Basil woke to the beeping of hospital monitors and gentle singing playing quietly in the background. His whole body hurt. Limbs stiff and aching. His chest felt like it had been scrapped out with a fork. A deep pain throbbing under his ribs and the skin tight with the sting of stitches. He blinked open his eyes. The white spotted ceiling and bland walls of a modern hospital room swimming into focus. Sitting on the seats on either side of his bed were Sam and Steve. Sam was bent over a book and Steve seemed to be dozing, head tilted back.

Basil must of made a noise as he sifted as Steve's eyes opened. He smiled at him. He sat up, allowing Basil to see the sling supporting his arm. The limb bandaged and pressed to his chest. He was out of his uniform and in T-shirt and sweats. The bruises had already healed and the cuts were scanned over. His face only vaguely yellowish from where he had been punched. That told Basil that he had been in the hospital for a few days at lest. Steve healed fast but not that fast. "Hi", he grinned. "Nice to see you awake".

"This is too much like London", Basil slurred. Steve laughed.

"I thought Steve was the dumbass of your duo", Sam commented. "But I was wrong. It's definitely you".

"Marvin Gaye?" Basil croaked instead. "It's nice".

"It is", Sam nodded. "But that doesn't let you off the hook". He closed the book and turned to point at him. "Just because Steve goes off to be a self sacrificing idiot doesn't mean that you need to follow his example".

Basil laughed then winced as it hurt. "It's a bit too late for that. Should of told me in 1944". He coughed and sighed heavily. Sam reached over and pressed the button for his painkillers. Basil looked at them sleepily. "How long was I out?"

"Six days", Steve stated. "They had you in surgery for almost nine hours. It was a miracle you survived, even with your advanced healing. Gave us a right scare kid".

"I'm not a kid", Basil scowled weakly. "I'm ninety three".

"The seventy years in the ice don't count", Sam voiced. "You're still only twenty three kid". Basil raised his hand slightly, it shook and it hurt to move but flipping Sam the middle finger was definitely worth the effort.

"I picked up Queenie from Sharon's", Steve changed the subject. "She's back at my new apartment now. They have moved us a few blocks west. Big 20s building, nice".

"Who's Sharon?" Basil muttered.

"Kate. Agent 13, Sharon Carter".

"Oh". Then the surname dawned on him. Basil's eyes widened. "Oh. Carter".

Steve exhaled with a nod. "Yeah. Queenie scratched the hell out of her sofa by the way. She wasn't pleased".

"Good cat", Basil smiled. He leaned back into his pillows and closed his eyes. "So, where's the Soldier? What happened with him?"

There was a pause. Basil didn't need his eyes open to know that Steve and Sam exchanged glances. Sam sighed, "we found you on the bank. Someone had dragged you out and propped you up against a tree where you could be easily found. With you in such critical condition, we couldn't search the area. By the time we got back all traces of him were gone. He's in the wind".

"He saved me", Basil beamed widely at the words. The hope in his chest working better than any drugs. "Steve! He saved me".

"I know", Steve grinned. "I know". He reached out and placed a hand on Basil's shoulder. "I know". Basil opened his eyes and turned to look at him as the grin began to fade. He hiccuped them started crying. Big fat tears dripping down his face. The wires moved as he raised a shaky hand to cover his eyes. Steve smiled fondly. "There you go. Let it out".

"I just miss him so much. He almost killed me. Oh god". He shook as he sobbed. "I don't think I can do this any more Steve. I can't do this".

"That's okay", Sam reassured gently. "You don't have too". He subtly pressed another button and more drugs began to flood Basil's system. Slowly the sobs and shaking slowed as his eyelids grew heavy. His hand dropped limply to the blanket as he blinked. Tears still leaking as sleep dragged him under.

——

The cemetery was sunny that afternoon. Basil shoved his hands in his pockets, a unlit cigarette hanging from his lips. He had only been a week since he had been discharged from hospital. The bullet wound on his chest and back, now a complained by red lined through his skin from surgery were healing nicely. He still had careful bandages coving them so that the new skin wouldn't rub against his sweatshirt but they weren't bleeding anymore and the infection had faded. (Infection was what you got when you swam through a river with a hole through your body). Still, he was dressed comfortably with baggy jeans and a oversized tshirt and hoodie. Sam and Steve stood on either side. Them too in casual wear as they looked down at the grave in front of them.

"We've been data imaging hydra's files", Fury spoke up. He was standing near his own head stone. In a nondescript dark red hoodie and black jeans. His eyepatch was missing, instead his eyes were covered by black glasses. "Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship. I'm headed to Europe tonight. Wanted to ask if either of you would come".

Steve looked down at the grass, hands in his brown leather jacket pockets. His arm now completely healed. "There's something I've got to do first".

Fury shrugged and turned to Basil. He plucked the cigarette from his lips and hit off the end. "It's candy", he explained to Sam, who was looking slightly weirded out. "Made it myself. Rice paper and brown sugar. Wanted to see people's reactions when I eat my cigarette instead of lighting it".

"Why am I surprised?" Sam muttered with a chuckle and a shake of his head.

"Parrish?" Fury prompted. "Want to lend a hand?"

Basil turned and looked the old direction of shield in the tinted glass of his glasses. "No. Not particularly. Actually. I'm thinking of quitting. Shield, avengers, hero business, whatever you call it. Saving the world. Saving America. Saving lives. All of that. I'm quitting, or maybe retiring. Just stamp a label on it". He chewed the rest of his candy cigarette and sighed. "I have been fighting a war since 1942. I think it's time I stopped. This had cost more from me than it should have a right to. If I continue down this path then I'm pretty sure I will go insane". He pulled another cigarette from his pocket and lit it. This one was real this time. He took a long drag.

"I'm going back to England to spend time with my brother. Then I'm going to get a job at a hospital. I'll keep in touch of course, but don't bother calling me unless it's real World annihilation shit. If I don't like the offer then I will hang up on you. And we all know that there is no possible way you can make me do what you want. So", he shrugged. "The simple answer is no".

Fury nodded thoughtfully. "Fair enough. I guess that's fair". Then he turned to Sam. "How about you Wilson? Can use a man of your abilities".

"I'm more of a soldier than a spy", Sam replied.

Fury looked them over again. "Alright then", he sighed. He held out his hand and they all took turns to shake it. "Anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me right here". He gestured to the grave then turned and started walking away.

"You should be honoured, that's about as close as he gets to saying thank you", Nat called as she joined them from the opposite direction fury was heading. Basil smiled as she walked over.

"You not going with him?" Steve asked with a grin.

Nat laughed. "No".

"Not staying here?" Basil added.

"Nah".

She smiled. "I blew all my covers. I've got to go and figure out a new one".

"That may take a while", Steve nodded.

"I'm counting on it".

Basil chuckled. "Well if you ever want a wine night and a catch up then come and find me. My door is always open". Nat beamed as she walked over and pulled him into a hug.

"Will do Baby boy. You take care of yourself okay". Then she turned back to Steve. "That thing you asked for. I pulled a few favours". She handed him a thick file, Russian stamped across the cover. Steve took it gently. "And do me a favour, call that nurse".

"She not a nurse", Steve grinned.

"And you're not a shield agent". Nat looked at him then she leaned over and gave him a parting kiss on the cheek. The then turned and did the same to Basil. "Careful Steve". She spoke as she began to walk away. "You might not want to pull on that thread". Then she was making her way through the graves.

Steve opened the file. On the first page was a A4 image of a familiar face frozen in ice. Underneath was a smaller photo of a smiling man in uniform. "So you're going after him", Sam stated.

"You don't have to come with me", Steve replied.

"I know", Sam sighed. "When do we start?" Steve looked up and smiled at him. His eyes flickered to Basil, who smiled gently at him.

"Steve", Basil said softly. He reached out a hand and gently traced his fingers over the small photo. Bucky's smile curving across the page. "Bring him back for me, please".

"I will".

Unedited