Winter Wolf *Bucky Barnes Fanfic*

5:Moon Child

A/N: Okay my lovelies! The next chapter!!!

Lupo's nose was going a mile a minute as Bucky brought her to his floor. His scent was surrounding her and she couldn't have felt any better.

She liked it here. They cared about her. Made sure she was always okay. She couldn't think of a better family.

Bucky set her down on the right side of his bed. The side closest to the window. The shade were pulled up, the bright full moon glancing down at her.

Lupo couldn't help herself, she was part wolf after all. Plus she thought Bucky would get a kick out of it.

A loud howl left her muzzle. Her nose pointing straight up, her ears pinned gently on her head. Bucky couldn't help but laugh when he figured out she was howling at the moon.

"You're a little moon child aren't you Lupo?", to answer his question Lupo barked once. Her mouth in a big smile.

Bucky got dressed for bed, telling Friday to let Steve know that he was going to bed. Bucky made sure to give Lupo her night time medications. A delicious piece of turkey. Bucky laid down, feeling Lupo shuffle her body so her head was on his chest.

A chuckle sounded from Bucky. "Goodnight Lupo.", seconds later the two went off into dream land.

But sometimes, dreamland isn't a good place to be.

~~~

Bucky was jolted awake a loud ear shattering scream coming from his side. Lupo was shuffling around in her sleep, growling, howling and screaming. Her legs were moving as fast as they could.

Bucky emediatley told Friday to get Steve and went to wake her up. A loud yelp sounded from her as her stitches tore on her shoulder. Her body was moving the shoulder as if she still had to her leg, causing the stitches to snap.

Blood slowly oozing down onto his bedspread. Friday announced that she had called Dr. Banner.

Steve came in seconds later expecting to see Bucky be the one tortured by the nightmares. Not Lupo. For once, the Captain didn't have a plan. He didn't know what to do.

Bucky tried to shake Lupo awake with his flesh hand, while putting the bedspread on the wound with his metal one. Not caring about it staining. He was more worried about Lupo.

Him shaking seem to do the trick, but it came with a price. Lupo's head snapped around and her teeth latched onto Bucky's hand. Thinking that it was the bad men in her dream coming to take her life.

Bucky jolted back by the sudden pain and shock of what had just occurred. Steve could only grab one of Bucky's discarded shirts and wrap his bloodied hand up in it.

You could tell Lupo was back in the real world because her eyes weren't glazed over. She looked at what she had done, only disbelief and fear were the only emotions showing. Her ears were pinned back. Her mouth slightly a gape. Her shuffling back to get as far away from the people she hurt. Sure she was hurting, agonizingly hurting. But she didn't care about herself.

She hurt the one person who gave her a chance.

Banner, Tony, Natasha and Wanda had run in. Standing still since there wasn't a emediate threat. Bruce got out of his trance and walked cautiously towards Lupo. Who in return only looked at him with a scared look in her eye. Her body shaking from pain and fear.

"It's okay Lupo. Sshh, you're okay. Let me give you a little something to calm you down.", giving the scared animal a quick shot of a sedative to help calm her down and be able to stitch the open wound without her trying to bite him.

Dr. Cross had said that he might want to have a few syringes on hand incase she had an episode. Plus, she's a pain when trying to rest itch her wounds apparently.

Natasha stepped forward seeing Lupo's eyes shut. Pressing down on her shoulder slowly incase she wasn't asleep fully.

Steve had taken Bucky into the bathroom and washed his hand of the blood. Seeing a couple puncture wounds from her teeth in the middle of his hand, he cleaned the wound and wrapped it up in gauze.

When Bucky was patched up, Steve got called by Bruce to carry Lupo to his lab so he could stitch her back up. Bucky closely following behind.

He didn't care that she bit him. She was scared. Tortured by the nightmare. Only acting in defense of whatever was hurting her in her dreams.

He knew how that was. Better then anyone. He understood and would not ever hold a grudge or be mad at her for protecting herself from her nightmares.

Maybe he will use his metal hand to shake her awake. That probably would have been a better alternative to his now pain filled, bleeding flesh hand.

Definitely put the metal hand first next time.

Lupo was slumped in Steve's arms. She could hear what was going on around her, but she was to tired to care. This isn't the first time this has happened. It happened when she was recovering in the vet hospital. It happened in the shelter. The shelter was also told to carry the syringes because of this reason. She was hurting herself more during the episode and her healing would take longer.

Steve had set the large dog down on a metal table, covered in a plush blanket, on her good side. Bruce had gone to get everything he needed while everyone else waited outside. Bucky stayed by the wall, waiting for his hand to heal due to the super soldier serum.

Lupo kept trying to look around. But her head felt it weighed a ton. Steve kept trying to keep her head in one position, but she kept moving it stubbornly. As if looking for something.

An idea struck Steve.

Lupo was looking for the one person who held the biggest place in her healing heart. The one person who gave her a chance when no one else would.

The person that she bit. She didn't mean it. At all. Lupo felt like her world imploded when she understood what she had done. Lupo was scared that he didn't want her anymore. Her ears would be pinned if she wasn't drugged. But the whimpers never stopped coming from her muzzle.

Steve looked to Bucky and nodded him over. His friend slowly walking over. Only one thought in Bucky's mind.

Making sure Lupo was okay.

Bucky walked over and knelt by her head so she could see him. He could see the pain, sadness, and regret in her eyes. Bucky knew she didn't mean it. It was like when he had his nightmares and he turned back into the winter soldier.

Bucky could never blame her for reacting badly to a nightmare.

He put his metal hand on her head, gently ran his fingers through her fur for a few minutes before he started talking. Her eyes never leaving his face.

"It's okay Lupo. It's not your fault. If anyone understands, it's me. You're not going anywhere. You're staying here with us and we will work through it. I'm with you till the end of the line Doll.", a small smile on his face as he saw the sadness slowly faded in her eyes.

Steve couldn't help but feel the fear he had felt earlier slowly slip away. Yes, Captain America was afraid. He didn't know how Bucky was going to react after being bitten. He didnt know if Bucky was going to get rid of her, even though that thought came from left field. But, Steve didn't know what to think.

He's just happy that everything will be okay. It will take time, hard work, and a lot of help. But, everyone seems to love the unique dog. Even Tony.

Everyone was willing to help in any way possible.

Everyone looked up when Bruce walked over with the supplies. He had everything he needed. One thing caught Bucky's eye. It was one Bruce's wrist.

A muzzle.

Bucky was already shaking his head at it but Steve gave him his famous 'Captain' look, and Bucky only sighed.

This was going to hurt Bucky seeing Lupo muzzled.

But, it needs to be done.

Let's get started.