-𝙾𝚑 𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚝- 𝙸 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚑𝚒𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚖𝚢 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚝 𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚟𝚎 -𝙸 𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 '𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛'; 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍-.

Nat's POV

-Have you heard?- Susan said making me jump.

I was so focused on my paper work that I didn't hear her approach.

-Heard what?- I asked.

-The Winter Soldier, the famous criminal, has been seen near your house!- she said -You can come to my home if you don't feel safe there, no problem!-.

Oh no... If Bucky had been seen near my house then... Then I was the first person that police would have wanted to meet.

-Dr. Romanoff?- Dr. Wood said entering my office -There is a policeman herr for you, he wants to ask some questions-.

-Yeah of course!- I said and my two friends left.

The policeman was a young man, more or less of my same age.

-Good afternoon Miss, it won't take a lot I promise- he said closing the door and sitting in front of my desk - I am Detective Barton-.

-Nice to meet you. May I ask you why are you here?- I said.

-Yeah of course! Well, you may have heard about the criminal called Winter Soldier-.

-Should have I?-.

The only way to not hurt Bucky was to act like I didn't know anything.

-Well he is a famous criminal, wanted in all the world. We have seen you near your house so I wanted to ask you if you noticed something- he explained.

-No nothing, everything is as usual- I said smiling.

He nodded and I noticed that he was looking at the scar on my wrist.

-How did you make that scar?- he said pointing to my wrist.

-Oh I don't like to talk about it- I said hiding it with my shirt sleeve -I imagine you have heard about the case of 'the butcher'; well I was the last girl he tortured-.

-Oh I am sorry! I didn't know it was that- he said.

-It's ok- I said -So, more questions?-.
-No, I finished! Thank you for your help and call me if you notice something unusual- he said giving me his phone number.

-I will!- I said and he finally left.

My hands were cuffed and I was chained to the wall, my arms above my head. I felt footsteps coming from the door in front of me and I knew who was arriving.

I was in a sort of basement with no windows, only a little grate that I used to understand if it was day or night but even if I used to scream no one would have heard me because the house was in the middle of nothing.

The door opened and a man appeared: he was around fourty years old, tall, big; in his hands he had a knife and I already knew what he was going to do.

-So, how do you feel today?- he asked caressing my cheeck.

I didn't answer and he laughed, showing me his knife.

-You know what this is, do you?- he said and seeing that I didn't say anything he slapped me -Do you?!- he yelled.

I nodded, starting crying.

-Good. Now let's have fun- he said.
He closed the door and put tape on my mouth.

I screamed with all the breathe I had but he didn"t stop, I tried to move, to escape but the only result I had were my wrists hurting even more.

He started his work while I felt ashamed and I prayed that someone would have found me quickly.

-No!- I yelled and jumped sat on the bed.

My breathe was heavy and I jumped a little when I felt Bucky's hand on my shoulder.

-Hey- he said -It was only a nightmeare-.
He started caressing my back and after a few moments I put my head on his chest, starting crying.

Today that policeman asked me about the scar I have on my wrist and... It made me live again those moments...

-You want to talk about it?- Bucky asked.

-He... he used to chain us and... And then... Sometimes he tortured us, sometimes...- I said shaking and Bucky hugged me.

-I am so sorry- he said.

-You know what is the worst thing? He is goong to be free soon and he knows I am alive, he will come take me again- I said.

-I will protect you, even if I have to kill him. If I have to go to prison then it will be for a good reason- he said.

I hugged him and we both fell on the bed. I fell asleep with my head on his chest and his arms around me.
For the first time I felt really safe.

****