Branded For Ruin

Part 7

Bucky walked toward his apartment, grocery bags hanging off his arms and a smile on his face. Alpine trailed behind him, the soft pad of his paws making little against the floor. His day was going well, and it was going to get better once you arrived. His mind went back to his conversation he had with his therapist last time.

"James, you are alone and have no friends. You barely have three contacts in this thing." Dr. Raynor said tossing the phone at him.

Bucky caught it with ease, his reflexes kicking in. He rolled his eyes at his therapist's statements and decided the couch was a very interesting color. He had finally convinced himself to sit on the darned thing. Dr. Raynor sighed and rubbed her hands over her face in frustration.

"Don't roll your eyes at me. How old are you, 6?"

"106." He retorted with a smirk. "You're a century off, doc."

"Whatever, I don't have time for this. I'm giving you a month to make a new friend. Though with your attitude, it might take 20 years."

"Thanks, doc." Bucky mumbled leaning back against the couch. "Really boosts my confidence."

As he thought back on the memory, he smiled. In your face, Dr. Raynor! He did make a friend, and he had your smiley face text to prove it. Setting some of the groceries down to fetch his keys, he heard an all too familiar voice.

"Hey Jamie!" He heard a voice call from across the hall.

He leaned his head against his door with a sigh. Not her again. Did she not learn from last time? Bucky shot Alpine a pleading look and turned toward Dot, who had now moved closer. She was holding a plate of cookies this time. He looked closer to see what kind they were, and he held back a grimace. No, no, please not again. He remembers last time she made him chocolate cookies and he almost died. Like seriously, he threw up the whole day after he had eaten those death traps.

"Hey Dot." He said with a tight-lipped smile.

She lightly shook the plate of death in her hands. "I made some more cookies for you. I know how much you liked then last time."

"Oh yeah. Absolutely delicious, but I'm, uh, on a diet. Yeah, therapist's orders and all. It's a shame really because those cookies were so good last time." He lied as he shrugged.

A frown crossed Dot's features for a second. "Oh, are you sure you can't have just one cookie?"

Bucky leaned on the balls of his feet and let out a breath. "Sorry, I'm on strict orders."

"Well, now I don't know what to do with these."

"Hey, do you know Carl on 3B? He just moved in, I'm sure he'd love a little welcoming gift." Bucky suggested hoping she would leave soon, he really needed to start that chili for dinner.

She thought about it for a second and nodded her head. "I guess. Well, bye Jamie. Bye kitty."

Dot went to pet Alpine, but he jumped back and hissed at her, causing her to retract her hand extremely fast. Bucky bit back a smile as Alpine rubbed against Bucky.

"Sorry about that. He doesn't do well with strangers." Bucky said before turning around and unlocking his door.

Dot walked off with an eyeroll, and Bucky let out a sigh of relief. Grabbing the rest of his groceries, he walked entered his apartment. Alpine nudged the door closed as Bucky set his things on the counter. Walking toward Alpine, Bucky scratched Alpine behind the ears and under his chin, causing purrs to vibrate against Bucky.