The Grey - Steve Rogers + Bucky Barnes X OC Love Story

Chapter 23

"So these are the idiots responsible for the attack?" Peter asked as him and Tony worked in the lab. The two had been down there for two days trying to find out who planned the attack to get the serum.

"Looks like it, kid." Tony said with a huff. He send a few unmanned suits to their base with the intentions of destroying it.

"They really sent us to their main base as a trap, it doesn't look like they're operating out of anywhere else." Tony admitted.

"So once we blow their base, that's it?" Peter asked.

"I'm sure there will be a few stragglers, nothing we can't handle. We havent found Walker yet, either. We just have to find him before he finds a new scientist to run tests on bunny's blood. He got away with 7 pints of it." Tony said with a huff.

"Mr. Stark, why didn't Tor tell us that she had the serum?" Peter asked nervously.

Tony knew he had to stick to the partial lie that Nat had came up with, that nobody but himself and Steve and Victoria knew about Sarah. "She wasn't happy when it happened, I'm guessing she didn't tell the team because she'd rather forget." He defended.

"Did Mr. Rogers know it was going to enhance her when he gave her the transfusion?" Peter asked.

"No, kid. He didn't know. He just knew they're both O type and that she was bleeding out. He would've never forced her to take the serum." Tony promised.

"Is there something they're not telling us?" Peter asked.

"If there was, why would you think I would know?" Tony said with a raised eyebrow.

"Right. Sorry, Mr. Stark." Peter said nervously, getting back to the task on hand.

"Tori is your best friend. If she was hiding something, wouldn't you assume she had good reason to? Either trust her, or ask her." Tony said.

"I trust her." Peter said confidently. He knew she was hiding things from him, from everyone. But Tony was right, she wouldn't hide things unless she had a good reason to.

Steve made his way to the gym, insisting that Victoria stay in his apartment, he didn't want her sparring yet. She said she felt fine, it was two days ago since she woke up, but he wanted to be sure. Once he reached the gym, he went straight for Natasha.

"What do you know?" Steve demanded as soon as he saw her, knowing the two were the only ones in the gym.

"I only act like I know everything." Nat argued, but she didn't answer the question.

"You know more than you should. I want to know what you know and how." Steve demanded.

Natasha let out a small sigh, looking around to make sure nobody else was around. "I know you two were together through most of the blip. I know about Sarah, I didn't know about the serum. But when Stark asked if it was about Sarah, I pieced it together." She explained.

"If you knew, why didn't you say anything?" Steve asked. Nat rolled her eyes, staring up at him. "If you two would've wanted me to know, you would've told me. Obviously, you didn't." She defended.

"Vic was worried that Stark would freak out and fire her since we weren't on the best terms back then." Steve admitted reluctantly.

"I kinda figured. But he found out about everything after Sarah. So why hide it?" Nat asked.

"He only figured out because he had to, by then Stark loved Vic as much as he loved Morgan. He never would've fired her, but we broke up a few months after everything happened, so we figured it was best to just keep it a secret." Steve said with a shrug.

"I am sorry about Sarah, by the way. I never got to say it before, I didn't want you to know that I knew." Nat admitted.

"Thank you. I'm sorry I lied for so long." Steve countered.

Bucky had just gotten out of the shower, figuring he'd make his way to check on Victoria. She'd been keeping to herself since she got out of the hospital, he figured she was avoiding the team so they wouldn't ask about the serum. He knocked lightly on Steve's door before letting himself in. Victoria was curled up on the couch reading.

"Hey.." Victoria said with a half smile, only looking up from her book for a moment before pulling her eyes back down to the pages. She finished up the page she was on before returning her bookmark and closing the book.

"You feeling alright? You've been cooped up for days." Bucky asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Steve won't let me train, Tony won't let me go back to work. I just don't want to be bombarded with questions as soon as I walk out there." Victoria admitted with a sigh.

"I get it, but eventually you're going to have to face them. Nat's lie holds up pretty well, nobody suspects that it isn't the truth." Bucky promised.

"I know. I just.. I don't know. I feel like now that they know, I have even less of an excuse to join the team." Victoria admitted.

"That's true. And I can't say I don't agree with them. I wanted you to join before I knew about the serum." Bucky admitted.

"I know. But to be fair, that's only because you've fought me without me holding back. I only act like I don't throw my punches with the rest of the team." Victoria said with a small shrug. She knew once she was given Steve's blood that she couldn't fight the others like she did Steve, they would either notice or they wouldn't be able to handle it. She was scared to spar with anyone for a long time, Steve slowly worked her up to it, taught her how to hold back and make it look like she wasn't.

"That's true.. but you're good. Now that I know, it kinda makes sense how the bridge didn't kill you." Bucky said with a quick laugh.

"And how I was fully healed in a week.." Victoria chimed in.

"When you're ready, we can spar. See if you're stronger now." Bucky said. He moved to sit down next to Victoria, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. "Why did you tell Steve to go back to the 40s?" He asked.

Victoria sighed lightly, laying her head back on the back of the couch. "I know he loved her, probably still does. It was only a few months after Sarah anyway, I figured he could get a fresh start. One where he didn't have to look after me, didn't have to grieve Sarah. He could've started over. He could've had an entire life that didn't involve fighting. He deserves that, he deserves to be happy.." She explained.

"He didn't have to look after you, he loves you. Idiot." Bucky said, rolling his eyes at her. "But you deserve to be happy, too."

"It's too late for me. I'm going to make the best with what I have, try to make the best of my life with Noah." She said quietly.

"That's stupid." Bucky blurted out, Victoria turned her head and glared at him. "It's just how it is.." She said with a shrug, staring off into nothing.

"It doesn't have to be. Leave him, move in here. Get back with Steve, you both clearly still love each other." Bucky argued. He stared over at Victoria, admiring her features while also shaking his head in annoyance at her stubbornness.

"Of course we do, but I screwed it all up." Victoria said with a huff.

Bucky let out a quiet laugh. "Steve says the same thing.." He mentioned.