1997

Cassandra sat her kitchen table, shivering in the cool breeze that her open window blew in. She took a bite of the roll she was eating, and looked out the window. She stood up, and turned on the sink, filling her cup and taking a sip.

Something fell over outside her door. Then there was a small scream. Cassandra ducked behind her counter, grabbing a large knife from the knife block across from her. Someone pounded on her door, and she slowly and quietly stood up, raising the knife above her head with one hand.

She heard breathing, and threw the knife at the figure behind her. She expected to hear the squelching noise of knife hitting flesh. Instead she was met with the noise of metal hitting metal.

Cassandra whipped around, and froze. The Winter Solider. James. Her brother. She didn't see the man take a gun from his side, and pulled the trigger at her head. Cassandra flipped out of the way, landing on her back over the coffee table.

"Дерьмо!" She yelled.

She kicked up, jumping to her feet. He threw a punch at her, and she caught his hand, sending a wave of force through her arm. Cassandra grabbed his wrist, using her knees to hit him in the chest. She punched the underside of his chin, and kicked him where the sun don't shine. He groaned and bent over, and she took advantage of his pain, hopping on his back and elbowing him on the back of his neck.

The solider reached back and grabbed her arm, yanking her forward, onto the dinner table, which somehow held her weight. He wrapped his metal hand around her neck, squeezing it tight enough to block the air, but not hard enough to snap it. In her moment of panic, she punched and kicked the metal, which didn't work.

"James," she rasped quietly.

Her brother's blue eyes widened, and he slowly let go, enough for her to kick him in the stomach. He went flying backwards, and hit the wall. Without warning, a bullet came zooming towards her, and nailed her in the chest. She stumbled backwards, and hit her head on the window sill.

Cassandra stood up blood falling from her chest, her head spinning, the floor swaying. She pulled a pistol from her back, scolding herself for not using it earlier, and aimed at her brother. Against her better judgement, she decided she'd shoot to kill, this was really getting on her nerve.

Her fingers trembled as she slowly pulled the trigger. Cassandra immediately regretted her decision when she pulled the trigger, but thankfully, her aim was off by a lot, due to the amount of blood she was slowly loosing. James took advantage of her delirious state, and kicked her out the window.

The glass shattered all around her, getting tangled in her hair, sticking into her skin. She fell down like a rock, unable to stop herself, or grab onto anything. The people walking by jumped out of the way when she hit the ground, she could barely register the sight of the window she'd fallen from, but she saw the glint of a metal arm in the broken window right before she blacked out.

•••••••••••••••

Cassandra blinked in the heavy light of the hospital room. She noticed colors in the corner of her eye, and carefully turned her head. Flowers and cards lay on the table, along with a tall glass of water and a jar of pills.

She let out a short, painful breath. Her head felt like it had been hit with a rock multiple times, and her chest hurt like, well, like she'd been shot.

Cassandra felt around for something she could use to call the nurse, or a doctor or someone. She finally found the button, and she pressed it, waiting for someone to explain what had happened.

The door opened quietly, and a woman in blue scrubs entered the room. She had brown hair and kind brown eyes, and she looked to be about twenty-five or so.

"Hello Miss Barnes, how are you feeling?"

Cassandra opened her mouth, but no audible sounds came out. He cleared her throat, putting a hand to her neck when the pain of coughing came.

"As good as I guess I can be," she said slowly and quietly.

The woman nodded, softly pressing two fingers to her neck, taking her pulse. She handed Cassandra the glass of water and a pill, motioning for her to drink it.

"It's a painkiller, it'll make you feel better."

Cassandra was skeptical, and wanted to say how she'd heal in a few hours because of the serum, but she couldn't go around saying that. Howard was the only one to know about both serums in her body, aside from Peggy, and Frank, and Klaus. Frank was older by now, maybe he had been the one to send The Winter Solider after her for being a traitor, it couldn't have been Klaus, he was dead.

She swallowed the pill, wincing when it went down her throat. The nurse handed her the glass of water, and she took a small sip.

"I'm Annie, by the way. Uh, there were some people here to see you, I'll go see if they're still here."

Cassandra smiled weakly at Annie and nodded. Annie smiled sweetly at her, and closed the door. Cassandra reached for one of the cards at the table, trying not to disturb the IV plugged in her arm.

She looked at it, a crease forming between her eyebrows when she read the card.

I'm sure you don't remember who I am, and I didn't remember who you were until a few days ago when Peggy found me. I have no idea how you are so young still, but frankly, I don't much care.

Hope you feel better, - Dorothy Underwood

She had to do a double take at the named signed at the bottom. Dorothy? The little girl she'd left sixty-something years ago? How old was she now?

Cassandra's still semi-delirious thoughts were so rudely interrupted by the door opening again. Her nephew, Tony, walked in looking tired. But then again, so was she.

"Hey Tony," she said quietly.

"Can I really call you 'Aunt' anymore? Technically we're the same age." He said.

Cassandra smiled, and she sat up carefully.

"Technically I'm like seventy-nine, so yes. You can still call me 'Aunt Cassandra'." Her voice was starting to return a little more.

Tony sat down on the bed, and looked at the wall. She put a hand on his shoulder, and he put his hand over her's.

"Please don't ever do that again. I already lost my mom, I can't loose you too." Tony said sadly.

"I promise I won't." She said, leaning over to give him a hug.

ya know what? i actually liked the chapter, and i feel proud of it. there wasn't a lot of dialogue, which annoys me even though i do it so much, and i just felt like it was a good chapter.

and i know, the dottie part was a little strange, but i felt like putting her in there one last time.

i love you 3000-