A day later we were back in civilization, surrounded by tall buildings and tons of normal, average humans, with normal and average lives. Something about no longer being out in the middle of nowhere, stuck in a snowstorm, made the entirety of what had transpired between James and I finally set it. That had really happened, it hadn't been a dream.. we kissed. We had fought like raging bastards, but we kissed... He kissed me.

I was low-key on cloud nine and trying not to show it.

James Buchanan Barnes, The Winter Soldier.. the most frustrating man on the goddamn planet, had kissed me and made me all but forget my name, and here I was, trying desperately to act chill about the entire thing. All I wanted was to have a girl moment and scream into a pillow or something - which honestly was a really weird urge that I wasn't quite used to.

Part of me, the logical, reasonable side of me was stuck on the words he had spoken to me - the words he had all but snarled into my face. He wouldn't let me go, not even if I begged him. He wouldn't let anyone take me away. Not Captain America, not Hydra... he'd fight them all. He'd... kill to keep me. That realization made me a bit dizzy.

There was no denying it at this point that I was seriously fucked up.. Because in some twisted way, that was romantic to me.

I'm probably certifiably crazy at this point, because honestly, shouldn't that terrify me? Or at the very least, unnerve me?

But it didn't.

The worst part about the entire thing was that as usual, it seemed like I was the only one affected by the entire situation. It honestly was very frustrating how calm and aloof James could appear to be. I had a million questions in my head, the first most one being when did he realize he had felt that sort of way for me? Was it at the cabin? Was it when Steve showed up? Or had that moment of clarity and realization shown up for him when he shoved me onto my back into the snow? I was desperate for a glimpse into his brain.

How was this going to change things?

I was more unsure than ever, and it was unquestionably annoying.

If I focused, I could still feel his hand knotted in my hair.. feel how warm and solid he was pressed against me... Fuck, I was ridiculously sexually frustrated.

After our kiss in the snow, Bucky's rage had disappeared. Just poof! Gone. Just like that. It was... odd to say the least. How had he managed it so easily after all that? Was it because he got to air his emotions, get them off his chest? Or was it because I hadn't argued with him about what he had said? Did I really bring that sort of calm to him? ... That was an odd notion to me, considering how often I pissed him off.

Bucky took us all over town, stopping at various locations to gather supplies. Every time we stopped he forced me to stay in the truck, which surprisingly didn't bother me as much as it normally would have. Sure, I was annoyed that for once he was actually being very secretive about his plans, but the 'being forced to stay in the truck thing'? It didn't bother me. In fact, a horrible realization lead me to realize that I preferred it.

Bucky didn't go far enough away that I was too concerned about something happening to him, like Hydra or the Avengers showing up. But what did make me nervous?

All of the god damn people.

It was a startling epiphany.. I was uncomfortable in such a large town. I was distressed around so many people.. How did.. how did this happen?! Just a few short months ago, I had been a part of normal society, I had been involved in the hustle and bustle that comes with large towns and busy cities... and now here I was, perfectly content to sit in a truck and wait for James to come back from grabbing his super-secret-mission-supplies.

When had it happened? When did I switch over to preferring the isolation with James?

Was it just because I hadn't been a full-fledged, functioning member of normal society before? Was it because it had been so easy to let go of my old life, because I didn't actually have much of a social life to begin with? Or was it because I was starting to view everyone around us as a possible threat? James' paranoid ways were definitely starting to show up in me too.. Anyone around us could be Hydra, anyone around us could be the remains of the government organization known as SHIELD.

God, this was so fucked up... I used to prefer the excitement and chaos that came with over populated cities.. Now I positively loathed it. When had this happened? My brain hurt.

My only relief from my anxiety was when we continued on our way after James had finished up all of his secret errands. We drove through the city, and the further we drove, the less people that were out and about. We drove to the outskirts of the city and then kept going. We didn't stop until we reached the docks. What the fuck were we doing at the docks?

It was safe to say that I was more than a little confused, and Bucky wasn't exactly being very forthcoming with information at the moment.

"Stay here." He commanded quietly before exiting the truck, yet again.

Five minutes went by and I was starting to get a little anxious without him around. I wasn't used to being totally alone anymore, and I really didn't like so much of it in one day.

Ten minutes and I couldn't stop shifting in my seat, twisting around each way to try and catch a glimpse of my Super-Soldier.

Fifteen passed and I was about to fucking lose it! It was too fucking quiet in the car, and I was starting to get reasonably worried. What were we doing here? What was he off doing? And why did he keep leaving me in the truck?! He never left me alone this often, I was always glued to his side... Why was he being so secretive this time? This was getting unsettling. Scrap what I said earlier, I wasn't glad to be left in the truck. I was starting to have very insecure thoughts - and I fucking hated it.

Twenty minutes and I was about to leave the truck against his wishes and go looking for him. What if something had happened? Worry ate away at me.

I twisted around in my seat to look out the back window - nothing. When I turned back around he was there, standing in front of the truck, his blue eyes meeting mine. His gaze was light, and if I hadn't known any better, he almost looked... amused? The quirk of his eyebrow really didn't help the notion either.

I glared at him.

He walked over to the drivers door and pulled it open.

"Miss me?" He asked lightly, curiosity lacing his deep voice.

"No." I lied.

He hummed low in his throat and I glared harder at him. He fucking knew I was lying and it annoyed me. Jackass.

"Now what?" I inquired as he climbed gracefully back into the driver's seat, pulling the door closed behind him.

"Now, we wait." He informed me easily.

"For what?"

"You'll see." He said almost casually.

I narrowed my eyes at him, I knew he was purposely dodging my questions. James, as far as I knew, had never lied to me in the entire time I had known him. But he certainly had no problem keeping certain information from me, until he was ready to tell me - or was forced to.

I reached up and idly stroked the sapphire at my throat, letting the smooth surface distract me. How long were we going to have to wait for? I noticed Bucky watching me out of the corner of my eyes, I turned my gaze to meet his. His gaze dropped to my throat and followed the pattern my fingers were making on the large gem of the tracking choker.

"You do that a lot." He suddenly stated, freezing me where I sat.

"What?" I was puzzled.

"Play with the sapphire on your tracker." He stated distantly, his eyes darkening slightly.

I swallowed thickly as I stared at him, staring back at me. The habit had become second nature, most of the time I didn't notice I was doing it anymore.. But I guess he had. The fact he was bringing it up though..

"Why is that, I wonder?" His voice was twisted with something I couldn't quite identify. "Is it because it bothers you? Or is it the opposite?" He mused out loud, danger sparkling behind his stormy eyes.

My heart stuttered in my chest.

"You forced a tracker onto me, what do you think?" I snapped, defensively.

Why was he being like this? The forceful, almost knowing questions... He'd never done this before. I wasn't sure how to handle it.. Things had shifted with us, and with it, new situations were arising.

He shifted closer, his warmth invading my senses as he put his face near mine. My heart lurched in my chest as the memories of yesterday rose to the surface, causing a blush to stain my cheeks.

"I think you like it." Cool, confidence rolled off his tongue. "I think it makes you feel safe, knowing I can find you anywhere." His words were abrasive and cut through the my defenses easily. I hadn't honestly given the necklace much thought after the first two weeks of having it.. I hadn't tried to take it off in a long time, and I never pushed him to either.. His words settled in my brain almost too comfortably... Oh god, did I?!

"No!" I blurted out, my hands were starting to shake.

"Liar." He breathed, without missing a beat. Ice filled my veins.. how was he so fucking sure of himself? When had this happened? I had asked myself several times before if he knew how he affected me, knew why I did the things I did.. But I had always come up short for answers - he was a mystery, and he never gave anything away. Had he known this entire time? How he effected me? Or was everything just now clicking in his brain?

Had our kiss opened the metaphorical flood gates?

Before I could attempt to argue further, his gaze glanced past me, out the passenger window.

"Time to go." He stated simply.

I hadn't noticed that the last rays of sun had finally dipped down below the horizon, coating us in darkness. Fuck, he was distracting... Wait, go where?

Bucky shifted away from me and climbed out of the truck, shifting towards the back to pull out all of our bags, easily holding them all in one hand. I anxiously climbed out of the passenger side, just in time for him to meet me. He reached up and gripped onto my upper arm and started leading me away from the truck.

"Will you tell me what we're doing now?" I probed.

"No."

"James." I growled, irritated.

He ignored me and kept dragging me along with him, zig-zagging past storage containers, fishing equipment, and other various objects. I was starting to get a heavy feeling about the entire situation. Why were we at the docks? Were we taking a boat back to the states?

Five minutes of the usual manhandling later, a large cargo ship loomed in front of us. For some reason, the current situation just now seemed to be settling in. Did I mention I didn't like deep, open water? Cause I don't. I really, really don't. I tended to just avoid the ocean as a general rule all together. And here we were, in front of a looming ship, and he wanted to get me up on board. I had actually hoped I had been wrong in my hypothesis and that we were just here to grab some information, or I don't know, kill some bad guys? His usual deal. Though I knew I had just been in denial, and now harsh, bitter reality was catching up.

I dug my heels into the planks of wood beneath our feet as he started to pull me towards it. He noticed my resistance immediately and turned his head to quirk an eyebrow at me.

"We are not getting on that ship." I tried to be firm and assertive, but I was pretty sure I came across as an anxious mess.

"I wasn't giving you an option." He ground out, silkily. "Are you going to come willingly, or do I have to carry you?" The threat rang loud and clear, I ground my teeth together and shifted my weight back away from him. His fingers dug harder into my arm, his expression darkening.

"James-" I tried to reason.

"Have it your way." He dropped the bags suddenly and twisted around. His hands snapped up and grabbed onto my hips roughly, lifting me up easily. I cried out as I found myself in a familiar position.. Tossed over his broad shoulder. I tried to sit up, but he squeezed onto my thighs harder than necessary, causing me to cringe as he reprimanded me in a way that I knew was going to bruise. Ugh!

He shifted and picked up the bags in his one hand again before heading towards the cargo ship.

"You don't listen!" I ground out, angrily. Knowing he'd hear me just fine from my position.

"You apparently have a short memory, doll." He chastised. "I will do whatever I have to, to keep you safe. I don't care if you approve of my methods, or not." The dark promises of yesterday were coating his tongue, proving to me that arguing with him would do me no good. This was not something he was going to negotiate on. Things had changed between us.

I ground my teeth harshly, blood was rushing into my face and it was getting harder and harder to control my temper. We were officially on the ship, and I was already feeling like I was going to flip my shit, I hated this!

"If you're going to manhandle me like a god damn sack of potatoes, will you at least tell me where we're going?!" I snapped, a bit too loudly. We were headed further into the ship, and I hadn't seen a single person. I was pretty sure that these ships were designed to be worked with a minimal crew, but all the same.. I should probably tone down the yelling - even if I currently did want to throttle a certain Winter Soldier.

I felt his chest rumble against my legs in irritation. He wasn't the only one that could be stubborn, and all things considered it wasn't an unreasonable question.

"Europe." He bit out, gruffly.

My brain stuttered as I tried to absorb the information.

What.. what the fuck did he just say?!

I'm so sorry this is late everyone. Your reviews for the last chapter were outstanding, and I couldn't be happier! I'm so glad you guys loved it! I had been so excited to get up to that point and I'm glad that you all liked it as much as I did. That being said, I've been sick. I caught a horrible cold and I've been doing my best to get better as quickly as I can, but sadly it hasn't been fast enough. I have a pretty shitty immune system. I'm still sick at the moment, but doing much better than I have the last week. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and again I apologize for the late update. Obviously some things to touch on here, I know all of you were hoping for a bit more 'fun' between Katarina and Bucky but we gotta work up to it! Things are definitely changing, especially since they kissed and he revealed how he feels.. But it's not going to be instantaneous, but it'll definitely start to amp up. For those of you wondering if this will make him even more possessive over her - the answer is yes. Most definitely.

Things have shifted dramatically for James, so aspects of his personality are gonna start getting 'interesting'. Both parts of him are in agreement about her - they want her and they will have her. So as James and The Winter Soldier start setting into that thought, he'll open up more so and things will begin to change. Before, he wasn't aware of why he acted the way he did with her - now he does. Its definitely going to change how he treats her. Mind you, he's still going to be aggressive, demanding, territorial, and possessive - just more so and a bit differently. That's just who he is with her. Anyways, I'm sorry if I'm explaining this badly, or hell maybe even over-explaining, I'm on cold medicine so my brain is a bit scrambled at the moment. But I hope that bit of insight helps you guys forgive me for being late. Hope you're all having a good November so far! Read and Review my lovelies! I could really use the pick-me-up.