Ice cream had been a mandatory celebration the following day. A celebration for Bucky, who had left on the train that morning, his hat waving lazily out of the window as he said his final goodbyes. Suzy had messily cried on his uniform and he ended up having to pass her over to Steve to ensure that he could actually jump onto the train before it left.

And, of course, Steve's enlistment had been the other reason to celebrate. Once Bucky had left, the two of them had taken the long walk from the station to their favorite ice cream parlor and had sat across from one another in the window booth. Steve had told her to order anything that she'd like and she'd tried to insist that she pay for her own milkshake, but he had remained adamant, "No dame should have to pay for her own milkshake, Suze. Especially not a dame as beautiful as you. Buck would kill me if I let you pay."

She choked slightly on her chocolate treat, looking up at him through her lashes. "I don't know what it is that you're seeing Stevie, but I'll take the compliment. And thank you, by the way, for paying. Although, I wouldn't have told Buck if you'd let me pay. What he doesn't know doesn't hurt him." Winking, she continued to sip on the milkshake while it remained cold.

"Although," she cut him off as he began to open his mouth, continuing to look through her lashes, "I do think that you should have told him about your enlistment." She had noticed earlier that morning that Steve had not yet told her brother about his recent news. It hadn't been her business to tell Bucky, so she had kept quiet, but she was concerned that he hadn't said anything. After all, Bucky deserved to know if his best friend was putting his life on the line.

Steve was silent for a moment, and she watched as his mind whirled. Finishing up her milkshake and crossing her arms, Suzy waited patiently for his answer.

"I didn't- I guess, well… I just didn't know how to tell him. He's been so worried about you joining, and then he's gotten so frustrated with me over my wanting to be a part of the war, and I guess I just didn't want to make it worse. I wanted him to go and join the forces without having to worry about his sickly little friend back home."

Suzy gave Steve a stern gaze, biting on her lip as she did so. "Was that really your call to make, Steve?"

"Do you think that I did the wrong thing?" His voice was frustrated as he lifted his arms, as if to say 'What would you have done, then?'

"I think that Bucky would have liked to know. No matter how much grief he gives you, he still wants you to do what makes you happy. And he'd like to be able to know where he's going to be writing you letters."

A sigh of trepidation. "Yep. You're right. Of course you're right; you're his twin."

She smiled warmly, brushing off her skirt and sitting up higher. "Woman's intuition, Stevie boy."

As they both sat and discussed what to write in his letter to Bucky, a young girl came up to serve them, her hair perfectly coiled and her uniform immaculate. She smiled warmly at the two of them, her notepad in hand. "Finished our milkshakes, are we?" The two nodded, thanking the waitress. She took them both and placed them on her tray before looking toward Steve.

"Well, sir, can I get you and your gal over here anything else to top you off? Another milkshake to share, maybe?"

Steve's cheeks went a scarlet red as he realized what the waitress was insinuating. "Err, no thank you. We're not actua-"

"The bill would be perfect, thank you." Suzy cut him off, giving him a quick look before turning back to the waitress and smiling. The young girl nodded and hurried off to ring them through as Steve quirked an eyebrow at his companion, "I was only trying to correct her. I don't want to embarrass you by lying to her."

This was the never-ending battle with Steve. He believed so passionately in so many great things, but heaven forbid he believe as strongly in himself.

"You would have embarrassed me if you had corrected her. The last thing I want is for this gal to think that I'm undeserving of a good man like you, Steve." She smiled warmly, placing her hand over his in the hopes of reassuring him. He gave her a wary look but nodded, giving in. "Nobody would think that, you know."

"I don't know that, Stevie. Now if you're alright to get the bill, I'm going to quickly run to the ladies room."

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't pull a runner on me, alright? I've had too many of those with Buck."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Rogers!"


After being escorted home, Suzy had given Steve the last batch of sugar cookies that she'd made to bring home with him, insisting that she'd pop by later in the week to check in on him. Ever since his mother had passed, affairs at the Rogers household had been minimal, and her and Bucky had tried to take it upon themselves to stop by as often as the could allow themselves. Holidays were always reserved for Steve, and although it was merely Memorial Day, she would be there for him.

Settling into the quiet of her apartment, she grew uncomfortable. Her and Bucky had decided a year or so back that they would like to live in their own place, separate from their family. Not due to any lost love, of course, but rather, in order to ensure that they were able to live life by their own means.

Once they had graduated, they had begun to realize that living under their mother's roof was perhaps not the best for them. They needed to be free to establish their lives, under their own roof. Initially they had planned to move in with Steve, but after he had insisted that it would be improper for a dame such as herself to live in a household with two men, Bucky had relented and they had settled in a small, shabby place not too far from Steve's.

But since Bucky had entered the forces in the Winter, she had found the place to be a bit too empty for her liking. She had tried to make things more comfortable- baking and allowing more sunshine in, but alas, she continued to feel out of place.

For the time being, she decided to clean up the clutter that had accumulated. Straightening out the sofa cushions and preparing her clothes in her laundry bag to be brought to the dry cleaners later on, she kept herself busy. While she worked, she carried a small medical dictionary around with her, reading the terms and testing herself as she distractedly moved about.

By 5 o'clock, the smell of the neighbor's food permeated into her windows, and Suzy settled on trying to find something to piece together for dinner. Finding a small slice of chicken left over from two nights ago, and a few leaves of lettuce, she worked on re-heating everything. It was nothing exciting, but food no longer really was. A number of lower income families had been struggling to keep up with the rising cost of food, and she and Bucky had been careful to spend only as much as needed.

Eating the lackluster meal, Suzy worked on finishing up her application for her enlistment. She had been working hard over the last couple of months to prepare for her future with the US Army, and sending out the forms had thus far been the hardest task for her. Bucky had laughed at her, asking why she was so keen to learn if she hadn't even sent in her forms yet, but she was hesitant. She had set the goal of becoming a field nurse, and had not wanted to hand in anything that was less than exemplary.

Not that working in the hospitals was a bad thing, of course. Serving one's country was important, no matter where you might be stationed. But Suzy-Lucille Barnes knew that she was made to work out where the war was hitting the hardest. She wanted to be the woman that saved lives out in the trenches. She wanted to know that she could be there for the soldiers as quickly as possibly needed. She wanted to be the person that pulled soldiers from the brink of death and helped them to get to safety.

After listening to the stories of the war from Bucky, she had made that promise to herself and the soldiers working hard on the front lines.

Her brother, of course, thought she was crazy.

Humming softly, she finally sorted out the finishing touches on her enlistment application. Holding the paper up for one more re-evaluation, she nodded resolutely. She would be sending in her papers tomorrow.

Going to her desk, she placed the paper down and pulled out a blank sheet and a pen. Finding the messily scrawled address that Bucky had written for her, she began to write.

Dearest brother of mine,

I think that today you'd be proud of me. I finally finished my application! Maybe next time you see me, I'll be fighting to save lives overseas. Or, maybe not. Nonetheless, I'm excited to finally be following in your footsteps.

I hope that you're doing alright out there. I know that it must be so different, and I'm positive that you probably will have only just arrived once this letter reaches you.

I've told Steve to write you as well. It looks like things are finally looking up for him, and hopefully for me too. We miss you, but we're so proud of you.

We went out to get milkshakes yesterday to celebrate your shipment out (you know that your leaving is a cause for celebration, obviously!) and I couldn't help but wish that you were there, eating your peppermint ice cream across from me. But you weren't, and alas, the poor waitress had to bear without having a handsome soldier to flirt with. Pity.

I send my love, Buck. Be safe, and don't do anything stupid.

Kisses,
Suzy

P.S. We weren't actually celebrating because you left. We're just happy for you, and for the forces. They won't know what hit them. I'm willing to bet that a Barnes boy will win this war. Do me a favor and follow through, hey? Can't go embarrassing your little sister, now.

Kisses again! Love you!


Down the block, Steve Rogers was trying endlessly to write his own letter to Bucky. A few crushed up papers sat on the side of his desk, and he ran his hand through his hair, struggling to write what he was looking to say. Heck, if he was honest, he didn't even want to write this letter. But he knew better than to go against the word of the Barnes twins. They knew one another inside-out. If Suzy felt that he should tell Bucky, he would.

But how could he tell Bucky when he barely understood it himself?

Hey Jerk,

We miss you here. I know that it's only been a day or so, but I can see it on Suzy's face. She won't say anything of course, but maybe write her a letter to let her know that you're thinking of her. If you have time, of course. If you're too busy fighting the war, I guess she'll understand that too.

When you left, I forgot to mention something. Its pretty great news, and I feel guilty for leaving you out. I suppose I just didn't want to stress you out. The thing is, I was enlisted. I know you may not be as excited as I am, but I can't wait to serve the great men and women of our country.

I promise that I'll be safe. You don't have to worry about me.

Love,
Steve

P.S. I don't think you have to worry about me keeping an eye on your sister. She seems to be pretty keen to join the efforts as soon as she can. I think it's a bit lonely without you. Don't tell her I mentioned anything, please. Just trust that I'm gonna keep an eye on her for as long as I'm here.

Folding the paper, Steve packaged it away along with a sketch that he'd done a few weeks ago of Bucky and Suzy. The two were laying together on a picnic blanket in the park, napping after they'd all eaten. It was a fond memory for him, as he was sure it was for the twins. He knew that the drawing would be a warm reminder of the short time that Bucky spent back in Brooklyn with his family.

Maybe the drawing would be enough to calm his friend down once he read the letter. Steve felt relatively guilty for not telling him, but hoped that Bucky would understand. He always does.

Sighing heavily and standing, he stretched his tired bones and began to walk to the kitchen to grab a quick snack. As he was taking some bread and butter out of the cupboard, a knock sounded from the doorway. Pausing in his pursuit to fill his grumbling stomach, Steve walked to the door and looked through the peephole. The warm eyes of Suzy Barnes were looking back into the peephole at him, wrinkling slightly as if she might be smiling.

Opening the door, he leaned back against it, smiling and crossing his arms at the younger Barnes sibling. "I didn't know if you would be coming today."

She smiled, moving into the doorway and briefly hugging Steve as she walked forward into the room. "I can't forget about my favorite fella, can I? Unless, of course, you have other plans…"

Laughing, he shut the door gently and walked back toward the kitchen. "Nope, I've only got eyes for you tonight, Barnes." They both blushed, and he coughed slightly as he went back to cutting a slice of bread. "Bread and butter for the lady?"

"You know the way to a girls heart, Rogers."

He dished up the snack for both of them and placed the plates on the coffee table. Sitting beside Suzy, he crossed his arms. "Okay, okay. Enough with the last names. I'd prefer to have my Suze back." She smiled and reached her hand over to his, squeezing as she looked up at him with her hazel eyes shining. Steve felt his heart beat so heavily that he almost worried that she might be able to hear.

Get a grip, Rogers. This is Bucky's sister. This is Suzy. A dame like her deserves a man that can protect her.

"I've got wonderful news."

Distractedly, he swallowed and leaned back, guiltily enjoying the feeling of his cold hand in her warmer one. "News?"

Nodding, she took her hand back from him and moved to sit directly in front of him, her knees curled up underneath her skirt gracefully. He felt a slight loss as she let go, but quickly folded his arms to keep himself warm. "I've enlisted, Steve. I went this morning to hand in my papers and they did the examination right then and there. They chose me, Steve!" Giggling, she bounced slightly in her seat, and Steve smiled widely at her joy.

"That's fantastic news, Suzy. I'm really, really excited for you. Do you know when they're shipping you out?"

She froze momentarily, and her face morphed from joyous to remorseful. "That's the thing, Steve. They're, uh, they're sending me out in two weeks." Squeezing her hands together tightly, she looked down at her feet. "I doubt my letter will even have reached Buck by then. I mean, I sent the address that he can mail me at, but…"

By no means was Steve excited for her to leave so soon. He would be the only one of them left in the city, of course, until he would be sent overseas himself. And though Dr. Erskine had given him a rough estimate of about four to five weeks before shipment, he felt that he would be lonelier than he had been in a long while without the two siblings there to keep him company.

But he knew better than to let selfish thoughts like that hold him back from supporting his friend.

"I'm sure that he'll get it by then, Suze. Don't let that worry you. You focus on getting yourself ready for the war."

She nodded, still focusing on the floor ahead of her. He knew that she wanted to say more, and stayed silent.

"And you'll be okay?"

Her voice had been so quiet, he had barely heard it with his limited hearing. Smiling as brightly as he could, Steve moved closer to her and placed an arm loosely over her shoulders. "Of course. I'll miss my best girl, but I'll be alright. Besides, before you know it, I'll be out there fighting beside you."

"Not fighting, healing." She corrected him, looking up as she did. Giggling, she moved in and hugged him tightly, smiling against his shoulder. "Thanks Steve."

"Don't mention it, Suze."


The next week Suzy had spent packing, cleaning, and doing last-minute revision. Perhaps that last bit wasn't quite necessary, but it made her feel a bit more prepared for the craziness that she knew was about to come. She had been over to her family home the night prior for family dinner, and her mother had stocked her up with photos, goodies, and tips for the next couple of weeks. And, of course, she'd gotten her endless share of hugs and kisses before departing from the Barnes family home.

She had written another letter to Bucky, but had never sent it. It hadn't been exciting- something along the lines of 'Hey Buck, nothing much has happened... Been cleaning… Saw Steve... Saw Ma… Pa and the kids are also doing well…' etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. She would wait another week or so, and by then, hopefully things would pick up.

Although, she didn't know if she should complain about the lack of events happening in her life. Others might argue that it was a blessing.

It had been a few days since she had seen Steve, and Suzy knew that she should probably pop by his house within the next day or so, or else he might begin to worry. Or worse, she might have to worry that he had gone and gotten himself into another fight without her or Bucky nearby to put a stop to things. The last thing she wanted to worry about was Steve Rogers getting himself hurt and not coming to tell her. Or, even worse, he'd get sick and not want anyone to take care of him.

For some people, this seemed like a ridiculous worry, but for the Barnes twins, it had happened a few too many times for their liking. After one particularly strong bout of the flu, she and Bucky had made it very clear that they would stop by every couple of days to make sure that he wasn't laying half-dead in his apartment.

She felt guilty, not having visited him in a week or so, but things were understandably busy for the both of them. She would have liked to have visited that evening, but even then, she had promised herself that she would go and buy herself one nice dress before she left for the war- in case, by chance, they had the opportunity to go off base. Bucky had told her of a few dances that he'd attended outside of the training camp, and she was eager to put her best foot forward for the soldiers that she might meet.

After all, no matter how much she tried to stand out and fit in with her brother, she still liked to look dazzling every once in a blue moon.

A dress in a shop window down the road had caught her eye the other day- a blood red tea dress that would match perfectly with her black kitten heels. She could see herself dancing with a uniformed soldier, her skirt flaring out as she was spun around.

Bucky would have teased her if she'd ever admitted it to him, but the feminine side of her had always dreamed of being flaunted around on the arm of a gentleman in uniform. Like the girls that her brother had taken out, she mused. It was a tiny bit pathetic, she was sure, but she wanted to be light in someone's eyes. Or, if she was honest, she wanted to be the life of a party.

And although that would likely never happen, Suzy knew that she would buy that red dress. If not for a handsome soldier, than for herself. Pulling on her pumps, she quickly grabbed her hand purse and ran out of the door, locking it behind her and half running to get to the shop sooner. She wanted to try on that dress so badly. Buying clothes was not something that she often did anymore, and this dress would be her own little treat to herself.

Walking along the street, she smiled gently at the passing faces. Most people didn't smile back, keeping to themselves, but she was happy and wanted to share it.

Maybe it was wrong to be so happy to go to war, but ever since Bucky had gone off to his training, Suzy had struggled with her sense of boredom and helplessness. Joining the war efforts was one of the only ways to rise in a society that was so unforgiving to women. She had a lot to prove to the world, and was rearing to get started.

An air of purpose surrounded her as she strode into the shop, her shoes clunking loudly on the wood panelled flooring as she entered. The bell rang overhead but nobody came out to greet her. Without wasting time looking at the other dresses in the shop, Suzy found the various sizes of the red dress and selected hers, excited to try it on.

Walking up to the desk, she rang the bell, waiting a few moments until a flustered older woman walked out from the back room. "Hello, hello! My apologies! May I help you?"

Holding the dress up gingerly, Suzy smiled at the woman. "Just looking to try this dress on, ma'am. If you would allow me, of course."

The woman eagerly helped her into one of the change rooms, chatting absentmindedly about the various celebrities that had visited the shop in the last couple of years- Bebe Daniels being the only name that Suzy really recognized.

She did her best to keep up with the woman, still chatting as she was helped into the dress. After a few adjustments throughout the waist, she was turned around to look in the mirror.

It looked beautiful. For once, she looked at herself and saw what her brother and his best friend saw in her- she felt like a movie star, grinning as she spun in circles. The skirt flew softly around her olive legs, settling back as if it had never been tousled.

"I'd like to buy this one, please."

She saw the woman's eyes light up as she clapped her hands, moving toward her to undo the zipper of the dress. "Wonderful choice, my dear. Whichever lucky fella you're wearing this for will be beside himself!"

Giggling, she waited patiently as the pins were removed from the waist and carefully stepped out as guided. Taking the red garment in her arms, the shopkeeper left her to get redressed. "I'll need some time for adjustments, of course! Will you be alright to come back in two hours or so? It shouldn't take me too long."

Suzy agreed, excited to be able to come back and hold the smooth fabric in her hands. She almost wanted to show Steve, but something in the back of her gut told her to keep this to herself. Maybe, if he was lucky, he'd be able to see her wearing it in person, someday.

Her heart felt heavy as she thought this, and she quickly dismissed the thought. For all she knew, the war could change everything. She, for so long, had considered that perhaps there might be a future between her and Steve, but now with them both leaving, it seemed almost silly to think that.

Saying goodbye to the kind woman and walking back down the street, she considered the thought. She had known Steve Rogers for a long, long time. And it had been in recent years that she had actually began to develop these thoughts about him, although she wasn't quite sure what had changed between them.

When they had been younger and his compliments had first started to fluster her, she had been confused. In fact, she remembered that once or twice as a teenage girl, she had actually cried. He had apologized, but she had tried to assure him that his words had simply meant a great deal to her. When, in fact, she wasn't quite sure why she had been crying. Being a teenager had been a strange thing, she mused.

Over time, though, she had begun to imagine what a relationship with Steve might entail. He was by far the best man that she had ever known, other than her brother, of course. And despite the fact that he was quite obviously not the most dazzling in terms of strength, she knew that she would be happier with Steve than any other man she had met. Bucky had quickly caught onto this as well, and since she had first begun dating, he had been trying to pin the two of them together.

She was not sure if she could admit any of these thoughts to Bucky, though. It had taken her long enough to admit the truth to herself. She had only just considered recently that she might want to talk to her brother about her confusing thoughts.

All she knew, in the end, was that Steve made her heart beat just a bit faster than any other boy had ever done. He was kind to her, and he understood her. And despite what the other girls said, he was handsome- in his own way. Yes, she wished that he might be just a smidgen taller, but that had never been an issue growing up, and she refused to let herself dwell on shallow thoughts such as those.

As she reached her apartment once more, Suzy sighed, leaning up against the wall. She felt sick to her stomach, as she often did when she thought about the subject of relationships. Steve Rogers was her friend- her brother's best friend, and there was no reason for him to want to pursue her. Nor should she be thinking about him in such a way. It was probably a phase, if anything. She had convinced herself of this over and over again.

Now, in these last few weeks together, she had told herself to forget about it altogether; he was going off to the war, where he would meet a lovely girl. And she would go into the forces, get invited to dance, and would find herself a decent soldier that would sweep her off of her feet. Or, as much as it scared her to think, maybe they would never have the opportunity. Getting caught up in romance during such a turbulent time was unwise, as it was.

That was the reality of it.

It had to be.


The next two hours had been spent pacing, cooking, cleaning, and then pacing again. By the time that the two hours had passed, she was already running out of the door. In fact, she jogged the whole way back to the shop, excited to have her dress boxed and in her hands.

The exchange was quick, and she thanked the woman profusely before leaving, her smile bright and a jump in her step. She wasn't worried about the cost. She wasn't worried about the war. She wasn't worried about Steve. She wasn't even really worried about Bucky in that moment; she had finally gotten the dress that she'd wanted for so long.

It wasn't of course, just a dress that had Suzy this excited. It was the reality that in a week's time she would be off on a new path. For so long, she felt as if she'd been waiting to make the next step in her life, and now it felt like it was finally happening.

Giddily she walked through the streets, the box clutched tightly in her hands as she pranced along.

As she was crossing the road to reach her apartment, a familiar voice called her name from across the street.

Turning, she clutched the box a bit more loosely and smiled widely at Steve, watching as he began to walk toward her. He must have been coming to visit her, having not heard from her in a few days. Waving at him, she began to walk closer, hoping to meet him halfway.

She was only a couple of steps away when she saw his face morph into one of terror. And then, she had barely enough time to blink before the noise sounded from beside her.

The blaring of the car horn grew faint as the impact came, and for only a moment did she see it above her. The flowing skirt of her new dress, caught in the wind, landing slowly back down on the ground beside her.

The blood red fabric lay crumpled, stained by the very same red that was smeared across the pavement.


It's just too easy to let your characters have what they want. Am I right, or am I right? Also, please don't think that Suzy is 'evil' or whatever just because she's excited to join the war effort. I think that there was probably a lot of enchantment towards the idea of being enlisted (at least, in the beginning...) The same goes for Steve, so I don't want to see any folks complaining. ;)

Peace out, y'all!

Next chapter:

-Healing, and (yes, I lied last chapter) Steve does actually go for training.