Elise held her granddaughter Alice as the hearse was being carried to the cemetery, outside the small church she had chosen to bury her daughter and her husband. Alice's eyes were empty, as if all the light had gone. Elise didn't blame her. She had lost her only daughter.

They walked together and Elise saw Tony Stark walking to reach them. Alice ran to hug him and just at that moment, she let her tears to fall through her cheeks. Tony took her in his arms, walking with Elise.

"How?" He asked when Lily and her husband were being buried. Elise would remember that sounds during the rest of her life. Peggy Carter was holding her hand and caressing her back.

"Accident" Elise replied faintly as her eyes moved to the rest of the cemetery. She didn't believe that, but she wouldn't say that there, in front of Tony and, of course, Alice.

"I'll help you to take care of her" Tony said as he pointed the little girl, who was 10 years old, with his head.

"Thank you. I don't think It'll be necessary"

"I insist. I know my father was a good friend of yours. And Alice is like a sister to me, so please, Elise. Let me do it"

The woman nodded and took Alice from Tony's arms, beginning to walk to the exit. She wanted to leave that place as soon as possible. It was incredible how she hadn't cried during all the process. Not even a tear.

Later, she was taking her granddaughter to her bed, her new bed. Alice would live with her from now on. Elise would continue her training as she and Lily had been doing during her whole life. Hydra was still a menace and the reports she received from SHIELD about the Winter Soldier. Even Peggy and she didn't work as Agents anymore, Elise still had access to information as she still had a name and a position in SHIELD. Moreover, Tony helped her when he could.

"Mommy is not coming back, is she?" Alice asked looking at Elise and biting her bottom lip.

"No, my dear. They are not here anymore"

"Will you be here?"

"Yes"Elise replied stronger than she would have wanted. "I'll be always here to protect you, Alice. I promise"

Present time.

Alice took a sip of her cold coffee as her eyes were staring Bucky's cameras, watching him. He seemed to have lost all hope and his gaze was fixed on his left arm. Alice could imagine his mind, wondering how many people that hand had killed. It had to be terrible to live with it.

The door opened and Tony came in, carrying two bagels with him. Alice's favourites. He smiled and sat down near Alice, giving her one of the bagels. She thanked him and continued looking at Bucky.

"Barnes had committed several crimes, Alice" She turned her head and fixed her eyes on Tony. "You know. And if you believe in justice, you know he has to pay"

"I know. But I don't think he has to pay this way" She replied angrily, looking at the floor.

"Why? He's an assassin"

"He is not The Winter Soldier by himself. Hydra brainwashed him and used him as a killing machine"

"I know. And I'm not saying James Barnes was not a good guy. But we don't know if he's Barnes or the assassin" Tony pointed at the screen with his finger. "That's his place"

"Oh, shut up"

Alice stood up and left the coffee and the bagel on the table, exiting the room at the same time Steve was coming in. He greeted Alice but she preferred to ignore him as her steps led her outside.

"What did you do to her?" She heard Steve as he asked Tony.

As she reached the exit she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her heartbeats. Agents were around her, staring and murmuring things. But she didn't care anymore. Not after what she had said to Bucky. Not after admitting in front of everybody what she did and her own suspects about Elise's death.

She was tired. Fucking tired.

Alice still had in her mind that day in which Elise had called her to the office whose entrance was forbidden to her. It was like if she was still in front of her. Elise's grey hair in a perfect bun. Her hands using that ballpoint pen she loved, writing nonstop. Her green eyes, as her owns, leaving the papers she was reading to place on Alice's face. She was fifteen. And everything her grandmother said was too much. Sometimes she missed her parents and hearing that information...No, Elise couldn't be right. And If she were, that wasn't her war.

"It is, Alice Grace Baker, as long as your blood belongs to our family. They want all of us dead. And they'll get it"

"Then send SHIELD" Alice had replied, telling off all those lies during her lifetime.

"We don't know who we can't trust"

Tired of that, Alice had run away, thanks to Peggy Carter. She was the only bound to her past she kept. She even broke all communication with Tony and Elise. They would be worried, she knew, but Peggy assured her she would tell them. And she did until her illness took charge of her body and her brain. Then, Elise had died and Alice knew it was her fault, that her grandmother was right, but she had not time to cry.

I will protect you, Alice. I promise.

Alice sighed and decided it was time to go back inside, ran into a tall, brown-haired man who wore glasses. He apologised and smiled slightly, opening the door for her. She thanked him and walked fastly to the room where Steve was, accompanied by Sam, who was still pissed off due to his wings. Bucky was in the same position.

"Hey, did he say something?"

"No. What happened before?" Steve said, looking at her worryingly. Alice was hollow-eyed and seemed to need a good sleep.

"Nothing. I just...well, Tony and I didn't share the same opinion. That's all. Who's him?" Alice said, pointing at the screen as the man she had run into was entering the room Bucky was in.

"The psychologist. He will try to help Bucky. At least that's what they said"

Alice snorted as she doubted it.

"Well, well...I came here to help you, James"

"Bucky" he replied looking at the man in front of him. "My name is Bucky"

"Okay, Bucky..." The two men began to speak. Minutes later, Alice noticed that the doctor was looking at his watch. She frowned and moved, staring at the screen. Steve was moving, nervous. That man...She knew something was going wrong. Terribly wrong.

"I hope you could help me to get something" The man took his glasses and placed them on the table, interlacing his fingers. Suddenly, he took a red notebook with a dark star on it. Bucky's eyes shone with fear. "Do you recognise it?"

Alice looked at that notebook as something inside her mind was telling her...She knew that. She had seen it before. But where and when? She covered her mouth with her hand and began to walk through the room, from one side to another. And then, she remembered.

Elise. She had that notebook drawn in her folder with the rest of the information.

"Oh my god"

"What? Alice!" Steve saw as she ran to reach Ross, who was looking at the interview with his arms crossed. Sam and Steve ran behind the girl.

"Ross, you must take away that man!" Alice shouted. She felt all the eyes fixed on her, including Tony's.

"Sorry, Madam. I must...what?"

"That man..."Alice was breathless as she spoke fastly. "My grandmother knew about that notebook. I don't know what it is but it's something about the Winter Soldier, please, take..."

And, at that moment, the cameras went off and Bucky's image was lost. Then, Alice felt anxiety inside her chest.

No. No. That notebook again. That damn notebook.

"желание" The man began and something in his brain clicked, as every time they have brainwashed him. No, he wouldn't be back. No that time. He growled and moved, trying to break the handcuffs that were limiting him. "ржaвый" Bucky felt pain and his left arm was free as he could break it. The man was staring at him with the red notebook in his hands. "Семнадцать, Рассвет, Печь, Девят, добросердечный" Bucky could free himself completely and began to punch the glass with his metal arm. His brain was losing control and he couldn't allow that. Darkness was surrounding and the last thing he thought about was Alice. "возвращение на родину, Один, грузовой вагон"

With that last word, the glass shot off and fell to the floor. Bucky was on his knees, his face down and his long brown hair covering it. The left hand was touching the floor and the metal shone with the lights. The man walked carefully, without taking his eyes off him. Then, he spoke:

"Солдат? (Soldier?)"

"Готов выполнить" (Ready to comply)

"Mission report: december 16, 1991"