Hey, you guys! (I watched Goonies this weekend after not seeing it for years. Know who says that from The Goonies?)

Counting Sinful Stars: Bucky is a tough lad, isn't he? He's in more of a civil state in this chapter. No crazy outburst for Nadene.

JustKeepSmilingRainbrows: I'm putting Bucky through the ringer. I feel bad about it, but it'll be worth it in the end. And thank you so much for that- I'm glad this is something you like and haven't seen before:)

belladu57: Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

BrokenAngel1753: Here you have it:) More for the eager reader!

A/N: This is going to be the last upload for the next couple of weeks. My Grandmother passed away Tuesday and I'll be leaving for the funeral next week. I may be able to update sometime this week/weekend/early next week, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm not abandoning this fic or anything- I'm just going through some things right now.

"I'm thinking it over
The way you make me feel all sexy but it's causing me shame
I wanna lean on your shoulder
I wish I was in love but I don't wanna cause any pain
And if I'm feeling like I'm evil, we've got nothing to gain

What if I never even see you cuz we're both on a stage
Don't tell me listen to your song because it isn't the same
I don't wanna say your love is a waiting game

Baby I'm thinking it over
What if the way we started made it something cursed from the start
What if it only gets colder
Would you still wrap me up and tell me that you think this was smart
Cuz lately I've been scared of even thinking 'bout where we are"

Waiting Game by BANKS

After James' meltdown he locked himself in his room in the basement and hasn't been out since. That was two days ago. At night when I'm in my room I hear him stomp upstairs. I think he's trying to be quiet as he looks for food. I'd plate whatever was leftover from my dinner-usually take out- and leave instructions for the microwave. I always made sure to leave a lot of food since he never came out for breakfast or lunch. The first night he didn't understand how to work the microwave and I guess he got angry because when I came down the following day, the food was still there and I had a gaping hole in the screen of my microwave. Luckily, my grandmother had an extra one under the island. It was older and didn't match the decor, but it still worked. So the next night I left clear instructions to not punch the microwave. And he didn't.

We hadn't spoken to each other since his meltdown and him almost strangling me and me finding out he had a metal fucking arm kind of put distance between us. It was very early in the morning when I decided to wake up. It really wasn't my choice I heard a door slam outside my open window. As quickly as I could with a casted leg, I reached my window to see Richard getting out of his car.

He said he was going to stop by today after I had finally gotten a hold of him. I needed to get to him before he banged on the door,"Richard!" I hollered.

He glanced up frowning against the morning sun,"Nadene?"

"I'll be right there," I said ripping away from the door I grabbed my crutches and clobbered down the stairs-a steady hand on the curved wall. I reached the door just as he was bringing his hand up to knock. Richard was a tall man with thick rimmed glasses, a straight nose and a dark brown beard. And he was always wearing plaid. Today, he was in red.

"Hey, sorry about that," I told him slipping out the door. I caught his odd look as I did.

"What?" I frowned looking up at him.

"I didn't think you actually broke your ankle," He gestured.

"What, did you think I lied?"

"Nadene, you've been MIA since last Saturday with no phone call to say why except for when you broke your ankle, but that was a day after it happened. A cop even came to ask questions about you. What is going on?"

"Hey, that's not my fault! I called you like twenty minutes after it happened. You're the one who didn't answer,"

"What's going on, Nadene?" He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at me,"Because if you don't give me a good enough excuse for missing a weeks worth of work, I'm going to have to fire you,"

"Are you kidding me? You have no idea what I've been through-,"

"Are you going to tell me?"

I stared up at him and pursed my lips, opened my mouth and shut it again,"I can't,"

"Then how am I supposed to believe something has happened when you won't tell me?"

"You trust me?" I tried.

"Nadene, I'm sorry. I'll bring over your last paycheck later," Richard squeezed my shoulder and sighed before walking away.

I stood on my stoop fuming. My fingers clenched around my crutches and I spun on my heel and opened the front door. It had newspaper taped to the outside where James punched it in. The cartoon section looked mighty fine against my oak door. I slammed it behind me grumbling under my breath.

"Fucking asshole,"

"Nadene," his voice was gruff and in front of me.

I looked up to see James standing before me. He doesn't look angry, but surprised. His eyes are wide and he has a slight smile on his lips. The sleeve I had tore partially was now gone. His arm, as I had seen earlier, was all metal. His fingers were clenched and I was in awe at how they moved like normal fingers. There was a red star on his shoulder and I wondered what it meant.

"Nadene?"

"Hmm?" I tore my eyes away from his arm to see the question on his face,"Sorry, what is it?"

"I remembered,"

"Remembered what?"

"I remembered how Thelma and I met," and he smiled. He actually smiled and it was the most handsome I've seen of him.

"Really?" I asked moving towards him in excitement, but he held up his hands and stepped back, shaking his head. I caught on and stopped where I was at. James stepped back behind the coffee table. There was so much distance between us.

"Where'd you two meet?" I asked shifting my weight.

"Outside a Diner, The Tiffany Diner in the Bronx. She was wearing a white blouse and a yellow skirt. I was so scared she was going to be angry at me for bumping into her and knocking her purse to the ground, but she wasn't. She just smiled at me and thanked me for picking her purse up. And just like that she was out of my life. I watched her walk to the back of the store and sit in the colored section-I don't know why, but that was the first time I noticed the color of her skin," he told me. His eyes never left mine. His voice was steady and calm. His eyes were bright at the clear memory and he smiled at me.

"She had that much of an impact on you?" I asked.

His gaze was soft and relaxing as he nodded, "Yes, she did,"

"Do you, uh, remember anything else?"

"No. Everything else is still fuzzy. I will eventually, though," He responded with new determination in his eyes he was stepping towards me. He had cleared the coffee table before panic set in. Was he going to kiss me or attack me?

"I have treated you wrongly," his voice was low as he looked at me.

"It's not your fault,"

"That is still not an excuse for all the times I've almost killed you," James took another step towards me. His hand, the metal one, had reached out and clasped around my elbow. It was cold and comforting. It felt just like a hand just cooler and made of metal. I tried not to stare at the way the metal moved, it moved in shifting motions, like his muscles would move. Suddenly, I realized that I was dressed in an oversized t shirt with just underwear and one fluffy sock on, but he didn't seem to mind. Had I really went outside to talk to Richard, my boss, like this? No wonder he fired me. I looked a mess.

"I'm sorry," he whispered pulling me into a hug. And the hate I had for his arm to be around me days ago had dissipated and I reached up letting my crutches fall to the floor. My arms wrapped around his neck as his tightened around my waist. My one foot was on its tippy toes.

"Thank you," He whispered into my hair and I smiled against his leather shirt/vest thing. I really should figure out what to call this.

"You're welcome, James," I told him pulling back,"Do you need clothes? You've been in this for awhile now. I think I have a few of my dads clothes somewhere,"

"New clothes would be nice," he said.

"Ok,"

But neither of us moved. We just stared at each other and I was the one to move away. I picked up my crutches and tucked them underneath my arms.

"Check in one of the guest rooms down the hall. I think there might be clothes in there," I said over my shoulder as I made my way upstairs. Once in my room I pulled on a pair of blue running shorts and switched my oversized shirt for a black t shirt. Since walking around in underwear wasn't going to work anymore. I also tugged on a sock and my one tennis shoe.

In the back of my closet I found a few shirts from old boyfriends even a few pair of jeans. I have no idea why I never got rid of them, but I guess its good I didn't. I slung the clothing over my shoulder and hopped cautiously back down stairs. James was in the living room sitting in front of the couch with the box I had in the guest room closet, rifling through it.

"Here, it's just a few shirts and jeans," I told him handing the clothing to him. He peered up at me, but took the clothes anyways standing up.

"You don't want to look at the rest of my dads clothes?"

He scoffed and smiled,"I'm more of a t shirt and jeans guy. I think," he reached into the box and pulled out my dads old cable knit sweater with the weird tooth things for buttons,"This'll do," and he went and disappeared into the bathroom.

I sat on the couch and waited for him to come out. The t shirts were grey and dark blue. I worried they might not fit since his shoulders were so broad. I stared at my knees and my eyes trailed to the cast on my leg. It was annoying, not yet itching, and no one had signed it yet. That's always been a want or childhood dream of mine, to have friends write all over my cast. I just never broke anything until now. Sighing, I glanced up to see James walking towards me. The shirt and jeans fit him more then perfectly. The fabric was a bit tight around his chest and shoulders. The jeans were snug in all the right places, though and they were long enough in the legs. I had to avert my eyes when he looked over at me.

In his hand was his leather vest/one arm shirt thing and his black cargo pants. I watched him set the clothing on the coffee table before he sat down taking off his socks. His pants tightened around his muscular legs and I had to force myself to not look at his backside while he perched on the arm of the chair. He rolled his socks up and placed them along with all his other black clothes. James slipped his feet into his boots and laced them up. I'd have to go shopping for male socks and essentials soon.

"I can throw those in the wash if you'd like,"

James nodded,"Thank you," he turned to me and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. His fingers ran through his hair and he sighed,"Her father didn't like me. Albert never gave me a chance," he said looking at me,"That's why I snuck in all the time,"

He must've remembered more.

"How long were you two-?"

"Three years,"

"Three years?" I was shocked,"You only started showing up in pictures a few months before you were shipped out. I don't understand,"

"I didn't at first either. Once I told you what I had remembered earlier it all came back. In snippets, but I understood it all. Thelma and I knew of each other, but never spoke for obvious reasons. I was always that white man who knocked down her purse, but to me she was the woman with the amazing smile. I went to that diner everyday after class in hopes of seeing her. I always did, but she never paid me any attention. Eventually, the months dwindled into a year and I was giving up, but one day when I had gotten up to get some water from the fountain in the park she had walked up to me and asked why I was following her," he paused,"I told her the truth,"

"What did you tell her?"

"That she was beautiful and I was in love with her," he was smiling faintly at the memory he could now remember,"Thelma told me to stay away from her and so I did, but she was the one who approached me next. It was a few weeks after my confession and she had said ,"I may not be in love with you now, but I'm willing to fall for you if this is real. I'm not putting my life on the line for a fling with a white boy," so I did as best I could to get her to fall in love with me and months later she was.

We were discreet about our relationship, had to be. Thelma would visit me at night she would climb up my fire escape. It wasn't until I had joined the Army and Pearl Harbor and the war started that she introduced me to her parents. Her mother only wanted what was best for her and knew she loved me. Her father was mad because he knew as long as I was white and she was black I would never be able to protect her,"

"What happened next? What happened at that picnic-the one where you're cut from the photos?" I asked eagerly wanting to know more.

James sighed,"I'm not sure- I can't grab hold of that evening, but I do know who cut me out of the photos. They told me they did,"

"Who did it?"

"Thelma did,"

"But why? Why would she do that? She loved you," I blurted. This was all so confusing.

"I don't know,"

"But you said her dad hated you. Maybe he made her do it? Could that have been a factor?" I asked.

"I don't know!" He yelled.

I jumped, startled at how loud his voice was. James's hands were clenched and he was gripping onto his jeans tightly. His hair had fallen into his face and his shoulders and body were rigid as he shook slightly.

"James, I'm sorry," I said quickly.

"Don't. Don't apologize for being curious,"

"I shouldn't have asked you-,"

He lifted his head and looked me in the eye,"Don't apologize," he stated.

I nodded and dropped my gaze to my trembling hands. This silence- the awkward silence had swept over us and I desperately wanted to say something, but nothing was coming to mind. Only James standing up cause me to speak,"Where are you going?"

Without as much as a glances over his shoulder he continued walking and said,"To stand outside,"

I heard the back door slam and I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. He was remembering that was good. I ran a hand threw my hair when the back door opened and James came walking in briskly. His jaw was set and his eyes stood a little ahead of me his head cocked as he seemed to be listening to something. Slowly, he began walking towards my front window.

"James? What is it?" I asked panic welling up inside of me. He shot his hand out signaling for me to stay as he peered out the window. As quickly as he had looked he had turned around.

"Get up," He hissed.

"What's going on?!" I hollered at him. He didn't listen just grabbed me by the arm and tugged me after him.

The air was thick around us and our movements seemed to be so loud in my ears as I tried to figure out what was happening. My mind was going over a million and one things and I was scared. James just walked fast and his hand around my wrist was tightening to a painful squeeze.

"James?!"

"They found us,"

"Found us?! You mean they found you, right? Not me, I'm just a civilian who was too nice to a stranger with crazy homicidal tendencies," I said my voice was hoarse and panicky as I tried to calm down.

James threw a pointed look over his shoulder and I just shrugged," A civilian that took me in, Nadene. Hurry up!" He had pulled me towards the kitchen when I heard the front door smash in. It was loud as it smacked against the wall. I just painted those walls last month.

"Oh my God!"

James spun around and clamped a hand over my mouth and he leaned down to whisper in my ear," I need you to be quiet. Things are about to go to shit. I don't need you getting shot," He hissed and spun me around to face him. He rested his hand on my trembling cheek as I choked back tears. I looked into his eyes and they were dark and cold. He was ready to fight. At the sound of footsteps on running upstairs and voices in the next room, James had shoved me down behind the island and ran up the stairs that led from the kitchen to the hall by the bathroom upstairs. I begged him not to leave me, but he was already gone. I plastered my back against the island and clamped a hand over my mouth when I heard footsteps too loud to be James's.

Don't look. Don't look. Don't look.

"One heat signature behind the island. Female," the voice whispered and I shuddered at how close he was, "Terminate?"

"Affirmative,"

I squeezed my eyes shut. This is not happening. I can't believe this is happening. And here I thought harboring a villain was going to be fun. A gloved hand shot out from above me and grabbed me by my hair- I could feel my hair tug harshly at my scalp. I screamed and kicked out as he pulled. In one swift motion I was pulled up and onto the cold counter of the island. The man smiled above me. He had camouflage painted across his face, but his eyes were blue and his teeth were so white as he spoke.

"Looks like you're coming with us, sweetie," He hissed and pulled me the rest of the way off the table. I shrieked when I hit the ground- I had tried to not let my broken ankle hit hard, but it did. His arm wrapped tightly around my waist and he hefted me up off the ground and began to walk away.

"Get off of me! Let me go! Please, let me go," I was beating my fist against his arm as hard as I could," James! Jaaaaaames!" I screamed out as loud as I could.

"She's calling him. What do we do?" The man holding me questioned into his earpiece. I took this chance to reach to my hip and pull back his fingers until I heard him scream out and I dropped to the floor. My leg took most of the impact and I cried out again and I just laid there trying to breath through the pain.

"God damn it. Stop hitting my fucking leg, you bastards!"

I didn't see it, but I heard it. There was a suck in of breath and the sound of bones cracking and then a body hit the floor and I lazily opened my eyes. A hand was shaking my shoulder and my vision cleared to see a panicked James.

"James!" I gasped.

He had a duffel bag over his shoulder and the man who was alive answering orders from an earpiece was now dead on the floor, his neck at an odd angle. James reached out a hand for me and I shuffled towards him quickly. Once my fingers latched onto his hand we were off. He had picked me up in one swift motion and I just laid there in his arms, my leg pulsing with pain.

"I grabbed some clothes, your phone and purse and some canned food from the basement. Your medication is in your purse?"

I really wasn't paying much attention to him, but to the bodies on my living room floor. There were three men plus the one in the kitchen, dead on the floor. Two were dead at the base of the steps. They were all wearing black. Some military get up and had guns. James reached down and grabbed a gun, slinging it over his shoulder. How did he have enough time to kill them all? He carried me outside to my jeep and kneeled down with me still in his arms to inspect the car.

"The tires are slit," He announced standing.

"Wait," I whispered, but he kept walking and I struggled in his grasp until my writhing body forced him to set me on my feet. James just walked past me as I tried to keep balance. Another wave of pain hit and I felt like I was going to puke right here, my knees gave out and I fell to the damp ground. The grass tickled my bare legs and hands as I breathed heavily. James was ahead of me- still walking,"Wait, damn it!"

He didn't stop. My voice cracked as I tried again, "Wait,"

"James!" I exclaim and he stops dead in his tracks. I let out a sigh of relief,"Wh-what's happening? Why are they chasing you?"

James spun around to face me,"They're after us, Nadene. Us," he was in front of me so quickly I had thought he had teleported. James knelt down by my trembling body. I lifted my head and stared harshly at him through a mess of tears. His face was hard and stoic. At this moment I was glad for whatever they did to him because he was in a new mode. A mode that was going to keep him alive. Us alive.

"Who are they?" I uttered through trembling lips.

His blue eyes narrowed and one word slips past his pursed lips,"Hydra."

And there you have it. That just went a bit crazy didn't it? Please, read & review:) I'd love to hear from you. The Tiffany Diner was named after one of my mom's old friends that loved Diners. It's not an actual place...