Six

I looked at Steve. He didn't seem upset, per se, by my telling him that Bucky and I had decided to annihilate a Hydra base. Concerned, yes. Shocked, definitely not.

“So you and Bucky got along fine all evening... killing Hydra members and stealing weapons from them?” He looked at me questioningly. I really wasn't sure how to respond. It was pretty obvious that the answer was yes.

“Yeah.” I nodded.

“That's... concerning.” Steve looked perturbed.

“It's concerning that we got along?” I wasn't sure why that would be construed as a bad thing. Bucky and I weren't the best of friends. We had a long history, most of which neither one of us could remember, but it made us cross with one another.

“No.” Steve closed his eyes in defeat. “It's concerning that you only got along because you were destroying a Hydra warehouse.”

“We had a common goal. I wouldn't expect it to extend beyond that.” I replied honestly. “The men at that warehouse were bad men. Lars was the worst. He deserved what he got.”

“What did he do to you?” Steve seemed almost afraid to ask.

“He used to hit me. I broke one of his shitty weapons once, and he took it out on me every time I saw him.” I shrugged. “That's what you get when you don't figure the assassin you're beating will ever escape and come after you. That's what they all should have thought about.”

“That's not right. I'm sorry that happened to you.” Steve sighed. He was slouched on the edge of my bed, his broad shoulders slumped.

“Are you mad at me?” I asked. I wasn't really sure how I'd feel about that. I didn't want Steve to be mad. He was one of the few people in the world that I cared what they thought. However, I also didn't see why he would be upset. He hated Hydra too, though maybe not with quite as much fervor as Bucky or myself did.

He shook his head. “No, not mad exactly. Definitely not mad that you... took care of that situation. I can completely understand why you did what you did.” He took a deep breath, his shoulders straightening up a little. “I just... I thought you were done with killing.”

“I'm killing on the right side now though.” I pointed out.

“Yeah, but you're still doing it. And you don't seem to have an issue with it.”

“I don't.” I agreed. “I don't have an issue at all. Besides, you kill people.”

“I know, but I don't like doing it.”

“I wouldn't say I enjoy it either.” I objected. “It's just... necessary sometimes and doesn't bother me.”

Steve ran a hand over his face, obviously not sure how to proceed with this conversation.“Let's just go to bed? I'm tired. I'm sure you're tired. We can talk about this tomorrow. Along with Bucky.” Steve glanced at me. “If you want me to sleep in here. I can crash out on the sofa if that's better for you. I don't mind.” He looked uncertain, though I wasn't sure if it was because he thought I didn't want him there, or if he was reconsidering being there in the first place due to current circumstances.

“If you want to stay, I'd like you to.” I looked down at my hands. Then I looked back up at him. “I'm sorry if you're disappointed in me, but I did what I had to do and I'm not sorry about that. ”

Steve looked at me for a long time, until I almost couldn't stand the silence anymore. Then he leaned over and brushed a kiss across my lips. “I'm not disappointed, Six. Just surprised. And exhausted. And everything that happened to you in Hydra... it makes me mad when I find out about it. It wasn't right.” He glanced around the room and then back at me. “And yeah, I'd like to stay.”

“All right.” I scooted over towards the wall on my bed, sliding under the covers. He stood and shut off the light, stripped to his boxers, and climbed in beside me. His hands reached out across the sheets and found me in the dark, pulling me close against him, his front to my back. He buried his face into the back of my neck.

“Goodnight, Six.”

“Goodnight, Steve.”

* * *

earlier that day

Steve and Dan Lagherty arrived at the brick row house in Brussels that evening. Alfred had driven them there, and he parked along the street. The two men got out.

“They're staying in this one. It's technically my summer home, but they'll be here as long as it's safe. I didn't know where else to put them.” Dan motioned across the street at #2317.

“Are you sure there is a Hydra breach at the DGSE?” Steve asked him, removing his sunglasses and peering at the residence. It had a small front stoop with three steps leading up to it and a green railing. It was on a quiet tree-lined road.

“Not one hundred percent, but I'm reasonably sure. I think they have agents everywhere. The infiltration of SHIELD really shocked the entire intelligence community. We all thought we were invincible.” Dan replied. “Are you ready to go in?” Steve nodded and they crossed the street. Dan knocked on the door and a moment later, a woman with long curly black hair and skin the color of cinnamon answered the door. Steve did a double take. The woman was in her late thirties, she was beautiful, and she looked a hell of a lot like Six. The same big eyes, the same mouth, the same slightly haunting smile. Steve figured this must be Marina.

“Dan.” The woman began to speak in french. Steve didn't know what she was saying.

“Marina. Good to see you!” Dan smiled kindly at the woman. “This is...” Dan gestured at Steve, trailing off.

Steve stuck out his hand to shake hers. “Steve. Steve... Barnes.” He threw out the first last name he thought of. Turned out it was Bucky's. “Steve Barnes. I'm with United States Security. Forgive me, I don't speak french.”

The woman shook his hand and looked curiously at Dan. “United States Security? What exactly is going on, Dan? I thought this was DGSE business.”

Dan nodded. “It is, but it's being dealt with by multiple bureaucracies. Steve Barnes is here to verify your well being while we decide how to proceed further. Checks and balances, you know.”

She looked uncertain, but let the two men into the house. Two kids ran through the hallway and up the stairs. “No running!” She called after them. She turned back. “Sorry. They're a little wound up from all of the excitement and being in a new place.”

“No worries. Kids will be kids.” Steve smiled at her kindly, hooked his sunglasses into the collar of his button-up shirt, and looked around the house. He wondered what it would be like to have a family, to have children of his own. He wondered how good of a mother Six could possibly be in her present state. He snapped out of it. “How many people are here right now?”

“My husband Francois and myself, and our kids. Francois is upstairs taking a nap; he's been fighting off a cold. Dad and Mom are here too. They're in the living room. Should I go get them?” Marina asked.

“Don't bother Francois. But if you could get your parents, that would be great.” Steve smiled. He wasn't sure if Six would be glad that Marina was close enough to her adoptive mother to call her “mom”, or if it would devastate her. Marina nodded and went into the other room, returning a moment later with an elderly couple in tow.

“Let's go into the dining room.” She suggested, leading the way. Luc's wife, a small elderly woman with graying strawberry-blonde hair, went to make coffee. The rest of them sat around the table. Luc was a tall, solidly built man with thinning black curls and deep set eyes. He had the look of a man who had been incredibly handsome in youth, and had aged extremely well. His dark hair was just graying at the temples and his dark skin creased on his forehead; he looked distinguished. He also looked suspicious.

“I'm Steve Barnes. United States Security.” Steve reached out to shake Luc's hand. Luc took it. He had a firm handshake.

“What exactly is going on?” Luc asked guardedly. Steve couldn't blame him for having doubts. His entire family had been uprooted due to the 36 year old mystery of his wife's disappearance.

“Certain details of your late wife's employment have been called into question.” Dan explained. “She may have made the wrong people mad; we need to keep you hidden until we make sure you aren't in danger.”

“You've told me that before.” Luc frowned. “Y/N died in 1979. It's been over three decades. Who could possibly be looking for us? They would have found us by now. It wouldn't be hard. My artwork is all over the city. We all have Facebook. Marina is a teacher. We aren't hard people to find. Who exactly is looking for us?”

Steve and Dan looked at each other nervously. Steve returned his gaze to Luc. “Honestly, Sir, there are a few agencies we're concerned with, but I'm sorry to tell you, the top of the list is Hydra.”

Luc looked shocked. “Hydra?” He looked to Dan, then back to Steve. “Was my wife mixed up with Hydra?”

“Not willingly, no.” Steve assured him. “But some of her actions are just now being discovered, and we don't know if Hydra is just learning about them as well. Hydra has infiltrated... a lot of networks. It's better to be safe than sorry.”

“I see. Kind of.” Luc nodded. “At some point I expect the details to be explained to us.”

“They will be.” Dan confirmed. “Right now, they're classified.”

“Of course they are.” Luc sighed. His eyes looked weary. This was a man that had lived through hell a long time ago, and was afraid he would have to do it all over again.

Luc's wife, Adele, came in through the swinging door with coffee cups. She gave one to each person, and sat down. She sensed the tension in the room. “Luc, now that Dan's here, why don't we have him help us figure out the satellite for the TV.” Steve could tell she was just trying to lighten the mood. “We've been having problems with it. The only thing that we get is a channel that only plays reruns of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” in Czechoslovakian.”

“Oh, damn, it's doing that again? Come with me, there's a trick to it.” Dan got up and led Luc and Adele out of the room, leaving Steve alone with Marina.

Marina eyed Steve. He eyed her back. Finally she spoke. “Is there anything you can tell me about my mother?” She looked like she'd had a long past few days. Stressed. He felt badly for her.

“Your mother was a good woman.” He paused. He had to separate himself from this, from Six, right now. “By all accounts, she served her country exceptionally well. When she went missing in 1979, the intelligence community took a huge hit.”

“She died in 1979. I'm sure of it.” Marina took a sip of her coffee.

“Oh?” Steve raised his brows. He had to keep up the charade that Six was dead, but he was curious as to why Marina felt so strongly about it.

“I obviously didn't know what happened until I was older. I knew my mother was gone, and that Adele was not my biological mom. But dad waited until I was grown to tell me that she worked for the DGSE, and that her convoy was hit in Iran. That Dan was the only survivor, and all of the other French spies and the Iranian spy were killed.” She looked down into the coffee, pushing her hair back so that it wouldn't fall into the cup. “Dad always told me that my mother would never choose to leave. The only thing that would keep her away from us was if she had died. My mother didn't leave us. She had to have been killed or she'd have come back.”

Steve's heart sank. This poor woman wasn't wrong. Six would have come back if she could have. If she remembered her family, if there had been no memory wipe and no cryo. It was reasonable to even say that the woman Six had been was dead. But it broke him to see that her daughter had lived 36 years not really knowing what had happened to her mom.

“We never found a body, Marina. But... from what I know of your mother, I think what you've said is correct.” He thought back a few nights, to when Six had found out that Marina existed, and had immediately stolen a jet to go find her. “She would have moved heaven and earth to get back to you. She only has, er, had your best interests at heart.”

Marina looked at him strangely. “You speak like you knew her. But you're too young to have ever met her.”

Steve smiled sadly. “I'm older than I look. But I've studied her files. I know a lot about your mother. As much as anyone can really know at this point.”

“Are you all trying to find out what happened to her? Will we eventually know how she... how she died?” Marina's face was stricken. “It's been hard, never knowing how it happened. I hope it was quick. Dad said they didn't declare her dead until 1981, but I hope that she didn't suffer that long.”

Steve felt the lump in his chest grow. Six had suffered for decades, not two years. He but on a stoic face. “We're doing all we can to find out. We should have some idea what our next play is soon, as well. We need to keep you safe for the time being. Thank you for being so patient. I know this is a disruption to your life.”

“I have children, Mr. Barnes. It's not about me anymore. It's about keeping my kids safe. I just never thought anything like this would catch up to us.” Her eyes were like fire. The same intensity that he saw in Six's face quite often.

“I'll do everything I can to expedite the process.” Steve stood up, hearing Dan approaching from the other room. “It was nice to meet you, Marina.”

* * *

present

I dreamed that night of life before Hydra. A small house in Paris, Luc painting in the living room on a big easel when I came home from work every day and later the same thing, only with Marina playing on a blanket on the floor. The two of us cooking dinners in the small kitchen. The day Luc sold his first painting for a substantial amount of money. Marina getting her first tooth. Putting on suits and going back to work.

I woke up missing that life, the life I barely remembered. The man I'd pledged my life to; the daughter I hadn't seen grow up. It was a past I only saw in my dreams. My heart was heavy. My file had said I was a spy, and I had a feeling I had been a good one. I'd probably had pretty loose morals all along. Hydra had wanted me for a reason and it wasn't because I was mundane.

After dreaming about Luc I actually felt a little bit guilty waking up beside another man. I quickly pushed that out of my head. Luc was seventy years old now, with a new wife- no, not even a new wife. A wife he'd had for over 30 years. He'd been married to her many times longer than he'd been married to me. He now had two more children besides Marina. That part of my existence was over. That made the guilt subside. I tried not to think about the very real possibility of never seeing my family again.

It was morning by now, and it looked like I'd slept in kind of late. Sunlight poured in the bedroom window and spilled warmly over me. I couldn't remember the last time I'd done that. I climbed out of bed, got dressed, and went downstairs. Steve and Bucky were in the kitchen. As I approached the door I heard the sound of raised voices.

“You have no idea what they put us through, Steve. Every single one of those assholes at the base deserved what they got.” Bucky said angrily.

“I didn't say they didn't deserve it, Buck. I just said it was a hasty decision. We could have gotten the team involved. Taken the base. Put those guys in jail.” Steve stated bluntly.

“We had it handled, Steve.” Bucky shot back spitefully. “Jail is too good for them.”

“Obviously.”

When I walked in they were glaring at each other. “What's going on?” I asked.

“You told Steve about our mission last night.” Bucky looked at me accusingly, with dark, flashing eyes.

“I did.” I nodded.

“Wait, you two weren't going to tell me?” Steve regarded both of us incredulously. “Are you serious?”

“We were going to tell you. We just...” I trailed off.

“We were figuring out a good way to explain it.” Bucky frowned at me. “I guess Six spilled it to you though. It's amazing what you can find out through pillow talk.” He turned to Steve, a vehement look on his face. “The sex must be amazing, Steve, if she's telling you all her secrets.”

Steve turned a deep shade of red at the discussion of our sex life. I whirled on Bucky. “That's enough!” I shouted, the anger spilling out. “He didn't bed me for secrets, and that's more than I can say about you! You seem to always conveniently forget that Hydra gave you that mission along with me.” I slammed a coffee mug onto the cabinet and poured myself a cup. “He saw the entire box of grenades in my room, and my bloody clothes. What else was I supposed to tell him?”

“You guys really weren't going to tell me.” Steve was still flabbergasted.

Bucky ignored him. “You couldn't have swayed the story a little more? Come on, Six, I know lying is your specialty.”

“Lying isn't my specialty, asshole, killing is my specialty.” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“That was mine, not yours. You were always second best.” He said flippantly.

“Fuck you. I was great at my job!” I was ready to lunge over the counter and strangle the man. He was sneering at me, his hair up in a bun and his face still tired from sleep.

“You guys weren't going to tell me!” Steve reiterated.

We both turned to him. “We were going to eventually!” We shouted in unison.

“Stop saying what I'm thinking!” I yelled at Bucky.

“You do it too! This is bullshit!” He slammed his fist onto the chopping block.

While we were busy arguing, Steve had slipped his phone out of his pocket and dialed. He said a few things quietly to whoever was on the other line, then looked at us, as though considering whether he'd made the right move or not. He finally shrugged and hit the speaker button.

“You hear me, Steve? I said put me on speaker phone. This is ridiculous! They need to stop!” Mayday's voice carried through the airwaves. Bucky and I both paused and looked at Steve.

“You're on speakerphone, Mayday.” Steve said to her.

“Good. Buck, are you there?” Her voice was stressed and high pitched.

“Yes, I'm here.” Bucky glared at Steve. “You called Mayday??”

“I'm striking out trying to get through to you guys, and she's the only person who can talk any sense into you Bucky.” Steve pointed out. His voice was harsh. He was not fucking around anymore.

“Bucky, god damn it, listen to me. You too, Six. You need to stop fighting, I swear to God. Stop trying to out-supersoldier each other. You're on the same team now. Bucky, whatever hang up you have, fucking get over it! Six, you too!” We both listened to Mayday's expletive-filled tirade. Man, was she pissed. “I don't care what you have to do. I honestly don't! Just get it out of your systems. Fight each other, kill each other, screw each other, do what you have to do, I don't fucking care, but for the love of God fucking stop arguing.”

The kitchen fell silent.

“Mayday, I-” Bucky began but his girlfriend cut him off.

“Don't call me back until you two have made up. I mean it, Bucky. Figure your shit out. You're an adult. You two are fucking old as shit. You should be able to act like it.” We heard Mayday's end of the phone click as she hung up.

Steve, Bucky, and myself all eyed each other. Steve slipped his phone back in his pocket. “I'm going to the store to get supplies. I'll be back in an hour. I agree with Mayday. Figure this out. We can't be a team when the only time you two can stop hating each other is when you're killing someone else. That isn't useful or functional.” He pocketed his keys and walked towards the door. “Try not to actually kill each other, and don't burn the house down.” He didn't look at either of us; he just left. We heard his car start outside and drive away. We were silent for a few minutes.

“I guess they really want us to get along.” Bucky finally said into the quiet kitchen.

“Yeah. Apparently.” I spat out. Our eyes met angrily. “Mayday made it pretty clear we need to come to an understanding in some way.”

“It may come down to one of us killing the other one. It definitely won't be angry sex.” Bucky sneered at me.

“Agreed.” I frowned at him. “That's something that won't happen again.” I glanced at what he was wearing, checking to make sure he actually didn't have any weapons on him to kill me with. I had a knife in my boot in case of emergency- I knew he had to have a weapon on him as well. You didn't escape Hydra and leave yourself defenseless. “Why do you hate me so much, anyways?”

“Why do you hate me?” He countered.

“You stole me from my life. You killed my colleagues. I had a daughter that grew up without me. It's your fault. And you shot me.”

“I didn't know any of that. I don't even remember taking you! And... wait, when did I shoot you?” He looked at me uncertainly.

I pulled down the collar of my shirt and hitched it to the side, revealing a large scar on my left shoulder. “That fight we had.”

“You stabbed me!” He ripped his shirt up and to the left, revealing a six pack that rivaled Captain America's and showing me a gigantic jagged scar down his side. He pulled his shirt back down. “What the hell was I supposed to do? You wouldn't stop coming at me! I don't even remember shooting you. I remember breaking your arm. The arm you stabbed me with.” He leaned menacingly across the island towards me.

“You did break my arm. Then you stole a guard's gun and shot me. You missed my heart, by the way.” I glared at him, putting up my defenses in case he lunged over the chopping block at me.

“I probably missed because I was almost dead from you stabbing me.” He growled. We both fumed at each other for a few minutes, but to be honest, no one can keep that amount of anger going for that long. Bucky and I may not be the most virtuous of people, but we weren't monsters. Not really. He glanced at me, looking conflicted. “Listen... sorry about shooting you.”

I shrugged. “Sorry about stabbing you.” I took a drink of coffee. “You never told me why you hate me so much though.”

“I don't hate you, Six.”

“Bullshit. You've been mad since I set foot here.”

“I don't hate you, but you're right, I have. And you want to know why? I'll tell you why.” He sat back down. “It's because I can't look at you, or hear about you, without being reminded of Hydra, and all of the horrible things I did for them. All of the people I killed. All of the kidnappings. All of the things I don't even remember but that I possibly could have done. You remind me of what an awful person I was for seventy years. Every time I look at you.”

I bit my lip. I wasn't sure what to say. What had happened to him wasn't my fault, he had to know that, right? Turns out, I didn't have to think of anything right away, because Bucky wasn't done talking.

“I'd just started getting my life in order. Started feeling like an Avenger and not like a Hydra agent posing as one of the good guys. I met Mayday and I started feeling like maybe I wasn't the biggest piece of shit in the room. Then we got Intel on you. And I remembered you, after everything in Siberia. The fight, the mission, the sex. I was scared my history with you would jeopardize my relationship with Mayday.”

“Did it?”

“No, thankfully. Mayday's smart. She figured out what happened really, before I did. Or understood it better than I did, at first.” He poured himself some more coffee. “I thought I did a good thing, letting you live. I didn't think you'd show up at my fucking doorstep, looking for my best friend. And then Steve starts falling for you, and I just can't get away from it. You're everywhere. And you remind me of who I hated being.”

“At least you remember being Bucky. I barely remember being Y/N.”

“I was arrogant and proud as Bucky. Steve was always the best part of me. The only thing that kept me grounded back then was protecting the little guy.” Bucky leaned his elbow on the counter.

“The only thing that kept me grounded was Luc. He was the bright star on my horizon. I did questionable things in the name of justice... and he was my lifeline that pulled me back.”

“I did plenty of shady things.”

“I thought you were a war hero.”

“I guess I was. On paper. But like you said in the car, we've always been... ambiguous. Steve was never much of a killer. I did the dirty work. For a long time. I fought by his side and I never hesitated to be the ruthless one. I should be dead. I fell off of a damned train and off of a cliff. This... this Hydra bullshit was a second chance at life for me. Getting out is a third chance that I don't deserve.” Bucky looked pointedly at me. “I played the hero and I died doing it. I stole youfrom a life where you weren't done being the hero. You had a daughter to raise and a country to serve. I was basically dead when Hydra found me- you weren't. How am I supposed to let that go? Especially when you obviously haven't.”

“I'll try.” I finally said. “I know you didn't do it on purpose. But I lost an entire family because of you. It's hard. When I shut my eyes, I see you pulling me out of that car in Iran. But I'll try. And my even coming to Steve in the first place... I'm sorry. I didn't know who else to go to.” I replied honestly.

Bucky shrugged. “I don't blame you. I relied on Steve too.”

“He was such an impact on you, it... it made sense to me to also find him. I wasn't thinking of hurting anyone in doing so.”

“Six, why did you never turn me in to Hydra? You said I talked in my sleep, about Steve. You had to know my allegiance would be tested eventually.” Bucky ran a hand through his hair nervously. “And I know there was no love lost between us, even back then.”

“No, there wasn't. You always were their favorite.” I conceded. “I didn't turn you in because... you were the only person I knew.”

“They pitted us against each other. You were my mission. I was yours. You technically disobeyed an order by not letting them know that about me.”

“I know. But we were in the same situation, and I think that I knew that. You were all I had. It wasn't much, but even at my worst I wasn't going to condemn an innocent man to die.”

“I'm hardly innocent. And you killed plenty of innocent men.”

“I was told to.” I was getting annoyed. “Listen, I just didn't turn you in, okay? Somewhere, I knew what was happening to us wasn't right. Just leave it at that.”

He held my gaze. “Fine.”

“Are we going to be able to do this? God knows you and I could continue hating each other all the way until the end. The very end. It makes no difference to us.” I pointed out.

“No, it doesn't. I don't have to like you to be able to be on the same team, or to go wipe out Hydra bases with you.” Bucky nodded. “You're right. But we need to get past this. We have to forgive each other, because the people we care about need us to.”

“So we do it for Mayday and Steve?” I asked. I poured us each another cup of coffee. Bucky filled his with cream. He held it up, as though asking if I wanted some. I nodded.

“Yes, we do it for Mayday and Steve. At least we pretend, until we can actually forgive each other for real.” It was Bucky's turn to look down at his hands, his confidence gone. He put the creamer away in the refrigerator, not looking at me.

“Deal. I know you love Mayday. And... I care enough about Steve to try to get along with you.”

Bucky smiled slyly. “You know, I think that, including you, the number of teammates that I've shot might outnumber the amount I haven't shot. They're at least close.”

“I'm not on your team.” I replied dryly.

He looked pointedly at me. “You are now.”

* * *

Steve got back to the house, true to his word, an hour later. Bucky was cleaning his guns again, this time in the kitchen.

“Where's Six?” Steve asked, putting grocery bags on the counter and cautiously looking around. He was fairly sure they wouldn't have actually tried to kill each other, but he wasn't positive.

“I didn't kill her, calm down.” Bucky stated flatly. “She's upstairs.”

“Did you two... what happened?” Steve questioned.

“We argued. And then we decided to stop arguing. For good this time.” Bucky shrugged.

“Just like that?” Steve looked unconvinced.

“Pretty much.” Bucky nodded. “You and Mayday mean a lot to us. Enough to make it necessary to stop fighting.”

Steve looked out the window, and back at his friend. “Thanks, Buck.”

“Yeah. Don't mention it.”

“No, really. Thank you. I know it's hard for you. You and Six are a lot alike... More alike than you realize.”

“Yeah. Really, don't mention it.”

“Okay then.”

“I'll put the groceries away. And I need to call Mayday. Go find Six.” Bucky stood up, putting the glock he'd been cleaning down. “I know you want to see her. ”

“You're okay with that?” Steve's eyes met his friend's eyes.

“Yeah.” Bucky paused. “Yeah. I think I am.”

* * *

“Steve.” I looked up as he entered the doorway, his solid body casting a shadow across the room.

“Six.” Steve leaned against the door jamb, crossing his arms over his chest. “You and Bucky came to an agreement?”

I nodded. “Yeah, we did. We'll stop fighting. We'll eventually figure out how to forgive each other. Probably.”

He came over and sat beside me. “I know it's gotta be hard. What you two went through. Being frozen for so long. Not remembering things. And what you do remember... isn't pleasant. I get it.”

I shook my head, taking his hand. “I didn't go into the ocean saving the world and come out a hero. I got kidnapped and turned into a mercenary. So did Bucky. We came out of it as enemies of the state.”

Steve looked at my hand in his. “I guess I really have no idea what you two went through. Other than the 'being really old' part.” He smiled a half-smile, and looked at me. “It's gotta be rough, though. I know that much.”

“It is.” I agreed. “What happened with my family? You said they were safe, but what were they like?”

“Your daughter looks just like you. And Luc never stopped wondering what happened to you.” Steve told me softly. “His wife is a good woman. I'm sorry if that's awkward to hear, but it's obvious she and Marina are close.”

“No. It's good to hear. I couldn't be there for her, I'm glad someone was. I'm glad she had a mother.”

“Marina told me that... well, she thinks you must be dead. Because Luc told her all about you, and she knows that you would have never willingly left. Death was the only thing that she can believe would separate you from her and Luc.”

“Or something worse than death.” I said begrudgingly.

“They think Hydra is looking for them because new information came to light about your activities in 1979.” Steve laced his fingers through mine. “I told them we're working on a plan to get them back home.”

“Yes. Good.” I looked Steve in the eye. “Because I think I do have a plan.”

Continued in “Six” part 10: I Know the Cure to Growing Older, And You're the Only Place That Feels Like Home