"What the hell were you thinking going out?" Tony yelled at Lana, who groaned in frustration before replying.

"I was thinking that I wasn't a bloody prisoner!" she shot back; "You don't want me in the tower, you don't want me out of it, where exactly do you think I should be, Tony?!"

"England!" Tony replied quickly before they got interrupted by Bucky entering the room. They were next to the interrogation room, a big oneway mirror allowing them to look into the room where the guy from the cafe sat, chained to the table with heavy cuffs.

"Hey," Lana greeted, happy for a distraction. Bucky just nodded before looking at the guy.

"Said anything yet?" he checked, glancing at the father and daughter.

"Steve's supposed to interrogate him in a second," Lana informed; "What did the doc and Bruce say?"

"I'm fine, Doll," Bucky told, not looking at her.

"If you say so," she agreed softly, still worried about the grip the guy had had on him.

"How're your friends?" he suddenly asked, Lana looking down.

"Sarah's pretty out of it. Fury said he'd send someone to take her to the airport so she feels a bit safer," she told, fiddling with the sleeve of her shirt.

"Mh. William?"

"Worried about us, mostly. He feels bad for leaving me there," Lana told, ignoring her dad pacing behind them.

"He should," Bucky agreed flatly.

"I told him to," Lana disagreed curtly, looking at the guy through the glass. Steve entered the room, still wearing his uniform. He crossed his arms as he stood next to the chair he was supposed to sit in.

"Wanna tell us what you were doing at the cafe? Because I'm pretty sure you weren't there for the coffee," Steve added, the guy not even looking at him.

"Who are you working for?" Steve then asked. "Don't make this harder for yourself, son."

Fury entered the adjoining room.

"Williams, I think it's safe to say you're the first office employee to have so much field experience," he commented dryly.

"And in so little time, too. I do impress, don't I?" she replied, smiling sarcastically at her boss, who did not look amused.

"You're free to go," he then told. "You'll have to stop by the medical wing."

"I'm entirely fine, Fury, I was hardly even in the fight," Lana disagreed, glancing at Bucky, who was still paying attention to the interrogation.

"I don't care. Protocol. I'm keeping my ass safe. If you die tomorrow, I don't want blame," he just explained.

"Fine," Lana agreed with a sigh; "Wouldn't want anything to happen to your bum, would I now?"

"I'll go with," Bucky offered before turning to them. Apparently, he had been paying attention to your conversation as well.

"I thought they'd already checked you out?" Lana asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"The last two times you went anywhere, you were attacked," he pointed out, raising his eyebrows unimpressed.

"Almost as if America isn't safe for you," Tony added, making Lana roll her eyes. She left the room with Bucky, quietly walking down the hallway.

"Thanks for walking me," she said softly, not receiving a reply. She bit her lip slowly before continuing.

"And for saving me. At the cafe," she added, Bucky still nod replied. They reached the hospital wing and Bucky walked through, not holding this one for her. With difficulty, she pushed it open with the broken crutch and hurried through before it could close in her face.

"Ah, Miss Williams, I was told you'd come by," Dr Helen Cho said, smiling kindly at the girl; "I just need to make sure you don't have any injuries, it's protocol."

"Yeah, it's fine, I just don't wanna take up your time, I'm sure you have better things to do," Lana told, laughing awkwardly as she sat down in the chair.

"This is what I'm hired to do, so don't worry about that," Dr Cho assured, looking at the crutch.

"Anddd... What happened with this?" she asked, holding up to see it dented.

"It's, uh, I sort of... Used it smack someone," Lana admitted.

"You smacked someone?" Dr Cho repeated; "What do you mean by that?"

"She's trying to say she used it to attack a trained agent several times with no concern about her own safety," Bucky interjected, crossing his arms. He didn't look at Lana who rolled his eyes.

"That's a bit dramatic," she told the doctor. The doctor nodded slightly.

"Well, let's just be glad it was the crutch and not you," she suggested, smiling. "Did you get hit anywhere?"

"Uh, he sort of pulled me down with it, so I fell on the floor, but that's all," Lana told.

"She didn't fall on the floor, she was thrown on it, and you might want to check her neck, too, since that's where he tried to strangle her with it," Bucky told. The doctor gestured for Lana to raise her head and she did so, allowing the doctor to look at it.

"I can see some light bruising already, so you might be sore. How did you land on the floor?" the doctor asked.

"On my shoulder, but it's fine," Lana assured, standing up.

"We don't know if it's fine, that's why we're here. Check it, please," Bucky ordered the doctor.

"Course. Mind taking your jacket off?" she asked Lana, who did as ordered and allowed the doctor to poke and prod as she pleased.

"For the record, I was very concerned about my own safety, there were just more important matters at the moment," she told the doctor, not wanting to seem reckless

"There are no other matters, Lana!" Bucky corrected loudly; "The mission was to keep you safe! That was the only mission!"

"That wasn't the mission, the mission was for you to be with me there!" Lana corrected him angrily.

"And see where that got you?!" he yelled, gesturing to the doctor.

"You seem to be alright," she told, ignoring the tension evident in the room; "You might be a little sore, I'd suggest some common painkillers if it gets too uncomfortable. And I think the crutch better retire."

"What? No, I need it, how am I supposed to get around?" Lana questioned, resisting the urge to look at Bucky for support or even answers.

"Not permanently, but using this one can't be good for your spine, so you'll have to manage until we can get a new one," the doctor told.

"How am I supposed to get to my room?" Lana asked.

"If you want I can find someone to assist you?" the doctor offered, but Bucky interrupted before Lana could reply.

"It's fine, thank you." The doctor looked at Lana for affirmation, but she just muttered an 'it's fine', and the doctor left the two alone.

"Alright. Out with it," Lana ordered, turning to Bucky. He looked at her without saying anything.

"Clearly something's rubbed you the wrong way, so spit it, James!"

"I'm taking you to your room," he told, stepping closer to her.

"You're not taking me anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on!". Her voice broke into a yell, and Bucky was quick to match the tone.

"Lana, I'm trying to be nice here!" he yelled back, gesturing angrily.

"You're not being nice, you're being a twat, and I want to know why!"

"Lana! Just... God, just let me take you to our room!" he hissed. Lana folded her arms above her chest, sitting back down.

"No," she informed flatly.

"No?" he asked confused.

"No," she agreed; "Not until you talk to me."

"Get up or I'm leaving," he threatened.

"Then leave," she suggested.

"You'll be stuck here," he reminded her, but she just shrugged carelessly. Bucky scoffed before walking off in a hurry, leaving Lana alone in the room.

"Damn, I really should've thought this through," she muttered to herself, looking around the empty room.

"Hey, JARVIS?" she tried, but no reply sounded. Apparently, she'd managed to get herself stuck in the one room JARVIS wasn't present in, and the doctor had so cunningly stolen her crutches.

"Lana, what are you doing?" Steve asked confused, Lana stopping when she heard his voice.

"Uhhhh," she said awkwardly, glancing down herself. She was balancing on one foot, having jumped the first twenty meters or so down the hallway from the medical room.

"Where are your crutches?" he asked, walking entirely over to her.

"Stupid doctor took them," Lana explained with a scoff; "Actually, that's not fair. She's a very nice woman."

"Where's Bucky? I thought he was with you," Steve commented, trying to figure out the situation.

"He was, but then he decided to act like a jerk, and you know what, I can walk down a hallway myself!" Lana insisted.

"Uhuh. Want help?" he offered, Lana laughing in relief.

"Yes, please!". Steve smiled at her as he helped her get her arm over his shoulder, supporting her weight as she humped down the hallway.

"So... Bucky," he opened, looking at the girl by his side.

"What about him?" she asked unaffected.

"You said he was acting like-"

"A humongous dick?" Lana finished his sentence. Steve smiled but ignored her words.

"He just seems really angry. I know he didn't necessarily want to be with my friends and me today, and I know it's inconvenient what happened, but it's not like I planned it," Lana pointed out, almost losing balance, only caught by Steve's muscular arms.

"You think he's mad at you?" Steve realised, furrowing his eyebrows; "You think he's mad because you asked him to go with you?"

"Well... Yeah," she admitted quietly.

"Lana, he's not mad at you, he's just concerned out of his mind," Steve corrected her; "He went insane when Loki had you, I think he's just terrified of losing you again."

"What do you mean he went insane?" Lana asked. They'd stopped walking and stood still, Steve helping Lana stay balanced and upright.

"He was out every night, he went everywhere he thought someone might know something. I don't know where he went, but considering how he came back beaten up, I don't think who he was talking to was happy about it, and I don't think he slept until you came back. Even then, we had to keep him here. I caught him sleeping in the hospital waiting room several times," Steve told Lana honestly.

"That doesn't sound like him," Lana pointed out, looking down. Bucky, sleeping in a waiting room instead of being on guard constantly?

"It's not like him," Steve agreed; "He was not doing well, at all. Plus, you heard what that guy said."

"What?" Lana asked; "I, I didn't stay very long before going to the medical wing, and before I was talking to Fury."

"Let me guess. Bucky was paying attention to the interrogation?" Steve asked, Lana nodding.

"What did he say that was so bad?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"He didn't say anything besides hail Hydra. He wasn't there for you, Lana," Steve told softly. Lana opened her mouth to reply but didn't know what to say.

"He was there for Bucky," she finally finished; "And Bucky knows that, and he feels guilty because he thinks he put me in danger?"

"Pretty much," Steve agreed; "Is it okay if I carry you?". Lana nodded, and in one swift motion, Steve was holding her bridal style, carrying her down the hallway.

"This still doesn't add up, why go after Bucky now? Bucky's been here longer than I have and they've never shown an interest, have they?" Lana considered.

"We didn't think they even knew he was here," Steve told her openly.

"Maybe they didn't," Lana theorised, looking into Steve's confused eyes. "I'm just saying, we don't know where he was when I was MIA, but I'd say it's safe to say he wasn't any legit places if he returned bloody and bruised. He must've been somewhere dodgy, otherwise, the police would have been contacted and JARVIS would've noticed, the only reason he wouldn't get charged with assault is that the people had a reason not to call the police. And where did Bucky get all his dodgy contacts?" Lana asked.

"Hydra," Steve realised; "Whoever he saw notified Hydra, that's why they're acting now. They didn't know before!"

"It's just a theory," Lana told as they reached her room.

"I think it might be more than that, Lana," Steve told as he helped her sit down on the bed. Lana didn't reply, instead, she just pulled her one good leg under her to sit more comfortably.

"Are you alright, Lana? I know today's probably been a lot," Steve asked softly, looking at her with concern.

"It's my fault," Lana admitted, smiling sadly.

"What?"

"If Bucky hadn't been looking for me, Hydra would have never known where he was. Not only is it my fault he endangered himself constantly while I was away, the attack today was my fault, too," she said, biting her lip to keep from crying.

"It's not your fault, Lana," Steve disagreed.

"It's fine," Lana interrupted him, wiping a tear from her cheek; "You don't have to comfort me. I should call my friend, anyway."

"Right. Do you mind if I tell the others your theory? It might help," Steve asked, Lana just nodding emotionlessly.