Checkmate (BuckyBarnes x OC)

Recovery

I should really stop passing out in dangerous spaces and waking up somewhere unknown to me. I have lost count on how many times this actually happened throughout the previous year.

I felt a bright light illuminating my face before I even lifted my eyelids, it certainly was a change from the dark dungeons Garry kept me in for a certain amount of time. As I opened my eyes, however, I found that I was in a hospital bed, but I wasn't in a hospital. Around me was a familiar lab, too advanced to be of an ordinary hospital room, with holograms and medical equippement only seen in sci-fi movies. Was I... home? In the first place I was able to call home since I escaped Hydra a year ago? The place where I actually trusted people to be my friends?

A familiar red-headed woman stepped in and froze at the doorstep the moment she saw me. I wanted to smile to her but as I tried to move my face muscles I felt the pain flow through my skull and spreading across my upper body. Man, was I really beaten up that bad? The woman smirked silently and stepped closer, placing her palm on my forehead and smiling down at me.

"Heya, Kat. How are you feeling?" Natasha asked with her words calming me down.

"I've been better," I murmured, my words barely readable, "What happened?"

Nat sighed deeply and looked away from me, as if she wouldn't want to tell me. I forced myself to sit up to show her I was well enough and could handle whatever information she kept hidden. Then I asked again, "Nat, did anyone get hurt because of me?"

"No... Not because of you." She eventually spoke. Her tone hesitant, I could tell. But I decided it was better not to ask right now.

"Where are the others? Sam, my family..?" I kept asking, "Are they okay?"

"Sam is fine, he's been asking about you a lot since we brought you in. Most of your family is here as well, since it's the safest-"

"Most of them?" My eyebrows knitted together and I thought I saw Natasha curse to herself. "What do you mean most of them?"

Just then another person entered the room and I was glad to see America's favorite golden boy waltz in like a happy golden retriever. He noticed I was awake and was by my bed in seconds. Just like Nat, he shared a concern held in his eyes and I wondered what did they keep hidden from me.

"Katrina, heck, you got us scared for your life. Please, don't ever do that again." He said as he grabbed my hand and squeezed it between both of his.

I managed to return the shake, although not as powerful as his was, and felt my muscles strain.

"Steve... I'm so glad you're okay. The last time I saw you you were lying on the floor and I had to protect you from Bu.."

I went silent. Bucky. Where was he? What happened to him? Why wasn't he here instead or beside Steve and Nat? I was thankful for their presence and support but I truly only wanted to see Bucky. And my mother.

I saw Nat and Steve acknowledging what I was thinking about and they exchanged looks probably debating whether they should tell me or not. The anticipation was killing me and I just had to know.

"Where is he? Where's Yulia? Can someone please tell me?" I asked more sternly and was surprised I even managed to produce such a voice.

Nat turned and walked outside, probably letting Steve take the wheel with this one and wanted to give us some more privacy. Afterall, Steve knew Bucky better than Nat.

"Listen, Kat, this is gonna be hard to hear, so lie down." Steve said and gently pushed me back into my pillow while I was still holding onto his hand. I prepared myself for whatever was coming.

But I could never prepare for this.

"You've been in a coma for two weeks. Garry is dead and that Hydra base was eliminated, but there were... casualties." Steve went quiet and looked at me carefully. "We found your sister in one of those shock cells. She didn't seem alive and wasn't responding when we checked her vitals. Garry probably tried to fry her brain and she couldn't handle it."

He paused once more but I didn't have anything I could say to make things better so I was quiet. "And your mother is dead, Katrina. Bucky.. he killed her. Garry programmed him back to the Winter Soldier when he held you captive and managed to turn him against you."

Tears forming on the edges of my eyes burned like embers.

"We all tried to stop him, me, Thor, even Tony, but he outmatched us all. Something got him fired up like never before."

Now boiling tears bursted down my cheeks like Niagara falls. I refused to believe what Steve was explaining to me but deep down I knew it was true. I was reliving it all as he spoke.

"I remember you tried to stop him but after he was done with her, he got to you. I couldn't see him take you away from me, too."

The grip he had on my hand tightened.

"That's when Tony thankfully jumped in. You were laying numb on the floor but I couldn't do much, I thought you were dead. Buck said he recognized you before Stark could fire a blast in his head and I managed to stop him against doing it. We brought Bucky in and I carried you back to the jet."

Questions after questions were forming in my head and it was driving me crazy that I missed all of it. "What happened to Nat? The rest of my family? Where is Bucky now? I need to know Steve."

"You need to rest first, Kat, I can't upset you too much." Steve began to leave but the grip I had on his hand was strong and I refused to let him go.

"You know I couldn't rest untill I know everything. So, tell me, Rogers." I said firmly.

Steve sighed and sat beside me on the bed, looking between me and his dangly feet. "Natasha is fine, as you could see, but she wasn't fit to fight when we found her. Garry tried to reboot her, too, but she wouldn't bust."

"My family..?" I stuttered.

"Your siblings are currently in the building, Stark security is keeping them safe. The little girl has been asking a lot about you."

"Aida.." I chuckled. "She's a sweet girl."

"We had to break the news to them about your mother and sister. They're still processing, but even after what Bucky did, Aida and Vadim are still willing to find him."

My face straightened. "Find him? Why would they need to find him?"

Steve's eyes were red as hot chilli peppers and I understood this was just as hard for him as it was for me. "Buck's gone into hiding again. He was here for a few days but he couldn't handle the guilt. That's what he told me at least. He was monitoring you before he decided to leave. He told me and no one else and left. No one knows where."

I smirked. "I know where he is."

I was just about to stand up when Steve stopped me again. "Whoa, whoa, you're not going anywhere untill you regain your strenght. And a lot of people want to see you first."

-

I obeyed the Captain's command and stayed in bed for three more days. In this time I got visits from pretty much every person at the compound. Sam came to greet me every day on numerous occasions and always ate lunch with me. Aida and Vadim missed me more than I thought, I was all they had right now. Natasha and Steve kept comming to check on me every once in a while, but they were also the most busy in the building and I understood that they couldn't be with me constantly completely. Tony and Bruce were monitoring my injuries and keeping health tabs on me, for which I was more than thankful and I kept thanking them everytime they came.

My recovery went well but even if I had to keep multiple conversations at once daily I couldn't forget about Bucky. No matter who I was talking to, I had the image of him at the back of my mind and I thought about him constantly. I managed to put a smile on my face for the people who cared about me, but I truly only wanted to find him.

And I had already developed a plan on how to find him.

A/N
Sorry this chapter sucked a bit and is a little shorter than usual.
We only have a few chapters left till the end! It's been a long ride for me, tell me if you liked it!