Secret Family

Bucky and Maddie

Maddie was now out of surgery. Bucky and Steve had yet to see her. They were waiting impatiently outside of the room. Then Tony walked out.

"She's awake." He told the two.

Bucky immediately shot up.

"Is she okay?" He questioned

"She's fine but there's something I should tell you." Tony replied.

Steve didn't want to wait any longer, he wanted to see his daughter.

"You can tell us after we see her." Steve said walking into the room Maddie was in.

Bucky and Tony followed.

Maddie was on a hospital bed in the medical bay at the compound. She had one IV in her left arm. Her right arm was under the blanket. She was asleep.

"Maddie?" Steve said quietly.

Maddie slowly woke up.

"Dad?" She replied quietly.

Steve could feel a few tears rolling down his cheeks.

"You remember?" Steve asked her.

"I do." Maddie whispered.

Maddie pushed herself up in the bed. The blanket uncovered her right arm.

Steve and Bucky froze.

In place of her right arm was a metal one. Exactly like Bucky's.

"Stark?" Bucky muttered.

Tony motioned for Steve and Bucky to follow him into the hall.

"Look HYRDA implanted a small device into her arm which would have killed her if we didn't get it out. We tried to save her arm but the second we would have removed it from the bone it would have killed her. Instead we completely replaced her arm to save her. I'm sorry we tried to save her arm but it just wasn't possible." Tony explained to the two.

Steve and Bucky had nothing to say. They just stood there speechless.

Bucky walked back into the room Maddie was in. Steve and Tony decided to stay in the hall.

"Dad?" Maddie said quietly as Bucky walked in.

Bucky made his way over to her side and sat on a chair next to the bed.

"Maddie, I know you've heard this before but I want you to know I will always be here for you. Now you and I aren't so different. Whenever you have nightmares please come to be babygirl. I will help you through them. That kind of stuff is a lot for someone to go through and you're only 16 so it may affect you a little worse. You don't have to go through it alone."

Maddie slowly moved her hand to Bucky's and held it. Bucky flinched but soon the two of them relaxed. From now on a lot would change. Not only was Maddie back but she would suffer from a lot of nightmares from everything she went through.

A few days later Maddie was well enough to leave the compound and go home. She gained most of her memories but a lot was still fuzzy for her.

Maddie was in one of the many training rooms at the compound. She was punching a punching bag. She was getting terrible flashbacks from what HYRDA did to her. She was getting used to her new metal arm but it would forever be a reminder of one of the many ways HYRDA ruined her life.

She didn't realize how hard she was punching until the bag went flying across the room.

"You know your dad did that a lot when he was here before you guys found me."

Maddie looked over to see Bucky in the doorway. He made his way over to Maddie as she was hanging another punching bag on the hook.

"I can see why." Maddie responded to what Bucky said.

"Do you want to talk? It might help." Bucky said quietly.

"What's there to talk about?" Maddie replied. "The fact that HYRDA ruined my life. Me missing most of my childhood. Being torn away from my family for 6 years." Maddie's voice sounded angrier. She was punching the bag and hitting it harder every time she spoke. "Being tortured and beaten. Beings made to forget everything about yourself and your life. The everlasting haunt of everyone I've killed." Maddie was yelling now. She punched the bag so hard it flew off the hook and cracked the wall it hit.

"Maddie I'm sorry." Bucky whispered. Even though he went through all this himself he didn't know what to say.

"It's fine. It's not your fault." She replied quietly.

Maddie didn't put another bag up but instead stood there. She was breathing heavy and sweat was dripping down her forehead.

"I know what went through. All the shit HYRDA put in my head is still there. I know what you're going through please talk to me. It won't help if you keep this to yourself. Trust me I know. Maddie, just please talk to me."

Maddie took a deep sigh and turned around to face Bucky.

"Does it ever get better?" Maddie slowly asked. She had a few tears streaming down her cheeks.

Bucky pulled her in for a hug. "I'm going to be honest with you. It does get better but the haunt of HYRDA will always be there but you must always remember you have people to go to."

More tears started to fall from Maddie's eyes but she felt safe with her dad. She knew he was always going to be there for her and she was happy to know she had someone who understood. She knew the threat of HYRDA will always haunt her but for now she was safe.