Longing.

Bucky ran along the fence line of the property, the hood of his jacket pulled up over his head, his shoulder length hair pulled back into a small bun at his neck. His chest was heaving as he ran, his breaths coming out in pants.

Rusted.

Picking up his pace, Bucky's expression turned focused and serious as he sprinted toward the end of the fence, turning abruptly at the end and beginning to run along it once more on his way back to the house.

Seventeen.

Bucky's knee collided with the dirt on the ground as his pace broke down, his pants turning into desperate gasps for air. He didn't know why words were swimming around in his head and he didn't know what they meant, but as he thought of each of them, his heart beat faster and faster. His hands balled into fists, his whole body turned rigid.

''Bucky?'' Rosalie's voice called for him from down the hill.

When he didn't respond, he could hear her boots beating against the ground as she ran to him. His eyes were wide when she got to him, his body tense and full of adrenaline. Rosalie didn't need to ask what was wrong, instead she just got down on her knees beside him and put her hands on either side of his face.

It had been over a month since Bucky had experienced an episode like this. He had explained it to her before, but neither of them knew what the words meant. Most of what HYDRA did to them was better left unspoken, especially things that triggered moments like these.

''Focus Bucky, focus on my voice,'' she instructed, holding his face in her hands. ''Look in my eyes, feel my skin, focus,''

Bucky moved his gaze from the sky above to Rosalie's eyes, looking over the deep brown color and how they held his reflection. As she whispered comforting words into his ear, he lifted a hand to place on top of hers on his cheeks. She was so soft and warm, it was like she was the only thing in this world that comforted him. Everything about her reminded him of what he was before all of this happened.

She was his home.

''Can't...can't get them out of me,'' Bucky gasped breathlessly, sitting up.

''You're okay,''

''I'm not,'' he shook his head. ''It's only a matter of time. I'm going to do something, I'm going to hurt you, we're going to be found because of me,''

''Hey, listen to me,'' Rosalie demanded, climbing into his lap with his face still in her hands. ''You are not their soldier anymore. We're never going to get rid of what they did to us, but you don't belong to them anymore. Never again.''

Bucky's eyes were red with fatigue and fear as Rosalie stared into them, ducking her head down slowly to press a gentle kiss to his lips before breaking apart to rest her forehead against his. She felt his metal arm go to her back and pull her closer to hold against his body, his eyes closing as he took a deep breath. This is when he felt the most ease.

But it was a moment later that their bodies were wedged apart by a small little animal.

''Peanut!'' Rosalie laughed, leaning back on Bucky's knees as the puppy jumped between them.

''Peanut?'' Bucky asked, his head shaking. ''The other day he was Brownie,''

''His color is more like a peanut than a brownie,'' Rosalie explained, smiling as she noticed Bucky's mind moving on from his terror. '''What does it matter to you? You don't even want to keep him,''

''Neither of us know how to take care of a dog,'' he sighed.

''He just needs to be fed and loved,'' Rosalie shrugged. ''Where else is he meant to go?''

Bucky watched on as Rosalie held the dog close to her, cuddling it as it's tail wagged happily. She was so gentle and loving without the thought of being Hydra's soldier running through her head. It wasn't difficult to see why this woman was etched in his memory forever, no matter what they did to him.

Rosalie pushed the curtains to the side as she gazed out the window one evening, looking at the trees blowing wildly with the heavy gusts of wind. The little wooden house rocked nervously against it, making Peanut cower in the corner on his bed.

''Another storm,'' she spoke softly, knowing Bucky could hear her from the dining table.

They both knew what one another were thinking in that moment. Every storm bought the worst of nightmares for Bucky. The noises, the cracks of lightning, the vibration of the thunder - it all brought back memories that terrified him. Their nightmares weren't fiction, they were real, and it took them right back to when it was all happening.

''You know what's going to happen,'' he whispered, his voice low and grave.

''I'll stay with you,'' she nodded.

''No,'' he protested. ''I don't know what I'll do,''

''Which is why I'm not leaving you to hurt yourself or run off,'' Rosalie defended. ''We've all got triggers, I'm not leaving you during yours,''

Bucky hung his head low and shook it in disapproval, hating the idea of not being in control around Rosalie. She left her lookout by the window and wandered over to him, her hands going to either side of his face. Bucky's hands moved up to rest on top of hers, his head lifting to look at her soft smile.

Moving in slowly, Rosalie kissed him softly and gently, pulling away a second later, but Bucky didn't want to part just yet. He moved his hand to the back of her neck to pull her closer, prolonging their kiss before stopping to move away again.

''Rose,'' he sighed. ''I'm going to hurt you,''

''You won't,''

''You don't know th-''

''I won't let you,'' she assured. ''I was made by the same people you were. If there's anyone in this world you can't hurt, it's me,''

Bucky was lying in bed that night as Rosalie emerged from her own room, wandering over. His body was rigid in anticipation of the flashes he was going to get once the thunder picked up again, but also out of worry that when it did, Rosalie was going to be the one dealing with The Winter Soldier.

Rosalie stared at him blankly as she walked into the room, lightning shining through the windows enough to lead her to the side of the bed and pull back the covers. Bucky's eyes opened as she slid under the blankets, lying on her back and staring up at the roof as she listened to him unsteady breathing.

''You're okay,'' she whispered, reaching over to grab his hand in her own.

The harsh wind outside battered against the frail house, making the floorboards creak and the roof moan in protest. Peanut's feet could be heard running from his bed in the opposite room and curling up on Bucky's jacket which was tossed by the door.

Each crackle of thunder made Bucky's heart beat with worry. He could feel a sheen of sweat beginning to form on his forehead from worry.

''Can you...can you talk to me?'' he asked, his voice shaky. ''About anything,''

Rosalie gripped his hand tighter and ran her thumb over his soothingly.

"I had a dream the other night. I was a kid, I was holding my mom's hand, but I couldn't see her,'' she began, closing her eyes. "I think I had a brother, and we were all holding hands and just walking. I don't even know where we were, where I lived, nothing. But just holding their hands was enough for me,''

Bucky listened closely to her voice, trying to focus on what she was saying instead of the noises outside that made his body jolt. As on edge as he was, he knew that Rosalie's voice could calm him, and it did.

"A brother?'' he asked, voice still quiet.

"It could have been just a dream,'' Rosalie sighed. "It felt real though. I want it to have been real,"

"I used to have dreams about you,'' he reminded. "They were all true,"

Rosalie turned her head toward him, her hand holding his tight. The rain was beginning outside, small droplets hitting the roof, their sound almost calming.

"Except when I lost you,'' he continued. "I dreamt it was real. It was real,''

Rolling onto her side, Rosalie reached her other hand out to cup his cheek softly. His beard was prickly and unkempt, but she happened to like it. It hurt to know that for all these years, decades, Bucky thought she was dead. Hydra had let him wallow in that knowledge for so long, and it was all a lie.

The dreams Rosalie had of Bucky all resurfaced once her memories of him came back, but for all that time, she had no idea this part of her was real. That Bucky was real.

"But you're here,'' he whispered against her hand, pressing a kiss to her skin.

"I'm here,'' she assured. "Not going anywhere without you ever again,"

A moment later, a loud crack of thunder jolted the house. Bucky's body went stiff again, a small gasp escaping his lips. Rosalie rolled closer to him, wrapping her arm around his body and hugging him tight. Resting her head on his chest, she could feel Bucky's cold metal arm wrap around her in return. They were in their own little cocoon together – they were safe.

"You're okay,'' she soothed. "Just listen to my voice, I've got you,''

Rosalie's hand did circles on his chest, continually letting him know that whatever was running through his mind at each roar of thunder wasn't real. This was real, she was here, and they were together.

The storm rolled through within an hour, leaving just a constant drizzle of rain all night, but neither of them heard it. Bucky had fallen asleep with his arms around Rosalie, his face buried in her hair. Rosalie's mouth hung open as she laid against his chest, soft snores escaping her lips. Still completely wrapped in one another.

Two days later came the first blow to their life away from Hydra.

The television had been on all afternoon, the local news broadcasting in the background quietly as Rosalie and Bucky prepared dinner. Hydra's deadliest assassins were teasing one another lovingly in their petite kitchen, sneaking kisses and seeming to have fallen straight out of a classic romance novel. They were happy, and it was new to both of them.

Peanut chased them around the small room, tail wagging, little whines turning into barks as Rosalie cut up a piece of bread.

''What do you have to do Peanut?'' Rosalie asked, hands on her hips.

Bucky folded his arms and leaned back against the kitchen counter, amused at how frustrated she was becoming when he didn't listen.

''Sit,'' she ordered.

Peanut ran around in circles for a few moments before realizing the position he needed to be in. Once he sat, Rosalie gave him the piece of bread with a happy and excited pat.

''See? He just needs practice,'' she grinned, satisfied with her demonstration.

''Yeah, a lot of it,'' Bucky laughed. ''And a teacher with more patience.

''I have patience,'' she huffed. ''I just can't speak dog,''

''In breaking news now, the World Security Council has finally delivered a ruling in wake of SHIELD's downfall. All information regarding high-level operations and personnel were leaked by the organization following their dissolution."

Rosalie's eyes moved from Peanut to the television, her smile disappearing as she saw images of the Triskellion falling into the Potamac river. It was as if she was right back there. Her feet moved without her even thinking, wanting to be closer to the T.V and hear what else as being said.

Bucky followed behind her, his arms still folded, his expression hard and alert.

"It was revealed last month that Hydra had compromised the organization and that two of their highest ranking spies have escaped capture. James Buchanan Barnes and Rosalie Anne Waters committed unspeakable crimes within the Hydra organization and as a result have sparked a nationwide manhunt, but given their expertise it is likely the pair will not be found easily,"

The screen was then filled with low-resolution photos of each of them caught on security cameras and in SHIELD's database. They were in their uniforms, covered in black and masks, armed with guns. Everything about the organization was leaked, every piece of information about everyone, and although SHIELD had little in regards to Bucky and Rosalie, they had enough.

They both tuned out to the rest of the ruling regarding SHIELD and their agents, because all that mattered to them right now was that everyone in the country now knew who they were. Which meant everything they had worked for these past few months, the tiny piece of a new life they had started, was all about to change.

Hey guys! This is the last chapter of this story - BUT I do intend for there to be a second part of this story to tell the Civil War plot. If you guys are interested in that, please let me know in the reviews that you'd like to see that. I love to write what you guys want to see, so with enough interest I will return with that.

Thanks for reading and sticking with the story for so long! xxx