VALENTINA QUIETLY OBSERVED THE CONVERSATION AROUND HER, her mind drifting as she walked beside Bucky. His arm was gently wrapped around her waist, a gesture that kept her grounded and reminded her that she wasn't alone in the midst of all the chaos. The group moved with purpose, though her attention kept straying from the men's discussions. She had slipped into a comfortable outfit, one that allowed for more flexibility, her thoughts unspoken but far from idle.

It wasn't until Zemo's voice broke through the quiet that Valentina's focus returned.

"I don't suppose any of you bothered visiting the memorial?" he asked, his tone slightly mocking.

Valentina's lips quirked into a small, knowing smile. She was well aware of Zemo's usual cynicism.

"I had, actually," she said, her voice calm and steady, though her words caught the attention of the men immediately. "Me and two of my friends volunteered to help clean up. We also made some donations."

Zemo's eyes briefly flicked toward Sam, his gaze sharpening for a moment.

"Then I should thank you," Zemo said, his voice a little more sincere than usual. "After all," he glanced briefly back at Sam, a slight glare hidden behind his words, "You actually did something."

A brief silence fell over the group before they arrived at their destination. Valentina's attention shifted to the surroundings, but she was still aware of the subtle tension lingering in the air.

"I'm gonna go on a walk," Bucky suddenly declared, pulling away from Valentina and pressing a small kiss to her forehead. The gesture was simple, yet it was enough to make Valentina's face heat up in a blush.

She watched him go, the warmth of his lips lingering on her skin, her heart giving a small flutter as he walked away. Sam and Zemo exchanged looks, both rolling their eyes, though their reactions were more rooted in mild annoyance than anything else. It was clear that they weren't as fond of the public displays of affection.

"You good?" Sam asked, turning to Valentina, concern in his voice despite the teasing tone.

"Yeah," she replied with a soft smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'll see you guys in a bit." Her gaze lingered on the spot where Bucky had just stood, wishing she could follow him, but knowing that their work here wasn't done yet.

Just as her thoughts began to wander, her phone rang, the sound cutting through the quiet. She pulled it from her pocket, glancing down at the screen to see a name she recognized—Catherine Woo.

"Sam," she called softly, catching his attention as he looked at her with a slightly confused expression. "I'm going to take this call."

"Alright," Sam nodded, though he watched her curiously as she stepped away.

Valentina made her way to the porch, settling on the bottom step with a small sigh of relief. The cool air was a nice contrast to the warmth of the interior. She clicked the green button on her phone, bringing it to her ear as she grinned.

"Hey, Cat!" Valentina greeted, her voice light with affection.

"Bella, guess what!" Catherine's excited voice crackled through the phone, immediately brightening Valentina's mood.

Valentina couldn't help but laugh softly at the energy in her friend's tone. "Let me guess," she teased, a playful edge in her voice. "You've got a higher pitch in your voice, and I can practically hear the blush on your face. I'm going to say... either you met Emma Watson, or my dear friend, you've got a crush."

Catherine let out a squeal of excitement, and Valentina's smile only grew.

"I have a boyfriend!" Catherine practically sang, her joy radiating through the phone.

Valentina laughed, the sound warm and genuine. "A boyfriend, huh? Well, I'm happy for you, Cat. You deserve all the happiness." She leaned back on the steps, closing her eyes for a moment as she listened to her friend chatter on excitedly about her new relationship.

The two of them had met while volunteering to clean up in Slovakia, and it didn't take long for them to form a close bond. Catherine's energy had been infectious, and Valentina had found comfort in their shared experiences. Even now, despite everything going on, it was nice to be able to talk to someone who felt like home.

Valentina, still smiling, watched as Bucky made his way back into her line of sight. She quickly pulled herself together, knowing she'd have to catch up with him soon.

"I've got to go, Cat," Valentina said, her voice soft but reluctant to end the call. "But I'm really happy for you. You deserve this."

"I know, I know!" Catherine's voice bubbled with excitement. "We'll talk soon, okay? I'm dying to tell you all about him!"

Valentina couldn't help but laugh again, her heart warmed by her friend's happiness. "Definitely. Take care, Cat."

With a final chuckle, she hung up the phone and stood, turning to look for Bucky. There he was, his eyes searching for her, his expression softening when their gazes met. Valentina felt a rush of affection for him, the connection between them unspoken but strong.

"Hey," Valentina's voice was soft as she noticed the tension radiating from Bucky. She stood up and made her way over to him, her movements slow and purposeful as she stood in front of him. Gently, she took both of his hands in hers, her fingers tracing over his knuckles in a soothing rhythm, trying to calm the storm she could feel brewing inside him. The effect was immediate. His body relaxed, and he intertwined his right hand with hers, pulling it closer to his lips where he pressed a soft kiss against her knuckles. The simple gesture made her heart skip a beat.

"Let's go inside, Bucky," she whispered, her voice a comforting murmur.

As they walked into the room, they were met with Zemo, who had just emerged from another room, a towel draped over his head as he rubbed his damp hair. He looked up briefly, acknowledging their presence with a neutral glance.

"The Wakandans are here. They want Zemo," Bucky said, his voice carrying the weight of the news. Valentina's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the Wakandans. The last time she had seen them, the experience had been... intense. A small smile tugged at her lips at the thought of seeing them again. "Bought us some more time," Bucky added.

"Were you followed?" Sam's voice broke through the brief silence, his gaze hard as he eyed Bucky.

"No," Bucky responded confidently.

Zemo, ever the skeptic, narrowed his eyes. "How can you be so sure?"

Valentina glanced at Zemo, his doubt striking a chord with her. "He knows when he's being followed," she said quietly, running her hand along Bucky's arm in a small attempt to ground him further. She could tell it was helping—his tense posture slowly unwound under her touch.

"It was sweet of you to defend me at least," Zemo muttered, not fully realizing how his words were coming across.

Valentina tilted her head, giving Zemo a sharp look. "Hey, shut it. No one's defending you," Sam snapped, his voice edged with frustration. "You killed Nagel."

"That wasn't really helpful, " Valentina replied coolly, her gaze still fixed on Zemo. 

"Do we really have to litigate what may or may not have happened?" Zemo asked, his voice dripping with impatience.

"There's nothing to litigate. You straight shot the man," Sam retorted, shaking his head as he shot Zemo a piercing look.

"Sam, Val." Bucky's voice was distant, and Valentina blinked in surprise at the nickname. It was the first time he'd called her "Val," and the suddenness of it made her heart beat a little faster. She met his gaze, and for a brief moment, she saw a flicker of realization in his eyes.

"What?" Sam asked, clearly surprised by Bucky's casual slip.

"Karli bombed a GRC supply depot," Bucky announced, his tone shifting back to business. He scrolled through the article on his phone, his brow furrowing as he read the details aloud. "Eleven injuries, three dead. They have a list of demands and are promising more attacks if those demands aren't met."

"She's getting worse," Zemo observed dryly, his voice carrying a sense of grim inevitability. "I have the will to complete this mission. Do the three of you?" His eyes lingered on Sam, then Valentina, as if weighing their resolve.

Valentina felt the weight of the question, but she wasn't sure how to answer. There was so much at stake, and Karli's actions were becoming increasingly dangerous. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her than just a rebel with a cause. She was still so young, a child in many ways.

"She's just a kid," Sam said softly, his voice barely above a whisper, the words carrying a deep sadness. It was clear that his empathy was at war with the necessity of stopping Karli before she did more harm.

Valentina glanced at Sam, her heart heavy with the same conflicted feelings. She didn't want to see any more bloodshed, especially not from someone so young, but the reality of the situation was unavoidable. Karli's path was one of destruction, and no matter how much Sam wanted to see her as a child lost in a cause, the truth was that she was a threat to many innocent people.

"I know," Valentina said quietly, her voice barely audible. "But what do we do when the kid is hurting others?" Her words hung in the air, unanswered.

"You're seeing something in her that isn't there, you're clouded by it," Zemo's voice was cold, almost detached as he stepped away from the group. His gaze shifted toward Sam and Valentina, and he spoke with a finality that left little room for debate. "She's a supremacist. The very idea of a Super Soldier has always troubled people. It's this warped aspiration that led to Nazis, to Ultron, and even to the Avengers."

"Hey, those are our friends you're talking about," Sam shot back, his voice tinged with frustration. He wasn't going to let Zemo undermine the people he considered family.

"The Avengers, not the Nazis," Valentina added, her voice calm but firm, making sure Zemo understood the distinction. Bucky nodded along with her, his jaw set in quiet agreement. He wasn't about to let Zemo turn his past friends into enemies.

Zemo's eyes flicked between them, a sharp gleam in his gaze. "Karli is radicalized. There's no changing that. The desire to become a superhuman is inherently tied to supremacist ideals. Anyone who takes that serum is walking down the same dangerous path. She will escalate, and eventually, you'll have to kill her... or she will kill you." The finality in Zemo's voice sent a chill down Valentina's spine, her body instinctively drawing closer to Bucky.

The weight of Zemo's words was heavy, but Valentina couldn't shake the image of Karli. She wasn't just a villain; she was someone who had been broken by the world, someone who might have been good once. But Zemo's logic was hard to ignore. There was truth in what he was saying, even if she didn't want to accept it.

"The serum never corrupted Steve,"

"Touché," Zemo replied, his voice low but sharp. "But there's never been another Steve Rogers, has there?"

Valentina closed her eyes, the last words hitting her harder than she cared to admit. She didn't want to think about Steve's legacy, about what could have been, or about the stark reality that no one could ever replace him. But the weight of Zemo's words lingered, making her feel that much more helpless.

"Well, maybe we should just hand him over to the Wakandans right now," Bucky said, his voice teasing but with an edge of seriousness.

Valentina let out a breathless laugh, not able to hold it in. The absurdity of the idea, mixed with the tension in the room, broke through the heavy atmosphere for a moment. She tilted her head up, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek in response.

Bucky smiled, though it was fleeting, and he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. The other two men in the room exchanged glances—Sam with an amused, albeit slightly uncomfortable expression, and Zemo with a mixture of indifference and something deeper. He didn't allow himself to show emotion, but there was a subtle crack in his composure as he watched the pair, a reminder of the tenderness he had lost long ago.

Sam, though, felt a strange mix of emotions. Part of him was internally appreciating the affection, but there was another side of him that couldn't help but feel disgusted by the public display. He had seen his fair share of loss and pain, and in some ways, their ease with each other reminded him of everything he had sacrificed. Still, he couldn't bring himself to break their connection entirely.

Zemo's face remained unreadable, though his eyes betrayed something softer. Seeing Valentina and Bucky together reminded him of what he had once had—a family, a love he had lost when his wife died. But this wasn't his story. And yet, it was impossible to not feel the sting of his past, no matter how much he tried to bury it.

"And you'll give up your tour guide," Zemo pointed out, his tone dry but sharp. It was a reminder that despite all the personal stakes, they were still in the middle of a dangerous mission.

"From what I understand, Donya was a pillar of the community, right?" Sam asked, trying to shift the conversation back to their mission. "When I was a kid, my TT passed away."

"Your TT?" Bucky pulled back slightly, his brow furrowing in confusion as he processed what Sam had just said. "TT?"

Valentina, ever the calming influence, leaned in to explain in a soft whisper near his ear. "His aunt." The close proximity of her voice sent a shiver down Bucky's spine, but he focused on her words, nodding as he processed the information.

Sam continued, the weight of his memories evident in his voice. "When I was a kid, my aunt passed away, and the entire neighborhood came together for a ceremony. It lasted a week. It might be the same for Donya."

"Worth a shot," Valentina said, looking up at Bucky with a soft smile. It was a quiet reassurance, not just for him but for the situation they all found themselves in.

Zemo, surprisingly, offered a small nod in acknowledgment of Sam's story. "Your TT would be proud of you," he said, his voice holding a rare sincerity. This caught Valentina off guard, and she couldn't help but crack a smile at Zemo's rare show of warmth.

Zemo then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small box, opening it to reveal a set of delicate sweets. "Turkish delight," he said, offering the box to Sam, who eyed it warily before reaching for a piece.

Valentina couldn't help but chuckle at the strange exchange. "Well, at least Zemo knows how to offer sweets," she said, the lightness in her tone helping to momentarily ease the tension in the room.

The small gesture seemed to bring a sense of fleeting normalcy to their strange situation. For just a moment, they were not warriors or fugitives, but people sharing a quiet moment, even if they all knew the peace would be short-lived.