Relentless

Bucky clenched his jaw as he went over the possibilities in seconds. Being a quick thinker was something he'd had to learn from his time at Hydra. He'd had to calculate risk, and make decisions fast. He hadn't always liked those decisions, but ultimately he always made the right ones. When he weighed it up, Jess had proved to be a friend to Zara. Bucky's whole being was based on being able to read people, and he didn't get a single bad vibe from her, which was rare if he was honest with himself...

Coulson had spoken to him and Tony about moving the Elite team to a new top secret Shield bunker, on suspicion of Hydra moles working their way into Shield's soft underbelly once again. This wasn't anything new, as long as he'd remembered it was how these things had always played out, and there was little hope of avoiding it. There were Shield agents doing the same in various Hydra bases while they still stood. Since the bombings of those bases, Hydra had gone underground so to speak, and had kept quiet. Quiet was not always a good thing. Quiet usually meant they were back building like a tornado waiting to drop.

The rookies that were currently training at Stark tower had known Zara was back. There had been a huge fanfare on news of her arrival back in the building, and then they'd had to put her back under lock and key. Her pictures had been removed from the archives and those rookies had been put under a binding gag order following a threat that Shield had kept secret all this time. They weren't to talk about her, even to other Shield agents, and if they were caught even hinting at her or her story outside of the building, well, the consequences were pretty life changing to say the least. Zara hadn't suspected a thing, luckily, and that's how it would need to stay for now.
It was decided that she would be moving to the bunker with the Elites and the Avengers where they'd be kept safe, and they'd start intensively training her up. If she could fight back she wouldn't be in nearly as much danger as she was now. Stark had plans to weapon her up, and had started designing all sorts of gadgets for her. If those sneaky bastards thought they could swoop in and take her while she was defenseless, they had another thing coming. That was as far as they'd gotten with planning anything, but for now they had to be careful with what information they had.

This left Bucky with two options now that he faced Jess and her questions. Option 1 involved him spilling the beans. Jess would know that Zara was in fact Zara. Formerly assumed dead Shield agent, and brainwashed target to Hydra who must be protected at all costs... Option two was to keep her identity under wraps as planned, until she was able to protect herself, but this would mean expulsion from the programme. Trained Shield agents were not allowed to train in rookie classes - unfair advantage, never mind Shield agents who weren't completely in control of their minds and bodies...
How could he trust an I.T assistant he didn't know with such a thing? Sure, Jess and Zara were friends, but trust was something that had to be earned, and it wasn't a question if she trusted her, it was his own doubtfulness that was the issue. They'd both learned that the hard way more than once.
Jess was in training to become a field agent, he'd heard that much through the grape vine as he'd already been approached to train her and a crew of others. If Jess knew Zara's identity, this could be used against her out in the field... Plausible deniability was a powerful thing to have in one's arsenal, especially at a time like this.
Bucky let out a sigh. He didn't know the red headed girl, but he knew she was important to Zara, and in his mind, this meant she deserved his protection as well. He wasn't about to knowingly start digging her grave.



"Yes, we know each other" He said, placing an ice pack gently on Zara's jaw, shutting her up before she could speak. Her eyes looked up at him, hoping he knew what he was doing. He gave her a reassuring wink, and told her to hold the pack in place before he turned back around to face Jess.
"Shield were involved in an incident some time ago. A top level classified incident. Rogers and I were down there to diffuse a situation. There was collateral damage, and innocents involved. After it all went down, we went looking for any survivors we could find. I pulled Zee out" He said, nodding over to her. "We brought her and a few others back here, and we've kept them safe ever since." He said, quite proud of his story-telling skills.
Jess nodded, trying to think of any large-scale incidences that had taken place in the last year or two. Bucky saw her searching her mind for answers and cocked a sideways smile.

"This one was kept off the archives and out of the news. Unless you're Fury, Coulson, the Elites or the Avengers, you wouldn't have heard of it" He said, a little smugly.
"So that's why you haven't been allowed to talk about anything?"
"That's right" Zara said, propping herself up now that the pain-killers had kicked in. She smiled at Bucky, he technically hadn't lied. He hadn't said the whole truth, but what he HAD said had all actually happened.
"That also explains why you live in the building, and on this floor... Why do YOU have a key to her room?" Jess asked, cocking a brow at Bucky.
"If something happens, and I need to get her out, I have access with my card. Which by the way, I'll need back" He said, putting his hand out.
"And you guys are..." She raised her brows suggestively as she dropped the card in his hand.
"Are what?" Bucky asked, a short, no nonsense tone in his voice.
"You know... A couple?"
Bucky blew a breath out and rolled his eyes, catching Jess's attention. Zara put her palm against her forehead in response of how awkward the question was.
"Not that it's anyone's business, but I have a girlfriend if you must know" he clarified. Jess was a bit taken aback by his annoyed tone, but all those years of psyche training had kicked in, and she wasn't buying his response.
"Is it Zeejay?" She asked. She noticed he stepped around her last question, he technically didn't lie but he'd deflected like a true pro. She watched his face for telltale signs of guilt that went hand in hand with lying. His expression didn't change. Either he had a great poker face or he was telling the truth.
"No, I am NOT dating Zeejay Morgan" He said, not entirely sure he could be bothered being interrogated. Still, technically he hadn't lied. Zeejay Morgan was a fictional name...

"Oh. Fair enough then. So where is said girlfriend?" Jess said, her expression softening and her tone friendly.
"Again, not that it's any of your business, but she's away on a mission" Bucky said, letting out a sigh of exasperation. He had a bored look on his face, but he was trying to be tolerant and polite, that much was obvious.
"She's a field agent?" Jess asked.
"Yes..."
"So how does she handle you being so protective of another girl?" Jess asked after a few moments of silence.
"What kind of a question is that?"
"A simple one"
"I'm VERY protective of those I care about. Aren't you?" He said, cocking his head with a small smile crossing his lips, almost as if challenging her.
"Of course I am-"
"Then why would I stay in a relationship with someone who wasn't understanding of that? Never mind the fact that I was and still am for all intents and purposes a soldier..."
"I guess you wouldn't, would you."
"Well then, that was a stupid question wasn't it?" He said, the bored look still on his face. Jess grinned, she liked talking shop with someone who challenged her. She knew he'd be feisty if she pushed his buttons. Where most people would be intimidated by someone like him, Jess appreciated how straight up he was. He was smart, too. Smarter than she'd given him credit for. Her curiosity was piqued, now she wanted to meet this girlfriend.

"There are no stupid questions, Barnes..." She said, giving him a smile which he returned.
"I beg to differ."

Bored, grumpy Bucky was gone, and playful banter Bucky was back again, a smirk remaining on his face. Relieved, Zara chuckled, pushing her hair back off her forehead. She let out a breath and took the pack off her face, tracing her fingertips down the side of her jaw where she'd been hit. She was sure it'd leave a bruise. Stupid pale skin.
Bucky sat beside her, lifted her chin with metal fingertips, examining the site of the hit with a frown on his face. He pressed the hinge of her jaw with his flesh fingers, watching her for a reaction. His fingers traveling down to her under her ear and finally stopping at the site of the impact where she winced.
"Leave the ice on, it'll stop the swelling. There's no fracture."
Zara nodded and put the ice back on her jaw begrudgingly, managing a thankful smile which he returned.

"Bodyguard AND doctor" Jess quipped, chuckling awkwardly.
"I've broken quite a few jaws over the years... I know one when I see one" He said darkly, watching the color drain out of the pretty red-head's face. Bucky chuckled, messing with her was fun.

"So when were you going to tell me all of this?" Jess asked, turning her attention back to Zara.
"I wasn't supposed to say anything ever to be honest. I also wasn't banking on making a friend, so that kind of threw a spanner in the works" She shrugged.
"Is there anything else to the story I should know?"
"No" Bucky said, his tone short again.
"That's all you need to know right now" Zara said, clarifying what Bucky meant in a more polite way. Jess nodded appreciatively, taking it all in.
"So you were rescued by him in a big classified incident where people died. You live in Stark tower, you know the Elite team and Bucky Barnes is your bodyguard?" Jess said, going back over the long and short of it. Zara and Bucky both looked at each other, then back at Jess and nodded.
"That's pretty much it" She said.

Only I'm a Hydra target now. After I died and my mind was wiped, I assassinated a bunch of people before I was rescued by Shield.. Oh yeah, and I'M the girlfriend that Bucky mentioned, and my real name is Zara Jones...

Jess let out a long breath as she considered all the information that had been laid out for her. There were plenty more questions she wanted to ask, but going by Bucky's expression, he wasn't going to answer any more cooperatively.
"You really have been through a lot" Was all Jess could say, looking at her friend. Zara nodded appreciatively, giving Jess a smile.

That's only the tip of the iceberg, my friend...

Zara gave a yawn, wincing again at the pain in her jaw. She didn't remember ever being punched in the face before, but she was sure to make a mental note to avoid it again in the future.
"Come on, Jess" Bucky said, "I'll walk you out"



Jess and Bucky made their way down the corridor quietly. She noticed he wasn't as tense as he was before, his stride effortless and his expression relaxed.
She'd felt bad for drilling him with questions, but that was what she did when she was nervous. She either babbled, or questioned EVERYTHING, which is why she'd taken up psychology straight out of high school. She loved analyzing people, picking them apart, trying to work out what made them tick. This was all well and good, but most people didn't like to be analyzed and picked apart, which is why she hadn't kept too many friends along the way. Being brutally honest wasn't helpful in her cause either, so when people weren't working out for her so well, that's when she'd discovered tech and computers. She could tinker and work out how they ticked, and nobody would get offended. She could close herself off in her little lab and go nuts, sometimes for days at a time, fueled by nothing but determination, curiosity and coffee. Lots of coffee.
A stroke of pure luck landed her at Shield - a professor of hers had gotten her the job, saying they could do with a gifted technician, and she'd been a shoe-in. Being a HUGE fan of Tony Stark was a big attraction to the job, and she'd slotted straight in like a puzzle piece. Being the youngest tech in the lab had been hard initially, but the longer she worked there, the more respected she'd become by her colleagues. Still, nobody really spoke in the lab, it was always head down and work. When they'd been ordered to start defense training, she'd been thrilled to meet Zara, and even more so that they'd gotten along. It was nice to have a friend...



"Sorry about before" Jess said out loud before they got to the elevator. Bucky turned to her, obviously no clue about what she was talking about, given the expression on his face.
"You know, drilling you with questions... I was nervous. I babble when I'm nervous"
"I know you were. Don't worry about it" He said, softening a little.
"You knew?"
"Could see it a mile off" He said, smiling a little now.
"Really? Because I didn't think I was acting nervously, I-"
"I can tell if you're even thinking nervous thoughts" Bucky said, playing with her again. It was too easy.
"You can read thoughts?" She said, feeling the color drain from her face. Bucky laughed.
"No, I can't read thoughts" He admitted. "Super senses amplify everything, and I was already good at reading people before" He shrugged.
"Maybe you should try your hand at psychology, I have books I could give you, I don't read them anymore but you-"
"You're doing it again..." He cut her off.
"I'm sorry..."
"It's fine. You just need to relax" He said, reaching over her shoulder to press the elevator button behind her, making her flinch at his proximity. He stifled a grin, trying his best not to laugh at her.
"I'm sorry" She said, "Guess I've never been this close to someone who could rip my head off before"
That was it for Bucky, he snorted and lost it laughing, much to Jess's confusion and offense. He let out a couple of coughs, as his laughter dwindled, wiping his eye with the back of his hand.
"Glad I could amuse you..." She said dryly.
"No, thanks for that. I needed a good laugh" He said, patting her on the shoulder as the door opened with a ding. "See you soon, Jess"



Bucky headed back to Zara's room and walked her back to his, carrying her gym bag on his shoulder. He ran her a shower and put the ice pack back in his freezer, giving her time to bathe while he made a couple of phone calls and straightened the room up.
Zara emerged from the bathroom dressed in her favorite sweats and a fitted t-shirt, still rubbing her wet hair with a towel. Bucky smiled at her, earning one back.
"Feel better?" He asked as she walked over. She nodded bravely, leaning to pick a hair elastic off the bedside table. She looked up, startled that he was suddenly in front of her.
"You don't have to pretend with me" He said, leaving a kiss on her forehead. She let out a breath and cocked a brow.
"I'm not pretending, I am fine, I can take a hit. I'm tougher than you think I am"
"Oh I know you're tough-"
"Do you?!" She snapped unexpectedly, shoving the towel at him. Bucky frowned, not sure where her attitude was coming from. Tension rippled off her and she suddenly looked like she was about to either burst into tears or hit him. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
"I'm sorry..." She said, backing off.
"What's up with you?"
"Nothing, it's fine."
"Zara..." He reasoned. She shook her head and put her hands up, as if she'd had enough. She blew out a breath, turning to head towards the kitchenette, pulling her damp hair into a messy bun as she walked. She turned the coffee machine on, shaking her head as she collected the cups from the shelf.

"How long have you known about the recruiting programme?" She asked out of the blue, her voice calm now.

Oh, so THIS was what that was all about...

"They put the call out for applicants weeks ago. I was approached to become a possible trainer yesterday" He answered honestly. Zara chewed the inside of her cheek and pinched her brows the way she always did when she was picking her words.
"And you didn't tell me because it's too risky, right?"

Bucky sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back off his face.
"Of course it's too risky." He said, skipping the sugar coated version that he'd started rehearsing in his head the second he'd been told about the programme. "It wasn't my call to keep it quiet, either."

Zara nodded, a broken look on her face. It was strange for her not to argue, which bothered him. She let out a breath and leaned on the counter, opening her mouth to speak, only to change her mind and stay silent.

"It won't always be like this, Zara. I promise." He said reassuringly as he walked over to stand in front of her, waiting for some sort of a response.
"I hate this..." She said after a few moments of silence. "I really just... Hate it" She said, her voice croaking a little as if she was holding tears back. Bucky's heart broke a little. He pulled her in for a hug, her head resting on his chest and her breathing becoming labored.
"Talk to me..." He prompted.
"I'm working my ass off, and it's getting me nowhere, I'm no better off than I was months ago. Everyone is advancing around me, and I'm just... Stuck here in limbo." She said, bravely holding her tears back.
"My only friend is going to be off fighting the good fight and I'm left behind, which is great for her, but then what have I got left? I'm left alone-"
"You won't be alone, Zara"
"Of course not, I'll have six thousand cameras watching my every move. Oh, and Jarvis as well. He's been closing doors in my face this week, did I tell you that? Stopping the elevator so I can only get to our floor and the training room floor - that was after Tony grilled me for walking Jess out to the lobby"
"You were in the LOBBY?"
"YES I was in the lobby! God forbid I walk a friend out. What, is it rigged with explosives or something? Let me guess, there are baddies outside who want to kill me?" She asked angrily, shoving him away from her and rolling her eyes,
"Zara, you don't understand how dangerous things are at the moment-"
"Of course I fucking don't! Because nobody tells me anything! They just herd me around the building like a cow, and monitor every single thing I do and say."
"Some things are confidential-"
"Oh how convenient! Everything's fucking confidential - apparently I'M fucking confidential!"
"That was done for YOUR protection"
"Well maybe I'm SICK of being protected! Sick of being protected, and sick of being watched... I'm sick of fucking everything, and I can't DO this anymore" She said, her voice faltering as the last word came out more like a sob than anything else.



Bucky frowned, feeling incredibly guilty suddenly. It wasn't so long ago he'd been in her shoes, had people watching his every move... If anyone could sympathize with her, it was him. Hell, she'd been monitored since well before the Hydra bombing. No wonder she was feeling smothered.

"Zara, all you need to know is that things are going on right now. Bad things." He said, relieved when she let him hold her again. "You can't fight me on this one, I need to keep you safe. At least until you can keep yourself safe. You have to trust me." He said. "It's a hard balancing act protecting someone, and trying not to make them hate you. Especially when it's someone you love."
"I don't hate you at all, not one bit. I hate this shitty situation" She said, all her energy going into not letting herself cry. "I think I'd actually be lost without you and all you've done for me..."
"I'll understand if you change your mind" He said. "I hated Steve when I came to Shield..."
"You did?"
"Yep. He was too cheerful, too pushy, always asking me how I was, and I mean ALWAYS... I just wanted to breathe, work things out myself. They had to lock me in containment when I started hurting people and having nightmares."
"You still talk in your sleep"
"So do you..." He said, "point is, I never wanted that for you. I didn't want you locked up, I didn't want you monitored. None of that was my call, ever. I didn't ever want to push you, or to be too overprotective. I guess I just didn't realize how hard it would be, stepping into the 'concerned loved one' role. Now I know how Steve must have felt..."
He felt her nod against his chest and let a breath out, her body still tense and shaky.
"What would you have done? If it was up to you, I mean..."

Bucky pondered the question for a few moments.

"I would have whisked you away. Somewhere safe and warm and let you take your time. Somewhere you could feel the sun on your skin, maybe near the ocean, or the countryside. We'd be off the grid, no phones, no tech. Just us" He said.
"Let's go there" She said, daydreaming of tropical beaches, rolling hills and sunshine. "Even if we only ever just talk about it"
"No, we'll go"
"Promise?"
"I promise. Just as soon as this storm blows over"

Zara was too mentally exhausted to bother arguing anymore. Her headache was pounding even harder than it was before and all she wanted to do was rest. Whatever this big classified 'storm' was, would have to wait for now, she'd do whatever digging she could do. One of the current rookies would surely know, either that or she could ask someone like Ward. No doubt he'd have some sucking up to do after the events of this morning.
She closed her eyes and exhaled, feeling Bucky press his lips to hers. The conversation was clearly over. For now.