Red Hand Annie

Only Red

Setting: two months later-September; the diner is still closed, the apartment above- Bucky's p.o.v.

I wake tired, and to the sound of Zima crying in the crib near the bed; I get out of bed and wipe the sleep from my eyes as I make my way over to her...

"What's wrong snowdrop?" I ask lifting her from the crib, "did you have a nightmare?"

The moment she's in my arms she seems to calm down as I sit back on the bed as I hold her; it's been two months since we got the call about Red. I don't know how to run a diner, so I haven't even bothered opening it; Red's kid has yet to be brought back. I lay down on the bed and let Z rest on my chest, I fall asleep with my real hand resting over her tiny form and she doesn't stir through the rest of the night. I wake again to the sound of someone knocking at the door to the diner below and carefully put Z back in the crib...

"J. A. R. V. I. S," I call as I step out of the bed room and grab a knife from the kitchen for defense just in case, "Who's at the door?"

"..." no reply

"J. A. R. V. I. S?" I call again

"..." still no reply

"Stupid robot voice," I grumble as I head down into the diner

I flick on the lights and squint from the brightness at first; I stumble at first as another knock-more like banging-comes on the door again. The moment I unlock and open the door, a very familiar dark haired woman starts to collapsing to the ground in front of me. I manage to catch her before she can hit the ground, and it's as I'm taking a closer look at her that I realize why she's so familiar...

"Red," I mummer

A million questions are going through my head as I carry her through the diner and up to the apartment above it, I lay her down on the bed and head back down stairs. After checking the time, I pick up my burner phone and call the first number I think of...

"Hello?" They ask groggy

"How fast can you get here?" I ask

"Is everything alright with Zima?" They ask right away

"Yea, she's fine," I reply, "can you just get here? Something you're gonna have to see to believe just happened."

"On my way," they say before hanging up
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(Pepper's p.o.v.)

"On my way," I say before hanging up the phone

I push myself off the bed, and quietly get dressed as Tony and Howard still lay sleeping; Howard's been sleeping with us ever since we got him back. Too afraid to sleep alone in his own room, not that I mind; I head downstairs and leave a quick message for J. A. R. V. I. S. to give Tony if he wakes before I get back. I walk the short way to the diner and Mr. Barnes is quick to answer the door before I can even knock...

"What is it?" I ask as I slowly make my way inside

"Up stairs," is all he says before leading me up there

He leads me up the stairs, and back into the bedroom; my eyes widen in shock and disbelief at the sight of Annie lying there on the bed...

"..." I close the bed room door quickly and turn to him, "What's going on?"

"I don't know," he whispers back, "I woke to knocking on the door, your stupid program didn't answer me when I asked who it was and when I went to see,l he tells me, "There she was, collapsing the moment open the door."

"J. A. R. V. I. S!" I call out as we head towards the kitchen

"Yes Mrs. Stark?" He replies

"Get Tony on the line," I ay, "I don't care if he's awake or not."