Eyes of Winter

Bucky opened his eyes with a groan. His head felt like it was in a vice grip. The room he was in was dark and he could hear water running nearby.

He sat up quickly, his head aching in protest. He was in a cave. The ground he sat on was damp and the air was musty. A crack in the ceiling of the cave allowed just enough sunlight to illuminate his surroundings. His back pack sat against a boulder.

Opening it, he rummaged through it until he came across a blue device. Flipping it over, he realized it was Annie's iPod, as she called it. The thought of Annie sent a rush of panic through his body as bits and pieces of their last encounter came back to him.

He had no idea where she was or if she was ok. Securing the bag on his back he carefully and quietly left the cave.

The sunlight was bright and did nothing for his headache. He raised his hand to shield his eyes and realized his hands were covered in blood. The sight unnerved him and he tried to wipe them off on his pants. Following the sound of running water to the river, he knelt on the bank and plunged his hands into the water, scrubbing at them furiously. He then plunged his face into the river, using the icy water to wake himself up.

Brushing his hair back, he stood and surveyed his surroundings. He knew the cave wasn't far from the cabin, he'd used it to store extra weapons. But he knew that the cabin was compromised. He needed the motorcycle so he could find Annie. But that was if the motorcycle was even still on the property. He didn't even know what day it was.

With a sigh, he cursed under his breath before retreating back to the cave. Night was his best cover for now.

OoOoOo

With it being late October, night came much quicker than he'd expected. Tucking a 9 mm into the back of his waistband, and packing two more guns and several knives into his bag, he set out into the woods, stalking silently in the direction of the cabin.

By the time he reached the cabin property, it had begun to rain. The sound of the raindrops on the leaves was nearly deafening, drowning out his footsteps.

After circling the perimeter several times, he felt slightly better. There was no sign of Brodsky or anyone else from HYDRA. He counted two officers from the local p.d., and he was certain there were at least two more officers inside.

To his genuine surprise, the motorcycle was there, parked in the exact same spot that he'd left it. Taking it as a good omen, he decided to make his way to the side of the house where his bedroom window was. Peering carefully into the window, he spotted the keys on the dresser top, to the left of the window. Two officers stood with their back to him, talking to one another as they rummaged through his closet.

He waited patiently, trying to determine a way to get the keys without hurting one or both of them. The window was slightly cracked but there was no way he could get through the screen without alerting them.

"I hear the girl that he was keeping here managed to escape to somewhere outside of Seattle." One of the officers said. He was considerably taller than his partner.

"I heard the same thing. He almost killed her, though not for lack of trying. They found the old man who lives down the road in her backseat. He didn't make it." Said the other officer.

Bucky squeezed his eyes shut at the mention of John.

"Who do you think he was?" The tall officer asked.

The shorter officer shrugged, tossing the clothes from the closet on the bed. "Whoever he is, he's a sick bastard. They found another body down by the river. His eyes were gouged out and the back of his head was pretty much gone. He smashed it into a boulder. Seemed pretty personal."

"You have no idea, buddy..." Bucky thought.

"Troy! Shaw! Captain needs you up front!" Someone called from the hallway. The two officers grumbled to one another indistinctly before filing out of the room.

Once the room was vacated, he lifted the window and sliced through the screen.

Stretching his arm out, his finger barely grazed the key ring. Looking around quickly, he leaned further into the room and snatched them up.

"Don't move!"

Bucky froze, one hundred possible outcomes streaming through his brain. He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting the instinct to kill. "It's just a set of keys." He replied.

"I don't care what it is, I said don't move or I'll shoot!" The officer replied.

"I don't want to hurt you." Bucky said.

"Are you threatening me?" The officer demanded. "Who are you?"

Buck pressed his lips together tightly. "I'm no one." In a move too fast for the officer to register, Bucky ripped the gun from his hands and slammed the butt of it into the officer's nose, knocking him unconscious.

Shoving the key into the ignition, it started up with a loud rumble, instantly altering the officers to his location.

Shots were fired and he instinctively turned with the gun. Firing several shots of his own with precision, each bullet met it's target in the form of an arm or leg, rendering the officers unable to pursue.

He revved the engine and sped down the driveway, disappearing into the night.

OoOoOo

"You ready?" Steve asked.

She sighed, feeling drowsy from the medicine. "More than ready."

He smiled and shut the back door, before getting into the front passenger seat of the SUV. A blonde woman sat behind the wheel. She smiled at her.

"Miss Pierce, I'm agent Cleary. It's a going to be a long drive, so if you need me to stop for any reason, just let me know."

"We didn't want to fly to base and risk you dropping a blood clot since you just had surgery. Your doctor couldn't stress that enough."

Annie stifled a yawn. "Thank you, Steve. For everything."

He smiled. "It's my pleasure."

After several hours of questioning by the police about John and the suspicious nature of his death, Annie was released from the hospital to the care of Steve.

She'd managed to convince the officers that she and John were attacked by someone she didn't know, which wasn't entirely untrue, and that she ran because she feared for her life. She told them she'd driven so far because she didn't know where she was and didn't want to risk her attacker following her.

They concluded that she passed out behind the wheel due to blood loss and would not be charged in the accident as the autopsy showed that John had died well before the accident from the gunshot wounds. They were now looking for a man fitting the description of Brodsky.

OoOoOo

Annie was jolted out of her sleep when the SUV came to a screeching halt. They were stopped on a bridge. An 18 wheeler truck was in front of them, and one pulled up behind them.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"It's an ambush!" Agent Cleary cried. An SUV pulled up and three men in masks opened fire.

"Annie, get down!" Steve yelled. They were boxed in, with no way to escape.

She fell into the backseat with her hands over her head, screaming. Glass shattered and she heard agent Cleary cry out, the noise becoming a sickening gurgle. Cracking her eye open, she saw the woman slump backwards, eyes blank.

Steve blocked the window with his shield. "Whatever happens, stay down Annie."

He kicked the door open and charged the attackers, trying to draw their attention from the SUV. She kept her head down, whispering prayers for a miracle.

The front door opened and she looked up. The man in the driver seat wasn't Steve.

She tried to open the door, but it was locked.

"You might want to buckle up." The man replied with a thick Russian accent. He pressed his foot on the gas and sent the SUV in reverse.

Overcome with terror, Annie watched as the 18 wheeler blocked the melee, boxing Steve in on the bridge.

"Please don't kill him!" Annie cried.

"Worry about yourself, Маленькая птица." he snapped.

"Where are you taking me?!" She demanded, searching for anything to use as a weapon.

"Shut up!" He yelled, weaving carelessly in and out of traffic.

She looked out the window, searching for a way to signal for help. There was someone following them closely on a motorcycle. A fresh wave of panic began to flutter in her chest. Her abductor cursed and pulled out a gun, aiming it at the cyclist.

Annie reached forward, wrapping her arms around the man's face, scratching and clawing at him. The man missed his target, but pushed back hard with the gun, hitting her in the forehead. She slid back into the backseat, unconscious.

OoOoOo

Annie smelled something burning and sat up quickly. Her head throbbed angrily in response to the sudden movement.

"Annie?"

The voice startled her and she turned with a gasp. Bucky sat in the chair beside the small bed she lay on, looking worse for wear. He reached out to her and she flinched away.

"Annie, it's me. I'm not going to hurt you." He replied, his tone was almost pleading.

"Where am I?" She asked.

He set the cloth down that he was holding and rubbed his face. "Umm..somewhere in Oregon, I think."

"Bucky what have you done? Did you kill Steve?" She asked.

"No! I had nothing to do with that ambush, Annie." He said. "I was trying to find you. I followed the news and it led me to you."

"Did you see Steve? Is he ok?"

He exhaled through his nose. "I don't know. You were my main concern. If he's as good as you say, I'm sure he can take care of himself."

She looked him over, noting the bandage around his torso. "Are you hurt?"

He shrugged. "Caught a bullet trying to get to you. It's no big deal."

Annie scoffed. "No big deal? I've been shot, it hurts. And it was so close to your ribs!" She tried to touch the bandage but he jerked away with a aggravated sigh.

"It's ok, Annie."

"Why?"

His brow furrowed. "Why what?"

She glared at him. "Why all of it! What in the hell happened in Cypress Lake? Who was that man? What did he do to you? Are you still homicidal? Are you going to kill me?"

He cringed at the last question. "God Annie, no. If I was going to kill you, I would have done it sometime during the nine hours you've been asleep."

She crossed her arms and pursed her lips, leaning back against the wall. Bucky leaned forward resting his arms on the bed. "Brodsky was an agent for the KGB in Russia. He was my handler for several years before I was given to HYDRA. He was sadistic and ruthless then, you saw some of that yourself."

"But what did he do to you?" She asked. "It's like you were a different person. Or under some kind of spell."

"That was the Winter Soldier. Those words Brodsky said were...some sort of code. I don't know." He shook his head and looked down at her hand in his. "Annie, I don't remember much of what happened. And I don't know how to begin to apologize. I would do anything to take it back. I would do anything for you."

She was silent as his words sunk in. "Bucky, I've spent enough time with you to know that you're going to beat yourself up over this whole thing. I forgive you for all of it. But I think it's time for me to go."

His face fell even more than she thought possible. "Go where?"

She shrugged. "Home...wherever that may be now." She held back a sob. "I'm tired of hiding and running away. I'm tired of hospitals and death and assassins. I physically can't do this anymore. I don't want to do this anymore. I had to have a tube shoved down my throat just so I could breathe and another one shoved through my ribs into my lung! What the hell is that? No girl in her twenties should endure that shit."

Bucky lowered his head onto the mattress. "Annie baby that wasn't me! I would never do anything to hurt you!"

Annie placed her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look at her. "But he is a part of you. I don't want you to live with the guilt of my death. And that's what will happen next time. That's why I can't stay." She replied, tears trailing down her cheeks.

"Please don't...I'll do anything you want-" He whispered.

She sniffled, a small sob escaped her lips. "I want you to let me go."

He shook his head slowly, trying to find his words. "Annie, you're not my prisoner. Of course you're free to go." He stood up. "Get your rest. Once you feel up to it, I'll take you wherever you want me to."

He said nothing further as he walked out, closing the door quietly behind him.

OoOoOo

The next several days passed slowly. Despite what she had told him, she couldn't bring herself to leave him.

She sat on the small couch in the cabin one evening, watching him clean the several guns he had. He sat shirtless at the table, meticulously inspecting each piece before reassembling them.

They'd said very little to one another since he'd brought her back. She'd been worrying herself silently about Steve, not wanting to verbalize her fears to Bucky. He'd been distant, busying himself with things around the cabin or around the property.

"Why were those men after me?" She asked quietly.

"To get to me, most likely." He replied.

"Why do they think that will work?"

He slammed the gun down on the table, causing her to jump. "Because I was stupid!" He ran his hand through his hair and let it fall limply to his leg. "I became emotionally involved. Никогда не вовлекаются с мишенью тогда вы становитесь мишенью. It was one of the first things they instilled in me. Never become involved with the target for then you become the target."

"Was I a target?" She asked, looking up at him.

Your eyes shine bright like a Jesus nitelite.

I'd like to touch your positive vibes.

Indifferent eyes won't give me the time...

"Not-no. Not a target. The point is, I am emotionally involved...with you. They can use that against me, by coming after you." He stood and sat next to her on the sofa, taking her hand in his. "I understand why it is that you feel you have to leave. But what scares me is what might happen to you if I'm not there. I care about you, Annie. More than I thought." He looked down at her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. "It wasn't until I came to a few days ago and realized that I didn't know where you were or if you were alive...that I knew that you were it for me."

You're dressed in white my face is white,

I'd like to be a colorful sight to see.

I'm only here in a background, Here on the ground lays my head...

I sleep and then I wake, make sounds and go to bed ...and wake again.

She stared at him, processing his words. Her heart beat thrummed in her ears. He opened his mouth to speak, but she lunged at him, throwing her arms around his neck and straddling his waist. She pressed her lips to his in a kiss fueled by months of sexual tension.

With a groan, he grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head back, trailing kisses down her neck. His hands slid underneath her butt and he stood, carrying her to the bed where he gently laid her down.

She raised herself up and removed her shirt. Bucky leaned down to kiss her but paused as his eyes trailed over her body.

"Bucky?" Her breasts rose and fell with her flustered breaths. "What's wrong?" She asked.

The time is right but I feel all wrong.

It wastes away until it's gone.

The time is right but I feel all wrong.

It fades away and now you're gone...

Gently his fingers traced over the scars left behind from their last encounter. It had been several weeks since the attack and her scars hadn't quite healed entirely. The incision site on her ribs still looked fresh.

His head fell to rest on her chest. "Annie I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"It's ok-"

"No it's not. Now's not the time, sweetheart." He said.

OoOoOo

Bucky sat in the chair later that night, staring out the window, constantly searching for any sign of trouble.

Annie, fresh out of the shower, sat on the floor by the fire, towel drying her hair.

There was a flash of light out of the corner of her eye. "What was that?" Thunder rumbled in response.

"Storm's coming." He replied, standing. "I'm going to do a quick check around the cabin before the rain starts. Stay here."

Annie quickly got to her feet. "Like hell." She grumbled.

"What was that?" He asked.

"I'll walk with you. I hate thunderstorms." She replied.

"I know you do." He said. "I guess we're lucky there aren't any busy roads around here."

"The last place I want to be is in this creepy cabin alone, knowing someone is after me.." She ignored his snarky remark and followed him outside, pulling her sweater tightly around her. The wind had picked up. Annie tucked her hair behind her ear. "Do you think someone is really out here?"

"I don't know."

She stepped over a fallen tree branch, taking two steps for every one of his. "Have you thought about reaching out to Steve?" The thought of Steve triggered a pang of worry in her chest.

He stopped and looked up at the night sky, sighing. "Good God Annie. The whole point of this is to not let them know you're out here."

She pursed her lips. "So-rry." She crossed her arms over her chest, walking next to him.

Lightning streaked across the sky and Annie jumped, counting silently until she heard the thunder. The storm was nearly on them.

She was looking up at the trees that were swaying in the wind. "Buc-" she ran into him.

"Get behind me."

She peered over his shoulder. "Why-"

"Annie!" He hissed.

She shrunk back, but not before catching a glimpse of a dark skinned man, standing about fifty feet from them.

"I'm not here to fight-"

"Then you shouldn't have come." Bucky growled. He charged and the man met him half way. As the two began trading punches, Annie scrambled away, seeking shelter behind a tree.

The stranger tackled Bucky and the two tumbled to the ground, rolling down the hill. Annie watched them fight for several minutes until the rain began.

There was nothing subtle about it, the rain fell in big, fat drops, instantly soaking the area. Annie followed them, slipping in the quickly forming mud. Bucky was on top of the other man, metal fist raised.

"BUCKY NO!" Annie screamed, pushing herself up.

The distraction was enough to make Bucky pause long enough for the man to deliver a massive hit to his injured side, causing him to cry out in pain. He pulled himself out from under Bucky, backing away quickly.

"I said I don't want to fight!"

Bucky grabbed him by his throat. Annie stepped forward. "Bucky stop!"

He glared at her. "Annie get back!"

"Annie?" The man repeated. "Annie Pierce?"

"How do you know that?" Bucky asked, pulling a gun from behind his back. He pointed it against his head, cocking it.

"My name is Sam Wilson. I'm friends with Steve." He replied, holding his hands up.

"Bucky put the gun down!" Annie cried, she ran to them. "If he knows Steve he's not here to hurt us! Is Steve alive?"

"Why are you here?!" Bucky demanded.

"To find you before those other guys do. And yes, to answer your question, Steve is alive." Sam replied.

Still unconvinced, Bucky pulled him to his feet, keeping the gun carefully aimed. "Back up to the cabin. Put your hands behind your head. If you make one move, I don't care who you know. I'll put a bullet in your skull."

Same raised his hands behind his head. "I read you loud and clear dude. But in my defense, you charged at me. I was just defending myself."

Bucky gave him a shove with his other hand and the three climbed back up to the cabin. Bucky pushed him down into a chair once they entered the cabin.

Sam looked around, noting the fire that was dying. "You guys are public enemies. You know that right?"

"We didn't do anything wrong!" Annie said.

"Maybe you didn't. But he is wanted for the assassination of nearly every public figure for the last fifty years. Your boy here has a pretty long rap sheet." He replied, shooting a look over at Bucky who still had his gun trained on him.

"What? What are you talking about?" She asked.

"We don't have time to get into it. You did a hell of a number on Steve back in D.C. Physically and mentally. Not to mention that ambush in Seattle-"

"That wasn't me." Bucky interjected.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know who you are to him, but he asked me to help find you, so that's what I did." He wiped his bloody nose on the sleeve of his shirt.

"Is Steve ok?" Annie asked.

"Yea. He's lucky he's got that super healing ability or we'd be having an entirely different discussion."

"Did they find out who was behind the ambush?" She asked, placing her hand over Bucky's, forcing him to lower the gun. He glance at her, but she shook her head gently.

"We're not sure." Sam said, glancing at her. He looked back at Bucky and narrowed his eyes. "Look, I'm not entirely convinced about you, but he is. And I respect his opinion. There's a secure location he had set up so you can stay off the grid until all of this gets sorted out."

"All of what?" Bucky asked.

"All of what-You don't know?" Sam asked. He chuckled. "Man, it's all out in the open."

"What is?"

"Everything! All of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files-or Hydra's-was leaked during that shit storm in D.C." he replied. "S.H.I.E.L.D. has completely unraveled. Fury's gone underground. Natasha has been working non-stop answering questions in front of government panels. None of this is good."

"We were pretty well off the grid." Bucky snapped.

"Mm hmm. And how did that work out for you?" Sam asked. Bucky lunged at him, but Annie grabbed his arm.

"Bucky..." Annie whispered. He turned to her. "I don't think he's here to hurt us. And I don't think he's a Hydra agent. He was with Steve on the bridge that day. Fighting against you."

Bucky looked at Sam. "We don't know-"

"What choice do we have?" She interrupted. "The only thing we have are HYDRA agents trying to kill us." She said.

She and Bucky stared at one another, neither willing to back down. Bucky finally broke his concentration and turned to Sam. "Fine. Make the call."

Annie began gathering what supplies they had. Bucky followed her closely.

Sam hung his phone up. "He's on his way."

OoOoOo

About half an hour later, there was a knock at the cabin door. Bucky cocked the gun and opened the door carefully.

Steve stood in his leather jacket and blue jeans, hair wet with rain. He held hands in the air and entered the cabin slowly.

"Steve!" Annie cried, launching herself into his arms.

"Annie! You're a sight for sore eyes. I thought you were dead." He replied. "Are you ok?"

"I thought you were dead!" She threw her arms around his neck. He held her for for a moment, eyes closing with relief. "I'm ok. Just really tired." She smiled up at him. "Are you ok?"

He glanced up at Bucky. "Yeah. I'm ok." He nodded silently at Bucky. "I see you met Sam."

Bucky engaged the safety of the gun and put it in the waistband of his jeans, pulling the shirt down over it.

"You ok?" Steve asked Sam.

Sam nodded, standing. "Your friend's got one hell of a temper, and right hook. But I'll live." He replied.

"We've got a safe house set up for you. For all of us, actually." Steve said.

OoOoOo

Bucky watched as Annie slept in the seat across from him. Her head rested against the window of the small jet cabin.

Sam and Steve stood at the opposite end of the cabin whispering quietly to one another. Occasionally one of them would glance in his direction. He was still very skeptical of the two men. Nothing like knowing that you were the elephant in the room.

Bucky exhaled through his nose and tried to focus on the rise and fall of Annie's chest as she slept. When the jet had landed with the mere promise of a hot meal and warm bed, Annie had bounded up the ramp like a child on playground. Without any regard for himself, he followed her to make sure she stayed safe. He didn't even know where they were going. Never before had he been so reckless.

"How are you holding up?" Steve asked, walking over to him.

Bucky cast him a sideways glance and shrugged. "Still alive." He replied quietly.

Sensing that he was uncomfortable, Steve changed the subject, taking the seat next to Bucky. "She seems to be sleeping well, all things considered."

"She's been through a lot." Bucky replied, looking at her. She shifted and her blanket tumbled off her shoulder.

Steve leaned forward to adjust the blanket, but Bucky beat him to it, tucking it behind her shoulder.

Steve arched his brow and sat back in his seat, resting his hands on his knees. "We all have."

Bucky watched her. "She trusts you."

"There was a time when you did too." Steve replied.

Bucky flicked his tongue over his teeth, choosing his words carefully. "Look, I don't know who I am to you, and right now I don't care. If anything happens to her," he glanced at Steve. "I'm coming for you first."

Steve's response was interrupted by the pilot's voice on the intercom. "ETA five minutes. Ready for landing."

Steve pressed his lips together and buckled his seatbelt.

OoOoOo

"Hey." Bucky nudged Annie's arm. Her brow furrowed and she groaned, pulling the blanket over her head. Bucky pulled the blanket down. "Come on princess. You can sleep inside."

The nickname caused Steve to look up.

She cracked one eye open. "How long was I out?"

His mouth turned up in a lopsided smile. "Fell asleep about fifteen minutes before takeoff. So a good hour."

She yawned and stood. "I could sleep for another day." She stepped off the ramp with Bucky following closely. Ahead of them was a large warehouse surrounded by a thick forest.

"Pretty large for a safe house." Bucky said, eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.

"Not every member of S.H.I.E.L.D was a Hydra agent. And with the recent leak of S.H.I.E.L.D. files, those who were innocent needed somewhere to go." Steve replied.

As they neared the entrance of the building, a tall man wearing a black leather coat and black eye patch stood from the golf cart he'd been sitting in.

Annie immediately recognized him. "Director Fury!"

He gave her a nod. "Miss Pierce. Good to see you again." He looked at Steve. "Everything ok?"

Steve smiled. "It is now." He gestured to Bucky. "This is-"

Fury clasped his hands behind his back. "I know who he is. Sergeant Barnes of the Howling Commandos. Or should I say the Winter Soldier." Fury narrowed his eye. "The fist of Hydra."

Bucky clenched his fists, staring at him. "That's not who I am anymore." He replied quietly.

Fury stared at him, a hint of a smile playing on his face. "Of course it isn't."

"Nick." Steve's voice had a warning in it.

"It's been a long day. We'll get you set up in your rooms and get you fed. Then we'll talk." Fury replied. Without another word, he turned and walked into the building.

OoOoOo

Annie looked up at the high ceilings as they walked down the hallway of the sixth floor. The place was huge, and under a lot of construction.

"The rooms on this hall are vacant, save for mine. I'm know they're not as nice as you're used to miss Pierce, but I'm sure you'll find them just as comfortable." Steve said.

"I'm really not that picky." She replied. Bucky snorted involuntarily. She turned and shot him a narrow-eyed warning. "Thank you. For helping us Steve."

"You don't have to thank me. I'm just glad you're ok. Both of you." He replied, glancing at Bucky. Bucky looked away.

Annie pushed open the door to the last room at the end of the hall. It had corner windows and a full size bed. There was a large mirror on the wall across from the bed and a dresser with a small tv. There was a small bathroom and closet next to the bed.

"Well it's cozy if nothing else." She replied. "I'll take this one."

"I'll take the one across from it." Bucky said, disappearing into the room. He shut the door behind him, leaving Steve and Annie standing in the doorway of her new room.

OoOoOo

Freshly showered, she'd found a clean pair of sweatpants and gray shirt with ARMY in big black letters on the front, sitting on her dresser. She'd just sat on the bed when a knock on her door startled her.

Steve smiled sheepishly. "Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. I know you've been through a lot in the last few days."

She nodded. "I'm doing alright."

"I see you found the clothes. Sorry if the shirt's too big. It's the smallest one I had."

Annie looked down at her clothes. "They're fine, thanks a lot for them." She glanced at him. "How are you doing, Steve?"

He stared at the door to the room Bucky had claimed earlier. Sighing, he looked at her. "I'm alright."

She walked up to him and hugged him. "I thought you were dead. How did you make it out?"

"Bucky." He wrapped his arms around her, protectively. "He showed up, I barely had time to register what was happening. By the time I did, he was already chasing you."

"How do you two know each other?" She asked, pulling away.

He scratched the back of his neck and squinted as he thought of what to say. "A story for another time. It's been a really long day for all of us. Get some rest and we'll talk in the morning."

She sat down on the edge of the bed, more than willing to take his advice. The mattress was incredibly soft, made softer by the down comforter.

"Yea. I think I'll do that." She said with a yawn.

He smiled, hand resting on the doorknob. "Goodnight Annie."

"Goodnight." She replied.

He began to close the door, but paused when he heard his name once more. "Have you had word of my father?" She asked.

Steve, never one to tell a lie, paused. She didn't miss the way his eyes averted away from hers. "We'll talk in the morning."

OoOoOo

Annie slept better that night than she had in a long time. She rolled onto her stomach and gathered the pillow in her arms, trying not to wake up. She cracked open one eye, glancing through her hair.

Someone was in her room, sitting in the chair by the window. Annie pushed herself up with a gasp. "Bucky?"

He glanced over at her.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I don't know. Nothing, I guess." He replied quietly, looking out the window.

She raised an eyebrow as she looked him over. He was barefoot in a pair of sweatpants and a black t-shirt. "Have you been here all night?"

"Most of it."

"Did you sleep at all?"

His eyes darted to the left, looking at her. "No."

"I can tell your brain's going a million miles an hour. What's on your mind?"

"I don't trust this. Any of it." He answered.

She crossed her legs Indian style and gathered the blankets under her chin. "Given what I've seen, I totally get that you have trust issues. But these people are here to help, I know it."

He looked at her. "How do you know?"

"Because I trust Steve, and Steve trusts them." She replied.

The phone rang and Annie leaned over and hit the speaker phone. "Hello?"

"Miss Pierce, this is Agent Kee. Breakfast is being served on the second floor. Your presence is requested."

"What about Bucky?"

"He isn't answering his phone at the moment." Agent Kee replied.

Annie smiled. "He's here with me, we'll be down shortly." She hung the phone up and looked at him. "You need to eat anyways." She rolled out of the bed, grabbing clean clothes from the dresser. "It'll be ok Bucky."

OoOoOo

Steve and Fury sat at a table by the window, chatting quietly amongst themselves. Steve stood abruptly when he saw Annie and Bucky approaching.

"Good morning." He said, pulling her chair out.

Annie smiled, taking her seat. "Good morning."

Bucky quietly took the seat beside her, giving a curt nod to the two men.

"I trust you slept well?" Fury said, sipping his coffee.

"Arguably the best night's sleep I've had in a long time." Annie replied.

"What about you Buck? Did you sleep at all?" Steve asked, looking at his friend.

Bucky looked at him. "Like a rock." He lied.

"Good. Eat up. We've got a lot to go over." Fury said.