The sparring room echoed with the rhythmic thuds of Bucky Barnes's fists against the punching bag. The sound resonated through the expansive space, his sweaty gray t-shirt the only movement in the otherwise empty room as Charlotte walked in.

It had been four days since the incident at benchmark testing. The first day in the infirmary, she admitted, was warranted. The pain was excruciating, she could hardly get herself out of bed. As hellish as it was, the experience was far from unfamiliar. This whole song and dance was one she knew well, and the hospitalizations were a necessary evil. Or so she thought.

In the past, when she'd collapse after back to back rounds of fighting for cash or any other means of using her abilities, it was always the same. She'd get a nosebleed, have roughly thirty seconds to find herself somewhere soft to land, and black out. Usually, she'd wake up a few hours later in an unfamiliar hospital, alone. Doctors would examine her charts, tell her she was dehydrated and overexerted, her kidneys barely making it through. They'd use words like septic and nearly fatal and intensive care. They'd implore her to stay, insisting on another round of bloodwork and testing to get to the root cause of this issue.

Charlotte would smile weakly, making her eyes wide and innocent. She'd thank the doctors vehemently before claiming she was tired, queuing them to leave the room. After a few bags of IV fluids and recovery, waiting on the nurse shift change and for the awful pain in her lower back to subside, she'd sneak out. Sometimes through the service staircase, sometimes through a window. Sometimes, under the cloak of chaos, she'd walk right out. Thanks to her lack of identification or loved ones to come claim her, no one even had enough information to fill out an AMA form for her to sign.

In her experience, the pain was worst in the first 24 hours. Her back burned, her body ached, her head pounded. She could hardly move or speak without fear of vomiting or blacking out again. Slowly, it faded to a dull ache. In the infirmary, she'd given a horrified Bruce her timeline as she prepared to leave after the second full day. She could see his hesitation to detain her or make her feel trapped warring with his concern at her leaving so soon. Ultimately, it was the lab tech/nurse Maddie who convinced her it was better for her to stay a few more days. Maddie had pointed out that Charlotte never had a chance to do the full round of fluid treatment and thus, had likely never fully recovered. She removed all the unnecessary medical equipment from the room and even brought in lamps to make it feel less clinical. Charlotte obliged. If she was willing to put in so much effort to keep her there a few more days, maybe it would be worth it after all.

There had been a steady influx of visitors over the four days. Natasha spent almost all her time there, acting as though it were any ordinary day and not her visiting someone in a medical wing. She'd put her feet up on the bed and flip through magazines, reading the salacious gossip out loud. They'd watch movies on the TV Peter had brought in, paint their nails, sit and read their separate books in silence. If words existed to tell Natasha how grateful she was, Charlotte doubted she could even choke them out.

Peter and Steve were regulars, too. Steve would bring in cards and play them at the foot of the bed, letting her win until he realized he didn't have to let her do anything. Peter brought in a clunky old piece of technology, calling it a GameCube. He wired it into the TV and showed her dozens of old, pixelated games.

Ultimately, the four days flew by. Aside from the IV in her arm and slowly subsiding pain in her body, she hardly felt like she was in the infirmary at all.

Another bonus, she finally understood what was happening to her when these episodes happened.

"Do you, uh, would you like me to explain what's happening?" Dr. Banner nervously shuffled his feet in the doorway to her room. He'd just confirmed the last round of her vitals were steadily improving, but seemed to stop himself before he left the room. Steve raised an eyebrow at him, curious but leaving the decision up to Charlotte.

"Can't hurt, I suppose."

"Okay, great, excellent. Well, this is what we've - what Tony and I have determined. I should say, hypothesized. But we're nearly certain," He stammered.

"Bruce." Charlotte smiled softly. "Tell me what you know."

"Right." He paused, taking a calming breath. "Well…based on your brain scans, the ones we took before we," He gestured to her nose. "Anyways, they showed something abnormal. It looks like you no longer have the ability to regulate your own physical exertion or pain. Most people have something in their mind to warn them when they're getting too tired and their body can't handle any more. Yours was…disabled. So…when you're exerting yourself, say…fighting or running, you can actually push yourself past your physical capacities and not even know it. Everyone, even Super Soldiers, have a limit. Yours is higher than an average human, but somewhere below Bucky and Steve's. When you get past that limit, your body actually starts to shut down."

Charlotte's brows knit together as she lowered the playing cards in her hand, giving Bruce her full attention.

"Everyone's body has the same response to those things, to overexertion. Your muscles start to break down, protein enters your bloodstream. At some point, your kidneys can't keep up. They start to shut down, along with the rest of your body. Your heart can't pump enough blood and oxygen to keep everything running. That's when you black out. The pain in your back, that's your kidneys fighting for your life."

Wincing, Charlotte shifted in the bed, memories of stabbing back pain flooding through her.

"So…all that to say, you pushed your body to…well, past it's breaking point. From the files I've seen, you've done it over a dozen times now. I'm not sure the circumstances in the past, or if you were aware of -"

"I wasn't." She cleared her throat. "I…had no idea. I hadn't really been…in my body for a while. I thought it was some kind of defect, some side effect of being in and out of cryo. I didn't know."

Bruce smiled softly. "Well, then I'm glad you do now. The good news is you seem to be making a full recovery every time. Your enhanced healing saved your life, time and time again. Without it, you'd be burning through kidney donors like nobody's business."

"I guess it's only fair that if my enhancements are killing me then they're the thing saving me, too." She shuffled the cards in her hands, ignoring the pained look from both men.

"Well, uh, I'll leave you to it." Bruce shifted the tablet in his hands. "Charlotte?"

She looked up at him.

"Thank you for staying." His smile was genuine. "Thank you for trusting us to take care of you. I don't take that lightly."

"Thank you for being trustworthy. I don't take that lightly either." She returned his smile.

Tugging on the hem of her sweatshirt, she strode into the empty room. As soon as Maddie had confirmed her full recovery and bandaged up Charlotte's arm, IV finally removed, she'd practically sprinted out of the infirmary. The morning was still early, the compound only barely beginning to wake up. Still, she had a feeling she knew exactly where to find the man she wanted to see.

"Hey there, Soldier," she called, leaning against the doorframe. "You're a tough man to find."

Bucky's movements didn't falter as he continued his assault on the bag, his metal arm delivering powerful blows. He spared her a sidelong glance but said nothing.

"Why didn't you send flowers to the infirmary? I hear that's a thing people do these days." Charlotte pushed off the doorframe, approaching him with a playful bounce in her step. "You know, a 'get well soon' bouquet would have been nice. Maybe something with daisies. They're cheerful, could really brighten up a space."

Bucky grunted, a sound that could have been mistaken for agreement or annoyance.

Charlotte cocked her head to the side as she stood near the punching bag. "What, no witty remark, no winning smile? You really need to work on your bedside manners, Buck."

He finally ceased his assault on the punching bag, turning to face her with an intensity that caught her off guard. "You need to be more careful."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Careful? What are you talking about? I'm fine, good as new. Doc says I'm practically a medical marvel." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, grinning.

Bucky's expression remained stern. "This isn't a joke. You collapsed during the benchmark testing. Blacked out, on the ground, unresponsive."

She waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, please. Just a little overexertion. Nothing I haven't bounced back from before."

Bucky clenched his jaw, frustration evident in his eyes. "You're not taking this seriously, Charlotte. You're human. You need to take care of yourself."

Her playful demeanor faded, replaced by genuine bewilderment. "I'm human as much as you're human, Winter Soldier."

"It's different and you know it." He grit his teeth.

"How?" Her tone cut through the empty room.

"Because I'm not the one bleeding and collapsing in the woods." His words were a controlled his, as if it pained him to keep such restraint.

"Buck, what's gotten into you?" She spoke softly, curbing her rising anger. "I appreciate the concern, but you're acting like I committed a crime."

His voice, low and intense, cut straight through her as he stepped closer and towered over her. "I've seen too many people get hurt, too many people get pushed too far and meet preventable consequences. I won't stand by and watch it happen to you."

Charlotte's gaze softened, her defensive tone replaced by sincerity. "Bucky, I appreciate that you care. I do. But you don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself."

His frustration seemed to boil over, his words sharp. "This isn't about me worrying. It's about you being reckless. Clearly you can't take care of yourself, considering this is, what, the twelfth time you've done this? Do you even understand the risks? What if you had collapsed somewhere more dangerous than a training exercise?"

"I have." Her tone was curt. "And I was fine then, too."

He turned from her, hands on his hips as he paced in frustration.

"Bucky, I didn't expect a lecture. I thought you'd be glad to see me up and about."

He sighed, a conflicted look in his eyes as he turned back to her. "I am glad, Charlotte. I am. But I won't pretend everything's okay when it's not. I can't…lose someone else to HYDRA's sadistic bullshit."

The weight of his words hung in the air. Charlotte blinked, processing the unexpected intensity of his concern. "Bucky, I... I didn't mean to upset you. I'll be more careful, okay? But you don't have to worry about me. Nothing is going to happen…I'm not going anywhere." She gently reached out and laid a hand on his arm, squeezing gently.

He took a step back, pulling out of her reach. "Not if you keep being stupid and reckless."

Charlotte's eyes widened, hurt rippling through them. She turned on her heel and fled the sparring room, leaving Bucky alone to grapple with the emotions that had surfaced. Taking a moment to breathe, he sat down on the bench and closed his eyes.

He yanked at the tape on his hands and chucked it across the room. "Fuck!"

The evening had settled over the Avengers Compound, casting a tranquil glow across the lake. Charlotte sat alone on the dock, her legs dangling over the edge, staring into the rippling water. It had only been four days, but she longed for the peace and calm of the water. Her first day 'out' had been simple. After her upsetting exchange with Bucky, she'd gone for a long walk, not run, through the woods. A late lunch with Nat and Wanda, a few hours keeping Peter company as he worked on homework, and then opted to skip dinner, not wanting to run into Bucky yet.

Steve's heavy, even footsteps approached, echoing across the water.

"Hey," He greeted, settling down beside her. "You missed dinner. Everything okay?"

Charlotte forced a smile, her gaze never leaving the water. "Just not hungry."

"If you prefer the infirmary food, that can be arranged." She didn't crack a smile. Steve tilted his head, studying her. "Hey…you can talk to me, you know. What's going on?"

She hesitated, contemplating how much to reveal to the best friend of the one causing her to lose her appetite. "It's Bucky. We had this...exchange in the sparring room this morning. He was…angry at me."

Steve's brow furrowed, his confused look making Charlotte wonder if Bucky had even told anyone about that morning. "What? Charlotte, what happened?"

She sighed again, a mixture of frustration and confusion. "I got out this morning and went to find him. He didn't come to visit me, not once in four days. But that's fine, I didn't expect him to. So I was just teasing him, you know, like usual. It was harmless, I thought. And then he snapped at me, telling me to be more careful. He was actually angry at me…I didn't know where it was coming from."

Steve nodded, a concered expression on his face. "Bucky has a…complicated history. He's been through a lot, and sometimes he struggles with expressing his feelings, especially when it comes to people he cares about."

Charlotte's gaze turned to Steve, seeking clarification. "So, what, he yelled at me because cares about me?"

Steve chuckled. "More than you might think. Trust me, I've been on the receiving end of his particular brand of caring many times. Bucky is fiercely protective. He might not always say it, but he feels everything incredibly deeply. With you…I think it's complicated." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "You're a friend, a member of the team, but you're also a direct reminder of his past. I think he feels…responsible for what happened to you."

Charlotte opened her mouth to say how ridiculous that was, but Steve cut her off.

"I know, I told him that's outrageous. You're both victims. He just doesn't see it that way. His guilt runs deep, even now. I think he sees you and feels like you're in this position because of him. So, when he sees you suffer,"

"He thinks it's his fault." Charlotte breathed.

"Right."

She processed Steve's words, a mix of emotions swirling within her. "But why avoid me now? If he cares, shouldn't he want to clear things up?"

Steve sighed. "Bucky's got his own set of issues. Sometimes he thinks it's easier to keep people at arm's length than risk getting too close. If I had to guess, he's beating himself up over how he handled things this morning."

"You think so?"

"Well, considering he didn't come to dinner either…I'd say I'm not far off."

Charlotte leaned back, her eyes on the starlit sky. "So, what do I do? Wait for him to come around?"

Steve smiled, a reassuring glint in his eyes. "Maybe give him a little time. Bucky might not be great with words, but he's got a good heart. He'll come around when he's ready. Just don't be too hard on him. And, if you want my advice, let him know you're there when he's ready to talk."

As they sat by the lake, the conversation drifted into lighter topics, and slowly, the tension that had settled over Charlotte began to dissipate. Steve's insights had provided a new perspective on Bucky's outburst, and she empathized with him.

Once night had draped its obsidian cloak over the Compound, Charlotte retreated to her room, seeking solace in the embrace of her bed. The plush bedding, the room devoid of antiseptic smells or beeping monitors, the comfort of being able to bend her arm and curl up as tightly as she wanted. As she lay in the darkness, the playful facade she often wore began to wane. Troubling thoughts crept in, threatening to burst the cheerful and plucky bubble she kept around herself as a protective shield.

The weight of her own existence pressed on her shoulders. The unpredictability of her abilities, the lingering shadows of HYDRA's experiments, and the realization that she couldn't trust her own body haunted her. In the solitude of the night, the facade cracked. Tears filled her eyes and soaked her pillow as she silently wept.

Morning arrived, painting the sky in hues of pink and gold. Despite the sleepless night, Charlotte knew she couldn't avoid the team meeting. FRIDAY had announced throughout their building that there was a mandatory meeting at 8am sharp, taking place in the private conference room on the first floor. Reluctantly, she made her way downstairs where the Avengers had gathered. The atmosphere felt suspiciously tense, and the array of stern expressions mirrored what seemed like an intervention.

Tony and Bruce stood at the front, armed with expressions that screamed 'serious business.' Taking a seat at the table between Natasha and Steve, Charlotte swallowed to keep her nerves at bay. No one had mentioned what the meeting was about, but given that she was included as the only non-Avenger…she guessed it had something to do with her. Peter, Sam, and Wanda weren't present, but Bucky appeared quietly in the doorway, not taking a seat.

Tony cleared his throat, and with a dramatic flourish, Bruce unveiled a holographic image of a sleek, silver cuff.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the future of mysterious pseudo Super Soldier self-preservation," Tony announced, his tone a mix of showmanship and genuine concern. "We're working on shortening the name."

Charlotte's eyebrows shot up in skeptical interest. "I didn't know you were dipping your toe into women's accessories."

"It's a monitoring device, Charlotte." Bruce cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses. "We've been working on it since we saw your brain scans. Just in case…something came up."

Tony continued, "It monitors your vitals and gives you a heads-up when you're pushing past your limits. And if you choose to ignore it, it gets louder and alerts everyone around you."

Charlotte squinted at the holographic display, her arms crossed. "So, what, it's a babysitting device?"

"In a nutshell, yes." Tony nodded. "We thought it might give you some peace of mind if you decide to continue training. Hell, even if you leave the compound, it might come in handy elsewhere too. I can imagine this whole fainting thing gets a little tiresome."

She scoffed, her sarcasm not entirely masking her discomfort. "How considerate of you. Does it come in pink?"

"Whatever you want, kiddo." Tony's lack of a quippy remark felt oddly sentimental.

Bruce kept going. "It's non-invasive and doesn't interfere with your abilities. Just think of it as…a safety net. We made it small already, but we can put the technology into any kind of vessel, a ring, if you'd prefer -"

Crossing her arms tighter, Charlotte eyed them both with a mix of distrust and curiosity. "And if I say I don't want it?" She heard a soft, frustrated noise from the doorway behind her.

"It's your call," Tony replied, a rare softness in his eyes. "We're not forcing anything on you. Just think about it."

She whirled to look at Bucky, expression icy. "Was this your idea?"

"What? No, I-" He frowned, protesting.

"Charlotte, Bucky didn't even know we were developing this until after you collapsed, and even then, he didn't know the specifics," Bruce held his hands up earnestly. "We all, collectively, discussed the best way to help you and when Tony and I told everyone this idea…we all thought it was worth a try."

"Did anyone think to ask me my opinion?" Her tone was flippant, but her body was tense.

"In case you forgot, you were a little incapacitated." Bucky countered.

"How would you know? I don't remember seeing you there, Sergeant."

Crossing the room in two strides, Bucky's hands hit the wood of the conference room table as he leaned across it, his face inches from Charlotte's. "Who do you think carried you in?"

She swallowed, taken aback. Her face didn't reflect the wave of guilt that washed over her, but Natasha noticed the almost imperceptible sag of her shoulders. Of course he was struggling, he hadn't just heard about her collapse, he was the only one around to see it. He was the one who caught her, carried her in. Thinking back to the last few moments she remembered before losing consciousness, and sure enough, Charlotte recalled his pleading eyes as he told her to slow down. She dropped her gaze, breaking eye contact with him, still leaning over her.

"That's enough, Buck." Steve spoke softly. "You made your point."

Bucky moved slowly, but he obliged, dropping into the seat across from the trio.

"If…if it helps," Bruce interjected, rolling up his sleeve. There was an identical cuff on his, thin and sleek, the dark metal casing looking like no more than a simple, masculine bracelet. "I got the idea from this. I made it for myself a few years back,"

Tony coughed.

"Tony and I made it a few years back." Bruce leveled a glare at his friend. "I wasn't able to control when The Other Guy wanted to make an appearance. I lived in constant terror of losing control and everyone around me having to pay the price. So I made this. It tracks my gamma signature, and if it spikes…as in, if I start to have a Code Green, it gives me options. I can override it, like on missions when extra backup is necessary…or I can trigger the Lullaby."

"What's the Lullaby?" Charlotte's curiosity beat out her anger for the moment.

Bruce grinned. "It knocks my ass out."

"Technically, it sends a micro-electric pulse through his body to his brain, causing a very short-lived blackout." Tony explained.

"Which is enough of an interruption for me to get back under control by the time I come to."

"And you don't feel…strange about that?"

"Not at all. I feel much better without the fear that I'm going to wake up and be told about the millions of dollars of buildings I destroyed." Bruce smiled sheepishly.

"True story, by the way." Tony elbowed him. "The single most expensive Avenger, right here."

Charlotte forced a smile, but it was half-hearted. She couldn't exactly protest when another one of them was wearing the exact same technology, selflessly protecting the rest of the team, the world even. All of the medical intervention, the technology, all of it was sending a persistent chill up her spine this week. As much as she tried to fight it, the trauma from her past was not so easily hidden.

HYDRA never sat me down in a conference room to ask me what I wanted.

HYDRA never brought me magazines and junk food while I recovered.

HYDRA never cared if I recovered at all.

HYDRA never gave me a choice.

Somewhere in her internal war, Charlotte felt Natasha's hand grasp hers beneath the table. Swallowing, she looked at her friend, who gave a reassuring nod and squeeze of her hand.

"Okay," She met Bruce's eyes. "I'll think about it."

He opened his mouth but Charlotte cut him off. "But," She pointed a finger at both scientists. "I have specifications. I would want it small enough that it can fit into the sleeves of the training suits…and it would have to be durable. I don't want it breaking when I'm sparring, and don't even think about putting a camera in it, you dirty bastards."

"I'll take it off the blueprint." Tony winked.

The late morning sun warmed the cold December air. Charlotte, prohibited from training for a few more days, despite her insistence that she was perfectly fine, sat at a table outside the main Compound building. A deck of cards lay scattered before her, her fingers idly shuffling them in a rhythmic dance that mirrored her restless thoughts. She'd gone with Natasha to observe her in some one-on-one sessions with the combat agents, but ended up leaving out of agitation she couldn't participate.

The compound buzzed with life as agents and team members carried out their duties all around, leaving Charlotte feeling even more annoyed at her lack of participation. Her gaze flicked up from the cards as a shadow fell over the table. Bucky stood there, his expression difficult to read.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, the words carrying a hint of uncertainty.

Charlotte motioned to the empty chair with a half-smile. "Be my guest."

Bucky took a seat, his eyes tracing the patterns Charlotte's hands formed with the deck. Tension lingered in the air, a palpable reminder of their complicated history and the recent incident that had rattled them both.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Bucky cleared his throat. "Look, Charlotte, I get it. Not wanting people messing with your head or your body. It's... hard. I've been there."

Charlotte's gaze met his, her eyes reflecting a mix of surprise and curiosity.

Bucky continued, his usually gruff demeanor softened. "Tony and Bruce, they helped me when I got here. I was…struggling. Thought I could handle everything on my own. But they understand, Bruce especially."

He hesitated, as if gauging her reaction. "I wish I would've trusted them sooner. Maybe I wouldn't have spent so much time fighting myself."

Charlotte absorbed his words, the weight of their shared experiences creating a fragile connection between them. "You're saying I should just let them put that shock collar on me without question?" she mused, a wry smile playing on her lips.

Bucky chuckled. "Nah, not exactly. I'm just saying... consider that they're not out to control you. None of us are."

Charlotte arched an eyebrow.

"I'm not trying to control you and it isn't fair for me to tell you what to do." His face was strained, as if making himself speak the words was painful. "I'm sorry for yesterday."

"Yeah, you were a real asshole." Her eyes crinkled ever so slightly.

"Yeah. I was."

"I'm sorry you were the one to see it."

"I'm not." His eyes flicked to hers. "I'm glad I was there."

"I guess it's a good thing you're the slower Super Soldier."

Bucky groaned, despite the growing smile on his face. "You try distance running with the weight of a vibranium arm and let me know how fast you are."

She laughed, the tension between her brows easing for the first time in days. As her smile faded, she spoke softly.

"Bucky?"

He met her eyes.

"Thank you."