his face turning into complete confusion at the action. I gave him a small smile. Once I was done I leaned away giving him back his personal space but remained where I was.

"Your name is James Buchanan Barnes, but your friends call you Bucky. You were born in 1917 and a veteran of World War II. You grew up in Brooklyn, New York with Steve Rogers. You were best friends and you... protected him. He didn't always look like he does now. He was a scrawny little thing, constantly bullied for his size, but he was brave. He stood up for himself and what he believed in no matter the consequence. You were there every step of the way, until you enlisted in the war. Steve had wanted to join but because of his many ailments he was denied repeatedly and you had to leave without him." I stopped there. Giving him time to process my words. "Would you like me to keep going?" I asked after some time.

He squinted at me and tilted his head a fraction but enough for me to take it as a yes.

I smiled and continued. "While you were fighting in the war, Steve stayed behind but not for long. He participated in an experiment where he was injected with a super serum. It changed him. He transformed into what he looks like today. He fought in the war. He found out your regiment had been captured by the enemy and he single handedly broke into their facility and saved you and the rest of your men. You both fought against the Red Skull, known as Hydra now, the same people who captured you and turned you into what you are today. You formed the Howling Commandos and protected the world from the Red Skull. You were heroes." I ended, I was debating whether to discuss what happened when he died. I was curious to know but I didn't want to push him.

We remained silent for some time until he broke the silence, "Thank you." He finally said. I could see he was still caught up in all the information I'd just given him but he looked more human now. His scowl was gone and he looked somewhat... vulnerable. It tugged at my heartstrings.

I smiled, "Not a problem." I swung my legs over the box again and moved over to the side panel, releasing him from his confinement.

He startled, "What are you doing?" He asked, his voice laced with worry and a hint of anger.

"You look uncomfortable... And you're going to need your hands for this next part." I said as casually as I could manage. He didn't move as I walked out of his prison and came back with two trays holding our meals. I handed him his and he lifted his hands taking it from me.

"I could kill you, you know." He warned me, as he looked down at his food. Not touching a single thing.

I sat in my chair and placed my tray on my lap, snorting at his words. "No, you won't, and not just because you're not the monster you think you are but also because I can totally kick your ass. Don't forget I was the one who trapped you and knocked you out in the first place." I responded.

He looked up at me then and the tinsiest of smiles appeared on his face. He looked back down at his food and hesitantly grabbed the fork with his human hand, poking at the mashed potatoes.

"It's not poisoned." I said cheekily.

He snorted as he dug in and I took my que to do the same. We ate quietly together, until we were both done.

"You didn't come alone." He said out of nowhere.

I looked up at him in surprise, "You're right, I didn't… but how do you know that?"

"I can hear them."

"Really? Even from here?"

"Yes. I'm genetically modified, at least I think I am." He said as he lifted his metal arm up. "I haven't been conscious long enough to think about it."

"What do you mean?"

"Hydra. They put me in a cryogenic state when I'm not on active duty. They wake me up long enough for me to complete a mission and then I go back to sleep."

"Do you have any sense of time?" I asked him worriedly.

"No. They tell me what I need to do and I do it. I know how the world works because they input the data into my mind while I'm sleeping. I don't know anymore than what they tell me."

If I could cry right now I would, that was the saddest thing I'd ever heard. No one deserved to be treated that way. Especially this man who had once given his life for his country. Right now I could probably destroy Hydra single handedly with how angry I was with the cruelty of their actions. They were too evil an entity to exist, they caused so much pain and destruction in the world… seeking only power and control over those they deemed beneath them.

I looked back up at him and realized he had been silently watching me, his head was tilted to the side curiously.

"What?" I asked, feeling weird with the way he was currently looking at me.

"You're different. It confuses me and I do not understand."

"I mean you no harm."

"I know." He said quietly.

I smiled at him but was startled as the door behind us opened. I turned to find Steve standing there. Oh no, was I in trouble. I knew he was mad with the way he stood, umoving, his face not showing an ounce of his emotions.

"Hey." I said, trying to remain as relaxed as possible. I wasn't about to back down now, not when I had made such huge progress with Bucky. More than I had actually expected.

Steve looked between me and Bucky, his eyes zeroing in on the fact that Bucky was no longer restrained. "Come here, Bella." He ordered forcefully.

I hesitated for a second but I eventually stood up figuring it would be better to get closer to him so he wouldn't worry about my close proximity to Bucky, but Bucky surprised me by standing with me.

I turned back to look at him finding his gaze narrowed back at Steve, like he was ready to attack him at the sight of any perceived danger. His eyes moving from Steve to me. I realized then what the problem was. He was worried about me, he thought Steve would harm me and he was trying to protect me.

"Hey." I said quietly, to catch his attention. He looked down at me in confusion. "It's ok. He won't hurt me. It's Steve, the one I told you about, remember?" I asked.

He looked back at Steve and after some time he nodded, sitting back down but keeping his eyes trained on him, still analyzing his angry demeanor.

"I'm sorry but I'm going to have to put the restraints back on… Is that ok?" I asked him.

Bucky shifted his eyes back to me and nodded solemnly, placing his hands back on the armrests and his feet back against his seat.

"I'll figure something out so that you won't be here like this for long, ok?"

He connected his eyes with me again but didn't move nor say anything in response. Knowing this was as much as I would get out of him with Steve nearby. I released a sad breath and moved over the side panels on his cell, reactivating the restraints and raising the glass that kept him contained.

I walked away, heading for the door where Steve still stood, silently watching our interaction. I slid in between him and the doorframe, where Emmett, Clint and Wanda were waiting. I inclined my head, towards the exit, asking them to leave Steve and I alone.

They did as they were told, everyone leaving quietly while taking a wide berth around Steve who they could all see was barely hanging on by a thread.

"If you think I'm going to apologize then you're wrong. I did the right thing and I refuse to apologize for it." I said bluntly. He looked at me and he closed his eyes, rubbing his hands over his face in agitation. "Stop it, Steve." I said.

"Bella, you can't…" He started to say with a raised voice but trailed off, fearing his anger would make him say something he would regret later.

I moved then, walking up to him and grasping onto his face. "I said stop it." I ordered, as he kept his eyes closed hiding away from me. "Don't do this. I need you with me, Steve, I need you to focus but you keep wasting your time feeling guilty over something you shouldn't. You didn't do anything wrong. I did everything to get you, Bucky and myself to safety and I did it better than anyone else could have. You trusted me in that moment and you don't even realize how much that had meant to me, but you acting this way takes it all away."

He opened his eyes then, grasping onto my waist and pulling me into him. "I put you in danger. I chose him over you."

I shook my head as he spoke. "No you didn't, you knew I could protect myself and I did. I understand why you would feel guilty but you shouldn't. He was vulnerable and he needed you. It's Bucky, Steve, it's really him. I know we can get him back but I'm going to need your help." I begged him.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked in confusion.

"Because you helped me protect Emmett once before and I know you would do it again. If our roles were reversed, you would move heaven and earth to bring Emmett back to me. I'm only doing what you would do for me, Steve. It's why I can't have you feeling so guilty over something that you shouldn't. We have him back, we have a chance to bring him completely back and you're wasting it by punishing yourself and pushing me away in the process."

His hands tightened on my waist as he spoke again, "I can't lose you, Bella." He said fervently.

"And you won't." I said just as fiercely.

His hand slipped from my waist up to my face and crushed his lips down to mine, walking me back and pressing me up against the wall. I reciprocated the kiss. Wanting nothing more than to reconnect with him in this way but we couldn't, at least not yet, I pulled away before he could go any further.

He looked down at me in confusion wondering why I ended our reunion so abruptly.

"Uh… I'm pretty sure he can hear us." I explained, pointing a finger at the glass wall that separated Bucky and us.

He turned to follow the direction of my finger, finding Bucky on the other side of the glass with a small smirk plastered on his face.