Before she lost her nerve that night, Annie forced Bucky out of her apartment. The closeness of him was more than she could take. After the night she'd had...she didn't trust herself not to do something stupid. Not that it wasn't already too late for that. She was catching feelings for him, and bad.

Now, more than a week later she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. She wanted it to be him, but the hair on the back of her neck let her know that it most certainly wasn't. At least not this time. Ever since her run in with the rough customer she knew Bucky had been following her. And now she hoped tonight was no different. Especially since the figure standing across the street from her looked painfully familiar.

"Slow night?" A voice called from the other side of the street. A voice she recognized.

She didn't answer, prompting the man to cross the empty street. Annie's limbs felt weak.

"That's a pity. No customers means no money. And you know what no money means."

"Yes, I know." She whispered timidly. "I'm trying, Dante."

"I know, I know," he whispered into her ear.

She wanted to run. "I said I'll have the payment by the end of the month, and I mean it. I've never been late before."

"Yes, but it seems like you're having...difficulties." He pointed to the now yellow bruise on her neck. "I just wanted to make sure it's not getting in the way,"

"It's not," she said firmly.

Dante placed his hand on the small of her back, and slowly slid it downward. "Good. Just remember what'll happen if I don't get my money. The love tap on your throat will be the least of your problems, little girl."

A car slowed down in front of them, and Dante backed off into the shadows just as the driver rolled down his window to proposition Annie for her time. Across the street from a table at a Chinese restaraunt Bucky watched the encounter. Annie getting into the car of a stranger for sex bothered him less than the man who'd crossed the street and touched her. Something about the exchange seemed off to him.

Ten minutes later the car dropped Annie off in the same spot. Her eyes were scanning the area looking for any sign of her previous visitor when Bucky came up behind her.

"Hey," he said low.

She flinched.

"You're jumpy,"

"Yeah, well..." she trailed off. Turning away from him she pulled a tiny bottle of mouth wash from her purse and took a swig. She spit against the wall before facing him again. "Where've you been lately? I figured I'd be stumbling over you after what happened."

Bucky braced an arm against the wall in front of her, "Yeah, well you made it clear you didn't need me around."

"That's right,"

"Is it? See, I'm not so sure. Who was that guy earlier?"

"Just some john," she shrugged.

"Before him."

Annie raked a hand through her hair, and looked at her watch. It was past two in the morning, and her body ached with exhaustion. "Nobody,"

She made her way past him, leaving Bucky no choice but to follow after her. "Don't lie."

"I'm going home, Bucky." He could hear the tiredness in her voice. She sighed, "Come to my work in the morning. It's called Rosie's on ninth street. We have really good breakfast." She offered him a weak smile.

"I'll be there,"

He followed her home without another word. He walked her to her door and waited to hear the clicking of the locks before he left.

The next morning Bucky walked into Rosie's at seven thirty. He saw Annie right away. Her crisp white uniform shirt and black pants fit her nicely, he had to admit. Her long hair was pulled back into a bun. She was waiting on a table so he slid into a booth nearby. After she brought the table their food she sat a cup of coffee in front of him.

"Good morning," she said quietly.

"Morning,"

"I get a break in a few minutes."

"Okay. What's good here to eat?"

She smiled. Bucky thought he really liked how it looked on her. Too much. "I can bring you something,"

He clasped his hands on the table in front of him and waited. A few minutes later Annie sat a glass of water down for herself, and a plate of eggs, bacon, and pancakes in front of Bucky. She slid into into the seat across from him and crossed her legs. Her foot grazed the bend of his knee and even through his jeans...it sent a reaction through him. It painfully reminded him that he was a man. He hadn't been with anyone in...well.

He shook the thought from his mind. He had enough going on. Even if he didn't, it would be a major mistake to get involved with someone like Annie. That would never work. Not even for causal sex.

Still, there was her foot against his leg.

He cleared his throat, and dug into his food. "So last night?"

She rubbed a hand across her face. "The man's name is Dante. He's a drug dealer that my brother stole money from last year."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"My brother, Levi, died six months ago. Overdose. A couple weeks later Dante came looking for me. He said Levi's debt it mine now. So, here we are."

Bucky said nothing until his plate was half empty. He took a long drink of his coffee. "So, how long have you been hooking exactly?" He cocked an eyebrow at her, and watched a light pink blush color her cheeks.

"About four months. I didn't see what else to do. I don't make enough here to pay it back in a lifetime. I just wanted it paid off as fast as possible."

Bucky sat back. Whatever he thought the circumstances were that caused her to sell herself, he never imagined this.

"Right. I'll handle it,"

Annie groaned, "Bucky, no. I didn't tell you so you could stick your nose in and get involved."

"Why'd you tell me then?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't leave it alone."

He laid down the money for his food before standing from the table, "Where can I find Dante?"

The look on his face scared Annie. She didn't mean to tell him, but the words spilled from her lips anyway. As she watched him walk out she thought she might be sick from the knot in her stomach.