I apologize if this sucks, but I should be sleeping, not writing. But I can't sleep, so I'm writing.

Hannah: Yeah, she's very torn. About everything. And I think you'll find the answer to your question very soon.

Hailey: Aww thanks! I love you too!

Tiphanie: Yes! You get her happy place! And her mother was a wonderful woman. You'll find out who her father is very, very soon. And you know what's coming. The evil that awaits!

XDancingTillFlamesX: It's okay! Life happens. It's uncontrollable! Sam's getting love. But you know me, I'm evil.

inperfection: Yeah, Sam is a sweetie. Thanks, hon.

Dez10d2Rite: It's okay! Life gets in the way sometimes. It took me a while to update because of that. Lots of good stuffs coming. And evil stuffs because...well...I'm evil.

Enjoy!

"Have you made contact?"

"Yes."

"Good. Is step two confirmed?"

"No. I need more time."

"We've given you plenty."

"I know. But I need to be sure this will work."

"Fine."

The line clicked, leaving Anna with an uneasy feeling. She knew she was pushing things, but she couldn't help it. She needed more time. More time with Sam, more time with the others before she set her plan in motion.

"Anyone important?"

Anna nearly jumped out of her skin, spinning around to see Natasha standing there. Her heart was hammering in her chest, partly from being startled, and partly because she didn't know how long Naasha had been standing there. How much she'd heard, if anything.

"Oh, uh…"

"I didn't hear anything. I try not to pry into people's social lives, unless I feel it's necessary." That left Anna a little unnerved.

"Can I help you?" Anna asked, feeling slightly defensive.

"Yes. You're going to start training with us in the morning. Be at the gym 6:00 sharp tomorrow morning."

"Training? But-"

"Steve thought it might be a good idea. Maybe we'll find someone you can't hurt."

"I don't think that's possible." Anna said under her breath, but she had an inkling Natasha had heard. The assassin unnerved her. Made her feel vulnerable. Like she was prying into every inch of her soul with one glance, taking her apart piece by piece, uncovering secret after secret. And that was dangerous.

Anna was surprised when Bucky came to visit her in the lab. She was helping Tony with his latest updates on the suit, when the ex-assassin came waltzing in.

"Frostbite. What do you need?" Tony asked.

"I'm here to see Anna."

Anna's head shot up at the mention of her name. "Me?"

"Yeah." He stepped closer to where she was working. "I was wondering if you could clean my arm."

"You want me to clean your arm?"

"Yeah. You know how to do it, and it needs to be done." He shrugged.

"O-okay." She looked to Tony, who motioned for her to go ahead.

It was silent between them for the most part while she worked. Bucky seemed distracted, and she didn't want to interrupt him and wind up hurting him when he was startled.

"Do you remember Dugan? Did you ever meet him?"

The question took her aback for a moment. She was happy she was working on the back side of his arm, and he couldn't see her face.

"I met him a couple times...But I was young. He was old, but didn't lack his usual spirit. Even at that age." She could see the small smile that formed on his face as his jaw lifted. "He talked about you...I remember that much. You, Steve, the Commandos. 'Whoever the hell came up with that name,' he used to say."

"I can't even answer that." Bucky said.

Silence fell between them again as Anna worked, cleaning out every nook and cranny of Bucky's arm. Tony left, muttering to himself while typing away at his phone, leaving her alone with Bucky in the lab. She was working on his wrist when he moved, grabbing her wrist in his hand, squeezing, not with enough pressure to break it, but enough to let her know he could easily. She felt her powers flare up, but she shoved them down, not wanting to hurt anyone, much less the dominant presence in this confrontation.

He leaned close to her face, a hard look in his eyes. "Here's another question: why do I keep dreaming of you? Every time you zap me with your powers, I dream of you."

"Well...I don't know what my powers could cause on a neurological level, besides turning your brain to liquid or making it explode."

His grip tightened a little. "I keep telling myself they're just dreams, but something tells me their not."

Anna swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. "Well, we met once. But it was a while ago. I wouldn't expect you to remember-" It didn't even sound convincing to her.

"Why do I get the feeling you're lying? Whatever game you're playing, it's going to unravel sooner or later. Even the most expert of liers gets caught eventually."

It was a threat. And definitely not the last.

She spent the rest of the day in her room, mulling over what Bucky had said. Could her powers really be unlocking his memories? Surely he had to be dreaming of all the times he'd beat the crap out of her during her early years with HYDRA. That's about the only time they ever saw each other, unless in passing. He was either on a mission, otherwise, or frozen. If he was remembering her, she needed to act fast. He'd figure out they really were memories, and it sounded like he already was. That was not good. Things were quickly coming undone for her. And she didn't like that.

She went down to the kitchen later that evening, after she was sure everyone had eaten and were off doing whatever it was they did before bed. She really didn't want to be seen in that moment. Or at all.

But she wasn't so lucky. Sam was in the kitchen, reading a book as he ate leftover lasagna. She groaned inwardly, having half a mind to turn around and go back up to her room, but Sam had already turned around at the sound of the elevator, greeting her with a smile.

"Hey, baby girl." She couldn't help the flutter her insides made at being called that. It had always made her feel good. In ways she didn't think she could anymore.

"Hey. I didn't think anyone would be down here still."

"I had a late conference call that ran long." He said, marking his page, before setting the book down. "There's leftover lasagna in the fridge. Help yourself."

She did, knowing if she didn't she'd get reamed by Sam. Well...maybe not reamed. But scolded at least. She sat next to him, trading small talk as she ate. How did her day go? What did she do? How was she? Simple, unnecessary, easy questions. Nothing that pried too deep.

"What's got you so distracted?" Sam asked as he washed their dishes.

"Just...wasn't really expecting anyone to be down here. Came down to clear my head."

"I understand." Sam said, moving over to her side.

They wound up on the couch, sitting side by side, Anna playing with Sam's fingers as they talked. Nothing too deep, but enough not to be conspicuous. She was nearly asleep, curled up against Sam's side, when he shifted, looking down at her.

"Call me crazy."

"Why?"

"Because I gotta be, to actually have you as a soulmate."

Anna tilted her head. "Why do ya say that?"

"Because you are beautiful, intelligent, witty. You're not perfect, which seems to be a theme in this tower. You're a breath of fresh air."

"I...I'm not. I'm broken. I've got wounds so deep they run halfway to China. I'm not so sure you could even fill them. I'm...I'm complicated."

"Dangerous. Yeah. You've told me. Warned me. But I'm still here, baby girl. And you're not getting rid of me that easily."

Her eyes went wide for a moment, the gravity of his words hitting her. She bit her lip, staring down at their hands for a moment, before pressing her lips to his. He kissed her back, cupping her cheek, shifting slightly to pull her closer.

Things grew heated quickly, the bond between them growing closer and closer, Sam pursuing, Anna trying to fight, but she was quickly losing. Desire, things she hadn't felt...ever...filled her, leaving her feeling strange. New. Vulnerable.

"I don't want you to feel like you're being forced into this. Like we're moving too fast. I want this. More than anything." Sam said, breaking away for a moment, his hand on her hip, his thumb stroking the skin of her side, under her shirt. "But I want your consent too."

She stared up at him, lips swollen, parted, hair mussed, eyes big and innocent. Thoughts running through her mind faster than she could process. Did she want it? Could she? She was dangerous. She could hurt him. She'd never...no one ever...she had no experience. She shoved the doubt aside, shoving everything aside as she leaned forward, pressing a kiss under his ear, before leaning up, her hands gripping his shoulders.

Her warm breath fanned over his skin as she lingered there for a moment, before she gave her answer.

"Yes."