Finding Love in France (Alternate Version)

Part 56: Responsibilities

As Steve tried to explain everything that had happened to him over the past few months, Bucky couldn't stop thinking about her. How could he not remember this woman? From what he was hearing, she's pretty damn memorable. Why couldn't he remember?

"So, she saved you, then Stark brought her here, where she saved me, too?" Bucky was shaking his head. "There's gotta be more to it...why can't I remember her?"

"Maybe when she hit you in the head yesterday, she finally knocked some sense into you?" Steve tried to joke. "Think she cured you of your skirt chasing problem?"

"That's not funny, jerk." Bucky whacked him in the arm. "Besides, if I'm so crazy about her, why would I be trying to hurt her bad enough that she had to beat me up?"

Steve's face fell. "Because of what happened to you before that...when you were with Hydra..."

"Shit." Bucky went pale. "Did I have another episode?"

"You had a couple of them..." Steve closed his eyes. "...really bad ones, like, the worst you've ever had." Opening his eyes, he saw his best friend since childhood, the one who always protected him, look like he was trying shrink into the gurney and disappear. "Are you sure you are up to this?" It was his turn to protect him.

Bucky fought back tears. "Please. I need to know what I did..." He gulped. "I need to take responsibility for my actions."

"Hey, this isn't your fault, Buck!" Steve sprang to his defense. "Those bastards did this to you!"

Bucky started trembling. "But, whatever happened after was me, I still did it..." He sighed. "...and I need to know who to start apologizing to."

"Buck..." Steve huffed. "...you don't need to apologize for anything. Got it?" He clapped a hand on his shoulder. "We just want you to get better. Back to your charming, old, wise-ass self, okay?" He smiled warmly at his friend.

"How do I do that?" Bucky asked warily. "What if I don't know how?"

"Then we're just gonna have to keep hitting you in the head until you get there, punk!" Steve laughed. "But I think the first step is talking to Mila, maybe she'll jog your memory a bit?" He sighed again. "Just remember she loves you for some dumb reason I will never understand, and we are trying to help you. Don't do anything stupid, okay?" He winked.

"How can I, when you're taking all the stupid with you?" Bucky finally smiled. "Thank you again for all this, I guess saving your scrawny ass really was the right thing to do for all those years, huh pal?"

"Yeah yeah yeah..." Steve chuckled. "Let me go find Mila."