Connie popped several pain relievers into her mouth, while Phil and Bucky watched on from their seats at the kitchen island. She washed the pills down with water and turned to look at the two men, her gaze immediately falling on Phil, who stared at her with a raised brow.

"Is it really healthy to take a handful of pills like that?" Phil asked her.

"Maybe not for you, but I'm gonna be okay," Connie assured him. "My body just burns them off so fast I can hardly get any relief from them, so I take a lot of them."

"Interesting," Phil muttered.

"So," Connie started as she placed her glass of water onto the counter. "How are you doing, Phil? Last time I heard from you, you and your ragtag team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were dealing with something in Peru."

Phil shrugged and clasped his hands together on the table. "I'm doing okay."

"How's the team?"

"We're a bit at a crossroads over what to do next now that Hydra has taken over S.H.I.E.L.D. and killed Director Fury," Phil sighed.

Connie narrowed her eyes at the man; he was clearly unaware that she knew Nick was still alive. "I know Nick's alive, Phil, you don't have to lie to me."

Phil chuckled in realization. "My apologies. I was only told that Cap and a few others knew; I should've known you were a part of those few. And now, so is your friend here," Phil muttered as he glanced at Bucky.

Bucky seemed almost startled, but Connie was quick to reassure him everything was okay. "It's okay, Bucky."

"Sharing classified intel with uncleared personnel is not okay, Connie," Phil chastised her. "It's against S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol and you know it."

"Seeing as he was the one who was ordered to kill Fury in the first place, I think allowing him to know that he didn't succeed in doing so helps ease his mind," Connie shot back as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Also, S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't exist anymore, so as far as I'm concerned, they can take their protocol and shove it up their ass."

"You and Skye would get along swimmingly," Phil muttered, more-so to himself than Connie.

"Who's Skye?"

"She's part of my 'ragtag team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents,'" Phil answered with a grin. "You two have quite a similar personality; maybe that's one of the reasons she was able to catch my attention so quickly."

Connie chuckled and shook her head. "Agent May must be having the time of her life being on the team with someone like her."

"She's growing on her," Phil sighed. "And Agent May doesn't not like you, Connie. I've tried telling you this multiple times."

"Who are these people you're talking about?" Bucky asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Just a few friends of mine and old colleagues of Connie's," Phil answered him.

"Colleague, Phil," Connie told him. "I've only ever worked with Melinda."

"You've worked with Agent Ward, too, I believe."

Connie's eyes widened slightly at the sound of the name. "He's on the team, too? I love that kid. Seems like you got the best of the best, Coulson."

"I'd like to think I do," he grinned. "So, about this discussion?"

"Oh, right," Connie perked up. "Clearly you're familiar with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s downfall."

"I believe the conversation previous to this one made that very clear, Agent Jones."

"Okay, smartass," Connie scoffed. "Well, have you heard of the Winter Soldier?"

Phil pursed his lips as he thought back on the name, only to soon light up in recognition. "Yeah, Soviet agent who's spent the last fifty years working for Hydra. I was told this agent was the main reason for the disaster at the Triskelion."

Bucky frowned and let out a breath, unable to force his mind anywhere else but the disaster at the Triskelion. He knew Phil was right, but he didn't want to voice it for fear of this man no longer wanting to help him.

Connie noticed Bucky's expression and frowned. "He's not the main reason, if a reason at all. Steve, Natasha, Sam Wilson, and I can take full responsibility for the destruction of the helicarriers and the Triskelion; our mission was to destroy the helicarriers before Hydra destroyed half the human population, so yeah. . ."

"Wait," Phil said as he glanced to Bucky and to Connie and back to Bucky again. "You're the Winter Soldier?"

"I was."

Phil let out a soft chuckle and looked at Connie. "Now it all makes sense to me."

"Elaborate, please," Connie instructed him.

"He's just like you, Connie; that's why you need my help," Phil said to her. "You want me to help you give him the second chance I gave you all those years ago, don't you?"

"You sure don't miss a thing, do you?" Connie mumbled.

Phil threw his hands up and stood up. "Tell me what you need me to do for you, Connie."

"Well, right now I really just want to keep him safe," Connie sighed sadly. "I am so paranoid being in this city with him right now, because I'm afraid someone is going to take him away from me again, and I can't let that happen. I need to get him away from here, but my problem with that is that I don't know where to go, so it would really mean a lot if you could help me figure that out."

As Bucky listened to her talk, he couldn't help but feel a strange warmth inside him. She spoke so sincerely; she spoke as if she were genuinely terrified of losing him—again—and to know that there was at least one person who could feel that way about someone like him warmed his heart. The way he felt also meant that he was making progress. He was slowly transitioning away from the cold and merciless soldier Hydra had transformed him into, and he couldn't be happier because of it.

"Calm down," Phil told her as he approached her, placing his hands on either one of her shoulders. "No one's going to take him away from you again, and I'm going to make sure of it. Have you ever been to Eastern Europe?"

Connie nodded. "You know I have. Why do you ask?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. owns multiple safe-houses around the world, though most are located in Eastern European countries in case we have certain agents in need of extra security, and I'm willing to spare one for you and Bucky so you can keep him safe as I know you'll do," Phil explained to her. "Hydra is still in our files and such, though much of it is still encrypted and difficult to access, so I'll try to keep it as secretive as I possibly can."

"Really?" Connie asked hopefully.

Phil nodded, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips. "I do have a question to ask you, though."

"Shoot."

"Does the Captain know about this?" he inquired as he glanced between her and Bucky.

Connie frowned and shook her head. "I haven't seen him in two days; he's in the hospital."

Bucky frowned at this information and looked down at his hands. Bucky had killed and hurt so many people over the years, yet hurting Steve and Connie seemed to have a worse effect on him out of anyone, and he still just barely knew the extent of the roles the two played in his life.

"Agent Hand informed me that his status was unknown, so it's good to actually know what's going on," Phil chuckled. "But you need to tell him, Connie. If he continues his work for S.H.I.E.L.D. after things begin settling down, his Level 8 clearance entitles him to the knowledge of the identities of any agent taking refuge overseas at one of these safe-houses. If he sees your name, he'll become suspicious as to why you of all people need to be in a safe-house, because lord knows you can protect yourself from just about anything and anyone. I'd just rather him find out about this from you than a classified file on a S.H.I.E.L.D. computer, Connie."

"Okay," Connie nodded. "I'll tell him."

"Good," Phil replied. "Now choose a country."

"What are my options?"

"Poland, Hungary, Romania, Sokovia, and Serbia."

Connie raised a brow. "Are there really that many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in danger that most of the safe-houses in these countries are occupied?"

"Being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent really invites a lot of enemies," Phil shrugged. "Plus, there's now more in danger than ever since Hydra has taken over. My team and I are a few of them, but we're taking care of the situation."

"I'm a bit surprised things are so quiet with me and Steve then," Connie teased as she looked to Bucky. "Pick a country."

"Romania," Bucky answered slowly. "It's very reclusive; it doesn't invite very much attention."

Phil smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "Not many Eastern European countries do invite attention."

"Well, I speak seven languages and Romanian just so happens to be one of them, so it works for me as well," Connie said to Phil. "It'll be easier for me to adapt."

"Alright, I'm going to set things up for you to leave tomorrow night," Phil informed her. "You remember how to fly a Quinjet, yes? I would offer to take you on the Bus, but it's under construction at the moment."

Connie grinned and cocked her head to the side. "You know I do, Phil."

"I'll pick you up tomorrow after everything is sorted," Phil told her as he planted a gentle kiss her on the cheek. "Just remember that no one can know about this, Connie. Remaining in stealth mode is crucial to not only your safety, but Bucky's as well. Don't trust anyone—neither one of you."

"That shouldn't be a problem for me," Bucky mumbled from his seat.

Connie glanced at Bucky and let out a sigh before looking back to Phil, a thankful smile on her face. "Thank you, Phil. . .for everything."

"You know I'd do anything for you," he smiled and turned to look at Bucky. "You're in good hands with this one, Sergeant. I can assure you she's gonna do whatever she can do to get you back to you again."

"I'm counting on it," Bucky said.

"I'll see you both tomorrow," Phil said as he started towards the door. "Have a good evening."

And with that, he was gone, leaving Bucky and Connie alone in the kitchen.

"You know you don't have to do this for me, Connie," Bucky sighed. "You're setting your entire life aside in order to help me and it doesn't make sense."

Connie moved to sit down beside him at the island. "If I'm going to be honest with you, my life ended in 1945 the moment Steve stepped through the apartment door and told me you were gone. I haven't truly lived in the last seventy years, because the one person who gave me life couldn't. But now you're back, and for once I feel as if things are finally starting to fall back into place for me. Know that I'm not just bringing you back, Bucky; you're bringing me back, too."

Connie hopped off of her stool and took off for her bedroom, leaving the soldier to ponder quietly over the dozens of emotions now coursing throughout his body. His desperate need to remember was now much stronger than ever, and it was because of her that it was. He couldn't begin to understand why, regardless of what his mind told him, but one day he would, and that day couldn't seem to come soon enough for him.