Wanted

Bucky made his way down the main corridor, fresh out of the shower after his morning workout with Steve. They'd gone a little harder than usual with the sparring when Bucky had arrived in a mood, both now sporting a fresh set of bruises.
One of the many things he liked about Steve was the fact that he knew when to stop pushing - he'd asked what was wrong and knew that something had happened, but decided not to press the matter, much to Bucky's relief. They'd had a great workout and even had a few laughs, but it was short lived when the recruits arrived early for their own training session...

He slowed to a stop when he approached the cafeteria, seeing Tony and Anna sitting opposite each other with coffee. He watched them talking, instantly picking up that the tone of the conversation was a serious one, Bucky's stomach tightening.
Anna's face was full of fear and worry, Tony obviously trying to reassure her before passing her his Smartphone to show some sort of footage.

Bucky made himself scarce, continuing to watch them for the next five minutes or so, where he couldn't be seen. The conversation ended, both of them standing up with Tony pulling her in for a hug, rubbing her back like he was comforting her. He pulled away from her far enough to look her in the eye and offer some more reassurance, Anna nodding and forcing a smile.
Tony glanced at his watch quickly before offering her a few parting words and leaving a kiss on her forehead. He left the room out the door at the far end of the cafeteria, seemingly in a hurry, glancing out the window on his way past.

What the hell is going on?...

Bucky swallowed hard, deciding to step into the room once Tony had gone, Anna looking up to see him from where she was still standing. He offered her a smile which she returned, and even from a small distance he could tell she was doing her best to gather herself up.

"Hey" he started, as he approached her, testing the waters.
"Hey..."
"You okay?" He asked, Anna swallowing hard as she looked down, nodding.

Bucky's stomach tightened, the thought of her being upset or in any kind of trouble almost unbearable. He let out a breath, reaching over and pulling her into a hug. His grip on her tightened when he realized she was trembling, obviously trying to hold it together.
"Anna... What the hell is going on?" He asked softly, letting her eventually pull away from him in her own time.

He pulled a seat up and sat face to face with her at the little cafe table, close enough that their knees were touching.

"It got out..." She said after a few moments, Bucky frowning, confused, "Someone went to the media, and it's out there... Front page news"
"What's out there?"
"Tony Stark's 'secret illegitimate' daughter... There's a grainy photo of me sitting by the window in my room, and an almost year old photo of Tony looking shocked..." She said, shaking her head, "There are news crews all waiting at the end of the road, and any car coming in or going out since 6am this morning has been swamped with paparazzi..."

Bucky clenched his jaw, suppressing the urge to punch something. He gathered himself up long enough to make eye contact with her and ask if anyone knows who snitched.

Anna shook her head, wiping her eye as a stray tear escaped, Bucky handing her a napkin with a sympathetic look on his face.
"They've called every single staff member in for a meeting. Anyone dispensable will be transferred to other companies - Tony said it's not fair to fire everyone for the sake of what may be one person... But there are too many staff members to interview and cross-examine, and everyone's a suspect..." She explained, Bucky nodding, "The skeleton crew - cooks, secretaries and housekeepers... Well the ones who have worked a long time for Tony - they'll be interviewed and polygraphed, and anyone who refuses will be let go."

Bucky shook his head, pushing his hair back off his face in complete disbelief on his face as he took everything in.

"...But it gets worse" She continued, "Tony's furious... The person who leaked it is in deep shit. He said they're gonna wish they'd never been born."
"But the agreements they all had to sign?"
"-Aren't worth the paper they're written on if they don't know who leaked the info"
"Oh..."
"Friday's already hacked the phone network - any messages or calls in or outgoing from ANY phone since I got here are being sifted through, and anyone who came or went from the base in that time frame will be among the first examined... Until then, the place is on complete lock-down." She said, her breathing shaky as she suppressed the overwhelming urge to cry.

An explosion of sound erupted from outside, Bucky shielding Anna as they both leapt to their feet, eyes glued on the window. Tony's entire fleet of suits came into view, having burst up through a secret door in the ground. The entire compound was now surrounded, along with various guns and cannons which had also been unearthed, self-arming as they pointed out to the perimeter.

Bucky swallowed hard, peering down at Anna who was still hanging onto his right arm, trembling and absolutely terrified. He pulled her in close, putting his arm around her, explaining that as bad as it looked, they were completely safe... Even though he wasn't completely convinced himself...

"I need to get out of here... This is too much" She stammered, still panicked. Bucky nodded, ushering her away from the window and back into the hallway. They made their way towards the apartments, Bucky in soldier-mode as his eyes swept the area for potential threats, ready to react in a second if needed. They slowed down when they got to the first set of doors, Anna tensing again as her heart rate shot through the roof. She stopped abruptly, taking a moment to try and calm herself down, pressing herself against the wall with a shaking hand on her chest.

"Anna it's okay... I won't let anything happen to you, I promise" Bucky assured her, holding her by her shoulders and keeping eye contact until she managed to nod.
"That photo... They can see me in my room... If they can see me with a camera, they can see me even better through a scope..." She choked out, Bucky's stomach dropping at the thought.
"The glass is bulletproof... Even against Tony's weapons" He assured her, frowning when she didn't seem comforted by the thought.

"Come to my apartment. I'll have the blinds dropped, nobody will know where you are unless you want them to. If you need anything of your own we can send for it, but for now at least you'll be safe, and you'll be hidden" He suggested, Anna going over the proposition in her head, "You'll even have your own personal bodyguard" He joked, Anna shaking her head at him.
"No... You've already done so much for me, this isn't your probl-"

Bucky took her hand without waiting for an answer and whisked her around the corner down a second hallway where they stopped in front of his door. He ordered Friday to lower the blinds as he unlocked the door, ushering her into the dark room and locking them in. He flicked the lights on to find Anna standing there nervously, hugging herself.

"You okay?" He asked, watching her as she peered around the room as if seeing it for the first time.

He wordlessly led her to the kitchen where he picked a clean glass up from the wire rack, and filled it from the water dispenser on the fridge door.
"Here..." He offered with a gentle voice, handing her the glass with one hand, Anna doing her best to take a sip despite how much she was shaking. She set the glass down, Bucky's phone letting out a loud message beep at the same time, Anna jumping with fright. Bucky caught the glass before it tipped over, Anna raising her hands apologetically.
"Oh my god I'm so sorry" She stammered, mortified at her clumsiness.
"It didn't tip over, it's fine"
"No - it's not that. You don't need this shit-" She started, Bucky cutting her off when he grabbed her without warning and pulled her in for a tight hug. He held her still for a moment, Anna trying to pull away unsuccessfully before burying her face in his chest and just breaking down like she hadn't done in years.
A lump formed in Bucky's throat, both upset and worried now seeing how distraught she was. Her hands pulled tightly into fists against the sides of her face, Anna's body trembling like crazy as she sobbed.
Bucky's flesh hand smoothed her hair away from her face, coming to rest where her neck met her shoulders, rubbing the tension away. He clenched his jaw, going over the list of suspects in his head who could have gone to the media, and imagining doing sadistic things to them.

He stood there holding her for as long as she needed, part of him finding comfort in the fact that no matter what was going on - she was safe with him in that very moment.
"I'm so sorry" Came her quiet, hoarse voice when the sobs became sniffs, Bucky shushing her as he rubbed her back, keeping his hold on her quite tight.

She rubbed her eyes and blew out a breath, her arms finding their way around him as her body relaxed.
"You're okay..." He soothed, his chin gently resting on top of her head.
"I'm an idiot"
"No you're not" He assured her,
"I am... I never cry, and that's twice I've lost it on you now"
"It's fine" He chuckled, "you said we were friends, didn't you?"

Anna found the courage to pull away a little and look up at him.

She apologized again, her expression full of shame and embarrassment which Bucky chose to ignore. He took her face in his hands and rubbed the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs before pressing a kiss to her forehead. He feigned embarrassment at his little act of affection, Anna letting out a giggle which made him smile.
Neither of them had discussed the last forehead kiss, but it was obviously close enough to the forefront of her mind that the joke wasn't lost on her.
He led her over to the couch, Anna following him obediently. He plonked her down, handing her a cushion to cuddle, and crouched down in front of her, unzipping her ankle boots - completely ignoring her protests.

Bucky ordered her to stay put, leaving the room momentarily, bringing a box of tissues and a quilt with him when he returned.

"Here you go - your stress-free, 'couch day' starter kit..." He smiled, spreading the quilt over her and holding the tissue box out so she could take one. "I'll get some coffee happening, and you can pick something to watch" He added, leaning over her to pick up the TV remote before picking up her hand. He placed the remote on her palm, curling her fingers around it, Anna looking up into his eyes for a moment.

What the hell are you thinking, Barnes? ...Just 5 minutes inside that head of yours... Just five minutes behind those devastatingly blue eyes...

Anna tried her best to smile, letting out a breath as she covered his hand with hers, holding it so that he couldn't move.

"I'm not taking up your couch all day, I promise I'll be out of your hair as soon as-"
"Will you shut up? Please?" Bucky said light-heartedly, shaking his head at her as he pulled his hands away, "You're staying here until I let you go - consider yourself kidnapped again until further notice" He added, crossing his arms as he rose to his full height, trying to look as intimidating as possible... Except for the endearing 'concerned smile' on his face.

Anna blew out a breath, giving a nod as she really wasn't sure how else to respond...

"Look... Stark knows you're here. I shot him a very quick message while we were on the way, it's cool. He knows your safe, and he'll be back here as soon as his meeting is over with. He'll have a plan, and he'll know exactly what to do - he has a great P.R team. He has to - he's kind of a screw-up as far as celebrities go..." Bucky joked, Anna looking worried again.

"I hate seeing you like this..." He said as he sat down beside her, his voice almost a whisper. Anna swallowed hard, suddenly wanting to cry all over again...

Great, there he goes, being all concerned and vulnerable and sweet...

"...Thank you so much for all of this... I don't even know where to start..." She choked out, looking down as she shook her head at herself, "All I can think of is how incredible you've been towards me, and how much of a pain in the ass I've been towards you" She chuckled, swallowing back that lump in her throat that was threatening her again...

"None of this is anything you could have helped - so you're not a pain in the ass, I promise" He assured her.
"Still, once again I'm in your apartment, in your personal living space-"
"-Anna you could move in tomorrow and it wouldn't bother me one bit"
"I'm sure you don't mean that after our last attempt at living together..."
"It wasn't that bad, was it?" He asked with a cheeky grin, Anna smiling back at him as she dabbed her eyes again with the tissue.

"All things considered it wasn't too bad... Maybe if I'd have known you first, it might have even been nice"
"Nice huh?"
"Well... Yeah? I mean we got along for the most part, didn't we?" She asked, holding his gaze, "When I wasn't being completely awful to you.." She added, a frown forming over her face again.
"Hey... I wasn't too great towards you either, remember?" He said, ducking his head to make eye contact again, "Something about kidnapping at gunpoint comes to mind?"
"Yeah, you were, uhhh... Terrifying" She joked, "please don't do that again?" Bucky giving a nod of agreement along with a laugh as well.
"Sorry about that... I still feel awful about taking you the way I did"
"No, don't apologize... I'd be dead if you hadn't" She said with a grateful smile, "I know now that you wouldn't hurt someone unless you absolutely had to"
"Yeah well. That may change if I find out who's behind this security breech..." He said a little more seriously, shaking his head.

Anna swallowed hard, the thought of 'violent Bucky' making a comeback making her feel stressed all over again, Bucky reading it on her face.

"Sorry" he said sheepishly, "Still learning to rein in the ol' temper..."
"It's fine" She assured him, letting a breath out, "It's not you, it's me-"
"-Oh wow, you're giving me the line already!?" He joked, changing the tone of the conversation, Anna actually laughing out loud.

"That's better" He smiled, his whole face lighting up at the sound of her laughter, "...even if you dumped me before we so much as had coffee together"
"I'm sorry" She said, in between chuckles, "I officially un-dump you then"
"Good... I guess I'll go put the machine on, then?"
"That sounds great"

He shot her his 'trademark flirty Bucky grin', Anna smiling back and pretending to be busy with her phone to hide her pink cheeks.

Jesus Christ...

Her phone lit up with an incoming call, Bucky's attention snapping over to her as she slid her finger across the screen and answered it.
"Hey Tony" She said, nodding to Bucky, keeping eye contact with him as he seemingly listened in.

"Hey, are you alright?" came Tony's voice through the speaker, "Still with Barnes?"
"Yeah I'm fine and I'm with Bucky"
"His room?"
"Yeah"
"Okay, I'll be there in a minute or two"
"See you soon..." She said, giving Bucky a worried look as she hung the phone up.

"He's coming here... Is that okay?" She asked him, stress in her voice now, "I can meet him somewhere else, I know you guys don't get Along...  I'm so sorry, I should have asked first-" She stammered as she flicked the blanket off and stood up, Bucky hurrying over to her with a mug in hand.

"Anna, chill" He smiled, stopping in front of her, "He's coming here to make sure you're okay, it's not like you've invited him over for a fucking dinner party"

She let out a breath, a chuckle escaping her as she nodded.
"Do you even cook?" She asked, cocking her head, thoughtfully.
"Maybe you'll find out one day?" He answered with a wink, cryptic as always.

A knock at the door interrupted their little exchange, Bucky telling her to stay where she was while he wandered over to open the door. Tony had impatiently started knocking again, his fist still mid-air when Bucky pulled the door open. He'd mumbled something that made Bucky roll his eyes before stepping out of the way, wordlessly inviting him in as he gestured toward Anna.

"Are you okay?" Came Tony's concerned voice as he hurried over to her, realizing that she'd been crying. He pulled her in for a hug, his eyes shooting over to Bucky, accusatory as always.
"I'm fine... It's just stress" She explained,
"So he didn't do anything to you?" Tony whispered,
"No" Anna assured him, giving a chuckle as they pulled apart.
"I can kick his ass if you need me to?" He joked, Anna giggling more at Bucky's eye roll in the back-ground than Tony's joke. Still, it was nice that there was air of light-heartedness in the room, rather than the usual tension...

Tony sat down, making himself comfortable on the couch, his hand out to Anna in a gesture to sit. Her eyes flicked between the two of them, Bucky giving a reassuring nod.

"Soo..." Anna started as she sat, nervously twisting the ring she was wearing on her left thumb.

"-I can leave for a while if you'd like a bit of privacy?" Bucky interrupted, Tony and Anna both looking up to see a genuine expression on his face. Tony let out a breath... "Seriously, it's no problem-"
"-It's fine, Barnes... I suppose it's best if you know what's going on anyway" Tony said, swallowing his pride as he nodded at the free space beside Anna"
"You sure?"
"Yeah... This kinda concerns you as well..."

Bucky gave a nod, making his way over to the couch somewhat hesitantly, sitting himself down close beside Anna.

"Okay" Tony started, getting down to business, "The paps, reporters and anyone else who shouldn't be at the gate - are all gone... Those that didn't leave before the police arrived will end up in a courtroom, and some were arrested on the spot."
"Oh my god..." Anna muttered, the weight of the situation hitting her again...
"The base is, for all intents and purposes, a 'military' setup, so it's illegal for anyone without clearance to be within a couple of hundred meters from the perimeter. It's also a 'no-fly' zone, so any helicopter pilots, drone operators, or anyone else - have all been warned, and those who we were able to charge, we did." He said, matter-of-factly, "I won't tolerate my privacy being invaded - or that of the people I care about... That's not happening again..." He added, clearing his throat when the memory of his house in Malibu being shot with missiles came to mind.

"SO... Moving on..." He started again, sitting back up as he steered the conversation back into the present, "The 'leak' situation..."

Anna shifted nervously where she sat, both Bucky and Tony watching her, the two men exchanging a glance before Tony continued on...

"I had a talk to my P.R person... The one lady who has been cleaning up after me for many years, the lady who's covered up all my, uh, 'not so professional' moments... And also the lady who single-handedly saved my company, and who now runs it"
"Pepper Potts?" Anna asked, familiar with the name.
"The one and only" Tony grinned, "There's nobody In the whole world who's better at this than her - actually there's nobody in the world more organized, diplomatic and trustworthy than her, but that's another story" He chuckled, giving a shrug.

"So we went over a few scenario's... And no matter what happens, we're going to have to either confirm or deny your existence - in relation to me, at some point in the next 12-14 hours... Publicly."
"Easy - deny it, problem solved" Bucky said firmly, Tony cocking his head.
"That was my first thought, too" Tony agreed, keeping his tone and expression friendly and open, "until Pepper pointed out a very good point  - and it's the whole reason Anna's here"
"Someone's after me?"
"Exactly."
"Yeah, well of course - they're trying to get you to confirm who I am"

Tony nodded again, staying friendly and agreeable, but also with a look on his face that he knew something that the other's hadn't considered yet.

"What?" Bucky prompted him, not interested in the inevitable guessing game that was bound to follow...

"So, say we deny... Keep your identity a secret" Tony started, hypothetically, "Things eventually settle down, you decide to go out as a 'staff member', or a 'friend or partner' of someone here"
"Yeah?" Anna nodded, a picture in her mind coming together.
"Do you think that someone who came after you so aggressively over all these years is just going to forget about you? Especially given that they know your name and face?" He asked, Anna's lips parting as the penny dropped, "Not a chance" Tony said, answering his own question.

"If anything, coming out of the compound confirms to them, that you have some sort of attachment to me, or the Avengers, and it's going to make them want you even more..." He explained, "You're a smart girl... I don't think I need to explain the concept of blackmail or leverage to you"

Anna glanced over at Bucky who was letting out a breath as he pushed his hair back, a pained look etched on his face. When she turned back to Tony, although he was worried, he still had a trick up him sleeve, Anna nodding at him to continue.

"Which brings me, VERY reluctantly, to option number two... We confirm" He started, letting out a breath as if it pained him to even be suggesting this one, "Confirming comes with pro's and con's. You'll pretty much become an instant celebrity. You're young, you're attractive, you're the daughter of 'notorious playboy' Tony Stark" he said, gesturing with his hands as though he was announcing a headline.

"You'll be on the front page of every magazine. People will obsess over your wardrobe, your diet, who you're dating, where you like to eat, what events you're attending - everything. You'll be approached for interviews, T.V, book, and movie deals, people you've never met will ask for photos and autographs... Your anonymity will be permanently gone. Overnight."
"Well I definitely don't want that" She said, Bucky strongly backing her up.

"Me either" Tony agreed, "But there's more... It's not just you who'll be thrust into the spotlight - Alexander Pierce's name will get thrown back in, which means Shield and Hydra will, too. Barnes will end up back in the public eye, along with his trial, D.C, project insight - maybe even the Sokovia accords... This could mean bad publicity for the Avengers, and all those who have any kind of abilities whatsoever. One little 'yes' or 'no' could set off a chain reaction, which means there are HUGE consequences." He added, the thought of it all very sobering...

"Well to me, that's an easy call to make - say no. For all I care, tell them that I'm an assistant, or a maid or something" Anna said, not at all prepared to take on the responsibility of everything Tony had mentioned.

Bucky was equally against the whole idea of them confirming Anna's identity to the media - Anna actually surprised how vehemently he stood by her on the issue.

"There's still more to it..." Tony said, again, his tone very reluctant.
"Dare I ask?" Anna almost cringed.

"Being famous also has it's perks - the main one being the 'safety in numbers' phenomenon... You're so recognized and surrounded by people, that it's like having security wherever you go. There are too many 'witnesses' and eyes on you, which means that a kidnapping or anything of that nature becomes veeerry difficult to pull off..."
"I guess that makes sense" She agreed with a shrug.

"That's fine until she goes to buy a coffee, and thirty people think that that's exciting enough to put on Instagram?" Bucky interjected, "the whole world has her location, then... I don't like it"

"Me either, but it's sure as hell better knowing that not many baddies out there are brazen enough to take a celebrity in broad daylight... Or in public, especially with that many eyes and cameras on them." Tony argued
"You'd be surprised"
"I don't think I would be... But I get your point..." Tony said, "The picture I'm trying to paint here, is that most criminals will wait till the coast is clear to commit a crime. Most people won't commit a crime unless they're pretty sure they'll get away with it - because they want the payoff, not the punishment... It's basic psychology" Tony explained, Anna nodding occasionally as she listened, while Bucky did his best to look as bored as possible.

"So yeah, if she goes out for a coffee and thirty people put her on social media - then her location DOES become public knowledge... But then there will be even more cameras and security when the fans, media and paparazzi show up... That's ignoring the fact that she'd most likely be accompanied by me, you, or anyone else that lives here... And the fact that all of the above are combat trained and armed, and some are also enhanced..."

"I still think the con's outweigh the pro's..." Anna said, confident that her mind was made up.
"And I still agree with you" Tony nodded, "One hundred percent!"
"But?" Anna asked, "I feel like there's a 'but' coming..."
"BUT" Tony started, "Again, there's more... Aside from ALL that stuff, if we jump back to the 'bad publicity' side of everything, there's also the chance that this could also be very GOOD publicity for us and everyone else" He continued carefully, trying not to 'sell' the idea as such...

"I could look like the good guy, rather than the 'absentee father'... Barnes could look like the hero for finding you and bringing you home safe, rather than, well... What the papers referred to him as while he was on trial..." Tony said, clearing his throat, trying to be delicate about the subject at hand, "With good PR, it might just take the edge off all the bad stuff that's gone on as far as the accords, the avengers in general, Barnes, and so forth-"

"-No, don't you DARE use me to talk her into this" Bucky cut him off, "And don't use her as some sacrificial lamb to the public to take the heat off the rest of us!"
"-For Christs sake Barnes, I don't like this ANY more than you, but I have to lay all the options out - it's called being HONEST" Tony snapped back, raising his voice as well.
"It's called MANIPULATION!" Bucky shouted over the top of him, rising to his feet with fists clenched.

Anna jammed her eyes shut, putting her hands over her ears to block them both out so she could try and calm herself down, and hear herself think... The whole thing was completely overwhelming, and the two of them going at it made it that much worse...

No sooner had her hands moved, the room went quiet and both men took a breath, slowly sitting back down despite themselves. Bucky's hand found her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze to get her attention, Tony watching on with gritted teeth.
Anna uncovered her ears and opened her eyes to reveal both Bucky and Tony either side of her - both with the same apologetic look on their faces.

"Sorry about that..." Bucky offered, along with the hint of a smile, Tony apologizing as well.

She let a breath out, reaching over to the mug on the coffee table, taking a sip before assuring them that she was fine, both of them apologizing again.

"Anna, just so you know, I would rather keep you safe here, away from prying eyes... But I also know that at some point, you're gonna want a little freedom - and if you want to go out, then I want you to be happy... But I also want you to be safe" Tony said, his voice level as he carefully chose his words.
"The reality of the situation, is that there's been a leak. I've got a lot of resources going into finding how it got out, and the person responsible will pay dearly for their betrayal... But beyond that - there's nothing I can do to take that leak back. It's out there, so the best thing we can do is to control the damage that's been done." He said, making sure she understood where he was coming from.

"Okay... So what happens now?"

"Well honey, that's your choice. I'll back you up whichever way you wanna go, but ultimately it's your decision... It's a big commitment either way, both 'staying anonymous' or 'coming out' as my daughter... Staying under wraps means things like always having a 'story' and sticking to it. Who you are, where you came from, what you've got to do with the avengers, why you're coming and going from the base... You can't EVER slip up, because if you do, the media will come knocking all over again and it will be ten times worse"
"Why?"
"Because the public loves a conspiracy, dirty laundry being aired, or an expose' of any sort... And the media loves giving it to them... If you get busted covering something up, it usually spurs them on to dig even further to see what else you've covered up. You basically paint a target on your back, and another on the backs of anyone you're affiliated with"

Anna swallowed hard, glancing at Bucky who's expression was still serious and a little angry until his eyes met hers... She frowned a little, bothered by how worried he looked, forcing herself to look back over to Tony who looked equally worried.

"So..." Anna started, "The short version of all this is something like 'both ways are going to be scary as hell, but if we're honest from the get-go, and I 'come out' as your daughter... Then I'll ultimately be safer, and potentially keep everyone around me out of hot water?'" She asked, looking back and forth between Bucky and Tony.

"Yeah... Something like that"

"But there are risks because we don't know how the public will take it, if it will make everyone look good or bad, but either way, all of us will be put under a spotlight?" She continued, Tony listening hard, giving a nod, satisfied that she understood everything.

"Yeah, exactly" Tony confirmed.
"I suppose that if it's already out there, it's going to be easier to be honest, then it will be to bury it, too?" She asked.
"With Pepper on our side, she could bury it. You just say the word, and I'll put her to work... But we'd have to tread very carefully if you chose to go in that direction, and you'd have to lay low for a while"
"And hypothetically if I decided to confirm my identity... Would it get the media off our backs?"
"Well yes and no - we'd have to do a press conference - I could possibly do that on your behalf, but I'd need a statement from you... They'd have to back off, because there's no 'conspiracy' factor, but then there's the race for the 'first official photo' and the 'first story' - which you'd be in total control of... The perks of living in a military base under full guard" Tony explained, Anna letting out a sigh of relief.
"So if I confirm, I basically own who I am, and take control back... Denying is pretty much running and hiding, right?"

"Well yeah, pretty much... The ugly side of the media also means that if you run, they'll chase you. If you stand your ground, they can't."
"That makes sense"
"They get pretty big paychecks out of 'digging up dirt' on people... Some of them hire private investigators, because there's no second prizes with breaking news or photos... It's a very cut-throat industry"
"I can imagine" Anna agreed, still deep in thought.
"It wouldn't take much to find photos of you as a teenager with Pierce, compare them with photos of you now, go back through my history, knowing I dated Caroline, put us side by side and run facial recognition programs - the tabloids will be loving it..."

"So is there a way we could paint all of us in a positive way? I mean, I don't want you to be labelled as a 'deadbeat Dad' - If we do this, it has to be the truth... They can't trip me up if I stick to the truth" She said, Tony nodding in agreement, "they have to know that you took me in - without knowing me at ALL, and gave me a chance. You got to know me, hung out with me, we had fun... You also fed me, clothed me, and put a roof over my head... You've been more of a father to me in a week than Alex was in 16 years..."

"...And Bucky - you saved my life... You went after me on hearing a rumor that I not only existed, but I was in trouble. You came and got me, kept me safe, became a friend, someone I could trust, someone I could talk to, cry with, laugh with..." She said, turning to look at him, watching as his expression softened.

Anna let out a breath, looking down for a moment before reaching out to take Bucky's hand, feeling his grip tighten around hers as their fingers interlocked.
She looked up at Tony, her heart beating so hard she felt like her chest was about to explode.

"Okay... Let's do this then" She said nervously, "Lets confirm it, and take control of the situation"
"You sure?"
"Not really, but I'm sick of running... Will you back me up if I do this?"
"Of course" Tony said, giving her a definite nod.
"What do you think?" She asked, turning to face Bucky who was still holding her hand, "I don't want to put any unnecessary pressure on you... If you'd rather I stay quiet, I will..."
"You've gotta do what's right for you" He smiled reassuringly, "They can't say anything about me that they haven't already said, and a judge has cleared me of all wrong-doing, so there's no risk of doing wrong by me"
"I just wanted to make sure..." She explained, Bucky giving her an appreciative smile and a nod.

"So where do we go from here?" Anna asked, turning to face Tony.
"We need to set up a meeting with Pepper as soon as possible... She's still here on the base" Tony said, glancing at his watch before pulling out his phone and sending a text.

No way is this really happening...

A beep interrupted her train of thought, Tony opening his phone up again, reading the screen quietly.

"Okay, lunch in my office in 20 minutes" He announced, "Well, lunch/meeting... We'll go over it all, figure out our course of action, and have something to eat - you'll love Pepper, she's great" He continued as he sent a text back to confirm.

"...And don't look so worried, everything's gonna be fine - you're in great hands"

I guess I'll see for myself soon enough...