Wanted

The days didn't feel quite so long and dreary now that things were a little less hostile between the two of them. They weren't exactly 'friends', but they hadn't argued in something like 36 hours - not that Bucky was counting... Much.
Plans had been made to pack up and make a move now that they knew they hadn't been followed. The decision had been made easier by the fact that they were almost out of food and clean clothes. Anna's DNA sample had been sent off and Bucky had made arrangements to set up a PO box so their new address for the next couple of days would remain under wraps once they got there.

Anna had fallen asleep on the couch for the second night in a row, having boycotted the 'spider room' as it was now referred to, much to Bucky's annoyance. She'd refused the offer of a bedroom swap, assuring him that the couch was fine, feeling it unfair to take his bed. He'd been tempted to pick her up and just put her in the bed after she'd fallen asleep, but decided against it now that they were finally on 'okay' terms with one and other.

Why rock the boat, right?

He'd done the gentlemanly thing and thrown a blanket over her, and if there had have been a door intact to his bedroom, he would have left it open in case she needed him for anything. He'd started to fix both bedroom entrances, her door and frame not as damaged as he first thought, his bedroom however, would need repairs right down to the framework... He made a mental note to sort that out ASAP, and a second mental note to watch his temper in the future.



Noise outside pulled Anna from her deep sleep, realizing there was an unfamiliar car in the driveway. Her stomach turned over when she heard people out the front, one man on the porch rifling around, and definitely another one out by the car. She sucked in a breath as she watched a bulky, dark shape approach the window, casting a shadow over the floorboards as he got closer.
Anna wanted desperately to get up and run, or call out to wake Bucky, but stayed quiet and frozen in fear where she was, as to not draw attention to herself.
"Anna... Close your eyes and don't move a muscle" Came the low, familiar voice behind her as if answering her prayers.
She swallowed hard as she heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked behind her, Bucky obviously ready to take on anyone who dare threaten them. Her blood ran cold at the thought of an impending gunfight, her heart racing faster the closer the intruder got

The man on the porch peered in through the window, cupping his eyes for a better look. Anna closed hers and held her breath, awaiting the sound of gunfire that never came... She hoped his view in had been obscured by the wooden blinds on the inside of the window, and suddenly regretted not closing them all the way earlier in the night.
The porch creaked underfoot as the man backed off, obviously heading over to the next window to see if he could see anything, Anna letting out the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

She heard Bucky let out a steady breath at the same time as he stepped out from his hiding place in the shadows. For such a heavy, bulky guy he hardly made a sound as he darted around to her, took her hand and wordlessly pulled her to her feet and whisked her into the bedroom. He pushed her into a dark corner, ordering her to stay put as she listened to the sounds of rustling and zippers as he dressed. He stepped over to her, handing her what felt like a knitted sweater and dropped boots at her feet quietly, telling her to put them on. The boots were her own, fortunately they were still in Bucky's room after her dip in the lake on the first night, and going by the ridiculous size of it, the sweater was his. She pulled it over her head and pushed the sleeves up enough to free her hands, thanking her lucky stars that she'd fallen asleep in a pair of leggings, rather than the shorts she'd had on the night before.

"You okay?" He whispered, taking in her trembling, frightened demeanor.

She nodded, trying her best to be brave despite feeling like she wanted to hide under the nearest bed and cry. A warm hand wrapped around one of hers and held it tight as he wordlessly led her through the dark house. Anna was grateful for his impressive vision in the dark, if she was honest she couldn't see a damn thing - something that would have made this situation ten times scarier if she was on her own.

It was strange how comforting his hand was, wrapped around hers, their fingers interlocked. It was only a couple of days ago she was scared to death of him, his presence alone sending chills up her spine. Things had changed so much in a short amount of time, she wouldn't have admitted out loud that she trusted him - but here she was now, in a potentially life or death situation, following his lead without question.

Bucky led them down the hallway, stopping when they got to the end. He pressed her against the wall so he could peer out the back door, looking in every direction, and pulling away from the glass when he spotted something.

He pulled a silencer from his pocket and casually screwed it to the end of his gun as he looked over both shoulders, Anna watching on cautiously. The two of them made eye contact again, Anna's stomach tightening when he reached behind himself and pulled another gun out.
As if reading her thought process, he cocked a smile before taking her hand and placing the pistol in it, closing her fingers around the handle.

Anna let out a nervous breath as she took it, gawking at it as if it was a grenade that was about to go off, her hands trembling like crazy. Bucky frowned, ducking his head to look her in the eyes, noticing the worry in her expression. He suddenly came to the realization that she not only had no idea what to do with a weapon, but she was scared to death of it, too.

Christ...

"You haven't used a gun before!?" He whispered in disbelief, Anna shaking her head as she handed it back, embarrassed.
"Sorry..." She said with a shrug, biting her lip.
 "No it's fine, don't worry about it. Stay behind me, you'll be safe." He said sympathetically, giving her shoulder a quick, reassuring squeeze.
"Are we leaving?"
"Yep"
"We didn't get the car packed... Our clothes-"
"I'll get you new ones"
"You don't have to-"
"-Shhh..."

Bucky shoved the spare pistol back down the waistband of his jeans and carefully opened the door, turning to Anna with a finger over his mouth. She nodded her head, not needing any more prompting to stay quiet.
They slipped out onto the back porch, staying under the cover of the shadows, Anna making an effort to step lightly and stay as quiet as he was. His hand tightened around hers when she shivered, the bitter cold a stark contrast to the warmth of the house.
Movement around the front of the house brought them to a stop, Bucky pushing her behind him protectively as they pressed themselves against the cladding. He glanced over his shoulder, checking on her before continuing along until they got to the front porch. They ducked down to hide, both men in clear sight standing next to their car which was still running, the headlights shining through the fog. Next to it was the old station wagon which Bucky had 'borrowed' the night he took Anna from the bar.

He  looked around again before his eyes settled on the men again for a few moments while he quickly formulated a plan.
"Get ready to run..." He whispered to her, his lips almost touching her ear, "Get in the car and stay low in case they shoot"
"Oh my god..."
"You'll be fine"
"So, their car?"
"No, the wagon"
"Wouldn't it be quicker to take theirs? It's open and already running"
"Yeah - but it might have a tracker, and they'll know the make, model and plate numbers."
"Good point"
"Not my first rodeo" He said, giving her a playful smile and a wink that made her heart flutter and cheeks dust pink which she tried her best to hide. Her eyes darted to his gun as he raised it, getting ready to go, Anna suddenly worried again.
"You're not gonna kill them? Are you?" She asked, her free hand resting on his forearm to get his attention again.
"I'm not gonna kill anybody... Not if I don't have to..."
"Okay, good..." She breathed, giving him a nod.

He reached under the porch, finding a chunk of cement under one of the stilts and hurled it into the trees across the yard, followed by a second one. Anna raised her brows, quite impressed for a moment at the distance he got.
There was a rustle when it hit a tree, just enough to make a little noise and shake the snow out - but it was enough to catch the attention of the men.
Bucky's metal arm shot out in front of her the second the cement chunk had left his hand, keeping her still, hidden, and protected in case the men decided to come at them, Anna's heart racing as she waited for their reaction.
Much to their relief, one of the men signaled to the other and they took off running into the woods, guns out and ready to give chase and fight.

Bucky yanked Anna to her feet and they ran like hell to the old station wagon, staying low while he unlocked the passenger side and pushed her in. By the time he'd gotten around to the driver's door, Anna had leaned over and unlocked it for him, Bucky flashing her another quick smile as he shoved the key into the ignition and started the car.

It started with a load groan, Bucky having to give it a hard rev to wake the engine up, catching the attention of the men who started shooting at them.
He shielded Anna, yelling at her aggressively to stay down as he threw the car into first gear, taking off hard down the driveway, making the wheels spin. Gunfire rang out, at least three shots hitting the back of the car before they accelerated out of range, Bucky's eyes glancing up at the rear-view mirror.
Their attackers leapt into their car and quickly gave chase, Anna's heart thumping wildly in her chest as she threw her seat-belt on and gripped the door handle, glancing over at Bucky for a moment. He changed gears aggressively as they pulled onto the main road, absolutely focused and determined as they accelerated hard. The car slid a little in the ice, Bucky handling it like a race car driver - barely batting an eye. He glanced over at Anna for a split second and again in the mirror as he short-shifted back down to turn down a dark road, turning the headlights off as he did.
They sped along in the dark, Anna going from nervous to absolutely petrified as her grip tightened on the handle. The engine roared, Bucky letting the revs creep up high before every gear change, picking up as much speed as he could.

"Hang on..." He warned, Anna obeying him as he hit the brakes, making a series of tight, fast turns that led them down a bumpy, gravel covered track through the woods. They came to an abrupt stop, Bucky reversing the car into the scrub where they both sat silently, eyes glued on the lights from the other car as it slowed, too.
Through the trees, they could see it come to an eventual stop, having never left the main road. It turned around, heading into the woods in the other direction, slowly getting farther and farther away.

Bucky and Anna sat and watched, neither saying a word until the headlights of the other car were long gone. When he turned to her, she was hugging herself, teeth chattering and body trembling from top to bottom. He frowned a little, not sure if he was more worried if she actually okay, or at the fact that he was so concerned for someone else...

Anna looked up, realizing he'd been looking at her, but for once not being worried about it. She let out a breath and held his eye contact, not sure what to make of being attacked and chased.

That certainly hadn't happened in a while - definitely not since she'd moved out to Ely, Minnesota. Things had been great since she'd changed her identity, started a new job and a whole new life. Great until now...

"Are you alright?" He asked, already knowing she'd lie, but feeling the urge to break the silence. Her lips parted only to close again, Anna swallowing hard to keep herself from losing it right then and there. She let a breath out and nodded to him as she tried her best to steady her breathing.

Bucky sighed as he started the car back up, looking over at her when her body tensed up again. He turned on the heater, his hand hovering over the vent till it warmed up. He pointed the outlet at her, Anna's eyes meeting his again as she let him take her hands and hold them up to the heat.
"You're freezing..." He muttered, not knowing what else to say... "Let's go find somewhere warm to stay for tonight"

Anna nodded appreciatively, staying quiet as he let go of her hands and took the wheel, the car pulling back onto the road with caution.

Neither of them spoke as they sped through the night, eventually pulling up at a small motel several towns over. The gravel crunched under the tyres as Bucky stopped the car in front of the office. Anna had fallen asleep during the drive, her plump lips still blue over chattering teeth, despite the heater having been on.
Her eyes crept open when the engine was cut, squinting at the bright light they were parked under as she sat herself up straight.
"Where are we?" She mumbled, still half asleep.
"At a motel, I'm gonna see if they have a room for us..."
"Okay"

She watched as he got out, locking the door behind him before knocking on the office door. The desk clerk startled awake, almost falling off his chair. He shook his head, gesturing at Bucky that there was no room for them, before flipping a switch to light up the 'no vacancy' sign and pointing at it.
Not one to be turned away empty handed, Bucky pulled out his wallet and slapped several $100 bills up against the glass, piquing the interest of the clerk who opened the door. There was a brief exchange, Anna watching, trying to work out what was being said. The clerk took Bucky's cash and gestured for him to follow him to a supply cupboard where he pulled out several pillows and quilts, and handed them over. He also shoved a few things into a bag and handed it to him as well, an apologetic look on his face.

Bucky approached the car, Anna leaning to unlock and open the door for him. He threw his armful of bedding onto the back seat and got back into the car, tiredness showing on his face as he started the car and turned to her.
"Looks like we're camping out tonight" He said, somewhat defeated.
"At least we'll be warm" She said kindly as they pulled out onto the main road.

They drove for a little while, Bucky pulling the car off a secluded looking side street that wound up a fairly wooded hill. It'd been quite lucky they were in such a densely treed area, surrounded in national Parks. There had been reasonably good shelter from the snow which was still falling, which had kept the roads and tracks fairly accessible.
They eventually pulled into a park entrance and found a safe spot where they'd be well hidden until morning.

Bucky turned the car off, getting out to open the back door and fold the back seats down, making a bed up for them. Anna watched on awkwardly as he removed his boots and Jacket before getting in and closing the door behind him. He slid under the cover, propping himself up on an elbow and patted the space beside him.
Anna smirked, leaning over to lock his driver's door before making herself comfortable again in the passenger seat. Bucky chuckled, shaking his head at her as he pushed the loose hair back from his face.
"Seriously?" He asked, raising his brows at her, Anna shyly looking away for a moment.
"I'm fine here, It's like 3am - we'll be up in a few hours anyway"
"Okay, then you take the blanket" He said, reaching down to pull it off himself, Anna putting a hand up to stop him.
"No!"
"No?"
"No. You stay there, with the blanket. I'm fine here - you're the one who saved our butts tonight... You're already cramped up back there, last thing you need is me taking up any more room..."
"You know you're an idiot... Right?" He teased her, Anna suppressing a laugh as she cocked her head at him, "I didn't spend the last couple of hours getting you to safety, only for you to freeze to death on my front seat."
"I won't freeze-"
"Anna?"
"Yes?"
"Shut the hell up, take off your boots and sweater, and get over here right now"

Anna let out a breath, knowing he wasn't going to give in. There was something completely endearing about him when he was like this, and despite herself, being warm and safe next to Bucky sure beat the hell out of being cold and out of his reach should something happen...
She rolled her eyes, undoing her boots and pulling them off one by one, followed by the oversized sweater. She swallowed hard as she climbed over the console and nervously laid beside him, getting under the cover and resting her head on the pillow next to him.

"You can breathe, you know" He chuckled, teasing her as he reached up to turn the interior light off, the car plunging into darkness. Anna's eyes took longer to adjust that she would have liked, the lack of stars or bright moonlight making it even darker than she thought it'd be. It was an especially overcast night with the occasional bout of sleet and snow coming down, not the best night for camping out in a rattly old car.
"I am breathing..." She sassed back, hugging herself as she shivered under the blanket. Bucky settled his head on his pillow, the both of them laying face to face, having to wriggle to find a way to lay where they weren't touching - something that was proving difficult in such a small space.
"I should have found us a bigger car... There was a stretch Hummer there, but they're a real bitch to park, y'know?" He joked, Anna actually laughing a little, "Anna Pierce, is that a smile!?"

She laughed again, covering her face shyly. She went to turn away, her knees knocking into his, Anna sucking in a breath and apologizing.
"It's fine"
"I just knee'd you-"
"I hardly felt it..." He reassured her, looking back into her shiny, nervous eyes as he paused to think, "Look... I have an idea that might make things a little more comfortable..."
"Okay..."
"Don't think I'm making a move on you or anything..." He started, "but how about you roll over and sleep with your back against me?"
"You're not making a move on me, but you wanna spoon?" She asked awkwardly,
"Believe me, if I was making a move, you'd know about it" He joked, lightening the mood again, "Call it what you want... But I'm a lot taller than you and I need leg room without worrying I'm going to squash you in my sleep, and you need warmth, so it's win-win. It also means I can react quickly if something were to happen during the light, and with swinging weapons, the safest place you can be is against me..."

Anna looked away for a moment as she thought about it, her chattering teeth helping push her towards an answer. She looked up at him, her expression completely vulnerable and nervous.
"Okay... Sounds like it could work, but I swear to god-"
"You don't have to say it. It's fine, you're safe with me I promise" He assured her again, watching her as she swallowed hard and blew a breath out.
He rolled onto his side, and gestured for her to come lay with him, Anna taking the plunge and scooting over and closing her eyes as she laid down. She held her breath as his flesh arm wrapped around her from underneath, the metal arm draping over her protectively.
"Anna, breathe..."
"I'm trusting you, here..."
"I know you are..."

She let out the breath she was holding and tried to relax a little, admitting to herself that it was a huge improvement in both comfort and warmth. Bucky tucked his knees up behind hers as he pulled the blanket up, and dared to relax a little himself. He had to admit, it was nice having someone to hold and keep safe.
As the minutes passed, so did most of the awkwardness, Bucky suddenly remembering his gun and reaching behind to pull it from his waistband. Anna watched as he reached over her with his metal arm and shoved the pistol under her pillow where he could grab it quickly, before wrapping his arms around her again.
"You still alright?" He asked, feeling her tense again.
"Yeah..." She started, "It's not you... Guns make me nervous"
"I noticed earlier... I'm gonna have to help you with that" He offered, "Nobody better to learn from..."
"I appreciate it, but I don't think that's such a good idea - by nervous I meant 'terrified' - I'd end up shooting my foot off"
"You can't hide from everything that scares you"
"It's worked pretty well so far"
"Well obviously things have changed... Someone has it out for you, and coming out as a Stark is going to put a target on your head - well, an even bigger one..."

Anna paused, letting out a sigh as she considered his words.

"...I didn't even think of that... I thought being a Stark would ensure my safety?"
"Everyone in that building will do their best to keep you safe, but Tony has a lot of enemies, too. If they find out he has a daughter, you become an attractive leverage option..."

Anna's breathing picked up and she found her hands gripping Bucky's forearm as her mind went over a thousand scenarios...
"You don't think that someone else out there knows, do you?"
"It's possible?"
"I mean I might not be Tony's daughter, it might all be bullshit - we don't know for certain until the DNA comes back... But if I am her... What then?" She asked, rambling now.

Bucky tightened his arms protectively around her, Anna closing her eyes, feeling reassured from just being held...

"Don't worry about it..." He said, "I'll teach you how to protect yourself, and until the day comes that you can do that on your own... You'll have me right there to watch your back. That's a promise..."