Chapter 2

This is lowkey my favourite chapter!

Bucky knocked on the canvas of Oakleigh's tent, popping his head inside. With match in hand she had her back to him lighting her lantern, already dressed in her dark sleep shirt. She was either in the middle of changing or found it too hot that night to wear pants to bed.

Oakleigh was one of the only girls Bucky knew that never complained about the cold. She was always sweating and overheating, which made it hard for her to sleep in a full pajama set.

"Hey." He knew she sensed him, but thought he should announce himself regardless.

Oakleigh kicked her shoes off with a little more force than needed. "If you came to hide my ruck sack don't bother. I'm not going to Germany."

Bucky froze, "What made you change your mind?" He was not dumb enough to think it had anything to do with him.

Oakleigh crossed her arms and turned to face him, one shoe on.

"I never made up my mind in the first place! I came to you to tell you what I had heard, that Marsmen had said they needed trauma nurses in Germany, like yesterday. I told you I considered it, asked a couple questions. I never actually said the words 'Bucky, i'm going to Germany'."

A frown formed between his eye brows. "Then why were you so insistent that you would be on that truck tomorrow?"

Oakleigh sighed, "You pissed me off. You didn't even listen to me before you got all puffed up and started talking about 'over my dead body' and threatening to glue my ass to my cot."

Bucky let out a breathless chuckle. He could not help the relief he felt rushing threw his chest, anxiety escaping his body in a laugh. She was not going to Germany, she was going back to the city with Donna where she would be safe. Get to rest up for a couple weeks.

"So you are going with Donna."

"No."

His smile dropped. "So where are you gonna be?"

"Here. Donna will be back in a couple weeks with some new supplies and Marsmen will still be here. He can't patch up dozens of soldiers on his own." Bucky nodded, "Beside I want to be here whenever you and Steve get back from your Hydra hunts."

Bucky pulled Oakleigh in by her waist, arms wrapping tightly around her. He had been already on edge thinking he would have to go weeks without seeing her, then when he though she was going to Germany he just about passed out. Knowing that she would be right here, waiting for him when he got back, that was the best case scenario. Perfect would be the war ending, in their favour, and them getting to go 'home'.

"Look, I'm sorry I acted like a jack ass."

Oakleigh snorted, pulling his lips down on hers.

Bucky and Steve left with the Howling commandos a couple days later. With a promise to her that he could be coming back for her.

Bucky did come back, until he did not. On that day, Steve walked back into camp alone, the look he gave Oakleigh said everything. Bucky was dead, and Oakleigh felt like she was too. They were wracked, and they receded into themselves, instead of clinging to each other.

Steve did not stop or take a break, he wanted to kill as much of Hydra as he could. Oakleigh had not known Steve for more than two months, but she knew how much he meant to Bucky. Oakleigh was going to try and do everything she could to keep Steve alive.

She went with him, staying back to patch up his injuries. Steve always told her there was no point, he would heal on his own in a couple hours time. Oakleigh would silence him with a look, she needed this.

Those Hydra bastard were more sadistic and calculated than any of them though. While Steve was out taking down on of the Hydra bases, Hydra got into their camp. They killed all except one, taking her as a prisoner.

When they saw her they smiled like they had found their prize. Like this had been calculated and the only reason they were there was for her. Oakleigh kicked and screamed for Steve, for help. It didn't matter in the end.

If she was being honest with herself, Oakleigh would not have fought as hard as she had if they had told her why she was being taken. Bucky.

He was strapped down in a metal chair when they dragged her into the sub basement. Oakleigh did not even clock the metal arm they had savagely attached to his left shoulder, at first.

"Bucky?" Tears of relief filled her eyes.

Bucky who had heard the screaming and yelling a whole five minutes before he saw who was making all the noise. Was already looking at the door, he saw her brown curls and his heart cracked wide open.

He could not give himself the chance to he happy to see her, not here. He did not think he would ever get to lay his eye on her again. Here she was, and all he could think was he needed to get her the hell away from these people.

Bucky strained against the biting metal that held him down, but was incapable of breaking free. Oakleigh made a mad dash across the room, to him.

The guy who had been man handling her, release his hold. Oakleigh had been frozen in place as her brain caught up to what her eyes were seeing. He was alive! If she had still been squirming and fighting for freedom, her release surly would have sent her tumbling onto her ass.

Oakleigh ran across the cold room, flinging herself at Bucky. His arms could not embrace her back, but she did not care.

"You're alive, Steve said that- he told me what happened." Oakleigh could not catch her breath long enough to complete a full sentence.

Bucky nudged her temple with his nose, getting her to look at him. He saw the horror on her face as she looked down at his beaten and restrained body. Her mouth opened and closed as she came out of her 'Bucky is alive' delirium, reality smacking her in the face.

From the surprised look at seeing him, Bucky deduced Steve and Oakleigh were not on some crazy rescue mission. They were not here to save him like last time. They thought he had died, no need to rescue a dead man. Which lead him to his question.

"Why are you here?"

"I brought her for you." Bucky's head snapped up, Oakleigh spun around but pressed her side into Bucky's hip.

Arnim Zola, Dr Zola the man who had done nothing but make Bucky wish he were dead since he first got here. Bucky's hatred for the man only grew once he jammed this hunk of metal onto his left shoulder, where his arm use to be.

Dr Zola came closer to them, his eyes scanning over Oakleigh. She was wearing black lounge pants and a tight fitted grey tank top. Bucky wanted more than anything to wrap a big winter parka around her. More than that, he just wanted her out of here.

"You see Sargent Barnes, you have been less than cooperative. I thought a little incentive may persuade you to comply."

Bucky tensed, grunting as his raw shoulder rubbed against metal. "You don't need her for that, I'll do what you want."

Oakleigh looked back at Bucky with wide eyes, then she saw the gleam of metal. Her shoulders slumped in despair, what had they done to him?

Dr Zola chuckled, eyes landing on Bucky's hand where it gripped at Oakleigh's elbow.

"I think it's best we keep Miss Blake around. We can't have her running back to Captain Rodgers, telling ghost stories."

Zola nodded his head and a man came over and grabbed at Oakleigh, pulling her back towards the door she came threw earlier.

"Stop! Don't touch her!" Bucky yelled but he was still regaining his strength. "Zola, I'll fucking kill you if you-"

Dr Zola raising his hand at Bucky. "Miss Blake is not to be harm, Sargent Barnes. She will be kept here, safe and sound. You can see her any time you want, as long as you comply."

Bucky shook with fury, he could hear Oakleigh yelling and fighting. He listen to her as long as he could, until her voice disappeared. As he listened to her, Bucky realized he should not have been able to hear her once she was taken from the room. The hell had they done to him?

"We have a couple more test we want to do today Sargent Barnes. If you comply, we will let you spend the night with her."

With clenched fist, his teeth grinding together. Bucky slowly nodded, Zola nodded again and two men in lab coats stepped forward. They unstrapped him and pulled him into a side room, they measured him and made him jump threw a couple hoops.

Usually they did this while he was unconscious or they did their best with him awake and strapped down. Now they would not have to, not while they kept a sword hanging over his girls head. Bucky did not give a fuck what Zola said, he did not trust the German bastard. Bucky was not going to do anything that may result in Oakleigh being hurt.

It was hours later before Bucky was led down a long hallway. They brought him to the last door on the right.

This room had a carpet on the floor, a book shelf along one of the walls. A bathroom off the the side, and a double bed against the back wall. Most importantly, Oakleigh was sitting on that bed.

Bucky was shoved inside, he paid no attention to the loud locking sound behind him. Oakleigh was in his arms in a split second, she cried her arms like a vice grip around his neck.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

Bucky felt his eyes burn as he held back tears. She still smelled like honey and camp fire, he breathed her in deep. He did not know how long he had been 'dead' to her for. He had been out for a long time because when he woke up, his shoulder was already mostly healed and did not have any broken bones or large bruises.

Bucky remembered falling from the train. Steve's tortured face was burned into his mind, as he fell. What he imagined right before his arm was torn off my a cliff side, was Oakleigh. He imagined the look on her face as Steve returned to camp without him. Then nothing. He woke up on a metal table in pain, his arm was gone. When he woke again he was strapped to a metal arm and he felt fine.

Instead of answering her question, he asked one of his own.

"How long?"

Oakleigh pulled back slightly so she could see his face.

"Two months and twenty-eight days." She whispered.

Bucky held her close to him as once again tears pooled in her eyes. Maybe he was trying to keep her from seeing his own tears. The pain on her face was enough to bring him to his knees.

"I've only been awake for about a week, maybe two. They kept me out or drugged up most of the time, I assume so I could heal from my- accident."

Oakleigh shook her head, pulling back so she could be placed on her feet. She kept a firm hold on Bucky's forearms.

"That's new." She teased, thumb running over cold metal.

Trying to find anything to break the tension in the room. Bucky followed her gaze.

"I remember losing my arm on the way down. Guess they needed a guy with two, for whatever they are planning."

Oakleigh's grip tightened. "I am so happy. I know that's fucked up to say, given the situation."

Bucky shook his head, flesh hand coming up to cup her cheek. "It's not." His forehead fell onto hers. "I love you."

"Love you. What are we going to do?"

Bucky exhaled threw his nose. He could not do anything, not without risking her getting hurt. He needed a soild plan.

"For now. I'm going to do whatever they want-"

"No, you can't let them use-"

"I'm going to do whatever they wanted. You and I, we're gonna make a plan to get us out of here. Till we have one, I'm not going to give them a reason to touch you."

"I'm not worth-" His lips came down on hers hard.

Oakleigh melted against him. The metal arm wrapped around her waist, keeping her to his body. His flesh one in her hair. He kissed and touched her and held her, until he got his emotions under control.

"You listen to me." He whispered into her mouth. "You are the only thing that matters to me."

"But you matter to me."

Threw the next couple of weeks, Bucky let Zola pump him with whatever drugs or medicine he wanted. He went threw all his tests, never having to be strapped down and forced to comply.

A month into Oakleigh's time in the facility, Bucky and her came up with a plan. Bucky realized they were making him a super solider like they had Steve. He was getting stronger by the day and Bucky knew they had to be planning something else. Once they converted him, they were going to want to use him to fight on Hitlers side. Bucky had not intention of fucking doing that, which meant they were going to find a way to force him. Oakleigh.

They planned an escape, waited till Zola was out of the facility before they attacked. They had almost been free, had even opened the doors to the outside. Dozens of men had descended on them. Bucky was forced to surrender when one of them held a knife to Oakleigh's throat.

"O, stop!"

She squirmed and got herself nicked a few times before he called out to her. She met his eyes and froze, they were never get out of here.

As punishment for their insolence. Bucky was badly beaten and strapped down in his old metal chair. Oakleigh had been taken to a different room where she had been non stop screaming before she went completely silent.

Bucky hoped to god that they had not killed her for this, to punish him. A metal helmet came down over one side of his face, Bucky remembered it from months ago when his crew were captured. They had used it on him back then too.

Dr Zola came into the room, ticking. "Have I not kept to my word? The girl untouched, well cared for. As it would seem, we have no use for her anymore."

"The hell did you do to her!?" Bucky felt his mouth water, he was going to throw up.

Arnim Zola KILLED HER. Oakleigh was dead, it was all his fault.

Zola just smiled, "Start the machine."

Bucky tensed, electricity seized up his body, white hot pain exploded in his brain. He blacked out soon after.

.

Dr Zola watched the Sargent Barnes twitch as he was brought under by his machine.

"Is the girl on ice?" He asked as Stephan, his assistant reentered the room.

"She is."

"Good." Zola smiled. "We'll put this one next to her, after he's completed his training. You betrayed me 'Winter Solider' you will not get the chance again."

The Winter Solider killed many men as he learned to use his metal arm. The great weapon Zola always intended for it to be.

Over the next 50 years, The Winter Solider followed every command and killed dozens of people. He started in North Korea and moved across the globe, but he always returned to Sibera.

During all the brain washing Arnim Zola did while he was alive, he always kept Miss Blake in his back pocket.

The girl remained frozen for over fifty years. Every time The Winter Solider was woken up, he would look over at her. His heart would pull and he knew she was his, something important for him to cherish. She was always there when he woke up and he went back under.

The Winter solider hardly failed, always getting his kill. The two times he did fail, 'Mine' was taken away from him.

Thats what Winter called her, his life was not his own but she was his. When he got back from a mission he would nod his head at his handler and then ask for "Mine" making sure she was still there.

When he came back from his first failed mission, her cryo pod was empty. Bucky was furious and he snapped, killing a couple lab techs. He could not find her in the lab, but he could hear a female screaming from somewhere deep in the facility.

Her screaming would always stop and then there would be nothing. Her limp body would be brought back into the room and thrown back into cryo. He was forced to watch as her tears froze to her cheeks and eventually frost would hide her body from his sight.

Then he would be beaten and thrown back into his pod.

The same thing happened the second time he fail, only this time she was not brought back to him. Her pod was taken away, he was left alone. Despite her absence, Winter still awoke and looked for her, still went into his pod with a look to where hers use to be.

In time he stopped, but he always woke up with that pull in his heart.

.

"Bucky, Natasha and I can go on our own." Steve was strapping up for a mission.

Since before he got Bucky back from Hydra, Steve and him have been working to destroy the rest of the Hydra bases. Much like they did during the second war. After spending time to reconnect after Zemo made him into the asset again, Bucky was ready.

"I'm good to go Steve."

He was, Bucky was still vulnerable when it came to Hydra. He had stayed away from the raids at first, but they were headed to Sibera. Bucky had a lot of history there, he wanted to see the place burn.

"Ok, I'll meet you up on the tarmac."

The flight was long and Bucky kept very still threw the hours spent in the air. His heart pulled in his chest as his brain tried to find a reason for it.

"Sibera was abandoned decades ago. There should be no one here, we'll do a sweep, see if we find anything we can use. Then-"

"Then boom." Natasha finished his sentence.

Steve rolled his eyes. Bucky steeled himself for the memories, that would assault his mind as he revisited a place he had nearly spent fifty years in.

"Where should we start?" Natasha asked.

"There is only one place that would have the information we need. The lab, it's on the lowest level."

Steve nodded, that was where they would start. Sweeping the rest of the facility on their way out.

The metal chair cause Bucky to flinch upon sight. His pod still standing tall. Bucky's eyes drifted to the right of it. Again he felt his heart pull, something was missing.

"What is it?" Steve asked.

Bucky shook his head, he did not have any answers for him. Natasha was working her magic on the old hardware while the two soldiers looked around.

"Geez. This place is more fucked up then where I found the commandos back in the war."

Bucky did not comment, he turned toward the entrance to the lab He feet led the way and he explored the hallway. Steve stayed behind, giving his friend a minute.

Bucky walked down the long hallways, not looking in any of the rooms. He was almost at the end of the hall when he felt a tickle in the back of his brain. Reaching out, Bucky broke the lock and let himself into what looked like a bedroom.

There was a bookshelf to the left, a bed and a bathroom off to the side. He smelled honey as he stepped threw the threshold. He frowned as he saw a sealed cryo pod against the back wall.

Well that was out of place. The glass was severely frozen over, as he stepped toward it, his head started to ache. Who ever was behind the glass had brown hair, and was short. A Women?

'Mine' the soldiers voice prompted him. Bucky rubbed his temple, trying to recall the memories that were locked so deep away.

As he stepped onto the carpet, he was forced back by the memories of a girl jumping into his arms. Her hair smelled like honey, her curls tickled his nose just like Oaklei-.

White hot fire rushed threw his brain, bringing Bucky to his knees. Oakleigh, he had not allowed himself to think about her since he got his mind back. His visions of her around camp, smiling at him and patching up his wounds. Her giving her body to him in his tent, over and over.

Memories of her in this facility. Bucky had dreams about her, but now his stomach rolled at the realization that they had been memories. She had been here with him, he remembers spending his nights in here with her. Holding her so tight because he was certain she was going to be taken away from him, and she had been.

The night they had tried to get away. She was taken and tortured. That was the last time Bucky Barnes saw Oakleigh Blake.

But The winter Solider had knows her too, as 'Mine'. The one thing they allowed him to have was her. Still using her as a tool to keep him in line, even when he had no clue who she was. He had not needed to know who she was, just that she was his.

Until they took 'Mine' away from Winter too. She had been ripped from him twice! Thought to be dead twice, only to be right here in front of him now.

Bucky came back to himself, Steve's voice calling for him threw his ear piece.

"Bucky?"

Bucky choked out his friends name, stumbling to his feet.

There was no way she was still alive, right? She had been frozen for nearly seventy years. Bucky could only remember her being 'free' twice, when she was tortured to punish him for failing.

The sound of heavy boots sounded behind him, Steve slowed as he entered the room. He looked at his friend to the cryo pod.

"Buck, what is it?"

"It's O." Acknowledging after all this years brought tears to his eyes.

Steve walked up to to pod and gazed in, his heart stuttered. The last time he had saw her, she was counting their medical supplies as he and his team left to destroy another Hydra base. When he returned to camp, there were bodies everywhere, but he could not find hers.

It made him relax, but only for a moment. Where the hell was she? He spent weeks looking, and months after that attacking Hydra while keeping an eye out for any sign of her. He already failed Bucky once, losing Oakleigh, felt like Bucky dying all over again.

"She was here all this time?" Steve asked.

Bucky whipped the tears from his eyes. "They took her to force me into submission- She can't still be alive right?"

Steve called for Natasha to join them. "Can you get her out?"

"Who is she?"

Bucky snapped. "Can you open it?"

Natasha looked between the boys, Steve giving her a look that said 'I'll explain later'. It did not take an explanation to realize that whoever this was, was important to the boys.

The room was silent as Natasha studied the control board for five minutes, then she started pushing buttons. There was a loud crack as the pod door opened. Bucky pushed forward, open the door all the way.

Oakleigh's skin was waxy and her eyes were closed. Tears had frozen on her cheeks and she was in the same Lounge pants and t-shirt they forced them into wearing.

He tried to be gentle with her frozen body. Bucky removed her from the pod and brought her to settle on their old bed.

"If she's been in there since the 1940s-"

Bucky shook his head, silencing Natasha.

"They did not use the pods for the first five months. They healed me and started my training and she was kept in this room, then we tried to escape. Once we were put under, they only brought her out twice. At least while I was awake. They could have done anything to her while I was out."

Steve placed a firm hand on Bucky shoulder, his best friend trying his hardest to keep himself together.

"She doesn't have a pulse." Bucky's voice cracked, fingers pressing harder into her neck.

If he was using his rational brain, Bucky would know that cooling a persons body to freezing temperatures would slow the rate rate immensely. Only a couple beats per minute.

"Nat, go call Banner. She's going to need a doctor to look at her when we get back." The spy left with a nod.

"Steve." Bucky's voice wavered, eyes never leaving Oakleigh's face. "70 years is a long time."

"I was on ice for 70 years." Steve tried to keep Bucky from going to a dark place.

"They didn't adherence her, at least not that I know of. She would have had people monitoring her at first, keeping her alive for me. After everyone left, she's just been sitting here." Bucky shuttered. "I thought they had killed her. She was always beside me always- they had taken her away before, but they had always brought her back. Until- Until they didn't. I forgot her."

"That's not your fault-"

"This is all my fault!"