Yours...

Stark Tower

New York City is exactly like the posters I had on my wall when I was a young teenager, the buildings went higher than the clouds and the only cars on the road were taxis, the people walked with purpose and somehow everything just looked sort of elegant, we drove to the tower with my face against the glass and Bucky looking out with me, pointing at digital billboards in awe.

"That is so cool!" He grinned, as the massive screened changed from a model, holding a bottle of Chanel, to a bottle of Pepsi~Cola.

"That's cool?!" I laughed. "Check out her hair!" I pointed to the woman whose head greatly resembled the poodle that she walked pompously.

We laughed and almost too soon we were parking at Stark tower. "why are we here?" I asked as I balanced my crutches before hopping out.

"We need Starks computer smarts to hack into this, and figure out what's going on, we also need a safe place to stay." Natasha explained grabbing my bag and passing it to Bucky who intercepted.

"When can I go home?" I asked.

"I don't know, Amy, but you're going to have to trust us until then." Steve said seriously.

"Where is Nox?" I asked as we entered the building.

"The little booger's been running around here the past couple days." Tony Stark said making a fabulous double door entrance.

"Did tiny stark just say booger?" I whispered to Bucky.

"I think he did." the other amputee grinned.

"Hello, who's this?" He asked walking up to me and extending a hand, I let go of my right crutch and held it with my elbow.

"Amy Elliot, nice to meet you." I said shaking his hand.

"Tony Stark, and the pleasure's mine." He said with a trademark smirk. "JARVIS, please see to it that our guests make it to their rooms," he addressed the air. "I need to go to a meeting..." He said to Steve, glancing at his watch. "An hour ago." And then he strutted off.

"Welcome," an electronic voice greeted. "I am JARVIS, please go to the elevator to your right." The disembodied voice led us to our rooms, where Nox sat on my bed sleeping soundly.

"Baby!" I exclaimed, I released the crutches and dropped to my knees as my little kitty ran up to me and curled up in my arms.

"I was also hoping that maybe stark and banner might help you with your leg." Steve said from behind me, I hadn't even realised he was there.

"You mean lack of leg?" I corrected.

"Yeah, stark is a tech genius and Banner does bio-stuff, together they could make you a state of the art prosthetic." Steve said excitedly.

"Do they know they're supposed to make me a leg?" I asked him rubbing my stump.

"Not yet, but I'm sure they won't mind." Steve said.

"I'm not getting my hopes up until they agree, and if they don't want to then I'll just buy another cheap one." I shrugged nonchalantly. "It's no biggie." but it was a biggie, I needed a nicer, more expensive prosthetic than I could afford.

"What's up with you and Bucky?" he asked, sitting on he floor in front of me and petting Nox.

"I don't know...?" but it was more of a question.

"I think he likes you." Steve grinned, "and I know you like him, so what's the problem?"

"I don't know how long he'll be here." I said scratching Nox's tummy while his whole body shook with purrs. "Pretty soon he'll realise that he doesn't owe me anything and he'll leave, and I don't want to lose everything by letting myself fall in love with him, only to watch him leave. I've done that, and it totally sucks." Nox head butted my hand to let me know that I'd stopped petting him.

"He was going to leave this morning." Steve told me, my stomach dropped. "But not for that reason." His bright blue eyes met my green ones.

"why then?" it was taking all my emotional strength not to be upset.

"He just wants to protect you, but he doesn't know how." steve said simply. It was then that i realised my feeling toward bucky. When i looked into Steve's eyes and saw that he was handsome and smart and kind,  and i wasnt the least bit interested. I hadnt even noticed how attractive anyone was since I'd met Bucky.

"I don't need protection." is said firmly. "I dont need help, and I don't want him to feel obligated to me."

"It's nothing to do with obligation and you know that."