The Kind You Save

Chapter 2

Instead of heading straight home after work, I change my course to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. The group of museums have been some of my favorite haunts since coming to D.C. but I've not visited this particular one as much as the others. I hope something a little different will help me shake off the looming tension from my day at The Triskelion.

Perusing the exhibits, I end up wandering into the ever-popular Captain America attraction. Despite working at S.H.I.E.L.D. I have yet to see the super-soldier in person; though I have strict instructions from Harper to slip him her number if I ever do.

Browsing through the different sections of the exhibit, the display of The Howling Commandos catches my attention. When I first visited this place, the display became one of my favorite parts of the museum. It showcases the men behind the hero, the ones who also had a huge part in defeating Hydra. It makes me glad that they get the recognition they deserve.

My eyes roam slowly over the photos of them all as a group, then over their individual names and photos. I do a double-take when I notice it. A memorial to the only one killed in action. I can physically feel the color drain from my face as I realize who I'm looking at. James Buchanan Barnes, the best friend of Steve Rogers.

My mind is swirling with a thousand jumbled thoughts, but none make any sense. This was the man standing in Mr. Pierce's office today. I am utterly sure of it.

Bucky Barnes is not dead.

I can't stay here. I'm trembling with the realization of what I've just seen, but I should tell someone, shouldn't I? Who would I even tell? I need to get home and figure out exactly what to do with this information.

Turning to leave the museum, I run hard into someone's chest.  The man catches me before I tumble backward, holding me until I right my footing.  Looking up to apologize and thank him for catching me, I look into the eyes of none other than Steve Rogers himself.

"Are you alright, miss?" he asks. "You look like you've seen a ghost," he adds teasingly.

If you only knew...

"Yes, I'm fine," I answer a little breathlessly. "I'm so sorry for hitting you. I wasn't paying attention." I shake my head, trying to shake off some of my shock. "And, thank you for catching me."

He answers with a lighthearted smile. "Nothing to worry about, it's a crowded place."

He knows I recognize him, even though he's trying his best at a disguise, I see it in his eyes. His casual clothing and ball cap seem to work well enough though. No one else seems to notice the hero, all too busy to stop and actually see the things going on around them. To keep up the privacy he so obviously desires, I thank him again and politely wish him a good day without bringing any more attention to him or who he is.

The sight of my apartment dimly lit in the setting sun is a welcome sight. It isn't too far from the city center but in a very quiet neighborhood of townhomes. It's a little on the small side but I love it since it's just for me. A small, quiet place of my own is just what I need while trying to adjust to life in a bustling city like this.

My phone rings as I walk through my front door, kicking my heels off in the hallway. I couldn't be more relieved to finally be home, and alone, so I can process the day's events. I answer the phone without looking at the number, thinking it must be Harper again, but it's an unfamiliar voice on the other end.

"Hello, is this Miss Chambers? This is Jennifer from the dance studio you visited, I was calling just to make sure everything was okay. We were looking forward to having you at dance class this evening."

I mentally chide myself. I'd finally decided to find a studio locally and take up dancing again but it had slipped my mind entirely after today.

"Yes, it's me! I'm so sorry, it's been a little crazy at work lately and I completely forgot. Please don't write me off yet, I promise I'll be there next week." I assure her. She lets me know she understands and politely wishes me a great week before hanging up, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Immediately, I head for my bedroom, ready to change into old black leggings and a sweatshirt; something much more comfortable than my office clothes.

Tired of them being in my face, I pull my brunette curls into a ponytail as I make my way to the grey couch, picking up my laptop as I sit. A quick Google search brings up more about Bucky Barnes. After closely studying the photos, I am even more certain he was the man with Mr. Pierce today. From a little more research through the darker corners of the internet on a man with a metal arm, and putting two and two together, it would seem he is now a ghost story that instills fear in even the hardest of criminals; an assassin for the terrorist organization known as Hydra. The Winter Soldier.

And somehow my boss is entangled in it all.  

Bucky Barnes is not only alive but does the dirty work of the very group he helped to fight during World War II. But, why?

Now that I have the information I so desperately thought I wanted, I don't know what to do with it. I almost wish I could unlearn it. Sometimes you're too observant for your own good. Harper's words from just this morning echo in my mind.

"Well, this has to be one for the books," I say into the quiet of my apartment.

Glancing out of the bay window behind me, I think I see movement in the shadows across the street. Not particularly fond of the thought of being unknowingly seen or watched while inside my home, I get up and close the curtains. I'm stopped in my tracks when I turn around, sheer panic has the scream dying on my lips as I realize what I'm looking at.

Standing just across the small living room from me, wreathed in the shadows of my dim apartment is The Winter Soldier.