Titanium ~A Bucky Barnes Love Story~

Chapter Twenty-Three

Caden knocked gently on Bucky's door. Bucky cracked it open, before opening it all the way when he saw who it was.

"Hi, Caden," he said softly. "How's your eye?" he asked, nodding towards Caden's cut.

"Oh!" Caden said, touching the buterfly bandages. "Better," she smiled.

"Do you want to come in?" Bucky asked, stepping aside.

"Thanks," Caden said softly, stepping in to the small, dimly lit room.

"You okay?" Bucky asked, shutting the door behind him. "You don't usually answer in one worded sentences."

Caden sat down on the edge of Bucky's bed, lightly rubbing her left hand over the scar under her shirt sleeve on her right arm. "I'm fine, I have just had a lot on my mind lately, what with having to hide out here, Steve having to leave on his mission, and the fact that Tony is loose in here somewhere doing who knows what," she added sarcastically, attempting to lighten the mood that had already seemed to be heading down a depressing road.

"Yeah, Steve told me that Stark mentioned he is trying to figure out how to add some weapons to my metal arm," Bucky laughed dryly. "Couple of missiles or a rocket of some sort. He's probably been in this place's lab since he got here yesterday."

"No!" Caden snapped suddenly. "No, I wont't let you be turned into a weapon again."

"What?" Bucky asked. "Caden, are you sure you are okay? You're not acting like yourself at all."

"Yes" Caden said, standing up and walking over to the corner opposite of the bed, resting her palm on it. "No," she finally said. "I don't know."

"Is it because Steve left?" Bucky asked.

Caden shook her head, turning back to the supersoldier. "No, it's not that, I just..." She trailed off, not positive as to whether or not to tell Bucky what really had her upset.

"Does it have something to do with the Winter Soldier?"

Caden looked up at him sharply. "How did you know?" she questioned.

Bucky shrugged. "Because every other time you found out something about my past you have the same demeanor."

"You're good," Caden sighed, sitting back down on the bed next to Bucky. "Look, I know that you probably do not want me to bring this up, but I am, and I'm sorry, but I have to. Otherwise, it's just going to be a crushing weight on my chest."

"Caden?" Bucky asked warily.

Caden interrupted him, feeling like if she didn't start talking now, she never would be able to. "Do you remember yesterday when I went to throw you a mouth guard and you punched it away?"

Bucky's eyes darkened as he looked away, "I remember."

"Well, not knowing why you did that was starting to really bother me, because I couldn't figure out why it had been a trigger."'

"Caden, I really don't think-"

"So I started reading. One thing lead to another and I ended up reading an article on how Hydra... Controlled you." Caden sighed, watching as Bucky stood up, running his hands through his short hair. "They had pictures and a very descriptive video of them wiping you."

"Stop," Bucky whispered.

"I showed what I found to Steve, and he told me to come to you," Caden said quietly. "I don't know what to do, Bucky. I thought knowing would give me better insight on how to help you, but now I really don't know."

"Please. Just, stop."

Caden looked up at Bucky, staring in shock when she noticed how his pupils were constricted to the point of near non-existence. He started hyperventilating, looking around the room like a caged animal.