A/N: If you've enjoyed this story you can buy me a coffee :) https://ko-fi.com/kat5591

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Chapter 16

Steve was sat next to Abi's hospital bed listening to what the doctor was saying.

"She has healed but unlike before the wounds she had collected have scarred and the scars are showing no signs of fading." The doctor finished and walked out of the room.

It was the day after they had taken down SHEILD and it was all over the news. There was no sign of Bucky. Steve had looked in the wreckage but of course he had no idea what had happened on the carrier. It was a few hours later when Abi finally woke up and told Steve everything that had happened.

"He knew me." She muttered as she sat on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands. "Before I fell. He recognised me and pulled me out of the river."

"Any idea where he went?" Steve asked.

Abi looked up at him. "I'm guessing he went to find out who he really was."

As she got changed to leave she stood in front of the mirror and looked over her new scars. The one in her abdomen was the worst. It was red and jagged. The one on her shoulder from the knife wasn't much better. The graze had turned into a pinkie red line and the one on the back of her leg was smaller and looked less angry. She pulled on her shirt and then left with Steve.

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A few days later Steve, Abi and Sam met Fury next to Fury's grave.

"So, you two have experienced this kind of thing before." Fury said as he walked up to the three of them.

"You get used to it." Steve said as he looked at Fury's headstone.

"We've been data mining Hydra's files. Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship." Fury told them. "I'm headed to Europe tonight. Wanted to ask if you'd come."

"There's something we've got to do first." Steve answered for both him and Abi.

Fury nodded and turned to Sam. "How about you, Wilson? Could use a man of your abilities."

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

"All right, then." Fury stuck out his hand for them all to shake. "Anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me, right here." Fury said as he walked away.

"You should be honoured. That's about as close as he gets to saying thank you." Natasha said as she walked up to them.

"Not going with him?" Abi asked.

"No."

Not staying here." Abi said with a smile.

"Nah." Nat said returning the smile. "I blew all my covers. I got to go figure out a new one."

"That might take a while." Abi replied.

"I'm counting on it. That thing you asked for, I called in a few favours from Kiev." Nat told her as she held out two files. Abi took them off her as Steve looked at her with a confused look. "Will you do me a favour?" Nat asked looking at Steve. "Call that nurse."

"She's not a nurse." Steve replied with a smile.

"And you're not a SHIELD agent."

"What was her name again?" Steve asked.

"Sharon. She's nice." Nat told him. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek before pulling Abi in for a hug.

"Be careful, Abi. You might not want to pull on those threads." Nat said nodding to the files before walking off.

Steve and Sam walked over to her as she opened the first file. It revealed a picture of Bucky in cryo-freeze and a picture of him in his army uniform.

"You're going after him." Steve said.

She nodded. "Neither of you have to come with me." She said looking at Sam as well.

Sam smiled and Steve replied. "I know. When do we start?"

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Bucky had made his way to the Smithsonian museum. He was wearing a large jacket, a hat pulled down over his face and gloves to cover his metal hand. He walked into the Captain America exhibit and over to the wall that was dedicated to him. As he read it over some familiarity washed over him.

He stood almost gaping at the display. All the air seemed to have left his lungs as he looked at what once was. He set his jaw as he began to realise the enormity of what Hydra had stripped away from him. The life he led and the life he could have led laid out next to each other. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. He knew he had to piece himself back together. He knew he had to disappear from Hydra and figure out who he was.

As he walked out of the museum there was a look of determination etched into his face.