So, this took a different turn than I had expected. I hope you like it...

Dez10d2Rite: Things are about to get very interesting...

Tiphanie: Yay! I'm so glad you like it! Yup, she met Bruce, found out Sam is the one, and then panicked and ran. And she can't get rid of the phone because then they'd just come after her, and possibly kill a lot of people in the process. ;)

Enjoy!

Anna burst into her room, immediately heading to the bathroom. She ran water over the words on her arm, scrubbing at the skin until there was no trace of ink left, and her skin was red and raw. She collapsed to the floor, the water still running, rag in hand. She was crying, sobbing. Everything had just fallen apart. She cried until she felt sick, dry heaving into the toilet. There was nothing in her stomach to puke up. That she was grateful for.

She laid herself on the tile floor, the cold seeping into her skin, cooling her down. She closed her eyes, praying this was all some sort of twisted dream. Some kind of nightmare she'd wake up from, some sick twisted fantasy. But she knew it wasn't. She knew there was no waking up from this one.

1988

The first time words had appeared on her skin was after she'd fought the soldier. They'd cleaned her up, and she was mending slowly in her cell. It was hard to miss them, big, shaky letters from a child.

'Hi.'

She couldn't help but smile a little. She didn't have anything to write back with, but she knew her writing would give away her age, which would worry his parents, which would only cause problems. And she didn't need those. So she sat, watching as he drew a little around the word. Simple, adolescent drawings, but they were sweet nonetheless. They distracted her from the pain of her body healing. A distraction. That's what he would be. Maybe she'd learn finally how to keep herself from being tortured. A distraction.

Present

Now she wished she didn't have that distraction. He was a complication now. Her stomach rumbled painfully, making her groan. She knew she needed to force food down eventually. She couldn't completely go without. She got up, praying no one else would be up at this hour as she made her way down to the kitchen.

She was thankful that it was empty as she stepped inside, heading to the fridge. She grabbed the milk, opening the cupboard to get a glass. She poured herself some milk, looking through the cupboards for something edible. There was no short supply of food, but none of it looked good. So she settled on milk for the time being.

She looked up, nearly dropping her glass when she heard footsteps near the kitchen. He held his hands up again, stopping a ways from her. She was trapped behind the island, and she knew she couldn't get past him without hurting him.

"Please, don't run again." He said. "I just want to talk."

She looked down at her glass for a moment. She owed him a few answers. Nothing too detailed though. Nothing that could get him hurt. She nodded, moving around the island so she could sit. He took the chair next to her, sitting sideways so he was looking at her. It was silent between them for a while, Sam staring at Anna, and Anna staring intently at her milk.

"I don't want you to get hurt." She said quietly, refusing to look at him. "That's what you were going to ask. Why I ran. Why I wouldn't tell you anything about me. I'm dangerous, and I don't want you getting hurt."

"Sweetheart, I live with the Avengers. Dangerous isn't exactly anything new to me."

It was the truth. She knew everything he'd been through. In the Air Force, when SHIELD fell, helping find Bucky. Working occasionally with the Avengers. Taking down Rumlow. She suppressed a shudder at that one. She'd met the soldier's handler once. And she was glad it was only once.

She couldn't help the sarcastic laugh that left her. "You don't even know the beginning of it."

"Then tell me. I can't protect myself if I don't know what I'm up against."

She shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "You deserve so much better than me."

"Maybe I do." He said, surprising her. "But I won't know until I know what I'm dealing with. And you gotta let me in for that to happen."

She spun to face him, their knees brushing as she moved. "I can't let someone else get hurt because of me." She looked up into his brown eyes, fighting the tears that were forming in hers. "Especially you. That's why I hid everything. Because everyone around me gets hurt."

"Then let me help you."

She opened her mouth to answer, but her stomach chose that moment to growl again. The milk had helped for a few seconds, but she needed real food. She couldn't live on milk alone.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

"Nothing sounds good." She grumbled, looking to her milk.

"Then let me help you." He said softly, placing a hand on the back of her chair. "You like milk?" He asked, nodding at her half empty glass. She nodded. "Okay, then. We'll start from there."

He got up, grabbing a bowl from the cupboard. He grabbed the box of Cheerios from the drawer, filling the bowl before grabbing the milk and a spoon. He moved back to her, placing the bowl in front of her, handing her the spoon. She avoided touching him as she grabbed the spoon from him, staring down at the Cheerios.

"They're not going to hurt you." He said, noting her shaking hand. She closed her eyes, taking in a shaky breath. She turned her head, closing her eyes. She felt nauseous, the memories of pain ripping through her.

A warm hand on her shaking one pulled her from the pain. She looked down, seeing Sam's hand holding hers on the spoon. He was looking at her face as she slowly turned.

"Here." He said softly, taking the spoon from her hand, bring the bowl closer to himself. "Close your eyes." He told her, and she did. "Now, I want you to distract yourself. Think of something happy. It can be a memory, a picture, or something you dreamed up." He scooped a spoonful of Cheerios, letting the milk drip a little back into the bowl. He cupped her chin with his free hand, tilting her head a little closer to him. Her skin was smooth under his fingers. "Do you have it?"

She nodded just the slightest, and he squeezed her jaw lightly, getting her to open her mouth. He fed her the spoonful of Cheerios, watching as she automatically chewed. He saw her hesitate, his thumb smoothing over her jaw.

"Don't lose it. Keep distracting yourself."

Eventually they got through the whole bowl, Anna visibly relaxing as he worked her through the cereal. Her eyes fluttered open when he set the spoon in the bowl, pushing it slightly away. Her face was far more innocent than he had ever seen it in the short time they'd known each other. She seemed so young, so relaxed. He would have loved to see that look on her face all the time, but he knew that wasn't possible.

He reached up, wiping a bit of milk from the corner of her mouth with his thumb, his eyes meeting her emerald ones. They seemed to be in a trance for a moment, before she snapped out of it, nearly jumping out of her seat.

"I should go get ready...for bed…long day tomorrow." She said, trying to think of any possible excuse to get away from him. But she didn't want to. What he'd just done for her right then was something she would have never thought...such tenderness...something she hadn't seen for so long…

She turned tail, nearly running to the elevator, praying it would move quickly so she could escape. Get away from the confusing feelings that were swallowing her whole. Things she hadn't felt for a long time. Things she was told not to feel. Things that were beaten out of her. Things she was tortured for feeling. Things she was tortured for showing. Things she was scared of feeling. Things she was scared of showing. But Sam...Sam had undone that in a single moment. In a matter of minutes. She wouldn't ever say it out loud, but she was scared of Sam. What he could do. The power he held over her. She was scared of what he could make her feel. What he could bring down around them. How much danger he could put them in.

And the worst part was...he had no idea he was doing it.