Chapter 3

The first thing that Jacklyn felt when she woke up was a weird wetness all around her. It felt like she had gone to sleep in a warm, very deep puddle. Her body felt heavy, her wet hair stuck to her shoulders and neck. It was uncomfortable, but Jacklyn did not have the energy to move. She felt disoriented, unsure of how she got to be in this warm puddle. The last thing she remembered was going to sleep on the front steps of the grocery store. What had happened between then and now that put her in her current predicament. Her heart started to race, where was she? Had Hydra taken her? She prayed that it was anything but that, she could not bear the thought of going back to being Hydra's test subject. With a surge of energy from her anxious thoughts, Jacklyn was able to open her eyes and blink blearily at her surroundings.

When Jacklyn's blurry vision cleared, the first thing she saw was a drawing on the wall opposite her. It resembled one of the piers in the Brooklyn area, somewhere she had visited a few times, trying to sneak a few packages of food or blankets. It was a beautiful drawing, but it did not give her any clues as to where she was. Behind the painting was a light turquoise wall, and a small window with an equally as small white curtain in front of it.

She blinked heavily a few more times. She looked down at herself, she was in her tights and thin shirt, she was relived to find that she still had her clothes on, a curtesy Hydra would not have allowed her. She was also happy to see that her disguising bracelet was still on, her cover was not blown.

Jacklyn then took notice that she was in a bath tub, which would make sense as to why she had felt as though she was in a warm puddle. A bath tub, however, was much nicer than a puddle. She had not been in a bath tub in a very long time. The last time she was in a bath tub her mother had washed her as they sang funny little songs to pass the time. Instinctively she looked over to where her mother would have sat, a smile on her face, and a song on her lips. Instead she saw a young man, his eyes closed, yet his face hard, his forehead wrinkled in concern. She took in his light blonde hair, the strong shape of his jaw, and his full lips when she realized, she knew this man. It was Steve Rogers, from the grocery store.

Seeing Steve made her feel inexplicably safe. From their small interactions these past few months, Jacklyn could tell he was a good man. There were not many people who would give food to a homeless person more than once.

A million questions raced through her mind. Was this Steve's house? Had he taken her here? Where was her stuff? Had she been dying from the cold when he found her? What was he doing out so late at night? Jacklyn wanted to ask him all these questions, but when she tried to ask all of her questions, she found she did not have the energy to do it. Instead all that came out of her was one word, or rather, a name.

"Steve?" Jacklyn croaked, frustrated that she was taking so long to recover. She took this as a sign she had not truly died. If she had died her recovery would have been quick and easy, recovering at normal speeds was not something she was used to.

Steve's eyes shot open and his head spun quickly towards her. Their eyes met and Steve seemed to relax a little, the concerned crease on his forehead lessening.

"Jacklyn! I'm glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?" He asked quickly, leaning on the side of the bath tub, eagerly awaiting her response. Jacklyn let out a small groan. Her body felt like a rock.

"Wh're 'm I?" She slurred. She screwed her eyes shut and then opened them again, she felt very confused and her mind felt hazy.

"This is my house." Steve answered. "I – uh, you were on the steps to the grocery store and it was so cold out so I went to check on you but you were barely breathing and…" Steve rushed out, feeling bad when he saw the confused and almost scared look on her face. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you, don't have t' apologize." She said, doing her best to smile. It looked more like a wince than anything, but Steve seemed to understand. Steve opened his mouth to continue talking when the bathroom door opened and in walked another man. He was tall and handsome, his dark brown hair perfectly styled, and his face clean shaven. He was much larger than Steve, but carried the same kind look in his eyes, however, Jacklyn was still unsure of what to make of him. She was never one to readily trust strangers.

The man looked down at her, then at Steve, who smiled.

"This is Bucky." Steve said. "He helped me get you here."

Bucky waved awkwardly. She did not blame him, it must be weird to have a strange girl in his bath tub. Jacklyn gave him a nod.

"Thank you." She said.

"Don't mention it." Bucky said, a small smile appearing on his lips. Jacklyn lifted up her arm, tired of sitting helplessly in the tub. Water rushed off her soaked arm. Her fingers were wrinkled, she guessed she must have been in the tub for quite some time. At the sight of her soaked arm, Bucky spoke up.

"I've got the fire ready, might be a good idea to heat up there."

Jacklyn nodded, gripping the edge of the tub, pulling with all of her might to haul herself up. Steve helped by grabbing her arm and helping pull her up. She managed to shakily get to her feet, her arms wrapped tightly around her torso, shivering when the cold apartment air hit her wet skin. She felt suddenly very exposed, being in nothing but thin clothes that stuck to her ribs, you could see almost every inch of her. Bucky averted his eyes as Steve brought her a towel.

"I'll go get some dry clothes." Bucky said as Jacklyn stepped out of the bath, gripping on to Steve's shoulder for balance. As Jacklyn took her last step out of the bath, she stumbled slightly, falling towards Steve's outstretched arm. He already had a good grip on her right arm, so when she stumbled he was able to stabilize her by grabbing her left arm. She held on to his arms from underneath, both people grasping on to one another. She looked up, shocked at the fall, but grateful for the warm touch. They stared at each other for a moment, neither one sure what to say. Jacklyn loved the beautiful blue of Steve's eyes, she felt like she could get lost in them for hours. Steve loved Jacklyn's delicate features and her small, shy smile, like she never really knew what to make of any situation. Sadly, the moment ended when Bucky came back and Steve quickly let go of her arms. Jacklyn looked away from Steve, a blush creeping up on to her cheeks.

"Here, these are Steve's, they should fit you." Bucky said. Jacklyn grabbed the clothes from Bucky's hands.

"Thank you." She said shyly.

"Come out when you're done getting changed. The fire will help keep you warm." Steve said with a kind smile. The two boys left, leaving Jacklyn all alone in the washroom. She looked to the window on her left. It was big enough for her to fit through. If she put on the clothes and jumped out the window, she would not have to talk to these boys, who were pretty much strangers. Yet, she was not sure she would survive out there for very long. It was only going to get colder and she had nowhere to go. Nor did she know where any of her stuff was. With a heavy sigh, Jacklyn put on the clothes. She was a little bit taller than Steve, but the clothes were warm and comfortable. She took a deep breath in, smelling Steve's clothes, which smelled of pine and fresh laundry detergent. She caught herself, trying to stop the warm feeling spreading through her chest. She could not let herself get attached to this man. The feelings must just be because Steve was the first one to show her genuine kindness. Yes that was most certainly it. She definitely did not have feelings for him, she hardly knew him. And yet, there was just something about him that made her feel safe, a feeling that she was not used to, and unwilling to let go of.

Jacklyn stepped out of the washroom. She quietly padded over to where the boys were sitting by a small fireplace. She could feel the warmth emanating from the fire, it felt cozy, it felt like home. She had not realized how quietly she was walking, when she appeared beside the boys they both jumped, not having realized she had left the washroom.

"How did you do that?" Bucky asked incredulously. "I didn't even hear the door open." Jacklyn shrugged, offering no further explanation. She was not sure what to say, that an awful group of German scientists had taken her and trained her to be a lethal spy? Probably not something that they would believe or want to hear.

The only items of furniture in the living area were a large, comfy looking chair, and a small, old couch. Bucky was seated in the chair, his eyes were drooping and he stifled a yawn. Steve was seated on the small couch, when he had seen her he had scooted over to make room for her to sit. She sat down on the couch, as close to the edge as possible, but wishing she was a little closer. The fire was warm in front of her, heating her up to the core. She felt warmer than she had been in a very long time.

The three sat there in silence, none sure what to say, and too tired to think of anything worthwhile. While Jacklyn expected the silence to be awkward, she was too tired to find it anything less than comforting. She was so used to the hustle and bustle of the streets and the wind blowing through her sheets that she realized, this was perfect. She never wanted to leave from her spot, though she knew she could not stay here, she decided to let herself enjoy it for a night. Her eyelids started to droop, and she quickly fell asleep.

Jacklyn awoke with a start. She sat straight up from where she had been laying, momentarily forgetting where she was. A blanket fell off if her when she sat up, causing her to look down, she was momentarily puzzled, these were not her clothes, nor was that her blanket. She blinked, rubbing her eyes, the events of last night coming back to her.

"Oh no." She whispered quietly. What had she gotten herself into. There was a stirring from behind her and a sleepy yawn. She turned around to see Steve, having moved himself to the chair, starting to wake up.

"Mornin'." He said sleepily. Jacklyn gave him a shy smile, something she had been doing a lot recently.

"Morning." She said back. "Where's your friend, Bucky?" She asked, looking around, he must have gone to bed, giving Steve the chair, but looking around, she spotted two rooms, both of which she could see beds in. Both beds were empty.

"He's gone to work, he works down at the docks, they normally start pretty early." Steve explained. "Friday is my day off, so I'll be here all day."

"Oh." Jacklyn said. Unsure of what to make of her current situation. Bucky, the man she did not know, was going to be gone all day, leaving her with Steve, a man she barely knew. While she liked Steve so far and wished that she could trust him, she was still a little wary. Maybe he was just a good actor.

Steve got up from where he was sitting, stretching as he walked towards the kitchen. "What do you want for breakfast?" He asked. Jacklyn's stomach growled loudly at the mention of food. Jacklyn blushed, embarrassed at her body's betrayal.

"I couldn't take your food, you've already done so much." Jacklyn said. She did not want to overstep her welcome. They had already saved her from freezing to death outside, she did not want to eat all their food as well.

"I insist. You're gonna need it to recover. How about toast and eggs?" Steve asked, already putting two pieces of toast in the toaster and cracking eggs into a pan. Jacklyn realized that she was going to eat, whether she liked it or not. Steve had a very stubborn streak to his personality and was not going to let her leave until her stomach stopped growling.

Jacklyn got up and made her way in to the kitchen. She sat down at the small kitchen table. She would have offered to help but she knew nothing about cooking. It was not like Hydra ever took a break from torture to teach her the ins and outs of a kitchen. Steve put the radio on while he cooked, it was nice to have a noise to fill the quiet. Jacklyn wished she knew what to say, but what can you say to someone who saved your life, let you sleep in their home all night, and cooked you breakfast in the morning?

Steve placed the eggs and toast on the table in front of her. "I hope it's good, I'm not much of a cook." He said. Jacklyn thanked him for the breakfast and said "I'm sure you're a much better cook than me."

The two ate in silence. When they were finished Jacklyn took the plates to the sink to wash up, something she did actually know how to do.

"Let me help." Steve said, getting up from the table. He dried the dishes and put them away. There were a few times that their elbows touched or their legs brushed one another. Jacklyn blushed each time and hoped that Steve would not notice.

After breakfast Steve showed her that they had brought her coat and backpack. Jacklyn was relieved, she had a few cans of food in there along with a toothbrush and tooth paste. She knew most people on the streets did not care about dental hygiene, but she enjoyed not having to regrow teeth, she had learned early on that that was quite uncomfortable. Steve told her she could take a shower if she wanted. She had hesitated, she felt bad for taking up all this kind man's resources, but she knew if she passed up a shower she would regret it later on down the road.

After her shower Steve was waiting for her in the living room, holding a small sketchpad and drawing. Jacklyn walked up just in time for him to quickly stash his sketchpad away. Jacklyn wished she could have seen what he had been drawing.

"Thank you for everything… Saving my life and all that." Jacklyn said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. Steve smiled.

"Anytime. I'm just glad you're alright." There was a small pause, Jacklyn trying to word her next sentence properly.

"I had better get going then. I'll see you around." She said picking up her back pack and putting on her coat. Steve looked surprised.

"Where are you gonna go?" He asked. "I thought you said there was a shelter. Why were you not there last night?"

Jacklyn let out a shaky breath. She didn't want Steve to pity her, she was not someone that he should be getting involved with, for his safety and hers. She kept her distance from people for a reason.

"They only let you stay there for a week at a time, my week was up." She explained.

"That doesn't seem right." Steve said, eyes clouding in a sort of righteous anger. "They just kicked you out, knowing how cold it was gonna be?"

"Yah." Jacklyn said, not sure how else to respond. It was quiet for a moment, Jacklyn not sure if she should take this as her chance to leave. She started walking towards the door when Steve broke the silence.

"Where will you go now?" Steve asked. Jacklyn shrugged. She would have to find another good spot to sit, somewhere where Steve would not find her. He obviously did not know what kind of dangers she brought with her, she feared what Hydra would do to him if they found out that he knew her whereabouts. Nor did he know what she really looked like. She doubted he would have helped her if he had known. Who would want to be around a freak like her?

Jacklyn decided to just reach for the handle and open the door, she did not know what to say, or what Steve wanted to hear. Why did he care so much about her?

"Wait!" Steve said. Jacklyn turned to look at him, wondering what else he might have to say. "Stay here." He said, a sheepish look on his face.

"Here? As in your house?" She asked incredulously. Why would this near stranger be offering her a spot in his house. He really had no idea what she could do.

"Yah." Steve said. "Just until you get back on your feet." He added quickly. "It's only going to get colder, no one can survive in that weather."

"I don't have any money." Jacklyn said. She mentally kicked herself, no doubt Steve already knew that.

"That's ok, Bucky and I can help you out until you get a job and then you can save up enough for a place of your own." Steve said, clearly having already thought through the basics of this offer. "The grocery store I work at has an open position, I can talk to my boss and get you a job there."

Jacklyn considered this. She had never had a job before, she was not even sure how having a job would work. How would she get paid if she did not even technically exist.

"Why?" Jacklyn asked. "Why are you offering this to me? You don't even know me." It was Steve's turn to shrug.

"Call it a hunch. You seem like the kind of person who only needs a little help to get them going in the right direction. You don't have to accept the offer, I just thought it may be a temporary solution to the cold." Steve said, rambling on. He had clearly put himself on the line and was currently feeling very small under Jacklyn's critical gaze.

It was silent in the house for only a few minutes, but those minutes felt like hours. Jacklyn mulled it all over in her head. If she could keep a low enough profile, not talk to anyone but Steve and Bucky, maybe that would be enough to keep Hydra off her tail. Then she could live a semi comfortable life, not having to scrounge for food and beg for change. While it may be dangerous, it was the only viable option she had to not struggle horribly through the winter.

"Deal." She said, closing the door. Steve smiled and Jacklyn smiled back, a warm feeling spreading through her chest. Oh god, what had she gotten herself in to.

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