The soldier's steady breathing kept the nightmares away while Emma slept. It didn't take long for the gunshots to wake the soldier. He was familiar with the sound. Hearing the gunshots was just as natural for him as hearing his own heartbeat. Emma had found the soldier's heartbeat a lullaby in itself, and when its pace quickened at the sound of shots, so did hers. Even as she slept, the soldier stared up at the ceiling, running through the various scenarios, and only one scenario concluded with a happy ending. The soldier knew nothing of happy endings, though, so this would be a first. Emma woke as his fingers danced across her cheek, pushing her hair from her face. As soon as she heard the gunfire, her eyes widened, and she shot up in the bed, pain radiating through her body where she had been beaten the day before.

Her worried brown eyes darted over to the soldier who seemed to know exactly what they had woken up to. She wanted-more than anything-to wake up with him to a peaceful day and escape Hydra together, but that was more like a fairytale than a possible scenario. She wasn't naive enough to believe that things would turn out well for both of them, and she was willing to sacrifice everything to make sure they ended well for the nameless soldier, "what's going on?" she asked, frantically.

"Your people are here for you," the soldier answered, standing up from the bed, "I have to get you to safety. Kyr will be looking for you to use you as leverage against your father. We need to leave," he explained, holding out his hand for her to take. Emma took it, standing up from the bed.

While she gained her balance, the soldier suited up for what was about to come. She was aware that it could be a bloodbath, that her people would show no mercy until they got her back. The one thing she didn't want was for the soldier to get caught in the crossfire. Her people would see him as an enemy, and the other Hydra operatives would see him as a traitor for protecting her. As the soldier reached out for his gun, Emma's hand intercepted his. She didn't like the look in his eyes. He was willing to do anything and everything to protect her. He showed so much conviction in a single glance. He was ready to kill everyone just to save her. The look frightened Emma, and as she stepped between him and the rifle, his gaze softened to the same intense passion from the previous night.

Emma's lips twisted up into a genuine and beautiful smile, the warmth of which radiated through the entire room. She reached out for both of his hands and grasped them tightly. She tried desperately to blink away the tears in her eyes, not wanting to think of the sacrifices he would try to make for her. Sensing her fear, the soldier pulled her slender body into his strong arms, holding her against his chest. She buried her face into his strong chest, melting in his arms. She was sure that if her knees gave out, she wouldn't move an inch, not with him holding her the way he was. His metal arm was locked around her waist while his human hand cradled her head against him.

After breathing in the familiar scent of him, she felt her heartbeat slow down, the anxiety about the upcoming situation dying away. She gazed up into those blue eyes, the color of the summer sky. His hand cupped her cheek, and he offered her a reassuring smile, sensing her fear. He was just as desperate to explore their connection as she was, but he was just as unsure of how to go about it as she was. She could sense the conflict in him, almost as if he had never experienced any human contact in his life. Without hesitation or warning, the soldier pressed his forehead against hers, their noses brushing against each others. Emma couldn't stop the butterflies from fluttering around in her stomach, "you never told me your name," she murmured.

"Bucky," the soldier answered, a look of pride clear in his eyes.

Emma smiled, the name sounding familiar to her heart, like she knew him from the beginning of time. It was why she was so drawn to him in the first place, why he didn't scare her the way others had. She recognized his soul. She pulled her forehead away from his, tilting her head to meet his eyes. She bit her bottom lip, trying to hide the smile that tugged at her lips whenever she looked at him, "well, Bucky...don't do anything too reckless out there. We're gonna make it out of this together or not at all," she insisted.

She could feel Bucky's body tensing up beneath her touch. His metal arm tightened around her as his breath quickened. He was...anxious. She sensed it right away and reached up to brush the stray strands of dark hair from his face, her fingers brushing against his skin as light as a summer breeze. Bucky sighed, "if anything happens to me, you run and don't look back. Understand?"

Her full brows furrowed as her eyes flickered across every inch of his face, desperately trying to find a hint of insincerity in his words. She hoped that he was just joking-something her father did to lighten the mood in some of the most serious situations. She could find no indication that Bucky was anything but absolutely and completely serious, and she felt her heart sink, like someone tied her feet to a cement block and threw her into the ocean. It felt like she couldn't breathe. She shook her head, suddenly angry with him for even putting the doubt in her mind. She pushed herself away from him and out of his warm embrace even as he tried to hold her close, "no! I'm not leaving here without you. We leave together, or we don't leave at all!" she dictated again, a fire in her brown eyes.

"You have no idea what we're up against. I do," he stated, trying to level with her. Emma knew that he was just trying to get her to understand his reasoning, but she was far beyond reason at that point. She didn't want to hear him justifying what he said because she refused to believe that she would have to watch him die. If it came to that, she was prepared to die by his side, but she wouldn't leave him. He continued his explanation when he saw that she was refusing to listen to reason. She saw that he didn't want to be brutally honest with her, but he couldn't make her understand any other way. He stepped closer to her, his gaze softening to make up for his harsh words, "I don't plan on making it out of this alive, Emma."

"Well, you better change your plans because I'll die trying to get you out of here. You're not staying here. I won't let you. I won't let you die either. I can't," she ranted, the anger within her only growing with each word. Her chest rose and fell almost as fast as her rapid heartbeat. Hot tears stung her eyes as she watched him take a breath to argue his point once more. She stepped closer to him, narrowing her eyes as a burning passion filled her chest, "for you to ask that of me, to just leave you behind, is selfish and...and stupid. You don't know what you're asking me to do!"

"Emma, just listen to me!" Bucky nearly yelled as his hands gripped her shoulders. It was hard enough to keep her still, but he wasn't rough with her; he would never be rough with her. His blue eyes deepened, engulfing her almost completely, "if I can't make it out of here alive-if fate has other plans for me-I'll only be able to die happy if I know that you're safe. I just don't understand why you can't follow my orders."

"Because I'm not a soldier!" she yelled in exasperation as she pushed him away. Bucky stumbled back but caught himself, and she was left in shock at her burst of strength. Even though it was a surprise, she wasted no time in continuing, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sniffled, trying to wipe the tears as quickly as they fell, "and fate doesn't have any other plans for you. You're not meant to be here, and you're not meant to die. You're meant to make it out of here. You're meant to be safe...with me. I can't let you die, Bucky, not after everything else I've lost. I can't lose you, too. I can't."

As another tear fell, Bucky reached out and cradled her face in his hands. A piece of Emma wanted to pull away, wanted to keep yelling at him for being so oblivious, but when he held her, she felt like he understood. As the tears began to dry, Bucky murmured soft apologies as he wiped every stray one from her cheeks. For a fleeting moment, Emma imagined what her life would be like if they escaped together. She imagined a life with Bucky by her side every step of the way. She didn't need to get to know him more to know that they were made to find each other. He wasn't was Emma was looking for. In fact, Bucky was probably the polar opposite of what she thought she wanted. She always pictured her soulmate to be tall with blonde hair and emerald green eyes. What she pictured was completely destroyed when she met Bucky, and she regretted none of it.

As she gazed up into his eyes, she leaned forward, pushing herself up onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his cheek. She cupped the opposite side of his face with her hand to keep him steady. As she lingered there for longer than even she expected to, she wondered what his reaction would be to a few more kisses. The feeling of his skin against her lips drove her wild, and the sudden heat radiating from his body told her that he could be feeling something very similar. His skin was smooth against her lips, and when pulled away from the innocent kiss, she pressed her cheek against his, yearning for any form of contact. He was warm and soft and strong.

When she finally leaned back to gaze into his eyes, it was almost bittersweet. She knew that this could be the last moment they spent alone together. She knew that once they walked out that door, she could be killed or-even worse-he could be killed. This could be her very last moment of happiness, and his eyes mirrored her emotions, like he was feeling the exact same thing. She noticed the hint of redness on his cheeks and smiled at his bashfulness. Not wanting to call too much attention to it, she turned to walk over to the door and begin the war that laid ahead of them. Before she could take a single step, those cool metal fingers wrapped around her wrist to stop her. When she turned around to question the soldier about his reasons for stopping her, that's when he took her breath away.

With one fluid motion, Bucky's lips were pressed firmly against hers. His hands gripped her face, steadying her, and in turn, steadying himself. He dumped every ounce of passion and heartbreak and uncertainty into the kiss, and Emma was caught off guard by everything about it. She hadn't expected him to kiss her, but...damn, she wanted it! She didn't expect to feel his pain and fear, but she was glad she did because she wanted to silence those thoughts. To quiet his fears, she filled the kiss with the optimism and determination and passion she always had. As he wrapped his metal arm around her waist and cradled her face with his human hand, she melted into him, arching her body into his. Even in the midst of all the chaos, everything felt right, and Emma realized that her life would be empty without him.

A small explosion pulled them back to reality, and they pulled away from each other. Bucky smiled down at the visibly delirious young woman, and she wondered if she was as intoxicating to him as he was to her. As Bucky picked up his rifle, he held one out to Emma, and she shook her head, "if I need a gun, I'll take one," she assured him, feeling the adrenaline pumping. She could feel the power surging through her veins, and she knew that she would be strong enough to fight. Bucky nodded his head, smirking at her comment before returning the muzzle back to his face where it had been the previous night. His eyes hardened as soon as the mask was on, but she knew why he was doing it. Hydra would know that he went rogue if he wasn't wearing the muzzle, and he was taking the precautions. Right before he opened the door, Emma reached out to grab his metal arm. His cold eyes met hers and softened immediately, "we're leaving here together...no matter what it takes."

Then, he opened the door with one swift motion. She watched him as he looked both directions down the long hallway to see that they were empty. The sound of hurried footsteps came from both directions, though, and they echoed on the metal floor, making it almost impossible to tell how close they were. Knowing that they would have to go toward the danger to reach her family and safety, Emma desperately wanted to step in front of Bucky in order to take the brunt of whatever would lie ahead, but there was no way he'd let that happen-she was sure of it. Staying close behind him as they moved through the hallways, Emma could hear the whirring in his metal arm, brought on by-what she guessed-was anxiety.

As the shooting became louder, Emma felt her blood pumping through her veins. She could hear her own heartbeat in her ears, and her entire body trembled. Bucky shot down every Hydra operative who even looked her way. He was lethal. When they turned the final corner into the mess hall, she saw Clint, Natasha, and her father. Realizing quickly that he wasn't in his suit, that he was the most vulnerable one out of anyone in the facility, Emma broke out into a full sprint to him. She could feel Bucky right behind her. Before they hit the set of metal stairs to lead up to the balcony, Bucky grabbed her waist, pulling her to the side and using his metal arm to deflect a bullet meant for her chest. After her savior put a bullet through the Hydra operatives throat, she hesitated before running up the stairs, "remind me to thank you for that when we get out of here," she stated, a light smile spreading across her lips before she hurried up the stairs with him on her heels.

With only one Hydra operative between her and her father, Emma watched as Clint threw him off the balcony and onto the concrete floor below. The moment her eyes connected with her father's was a moment of pure joy. She was sure she'd never see him alive again, but there he was. Before she could run to him, to melt into the arms of the man who chased away the monsters in her closet when she was young, his eyes flickered over to the man at her side. Her soldier. Her Bucky. She'd never seen a man with as much hate and abhorrence in his eyes as her father in that very moment. Tony broke away from Clint and Natasha, his eyes locking on Bucky, "you're the one who helped torture my daughter. I'm gonna kill you, you piece of shit!" he yelled, aiming his gun at the soldier. Natasha and Clint raised their weapons as well with just as much anger present in their eyes.

Without hesitation, Emma stepped between Bucky and her family, acting as a shield, "NO! Don't hurt him!" she shouted, desperate for them to hear her and to listen. Tears rushed to her eyes as she had hoped this would lead to a happy ending. She didn't want to think that she'd come so close to escaping with Bucky only to have the people she loved the most massacre him in front of her. She couldn't watch him die.

Tony stepped forward, not showing a single sign that he would lower his weapon, "Honey, get out of the way," he demanded in a low voice, keeping his eyes locked on Bucky.

"No! I won't let you hurt him!" she dictated, standing strong against her father and the people who had been a part of her life for what seemed like forever. Her body trembled with fear and uncertainty and so much adrenaline, but she pushed it aside as she felt the helplessness sink in. She needed to make them understand because she refused to lose Bucky, "please, just...trust me," she begged.

Stepping to the side, Tony took a clear shot at Bucky. For Emma, it felt like it happened in slow motion, almost like they were in a movie. She reached out as if doing so would somehow stop the bullet or stop him even though he had already pulled the trigger. As the gunshot rang out, bouncing off the metal and concrete walls, Emma heard the audible gasp from everyone on the balcony. Then, there was absolute and utter silence. Following their line of sight, she realized what happened. A violet mist enveloped the bullet in the middle of the air, stopping it completely. The same violet mist radiated around her hand, twisting and turning like the wind in the spring. Her jaw dropped, wondering what was happening. She had always known of some strange occurrences with her, but she'd certainly never disclosed them to her father, afraid that he would be even more protective of her than he already was. She knew that she wasn't normal, but she didn't know just how abnormal she was until that very moment.

As everyone stared at both her and the bullet, she clenched her fist and watched as the bullet disintegrated into nothing. What was happening to her? She looked down at her hands, terrified of what she was capable of. The look on everyone's faces after she caught the bullet in mid air made her feel out of control and terrified. When their expressions twisted to horror after she destroyed the bullet without even touching it, she knew that something was wrong with her. To her surprise, Tony was the only person who didn't look absolutely horrified at her power. Her heart pounded against her ribcage to the point of physical pain. She stared up into her father's eyes, "kill him, and you kill me, too," she remarked, determined to save him. Bucky was the only thing that felt right, the only thing that made sense. She blinked the tears away, "I don't want to die, but I will...for him" she added.

The entire room fell silent. Where there had once been gunshots and shouting, it was quiet. While Tony was trying to make sense of all that happened, Clint wouldn't stop glaring at Bucky, and Natasha was desperately trying to come to terms with the fact that Emma would die for a member of Hydra. No one knew what Emma knew, though. Bucky was just as much a prisoner as she was. While her people were frozen in shock, Emma turned around to gaze up at Bucky. He was still surprised at what he had witnessed with the bullet, but she saw the pain in his eyes when it sank in just how much she cared for him. She knew that taking a chance on him could be a risk, but it was a risk she was willing to take no matter what, "run," she ordered.

His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at her in confusion. His metal hand reached up and pulled the muzzle from his face, and she saw the frown etched on his lips, "I can't!" he exclaimed with so much disbelief that she would even tell him to do that. When she opened her mouth to argue her point, he spoke again, "we leave here together or not at all!" he repeated her words from before.

With no other option, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. She knew that this was the only way to get him to understand, to let him know that she was doing this for him. She didn't have the time to explain what she felt for him, so she had to show him. It was also her way of saying goodbye because the only way he would ever be safe was to stay as far away from her as possible. She was prone to danger, and she wouldn't be the reason for his pain and suffering. She knew that he was her person, the one everyone spends a lifetime trying to find, and she had to give him up. It was what she told him in that kiss. When she pulled away, she gazed up into his eyes with tears in her own, "please...go."

"Now, isn't that so sweet!" the familiar voice of her kidnapper, Kyr, ringing our behind them all. He made his way up the stairs her and Bucky had ascended to reach her people. Everyone's eyes were on him as he glared at each of them. His blonde hair looked disheveled, and he looked angrier than usual. Since he had often been the one to beat Emma, she had seen him plenty angry in previous moments. On his arm was the newest weapon she had already been introduced to, a weapon that made her shudder at the mere sight of it. It could emit pulses of energy as well as beams of pure energy, burning through its victims. The tech reminded her of her father's suits, but they only managed to manufacture the arm piece instead of an entire suit. Kyr aimed the weapon at Emma, causing everyone to freeze.

Emma knew her father, though, and the second her life was put into question, the anger boiled up within him, "take another step closer to her, and I'll kill you. I swear to God, I'll kill you and everyone you've ever loved," Tony growled, aiming his gun at Kyr before reaching out to Emma, "come over here," he instructed, hope in his deep brown eyes.

Before Emma could even think of moving over to her father, Kyr wrapped his arm around her waist, holding the repulsor in the palm of his glove to her head. Emma tensed up, fear shooting through her body and leaving her trembling. Kyr had used the weapon on her when she first arrived at the facility, the energy causing her to feel like the energy would burn through her body from the inside out. The pain was unbearable and made her wish for death. No other pain could compare to that one. The thought of feeling that again made the tears stream down her cheeks, knowing that it would be her or someone else who would experience it, and even though the pain would kill her this time around, she would take it all to protect the ones she loved. In a desperate attempt to keep her family from seeing her so broken and abused, she lowered her head and tried to collect herself.

Kyr backed up, taking Emma with him so that Bucky wasn't behind them. He saw the kind of relationship she was forging with Hydra's top soldier, so she knew that Kyr didn't trust Bucky not to shoot him in the back for this. Kyr snickered at Tony and his misplaced confidence, "make one wrong move, and you, your daughter, and your team are dead," he said, snapping his fingers, "just like that," he smiled, gripping Emma's hair and tugging her head back so that Tony could see the tears she tried to hide, "look at her. Weak, pathetic-just like her father. I have to say that I saw potential in her, though. I had a few plans for her if you hadn't spoiled our fun with this attack. I have to say that you've made quite a dent in our operation here, Mr. Stark, but I'm afraid your victory was short lived. I still expect you to live up to your end of the bargain or I'll show you what this does with your daughter as the first of many examples. So, you have the choice. You...or your daughter."

Closing her eyes, time seemed to stop for just a moment. Every memory flooded through her, every moment she felt happiness, every moment she had with her father. The last ones were moments she shared with Bucky. She thought of his arms around her while they laid in bed together the previous night. She thought of his lips on hers and the way he looked at her, like she was everything good in his life. She thought of her favorite memories with her family. She thought about the time she spent in the workshop with her father, suggesting different designs for his suits, which he always took to heart. She thought of the time when Coulson taught her how to drive using his red corvette, Lola. She thought of Steve lifting her up on his shoulders so that she could put the star on top of the Christmas tree in his apartment. She remembered Clint teaching her swear words in sign language. She remembered Bruce singing her to sleep some nights when she was anxious. She remembered Natasha passing on the wisdom that fighting like a girl didn't mean that she was weaker than men but that it meant fighting with conviction and for something greater than herself.

In that moment, Emma knew that she would have to fight like a girl. She knew that she would have to fight to protect the only people who meant more to her than anything else. With the lives of her people at stake and with the knowledge that her father would sacrifice himself to save her, she had to take that decision away from him. To her, the world would always need Tony Stark. He was a hero...her hero. The world didn't need her as much as they needed him. Finding her strength, she smiled at her father, "I love you," she declared before channelling every ounce of her power to cause the power core in the weapon to fail. In turn, the glove overheated and began to melt to Kyr's hand and arm. The scream he let out was blood curdling, but nothing compared to the smell of burning flesh. She pulled away from him and faced him, watching as he struggled to rip the glove off. The violet mist radiated from the palm of her hand and at the glove, causing further damage to the power core and causing the system inside to fail.

Kyr glared up at her, realizing that this was her doing, "you little bitch!" he shouted, pulling out his sidearm in one swift motion. Then, there was silence. Emma's ears rang, and for a moment, it felt like she was underwater. She could hear the screams behind her, but it was as if they were so far away. A warmth spread throughout her abdomen, and after a short second, another patch of warmth spread throughout her left shoulder. She reached down to her abdomen, feeling the wetness on the tips of her fingers. When she brought them back up to look at them, she noticed the blood. She was...shot? Her eyebrows furrowed as her eyes locked on Kyr. As the ringing in her ears subsided, Kyr closed the space between them, and wrapped his hand around her throat, bringing their faces closer together, "what a waste," he growled, tossing her broken body over to Bucky who caught her in his strong arms before she could fall to the ground, "here. Finish it. And clean it up when you're done. I don't want a mess again," Kyr ordered, turning around to face Tony, Natasha, and Clint. Aiming the weapon at them, he emitted a pulse of energy that would knock them unconscious for a limited time, but it would give him three less people to worry about for the moment.

Emma felt a sense of peace. Her mother would come to collect her and take her home, she was sure of it, but there was so much left to do here. She wasn't ready to die. She wasn't ready to leave the world behind when she had so much love left to give. She wasn't ready to leave Bucky. As she gazed up at him, hoping for him to be the last thing she saw in this life, she felt sorrow. His eyes were clouded with guilt, and she knew that he blamed himself for the situation they were in. She shook her head, grasping his shirt as tightly as she could with her strength leaving her as fast as it was, "it's okay," she murmured, her voice weak and broken, "it's okay, Bucky," she reminded him, sensing that he was starting to fall back to the anger he was in when she first saw him. She didn't want this to break him. She wanted him to go on and pass on the love she would have if she had more time. There was love in him, and she wanted him to experience that even after he lost her.

Keeping his left arm locked tightly around her waist, Bucky raised his sidearm at Kyr. Feeling Bucky's intense glare, Kyr turned to look at the two of them, "think about what you're doing. Think very carefully before you cross me. Whatever you do to me, I'll make them hurt you a thousand times worse. You know that. You've learned that lesson before," Kyr taunted, trying to gain leverage. Seeing that threatening him wouldn't work, Kyr smirked and glanced over at Emma, "think of what I could have them do to your little girlfriend here. You have no idea just how creative I can be, so if you try to cross me, think of how they'll hurt her," he stated, causing Bucky to hesitate.

Emma squeezed his shirt, wanting it to end. If Kyr was dead, he couldn't hurt anyone again, but Emma knew what Bucky was most afraid of-that Kyr would survive to hurt her. Still, Bucky didn't lower his gun as the conflict raged on behind his blue eyes. Kyr stepped forward and lowered Bucky's gun for him becoming impatient with the soldier's inability to make a decision. His thin lips twisted into a sadistic smile as he grabbed Emma's face, "it's a terrible waste of a beautiful face, and a terrible waste of a soldier," he shook his head, glancing back up at Bucky. Behind Kyr, Emma's people began rising back up from the floor, a bit disoriented but fine otherwise.

Almost as soon as Kyr's words clicked in Emma's mind, he lunged forward, burying a knife deep into Bucky's abdomen, twisting the blade as he sunk it into the soldiers body. He just wanted to get Bucky out of the way, and he didn't care that he was sacrificing the most talented and decorated soldier in Hydra. It would make the coming storm easier without his insubordination. Emma's heart sank, "NO!" she screamed, feeling dizzy from the sudden burst of energy. As Bucky stumbled back, he took Emma with him, still not wanting her to fall.

Kyr pulled the knife from Bucky's body, and the soldier grunted as blood began to spill from the wound. He held himself upright, fighting through the pain. Kyr narrowed his eyes at him, "what could she possibly have to offer that I can't? What could you possibly gain from this little stunt? Name one good reason you have for doing this, for throwing it all away!" he shouted, wanting to understand.

Bucky's answer shook Emma to her very core.

"Her!" Bucky yelled, his voice stronger than ever before. It was filled with passion and conviction. As his left arm tightened around her, she gripped his shirt tighter to stay conscious. Bucky continued, tears filling his eyes and a stray one falling down his cheek, "she's my one good reason. You hurt her. You made me hurt her. Now-" Bucky paused, raising his gun again, "-it's your turn" he growled, shooting Kyr in both kneecaps to bring him down to the ground.

Even as the pain spread through one of the heads of Hydra, he maintained his scowl and power, "I'll see you in hell."

"It won't be hell for you until I get there, so you better enjoy it while you can," Bucky noted before dropping his gun. He reached down to his side and pulled out his knife. With one quick motion, Kyr's throat was sliced open, and he fell to the floor, grasping at his neck to stop the bleeding. The gurgling died away as Kyr's lifeless body spasmed a few times before stopping completely. Bucky didn't bat an eye, and Emma knew it must've been because he was used to that lifestyle. He lifted Emma up into his arms, and she felt the loss of blood getting to her. She felt tired, like she wanted to go to sleep, but she knew that if she gave in to that urge, there was a very real possibility that she'd never wake up. As she struggled to keep her eyes open, she remembered the very first power she ever discovered.

When she was younger, a little boy who lived next door to her and her father had fallen off his bicycle and onto the pavement. He scraped his knee and cut his cheek on a rock. He was only 5, and he was riding his bike while his parents were in the backyard. She was only 7 at the time, but her sympathy led her to running out into the road to be with him. As he cried, Emma's heart broke into pieces. She remembered grabbing his hand, and his wounds were healed. The only drawback was that they became her wounds. She gazed up at Bucky with a smile, knowing that she wasn't going to make it out of this no matter how hard they all tried to save her, so why not ensure Bucky's survival?

With the last bit of power that she could tap into, Emma reached up and stroked Bucky's cheek. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself, feeling the brand new wound forming on her abdomen. She clenched her jaw, fighting back the pain. It was like a fire spread through her veins. She wanted to scream, but her body was tired. When she opened her eyes again, she gazed up at Bucky. Realizing what she had done, Bucky's eyes widened, watching the blood seeping out of her new wound, "what did you do? What did you do?!" he nearly shouted, unparalleled fear clouding his eyes.

"I told you...I would die...trying to...get you...out of here," she murmured between labored breaths before her world went black.

*Bucky's POV*

Bucky panicked even more after Emma's body went limp in his arms. She was still alive, but she was barely there. His eyes flickered up to Tony's, the man who hated him for every good reason, "your daughter will die if she doesn't receive medical attention immediately. I can get her to the surface faster than you can whether you want to admit it or not. You can try to shoot me, try to kill me, or try to hurt me. I deserve all of it, but...I'm just asking you to wait until she's taken care of," Bucky pleaded with him, trying to reason with the broken father. Bucky couldn't possibly imagine what it was like to see your child on the very brink of death, but he could understand what it was like to lose everything. Bucky lost everything once before, and the moment he found a reason to live, fate was threatening to take everything away from him again.

Without waiting for a response from her father, Bucky turned on his heel and ran toward the surface with her in his arms. He was faster and stronger than all of them, but he also knew the entire facility like the back of his hand. He knew all the shortcuts and hidden passageways, so he could get her to safety without incident. The redhead was behind Bucky the entire way. He didn't know her, but the one thing he did know was that she hated him just like Tony and the archer. She kept a close eye on every move he made, and Bucky knew-without the shadow of a doubt-that if he stepped out of line at all, she'd kill him without hesitation. If Emma didn't make it, he'd welcome death at that point.

When they finally reached the quinjet, Bucky ran up the ramp right behind the redhead Bucky walked up to the lone man on the aircraft with a lab coat on, which Bucky hoped would be a doctor or someone who could help. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of the young woman who looked so close to death, "oh God, Natasha! What happened?" he asked.

Emma's head craned to the side, and she smiled over at the doctor, "hi, uncle Bruce" she murmured with a weak smile. She was fighting so hard to hold on to consciousness, and their entire way up to the surface, Bucky could feel her fading in and out. She was starting to struggle.

Bruce's eyes locked with hers, and the tears were clear in his brown eyes. Bucky could finally see just how much love her people had for her. Before Natasha could answer his question, Bucky spoke, "she has a gunshot wound and a stab wound on the abdomen and a gunshot wound on her left shoulder. She's lost quite a bit of blood already. Tell me what I can do," he pleaded, wanting to be of some help instead of just sitting and waiting for her to bleed out.

"Put her down on the cot over there," Bruce pointed over at a more secluded area of the quinjet, "I need to find my kit," he stated, frantically searching the aircraft for his medical supplies. Bucky was sure they were expecting some cuts and scrapes when they rescued her, but he wasn't sure if they were expecting wounds to this extent.

Following Bruce's order, Bucky carried her over to the cot and laid her down on it as gently as possible. Watching her face twist in pain made his heart shatter, so he tried as hard as possible to ease that pain as much as possible. He watched as she gripped the bedsheets next to her, desperately clinging to life before it had the chance to leave her. When Bucky moved to leave and help Bruce, he stopped when she grabbed his hand. Her grip was weak but still filled with a strength he witnessed from her time and time again. He stared down at her, his heart breaking slowly. He lowered himself down onto the cot next to her like he had the previous night. He wanted to hold her in his arms again and feel the weight of her head on his chest. She chased the nightmares away, and he never wanted them to come back.

Her slender fingers intertwined with his metal ones, and she found the courage to smile up at him, her eyes glistening with tears, "this is your chance," she stated, reaching up to stroke his cheek. He leaned into her touch, his eyes fluttering closed. He imagined, for a moment, that his world wasn't falling apart with every labored breath her body dragged in. Her fingers were featherlight against his cheek and jaw. As she laid in bed, committing every feature of his face to memory, Bucky reached up and caught her hand in his. He didn't want her to have to remember him. He wanted to be by her side, not as a distant memory, "it's finally over, Bucky. You've suffered enough."

Bucky could feel the hot tears in his eyes, threatening to fall. This was what she turned him into, a man with no control. He had never experienced a pain like that before, and he could finally remember every piece of his past. He could remember who he was before Hydra took him, and even when he was a prisoner in their organization and in his own mind, he didn't know true pain until he was this close to losing the one woman who made him remember himself. She was the woman he'd been looking for since the beginning of time, the one woman he recognized even when they'd never met. She wasn't a stranger when they met. He shook his head, biting his bottom lip to keep his from quivering, "I don't want to leave you-not like this," he trembled, a stray tear falling from his cheek.

Emma wiped the tear away, and Bucky could feel her heart breaking. She didn't want to see him cry for her, "there's nothing you can do about this. I made my decision. If I had to do it all over, I'd make the same ones because you're safe," she replied, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment before she forced them back open. The struggle was becoming more and more difficult, but she wouldn't go easily.

"Why did you do it?" Bucky asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he stared down at her bloodied shirt. It was almost completely soaked with her blood, and he could only imagine what it looked like underneath. He had seen gunshot wounds before and stab wounds, but he didn't want to think of them on her. He didn't want to think of the excruciating pain she was in because he knew-no matter how much she denied it-he played a pivotal role in causing her pain. Even if it was the soldier and not Bucky who did those things, he still felt responsible. He should've fought their control harder. He shook his head, confusion spreading through him as quickly as the guilt, "I just-I don't understand. Why would you forfeit everything for me?"

Emma pulled her hand from his cheek and grabbed his chin, tilting his head up. When their eyes connected, it was like she was healed. The fire that had been starting to die out was more than present in her eyes. As she spoke, her voice was filled with the same conviction Bucky grew to love, "because you're everything to me," she confessed, "you're so much more than you think. You are not this broken piece of machinery. You aren't Hydra's weapon. You're Bucky. You're what I've been looking for all this time. This was what fate had in store for me, to protect the one thing that meant more to me than anything else. I wish...I had more time to explain it to you, but...I don't know if I'd be able to even if I tried. You mean everything to me, Bucky...everything. So never, for a single moment, think that I forfeited everything for nothing because my life means nothing to me if it means I can save you."

As the tears streamed down Emma's cheeks, Bucky found himself just as emotional. In that moment, he was validated. He didn't believe he was worthy of her sacrifice-he never would. However, he caught himself wondering how he could hate himself so much when the person who meant the most to him looked at him the way she did. She looked at him the way he could remember his mother used to look at his father-like he was the center of her universe. The tears streamed freely down his cheeks, and he didn't try to hide them and didn't feel ashamed about them for the first time in his life, "I don't want you to go. We didn't have enough time," he whimpered.

"No amount of time would've been enough," she reminded him, the light beginning to fade from her eyes once more, "but I just want to see you smile one more time," she whispered, her energy fading.

Bucky forced himself to smile for her, trying to push aside all his sadness to make their last moments together as beautiful as she was. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers once more, feeling the love radiating from her just as strong as before. Her right hand cupped his cheek as she smiled into the kiss. Bucky wanted to know what she was thinking in that very moment, but all he knew for certain was that she was happy. Even on the brink of death, she felt joy. When he finally pulled away, he stroked her cheek as gently as possible. She was beautiful and fragile, but yet so strong and rough. He smiled down at her, tears of unparalleled emotion filling his eyes, "you are so beautiful," he confessed, causing a smile to spread across her full lips.

Then, her eyes closed.

*Tony's POV*

Tony had never run so fast in his life. Clint could barely keep up. When they reached Steve, who had been keeping the upper levels clear for them, Clint decided that he would help Steve clear out the remainder of the Hydra facility. They wouldn't be able to do it on their own, but they would do their best to hold out until S.H.I.E.L.D. got there. Steve and Clint both knew that Tony had no intentions of helping, and they didn't expect that of him, especially when Emma's life was on the line. They wanted to be there with her, too, but they understood that leaving the facility could mean a swift retaliation from Hydra. Tony made his way to the surface on his own, taking down the only two Hydra agents who stood in his way. He ran through the field to the quinjet and up the ramp. Before he could enter the aircraft, Natasha pressed her hand against the middle of his chest, stopping him. If she were anyone else, Tony would've broken her wrist for keeping him from his daughter in that moment, "Emma's stable," she informed him, "it took Bruce some time, but he worked his magic like he always does. She'll need extensive care back at the facility, but she's not dead."

Tony nodded his head, but there was one little detail that she avoided, "where is he?" he asked, the heat of rage rising in his chest. He wanted to kill that man.

Natasha's blue eyes locked with his, and he saw so much of Emma in her, "Tony, you need to think before you do anything irrational," she stated, trying to ground him before he spiralled too far out of control.

"Irrational?" he asked with a chuckle, "I'm gonna kill him! You saw what he did to Emma, too. Was it just me?" he asked, his voice louder than usual. He had been through so much more than any father should have to go through, and Natasha was trying to talk him out of killing the one man who caused his daughter a world of pain? Why would he let Bucky walk away after that?

She lowered her eyes, trying to think of any way to keep him from killing the young man. Tony could see the conflict in the assassin. In any other situation, she would be the first to put a bullet through someone's head, especially if they wronged someone she loved, and Natasha loved Emma like the sister she never had. He could see how torn she was, but he was on a warpath. She sighed, "you're her father, so the choice is up to you. Just know that while I hate him for what he did, he's the one that saved her life. If it wasn't for him, she would've bled out and died before we could even get her to Steve," she reminded him as her last attempt to save Emma the heartbreak and loss she would feel if Tony went through with executing Bucky.

"Steve and Clint need help clearing the facility. They're buying time before S.H.I.E.L.D. gets here. I can handle things here," he stated, unaffected by what she said. He didn't care that Bucky helped save his daughter's life. He made her bleed, and now it was his turn. He watched as the reluctant young woman stepped past him and made her way back toward the facility, but it wasn't before she shot a sorrow-filled look in the direction of Emma and Bucky.

Tony walked past Bruce who was trying to meditate through his wild emotions. Emma taught Bruce different tricks in meditation. She was often the one to ground him, but after nearly losing her, Tony knew that Bruce had to do everything in his power to stop the other guy from coming out. Walking over to the cot, Tony saw Bucky sitting vigil right at her bedside. The bed was covered in her blood, and so was the young soldier. Tony's heart thudded against his ribcage until he felt physical pain. He clenched his jaw, trying to find the rage that had once been within him. He tried to find the will to kill the young man. However, when Bucky pulled Emma's hand up to his lips, pressing three kisses against it, Tony couldn't help but soften. He couldn't help but remember when he would do that with Anna Marie-Emma's mother.

For the first time since he saw Bucky hurt his daughter, Tony felt conflicted in what he was meant to do. He felt uncertain. The drive was no longer there, but he wanted to kill him. He wanted to hurt Bucky the way he hurt his little girl. Without hesitation, Tony pulled out his sidearm and aimed it at the back of Bucky's head. To his surprise, Bucky didn't even flinch when he pulled the slide back. There was a faint voice in the back of his mind telling him to take a step back. He didn't want to give any credit to the man who hurt Emma so badly, but he couldn't ignore the fact that without him, Emma would have died. Bucky's eyes remained locked on Emma, and he continued to stroke the back of her hand with his thumb as if Tony wasn't even there, "look at me" Tony barked out, his entire body trembling like a leaf because he was so conflicted.

Bucky didn't show any signs of moving. Instead, he continued to hold her hand, staring at her peaceful body, "when I met your daughter...I started to remember. It was like the memories I treasured most came flooding back-memories Hydra stole from me-like I was witnessing them for the first time. I wasn't, though. I could finally recall my past. I saw the face of my mother. That's when I knew your daughter was special. She helped me remember my mom, the first woman I ever loved. I always thought that my mom would be the first and last woman I would ever love, but...I knew I was wrong when I met Emma," the soldier confessed, reaching out to brush a stray piece of hair from Emma's face. Tony stiffened at the movement and at the sheer weight of his words, but Bucky continued, "my mom told me once that...you'll know your feelings for someone are true if they're the first person you want to see when you wake and the last person you want to see before falling asleep. Sir, if this is the last time I fall asleep, she's the last person I want to see."

Tony was completely still as he sat by Emma's bedside. For six days, he waited. For six days, his fellow Avengers kept him company. Every night, each member of the team would find a spot in the room and sleep there. Tony would sometimes crawl into the hospital bed with her, careful not to knock into any of the machines that monitored her every breath and heartbeat. If he didn't sleep in the bed with her, he would sleep in the chair right next to her bed, holding her hand throughout the night. On the nights Tony didn't sleep with her, Steve would somehow manage to fit his massive form into the vacant space on the bed. Tony was surprised his muscles didn't impede him from sleeping in the bed with her, but he knew that even if they tried, Steve would find a way to sleep by her side. No matter how they felt toward each other, they always had one thing in common, their love for Emma. Tony loved Steve simply because of how much Steve loved Emma and how selfless he was when it came to her.

As Tony sat by her bed, waiting for her to wake up, he gazed down at the pictures of his soulmate, Emma's mother, Anna. He couldn't help but think about how similar they were, how he never truly lost Anna. He could remember the day Emma was born like it was yesterday. He remembered the fear and the heartache as clearly as the joy and love. He could remember the silence in the room when Emma finally entered the world. He remembered the doctors struggling to find any signs of life within her, and he could still hear Anna's frantic pleas to hold their baby. When the doctors finally handed the body of their lifeless baby over to Anna, Tony remembered the life fading from her eyes as Emma's finally opened. It was Anna's final gift to their daughter. The trade was a fair one-a life for a life. He couldn't help but think of how willing Emma was to do the same for Bucky, trade a life for a life.

As he stared at the pictures of the love of his life, he heard Emma inhale deeply. His brown eyes flickered over to her, seeing that her eyes were finally opened. He couldn't help but smile. After so much time had passed, he finally had her back. A smirk tugged at the sides of her lips, and he knew that she was doing the best she could given the fact that she'd been in a comatose state for nearly a week, "hi, dad," she murmured, reaching out for his hand.

Tony's eyes filled with tears of pure joy. For a while, he was sure he'd never hear her voice again, "hi, sweetheart," he smiled, his heart filling with warmth and love. He turned the pictures so that Emma could see what he was looking at, "when your mom was pregnant with you, she was scared to death. She was 6 years younger than me, but I was sure she'd be far more capable of raising a baby than I would be. It was something neither of us were prepared for, but we both knew that we wouldn't have wanted it any other way. We were planning on raising our child together. Your mother was just like you, willful and passionate and filled with so much love. I can remember times when she'd wake up in the middle of the night and walk into your nursery to sketch designs on the wall that she would paint the next day. She changed her mind more times than I can count, and she finally settled on a tree that she called "the tree of life." She told me that it was because her daughter would make the world a more beautiful place than she found it, that life would always be at the forefront of her daughter's mind, that she would sacrifice anything to save just one. She knew you better than anyone, and you weren't even born yet. Your mother was right about a lot of things, and I thought she was done with proving her point to me. 6 days ago, I saw that she wasn't quite finished" he reminisced, swallowing back the lump in his throat.

Emma squeezed Tony's hand, and he gazed up at the young woman. She looked so much like him, but she was beautiful like her mother. She was graceful and wild like her mother. She loved like her mother-fully and without reservation. Tony couldn't keep the pride from filling his heart as Emma showed her support the same way Anna Marie always did. Tony stared down at her, and she smiled up at him, "I'm like you, too," she reminded him, and Tony could see that she didn't want him to sell himself short. He knew that she credited him as much as he credited Anna, "I wouldn't have survived if I wasn't as determined and stubborn as you are, so there are benefits of being the daughter of the most willful man in history" she joked, trying to lighten the mood before her smile fell, "how am I alive?" she asked

"Bruce and I didn't do it alone," he confessed, knowing that he couldn't dance around the subject for very long. There would come a time when they would have to tell her what she was and how she became that way. Tony would have been lying if he didn't secretly hope and pray that she didn't inherit that side of her mother. He had been wishing that she'd be able to go through her life without incident and without these abilities that she seemed to showcase. While it was something he was left in awe about with Anna Marie, he saw how much it tore her apart when her abilities didn't allow her to help. He was terrified that Emma would be labelled a freak or a monster. People used to call Anna that all the time. No matter what happened, and no matter what steps Emma had to take to gain control of her abilities, Tony was prepared to be right by her side like he'd always been. He continued his explanation, "we were assisted by a very helpful professor who your mother studied under. He was the one who helped her get a hold of her abilities. We have a lot to talk about regarding that, but now's not really the best time."

"Where's Bucky?" Emma asked the only question that was on her mind. Tony could see that she wasn't deeply interested in talking about the professor or about what happened at the facility. All she cared about was Bucky, and he knew by the fear in her voice that she was terrified something happened to him.

"I don't know," Tony answered truthfully, lowering his eyes. He was still conflicted even after he made the decision to let the boy go. There was still a piece of him that wanted to hurt the soldier for what he had done to his daughter, but he had to live with his decision to let him walk away. Tony ran a hand through his hair, "I wanted to kill him, but...it's thanks to him that you're here now. We couldn't have gotten you to Bruce fast enough on our own, and Steve wasn't close enough to get you to the surface in time. Cap would've killed him if he didn't leave before the rest of the team got to the quinjet. I'm sure of it. I saw the way you looked at him, though. It was the way your mother used to look at me. I couldn't bring myself to take that away from you," he confessed, seeing the tears well up in her eyes. He reached into his pocket, frantically searching for the one thing that could make her feel better, "he left this for you," he said, holding out the letter Bucky had begged to write her. When Emma took it from him and pressed it to her heart, Tony knew exactly what Bucky meant to her. Everything.

*Emma's POV*

Emma stared down at the folded paper for some time before unfolding it. Her heart pounded in her chest as she thought of the possible contents of the letter. She couldn't help but think of the last words she said to him and the smile on his face as he pushed away all the sadness just to obey her last wish. She could remember the kiss and the way he called her beautiful. Even thinking about it now, Emma blushed through the tears streaming down her cheeks. Before she opened the letter, she thought of his hands, the same ones that held her through the night, wiped the tears from her eyes, and steadied her face as he kissed her. Before she could reach up to wipe her own tears away, the strong and calloused hands of her father brushed them away. Even though she couldn't have Bucky, she had Tony, and he was always more than enough for her. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before she opened the letter.

Emma,

There is a definitive moment in everyone's life when you realize that you've found your soulmate. It can be shocking and completely unexpected, especially for someone like me who barely knew what love was when you were thrown into my life. I knew hate and anger and loneliness, but you broke down my walls and showed me that even monsters can be loved. There is no possible way for me to sum up just how grateful I am for our time spent together. I only recently remembered everything, and I mean everything. I remember who I am. I remember my mother, my father, my sister, and my brothers. I remember Steve. I remember who I used to be-a man willing to give everything for the ones I love. I became that man again when I was with you.

You took from me all the anger and fear I harbored in my heart, and you filled it with love. Thank you for being the most beautiful woman I've ever met, inside and out. Thank you for making the days seem a little longer and the nights seem a little shorter. You were a dream within my nightmare, the light inside the darkness, and a little bit of heaven in a place that can only be described as Hell. I promise you, Emma, not a day will go by that I won't think of you and wonder how you are and what you're thinking about. I cannot tell you how sorry I am for the ways I hurt you and for standing by as they hurt you. I will never be able to forgive myself for that, but I know you already have.

I want to thank you for making our limited time together seem like an entire lifetime full of happiness. I will cherish every moment we spent together until the day I die. You will be on my mind every second of every day, and the memory of you will bring a sense of hope to my heart that had never been there before. I don't know if you'll wake up or if you'll ever get the chance to read this, but...I want you to know that I will earn the gift that you gave to me. I will honor your sacrifice by living a life that would make you proud.

I know only a handful of things. I know that my name is James Buchanan Barnes...Bucky. I know that we were meant to find each other, that our souls have known each other long before either one of us were born. I know that I am absolutely and unapologetically in love with you. I know that no amount of time with you would've been enough. I know that I'll miss you for the rest of my life. I know that you will be the driving force behind everything I do from this moment on. You are my reason, Emma. Forever.

-Bucky Barnes

Emma couldn't wipe the tears from her cheeks fast enough. She just wanted to feel his arms around her one last time. She wanted to tell him that she was just as in love with him as he was with her, but she missed her chance. She was too afraid to tell him before because she wasn't sure how to express herself. She didn't know if she was just delusional, but she knew what she felt. She knew that it wasn't just a crush. Emma loved him. She didn't know the most intimate details about him, but she knew what happened when they met. The sorrow in her heart was overpowered by her determination to do for others what she did for Bucky. He credited her for saving him, for giving him a second chance at life. The sense of responsibility she felt only grew as she imagined a life of liberating people with him by her side.

Emma forced herself up and off the bed, ignoring Tony's words of disagreement. He tried to talk her into taking it easy, but fought through the lightheadedness to walk over to the window. The city spread out beneath them, and she realized that she wasn't even close to home. They were at the Avengers tower, the one place she felt happiest because the people she loved most we safe here. Tony followed her over to the window, grasping her right shoulder, "we'll find him" he promised, his voice soft but strong, "but in the meantime, we need to get you stabilized," he noted, walking over to a large mirror on the wall. Emma's eyes followed him and noticed the proud smile on his face, "Jarvis, open the panel," he instructed the A.I.

As the mirror faded away, Emma took in the sight of the violet suit of iron armor. It had a slender build compared to Tony's Iron Man suits, and it looked far more high-tech. The breast plate was shaped for a woman. Other than that and the obvious color changes, it looked almost exactly the same as his. She glanced up at the label for the suit. Tony often labelled his suits in his "Hall of Armors," and she wondered what this one was called. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw it. The label only read "Emma Stark: Iron Woman." Her eyes widened as she stared at her name. Tony motioned to the suit, "I was thinking that this would help...because if we're gonna find Bucky, the team's gonna need the help of it's newest Avenger."