Evelyn walked with Bucky back to her apartment after bumping into him in the drizzle on her run. He had kept her hand inside of his, both of them keeping silent for the time being but knowing that they had a lot to talk about. Evelyn could feel her hair grow heavy with the rain and her cheeks were still tinged red from the cold and her run. She looked up to Bucky a couple of time as they walked, her hands cold and turning chapped. Bucky looked back down to her, realising that she was just in her long running top and leggings. He let go of her hand then, moving to shrug out of his jacket.

"I'm fine," Evelyn promised him, but Bucky arched a brow.

"If you insist on walking instead of running then you're not going to warm up," he retorted to her. "So just put the jacket on. Besides, luckily for you I don't really feel the cold."

Evelyn let him drape it over her shoulders and she dropped her arms into the sleeves. She pulled it around herself, letting it engulf her as Bucky picked her hand up again, finding it after having to search in the sleeve. They resumed the walk and Bucky wondered if this was what it meant to feel content eventually.

When they came to her apartment block she dug into her pocket for her keys. Tugging them out, she used the fob on the main door. Bucky opened it, holding it for her to step through first.

"Morning, Boris," Evelyn said.

The receptionist nodded back to her, a smile playing on his lips as he looked at the sight in front of him. "Miss Morris," he responded to her. "Good run?"

Evelyn glanced up to Bucky as he pressed the button for the elevator and she let her own lips quirk as she looked back to Boris. "You could say that."

He chuckled and gave her a small wave. "Have a good day, Miss Morris."

"You too," she said and stepped into the elevator once it pinged down.

Once they were at her door, she dropped Bucky's hand to unlock it. Pushing the wood open, she let Bucky in behind her. She began to shrug out of his jacket as he closed the door and observed all of the locks on it. He frowned for a moment as he made sure the door was firmly shut. Turning to look to Evelyn, he watched her move around the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and downing it. He was about to ask her about the locks when she spoke first.

"I need to go and shower," she said to him. "Just make yourself at home. You know where things are."

"Sure," he agreed with her and she left her half full glass and took off. He heard the door to the bathroom close and the running of water soon followed. Clasping his hands behind his back, he walked through her living room, noticing that everything was the same as when he had last been at her place.

He had managed to sneak in to return her laptop that he had taken the night she had been kidnapped. He had also bought her a new iPhone that he saw she had deposited on the breakfast bar on her way to the bathroom. He went to boil the kettle on the stove, suspecting that a cup of herbal tea wouldn't go amiss. Heading to sit down while he waited for the kettle to boil, he slipped the leather glove from his normal hand. He left it on the coffee table before he saw a familiar piece of paper.

It was poking out of a magazine of National Geographic that Evelyn's father had left behind. He reached to move the magazine out of the way and saw that there was the letter he had left her. It was crumpled but straightened out. There was also the post-it note he had left with her new iPhone attached to it. Bucky wondered how many times she had read this and he felt an instant pang of regret as he looked at his familiar scrawl.

He kept on staring until he heard the water in the shower turn off. Placing the letter back in its hiding place, he stood up and went to check on the boiling water. He placed the tea bags into two mugs and by then the water was done. He poured the mugs as he heard Evelyn pad out the bathroom and close the door to her bedroom. Placing the mugs on the coffee table, he sat back down and waited for her to come back out.

After the hairdryer had finished blasting, she came out. She was dressed in thick black tights, a brown fitted skirt sitting just above her knee with a black jumper tucked into it. Bits of her hair were flyaway from the heat, but she had done her best to smooth it down.

"I made tea," Bucky said and her lips picked up as she went to sit down on the other end of the sofa, folding one leg underneath her body and picking up a cushion, holding it against her stomach.

"It still feels weird…seeing you being so domestic…making tea…"

"I can make a mean grilled cheese sandwich too," he said and he saw her continue to smile.

"I'll have to try it one day," she said to him.

"It'll blow your mind," Bucky promised her and there was a moment of awkward silence between them. It was almost like they knew they had to talk about what had happened, but neither of them wanted to. Then again, if they cleared the air then they would be able to move on. And so Bucky took the lead. He played with his fingertips in his lap, looking down to them.

"You have four locks on your door," he commented.

"I do," Evelyn responded, simply confirming what he had observed.

Bucky tried to think about how he would play this now. Clearly, she wasn't exactly forthcoming with why she had so many locks. Then again, Bucky could guess why that would be. He continued, pushing her slowly.

"Do you still feel unsafe, Evelyn?" he wondered.

"I…I know it's not rational," Evelyn admitted to Bucky, her voice low and gentle as she held the cushion closer to her. "I know that I am safe here, but it doesn't feel safe. And I want it to. I know I pay a fortune for this place but I love it. I don't want to move."

"It sounds rational," Bucky promised her.

"I just remember him," Evelyn said. She had never found out the name of the man who had broken into her apartment and she didn't want to. She didn't care. "I remember him breaking in here and it makes me angry that he had the audacity to intrude into my home. Your home is supposed to be the place where you're the safest, isn't it?"

"Yeah," was all that Bucky could offer her.

Evelyn's gaze shifted downwards as she continued speaking, finding it therapeutic to talk. She had bottled everything, not wanting to admit how she felt. "I don't like working when it's dark either," she said to him. "I used to not mind walking home late at night, but now the thought scares me. I get a cab if I have to work late and I…I jump at shadows as well."

Bucky's mouth dried slightly and he nodded. He shifted slightly, turning his body to the side and looking over her, seeing how she was avoiding his eye and looking down, a hand tucking her hair behind her ear nervously. Bucky shifted closer to her, his grey top crumpling as he moved his hand out to her upper arm.

"Have you talked to anyone about this?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "I was only gone for just over a day. It was just a day," she said.

"Don't try and invalidate what happened, Evelyn," Bucky urged from her, his voice light but stern. He moved his hand to her chin, curling a finger underneath it and urging for her to look up to him. She did so, her eyes so soft and showing a sense of fear. "You went through a lot in that day. What happened to you would have an impact on anyone and talking to someone might help you."

"Does it help you?" Evelyn wondered from Bucky.

He could lie to her and tell her that it did. But he wasn't going to lie. Instead he shrugged.

"I don't know," Bucky said to her, "but I go because I have to and I'm not used to talking about feelings. I'm not used to any of that and it doesn't come easy to me…talking about my past…but I don't think it would hurt you to try talking to someone."

Evelyn bit down on the inside of her cheek. "Lisa said the same thing," she admitted to Bucky. "She…I haven't told them how I feel. I just tell them that I'm fine, but Lisa can see through it. I think they all can."

"Because they're your friends," Bucky said to her. "They know you."

"I'll go," Evelyn said to Bucky. "Because I don't want to be like this. I want to be who I was."

"You will be," Bucky said to her. "Besides, I saw that girl when she was yelling at me by the Reflecting Pool."

"Well you deserved it," Evelyn said to him and she reached for her mug of tea. She took a sip of it and placed it back down. Bucky's own lips arched upwards in a small smirk and he nodded his head.

"I guess I did," he agreed with her on that one.

Evelyn watched him for a few moments before she tugged another hand through her hair and shrugged her shoulders. "So what have you been up to?" she asked him and he reached into the pocket of the hooded jumper he wore over his grey top. He pulled out a book and handed it to her. Evelyn took hold of it and opened the pages, seeing that it was predominately empty except for two pages.

"What is this?" Evelyn wondered from him.

"Names," Bucky said to her. "They're names of everyone who I came into contact with when I was the Winter Soldier. My aim is to try and make amends for what I did…to try and set things straight if I can. There are names there where it should be easy enough to do that and others where it might not be."

Evelyn nodded, scanning the list and looking to see if she saw any familiar names. There was one that stood out to her. Zemo. She had heard of him before. He was the man who had bombed the U.N. and framed Bucky. As far as she knew he was rotting in some jail cell in Germany.

"I think that could be a good idea," Evelyn said to him.

"Maybe," he agreed with her. A part of him had hoped that it would help stop the nightmares. If he could put things right then he would be able to move on. Evelyn passed him the small book back and he placed it back into his pocket. "I also asked Sam to do a background check on me as well. He'll uncover things that I would prefer to forget, but I need to know if I have any more enemies out there…for your protection more than mine."

Evelyn watched him as he shifted around uncomfortably. She knew that he wouldn't be happy with someone doing digging on him. He kept himself so guarded most of the time. She barely knew anything about his past, but she knew that he found it difficult to talk about. Why would he not?

"You did that for me?" Evelyn asked him.

Looking to her, he nodded. "Figured if I was going to try and get back into your life that it would be best to put precautions in place," he admitted. "Because you know who I am, Evelyn. I…I can do all of this but I don't know if anything will ever be one hundred per-cent safe for you to be with me."

He leant back and closed his eyes, burying his face into his hands as he groaned.

"What am I doing?" he asked himself, voice muffled. "It's stupid of me to think this…so selfish of me…"

Evelyn moved then, kneeling on the sofa. She reached for his wrists and pulled his hands from his face. Shaking her head, she let her own lips arch upwards and he wondered how she could even look so happy towards him. He said nothing for a few moments as she sat close to him, her knees almost touching his thighs and her hands holding his bare wrists.

"It's not selfish," she promised him. "I know who you are. I knew who you were that same night I first asked you for pizza. I want this as much as you do. So don't feel like that…because what would be selfish of you would be to walk out of that door and leave again."

Bucky searched her gaze and slipped his hand from her grip. He moved it up to stroke her cheek, his gaze flickering over her features. "You're something else, you know that?" he asked from her.

"Not really," Evelyn responded. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

"Or the wrong place at the wrong time," Bucky retorted.

"No," she replied. "Definitely the right place."

He wanted to move closer to her. He was drawn to her and he knew what he wanted to do. But he was old fashioned. He hadn't even taken her on a date yet. But this wasn't the 1940s anymore, as everyone enjoyed reminding him. Besides, he wondered if she was thinking the same thing.

"Would you mind if I kissed you right now?" he asked from her.

She let out a short laugh, shaking her head. "Honestly, I would have been patient, but the thought of having to wait for a fifth date before you even dared to kiss me on the cheek has been driving me mad since you told me you wanted to date me."

Bucky leaned in and his lips pressed to hers softly. Evelyn closed her eyes, her hands going to the back of his neck, scraping against his skin and tangling into the ends of his hair. Bucky had to admit that he was out of practice when it came to this kind of thing, but that didn't seem to be deterring Evelyn. She was the one taking the lead, her lips moving over his slowly at first and then she varied the pressure. He felt his own hands move to grab hold of her thighs, hauling her closer to him. She didn't need much encouraging, moving so that she had a leg either side of him, her lips still moving over his as her chest pressed to his and he moved his arms around her waist, squeezing her tightly.

Finally, she pulled back from him and gathered her breath. Bucky did the same, letting his forehead brush against hers.

"I'm a bit out of practice," he admitted to her.

"I don't know about that," she said. "I'm not complaining."

Bucky leaned in once more and kissed her again, enjoying the feeling of having her pressed close to him. He only pulled back when he heard her phone begin to vibrate on the breakfast bar. Evelyn groaned loudly and he smirked as she untangled herself from him, steadying herself against his shoulders as she moved to her feet and went to the phone.

"Daniel, hey," she said down the line. "What?!"

Bucky almost jumped into action as she shrieked and he wondered what had happened. But the smile on her face told him that he had no reason to fret. "That's fantastic! Yes…tell her I will be there in an hour or so…I'll get the metro."

She hung up and looked to Bucky. "Maria had her baby," she said to him. "She went into labour this morning and has had a healthy little girl. I said that I would go and visit her."

"Of course," Bucky said, slightly disappointed as he moved to his feet and Evelyn looked to him as she reached for her red coat from the coat rack by the door. She shrugged into it and tugged her hair out from the collar.

"You know, I should be back in a few hours," she said to him. "And I have no plans tonight…what with it being a Saturday."

Bucky arched a brow. "What are you suggesting?" he asked from her.

"Well," she said, "if you still want to take me on that date then I'm game."

"I'd like that," Bucky nodded and grabbed his jacket. "Where are you heading to?"

"Metro station," she said to him, grabbing hold of her bag and slinging it over her body. She checked she had her purse and then dropped her phone in there with her earphones. Pushing her feet into her brogues, she picked her keys up and Bucky shrugged his glove onto his hand.

"I'll walk you there," he said to her.

She nodded and opened the door, Bucky's arm moving around her shoulders as they left the apartment.

…

Evelyn didn't know if she had been excessive, but on the way to the metro she had popped into a shop and picked up a gift. Bucky had watched her toy between the stuffed giraffe or the stuffed elephant and he wondered if the baby would even know the difference. She said goodbye to him before heading down to the metro. He watched her descend the steps, holding the gift bag in her hand and bounding down the stairs after seeing that a train was on the approach.

Entering the hospital, Evelyn looked around, pushing her glasses further onto her nose as she finally gave up and asked a passing nurse for help. She gave her directions and Evelyn finally found Daniel outside of a room, his phone to his ear and a wide smile on his face. He saw Evelyn approaching and he held his hand up, waving to her before finishing his call as she stood before him and embraced him.

"Congratulations," she said, hand going to his arm and stroking it. "How are they doing?"

"Well," Daniel said to her. "Maria's parents just left and my mom and dad are flying out in the next few days. That was Lisa, she just called me back."

"Can I see them?"

"Of course," Daniel said, pushing a hand through his ginger locks. "You keep her company for a while. I still have some calls that I need to make. The perils of having such a big family."

"I'll leave you to it," Evelyn said and she tentatively pushed the door open to find Maria sat up in bed, nursing a cup of hot tea with the glass crib next door to her. Evelyn smiled over to her and walked towards her. Bending down, she embraced her with one arm and held onto her tightly.

"Congratulations," she said again. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been split in two," Maria answered honestly to her and Evelyn chuckled. "But it was worth it. Say hello to Lillie Mary Davies."

Evelyn placed the bag down on Maria's bed and her friend instantly opened it without standing on ceremony. Evelyn peered over Lillie's bed, looking down at the little baby. She pushed her hair behind her ears so that she could get a good view of her. Moving a finger, she gently touched the baby's hand and turned her head over to see Maria holding the stuffed elephant.

"You didn't have to," Maria said.

"It's no biggie," Evelyn said to her. "It was either that or lots of balloons to fill this room so you got away lightly."

Maria rolled her eyes, but the smile stayed on her face. "You can hold her if you want," she said.

"I…I have no idea…"

"Come here," Maria said and she urged Evelyn to take the seat next to her bed. Swinging her legs out of the bed, she picked her daughter up and gently placed her into Evelyn's arms. She adjusted her friend's hands so that she was holding her correctly and Evelyn continued smiling widely. "Don't worry, the first time Daniel held her this morning he never stopped looking at her."

"I can see why," Evelyn said, looking at the baby's glossy green eyes. She was wriggling around slightly, but she seemed content enough. "She's beautiful."

"We think so," Maria said and climbed back into bed. "And it's a good job you said that or I'd have to ask someone else to be her Godmother."

Evelyn continued to look perplexed and Maria laughed at her expression. Looking at her with a sceptically arched brow, she shook her head.

"You didn't think we'd ask anyone else, did you? No…she's having two Godmothers…you and Lisa."

"Of course," Evelyn blabbered, "I mean, yes, I'd love to be her godmother."

"I wasn't really giving you a choice," Maria teased her. "So, how are you anyway?"

"Good," Evelyn nodded her head and continued smiling down to the little girl in her arms. She didn't know whether or not she should mention Bucky. This was Maria and Daniel's day and Evelyn had no desire to distract from that in the slightest. "Everything is good."

"You're sure?" Maria asked from her. "Because for the past few weeks you've been saying that and me and Lisa know when you're lying."

Evelyn looked to her friend then, an entertained look on her face. "Have you two been talking about me?"

"Only because you won't tell us the truth," Maria defended them. "And we know that you miss him…and that you-"

"-He's back," Evelyn interrupted Maria and her friend looked shocked.

"What?" she snapped.

"He's back," Evelyn said simply. "I saw him this morning. I was out for a run and he was just…there…on my way home. He told me why he had left and I yelled at him."

"I should hope so," Maria scoffed.

"But he told me why he did what he did and I understood. I understood, but it still hurt and he knew that. Turns out that he…well…he feels the same. He wants to make a go of things."

Maria looked sceptical and Evelyn should have suspected this.

"You're sure?" Maria checked. "He left for a reason, Evelyn."

"I know."

"He left to keep you safe," Maria reminded her. "I just don't want him to come back and you get hurt again because that night…Evie…when you were taken…"

"I know," Evelyn said, sensing that Maria was struggling to get the words out. She looked to her friend and she wanted to do her best to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. She didn't know if she could do that, but she was going to try. "And it is constantly going through his mind as well, but he is doing what he can to make sure everything will be fine and…and I know that there are risks being involved with a man like him, but we might be fine."

"Promise me you will be careful," Maria urged from her.

"Don't worry," she said, "Bucky is being careful enough for the both of us."

"Glad to hear it," she said, "and you know that he will have to face the inquisition, right? You haven't dated anyone since college and Lisa and me need to meet him as your best friends."

Evelyn smiled and rocked the baby in her arms. "Be gentle with him."

"When am I never gentle?" Maria asked.

Evelyn rolled her eyes and looked back to the baby in her arms. That was a discussion that Evelyn wasn't particularly looking forward to.

….

Bucky had changed into dark jeans and a black turtleneck jumper, his usual leather jacket over it. He had buzzed her intercom and she had told him to come up. As he moved down the corridors, he adjusted the flowers that he held in his hands and heard music playing from her apartment. Knocking on the door, she opened it a minute later and he looked at her.

"Hey," she greeted him.

Holding the flowers up, he smiled. "Hey," he greeted her back.

"For me?" she asked him.

"Oh, no," he said, "these are for my next date. I must have knocked on the wrong door."

"Funny," Evelyn said and nudged him in the arm before taking the flowers from his grip. He entered the apartment and she turned the music down, aiming a remote at the music player on her sideboard.

"What are you listening to?" he wondered. He knew that music had changed a lot since his days, but he still preferred music from the '40s. He just couldn't entirely get on with all of the new stuff.

"Oh," Evelyn said, filling a vase up with water. "That would be Wham! They were a band in the '80s, I think. They were pretty big in England. When mum moved over here to marry dad she always said that British bands were better than American bands. It's been a bone of contention between both mum and dad for years. Turns out that being the daughter of parents who listen to '80s music constantly means that you also listen to it when you get older."

"It sounds catchy."

"It is," Evelyn said and arranged the flowers in the vase. "I'll educate you in the best music one day."

"I tend to stick to the '40s stuff," Bucky admitted and she pulled her ankle boots onto her feet once she had finished with the flowers in the vase. She left them on her breakfast bar.

"You'll have to introduce me to some of it," Evelyn said.

"I will," Bucky said to her. "Are you ready to go?"

"Just let me get my coat," she said and she grabbed it from where she had chucked it on the bar stool before. She pulled it on and took hold of her bag. She had barely had time to shower and change before Bucky arrived that evening. She had pulled on a flowing black skirt that came to her knees and had switched to a white jumper.

"I'm good," she said to him.

He watched her grab her keys and turn the music off before they left and he wondered just how this date would go.

….

"You're not even on the ice!" Bucky exclaimed to her.

Evelyn had sat down on the bench and slipped her boots from her feet and pulled on the skates. Bucky had watched her drape her bag over her body so that it was secure before she tried to stand up and instantly began wobbling. She sunk back down to sit on the bench before she fell and Bucky couldn't help but laugh at her. Evelyn wondered if she had ever heard him laugh with such heartfelt conviction before. It was nice, even if it was at her expense.

"How is it natural to walk in these?" she demanded from him.

"I didn't think you'd be this bad," he admitted to her. "Come on."

Holding out both his hands, he let her take hold of them before he walked backwards towards the ice. Stepping on, Evelyn tried not to fall straight away as she moved forwards. Bucky moved to grab hold of her by her lower arms, making sure she didn't fall. Looking down to her feet, she shook her head as she tried to put one in front of the other.

"This is ridiculous," she complained.

"Just put one foot in front of the other and try not to look down," Bucky said to her.

"Then how will I see where I'm going?" she asked him.

"Do you look at your feet when you walk?"

"Well, no, but that's because that's natural," she retorted, her hands clinging onto his arms.

Evelyn looked up and to the side at the same time a child came whizzing past, looking graceful and poised. Bucky saw her as well and his lips arched. He did his best not to laugh loudly as Evelyn shot him a glare.

"Don't you dare," she demanded from him.

"I'm sorry," he said, but he wasn't sorry, not at all. Instead he was doing his best to keep composed. The rink was busier than he had expected, but thankfully people seemed more composed than Evelyn. There were a few other beginners who were laughing at being unable to stand up on the ice, their noise loud above the music on the speakers.

"Okay, so," Bucky said and he finally got her to the safety of the side of the rink, allowing her to hold onto the edge. "I am determined to get you to skate at least for ten seconds, okay?"

"How determined? Because I don't think we can stay here all night," Evelyn retorted.

Bucky smirked at hearing her and he moved off from the side, skating with ease as Evelyn used a hand to wave over to him. "How can you do that?"

"Skill," he threw back at her. "So come on, it's all about gliding. Just push off with one foot…bend the knee slightly…"

Bucky was in front of her again, holding onto her arms that were stretched out so that he could steady her. Shaking her head, she wondered if there had to be a better way to skate. She tried to copy Bucky, but he made it look far too easy.

"You know," she said, "if this is your idea of a first date then I dread to think what you have planned for the second."

Bucky continued grinning at her.

"Come here," he said to her.

He skated so that he was behind her. She almost flailed without holding onto his arms, but he soon caught her. He was holding onto her around the waist, keeping her back flush against his front. Looking over her shoulder, he could see down to their feet and he spoke to her.

"Just copy my movements," he said to her and began moving, giving her no other option but to follow. As soon as he felt her topple forwards he grabbed hold of her tighter, keeping her upright and balanced. Moving his hand from her waist, he eventually had his arms by her sides, her own hands clutching onto his as she moved, albeit very slowly, across the ice.

"There we go," Bucky said to her.

"This is fast enough," she said.

"You're being lapped by five year olds," Bucky retorted.

"Then let them live life in the fast lane. I prefer it here."

"I prefer you here too," Bucky said and he felt Evelyn squeeze his hands and he checked that his words had had the desired effect. "There it is. Knew you'd turn red before we got off this ice."

"Shut up," she responded.

"Not a chance, sweetheart," he said. "Not a chance."

…

Evelyn hadn't fallen flat on her backside and so for her that was a bonus. It had been enough for Bucky to consider that the date had been a success. They had picked up pizza on the way back to hers. She had also insisted on grabbing some other food from the store as well. Bucky had carried it back in the paper bag for her, his free arm over her shoulders as she kept hers around his waist.

They spent the rest of the evening on her sofa, eating pizza and drinking wine and beer. Evelyn had found her position against his side, Bucky's arm over her shoulders as he held onto her. They mainly talked over the TV, discussing everything and nothing of importance. It was gone eleven when Bucky saw her yawn and he contemplated leaving. But he stayed where he was. In the end, she fell asleep against his side.

He was happy to stay there, but his phone began vibrating in his jean pocket. He managed to move away from Evelyn, letting her rest against the arm of the sofa as he stood up and saw that it was Sam who was calling him. He answered the call in the bathroom so as not to disturb Evelyn.

"Sam, what is it?"

"And good evening to you too," Sam responded. "What's going on? I swung by your apartment just now and you weren't there."

"I'm at Evelyn's."

"So she let you back in, huh?" Sam asked from him. "And already you're spending the night there. Whatever happened to chivalry, hm? This the kind of thing you did back in your day?"

"It's not like that," Bucky said back to him.

"I'm joking with you," Sam promised him.

Bucky sighed. "Is there a reason why you're interrupting me spending time with someone who I actually enjoy spending time with?"

"Cold," Sam said, "but yeah, there's a reason why I called you. The woman who was there…with Andrew Mardox. That was his sister. She was called Verity. She was a doctor in the lab."

"She took some of my blood. What about her?"

"Turns out she has friends in high places. Ever heard of the Flag Smashers?"

"Should I have?" Bucky wondered, pacing her bathroom. He stopped at her sink and looked at the shelf of products she had. Body Lotion. Body Wash. Body Scrub. Hair Oil. He shook his head, wondering how much she could possibly need.

"They're one of the groups who wants things to go back to how they were before the blip," Sam said to him. "Verity Mardox sympathised with them…her brother not so much."

"Why are you telling me this?" Bucky wondered from him.

Sam let out a deep breath. "She was broken out of jail," Sam said to Bucky. "There are sympathisers with the Flag Smashers, Bucky. Some of them were in the Justice Department and they helped her escape. You know why I am telling you this, despite the fact it is high level clearance, don't you?"

Bucky closed his eyes, his hand gripping onto Evelyn's sink as he struggled to control himself. A part of him thought that he might break it, but he had enough restraint not to. Besides, he doubted Evelyn would be happy if he went around breaking things in her apartment.

"Buck?" Sam tried again as silence engulfed the call.

"I just took her on a date, Sam," Bucky said, moving to sit down on the edge of her bath. "I just took her on one date and already I have to tell her that she might be in danger again…that someone might be coming after me."

"I know," Sam said earnestly. "But we have eyes and ears everywhere trying to hunt her down. Besides, she might not come after you if she is on the run. That would be too obvious…"

"Maybe, but I don't like any of this," Bucky responded in a deep voice.

"You don't have to, Buck, but I'm on your side, okay? I'll keep an eye on things."

Bucky nodded his head. "How do I tell her this?"

"You just tell her because you know that she deserves the truth."

…

Standing by the Reflecting Pool, the early morning drizzle was settling around Evelyn. She panted for breath as she stopped running and saw him there in the distance. Tugging her earphones out, she let them dangle around her neck. He was looking straight at her, his gaze even and hands stuffed into his pockets. She watched him as she cautiously approached. She had had this dream before. She had gone to him, but he had been out of her reach. No matter how many steps she took, he never seemed to get closer. But this time he did. This time her hand reached out and she touched his cheek, watching as he remained emotionless and staring straight at her.

"Bucky," she spoke his name, her voice a whisper.

But he didn't respond. Instead he was silent, his eyes darkening as he pushed her hand away from him. She startled, flinching at his harsh movement.

"What is it?" she asked from him.

"Look at you," he said, eyeing her up and down. She folded her arms around herself, suddenly feeling completely self-conscious underneath his gaze. What was going on? What was wrong?

"Bucky?" she tried again.

"Bucky," he spoke, mimicking her in a high pitched mocking voice. "What is it? You call my name and think that I'll be there like some hero? Is that what you want me to be, Evelyn?" he demanded from her, beginning to circle her. She remained rooted on the spot, seemingly unable to move as she heard his footsteps walk around her. "I'm not a hero, Evelyn. You know who I am. You know what I've done. Do you think that I care about you, really?"

"This isn't real," Evelyn said, shaking her head and closing her eyes.

His hand moved out then from behind her, brushing her hair from her neck and his fingers gripped hold of her pale skin, choking her from behind as he bent down to hiss in her ear.

"You think that I care about you?" he demanded from her. "Do you think that I would risk my own life for yours? They took you, sweetheart, because they thought that I did care. But that's the thing. I don't care. Why would I care? You're nothing special…just some pathetic frigid little workaholic."

"This isn't real!" Evelyn shouted again.

He chuckled darkly and leant back to her ear. "Keep telling yourself that."

He whistled lowly and Evelyn opened her eyes then. Turning to the side, she saw Andrew Mardox advancing towards her, gun raised in his hand. She shrieked and yelled loudly as the gun got closer and Bucky held her in the same spot. And the barrel of it pressed to her temple and the gunshot echoed in her mind.

….

"Hey!" Bucky had hung up on Sam after hearing Evelyn muttering in her sleep, her voice sounding distressed. Rushing to the living room, he found her on the sofa, thrashing around and whimpering. Her eyes shot open as Bucky stopped in front of her. Reaching down, he took hold of her shoulders and saw her gasp for breath, her chest heaving and her eyes wide, tears forming there. "You're alright. It's alright."

Evelyn nodded her head, realising that she was awake. She was back in reality and this was Bucky. Moving her shaking hands outwards, she gripped hold of his upper arms as he continued watching her intently, his stare not easing up as he tried to ensure that she was fine. He had to make sure that she was okay. He reached out his normal hand and stroked her cheek as she ran her hands along his arm and to his shoulders, her gaze scanning him. It was almost as though she was trying to make sure that he was still there.

"It's…you…you left me," she said, disclosing the information of her dream. She hadn't done that to anyone before either. "You told him to kill me…that you didn't care…"

"It was a nightmare," Bucky said to her, stroking his hand down the back of her hair as he tried to soothe her. "It was just a nightmare, sweetheart."

"I know," she said, gulping and drawing a big breath. "I know," she repeated.

"Alright?" he checked and she nodded.

"Come here," he urged her. He climbed onto the sofa and she moved up, allowing him to sit down before he wrapped his arm around her, holding her tightly. He felt her burrow into his side, her own arm moving around his body. Bending down, he kissed the top of her head and closed his own eyes. "I'm not going anywhere."

He sat with her, stroking her hair softly and promising her that everything was fine. But he knew that he had to tell her about Verity. She had a right to know. But as he sat there soothing her, he realised that I could just wait until morning.

….

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who is reading! I'd love to know what you think or if you have any suggestions/things you'd like to see develop! Look forward to hearing from you!