Come Back To Me- Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier

Chapter 6-Stark Industries

Anya's POV

1991

The ringing became tedious these days. The amount of times that I had to stand outside in the cold of late fall waiting for my calls to go through made me want to give up on the endeavor entirely. The phone clicked symbolizing someone picking up the call. "Stark Industries. Office of Mr. Stark. Hilda speaking." Hilda was a nice person I guess but when I heard the high-pitched tenor of her voice, my skin crawled.

"Hey Hilda. This is Anastasia Ivanov. Is Howard available?" I knew he was. Every time I called I knew that I would be able to talk to him. It was set every time in his calendar. But still she asked....

"Is Mr. Stark expecting you call?" I rolled my eyes looking up at the sky. Trying hard not to be sarcastic with her.

"Yes ma'am." I mimicked her voice leaning against the stone wall.

"Let me connect you." The phone clicked again followed by elevator music. Whenever I needed to wait for Howard to pick up, my mind always wandered. I had been working here for a little over a month. Hating it along the way but only because I felt like there was always someone's eyes on me. I blew out into the air watching as the cloud floated up into the sky.

"Hello Anya." The familiarity of his voice made my fear disappear. Howard was a sign of safety.

"Uncle Howard." He let out a small laugh continuing.

"How may I help you sweetheart?" He was always willing to help. Always willing to make it easier for me. Even when everything was pointing to the difficult side of a situation.

"There's something off about this place. They let me work but barely anyone is allowed to work near me. There's constantly a guard around every corner on the way to my bedroom but no where else. They are smuggling something in and out of the compound in a glass chamber." I paused realizing that I may have been talking too fast for him to take it all in. "I swear. I saw someone trailing me yesterday, Howard." Howard let out a drawn out, seemingly exhausted, breath before continuing.

"When was the last time you talked to your mother?"

"What does this have to do with it?" I was getting frustrated. Something that has seemed to be coming to me a lot lately.

"Please answer, Anastasia." He was trying to care. At least I can say that much about him.

"I try almost every day but all I get is static and at most five minutes of an actual conversation."

"You are homesick. Probably trying to find a reason for me to bring you home." I didn't realize I was crying until it became apparent that the cold tears were running down my face.

"That's not what this feels like."

"If in a month you absolutely hate it there then I will do my best to get you out immediately."

"Is that a promise?" I said standing up straight and turning towards the phone.

"Of course. I would never want you to be unhappy. Your dad would come back and haunt me until my last breath." I laughed wiping my cheeks. "Hold tight, sweetheart. I will find a way for you to talk to your mom on our next call."

"Thank you." He gave me a rushed goodbye before the line cut off. Slowly, I placed the phone back onto the receiver. Howard wasn't one to be sympathetic. I was dumb to think that he would be.

~~~~~~

Present

"I would really appreciate it if you answered our questions." Bruce looked down at his clipboard. All the answers that I was giving to him were written on the forms. There weren't that many answers. "The rest of them are already drawing assumptions from your files. I would hate for you to be seen in any misleading way." I shook my head. There was nothing misleading. I did the crimes and, for the most part, i was conscious.