She hadn't shared her suspicions with Sam. AJ had kept that to herself; but while interrogating some of STRIKE Team, Sam had started to ask questions, and AJ knew the truth would come out. Steve had woken up but was currently recovering.
AJ had been there with Sam when Steve woke up. She had her head against the edge of the bed while she slept and had flinched when she felt fingers running through her hair. When she got up, she saw Steve smiling down at her. How she hadn't heard him and Sam talking to one another was still shocking to her. But not really. AJ was exhausted. It was her first decent sleep since everything happened.
Steve had wanted to be the one to interrogate STRIKE Team with AJ – he wanted to make sure she didn't lose control and lash out. But lately AJ felt more in control of her powers than she ever had before. Even with Hydra tampering with them, AJ was able to hold back her anger, harden her heart again so that things would not affect her as strongly as they would before. But, nevertheless, Sam had promised that if AJ showed any signs of becoming distressed, he'd shut down the interrogation.
AJ was the one with a cool head (pun not intended), it was Sam who was losing his temper.
"You're really going to lie to my face and continue to say that Rumlow wasn't the one to plant the bomb in Frosts' apartment?" His voice began to raise. "He was the one to send the flowers and chocolate, correct?" Sam looked to AJ. She nodded her head, but kept her eyes focused on the man they were interrogating. AJ knew it hadn't been Rumlow to plant the bomb.
It had been Bucky. No, it had been the Winter Soldier.
Colin, one of STRIKE Teams members, looked at AJ and tilted his head to study her. He then laughed, realizing that AJ knew, too, that Rumlow hadn't been the one to plant the bomb. She narrowed her eyes at him, a warning to shut the hell up.
"Seems like your partner knows who planted the bomb." He looked to Sam, "Do you two not talk?"
Sam looked over at AJ in confusion but she kept her eyes on their prisoner.
"Jay?" He said, waiting for her to explain what was happening.
"Even after he tried to kill you – you're willing to protect him?" Colin laughed, shaking his head. "-God, Frost, that's almost as pathetic as when we took your picture from him." He went on, "God, he fought hard to keep it from us – but we got the picture from him." He grinned. "For a cold-blooded assassin, he sure cried like a damn bitch." AJ balled her hand into a first, nails digging into her skin creating crescent moon shapes. She wouldn't let her emotions get the best of her. AJ would be numb. "-Pierce had to have him wiped a few times after that. He just wouldn't let go of you – so we scrambled his brains until you were nothing to him."
She placed her hands on the desk and folded them together. "You can continue to try and get under my skin, but you're only wasting your time." AJ said calmly. "Because I am trained to know when someone is lying to me; and you, oh boy, your pants might as well be on fire right now."
Colin glared, "No, I'm not!" He spat out.
"Rumlow is gone, man." Sam cut in, "Why are you trying to protect him? I'm sure he'd turn on you faster than I can say STRIKE Team. Why are you so loyal to a man who would gladly give you up for a deal?"
"Because it wasn't him!" He yelled. "Pierce sent him." Colin looked to AJ. "The Winter Soldier was the one to plant the bomb."
"You're lying." Sam didn't believe him.
But it was the truth. The whole crying part was not the truth – AJ didn't believe that for a second. That was just him trying to get under her skin. But it wasn't going to work.
"Frost knows it's not a lie. She said it earlier; she was trained to know when someone is lying to her." He looked to AJ. Sam did as well when AJ didn't deny his accusation. "When did you figure out it was him, Frost?" He asked, leaning forward in his seat. "When did you realize that the man you loved was the one who tried to kill you?"
She didn't answer Colin, which only pissed him off. "Why would you risk it?" AJ asked instead. "Having him plant the bomb – why risk it?"
"Jay..." Sam said, seeing now that Colin wasn't lying about Bucky planting the bomb.
"-You sent the man I love to plant a bomb in my apartment and you didn't think it'd trigger him in the slightest bit?" AJ licked at her lips, chuckling a little.
"The bomb went off, didn't it?"
"It did." AJ nodded her head.
"He accomplished his mission."
"I mean, technically, the mission was to kill me. But I'm still here. Or did you not trust that he could finish the job? Maybe it wasn't his mission to kill me? I think that if you sent him to kill me – he wouldn't have been able to."
Colin scoffed, "You think too highly of yourself, Frost." He glared. "If Barnes was ordered to kill you – he would do it without even blinking."
"Okay, so then why didn't Pierce just send him to kill me?" AJ asked again. "I mean, there's got to be a reason. Pierce knew that if a bomb went off, I'd use my powers to protect myself. And I did."
He grinned now. "Do you really not remember your time in the compound?" Colin said, tilting his head again. "I mean, we drugged you up pretty good – but I thought for sure you'd remember a little bit." Colin leaned forward more, "I'm sure it wasn't as nightmare inducing as when Reinhardt dissected you – but we sure put you through Hell, Frost."
No, she didn't remember. All she remembered while she was in seclusion was that she was tired. All the time she was tired, her body ached, her head felt heavy, she felt herself giving up. But that was it. Nothing else. AJ would wake up, Jordan would give her a meal and her shake, and she'd train. Jordan would go home and AJ would go to sleep. But that was it.
They had put something in the shakes. That's how they were able to drug her. "Clever." She said in a dry tone. "Even more clever having Jordan bring me my meals – wow, bravo."
Colin didn't like how she wasn't showing anger. It was almost like he wanted her to lose her temper.
Sam on the other hand.
"What did you do to her?" He seethed. Colin smirked and Sam lunged forward and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. AJ placed her hand around Sam wrist and felt tension leave him. He shoved Colin back a bit when he let go of his collar and sat back in his chair, glaring at the STRIKE Team member.
"How were you able to manipulate my powers so that when I used them and was injured, I wouldn't be able to properly heal like I used to?" AJ asked Colin. He shrugged his shoulders innocently and AJ got up from her seat. Sam didn't stop her, he just watched her approach Colin. AJ moved her hand to his shackles and pressed her finger to the iron. Colin swallowed hard as they began to cover with frost. "We found a way to reverse them." AJ told him, hearing him hiss from the cold frost burning against his skin. "Luckily, a lot of my friends are incredibly smart scientist's – but I guess that's a bit unfortunate for you."
"-Too many eyes are on you now – you won't kill me." Colin said, trying to sound brave but his voice shook terribly.
"We're just having a conversation, Colin." AJ smiled down at him. She leaned back a bit to grab the glass of water she had brought in and showed it to Colin, "I'm sure you are aware that I can manipulate water." She said slowly as she brought the glass closer to him. He refused to meet her eyes. AJ tilted the glass so the water would fall on him, his lower region soaked now. "Oh, damn. I'm such a klutz. Let me clean that up." AJ said, her hand hovering over his crotch.
"No!" He shouted, knowing what she was intending to do. "I don't know how they were able to manipulate your powers – I just know it had to do with your blood! You're not like us – you're not human!" Colin said quickly. AJ raised her brows in amusement. The man was insane – AJ was born in 1918 in Brooklyn – she was human. Her hand went to his thigh and he yelped, shaking his head, "-I know they tested your blood and mixed it with different toxins!" He revealed. "Tested which one would either take away your powers or weaken them so you were easier to kill!"
AJ patted his thigh before she walked back over to Sam and sat down next to him. "What toxin?"
"I don't know, I swear!" Colin said, breathing hard in fear that AJ would think he was lying.
But he wasn't.
"He's telling the truth." AJ told Sam.
They let Colin be taken away by the CIA Agents and when he was gone, Sam looked to AJ for an explanation.
"Did you really know it was Barnes?" He asked.
There was no point in lying to him. "Yeah." She told him honestly. "But I didn't have confirmation. Now I do."
AJ got up and left the room. Colin was their last STRIKE Team member to interrogate. They had done their job and now AJ was ready to go to Steve with the information. It'd upset him, AJ was sure, but they both knew by now that the Winter Soldier and Bucky were two separate people.
The Winter Soldier was the man Hydra created, a man who had no control of his own thoughts or actions – a man who had to follow orders or would be punished. He had done terrible things, some might say that the things he had done were unforgivable – but AJ was able to look past them now. And not just because of Bucky, because Bucky was not the Winter Soldier. He was trapped, just like him, but AJ knew that Bucky had been fighting like Hell to remember who he was and who she and Steve were to him. Bucky was Steve's best friend that wouldn't let anything happen to him, and when the Winter Soldier had hurt Steve, Bucky had broken through with Steve's help and did not finish the job in killing him. Bucky was the love of AJ's life, a man who would never physically hurt her. The Winter Soldier had tried, but after AJ said the word always, Bucky broke through. Even as the Winter Soldier, AJ believed that Bucky's instincts would pull through. When he was fired at, the Winter Soldier had stood in front of AJ to prevent her from being shot.
That was Bucky. AJ believed that.
_
Hill and Romanoff had already finished their committee hearing, now it was AJ's. Steve watched, sitting on the couch in Natasha's apartment while AJ's testimony was live-streamed throughout the world. She didn't look scared, AJ had always been prepared – that's what made her such a good agent. Sam sat next to Steve on the couch, both of their bags packed (as well as AJ's) ready to leave to try and locate Bucky. Steve leaned forward, elbows pressed against his knees as he cupped his hands.
"Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" The Committee General asked AJ.
"I do." She replied.
"State your full name, please."
The camera panned back to AJ, "Adelyn Juliet Frost."
The Committee General looked down at the stack full of papers in front of him, flipping through each page of information on AJ that was released after Natasha put all of SHIELD and Hydra's secrets on the internet. He set the papers down and turned his attention back to AJ. "-According to most records; Adelyn Juliet Frost died in 1945 in a plane crash just outside of Austria."
AJ's face was on screen again and she folded her hands together. "Yes, I've seen the records."
The man did not look amused. "Care to explain how you are here?"
Steve watched AJ sit up a bit, "Well, as you can see, I am not dead." She said, a little smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. "In 1945 I infiltrated a Hydra base in Austria on my own while Captain Rogers and the SSR were otherwise occupied taking down Hydra and Johann Schmidt. They were unaware of my intentions and lost contact with me. While inside the Hydra Fortress, I came across an object."
Steve saw AJ take in a quick breath. He saw she was conflicted – AJ wanted her story out in the world so that if there was a chance Bucky saw it, he'd know what had happened to her.
"Now, I do not know what this object is called or where it came from – but when I touched it something changed in me. I became...enhanced." She chose her word carefully. Fury had told AJ not to speak much about the object; The Obelisk, for fear of her safety. They wanted to keep that a secret, seeing as it was never put in her SHIELD file. For a long time, the world had no idea she even had powers. But after New York and Loki, her powers became public knowledge when someone recorded her and put it on the internet for all to see.
"And by enhanced, you are referring to your," The Committee General looked down at the papers again before he looked up at AJ. "Cryokinesis abilities."
"Yes."
"And you do not know what this object was?"
"I do not." AJ lied. "On March 8th, 1945, I was in the Hydra fortress when I came across it – Dr. Werner Reinhardt, the lead scientist had the object and when he snuck up on me, I grabbed it to strike him. The only thing I remember is blacking out and waking up on an operating table. Dr. Werner experimented on me – and he continued to experiment on me until May 7th, 1945 when Agent Peggy Carter and the Howling Commandos rescued me. They found me nearly dead and brought me to the nearest SSR base where Agent Carter, Howard Stark, and Colonel Phillips placed me in a Cryostasis Chamber where they kept me until technology and medicine advanced enough to help me heal."
Steve watched, muscles tense as he tried not to think about the 'experiments' Dr. Reinhardt had performed on her – or how long his experiments lasted. "Did you know?" Sam asked. Steve turned his head to the side to look at Sam and nodded. "What were these...experiments?"
Steve licked at his lips, "All she ever said was that he experimented on her. AJ never went into detail. I don't think she wanted me to know."
Sam nodded his head and didn't press the issue.
"I was taken out of the Cryostasis Chamber on April 24th, 2010 by Director Fury where I was properly healed." AJ continued on. "SHIELD took me in and I assumed the identity of AJ Frost, in my files it says that I am a descendent of my family – the daughter of one of my brothers, I believe."
Henry.
Steve smiled, remembering the little boy and how much he loved his older sister. How much Henry had looked up to AJ. Andrew had explained to Steve that since they were the only living members of the Frost family left, SHIELD had spoken to him and Brian and told them that AJ would be listed as their sister in all of SHIELD's files, including their own – because if the world found out that AJ was from the past, they might not be too accepting. It had been Brian who convinced Andrew to go along with the lie. Andrew talked about how Brian had been so excited to meet their Aunt, and how much he pestered Director Fury into finally introducing them. But Fury had wanted to ease AJ into the world. Fury only told AJ about Brian and Andrew a year later to warm her up to the idea of working with them.
After Brian died taking a bullet meant for AJ, she had wanted to come clean – or at least wipe her record where it said she was the sister of Brian and Andrew. But too many people had reviewed that file, and Barton and Romanoff had spent too much time creating all the records needed for Adelyn Frost to officially be AJ Frost, daughter of Henry Frost and Margaret Calvinson-Frost, sister of Andrew and Brian Frost.
"Some believe that you should be in jail for living under a false identity." The Committee General told AJ and Steve felt her blood pressure rise (if possible) "That you are not truly a citizen of the United States since it was stated on record that you died in 1945."
"By all means then," AJ said, moving her arms out to surrender, her wrists pressed together, waiting to be cuffed. "Read me my rights, General."
Steve closed his eyes, trying and failing not to smile.
"Girl has got some balls." Sam said with a chuckle.
The General glared but continued on, "In the 40's, you worked closely with Captain Rogers. As you do today. Do you have any idea where he is and why he is not here?"
"Well," AJ dropped her arms on the table. "He's not here because he's probably watching while on a couch somewhere." AJ looked directly at the camera and gave it a little wave.
"Ms. Frost, might I remind you that you are under oath."
"No, need to remind me. I solemnly swore, General – it didn't escape my mind since it was literally ten minutes ago. Or, was that you saying it because you forgot?" AJ snarked.
"Jay," Steve breathed out with a little chuckle, knowing he shouldn't find this amusing but couldn't help himself. He shook his head and looked back at the TV.
The committee asked more questions and AJ answered them as truthfully as she possibly could. And at the end, she looked at the screen and said; "To anyone who may be watching." AJ said, and Steve knew that she was talking to Bucky in hopes that he might be watching the broadcast. "Adelyn Frost survived. I'm alive. I'm still here. Always."
_
Her plan had been to go with Steve and Sam to try and search for Bucky – but Tony had called her and offered her a position as one of Stark Industries scientists. AJ would be working alongside Bruce Banner, Dr. Helen Cho, and a newly hired; Dr. Jordan Connor. They would be studying her blood. Tony said he only felt comfortable studying her blood if AJ was the lead scientist. Or, co-lead. Either way, he would only research and test the blood if AJ was a part of his team.
Lord knows she wanted desperately to find Bucky – more than anything in the world. But she also wanted answers. She had lied to Colin while she and Sam were interrogating STRIKE Team. AJ had said that they had fixed her – but they hadn't. That's what Tony was trying to do. If any other person asked to study AJ, her powers, and her blood, she'd likely tell them to shove it – but she trusted Tony. She trusted him nearly as much as she trusted Steve when it came to her life. Steve Rogers would never let anything bad happen to her, would never put her life on the line. AJ believed that Tony would be just as protective and careful with her life as Steve had always been and would always be.
Andrew would be going with Steve and Sam and she swore bodily harm to them if anything happened to her nephew. Steve had laughed and promised he'd keep Andrew safe – and Sam had told her she was scary, but he'd make sure Andrew didn't find himself in any trouble. AJ also made Steve promise to check in each day at 8 PM (New York time) – no matter where he was in the world. He would find the time to sit down and call her and update her on their search.
Fury left for Europe, still presumed dead to the world. Fury wanted the world to keep believing his was dead – AJ didn't understand why, but Fury always had a reason for his decisions.
AJ had gone to the Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian one more time before she left for New York. She sat on the bench watching as Bucky laughed on screen, his eyes shining and bright and there was so much happiness in them that it made her heart ache. Those are the eyes she wanted to remember before she left for New York. Not the sad, confused, frightened eyes or the eyes that had been void of any emotion. She wanted to remember him smiling and laughing so hard that his eyes were watering. Because when she remembered his eyes the last time she saw him – it made her feel guilt. It made her want to go with Steve and Sam instead of getting on the private jet Tony had sent to pick her up, along with Happy Hogan, the head of security at Stark Industries and Tony's personal chauffeur/bodyguard.
So, she sat on that bench until Happy called her to tell her he was outside waiting for her. AJ had looked at the video, watching Bucky laugh one last time before she got up and left the Smithsonian to meet Happy. Natasha was in the car as well, a folder sitting in her lap when AJ slid into the backseat.
"I thought you were going to the farm?" AJ said, referring to Clint's farm.
"Well, that had been the plan until Stark offered my girlfriend a new job." Natasha said in a dry tone.
AJ grinned, not missing the fact that Natasha had referred to Jordan as her girlfriend. "Hmm," She hummed and she didn't have to see Natasha's face to know she was rolling her eyes. "I did not you two had made it official."
"Shut it." Natasha said, but when AJ looked over, she saw a crooked little smirk. She then looked over at AJ, the smirk gone and her expression serious now. "I have something for you." Natasha said, picking up the file in her lap. "I gave Steve the original, but I made a copy for you." It was a normal file, one you would find in any office throughout the world – but what was inside, it was anything but ordinary. AJ opened the file and saw a picture of Bucky frozen in a Cryostasis Chamber, one nearly identical to the one that AJ had been placed in sixty-nine years ago. But there was another picture clipped to the page. Bucky in his military uniform from the 40's.
AJ pressed her fingers to the picture and closed her eyes, trying to imagine that she was back in time with Bucky, that they were standing under the fireworks at Howard's Expo smiling at the other after seeing each other for the first time since Camp McCoy.
She pictured them sitting under their tree at Camp McCoy, Bucky falling asleep, slumped against their tree as AJ smiled and looked down at him (and occasionally stole some of his food rations.) He'd wake up and notice the food was missing and give her a lazy grin and told AJ that all she had to do was ask and then tease her, calling her a thief. She remembered their banter and how she had never felt so connected to someone in her entire life.
AJ pictured them standing under the bright moon, hand in hand as the snuck around base on Christmas while everyone slept soundly. AJ remembered how Bucky had slid the bracelet made of yarn onto her wrist, made y a little girl who had hustled him and how he had he in his own Bucky way, had asked her to be his girl. The way he had grinned when she told him yes and how in her head she had thought that maybe she had been Bucky's girl all along from the very first time they met all those years ago in the recruitment center.
"-You know what I do know? What I do know is that I love you Adelyn Frost."
AJ closed her eyes, trying to remember the way she had felt the moment Bucky had told her that he loved her. She opened her eyes and looked at his picture, tears filling her eyes as she smiled at it, or really, all of her memories with Bucky.
"You okay?" Natasha asked causing AJ's eyes to tear away from the picture of Bucky from the 40's.
She nodded and wiped away stray tears. "Yeah," AJ cleared her throat. "Just got a little swept away in memories." Natasha moved her hand to rest on AJ's to show comfort. It helped. It made AJ feel less alone.
They rode the rest of the way in silence, well, Natasha and AJ had been silent. Happy on the other hand talked the entire way to the airport and then continued to talk while on the jet – the man only stopped talking when he ended up falling asleep on the ride over, Natasha dozed off as well.
AJ took her time alone to go over Bucky's file.
She went over the notes made by Zola and how when Bucky had been taken by Hydra the first time – they had experimented him. They had wanted to make him a super solider. They had their own serum that they had created using the little amount of Erskine's notes they had managed to get their hands on. AJ read over each thing they had done to Bucky and shook her head in anger. Zola had no idea what he had been doing – Bucky could have died on that table! But before Zola had been able to give Bucky his last injection, Steve and AJ had showed up to rescue him. If they had given him the last bit of their serum, Bucky would have turned into the monstrous creature Schmidt had turned into.
But without those serum injections, Bucky would have never been able to survive the fall. He would have died immediately on impact. But he had survived. The Russians had found him and brought him to Zola and he continued on with his experiments. Only this time, removing Bucky's mangled arm and replaced it with the metal arm he had today.
They ran numerous tests on him. They took his blood to try and replicate more of the serum for God knows what. But they had never given him the last dose of serum. Perhaps Zola realized that he had made a mistake? So instead of having a complete super soldier, they had the Winter Soldier who they could train and wipe and control and then keep frozen until they were ready to use him again. Mind control was an understatement compared to what they had done to Bucky.
It made her sick.
She read the logs they kept monitoring Bucky's behavior. How he had fought for so hard against them for the first few months, but eventually gave up and lost the will to fight. AJ couldn't find why he had given up, Hydra hadn't noted the reason. AJ just knew that Bucky finally stopped fighting it and complied. The brain wipes started working and the trigger words had been a success.
желание (Longing)
ржaвый (Rusted)
Семнадцать (Seventeen)
Рассвет (Daybreak)
Печь (Furnace)
Девять (Nine)
добросердечный (Benign)
возвращение на родину (Homecoming)
Один (One)
грузовой вагон (Freight car)
AJ continued on reading the file, still feeling sick each time she read every horror they had put him through. It was heartbreaking to read what had been done to him – what he had been forced to do. And then she came across something she wished she didn't.
It was a list of all the Winter Soldiers confirmed kills.
And on that list were Howard and Maria Stark.
AJ pressed her hand to her mouth, trying hard not to cry.
It wasn't Bucky. He wasn't in control. It wasn't Bucky.
She moved forward and grabbed at Natasha's leg and shook her awake. "What?" Natasha grumbled.
"Steve and I have the only copies, right?" AJ asked.
Natasha blinked, not understanding. "Yeah, I told you that."
AJ shoved the file in her bag and then looked at Natasha. "We need to keep it that way."
Natasha's brows knitted together but realization finally swept over her face. "You saw?"
She nodded, sitting back in her seat.
Not him. Not him. It wasn't him. It was not Bucky who killed Howard. It wasn't him. Not him. Not Bucky.
If Bucky were in control; he would never kill Howard. They had been friends! Howard was the reason she and Bucky even got together! He wouldn't have...he just wouldn't.
"Steve knows?" AJ asked Natasha, the red head nodded. AJ closed her eyes, trying not to think about Howard and his wife, about their death, about the fact that she was about to work with their son knowing how they truly died. It wasn't a car crash – it was...it wasn't him. Not Bucky.
"Adge," Natasha said her nickname slowly.
"I shouldn't have stopped looking for him." AJ said, eyes still closed. "If I just...kept looking," She shook her head, eyes still closed tightly. "This wouldn't have happened."
She felt Natasha grab a hold of and squeeze her hand. "If it hadn't been him – it just would have been someone else."
If Bucky survived and wasn't turned into the Winter Soldier, someone else would just be sent to kill Howard. Hydra wanted him dead – if AJ had found Bucky and they had lived happily ever after, Howard and Maria Stark still would have been killed. There was no changing that. "-You know that, right?"
AJ opened her eyes, breathing in through her nose. "I do." AJ nodded her head. Natasha was right.
"Don't give up on him, Adelyn." Natasha said.
AJ looked to Natasha. "Never." She promised.
They were quiet, but AJ couldn't help but smile slightly. Natasha had called her Adelyn. It was who she was now, or, again.
The world now knew that Adelyn Frost had not died in 1945, they knew almost every single secret she had been keeping. What they did not know and what the world couldn't know; was that Dr. Adelyn Frost had helped created the super soldier serum. Because even as they tried to wipe out Hydra completely, there were other forces out there who would try to replicate the serum. The US Military, the Russians, any communist country – anyone who wanted to create a race or army of super soldier would be ready to take her.
AJ would not be safe if the world found out she helped make Steve Rogers 'Captain America' and the star-spangled man with a plan wouldn't even be able to save him. None of the Avengers would.
AJ pressed her hand to her chest, something very significant missing. She had left it in a safe place, somewhere she believed Bucky would go to. A place she had just been at before Happy and Natasha picked her up.
_
He had researched, he read every file put online by SHIELD that had to do with Adelyn Frost and Steve Rogers. He watched her on a live-stream – always, that word kept echoing in his head over and over. Memories were slowly making their way to the surface but he was still trying to figure out who he was – who he had been.
Searching Steve Rogers led him to the Smithsonian; The Captain America exhibit.
He watched the footage of himself from the back, his heart racing, blood pumping in his ear as he heard the narrator speak. But those weren't the only voices he heard.
He heard his own, he heard the woman's, and he heard Captain Americas voice as well.
He closed his eyes and let another memory fight it's way to the surface.
"Will you just stand still?" The woman, Adelyn had said. Her voice was slightly annoyed – but he knew that she wasn't. Somehow, he knew that she was more amused than anything. The lightness in her voice and the way her green eyes twinkled mischievously when she looked at him.
"Oh, come on now, Frosty. I got to make sure I'm camera ready." His own voice said, and he could feel the way his stomach fluttered when he looked at the woman, Adelyn Frost; Frosty. She was smiling and he felt his stomach clench at the very image of her. "Now, do I look camera ready?" He asked.
"No, absolutely not." Adelyn replied, a smirk playing on her lips. "Steve on the other hand is looking incredibly handsome – he's putting you to shame, really."
He had laughed, as did Steve. "She's horrible to me." Steve laughed harder, as did Adelyn, and he couldn't help but laugh with them. The cameras went away and it was only him and Adelyn left in the room. He had her back pressed against the wall and she was smiling up at him, his nose nudged against hers and he could feel his cheeks hurting from how hard he was smiling at her.
"Steve could come back in minute, Bucky." Adelyn had told him. "Or any one else for the matter!"
He had smirked, "Let them." He told her and Adelyn rolled her eyes playfully at him. He moved forward to press his lips against hers only to have Adelyn swiftly turn her head to the side so his lips met her cheek. He had groaned and she had laughed.
"Are you still jealous?" She asked him in a playful tone. He pulled back to look at her, her green eyes were so green in that moment that he nearly got lost in them.
But he had managed to pull himself together and smirked, "-You could break my heart sayin' Steve is more handsome than me." He heard himself say and Adelyn laughed loudly, he couldn't help but smile as she tossed her head back in a fit of laughter. "Don't you remember what I told ya, Frosty? Don't go fallin in love with Steve while I was away."
She smirked, "Well, I recall telling you that I made no promise when it came to falling in love with Steve."
He had pouted and Adelyn had beamed up at him and moved both of her hands to his face, standing on her tip toes and pressed her lips to his. Her lips had been so soft, moving gently against his. But when her arms moved around his neck and she pressed her body closer to his, he felt his body erupt in flames as the memory of her lips on his changing their pace and pressure, his hands gripping her hips as their lips moved together in a series of needy kisses. He could feel the ghost of her fingers running through his hair, nails gently scratching against his scalp. He felt his heart beat rapidly in his chest and his breath catch in his throat and could remember thinking that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this woman.
"Steve is handsome, yes." Adelyn told him, pulling away slightly so they could catch their breath. She moved her thumb to his mouth, wiping her shade of red lipstick off of his lips with a smirk. "But you're my guy, Bucky Barnes."
"And you're my girl." He felt himself smiling.
She grinned. "Always."
The memory went away and he was fighting against the horrible memories of what Hydra had made him do, of his metal hand wrapped around her neck and her green eyes filling with tears. Of the first time he saw her in Romania and how he had killed the man she was with. Of the way she cried out his name on the riverbank begging him to tell her why he took the picture from her apartment. Death, destruction, pain – he felt it all.
He wanted to relive the memory, he wanted to close his eyes and try and block out the sounds of people crying and screaming, of them begging for their lives – but he couldn't. He turned to leave when something caught his eye.
Walking over towards the screen, he saw something under the bench that was in front of the screen. He walked over, bending down and pulled out something taped to the bottom of the bench.
Dog tags.
The ones the she had tried to give him – his dog tags. He frowned, looking down at the tags where his name had been engraved. He held a small note in his hand that had been taped to the back of his dog tags.
Bucky,
When you remember – bring these back to me.
-Always,
Your AJ.
Adelyn. Jay. Frosty. Sweetheart.
Those were the names he called her.
He shoved the envelope on his coat pocket and left, gripping the dog tags in his flesh hand.
You're my guy, Bucky Barnes.
And you're my girl.
Always.
_
AJ couldn't believe she had forgotten it. It was one of the most important things to her and she had left it in D.C. AJ had been ready to hop on a plane back to D.C to go to her apartment and grab it, but Tony went instead, saying his ride was much faster. It had been. He had come back with the box of things Peggy and Howard had packed up for her after putting her in cryofreeze, including the unopened letter from Bucky that he had written while he was overseas.
She sat in her room in Avengers Tower – yes, she had her own room. And thankfully Pepper had been the one to decorate it. There was also a room for Steve whenever he was back in New York, a room for all of the Avengers.
AJ laid down on the bed, holding the envelope up in the air. For so long she had refused to open it up because she didn't want to open the wound of losing Bucky – but...he was alive he didn't know who she was – but he was alive. She took in a deep breath, her eyes scanning over the envelope with her name and address written in Bucky's handwriting. The once (she was sure) very white envelope was now tinted yellow with age.
Why couldn't she work up the damn courage to open the letter? She highly doubted that Bucky had written any kind of love declaration – he probably just wrote to check up on Steve, to ask her how her days had been – nothing big. But she was still terrified of opening it.
Someone knocked lightly on her bedroom door and AJ sat up a bit, setting the letter down next to her, "Come in." AJ hollered.
Natasha opened the door and she and Jordan slipped in. Jordan looked around the room and frowned. "I'm kind of regretting telling Stark that I didn't need to stay at the Tower – these rooms are amazing."
AJ chuckled. "I mean, Natasha has a room here, yaknow." She reminded the blonde and watched as Natasha blushed. "Wow, I'm so proud of myself for getting you to blush! That's something only Jordan has been able to do!" She laughed and Natasha rolled her eyes before sitting on AJ's bed, Jordan trailing after her and taking a seat on the edge.
"Stark said that he brought back the box for you." Natasha said, her eyes landing on the old envelope that sat next to AJ on the bed.
"Yes, you must tell me more about this mysterious box that Natasha refused to discuss with me." Jordan said, playfully glaring at Natasha. Natasha grinned at the blonde and shrugged her shoulders. But the two of them both looked back at AJ.
"It's just an old box of my things." AJ tried to act like it wasn't a big deal.
"From the 40's?"
AJ looked down at the envelope and nodded. "Howard and Peggy went to my apartment after everything happened and gathered a couple of things for me so that when I woke up, I'd have them. Tony actually just told me that Howard kept a whole storage unit full of my old things." She had been surprised, but at the same time not really surprised that Howard had kept all her things. He had always been such a good friend – it shouldn't be shocking that he'd gather up all her things to keep so that when she woke up one day, she'd have them. "My old car is even in storage." AJ couldn't help but chuckle.
"Is that the letter?" Natasha asked AJ.
AJ licked at her lower lip and nodded her head. Natasha knew about the letter – she had just never seen it. AJ kept all her things locked away in a safe in her closet and only ever took them out when she was alone. "Yeah." She answered Natasha.
Natasha waited a moment before speaking. "I think you should open it."
She looked behind Natasha at Jordan who simply smiled, encouraging AJ as well. Though, AJ doubted Jordan knew what the letter was or who it was from. Or maybe she did and she was able to master quite the poker face by pretending that she didn't know what had been in the box.
"We can stay...if you want." Jordan said and AJ simply smiled and shook her head.
"Thank you, Jordan but...I think I'd like to be alone to read it."
Natasha got up and held out her hand to help Jordan up as well. "Well, we'll leave you to read it." She smirked, her way of telling AJ to just read the damn letter finally.
AJ waited until the door clicked shut and took in a deep breath before she carefully opened the letter, not wanting it to be destroyed in any way.
She pulled out the paper that he been folded three times and looked down at it for a long moment before she opened the letter and let her eyes scan over her own name, written by Bucky.
Dear Adelyn,
I haven't been in London long, but we're already being shipped out to another army base. Now, I can't say where, but I'm sure any letter you send to this base will be sent to me there as well, or, I hope it will. How are you? How is Steve? Is he stayin' out of trouble? And you stayin' out of trouble? I sure do hope so, because Steve is never one to not stand up and fight for a damsel in distress. And yeah, I know you ain't a damsel, Frosty, so don't go rollin' your eyes. London was cold, it rained a lot and I don't think I saw the sun once while I was there. Most of London has been affected by the bombings. I don't know what the city looked like before the war, but London sure has taken a hit. I can't imagine anything like that happening in New York. Which makes me glad that you're safe in America. And Steve, too, of course. I don't know why writing this letter is so difficult for me, I can't think of anything to write about. War is rough but I'm staying safe. Haven't gotten shot yet, so that's good. I've made a few friends out of my bunk mates. They sure know how to give a guy some Hell. I'm sure you'd get along with them just fine. The food here is worse than the mush they served at Camp McCoy, or maybe I just preferred the company that the food didn't bother me. Well, the food you hadn't stolen off my plate.
I wanted to thank you, Jay. I'll be honest with ya, I was terrified when I got my draft letter. I felt dread all day long and seeing you at the Expo helped numb that fear. So, thank you for spending my last night in the states with me. I don't think I can imagine wanting to spend it with anyone else.
Don't tell Steve that. Don't want the little punk getting jealous.
You made what I thought would end up being a dreadful night full of panic one of the best nights of my life. I don't know how ya managed to do it, but I'm grateful, Frosty. So, thank you.
I owe you a drink when I get back to the states. Maybe even a dance?
I miss ya, Frosty. I hope you are well. And I meant it when I said before I left. Don't go fallin' in love with Steve while I'm gone. Give me a fighting chance.
Stay safe.
Always,
Bucky
