Now the fun begins :)

Chapter Quote:

“I’m with you ‘til the end of the line.”

~Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes

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Chapter 7

Steve 

“After that, you can guess what happened seeing as how I’m here now,” Annabeth remarked, her eyes flitting between me and Sam.  When neither of us said anything, she added, “Well, at least you didn’t laugh like the other people did.”

“People laughed at you?” I asked.

“Yeah.  They didn’t think I was telling the truth.  I mean, a lot of stuff happened but I told you only the relevant stuff, the stuff that pertained to the Winter Soldier.”

“It was you!” Sam suddenly exclaimed.  She and I both looked at him. “I was the one searching for Rumlow.  You told me how to find him!”

“Oh my god, that was you!  Please tell me you kicked his ass for me?” Annabeth replied hopefully.

“Uh, honestly, he was getting the better of me.  But I’m not the one who got taken out by a helicarrier, unlike him, so karma hit him pretty hard.”

“There’s a god,” Annabeth laughed.

“Bucky remembers you.  He used your line,” I said.

“What line?”

“‘You’re my mission.’  That’s what he told me when we were on the helicarrier.  He got that from you.”

She smiled slightly. “What did you say?”

“I told him to finish it because I was with him ‘til the end of the line.  The latter part had been something he told me way back when.  But never mind that.  Thank you for taking care of Bucky as much as you could,  I appreciate it.”

“So… you guys believe me?” Annabeth asked hesitantly.

“You’re talking to a guy that saved the world from aliens and is friends with a god and to another man who flies with a winged suit.  Your story is not the craziest thing out there… although it hits near the top,” Sam said.

Annabeth grinned. “Thank you.  I think.”

“Do you think you can help us track him down?” I queried.

“It’ll be hard to do it from inside the prison, but yes, I can.  I’ll need access to a computer though,” she said.

“I didn’t mean you help us from inside the prison,” I replied.

She gave me a cautious look. “You mean…?”

“You’d help us outside.  Travel with us.  But there’d be rules.  You stay with me and Sam at all times.  If you leave the apartment, one of us has to go with you.  Understood?”

“Completely, but uh, do you think the prison will allow it?”

“I’ll talk to them.  In the meantime, go pack up.  I’ll have Sam stay with you.  We’ll leave when you’re ready.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Please, call me Steve,” I insisted, giving her a smile.  She returned it and got up.  Sam followed her while I went to talk to the head of the prison.

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Annabeth 

Two weeks passed, and we had nothing.  I’d been able to show Steve and Sam the videos I had downloaded onto the flashdrive I’d taken the day S.H.I.E.L.D. had fallen to prove to them my story had been true and to access files on all the locations the Winter Soldier had been.  Steve was familiar to the Winter Soldier, so would the soldier go look for other things that he found familiar to help jog his memory?

Well, we’d tried that method, and everywhere we went, all the answers we got were ‘no’ and ‘can I have your autograph Captain?  Falcon?’ and then I also overheard some things that are inappropriate to repeat.  Thankfully Steve and Sam didn’t hear them though…

We started early today, and I was starving, so I asked Steve and Sam if they were game to eat breakfast at this little breakfast diner across near the Smithsonian.  They agreed, which probably had something to do with them going a little stir-crazy from being trapped in Sam’s house twenty-four-seven.  The three of us got into Sam’s car and parked nearby and chose to eat outside.  Steve ate a huge breakfast.  Sam wasn’t far behind.  And I thought I was eating a lot by having six pieces of bacon and two pancakes…

The two boys, after having downed three or four cups of coffee, quickly decided they needed the bathroom before they left, so while I waited for our waiter to drop off the check, I watched the people pass our table.  It was always interesting to people watch.  There was a man playing the trumpet across the way that I decided I was going to tip before we left.  An old man walked past me with a shirt that said “If lost, return to Mary.”  A few seconds later, an old woman jogged past me.  Her shirt read “I’m Mary.”  I couldn’t help but laugh.  Another man walked by in jeans, a jacket, and a baseball cap.  Strange considering how hot it was outside.  He kept his head down, but since he walked right past me, I got a good look.  My mouth dropped open.  Just as I was hopping the fence that separated the diner from the sidewalk, our waiter came out with the check.  Hurriedly I said, “My two friends will pay for it.  Tell them I think I found him and he’s heading towards the Smithsonian.  They’ll understand.  Thank you!”

I followed the man, making sure I kept my distance so that he would suspect anything.  He turned around repeatedly and I acted like I was on my phone.  The soldier bought it.  I followed him all the way to the Smithsonian and inside it.  He led me to the exhibit on Captain America.  And it made sense.  Why I hadn’t thought of it before, I don’t know.  But what better place can someone learn about themselves than an exhibit on them?

Predictably, the soldier went straight to James Buchanan Barnes’ panel.  He stood there for ages, making it clear he wasn’t going to leave any time soon.  Taking a deep breath, I walked up next to him and started reading the information.  I looked up at him when I was finished; he looked away.  When I turned back towards the panel, so did he.

“You don’t have to hide from me soldier.  I know who you are,” I whispered.  This time, he did look at me.

“Who are you?” he demanded quietly.

“My name is Annabeth Drew.  I took care of you while you were the Winter Soldier.”  He grabbed my hand, dragging me somewhere I didn’t know.  He slipped us into a utility closet, locking us in from the inside so no one could accidentally come in on us.

“How do I know you?  Did you do this to me?!” he exclaimed angrily.

“Do what?” I asked, scrunching my eyebrows.

“Wipe my memories!”

“No!” I protested. “I had nothing to do with that.  In fact I fought against as much as I could but Pierce kept me in check.  I couldn’t do anything.  I only saw it happen to you one time and it killed me to watch soldier, even if I only saw a few seconds of it.  No, what I did was fix you up after missions, both your body and your arm.  I would sing while I did so, because you weren’t much of a talker.  I wanted to get you out of there, soldier.  You were my mission.  I wanted to finish it.”

Unless I was mistaken, a flicker of recognition crossed his eyes. “Are you the one that told me to come to you when I wanted to find out who I was?”

I nodded. “Yeah, that was me.”

“Then it’s time.  I want to find out who I am.  But I don’t want to do it here.  You’re not alone, are you?”

“No, soldier, I’m not.  I’m here with Sam Wilson, and your best friend, Steve.  Why don’t you go see him?  Do you know how excited and relieved he’d be to see you?”

“No!  Not yet!  I’m not ready to see him.  I… I want to figure out who I am first.  I want to figure out how I know him before I see him,” the soldier argued.

“But I can’t leave them!  I promised them I wouldn’t leave their sight!”

“Then looks like our deal is off.  I’ll figure it out on my own,” he grumbled, beginning to head out the door.

“Wait,” I said. “I told them I’d stay with them, but I made a promise before that to help you.  That promise overrides the one I made to them, so lead the way to where you want to go.  I’m with you soldier.  Wherever you want to go, I’ll go too.”

He stared at me. “You’d really do that?”

“Yes I would,” I replied without hesitation.  His face softened up a little bit.  He held out his hand for me to take and said, “Don’t let go.”

I nodded as we left the utility closet.  We maneuvered our way back outside the Smithsonian.  The Winter Soldier informed me he had a truck a few blocks away and that’s where we were headed.  I told him that I needed to stop by Sam’s house to get my laptop and flashdrive because it had information that would help him remember.  He was reluctant about it but agreed.  The two of us ran down the steps hand in hand when, “Annabeth!”

I turned around.  Sam was finagling his way over to us.

“Who’s that?” Soldier asked.

“That’s Sam, Steve’s friend,” I explained.

“Annabeth, did you-” Sam began. “I see you did.”

“Sam, this is the Winter Soldier.  Soldier, this is Sam,” I introduced before adding, “Uh, Sam, I have to go, okay?  I’m really, really sorry but this is the only way I can help.”

“What?  No, come on, you have to stay until Steve gets back.”

“No, I’m not staying and neither is she.  I need her help,” Soldier retorted.

“I don’t know you really well dude except that you like to rip things away from me, like steering wheels and wings, but-” Sam was cut off by the Winter Soldier punching him.

“Sam!” I exclaimed, attempting to drop down to check on him, but the Winter Soldier was already pulling me away.

“Come on!” he urged.  I hated to leave Sam on the steps but my desire to help my old patient overruled and I followed him, although I kept looking back to see if Sam had gotten up.  The crowds blocked my view though and I couldn’t. 

He took me to his truck five blocks away.  When we got in, I was huffing and puffing.  I instructed him on how to get to Sam’s house.  I figured we wouldn’t have more than five minutes to get everything I needed.  I was going to take my makeup bag and some clothes.  The soldier offered to get my laptop and flashdrive while I gathered everything else.  Since everything was in my room, I trusted him to do so.  The drive took ten minutes, and we were in and out of Sam’s house in three.  I wrote a note to Steve saying that I was fine, I was with the Winter Soldier, and that I was terribly sorry for leaving but that helping the soldier was the most important thing to me.  I hoped he’d understand but too bad if he didn’t.

We got back in the soldier’s truck and drove off.  Turning around, I saw Sam’s new car pulling onto the street just as we were turning off.  I prayed they didn’t follow us.  Luck was on our side and they didn’t.  I leaned back in the seat, letting out a deep breath.

“So, what have you been doing these past two weeks?  We haven’t been able to trace you at all,” I said.

“I’ve been finding a place to hide out, one that has electricity but is still remote.”

“I’m assuming you found a place?”

“An old S.H.I.E.L.D. hideout.  It’s not used anymore, but it has electricity, running water, a kitchen, bedrooms, the works.  Plenty of escape routes if needed.”

“Where is it?”

“I don’t know the name of the town nearby, but it’s under four hours away from here.”

“Got it…”  The two of us fell silent.  It wasn’t an awkward silence, but it wasn’t necessarily comfortable either.  I’d finally been given the chance to help him and I was at a loss for words.  Maybe I was too shocked to hear him talking to me.  After only having him utter a couple sentences to me in the past ten years, this was rather shocking.  But then I thought, calling him the Winter Soldier was a mouthful, and that wasn’t who he was anymore, so I asked, “What would you like me to call you?”

“What do you mean?” he looked over briefly at me.

“You’re the Winter Soldier, but that’s not who you are.  Your name is James Buchanan Barnes, but your friends call you Bucky.  What would you like me to call you?”

“What do the people around you call me?”

“The only person that doesn’t call you the Winter Soldier that knows you is Steve, and he calls you Bucky.”

“Then call me that too.”

“All right,” I said, smiling. “Bucky it is.”

We stopped talking again, and I looked out the window.  The sound of the engine and the vibration from the truck lulled me into a light sleep.  I was vaguely away of Bucky putting on the stereo quietly.  It was music from the forties.  At one point, a familiar song started playing, and I sang along quietly: “So kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again.  It’s been a long, long time.”

“You know this song?” Bucky queried.

“I sang it to you once.  In fact, it was the first song I sang to you after I found out who you really were.  I learned it quickly.  It’s one of my favorites now.”

“I wish I could remember that,” he muttered.

“Maybe you will.  Can I ask you something?”

“Why are you asking if you can ask me something?”

I gave him a curious expression. “Because it’s the polite thing to do, and I don’t want to make you feel like you have to give me an answer.”

“It’s weird, not having people demand things from me, having someone give me a choice.” He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. “But yeah, you can ask me whatever you’d like.”

“Do you really remember me?  Or did you just believe me when I said I knew you?”

“I remembered your words and the way you treated me, but I didn’t remember your face.  Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.  I’m here to help you.”

“Why did you agree to take care of me?”

“I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.  Pierce gave me the project, and I didn’t know he was working for HYDRA until after I agreed to do it.  I didn’t know the project was you.”

“Could you have backed out?”

“No, and even if I could have, I wouldn’t have.”

“Why?”

“I couldn’t leave you with those monsters.”

“How long did you take care of me?”

“I started in 2004 and stopped in 2011.”

“Why did you stop?”

“Pierce found out I had influence over you, and he had me present when you were getting fixed up, but only as a threat to you not to harm the scientists and doctors.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Because I was the only doctor you would allow to come near you,” I chuckled. “Don’t ask me why, I don’t know.  But I’m glad you did.”

“I… I vaguely remember that.  You always started out talking to me the same way, didn’t you?”

“Yes I did,” I confirmed. “Since I don’t know why you let only me come near you, do you?”

“I think it’s because you looked petrified walking in the door.  I could tell you were hiding it, and you did it well, but I still saw it.” A small smile tugged on Bucky’s lips. “And you asked me what I wanted.  I think you shocked me into obeying more than anything else.  But I remembered it.  It was such a shock, I guess even with the brainwashing, I still remembered deep down.”

“You want to know something?  This is the most we’ve ever talked in ten years.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.  You spoke maybe two or three sentences and that was it.  You were never one for conversation with me no matter how hard I tried, so that’s why I always went to singing.  Change of topic here, but where did you get this truck?” I hadn’t noticed it at first, but it was really nice.  The interior was black leather, it had navigation, a place to listen to your iPod, and heated seats.

“I think it was a HYDRA agents, Rumred, or Rumler, or something like that.”

“Rumlow?”

“That’s it.  You knew him?”

“Unfortunately.  Guy was an assbutt.  Wow, this is a fancy iPod hook up.”

“What’s that?”

“An iPod?  It’s a device that holds music and you can listen to it anywhere you want.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.  When we get to the hideout, I’ll show you.”

“Deal.  Speaking of, here we are,” Bucky said, pulling off onto a hidden driveway.  I hadn’t even realized we were completely surrounded by a dense, dark forest.  No wonder Steve, Sam, and I couldn’t find him.  He was living in the middle of nowhere.  Literally.  The driveway was about two miles long before it made a sharp left, revealing a massive ranch-style house, painted and designed to blend in with the surroundings.  Bucky pulled the truck into the garage.  We got out.  He carried my duffel bag while I carried my backpack.  He led me inside.  He continued to take me to what would be my room.

“The rooms have everything you need: a bed, a bathroom with a tub and shower, nightstand, dresser, and desk.  There’s storage down in the basement along with a bomb shelter.  We have tons of food down there but it’s all the same so if you want to get anything let me know, and I’ll drive you to the nearest store.”

“Thank you,” I said, setting my bags down. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You don’t have to call me ‘ma’am’ you know.  You can call me Annabeth or Anna,” I remarked kindly.

He shifted uneasily on his feet. “I’ll remember that.”

“Why don’t I make us some grilled cheese for lunch?  And if you want, we can get started on helping you retrieve some of your memories.”

“Annabeth, do you think I’ll be able to remember them all?”

“I’m not sure to be honest, but whatever Zola did to you, it’s prevented the brainwashing from working completely.  It seems as if the brainwashing has just blocked you from accessing those memories rather than wiping them completely from your mind.  Here, let me put it this way: each memory you have has a lock on it in your mind, and each lock has a special key that will help you unlock that specific memory.  Does that make sense?”

“Yeah.  So you’ll help me with those keys?”

“As many as I can.  I can help you with most of your memories of the war, and I can help you remember your time with me, but the memories before the war, the ones before Steve became Captain America, you’ll need him to help you remember those.”

Bucky nodded.  We headed towards the kitchen where I pulled out a loaf of bread and some cheese and butter.  Meanwhile, Bucky opened my laptop and stared at it.

“This is a strange TV,” he commented.

I bit back a smile, walking over to him.  I logged in and pulled up his file, making sure he didn’t see the files on his missions as the Winter Soldier.  I didn’t think he was ready for that yet.  One day, he would be, but it was early in the process, and I thought it was best for him to remember the good things before he began remembering the bad.

“It’s a computer, a laptop to be exact.  You know the thing used to analyze the readings on your arm?  That was a laptop too.  Depending on what you need it for, it can do a lot of things.  You can surf the internet, watch movies, play games, write papers and stories, waste time watching YouTube videos on cute animals and humans doing stupid things- there’s an abundance of that- and a ton of other things.”

Bucky stayed silent for about a minute before going, “What’s the internet?”

I felt my mouth drop open slightly.  HYDRA hadn’t even bothered to teach him how to use modern technology, only modern warfare.  I began explaining, and it took over two hours, three grilled cheese sandwiches (for him, just one for me), and a few near-laptop-breaking experiences before he finally understood the basics of the internet.

“We’ll work on the other aspects of the laptop later,” I said. “First let’s get some of your memory working.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

I started cleaning up the kitchen.  It was sort of dirty; whether that was from it not being in use for a while or because Bucky hadn’t cleaned it, I didn’t know, nor did I care.  I was here now, and I was going to take care of this place and him, focusing more on the latter.

My thoughts wandered to how he actually had slight memories of me.  Apparently saying the same things over and over again paid off.  I guess it just always seemed familiar to him.   The thought gave me an idea. “Hey, Bucky, would you agree with me that you remembered me because what I did and said was familiar to you?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I have an idea.  We don’t have to do it straight away or anything, I’m just throwing it out here, but hear me out.  While you look fantastic with the long hair, that’s been your look as the Winter Soldier.  If you look at your picture on the computer, you had short hair when you knew Steve.  Maybe making yourself look the way you did back then would help unlock some of your memories from that time.  What do you think?”

“That actually seems like a really good idea.  We just have one problem.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s going to be hard to hide my metal arm from everyone if I’m in a tee shirt.” Bucky raised his arms to prove his point.

“You can wear a jacket, or I could go out and buy you some long sleeve shirts.  But you know, this world has just found out that aliens exist, among other things.  A metal arm isn’t all that far-fetched.  Plus I can say S.H.I.E.L.D. gave it to you after you lost your arm in battle.”

“But why wouldn’t they do it to everyone?”

“They didn’t know if it would work?  It’s costly to maintain unless you have someone to do it for free?  Which you do.  You have me so it’s no problem for you,” I said. “I can come up with the lie.  You would just have to go alone with it.”

“I could do that.”

“Tell me when you would like to go.  I’ll do anything.”

“Would you want to go not tomorrow, but the day after?  I want to get a sense of who I am first before I leave.”

“Understandable.  I’ll find the closest town and make an appointment to get your haircut for say… ten in the morning?  And maybe we can grab lunch and go shopping for some clothes for you so you don’t have to wear everything S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“All right.”

“I’m going to go take a shower and change into different clothes.  I have the feeling I won’t be going out anywhere tonight so might as well make myself comfortable.  I’ll see you in a bit.  I trust you, but try not to break my computer, okay?”

Bucky smiled sheepishly. “I’ll try.”

I left the kitchen and went upstairs.  I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked for text messages.  In total, I had a hundred texts and ninety phone calls with fifty voicemails.  All from Steve and Sam.  I unlocked my phone and was in the middle of replying to Steve when my phone decided to die on me.  I searched everywhere for my charger, but it was nowhere to be found.  Then it dawned on me that I’d forgotten it at Sam’s house.  Cursing myself silently, I threw my phone on the bed and grabbed some clothes.  I was going to be in so much trouble with them when we found each other again, but in all honesty, I was pretty sure Steve would understand me going with Bucky.

Bucky was my mission.  I had to finish it.

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Such a long chapter again!  I hope you enjoyed!  You’ll have a POV from Bucky next chapter :) Review??