Taming The Ghost

Chapter 5

We all stood silently watching Bucky through the one way window that was situated to the right of his cell door. He was sat on the metal framed single bed that was provided in each cell, staring at the concrete floor with a placid expression. It made me wonder what he'd been through, but part of me thought that might be something I didn't want to know.

"We're gonna have to stay here until we see some serious progress in him. I need you two to stay in the cells with him just in case something goes wrong." Steve said

"Why us? Can't you stay down here? I'm pretty sure you're more qualified to do it than we are." Natasha argued

"Sure, I'm more qualified but I figured something out on the ride here."

"Oh, and what is that?"

"When Bucky was brainwashed he was taught to attack men before he was taught to attack women, because women weren't allowed to enlist so his targets were primarily male, and now it's effects are wearing off he's realised that he doesn't have to attack women but he hasn't quite figured out that he doesn't have to attack men yet."

"So that's why we could stop him and keep him calm." I muttered in realisation

"Exactly, and that's why I need you down here. Because until he realises that not everyone is an enemy, these guards can't stop him on their own." the Captain explained.

"Ok, fine." the assassin complained, "But you're doing all my grocery shopping for the next month after we get out of here."

"Done." Steve grinned "You ok with all of this Laura?"

"Yeah, sure. I mean it's not like I had anything planned other than marathoning Once Upon A Time in my pyjamas, at least it gives me something more productive to do." I smiled

"Ok, awesome. I'll be down the hall if you need anything." Rogers explained before turning and leaving just me, Natasha and a couple of armed guards stood there in the silence.

I suggested to Natasha that I should go and get us some clothes from storage so I asked her what size she was and then left the cells. I eventually found where we kept everything and picked up a couple of shirts, joggers and pyjamas for both of us from the women's section; then I realised that Bucky probably didn't have anything other than the tattered, bloody combat clothes he was currently dressed in so I headed over to the men's section and hazarded a guess that he was a medium in everything. I assumed that would be right, I mean, his muscles made him look bigger than he probably was but I could tell that he was skinny compared to my size 16 ass. Of course everything in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Wardrobes was either black, white or grey. So, with clothes in hand, I headed back to give Natasha her share and to deliver the garments that I held for the Winter Soldier.

Natasha took her clothes with gratitude before retreating into her cell on the right hand side of Bucky's. Before I gave Bucky his clothes I put mine in a neat pile on the bed in my cell to the left of his. I left my 'room', took a deep breath and scanned the key card, that I had been given upon entry to the building, in a scanner to the left of the solid steel door that guarded the soldier. The door clunked, groaned and slid slowly open; I slipped inside with the clothes I had brought him neatly folded in a pile, tucked under my arm.

"Hey." I said timidly, not daring to make any bold movements. He was incredibly intimidating when you got up close, I'd only just realised that now that the adrenaline from the mission had worn off. Slowly, Bucky turned his head to the side and looked up at me menacingly through his dark brown, greasy hair. You'd have at least thought that Hydra would have had the decency to wash his hair in the seventy years that he'd been under their thumb.

"What do you want?" he growled in an accent that was a cocktail of American and Russian

"I just thought I'd bring you some clothes. It must be getting at least a little bit uncomfortable sitting in all that heavy gear." I said, pulling the garments out from under my arms and holding them out in front of me in both hands as a kind of peace offering. Unsure and steady, the soldier got up and took the pile of clothes gently from me, feeling the soft cotton fabric as he held them in his hands. He looked fascinated, staring intently at the stitching in the neck of one of the t-shirts that was on top of the pile before looking up at me with a softer expression than before.

"Thank you." he said

"No problem. Do want me to show you where the showers are or do you want me to get one of the guards to do it? I know you'll probably not want me standing around while you take a shower." I offered

"No, I'd rather have you do it. I don't want to hurt them but I know I will, especially if I'm alone with them." he replied

"Ok, well, I hope you forgive me when I say that I have to put cuffs on you, just until we get there. It's just protocol."

"I understand. You're just doing what you're being told to." he smirked at me

"Yeah, I'm afraid so. I wish I didn't have to, believe me, but this is for everyone's safety." I said as I drew out another pair of handcuffs, since he'd snapped the ones that I put on him earlier, and took his clothes, placing them down on the bed before he held out his wrists and I snapped the metal closed around them. I picked up his clothes, went to the door and knocked on the small window by the side of it, giving the guards a gesture that told them to get out of the way, before yanking the door aside and exiting with Bucky in tow.

Our footsteps echoed down the concrete halls as we wound our way through the building. We hadn't spoken since our brief conversation in his cell.

"The showers are through there." I said whilst taking off his handcuffs,

"Thanks." he muttered before entering with the towel that I had retrieved for him and his change of clothes in his hands. A few moments later, Bucky called "Ummm..."

"What's wrong?"

"How do you work these showers?!"

"You push the button," you'd have thought he'd never seen a shower before

"Which button? This thing's like a space ship!" I had completely forgotten that he was from the 40s and hadn't had a shower in 70 years, if not more considering that he was in the army.

"I'll come in and show you, wrap your towel around yourself or something." I warned, giving him a bit of time before walking into the shower room only to come face to face with a bewildered, half naked Winter Soldier. I tried to avert my eyes but it just wasn't happening. The towel that I had given him was wrapped around his waist to make sure I didn't see anything explicit, but his torso was completely exposed and quite beautiful. The seam where his metal arm joined with his flesh was raised slightly but still pretty smooth. Bucky, in all of his confused glory, was a tragically beautiful masterpiece. His abs were perfectly formed and I had a strong urge to go over and run my hands over them. Instead, I internally shook the unprofessional thoughts out of my mind and pushed the small power button at the side of the shower cubicle. "See? You just push that button to turn it on and off; twist the dial next to it to adjust the temperature." I explained

"Ok, благодарить." he smirked, I raised an eyebrow in confusion then, realising I didn't speak Russian, told me "It means thank you.", acompanied by a deep throaty chuckle

"Oh, right." I laughed, "Well you're welcome.". Smiling, I left the room so that Bucky could shower and we could both be removed from the incredibly awkward situation we were in.

Bucky took a swift shower before I put his restraints back on and guided him back to his cell. The grey joggers and white t-shirt I had picked out for him fitted perfectly around his muscular form.

"Again, I'm sorry about all of this, but believe me, you'll get better." I smiled removing the cuffs while he sat on his bed. I could feel his blue eyes scanning my face as I turned the key.

"It's ok, I'm glad you're helping me. You're the only person around here who hasn't looked at me like I'm some kind of monster so far." he replied

"That's not true, Steve doesn't think you're a monster." I said, comforting him as I hooked the metal cuffs back around my waist.

"Who's Steve?" he questioned. It was then when I realised that he had no recollection of their friendship whatsoever.

"He was your best friend back in the 40s," I explained, "You'll get to know him again soon, don't worry." I said before turning to leave his cell. "Goodnight Bucky, get some rest."

"Goodnight... Whoever you are..." Bucky said

"My name's Laura." I smiled at him, closing the door on my way out.