Chapter Text
Darcy closed her laptop and leaned back in her chair. She had just finished re-reading everything that had been in SHIELD’s files about the Winter Soldier. She flipped open the file Natasha had compiled for Steve (which she had “borrowed”) and took out the picture of Bucky Barnes in his uniform from the 1940’s, looking at it for a moment before she placed it back where it belonged.
The SHIELD data, combined with the data in the file, did not paint a very flattering picture of the Winter Soldier. On paper, he was a cold-blooded, ruthless assassin who, until recently, never failed to complete a mission. If she hadn’t met him and seen the anguish and lost look in his eyes, she never would have believed that the Winter Soldier and the man she had met a few weeks ago were the same person.
Despite her protests, Steve had sent Darcy back to New York the day after Bucky had jumped out of the hotel room window. Steve and Sam had stayed in Washington, D.C. for another week, but the trail had gone cold, so they came back. Steve had thrown himself back into his work, and life pretty much continued as normal, except Darcy had a lot more interaction with Sam and Steve then she had before, even hanging out with them occasionally after a mission or at a party held by Tony Stark.
Darcy jumped, startled, when her alarm went off. She looked over at her clock and cursed – she was late for work. She rubbed her eyes as she stood up and moved towards the kitchen to start the coffee brewing. Coffee was essential - she hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, and she could already feel that it was going to be a very long day.
Her priority for the day, of course, was returning the file she had “borrowed” from Steve without him noticing it had been gone in the first place.
Darcy tried to look nonchalant, not suspicious, as she moved down the hall towards Steve’s office. She had asked Jarvis for everyone’s schedules earlier, not wanting to rouse suspicion by specifically asking for Steve’s. Steve was supposed to be meeting with the newly reformed World Security Council for the next few hours.
She walked straight into Steve’s office like she belonged there and moved quickly over to his desk to put the file back. She opened the drawer and pulled the file out of the stack of folders she was carrying; she was just about to place it back where it belonged when she heard the distinct noise of the door clicking shut.
Darcy winced internally as she looked up to see none other than Steve Rogers standing there, his arms crossed. He looked more curious than angry.
“Darcy,” Steve asked, “What are you doing?”
Darcy thought about dropping the file and pretending she didn’t know what he was talking about, but discarded that idea. She didn’t want to lie to Steve. When he walked over to her and held out his hand, she placed the file into it.
His mouth tightened when he saw what file it was.
“I thought as much,” he said as he placed the file on the desk. “I noticed the file was missing yesterday – you saw me put it away, so I figured it was you. I told Jarvis to tell you I was in a meeting right now so I could see what you would do.”
“Why did you take it?” he asked, looking up at her.
Darcy was mortified to feel herself actually blush. She sank down into Steve’s chair – which was not as comfortable as it looked – and closed her eyes.
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
Darcy took a deep breath before continuing, “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him since I came back to New York. I keep remembering the look on his face when he said he didn’t know who he was.”
She felt Steve sit on the desk next to her and looked up at him as he placed his hand on her shoulder, as if to reassure her.
Darcy got up and moved away from him. She walked over to the windows and hugged herself as she gazed unseeingly at the New York skyline.
“I wanted to know more about him,” she said, “I read everything that SHIELD had on him. It didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. Then I remembered seeing that file on your desk one day when you forgot to put it away before I came in. I saw where you put it, so I snuck in here after you left last night and borrowed it.”
“You read it,” Steve said.
Darcy nodded.
“I wish I hadn’t. I know he was brainwashed, but the things he did…”
The office was silent for a moment as both of them were lost in their thoughts.
Finally she heard Steve stand up.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
Darcy turned to look at him, surprised at the abrupt change of subject. “Umm…I guess?” she said.
“Grab your purse and meet me downstairs,” he said, “We’ll go to dinner, my treat.”
He opened up the office door and motioned for her to go out.
Darcy pointed to her pocket as she walked past him. “I just need to get my coat; I have my wallet right here.”
“Alright then,” Steve said, “Do you like Italian? I know this little place in Brooklyn…”
Darcy didn’t think she had ever experienced so many emotions in such a short span of time. Steve had spent the last few hours telling her stories about Bucky – from when they grew up together, to how he saved Bucky’s life when he was captured by the Red Skull, to their adventures as Howling Commandos. The one part that he glossed over was when Bucky died – he didn’t say much about it, and she didn’t ask.
“I guess that’s about everything,” Steve finished, sitting back in his chair, “I just wanted you to see that there was more to Bucky than was contained in that file.”
He looked sad for a moment as he continued, “Sam once told me that whoever Bucky once was, he didn’t think that the man he was today was the kind you saved – he was the kind you stopped. I refuse to believe that. He saved my life in D.C. for a reason, and I like to think that reason was because he realized I was more than a mission.”
“He must remember something,” Darcy said, “After all, he was at the exhibit.”
Steve nodded as he said, “I just hope I can find him again and convince him to finally let me help him. He wasn’t wrong about Hydra looking for him – he was their most valuable asset, and they want him back.”
“I thought most of Hydra had been wiped out?” Darcy asked.
“Cut off one head and two more will take its place,” Steve answered, “I have a feeling we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.”
He motioned the waiter over and took care of the check.
He stood up from the table and said, “I’m just afraid that if they find him and brainwash him again, he will never remember. Dr. Banner told me that it is possible, although unlikely, that he might have brain damage already– an aftereffect of being constantly put into cryo and taken out combined with the brainwashing.”
Darcy grabbed her coat and followed Steve as he moved towards the door, not giving her a chance to reply. He held the door open for her as they stepped out into the cold December air.
“Do you want me to take you home?” Steve asked, “It will be dark soon.”
“No,” Darcy answered, “I actually don’t live too far from here. Walking will clear my head.”
She patted her coat pocket. “Besides, I have my trusty taser with me.”
Steve smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.” He moved to hail a cab.
“Steve,” Darcy called as his cab pulled up. He turned to look at her and she said, “Thank You.”
He nodded and got into the cab. Darcy stood outside the restaurant and watched it disappear into the distance, then turned and walked away, her hands in her coat pockets to keep warm. She shivered – winter was coming.
She had only walked a block or so when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she got the distinct feeling she was being watched. She stopped in front of a store display and tried to look left and right without being noticed, but didn’t see anything unusual. Was Bucky following her? He was the only person she could think of that could possibly have a reason to do so.
She didn’t see anyone, so she continued down the street, looking back every now and then to see if she was being tailed. She was just starting to think she had been imagining things when suddenly, her arm was grabbed, and she was pulled into an alley.
A hand covered her mouth, and a gruff voice whispered in her ear, “Quiet. You’re being followed.”
Darcy breathed a little easier as she recognized the cool metal of the hand over her mouth and the voice; it was Bucky.
Her eyes widened – if Bucky wasn’t the one who was following her, who was?