A/N: There's a small note about the timeline of the start of this chapter, which is somewhat different from what the movie appears to indicate and what online timelines claim at the end of the chapter. Online sources indicate it was the very next day that the 107th returned, I've made it closer to a week, and there's some information and details about that at the end :)

~8~

Love in a Time of War

Peggy Carter stood rigidly in front of Colonel Phillips. Her shoulders were stiff and back, her spine straight, her face set in a hard line. The only indication that was she was worried at all could be found in the way she was wringing her hands together, in the way her eyes kept flickering out to the main camp. It shouldn't have taken this long for Steve and Olivia to contact her. She and Howard had remained in the plane, circling the area as long as possible, before they were forced to land. She hadn't let go of the device that would keep her in contact with her friend, but there had been no activity.

It has been more time than she cared to think about since she and Howard had flown the plane past the German lines. 6 days, almost 7, nearly a week and she had spent every hour of it going over all possible situations that could have befallen her friend and Steve Rogers. She wasn't as great a mathematician as Olivia was, but she could work out at least that they should have been back before now. Even if they were walking the entire way, given their speed and agility and endurance, they should have been back. All she could keep thinking was that her friend had been captured or killed by HYDRA. She would have to give her a very tight hug if ever she saw Olivia again if this was in any way a small fraction of what the girl had endured each time SHE went out on a field assignment over those two long years.

Olivia would have to be alive for her to do that though.

She flinched as she heard what the colonel was dictating to one of his corporals seated at a typewriter, "Senator Brandt, I regret to report that Captain Steven G. Rogers went missing behind enemy lines on the 3rd. Aerial reconnaissance has proven unfruitful. As a result, I must declare Captain Rogers killed in action. Period."

The man had only just finished dictating the very same message to the Prime Minister regarding Olivia. Hearing him believe even his own soldier, that Steve, had been killed in battle as well, it just made Peggy even more concerned that it was true. The man had devoted a few resources to trying to scout for the two super soldiers, understanding how much had gone into creating them and, probably, to save his own skin that they'd been destroyed on HIS watch. But nothing had come of it, she had the proof in her hands.

"The last surveillance flight is back," Peggy spoke quietly, her voice hoarse and sounding quite exhausted. But she herself had been manning any effort they could spare to try and track down Olivia and Steve, wanting to be the first to know, "No sign of activity."

Olivia had been right, the only thing that was stopping her from going out there and trying to track her friend down herself, was the fact that the colonel had discovered her and Howard when they returned and he kept one of his soldiers guarding her at every turn. She could go nowhere in the camp without being observed. She was lucky she hadn't been sent back on dishonorable discharge or something of the sort, though she was sure it would be coming.

The colonel sighed, shaking his head, and looking at the man taking his dictation, "Go get a cup of coffee, Corporal."

The man nodded, "Yes, sir," before saluting and turning to leave.

The colonel looked up at her, "I can't touch Stark. He's rich and he's the Army's number one weapons contractor. You are neither."

Peggy took a deep breath, lifting her chin and squaring her shoulders, staring him down, "With respect, sir, I don't regret my actions. And I don't think Major Williams or Captain Rogers did either."

The man moved to stand right in front of her, "You gonna stand there and lie to me?" he asked, looking her in the eye, "Don't think I don't know that girl was your best friend, and you let her walk into her death," he took a grim satisfaction in the way Peggy flinched at the words, "You may say you don't regret it now, but you will when you see her body and what HYDRA does to it. I took a chance with you, Agent Carter. And now, not only is your own country's shining star lost, but America's golden boy and a lot of other good men are dead."

Peggy shook her head, still unwilling to fully believe that her friend might actually be dead. It was exactly like Olivia had said, she would not take the word of another until she saw physical proof in front of her own eyes, "I still have faith that..."

But the colonel scoffed, cutting her off, "Well, I hope your faith is a big comfort to you when they shut this division down," he opened his mouth to say something else, but a commotion outside the tent drew his attention. He looked outside the open the flaps to see soldiers running through the camp, the sound of cheering starting to sound, "What the hell's going on out there?" he muttered before stepping out of the tent with Peggy, following the crowd to the edge of camp.

And there, just in front of Peggy's eyes, was the lost 107th making their way out of the forest, with Steve and Olivia leading in front. Not only were the men walking along with them, but they had brought a few Nazi tanks and weapons along with them.

"Liv," Peggy breathed, her hands flying to her mouth, tears of relief in her eyes to see her friend alive and looking unharmed, dirty but unharmed.

She didn't even hesitate, pushing past the men and rushing to Olivia to give her the tight hug she swore she would next time she saw her. She had never heard anything better than Olivia giving a light laugh in her ear as her friend returned the hug.

"Sir," Steve greeted the colonel as the man approached, giving him a salute.

Olivia pulled away from the hug lightly, turning to address the colonel, "I've examined each of the soldiers for any injuries," she reported, pulling out a small notepad from the pocket of her jacket, giving it to him to see she'd actually taken notes about each man's wounds in order of severity, "There are none too severe, but there are some that are quite extensive. I dressed as many as I could in the field and stabilized them. We were lucky that some villages along the way offered food when we passed through, but they could do with some rest, proper food, and a more thorough examination in the tents."

The colonel looked from the notes, past the two of them to the line of soldiers that had gathered, quickly seeing any noticeable injuries had indeed been dressed and tended to. Some men were walking between two others with their legs in a makeshift splint, others with their arms bandaged and hanging in slings from their necks. But none of them looked too bad for the wear compared to what he thought they would be. He didn't want to imagine the state they had been in when she first tended to them though.

"So you actually are a medic," the colonel remarked, eyeing Olivia.

Olivia's lips pursed as she took a deep breath and faced the man down, "I didn't just lie in hospital beds waiting to die, sir. I made ample use of my time with books or training. Perhaps if both governments had had the foresight to allow myself and Steve into battle, this could have been avoided."

The colonel actually looked away for a moment, seemingly chastised by the reminder of how near-death she actually had been according to her files.

Steve could only barely keep himself from smiling when he heard Bucky mutter behind him, "I like her."

"Medics," the colonel called to those particular individuals who had been lingering, unsure whether they would be reprimanded for helping someone who had disobeyed orders. But with that shout they quickly rushed past and went to tend to the men, one taking the notes from the colonel to review as they went.

"Sir," Steve turn to the colonel once more, "I'd like to surrender myself for disciplinary action."

He only spoke of himself, Olivia was not technically an American Soldier, but he was. He also wasn't about to bring up how Olivia, his senior commander at the moment he'd left, hadn't ordered him to stand down.

The colonel, however, just shook his head, looking at all the men who had returned and feeling, perhaps for the first time in a long while, as though this war finally had a chance of ending with a Nazi defeat. Two people, one of them only a medic, had managed to not only clearly defeat an enemy at their home base, but also return to them a number of soldiers. Two people had done what an entire platoon of soldiers would have been lost doing.

"That won't be necessary."

Steve smirked, "Yes, sir."

Colonel Phillips shook his head and looked over at Peggy, who stood next to Olivia with her arm linked, "Faith, huh?"

Peggy nodded, "Respectfully? You could do with some, sir."

The colonel seemed to give a small laugh at that remark, turning to walk back to the main camp, to speak with some of the injured about their experiences as prisoners of HYDRA.

Peggy looked over at her friend and Steve, "You're late," she told them, though her eyes flickered more to Olivia on her next words, "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Olivia just gave her another strong hug, "Now we're even," she whispered in Peggy's ear.

"Wasn't her fault," Steve defended, "We couldn't call our ride," he held up the broken communicator.

"Hey!" Bucky called out to the gathered men, all greeting each other and checking on their returned friends, "Let's hear it for our heroes, Captain America and Major Britannia."

Steve let out a hearty laugh because, even while the men were cheering at both of them, Olivia still blushed and looked quite exasperated with the title she'd been given. So he just reached out and wound and arm around her shoulders, half hugging her to his side, beaming when he felt her put her own arm around his waist and return the squeeze.

~8~

Steve and Olivia stood in the Allied headquarters of London only a few days later, discussing the war and what they had learned in the HYDRA base with different leaders of the Allied armies. There was a map set up, much like the one Steve had glimpsed hanging in the office they'd found Bucky in. He had only gotten a brief look at it, but with all the markings on the map he had known it must have been something quite important to HYDRA, especially to have it kept by one of its main officers. So he had taken care to try and memorize as much of it as he could, trusting Olivia to tend to Bucky while he was distracted.

"The fifth one was here in Poland, right near the Baltic," Steve was explaining as he put a marking on the map in just that place, "And the sixth one was...about here, 30 or 40 miles west of the Maginot Line," he put another marking on the map, nodding to a soldier to take it away and make copies and transmissions to the other Allied forces, informing them of the new information, "I just got a quick look," Steve added humbly.

"You got a better look than I did," Olivia offered.

"Yes, well, nobody's perfect," Peggy remarked, though she had a soft smile on her face, reassuring Steve that all the information he had given was going to be a monumental help to their cause. She led the two over to where Colonel Phillips was standing by yet another map that Bucky had been working on.

"These are the weapon factories we know about," Steve explained to the man.

"Sergeant Barnes said he overheard the enemy speaking about how HYDRA had shipped all the parts to another facility, one that isn't on this map," Olivia added as Bucky nodded, he had hoped he might be able to spot something or recall something more that would help them find the unknown facility but it hadn't happened.

"Agent Carter," the colonel turned to her, "Coordinate with MI6. I want every Allied eyeball looking for that main HYDRA base."

Peggy nodded but also asked, "What about us?"

The colonel just smirked, "We are gonna set a fire under Johann Schmidt's ass," and looked over at Steve and Olivia, "What do you say, Rogers? It's your map, you think you can wipe HYDRA off of it?"

"Yes, sir," Steve agreed, "I'll need a team."

The colonel cut in before Steve could even turn to gesture at Olivia to request her for his team, "You've got Williams onboard as medic," he was not about to separate the two now, not after the outstanding results they had gotten with the 107th, they hadn't lost a single man from injury or infection, "We're already putting together the best men to join you both."

"With all due respect, sir, so am I," he sent a smile at Olivia, something Peggy and Bucky noticed and exchanged looks over.

"Well then, get me their names, and I'll make it official," the colonel stated, "Dismissed."

Bucky stepped over to the super soldier duo, "Major Williams," he began, "If I may, could I speak to you for a moment?"

"Oh, um, yes of course," Olivia agreed, allowing Bucky to lead her across the room to sit by a small desk as he leaned against it.

"Thank you," Bucky spoke, "It's a little hazy, when I think back to HYDRA, but I'm pretty sure you saved my life," he honestly didn't know. He remembered that he sure felt like he was dying, and then she was there and whatever she did to him made him feel so much better and less afraid.

"It was nothing," Olivia gave a shrug, "Just doing my job."

Bucky snorted, shaking his head, knowing it was quite far from the truth. While women were able to enlist in the armies, they were kept far away from the front lines, helping in offices or assisting in headquarters, but not actively engaged with the enemy. And, as far as he knew, there really were no female medics. Nurses, yes, assisting the doctors, but, again very far from the front lines, for their safety. Olivia had literally pushed her way onto the field and acted as a true medic. It was more than just 'doing her job.'

"You are just like Steve," he remarked, noting how humble she was, "I can see why he likes you."

Olivia flushed a little bit, a small smile growing on her face even as she hesitated to ask, "...he likes me?"

"Well that depends, do you like him?"

Olivia nodded, "I do."

"Why?" Bucky asked, not in a cruel way as though he couldn't believe someone would like Steve that way, but more cautious and somewhat suspicious, "Because he's big and strong and famous?"

Olivia felt a small stirring of warmth in her as she realized why he was asking her that. It wasn't that he didn't think Steve was likable, it was that he wanted to make sure she liked him for the right reasons, "I liked him before he took part in Dr. Erskine's procedure."

Bucky blinked at her admission, vaguely familiar with the information she'd given as Steve had explained to him exactly what happened that made him what he was now. He eyed her a moment, "Really?"

"He wasn't like the other men."

"Shrimpy?" Bucky offered in a somewhat teasing way, in a manner only a best friend who had the right to poke fun at you could do.

"Strong."

Bucky's expression turned confused, "You just said you liked him before he was big and strong."

"Strength comes in many forms," she said wisely, "To live the life he has and still want to help, to not let his own shortcomings hold him back?" she shook her head, "It is a remarkably strong man who can stand up even when everything pushes him down. When we would talk..."

"Steve actually TALKED to a dame like you?" Bucky had to cut in, a little stunned Steve had worked up the nerve.

"He was quite charming," Olivia nodded, smiling more as she thought on him, "And determined, with a good heart. He made me smile and laugh and...well, made me feel a bit ashamed too."

Bucky frowned, "If he said something offensive, it's just cos he hasn't had much experience talking to women and..."

"No, no, nothing like that," she reassured him, "Talking to him made me feel normal for once in my life. I was quite sickly before I took part in Dr. Erskine's procedure too, and it was...it was nice to hear someone else had similar ailments. Even the ones we didn't share, like the stomach ulcers he mentioned, it just...what?" she began to frown as well, seeing Bucky giving her an almost disbelieving look that appeared mixed with a bit of embarrassment.

"Nothing," he shook his head, a little stunned honestly that the girl was talking about Steve's numerous ailments with such ease and no sign of disgust, the man had clearly gone in depth about it and she was still smiling at Steve like he was prince charming or something.

"Right," Olivia gave him an odd look before shaking her head, "Hearing about all that, it made me feel less like there was something wrong with ME, if someone else was going through it too. But...he was so strong," she added, "To suffer all that, to go through life that way, and still be out there and on his feet. To find the will and drive to get up and not let it stop him, to want to join the army and fight in a war despite it all? I admit a felt a bit shamed. I was ill too, in hospital a lot, and the most I could do was assist the nurses..."

"Sounds like your stuff was more health and Steve's was more physical," Bucky offered, not really sure how right he might be. Steve didn't get ILL often, not like when he'd been a kid, but he had a lot of other physical problems holding him back. It seemed like, from what Olivia was saying, she had some physical issues but a large part of her life was health concerns and illnesses.

"A bit, I suppose, but...Steve made me feel like I should have been doing more," she shrugged lightly, a smile still on her face, "He makes me want to do more. He was so kind and resolute in his beliefs, so determined and he kept pushing himself to keep going. It was remarkable and something I truly admire about him."

Bucky started to smile again, hearing how genuine she was. The girl really HAD taken a fancy to Steve before he became the man he was now and anyone who could look past Steve's shortcomings, or what most called shortcomings, to see the person he was inside? That was the kind of person he wanted for his best friend. For so long it had only been him that could see the heart of Steve, he was grateful someone else saw how remarkable he was.

"I got it," Bucky told her, "He's more your type," he managed to tease her, a faint memory drifting through his thoughts of the woman saying HE wasn't her type, but Steve clearly was, "You like him for what's inside, not out."

"Exactly," Olivia agreed, "And, truly, of the two of us, I should be the one more concerned with someone liking me just because of what the serum did to me."

Bucky gave her a questioning look.

"Steve only met me after Phase One was complete," Olivia reminded him, "I didn't look anything like I do now."

Bucky felt himself start to smile, "Trust me, you don't gotta worry about that. Steve isn't the sort to base things like this on what a person looks like. I mean, yeah, you're his type, but..."

"His type?"

Bucky chuckled at that, she sounded a little curious, "Let's just say the girls I tried to set him up with were usually blondes or redheads," he nodded at her own hair which was something of a mix between the two though a bit more blonde, "He woulda loved a girl a little shorter than him, something about getting enough women looking down on him as it was, but it's not an easy thing to find," he glanced at the top of her head, recalling how tall she was. She was just about Agent Carter's height when she wore flats and the Agent heels, but almost came eye to eye with Steve when she wore heels or boots, just short enough to not be awkward but not be taller than him, "And he really isn't the type to judge just based on that. Too many girls did that to him, he wouldn't do that to other people."

"I understand," Olivia mentioned, "I've always felt it best not to judge a book by its cover."

"I don't know you well," Bucky offered, "But what I do know, about what you're like, about you, I like. And I approve. But I gotta tell you," he warned, "Steve is my best friend, and just because you saved my life doesn't mean I won't..."

"Bucky," Olivia interrupted gently, "May I call you Bucky?" she asked, he nodded, "Peggy is my very best mate, my best friend," she told him, "Be honest. Do you really think she's not giving the exact same speech you are me to Steve?"

Bucky casually glanced over to where Steve and Peggy were talking near the wall, the woman looking very firm, stern, and quite a good deal threatening, very scary, while Steve looked reasonably afraid, and chuckled. He looks back at Olivia, "Then you know what I'm trying to say here?"

Olivia smiled and reached out to place a hand on Bucky's arm, "I put myself in the Army, because I wanted to help people and protect them. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt anyone. Especially Steve."

Bucky nodded and smiled, "I'm glad we understand each other. But, just to be sure, keep in mind I have some training as a sniper."

Olivia just let out a laugh.

Bucky shook his head at her reaction, but for once feeling secure in the thought that this girl wasn't going to hurt his friend. He looked over when Peggy called out for the girl, gesturing her over, and gave her a nod of parting. A moment later, Steve came to lean on the desk beside him.

"So what do you think?" Steve asked.

Bucky wasn't sure if Steve meant about Olivia or the war or the experiment he'd gone through or HYDRA or anything else. But he chose to answer with something that had stuck with him since Olivia mentioned it. He looked over at his friend and shook his head, "I think you're a lucky son of a gun," Bucky told him, before quickly reaching out to pull Steve into a headlock, rubbing his knuckles into the man's hair in a noogie, like old times, "Stomach ulcers? THAT's what you chose to talk to a dame like that about? Really Steve?"

~8~

Steve sat before a table in a bar that was filled with a few of the men from the 107th that he and Olivia had helped rescue. The men at that particular table were just a handful of them, but the ones he had noticed through the window of the factory who were making the more offensive attacks against HYDRA when they were escaping.

"So, let's get this straight," a man, Dugan, began.

"We barely got out of there alive, and you want us to go back?" another man, Jones, questioned.

Steve nodded, "Pretty much."

A third man, Falsworth, actually smiled, "Sounds rather fun, actually."

The last man, Morita, let out a belch, before speaking, "I'm in."

Jones turn to another man, Dernier, who was saying something in French to him, before laughing and shaking his hand, turning to Steve, "We're in."

"Hell, I'll always fight," Dugan exclaimed, "But I got two conditions."

"And what are they?" Steve asked.

"I gotta know first," Dugan began, sounding serious, "...that cute girl gonna be with us again?"

Steve's expression tightened, much to the amusement of the men around him, though he didn't seem to notice their reactions, more focused on Dugan and what he'd just said, "Major Williams?"

"Ah, yeah, her," Dugan continued to try and rile up the oblivious Steve, "Major Williams, Olivia's her name right? Good Golly Miss Olie, eh?" he chuckled.

Dugan just barely kept from laughing when he saw Steve's hand curl into a fist on the table as he spoke, "Major Williams, has been assigned as our medic. She'll be there. To tend to wounds and nothing else and you will show her the respect she deserves and address her by her title, understood?"

Dugan smirked and held up his hands in a sign of surrender, not sure that Captain America realized quite how threatening he had sounded near the end, "Second," the man continued as though the whole minor altercation hadn't happened, "You gotta open tab for us."

Morita snorted, "Well, that was easy."

Steve let out a small huff, but nodded to the man, getting up and heading right over to the bar, calling out to the bartender, "Another round."

"Where are they putting all this stuff?" the barkeep asked jokingly, but turned to get the drinks together.

Steve looked over when Bucky sat down next to him on a stool, looking much better given the leave he and the other men had been given for their imprisonment, "See? I told you. They're all idiots."

"How about you?" Steve turned to his best friend, "You ready to follow Captain America into the jaws of death?"

"Hell, no," Bucky laughed, "That little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb not to run away from a fight? I'm following him. But you're keeping the outfit, right?"

Steve glanced back at a poster that was hanging on the wall, of him in his Captain America costume, a piece of ripped paper just a few inches away as though another poster had been beside it but ripped off, "You know what? It's kind of growing on me."

"It is quite inspiring," a soft voice said behind them.

Steve turned to see Olivia approaching with Peggy. While Peggy was wearing a fitted red dress with her hair perfectly done, Olivia was wearing a different style. She had on a lighter blue dress, sleeveless, with a crisp white collar that reminded him somewhat of the blouses worn on her brown military uniform. There was a white belt around her middle with the dress flowing to her knees and small blue flats on her feet. Her hair was hanging more freely but with a clip on one side.

Steve felt the breath leave him as he took Olivia's appearance in, having not seen her in anything quite so casual before. There was something about the way she was dressed and the way she held herself that brought up a sense of nostalgia in him. Peggy was clearly a woman who knew how to stand out and command respect at the same time, but Olivia struck him more as a woman who preferred to blend in, to not be noticed or the center of attention. He could appreciate that, it was one reason why, when he had been given his Captain America costume, he had asked for a mask. He didn't want to be hounded afterwards when out of his costume, but to also be able to go to a movie or something else and show his support while not taking attention away from the troops.

It was something he still found himself doing at times, dressing as inconspicuously as possible, not wanting to be noticed or draw attention to himself. A remnant, he was sure, that came from his childhood. Sometimes to avoid the bullies, it was best to become invisible. And clearly Olivia wasn't quite comfortable with all eyes being on her.

He couldn't imagine what it must be like for her now, even dressing as she was his attention couldn't help but be drawn to her.

Something Bucky seemed to pick on quite quickly when Steve didn't say another word in greeting.

"Sergeant Barnes," Bucky offered his hand to Peggy to shake as he stood up, having already been introduced to Olivia.

"Agent Carter, but please, call me Peggy," she returned the handshake.

"Bucky, then."

Peggy nodded, glancing over at Steve who was still staring at Olivia, "Captain," she addressed him just somewhat louder than was necessary, to be sure he would hear her.

That seemed to snap Steve out of his thoughts, "Agent Carter," he quickly greeted, "Major W..."

"Steve," Olivia cut in gently with a soft shake of her head and a small smile.

"Liv," he greeted instead with a smile growing on his face in return.

"Ma'am," Bucky gave a respectful nod to Olivia as well. As much as she had offered and told him to call her Olivia or Liv, for any friend of Steve's was a friend of hers, he couldn't quite bring himself to be so informal with the woman who had probably saved his life.

Peggy looked over at Steve, "Howard has some equipment for you to try. Tomorrow morning?"

"Sounds good," he nodded, "Though, speaking of equipment and outfits," he looked at Olivia, "I still need to see this uniform you were talking about."

"No you don't!" Olivia said quickly, "You don't need to see it, no one needs to see it. Ever."

"I don't know what you're in such a huff about," Peggy teased with a roll of her eyes, "It's not that awful."

Olivia turned to her, "Then why don't you go around the country dressed like a giant Union Flag?" she challenged.

"I'm sure it's not that bad," Steve offered, trying to diffuse the situation...when his words got away from him, "There's nothing you could wear that would make you look awful."

Olivia began to blush at that.

Peggy took pity on her best mate and refrained from teasing her more over the Captain's words, the man himself looking like he was on the verge of starting to sputter, and turned to look around, deciding to change the subject for her. As much as she teased the girl, the uniform truly was a horrendous crime to fashion, "I see your top squad is prepping for duty."

Bucky looked over at her from where she was eyeing the squad drinking their round, "You don't like music?"

"I do, actually. I might even, when this is all over, go dancing."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Bucky held out a hand to Peggy with a charming smile.

Peggy laughed, but took the offered hand, turning to Olivia and Steve, "Joining us?"

"Oh, I thought...perhaps we might...if you would be interested in..." Olivia began to panic as she spoke to Steve, not having been lying about how terrible a dancer she was, "You had a book about mathematics," she blurted out, "In your bunk just before Phase Two. Have you given any thought to the application of angles when in combat?"

Steve blinked, somewhat confused by the change in topic, but replied, "I haven't, no, do you have any thoughts about the subject?"

"I do actually," Olivia stated, letting out a relieved breath that she hadn't mucked it up, "Just over here," she put her hand on Steve's arm and led him over towards a pool table across the room, "I can demonstrate far more easily..."

"I told her not to say it quite that way," Peggy murmured to herself as she stood next to Bucky, the two of them watching as Olivia and Steve gathered around the table, contemplating Olivia's odd way of asking the man if he wanted to play a round of pool with her.

She'd told the girl to just ask, simple as that. Olivia had clearly gotten flustered and went with one of the two things she was most comfortable discussing, maths. At least it wasn't medical jargon. For as...cute, if that were the right word...as she found it now to think back on Olivia's first actual conversation with a man who wasn't Michael or Wells or Dr. Erskine had gone, SHE didn't really want to overhear them discussing such things.

"I can't tell if he's being polite, or if he's actually interested in talking mathematics on a date," Bucky had to agree, slightly confused by the situation as well but honestly able to believe it could be both when it came to Steve.

The two tilted their heads to the same side as they watched Olivia and Steve leaning half on top of the pool table to examine where the balls had broken and seeming to actually be having quite the animated discussion about the next move.

"Looks like they're having fun?" Bucky stated, though it sounded a little more like question than anything, but he nodded to himself, "They look good together, they...fit."

Peggy could only smile softly as she observed her friend, thinking about the experiment that had shaped her and Steve in kind, "You have no idea."

~8~

As Peggy and Olivia walked through the hall of Howard Stark's headquarters, intending to join Steve while they went over different equipment for the field, Olivia's face was as red as a tomato. Peggy was relentless in her teasing about just last night at the bar. While she and Bucky had been sitting off to the side, observing Olivia and Steve on their pseudo-date, she had noticed quite a few things happening.

Like how Steve would position himself around Olivia to help guide her with a certain move on the pool table, or how, whenever Olivia stood on the other side of the table across from Steve, he always missed his shot because his gaze kept drifting up to her. She had spotted Steve holding out a hand to Olivia, clearly asking the girl to dance, and she was not at all embarrassed to admit she had smacked Bucky's arm repeatedly in her excitement before latching onto it and watching with a keen interest if Olivia would accept. Before the girl could even move though, the barkeep had called that they'd be closing. Even though they hadn't gotten to the actual dance, Peggy was SURE that her friend was about to accept, and that was the thing that had her going for hours now with so many teasing remarks. Olivia never danced. But she was sure the girl had almost made an exception for Steve. And the fact that Olivia was flushing so much had to mean she was right.

She supposed she might need to lay off just a little bit, even with the serum helping Olivia out, it was probably quite dangerous for that much blood to be rushing to her face.

She opened her mouth to tell Olivia that she was going to stop for now, perhaps even to apologize for how much teasing she was doing, when she heard Olivia gasp quietly beside her. She looked over to see the girl staring straight ahead with such a pained expression that she quickly looked forward only to see what appeared to be Steve Rogers snogging another woman...

~8~

Steve had never regretted not focusing more on exactly what his level of strength was until he was put in a position of trying to work out how to gently push a woman, Private Lorraine, off of him as the woman kept trying to kiss him. He didn't want to hurt her, he didn't know how much force he needed to use, which was creating quite a conundrum for him. He had just arrived to meet with Howard Stark, to talk about the new equipment, when the woman had noticed him. She had started talk about what a hero he was and how brave he was and how many people he had saved. And no matter how many times he brought up Olivia, trying to give her equal credit, for he knew some of those men may not have even survived the march back to camp had it not been for her, the woman seemed fixated on him. He had gotten truly nervous when she cornered him somewhat and grabbed his tie, talking about how the women of the country owed him their thanks and how she was going to give it in their place and began to kiss him.

Or try to at least, he kept moving his face and turning it, not wanting his first kiss to be with this woman.

And it hit him like a ton of bricks at just that moment: he didn't want this woman to kiss him, because there was another woman he wanted to share his first kiss with, and it was not Private Lorraine.

"Captain!" a voice called down the hall and Steve felt his heart stop, recognizing Peggy's voice. He didn't want to look over, because he knew...usually wherever Peggy was, Olivia was never far behind. But he had to, because he had heard a small gasp as well.

For as much as his revelation about who he wanted to share a kiss with had stunned him, seeing Olivia standing beside Peggy, looking at him with such a pained expression, shook him 10 times worse. She looked confused, but heartbroken, and there was a faint glimmer of something else in her eyes that he was sure only someone who had gone through what he had would recognize. An expectation. It was just like when he'd gone on that double date with Bucky and the girls, he'd expected his date would be more interested in Bucky than him, in anyone else but him. And saw it now, reflected in Olivia's eyes, that she expected that someone would be more interested in others than herself. That was the last thing he ever wanted to see in her eyes especially when directed at him, she was the only one he was interested in.

"Liv!" he quickly pulled away from Private Lorraine and tried to make his way over to Olivia, but Peggy stepped in front of her, blocking the way.

"They're ready for you," Peggy told him firmly, pointing to the side where a door was now open, her expression telling him he had best do exactly as she said or there would be hell to pay, "If you're not otherwise occupied."

"Liv, wait," Steve tried to call as Peggy ushered Olivia through the door first and far away from him.

"I don't feel so well Peggy," Olivia told the woman quietly, "I'm just going to step outside for some air first."

Peggy looked at her with a deep concern, but nodded, "Go," she put a gentle hand on Olivia's shoulder to let her know she would handle any complaints Stark or the colonel might have about her being missing from this meeting.

"Liv," Steve tried to follow after her, but Peggy placed herself in his way once more.

"I think you've done enough," she said sharply, "They need to explain the equipment to you..."

"Well they're gonna have to wait," Steve stated, "I need to explain myself to her first."

"There's not much that needs to be explained," Peggy crossed her arms, "It was quite clear what was happening."

"It wasn't what it looked like!" he stated firmly, "I need to tell her that. So you can either stand in my way or you can stand aside, but either way I am going after her."

Peggy searched his eyes for something, he wasn't sure what, but she must have seen something in them that reflected genuine regret and anger over the situation at hand, because she gave him a single nod...and took a step to the side.

"Captain Rogers," she called as he was halfway down the hall, he turned to face her, "As I warned you before, if you break her heart," she warned, "Serum or not I will find some way to break every bone in your body."

Steve just gave her a salute and continued on his way.

A/N: :'( It was going so well, so sweet, so fluffy, and then Lorraine :( I wonder if Steve will be able to catch up to Olivia and if she'll believe him :'(

On a lighter note, I know 'Good Golly Miss Molly' was a song that came out in 1956, Dugan wasn't referencing the song, he was just sort of making a tease about Olivia's name with rhyming words ;) Also I'm honestly not sure if Steve had kissed anyone before Lorraine kissed him, if he couldn't even ask a girl to dance and not many were eager to date him, I couldn't see him having kissed anyone, and he seemed too respectful to really kiss-kiss anyone he wasn't 'going steady' with or intending to ask out :) So I feel that also sort of explains Bucky's own little 'shovel talk' with Olivia, not that he has to worry about her doing anything to hurt Steve, but I thought it would be something he'd do given how many times Steve likely was hurt by others.

Now, timeline wise, the site I used said that Steve rescued Bucky on November 3rd and returned to base on November 4th. I changed that up here. Because, for one, that would mean less than 24 hours that Steve was gone and he was already being presumed dead? :/ Not likely. Also, the HYDRA base was stated to be in Kreuzberg, Austria, Steve was meeting the troops 5 miles from the front line and performing for the 107th which had been stationed in Azzano, Italy, so I'm assuming it was 5 miles away from Azzano. Using google maps, this is a distance of about 410km or 255 miles. Walking at a normal pace would mean it takes about 90 hours to walk from point A to B non-stop. While the 107th did manage to steal some tanks and other vehicles, it didn't appear they got to many before the factory blew up. We also saw a number of soldiers walking so the chances of them all fitting in the vehicles they did have was small. And they were wounded, AND they would need to stop to rest/eat/tend wounds at some point.

So, walking non-stop puts us at a little less than 4 days. Adding in say 6ish hours of rest per day moves it to about 5 days, plus they're wounded so give or take another day. 6ish days, likely closer to a week since Steve went out to save Bucky. I think it's a little more realistic to think Steve might be dead after a week than a single day, you know? :)

...I think Olivia would be proud of me for working out all that math lol :)

Timeline for this chapter:
The 107 returns - November 9-10th 1943
Steve and Olivia return to England to review HYDRA information - Mid November 1943
That same night Steve gets the Commandos to agree to fight once they're recovered - Mid November 1943 (usually soldiers are given about 30 days of leave, so I imagine they actively start as a team in December)
The next day Lorraine kisses Steve - Mid November 1943

Some notes on reviews...

From what I understand of WWII, the medics in the field were expected to carry weapons, in defense of the wounded if they were attacked, but it was ultimately up to the medic whether to use it, and some (few, but some) refused to use them. By using it they were fair game to the enemy :( The women of WWII, while allowed to enlist in the army and having their own sort of platoons and such, again just from what I understand of the time, they were still kept far from the main lines. I think I read somewhere that only the Soviet Union, and only once they were truly desperate for aid, allowed women in combat roles in the front line, and they were about 8 percent of the total armed forces. I know some women in Britain were part of the SOE, they were trained to fight and in weapons, but, from what I read, they were mostly utilized as spies and, again, not meant to be right on the front lines. Olivia being a Major and designated a medic is a big thing for her and women at the time. And it sort of explains why her government/country is holding back so much on letting her be in the field. Erskine was the one who got to choose his subjects, and he chose one man and one woman. Part of that, I feel, in choosing a woman is to show what the serum could do to either gender, but more so as an example of 'making stronger' the 'weaker gender' in the sense that, at that time, women were still deemed to be the weaker gender :( If they could take a 'feeble woman' and make her strong, imagine what it would do to a man sort of thing :( So while he chose Olivia and he was pushing for her to be a real Medic, it was still going to take an awful lot for her to get near the front lines, being a woman :( He was pushing for it and so was Olivia, the last chapter was where she sort of took it into her own hands and proved she could do it, and if she can, other women can, sort of paving the way for future positions in the army. But they did hold back a lot on her combat training and weapons training because, in a sense, they never actually intended for her to make it to the front lines, she was supposed to be a figurehead for the war effort but not a real medic, and with her insistence at being a medic as opposed to a 'true soldier' or a spy for the SOE, to them, the training would be wasted if she was just going to focus on the wounded and not working to take down the enemy :( Even Peggy, being a field agent, she seems sort of rare and the only woman around with any training to fight or fire a weapon :( I SO want to get to the place where Olivia can show what she can do and really be a combat medic as we think of today, but it may not happen just yet, largely because of the way women were viewed and held back in this era. She will definitely get to a point where she IS taught how to fight and I have an entire scene dedicated to it which I am very much looking forward to because of how it comes about and the journey it sets Olivia on, but we may have to wait till a different story for it ;) Once the 'war' is over, Olivia won't be a medic any longer and when the story resumes in the modern era there are many more ways for women to be involved and more equality when it comes to combat :) There will also not be wars so much as fights so the 'rules of war' won't apply to her as a medic or a woman and she'll really be able to grow and show her serum-abilities more :) I'm very excited for that part of the story to start :)

That was something I noticed too, how Bucky went from needing Steve to help him walk to being able to run (though struggling to do it) to walking like he was fine :/ It was another reason I wanted to nitpick the timeline of it all. Even with the tanks or vehicles, the few they stole, it wouldn't really be possible for them to reach the main base camp in a day :/ Distance wise and number of soldiers wise, it just isn't possible unless they were all on vehicles and they didn't have that many :/ Changing it to closer to a week also gives them time to recuperate and rest along the way and made a little more sense to me :)

Oh Peggy and Bucky are so going to be partners in crime with pushing these two puppies together ;)