December 2nd – Miracles happen

The Soldier was on the run – from the HYDRA base nearby, their annoying HYDRA agents and their pack of blood hounds, whose barking he could hear even here, although they were miles away. His bare feet made a crunching in the semi-frozen snow and his heavy breathing was the only thing he could hear in the middle of one of Russia's deepest, snowed-in forests.

The Soldier still wondered how he had ended up here anyway. Just this morning, he had woken from another cryo-induced sleep, probably about to be prepared for his next mission. And still – something had been different.

Instead of being confused and unaware of his surroundings, he had a clear mind for the first time in what must have been decades. And he remembered everything – who he had been, what had been done to him, what he had done and, more importantly, who he had loved.

But instead of letting his justified anger and rage get the upper hand, he had played the part of the dutiful asset, but only until they had freed him from the shackles that had bound to that awful monstrosity, which they called 'The Chair'. From then on, it happened very quickly.

Grabbing two or three guns of all kinds, a few broken limbs and necks here, an aimed shot in the forehead there. The Soldier knew how to fight his way out of the base into the Russian wilderness in the middle of winter. He didn't care that he was only wearing a top and short and that it was freezing outside. He just wanted to get out.

The Soldier ran as long as his aching feet carried him and until he couldn't hear the dogs anymore. Only then he allowed himself to collapse under a large, snow-covered fir tree, leaning against the trunk, although this one was rough and covered with sharp. His tired eyes slowly slipped shut, when the adrenaline rush started wearing down, and for a short moment, he gave in into his body's need for rest.

It was already getting darker, when a noise startled him out of his sleep. For a moment, the Soldier believed that HYDRA had caught up with him, but the old man with the beard watching him didn't exactly look like those assholes. In fact, he had never seen anyone wearing the clothing the man wore – a long, embroidered blue Russian coat, held by a traditional Russian belt, a hat in the same colour as the coat and валенки, traditional felt boots. In his hands, he held a staff, which looked like it was made of ice, and the Soldier swore he could see a troika not far away.

"Кто ты?" he asked the old man, who laughed out that loud. The sound somehow soothed the Soldiers shaky nerves.

"Oни называют меня Дедушка Мороз. But I thought you'd knew that already, James. Everyone knows me." The man, no, Dedushka Moroz chuckled, having switched from Russian to a heavily accented, but surprisingly flawless English. "Aren't you freezing? You are almost unclothed."

James looked away. Of course the man was right. But after all what happened, he was still wary when it came to trusting strangers. So, naturally, he answered:

"No."

Ded Moroz chuckled and came slowly closer. When he had reached James, he slowly opened his belt, making the young man flinch.

"Ah, I see. You're stubborn one. But I have a suggestion make. I'm going to take off my coat and cover you with it, so you can warm up a bit, while I keep watch. And later, we'll get you back to civilisation." The old man said, all the while taking his blue coat off, revealing a white tunic and blue trousers, and covered the Winter Soldier with it.

James couldn't deny that the coat shut out the arctic temperatures very efficiently, and suddenly felt very sleepy again. Maybe he could just close his eyes for a moment and let Dedushka do as he wanted to. Within seconds, the former Winter Soldier fell asleep, this time a natural sleep, while Ded sat down beside him and watched over him.

What he didn't know was that in the morning he would wake up, clad in the warmest winter clothing, a few presents at his side that would help him to get back in the more inhabited areas of Russia and finally back to the land where he originally came from.

But this night, he only dreamt of a golden-haired man and a warm apartment waiting for him beyond the Atlantic Ocean.

Кто ты? – Who are you?

Oни называют меня Дедушка Мороз. – They call me Dedushka Moroz (Father Frost).