*Please note that all characters belong to Marvel apart from Elliot Dawes who's all rights are retained by me, the author. This is set after Age of Ultron and continues through Civil War*

Nothing is more awakening than falling out off a tree. I must have slumped over in my sleep because I went to move and fell right off the branch. Luckily I had tied myself to the branch. I let out a cry of shock as my eyes flew open. Bucky leapt awake, his knife drawn before his eyes were even open. I hung there, flapping and desperately trying to get back onto the branch. I'm a nerd. I don't do physical activity well. Bucky sighed in exasperation and dropped down to my branch. He pulled my up by grabbing the back of my shirt. He untied me without saying a word. My heart was racing from the jolt it had received when I suddenly fell but didn't.

"Thanks," I said breathlessly.

"Bespoleznyy," he muttered under his breath.

I scowled at him. I may not be the best at Russian but I know an insult when one is spoken under ones breath. Bucky didn't say anything else. Instead he chose to drop out of the tree. I slowly climbed down, not having his durability or enhanced abilities, I took my time. He was scowling impatiently at me by the time I crashed landed beside him. Rubbing my backside, I clambered to my feet and scampered to keep up with him. I spent more time watching my footsteps than where we were going. We reached a cliff where the ground just disappeared into a sea of green. Beyond that I could see a small village or a collection of buildings at least. It was so nice to see that civilisation still existed that wasn't trying to kill or capture me.

"You know what I miss?" I said, hating the silence. "Chinese takeaway. And a hot shower,"

Bucky made a noise that sounded like he was trying not to smile or chuckle at me (I am positive there is a name for it). I glanced sideways up at him. He was trying not to smile. It was nice, to see that he had a softer side to him.

"They won't expect us to go so close to civilisation so soon after escaping," Bucky said.

"But they might want us to think that way," I pointed out. "I reckon we head there but go in about a roundabout way,"

He nodded in agreement. Without another word, he turned and marched on. I kept out my tablet to monitor any heat signals or weapons nearby. I also kept scrambling my data do nobody could track me for very long. I quickly looked up the news. Things weren't looking good for The Avengers. They had taken a hit and had disappeared off the face off the earth.

"Elliot," I said out loud without really stopping myself. "I mean, my name is Elliot,"

Bucky made a noise indicating he heard me and didn't care. I sighed and chose to stare at his rather nice looking butt. He and Steve are so similar yet so different. Not just physically but emotionally and mentally as well. Bucky is closed up, like a locked book with a code even I seemed to struggle to crack. He's tense and suspicious and doesn't really seem to want to get to know me. To him, I'm a tool. The moment we get out of danger, I do not doubt that he will ditch me. The thought of doing this alone was terrifying. I only like my solitude when I'm locked in my filthy apartment doing whacky experiments that gets my neighbours all antsy. Sometimes I used to explode things to piss them off. I miss those days when the only people after me was my landlord and some drug dealers I pissed off. Ha. Who am I kidding? This life is more exciting. I shared out my beef jerky. I didn't have that many left. Good thing my master assassin, silent friend was also an expert hunter. Without warning he fired his sniper into the trees. There was a heavy thumb and birds went squawking. He crept over to the noise, drawing out his blade. I hesitated before following.

"Well, you successfully killed Bambi's mum," I said dryly.

"What?" Bucky asked, looking up at me with a frown.

"It's-it's a children's film," I muttered lamely.

He began to skin the poor thing. I wanted to look away but it was so disgusting that I couldn't. He got most of the skin off in one clean slice.

"That is both gross and impressive," I told him.

"Do you always have to have the running commentary?" he muttered.

"Yes," I said brightly.

"Can you get a fire going at least?"

"I can totally do that!" I assured him.

I set up the fire carefully, using a very springy tree as a tie for my weird branch thing that hung over the fire, like a spit. That's it, a wooden spit thing. It took me a while to get a fire going. I've never had to start a fire without only sticks and stones. Bucky watched me fail several times with an amused look on his face before he came to my rescue. He slowly and patiently showed me how to do. He grew frustrated a few times but I was surprised at how remarkably well he kept himself under control. Perhaps The Winter Solider and Bucky Barns are two separate people? It was easier to think of them like that. We sat at opposite ends off the fire and I fried up a couple of deer steaks whilst Bucky got the rest out to smoke it overnight. A fire was risky but I think we were both so hungry that we didn't care. The silence was driving me crazy.

"If you could go anywhere in the world without being hunted, where would you go?" I asked, leaning back and looking up.

"I will always be hunted," Bucky said softly.

"C'mon, give me a little something here," I begged, sitting forward. "I haven't even gotten your name yet!"

(Of course I know who he is but he hasn't properly introduced himself yet). He shrugged, staring into the fire.

"Tell me… tell me about Captain America," Bucky said softly.

"What would you like to know?" I asked.

"Everything,"

And so I told him everything. I started with the discovery of his body in the ice and how he was unfrozen. I talked about the Avengers and how he battled aliens and gods. I spoke about us becoming neighbours and introducing him to the new technology. I giggled over the time Steve first tried to use a mobile phone. Even Bucky cracked a smile. I told him about the time Steve and I went to a bar and I got us into a fight and Steve wouldn't give up. Bucky had an exasperated look at that story. I giggled. Steve and Bucky were so protective off one another. It was a love I'll never achieve and that saddened me a little. I mean, who could ever love the one legged maniac scientist who is going to spend the rest of her life either on the run or locked up? I spoke about my adventure with Steve, glossing over the torture part. I continued on through dinner, talking about everything that has happened to Steve, including what I knew about the winter solider incident. I stopped when I reached the part when Steve has gone underground.

"He needs me," Bucky said simply, standing up.

"I'm sure he'd appreciate you getting killed!" I protested, standing up as well.

"I have to go-," Bucky began to say.

He went to walk past me but I grabbed his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. He stared down at me, my tiny hand half wrapped round his metal arm. The look on his face told me no one had held onto him like that.

"Going after him now is completely irrational," I said softly. "You're still on the hot list for SHIELD, not to mention HYDRA seems to be everywhere these days. It's too risky exposing yourself now. You are better off to him alive and hiding than dead or worse,"

We both knew what worse was. He sighed and nodded, a defeated look in his eye. I hated to do that to him but I don't think Steve well ever forgive himself if something happens to his Bucky whilst he's preoccupied with that robotic killing machine. I vowed silently to keep Bucky alive until I can reunite them again. He slowly sat back down, this time by my side. We agreed to take turns watching over the other throughout the night. After much arguing, Bucky won first watch. I lay down beside him, my back curled up close to him and slowly drifted off to sleep.