Bucky sat on the quinjet across from Steve; he had that quiet over-the-top intense look he had mastered as the Soldier only this one had some distinctly provocative overtones.

Steve searched his memories of D.C. and Bucharest for anything familiar.

"Nope. Mostly just dangerous as hell. Not the kind of provocative he was exuding right now, not like that look right there." The look across the aisle was full of energy. Not the blank stare at the TV screen look, or the "I'm haunted by my demons" look, this look had energy, sexual energy. A whole lot of pent up "I want you," kind of energy that alternately drove waves of excitement through every fiber of Steve's body and kind of really scared him as well. "Where the hell are we going with this?"

His exhaustion was catching up to the head injury; he blinked hoping Bucky would look away.

He didn't.

"How can he be so intense all the time?" Staring back at Bucky...was work. Bucky was work. Wild, moody, petulant. Steve hated the thought that he actually agreed with Sokolov, Bucky was unruly, difficult, needing discipline, not her kind of discipline, maybe Steve's kind.

"Where the hell am I going with this?"

He decided to take an inventory of Bucky's body; he tore his eyes away from the intense steel grey eyes. He was a mess; dried blood on his head, face, chest, well everywhere. The wounds on his legs were still oozing a little. The torn T-shirt hanging like a rag around his abdomen; the Kevlar vest was barely intact from the onslaught of bullets it had taken.

Steve decided he might have to send a thank you note to the manufacturers; "Thank you so much. Your vest saved my friend; my boyfriend's life. Sincerely, Steve - Rogers - former Captain America - now Nomad. Bucky Barnes' boyfriend."

"Boyfriend? Friend? Pal? What are we now?"

He shook his head, the loose and tangential stuff apparently was contagious.

His gaze went back to Bucky's face. He was smirking; he had clearly seen and enjoyed Steve's eye excursion over his body. His filthy, bloody, hair sticking up, intense yet enticing body; all things that sent electricity straight between his legs.

"Rogers, we need to talk." Fury's body filled his vision; blocking his view of Bucky.

"Rogers!"

"What!" Steve reluctantly shifted his gaze to Fury.

"We need to talk."

"Yes, we do."

The quinjet had landed while Steve was musing about Bucky. Jonah was half carrying Sam off the jet while Alex held the IV bag. Natasha wasn't far behind. Cassie was reassuring Sam that he still had all of his intestines. They headed for the clinic.

"Where's Sharon?"

"On her way to the compound right now."

"The compound? Why not here? I want to talk to her now." Steve stood up to face Fury.

"Just take it easy Rogers all in good time. She's heading for the compound I have people with her and I fully intend on getting to the bottom of her involvement. But we still need to talk."

"Fine. Let's talk on our way to the compound." Steve stood and moved past Fury. "Come on Buck."

Fury stepped between Steve and Bucky again.

"Rogers, I need to talk to you alone for the moment. Sorry Sergeant Barnes nothing personal."

Bucky tilted his head and unfolded from the seat. A rush of dizziness washed over him but he was gonna be damned if he passed out in front of Fury at this point. He stumbled a step and defiantly called back "Class dismissed."

Steve reached for him but Bucky pulled away.

"Buck wait."

"See ya, Ma enjoy the parent-teacher conference." He waved a metal middle finger at them as he departed.

"This is not gonna work Fury. I'm not his keeper. If you have a problem with him, you need to talk to him."

"He's compromised."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I have bad news, Sokolov's escaped. My people contacted me while you were in the tunnels. She's on the run and we have good reason to believe she'll go after him."

Steve's brain scrambled for the next best response.

"She'll go after him." He drawled out slowly. "What's your plan, Fury?"

"We go after her. We have some leads, she hasn't been gone long."

"Keep us posted." He needed to get to Bucky.

"What's your plan here. With the widow free and the intel we've gathered, the house is compromised."

Steve knew where Fury was going with this but asked anyway. "Suggestions?"

"Our compound is safe. 18 story former missile silo not far from here. State of the art security. He'd be safe there."

"So we're back to locking him up for his own good?"

"Not what I said, all of you would be safe there. But yes he'd be locked in."

"And free to leave when you say so."

"He's compromised, Rogers."

Steve shook his head and shot back "We'll be in touch, Fury," as he headed off the jet.

Bucky was lying on his back in the bed of the pickup truck; feet dangling.

"So, I"m grounded."

His tone was flippant but Steve could hear the anxiety bubbling beneath it.

"Fury wants you to do what, take away my TV; sure. I don't watch it anyway. I ain't got a phone, no games, you already took away my internet privileges so what's the punishment?" He waved his arms, "Lock me in my room? Sit in the corner for a week? Wait, wait, I know," He sat up abruptly, with a wild-eyed look, "You're gonna beat me, starve me." His pupils went black as his anxiety driven rant turned darker. "Cryo again, tame me, control me…."

Steve's hands caught his face "Buck stop it."

Bucky grabbed at Steve's hips, pulling him between his legs. He panted through the panic; Steve cradled his head against his neck.

"I'm not gonna let him do anything to you."

"Let's go home. Steve. I'm tired, I'm hungry, I need my fucking meds." His voice vibrated against Steve's neck sending shivers through him.

"Listen, the house is compromised. Hydra knows about it."

"I don't care, we can take them you and me, and the shield." He tugged him closer, wrapping his legs around Steve's.

"Listen to me, come on." He lifted his head to make eye contact.

"Fury's gonna be pissed and suspicious when he realizes we let Sokolov go."

"Sokolov?"

Steve felt a wave of guilt for not telling Bucky everything before now.

"Yeah, the Widow, her name is Sokolov. Gieta Sokolov. She's been a Hydra agent for years, a Widow, as you know, an independent contractor, playing the field."

"You mean, Mother?"

"She's not your fucking mother!" "I'm sorry, I mean...she's not...she's a monster that hurt you, forgive me if I get pissed when you call her that." Steve started to pull away but Bucky held on tighter.

"Ok..not Mother. It's just a name." Bucky's voice trailed off as he tried to nuzzle back into his neck.

Steve felt an overwhelming urge to kiss him. Hard and deep. To fill him and take away all the pain and confusion if he could. He tugged at his hair; lifted his chin to find Bucky's ear and drew the tip of his tongue along the soft edge; gently grabbing hold with his teeth; all he wanted to hear was Bucky's soft whine. He reveled in the sounds he could pull from him with each slow progression of his tongue around his ear, down his neck, across his jaw. He was surprised at how his cock was half hard just with the smell and taste of Bucky's skin, sweat, blood and all. He wanted more, right there on the tarmac, in the back of a pickup truck. He nuzzled his way to Bucky's mouth; the feel of his tongue deep inside his mouth, the breathy soft moans that tumbled from both of them brought him to one thought: make Bucky moan and writhe in every possible way he could dream up.

His hands dropped to Bucky's pants, Bucky had already opened Steve's.

He jumped off the tailgate and dropped to his knees in front of Steve. "I'll take care of you, Stevie."

"Wait, no, Buck stop it."

Bucky had already pulled him free and was ready to 'take care' of him when Steve grabbed his shoulders.

"Stop!"

Bucky sighed and slouched down onto his haunches. "What now?"

"Your back, it's black. What happened to you? How the hell did I miss this earlier."

Steve was concerned about his back but more concerning was Bucky's readiness to 'take care' of him; as if Bucky's needs were secondary. Natasha's word 'vulnerable' actually floated by in his vision; with neon lettering.

"Damn."

That wasn't a conversation he was willing to have on the tarmac as the sun set with Hydra looking for them.

"Buck, what happened."

"We just spent a week fighting. I won but some guy tried to make me 'more pliable' or something. It didn't work...I bit his dick off."

"Seriously? I can't let you out of my sight."

"Nope."

Steve pulled him up; Bucky's knees buckled.

"Ok, we're going to the clinic. A decision is made."

"No more doctors."

"She's not a doctor, remember, she's a nurse practitioner."

"Dodger?"

"Dodger, wake up."

Bucky thought he could hear someone nearby but the sleep was so completely amazing he refused to acknowledge them.

"Dodger, come on."

Something hard and pointy jabbed at his belly not far from the stab wound.

He brushed it aside "Cut it out, Rogers."

He slipped back into the dream of Steve. Kissing; as usual, naked; as usual, fingers in very personal places: as usual but this time Steve had a stun prod in his hands, he was looking at him, naked, waving around the stun prod much too close to Bucky's private parts. The sound of it powering up made him jerk.

"Dodger wake the hell up!"

The stun prod slammed into his chest-in the dream-he jolted straight up in the bed in real life. "What the hell!" He was staring at a pink-haired girl he vaguely remembered with a broomstick held out like a sword pointed at his chest.

"You sleep pretty sound for an assassin with a bunch of bad guys after you."

"What?"

He wiped the telltale drool from his chin and yanked the sheet up to cover his bare chest.

"Get up, get dressed, we've gotta go."

Alex threw some clothes at him and headed out of the bedroom.

"Where the fuck am I?"

She was long gone.

He did as he was told and headed after her.

"What is going on."

He remotely remembered getting to the clinic; Steve actually carried him in.

"How sweet." He recalled Romanova's words….he'd never live it down.

Something about dehydration, kidney damage, bleeding, etcetera, etcetera. The usual post-brawl aftermath. Hydra would've tossed him in cryo to recover. Now Steve slept next to him for two days and forced disgusting vanilla milkshakes down his throat. "What? No peanut butter?"
He wasn't complaining about Steve sleeping next to him, he was revolted by vanilla.

He'd only missed three days of medications; so rough, but no seizures or ghosts; more than usual, or Mrs. Stark. A relief.

Everyone took their routine turns distracting him each time he stormed around the upstairs apartment saying "I'm going home." Therefore, they kept him corralled until this moment when the girl with the unicorn on her neck woke him like he was some sleeping bear that would wake hungry and only had eyes for unicorn meat.

"Can I get some answers? Like where's Steve?"

He followed her downstairs into the darkened clinic; pulling on a black sweatshirt to go with the matching black jeans. "Steve didn't pick these out did he?"

She huffed, "You are too weird."

The clinic was dark; all of the shades were drawn; the only light was from a lamp in the hallway.

She was dressed all in black. "Black goes with everything, even unicorn." He mumbled as he watched her check the pile of weapons laid out on the exam table.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this but, you're scaring me, a little."

He wasn't so much afraid of her per se, but the way she handled the pile of weapons.

"Hey don't point that at me." He put up the metal hand towards her just in case.

"Safety's on, no worries."

"Sure. Actually, let me start here. Who the hell are you really?"

She tossed an Uzi at him. "You better hang onto that."

He looked around the room and then at himself. "I'm dreaming right. I can have some stupendously realistic dreams and this is one of them."

"You are not dreaming. Dodger. This is real and we need to go."

She dragged the weapons into a duffle bag that was twice her size and pointed at it when she headed for the back door.

"Ok let's go. Get that and let's go." She barked as she pointed to the bag.

He stood his ground. "Ah, I don't take orders anymore. Except from Steve, certainly not from you."

Bucky stalked forward to come between her and the door she was about to open. He slammed it shut.

"Time for being cute is over. We are not going anywhere until I get some answers and we will go when I feel it's time to go."

She stared at his sternum.

"I could kill you right now." She offered.

"Bigger men and women than you have tried."

"Ok. My name really is Alex. I really am a medic."

"But…."

"I work for Fury."

"I'm supposed to take your word for this? Two days ago you had ripped jeans and some kind of purple thing on your head now you look like me, only smaller."

"We've been assigned to protect you."

Uncharacteristic laughter started small and grew.

"I really could kill you."

The pressure in his groin stopped the laughing. He looked down to find a knifepoint delicately nestled right where he would bleed out in seconds should she choose to employ it. "You better be prepared to use that."

"I am."

It took half a heartbeat for him to disarm her. His metal hand hitting hers; flipping the blade up and away, so his flesh hand caught it on the fly. He spun her around by her wrist and pinned her against the door.

"Do over. Where's Steve? And don't waste my time with lies. I'm just as cranky as you think I am."

He held her pinned by her wrist to the door, on tiptoes. She tried some Widow-like moves but fortunately, he'd fought with the best and she was not up to par.

"He went to the compound to talk to Sharon."

"Prove it."

"We can call him."

"Why are you trying to drag me out of here."

"Hydra's on their way. We need to get out and get to the compound. It's the only safe place."

"That blonde woman is in the compound. How safe can it be, she's the mole."

"Yet to be determined? Above my pay grade? All of the above."

"Who are you anyway. I know Alex is your name but pink hair?"

"Former DEA."

"You're too short."

Bucky was set to debate the finer points of who, what, where and why but a light flashing into the room dropped them both to the floor.

She hissed in a whisper "Told you we should have…."

"Shut up! I hate a told-ya-so."

Bucky crawled to the duffle and slid it across the floor. He checked the Uzi clip and grabbed two handguns from the bag and scooted back to press against the door next to her.

"Where's the get-away car?" His sarcasm was barely contained.

"Across the parking lot."

"You didn't think to park next to the building? What kind of an agent are you?"

"There weren't any spaces close when I got here."

"You coulda moved it."

The door handle over their heads jiggled softly.

"Shit."

He pointed at the stairs leading to the apartment.

She shook her head 'no.'

He pointed again.

She shrugged and 'no.'

He pointed the gun at her head and tilted his head a bit coyly.

She complied and headed up the stairs, Bucky right behind her with the duffle.

"They both checked the windows front and back and met in the back corner.

"We're surrounded." She whispered a bit breathlessly.

"There are six out front, four out back, three SUVs on the street, with three drivers, and someone calling the shots on a phone. Oh and a van, a big one. Probably meant for me." "Then again, maybe it's for you."

She stared at him.

"You ready?"

"For what exactly? We're on the second floor surrounded?"

Bucky smirked. "We're getting out of here."

"You're crazy. Sorry."

The flashbangs came lobbing in the windows upstairs as the teams broke through the doors front and back downstairs. The place just about exploded with the onslaught enough of a distraction to buy them a few seconds of lead time. With the first hit on the doors, Bucky tossed the duffle through the window breaking the glass before landing on the roof of a car in the parking lot.

"Right behind you." He tossed a sheet over the telephone cable that ran to the corner of the building just beyond his reach.

She nodded resolutely but he could see the fear on her face. How her body stiffened with the deafening fire below.

"Listen, Alex...medic...former DEA...now with Fury….you got this."

He grabbed her by the arm and shook her….then lifted her to the window's edge and tossed her towards the wire.

"Quite the pep talk...she looked terrified...and then you tossed her out a window."

"Shut the fuck up…..I work alone."

He followed her out the window and leaped, he grabbed the sheet but his weight was more of a strain than hers and the wire jerked, the sheet slid further, getting closer to where she was hanging. They hung swinging in the air but the soldiers hadn't seen them yet. The sheet was sliding downwards towards Alex, he'd slam into her in a few seconds. The wire jerked again. His weight pulling the moorings, it wouldn't take another jolt, they'd both fall. He let go.

His knees groaned at the impact with the cement; he stumbled forward and pushed up to run, or hobble to where she was hanging. He gestured wildly for her to let go. The soldiers were still oblivious; They only had a few seconds.

"Come on, come on." He coaxed her more to himself than out loud.

She froze looking down at him waiting with arms wide.

"Do it. You got this, come on." He gestured again.

Then he remembered something Steve told him about her. How she saved him when Steve was waffling about his life.

He pointed to his wrist with one finger and wagged his finger side to side and said quietly "Tick-tock, tick-tock."

She let go.

He caught her.

He tossed her to her feet to sprint ahead of him doing an admirable job of zigzagging through the inevitable fire as the soldiers finally caught on.

He tossed the duffle in the bed of the truck and ran to the driver's door.

Alex was there.

"Huh? No way. Gimme the keys." He actually whined.

"Get in! No time. I got this."

He reluctantly dove into the back of the truck as she peeled out of the parking lot with three SUV's not far behind.

"What's this? A new sidekick, Soldier?"

Bucky groaned at the Voice.

"Your handlers are getting younger every day."