Chapter 2

They'd crossed three states in five stolen cars, and not once had the Winter Soldier spoken to Jane. He probably hated being shackled to a weakling scientist, or despised her for putting him on the outs with HYDRA.

Soulmates weren't always easy, especially when one of them led such a different life that it made them incompatible. People were still themselves underneath it all, and despite the bizarre connection, it didn't alter one's psyche. It wasn't a love potion. What more, the high of recognition was ephemeral, leaving some individuals feeling bereft and dissatisfied when reality hit them.

The motel's dusty curtains rustled as he stepped away from them. He flipped the light switch, throwing the drab room into darkness that left her blind and tense.

His gun cocked with a snap and a click.

"Did HYDRA find us?" she whispered. She cringed at how her voice shook. What opinion he'd formed about her had probably just dropped another few degrees.

"Hide behind the bed."

She didn't budge. While his response was better than nothing, she hated how he refused to answer any question she had.

With a slight grumble, he closed the distance between them and reached for her. She evaded his grab the best she could, but even the darkness wasn't a hindrance to him. He pulled her several feet over when the door opened.

The flash of his gun going off was like little super novas in her retinas. She clenched her eyes shut and covered her ears, all to no avail. Even as he pushed her down, the noisy gun battle was impossible to block out.

As fast as it started, the chaos ended, leaving her in ringing silence. She blinked and poked her head over the mattress.

Enough light streamed in from the open door to silhouette Rogers against the bare parking lot. He lowered his shield. "Bucky, it's me, Steve. Do you remember me?"

The assassin didn't lower his weapon. "How'd you find us?"

She pushed herself up to standing. "I sent for them."

While his aim stayed fixed on Rogers, his gaze jerked to her.

Ignoring his accusing expression, she said, "We need their help. You can't fight HYDRA by yourself."

"Actually," Rogers cut in, "They don't know I'm here." He shrunk a little under her stare. "But they're on their way to arrest him, and I can't allow that." Then, he paused, as if he just realized something. "You mean you're not with HYDRA?"

Curious of where his loyalties reside, she looked at him for an answer too.

He said nothing, of course.

"What are you doing with Jane then?" Steve asked.

She moved to close the door and turn on the lights, but the Winter Soldier blocked her with an arm.

"How much time do we have?" he asked Rogers.

"Bucky?" Steve looked like he was ready to fight or have a break down. Possibly both.

"We're soulmates," she said. "He was there to assassinate me, but then—" She glanced at his rigid posture and sighed. He hated her. There was no other reason why he'd be so unhappy.

Steve closed the door and flipped on the lights. When he turned around, a radiant smile made his eyes twinkle. "That's why you recognize me. That's why you're running." He took a step in the Winter Soldier's direction, but stopped at his scowl. It didn't dampen his mood, though. "I've heard of the bond's healing effect on the brain. I'd hoped, prayed, but I never thought you'd get the chance to find yours. Do you remember everything?"

His gun had drifted several inches down, but he snapped it back up. "Stay out of my way."

Taking her arm, he edged around a resolved Captain America, and told her to open the door.

She planted her feet.

He cursed under his breath and did it himself, only to slam it shut and spin on Steve. "You lied to me."

A knock silenced whatever Rogers was about to say.

"Maid service," called Tony in a high-pitched voice.

The two men stared at each other, one accusingly and the other doing his best to convey his innocence.

"We're—" Jane couldn't finish her sentence from under the Winter Soldier's hand covering her mouth. Not to mention he'd already dragged her into the bathroom.

Steve lowered his brows at his friend, to which the assassin ignored in favor of opening the small window and cutting a slit in the screen. She would fit just fine, but there was no way he'd get those broad shoulders through.

As she stood outside watching the assassin work himself free, she corrected herself. Apparently, shoulders were bendable. What determined success was the width of the hips, and his were the perfect size.

The front door banged open as Captain America made his way out. "I'm not leaving you again," he whispered.

The muscle in his jaw ticked, but he nodded to the woods behind the motel. Before they could move, though, gunshots split the air. Arc blasts and erupting missiles followed quickly behind.

"I thought you weren't with HYDRA anymore," Steve said.

"They wouldn't be here if you weren't." While his harsh words were directed at Rogers, his disappointed look was focused solely on her. It had the surprising effect of making her feel like a two-year-old.

Maybe she shouldn't have called Stark Tower at each stop.

"We need to help them," Steve said.

"Go, then."

He took her arm and turned them away from the motel, but Jane jumped in front of him to block his path. He stared down at her, as if he was considering tossing her over his shoulder again. The only reason he hadn't was because of the earful she'd given him after the last time. "They're my friends, and I'm not leaving them."

He gestured for her to move.

She didn't.

"Bucky," Steve pleaded.

"Stop calling me that."

Rogers placed a hand over his shoulder, and the Winter Soldier released her to spin around and throw a punch with his metal arm. It collided with the vibranium shield. The impact reverberated against the trees and building, and forced Steve to a knee.

Closing her gaping mouth, she turned and ran around the building, past Natasha firing from behind a car, under Stark attacking from the air, and straight into the motel office, all the while hoping the HYDRA agents had seen her.

She slid to a stop and scrambled to hide under the reception desk with the young man already huddled there. Her chest heaved as she sucked in air. Her heart pounded against her ribs. If she made it out alive, getting in shape would be a new life goal.

"Is that the Avengers out there?" the young man asked after he relaxed from her surprise appearance.

She nodded. "Where's your janitorial room?"

Pointing a shaky finger down the hallway, he said, "Last door on the right." Before she could crawl away, he asked, "Are you one of them?"

"No."

His face fell.

"But I am a scientist."

His expression didn't change.

She peeked over the counter and blanched at the HYRDA agents headed their way. "Stay hidden and don't make a sound," she told him.

Without a look back, she darted out from under the desk and sprinted to the large room filled with jugs of cleaners, paper products, and mountains of random junk. She closed the door and tossed several of the ones that had the necessary chemicals into a bucket while holding her breath.

The soft patter of footsteps filtered into the silent room. Nerves spiking, she shoved the bucket to the side, cursing when the burning liquid sloshed over the edge onto her skin, and hid behind a bundle of boxes. With a towel over her mouth, she curled into a ball and waited.

The door creaked open and a column of soldiers crept inside with their rifles raised. Each turned a different way and began searching the place. One coughed.

"Dr. Jane Foster, come out and we will not harm you."

She backed further away from the woman moving ever closer to her.

Another coughed.

All five of the soldiers were in the room, taking measured steps and pointing their rifles between the piles of junk. The female was nearly two feet away. Jane thought she might faint from the adrenaline flooding her system rather than the odorless chemicals permeating the room

A tall soldier's weapon lowered just before he wobbled and fell over with a thud against the tiled floor. Their heads jerked to him. Another passed out, then another. The rest started coughing so hard, they dropped their rifles to brace themselves.

The woman stumbled and accidentally knocked over the box concealing Jane. The HYDRA agent ripped the towel from Jane's face and latched onto her throat, squeezing hard enough to cut off her air supply.

Jane fell back and kicked at her. The woman took the hits with ease, all the while coughing.

White splotches filled Jane's vision. Blood pounded in her ears. She could barely keep up her efforts to free herself.

The nails digging into her neck suddenly eased and the agent slumped onto Jane. She gasped in the poisoned air despite knowing what it would do. Her body demanded oxygen, and she simply had no control.

She shoved the body off her, then crawled toward the door, but her limbs were shaking and uncooperative.

Her arms gave out from underneath her and she collapsed to the cold, hard ground. Just as her eyes drifted closed, she saw the Winter Soldier charging into the office, like a hell hound sent to devour her.


Author's Note: The end. I kid. Obviously there will be another chapter. :)

Thanks for all the encouraging words and for expressing your desire for more. I think that's the most comments I've ever gotten for a chapter. Which I wasn't expecting at all.

Also, thanks to my sister. She's always a big help!