Hello readers! Sorry this took so long. I'm actually writing chapter 9 right now. I haven't written in about a week, thanks to my new Netflix subscription and an addicting show called Once Upon A Time.But Now I've seen all the episodes. So, here you go.
Special thanks to WaterGirl15. She has her own version of the story now.
Disclaimer: I don't have any legal rights to any Marvel stuff
Warnings: Language and sexual
8 Months Later
I keep count of the days that pass. My friends have been gone for eight months now and I miss them dearly. From the films that we watch at the camp, it looks like everything is going fine with them. I am still rather nervous that something will happen and I'll lose them forever. I hate having to wait and wonder.
"Jess?" I hear Peggy say outside my tent.
"Come in," I say. Peggy and I have become really close over the past few months at the camp.
"I got a message from the Commandos," Peggy says entering my tent, "They are not too far from the camp right now."
"Really?" I ask her, excited, "Are they going to come visit? I miss Bucky."
"No, but we can go and see them."
"Alright, where and when can we see them?" I ask her, smiling at the good news.
"They are in a town not too far from here, we will be leaving in an hour."
"Alright. That gives me time to clean up and change. Thank you," I say, "I'm excited."
"I can tell, I will come and get you when we leave," Peggy smiles before leaving my tent.
I spend the next hour washing up and then figuring out what to change into. I have never been very good at picking out outfits, especially since coming to the 1940's. Fashion is so different here than it was in the 21st century. Soon we head to the bar where the Howling Commandos are for the day, by the time we arrive it is about 7 pm.
I look around the bar, standing behind Peggy. Why am I suddenly so nervous? I'm just meeting my friends, nothing more, right? That's when I spot Steve and Bucky at a table, why does Steve look so nervous? I stand there like an idiot, just staring at the pair of guys. I am frozen like an intricate ice sculpture.
"Jess? Are you alright?" Peggy asks.
"Not really," I tell her honestly, "What if he met someone new? What if he doesn't want to see me?"
"Just go and talk to him," Peggy says pushing me towards Steve and Bucky. I unfreeze and start walking slowly towards the boys.
"Jessica!" Bucky smiles.
"Hello," I say quietly, looking down at my feet.
"I'm glad to see you," Bucky says pulling me into a hug. I don't know what to say or do, so I just kind of awkwardly stand there. Why am I such an idiot around him?
"So how is my gal?"
"Your gal?" I ask, "Since when?" Sure, now my confidence is back.
"Sorry, I guess I never asked properly," Bucky scratches his neck awkwardly.
"Well, I'm waiting," I put my hands on my hips.
"Jessica, will you be my gal?"
"What if I say no?" I ask sassily.
"I will wait a while and then ask again."
"So you won't take no for an answer? That sounds familiar."
He just shrugs but gives me a smile.
"Fine. I'll be your girlfriend."
He smiles me and gives me a kiss. I gently kiss him back and feel his arms wrap protectively around me.
"Why is Steve so nervous?" I ask Bucky quietly.
"He is planning on proposing to Gabrielle," Bucky whispers.
"What?" my eyes widen, "Is he crazy? Did he get hit hard on the head?"
"Oh haha, well yes he did, but he really loves Gabrielle so he wants to make sure they will be together forever."
"What happens when Gabi and I are brought back to the right time?" I ask him.
"I talked about that with Gabrielle about that, she says that she may stay here to be with him."
"I can't stay here if they give me the chance to go back," I tell him.
"Then we will make the most of the time we have together."
"I like that idea," I smile at him, "Want to get a table?"
"Lets sit here, I want to see Gabrielle's face when Steve asks."
"We need to give them a little space. Let's sit a couple tables away, okay?" I tell him, more than ask him.
"Fine."
I take him to a table four tables away from Steve, I guess doing that made Steve even more nervous. Oops, oh well. This will be quite the show. I sit down, smirking to myself. Suddenly I could hear whistling coming from the other men and I turn to see Gabrielle walk in dressed in a blue party dress.
"Wow. She looks nice," I tell Bucky.
"Well I did make her get the dress, now Steve is even more nervous," Bucky laughs.
"You're evil," I smirk at him, "Let's order some popcorn."
We both laugh and do that while Steve stands to talk to Gabi. He looks really pale. I've never seen him be anything but confident before. It was kinda amusing. He looked like an oversized puppy right now.
"Gabrielle," Steve says.
"Steve," Gabi smiles.
"Y-you look amazing."
"oh...Thank you," Gabi blushes. I have never seen blush like that before.
"Gabrielle...I...uh...I wanted to tell you something," Steve stammers.
"Yes Steve?"
"Gabrielle when I met you I knew you are something special, and you proved it being my friend and supporting me when I was trying to get into the army. When you got captured I was scared that I had lost you without telling you how much you mean to me," Steve takes a deep breath and gets down on one knee, "Gabrielle Barton will you marry me?"
I see Gabi's eyes widen and she covers her mouth with her hands. My eyes water a little. That was so romantic of Steve.
"Yes!" Gabi smiles as tears fall. I stand up and clap and am joined by a lot other people in the bar.
The other commando members go to them and pats Steve on the back after Steve places the ring on Gabi's finger.
"Good for her. She deserves to be happy."
The bartender gives everyone drinks in celebration of Captain America and his Lieutenants engagement. I forget that I told myself long ago that I was never going to drink a lot. I end up losing track of how much I drink.
"Let's go dance!" I tell Bucky, giggling.
We dance for a bit until Bucky takes me back to his hotel room for the night before he leaves the next day.
I wake up in the morning with a major headache. The night before was mostly a blur. Where even am I?
"Good morning Jess," I hear Bucky say.
"Bucky? What happened last night? Where are we?"
"We are in my hotel room," Bucky answers as he gets ready.
"Your hotel room?" I swallow, "Umm… I don't remember much of last night. I've never really drank before. I promised myself I wouldn't. And now I did."
"Hey it's ok, we were celebrating sometimes it happens," Bucky says, "I don't remember much either."
"Bucky! Time to go!" I hear Dugan's voice call through the door.
"Stay safe," I tell him, "I'll miss you."
"I will miss you too, I will do my best to come back to you," he kisses me before leaving.
I stand up and walk into the bathroom and turn the shower on really hot before stepping in. What had happened last night? I searched my mind and came up with nothing. I lean against the wall of the shower and let the water sting my skin.
I finish my shower and my skin is red. I pull on my dress from the night before and find my way back to the base, not knowing that I wouldn't see some of my friend for a long time.
The news comes a few weeks later. I'm in my nurse's tent, finishing up bandaging a clumsy soldier who had ran into a tree.
"Jessica," Peggy says entering my tent.
"Hello Peggy," I smile at her, then turn to the soldier, "You can go now. Just watch where you are going in the future."
The soldier leaves my tent and I turn to see Peggy looks upset about something.
"Peggy? What's wrong?" I ask her, concern.
"I am so sorry but...James Barnes and Gabrielle Barton are listed KIA," Peggy says, "The mission to capture Arnim Zola turned and Gabrielle and Bucky fell off the train."
"What?" I whisper, my eyes starting to water.
"I am so sorry Jessica, Gabrielle tried to save Bucky but they both ended up falling."
"B-b-but," I cry, "He promised he'd come back."
Peggy says nothing more. I cry until I get sick and then curl up into a ball on the floor and rock slowly back and forth. My best friend and my boyfriend are both dead. I'm all alone now.
"Wait," I say, my voice hoarse, "Is Steve okay?"
"He is very upset right now, he is blaming himself for what happened."
"Where is he?" I ask quietly.
"He is in a broken down bar by himself."
I head off to see Steve and I find him in the broken down bar sitting alone and drinking a beer.
"This seat taken?" I ask him.
"Oh no, go ahead," Steve says.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask him.
"Want to know the worst thing? I can't even get drunk," he sighs.
"I'm done with alcohol after what happened," I say, "I don't know what to do anymore. I don't want to be here anymore. I wish there was a way for me to go home."
"I'm sorry Jessica, its my fault they are gone. I should have been able to save them."
"It's not your fault. It's Hydra's fault. And feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to make you feel better. You need to get up and go kick Hydra where it hurts."
"When this is over I will help you find a way home."
"I don't think there is a way for me to go home," I confess, "I gave up on that a couple months ago."
"Well once I get back we can live together to support one another."
"That's better than being alone," I sigh, "When do you leave again?"
"My mission is in a few days."
"Alright. Please don't die," I tell him, "I can't be alone."
"I will do my best, Jessica." I smile sadly. That's what Bucky always would say.
Steve soon leaves for his mission and I am back at the apartment that Steve and Bucky and since the 107th have all returned home, so have I. Lately I've just been feeling awful. I miss Bucky and Gabi so much.
I relax on the couch, considering going back to the bakery to get my job back, but I don't want to do anything right now. I thought being home and away from the war zone would help me, but it only made things worse. I end up getting up to escape my thoughts and search through the apartment just for something to do. As I go through the room Gabi and I shared I find her purse, I look inside it when I noticed a journal with the Hogwarts crest on the cover. I feel nostalgic for the book series. I hadn't really thought much about it. The time jump had taken my two fandom necklaces from me. One had the amulet from the television show Supernatural and the other combined the symbols of Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Divergent, Mortal Instruments, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians, as well as my Lightwood family ring.
"Wait...how is this here?" I open up the journal and look through the pages curiously.
I find the page that is dated from 2012, just after a big event in New York City. I read through it when one name catches my eye, Captain America. Wait how is that possible? It shouldn't be possible. As look through more I see sketches of the Hydra symbol and another symbol.
"What the?" I frown, "I can't be the same Captain America…" Suddenly the doorbell rings. I close the journal and set it on the bed and go to answer the door.
"Hello?" I ask, opening the door.
"Miss Arnold," a soldier says, "Telegram."
"Thank you," I say, then go back inside and open up the envelope.
Once again it is a letter telling me that Steve is assumed dead after stopping Shmidt's plane from attacking America.
I crumble the letter up and throw it away. Why? Why is everyone dying but me? I am completely alone in this world now.
"No one's best is ever good enough," I say, "But why take everything away from me? What am I supposed to do now?" I get louder. But instead of wrecking the apartment, I collapse face down on the couch and tell myself I will simply never get up. I could pretend I was dead too.
I have no idea how long I lay there. I have given up all hope. I feel nothing but sad and occasionally nauseated. I wish that I could see them again, but I know that is impossible.
One day, there is another knock on my door. I don't bother to get up and answer it. I don't want any more bad news.
"Jess, I know you're in there," a familiar female voice calls, "Open the door or I'll open it myself."
"Go away!" I yell back, "I want to be alone!" Apparently, she doesn't like the answer, because a moment later I hear her messing with the lock and the door swings open. She closes the door behind her.
"You can't just lay here forever, you know," she tells me, "People die. I know you're upset. I am too, but the world continues to spin on. Have you checked the news? The war is over. We won. So, we are going to celebrate. Get up, take a shower, and get dressed. I'm not leaving until you do."
"I need more time," I tell her, sitting up, "I'm not ready."
"It's been six weeks since Steve disappeared. Bucky and Gabi have been gone for two months. You need to go out and make new friends. Laying around won't do anything but upset you more."
"It's been two months?" I ask her, "No, that's not possible. It's just not possible."
"Why not?" she asked, "You can't tell me you haven't moved from this couch in six weeks."
"Hardly!" I exclaim, "I haven't needed to!" I get up and start pacing in circles, panicking.
"It's not that bad," she says, "You haven't missed much."
"You don't understand. I have missed a lot," I say, "The when the guys were at that bar near the base, I drank more than I should have. I don't remember that night or what I did."
"Oh," Peggy says, her mind finally clicking, "you think you are with child?"
"It makes sense," I whisper, "My first time, and I don't even remember it. And now I have to raise a baby on my own? I wasn't even married? What will people say."
"Just relax. Look, I'll call my doctor and book you an appointment. In the mean time, we should go out and do some shopping and what not. I'll stay with you here for a while. Okay?"
"Okay," I wipe my eyes, "Thank you. I'll go take a shower and get ready." I walk into the bathroom and turn on the water. I disrobe and look over my body for any signs of something different. I can tell I lost weight, which is something I've been meaning to do for a while, but not like this. I examine my abdomen, looking for something, anything. But it's only been around 2 months, so there is nothing there to see, so I step into the shower. The water has gone cold, but that's fine, because it wakes me up. I scrub my skin roughly, wanting to purify myself, but no amount of soap could ever do that. I wash my hair and start to work the knots out of it. I finish my shower and dry off, then run a brush through my hair, working out the rest of the knots.
By the time I step out of the bathroom in a baby blue dress, it's been about an hour and my stomach growls.
"Peggy? Can we get dinner first? I'm hungry."
"That sounds nice," she smiles, "I called my doctor while you were in the shower. He can fit you in tomorrow morning at 8 as a favor for me."
"That soon?" I ask.
"Well, we need to confirm it and make sure everything is okay if it is true. If it is, at least you have a piece of Bucky."
"I suppose you're right," I tell her, "Come on, let's go."
We end up at a cute little diner with 'famous' cheeseburgers and real milkshakes. I order a chocolate milkshake and grilled cheese and tomato soup - my classic comfort food. It makes me feel a little bit better and at least I'm not hungry anymore. Chocolate helps a lot, like always. I start to wonder what my child will be like, then I remind myself that there may not even be one, but that doesn't really stop me from wondering.
After dinner, Peggy and I go to the store and she buys a bunch of groceries. I go home and unpack them while she goes to her apartment to get some stuff. After I finish unpacking the groceries, I go into the bathroom and wash up and brush my teeth, feeling exhausted. I walk into my room and lay down, and sleep cocoons me like a warm blanket.