FROSTBITE | S. Rogers/B. Barnes (FINISHED)

Shattered

"I don't know what happened," Bruce cried out, "he should be right here!"

"James," she mumbled, tears threatening to spill, "where is he? Bring him back, Bruce!"

"I can't," he said, "He's not there."

Janie's fingers found their way around Bucky's forearm. He glanced at her, unaware of how she'd inched towards him. Her nails pressed hard into his flesh, creating red marks that would stay there for several more days. All color drained from her face and the young woman momentarily found herself unable to breathe.

"Please," she begged, struggling to speak between sobs, "please bring him back."

"Janie," Bucky whispered, "c'mon. You gotta breathe, girl."

She looked at the reflective glare of the sun that cascaded over the water, and a figure seated on one of two wooden benches made her heart stop. She thought she'd rather have a house collapse on top of her because at least then, she wouldn't have to deal with the scene unfolding in front of her. She'd rather be smashed in the rubble than be forced to experience this grueling feeling of mental shards of glass in her cuts, cutting her open from the inside.

Bucky followed her gaze, cursing under his breath in a language Janie couldn't understand. She didn't hear him anyway, because her ears were ringing so loudly she couldn't even think straight. Hell, it was like the air turned stagnant and time had frozen completely now, just as it had done for Steve when he went into the ice.

"Sam," Bucky shouted, "go talk to him. I'm taking her home, man."

Janie screamed, tears welling in her eyes when she realized who it was she was looking at. Her vision blurred quickly, now allowing her to only see the vague outline of the man she'd seen just seconds ago. He wasn't the same anymore, she could tell immediately, and seeing his graying hair and slouching posture was worse than seeing him in a casket.

"Hey," Bucky said, grabbing her face with both hands, "look at me, look at me. C'mon, focus on me right now. You're panicking."

Sam walked towards Steve with his head shaking and he pinched the bridge of his nose to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Janie allowed Bucky's arms to engulf her and to hold her up so she wouldn't collapse onto the grass. The metal felt cold against her bare shoulders, but all she could feel was her heart breaking into a million pieces and his breath on her neck. Steve heard her crying behind him but didn't turn around to look at her. He knew what he had done, knew it would take her a long time to understand why he'd done it, but he was certain she would one day thank him for his decision, even if it would take her years to realize it.

"I got you," Bucky mumbled as he coaxed her inside the house, away from the old man she thought she loved, "you're okay."

He was horribly uncomfortable but refused to let it show. Bucky understood what Steve had done, but the crying girl in his arms had lost the man she was in love with forever and there was no turning it back. She reminded him nothing of the woman he'd met under the influence of HYDRA, her tear-stained face offering a stark contrast to the cold gaze she'd given him when she first extracted him from his prison cell.

She mumbled incoherent sentences, fingernails digging into her palms so hard it stung. Bucky held her upper arm tightly to keep her up until he set her down on the couch. A pitiful look washed over his features while he went to grab their jackets, slipping on his own in a swift motion and draping hers over Janie's shoulders. He grabbed her again then, slinging her purse over his shoulder before walking her to the car. He tossed the bag onto the backseat and Janie allowed him to strap her into the seatbelt.