Hello Sergeant (Bucky Barnes)

Hello?

October 2012
Bucky's POV

It had taken me a full month longer than I had expected just to get to Washington, DC. I thought it would take me at least a week to find Peggy, but I had a bit of luck on the first day there; her picture on the front of a paper caught my eye. I studied the photo of her and a large blond man running in a park until I knew I'd be able to recognize the park entrance from the picture.

Finding a map of the city, I circled every park, deciding to start from where I was at and work my way towards the Triskelion that loomed over the DC skyline. I only had to walk by three parks before finding the one from the picture. By then, it was getting late, so I found a metal fire escape to climb and made my way up to the roof of a nearby building. I settled in for the night, in position to see the park entrance. My planning paid off, because next morning, well before dawn, Peggy was out alone for a morning run.

I saw her from my perch and followed her over the roofs until she got done running, keeping a distance so I could see if she was being watched. I noted the building she went into and saw her come out again a while later, in different clothes and with a large bag slung over her shoulder. I watched her drive away and realized she was going to work, so her apartment would be empty.

I waited until no one was walking in or out of the building before dropping back down to street level to enter the lobby. There were mailboxes with names on them and I read them all until I found one that was familiar: Sarah Evans, D 4. Peggy had told me that name before; that was the name she'd given me in Russia.

I walked up the stairs, acting like I belonged there, pleased that I didn't meet anyone and the hallway on the 4th floor was empty. I listened to make sure apartment 4D was empty before using my lock picks to let myself in. Shutting and locking the door behind me, I silently worked my way through all the rooms to make sure the apartment was empty and that it was the right place.

The whole place was very neat and tidy, but it had a homey feel to it; this was a place that was lived in and cared for - the bed was neatly made and everything was hung up in the closet. There wasn't much I could use to verify that this was her place other than some mail by the door on a little table that had Sarah Evan's name on it and some photos of Peggy with some other people stuck onto the refrigerator with an assortment of magnets. It smelled like Peggy, though; I remembered the light scent she had worn the last time I saw her.

Satisfied I had the right place, I took off my backpack and settled on the couch to wait for her to return. But the warmth and quiet lulled me to sleep and I nodded off for several hours, waking with a start to find that it was now after 1500, which meant I'd better get cleaned up because Peggy could get back any time now.

I'd noticed a shaving kit in the bathroom closet when I'd been clearing the rooms, so I thought I should start there. I hadn't had a proper shave in a long time, not since before my mission in Kiev and I'd noticed that all the men I'd seen today leaving this building had been clean-shaven.

I set my pack in the bedroom and started taking off the several layers of shirts I had on before getting the shaving things out. I grimaced at my reflection; for as long as my beard was, it was going to take a while to get it all off.

I heard the distinctive sound of keys being fitted into the lock of the apartment door from where I was in the bathroom. I tensed as I heard the thud of a bag being dropped as the person came in, kicking off their shoes as they shut the door and slid the lock. The clink of keys dropping into the bowl by the door, along with clicks of what was probably weapons followed. I knew it was Peggy when I heard her moving into the apartment, her light step slow, then pausing as she realized I was here. I wasn't sure what had given me away, but I couldn't wait to see her again.