Wattpad Contest Entry - 'Contest 21 - Thank You'
Today I woke up and realized that I am thankful for...

X-Bucky Barnes-X
Today I woke up and realized that I am thankful for so much in my life, and although it's been one hell of a ride, there were so many things I've taken for granted. I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm alive, so was Steve my best friend in the whole world - and so was Avery Rogers, my one true love.

I stood there against the window pane, staring out towards the dark-haired beauty that owned my heart. Flushes of my hot breath stained the window, fogging it up - for hours she had been sitting out there, her legs dangled over the ledge but her features showed a massive amount of thought. I knew she wouldn't jump, not only did I believe it, but neither Avery Rogers nor 'The Winter Soldier' would give up that easily. I wouldn't let either of them either, no matter what.

Yesterday's events were still plaguing my mind, haunting my very soul. Avery Rogers; the one true girl I loved with all my heart, broke it with her words and even though I know deep down she didn't mean it - her cold words still hurt. I gripped the engagement ring tighter in my grasp, I hadn't let go of it the moment she placed it back in my palm - I couldn't, I wouldn't. I can't believe that she would really let go of everything we had ... but in her mind, I'm sure she thinking it'll save me from who she's become over this long period of time.

"She still there?" Steve asked me, coming up from behind to the glass window, now standing in the space next to me. I turned to him, and as usual, he looked worried for his sister - who could blame him? I was as equally worried.

"Yeah." I nodded, still feeling numb after yesterday's events, especially when it plays through my mind every waking moment.

Steve started to look frustrated, obviously annoyed he couldn't help his sister - he never did like standing by, not being able to do anything, it's something we really had in common. "Why is she doing this?" He muttered to no one in particular, "She's pushing us away!"

"She's Avery." I said with a knowing tone, lifting myself from the leaning stance, standing up to push my hands inside my pockets. "You know her, we both do - she'll keep pushing us away - to protect us." I paused, looking down sadly. "It's why she broke up the engagement. She kept calling herself a monster, a heartless killer who wouldn't care if I died."

"But 'The Winter Soldier's' gone, Avery's back, right?" Steve looked unsure, sometimes I wished he wasn't so naive. But then, who could blame him? He just wanted his twin sister back.

"That's the problem, Stevie." This is what needed to be known, we were never going to have our old Avery Rogers back - it's one of the reasons why we were being pushed away. Ava's probably thinking this new her isn't good enough for us, but it was, at least we still had her back. And that's one of the main reasons I was thankful to whatever God was out there. "The Winter Soldier is Avery, but just another part of her. That girl out there, it's our Avery Rogers ... but she's also a trained soldier who can kill within a split second. She's never going to be the same Ava we knew, Steve. Not with everything she's been through since her technical death all those years ago."

Steve ran a hand through his hair, "How are we supposed to get to her?" He questioned, not knowing the answer. "If Ava's trying to protect us from the darkness inside of her, you know full well it won't be easy getting her to open up. Let alone let us get close to her. She was always the most stubborn one out of the three of us."

"We'll make her see that she belongs with us." Glancing to Ava, still sitting outside, peacefully unaware we were talking about her right now. "That we'll support her through whatever memories that are haunting her, we'll show her that she's not alone and that she can trust us to be there for her." With a sigh, I put the ring back on the old chain I wore before when I first held onto it. I hung it around my neck, protecting it until the day I will propose again.

I know it will be a while before the relationship builds up to that stage again, but I knew that day would come. I would wait for centuries even if it meant waiting until Avery was ready again. From this day forwards, I will do whatever I can to help Avery through her demons just like she did with me back when we first met. I wasn't down without a fight, and I was going to make damn sure she didn't either.

From this day on, i was thankful for having a love that would triumph over the hardest of things and I was most thankful for having my Avery back in my life.

This is something I will say prayers for ... every night.

This is really something I have never done in one of my stories, but here you get to see what Bucky is feeling right now, well, and Steve I guess. This is actually a ONE-SHOT for a Wattpad competition, but i felt the need to put it in 'Saviours' anyway. I hope you like it ... let me know what you think on my first-person attempt!

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