"Bucky! Please! You don't have to do this!"
Gwen screamed as she watched the headpiece went over his face and the lights started to go off on the machine. Then Gwen's screams were muffled out by Bucky's. Gwen hung her head and the tears streamed down her face as she listened to him scream. She tried to drown out his screams with her own. She couldn't listen to that anymore.
A hand grabbed her hair and made her look at Bucky. She closed her eyes and continued to cry. When the screaming stopped Gwen was thrown to the ground. Landing on her hands and knees, Gwen looked down at the floor, not wanting to look up to see what had happened to the man that she cared about. Hearing footstep stopping in front of her Gwen's eyes slowly looked up and saw Bucky standing in front of her.
"Bucky…"
His face was hard as stone as she looked up at him. His hand went to his side and he pulled a gun out of a holster. Cocking it back he pointed it down at her.
"Bucky, please."
She watched as his finger went to the trigger. Closing her eyes, Gwen shook her head and said his name one last time before one last final shot rang out and everything turned to black.
Her world of black quickly turned to a bright blinding light. Gwen felt herself sit up but the pain in her chest brought her right back down. Slowly the blinding light started to have dark shapes moving around, then those shapes formed into people looking down at her.
"Where's Bucky?"
She said looking at the man above her. He looked at her then he looked off to the side. The sound of heels clicking on the floor came closer to Gwen. Then Pepper was looking down at her.
"Oh, my God. You're awake."
Pepper was able to get out before tears rolled her cheeks and her arms wrapped round her neck.
"Where is he?"
Gwen asked when Pepper hugged her. Pepper pulled away from Gwen and looked at her with a sympathetic look.
"Sweetheart…"
"Pepper, what happened to Bucky?"
"Gwen... He-"
Gwen went to get off the bed but the pain from her chest fired up again and she fell back onto the bed. Pepper sat to the side and looked at Gwen as she folded her hands in her lap.
"He's in the other room."
"Is he okay?"
"He should be. Gwen you need to stay here."
"I have to see him."
Gwen said as she tried to sit up again, but Pepper put her hands on her shoulders, pinning her to the bed.
"Stay here. You need to rest. I'll go tell him you woke up."
Pepper told her and she stood up and started to walk to the hospital room suit. Gwen looked at her hands seeing the IV tubes in her hands.
"How long have I been out?"
"Four days."
Gwen closed her eyes and let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry, Pepper for everything."
"You have nothing to be sorry for."
The door opened and shut, Gwen was finally alone. She closed her eyes and her hand found one of the two new bullet holes in her. Her fingertips ran along the closed entry wound. Feeling the bumps along her skin Gwen felt tears weld up behind her eyes.
"You just can't help getting shot can you?"
Her eyes shot up and saw Bucky wheeling himself into the room from a wheelchair. Gwen's eyes went to the metal chair that he was sitting on and thoughts of worry and guilt ran through her mind.
"Bucky… I…"
"I'm not in this permanently. They just want me in this for safely. I'm alright."
Gwen nodded her head and tears started to roll down her cheeks. Bucky got up from his chair and walked over to her and sat on the bed next to her. Once on the bed he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest.
"Shh. It's alright, dollface. Everything is alright."
"No, it's not. Bucky… you… I- I'm sorry."
"Gwen. It's alright. What's the last thing you remember?"
"Him saying 'Hail HYDRA' then gun shots."
Bucky smiled even though she couldn't see it. He was happy that she didn't see what happened after those moments.
Bucky looked across the room at the door.
"I'm so sorry that I got you involved in this, Gwen."
"Bucky, if couldn't handle this I wouldn't be working with superheroes. I mean I pictured that I'd have less bullet holes in me."
"That's not funny."
Gwen smiled and kissed his cheek. Bucky smiled and looked back over at her, seeing her smiling.
"That's the Gwen I miss."
With the smile still on her face she moved over in the bed, making room for him to sit down next to her. She patted the open spot on the bed and Bucky moved himself so he sat next to her. Closing her eyes Gwen rested her head on Bucky shoulder and let out a sigh.
"Can you stay here?"
"I'm not sure if I can."
"Please, I haven't had a good night sleep. I want you to keep the nightmares away."
"Gwen, I can't keep them away."
She made a noise as she started to fall back asleep. Bucky chuckled and kissed her forehead and wrapped his arm around her.
"I will protect you Gwen. I can promise you that."

---

Gwen walked out of the bathroom wearing her clothing and not the blue hospital gown for once in a week. It had been a long week of her staying in the hospital bed, now she was cleared to go home. Pushing a piece of her hair behind her ear she saw Bucky sitting on the bed waiting for her. She walked over to him as he held out his hands for her. A smile came to Bucky's face as he wrapped his arms around her.
"You look beautiful."
"You are such a flirt."
"It's the truth."
She smiled and turned a light shade of pink as she looked down at her feet.
"Happy to go home?"
"You have no idea."
She told him with a smile. Bucky laughed and stood up, still holding Gwen in his arms. He rubbed her back and looked down at her. He knew that what had happened to her was his fault, there was not two ways around that. HYDRA was after him and they took her to get to him. No matter what Steve or anyone else told him that it wasn't his fault, he knew that it was. He was happy that she didn't remembered that what happened after she was shot. He knew that he couldn't live with himself if she saw what he did to those HYDRA agents.
"Hail HYDRA."
Bucky stood up from the chair and looked over at the doctor, seeing he was pointing a gun down at Gwen. He thought that he was seeing red before, but now a new rage had taken over him. Taking the few steps over to him, Bucky grabbed the doctor by the neck and threw him across the room. Behind him he heard footsteps behind him, turning around he punched the man running at him. Grabbing the agents gun he shot the two other agents that we in the room, then he shot the agent with his own gun. When they were dead he walked over to the two other agents that were picking themselves off the floor around Gwen. One grabbed onto her limp body and held a knife to her throat. Quickly Bucky shot him in the forehead, then shot the other agent in stomach.
Walking over to him, Bucky grabbed onto his collar and pulled him off the floor. The agent cried in pain as he looked up at the Winter Soldier then to the other dead agents in the room. His eyes were filled with fear as he looked into Bucky's blue eyes that had turned dark blue from the anger boiling over inside of him.
"Please, don't I-"
With his other hand Bucky twisted the man neck. A load snap was heard around the room and the agent fell limp in his hands and Bucky let go, dropping him to the floor. Then the sound of clapping was heard from the other side of the room. Bucky's head whipped around and saw the doctor leaning against the wall looking over at him.
"You say you're not the Winter Soldier, but that will never leave you."
Angrily Bucky walked over to him and grabbed him by the neck, pushing him into the wall. The doctor let out a laugh as Bucky looked up at him with a stone hard look of fury at him.
"I am the first of many. You think that getting rid of me will make her safe? You cut off one head, two more will take it's place. You can't stop this Winter Soldier, no one can."
Bucky threw a punch at his face, and it didn't stop. He dropped the doctor to the floor and continued to punch him. He didn't stop until he felt the skull collapse under his fists. Looking down at his face, Bucky saw the damage he done. Blood covered the doctor's face and his hands. The doctor's face was hardly recognizable now, Bucky had crushed the bone of his skull.
Getting off of him Bucky slumped against the wall and looked down at his hands that were covered him blood. He could feel that blood was splattered on his face as well. He looked from his hands to Gwen's unmoving body on the floor across the room. Closing his eyes he felt tears well up behind them as guilt and regret washed over him.
He had done this to her.
Getting up from the floor he brought his hand to his ear and turned on the comp system in his ear on.
"Steve."
"You got her?"
"Yes. We need to go."
"We're on our way."
Letting his hand fall from his ear, Bucky walked over to Gwen and dropped to his knees in front of her. He looked at his hands again then back to Gwen. The tears that were forming behind his eyes now started to fall as he looked at her. He cradled her head in his hands as he cried. The guilt was now eating away at him as he held Gwen in his arms. She could die because he couldn't keep her safe. He knew that whatever happened to her because of the wounds inflicted on her in the last 72 hours was because of him.
"Gwen, I'm so sorry. You can't die, not now. I need you, Gwen."
He heard the sounds of people running towards the room. He whipped his eyes and picked Gwen up in his arms, before the door opened and Steve ran in ready for a fight. Steve looked over at Bucky as he walked over to him with Gwen in his arms, worry washed over his face as he saw Gwen was unmoving in his friend's arms. He saw the blood dripping from her wounds and he went to ask Bucky what happened, but the other super soldier walked past him.
"We need to go."
Was all Bucky told Steve as he walk. Steve looked around the room seeing all the dead HYDRA agents on the floor. He eyes lingered on the doctor with the beaten in skull. He turned his head to look down the hallway at Bucky walking away from the room.

---

Gwen stood across the elevator from Bucky and looked at his feet. Her eyes went from his shoes up to the screen that showed what floor they were on. As they neared the 39th floor she looked over at Bucky, who smiled when her eyes landed on him.
"Let me guess, Pepper has planned a big welcome home party for me."
Bucky just shrugged his shoulders and smiled again. Gwen rolled her eyes and walked over to him with a sly smirk on her face. As she stood in front of him, he looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.
"I think you know more then you say."
"What makes you say that?"
"You have no idea how much I hate surprises. Just tell me. Please, baby."
She whined as she grabbed onto his jacket collar. Bucky smiled and let out a small groan at her whining.
"There maybe a party waiting for you up stairs."
Gwen let out a small laugh as she let go of his jacket and started to walk back to the other side of the elevator.
"You are such a sucker."
Bucky reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back into him. His arms wrapped around her as he crashed his lips down to hers. Gwen closed her eyes as she let the kiss between them happen. She felt safe with him this close to her. She felt the elevator stop then the doors opened.
"Suprise!"
A chorus of people yelled as the doors opened, but they all went quiet when they saw Bucky and Gwen lip locked in the elevator. Then Tony let out a cat call towards them and Gwen broke the kiss and glared at the billionaire.
She saw the group of people standing in the area between her living room and kitchen. Tony was standing next to Pepper, with his arm wrapped around her waist and a party blower hang from his mouth and a glass of champagne in his free hand. Sam was not far from the couple with a balloon in his hand. Then Macey, Ronda, Jennifer, and Abigail stood off to the side with a cake in there hands. Looking around she saw Devon, Macey's finance. The rest of the girl's boyfriends. A handful of people that she knew from the girls. Bruce was standing in the kitchen with a two party hat cones on his head, she knew that Tony must had put them on him. Then she saw her parents standing next to Ronda.
"Mom. Dad."
She said walking out of the eleavort and over to them with her arms spread out for a hug. Her mother was the first to hug her and she pulled her in tightly.
"I'm so happy that you're safe, sweetheart."
"Mom, when did you get here?"
"Tony sent a plane out for us last night."
Gwen looked over at Tony who just shrugged his shoulders like it was nothing. She smiled at him and mouthed the words thank you at him. He just raised his champagne glass at her with a smile on his face. Then Gwen's dad hugged her when her mom let go. Gwen was then pasted around the party saying hi to everyone, every now and then she's catch Bucky looking over at her. Soon Gwen was standing in the kitchen with a glass of champagne in her hand, talking to Ronda and her date Alan. They were talking about sports when her dad walked over to them and stood next to Gwen. Ronda looked over at her friend's father then grabbed Alan's hand and excused themselves. Gwen looked over at her dad who was taking a drink from his schott as he looked at the other party goers.
"When were you going to introduce to your little friend?"
He asked pointing with his glass towards Bucky, who was talking with Bruce and Abigail.
"Dad."
"What? I want to know the man that is dating my only daughter."
"At Macey's wedding. But things are complicated."
"They didn't seem complicated in the elevator."
"He's one of my clients."
"Ah, that does seem complicated."
He told her as he took a drink of his schott. Gwen looked down at the bottom of her glass and continued to talk.
"I really like him, but I could lose my licence from this."
"Is he worth it?"
"What?"
"Just make sure he's worth it."
"I hope he is."
"Well from what I can see is that you're happy. That's all your mother and I care about."
He told her as he wrapped his arm around her in a side hug. Gwen smiled and looked over at Bucky. He was laughing at whatever Bruce or Abigail had said. She watched as he laughed, she had never really seen him like this. After what had happened almost a week and a half ago he was having a smile on his face was all what she could have asked for.
"Thanks dad. How long are you staying here for?"
"Not sure. Maybe a few days. Do you mind?"
"Not at all. I'll busy with wedding stuff. But it will be nice to have you guys here."
Harrison gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead then walked back over to his wife who was sitting in the living room talking with Steve. Gwen stayed by herself and watched the party from her spot in the kitchen. She looked over at Bucky again and saw that he was looking at her, she smiled at him and raised her glass up at him and blew him a kiss. He smiled back and winked at her, making her blush.
"That man."
She said to herself as she took another drink of her French champagne and shook her head.

---

After a few hours Gwen's welcome home party started to die down. Soon the only people left were Gwen, Bucky, and her parents. Pepper and Tony were saying their goodbyes as they walked into the elevator to go up to their floor. Gwen hugged Pepper and went to hug Tony but he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. He was telling her how happy he was that she was home and went off about something about Bucky's arm and Gwen laughed. When he let go of her Pepper pulled him into the elevator and said goodbye to Bucky and Gwen's parents.
The doors shut and Gwen turned around letting out a sigh. She saw that three who were left were sitting in the living room. Walking over to them Gwen watched as her partners talked to Bucky. She did notice that Bucky was hiding his arm from the eyes of her family. Sitting down on his left Gwen put her hand on his leg and smiled up at him.
"What are we talking about?"
"We were just saying that we were going to call it a night."
Her mom said standing up and stretching out her arms. Her dad did the same and they walked over to Gwen and Bucky. Janis gave both Gwen and Bucky a hug and said goodnight. Harrison did the same, but shook Bucky's hand.
"Night guys."
Gwen called as they walked down the hallway to the last available spare room. When they were out of sight Gwen looked over at Bucky's left arm.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"You were hiding you arm from my parents, that's all."
"I just don't feel comfortable with them seeing it."
"They like you Buck, they won't think you're a monster. I promise."
She told him as she took his right hand in her's and started to walk out of the living room, with him in tow.
"Where are we going?"
Gwen didn't say anything and just kept walking. She walked to Bucky's bedroom door and the door opened. Behind her Bucky had a smile on his face as he walked into his room and was lead over to his bed. Gwen stopped just in front of the bed and turned around to look at him.
"They like you. You should be happy, that doesn't happen much."
"What? How many boyfriends have they met?"
"Just a few."
She said as her fingers slowly unzipped his hoodie. When the zipper came undone she slowly moved her hands up his chest and to his shoulders, pushing the dark blue sleeves off of his arms. When the hoodie hit the floor Gwen looked up at Bucky and gave him an innocent smile. A sly smile fell on his lips as he watched her brown eyes.
"I've missed you."
He told her and a small voice as he pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. Blush crept onto her cheeks at his words. She felt Bucky's hands move down her body and when they reached the hem of her shirt he pulled up fabric, pulling it over her head. When her shirt was off Bucky leaned his face down to her and started to kiss her. Slowly, Gwen sat down on the bed and Bucky started to climb on top of her, pushing her down to the mattress. When she was on her back Bucky moved his lips from her's and started to leave a trail of kisses down her neck to where a scar was from when he shot her. He felt gently kisses on the scar. Gwen watched as Bucky went down to the newest addition to her gun shot wounds. He left kisses on both scars. His blue eyes looked up at her and he smiled at her. Moving his face back to her's, he hovered over her and smiled again.
"Gwen, I will protect you. No matter what. No one will ever hurt you again."
"Stay with me."
"As you wish."
More blood ran to her face at Bucky's words. The only thing that went through her mind was a quote from The Princess Bride:
That day she was amazed to discover that when he was saying 'As you wish', what he meant was, 'I love you.'

---

Author's Note:
I am SO fucking sorry about this late update! My wifi has been turned off, I'm job hunting, it was Thanksgiving, and I'm building my bedroom. My life has been crazy lately. Also I had some crazy writer's block.
I am no abandoning this story, don't you worry your pretty little heads. If you want more Sebastian Stan character fanfics go look at my two newer fanfics from The Covenant and Once Upon a Time.
Follow, favorite, and review dearies!
XOXO
Again sorry about the late as fuck update!

Notes