My Dear Enemy (Bucky Barnes fanfic)

Chapter 21

His feet felt numb, as did his arms. But he kept trudging forward, until he was further and further from the base, not resting until he felt safe again.

Tall pine trees towered over them, and once in a while, some snow would come off and fall onto them; sometimes hitting Bucky, sometimes hitting Rose, who didn't look so good. Her usual olive complexion now faded and her skin resembled the snow. Her breaths were getting shorter and slower. Bucky knew that he had to get her to safety as soon as possible.

The cold wind smacked against his face, making his vision blurry and dry. Aside from that, he couldn't feel his limbs. He wasn't even sure how long he was walking for. Rose was getting heavy in his arms, and he put her over his shoulders. Although she was unconscious, he could still feel her slow, weak breath down his back.

He noticed that the sun was starting to set. Normally, he would enjoy the beautiful colors that streaked across the sky. But there was something about his frozen face and Rose's dying state that made him just a little bit troubled. The only comfort he found was the fact that he wasn't at that Hydra base anymore. He knew Russian, and as soon as he found a village he would be able to communicate and get Rose medical help. He was also trained well and knew how to fight; so if anything happened, he knew they would be alright.

All of this time to himself made him think about Anya. Formerly his teacher, he couldn't stop but feel terrible. He was supposed to get her out alive, and he failed her... and left her, where she no doubtetly died alone. But if she didn't help Bucky formulate the plan, and if she hadn't shot a few of the guards, he wouldn't have been alive. He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he didn't take Rose. Would Anya still be alive? And what would have happened to Rose?

Tears began to fill his eyes, making his vision even more blurrier than it already was. But he noticed something different... it looked like... lights! He squinted, and his thought was confirmed. Way off into the distance, there were faint lights, probably belonging to a small village. Knowing that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, his pace quickened, and soon he was running through the snow.

That is... until he tripped over a branch. He landed face first in the snow, and Rose landed with her back facing down a few inches away. He brushed the snow out of his hair and stood up.

Walking over to Rose, he noticed the snow absorbing her blood, making a red outline of her body. He patted her cheek slowly to see if she was still conscious.

No response.

Then, he put his thumb on her wrist and measured a weak pulse. Sighing, he picked her up again and resumed his path.

~

The first building he ran to was very run down, with broken windows and peeling paint. But it had lights on; it was their best bet. He slammed his shoulders against the door, forcing it open, and was immediately greeted with warm air coming from a fireplace.

"Pomogite! Ona nuzhdayetsya v pomoshchi"! he said in Russian, asking for help.

He found a table and swiped the paper cups and plates off with his arm. Then he placed Rose down.

All of a sudden, an older woman came barging out from a door on the side.

"Kto ty! Vitti!" She yelled, demanding to know who they were, then yelling for them to get out.

"Pozhaluysta..." He pleaded.

He then began to explain all of her injuries.

(A/N- this is all in Russian but for the sake of understanding I'm writing it in English)