Chapter Six: Family Matters

A/N: It's been a bit of a while since we updated, but hoping to get back on track. Feedback is always appreciated :)

Ophelia's head throbbed and her body felt like lead as she came to her senses. It was dark, wherever she was, and it smelled dank. She was lying on a bed, the springs of the mattress digging into her back. She jumped as she noticed Jordan in a chair only a foot or two away, watching her.

"Fucking hell."

"Finally." Jordan eased himself to his feet, busying himself with some things on a metal gurney across the other side of the room. Ophelia craned her neck, but her head ached and she couldn't see what he was doing.

"Where am I?" she demanded. Her mind whirled as she attempted to think why her ex-lover was doing this to her. "What the fuck, Jordan? Can you please just tell me what you want?"

"My brother back," Jordan said calmly, picking up a syringe and examining it. There was a blue-tinged liquid in there, and it filled Ophelia with fear. She and the Stryke boys had used all kinds of venoms on their enemies. It just never occurred to her that they might one day be used on her.

"I didn't kill him." She shook her head fervently. "I was right there, you know that."

"You didn't stop it." Jordan turned to face her. "You could've."

"You're insane," Ophelia protested. They both knew there was no way she could have done anything to save Leopold without getting herself and Jordan killed. "I couldn't have done any more than you."

"You decided it would be a smart idea to go after Captain America." Jordan injected something in the crook of her arm, making her wince at the slight sting. Knowing their venoms, whatever he'd injected her with would make her feel more than just that...or maybe nothing at all, like the paralytic he'd injected her with when he'd captured her.

"What did you just put in me?" Ophelia asked, a feeling of dread coming over her.

"You'll feel it in a minute." He sank back into the chair he'd been in when she'd first woken up.

"Jordan?" she persisted. She was determined to understand why he was doing this, what exactly had led him to blame her for what had happened to Leopold. "I don't get why you're doing this. We were friends, we were more than friends."

"Clearly not."

Ophelia started to scream as pain seared through her body. So it was one of the toxins that caused agony he'd injected her with. She writhed around as though it could possibly shake off what she was feeling. Jordan leaned forward in his chair, raising his eyebrows.

"Painful?"

"Fuck you!" Ophelia cried.

Jordan shrugged his broad shoulders. "Yeah, well, not as painful as losing a sibling."

"I didn't do it!"

"You helped." Jordan pushed himself to his feet as Ophelia sobbed, shaking her head. "Maybe I should make you feel the real pain. Kill your brother and see how you like it."

The threat to Cassio made her push past the agony, throwing herself off the bed and lunging at him. Ophelia tackled him and punched him repeatedly, but her advantage lasted only as long as the element of a surprise. Jordan was far bigger and stronger, and he easily tossed her off him.

"I'll kill you," she hissed, propping herself up on her elbows.

Jordan looked more amused than anything. "You can try."

"If you're going to kill me, just do it already."

"No, I have plans for you." Jordan watched as she tried to push herself up. "Pathetic."

"Oh, fuck off."

Jordan hauled her up, throwing her back onto the bed. She groaned in pain as she remembered the toxin searing through her veins. This time Jordan strapped her down, ignoring her as she spat in his face.

"So. The chick who shot my brother. How high a dose of this stuff would it take to kill her?" When she closed her eyes and avoided the question, he persisted. "Answer me, or I'll go after your brother."

"He's a kid," Ophelia insisted, knowing that while he killed criminals he wasn't going to murder an innocent teenage boy, "You aren't evil, Jordan."

"Then answer me."

"I don't know." She turned her head to the side, indicating she was done with conversation. "Leave me alone."

Liv shifted slightly as Bucky leaned against her, his arm around her shoulders as she kicked at Steve's door again. It wasn't hard enough to break it, but she was becoming impatient as she waited for the other man to answer. "Can we come in?"

Sam stepped back the moment he saw them, Steve frowning as he examined his two friends. "Liv? Bucky?"

"He's fine." Sam commented, watching as Liv deposited him on the couch and Steve observed the two of them with worry plastered on his face.

"What happened?" Steve questioned, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Liv check Bucky over, though there appeared to be only minor damage.

"We got attacked." Bucky explained to him, though that much was obvious. He turned his attention from Steve, looking at Liv who was still checking the various cuts and bruises he'd gotten. "I'm alright."

Steve threw a first aid kit and cloth to her, watching as she began to wipe at the blood on his best friend's face. She offered a sympathetic smile when she hit a sore spot. "Sorry."

"Well, we found him." Sam commented, gesturing to Bucky as he moved to stand beside Steve. "Now what do we do with him?"

"I don't know." Steve let out a heavy sigh, watching as Liv pulled him to his feet and led him into the room she had once occupied. He trailed after the two of them, watching with a sad smile as they bickered slightly before Liv all but threw him onto the bed, shutting the door behind her. "Has he remembered you yet?"

Liv shook her head, and Steve could see the mix of emotions cross over her face, knowing that the topic was definitely still a sore spot for her. "He thinks we were just friends.'

"He'll remember." Sam assured her with a small smile, the three of them moving into the kitchen. "It just takes time."

"I know." Liv nodded, before grabbing herself some water, heading back into her room and shutting the door, leaving Sam and Steve to stand in the kitchen.

"Well, what do we do with them now?" Sam questioned as he leant against the kitchen bench, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I can't leave them on the streets, but he won't want to stay. And she'll follow." Steve sighed heavily, raking a hand through his hair. He knew that the situation would be a difficult one, but he wasn't exactly sure how to go about it. "I'm sorry you got dragged into this mess."

"It's fine, Steve." Sam assured him as they moved into the living room, looking over at the tv as the news flashed across it. "Looks like Ophelia's running away again."

"I don't think so." Steve shook his head, a frown forming on his face. It seemed too coincidental that she would have ran away just a few days after seeing Jordan worked up. "Jordan was hanging around at the party. They didn't seem too friendly.'

Sam caught on to what he was suggesting, watching as Steve began to gather his things. "Do you think he took her somewhere?"

"Yeah, and I'm gonna go find her." Steve told him, heading into his room and grabbing his shield.

"Are you putting another one in me?" Ophelia asked, watching as Jordan peered over the vials of poison he kept on the gurney. She struggled with her restraints, knowing if she could just get free, she would be able to get her hands on one of the vials. She hated the fact he'd used their own weapons against her, and he still didn't understand what he wanted. He wanted her to suffer - but what beyond that?

"Not yet." Jordan turned away from the gurney. "You're going to lead me to your friends."

"Why?" Ophelia didn't know what 'friends' he was referring to. He and Leopold had been her friends. He seemed to be under the impression that she was now best buddies with the Avengers, but she didn't know what had given him that idea.

"I have unfinished business with them."

Ophelia scoffed. "How devious."

"That business is going to have to wait." It was a man's voice, vaguely familiar. The person who stepped out of the shadows, however, was incredibly familiar. Who wouldn't recognise the sight of Captain America. "Let her go."

"Steve?" Ophelia asked. Why would he want to come to her rescue? It really just reinforced the idea in Jordan's mind that they were friends.

"I wouldn't do that," Steve warned as Jordan reached for his belt and went for his gun, "Just give me the girl and this will all be fine."

"Do it, Jordan," Ophelia begged, watching as Jordan pointed the gun at Steve's head. Despite all he'd done, she didn't want him to suffer. "Please. I don't want you to get hurt. I know you don't mean all this."

Jordan considered for a moment, his jaw clenched. If he blamed anyone more than Ophelia for Leopold's death, it was Captain America. However he turned on his heel and sprinted out. Once he'd left, Steve walked over to Ophelia, easily breaking her restraints. She pushed herself to her feet, Steve putting an arm on the small of her back to help her. The touch was strange to her, as was his concern when he spoke.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine." Ophelia didn't look him in the eye. She wondered what Steve wanted, exactly. Was he really just saving her out of the goodness of his heart?

"You don't look fine."

"I will be." She shrugged him on, unwilling to accept that she needed his help. Nonetheless, Steve took her arm and led her from the room where Jordan had kept her over the past few days.

"Come on. Let's get you somewhere safe."

Bucky sat down on the lounge carefully as he examined Liv's sleeping form. She was half sprawled on the lounge, half hanging off of it. He shifted her slightly to prevent her from falling off before plopping down on the comfortable cushions, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he watched her stir from her sleep.

"Hey." She smiled at him through half lidded eyes.

"Hey." Bucky smiled back at her, watching as she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. "You okay?"

"Just a bit tired and sore." She yawned, pushing her hair out of her face before rubbing her eyes. "How's the head?"

Bucky shrugged, leaning back against the couch as she shifted to make room for him. "It's alright."

"Good." Liv pushed herself to her feet, kissing his cheek as she made her way into the kitchen, leaving Bucky to touch his face where her lips had lightly touched. "Coffee, Sam?"

"Sure." Sam nodded, leaning against the kitchen bench as Liv poured the three of them coffee.

"Where did Steve get off to?" She questioned, handing the mug over to Sam as she made her way back into the lounge to hand Bucky his, settling down beside him.

Sam sat in the armchair beside them, sipping at his coffee. He'd seen Steve leave early in the morning, but hadn't pressed the other man for details, though he knew he was off finding Ophelia. "He's off playing hero."

"Ah, how typical." Liv mused as she sipped her own mug.

Bucky blinked as he felt Liv move one of the wires in his arm, his finger twitching as she did. She seemed at ease as she moved the panels about, his eyes tracking to the front door when he saw it swing open, Steve dragging Ophelia in. "What happened?"

Ophelia scowled as Steve deposited her down on the couch. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"Jordan happened." Steve explained to the other two people in the room, handing Ophelia a pillow so that she could lay down comfortably on the couch.

Bucky observed the bruises that were evident on her figure, though she appeared to not have taken too much damage. "He did something to you."

"You could say that." She scowled, looking over at Steve as he handed her a glass of water. "Thanks."

"Need anything else?" Steve questioned, glancing at Liv as she finished repairing the minor damage to Bucky's arm, taking her leave silently as she trailed into her room.

Ophelia shook her head, placing her empty glass on the table beside her. "Just sleep."

Steve grabbed her a blanket before taking her glass, walking into the kitchen, aware of Bucky who was trailing behind him. "She was abducted by Jordan."

Bucky frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched his friend move about the kitchen. "He hurt her? Why'd he take her?"

Steve shrugged. He wasn't entirely sure of the whole situation, but he was fairly sure that it had something to do with Leopold. "Revenge for his brother dying."

"She didn't kill Leopold." Bucky pointed out, though Steve could see how taking Ophelia would give Jordan a way to get at the person who had done it. "It doesn't make sense that he'd take her just to get revenge. He's probably got some bigger plan."

"I'm sure he does, but I don't know what it is." Steve sighed heavily, grabbing a thermometer and moving back into the lounge room to check Ophelia's temperature before sitting down beside her and tucking a blanket over her now sleeping form.

"You do remember she was sent to kill you once, right?" Bucky reminded him, leaning in the doorway as he watched the interaction.

"So were you." Steve countered, not bothering to look over at him.

"She did it of her own free will."