Previously:

"...Bucky?" I waved my good hand in front of his face.

No reaction.

Just a blank ass stare into who knows what.

A quick glance around, and none of the windows showed the snow. Only black sand and water. I doubt Eve would be messing around with him.

"The norepinephrine and cortisol levels on his skin aren't as high as they were earlier, if that helps."

If Bucky wasn't so attached to the monitoring bracelet, I'd have ripped it off his wrist. Nobody needed their own feelings violated. At least, he didn't.

"My guess would be that you broke him. Again. He hasn't done this around the dogs. Only around you."

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I lowered my legs, and his arm didn't fight my attempt this time. He didn't drop me on my ass, merely set me down.

"Come on, let's go sit down, 'kay?"

I took him by his hand and gently pulled him along behind me. He followed with no resistance or much reaction to anything around him.

Worse than he was when following orders....

Before I sat him down like usual, I yanked off the wet cushion cover and laid a fluffy blanket down. Wrapped him all up, made sure his arms were free to move and then had Eve started up a fire with a hand gesture.

"This is really starting to worry me, Bucky."

He didn't even move when I tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. Not a lean nor a flinch.

"Soteria's supposed to be a safe place. It's safe here. You're safe here. People know you're alive now. You're not going to lose years to them anymore. You're safe now."

I pressed my forehead against his, letting my eyes fall shut.

"What the hell am I doing wrong?"

Not that I was expecting an answer.

"Maybe if you knock your head against his, you'd magically gain his knowledge.... Or he'd punch you in the face. Fifty-fifty."

'Not the response I was looking for.... Cinnamon buns.'

Brought in a bunch from the drop off I picked up last night.

"Urgh... the counters are disgusting...."

"If only they listened to me as well as they do you...."

"Maybe they'd listen if you had fingers to snap."

"...Still doesn't work...."

I shrugged. I doubt the dogs would ever listen to Eve unless it's an emergency.

Picking up one of the mini mop Roombas, I flinched away at all the water spitting out of it from the spinning wet fabric. "Eve, mind pausing this thing for a sec?"

"I would rather not. This brings me joy," she laughed.

With a heavy sigh, I set it back on the countertop. From how well it soaked up water under it, Eve likely had it spit water all over me on purpose.

'...This... this is going to take bloody forever.... Can't even risk using the Game Floor to clean this shit. Bucky might freak out and Eve....'

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, walking into the pantry to find a mop or something that soaks up water.

"Talk about what? The mop is behind the door, and you're staring right at the shammies, you blind idiot."

Did not help that they were practically neon orange. Totally did not see them.

"Whatever it is that has you in this foul ass mood, maybe we could put our heads together and figure something out."

"I'm rather certain that bringing people back to life is out of your skill set."

"Shit. Don't tell me it's Gillespie who died."

"No. Though we had to put her back into comatose, and a particular idiot has been trying to convince Fox, who's been begging Mochi to grow an eyeball for his wife, to add a laser beam function to said eyeball.... I don't have the energy to stop that train wreck."

"To what I know, Amber hasn't figured out biological laser beams... I'll be cleaning and Bucky's out for who knows how long, so if you want to rant?"

I haven't touched a mop in years. Back in high school, and they hired a maid to clean my dorm room.

"Fernandez, he.... The shrapnel.... He didn't.... I shouldn't have pushed the schedule up. I was scared to lose track of the child... instead, I lost five of my children...."

"Nobody could have predicted those kids tripping all those landmines. Not even you."

"But I should have predicted this. That temper on Tran was bound to be trouble. She dreamed of the day she'd be on a mission. I took a chance... and hoped that she'd step up when the situation arose."

"Your infield Puppets need to be team players. There's no use for a hothead who can't bother to think of their teammates. We rely on them to follow orders as much as they rely on us to have their backs."

"And that's why you're horrendous infield."

"Doesn't help that I only have about half the skills required to be in field."

"You do realize that you're one to kill first and ask questions later, right? That's going to do a number on Mr. Barnes, even if he isn't the one to train you."

"I am...? Oh shit, I am...."

Made sense. It's usually the one advantage I had in most of the chaotic situations I've been in. Attempted kidnappings. Worth more alive than dead, which meant they'd be busying trying to keep me intact.

"I ran it by him. Maybe he'd stop with this idea of teaching you how to fight."

I hated that.

Hated that I was being limited.

Hated that she was making moves behind my back.

"He got all constipated looking."

Hated that she was manipulating Bucky.

Hated that Bucky might be my only chance to learn.

"He convinced himself it was for the better. The longer a fight drags on, the higher your chances of dying become."

The only one who'd be willing to go up against Eve for such a petty reason.

"I honestly don't understand what goes through his head. Why he sticks around you."

"...Me too.... For now, the choice is his."

"Until they come to drag him away. There's only so much you and I can do to keep the violence away from him. Eventually, they'll find him."

"Maybe by then I'd have some combative skills in my toolbox. You know? To kill first and then... politely ask whoever survives the bloodbath...."

"I suggest you think about what you hold more dear. Your toolbox of skills or his want to not hurt anybody."

"Yay... more bloody thinking... yay...."

'The more skills I have, the less deadweight I am. He could get himself captured trying to protect me....'

"My head hurts already.... I don't want to use my brain anymore. Not for... the next week or so."

"Never happening."

'Why did we have to make everything so damn big?' I had to wonder.

For people who rarely stepped into a kitchen, I don't know why we made one that's probably bigger than the ones in our estates.

'Right. We were fucking dumbass kids.'

"Only the cushion covers left."

"I'm going to just chuck these downstairs. You can deal with them," I said, gathering up all the petals. All except the one Bucky sat on. Dropped them onto the steps.

"I'm going to take a gander here, but did you forget about toasting a certain treat for a particular spaced out sergeant?"

"...."

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Author's Note:

If you enjoyed this part, please consider leaving a vote. They're very much appreciated. ^^

And a big thank you to TinselA/Bunny Carrot (https://www.fanfiction.net/u/7591081/) and the Anonymous Fifth Beta for Beta-ing this chapter.