Eyes of Winter

As it turned out, the furthest the jet could get them was southwest Montana. Somewhere in the night, while Annie was trying to get some rest, the plane gave a sudden jerk, triggering sirens and warning lights.

She sat up, eyes wide. "What is it?!"

"We're running out of fuel. We've got about another half hour before we're empty." Bucky replied. He could hear her breathing become fast. "Steady your breathing or you're going to pass out."

She began to fan her face in a poor attempt to calm herself. "What are we going to do?" She squeaked.

"We're going to jump." He replied, pressing more buttons overhead. He unbuckled his harness.

"No the hell we're not!" She shrieked, as Bucky stood up.

He ignored her high pitched protests and pulled her to her feet. "If we jump now, the auto pilot will put the jet down at least 30 minutes away from wherever we land."

"No! I'm not jumping! You're hurting me!" She yelled as he grabbed her arm roughly and forced the parachute over her arms.

"Its going to hurt worse than me when you burn to death in the wreckage, princess! Now pay attention!" He barked. She stared up at him, eyes wide and glazed with tears, but she said nothing as he explained to her what to do. "We'll jump together, alright?"

He grabbed the bookbag and stuffed the rolls of cash and medical supplies into it before attaching the bag to the strap of her schute with a metal clip. He grabbed the weapons bags and secured them tightly to his back before strapping on his own parachute.

He pulled a red latch on the wall and the back of the jet began to open. The interior was suddenly flooded with the wind causing Annie's ears to pop painfully.

"Are you ready?!" He shouted over the wind.

She felt like she was going to throw up, but she nodded, albeit unconvincingly. He grabbed her hand tightly in his.

"DO NOT LET GO! ON MY MARK!" He yelled. "THREE! TWO! ONE!"

Her life flashed before her eyes as they leapt from the quinjet. Her screams were lost on the high winds as they plummeted towards the earth and she clutched at him, trying to hold on. She held onto his hand with both of hers, watching as the ground, illuminated by the moon, below became clearer, revealing a large, mountainous landscape. She looked up at him, terrified.

He reached out with his metal hand and pulled the ripcord on her chute. Her body jerked back as the black parachute deployed. Once he was sure she was ok, he pulled his own.

Annie covered her face as she descended down into the forest, feeling the branches as they snapped and scraped against her exposed skin. And then the falling stopped.

She opened one eye and then the other, head spinning. "Bucky!" She cried. She was hanging precariously from a large pine tree. She couldn't tell how high up she was, but she didn't want to find out the hard way. "BUCKY!!"

"I'm here! Are you ok?"

"I'm in a tree! How high up am I?" She asked.

"About eight feet. Toss down the bag. If you can reach the buckle and release it, you should be able to drop down too."

"I am not dropping anywhere!"

"It's no worse than jumping out of the plane Annie. I'll catch you."

She blew out her breath in a loud sigh. "I'm sick of heights." She mumbled. "You promise you'll catch me?" She asked.

"I wouldn't lie to you!" Bucky replied.

His voice was smug, she could practically hear his smile. "How do I know that?!" She asked, tugging at the buckle. The bag fell from her vest, she heard it land with a thud.

"Haven't got all day princess."

"Whatever!" She snapped. "I'm releasing the buckle, are you ready?"

"Do it!" He caught her and they both fell backwards onto the damp forest ground.

He groaned as she pushed herself off, landing next to him. They lay like that for a few minutes in silence until a sniffling sound brought him out of his trance.

"Are you crying?" He asked.

Annie swiped at her eyes. "I'm just over emotional."

He stood up. "More like over tired. Come on." He held his hand out and helped her to her feet. "We'll try to find somewhere to rest." He said.

OoOoOo

They trekked through the woods, guided only by the moonlight above, and that was fading quickly. Eventually they came to a two lane road and followed it to a small bait and tackle shop. It was closed.

"Oh come on..." Annie wailed.

"Knock it off." He whispered as he peered through the window. He walked around to the back of the shop and pulled on the door, beaking the lock.

"What are you doing?!" She cried.

"Relax! There's no security system. We need to find out where we are." He said, slipping inside. Looking around quickly, she entered behind him, securing the door behind her.

"Don't touch anything." He said, walking down an aisle. Annie walked down a separate aisle, looking at the souvenirs that littered the shelves. "Cypress Lake..."

"Here, hold this." He said, handing her a large plastic bag. He grabbed a tackle box and dropped it into the bag, along with three boxes of shotgun shells. She followed him down several isles as he grabbed supplies, dropping them in the bag.

"I thought you said not to touch anything." She pointed out.

"I didn't want you to touch anything. I don't have fingerprints on my left hand. We don't want to risk anyone finding us because we were careless."

She exhaled through her nose, entirely too tired to argue with him. "While we're committing larceny, we should probably get some food and water. Maybe some shampoo or soap...just a thought."

He ripped his eyes and grabbed another bag. "Find a map. We're not too far from-"

"Cypress Lake." She said, pointing to the various different shot glasses and ash trays.

"It's as good a place as any to start." He replied, grabbing food and water from the shelves. She plucked a map from the wire rack by the register and read it by the moonlight.

"We follow this road to the northern shore of the lake, see what we can find. But we stick to the tree line."

OoOoOo

By the time they reached the northern shore, the sun had risen, casting a golden glow over the horizon.

On either side of the north shore were two large mountains. They hiked up one of the mountains until they had a clear view of the landscape.

"Wow..." Annie whispered. "It's so pretty."

"Over here." Bucky said.

She stepped over some tree branches and walked into the brush. He stood by a massive fallen birch.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Hiding our supplies." He lifted the trunk nearly effortlessly. "Put the bags under here for now." He pulled two handguns from a bag.

She dropped the bags under the tree. "What do you mean for now? What are we doing?"

"Finding you somewhere to rest." He replied.

"Me? What about you?" She asked.

He looked at her, about to speak when she held up her hands. "I know, don't worry about you. But in case you haven't noticed, you're all I've got right now."

He lowered the tree carefully and looked at her. "Alright. We'll find a place to rest together, but we sleep in shifts." He tucked the two guns into the waistband of the back of his pants

"Ok, but I want my shampoo and conditioner." She replied.

OoOoOo

They found shelter in the form of an old bed and breakfast, run by an elderly couple. After Annie fed them a few white lies, and paid them with the stolen money, she and Bucky found themselves in a decent little cottage attached to the main house. It had a king-sized bedroom with a fireplace and balcony.

"At least it's better than the last place." Bucky said, dropping his bookbag by the bedside table.

Annie entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. She nearly squealed in delight as the water quickly turned hot. Without missing a beat, she stripped and jumped in.

The near scalding water felt like liquid silk, gently massaging the muscles in her back that were aching. She tilted her head back under the shower head and groaned as the water saturated her hair. Then she opened her eyes, cursing to herself.

"Bucky?" She called.

She heard the door squeak open. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"Can you bring me the shampoo and conditioner? I forgot to bring it in with me."

There was a long silence followed by an eventual sigh. She almost thought he wasn't going to do it until his metal arm poked through the edge of the shower curtain, handing her the toiletries.

She smiled. "Thank you!" She called. He mumbled something unintelligible and shut the door.

OoOoOo

Annie sat on the edge of the bed, towel drying her hair. When she sat upright she gasped.

"Crap you scared me." She said.

Bucky looked at her like she'd gone crazy. "Who else did you think it would be?" He stood by the opposite side of the bed, clad only in his pants. His chest glistening with water droplets.

Annie dug her palms into her eyes and collapsed back on the mattress. "It's the exhaustion..." She said, yawning.

He nodded, tossing his towel over the back of a nearby chair. He sat on the bed, feeling truly tired for the first time in a long time. He rubbed his face and sighed.

"Get some sleep, Bucky." She said quietly.

OoOoOo

Some time that night, someone knocked on their door. Bucky sat up quickly, aiming his gun at the door.

"Bucky!" Annie hissed, grabbing his arm. She held her finger to her lips, signaling for him to be quiet.

He glared at her, keeping the gun aimed.

"I'll check and see who it is..." She whispered, getting out of bed. Bucky watched her as she cracked the door open and peered outside.

"Yes?" Annie said.

"I wanted to invite you and your husband down to dinner."

Bucky exhaled slowly upon hearing the old woman's voice. He engaged the safety and set the gun on the bed side table. Glancing at the clock on the mantle, he was surprised that it was in fact, six o'clock.

"We'd love to join you."

Bucky's head snapped in their direction.

"Wonderful! We'll see you at six thirty."

After a few more goodbyes and a 'we'll see you soon', Annie closed the door. When she saw him staring at her, her brow furrowed. "What?"

"What the hell was that?" Bucky asked.

"It was an invitation to dinner. Which I accepted." She replied flippantly.

"Do I need to remind you that we are wanted? We are supposed to be lying low!" He snapped.

"Right! Because self destructing cabins and crashing planes really screams stealth!" She shot back. "I plan on acting like a normal human being, because people who act normal don't usually get looked at suspiciously!"

"You don't know these people Annie! For all we know-"

"They're in their seventies, Bucky. I really don't see them being HYDRA agents." She plopped down on the chair by the fireplace.

"Don't be so naive Annie! You don't know these people, you don't know what they may be capable of."

"I'm hungry. And I'm going to have dinner with them with or without you." She began to brush her hair aggressively.

Bucky stood abruptly, staring her down. "You're stupidity is going to get us killed!"

"So first I'm naive, now I'm stupid?! You must have been a real charmer in your day." She shoved him back as she stood. "Screw you!" She grabbed the doorknob and pulled, but he slammed it shut with his flesh arm. "I'm not your prisoner!"

"No you're not, but you seem to forget that without me you'd be dead or worse, princess! So a little gratitude would be nice!" He growled.

"At this rate I'd be better off!" She pulled the door open. He grabbed her arm painfully with his metal arm. With an angry cry, she slapped him across the face and slipped quickly out the door.

The strike stunned Bucky, but only for a second as he watched her storm down the hallway. She was fast, if nothing else.

OoOoOo

"Thanks so much for inviting us to dinner." Annie said as she was handed a plate of spaghetti. The sight of the food sent her salivary glands into overdrive.

The old woman, whose name turned out to be Edna Turner, was a short, skinny woman with brown and gray streaked hair that she kept braided over her shoulder. Her back was slightly hunched and her fingers were twisted with arthritis. She smiled at Annie. "Think nothing of it dear. We don't get too many people on this end of the lake. So when we do, we like to make them feel as at home as possible. Garlic bread?"

"Yes please!" Annie plucked two golden, toasted slices of bread from the basket and set them on her plate. "Where is Mr. Turner?"

"Oh he'll be in shortly. He likes to sit on the porch and smoke his pipe." The screen door creaked open and then shut. "Here he comes now." Edna replied.

Annie watched her face light up as Mr. Turner entered the dining room and mumbled greetings as he took his seat at the head of the table. His dark blue shop pants were held up by black suspenders over a dirt-stained white shirt. He was a heavy set man with nearly white hair. His eye lids sagged so far over his eyes that Annie wondered how he could see.

"John, this is April. She and her husband.." She glanced at Annie.

Annie cleared her throat. "James."

"...James are staying in the guest house. They're on their honeymoon." Edna said, handing him a plate.

"Congratulations." John grumbled. "Is he going to be joining us?"

Annie swallowed her glass of wine. "I'm afraid not. James has PTSD from the war, so when he gets in one of his moods, he wants to be left alone."

"I can relate. When I came home after Vietnam I went through the same thing. It's not easy, but he'll pull through."

A knock at the screen door interrupted the conversation. Annie stiffened and narrowed her eyes when she saw Bucky staring at her through the screen. Edna stood and opened it. "You must be James. April was just talking about you. Come in! We were just getting started."

Bucky gave her a stiff smile. "Thank you." He said quietly, taking the seat next to Annie.

Annie smiled at him. He had shaved and worn his hair combed back. He wore the same black pants and shirt with a black hoodie. He'd have looked almost handsome if she hadn't been so angry with him.

Edna handed him a plate which he accepted carefully with his right hand, nodding his thanks.

"April here was just telling us that you were in the war."

Bucky shoveled spaghetti in his mouth, chewing like he'd not eaten in days. "107th infantry." He mumbled, pausing slightly as the words came out.

"We'll that's nice. It's always nice to meet a fellow soldier, isn't it John? The two of you have something in common." Edna replied.

John's bushy, white eyebrows drew together and he grunted as he chewed his food. "It is nice. Good to see our youth still cares for this country, no matter what direction it's currently headed. But, James, you said you were in the 107th? That regiment was disestablished in the early nineties."

"He meant the 108th infantry." Annie interjected, giving the side of her head a tap, reminding them of his PTSD. "Afghanistan." She said.

Bucky looked at her with narrowed eyes, chewing his food more slowly. "Yes, April. I don't like to talk about it." He snapped.

Annie gave them a tight lipped smile and shrugged as she sipped her wine. Bucky tipped back his glass, gulping his wine.

"I understand. When I came home, I wanted to do anything but talk about it. What brings you guys to this neck of the woods?" John asked.

Edna swatted John's arm playfully. "Dear, they're on their honeymoon, remember?"

Bucky choked on the wine, spraying himself and Annie. "Goodness! Are you alright?" Edna asked.

Annie slapped his back, harder than necessary. "Oh he's fine."

John chuckled. "It's a good wine, but it's strong. Not too good for chugging."

"He's alright." Annie said, wiping her face.

"So, how was your wedding?" Edna asked, changing the subject.

Bucky tore into a slice of bread, staring down intently at his plate. Annie fought a smile. "We actually eloped a few days ago."

Edna smiled at John, and looked at Annie. "That's very romantic, what made you choose Cyprus Lake?"

"We like to travel, and eloping seemed the natural thing to do, don't you think, sweetie?" Annie asked, looking at Bucky.

He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "Whatever you say, princess." He bit into his bread.

Annie smiled. "He's so good to me." She gushed. He glared at her.

"How long are the two of you staying?" John asked.

Bucky and Annie glanced at one another. Bucky shrugged. "Not long."

"We're thinking of relocating here." Annie stated.

"Oh really?" Edna's eyes twinkled.

"Yeah, really?" Bucky repeated.

"Of course. This is a new chapter in our life and this looks like as good a place as any to settle down. Do you know of any places for rent?" Annie asked, weaving the web.

OoOoOo

"What the hell just happened?" Bucky demanded, closing the door.

"I have..." Annie held her hand out to steady herself as the room tried to spin. "No idea what you're talking about." She collapsed on the bed.

Bucky sat down at the small table and began to scribble in his notebook.

Annie rolled onto her stomach. "How was I supposed to know they owned a cabin?" She asked.

"You just can't keep your mouth shut. It's going to get us in trouble one day." He said quietly.

"It doesn't sound like a bad set up, Bucky."

"We are not staying." He said.

"And what's your plan? Are you going to blow up this house and take off in the middle of the night again? Are we going to keep doing that until we're caught or killed? You go ahead. Leave me here."

"I'm not leaving you here."

"Well I'm certainly not going with you! I'm tired of running. We are literally in the middle of nowhere! And this cute little couple just happens to have a cabin for rent. And they're willing to rent to us! This could be what we need to lie low! We pay them in cash so there's no way of tracing it. They said the bills would stay in their name because they don't want to go through the hassle of changing them over! It's a good deal! But as usual-you know what, forget it. I'll be fine by myself." She snapped.

"I'm not leaving you alone because without me you'll be dead! And I don't want that on my conscience!"

"As opposed to all the other stuff on your conscience? I'm not some damsel in distress that needs constant rescuing!" She shouted.

He shot her a look and she rolled her eyes. "Do not make me count how many times I've saved your ass!" He slammed his book shut and stood up. "You are a spoiled brat! I've had nothing but complaints from you since this all started. It would have just been easier to let the damn car hit you!" He yelled.

Annie blinked, the words hitting her like a slap to the face. Bucky instantly felt remorse as her eyes darkened. "I never asked for your help. Not once." She said quietly, walking into the bathroom.

"Annie-"

She slammed the door behind her and locked it.