Have We Met Before?

"Have we met before?" the old woman asked from her bed.

She had aged gracefully, from the young woman in the photos beside the bed, into the old lady propped up on three pillows, with a blanket covering her body. Wrinkles left furrows around her eyes and mouth, but her grey hair was still perfectly pin curled, and her eyes were the same rich, deep brown as they were in the video he had seen.

"No," the man in the doorway replied.

A baseball cap covered his long hair, the beginnings of a beard covering his mouth and jaw. He kept his left hand inside his pocket, careful not to reveal the metal hand, which was attached to the rest of his metal arm.

The man's eyes watched the old woman. He had found out about her at the Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian, whilst he researched the Howling Commandos. Her name was Peggy Carter, a former agent of the SSR, and former lover of Captain American himself.

He should've known her. He had been Steve's best friend, had followed him in battle, and had given his life in service of Captain America's plans. Surely he would have met this Agent Carter, but he couldn't remember.

"Are you sure we haven't met?" Peggy asked again.

A muscle twitched in the man's jaw. His blue eyes revealed his pain as he fought to remember his past through the brainwashing he'd endured.

"No, I'm sure I would've remembered," the man answered.

He grasped the doorknob and pulled the door open wider. It had been a mistake coming here. He had hoped finding Agent Carter would have helped him find more answers.

Turning to leave, the light chased away some of the shadows his baseball cap hid. He moved to take his leave when Peggy spoke again.

"Sergeant Barnes?"

The man stopped, his foot still raised mid-step. He looked back over his shoulder. Recognition shone in Peggy's eyes.

"Bucky Barnes?" she repeated. Bucky turned around, the doorknob still clenched in his hand.

"You're alive?" disbelief coloured her voice, and then Peggy smiled, "Steve thought you were dead."

A flicker of emotion ran through Bucky's eyes. She knew him. They had known each other once, and perhaps Peggy could help him remember more of who he had been.

Before he could ask, her body was wracked with a fit of coughing. When it passed her brown eyes rose to meet his blue ones. Her forehead crinkled with confusion.

"Have we met before?" Peggy asked.

Bucky turned back around. His face slipped back into its emotionless mask as he shut the door behind him.