Amelia stared at the wide collection of weapons that were lain on the table before her. There were mostly guns, but there were a couple strange weapon choices as well. A bow with a quiver full of arrows. A crossbow. A collection of throwing knives.

The dark haired woman picked up and ran her finger over the blade of a throwing knife. The blade glinted from the sun's rays.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed as she felt the knife edge catch her finger.

With a noise of frustration, Amelia set the knife down on the table. She then crossed her arms as she tapped her foot impatiently. Her instructor, the man she was waiting for, was late.

All around her, the young woman could hear the yells of men, stomping boots, and, occasionally, gun shots.

These sounds were becoming an everyday aspect of her life. When she had arrived the day before, she had been surprised by all the noise, but not afraid, never afraid.

She couldn't be afraid.

She was in too deep to be afraid.

The day she had arrived, a sunny Monday morning, a young soldier was ordered to usher her to a small tent; which she was to call her own. He had opened the flap of the tent and motioned her in, telling her to make herself at home. And with that, he left her alone in the small tent.

Looking around, she had been able to see there wasn't much to call home in the small tent. There was only an army cot, a flat looking pillow, a rolled up blanket, a small table next to the bed with a kerosene lamp on it, and a package that had been placed in the center of her bed. The young woman had placed her suitcase onto the dirt floor and picked up the package. It was simple. The item was wrapped in brown paper and had a thick piece of string wrapped around it. And there, held down by the string, was a small card that was addressed to "Miss Amelia Barnes." Smiling, Amelia shifted the weight of the package to her other arm and opened the card to begin reading.

"Amelia Barnes,

I was going to deliver this to you, myself, but duty calls. So, I was forced to settle with this. I hope we will be able to meet soon.

Sincerely, Peggy Carter."

Amelia had placed the card down on the table and untied the string around the package so she could get at the paper. Inside the paper had been a dark green army jacket with a belt that went around the waist of the jacket, a knee length pencil skirt that was the same color of the jacket, and a pair of tan pumps. The young dark haired woman had taken one look at the pumps and laughed. She placed the shoes at the foot of her bed. And she knew they weren't going to leave their place at the end of the bed.

The dark haired woman placed her uniform on the cot and grabbed her suitcase which she had placed right next to the uniform. Inside the small black suitcase were a few dresses, a few blouses, two pairs of pants she had stolen from Steve and had fixed so they would fit better, a pair of boots, a pair of flats, her basic needs, and a thick book. Amelia gingerly placed her new uniform into her suitcase and pulled out the thick book. It was an older book she had stuck in her suitcase when her father had turned his back. She had no idea what the book itself was about, but she knew she'd need something to read, so she had just grabbed the thickest book she could get her hands on.

She had placed the suitcase back down on the dirt ground and laid down on her cot, book in hand.

She ended up falling asleep with the book placed on her chest. That was how she had been found by the young soldier in the morning when he had come to get her.

And that young soldier was the reason she was now standing in the blazing sun in her new uncomfortable uniform, waiting for her instructor.

"Barnes?" a voice asked. It was thick with a Soviet Union accent, but her name still rang clear. Amelia looked up, shading her eyes from the sun; happy to finally have a reason not to entertain herself by staring at her shoes, and looked in the direction of the voice. Walking towards her was a young man. His face was handsome, from what she could see. He was clean shaven. She couldn't really make out his eye color, but she could see the almost bored expression on his face. On the left side of his face, the young man had a striking scar. He wore a uniform much like the others ones she had seen during the past day, but it was also different. She guessed that was because of the fact he was obviously a Soviet. He filled out the uniform, which was something that wasn't something she'd argue with. He had broad shoulders and fairly built. And his height just added to the powerful aura he seemed to give off. He was handsome all around. The young woman knew if he were to come back home with her, all her friends would be head-over-heels for him the moment they laid eyes on him.

But this wasn't New York. She had to keep reminding herself that.

If it was, she would have gone dancing with him, if he had asked her.

"You're late." Amelia said loudly, being sure that the young man could hear her. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, looked over his shoulder, and then back to her, as if to say "Who me?"

"Yes, you." Amelia told him, crossing her arms. But she allowed a smile to cross her face to let him know that she was joking a little bit.

"Apologizes." he said once he got closer to her. "I am still getting used to the camp. I seem to have taken a wrong turn."

She had been right.

He was taller than her, a lot taller than her.

And then she made the mistake of looking up at his eyes.

They were the most brilliant blue she had ever seen. But they were like ice, so cold, at the same time.

"Apology accepted." she said with a smile. "I had to have someone escort me here." She laughed and stuck out her hand. "Amelia Barnes."

The blonde haired man looked at the woman with a raised eyebrow, but he took her hand and gently shook her hand.

I'm not made of glass. Amelia thought to herself.

"Alexander James."

"It's nice to meet you, Alexander."

"Likewise."

Silence enveloped them. Amelia stared down at her shoes, watching as she kicked at the grass at her feet. And Alexander stared off into the distance, looking at nothing in particular. Around them, sounds of the camp filled the air. The dark haired woman was the first to speak up.

"Should we, uh, get started?" Amelia asked.

"Oh, uh, yes, of course." He walked over to the long table. "I have been instructed to test your abilities with a wide array of weapons. We're to see what suits you more." Alexander explained to her. His accent was thick but she could understand him fairly well. The young man grabbed the knife she had been holding earlier and placed it back in its place. "I see you have already discovered knives are not for you."

Amelia laughed. "Defiantly not for me."

"Perhaps you will find something else then." He motioned for her to come up to the table.

Amelia walked up to the selection of weapons and rested her hand on one of the many guns on the table. It was a smaller gun, similar to the gun her father kept at home in the nightstand next to his bed. Alexander reached for the gun, but Amelia shooed his hand away.

And then she proceeded to make a big show of turning off the safety so the Soviet could see that she obviously knew what she was doing. She then aimed the gun at one of the targets on the other side of the field, pulled the trigger, and emptied the magazine bullet after bullet. As soon as the last bullet was shot, she released the magazine and turned to place the gun and magazine in the Soviet's hands.

"You shoot very well," he told her, "for a woman."

The smile on her face disappeared and a frown replaced it.

"And you speak well," Amelia replied, "for an idiot."

He raised his eyebrow at her and she just mirrored the look back at him. She shoved the gun and magazine into his hands.

"I don't think it's for me."

And that was how the weapon testing continued. Amelia would pick up a random weapon off the table, shoot it, throw it, swing it, and then proceed to placed it in his hands, stating that it "wasn't for her." She was getting aggravated with the lack of weapons that appealed to her, but she wouldn't let him see her frustration. And to think she thought he was cute.

But all the frustration disappeared when she finally got her hands on the slick black crossbow that had been sitting on the end of the table. Amelia gingerly picked up the weapon, placed the small arrow in it's place, aimed, and shot. The arrow missed but she didn't care.

"I like this." she said as she turned to the man.

"Congratulations." he said.

"Thanks." Amelia stuck out her hand once again. But this time, she wasn't reaching for just a handshake.

Alexander grabbed her hand, but before he could say "You're welcome." Amelia smiled wickedly and flipped her, using a strength he had never expected a young woman like her to possess. He landed on his back and let out a groan of pain. Amelia just looked down at him and laughed.

"That was for your comment earlier."

"I meant it as a compliment." the young man told her after he laid there for a moment.

"Oh." Amelia bowed her head. She felt bad, not embarrassed, just bad. She reached down, offering him her hand. He raised his eyebrow at her.

"Just take my hand." she ordered. Alexander grabbed her hand and pulled himself up. "You should work on how you stuff. You sound like a jerk earlier."

"Apoligi…"

"No apologizes." Amelia told him. "I took it the wrong way. I'm used to hearing people say that I can't do something because I'm a woman. How about we just forget it happened."

"Alright." he told her.

"Good!" Amelia said with a grin.

"It should be about lunch time." he informed her. "Would you care for some food?"

"Of course I want food!" Amelia told him. "Lead the way blonde."

He shook his head at her sudden attitude change, but Amelia swore she saw him smile for a moment.

The young man began walking through the camp, and Amelia followed behind him, after she placed the crossbow back on the weapons table.

"How'd you learn that trick?" he asked her suddenly. "I have never seen a woman flip a grown man onto his back before."

"I have a brother."

"Oh."

"And I used to beat up kids." she said nonchalantly. "I mean I would beat up the kids who picked on my best friend. He couldn't really do it himself, so I took care of them for him." Amelia stopped walking, realizing that Alexander had stopped walking. She turned him to see him just standing there, staring at her.

"What?" she demanded, hands on her hips.

"Nothing." he told her. "I've just never met a woman like you."

"And you should remember that, because I'm like no other."

A/N: Here's Chapter Two! WOOHOO! It took me long enough didn't it? lol! Well, anyways here's the chapter. I don't love it as much as I would like to but I like most of it! But I wanted to hear what you have to say. Please leave comments, questions, concerns, and anything else you would like. Please keep in mind that these are UNEDITED! I just write them, skim over them, and then post them. My friend who usually reads them is very busy and so I am unable to bring myself to ask her to add more to her already busy schedule. So if you could bare the typos and what-not, that would be fantastic!

This chapter to dedicated to my two lovely friends who have recently been introduced into the world of fanfiction, or have been sucked into even more than they already were. They know who they are! Love you guys!

Much love to you all! All you wonderful readers are really the only reason I keep doing this!