2/3 posted tonight to catch up.

With love, Dubs.

Грузовой вагон

January 10th

Anya woke to the rumbling of an empty stomach. Across her body was a general ache with only a few twinges of sharp pain in the wound on her shoulder and the damage to her leg. She groaned as she opened her eyes to stare at a ceiling above her. Her body tensed immediately. She was not in Pierce's home anymore. She sat up quickly and took in her surroundings.

The bed was a queen-sized bed, pushed up against the corner of the room. On the wall to her left was a boarded-up window. Looking directly ahead of her was a closet door that folded open. Caty-corner from her in the room was the door she assumed led to an exit. Next to it was a desk, that was empty aside from one of her duffle bags. Next to the desk was a very familiar man to her, his hair just longer than she remembered him ever keeping it. Finally, beside the bed was a small table, with a digital clock on it. It was 3:40 in the morning.

"God, am I glad to see you Bucky," she said throwing her legs over the side of the bed.

"Who the hell is Bucky?" he asked. She stared at him for a moment before she sighed closing her eyes.

"Sorry," she said, "I just… he was…" She trailed off not sure what to say.

The Winter Soldier watched her. She had called him Bucky several times throughout the night. Previously, he had chalked it up to exhaustion, but the woman in front of him appeared well rested and alert. Her lack of an answer only frustrated him. The tone of her voice, the look in her eyes. The Winter Soldier wanted those for himself.

He stood and walked over to her, sitting to her left. With his human hand he lifted her chin to look at him.

"Who—" he began to ask again, but she interrupted him.

"Where are we?" she asked as she attempted to stand. He groused but gently grabbed her, forcing her to sit beside him.

"Somewhere safe," he said, "they won't find you here."

"How do you—"

"I know," he said.

The two stared at one another for several moments. She looked away from him and down to her hands on her lap. It was then she realized she was in an oversized, long-sleeved, black shirt.

"Is this yours?" she asked, looking back up at him. He nodded.

"Couldn't travel with you naked," he stated, "I put you in that and a pair of pants. When we got here, I took the pants off. They're not comfortable to sleep in."

"Oh," she said quietly, her gaze returning to her hands. The night before was coming back to her in full. Her failure with Fury, returning to Pierce. His torture and promise to reset her… Telling the Winter Soldier to do whatever he wanted to her… The Winter Soldier using that time to help her clean up… The Winter Soldier was still her Bucky, of that, she was sure.

His hand went to her face, pushing her hair that she hadn't noticed had fallen forward back behind her ear. She looked up at him again and his hand trailed to her chin, his thumb landing on her lips. She watched as his focus drifted to her lips, sliding his thumb back and forth across them. Her stomach growled and she smiled bashfully as his eyes met hers.

"Stay there," he said, taking his hand away from her. His eyes didn't leave her as he stood, "I'll be right back."

He waited until she nodded before he left the room. Maggie watched as he walked out of the door and took in as much scenery outside the room as she could while remaining in place. They were clearly in a much smaller house than Pierce's and she wondered exactly where they were. She heard the clinking of glasses as a refrigerator door opened and shut. A moment later he returned to the room, closing the door behind him.

He held a bottle out for her to take as he sat on her left once again. She took it from him and realized it was the same brand and flavor protein shake she had been drinking at Pierce's when she accidently interrupted their meeting.

"Did," she started to ask quietly, "did you get this just for me?"

"That was the one you were drinking the other day, right?" he asked.

"It was," she said softly. She shook the drink before opening it and taking the first sip. She closed her eyes and hummed happily, feeling her body react to the drink immediately. She looked back up at him, "thank you."

He nodded in response. He watched as she continued taking small sips of the drink. There was an awkward silence between the two before she turned to fully face him.

"What is this?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"This," she said motioning between the two of them, "bringing me here, giving me this drink… whatever this awkwardness is between us right now. What is this?"

"Do you not want the drink?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in annoyance, "It looks like it's helping."

"It is, but—"

"Then drink it and quit talking," he grumbled, interrupting her.

"I think I'm allowed to ask—" she started once again, but he wrapped his hand around her hand that was holding the drink and lifted the two to her mouth. As the drink started to pour in her mouth she drank it quickly, keeping up until it was nearly gone before she started to choke on it. He stopped immediately.

"There," she began as she coughed, "are far more effective ways of killing me if that's what you're trying to do."

"I… wasn't trying—" he started, and she glared at him.

"Then what was that about?"

"It was already helping," he said, "but you were too busy thinking to drink it all. Your body needs all the energy it can get while healing, right?"

Anya opened her mouth to retort but found herself sighing and chugging the rest of the bottle in response.

"Happy?" she asked wiping her mouth. He lifted his thumb to the corner of her mouth, removing a drop she missed. He wiped it on his shirt before taking the bottle from her.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked in response. She moved her left shoulder slightly and felt a twinge of pain, but it wasn't unbearable.

"I think so," she said. She reached for the hem of the shirt, and began lifting it, "how do I lo—" He grabbed her hand and held it in her lap.

"Bucky, you gave me a bath just a few hours ago," she said, "we were both completely naked with our bodies pressed together. You dressed me; I think—"

"I don't want to see what I did again," he interrupted once again, "and why do you keep calling me that? Who the hell is Bucky?"

"I…" she started, "It's what I called you… before Hydra. Or I think it was anyway. My Bucky. It just feels right."

He was silent as he looked at the bottle in his hand. He had called her Maggie when they had been in the shower. She had sleepily responded to it. He understood what she meant about it feeling right. He was certain she was his Maggie. His future Mrs. Barnes. If Barnes wasn't his name before, it would be moving forward, and with any luck, her name too.

His nostrils flared in annoyance at himself. He was an idiot to even think about anything like that between the two of them. They could only work if Hydra fell, and that was unlikely with the event that were about to take place over the next few days. Hydra was about to take control of the world. And that was a world they couldn't be together in.

"You're staying here," he said, trying to remove himself from his thoughts, "I have a mission to complete over the next couple of days. If I succeed, if I'm not reset… We can figure this out then."

"Who's the mission?" she asked, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"The star-man," he stated, "Captain America."

"No," she said, and he looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

He watched as she stood from the bed and started walking towards the door. He took the time to look at her gait. She wasn't back to 100%, but her leg was healing nicely, and her limp was minimal. He stood and followed her across the small room, catching her at the door. As she opened the door, he slammed it shut with his metal arm. With his human arm, he turned her around to face him.

"What do you think you're doing," he asked. His tone was serious, but certainly not angry. She winced as she rested her back against the door.

"You're not going after him," she replied, "I won't let you."

"You're in no shape to stop me right now," he said, "He's my mission. And you know what happens when we fail our missions."

"And I'm not?" she asked, and he stared at her.

"What are you talking about," he said, his voice monotonous.

"If you're still doing Pierce's missions—such as going after Steve—then you probably think he's unaware I'm with you right now. So, then, you probably made it look like I ran off on my own accord, right? As much of a failure as I am, I'm still a loose end. If I've run off your mission will be to bring me back and if I had to guess at this point dead would be preferred," she stated. Beneath the expressionless mask she felt his anger bubbling, "So I'm your mission now too. And yet here I am."

"Did you have a point?" he asked annoyed.

"Leave Steve alone or you're going to have to kill both of us," she stated. She saw his arm twitch, his human hand dropping the protein shake bottle on the floor. She continued anyway, "because I will stand in your way to protect him from you, even if it means you have to kill me first."

His human hand went to her neck, instinctually. She watched him, swallowing her fear. He felt her swallow beneath his hand and although he hadn't been close to choking her, he removed his hand from her and punched the wall next to her. He breathed heavily, trying to control his anger.

"I'm not killing you; I'm not taking you back to him," he said, "What part of I want you alive are you not understanding?"

"And when you never bring me in?" she asked, "What then? When Pierce resets you he's going to send you after me."

"If Pierce resets me and sends me after you, I'll have to find you again," he said slowly, "you'll be safe."

"What part of that means I'll be safe," she asked incredulously, "You'll be after me and you'll find me. You always do." The two stared at one another for a few moments. He looked away from her, biting his lower lip in thought.

"I'm never going to kill you," he said finally, "no matter how many times I'm reset, the moment I see you… I won't kill you."

"You can't promise that," she stated. He growled as he turned away from her, his hands going to his hair. For a split second, she thought about running from him. He was turned away from her, the door was unlocked… she could probably get out and lock him in the room quickly enough to give herself at least the illusion of a head start. The thought left her as quickly as it came. Truth was, she didn't want to leave the man in front of her. He turned to look at her again, a look in his eyes that she wasn't quite sure of.

It took him two steps to get to her again, and the moment he could touch her, his hands were on her hips, and he was pulling her into a rough and passionate kiss. She froze at the sudden action. He realized it almost immediately and began to pull his lips away from hers when he felt her arms reach around him; her fingers danced up his back. His heart raced and he pushed himself harder against her, her back hitting the door behind her. She gasped at the pain, and he let go of her immediately.

He breathed heavily as he fought to control himself. Looking at her wasn't helping. She was also breathing heavily, and he realized his shirt, while large on her, was not terribly long on her and barely covering her upper thighs. Her long blonde hair was a wavy mess. It was taking every fiber of his being to not throw her on the bed and take her right then and there.

He looked away from her and closed his eyes tight. Her footsteps were silent as she walked toward him. His eyes shot open as her cold hand gently touched his cheek. He turned to face her. His heart felt like it was beating out of his chest.

She reached up to touch him with her left-hand wincing ever so slightly as she brought her second hand to his other cheek. She stood on the balls of her feet and softly placed her lips on his. She returned his kiss with one far gentler than his had been. He followed her lead in returning it, his hands traveling once more to her waist. He pulled her body against his and backed out of the kiss ever-so-slightly.

"I want you, Maggie," he whispered, "I can promise I'll never kill you because without you I'm empty and I know that from the moment I first lay eyes on you. No matter how many times it's our first-time meeting… I always know you. I always know you're my everything."

"You called me Maggie," she whispered. He sighed. As he closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers, he let out an exasperated chuckle. Of all the things for her to respond to, that wasn't the thing he expected.

"You know," she began. Her voice was quiet but held a tone he had never heard from her before. She placed a soft kiss on his jaw. As she moved to his neck he leaned into her lips. Her lips brushed his ear before continuing, "I want you too. I've never stopped wanting you."

She bit his earlobe and that was all the convincing he needed.