The Falcon's Saviour

Chapter Two

Five weeks after Katie saved that Avenger she's all but forgotten about him. There was no news about him, nothing came into the station about it, so she just let it go. She has more important things to think about. The blonde wearing pigtails sat at her kitchen counter is the most important priority. Katie sets a cereal bowl in front of Poppy who brushes her Scarlet Witches' dolls hair, the tv playing the daily news. Katie likes mornings like this, mornings after she's been at work but she's made it home to see Poppy for breakfast and then see her off to school. Being a single mom and a cop is hard work but she likes to think she's doing it well. Poppy is happy, healthy and incredibly smart.

...............

Katie grabs her keys as she pulls on her jacket and looks around for her daughter. She finds her crouched with their Rottweiler, Denny, taken in for when Katie can't be home, taken in to protect Poppy. She and the dog are the bestest of friends, Poppy chuckles a little listening to Denny as he makes yaps and barks in conversation. Poppy being able to talk to animals just strengthens that bond between them.

"You two talking about me?" Katie asks teasingly as Poppy smirks a little and ruffles the dogs head.

"No" she assures her mother. "He was just asking if we could go to the park later"

"How about after school?" Katie asks pulling Poppy's coat around her. "We'll make a stop in Central Park, have a run-around...?" Poppy nods enthusiastically. "But you have to go to school first" Katie adds poking Poppy's nose, she giggles and nods. Katie grabs the dog leads from the peg on the wall before attaching it to Denny's blue-collar, the dog's tail wiggling away. Poppy pulls on her little backpack and then takes the lead from Katie. "You got him?" Katie asks, Poppy nods confidently. "Right, let's get a move on" Katie kisses Poppy's head and then leads them both out of the apartment locking the door behind her.

..............

Sam hates being stuck in a wheelchair. Day in, day out, stuck in the chair. Two weeks since he woke up and five days since he was given the all-clear to leave the medical room but told to use the wheelchair to let his spine and legs heal a little more. He's all set to start physio next week so he hopes he'll be out of the stupid thing and back on his feet. But Bucky loves it. He's found his new favorite toy. Pushing Sam down the halls at speed and then riding on the back of the chair. Sam and Bucky have actually, for some reason, become closer since Sam's accident. Bucky leans closer to Sam.

"Tell me about her" Bucky pushes. "Your mystery woman" Sam scoffs.

"Why so you can laugh at me like all the others?" Sam asks, Bucky shrugs.

"If anyone is going to believe you don't you think it's going to be the semi-insane brainwashed screw up?" Bucky asks back, Sam glances to him. Bucky raises an eyebrow.

"Fine" Sam looks forward again as Bucky steers them past Wanda who screams and jumps out of the way glaring at the both of them. Bucky chuckles glancing back at her.

"Sorry" Bucky offers, she shakes her head and heads off down the hall. Bucky turns back to Sam. "Tell me; what does she look like?" Sam shrugs.

"No idea" he answers. "It's more of a smell" Sam admits. "I think it's her shampoo or her...laundry powder or something...." he sighs. "It's warm lavender, as if the suns been on the plant all afternoon...." Bucky smirks.

"You're in love with her smell" he teases, Sam tries to reach around to smack Bucky, but the assassin dodges his hand. "Joke, joke" Bucky manages through his chuckles. "We can't really find someone on their smell" he mumbles more to himself.

"I think she's enhanced too" Sam offers. "I think she healed me...." Bucky hums listening as they turn a corner.

"Narrowing it down" Bucky adds.

"But that's all I've got" Sam argues and sulks a little; all he wants to do is find this woman and thank her.

"What about hypnosis?" Bucky offers, Sam frowns and looks to him. "We see more then we remember, maybe going back to that night will offer more...."

"Huh" Sam breaths turning to think on it. "You think Wanda will do it?" Bucky shrugs a little as he pulls the chair to a stop outside of Sam's apartment in the facility. "Maybe she can clear it up a bit...."

"You can ask..." Bucky offers. "You need help getting in?" He asks, Sam shakes his head and opens his door.

"Nah, I got it from here" Sam wheels himself inside. "Hey" he stops and looks back at to Bucky. "Thanks, man" Bucky nods and then heads away, Sam closes the door behind him.

................

Sam sits in his wheelchair looking out the living room window at the gardens of the facility. He gets a waft of that lavender again. Even when he's sat doing nothing it's here. Like he's being haunted by it. The way it's still everywhere. Every time he turns his head that smell is there. When he wakes. When he goes to sleep. He needs to find her. To get it all out of his system. He sighs and glances to his hand, stretches his fingers before curling them into his palm again, the hand she'd held, he can still feel it glowing warmly. He knows he didn't make her up. He knows it.

................

Katie loves watching her daughter when she runs around the park with Denny. When the birds are following her singing. She's the picture of a Disney princess, and Katie loves seeing her so relaxed. Other people may look at her weirdly but Poppy doesn't care so Katie doesn't care. Katie looks to her side as one of Poppy's bird lands on the back of the bench Katie raises an eyebrow.

"Shouldn't you be with your friends?" she asks teasingly, the bird tweets back at her and moves to sit on her shoulder. Whilst she herself can't talk to animals like Poppy, they seem to sense a sort of acceptance in her like they do with Poppy, meaning they won't attack her or poop on her. Which is always a good thing. Sitting there, one her own, in her own little head, she lets herself think about the Avenger she saved. The Falcon. She's seen him in his suit, with his wings, and she always admired him, knowing he's just another human, another human in a uniform, it makes him seem something more. She supposes there must be something about him that's 'super' or he wouldn't be an Avenger.