When It Snowed

Chapter 3 - The Ghost

"The thing is, I think it's getting worse." The woman started by looking to her feet. "A cop pulled me over last week, he thought that I was drunk. I swerved to miss a plastic bag. I thought it was an IED."

Steve and Bucky remained in the back of the room listening to the therapy session. The man that they were here for, his name was Sam Wilson. Apparently Steve had met him the other day while on a run, and the two hit it off. They were both looking for people to socialize with, Bucky and Steve both needed someone a little more down to Earth in their lives. Sam seemed like a good enough guy to do just that.

"Some stuff you leave there, other stuff you bring back." Sam began comforting the woman. "It's just our job to figure out how to carry it. Is it gonna be a in a big suitcase or in a little man-purse? It's up to you."

Smiling down to his feet, Steve let out a breath and averted his gaze over to Bucky. The man was interest at all. Instead, he seemed to stare into space just past the meeting soldiers and into the open space of the damp environment outside. It had been raining on and off all day, that type of weather always brought back the memory of their girl to both of them. Suddenly, the meeting before them was released and all participants began to go their separate ways. It seemed that Sam was able to catch sight of Bucky and Steve as his class made heir way out, because almost immediately he was standing in front of them with a smile on his face. "Well look who it is."

"Caught the last few minutes." Steve nodded in approval. "It's pretty intense."

"Yeah, brother, we all got the same problems. Guilt, regret."

Bucky joined in on the conversation. "You lose someone?"

A short introduction was made between the two before Sam continued. "Yeah, my wingman, Riley. Flying a night mission. Standard PJ rescue op, nothing we hadn't done thousand times before, till RPG knocked Riley's dumb ass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. It's like I was there just to watch."

Steve sighed. "I'm sorry."

"After that I had a really hard time finding a reason for being over there, you know?"

Biting his lip, Bucky sighed and looked down at his scared fingertips. "More than you could guess."

Steve carried on to avoid the sadness lingering within his best friend. "But you're happy now, back in the world?" Maybe Sam's response would put him and Bucky on the same track. It had been 70 years and neither one of them had really moved on.

"Hey, the number of people giving me orders is down to about zero. So, hell, yeah. You thinking about getting out?"

"No." They both answered in unison. Bucky took the lead on the next one. "We honestly don't know what we would do with ourselves if we did."

"Ultimate fighting? It's just a great idea off the top of my head. But you guys could seriously do whatever you want to do. What makes you happy?"

At this, Bucky's face fell back down to his hand. Everything he did after that fall, it was all for her. Everything was for Finley. He just hoped that one day he could make her proud of what she sacrificed herself for. He just wanted to see her again, the smile on her face hat rarely came out on it's own.

Steve could see the hesitation in Bucky. Whatever was running through his head, Steve had a pretty good idea of what it was. So, he directed the attention to himself immediately. "I don't know." he answered simply.

That was the truth, without the military, Steve didn't know anything else he could have done with his life. Peggy wouldn't have noticed him if it wasn't for his service, they never would have met, the two wouldn't be here today. Everything that Steve's career was became indebted to two things. Finn and the military. They both made him a good soldier, and one made him an even better man.