Finding Love in France (Alternate Version)

Part 48: Team Unscramble

At dinner, all eyes were on Mila. She cleared her throat and sighed. "Okay...first I want to thank you all for keeping this between us..." She looked around nervously. "...I also appreciate that just being privy to this situation could get us all in a world of trouble, so thank you for that as well...Here is what we know. We know this is not James. We know this was a byproduct of what was done to him..." she fought back tears. "...we know how terrified he is and how he thinks he is protecting us by pushing the people he loves away, so that he cannot physically injure anyone." She picked her head up and looked at Steve. "We also know that we are up against things we do not fully understand, and that we may not be successful...but I love you all for trying. Thank you for coming together as a team for him...and me." She looked down as tears started to fall. "Howard, do you have any connections in experimental psychiatry? Torture experts? Shell shock research?" She looked at her mustached friend and he grabbed her hand.

"I might know a guy in Switzerland, let me get on the horn..." Stark squeezed her hand.

"Peggy, do you know if anyone else was experimented on?" Mila asked.

"Bucky is the only person who has survived as far as we know...sorry, Mila." Peggy handed her a handkerchief.

"Steve, do you know if there was anything that happened to James when you were younger that could contribute to this? Any major losses, traumatizing events, heartbreaks?" She looked at the giant.

"His dad died when we were kids, his sister ran away a few years later...his mom died not long after mine." Steve sighed. "He could've gone to college on a scholarship but he didn't want to leave me behind. I also know he was drafted, he told me he enlisted, but I knew...he was scared but didn't want me to worry." He raked his hands through his blonde hair. "That's probably the worst of it, up until Hydra..."

Mila took a deep breath. "Okay, here's the basic plan...we have to try and undo the damage. Peggy, you mentioned deprogramming, is this something you have seen before?"

Peggy shook her head. "Not in person, I've only read about it...but it's a start. We try and reverse the damage and hope that it removes the triggers."

"Like repairing faulty wiring?" Howard asked.

"Something like that, but more like unscrambling at this point." Peggy replied.

"Then let's go unscramble this broken man..." Mila stood up and headed to the lab.