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. ☾ .

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧: 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

Sofia, Bulgaria

. ☾ .

The flight from Baltimore to Sofia was very long and very boring. 14 and a half hours Bucky and Allie were forced to sit next to a father and his child whom he let run rampant in the plane. The child was either bouncing up and down in his seat the entire time or he was bawling his eyes out. There was no in-between.

Allie and Bucky stayed silent for most of the flight. They knew they couldn't talk about anything of real value to them due to how overcrowded it was and the potential for people overhearing their conversation.

So instead they decided to watch some movies.

Allie was about 4 movies into the flight when she felt her eyes start to become heavy. Her body began to slump into the uncomfortable seat and her neck fell at an angle that she knew would begin to hurt when she woke up. But she let her body fall anyway, too tired to correct her positioning.

Bucky, who sat beside her bleary-eyed and unshaven, saw her predicament. He noticed how with every blink, her eyes would stay closed for longer. How her breathing began to slow until she was all but asleep.

So as softly as he could, he lifted his metal hand and guided her head until it fell onto his shoulder. So softly that Allie didn't even blink or wake from the movement. When he was certain that she was situated correctly, he dropped his hand back to his lap.

He stared down at his metal hand. The silver vibranium glimmered in the darkness of the plane, resembling a decoration more than the weapon that it was created to be. A weapon that had been used for the last 70 years to punch, beat, and kill innocent people. A weapon of mass destruction.

It disgusted him.

He wished that he could remove the bionic arm from his body. But he knew from experience that it wouldn't come off. The scars that littered the border of flesh from metal which had come from his own knife proved that sentiment. He had tried and tried to pry the metal from his skin, but it refused to budge.

So eventually he gave up, slowly coming to accept that his metal arm was a permanent part of him.

Shaking his head in a physical effort to push the thoughts from his mind, Bucky turned back to the screen on the back of the seat in front of him and continued watching his movie.

After a few more hours of boring movies and hearing Allie's faint snores as she slept, the plane finally began its descent into Sofia.

Bucky regretfully pried Allie from her sleep, knowing that it had been the first in a long time that she finally found the welcome comfort of rest. She had awoken with a start, surprised that she had fallen asleep for so long. When she returned to a semi-conscious state, she bashfully thanked Bucky for letting her use his shoulder as a pillow and cringed at the slight patch of drool that donned his marron top. Emabessment flared inside her but if Bucky noticed the patch, he didn't bring it up. 

In silence, the two disembarked the planes and made their way out of the airport as swiftly as they could. Allie used her tricks to pass through the security undetected and out into the taxi rank. As they made their way outside, both Bucky and Allie found themselves tensing up as they kept an eye out for any HYDRA soldiers. After their fight back in Baltimore, they had both been anticipating another attack. But no attack came.

The pair quickly hustled into a taxi, with the driver giving them a funny look at their disheveled state. Bucky told the man to drop them off in the city, earning a inaudible mumble from the man. Allie could tell that Bucky's lack of instructions further arose suspicion from him, but she paid no mind. There wasn't much that he could do about it anyway.

The drive into the city was relatively fast, with traffic being seemingly slow for the day. As they arrived at their destination, Allie used her powers to pay for the ride and the two of them hastily jumped out of the vehicle. Aiming to be as far away from the car before the driver realized that he wasn't paid.

They wander around the city for a bit, taking in the grand architecture and beautiful monuments. They explored the elaborate labyrinth of streets and avenues, gazing at the landmarks that created this spectacular metropolis.

The two of them joined in with the swarm of tourists, navigating through the array of concrete alleys like swarms of ants. They followed the crowd, aiming to fit in and remain undercover. Sounds and aromas overwhelmed Allie's senses, making it somewhat difficult to walk through the bustling streets. But she pushed through the pain, focusing on the task at hand.

Not before long, the two managed to find a somewhat decent hotel that would hopefully become their home for a few weeks. Just like in Baltimore, Allie used her illusions to pay the deposit on the room. Hoping that Sofia would be a safe place where they could evade HYDRA.

Their room was much better than the one they stayed at back in Baltimore. The walls were actually fully painted and the grey carpet didn't feature sporadic patches of stains. The kitchen seemed somewhat decent and the couch from the lounge room didn't seem to be out of the last century.

But for some unknown reason, Bucky and Allie kept ending up with a room that featured only a single bed for them to sleep in. She didn't know why the receptionists kept assuming that the two of them would only need one bed. But it was starting to get on her nerves.

"I will take the couch." Bucky told Allie as they stood in the doorway of the bedroom, gazing down sadly at the bed.

"No, we aren't doing this again." Allie groaned.

"I don't sleep anyway, so it's fine. I'm happy to take the couch." Bucky countered. "Besides, it's definitely an upgrade from the last one."

"No, we can share the bed. It's big enough for us both anyway." She argued. She wasn't particularly stoked about sharing a bed with Bucky but she didn't want him to continue sleeping on the couch. She knew it wasn't fair and Bucky being Bucky, would refuse to take turns swapping. And she was used to sleeping on a small bed thanks to HYDRA, so she doubted that she would take up much space anyway.

Allie looked over at Bucky and she saw him contemplate her offer. But eventually, he agreed with her and sent her a nod.

"Alright." He accepted, dropping his backpack on the floor of the bedroom.

They then prepared to settle down for the night, struggling to adjust to the time difference between the US and Europe. Allie went into the bathroom and stripped out of her dark button-up and her navy jeans. She shoved the garments into her backpack and swapped them for a plain white tank top and black shorts that had 'Princess' printed across the back in bright pink cursive. She wasn't overly pleased with her new clothes but that was all she had managed to steal from the airport that would fit.

As she stared at herself in the mirror, she was not shocked to see the bruises that had previously donned her body were gone. Her once broken nose now looked as if it hadn't been injured at all. The marks from the electric collar had disappeared as well. It was just unfortunate it didn't take the painful memories with it.

The few scars that did remain on her body were inexplicable. There were 3 bullet wounds across her abdomen that she couldn't explain. Another bullet wound on her shoulder that had healed slightly better than the others which she also couldn't remember getting. There was also a stab wound on one of her thighs and whip marks scattered across her back.

All of which she couldn't explain.

She was a walking, talking expressionistic art piece made up of wounds and scars. And it was difficult for her to see any beauty that she might have possessed underneath all her war marks. Because who could love this? Who could love a body made from cuts, bruises, and scars? Especially considering what laid beneath her exterior was even more monstrous.

Forcefully tearing her eyes away from her mangled body, Allie decided to wash the grime from her face. In an attempt to at least make her one part of her body appear somewhat decent.

Once she had finished scrubbing her face, she returned back to the bedroom and found Bucky sitting on the side of the bed with a pensive look on his face. He too had changed from his maroon top and jeans into a black tee-shirt and grey track pants. Now that he wasn't wearing his long sleeve, Allie could see just how far his bionic arm went. The vibranium gleamed under the light, illuminating the room with even the slightest of movements. The red, soviet star was faintly visible under his sleeve, a painful reminder to them both of where they had just escaped from.

"I am going to need to get more clothes tomorrow so we will have to go shopping." Allie told him, tearing her gaze from his arm.

Bucky nodded at her, turning his eyes away from the wall of the room to meet her chocolate eyes. He watched as she dropped her backpack next to his and then took a seat by his side on the bed.

"How does it work?" Bucky asked, breaking the poignant silence. "Your powers, I mean."

How her powers worked had plagued Bucky's mind ever since she first did it to him when he 'kiddnapped' her back in Washington. To him, the fact that she was able to cause so much pain to someone was frightening, and yet he was also beyond intrigued.

"That's a difficult question to answer. I don't even understand the science behind it." She sighed.

Her powers had always just been there. Well, probably not always, but from as far back as she could remember (which wasn't very far back at all), she has had them. Her trainers never really cared for why she had her powers either. It was much more important for them to teach her how to utilize them.

But from the one time that she visited the scientists who maintained her 'health', she overheard them muttering about her abilities. They didn't really care for the side effects of using her illusions, they cared for recreating her powers. But alas, they could never figure out how.

"Basically the human brain emits electrical impulses in order to function. Those impulses create brain waves that allow your brain to see, hear, smell, touch, taste, feel and understand everything around you. And my brain is overly sensitive to the brain waves being emitted by other people." She started to explain.

Bucky's eyes looked to her with interest. "So you can hear what I'm thinking right now?" He questioned, raising one of his brows.

"No, it doesn't work in that way. I can't read your thoughts or see the world how you see it." Allie said, shaking her head. "I can focus on the brain waves of people only when it comes from certain areas of the brain, mainly the areas which are first stimulated by the environment. Like the parts of your brain responsible for registering sight, smell, sound, and touch." She continued, trying to explain her powers as simply as she could.

But it seemed that she was failing quite miserably.

"So, what does that mean?" Bucky asked, confusion overwhelming him as he tried to comprehend what Allie was saying.

"Ok so when I tricked that lady in the lobby to pay for our room, I had to use all her senses to manipulate her mind into thinking I was giving her the money. I had to make her think that she could see the money, that she could hear the crinkle of the note, that she could feel the paper between her fingers when she took it in her hand. Her eyes saw that there was no note, but as the electrical impulse traveled from her eyes to her brain, I intercepted it and hijacked it into thinking that the note was there." She sighed, hoping her example would help explain it to Bucky.

"Wow, that's crazy." He said, his mouth falling slightly agape as he contemplated her words. "Do you have to focus on doing all that stuff at once?" Bucky inquired.

"Not really. I used to have to focus on activating all of their senses but now I'm used to doing it without even thinking about it." She chuckled. "That's what 70 years of practice gets you."

Bucky noticed the melancholic look that passed through her eyes. He knew straight away that she was trying to hide her anguish beneath humor as her practice had been the murder of innocent people. But he chose not to bring it up. Instead, hoping to provide a distraction for at least a moment or two.

"How do you make people remember then?" He questioned, noticing how her eyes flicked back to him with a sharp look on her face.

"So you have read my file?" She commented, raising a brow of her own.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Bucky said sheepishly, giving her a small smile that was so genuinely sweet that it caused an unexpected warmth to rush through her. Somehow making her feel that everything would be okay. That he was there for her.

But she pushed the thoughts from her mind, wondering why she so easily succumbed to a smile. A smile that meant nothing.

"Many areas in the brain are responsible for more than one function. For example, the area of your brain responsible for sight also has to hold some memories to recognize what it is that you are seeing. And because I can tap into those areas to manipulate the brain, I also have access to some of the memories stored there." She continued.

"But in saying that, I can't make people remember everything. I can only bring memories to the surface if they are heavily related to some sort of physical stimuli. So I can make people remember things they saw or heard, not what they were thinking or the emotions they were feeling." She explained.

"Sucks you can't do that on yourself." Bucky joked sadly.

"It would make things a whole lot easier if I could." She returned his smile, chuckling lightly.

They fell into silence for a moment, thinking about what it would have been like if she could make herself remember. She could skip all the nightmares, the fitful snippets of memories that overwhelm her randomly. She wouldn't have to contemplate how much destruction she had brought the world because she would already know.

But she doesn't and she will just have to live with that.

"What do you remember from before HYDRA?" She asked Bucky, breaking the pregnant silence.

"I remember a lot from when I was younger." He told her. "I used to live in Brooklyn with my Ma and my three younger siblings. I remember going to school and loving it. I even won the science fair when I was 7 with my homemade wind turbine. I played all sorts of sports, but I was by far the best at boxing."

"I met Steve when I was about 8. He got into a fight with a group of boys who were asking for money to cross tenth avenue. Obviously, Steve being Steve refused to pay and I turned up just in the nick of time to stop them from breaking him in half. From then on, we became inseparable."

Allie watched as a faint smile grew on his face, revealing to her just how much that Bucky treasured his relationship with Steve. A light returned to his eyes that she hadn't seen before. A light that she assumed was because of his pleasant memories of Steve.

But as she listened to him tell the story, a feeling of deja vu washed over her. She could almost recall hearing that story before. A hazy memory of her listening to Bucky tell this exact story flashed in front of her eyes.

But as quickly as it came, it disappeared. Leaving her with more questions than answers as usual.

"We used to go to Rockaway Beach and Coney Island together. One time I even convinced Steve to ride the Cyclone. I remember seeing him walk off the ride, pale as a ghost, and hurling into the trash can because he felt so sick." She heard Bucky say as she tuned back into his story, listening to his melodious laugh as he recalled the memory.

"Steve sounds like an awesome friend." She told him, smiling as she watched his smile grow.

"He was." He nodded, agreeing with her. "He even followed me into the war."

"The war?" She repeated, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"World War 2. Do you remember anything about it?" Bucky commented, looking at her patiently as she racked her brain for any memories.

"I—I don't think so." She stuttered, frowning.

"It's okay if you can't remember." Bucky told her, knowing the frustration that came from not being able to remember something that you should. "You told me a lot about what happened to you before the war."

"I did?"

"We knew each other." Bucky nodded. "You saved me from HYDRA actually."

"So we were friends?" She asked, testing the foreign word out. She couldn't remember having any friends. Sure, Mikael may have counted as a one. But now that she was discovering all this new information about who she was and her past, she wasn't sure that he should be classified as a friend. At least not anymore.

But as Bucky watched her contemplate her own question, he began to think about his answer. To say that they were friends was one word to describe how Allie and Bucky were during the war. If anybody else was asking him, he would say that they were a lot more than just friends. But this is Allie.

His Allie.

The same Allie who can't even remember who he is.

"Yeah, we were." He answered, nodding his head slightly. A feeling of guilt and pain washed over him at his words but he pushed it aside.

"I was conscripted to the 107th division in the war. We were sent to the front lines somewhere in Italy, but one day we fell and were captured by HYDRA troops. We were sent to one of their bases in Austria to become their slaves." He recalled, remembering how it was one the front lines.

Despite all that the war was hyped up to be, it failed to live up to his expectations. It was not exciting, or thrilling or patriotic. It was a suicide mission. They were sent out to fight in battles that were unwinnable and they were left to die or become prisoners. And he wasn't sure which fate was better.

"It was your base. I remember being huddled onto the truck, chained to Dum Dum and Jones. We didn't know what was going on but then you flung open the door to the back of the truck. You were wearing the black HYDRA uniform and had a black scarf wrapped around your neck. Your eyes were so cold and your face was hardened like stone. You looked like a true soldier. But you were so beautiful. And I didn't understand how someone like you could work for HYDRA." He explained, unable to stop the faint smile from pulling at his lips as he relived the memory.

"Why did I work for HYDRA?" Allie questioned, frowning as she was unable to recall the memory that Bucky was talking about. A memory that she should have.

"When you were 5, your parents were killed by a HYDRA task force who then took you and trained you to be an agent. You trained for years and you became the only female soldier at HYDRA that could command any respect." Bucky told her, feeling pride well in his chest as he remembered how strong Allie was. How she was a force to be reckoned with.

"Oh." She murmured, rendered shocked at the news that she had a family.

"You brought us to our cells and locked us up. Jones, who really didn't know how to shut his mouth, called you out. And you shut him up real quick." He chuckled. "If I wasn't your prisoner, I might have been impressed."

"And then you disappeared. I don't think I saw you again for at least 2 weeks. Not until I was thrown in solitary with you." He continued and once again Allie was left confused. This was her life story, and yet she couldn't even remember what happened next or why it happened. The fact that she had to rely on Bucky to tell her about her own past frustrated her beyond belief.

But it seemed that despite her frustration, for Bucky, it was therapeutic. She could almost feel the tension roll off his body as he continued on with his story. Instead of thinking about what they were going to eat or how they were going to survive, he was able to tell Allie about their past. So she let him continue, in the hope that it would at least give him a fleeting moment of reprieve.

"Why were you thrown in solitary?" She inquired. "And why was I in there?"

"Calm down doll, I'm getting there." He grinned, noticing her anxiousness.

"You found out that HYDRA had killed your family and kidnapped you. You had already begun to question HYDRA and Schmidt but finding out about your past was your tipping point. So you tried to escape, but you got caught." He explained.

All the people that Bucky was mentioning was beginning to make her head spin. Schmidt sounded eerily familiar and for some reason, she felt anger grow in her veins as she thought about him. The name Jones didn't ring any bells either. And she thought that Dum Dum's were some type of candy. But apparently not.

"They threw you in isolation for 2 weeks until I joined you. I think I had asked a guard for something, what it was I can't remember, but we ended up getting into a fight about it. So as punishment, he put me in the only cell that wasn't completely full, which was with you." He continued.

"I didn't recognize you at first. But then I saw your suit and knew you were with HYDRA. I probably would have killed you right there if you weren't a woman. But then you told me what happened and I saw what they did to you. You were in such bad shape that I wondered how you even survived the torture at all. But you were strong." He said, pausing before he added. "You are strong."

"So we got to know each other in isolation, especially considering we spent 2 weeks together. Everyday we were taken out of isolation for an hour and tortured. You always had it worse than me though. You had it so bad that I would have to try and clean up your wounds because you were unconscious or just completely out of it because of blood loss or the pain." He visibly winced as he recalled the memories.

"Then we were separated. You were reinstated in your role as HYDRA's main agent and I was taken by some scientists to become a human lab rat. But everyday, you risked coming to see me just to make sure I was okay. I don't remember everything because of the chemicals the scientist gave me but I can remember seeing your face and that was the little bit of hope that kept me alive." This time both of them winced as he continued with his story. Bucky and Allie both knew the pain that came from being a lab rat for HYDRA. So she immediately felt empathy for Bucky as she knew that it would have taken a lot of guts to survive being tortured for so long.

"Then one day Steve came and he rescued us. He told me that the only reason he was able to save me was that you found him and told him how to find me. But Schmidt being Schmidt blew up the base so he could escape. We just managed to get out but you were nowhere to be found." He said glumly, fully captivated by his own memory. "I thought I lost you."

"I was devastated. After everything we had been through, I couldn't believe that you were gone. But after getting back to camp, I heard that a HYDRA agent had turned herself in. I knew it was you, so I sprinted to the Colonel's tent. I don't think I had ever run so fast in my life." He chuckled.

"Colonel Phillips?" She butted in, the name rolling off her tongue almost instinctively. She didn't even process what she had said until Bucky's eyes had widened in surprise and he spoke up.

"Yes. Do you remember him?" He said excitedly, glad that she had remembered something.

"I—I think so." She stuttered, furrowing her brows as she tried to concentrate on the vague memory that flickered in her mind. "I was tied to a barred wall and one of the American's hit me over the head with their gun."

"Yeah they did." Bucky nodded, giving her a smile as watched her try to recall the memory. But despite her minor success, she was unable to recollect anything else about the man. She winced as a splitting pain overcame her mind as she begged it to try and remember. Praying for even the smallest of memories to come to the surface.

Bucky, noticing her pain, softly put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "I think that's enough for now." He told her, knowing that she would continue to push herself until she was writhing on the floor in pain in a desperate attempt to remember something. Because if she was anything like him, then that would definitely be what she would do, considering he had done it too many times to count.

"No, keep going." She urged, wanting him to continue with his story.

"Allie." He said sternly. "Trying to remember your past isn't something that can be rushed. I've been through this too and trust me, I know how hard it is."

She felt like rolling her eyes at his words. The same words that she had been told at least 3 or 4 times that day alone.

"I get that you just want to be able to remember everything, but sometimes it's better to remain in blissful ignorance. Forcing yourself isn't going to get you anywhere. It will just make you frustrated and bitter." He added, noticing her pent up anger.

"So what, I just sit around and wait?" She argued, unable to hold back her glare.

"I know it isn't easy, but yes." He sighed.

"I can't just wait to remember." She said exasperatedly. "You should know how hard it is to go around and not even remember who you are. Not knowing if your sins are redeemable. That your not just a monster." She continued, feeling her voice trailing off until it became no more than a quiet murmur.

She was tired.

Tired of waiting to remember her past. Tired of running away. Tired of fighting. She was tired of it all. But she knew deep down that what Bucky was saying was true. That she would just have to be patient and hope that her efforts would be rewarded. And that annoyed her because she had had enough.

"Allie you aren't a monster. Monsters don't feel guilt and remorse. Monsters don't rescue people who need help and then fly halfway across the world to escape the people who want them dead." Bucky countered.

"Yes they do, it's called kidnapping and evading the police." She snapped sarcastically.

Bucky sighed at her words, forcibly holding back a smile as he supressed the urge to laugh. "You do know that you are difficult to reason with."

"Sorry." She said, completely unapologetic.

Bucky shook his head at her words, a small grin breaking through his serious facade.

"Try to get some sleep. I know you didn't get any last night so try to at least get a few hours tonight." He told her, bringing their conversation to an end.

"I'll try." She replied, knowing that his request wouldn't be too difficult as she was very much exhausted. Silently she slid across the bed until she sat on the opposite side and crawled beneath the covers. Letting herself drown beneath the soft cotton.

"Goodnight." She murmured as Bucky joined her beneath the covers.

"Goodnight." He responded before he turned the light off and they were both plunged into abrupt darkness.

. ☾ .

United States Army Camp,

England 1944

The overwhelming stench of sweat and grime hung in the air, bombarding Allie's nostrils and making her scrunch her nose in distaste. The barely existent lighting flickered on and off, ominously illuminating the room. The roof overhead rumbled from the onslaught of rain unleashed upon it from the darkened clouds outside. Allie fought the urge to jump at the intermittent cracks of thunder and lightning, breaking her concentration.

Her pale white shirt clung to her body, thick with her own sweat. Her khaki shorts, that were actually made for a man, were slipping from her hips, not quite fitting her petite figure. Her bare feet tensed against the floor of the ring, standing on her toes as she prepared herself. Her arms were raised and relaxed, just as she had been taught. Her body shifted back at an angle and her eyes trained on her opponent.

She watched as he suddenly stepped forward, throwing force behind a punch aimed for her chest. But as swiftly as a fox, she slipped out of the way and returned with an attack of her own. With deadly speed, she lifted her leg and sent it hurtling towards his chest.

Unprepared for her retaliation, he stumbled back, coughing as the air was knocked out of his lungs from the sheer force of her kick.

"You alright, Steve?" She called out, still holding her arms in front of her body.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He panted, nodding at her as he tried to refill his lungs with oxygen.

After Steve had regained his bearings, they returned to fighting. Trading in powerful kicks and forceful punches aimed at each other. But despite their tactical prowess, they both also continued to evade each other's attacks. Ducking and weaving around each other's blows with ease.

They fought an equal match, with neither of the two clearly winning or losing. They were both just as skilled as each other, which soon proved to be frustrating.

Grunting at the lack of contact being made, Steve threw his gloved fist aiming towards her head with unexpected speed. Allie, who was not prepared for the attack, barely managed to duck in time to save her nose from shattering. Instead, his fist came into contact with the corner of her temple, sending a sharp stab of pain through the area.

Allie took an audible intake of breath at the action, surprised by the hit. She had just been lucky that Steve was wearing gloves because she was sure that if he wasn't, she would certainly be dealing with a concussion.

"Damnit, sorry Allie." Steve apologized, his eyes wide as he realized his mistake.

Allie shook her head, trying to rid herself of the pain. "Stop apologizing and fight me, Steve." She grumbled, turning her focus back to him.

But Steve was still hesitant, guilt clawing at him as he watched her temple turn red. Allie, immediately noticing his trepidation, faintly smiled at his caring nature before she sent a punch flying towards him.

Steve's eyes widen at the sudden attack but he jumped out of the way just in time. He quickly returned with a punch of his own but Allie had been expecting it. Gripping his outstretched hand in her own, she bent her body over and she pulled, flipping Steve onto the floor with a 'thud'.

Once again, the air was knocked from Steve's lungs. But he continued to fight, rolling out of the way of one of Allie's kicks and flipping back up to his feet so that he was behind her. He sent a sharp kick aimed at the back of her calf and immediately Allie's leg faltered.

As she let a groan fall from her lips, Steve's hands wrapped around her neck and held her in a semi-tight headlock. Pushing down hard enough to stop her from moving but soft enough so that she could breathe.

"I think I just beat you." He smirked, feeling her body tense in frustration.

If this was anyone else, then Steve's words would be true. But she wasn't just anyone. She was a HYDRA trained soldier and she had been in much worse situations than this and still survived.

"Are you certain about that?" Allie laughed, discretely pulling her knife from her pants and clutching it in her hand.

Whilst Steve furrowed his brows at her words, she used his own trick against him.

She quickly sent a kick of her own aimed at his knee, feeling it buckle under her attack. Then she 'gently' threw her head back and let it collide with Steve's own, gritting her teeth from the pain that came from the action.

Steve's hands loosened from around her neck and she hastily capitalized on the opportunity. She twisted around in his grip and drew her knife to his neck, holding it over his jugular with a quirked eyebrow.

"What did I tell you?" She grinned.

"Seriously?" Steve groaned. "Why do you always have to fight dirty?"

"Because I always win fighting dirty." She rolled her eyes, dropping her knife and giving him a cheeky smile.

"Where the hell did you even get the knife from?" He questioned raising his hand and rubbing the newly forming bump on his forehead.

"C'mon Steve, you should know by now that I never leave my trusty knife at home." She laughed, pulling his hand away and glancing at the bump that now adorned the crown of his head.

"It's not even that big! You will be fine." She chuckled.

Steve grunted at her words before he turned, ducking under the ropes and exiting the ring. Allie followed, joining him as he took a seat at the bench where they had left their bottles before they started sparring.

She greedily took a hold of her bottle and let the cool water fall down her throat, immediately refreshing her tired body. The water, crisp and cool, relieved her dry mouth and cracking lips. Replenishing her body from the tiring task of fighting the 'Captain America'.

Once she had finished skulling the liquid, she dropped her bottle back onto the floor and turned her eyes to Steve, who had just finished doing the same.

"So, Bucky told me about your dinner last night." He informed her, a smirking growing on his face as he watched her blush faintly.

"Oh, did he now?" She replied, brushing her flyaways back from her face anxiously.

"Trust me, I didn't stop hearing about it." Steve chuckled.

"Oh god." She said, dropping her head into her hands as she joined in with Steve's laughter. Their giggles echoed through the gym, making their previously sore ribs hurt even more.

Once they both died down, Steve turned back to Allie, his smile still gracing his lips. "He's happier than what I have seen him be in a very long time. And that's mainly because of you." He told her on a more serious note.

"I wouldn't say that's necessarily true." She responded, shaking her head lightly. She knew what Bucky was like, and she was sure that just being away from HYDRA with Steve again was the true root of his happiness. And she wasn't mad at that. Because whatever made Bucky happy, made her happy.

"It is, take it from me. I have been his friend for nearly 20 years and he's never been this infatuated with a girl before." Steve countered.

His words were true. Bucky always had girls hanging off his arm when they were younger, before the war. There was almost a new girl every week that had caught his eye. And Bucky never treated them badly, they just weren't it for him.

But that was until Allie.

"Way to make a girl feel special, Steve." She chuckled, already knowing of his play boyish ways.

"Sorry, but it's true though." Steve shrugged."You are good for him."

"I don't know why." She mumbled under her breath. But of course, Steve heard it.

"Allie, you are a great person. You saved him when I couldn't and I will never be able to repay you for that. You are the only reason he stayed sane at HYDRA. Without you, he would be a completely different person right now." He argued, wishing that she could see her own actions the way he saw it.

"Now I definitely wouldn't say that." She chuckled, a small smile gracing her lips.

"You need to have a little more faith in yourself," Steve told her. "I've heard all of Bucky's ravings about you. And what he said, he doesn't say that sort of stuff for just anyone."

His words couldn't have been more true. Whenever he was around Bucky these days, it seemed as if all he talked about was Allie. It was always about how awesome she was on missions, how smart she was, how beautiful she was. But Steve didn't mind, he was just happy that Bucky had finally found someone worth drooling for.

A silence swept between them as Allie contemplated his words. She knew that if she continued to argue with Steve, he wouldn't stop until she finally agreed. So even though she didn't fully support what he was saying, she gave him a smile anyway, grateful for his words.

"Thanks, Steve." She said softly."You are a good friend."

Steve returned her smile, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving it a friendly squeeze in response.

"If I wasn't, then I would be worried." He grinned before he dropped his arm and stood up."Now c'mon, I need to beat you this time." He told her, holding his arm out to help her up.

"Like that's going to happen." She laughed, taking his outstretched hand and standing up.

But before she could see what happened next, the memory faded and she was once again plunged back into the dark abyss of sleep. Unable to realize the implications of what she had just witnessed. Of what she just remembered.

. ☾ .

Hey everyone!!!!

Holy shit, congratulations on getting to the end of that ridiculously long chapter!!! You have just read over 6600 words and a recap of Tricks, kudos to you!! I know you guys are probs wondering why I even wrote such a long chapter, but I didn't want to change what I have planned for the next chapter (which you guys should be super excited for!!!) so I just left it as it was.

I'll try and keep this Author's note short for once but I just wanted to say that I hope every single one of you guys are safe and that all your loved ones are safe! I urge you to please stay home and consider how your actions may affect others in this time of hardship. But if any of you guys need someone to talk to, I'm here x

Also on a side note, we are halfway through Trickery!!! WOOOO

Now finally onto the questions!!

1. What did you think of this chapter?

2. What do you think will happen next?

3. What's been your favorite part of Tricks or Trickery so far?

4. What color background do you read on Wattpad with? (sorry I'm really interested in this one lol)

Until next time my loves!

- Grace xx