A fairly filler-ish chapter, but some fun times in this one. I'm so excited for beyond this chapter and developing Rose's relationships with everyone! I've got plan right through until Infinity War :D
Disclaimer: I only own my OC.
The flight was fairly uneventful, once Rose got used to the military plane. It wasn't bad, but it was a far cry from modern commercial flights, however the full body seatbelt did feel a lot safer than one just across her lap. She clutched a small backpack that Bucky seemed to have produced from out of nowhere containing her 21st century clothes. She hoped that she would be able to get them washed, there was no way she was parting with them. She was surprised that no one had brought up her unusual attire sooner, something like a hoodie being especially uncommon in the forties. Not only that, it was her high school graduation hoodie, with Waimea College 2014 Leavers embellished on the front and her last name, Hammond, plastered across the back. Bucky had briefly asked about it during the walk back to base, forever curious about the future.
After landing in London, Rose and the Commandos crammed into the back of a military truck, which would take them to the underground bunker that served as the SSR headquarters. Colonel Phillips had informed them that they had a week to recover from their captivity with Hydra, so a night out on the town was being planned.
"Do you drink, sweetheart?" Dugan asked as the truck bumped along the road.
"Mate, I could murder a drink," Rose wasn't necessarily a regular drinker, but she knew how to hold her liquor. "And seriously guys, cut it out with the nicknames." Dugan held his hands up in mock surrender before turning back to the other men. Rose took a deep breath, closing her eyes tight and resting her head back against the wall of the truck. Her mind was currently in the dilemma of how best to handle Howard Stark. She had very mixed feelings about the character - while he was a good guy and a friend to Steve during the war, his terrible parenting would leave a permanent mark on Tony in the future.
"You ok?" Bucky asked her, lowering his voice so the others couldn't hear. Rose opened her eyes but refused to look at him.
"Yeah, just tired," she replied dismissively. He looked unconvinced, but dropped the subject.
A few minutes later, the truck slowed to a stop and they exited onto a regular looking London street. Well, a regular forties London street. Peggy was standing outside of a tall building waiting for them.
"Welcome to Headquarters, soldiers," she greeted them. "This building houses the SSR and all its personnel." She began leading them into a foyer that looked like that of a regular hotel. "All our operations take place in the bunker beneath this building. The building itself acts as a living quarters, with a small training facility and infirmary on the first floor. You will collect a numbered key from the desk and that room number will be where you will live while you stay here. The remainder of the day is yours to do with as you wish, but please report to the infirmary for a medical exam at 0900 tomorrow. Dismissed." Rose was glad of the explanation, the living arrangements of the commandos were not something that was covered in the movie. "Rogers, Hammond, with me."
Rose and Steve glanced at each other before moving to follow Peggy to a code-locked elevator. Bucky looked as if he wanted to follow but thought better of it and went to collect the key to his new apartment. Rose met his eyes across the foyer, offering a small smile of reassurance as the elevator doors closed.
"Captain, I need you to take a look at the map that we discussed," Peggy informed Steve. Rose knew the map she was referring to; this was when the Colonel would commission the Howling Commandos to wipe Hydra off of it. "Miss Hammond, you are to report to Stark. Colonel Phillips has decided that you are too dangerous to be released into the public, so you are to be Mr Stark's assistant while you are here." Peggy handed Rose a key. "This is your room. I have arranged for appropriate clothing to be ready there for you later." And with that, the elevator doors dinged open and Peggy strode away, Steve following in her wake.
"Stark. Right." Rose looked around the bunker, totally lost as people bustled past her.
"Can I help you?" someone asked politely. Rose noticed the blonde girl immediately, mainly because she was gorgeous. She couldn't remember the name but she knew this was Natalie Dormer's character. She was the spitting image. Wow, she thought, Tumblr was right. She really does look like the lovechild of Hawkeye and Black Widow.
"Uh, I um…" Rose stumbled over her words. "I'm actually looking for Howard Stark?"
The blonde woman looked her up and down before nodding curtly and leading the way through the various rooms to an open-plan lab. It was a far cry from Zola's lab in the factory - exponentially better lit to start with - various tables held an array of weapon prototypes amongst other things. In the middle of the lab stood Howard Stark, mulling over shield designs on the table in front of him.
"Mr Stark," not-Natalie-Dormer called, getting the man's attention.
"Private Lorraine, what can I-" Stark cut himself off when he caught sight of Rose. "Thank you, Private, dismissed." The other woman left Rose alone with him. "I take it you're Miss Hammond?" Stark asked her, excitement blooming.
"I am. I take it you've been made aware of my… situation?" Rose replied tentatively.
"I have." Stark was barely able to contain himself by this point. "I've been given permission by the Colonel to have full knowledge of anything you can tell me." He grinned at Rose, clapping his hands together enthusiastically. "Wow, the future! I can't imagine what it must be like! But unfortunately those questions will have to wait. For now I want to know, from your point of view, exactly how you ended up here…"
Rose told him her story, in slightly more detail then she had anyone else given Stark's scientific background. She figured it would throw him a bone so to speak, because she was still only going so far as saying the future for now. Even to Stark, the words parallel universe could be too much. After an hour or two, Stark walked her back up to the main foyer, helping her claim a key for a temporary apartment. As far as he - and apparently Peggy and Colonel Phillips - was concerned, she was employed by the SSR and would be treated as such. After Stark went back downstairs, Rose made her way up to the apartment on the fourth floor.
The room was simple; a single bed with a nightstand just behind the door, a two-seater sofa pushed against the wall under the window, a small desk in the corner with some shelves, and a small ensuite on the other side of the bed. Necessities such as basic toiletries and bedding were already provided, as well as pens and some paper on the desk. As far as Rose was concerned, the shelves were begging to be filled with books. She dumped her backpack with her meager belongings on the bed and pulled out the small bundle of cash Stark had shoved into her hand before leaving her dumbfounded in the foyer.
"Welcome to 1943," he had said.
Rose had been pleased to find a towel and a fairly modern shower in the ensuite, relishing the feeling of the hot water flowing over her body. Just after she had changed back into the clothes she had travelled in, there was a knock at her door. She was surprised to find Peggy on the other side, a sizable suitcase in hand.
"These are for you." She passed the suitcase to Rose. "Clothes and undergarments and such. Most of it is suitable for everyday use, however there is a dark blue dress in there that I would suggest if you plan on joining our soldiers at the pub later." Rose placed the suitcase on the bed and turned back to Peggy, who was still eyeing her warily from the doorway.
"Thank you, Agent Carter," Rose said sincerely. Peggy moved to leave before Rose began talking again. "I just want you to know, I, like, totally have the utmost respect for you and will help in any way I can." Peggy stared her for a moment before softening her gaze.
"Put your old clothes in the hamper in the bathroom, we have housekeeping to take care of that." She began walking down the hallway. "I hope to see you tonight," she threw over her shoulder as she entered the elevator. Rose closed her door and opened the suitcase feeling like she was opening a costume box back in her high school theatre days.
"Blue dress, blue dress…" She muttered to herself as she began digging through the box.
An hour or so, Rose was dressed in the number that Peggy had suggested. It was dark blue alright, but more akin to a flapper dress than a 1940s cocktail dress. Rose vaguely wondered if Peggy was trying to embarrass her before remembering that Peggy of all people would be above such a thing. Besides, the dress hugged her body in all the right places, as well as being sleeveless and just shy of a scandalous length for this decade. Rose didn't really know what she was expected to look like as far as hair and makeup was concerned, so she parted her white blonde hair down the middle and pulled it into a low ponytail - much more 2018. She found a small case of makeup amongst the clothes and painted her face in an old Hollywood glam, paired with the darkest red lipstick she could find. So far the soldiers had only seen her battered and weary, so Rose was preparing to show them what a 21st century girl was really like.
Stark had insisted on accompanying her to dinner; "I'll show you the real London cuisine, not that slop they serve in the mess hall."
Rose grinned wickedly at her reflection when she heard a knock on the door. Stark was facing away from her when she opened it.
"So, I thought I'd take you t- Holy cow!" His jaw literally dropped as he took in her appearance.
"That's the reaction I was going for." Rose grinned wider as he gaped at her, not entirely sure what to say. "So, food? I'm starving." She walked past him out into the hall, swinging her long coat over her shoulder as she shut her door behind her. "Stark?" She called, turning back to see him still standing dumbfounded outside her door. "Coming or nah?"
"I, uh… Yeah," Star seemed to remember himself then, catching up to Rose and tucking her arm around his own. "Please, call me Howard."
"Lead the way then, Howard." And off they went.
A while later, Howard escorted Rose to the door or the pub where the soldiers were celebrating their return. Their dinner had been absolutely divine. Howard pulled out all the stops to impress Rose with the food, however he had admitted that he preferred a classic American burger himself. Rose laughed at that, thinking about how Tony Stark had insisted on an American cheeseburger after his captivity in 2008. Like father, like son I guess. Rose had shared more tidbits about the future, with strict instructions to Howard that he wasn't to try and create any of the tech she mentioned, lest he inadvertently steal someone else's idea.
Now that she was outside the pub - which was incidentally across the street from Headquarters - Rose felt nervous, and a little tipsy from the champagne she had shared with Howard. She could see the newly instated Commandos drinking and laughing at a table together, Steve and Bucky would be sitting around the bar somewhere she deduced.
"Are you going to continue to stare through the window, or are you going to go in?" Peggy made Rose jump, exiting the pub to stand beside her. She was wearing a stunning red dress, making Rose realise she had just missed the scene that played out in the pub in the movie.
"I was just… Um…" Rose took a deep breath. "Preparing myself." Peggy nodded.
"How was dinner with Howard?"
"I think it's the start of a beautiful friendship," Rose laughed.
"Glad to hear it. Now you best get inside, I believe Sergeant Barnes is quite anxious for your arrival." Peggy gave Rose a once over before smiling slyly. "Definitely the blue dress." With that, Peggy strode away, leaving Rose to enter the pub alone. What the hell. She pushed open the door.
The pub smelled of beer and tobacco, not unlike a modern pub Rose noted. The festive singing died down as the door closed behind her, the Commandos and other occupants of the bar shocked into silence at her appearance the same why Howard had been earlier. Dugan recovered first, ushering Rose over to their table.
"Rose! Good to see you, doll. You look…" He struggled to find the word.
"I, uh, I'm gonna go get a drink." Rose saved him from trying to finish his sentence. She made her way over to the bar where Steve and Bucky were sitting. The two stopped mid conversation when they saw her, realising that she was the reason for the pub quieting around them. She smiled shyly at them before approaching the bar.
"I'll have a, uh… Vodka martini? Do you make those?" The bartender confirmed that indeed he did and began to grab the appropriate liquor off of the shelves behind the bar.
"Her drink's on me." Bucky reached across Steve to slap some cash on the bar in front of Rose. She looked at him slowly.
"Um, thanks, but I got this." She pushed his money back towards him, pulling out some of the cash that Howard had given her.
"I insist." Bucky slid his cash back. Rose glared at him. If she was less tired and in need of some harder alcohol, she might have accepted his chivalry. But she was from 2018; she could manage to get her own drink in a bar.
"Cut him some slack, Rose," Steve interrupted their staring contest from where he was standing between them. "He's already been rejected once tonight, his ego can't take any more." Rose knew about Peggy rejecting his offer for a dance, and she was holding back a smile at Steve's blatant roast of his friend.
"Ok, fine," She conceded, "but I'm buying you one as well."
"I'll take it!" Bucky announced after a moment's thought. "I'll have what she's having." He told the bartender, who began making another after giving Rose her drink. Another! She thought, trying not to laugh while imagining Steve and Bucky smashing their glasses on the ground Thor-style.
"Hey Steve," she got the super soldier's attention, "you know Peggy, like, only has eyes for you, right?" Steve choked on the drink he was taking.
"Wha..? No way! She's… she's…" He struggled to find the words to describe just how impossible he thought that was.
"She was definitely flirting with you, pal," Bucky agreed with Rose, humour sparkling in his eyes. Steve continued to deny all knowledge while Rose looked over to the table of Howling Commandos. They were full of merriment, laughing and singing loudly.
"I'm gonna go see the boys over there, they look like they're having a great time." Rose said, moving away from the bar.
"Don't drink too much, they're hard to keep up with." Bucky warned.
"I'm here for a good time, not a long time, Sarge." Rose called as she walked backwards away from him, raising her martini glass to him.
An hour or so later, Rose's coat was draped over the back of her chair while she was three martinis deep listening to the Commandos tell stories. Steve had left - ever the responsible one - while Bucky had pulled up a chair next to Rose, commenting how he wanted to see how a future girl could hold her drink. Rose was beyond tipsy by now, just shy of being too far gone to be appropriate. She hadn't quite realised the potency of old school liquor, as well as taking into account the champagne she had with Howard earlier. A man was playing the piano in the corner of the bar and Rose twisted in her chair to watch him.
"You guys need, like, a theme song… or a fight song!" Rose declared turning back to them. The men laughed at her. "I'm serious! … And I think I know the perfect one!" Rose waited for a pause in the piano before launching into the chorus of a song she thought was quite fitting; "We are the champions, my friend! And we'll keep on fighting till the end! Dun, dun, dun," she air-guitared, "We are the champions, we are the champions, no time for losers, 'cause we are the champions…" She paused for dramatic effect. "...Of the world!" The commandos clapped at her performance while she took a bow. "Thank you, thank you. I'm here till Thursday." She laughed at her own joke, obviously knowing no-one else would get the Shrek reference.
"Future song?" Bucky asked quietly once she sat back down, highly amused by her antics.
"Yep! I actually really miss my music. Fuck I wish I had my phone, there are so many songs I'd wanna show you…" She trailed off, closing her eyes and feeling her head begin to spin.
"I think I better get you back." Bucky sounded suddenly concerned.
"Excuse you, you were trying to get me drunk before!" Rose accused. It was true that Bucky had been the one to buy Rose more drinks but it was more in an attempt at being a gentleman than anything else.
"Alright, time to go." Bucky pulled Rose up from the table, grabbing her coat. "G'night fellas." The Commandos bid them goodnight, continuing on with their own festivities. Bucky pulled Rose's coat around her shoulder as the left the pub, keeping an arm around her in fear of her wandering off in her drunken state.
"I'm not fragile, ya know," Rose stated, but made no move to pull away from him. Bucky led her back across the street to Headquarters and into the elevator to take them up to their respective rooms. "Hey Bucky?" Rose said softly, leaning against the elevator wall.
"Yeah, doll?" He yawned.
"I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"Just… I know what happens. And I'm sorry because I wish I could change it but I think it has to happen." Rose's eyes started welling up as she spoke. Damn alcohol, making me emotional!
"But… you said I survive… Right?" Bucky said slowly, anxiety creeping into him. The elevator dinged, arriving at Rose's floor. She stepped out, and turned back to him.
"You do survive. But surviving and living are two different things." The elevator went to close. Bucky stuck his arm out at the last second, stopping the doors from shutting. He followed after her as she walked glumly back to her room, making herself upset with her drunk thoughts.
"Is it worth it?" Bucky asked suddenly, not meeting Rose's questioning look. "Whatever is supposed to happen to us, to me, is it worth it?" Rose thought about his future. About the years Bucky would endure under the control of Hydra, about how his mind would be in tatters, only recovering properly once he is in Wakanda. "Who the hell is Bucky?" She thought about how he reclaims his life, how happy Steve will be to have his best friend back when he thought Bucky had died tragically. She thought about how Bucky Barnes, standing before her now, was a different person to the Winter Soldier, and even the White Wolf. She grabbed his hand, making him look at her.
"I don't know if it's worth it, but I might already be getting too personally attached to be objective. But it's important, and as far as I know, the future might depend on it." Rose answered him sincerely, her heart breaking for him, and for how much he would likely hate her in the future for knowing all that he would go through. If he even remembers me.
"Then you have to let it happen, don't you?" Bucky said softly, wiping a stray tear from her cheek, his hand lingering. They stayed like that for a few moments before the sound of a door slamming down the hallway shook them back to reality. Bucky dropped his hand as Rose unlocked her door, the previous conversation sobering her up.
"Goodnight Bucky," she whispered, going into her room.
"Goodnight, Rose," he replied, but she was already gone.
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