A repeating beeping sound to her left was what she heard and Jo groaned. This situation was way too constant in her life.

"You awake there old man?" an awfully familiar voice said from her right.

She felt her lips twitch in response. "Who you calling an old man? I'm young enough to be your daughter," Jo croaked back. She opened her eyes and glanced to her right. "Where am I?"

"A hospital. I had JARVIS track the signal on your phone. I found both you and Rogers at the edge of a lake."

"Prognosis? Is it fatal?"

"Completely. You have five seconds to live, sorry."

"Well, shit, nice knowing you."

The two sported matching grins and Jo giggled lightly. Tony frowned and sighed. "The wound on your hip has healed, but there are bruises around your neck, really purple ones too. What happened? You need to tell me everything."

Jo rolled her eyes yet complied with the order all the same. She told Tony how SHIELD had been compromised by Hydra, Fury died, Steve and Natasha being on the run, meeting them next door to her house, all of them being on the run, and the fall of SHIELD. Of course, she added more details and compared to what she'd said over the phone, she knew she was painting a very good picture.

"Well kid," Tony said, standing and stretching, "you need to pick better places to be." Jo shrugged, she agreed to that 100%. Tony patted a bag at the foot of her bed. "I'll sign you out." Tony got up to leave and was almost out the door when he paused and looked back in. "Rogers is waiting for you at the end of the hall."

Tony strode out of the room, and Jo immediately got changed. It was eerie how Tony knew her sizes until she realized that the clothes were the ones from her new house next to Sam's, then she knew he'd just grabbed what was already hers. Somehow she wasn't comforted knowing he'd gone through her stuff.

Jo slipped on a black top followed by a red leather jacket. A scarf was wrapped around her throat to hide the bruising that wouldn't last a day and keep away the cool Autumn air. As she walked out of the bathroom, freshly clean and smelling like a whole new person - believe her, she checked - she noticed a small card on the bag. She reached forward. 'If you need a friend, you know where to find me' it read, followed by an eight-digit number.

Jo smiled and pocketed the note. When she joined Steve out in the hall Sam was with him. Steve was wearing his signature leather jacket and a white shirt beneath it while Sam wore a white jacket and grey shirt. The moment she was within talking range Steve immediately spoke up.

"I'm sorry about what Bucky did," he apologized.

Jo shrugged off the apology and held up a hand. "No worries. He isn't exactly in his right mind and when he is, I'll punch him to get back."

A strange look passed over Steve's face followed by realization, awe, and amusement. Jo raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on it.

She was dragged from the hospital and she honestly didn't pay attention to where they were going until the three figures were standing around a grave. It took her a full minute to comprehend that they were staring at the grave of one Nicholas J. Fury. For some reason she hadn't expected an actual grave. Sure he was a real person but he had been the director of SHIELD, a supposed secret agency. Another figure approached them and Jo was about to get defensive when she noticed it was Nick Fury. He wore sunglasses, a brown hoodie pulled over his head, and a leather jacket.

Overall he looked like someone that shouldn't be messed with. So... he looked like himself with less trenchcoat and eyepatch.

"So," Fury said, "you've experienced this sort of thing before?" He nodded to his grave where he was supposed to be.

"You get used to it."

The comment came from both Steve and herself. Jo had a grave of her own, it sat right between her mother's and her grandmother's in her hometown.

"We've been data-mining HYDRA's files. Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship. I'm headed to Europe tonight, wanted to ask if you'd come."

"There's something I gotta do first."

"How about you, Wilson? Could use a man with your abilities."

"I'm more of a soldier than a spy."

"And you Merlyn?"

"Normally I'd say yes, but I think I need some time before I get back in the game."

"Alright then." Fury shook each of their hands. "Anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me right here." Once more Fury nodded to his gravestone and walked away. Then Natasha joined the group.

"You should be honored," she said, "that's about as close as he gets to saying thank you."

"Not going with him?" Steve asked.

"No."

"Not staying here?"

"I blew all my covers, I gotta go figure out a new one."

"That might take a while."

"I'm counting on it."

"You should ask Stark," Jo said, adding her own opinion to the conversation. "He owes me a favor."

"How'd you manage that?"

"Long story."

Natasha smiled an honest to God smile, and Jo counted that as a win in her book. Then Natasha handed Steve a folder labeled 'дело No 17'. Jo cocked her head in curiosity. Three guesses what was in the folder.

"That thing you asked for, I called in a few favors from Kiev. Will you do me a favor? Call that nurse."

"She's not a nurse," Steve protested.

"And you're not a SHIELD agent."

"What was her name again?"

"Sharon. She's nice," Natasha kissed Steve on the cheek before turning to walk away. "Be careful, Steve. You might not want to pull on that thread."

Natasha walked away and Steve opened the file. It was about Bucky and the information regarding his transformation into the Winter Soldier. Steve was staring at the file.

"You're going after him?" Sam guessed.

"You don't have to come with me."

"I know."

"So," Jo said, "what happens now?"

Steve stared at the folder in his hands. "Now, I go looking for Bucky. He's out there somewhere and he has no memory of his past life. He barely remembered me from these past few days and I was his best friend. I doubt he'd remember you." He said the last part quietly to himself but Jo heard it anyway and stared at the man incredulously.

Why on earth would he remember her? It was bad enough he had his memories wiped so often... But if the last few days were any indication, she'd want to forget it too. No one needed to live with the memories of a past life.

Jo almost snorted at the thought. Live with the memories of a past life. Like she did for almost two decades. She'd gotten past it of course. Jo's life of little to no sleep, no family, food only when she could stop and rest, and her -

Jo stopped herself, feelings of guilt, remorse, and sadness coursing through her heart. Coldness traveled through her and she shivered slightly at that one memory, that one. Then contempt for who had been responsible, it was his fault. Heat burned through the cold and her eyes flared amber. Jo took a deep breath.

Steve turned to Jo. "You said you were taking a break. Where will you go?"

Jo shook her head like an Etch-a-sketch to clear her mind and shrugged. "I don't know. I have a job up in New York so I'll be there eventually, but for now, I might try finishing my Smithsonian tour. After meeting you I never did."

At her pointed look he laughed, "Yeah well if you see Stark, you should ask him for a job. He's less likely to fire you for having to avoid work due to an occupational hazard."

"Maybe I will. See you Steve, Sam." Jo hugged both men and turned to leave.

"If you ever need, my house is always open!" Sam called after her.

Jo laughed and turned around, giving a thumbs up in appreciation.

It'd only been a day before Jo found herself at the museum. Aimlessly, she let herself wander through the crowds and exhibits before she found herself back in the flight building with the historical planes and rockets. Of course with this, came the exhibit of the one and only Captain America. She'd briefly looked at the pictures and read about the stories she'd only heard about. Pausing in her rounds, she raised an eyebrow at the suspiciously clean looking uniform on the Captain mannequin. Somebody'd cleaned it. Her keen eyes picked up the small stain of red on the abdomen when Steve had been shot. It was barely noticeable.

A small nagging at the back of her mind surfaced, but she pushed it away. This only happened when a threat was nearby and Jo focused on the guard nearest her, his back to her. Yeah, he looked like he could be dangerous. She changed her mind when the man turned around and she noticed his big round belly and donut between his finger. Jo scoffed to herself, oh yeah, real dangerous.

Finishing her tour of the WW2 hero at the memorial wall for James Buchanan Barnes, she stared at the photo. This was Steve's best friend since they were boys, Steve's brother. Glancing at the words she read:

"Born in 1917, Barnes grew up the oldest child of four. An excellent athlete who also excelled in the classroom, Barnes enlisted in the Army shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. After winter training at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, Barnes and the rest of the 107th shipped out to the Italian front. Captured by Hydra troops later that fall, Barnes endured long periods of isolation, deprivation and torture. But his will was strong. In an ironic twist of fate, his prison camp was liberated by none other than his childhood friend, Steve Rogers, now Captain America.

"Reunited, Barnes and Rogers led Captain America's newly formed unit, the Howling Commandos. Barnes' marksmanship was invaluable as Rogers and his team destroyed Hydra bases and disrupted Nazi troop movements throughout the European Theater."

"Bucky Barnes," Jo read aloud, "1917-1944. You were only 27 when you fell. I wonder how old you are now?"

The man next to her shifted. Jo heard the shuffling of his feet and saw the movement out of the corner of her eye. She hadn't paid much attention to him when she walked up. Now that she was looking, he was dressed... wrong.

He was wearing multiple layers, gloves, and a heavy, yet loose jacket. A baseball cap pulled down low over his face, scruff on his jaw, and his long, brown hair brushed against his shoulders. The man shifted again but didn't move away. That movement, it was like somebody was preparing for something.

Time to go.

She casually turned away from the display as if she'd lost interest, trying to get a good look at him as she did. When her eyes met his, she froze.

Jo felt the nagging in the back of her mind return full force. It seemed like they were in one of those try not to startle the wild animal moments. Although it would be hard knowing which of the two was the easily startled wild animal given their tense postures and wide eyes. Was it the assassin with only his mind left to lose or the mutant and her new life in danger of being shattered. Of course, Jo being the person she was, turned and fled the room. She was the wild animal in that moment. Running would alarm any and all people in her vicinity and she didn't want that, so she didn't run. So she chose to lightly speed walk to the exit, doing her best not to alert the security guards.

At first, Barnes didn't move; he just watched her leave with cold eyes. The woman's quick pace making him wary of where she was going. Perhaps to alert SHIELD or what was left of it? Maybe Hydra? No that wasn't it. They had a file on her, didn't they? Where was she going?

Jo shivered as she felt his stare and turned to look back and make sure she wasn't hallucinating. Instead she saw Barnes only feet from her, he was following her, she realized.

The second she was out of the Smithsonian she booked it, every part of her animal instincts screaming to get away from the danger known as the Winter Soldier. Blocks away now, she turned into an alleyway, hissing as the scar on her hip stretched and she put a hand over the wound. It still hadn't healed fully. They'd given her too much medication in the hospital and she was still healing damn it!

The thudding step of boots slowly coming closer let Jo know she hadn't escaped Barnes. She didn't think she could get away anyway. He was a trained assassin. Without too many options left she slid down the brick wall and pressed herself up against it to seem smaller. Unnoticeable.

It didn't work.

The footsteps came closer, each getting faster than the previous and she was off again, only this time she was headed home. A familiar place she knew and could throw him off, right?

Jo was practically dead on her feet when she got home. She had taken twists and turns, retraced her steps to go on a different path, overlapped her tracks, went down alleys and climbed over a dead end's wall. She was pretty sure she was safe.

Jo settled in for an uneasy night, a hazy mind blocking everything out in favor of a full night's sleep. Something was nagging at the back of her mind.

**********

Bucky Barnes was intrigued by this woman. He had no problem tracking her, though he did commend her on how she went about trying to lose him. Had he been less experienced, she would have succeeded. He was surprised when she had shown up at the museum, even more so when she didn't make a move towards him in an attempt to capture him. The woman hadn't even tried to call anyone.

And these flashes, memories it seemed, about Steve, and his life before... whatever happened. He couldn't make sense of them. There were ones of him and Steve, both skinny and tall. One flashed in his mind. Both were laughing around a campfire and Steve was wearing his suit. There were men situated around them, they too were laughing. But who were they?

The Howling Commandos, a voice whispered to him. Don't you remember Bucky?

Then suddenly, the memory shoved itself to the forefront of his mind. Bucky grimaced and placed a hand to his head in pain.

Bucky laughed at the story Dugan had been telling. His latest escapade through the bar that had kicked him out.

"Oh that's a good one," Gabe chuckled. "How about we hear one from you Barnes?"

"Yeah tell us about that girl you have. What was her name? Joanna?" Falsworth teased. "You know, the same Joanna that saved us from the Hydra facility."

They all knew he was joking. But they'd all been interested in the woman who helped get them out and they knew Steve and Bucky had known her the longest. With the exception of Logan and Howard of course.

Bucky laughed, his mind going to the face with the name. Short brown hair, grey eyes with a mischievous glint, the five-inch height difference they shared. He still found it funny how, even with heels on, she couldn't surpass him or Steve in height.

He shrugged in reply. "There isn't much to tell really. You all know that she's a cousin of Stark's, and to be honest, I'm sure if you ask her something she'll answer."

The men all groaned. They'd heard all this before! A woman who wouldn't leave Barnes' mind and was related to Howard Stark. That's all they knew about her! That and she could kick ass. Steve and Bucky shared an amused glance. A small huff drew their attention and Bucky grinned.

"I'm right here you know," Jo said, plopping down next to Bucky. "Ask, and you shall receive."

"I still don't know how you got to come with us," Dugan said, dropping his spoon into his broth. He cursed and tried to fish it out, much to the amusement of the others.

Bucky shrugged and grinned, turning to look at Steve. In turn, so did the rest of the men.

"Don't look at me! She's your girl! And she's Stark's cousin, she can pull weight when she wants."

The memory ended, and Bucky unclenched his fists, his metal fingers glinting lowly in the moonlight. He sighed, just more memories to sort through and untangle.

The next morning found Jo humming to herself when she hopped out of the shower and wrapped a towel tightly around her. She exited the bathroom and padded her way down the stairs, through the living room, and into the kitchen. Her toothbrush stuck out at an odd angle as she used two hands to pull out the bread and butter. She continued brushing.

The hair at the back of her neck stood up and she paused. Something was off. Jo slowly turned around and there in the middle of her living room, at seven in the morning, stood the one and only Tony Stark. This took a second to process and then Jo screamed, throwing her toothbrush at him. Tony dodged the offending brush and stared at Jo.

She spat the toothpaste in the sink and whipped around to stare at him. "What are you doing here?" Jo whispered harshly.

"CCTV caught you running from the Smithsonian followed by a man in dark clothes. Then, hours later, he was spotted standing outside your house. He was identified as James Barnes."

Bucky had been outside her house? So she hadn't lost him then. The real question should be why hadn't he done anything to her?

"So why are you here?"

"I came to make sure you were okay." Jo smiled, it was a nice thought. "And to offer you a job. Natasha said you were trying to get out of the habit of being in fights."

"I do have a job you know."

"Yes. I also know you have a few college degrees in engineering and science. Seriously, I could teach you more than what a community college can."

There was silence and Tony continued staring at her. A grin started to stretch across his face. Jo scowled and Tony laughed.

"Damn you!" And damn her love of learning something new too!

"You have an hour to get ready."

**********

*Pietro voice*

You did not see that coming? Let's be honest, you all did. Vote, comment, share.... but mostly comment.

Edited 11/20/19