Saving Grace (A Captain America/Steve Rodgers Fanfic)

Chapter 2: On the Road

Chapter 2:  On the Road

I hear sirens in the distance as I put my light travel pack in my trunk along with my laptop. The Winter Soldier watches me silently.

"Ummm, are we going to leave and am I driving or you?" I ask quietly, looking into his cold blue eyes that held essentially no emotion. Creepy.

"You drive and I will direct you." He stalks to the passenger door and gets in.

I quickly dash to the front seat and start up the car after putting on my seat belt.

"Which way? Right or left?" I ask the Winter Soldier without looking at him.

"Right and straight until I tell you otherwise," comes the cold reply.

I turn right and drive several miles before he says, "Turn left in one mile, onto the road beside the pharmacy."

I drive and turn where he said until I get two miles down the road and he tells me to get on the highway, going north.

I pull onto the highway and drive for about three hours before he says, "Get off at the next exit."

I change lanes and exit the highway, driving slowly down the exit ramp. I pull into traffic and he surprisingly says, "Choose a fast food restaurant after you fill the car up with gas."

"I'll pull into Sheetz and then go to Chick Fil-A if that's okay with you?" I ask, preparing to change lanes.

"That's fine," he replies curtly. Then, "What is your name?"

"Kar—Aurora," I pull into Sheetz and get out to fill up the tank. "Hey, I'm gonna use cash so I will be right back."

"You have two minutes."

I nod and jog into the store and go up to the cash register. I quickly pay for the gas and head right back out to the car and fill the tank.

I glance in the car and the Winter Soldier seems to be tapping his fingers impatiently. Finally, I finish up and grab the receipt and get back in the driver's seat.

"On to Chick Fil-A now?" I turn to him and ask, and he nods his head slightly.

I pull into the Chick Fil-A parking lot and ask, "Can we go inside? I really need to stretch and go to the restroom."

He nods and I park the car, grabbing my purse but leaving my phone. We walk in, probably looking like an unhappy pair of siblings or an unhappy couple, either works.

"I'll be right back," I inform him as I head to the ladies' restroom.

I use the restroom and then wash my hands, pausing to send Isi a message of yellow light—yellow light means 'I am fine,' blue light means 'I am having a great time,' green means 'I am physically injured,' and red light means 'I am in eminent danger.'

I hurry out of the bathroom and over to the Winter Soldier who is waiting for me.

"Ummm, I'll order if you want. What would you like?" I look up at him since I am really short at 5'4" and everyone is taller than I am, well mostly.

"Whatever you get for the meal and water for the drink."

I nod and get in line. Soon enough, I order getting two regular sandwich meals, one with lemonade and the other with water. I get our food and return to the Winter Soldier who is now in a booth.

"Here's your water and your food," I sit opposite him and dig into the delicious chicken sandwich.

He smirks slightly at how fast I'm eating and slowly eats his sandwich, almost delicately.

I quickly finish off my sandwich and drink some lemonade. I glance at my lemonade and then at the Winter Soldier and back again, "Would you like to try some of their lemonade? It's really good."

He glances at me and the drink then says, "Sure."

The Winter Soldier takes a small sip of lemonade and then a bigger one.

"Hey! I do like my lemonade! Don't drink it all," I give him a glare while I start on my fries.

He now gives me a totally smug look and snatches some of my fries.

I raise my eyebrow at him and slowly take one of his. He chuckles.

I smirk right back and quickly wolf the rest of my fries down before he can take another.

After we finish eating, I ask, "So are we gonna keep driving, tonight?"

He nods and gestures for us to head out to the car; standing up, he walks over to the door and holds it open for me.

"Wow, chivalry isn't dead, kinda funny that a kidnapper shows more chivalry than most people these days," I mumble under my breath and say louder, "Thank you."

I walk to the car and turn on the ignition. The Winter Soldier quietly gets in the passenger seat, and I back the car up and pull out of the parking lot.

"Which direction?" I ask him.

"Straight for another mile or two."

We drive in silence and then he says, "Pull over here onto the dirt road and drive straight for half a mile and then stop."

I follow his directions and then put the car in park. I look over at him and he simply says, "This is where we stay tonight."

"Like, in the car or is there a motel that I'm not seeing?" I raise a questioning eyebrow at him.

"In the car."

"Fine. I'm taking the backseat," I grumble and quickly vacate the driver's seat by clambering into the backseat, never leaving the car.

After laying in complete silence, save the noise of the forest around us, I ask, "Why me? Out of everyone in that café, why me?"

The Winter Soldier sits in silence for a few moments and then reclines the passenger seat some, "Because I did not want Hydra to have two more puppets. And before you deny it, yes, I know about your ability and your friend's, but it was very hard to find the two of you after that fool of an agent cracked the branch in the forest a month ago."

"You...you were there? And h-how do you know that it was me? I mean, what special ability are you talking about?" I stammer, staring at the back of his head.

"Yes, and because I watched you add a little something to the note for your friend with the ink made of light."

I silently curse and ask, "Why would you not want Hydra to have 'two more puppets'? I thought you were Hydra?"

"Strucker, one of the leading scientists of Hydra, is experimenting on humans who volunteer or already show unique abilities. No one should be forced to go through that Hell. And I am no longer Hydra, but I will not go to S.H.I.E.L.D., at least, not yet, not until is gets really bad."

"Oh, and why me, not Isi?"

"Yours is the more dangerous and useful ability, the ability to manipulate light. Think about it, you could be the perfect assassin or assassin handler, no one would ever see you, not even technology," the Winter Soldier states quietly.

"So how long am I going to be on the road, or with you?"

He turns around to face me, "Until you have honed your abilities to protect both you and your friend. I will also teach you hand to hand combat, it might prove useful to you later."

The Winter Soldier turns back around and I ask one final question, at least for tonight, "What's your name? Or a name that I could call you?"

He stays quiet for a few moments, "Bucky."

"Thank you, Bucky. Good night."