Traitor ~ Bucky Barnes

Katherine Zemo

Beep.

Katherine looked toward the door. It was too early for food. Plus, she was alone in isolation. The door opened, and a figure walked through. Sitting up from her bed, Katherine looked at the figure.

It was Bucky.

James "Bucky" Barnes.

She was shocked. After all this time, Bucky came. He finally came to see her. After the first year, Katherine gave up on him. But, seeing him here now was different. It made her angry to see him.

"Well, well, well..." said Katherine.

Standing up, she walked to Bucky. There was only a glass wall separating them. Bucky was freaking out on the inside. Here he was seeing Katherine after postponing it for years. He could tell Katherine changed. There was something different with her.

"You know how long its been?" asked Katherine.

She looked at him with a cold stare. The question was sarcastic; she was not looking for an answer.

"Its been eight years. And within those long eight years, I never saw you once."

Bucky said nothing. There was nothing for him to say. She was correct; it had been eight years. Five of those he was dusted. But, regardless, he never saw her.

"Katherine..." said Bucky quietly. It was weird for him to say her name to her. Even for Katherine, it was weird for her to hear it. Bucky was lost for words. He should of thought this through more.

Zemo gave him no guidance on how to do this. All he said was, "go and tell her what you told me." Bucky felt as if Zemo had set him up. In a way, he did. Zemo knew Katherine too well. She was stubborn and would never agree to help Bucky again. After Siberia, Katherine changed. After all the betrayal, she learned the hardest lesson. All that heroes do is use you for their own goals. Then, they leave you behind.

"I-I need your help."

He was ashamed to ask, but it was true. Bucky needed Katherine. Without her, Zemo would not help.

For a moment, Katherine thought Bucky was here to see her. How stupid of me, she thought. Bucky was only here for a favor. She should have known better. Why would Bucky actually want to see her? He proved himself in Siberia after he left her, lied to her. Katherine scoffed at his words.

Turning away from him, she heard, "Someone recreated the super-soldier serum and...I need your help."

I need your help.

Those words rang in Katherine's ears. Last time Katherine helped him. He left her. Did she deserve it? Yes. But she believed him. She believed those stupid words of his.

I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you. We will get out of here together. You just have to tell me what you planned.

Look where that got her. Katherine had spent eight years in a cell. Two meals a day at 8 and 5. Only two bathroom breaks a day. There was an occasional visit with Ross. But, after a while, he even stopped coming.

"You have a lot of nerve to come here and ask for my help."

Katherine was fuming. Turning back around, she faced Bucky again. Her gaze made him look down. He could not face her. After all, she was right.

"I-I know I left you. And I'm sorry. But...I'm here now." said Bucky.

Every word he said was accurate. He was sorry. There was not a day that went by where he wishes he could change how the thing ended. Bucky wanted to make it up. Maybe this is where he started.

Hearing Bucky tipped Katherine over the edge. Scoffing at his words, she said, "You're sorry? I did everything you asked!"

"Katherine, please"

Bucky knew where this was going. Katherine was going to bring up Siberia. And mention the way he left her, the way he betrayed her.

"I helped your stupid team." pausing, Katherine looked at Bucky in disbelief.

"I left my dad in the dust because that's what you needed!"

All of Katherine's emotions were showing. She was angry with Bucky and with herself. Trusting Bucky was her biggest mistake. Because of that, she betrayed her father. At the same time, Katherine was sad and frustrated. Tears could be felt in her eyes. But, she did everything to hold them back. Refusing to let Bucky see her weak.

There was only one thing Bucky could say at this point. It probably would not make a difference, but he had to say it.

"I'm sorry."

I'm sorry.

There were those words again. If Bucky was really sorry, he would have come earlier. He would not have come to ask a favor from Katherine. Calming down a bit, she collected herself.

"I fought for you, I kept Steve breathing, and I kept Tony from piercing your cold black heart."

Katherine made sure to accentuate the phrase, cold black heart.

"I couldn't thank you enough for that." said Bucky.

"I did everything, Bucky!"

"I know."

Bucky was hurt. Not because Katherine was right. But because of the pain, he put her through. He should have ignored Steve and gone to visit her. It should have been the first thing he did. Now he screwed it all up. The one person he had left hated him. He even started to hate himself.

Katherine kept going; she wanted Bucky to know what he put her through.

"That's the thing, you don't, anyone who isn't your "family" is nothing to you, nothing" Her voice was soft and gentle. But, the words were harsh.

"You are family."

He meant it. Katherine was family to him. He loved her even after all she had done.

"No I am not."

"Yes you are."

The words of Dr. Raynor echoed in Bucky's mind. You have to accept what is. Not what it could have been or what it was. But, how it is. Bucky, however, refused to accept his reality. He wanted to prove to Katherine that he loved her. He wanted to prove they could be something again, somehow.

"No...not anymore, you used me."

"Come on, I'll get you out of here."

For a moment, Katherine considered it. That is, all she wanted was to be free. To no longer live in a single cell, having her life controlled. She did not want to die in this place. But, she could not. It was all good to be true. There was no way Bucky would be so willing to help her escape.

"No." she said coldly. "Especially since you were the one who put me in here in the first place. So go find someone else, I'm done," she added. Then, she turned her back away from him, waiting for him to leave.

"Katherine-"

"Go away."

Bucky did not leave. Not yet, at least. Reaching in his jacket pocket, he pulled out a book. Placing it on the little slot where they slid food through, he said, "I got you a book."

Katherine kept her back facing away from him. Wow, a gift, she thought sarcastically.

"It's Machiavelli."

Still nothing. Katherine did not budge. Turning around, he left her. Katherine refused to help, and now they were screwed. Zemo was all but gone now, and so was their lead.

A/N: This dialogue sparked the inspiration for this story. I hoped you enjoyed it! Cause I certainly enjoyed writing this chapter out.