This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.

Chapter One: Awakening

Steve's face hovered before him in a haze. Bucky didn't realize he couldn't move until he thought to reach out to his friend. When he attempted to speak he found he couldn't.

"I'm sorry Buck, there's nothing we can do," The hazy image of his friend stated before stepping away to be replaced by Iron Man. The suited man raised his arm and fired of a blast.

Bucky's mind then blanked out before he found himself strapped into the chair that wiped his memory with Alexander Pierce standing before him demanding a report. Bucky's immediate response was to fight the restraints holding him down. Pierce ordered the scientists nearby to start the procedure as Bucky fought all the harder. Then his mind went blank once more, only to replace a uniformed man speaking the Russian trigger words for his control, circling Bucky as the man spoke. His mind faded out again only to have him causing a car crash, he had no control over his body as he kills his former friend Howard. Then, Howard shifts into Natasha Romanova protecting a scientist as he is firing a gun.

More of Bucky's memories flash past as he finds himself forced deeper and deeper into his mind. He remembers countless wipes and countless deaths until his mind freezes onto a single memory of him, Bucky, not the Winter Soldier crushing the windpipe of a scientist with a newly attached metal arm. Finally, a voice whispered into his mind, "There, it is done. Your mind is free."

Steve sat beside the bed where Bucky slept, the Asgardian healer that Thor had brought had finished 'clearing the corruption from his mind' is how Thor described it only a half hour ago and Steve had refused to leave Bucky's side once the supposed goddess had finished. Eir was her name, his mind supplied as he thought of what the next stage would be. T'Challa, Scott, Thor, Jane and Eir all occupied a lab down the hall now, consulting on how to reconstruct, and upgrade, Bucky's metal arm. T'Challa offered Vibranium as the material for the new arm to be made from since he felt a little guilty for attempting to kill Bucky a few times over. Scott and Eir were giving their input on how to make it more efficient and comfortable for Bucky.

Steve glanced at the shoulder where the previous metal arm had been attached and sighed softly as he noted that the scar tissue and damage to the surrounding area had been significantly reduced with the help of the Asgardian 'goddess of healing'. He thought back to his conversations with both Wanda and Vision, who had tracked them down in determination to be with Wanda for some reason. They had both made it clear that they didn't want to mess with Bucky's already damaged and frayed mind. Thus it came as a shock when less than two days after the conversation when Thor showed up with Jane and Eir in tow stating simply that Tony had contacted him, asking for a healer for Steve's old war friend.

Steve was drawn out of his thoughts as he noticed Bucky stirring and resisting the restrains that T'Challa had insisted on until they were certain that Bucky wouldn't lash out immediately upon waking. The restraints proved wise as when Bucky's eyes flew open he immediately started thrashing around as much as the restraints allowed. Steve was out of his chair and attempting to calm his friend immediately. Although Bucky's eyes were open, he didn't seem to see Steve, but rather some invisible demon and screamed at it. Eir and a few of the medical staff in the hidden facility arrived.

The staff wanted to sedate Bucky but Eir stopped them, "He has endured more than most. If you sedate him he will only react like this when awaking for a longer amount of time. Let his comrade calm him."

"Bucky… Bucky… It's ok, it's me, it's Steve. Please… Bucky, it's Steve…" Steve was muttering as he leaned over Bucky. He finally simply decided to hug his thrashing friend and repeatedly whisper in Bucky's ear. "It's ok, you're ok. You're safe now. I got you, you jerk… I'm right here."

Finally, after several minutes of this Bucky slowly stopped fighting both the restraints and Steve's hold, "St…Steve?" He whimpered causing Steve to pull back a little to look Bucky in the eye.

"I'm right here," Steve gave Bucky a soft smile as he looked into Bucky's confused expression.

"Where are we? What is this place?" Bucky questioned as he looked around. "Why am I tied up?"

"The process I used means he will be able to remember everything but only as he calls on the memories. I did this so that it would be less harmful to him. It is less traumatizing this way. You can remove the restraints now. He will still have night terrors though so I don't recommend having him isolated when sleeping," Eir explained as she came closer now that Bucky had calmed.

"Who's the dame and why is she dressed up like a Greek goddess?" Bucky asked as Steve started removing the restraints holding Bucky down. Bucky glanced to his left and noticed his arm missing. For half a heartbeat he nearly panicked before his mind supplied what happened. "My shoulder hurts less now."

"I am Eir, the head healer of the Asgardian court, and your shoulder had much improperly tended and healed tissue. I mended a significant amount of the damage and repaired the nerve endings. It will be a few more weeks before we can properly replace the prostatic arm however. We wish to make it as comfortable to you and as life like as possible. There is no need for you to have to suffer simply because we did less than our best," Eir smiled gently before nodding to the medical staff who watched Bucky carefully sit up with Steve's assistance and then she waved the staff away completely as she exited the room, leaving the two friends to talk in privacy.

"So, you said not to wake you up until we could remove the programing the Hydra implanted in your brain. It took me a few weeks to figure out how to do it… or rather it took Tony a few weeks for Tony to get his head out of his ass and come up with a solution. Actually, I am kind of surprised he hasn't come to give his input in replacing your arm. He did blast off the last one. Also, we are in Wakanda, to answer your initial question. This is a secret research facility King T'Challa took us to after getting us out of Siberia," As Steve spoke, Bucky's mind confirmed what he said without really elaborating on the information other than to provide the face of T'Challa.

"Right… So… How did you get the programing out?" Bucky asked as he shifted to the edge of the bed he had been strapped to.

"Apparently, Asgardians are super advanced in technology compared to us 'Midgardians', or at least that is what Thor said. That Eir lady stood over you for a good two hours a day for the whole week holding this weird crystal to your head. She said she had to repair a lot of the neural pathways that had been disrupted because of what they did you. I'm not exactly sure exactly how it worked but Thor seemed certain that it was a simple task and believe it or not but I actually trust Thor. He goes out of his way to take care of his friends and always seems eager to make new ones. Plus, he tends to be good at having your back in a fight," Steve smiled more at the end of that. "So, they said once you were awake we could relocate you to an actual room, rather than a cot in the infirmary. You think you are up to walking?"

"Yeah, I was a little disoriented when I woke but my head seems clear now," Bucky responded, referring to his freak out when he woke. Steve immediately helped him up and once Bucky was stable on his feet, they left the infirmary.

As they walked, they passed through several hallways before Bucky froze looking out the first window he had seen since waking up. He suddenly understood what Steve meant when he said 'secret research facility'. The view outside of the window was of a dense jungle foliage and a side view of what looked to be a giant statue of a cat.

"It is majestic, is it not?" T'Challa commented behind the two men causing Bucky to jump in surprise and Steve to chuckle at his friend's surprise. Steve had had a few weeks to become accustomed to the Wakandan King silently appearing behind him.

"Yeah, it is. Thank you, by the way, Your Majesty," Bucky responded once he recovered from being startled by T'Challa.

"What are you thanking me for? I did not create the view before you and I didn't force you to enjoy it," T'Challa seemed a bit confused.

"No, I meant thank you for giving me a safe haven. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have lost your father. I'm sorry about that by the way," Bucky responded, guilt marking his face.

"You neither set off the explosion that cost my father his life, nor did you ask to be hunted by a deranged man bent on revenge. If anything, it is I who should apologize to you. I falsely accused you of my father's death and attempted to take your life multiple times. If I had not heard Zemo himself confess to the entire plot, I may have committed a grave sin in taking your life. Providing you a safe place to rest and recover is the least I can do in atonement," T'Challa responded, his expression blank but an underlying tone in his voice expressing his regret for his actions.

"Well, if I'm not to blame, neither are you. You were being manipulated. We all were apparently," Bucky offered as a way of saying he didn't blame T'Challa for his actions. "Well, I am sure you are an extremely busy man, being King and all. Steve was just showing me to my room."

"You are correct. I must return to my duties. Let me just part by saying that I hope the accommodations will be to your liking," T'Challa nodded his head to Steve and then turned and walked away.

"Well, that wasn't awkward at all," Steve joked, ducking when Bucky took a swipe at his head. "And OUR rooms are really nice. I doubt you will have any complaints."

"Sure, punk," Bucky responded as Steve led him the rest of the way to the rooms in question.