Chapter 9

'Hell is empty and all the devils are here.'-William Shakespeare

Your home is meant to be a safe place, a sanctuary. It's the one place where you don't need to pretend to be anything or put on a show. You shut the door and lock out the dangers of the world. For Ally that wasn't the case. She had shut the door and locked it behind her. Only she wasn't locking the dangers out, she was locking them inside, trapping herself inside.

The solider had headed straight to the kitchen table, swiping the bloodied bandages that he left there earlier, to the floor and spread the files and documents that he had taken from the bank out on the table. Ally stood by the door watching him. It was stupid and the least of her priorities, but the main thought that came into her head was 'how rude!' But he seemed to have completely forgotten all about her. Or if he remembered her then he certainly didn't care what she did or what she was thinking about his manners.

She waited for a moment, wondering if he was going to tie her to a chair again but he seemed completely focused on what he was doing. Ally wasn't sure what to do. She stood awkwardly in the doorway not wanting to draw attention to herself. The longer she stood there the more the adrenaline from the adventure wore off her body and she became aware of two things. First how hungry she was and secondly how tired she was. She hadn't eaten in over twenty four hours and she had been surviving on a diet of adrenaline and fear that had now worn off. Too exhausted to care what he said she went to her kitchen and boiled some pasta. She needed something quick and easy as the fatigue was beginning to take over. She drained the pasta before adding in some tomato stirring sauce. Dishing up she realised that once again she had made too much. It was one of those things with pasta, you either didn't make enough or you made enough to feed the entire street. She would maybe question it later, but she was so tired that she couldn't be bothered arguing with herself. She got two plates out of the cupboard and served up two plates of pasta. Lifting one she took it with her to her bedroom leaving the other for the soldier. Her mother had always taught her never to waste food and if she wanted to get through this alive, then she had to stay on the soldier's good side. He had to see that she wasn't a threat. That she wouldn't run away. Not until it was too late to stop her.

The second she opened her eyes she remembered. Exhaustion had pulled her into a dreamless sleep but waking plunged her back into the nightmare of her reality. Her apartment was silent but she didn't dare to hope that he had left her in peace. She knew he moved like a cat, like a silent wraith creeping around in the shadows.

Slowly Ally crept out of her bed and immediately cringed at the creaking of a floorboard the second her foot touched the cold, wooden floor. The noise was a small creak, yet in the deathly silence of her apartment it rang out as loudly as a dropped hammer.

Still wearing her pyjamas she tiptoed to her bedroom door, opening it slowly and peeking her head around the open crack. Her apartment was quiet and still, but she could sense that he would still be here. She wasn't sure what it was, whether it was some sort of intuition, some primal instinct of danger but she felt that prickle of awareness on the back of her neck.

Ally crept along the still dark corridor. She had no idea what time it was but she knew that it must be early. She didn't know what she expected him to be doing. Pacing the room, watching for potential dangers out of the windows or perhaps even sharpening some of his many knives. Who knew what crazy killers did in their down time? What she hadn't expected was to see him sitting in the middle of her living room floor surrounded by all the papers and documents that he had taken the day before with his head hung forward in his hands. His lank hair hung limply concealing his face. He was still every inch the predatory killer, the dull gleam from his metallic arm was a constant reminder of how dangerous he truly was and yet there was something strangely vulnerable about him. Ally knew he was dangerous and she was definitely still afraid of him, but a part of her couldn't help but feel sorry for him. There was something about him. Something that she couldn't put her finger on. He was definitely one of the bad guys, these HYDRA people and yet they had tortured him. Subjected him to excruciating pain. Then there were the questions he asked. He didn't know who Captain America was when everyone in the world knew who he was. Ally wasn't an expert but she was sure that there was more to him than just a HYDRA agent who was on the run, trying not to get captured. He was after something. She just didn't know what that was or how she fit into it all.

Not wanting to startle him and find herself pinned against a wall or with a knife pressed into her side again, she kept her distance from him by heading to the kitchen area of her open plan living room. Ally was surprised when she saw that he had eaten the pasta that she had made the night before. Although even crazy assassins had to eat some time she supposed.

Ally set about making breakfast, buttering herself some toast and making herself a cup of tea. When she'd finished the last gulp of tea, she finally felt ready to face the day and so she chanced a glance in his direction. He hadn't moved from his position on the floor but he no longer sat with his head in his hands.

Keeping up the pretence that she would go along with him, or at least not cause him any problems she decided to make some toast for him. Besides she wasn't going to be afraid in her own home.

She went over to the living room coffee table and sat the toast down near him before going to sit in the line arm chair. It wasn't a coincidence that it was the seat that was the furthest away from him. She might be trying to act tough but she wasn't stupid. Who knew what mood he would be in this morning? She would stay out of his firing line until she knew.

They sat for a moment in silence, her trying to watch him out of the corner of her eye and him not even acknowledging her presence. Deciding that enough was enough and with her curiosity getting the better of her Ally reached out and pushed the toast towards him. 'That's for you, if you want it,' she said.

He looked up at her from behind his hair, his clear blue eyes staring directly at her, startling with her with their intensity. He broke away first, returning to staring at the papers on the floor, leaving Ally trying to decipher the confused emotions in his eyes.

'I guess not,' Ally said eventually, leaning back into the comfort of the armchair. Getting frustrated with the silence and complete lack of communication from the soldier she finally asked the question that she had been wanting to ask since they had left the bank the day before.

'So did you find what you were looking for?'

She gestured to the papers when his blank gaze met hers again. He considered her question for only a brief moment before his face closed off again and Ally knew that he wasn't going to tell her anything. 'Fine,' she said, knowing full well she was sounding petty as she slumped back into the chair and folded her arms in annoyance.

They say in silence again for a while, the awkwardness growing again. Eventually he gathered the papers into a neat pile and stood up. Ally had been doing her best to look disinterested by not watching him so she was stunned when two legs appeared in front of her. She glanced up from the legs to find a photo being held in front of her with the image of a very familiar man.

'Tell me what you know about this man,' he said softly, quietly, although with a definite tone of command.

The picture was of Steve Rogers. Not as Captain America, but in regular clothing. It wasn't a portrait shot, it looked like a surveillance shot, like he hadn't known the picture was being taken.

'I told you everything I know before,' she replied. She really didn't know what else he wanted to know. Ally admired Captain America like everyone else in the world. How many times had he saved the world? And yes she looked forward to the regular gym videos he did for school kids encouraging them to exercise as much as every other teacher. I mean who didn't? A pair of bulging biceps in a tight white t-shirt helped to brighten up anyone's day. Some of the teachers had even put up one of the posters of him on the staff room notice board. For motivation they said when they were on one of their many diets. It was him in his full Captain America suit which if Ally was being completely honest she thought looked a bit silly. She could understand Thor's outfit, he came from another planet so he had an excuse, Iron Man, well the suit was a weapon and Tony Stark was a billionaire show off, so he somehow got away with it. Captain America's suit was okay in itself, it was the silly helmet and the red boots that were just a little bit much, but then again when she was having a bad day in the class and went into the staff room and saw his posters up, she would take what she could get. Whatever information he had wanted, she was quite sure it wasn't her opinions on his fashion sense.

'You must know something else,' he said frustration appearing on his features.

'I don't,' Ally said, immediately sensing danger in his change of mood. She wished she could tell him everything that he wanted to know. She was sure that most Americans would be able to recall every fact of his life and involvement in the war. It was part of the school curriculum here, but then she wasn't American. Her school education had focused on Britain's involvement in the war. 'I have a laptop,' she offered, feeling that she needed to give him something. 'You could google him. I'm sure you could find all of the information that you need there.'

'No. They'll be watching the internet. They'll be able to trace a search like that.'

Having a sudden blast of inspiration Ally fumbled around trying to find her TV remote. It had a bad habit of ending up down the side of her sofa. Pulling it out she turned her tele on and put it on one of the news channels. Even now, the news was still focused on the events of two day ago. Not that Ally had had the opportunity to see the news in the last two days. She watched just as avidly as he did when they showed pictures of the destruction, announcing the death toll and discussing the leaking of many government documents about this HYDRA group. Watching his reactions as they showed pictures of Steve Rogers and the masked man who was still missing, presumed dead and highly dangerous. The man who sat not three feet away from her.

He had spent the night looking through the many papers he had taken. On the surface the documents had been useless. All the important documents had been removed. He'd expected that of course. However he was trained to find the clues, to spot the discrepancies. Most of the documents were in some sort of code, but he deciphered enough of them to get some names, some locations and some dates. Some of them struck a chord with him. Pulling on the edge of his subconscious as being familiar. He had stared at the pages for a long time, willing his memories to form together to make a cohesive image. To help him to understand who he was and what he had done. He hadn't even realised how long he had sat there for. He hadn't even noticed the sun coming up. Not until he had heard her footsteps coming along the corridor.

Although one bit of paper was different. This paper was a picture. A picture with a face that did more than twinge his memories. He knew this face. Not just from two days ago when he had seen that face staring at him from behind a mask and then bleeding and bruised with the injuries that he had given him. He had seen that face before. He had seen that face. Smiling, laughing, angry, sad. He could picture that face in a hundred different scenarios. But were they real, or just his imagination filling in the blanks?

He needed more information. He needed to know how he knew this man who so adamantly insisted that he knew him. This man, Captain America, Steve Rogers, was over ninety years old and if what Ally said was true, he had been under ice for the last seventy years. How could it even be possible that they knew each other? Whatever answer or reason he came up with seemed entirely implausible. The more he dwelled on it the more his head started to ache.

When the TV clicked on, the screen was filled with a picture of the object of his thoughts. His mind once again immediately began assaulting him with another series of successive images and sounds that made his head spin. He stumbled to find a seat and sank down onto the couch.

'Captain Steve Rogers has been released from hospital after suffering extensive injuries in the events that occurred in Washington D.C two days ago,' came the voice of the reporter. 'Authorities are still searching the Potomac River for a known associate of HYDRA who is believed to be responsible. The man is armed and highly dangerous although he is believed to have died in the incident.

He didn't know why but he felt a huge wave of relief wash over him that he was ok. He told himself that it was guilt. That it was because he had caused those injuries but deep down he knew that it was more than that.

'We're here at the Captain America exhibition at the Smithsonian Museum which opened last month to meet with some fans of the superhero to gather reactions of this latest news.'

He immediately focused his attention on the TV screen again, ignoring the interviewer and the crowds of people. His gaze went behind them, latching onto a phrase that seemed very familiar 'The Howling Commando's'. He knew that if we wanted answers, if he wanted to know more about Steve Rogers then there was only one option.

Not sure if he was talking to himself or to the woman on the armchair across from him, he spoke his plans aloud. 'Tomorrow, we're going there.'

Thanks to everyone who has continued to read this and those who have followed the story. You guys are amazing. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know not a lot happens but you can see where it's heading. Please be kind and leave me a review.

Hey emelia. lozano thanks again for the review. In her defence she didn't know what she was about to watch. Plus he's not actually angry with her for having seen it, he's angry about what happened to him and what they did to him. As to why she's still there... well they say there are three possible reactions to danger, fight, flight or freeze. We all like to think we'd fight or flee, but in the reality of the situation people can freeze. Bucky has already hurt Ally. He's threatened her numerous times. She's smart enough to know that she can't outrun him. She knows that he is the man who put Captain America in hospital. If he could do that to a super soldier then she knows she's not a match for him. She might want to run from him, but she's smart enough to bide her time. Not to mention the fact that she now knows that there might be other people out there after her just for being near him. Plus if Ally ran away from him then my story would be over and where is the fun in that? As to how he'll get information. At the end of The Winter Soldier, SHIELD had been all but dismantled as they had been so heavily infiltrated and corrupted by HYDRA. Not to mention that the man in charge of SHIELD was the one who actually removed his memories in the first place. Bucky is not going to trust them. As for the Avengers... well obviously Steve is the best person to go to for information, but we know he doesn't go to him or any of the other Avengers. I kind of think he doesn't want Steve to see him for who he is now. He's not the Bucky that he used to be and he doesn't want to have disappointed Steve or let him down. Just bear with me and hopefully in the next few chapters you'll get to see some of the stuff that you want to happen and you'll see the route I'm going down.