Winter's Sister

Prologue

"Don't let go, Bucky," I begged, my feet hardly reaching the pedals of the bike.

"Calm down," Bucky laughed. "I've got you!"

I looked up at my big brother as he held onto the seat of my bike, running beside me. I was six, and he would be turning sixteen in three days.

"Watch where you're going," he commanded. Then, seeing his best friend, Steve Rogers, he let go and began waving excitedly with both arms.

Almost immediately, I started to wobble. My front wheel hit a large rock, and I went flying into the gravel.

"Crap," Bucky muttered as I sat up, tears in my eyes. He and Steve jogged over to me. "You ok, Ree?"

I shook my head violently. Both my knees were skinned and bleeding, and my palms and forearms stung. Bucky sat beside me and pulled me into his lap. He did his best to shush me as Steve pulled tiny pebbles from my bloody knees. The side of my right knee had been cut up  by broken glass. It was painful.

"We should go see my mom," Steve suggested. "She can bandage Ree up." Ms. Sarah was always patching up Steve and my brother.

Bucky nodded and had me climb on his back. While he carried me, Steve pushed my bike alongside him.

In the end, all that was left of my biking incident was a scar on the outside of my right knee.

Things really began to change when I was eleven, and Bucky joined the army.

"I get to go kick Nazi butt," he bragged to me and Steve, but I didn't understand what was to brag about.

"You always get into fights with bullies," I commented from my spot on the kitchen counter. "Why would this be any different?"

"Because these bullies carry guns," Steve replied, standing beside me and rolling his eyes at Bucky. He had been deemed 'too small' to join the army.

Bucky smacked Steve on the side of the head. "You don't just go telling my little sister about guns!" he admonished.

Steve held up his hands in surrender, and I laughed at the two. They had been friends since before I was born. I didn't really have any friends myself, because Bucky had a reputation for being the town 'punk'. Bucky said they were scared he would beat them up. So, naturally, I adopted my brother's best friend to also be my best friend, even if he was nine and a half years older than me. Steve didn't seem to mind. He said he had adopted me as his little sister.

"You, time for bed," Bucky said, pointing at me. He was in charge because Dad was out drinking somewhere.

"But, you already said you'll be leaving before I get up!" I wined.

"I know," Bucky sighed. "But you still have to go to school in the morning, Little Bit."

I frowned. I didn't like school. Too much sitting still. But worse, Bucky was leaving for boot camp tonight.

"Hey," Steve said, nudging my side. "You listen to your brother, and I'll take you for ice cream after school."

His effort to cheer me up didn't work. Tears formed in my eyes as I jumped off the counter and threw my arms around Bucky's stomach. He held me tight, smoothing out my hair with his hand as I cried. Finally, he knelt down in front of me.

"Ree, I'll be coming back, I promise," he said gently, placing his forehead against mine and looking me right in the eyes. "I have to go. To serve my country, be a hero. But I will be coming back. For you."

"And Steve," I stated. "You'll be coming back for Steve, too."

"Forget Steve," Bucky joked, and Steve snorted. "Who needs Steve? You're my baby sister. I will always be right there with you if you need me. In your heart."

I held out my pinky between us, sniffling a little. He smiled and wrapped his pinky around mine, kissing the top of my head. I could've sworn I saw a tear in his eye.

"Goodnight, Bucky," I said. "I love you."

"Love you, too," he replied. "Goodnight."

I said goodnight to Steve and went to my room. I fell asleep rather quickly, as it was already late. By the next morning, Bucky was long gone.