The Winter | Bucky Barnes Fanfiction |

Chapter 1

In upstate New York, the weather had just started to change. Fall was descending onto the small, sleepy town. Where once there grew green leaves, shades of orange and yellow started to find their place. The greenery would soon settle into place all across the area, and soon after that snow would come to tuck them into their final resting place.

It was early October, if I remember correctly, just weeks after the Autumn Equinox. My eyes fluttered open to a dimly lit room. The light, a street lamp that rested peacefully at the street below, was being filtered through a thin set of curtains that were hung from the wall. It was half past five in the morning when the alarm clock on my bed side table turned on the local radio station. I laid in bed for a while, both trying to decide if it was worth to to get up and listening to the morning host talk on the radio. I pulled back my comforter, and started to get ready for the day.

I had given my house a much needed cleaning the day before, and on the way to having a spotless house, I locked up all of the valuable breakables in the library. I was by no way used to having a patient in my house, let alone one that could be particularly combative. I shivered at the thought that my guest could put a hole in the wall of an almost two hundred year old house, I didn't dare think about any other particular disaster that could happen. I was almost tempted to protect the stained-glass windows with styrofoam.

My day was spent gathering supplies, making up guest rooms, and insuring that the house was the cleanest it had ever been. Then, when I was done, all I had to do was wait. I opened up the French doors that led to the porch, and past the porch were the five acres of land that the sprawling Victorian was nestled in. I sat with a cup of tea and a book waiting for the pair to arrive.

Soon to be staying was the one and only Captain Rogers. This particular super soldier; however, was not the one that I was most concerned with. The man that would be under my care for the foreseeable future would be the one and only James Buchanan Barnes. I mulled over what little information I knew about him as I stirred the sugar into my tea. He was truly going to be a challenge.

The sun had just started to set when I heard the car coming up the drive. An inconspicuous black car rolled up to park just beside the house. I dog-eared my page and stood up to greet them. I adjusted the white sleeve to my dress knowing that I must have looked like a ghost standing against the dark green paint of the house. I straightened up and drew in a deep breath just as they stepped out onto the red brick of the driveway.

"Captain Rogers," I walked closer and watched as he pulled two bags of luggage out of his trunk.

I turned to face the other man that stepped out of the car, "Sargent Barnes."

Bucky shot me a cold glare, I could feel the tension and distrust come off him in waves. I wouldn't let the natural animosity shake me.

He had to be about a foot taller than I was, the both of them were, but there was something about Bucky that gave off another level of intimidation. An imposing aura that Rogers just seemed to be lacking was made up for by his darker counterpart.

I kept a small smile on as they walked up the steps to meet me. Steve was more willing to trust me, and he even flashed me a quick smirk as he made it to the porch.

"I would like to welcome you both to my home," I walked to the open French doors, and stopped just before going through. "My name, Sargent, is Dr. Magnolia Amherst. Feel free to call me whatever you would like, although most people find that Maggie will suffice."

He gave me a nod in understanding, and I allowed them into my home.

"It's nice to see you again, Dr. Amherst," Steve whispered to me as we walked into my living room from outside. I gave him a soft smile as I closed and locked the doors behind me. He and I hadn't seen each other since just before Loki's attack on New York City, they had brought me in to help the Captain assimilate into the twenty-first century. I was truly grateful to see him again in one piece.