James Barnes' POV
She's been quiet too long. She's fine. She's sleeping. No, she isn't, this is Mila we're talking about. I stand up from the sofa and open the bedroom door. Mila jumps and lays down on the bed "Mila, I can see you moving." She frowns and sits up "Why aren't you asleep?"
"Why aren't you asleep?"She repeated. I lean in the doorway and she holds up the journal to me "Can you read to me again, dad?" I take the journal and tuck it under her pillow.
"Bed, Milana. No more games," Mila rolls her eyes and pulls the blanket up. I gently push her hair from her face "Did you have another nightmare?" She nods. I hate that she still worries about what happened to her. She's only a child, she needs to act like it again.
Mila looks at me, she sits up "Did you get hurt again?"
"Just a little bit," I was hoping she didn't see me stitch myself up. She frowns "I'm fine though, look at me," She cringes making me laugh "You need to sleep." Mila crawls over and puts her arms around my neck. "Are you okay?" She shakes her head.
I carefully pull her off and peer at her hands. They were all cut up from her nails, "Are you mad at me?"
"Nope."
"Promise?"
I nod "I promise," She sits on my knee, with her head low. I don't know how I can help her. It's hard to explain to Mila why she's different from other children and why I won't take her to the park.
Her blue eyes stare at me as she wraps her little arms around me again. I kiss her head, "You have to sleep, Mil. Please?" She rolled her eyes but lays on the bed again. I bring the blanket over her shoulders and kiss her head "I love you Milana."
"I love you dad," I smile and turn off the light beside her. She yawns and finally closes her eyes. I shut the bedroom door and then take my place on the sofa again. I look down at the photo of Mila when she was first brought into the lab.
The newspaper slips off of the window. I roll my eyes and pick it up, peering outside. I could see the drug store still open and two other people walking through the snow, extremely drunk.
I tape the newspaper back on the windows and lock the door. The gun was sticking out of the drawer beside me and I know there are two others in the apartment.
This isn't where I wanted to be. Sonny was nice enough to let us hide here for a few months. After his kindness runs out, I don't know where we could hide. Mila needs a home.
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The sun cracks through the small gaps in the newspaper, hitting me in the face. I roll my eyes and turn onto my back staring at the ceiling. Mila will be awake soon. Her bedroom door opens as she tries to sneak over to the couch. She jumps onto me and tries to scare me again.
I smile at her. I reach down and pull her onto the sofa with me, "Did I scare you?"
"Oh yeah, you got me good," She smiles in success and hugs me again. I sit up, "Do you feel better?" She nods.
"I dreamt that we went to the park, and I made 100 friends. Then we ate chocolate cake and you threw up on the carpet." Mila sits up and sighs "I'm bored. Can we do something fun today?"
"It's raining."
Her face scrunches up "So? We can play in the rain."
"No Mila. You just got over a cold."
She rolls her eyes and lays on me again. I roll my eyes as well and put my hand on her back "Dad," I hum "Am I bad a person?" I look down at her "I have dreams about hurting people," She whispers "I hurt a girl in my dreams. I didn't want to, but I did."
"You're not a bad person, baby," I sit up and hold her.
"Then why can't I play with the other kids? What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing," I look at her and push her hair from her eyes "There is nothing wrong. You're just a little sick." She didn't look happy. I shrug "Mila, they're just bad dreams," I kiss her head "I have bad dreams too. Whenever that happens, I just take a deep breath and take a break. Mila you're going to be okay. I'll find someone to help you."
"But what if they can't?" She shouldn't be afraid of things like this. There has to be something I can do to help her. There has to be someone.
"They will. I will, I'm going to fix this," I smile at her "Don't worry about anything. I'll always protect you." She nods slowly, hanging her head again. I put my finger under her chin "Mila," She faces me "You are going to be okay. I swear." I kiss her head and pick her up walking to the kitchen "Are you hungry?"
"I don't want soup."
I put her down and open the cabinet "Well how about some cereal? Or chocolate," She looks at the food packed in our cabinet and her eyes light up. I take out her favourite cereal and watch her tear it open and pour it into a bowl. I smile.
She sits on the floor in front of the TV. I take some for myself and sit on the sofa behind her. She begins reading words from her dictionary and telling me what they all mean.
Then her face falls "Dad," She whispers "Someone is at the door." I turn around and stand up.
"Mila go to your room and don't come out until I say so." She runs to her room and I hear the lock click. I push the table in front of her door and take out the gun.
Our front door slowly opens, I turn to the person in front of me and hesitate. I know him. I stand back and watch as he comes into our home.
He faces me. It took a moment to place his face to a name. I take a deep breath "Steve?"
