One Night Stand (A Bucky Barnes Fanfiction)

Revenge

A/N: This is all Jade's POV. (And just a reminder that this is an AU story and not following canon at all)

***

The conference room of the Avenger's compound was as lavish as the rest of the building, housing a large wooden table that could seat at least 12 people in extremely comfortable cushioned chairs. I was currently sitting in one of the comfortable chairs, anxiously waiting for Steve  and Tony to enter.

Steve had called that morning, asking me to meet him at the compound, stating that he and Tony had something important to discuss with me. I noticed immediately that he hadn't mentioned that Bucky would be present and felt a sense of dread at the thought that he would be telling me bad news about Bucky, that something had happened to him. I hurriedly called in to ask a coworker to cover the beginning of my shift and rushed to the compound.

It was only a few minutes before they both walked in, Tony in a fancy looking suit, and Steve in his tactical Captain America gear. They both smiled pleasantly at me, Steve shutting the door behind them.

"Jade, thank you for joining us," Tony said walking around the table as I stood. He offered a hand that I took and shook. "How are you?"

"I'm good...honestly a little nervous about what you guys wanted to talk about, but good," I nodded turning to Steve who approached next. He opted for a hug, opening his arms to me, I had accepted. My anger for him had lessened after the good conversation that Bucky and I had last night, which had left me feeling better than I had felt since the kidnapping.

"It's nothing to be nervous about," Steve assured looking down at me. "Due to a recent raid on a Hydra base we finally found some intel on a man who we believe to be Dimitri. He's been a ghost up until this point with no information about him anywhere, even Jarvis couldnt dig anything up, but," he paused to glance at Tony who was taking a seat at the head of the conference table. "We have a photo and we need you to identify him. To make sure that we have the right guy."

I blinked. "Oh." I had hoped that I would never have to look at his face again. "I would have thought that you guys had seen him-."

"We didn't," Tony cut in. "By the time we made it past his small army of soldiers he had snuck out the back, leaving Manchurian Candidate behind."

Steve and I both frowned at the nickname he used for Bucky. "Yes, he left Bucky behind and made a run for it. I think he was more concerned with not being captured. And if this is him, the man that we have photographed, then all this has been about revenge," Steve added.

"Revenge?" I asked confused. "Revenge for what?"

Steve opened his mouth, but Tony spoke. "Let's take a look at the photo first before we divulge anymore information yet there, Cap," he said pulling a slim piece of paper from the inside of his fancy coat pocket. He set it on the table and slid it towards me, Steve catching it before it reached me and picking it up.

"Before we do that, we should ask you Jade...are you okay with this? I know it might be hard after everything that you have been through," Steve looked concerned. "And you don't have to do this."

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Of course. I want to help.  Whatever I can do. It's just a photo right?" I shrugged, trying to be nonchalant.

Steve hesitated for just a second before setting the photo on the table in front of me. I looked down at it slowly, recognizing the face in the picture before I had taken it all in. It was a black and white photo, a close up on his face. A face that had tormented me for the past year and then some. It was him alright. And I was suddenly back in that cell, his hand in my hair, his lips on mine, with Bucky standing there doing nothing. My heart started to race and I felt my stomach turn, my chest growing tight. I shut my eyes and practiced my breathing exercises.