You'll Never Walk Alone

02

A man laughed as the door was opened by an employee, and said, "I mean... Thank you." Three people walked through the door. "Oh... Well, that's done."

"Yeah," the woman agreed, glancing at her watch. "Half hour before last call?"

The man turned. "I can't, guys. I have to prep for tomorrow's session."

"Really?"

"You..." the other man began. "Ooh!" He chuckled.

A man grunted as he was yanked through a wall of art from behind.

The Winter Soldier burst through the hole in the wall and the man grunted.

Men grunted, groaned and spoke in Russian as the Winter Soldier killed them with a knife and gunshots rang out as they were shot.

The Winter Soldier grabbed a man by the throat and walked forward.

"Hail HYDRA," the Winter Soldier said as the man slumped to the ground.

The man who had tried to leave earlier glanced back to see the Winter Soldier. He tried unlocking the door as he muttered, "Shit."

The man's hand was shaking, and he couldn't get the key into the keyhole.

The Winter Soldier sauntered toward the man.

His breath trembled before he said, "Please." He panted and stuttered, "I didn't see anything. I didn't see anything. I didn't see anything."

The Winter Soldier shot him point blank.

---

Mattie's eyes shot open and she breathed heavily as she sat up. Bucky stirred, feeling the shifting and called softly, "Doll?"

Mattie looked away. "I'm okay, Buck."

He sat up, shaking his head. "No you aren't. You keep waking in the middle of the night. Mattie, I wish you'd talk to me."

"I can't. It... It's too much.

"Then let me bear that load with you."

She shook her head. "It's a terrible load."

He cupped her cheeks, stroking them with his thumbs. "Doll, whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be here to listen, okay?"

She nodded and cuddled closer to him. Bucky put an arm around her and held her.

---

"So, Miss Watson, are you still having nightmares?" Dr. Raynor asked. Mattie stared at her blankly. "Mattie, I asked you a question. Are you still having nightmares?"

"No," Mattie replied in a deadpan tone.

"We've been doing this long enough that I can tell when you're lying. Well, you seem a little off today. Did something happen recently?"

"No." Mattie shook her head slightly.

She looked at Mattie. "You're a civilian now. With your history, the government needs to know that you're not gonna..." She balled a fist and shook it slowly. Mattie nodded, understanding. "It's a condition of your pardon. So, tell me about your most recent nightmare."

"I didn't have a nightmare."

Dr. Raynor breathed deeply, pulled out her pen and clicked it.

"Oh, come on," Mattie said. "Really? You're gonna do the notebook thing? Why? It's passive aggressive."

Dr. Raynor looked at her again. "You don't talk, I write."

Mattie let out a frustrated sigh and said, "Okay. Okay. I crossed a name off the list of amends yesterday. Don't worry. I used all your three rules. Bucky was proud. Senator Atwood."