~Winter's POV~
She was silent.
Hurrying beside me though she limped, obviously injured.
I skimmed through my own injuries, wondering if we shared the cut that scratched down her arm.
A shiver, and she stumbled.
I grabbed her, carefully wrapping my only arm around her side before aiding her to woods that were wrapped around the building we had been trapped in.
She was holding a gun.
I frowned, trying to read what the engraving said, but her hand was shaking too much.
We couldn't stop yet.
Her name.
I knew her name.
What was her name?
I knew it.
It was ten minutes of our feet snapping the twigs beneath us, and pushing low hanging branches away as we walked further away, when she spoke, at last.
"Winter?" It was a croak of a word, scarcely louder than a whisper. Winter... that sounded familiar. I was the Winter Soldier, but my soulmate shouldn't be calling me a soldier. I bristled at the thought she knew how violent I had been in that building.
But she wasn't calling me a soldier was she? Just Winter.
I looked back down at her, seeing how scared and tired she was, and I could almost see how hungry she felt. She was shivering in the top she was wearing, and with a rage that ripped through me, I pulled her into my chest. The Hydra logo was embroidered on the dark fabric.
"I will find us a room, and food, and warmth." My voice sounded gruff; I could feel it scratch my throat.
Her head bobbed up slightly, in the form of a nod. I tried to provide some sense of comfort, a squeeze on her shoulder, but I didn't know if that would help. She relaxed a little, through her shivers, but it was enough, for now.
A quick survey of our surroundings showed the woods stretching to a field behind them. I pointed in that direction, sensing there would be somewhere to shield and a food source for my soulmate to heal from.
It must have recently rained as the ground was flooded, causing the mud to bog and suck our around our shoes to pull us down.
"Put the gun in your pocket." I pointed to the deep one sewn into the calf of the trousers she was wearing. She nodded, and I watched as she shakily slid it into the pocket, before zipping it up.
Luckily, Hydra had the sense to dress us in thick soled shoes, so we could cross the worst of the field in one go. It wasn't until some animals noticed us crossing that I slowed, and manoeuvred her to walk along the hedge rather than be exposed to the creatures. They watched as we walked, but paid us little attention otherwise.
An escape, a way out... I saw a gap in the hedge that we would reach soon if we followed the muddy trail we were already walking along.
Her arm brushed against mine, and I felt my hand flicker.
What was her name?
Neither one of us spoke until we reached the gap in the hedge. I held an arm back, and assessed the location on the other side.
A paved road, a sprinkling of houses with large gardens.
Flowers, and coloured doors.
Almost deserted.
"Do you see anything? Winter?"
I shook my head, and carefully pushed the thorned branches back far enough for her to carefully squeeze past and stand on the path on the other side.
She glanced around, "I wonder where we are..."
I heard her voice, but at the same time, the explosives I left planted around the Hydra base exploded. There was a distant bang, and smoke began billowing over the trees we had just walked through.
She jumped back at the noise, but I caught her arm before she fell back into the road, just as a car drove past. A horn sounded, the driver glaring at us through the window with a look of disgust.
I frowned.
"Which way should we walk? I think we should follow the way the car went, there are more houses, there might be a town and we could find some food somewhere." She babbled slightly, but her face was a wince as she stood. I felt an ache in my own ankle as she adjusted her weight, and a sudden image of us both cramped in the container of a plane, surrounded by luggage burst into my mind.
"Winter," she sounded worried, "are you okay?"
I nodded, and wrapped my arm around her waist, easing her ankle as we began the walk into the town. I was wary of our safety, but she was right that she needed food, and the more public the place, the better source of food there would be. Plus, we had obviously spent time together before today - I must have trusted her before.
I watched as a couple of people wandered past, walking leisurely on the pavement opposite us. They were wearing thick clothes, protecting them from the wind.
My soulmate, in my arms, shivered again.
The people glanced at us, before turning and staring in the other direction.
We walked until we reached more houses, these ones pushed together with fences dividing the walls into different doorways. There were still flowers, the fences painted in pastel colours.
A larger vehicle was following us, trundling slowly. The taup pulled across the open back was fastened down, but I could hear it flapping, the edges slapping the sides of the truck.
Slowly, it pulled alongside, then just ahead of us. It stopped, and an older man peered out. His eyes were narrowed, sharp... concerned. "You two alright?"
I tightened my grip on my girl, and sent him a look.
She pushed my arm, her face turning to look at him. "Where are we?"
"Excuse me?" He looked behind us, "You don't know where you are?"
She shook her head. "Tourists," she smiled weakly, "Lost our map." I stared at her, but she just nudged me with her elbow.
"Edge of East Anglia," he waved his hand in the direction we were walking in, "towards East Midlands this way. Anywhere you need to be?"
I was lost.
"Your accent, are you from around here?" She asked softly. I realised she didn't know where we were either, and this was how she was going to find out.
"Hull born and bred ma'am," he tapped his cap, "bit more north of here. Mind you, your accent is further away. Are you not cold? England must be colder than America this time of year."
"England," she tapped my arm. "Do you know where the closest town is? Or library?"
I stared at her. She needed to be quiet. And what did she need a library for?
"Village library is two streets that way-" he pointed down a footpath a few feet from us. "Take a left at the end then cross the road at the turning. You need anything else, want me to ring someone?"
"No thank you," and with that, she grabbed my hand and pulled me to the path.
"We're in hiding." I muttered, "You shouldn't have spoken to him."
"But I know where we are... kind of, and I need Tony's number so he can get us home."
I slowed down, "Tony?" Who was Tony? Why was she talking about home? We mustn't have come from here, but she has a way home? I don't have a home.
She tugged on my arm slightly, "Tony Stark - he is looking after my Mum and cousin, he can get a plane for us to go back home. They're in New York right now."
I didn't understand what she was talking about. I recognised Stark's name but couldn't place from where. He must have been a previous mission. The thought made me shudder - why would she trust my mission?
We crossed the road to a small building, the door swinging open after she tapped a button on the side.
"Hi," she greeted a woman sat behind a desk. Books lined the wall from ceiling to floor, with paper signs stuck haphazardly on the shelves, "do you have a computer and phone we can use?"
"Follow the shelves to the back left of the library," the woman smiled, "they only work for an hour at a time, before they shut off. Is that enough time for you?"
"Plenty." And with that, she marched away.
I caught up with her as she began searching for this Tony Stark on the computer she had asked to use. With a flash, I recognised his face. Walking down a corridor - in my soulmates building; and walking with a group of others, a big group - very loud and definitely a part of my previous missions.
"We can't trust him."
"Of course we can," she nodded encouragingly at me, "we can trust him, he's looking after my Mum remember?"
I shook my head, "we can't trust him."
She paused, her head tilting to the side, "Why not?"
"He... I've had dealings with him before, we can't ask him for a favour."
"You remember him?" She whispered.
I frowned, "yes."
She looked down, her voice quiet, "You didn't remember him last time."
"Last time?"
She nodded, then shook her head. "Winter, I trust him. And right now, he is our quickest, easiest and safest way home. Please, if you don't trust him, please trust me."
Something hurt in my chest when she spoke. But I nodded, and watched the people who were walking around, making sure they kept their distance from us.
"Hi, I need to talk to Mr Stark please. No, I don't have a meeting. Yes, I know I need... My cousin, Peter, has an internship with him, and he's currently staying with- Yes, I understand. Please, can you just tell him that I'm in East Anglia, in England - no, please don't hang up! You need my name, I'm -!"
I turned to watch as she slowly lowered the phone into its cradle. "I..." her voice was a croak as she looked up at me. "I don't know his number, I can't remember Mums or Peters numbers... Winter I'm so tired I just-"
"Place to stay." I reminded her. "Food, shower, rest."
She looked at me, her eyes flicking between mine, before she nodded. "Okay," she whispered.
I watched as she began typing, clicking, scrolling and searching. She scanned pages as I scanned the room, my hand planted firmly on her shoulder.
"Found somewhere," she nudged me, "they have a shower, bed, and we don't have to pay until we've stayed there a week so we don't have to worry about money just yet." She smiled, almost proud, and I tried to reciprocate the small action. I didn't do it well, but her smile grew wider at the sight.
***
It didn't take long to walk to the Bed & Breakfast that she had found online, and she carefully negotiated the room we were to stay in. I kept my hand on her, eyes surveying the cameras around the reception and the different staff milling around.
"Thank you," she smiled at the young woman who was sat by the front door behind a small desk, before grabbing my hand and leading me away. I checked each corner and made sure we had enough space as we walked around the building, before triple checking the lock system installed in the room.
"They have a shower," she smiled, "we can get clean. And I ordered room service as they stopped serving food at the dining room an hour ago. Someone will be up in a little while with the plates."
I nodded, and checked over the bathroom to make sure no one could attack - there was no window and the vents were too small for someone to move in them. Nothing was visible inside them either, and the place was clean. I nodded as she walked into the room, "I'll give you privacy."
She paused, her face dropping a little, "please can you... erm, wait out here? Right next to the door, I mean, just in case."
She looked hurt, worried and scared. I debated standing inside the bathroom, but she needed her privacy - she was vulnerable.
I nodded, and carefully shut the door. I stood in front of it, acting as a guard as the water began to pour. I heard the sound of movement, shuffling and the placing of bottles on the side after she'd used them.
Someone knocked on the door seconds before the water shut off. I opened it, feeling for the gun I had kept in my back pocket.
A man dressed in a shirt and tie had a cart on wheels beside him. Two plates of food, a pot of tea and mugs, and two smaller plates of a chocolate cake were placed on them. "Room 4?" He asked.
I glanced at the number on the door, and nodded.
"Can I?" He gestured into the room.
I tensed, my soulmate needed to feel safe.
"Just hand them to me." I took the first plate, and put it on the table just inside the door. He nodded, but he couldn't hide his expression when he saw the cuts and bruises all over my right arm, and the lack of my other.
"Thank you." My voice was hoarse and I realised that I didn't recognise those words from my own mouth.
She left the bathroom after I had shut and locked the door. Her hair was damp, and hung down the sides of her face, framing it delicately. The fabric of the Bed & Breakfast gown looked soft as it enveloped her, the warmth flooding out the bathroom door warming her cheeks to a rosy pink.
"I was thinking," she gestured to the shower, "we should use the shower to wash our clothes after you've had a shower. And, if you need help with erm, washing your hair with only..." she glanced at my left side, "with only one arm, then I can wash it? So you feel clean."
Her words twisted around my stomach, causing my heart to beat harder and faster against my chest.
She took a step closer, "Winter?"
"Amelie."
She blinked, freezing to the spot. "You know my name again..."
"Amelie, Amelie... Amelie."
I walked towards her, pulling her against my chest, squeezing her as close and as hard to me as I possibly could. I can't remember our whole history, the snatches of images muddling together as I held her close, feeling her arms wind around my back and hold me as tightly as I held her.
***
~Third Person's POV~
"You're sure she's in England?" Tony walked around the airport in London, on the phone to Avengers Tower. He had received a call from a secretary with a message from a guard from a receptionist that the cousin of his intern was now staying in England. He hadn't managed to get much more information, including the name of the receptionist Amelie had spoken to.
Clint nodded from his base back in America, studying the computer screens in front of him. "We have shots of her in Italy, and then England. A library in... I don't know the village, but it's near the East Coast."
"That's not very specific." Tony rubbed his had down his face, staring up at the black clouds that were covering the sky. "Any towns, anything, Clint?"
"A camera in... The Old Palace shows her inside. Does that help? Entering maybe an hour ago?"
Peter looked up from where he was sitting with Steve and Bruce. "Do we know where she is?"
"Just checking with JARVIS" Tony called over his shoulder.
A fat drop of rain landed between them, then another and another. Within seconds, the heavens opened, and the Avengers were drenched. They ran under cover as Tony ran through the different Old Palace's along the East Coast of England.
Flashes of light broke through the clouds, and heavy rumblings of deep thunder rolled through the sky. Peter winced as he looked up, "I'm not sure we can fly in this."
"You most definitely cannot fly in this." The attendant who had offered the Avengers a landing site stood in the side doorway. "You'll have to drive, this storm is lasting over 24 hours according to all weather reports we've received this week."
"Got it." Tony turned around, then frowned. "What do you mean, we can't fly?"
"It's dangerous." The guy shrugged, "Sorry fellas, but I can't let you fly. Someone could get seriously hurt."
"Is there anyone who could get us there?" Steve asked, "Or at least part of the way?"
"Where are you headed?"
"East Anglia."
The guy whistled, "In this weather it's a good couple of hours, if not longer. The weather won't help the traffic."
"But you can drive us?"
"I can ring you guys a taxi if you want? Be pricey though."
"Money isn't a problem for us," Bruce gestured over his shoulder to Tony who had turned back to his phone, repeating and noting co-ordinates of the spotting of Amelie and the Winter Soldier.
"Wait two minutes."
Time passed quickly, and soon a black taxi was driving around the side of the airport to the awaiting group of Avengers.
Steve winced at the size of it, "Are we all going to fit?"
"Not comfortably." Tony murmured.
"I don't care," Peter looked around the group. "Amelie has been dragged halfway round the world, we have no idea if she's hurt, in danger, or still in Hydra's clutches. She might need urgent medical help, if the Winter Soldier is evil then we need to fix that, and we need to get her home and back to Mum. Soon. So please, can we all just get in the damn car, no matter how many hours it takes, or how many seat there are."
Steve and Bruce exchanged a nod, and carefully the Avengers climbed into the back of the taxi.
"Alright then," the driver adjusted his mirror, "where are we headed off to this evening?"