Summary: Annette escaped the camp, but where to go. Hurt, tired and being followed by the Hydra forces that imprisoned her, she's forced to make a literal leap of faith in the rapids to evade further imprisonment, torture and experimentation. What happens when she is pulled from the banks of the latest SSR camp and nursed back to health by none other than The Howling Commandos,and peeks the interest of two friends?
A.N. It was brought to my attention in the reviews that in my excitement to upload chapter 3, I accidentally re-uploaded chapter 2 instead. Oops! Thank you for pointing this out to me and another thank you to everyone who is adding the story to their favourites and following it. Also, still looking for someone to Beta read for me to help me stay on track. Happy reading.
On with the story...
Chapter 4: Every thing's gonna be okay!
She knew it was getting dark as she came round from her deep sleep. Even though she was still too weak to open her eyes, her other senses were functional. Including her pain receptors sadly.
'Oh gods! The pain! Why does it hurt so bloody much?' The ebony locked woman tried to mover her head to get more comfortable, she felt like she was rubbing it on hot coals. The throbbing in her head was unbearable. She hadn't realised that she had cried out as a large, warm hand took hers, as another was soothing her forehead. Fear and blind panic bubbled its way up her throat as she struggled to get away from the scolding touch to her skin. Whoever was with her in that moment tried to restrain her. She screamed.
"NOOOO! LEAVE ME ALONE! DON'T!" She felt them scoop her up into their arms and place her back to their broad chest. They began rocking with her, brushing her hair from her face so that she could see them properly. A young man, possibly her age, a pale face set with dark hair and grey-blue eyes staring into her own amber orbs with fear and concern, was it for her? Shushing her quietly as though she were a small child waking from a nightmare, he kept his voice low to not startle her and was reassuring her softly.
"Hey, hey there doll every thing's gonna be all right. You're safe now. You're gonna be okay." The young man was soothing her head, being mindful of the back of her head she noticed. 'He's American! Have I actually made it?' When her breathing had steadied and no longer felt like her heart was in her mouth, she realised that they weren't alone. There were six other men kneeling close by appearing to be ready for anything. Only one approached slowly so as not to spook her anymore than what she had been. 'This must be the leader.' Everything about the man's aura screamed authority, but there was gentleness and compassion there too. Instantly calming at his presence, she felt herself finally relaxing in the other's arms.
"Wh - Where am I? Who are you?" She wished she sounded stronger as she spoke to the men she found herself with. It appeared all her strength and courage was all used up during her escape attempt and the struggle through the rapids. The one holding her looked to the blonde man in dark blue armour, they nodded to each other and looked back at her.
"My name is Captain Steve Rogers, this is Sergeant James 'Bucky' Barnes of the US 107th Infantry. We found you drifting on the river and brought you ashore. We thought you were dead at first." The young woman looked down at her hands to see that they were shaking, she hadn't realised just how close she was to dying. "You've been at our camp for a few hours, we've tended to your wounds but can't do much else for you until we get to HQ. Right now though, we're going to try to keep you warm and safe until our ride gets here." He held her hands in both of his huge calloused hands and rubbed them slowly to help with the shaking. A soft warm smile formed on his chiselled face, not a single imperfection to be found. His sea-blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the light of the fire that she only just realised was behind him. The glow from the fire was inviting, the captain seemed to notice her looking longingly at the blaze, then look to her in concern as she began to shiver again in Bucky's hold. "Are you cold?" Steve asked her as he looked to the others to assure them that everything was fine.
"Yes, just a little bit." She began to shake more violently as a gust of wind blew through her tattered and damp clothes. Bucky began to rub her arms vigorously to try to help circulate some warmth into her body and began to rise to his feet, bringing her up with him in his muscular arms. He kept a hand on the small of her back and supported her balance with the other at the crook of her arm and looked down to her with uncertainty.
"Do you think you can walk to the fire? Do you need any help?"
"If it's all right with you two, I'd like to try and walk. It isn't that far." The patient took a few uneasy steps toward to the camp fire, only to gasp in pain from her feet and pressure on her leg. The pain was almost dizzying and she keeled over. Steve caught her in his arms and gently picked her up and carried her the rest of the way bridal style. At their arrival to the rest of the team, Steve let her down carefully as though she were made of glass and wrapped his uniform jacket over her shoulders.
"This is my team, Tim Dugan, Montgomery Falsworth, Jim Morita, Jacques Denier and Gabe Jones." Steve introduced them pointing each man out as they exchanged hellos or waved. "It was Denier and Jones who treated you ma'am." She studied each of her saviours with a small nervous smile. She really couldn't believe how fortunate she was to have been found by the allies, the mere thought of it having been the Nazis, or worse, sent a shiver down her spine.
"I can't honestly thank you...any of you enough for saving my life." The men smiled warmly at their guest, although they never expect it, sometimes it was nice to hear someone thanking them. Dugan patted her softly on her good leg, smiling broadly with a cigar hanging from his mouth.
"Our pleasure little lady, but I gotta say...you know all our names, what do we call you by?" 'Oops!' She hadn't realised after the better half of an hour awake with these men that she failed to give them her name, lower her face flushed with embarrassment she returned etiquette.
"Annette, I'm Annette Augusta Birkinshaw." She raised her head and held out her hand to Dugan smiling politely. "It's very nice to meet you."
"Annette...I like it, it suits you. I'm gonna call you Netty!" The others laughed at Dugan's habit of giving people shortened names. Annette simple smiled and giggled at him.
The evening drew on and when her shaking finely subsided, the fire was put out and they made their way to a small woodland near a road and set about making themselves comfortable for the night. Wrapping her in a blanket and with Steve's jacket for a makeshift pillow. The team of men huddled around her blocking Annette from the night chill with a sentry rota. Despite everything that she had been through and that she was cold, sore and in the middle of nowhere in a war-zone. Annette found herself thinking with a smile that this was probably the safest she had ever felt in a very very long time. With that, she gave out a soft yawn and snuggled up into the back of the first warm body she made contact with, and drifted off to sleep.
Okay! I really am struggling here guys. Would really like to here your thoughts on what should be in the next chapter regarding our main story characters. I'll be mentioning her point of origin and how she came to be, but should it be in snippets or as a flashback chapter? Let me know and tell me what you think. Please review kindly.