"I'm sorry, you let Steve do what?!" I shouted, wanting to stand up in anger, but I knew I didn't have the strength to, I was barely able to stand on my own.

The boys had taken me a small apartment in Brooklyn, the borough was different from the last I saw it, more lights and buildings. Bucky told me that this was where he lived. It wasn't far from where his family home used to be.

I hated how I needed help, how I couldn't do it by myself. I'd been so tired after the car ride over, that Bucky had to carry me up the stairs.

"Laura, it wasn't like I could stop him, you and I both know what Steve was like when he made a decision." Bucky sighed.

Bucky and Sam had been filling me in on what I missed because I'd gone missing and was assumed dead in nineteen forty two. Apparently they'd only told Steve and Bucky I was gone after the police department had already given up on finding me entirely.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Sam, finally spoke up, he'd been quiet as he listened to Bucky's story, interjecting when needed.

"I remember walking home from work one night and then everything goes blank" I averted my gaze, avoiding Bucky and focusing on Sam because I knew that Bucky was probably looking at me suspiciously. That night had been the scariest of my life, not only that but it was also the night I had lost Steve, who had gone with only a written note as a goodbye when he went off to war.

"Then what happened" Sam coaxed, standing from the stool he'd been sitting on and crossing his arms.

"I don't know" I shrugged, gazing at my hands in my lap. "Then I was here" Finally I managed to look back up at Sam, avoiding Bucky as I did. "Where is Stevie now?"

"He's spending his days living his life as an old man, he married a dame he met during the war, her name was Peggy Carter" Bucky explained. "Last I heard at least."

Steve was married? The thought broke my heart. I'd missed my baby brother's wedding. Steve left, good as dead as soon he joined the army, now he's somewhere in the world, all grown up, he doesn't need his big sister to take care of him anymore. I picked at a loose thread in my dress, doing my best to keep the tears at bay. I had missed so much of Steve's life, and he felt like he had to sneak off to war, had we not had the close relationship I thought we had?

"Hey" Bucky knelt in front of me, taking my hands in his, they were covered in black leather gloves. "I know this is a lot to take in, but I'm gonna help you through it" he promised, reaching up, he wiped a tear that I hadn't even known was there.

As I was searched his face now, I noticed how he had dark bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept in weeks, but that wasn't what bothered me the most, it was the broken look in his eyes, he'd seen things, too many for someone like him. Bucky had always had a soft heart, too sweet for the world, eyes usually full of life and kindness had been dulled by age and tragedy.

He looked tired.

Smiling gently, I ran my fingers through his hair, it was styled differently but still suited him. "Thank you Bucky" he softened, seeming almost relieved.

A beeping sound broke the little happy bubble I had suddenly found myself in. Sam sighed, tapping on a little black rectangle as it beeped again. "We gotta go Bucky" he stated quietly, glancing towards me. Bucky stood, letting go of my hands as he did. I stubbornly got to my feet, ignoring the dizziness and threat of my knees buckling beneath me. I rolled my eyes when I saw the expression Bucky was giving me.

"You are not leaving me here alone." I shook my head stepping forward and looked Bucky in the eye, daring him to tell me otherwise.

Before Bucky could reply, Sam spoke "Fine, but you can't wear that" Sam gestured to my outfit.

Confused, I looked down at my dress "what's wrong with it?"

"Nothing" Bucky was quick to jump in, soothing my worries "it's just, women don't really wear that sort of thing anymore" he again gestures to my clothes.

"What do they wear then?" I raised a brow.

Sam stepped forward, turning the little black rectangle toward me. I was shocked to see little pictures lit up on the thing. Women were wearing pants, tight pants by the looks of it. Some were even wearing shirts that were rather revealing, having a neckline that plunged down.

"Absolutely not!" I shook my head, appalled. The twenties were a rather scandalous decade because women wore shorter dresses that showed more skin, but this was out of this world. If my mother taught me anything before she got sick was that a lady should never dress like that.

"Laura, you're in the twenty first century, if you want to blend in, you have to wear modern clothes, otherwise you're gonna stick out like a sore thumb" Sam reasoned. I was halfway tempted to do just that, almost willing to refuse, but I knew that the boys would use this as an excuse to keep me here, so I'd have to adjust.

Bucky looked to be on the verge of laughing as he looked between the two of us. "Fine" I crossed my arms. "Nothing like what those women were wearing though" I waved my hand in the direction of the small black box.

"I think we can find you something" Bucky nodded, more to himself than to me.

"And by we, he means me, I'll be right back, then we do have to go" Sam glanced at me one last time as if seizing me up, then he turned on his heel and crossed the room to the front door. I watched him go, biting my lip in worry.

"Don't worry Peaches, he can be trusted." Bucky smiled gently, then it dropped. "Although I would like to know what it is that you aren't telling me" I closed my eyes, I knew he would catch on, he'd only been waiting until Sam left to confront me on it.

Avoiding his gaze, I suddenly finding the wooden flooring much more interesting. There were little imperfections in the wood. Bucky carefully grabbed my chin, forcefully drawing my eyes back to his.

"I don't want to talk about it Buck" I refused, dropping to the couch as my limbs finally gave out, I was still exhausted from the ice, but I did feel a little bit of strength returning. It wasn't a whole lot, but it was good enough.

Bucky knelt in front of me once again, refusing to let me look away. "Something happened didn't it? Do you know who took you?" He coaxed gently.

I bit my lip, unwilling to say the name of my captors. Memories pushed images to the forefront of my mind, men in lab coats surrounding me with accents I couldn't understand. They'd been so harsh in their treatment of me, sticking me with needles or leaving me alone in a small, dark room.

"Who took you" Bucky took my hands in his, dread lining his features as if he already knew what I was going to say. I shook my head, tears forcing their way down my face. Bucky wiped them away before I could, his touch surprisingly gentle, much more so than the people who took me. It startled me a little, so lost in visions of the past.

After a while in their 'care' I realized that they'd taken me out of anger, something had happened. Something to make them track me down. I could never remember why they did it, just that I wasn't to speak, I wasn't to question them, and that if I didn't do what they wanted, they'd kill me.

"I can't tell you" I finally managed to ground out, my voice barely a whisper. "They'll kill me"

"Hey, no one is gonna hurt you" Bucky squeezed my hands with his. "I'll protect you"

Shaking my head, I bit back a sob. "No, no one can stop them" Bucky didn't deserve all that would happen to him if Hydra found someone I loved.

"Hey Peaches, it's okay, you don't have to tell me" Bucky soothed, tugging me from the couch as he stood, he then pulled me into his arms, wrapping them around me and giving me a sense of safety that I hadn't felt since before Mama got sick.

I clutched onto Bucky, letting myself cry for the first time in decades. Crying was a sign of weakness and Hydra couldn't have one of their own be weak.

"It's gonna be okay" he put a hand on the back of my head, running his fingers through the tangles gently.

We stood like that for a few minutes, Me crying and Bucky holding me through it. I finally pulled away, wiping at my eyes to catch any stray tears and drying my cheeks.

"I must look a mess right now" I joked halfheartedly, gesturing vaguely toward my hair and face.

"I'd say so" Bucky grinned, I rolled my eyes, pushing his face away.

"You Jerk" I huffed with a smile.

He held his hands up in playful surrender, although the blatant smirk on his face said otherwise. "Whatever you say Peaches"

I sighed. "I thought we dropped 'Peaches' back when we were kids"

Bucky shrugged "you wanted me to drop it, but you and I both know that Steve and I never stopped calling you that"

"I strongly dislike you, you know that" I crossed my arms, moving to sit on the couch once more, my strength failing me once again.

"Whatever doll" Bucky sat down next to me; his right arm slung over the back behind me.

Just as he picked up some sort of device that the boys had explained was a remote, Sam pushed the door open, his arms laden down with bags.

"I think I got everything, Pepper helped me out with sizes and stuff." Sam announced, almost embarrassed as he set his burden down on Bucky's counter.

I got to my feet with the help of Bucky, holding on to him as we made our way over to the bags. "Thank you Sam." I sent a small smile his way before poking through the folded clothes.

"This bag has pajamas" he said pointing toward the one I had my hand in. "Toiletries and stuff in there and there, and regular clothes in that one" Sam gestured toward the respective bags.

I nodded, gathering the items in my arms. Bucky kept a weary hand on my shoulder as he guided me toward his bedroom, ready to catch me should I collapse.

"Sam and I will wait out here doll, just call if you need anything" Bucky helped me sit on the bed before closing his door behind him.

Sifting through the clothes, I found a somewhat respectable outfit, some stretchy black pants with a white t-shirt that was small enough for me.

It reminded me of what Steve would wear, when he was younger. We didn't have a lot of money like the Barnes family, so all Steve and I had to wear were really simple outfits, dresses for me, pants for him.

The thought made me sad, although Steve did make a life for himself, a good one from what I hear. I shoved the sad feeling away, instead focusing on the boots I found along with some small stockings.

I managed to stand long enough to slip out of my dress and into the stretchy pants. Then I had to sit for the remainder of getting dressed or else I'd fall.