"Okay." I nodded, hair falling into my eyes. I couldn't exactly say no. It was Fury standing behind me. He obviously wanted to talk to me about something. That something being HYDRA or maybe hair products...

It wasn't Bucky... I couldn't stop the sinking feeling in my stomach. Just because he was good fun, nothing else. Someone who understood. Nothing more, obviously. I wasn't getting close to anyone here, I would only get torn away from them. Get them hurt or worse killed.

Fury stayed silent through out half of the meal - everyone did. Eating their food in a steady silence. Sharon didn't look at me, her left hand under the table along with Steve's. They were holding each other's hands... They were definitely an item.

I sat, pushing my kebab around the plate, hair surrounding my face. "What do you want?" I caught Fury's gaze, staring him down. It was now or never. No one else payed attention to us, talking amongst themselves over their food as soon as I spoke.

Fury looked to me, setting his fork down. "What do you know about HYDRA?"

I chose that time to conveniently eat my food. I chewed slowly, the spicy taste of the kebab tingling in my mouth.

"Miss Frost, I asked you a civil question." Fury nodded his head.

"You know all I do about HYDRA, nothing more or nothing less." My voice didn't shake or change in pitch. Years of lying had seen to that, training to be an assassin since the age of sixteen.

Fury lifted up his fork, picking up a piece of food. "Your sister works for us."

I choked, slamming my fork down on the table. "Wait, what?"

"Rebecca Frost works in S.H.I.E.L.D's science division - I thought you knew. She is your sister after all," Fury announced, taking a mouthful of his dinner. He looked a little too smug about the bomb he'd just dropped on me. Bastard.

I pushed my plate away. "And I should care about this information because?"

"You're her sister, you should care." Great, now everyone was looking at me. Thanks a bunch Fury.

"Her sister who she hates," I scoffed, gritting my teeth. My knuckles grew whiter on the edge of the table and my right leg tapped to an unsteady rhythm.

"Why does she hate you?" It was Bruce asking the questions now.

"She thinks she's dead," Fury announced. "Miss Frost had someone tell her sister she died in action."

"Missing in action actually," I snapped, staring at Fury. Damn, I wanted to hit him.

"You didn't tell her?" Sharon asked, putting her fork down. Her brown eyes looked sad again.

I looked away from Sharon. "It was better that way. It is better this way." I glared at Fury. "Better for everyone."

"How?" Wanda looked away from Vision, her blue gaze on me.

"Telling my sister I survived but her husband died? Out of the two of us I can assure you that Aaron was the one my sister wanted to see return home, not me." I looked away from everyone, staring out of the window into the night sky. "I can't tell her that I couldn't do anything as I watched her brother be shredded to pieces by bullets and that they spared my life and not his."

"You have to tell her you're alive." Bruce shook his head, watching me. "I saw her reaction when I was in the science department - she fell apart when both letters came through to say her husband was killed in action and her sister was missing in action. The soldier who delivered the news may as well have just stabbed her in the chest the way she looked that day."

"Please, I do not need goody two shoes having even more of a vendetta against me," I snapped. "I'm sure she's perfectly happy without her little sister."

"And you're not a goody two shoes?" Fury glared at me with his one good eye, which was even more disturbing than if it had been two.

I shivered, turning away from him. "I suppose you could say I'm the opposite."

"She told me why you joined the army," Fury said, taking another bite of his kebab. "I Skyped her after our little conversation this afternoon."

"You mean how her husband told me I needed to sort my life out and do something good for once, so of course he said join the army. Yeah I remember and I don't regret it, it was the best decision I ever made. I enrolled with him. But what you don't understand is that me and my sister have a history of arguing. She just disagrees with every single thing I do." I rolled my eyes taking a drink, ever since the accident... No, I was not remembering that.

I could feel Fury's gaze still on me. "Well you better stop arguing and agree."

"Why?" I had a feeling I already knew the answer as I looked back to Fury.

"Because she's coming here tomorrow." Fury looked away from me.

"You didn't even think to ask me if I wanted this? I have enough to deal with - readjusting to normal life, dealing with post- traumatic stress. And now my sister is going to be here -" I stood up, slipping my crutches on, leaving my dinner uneaten "- you're a bastard Nick Fury. I'm leaving." I was so god damn angry. My body practically shook with my rage.

"Where are you going to go?" Sharon's voice called from behind me as I got into the lift.

"I'll let you know when I find out myself." I gave her a small smile as the doors began to close. "It was great seeing you, Sharon. I wish it could of been longer, but I just... I can't."

"I understand," Sharon mouthed, nodding. She still looked sad but at least she didn't push me any further.

The lift doors clicked shut. I didn't hit the button, instead I tried to compose myself. So this was it, I was back on the run. Alone. If I'm honest, I hadn't expected it to last this long anyway. It had been nice while it had lasted though, to feel like a normal human being, not a monster. But a monster can never exist in the open for too long without being seen for who they really are, before being forced to return to the shadows. I bowed my head, staring down at my worn shoes - scuffed from so much walking, from so much running. The lump in my throat got bigger. I was so sick of running. But it was the only thing I could do. Run as far away from everyone as possible and hope there was no one that followed me. I hit the ground floor button waiting for the lift to move.

A button pinged on the outside before the doors were forced open by a metal hand. "I'll make sure she's safe, Sharon." The doors opened wide enough for the Sergeant to slip in before they closed again. Shit. What was he doing here?

"What are you doing?" I asked, moving away from him to the corner of the lift. "You don't need to be here, so why are you?" My words were harsh and clipped, I didn't want anyone near me right now.

"Guess." Bucky smirked - a lop sided grin which definitely made me think he was a ladies man in the 1940's. Actually no, the grin confirmed he had a storm of ladies in the forties and even more once he got his sergeant's uniform. He didn't seem to care about my hostile glares or voice. "Go on, just take a wild guess."

"You're here to piss me off even more than Fury has." I leant against the wall, running a hand through my hair. The anger it was still fresh in my veins, making my heart pound. I hit the ground floor button again. The lift began its descent down.

"Is that so, doll?" His grin widened. Idiot. "Your language is appalling, you should be ashamed of yourself both just now and at the dinner table. Steve didn't look too impressed and I swear he whispered 'language'."

"I don't care and besides I am not a doll. I am not made of plastic and I do not braid my hair and I don't wear stupid outfits. And I most certainly am not called Barbie," I argued, crossing my arms over my chest, still staring at the floor.

"So you're action man then?" Bucky laughed, taking a step towards me. "I've been researching modern culture lately."

"So that must make you Barbie then?" I asked, peering up at him through my fringe.

"I don't know." He grinned down at me. "I guess I could fit into a sparkly pink dress and still look fantastic."

"It would compliment your eyes," I laughed, my muscles less tense. The lift pinged as I swiftly left. My crutches tapped quickly on the foyer floor as I headed for the door.

But of course Bucky was right by my side, opening the door for me. "Doll, you're not gonna lose me that easily."

"If I don't try and lose you will you stop calling me, doll?" I asked swinging through the door.

"I suppose, if you're good," Bucky's voice answered right in my ear. I shivered taking a right, heading for the park. I needed some fresh air.

"A park?" He laughed. "In the dark?"

"What? Is poor Barbie scared and a poet?" I dodged a pushchair.

"Nah doll, I'm not." He put his arm though mine. Again with the stupid nickname.

"You should be." I pulled away from him.

"Why?"

I stopped, looking back at Bucky. His smile had drooped slightly and one of his eyebrows were raised.

"Because I'm going to get really annoyed if you don't quit the nickname." I raised one of my crutches. "Do you understand, Sergeant?"

"Yes ma'am." Bucky saluted, laughing.

I turned away from Bucky. Two women were now walking towards us, eyes hungrily drinking Bucky in. Their dresses barely covered their arses, their faces well... Was there a face behind all of that make up? Really? I started to laugh.

"What's wrong?" Bucky asked.

"Nothing much." I grinned as one of them approached.

"Hey." She smiled at Bucky.

"Hey." Bucky smiled back.

"I'm Sally." She twisted a lock of hair around her finger.

"Bucky." Bless him, he looked somewhat uncomfortable right now. Where had the confident ladies man gone from earlier?

"The Bucky Barnes?" She asked, batting her eyes.

"Yeah." Bucky looked down, staring at the pavement. He'd rushed out of the tower and hadn't grabbed a jacket. His bionic arm was on full display for the whole world to see. The city lights through the trees glinted off of the metal, highlighting the arm even more. Ever since I arrived he'd always use his other hand, pretend his other arm didn't exist. Just like me with my leg... His awkwardness was my fault.

Sally the slut glared up at Bucky. "You're a monster, all those things you did." Wow, now that was just out of order.

"Hey bitch." I poked her leg with my crutch reminding her of my existence. "Keep your opinions to yourself."

"Freedom of speech, Brit," she snapped at me, turning around. "It's only the tr-"

I grabbed her hair. "That won't help you when I cut off your tongue," I hissed into her ear. "You won't be speaking at all, let alone freely."

"Ahhhh! Get off! Get off!" She pulled forward. I let go. A lamppost was conveniently placed in front of her. Smack. Her once pretty face collided with it.

I held back a laugh. "Oops."

"You're crazy!" She cried, running after her friend.

"Yeah, you got that right, she bites!" Bucky called after her.

"Thanks," I muttered, entering the park gate, laughing.

"No. Thank you." Bucky's blue eyes held mine as he used his right hand to stop my movement by putting it in front of me.

"For what?" I went to swing away, unable to hold his gaze.

A hand grabbed my bicep this time. "Standing up for me."

"Funny pun there," I laughed, trying to stop my racing heart.

Bucky just grinned at me. "I mean it, doll."

I stepped back, unable to from a coherent sentence. He would not be thanking me if he knew who I really was, where I was really from. I tried looked away from him - pushing him away was the best option, he couldn't get close to me - but I just couldn't look away.

"You know what, I'm hungry." Bucky's eyes never left mine.

"You didn't have to follow me," I muttered. Unfortunately he heard.

"You still complaining, doll?" Bucky chuckled, walking beside me.

"Yep." I swung up to a lone vending machine. "What do you want?"

"Wow." Bucky shoved his hands in his pockets. "What do you like to eat?"

"I'm not hungry," I said, getting my money out of my pocket.

"Yeah right, you had half your dinner, you're hungry." Bucky stared down at me, raising an eyebrow. "A woman hungry is just as bad as a woman scorned in my experience."

And right on cue my stomach grumbled. Great.

"Told ya." Bucky winked, leaning his arm on the vending machine.

"Fine," I muttered, pointing at a double decker.

"Go for it, doll."

I put my money in and pressed the number for the chocolate bar, which involved getting rather too close to Bucky. He smelled good, like really good - most likely Paco Robanne one million cologne. The vending machine grumbled before hey presto there was a double decker nestled at the bottom of the machine by the time I'd moved away from him.

Bucky leant down and took it out, examining the packet. His hair had fallen into his eyes, disrupting the perfect blue.

"It's a chocolate bar, Bucky," I said, taking it off of him. I ripped open the packet, handing him one part of the bar.

"Thanks, and I know," he said, taking the half of the bar and shoving it in his mouth. The whole thing - gone. "We had them in my time." Or at least that's what I think he said through his mouthful of food.

"Greedy," I mumbled, finding a bench in the lamp light.

We sat in silence for a while, watching the traffic and hum of the night life. And for once, for once I didn't feel like I needed to make a noise. The silence didn't feel awkward. It felt natural listening to our breaths amongst the Manhattan night life. The rush of traffic and the hum of people rushing around the city. I nibbled on my chocolate bar, watching people rush past. I was far too aware of the small gap between Bucky and myself, one wrong move and my right leg would be touching his leg. My bionic leg.

I don't know how long we sat in silence but it was peaceful. My anger at Fury slowly faded away and for once I didn't feel on edge. Our breaths slowly became white puffs in the night air, the stars casting their own light upon the earth.

I'd just about forgotten about the incident in the tower and pushed my sister to the back of mind, until Bucky spoke "Zoe, why does your sister hate you?" He'd stayed quiet until then, his question out of the blue.

I sat silently, twisting my crutch.

"I mean you don't have to tell me, but hate is a pretty strong word. She's your sister, blood is thicker than water ever will be." Bucky watched a cab drive past.

"I'm the reason she's in a wheelchair," I whispered into the night. The lamp light above us flickered. I blinked rapidly, swallowing the lump in my throat. Pressure was on my knee, a thumb drawing circles on my jeans. Somehow the movement was soothing and I continued to speak. "I wanted her to come to a street race with me, I begged her actually. She... She gave in eventually and came with me. There was a crash. I was trapped and unconscious, in a coma for two days. Becky..." My voice croaked at her name. "Becky was flung across the road. She was paralysed and it was all my fault." I pulled my sleeve over my hand, wiping my eyes with it. "I'm the reason she's paralysed." I buried my face in my hands. "She should hate me, I deserve to be hated." I didn't know whether my sister hated me but she should, the minute I got the chance I joined the army and left her alone because I couldn't bare the sight of her. The sight of something I'd done.

The hand disappeared. I was being pulled against someone, an arm around me. My right leg touched his and his metal arm was over my shoulders. "Hey, don't cry, doll," was mumbled into my hair. Bucky's warmth spread through my arm. "There's no use crying over spilt milk."

"I'm not crying." I hiccuped. "My hay fever's playing up." I sat up, pulling away from him.

"If you say so..." Bucky's hand slipped from my shoulders, all of the warmth travelling with it.

"I didn't say you could let go." I hiccuped again needing the warmth back, besides he was the only thing holding me together at the moment.

"You're a little dictator aren't you," Bucky chuckled, putting his arm around me again.

"Not normally," I said whilst rubbing any remnants of tears away with my hands. "Well not five percent of the time..."

"Only to me it would seem." He rubbed my shoulder.

"Yeah, well," I shrugged. "Someone has to put you in line."

"Yeah, well I probably deserve it." Bucky half heartedly laughed. "That girl was right."

I looked into his blue orbs, taking his left hand. "No you didn't and never will deserve to be called a monster. She was wrong, you're not a monster, James. You were brainwashed, you had no choice. You were a victim of war. Me on the other hand - I had a choice - I chose wrong. I have far more sins than you. You were a good person before, I've always been a bitch right from the start." He had no idea how right that was, how I chose to forget everything, only to remember again.

Bucky squeezed my hand. "I'm not going to judge you on who you were before, as you said the past is painful, no doubt about that, but it's over and we're currently in the present, doll. So let's just focus on the choices we're about to make in the future because you can't change your past no matter how hard you try." Another squeeze. "And believe me you don't want to push your sister away, people who care they're what you need, and if they really care they'll keep coming back, no matter how hard you push. Trust me I know, Steve wouldn't stop so I just let him in, in the end - it was the best thing I ever did."

"You say it like it's easy..." I mumbled, resting my head against Bucky's shoulder. His cologne washed over me, mixed with the smell of metal and something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"Speaking to people is never easy, getting it off your chest, but once you've done it, it feels a lot better." Bucky's metal hand held my own - my pale skin a stark contrast to the pale metal of his arm. Stark had made him another one after the incident in Russia - they seemed on good terms for now. The King of Wakanda had given them the precious vibranium for a better, stronger arm.

I looked up to Bucky, scanning his face. "Why did you follow me?"

He shook his head, a piece of hair falling into his eyes. "In case you did something stupid, something you'll regret."

"I don't want Becky to see me, see who I've become." I moved away from Bucky, leaning forward on my knees. "I don't want her to care, it's easier that way." The cold night air greeted my skin. Goosebumps rose on my arms, making me shiver. The cold was back.

"I understand that but just give it a try, it's been a while by the sound of things, maybe she's changed her mind about you." Bucky stood up, picking up my crutches and handing them to me. "We should get back otherwise you'll be tired seeing your sister tomorrow."

We hadn't been walking long before a group of people outside a nightclub started pointing at Bucky, snickering. None of their features showed any sign of pleasantries or kindness.

"Hey frosty! Gonna kill me?" A man caught my gaze, yelling at Bucky.

I looked to Bucky. The sergeant's jaw tensed, pupils rapidly expanding. Bucky clenched his metal fist once before he bolted off down an alleyway.

I followed him. I didn't even think about it as I swung down the alleyway. Bucky sat on a bin, or dumpster as I think they're called in the US. He glared down at his left hand - anger written all over his face.

"You left me hanging there, Barnes." I looked up at him, all remnants of the cocky Bucky I had just seen were gone again. He looked scared. His lips were a thin line and his eyes cast at the floor - he'd clammed up. "Hey, don't pay any attention to those douche canoes."

Bucky shook his head, laughing once before his eyes glazed over again. "I fought in a war to protect the world for those idiots."

I shook my head, grabbing onto the bin and clambering up in a not-so-elegant way. "So did I, Bucky boy, so did I."

"Bucky boy?" Bucky sat up, raising an eyebrow. "Really?"

"I'm testing nicknames, I need an annoying one." I took his left hand in mine, lifting it closer to exam it. "Tin man? One armed wonder? Metallica?"

Bucky squeezed my hand. "None of those are annoying, doll. I guess you'll just have to keep thinking."

"I will find a good one, besides you wouldn't tell me they weren't annoying even if they were." I laughed, climbing down from the bin and tugging Bucky with me. "Now, let's go back to the tower, Sarge. And if those idiots start again, I'll give them a swift kick up the arse."

Bucky looked to my crutches, lips parting but at the last second he froze and whatever he was going to say faded away.

I shook my head. "Just because I'm crutches doesn't mean I'm not bad ass. What you look like on the outside is not always who you are on the inside."

***

Everyone was asleep. We'd gotten back to the tower and gone our separate ways. And now at 2AM my plan was about to go into action. I kicked off my duvet, silently opening my bedroom door and sliding out, briskly walking down the corridor and into the lift. Sunglasses concealed my face, along with my hood.

It didn't take long for me to run to the nightclub, dressed all in black and a dagger in my back pocket. The nightclub was still open, lights flashing and music pounding. I pushed through the dancing figures to the bar. The idiot leant against the bar, downing a shot. I approached him, giving him a warm smile.

"Hey gorgeous," he slurred, staring down at me.

"Hey arse hat." And with that my fist connected with his nose. Operation revenge was in motion.

He staggered back, clutching his face. "W-what?"

"What you said to the winter soldier. Don't you dare talk to anyone like that ever again. Do you understand?" I snapped, grabbing his shirt and pulling him closer.

The man nodded, eyes wide.

"Good." I put him down and turned on my heel, walking away. Everyone stared at me, watching me walk away.

"Stupid bitch..." It was so quiet he thought I wouldn't have heard. How wrong he was.

I slowly turned back to face him, tensing my right leg before kicking the idiot directly between the legs. Vibranium met the guys balls for a brief second before I pulled my leg away. The man groaned and fell to his knees, clutching his junk. I walked away, pushing my sunglasses back up my nose. "You don't mess with this bitch, asshole."