*************Let me reiterate: SPOILERS, if you haven't seen Civil War, please don't read this, or go see the movie, then come back and read it. But let's be real, if you haven't seen it...are you really spending your time wisely? **********************************************************
She got back to her room but Steve and Bucky refused to let her be alone. They both knew something had bothered her deeply about what the woman told her.
"Alone is what I need right now, please." she said sitting on the large couch in her room.
"Ella, I have not seen you that shaken by anything." said Steve.
"Ella, please." said Bucky.
"When she was talking to you, you looked as though you'd seen a ghost." said Steve.
"In a sense." Ella said. "She was a cousin of my fiance who died 10 years ago when I was taken for the experiments."
"I'm sorry." said Steve.
"I don't know why they chose me? Why they had to kill him? His whole family had gathered that day." she said looking up at them with tears welling in her eyes. "His entire family gathered at the house we had just bought to move into after we got married."
"What happened?" asked Steve.
"I had just arrived at the house. I was talking to Sam about where I should park," she said as she wiped a tear from her cheek She spoke with no emotion as though reading a script. "As soon as I pulled onto the street and had the house in my sight it exploded. Sam was in mid-sentence. The entire house gone." she said dropping her head in her hands. "I got out of the car. Smoke was everywhere. They killed everyone." she stiffled tears. " That's when he grabbed me. The man. I remember vaguely as I passed out that he wore a mask." she said lifting her head. "And just as Ada said, he had a silver arm? It was cold like metal?" she said wih a tone of disbelief. "I know they drugged me so I always passed it off as the effects of whatever they gave me."
Ella got up to grab a tissue from the kitchen bar top. Steve looked at Bucky. Ella didn't realize it was him. He no longer had his metal arm. Tony had begrudgingly replaced it a few years after their battle once he had talked with Steve and patched things up. The arm housed the fail safe for Bucky. It was the only way Tony would agree to replace his arm. That way if Steve insisted on having Bucky removed from cryo-sleep Tony knew he could be subdued.
Steve nodded to Bucky. He knew they needed to tell her. Bucky knew this could be it and he could lose her. He was the reason she was taken. He handed her over to them. He didn't remember it, but he knew there was a familiarity he had with Ella.
"I don't know who Ada is? Part of me is suspicious of her tie to Sam." she said turning to face the guys. As she did she found herself face to face with Bucky. She saw the look in his eyes. The sadness and guilt. "Bucky, are you ok?" she asked.
"No." he said.
Ella looked past him to Steve.
"Bucky." said Steve. "Can I talk to you?"
Ella was confused. "Guys, what's going on?"
Before they could answer Tony barged in.
"Oh good, you're all here. Well, I thought I would fill you in on some classified info from the State Department goons that just left." he said. Ella looked at Bucky and walked past him to sit on the couch. Steve stood next to her. Bucky stayed at the counter with his back to Tony. He was still trying to process what Ella had just shared. He wasn't really in the mood for Tony.
Tony ignored Bucky and focused on Ella and Steve. "The State Depaertment has listed Ella MaCoy as a person of interest. They are looking to bring you in for a few questions." warned Tony. "Also they have reopened the case on James Barnes. Congratulations, you've made the wanted list." he paused. "Again." he said glaring at Bucky who kept his back to him. Tony then turned to Steve. "And your slate has been wiped clean. "
Steve stared at Tony. "Why?"
"Because, if you have a clean slate then you're easy to track." said Ella. "They already know we're together."
"So they find me, they find you two." said Steve.
"Makes sense." said Tony. "Look, you can't stay here. They'll be in and out of here while this mission is going on."
"Mission?" asked Ella.
"My mission is to bring you two in." said Tony. "While I would love to turn over Mr. Barnes that would mean taking away one of your protectors. And the State Department is not forthcoming regarding why they need you or Barnes."
"We're going to need to split up. We can throw them off." said Steve.
"Steve, can I talk to you, alone?" asked Tony. The two walked to the bedroom and shut the door.
Bucky stood silently at the bar.
"We'll figure this out." she said walking over to stand next to him.
He gave a half smile, "I've been on the run before. I'm not looking forward to it."
"Look, Steve and Tony will help us. We need to find a place to lay low and work on getting your memory back." she said.
"It might be best if we split up?" he said staring at the counter.
"Yes, Steve agrees." she said.
"No, you and me." he said.
"Why would you say that?" she said looking at him. She could tell he was avoiding her. "Bucky, what is going on?"
"You're safer with Steve." he said getting up to move away from her.
"What are you doing?" she asked watching him walk to his room. She followed. She stood in the doorway as he threw items into a bag.
"Bucky, what's that for?" she asked feeling she already knew the answer.
He said nothing as he zipped the bag and walked to face her in the doorway.
"Ella, move." he said. She stayed where she was. He was not looking at her.
"No." she said stubbornly.
He looked her in the eye. She saw the struggle. She knew he was acting out of fear.
"If you leave, I'm going with you." she said.
"No, you're not." he said sternly.
He walked closer to her. "Ella, please." he said as she saw his tough exterior begin crumble.
She moved to let him through. He walked towards the door and she followed. He said nothing as he climbed in the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor. She stood watching him. Just as the doors began to close she ran into the elevator.
"What are you doing?" he asked irritated.
"I told you I'd follow." she said staring ahead.
"You can't go with me." he said.
"And you can't go without me. So you have two choices" she said. "You can send this elevator back up and talk with Steve and Tony about how to handle this or you take me on the run with you to make sure you stay safe."
"You're delusional." he said.
"I've been called worse." she said.
He shook his head as the door opened. He took a step to the door that opened to the back alley. "You need to get back upstairs." he said gently pushing her back into the elevator and hitting the top floor button. She stood watching him. Just as he opened the door to the alley she hit the open door button and jumped out of the elevator to follow him.
"Bucky!" she called out as she hurried into the alley. She ran into his back as he was stopped right in front of the door. He grabbed her reaching his left hand behind his back and held her close to shield her.
"Let her go." he said to the men pointing guns at him. There were at least fifteen by Ella's quick count.
"We weren't expect her. Quite the bonus." said the man in front of Bucky with the gun.
"I'm Agent Talmer. You are both wanted by the State Department. Agent Kreutz will read you your rights. As of now you are both in our custody until we decide otherwise."
"If you fail to comply, your friends will suffer." said Agnet Kreutz as they showed them a small screen with Steve and Tony still talking in the room. Ella came alongside of Bucky. He grabbed her hand and she squeezed back holding it tightly.
"We know of your ability Ms. MaCoy, if you use it, you will find it can have lethal consequences." said Kreutz. "You step out of line, either of you, and your friends die in a horrible gas leak at the former Stark Tower." he looked directly at Ella. "I think you understand how that works, right?" he said referring to her fiances accident. Ella said nothing. She gritted her teeth seething at the agent's insensitivity. She felt Bucky squueze her hand. "And Seargent Barnes, we have tapped into your fail safe so should you try to be the chivalrous hero you will be subdued which will put your friend at great risk." he smirked. "Now, I believe we have your attention."