Alina slept well for the first time in a long time, waking up refreshed and smiling. Bucky's younger sisters and brother were all excited to see her and tried to skive off school on the excuse that it was her first day as their new honorary sister. Their mother, however, made sure they were all out the door in time to walk to school and then set about cleaning the house with Alina's help.

She quickly became a part of his family and easily slipped into his life in her new role as his steady girlfriend. They went out on dates and with groups of their friends but they always spent time with Steve, the three of them getting along easily even though she and Bucky were an item.

A few months later Bucky got to his mother's house after a week away at an army training camp outside the city he leaned in the doorway of the sitting room and watched Alina bent over the torn skirt of his youngest sister, placing neat precise stitches into the material.

"They taught you that in finishing school, didn't they?"

Alina glanced up at him with a smile before going back to her work, "No, my nanny taught me this when I was little. Finishing school only taught me how to sit like a lady and look down my nose at others."

"Sounds useful." The tall man said entering the room fully to hunker down in front of the small redhead, his hands on the arms rests of the wingchair she had chosen to sit in.

"Mm-hm," she nodded, tying off the end of her last stitch and snipping off the extra cotton with the small pair of silver sewing scissors in her lap. The task finished she leant over the edge of the chair to put the scissors into his mother's sewing kit only to have him catch her wrist as she slipped her hand from the carpet bag. Her grey-blue eyes flew to his and he looked at her with something close to worry and something she hadn't seen from him since his father's death, fear.

"What's wrong?" she asked worried.

Bucky took a deep breath, letting it out slowly through his nose as he leaned into her, pressing his forehead to hers, "Marry me," he said after a few moments sitting like that.

Alina stiffened and pulled away, "What?"

A quick grin split his face at her response that was so typically her before he cupped her cheek, his fingers sliding into her loose curls, "They told us today that in the next few months we're gonna ship out. I don't know exactly when but I know that I want you to be my wife before I go," his eyes searched her face trying to see what her response would be.

Alina forced back tears as the news of his impending departure to the front line washed over her, "Bucky," she whispered, wrapping her hand around his wrist and leaning her forehead against his, eyes closed. She was silent for what felt like forever to him before she whispered her answer, "Yes."

He tensed for a beat before he pulled her into his arms, his mouth slanting over hers, his kiss stealing her breath. When he pulled back it was to see tears in her eyes, "What's this, Lina sweetheart, crying for your soldier?" he murmured tucking some of her hair back behind her ear.

She shook her head, "You have to promise me you'll come back. I don't think I'd be able to survive it if you didn't."

"I'd be stupid not to come back for you, doll." He grinned playfully. He pulled her to her feet and led her over to the couch, pulling her down to sit curled into his side he tucked her head beneath his chin and wrapped his arms around her, "I don't have a ring for you yet," he admitted a little annoyed at himself.

"I don't need a ring, Bucky," she told him.

He sighed, "You deserve one, though, Lina."

She pulled back to look up at him, "Oh, what a line, Serge. I bet you say that to all the girls," she grinned before curling into him again knowing he was going to get her a ring whether she thought she needed one or not, he was stubborn like that.

"When do you want to get married?" he asked after they had been sitting quietly for a while.

Alina smiled, "As soon as possible," she told him.

"Next week sound good, doll?" he asked a smile in his voice.

She once again pushed back to look at him only to see him serious even in his teasing. "Really?" she asked.

"Really."

A wide smile spread across her face and she leaned up and kissed him, the first time she had ever initiated a kiss and he seemed to like it. But she was too excited to stay still. Getting up she moved to the door.

"Hey, where are you off to? I thought we were enjoying some peace and quiet before the monsters get back from school," Bucky pouted on the couch.

Alina smiled and turned to look at him, "I can't sit there all afternoon no matter how much I want to, there's so much to get organised and I need to get my dress and sort out who my maid of honour will be," she did a small spin her hands clasped in front of her and a radiant smile on her face, "I love you." She told him.

Bucky grinned from where he was lounging on the couch watching his girl smile more than he had ever seen, "Love you too, Lina," he told her before she skipped over to him, pressed a kiss to his mouth and then rushed out of the room to find his mother and start organising the wedding.

Bucky was reluctantly dragged into the preparations and decided on Steve as his best man. Alina chose the oldest of Bucky's two younger sisters to be her maid of honour with his mother signing as a witness with Steve and his youngest sister and little brother as flower girl and page boy respectively. The church and church hall near them was booked with the wedding moved back by only a week because of availability. The hall was decorated in blue the colour of Bucky's eyes (although Alina would never tell anyone that this was the reason that shade of blue was her favourite), and the dresses of the maid of honour and flower girl were made in the same colour. Friends and family brought food for the reception and Alina's parents both turned up on the day with her father walking her down the aisle and her mother being at least cordial to everyone.

Alina's dress was made of white satin, with a tie neck, short sleeves, and a hemline that ended mid-calf. Her fascinator was of blue silk crisscrossed over the top of her head with a white silk rose over her right ear and a blue netting veil, it was a gift from her soon to be mother-in-law and had been worn by Bucky's mother for her own wedding. She wore white leather oxfords with silk ribbons instead of laces, a gift from her parents; as was the nightdress she would wear on her wedding night.

Bucky grinned from the end of the aisle at her as she walked toward him, her father cried as he gave her away, and Alina had to fight back happy tears at the sight of the two rings the pastor blessed before he gave them over to Bucky to slip onto her ring finger. Her new husband had bought not only a rose gold wedding band etched with small flowers, but also an engagement ring in yellow gold set with five small round diamonds.

"You may kiss your bride," the pastor intoned after the vows were said and the registry signed.

Bucky pulled Alina against his chest and kissed her for all he was worth. The sound of applause broke them apart and Alina blushed prettily as she smiled up at her new husband. The reception seemed to fly by with congratulations and laughter ringing through the church hall. Alina was just happy her mother seemed to welcome Bucky. The tall, graceful woman looked to be mollified by the way her new son-in-law treated her only child and the way his family had included her daughter as their own kin.

Before she knew it, Alina was getting into a car with Bucky and they were off to a surprise location only he knew. The car pulled up outside a small apartment building a few blocks from Steve's neighbourhood. She looked up at the building as Bucky parked next to the sidewalk and then they got out of the car and walked into the large apartment block.

"Why are we here, Bucky?" she asked him softly, her hand held in one of his with their bags in his other hand.

He grinned at her over his shoulder before stopping outside the second door on the first floor. Dropping her hand he pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the front door. He then ushered her inside and closed the door behind them, flicking on the light switch beside the door. "Welcome to your new home, Mrs. Barnes," he murmured in her ear before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

She turned to him with an excited smile, "This is really our new home?"

He put their bags down and held out a hand to her, "Want to go check it out?"

With an ecstatic laugh, Alina grabbed his hand and let him lead her further into their apartment. It was fully furnished and set up, "Who…?" she asked turning to look at Bucky.

"Who do you think, Lina? Your parents wanted to try and make up for things. They furnished it but we own the deed," he stepped closer to her and murmured, "Welcome home, Mrs Barnes."

Alina smiled softly and pushed up onto tip-toe, wrapping her arms around her husband's shoulders before pressing her lips to his.

Bucky kissed her gently before pulling back briefly and then slanting his mouth over hers. He had put their bags in the master bedroom half way through their tour and now he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. She broke the kiss with a small laugh before letting him capture her lips again. A few minutes later he led her into their room. Alina changed into the nightdress her mother had bought her in the en suit while Bucky took off his suit in the bedroom.

The nightgown was made of delicate chiffon that reached her ankles. It was belted at the waist by a pale pink ribbon and the straps were of the same colour ribbon. The bodice looked to be almost made of lace.

Nervously, the small redhead pulled the pins from her hair and washed her makeup off. Once she was ready she took a breath, her hand on the handle of the bathroom door, before she twisted it and pushed the door open, stepping into the next room where Bucky stood waiting for her.