1969.

Elise smiled as she saw her daughter playing outside with her new dog. It had been a birthday present. She was 8 years old and it seemed like it was yesterday when she was in the hospital, giving birth to her.

She moved her head to the documents spread out on her desk. One of the folders had three single words typed in Russian and a symbol she knew perfectly. It was Hydra's symbol. The dog's barks could be heard as well as the girl's laugh. Two hands touched her shoulders and Elise covered the folder quickly in an attempt to avoid questions.

"Good morning" The man kissed her forehead and sighed, pointing at the documents. "It's too early to be working, don't you think?"

"You know perfectly that been part of SHIELD has its issues" He laughed and sat on the couch, looking at his daughter. "You knew where I worked when you dated me"

"Yeah, saving people's lives and stuff, I know" The man stood up and reached the garden's door, looking behind him. "But don't forget us, Elise"

"Don't worry" She replied blowing a kiss to him. He moved his hand in the air as he was catching it.

Elise Baker left her ballpoint pen and looked at them. She had met Robert several years ago and found that she liked him. They even had a daughter, Lily. Robert knew about her and her past and how she founded SHIELD with Peggy Carter and other members although he didn't ask about what happened during the war. He had fought in the English army and understood that those kind of experiences could be traumatic.

But Elise didn't suffer from PSTD. She just was still in love with Bucky Barnes, even though he was dead. Or that was what she though until that day when Peggy visited her and discover those words in Russian. Elise had asked some of the agents in Russia and they told her all the story: Hydra had a new weapon, a human weapon. Nevertheless, he was a trained and skilled assassin that was making SHIELD's missions difficult. Nobody had seen that assassin before. He was a man, that was sure, but nothing else.

Elise herself had travelled to Russia five years ago, when Lily was three. The agents there had problems due to the government at that time and the Cold War being a threat. She was informed that the assassin had killed again in Finland and went there, finding three agents dead in a small village in the North of the country. SHIELD named him The Winter Soldier.

At that moment, she knew that man wouldn't be caught so she expressed her desire of being undercover in Moscow. Peggy and the other members of SHIELD had thought she was mad and her friend was still angry with her even though Peggy helped her. The only thing she said before seeing Elise leaving the country in a plane was:

"Please. Don't get yourself in trouble. Think of Lily and Robert. Don't leave that crazy man to kill you"

"I'll stop him, Peg. Don't worry" Elise has hugged her and whispered something to her ear as they were being observed.

Peggy Carter saw her friend leaving her side but she quickly collected herself and walked, feeling several eyes on her neck. A few weeks later, she went to take care of Lily as Robert was working and looked for the secret place Elise had in her office. Inside, there was the Winter Soldier folder with the information Elise had got. As Peggy was reading, she understood Elise's stubbornness if what was written there was true.

During her time being undercover, Elise Baker got what she wanted, even though there was no way to prove it. That killed her as long as her suspects increased. Something inside herself was telling her that Bucky was still alive. And this mission, one of the most dangerous of her life, made her and her family and descendants to be in Hydra's files.

Present time.

"I told you not to take part on this, Steve" Natasha said as soon as she saw the men arriving. "Things will get worse"

"I don't want anybody touching my wings" Sam said pointing at the agents who were carrying them and Steve's shield. He took the paper Natasha gave to him and screamed "Bird wings?!"

"I didn't write it" The woman frowned and stare coldly at Steve. "I can't believe you put Alice in this. Not only that, she could have been harmed"

"But she is okay, Nat. And she needs answers from Bucky" Natasha shook his head and Steve sighed. "Bucky loved Alice's grandmother. And something happens, but…she wanted to come and talk to him. Also, you may think I am mad…"

"You ARE mad" Natasha pointed crossing her arms.

"Very funny. I wanted to say that…It seems Alice is the only one able to calm Bucky. I don't know why, but it is like if…he didn't forget Elise"

"That's impossible. Remember what Zola's memories said. Your friend was brainwashed. BRAINWASHED"

They all turned their heads, staring at the young girl who was walking slowly near the prison Bucky was in. His hands were handcuffed and the walls were from a special material, similar to glass, to avoid him to escape. They were both looking at each other. Alice trying to imagine her grandmother loving that man as questions were inside her head and Bucky seeing Elise's face on hers.

One of the agents took Alice's arm and obliged her to move quickly, leaving her with the rest of the Avengers. She looked behind her and smiled slightly to Bucky, trying to comfort him. He smiled back, discovering it was the first time in decades he really wanted to smile.

"Alice…"Natasha began but the doors opened and they saw a blonde man walking to them, being followed by Tony whose face showed his disappointment.

"Tony…"Steve said being cut immediately by Tony's scream.

"SHUT UP ROGERS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO THE ICE AGAIN! And YOU" He said pointing at Alice who looked at him. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS, ALICE?! I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK THINKING YOU COULD GET KILLED BY HIM!"

"He wouldn't do it, Tony"

"Listen to me, my dear… HE IS A TRAINED ASSASSIN"

"HE IS NOT LIKE THAT ANYMORE" She shouted back moving and confronting Tony whose face was becoming redder as he listened to her. "RIGHT NOW, HE IS NOT THE WINTER SOLDIER. HE IS BUCKY BARNES, AND I NEED ANSWERS"

"I could have given you that answers" Tony replied, his voice lower.

"No, Tony. You can't. There are things you don't know about my life or my family" Alice sighed and pressed her fingers on her forehead. "Your father and you…just knew what Elise wanted you to know"

"Peggy?"

"You know she wouldn't say anything"

Silence filled the room as they looked at each other while the rest of the people were witnesses of that scene. Tony shook his head and walked inside the building after saying:

"You disappointed me, Alice"

The girl swallowed trying to erase the lump in her throat and the blonde man cleared his throat and smiled politely as an attempt to leave that tension.

"Not a very pleasant conversation, Miss Baker" Everett Ross began to walk to the main office where several cameras watched Bucky. Alice stared at the screens as Sam was asking if they would get their gadgets back.

"Not for now, Mr. Wilson" Ross said opening a door. The man looked at Alice and Natasha took her hand, moving her inside the room with Sam and Steve who was talking with Tony. His "brother" seemed more and more furious and left the room without looking at her.

"I'm sorry, Alice" Steve said, hugging the girl.

"Don't be. It was my decision, Rogers. And now I'll take the consequences" He nodded and sat down as Alice stood up and walked outside. Steve raised his brow and followed her, being followed by Sam. Both men stopped as they saw Alice through the cameras and Ross asking questions.

"How did she get there?" Ross sighed and looked angry at Steve, who crossed his arms. "Okay, leave her. She'll be fine"

All the eyes inside that room, including Tony and Natasha were looking at the screens that showed Bucky's image. Inside that room was Alice, looking at the man and prepared to speak.

"May I sit down?" As Bucky didn't answer, she sat on the chair and crossed her fingers on the desk, just opposite to the prison. Alice raised her eyes and looked at him. "I'm sorry for this"

"This is what I deserved…It's my punishment. I deserve it. I'm a monster. You don't know what I've done" Outside, Steve closed his eyes. It was heart-breaking for him hearing his best friend talking about himself like that. As so was to Alice.

"I know perfectly what you did" Bucky's eyes shone as they got teary. "Not all the details, but…Yeah, I know you were the Winter Soldier"

"Were?" He seemed surprised. "So…do you trust me?"

"It's hard for me, but…yes. Something tells me to do it" Tony snored as he couldn't believe what he was listening to.

"Do…"Bucky swallowed. "Do you still love me, Elise?"

Silence and tension filled the camera's room as everybody heard that. All of them knew the name of Elise Baker, one of the founders of SHIELD. It was as legendary as Peggy Carter or Howard Stark. Nevertheless, Bucky didn't seem to care about them listening that conversation. It was like that girl could save him from darkness.

"I'm not Elise" Alice replied smiling sweetly, looking at her hands and looking at him then. "I'm Alice. Her granddaughter"

"I…I don't understand"

"It's normal, James…You…"

"Bucky" He replied with pain in his voice. "Call me Bucky. He used to call me like that"

"No" Alice said smiling. A lump was in her throat and she didn't know why, but she wanted to cry. "She used to call you another thing. A nickname Steve Rogers called you too"

Inside the room, Steve's eyes widened and he sat down, covering his face with his hands, still hearing Alice's voice talking to Bucky. Natasha stared at him and then at Tony, who shrugged. He knew as little as her.

"I…I think I remember" Bucky said, his eyes lightening up.

"That's good. That's what I want, Bucky. I want you to remember who you really are. You are safe now"

"I'll be judged…won't I?" She stared at him. Her glance was full of sadness. Alice nodded and Bucky imitated her. "It's better this way. Believe me" They didn't speak until he did it again. "Alice…Is she…?"

"She died" Bucky closed his eyes and Alice saw in his face the expression of a man's pain. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"How?"

"Heart attack. Or that's what they say"

"What?" Tony shouted as he stood up and ordered to Ross. "The volume. Up. Now"

"I suspect Hydra did it" Alice continued, being aware of all the people listening to that conversation. She didn't care. Not anymore.

"Why?"

"She knew it, Bucky. She knew you were the Winter Soldier. I…I suppose Elise tried to get you so SHIELD could help you. She loved you 'till the end of her life"

"So…you were…"

"I wasn't there, Bucky. I…"Alice sighed before continuing her story. She knew Tony would listen to that part he never knew. "My mother, Lily and Elise instructed me. I was fluent in seven languages when I was eleven years old. I played the violin, I was a ballet ballerina…"She laughed and cleaned her tears. "What I didn't know was that they were preparing me. To be part of their world. Part of SHIELD. Part of…this" She pointed to the room, disgust painted in her face. "I was fifteen when I knew it, Bucky. So I ran away. I called Peggy Carter to help me and I was undercover for the following three years. Elise died…alone…" Alice didn't hold her pain and she cried, covering her face. "I let her dying alone, James. I could have protected her…I didn't" Bucky stared at her and felt something in his stomach. He wanted to hold Alice and calm her. He wanted to caress her hair.

"Okay, enough" Ross said, shouting orders to some agents while everybody around him was silent.

Agents came inside the room to get her and Alice stood up, walking to the cell Bucky was imprisoned in. The agents tried to stop her, but she nodded, explaining it was okay. She was fine. Alice raised her hand and placed it on the glass, feeling its cold surface in her palm. Her eyes watched as Bucky couldn't move his hands to imitate her, but he raised his flesh hand, showing his palm. She nodded and smiled, leaving the room.

After that, James Barnes felt pain and loneliness for the first time in a long time.