Disclaimer: Everything belongs to The Marvel Universe except for my characters Sophie and Jeremy and any other SOs that become introduced – they are my own creations and are not meant to resemble anyone else's OCs in any way.

A/N: Ok so if anyone wants to feel like their heart has been torn to shreds and will never be whole again, go read Winter Soldier: Cold Front by Mackenzi Lee. It's amazing. The ending wrecked me. Read it with a box of tissues. You have been warned.

Anyhoo…onto my story. Please enjoy and drop a review with your thoughts at the end!

All likes, follows and reviews are really appreciated!

Chapter 11: Mountains

It was Sunday night, the day before Sophie officially started as an Eye in the Sky. She spent the rest of last week tying up loose ends with her other position and handing off tasks and reports. Tomorrow, she'd start training with Michael. Then a week later, she'll be an official part of the team, assisting Bucky as the disembodied voice in his ear.

Natasha had returned from a mission that morning and after continual insistence from Sophie, had agreed to a long overdue girl's night. The two women sat on the floor of Natasha's penthouse apartment. The large floor to ceiling windows showcased a dazzling display of twinkling city lights across and below them. Natasha was painting her toenails a shade of red that was so deep it was nearly black. Meanwhile Sophie's hands and toes sparkled in a deep blue like stars against the dusky sky. She gazed out at the buildings silhouetted in vibrant orange as the sun began to sink behind them, momentarily lost in thought. She blinked and shook her head a few times, trying to come back to the present.

"So how'd the mission go?"

She noticed Nat's eyes dart quickly to the window as she attempted to hide the small quirk of her mouth.

"Fine. Uneventful and boring."

"You sure about that?"

Natasha finally turned her head and stared at her friend.

"Now why would you ask that?"

"Because try as you might to hide it, I caught that look on your face."

"And what look was that?"

"You were hiding a smile."

"I was not. You're looking for things that aren't there."

"Oh yeah? I know for a fact it was just you and Steve. Sam told me he had to drop out at the last minute and you guys decided not to wait for a third to replace him."

"So? The mission was easy and we didn't need a third."

"Mhm. You sure that was the only reason?"

"And what other reason could there be?"

Sophie heaved a sigh, leaning back against the couch as she fanned her fingers out, waiting for the nail polish to dry. She leveled Natasha with a knowing look.

"Something happened, didn't it?"

Nat rolled her eyes and blew on her newly painted fingernails. Sophie continued to sit and stare. She wanted to know but she wasn't going to push it. If Nat didn't want to tell her, she didn't have to. At last, a small sigh escaped the Black Widow's lips and her eyes quickly darted to her friend's face, then back to her hands.

"We…might have kissed…" she mumbled.

Sophie bolted upright.

"You kissed?!" She breathed out excitedly.

She'd never thought it possible, and maybe she was mistaken in the dim light, but she thought she saw a faint blush grace the redhead's cheeks.

"What happened? How? Who kissed who? How was it? Give me details!"

Finally, no longer able to contain herself anymore, Nat let the smile slip onto her face as she tipped her head back and laughed.

"It's not that deep Sophie. We…kissed each other I guess. But it wasn't anything. It was just something fun we did as we came off an adrenaline high. Nothing more."

"Steve doesn't do 'nothing more.' He isn't built like that. You know that right?"

Nat lifted her shoulder in a dainty shrug and placed the capped polish aside, stretching her legs out in front of her as she leaned against the couch beside Sophie.

"It can't be anything more," she stated at last.

"What do you mean?"

Staring out the window for several quiet moments, she finally spoke without looking at the other woman.

"Kissing is…it can be something that is nothing. It can be fun without being intimate. It's something that you can come back from."

Sophie's gaze was locked on Nat's face, her heart picking up for some unknown reason. The Black Widow at last turned and faced her.

"In my line of work, it's really hard to find people that you know without a doubt you can trust with your life. Steve…he's one of those people for me. Kissing is one thing, but anything more…if things go south you can't come back from that. With something more involved, there's really only two options: you either move forward together, or not at all. But you can't go backwards."

Stomach twisting in knots, Sophie felt her heart jolt as her friend spoke.

"Do you know what I mean?"

Swallowing hard, she nodded at the other woman, unable to answer for the lump that formed in her throat.

What you and Bucky are doing is different though. You're not romantically entangled. There's no romantic feelings there whatsoever. It's all just…physical…

They sat there quietly for a moment longer before Natasha picked up the remote and turned up the volume. A wedding show had started and the bride was in search of the perfect dress. They watched for several minutes before Sophie broke the silence, eyes still trained on the TV.

"Do you wish there was more?"

She watched as the Nat's eyes dropped to the floor.

"Sometimes."

"Do you think Steve does?"

She shrugged, "Who knows."

"He just doesn't seem like the type to mess around on any level. Not unless he was seriously interested. And everything that Bucky's told me about Steve and women…he's a gentleman. I doubt he'd kiss you, or kiss you back, unless there were some kind of feelings there."

Natasha turned to her with sad eyes.

"It doesn't matter," she whispered.

Sophie pulled her knees into her chest wrapping her arms around them and studied her friend.

"Don't you think that at some point you deserve to be happy too?"

"It's not about that. I can't afford to lose another important person in my life."

"I thought you trusted Steve? Have some faith."

"Even if I considered it, it would be awfully selfish of me."

"How so?"

"I can't give him kids. You know that. And he wants to be a father."

Sophie sighed, her mind once again drifting back to Bucky. That had never been a subject they'd broached. But now that it was out there, she couldn't help but wonder.

Does he want children? Does it matter? Not like that would affect you.

"Well, we also don't know what that super soldier serum has done to his boys, right? For all you know he can't have kids either. Besides, there's always adoption."

Natasha smiled softly, "Yeah, maybe."

Given her own history and upbringing, she wouldn't be opposed to adoption. They turned back to the TV and watched the show until the end without another word. When it was over, they ordered some takeout and cleaned up after their mani-pedis. Finally settling onto the couch with Chinese nestled into their laps, they continued with the wedding show marathon. Picking up where they'd left off like there'd been no lapse in the conversation, Natasha addressed her friend.

"So how about you? Anything romantic on the horizon?"

"Nope."

The former assassin frowned.

"Really? It's been so long since you and Jeremy broke up. It's time. It's time for you to shake it off, dust off the cobwebs, and break that dry spell. You need to go out on a date."

Sophie fought the blush creeping up her neck. Bucky had done more than dust off her cobwebs and break her dry spell.

"What. Is. That?!"

"What? What?!"

"You're blushing!" Nat pointed an accusing finger at Sophie.

"I am not!"

"You are!" She laughed. "There must be someone. Maybe someone you're just interested in and nothing has happened yet?"

Sophie's shoulders slumped, "No. Seriously Nat. Nothing like that."

The Widow pursed her lips, "Well there's something. Come on…I told you about Steve."

Sighing, Sophie looked at her nosy friend.

"There's nothing to tell Nat. I have nothing romantic going on with anyone. I promise."

Nat eyed her suspiciously, "Whatever you say. I'm not going to push it. But I'm here to listen whenever you're ready to talk about whatever is going on between you and…whoever it is."

Sophie frowned, then turned back to the TV silently.

…

Bucky's feet skid back a few inches as Steve threw all of his weight into the next punch, the bag nearly giving under the force. He straightened up, panting, sweat dripping down his back and making is t-shirt stick to his skin. Grabbing a towel off the floor, he wiped his face off and stared at his feet. Bucky let go of the bag, coming around from behind it.

"You had enough yet? C'mon. Let's head back to my place and have a drink."

Steve nodded, swiping his gym bag and water bottle off a bench. The two friends stepped outside of the boxing gym and climbed onto their bikes. They drove the short distance to Bucky's apartment, each one taking turns in the shower. At last they were both seated at the breakfast bar. Each man had a large burger and a glass of scotch in front of him.

"Alright, so you gonna tell me what's up?"

Steve took an enormous bite of his burger and eyed Bucky carefully. Following suit, the former assassin descended on his own plate, waiting until his friend was ready to speak. They each polished off their dinner in silence. Then, as Bucky grabbed the empty plates and set them aside, Steve finally answered him. He picked up his glass and swirled the amber liquid inside, considering his words carefully.

"Nat and I…we had…a moment."

Bucky sat down beside him, taking a small sip of his own scotch.

"During the mission? What kind of moment?"

"Yeah, during the mission…we…we kissed."

Raising an eyebrow, Bucky looked at him over the rim of his glass.

"You don't say," his voice lilted.

Setting his scotch down, Steve rubbed his palms against his sweatpants-clad thighs.

"I just can't figure her out, Buck —"

"Since when have you ever been able to figure out women?"

Steve glared at his best friend. Bucky laughed and took a larger swallow.

"So walk me through it from the beginning."

"Ok," he sighed, his eyes unfocusing from the granite in front of him.

"So you know Sam ended up dropping out of the mission because he got that stomach bug."

"Yeah, poor guy said it was coming out of both ends."

The two super soldiers couldn't help but laugh despite their friend's discomfort.

"Anyway, we told Tony we wouldn't need a replacement. Seemed like an easy enough job."

"But it wasn't?"

"Well…things didn't go as smoothly as we'd imagined they would. By the time we busted into the safe house, we were both riding an adrenaline high. And then, next thing I know…it was like we were magnets just drawn to each other. We just…"

He motioned with his hands, palms facing one another at shoulder width, then moving them in together quickly.

"So you kissed each other then? No one initiated?"

"Right. And it was…less than gentle. There may be some broken furniture that was left behind."

Bucky laughed, "Did you think it would be any other way with her?"

Steve shrugged. Then picking up his glass, he downed the contents.

"When we finally came up for air we just stood there, staring at each other. I took a half step to her, wanting to kiss her again, but…"

"But…?"

"It was like she jerked out of a trance. She spun on her heel and went into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She didn't come out the rest of the night and the next morning it was like nothing had ever happened between us."

"Huh," Bucky's forehead creased.

"Yeah. Exactly," Steve said as he pointed a finger at him.

Bucky gave a shrug.

"She's a complicated woman. I wouldn't pretend to know what's going on in that pretty head of hers. I definitely don't envy you."

"Gee, thanks."

The former assassin laughed.

"I don't know man, maybe just be straight and to the point. Ask her what her deal is."

"You've lost your edge. In what world would that ever work with her? When is Nat ever direct about anything? It's all this twisted little web that you have to carefully navigate. One wrong step and…"

Bucky looked over at Steve when when the other man trailed off. Pretending he had a noose around his neck, Bucky grabbed the imaginary rope and mimed being hung as a question arched his brow.

"Exactly. That," Steve responded.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. Take a cue from her and pretend nothing happened, I guess."

"Can you really do that? Do you want to?"

Steve sighed, "I don't know."

He bent down and scooped up Alpine who'd been weaving in and out between his legs, tenaciously demanding attention.

"I still can't believe you got a cat. Always thought you were more of a dog person."

Bucky shrugged.

"She basically followed me home and took shelter underneath me. What was I supposed to do?"

Steve gave him a sly side eye before stating, "That's what you used to say about all the girls who'd be walking out of your apartment in the morning as I'd be coming in."

Throwing his head back, Bucky let out a full and unrestrained laughed that reverberated deep in his chest.

…

The chair was black and plush and Sophie liked how it swiveled and bounced back and forth underneath her as she fidgeted nervously. She sat directly beside Michael, a pair of headphones clasped over her ears and the microphone turned off so as not to accidentally interrupt. Bucky and Sam had flown off on their mission to Austria not too long ago and should be landing soon. This will be the first of several missions that she'll be observing this week before going solo with Bucky. Michael laughed lightly as he watched her.

"Relax, will ya?"

"Sorry," she said as she stilled in her chair. "Ok, give me a quick recap of the mission one more time."

Rolling his eyes, he smiled indulgently at her.

"I promise. Everything will be fine. This is just for info gathering. These are basically as easy as they come. But if it'll make you feel better…"

"Yes."

"Ok, so they're due to land in 5. After that, they'll be turning on their comms and boarding the mountain train from Vienna to Graz. A few stops in, their target will board. His name is Marco Moretti, an Italian professor at the University of Zurich who is currently on holiday. They'll see how much information they can squeeze out of him on Alexander Fischer, our ultimate target."

Sophie sighed and rested her chin in her palm.

"I still can't believe he's Zola's grandson. How did no one ever know he had kids?"

"Well, Zola never married, so who knows how his one and only son came about, if you catch my drift. And the boy took his mother's maiden name, Fischer. Then he got married and as far as we know, they only had one child together too, Alexander. He doesn't have any kids of his own. They did some thorough background checks into that."

"So basically, once Fischer is gone, the Zola line ends with him?"

"Exactly."

Sophie shuddered, feeling a little bit sick about what Bucky might find out on this mission. Hearing a crackle in her headset, her eyes darted to the center monitor in front of Michael. He typed out a few commands and the screen displayed the train station. Sam and Bucky walked slowly side by side as they approached their platform.

"Hey there Sergeant Barnes. Checking the comms. Give me a nod if you can hear me."

It happened so fast that if Sophie had blinked she would have missed it. Eyes darting to the camera trained on him, Bucky gave the slightest of nods, then turned his attention back to the station. She watched Sam follow suit, clearly being given the same directions by Andy, his Eye who sat directly in front of them in the tiered theater style room.

How in the world did they know where the cameras were? Or which one to look at?!

*This is us.*

She heard Bucky mumble to Sam as their train pulled up to the platform. The words were clearly spoken quietly, but they relayed through the comms with resounding clarity. Sam said something back that she couldn't hear and for a moment she was confused by their unusual small talk. Then it dawned on her when Michael responded.

"Coming through loud and clear Sarge."

They were making sure that they could be heard too.

"Sounds good Sam," Andy's quiet voice drifted to her from just below.

They boarded the train and Michael began clicking away at the keyboard. A moment later, the inside of the train came into view. Bucky and Sam moved through the car a few rows before sitting down opposite one another. The train began to move and they sat silently gazing out the window. Sophie felt an anxious tension begin to spread through her body and she clenched her teeth together. Michael's eyes darted over to her again. He put his hand over his mic and turned to face her.

"Cake walk Sophie. Don't be so stressed."

But she couldn't help it. She wasn't sure Michael new the full extent of what all this meant for Bucky. Mind buzzing she briefly wondered why he'd been sent on this mission at all.

Shouldn't they have made Steve go instead?

They were quickly approaching their second stop since boarding when Andy began to furiously type at her keyboard. An image of the next platform came up on her second monitor and she spun around to look at Michael, giving him the thumbs up. Whirling back around she began to speak softly into her mic as Michael did the same.

"Alright, Moretti is about to board."

Typing out his own commands, the same view of the next station came up on his second monitor, zeroed in on an older gentleman with dark brown hair and a short beard.

"Judging by his position of the platform you'll probably have to move up a car or two."

Bucky gave another quick nod of acknowledgement, eyes scanning the people that whizzed by as the train began to slow. At last, it came to a stop and the doors opened. Moretti walked over to the closest doors and stepped inside, his demeanor calm and casual.

"One car," Michael instructed.

The doors closed and the train began to move. Entering in new commands the second monitor changed to a view of the next car where Moretti had seated himself next to the window. He was relaxed and reading a newspaper, clearly none-the-wiser about what was going to occur at any moment. Sophie's eyes flickered back to the center monitor as Sam and Bucky made eye contact with one another. They both stood simultaneous and casually maneuvered through the car. Walking all the way to the end, they opened the dividing door and stepped into the next car, the door softly sliding closed behind them. Michael pressed a key and the image from the right monitor flipped over to the center, allowing them to continue to follow along with the pair.

"He's seated on your right, three rows up."

…

Sam was walking in front and slowly took the seat across from Moretti as Bucky slid in beside their target. The man never bothered looking up from his paper. The two friends locked gazes for a moment before Sam cleared his throat quietly.

"Moretti."

The man's head shot up as his paper dropped to the table in front of him. With wild eyes he took in both Bucky and Sam.

"Don't make a scene," Bucky said quietly.

"We're not going to hurt you. We just have some questions," Sam finished.

"Questions about what?" Moretti asked in a panicked whisper.

Bucky's eyes slid sidelong to the scared man's face.

"About Fischer."

"Fischer?!"

The two Avengers stared at him wordlessly.

"I don't know anything about him! I haven't seen him in months."

"But you worked closely with him for several years, did you not? You were both professors at the University of Zurich."

Moretti looked at Sam, contemplating him for a moment before responding.

"Yes. Yes we did. We shared an office and a research space. But our research was different. Very different."

"How so?"

Bucky's curious stare pinned him in his seat until he managed to finally take a deep breath and calm his nerves.

"Well…my research is based on genetics. Alexander's research was on…well I thought it was neurology based. But now I'm not so sure."

"Explain," Bucky pressed.

"Look, he was never a very chatty guy. Neurology isn't really my thing so we didn't discuss our work with each other too much. Besides, he was always very secretive about his research. That's nothing unusual in our line of work. Most people that I know will keep their research very private in fear of having their ideas or discoveries stolen. But the last six months, I don't know, maybe year? Something was off. He wasn't just being secretive. He was acting strange. He was in our lab at all hours of the night doing God knows what."

"How do you know this?" Sam pipped up.

Moretti licked his lips, his hands fidgeting on the table. He sighed.

"I set up cameras outside of the lab."

Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Like I said, we're all very protective of our work. When Alex started acting strange I set up a security camera. I wanted to make sure none of my research was being stolen. So I'd get an alert whenever anyone entered the lab."

Bucky leaned into Moretti eagerly.

"Could you see what he was doing?"

"No. Not in detail. But he'd be in and out at the strangest hours. Sometimes he'd be there practically all night. Sometimes all weekend."

"Did anyone ever join him?" Sam asked.

"No. It was always just him."

The three men sat quietly for a moment, Sam and Bucky contemplating what they'd been told. Until at last, the professor broke the silence.

"Whatever he was working on though, it wasn't anything good."

"Why do you say that?"

Bucky's question came out harsher than he'd intended, but a foreboding feeling was slowly settling in the pit of his stomach.

Moretti kept folding and unfolding a corner of his paper, his gaze somewhere far off. He pulled a face and then looked up, first at Bucky, then at Sam.

"About three months ago, we were sitting in our office together. It was right before lunch and he got a text. He seemed flustered for a few minutes, like he didn't know what to do. Then suddenly, he stood up and said he was going out to eat. He grabbed a stack of papers and folders and shoved them into his bag and practically ran out the door. He was in such a hurry he accidentally left a folder."

Sam and Bucky looked at each other sharply. Then their gaze slowly dragged back to the professor. He took in a deep breath, letting it out in a huff through his nose.

"I waited to see if he'd come back for it, but he didn't. I watched him through the office window as he got on his bicycle and took off."

"What was in the folder?" Bucky asked quietly, his voice on edge.

"I don't know all of the details. It was in German."

They looked at him incredulously.

"But you live in Zurich!" Sam interjected.

"Yes, but I'm Italian! I can speak English and French fluently. But I only know a little Swiss German."

"So were you able to read any of it?" Bucky pressed.

"Some. It was an email sent to Alex and it talked about something called the Hailstorm Program."

"Who sent the email?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. It didn't say. But the little I could make out from it made me sick."

"Why?"

Bucky's heart was racing, he could hear the blood pounding in his ears.

Moretti swallowed hard, his head slowly shifted until he faced Bucky.

"I could pick out bits and pieces talking about Alex's research. Phrases like neurological conditioning and cognitive therapy stuck out. At first I thought maybe he was researching how to help people with depression or PTSD. But then the email mentioned ECT, memory alterations and something about free will. Binding it? Erasing it? Controlling it? I wasn't sure on the wording but whatever it was it didn't sound good. And then I got to the end…"

There was a furious buzzing in Bucky's head and he could feel himself breaking out in a cold sweat. He sensed Sam's concerned gaze on him but he ignored it, willing himself to stay in control of his mind and body.

"What did it say?" He whispered.

Moretti licked his dry and cracked lips before continuing. His gaze drifted momentarily between the two friends and then he leaned back and turned to stare out the window. They weaved through the snow covered mountains at high speed, a steady stream of white powder pelting down around them. Bucky's gaze followed his, their location not lost on him. He shifted uneasily in his seat, feeling decidedly on edge. At last Moretti turned back to face the other two men.

"Whoever sent the email told Alex it was time to start testing out their work. On human subjects."

Bucky's stomach bottomed out and he dug his fingernails into his palm in an attempt to keep the bile down. He heard Sam take in a deep breath from across the table.

…

Sophie hadn't even realized that she'd been leaning into the monitor until she suddenly threw herself backwards into her chair. She took in a sharp breath, heart beating wildly and looked over at Michael. His eyes were wide as saucers as he stared back at her, mouth slightly agape. Neither one of them dared to speak but his eye flickered to the monitor on the left and the monitor on the right, where he'd pulled up the cameras for the cars on either end of theirs. There was no suspicious activity.

"Holy shit," he breathed.

"This isn't good," Sophie whispered. "Bucky looks like he's on the verge of a breakdown."

"I know."

"Well do something! Say something!"

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?!"

"Sophie. We are their backup and their extra pair of eyes. We can't interrupt in the middle of a mission just because someone is having a hard time. If it escalates, we'll try and step in. But you also have to remember that Sam is there if Bucky really needs him. They haven't finished getting all of the information yet. If we say something now, if we break his concentration, we may accidentally set him off. I know it's hard to just sit here and watch sometimes, but right now, we have to."

She grit her teeth and leaned back in to keep watching the scene before her as it unfolded like a horror movie.

…

"What happened after that?"

Moretti's eyes moved from Bucky over to Sam to answer his question.

"He came back from lunch looking even more frazzled. He ended up leaving early. That night, I got notified on the security camera that he'd gone into the lab. Nothing unusual, it had become his habit. So I didn't think anything of it at first, but then I kept getting notification after notification. I finally pulled up the camera feed and the lab was empty."

Sam furrowed his brows, confused.

"What do you mean empty? Like he was gone?"

"No. Like he'd cleared the lab out. All of his stuff was gone. When I went into work the next morning, his desk had been cleaned out too. He'd disappeared."

"And that was it? Did he ever make contact again?"

"No. I haven't seen him or heard from him since."

"Do you have any idea where he could have gone?" Sam continued the interrogation as Bucky sat still and quiet.

"No. As I said, we didn't really talk much."

Sam nodded. They were approaching the next station and the train was slowing down. He slipped out of his spot and stood up, placing a gentle hand on Bucky's shoulder.

"C'mon Buck," he said quietly.

It was like he'd been pulled from a trance. Slowly, Bucky pulled himself upright. Sam gazed down at Moretti once more.

"Thanks professor. We appreciate your cooperation."

With a curt nod, Sam grabbed Bucky by the upper arm and practically dragged him out onto the cold, open platform. There were few people out and the station was nearly empty. Bucky walked over to a pillar and leaned his forehead against it, breathing heavily, his face ashen. Sam approached him cautiously.

"Hey man, are you alright?" He asked gently.

Bucky pressed his palms against the pillar, jaw clenching tight and eyes shut, he didn't answer. Then suddenly, he pushed away and sprinted towards the men's room just across the breezeway. Shoving the door open, he threw himself inside, letting it slam closed behind him.

…

Michael and Sophie sat back and looked at each other as Bucky ran for the bathroom. Leaning over, Michael flipped a switch, turning Sophie's mic on. Removing his headset, he gave her a pointed look before standing up and stretching. She watched as he made his way down the row and took a seat a respectable distance away. Taking a deep breath, she turned her back to him and grasped her mic, holding it tensely as she listened to Bucky vomiting. He quieted, then she heard him spit into the toilet and flush. There were no cameras in the restroom so her gaze occasionally drifted to the screen where Sam leaned against the wall just outside the bathroom. He suddenly turned his head and looked straight at her with a small nod. At last she heard the water running and decided this was her moment.

"Bucky…" she whispered.

Sophie could heard him breathing heavily for a moment but he didn't respond. She wondered briefly if her mic was working.

"James…"

*Sophie?*

He murmured her name like a sigh of relief.

"You're ok. I'm right here with you. You survived and you're safe now."

*Sophie.*

It came out like a plea this time. The urge to hold him was overwhelming. She couldn't see his face but she knew exactly what it looked like. She'd seen that broken expression more times than she could count. His eyes begging for reassurance and comfort when his mouth couldn't form the words.

"I'm right here," she repeated softly.

…

They were in the air at last. Sophie stood from her seat and gave a long stretch, removing her headset.

"We should be good to go," Michael told her.

"No debriefing for us?"

"No. We usually only have to debrief if something went wrong on a mission. Typically, once they're wheels up we're good to go."

"Gotcha. Well alright then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have a good night Sophie."

Picking up her purse, she made her way out of Avengers Tower and to the subway. As she sat on the train, she thought about everything that had gone down during their mission. The news they'd discovered chilled her to the bones and she couldn't even fathom the mental and emotional wrecking ball it must have been for Bucky. She sighed, then got off the train and walked the rest of the way to her apartment.

After a long, hot shower, Sophie got dressed in black fleece joggers and a hunter green long sleeved tee. The fabric was soft cotton and it hung close to her body, accentuating her figure without making her feel constricted. She picked up her phone and put in a carryout order at her favorite pizza place, the one she and Bucky had done their double date at so long ago. Not bothering to apply any makeup, she threw on a light blue hoodie, shoved her feet into some short boots, and grabbed her purse. She walked slowly down the sidewalk, shivering slightly in the early spring air. Her order was already waiting for her by the time she arrived. Waving a thanks to couple behind the counter, she picked up her food and walked back out onto the busy evening street.

…

Bucky heaved out a wary sigh. The mission was successful but certainly hadn't gone the way he'd wanted it to. From the start, there had been an apprehensive feeling in the back of his mind. He'd tried to suppress it, telling himself he was being ridiculous and paranoid. But lo and behold, his instincts had been correct, as they usually are. Running his fingers through his unruly hair, he sat down on his bike, the motorcycle sinking slightly under his weight. He took out his phone and shot off a text to Sophie, then pulled his helmet on and began the short drive home. A few minutes later, Bucky felt his phone vibrate in his pocket as he sat idling at a red light.

Bucky: Hey, I know you're probably already home and in pjs and in for the night, but any chance you can come over? I could really use some company tonight.

Sophie: Already at your place and waiting :)

Sophie: Hope you're hungry. I've got pizza and cannolis.

A small smile tugged on his lips as he slipped his phone back into his pocket and zipped it up. He began to move with the flow of traffic again and allowed his mind to wander to Sophie. There was a warmth and happiness that spread through his insides at the fact that she was already there, waiting for him. She knew exactly what he needed before he even asked and it made him marvel at her. Bucky sometimes wondered how he'd been so lucky to have such amazing friends like Sophie and Steve. And secretly he added Sam and Nat to that list, though he'd never admit it to them aloud.

Opening his door, he slowly stepped inside, letting his bag slip down his arm and land on the floor with a thud. Alpine came scampering towards him, clawing her way up his tactical gear and into his arms. He heard a soft laugh that brought his eyes to the couch where he found her sitting.

Sophie.

"Looks like she missed you."

Bucky smiled softly down at the feline and gave her an affectionate scratch behind her ears. She began to purr loudly.

"I need a shower," he said as he took off his shoes, then walked further into the apartment. "Then I'll come join you."

"K. No problem."

He raised an eyebrow at her as he passed, watching Sophie take a large bite of her pizza.

"What? I got hungry. And the pizza was getting cold."

Setting Alpine on the floor Bucky let out a soft laugh, then disappeared in his bathroom. Several minutes later, he emerged, wearing navy pj pants slung low and a soft heather t-shirt in light gray. A few water droplets left dark stains on his shirt as they made their way down off his damp hair. Sophie averted her eyes as the sight of him did things to her insides she desperately wanted to ignore.

"Thanks," he said gratefully as he picked up a slice and sat down across from her.

They ate quietly, facing one another on the couch, the silence only broken by the deep purrs emanating from the cat perched on the back of the sofa. When they were done, Bucky stood up and put everything away. He reached into his freezer and pulled out a tub of ice cream, then two spoons.

"Ice cream?" He asked as he returned to the couch.

"Sure," Sophie smiled and plucked a spoon out of his hands.

Sitting crosslegged, with the ice cream between them, they returned to their comfortable silence.

At last, Bucky sat back and put his hands in his lap. He looked over at Sophie, his eyes scouring her face.

"How'd you know Soph?"

She gave a little shrug, her focus still on the ice cream.

"After that insane news…how could I not be here for you?"

She set her spoon down and closed the carton, looking up at Bucky at last.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"No," he replied at last. "Not tonight. Honestly, I just want to go to bed."

Standing up, he grabbed their spoons and the ice cream and made his way to the kitchen. When he came back, he looked over at Sophie warily. There was a question in his eyes and he looked suddenly unsure of himself. Sophie stood up, head cocking slightly, but she remained quiet to give him a moment.

"Will you…will you stay with me tonight?"

His voice was so soft and insecure it melted her. Walking up to him, she stopped just inches away and looked up, eyes searching his.

"Of course," she whispered.

"Even if we don't…"

Sophie smiled, a small laugh escaping her lips.

"You're ridiculous James Barnes."

Reaching up on her tip toes, she placed a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"Come on, let's go to bed."

Tugging on his hand, she led them into his bedroom. Bucky's eyes followed her as she stepped into his closet and retrieved one of his cotton t-shirts. He turned away from her as she began to change, going into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Sophie joined him only moments later, pulling out the toothbrush that she'd started keeping at his place. Standing in nothing but his shirt and panties, Bucky watched out of the corner of his eye as she washed her face and brushed her teeth beside him. The actions were so mundane, and yet something about this entire moment sent a torrent of emotions surging and twisting through him. His heart ached in a way that was becoming too familiar around her and he had an urge to…to do something. But what that something was eluded him.

Shaking his head, he stepped up to the sink once she'd vacated the spot. Sophie wiped her face and left the bathroom, leaving Bucky to his thoughts. When he finally emerged, she was already under the covers, waiting for him. He reached up over his head and grasped the fabric of his shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it on the floor. His pants joined the shirt and he was left in his fire engine red boxer briefs. Sophie swallowed hard, trying not to stare as he strode towards her.

Good God. Does he have any idea of how good he looks like that?!

Slipping under the covers, Bucky scooted towards her. He opened up his arms and she gladly accepted the invitation. As Sophie came into his embrace, she twisted, so she was facing away from him. Bucky slung his right arm over her waist and tugged, pressing her back firmly against his chest. He held her tightly, taking comfort in her closeness. Sophie tried to level out her heart rate as his warm breath ghosted over the back of her neck. He shifted slightly, his right knee edging between her legs, body angling down so he was enveloping her completely. Settling into one another, they relaxed against each other until sleep claimed them at last.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. For some reason this one was really hard for me to write. I think it's getting the missions out on paper that seems to be tough, so I hope I did ok with this chapter.

Thank you so much to my handful of reviewers for the last chapter: Vokunkendov, Alices Rabbit, Guest, Season Two and Liltoni.

Alices Rabbit: Yes, working and playing together will make things interesting for sure. Just how interesting, well you'll see soon enough *evil grin*. Hope you liked the Steve and Nat bits here. I'll try to work them into the story a bit more here and there. Thanks for the review!

Guest: Thank you so much for all of your reviews! But I have to ask, did you go back and review other chapters or did the site just delay sending in your reviews? Lol. Either way, I really appreciate it! And thank you so very much for your kind words and compliments. They definitely put a smile on my face.