Winter's Spring

'Chapter 1'

The harsh frigid air around me settles down as I walk the darkening streets of Bucharest. I am nearing my apartment which I had been laying low in for week now when I see a small group of boys enter an alleyway. I knew they would be up to trouble. I think nothing of it continuing on my way when I hear a small girl start to yell. I stop in my tracks and redirect myself, swifty walking to the alleyway and looking down. The group of boys were crowding around something small on the floor, they were swinging their legs at the thing I could hair small, faint cries coming from down the way.

"uită-te la ea, atât de slabă și lipsită de apărare (Look at her, so weak and defenceless.)" One of them snicked kicking the small thing once more. One of them steps away and I could get a clear look at what they were hurting. My eyes widened as I see a young girl, badly beaten on the floor, blood and tears streaming down her face. She looked up at the men with hatred in her eyes. My legs immediately started walking towards her.

"Hei! Oprește asta. (Hey! stop this.)" I yelled in at the boys. They looked at the girl on the floor and then to me and started to run away. I watched as the small girl stood up and looked at me and then started to back away, scared. She stumbled and then started running, grabbing a backpack from the ground, and then throwing it on. I ran after her, chasing her out of the alleyway and down the street. She was fast but I was slowly catching up to her. She turned a street, and I followed her but when I turned, she was nowhere to be seen. I puffed and started walking where I saw her last. I couldn't see her anywhere. I searched the streets but every little girl I saw did not match the girl I saw in the alleyway. I ended up giving up, she could be miles away by now.

I stumbled home and walked past the small alley. I heard whimpering from down it. I turned and silent followed my way down it. I saw the young girl, huddled next to a soggy carboard box. She had a small pink toy in her hand and her lips were blue and her nose was red at the end. I walked over to her, and she immediately looked up at me, scared. She tried to move further back into the wall, and she held her arms out defensively. I put my hands up and knelt down in front of her. She started frantically sobbing.

"Te rog, te rog, nu mă răni, te rog (Please, please, don't hurt me, please.)" She cried, tears streaming down her face. I felt my heart break, looking at the young girl who had been beaten sitting out in the cold winter's evening.

"Ascultă la mine. (Listen to me)" I said softly. She looked up to me and paused, listening.

"Ascultă la mine. Am să am grijă de tine, (I'm going to take care of you)" I started. She looked up at me, unsure of my words. I just nodded my head.

"Am să am grijă de tine. (I'm going to take care of you)" I repeated. She put her hands down and slowly shuffled towards me. She started sobbing again, falling into my arms. I wrapped my hands around the small girl as I held her in my arms.

"E în regulă, (It's okay,)" I whispered into her ear.

"Sh, sh, sh, e în regulă,"

"Te-am prins, te-am prins. Seiful tău acum (I got you; I got you. Your safe now)" I whispered. I held her in my arms and gently. I lifted her up as her hands wrapped around my neck. I clutched her in my arms. I started to walk back to my apartment when she pulled away and tried to jump out of my arms. I lent down and placed her gently onto the ground and watched as she ran back to her spot and grabbed a backpack, and a small pink stuffed animal. She then ran back up to me. I reached my flesh hand down to the small girl and she grabbed it. We walked out into the street, and I walked her home. I helped her up the stairs and then gently let go of her hand to open the door. I let her inside and then shut and locked the door behind me. I looked up and saw the girl making herself comfortable in the corner of the room. She got out her stuffed animal and then looked back up at me.

"Esti bine? (Are you okay?)" I asked quietly. She nodded her head but the cuts on her cheek and hands said otherwise. I walked over to her and leant down in front of her.
"Cum te cheamă micuțo? (What is your name little one?)"

"Gracie," She mumbled.
"Ei bine, Gracie,(Well, Gracie.)" She stared at me with her blue eyes.
"nu trebuie să dormi aici, poți dormi acolo dacă vrei? (You don't have to sleep here; you can sleep over there if you want?)" I pointed to my makeshift mattress on the floor. She looked up at me and nodded. I stood and held my hand out which she took. I walked over to the mattress and helped her on. She crawled up to the pillow and sat down looking at me, a small smile playing on her lips. I stood up and knelt down by the side of the bed. I gently got her set up in the bed, fluffing the pillow and placing the blanket over her. She held the small toy in her hands and looked up at me.

"Care e numele tău? (What is your name?)" She asked softly, I smiled.

"Bucky, eu sunt Bucky. (Bucky, I am Bucky)" She nodded.
"Mulțumesc, Bucky. (Thanks Bucky)" She said. I nodded and then stood, turning off the lamp and watched as she snuggled into her stuffed animal and shut her eyes. Soon enough she was asleep. I stood and grabbed my small red journal. I sat at the dining table and opened to a new page.

Gracie...

I found a small young girl in an alleyway by my apartment. She was earlier being beaten up by a group of boys which I scarred off. After that she ran off with a backpack and I chased her. She was a very fast little girl but after she turned a corner, she was no where to be seen. When walking home I found her again, in a small little alleyway curled up with a toy. I brought the young girl back to the apartment with me and helped her settle into the apartment. Her first instinct was to settle down in the corner which she did. I coaxed her up and into my mattress on the floor and tucked her in. Her name was Gracie, and she has small blue eyes, and she looks no older than six. She fell asleep in the bed almost immediately. She looks tired, beaten, cold and hungry. She was a very skinny young girl, and I knew I needed to feed her. I wanted to gain her trust, to feel comfortable around me. I will work on that for now and just hope that HYDRA or the Police don't find me.

(TIMESKIP TILL MORNING)

It was morning and I could see Gracie still fast asleep in the bed. I got up from the seat I was sitting on and started to prepare breakfast. This morning we were having oatmeal I boiled some water and poured in two packets. I then prepared two bowls and two spoons. I served the meal and then brought both of them to the table I then poured a glass of milk for me and her and placed them at the table as well. I looked over to the resting girl and then walked over to her. I leant down and brushed a piece of her dark her away from her face. I rested my hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. He eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at me. She gasped and frantically looked around the room. And then she looked back at me and relaxed.
"Am făcut micul dejun dacă vrei? (I made breakfast if you would like some?)" I asked. She nodded her head, and I helped her out of bed, walking her over to the table and then I sat her down onto one of the chairs. I sat in front of her and started eating my breakfast as I watched her. She looked down at the meal and picked up her spoon. She mixed up the food in the bowl in front of her before putting some on the spoon and she lifted it to her mouth.

She hungrily ate her meal but feel full after she has eaten about half of it. She took a small sip of her milk and then put the glass down. I smiled at the small child in front of me who had a small milk moustache.

"Ți-a plăcut micul dejun? (Did you enjoy breakfast?)" I asked. She nodded her head.
"Cati ani ai? (How old are you?)" I asked. She thought for a moment and then held up five fingers.
"Cinci? (Five?)" I asked. She nodded her head.