#loustan90masterlist

★

Bucky watched on as an old Steve handed Sam his shield. Steve had conversed with Bucky only a minute or so prior to leaving to go back in time, he was to return the Infinity Stones to their respective time zones. The goodbye between them had felt final and Bucky knew his best friend wouldn't be returning like planned, yet he wasn't expecting this. Bucky watched on as Steve passed on his mantle to Sam, he looked free, happy. Steve had got the ending he deserved with Peggy. Bucky felt content knowing his friend had found happiness at last, now it was his time to find his own way.

Many months passed before Bucky crossed paths with Sam Wilson again. He had cut his hair, changed his clothes and had started to resume a normal life, well as normal as he could make it, the government was after him. Sharon Carter had turned up out of blue on his doorstep one afternoon, she had gone rogue too, working for herself. It had taken her a while to find the former Winter Soldier but she needed his help. Girls from the city were going missing, without a trace. Sharon had tasked a reluctant Bucky with finding Sam; after hearing her theory that a branch of HYDRA may be behind the kidnappings and with the government not on their side, he decided to help. Bucky wouldn't let HYDRA get the upper hand again.

★

Mollie lay on her wooden cot, a stale blanket covering her body in a bid to keep her warm, she tried to sleep, but it was impossible. The girls around her moaned and coughed, many were becoming ill, their bodies unable to handle the squalid conditions. Different men would come into the room during the day, or was it night, and chuck scraps of food on the floor for them to eat, bolting the door behind them. Many times Mollie would give her share of food to another, always choosing to care for someone else than think about herself. She would tend to the bruises left behind when one of the men would enter, using the girls as punching bags when they grew bored guarding their door. Mollie had tried to escape too many times to count, if she made enough noise someone would come but then they would beat her too, so she gave up trying to be free. She didn't know why she had been taken, why they had all been taken.

A sound like falling rubble echoed around the damp stone walls as two bodies fell into the room. They sat frozen for a moment, conscious of the fact they had made a noise. No one came. They looked at each other relieved. The two men were opposites of one other, but both muscular. The darker of the two, dusted his jeans down as he stood taking in his surroundings. "Damn." He muttered under his breath. "Well, I think we found them."

The other locked eyes with Mollie, he had light stubble on his fair face, short brown hair and a piercing stare. She sat up straighter in her cot, unsure of the situation unfolding in front of her. "We're here to get you out." He says, his voice was soft and comforting. Her stomach flipped upon hearing him speak, he moved a step closer to her. He was handsome, Mollie thought.

Mollie didn't have time to think as a second later the door to the room started to creak, the heavy locks were being pulled back, someone must have heard the noise after all. The two men were going to get caught, Mollie had to act fast. Quickly she sprang from her spot, the cot next to her was empty. The first man had moved into a corner, hiding in the shadows, Mollie gestured to the other, he came to her with speed and jumped onto the cot. Mollie threw her stale blanket on top of him before moving back to her previous spot, laying down. The cots were close enough that Mollie could feel the warmth of the man beside her, looking to the side she could see his eyes peeking out, they were a bright blue and fixed on her.

The door flew open, Mollie flinched as a rotund man strolled into the space, she had seen him before, he was the one who took the girls away, they never returned. Her fists clenched as she saw him walk over to one of the weaker looking girls, grabbing her by the hair before marching her out the door. Mollie made to move, but a hand caught her wrist before she could do anything, the hand was gloved yet it felt unnaturally cool. The girl's screams echoed off the walls as she was dragged from view, Mollie choked out a sob as the door slammed shut.

"We have to go. Now." The first man announces as he walks out of the shadows, he checks over a few of the girls, most of which seem to frail to walk, let alone climb into a hole to escape.

"They won't leave." Mollie whispers, her voice was hoarse.

The blue eyed man had thrown off the blanket, freeing her from his grip and tearing his gaze from the woman who had helped him hide, he strode over the other. "Sam, I think we need back up."

The pair were reluctant to leave, if they left they couldn't be sure what they would be returning too. They were lucky they had stumbled on the girls in the first place. Sam reached for his pocket and pulled out a phone, he pressed a few buttons before holding it to his ear. The handsome man turned back to Mollie, his electric blue eyes piercing her soul. "Come with us." He urged.

"I won't leave them." Mollie shakes her head backing away. She had looked out for the girls as best as she could so far, she wouldn't abandon them now.

The man runs a hand through his hair, sighing.

"Sharon's logged our location, we need to pull the plug on this, we'll come back." Sam urged as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. "She's sorting out transport, it should be here by tomorrow, then we can get these girls out."

Bucky had no other option, the girls couldn't be moved in their current state and Mollie was refusing to leave their side. "I'll come back for you," He says, taking her hand in his. "Be ready, look after this for me." In her palm he places a small gold coin, a star is stamped onto the surface. Mollie looks down at the cool metal as he moves away, his clean scent leaving the air.

"Wait, what's your name?" Mollie calls, eager to know the name of the man who had promised to save her.

"Bucky." He replies softly, before turning to leave.

The girls questioned Mollie a while later, some were unsure of the intruders, thinking they were going to take them away in the same manner as their captors. Mollie tried to reassure them, telling them the two men would return, that they were going to rescue them. All they had to do was wait, help was coming.

Days later, one of the guards finds the coin. Mollie tries to clutch it tightly in her palm, hiding it from his view, but this one was thorough and he hated Mollie.

She had kicked him where it hurt when he forcefully threw one of her fellow prisoners against the cool gagged concrete floor. From that day he had made Mollie his play thing, when he grew bored he would come in and use her as his punch bag, relishing in the way her skin grew red where he had lifted up the stiff ragged dress. He cackled maniacally during his assault. The girls would tend to Mollie's wounds as she had done theirs when he left, for they knew if it wasn't Mollie getting beaten it would be themselves, and their fate could be much worse. He enjoyed torturing Mollie, but he could easily kill them.

Upon finding the coin he had shouted in Mollie's ear, the stench of his breath making her almost gag. "You're a fucking theif, you know that, where did you get this?" He screeched, throwing the coin, it hit Mollie on the forehead with a clunk before rolling onto the ground, sitting proudly at his feet.

He had thought perhaps she had pickpocketed it off one of the other guards. Oh how wrong he was. Mollie had tried her best to cover the hole where Bucky and Sam had entered, and so far it had not been discovered. The guard had brought a whip with him this time, he beat Mollie for a little while, harder with every grunt and groan she emitted, before ordering her to hold out her palms. He whipped the sensitive skin until it bled and welts began to form, before pocketing the coin, once again calling her a thief, he grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her to the ground like a broken toy before leaving. Mollie sobbed as one of the girls tried their best to bandage the raw wounds, but it was no use they would become infected from the dirty fabric.

They came a day or two later, Bucky and Sam. The girls had found a new strength within themselves, spurred on by Bucky and Sam's promise to come back for them, all of them. They had hope, because Mollie still had hope, and they trusted her. The girls followed Sam, some fled wanting to go back to their families, others sat in the back of the waiting truck, ready for new lives. Mollie was too bruised and beaten to move, Bucky found her hunched on her cot, her eyes looked dull and without hope, like she was ready to give up.

"You came." She whispered, her eyes glowed a bit brighter upon seeing her saviours. Bucky carried her carefully as they made their exit, Mollie had found it difficult to stand, she had grown weak, her bones ached from the pain of being beaten.

Bucky took Mollie to a safe house. He placed her down gently onto a soft mattress, something she hadn't felt for a long while and let her sleep. He sat watching her for a while, taking in her appearance as her chest rose and fell with each intake of breath, her lashes were long and rested on the top of her rosy cheeks. Something about her intrigued Bucky. He wished she had come with him that day, then perhaps she wouldn't be in this state right now. But he knew from Mollie's past words and actions, if she had left with him someone else would have been in the state she was in now, and from his perception she was not going to let them be beaten or hurt.

Mollie wakes, she lays watching Bucky, he's sat in a stiff backed chair, hands in his lap, eyes glued to the carpet. He must have heard Mollie stir because his eyes are suddenly on hers.

"Hi." She whispers. Bucky smiles back, glad to see her awake. "How are all the other girls?" Mollie enquired, she needed to know they were alright.

"They're safe." Bucky replied, relieving Mollie's thoughts and moving to sit on the side of the bed.

Mollie felt warmth radiate from him again, it was a comfort. He leant over to open a drawer on the bedside table, removing a small first aid bag, he took out a pair of sealed gloves. "I'm going to try and take these off." He says, carefully taking one of her small hands in his large.

The skin under the bandages stung as he tried to unravel the fabric, and tears pricked in Mollie's eyes. Bucky's fingers worked slowly, his touch delicate. "I'm sorry." He says as she moaned, the final bandage coming away from her oozing skin.

A small knock vibrates on the door before it opens. A blonde haired woman walked over the threshold, her arms full of clothing, a tray resting on top with a bowl and some glass bottles.

"I brought some medicine and some clothes." She directs to Bucky before setting them down.

"Hey, I'm Sharon." She says, "How are you feeling?"

So this was the Sharon Sam had talked about, Mollie thought as Bucky discarded the bandages and gloves. She smiled at the woman but a grimace spread across her face as she sucked in a breath, it hurt. Sharon didn't need to hear Mollie's reply. She strode to a nearby room, Mollie could hear the sound of water filling the tub as it filled. Sharon returned, leaving the door open, Mollie could see steam starting to fill up the bathroom.

"I'm running you a bath, it will help." Sharon clarified, her voice soft and kind. She came round the side of the bed to help Mollie and walk her to the bathroom, shutting the door behind them. Mollie was able to rid the clothes herself, desperate to get them off her body. Sharon's back was turned as Mollie stripped before setting herself in the tub. Sharon gave Mollie a moment before helping scrub some of the dirt from her skin. Mollie sat with her legs brought up to her chest as Sharon wiped away the grime and filth from her back, before lathering up some shampoo and proceeding to wash her hair.

"Thank you." Mollie says, offering a small smile, she was thankful for Sharon's assistance, there was no way she would have been able to reach her back or wash her hair, her muscles still ached and she didn't want to chance washing her hair with raw sensitive hands.

"I'll let you sit for a while." Sharon says, allowing Mollie to clean herself; offering her some privacy.

Helping was in Sharon's nature, she was a nurturer, she hadn't questioned aiding the bruised young woman before her. It was the correct thing to do.

"The towels are here - Sharon gestures to the towels folded neatly on top of a basket by the bath - there's a robe and some clothes." She points to another small pile of fabric.

"Thank you." Mollie says again as Sharon quietly closes the door behind her.

A little while later Mollie hears knuckles softly tapping on the bathroom door, she was still sitting in the tub, her arms wrapped around her petite body, her toes had started to wrinkle.

"Are you okay?" Bucky asks tentatively from the other side of the door. He enters when she doesn't reply, careful not to look, yet he couldn't miss the glaring bruises littering her back and arms. Anger shoots through him at the sight and his nostrils flare, he tries to hide his frustrations as he moves to sit, his back to Mollie, resting against the side of the bath.

Bucky sits in silence unsure of what to say to the woman behind him. He tilts his head to the side before speaking, "You should get out soon, the water will be getting cold." He stands, reaching for a huge bath towel. He holds it high and in front of Mollie. He hears her stand up, water droplets hitting the water as she rises. Mollie climbs out of the tub, careful not to slip and lets Bucky wrap the towel round her body, his hands graze the flesh on her arms, causing her to shiver as she ties the ends together. Bucky stands his eyes never leaving hers for a short moment before hurrying awkwardly to the door. "I'll be back in five minutes."

Mollie nods in response, as Bucky slips out of the room, allowing her to get dry and dressed. He knocks on the door exactly five minutes later. Mollie opens it, walking past Bucky back into the bedroom, the robe tightly wrapped around her, it was the only thing Mollie had felt comfortable in, the fabric was so soft and plush, the other clothes Sharon had brought felt scratchy and tight against her skin.

"Sit." Bucky gestures to two chairs and a table in the corner of the room. Mollie takes one of the seats, Bucky sits opposite pulling another pair of gloves onto his hands; he had placed the medicine, bandages and ointment on the table. Holding his right hand palm up on the table, Bucky gestured for Mollie to place one of hers in his. His skin was soft against hers as she lay her hand down. Bucky bathed Mollie's hands first in the bowl, removing any dirt she had been unable to remove herself. "How did you get these?" He asked, his lips tight.

"One of the guards." Mollie replies quietly. "He found the coin you gave me."

"I'm sorry I-"

Mollie cut Bucky off. "It's alright, it gave me a little bit of hope." She says softly, her eyes challenged him, she wouldn't let him feel bad about this.

"I'm going to put the ointment on now, it might sting a little." He says, buckling under her stare, he looked down briefly at her reddened skin. And it does. Mollie sucks in a jagged breathe, holding back so many curse words as Bucky wipes gauze doused in ointment over the cuts. His left hand held onto her wrist as she bit down on her lip, trying her best not to recoil from the searing pain.

Bucky let Mollie rest for a while before applying a salve, it soothed her almost immediately; she let out a visible sigh of relief letting her shoulders relax, not realising how tense she had been.

After a few minutes of rest Bucky carefully bandaged Mollie's hands, tying a knot on top of his work. His eyes peek up to Mollie's, as he removed the gloves placing them on the table, she was watching him intently. Bucky gulped a lump forming in his throat and subconsciously ran his tongue over his bottom lip.

Bucky stands abruptly. Mollie joins him, gently placing a hand on his chest before he can move away, he turns to face her, the space between their bodies minute.

"Thank you Bucky." Mollie says, she really was thankful.

Bucky hesitantly places a hand over Mollie's, looking down as his skin comes into contact with hers, a pulse courses through him, he'd touched her skin earlier, but this was different, his thumb caressed her fingers as it moved across her skin. He brings his eyes back up to swallow her gaze, allowing a small smile to spread across his face. Bucky's other hand tenderly caressed Mollie's cheek, his thumb gently moving across her skin before leaning his forehead against hers.

Someone knocked softly on the door. Bucky reluctantly dropped Mollie's hand to answer it. Sharon had brought some food for the pair, he thanks her as she passes him a takeout bag through the door. "You must be hungry." He asks, turning to Mollie.

Mollie nodded with enthusiasm, unable to remember the last time she had proper food. Bucky's phone buzzed in his pocket but he chose to ignore it. Pulling the covers back and propping up some pillows, Bucky placed the food on the bed, setting it up like a picnic. A giggle escaped Mollie's lips as he set himself against the headrest before joining him.