Hey, guys, sorry it took so long! Finals kinda beat the crap outta me! Anyways, all done for now and I've got a special treat: a double feature both of chapter 11 and 12. Things are really starting to heat up between the Captain and Private Moldihan. Hope it was worth the wait! Love to hear what you guys think.

Also I've got a preview for a new Cap story in the works and a Tony Stark one shot check them out and let me know what you think!

Love Winter

XOXOXOXOX

Ask Her to Dance

Chapter 11: Hospital Visit

"Bucky, is everyone alright?" Steve asked, gripping Bucky's arm tightly as he help the paramedics get him onto a stretcher.

"Everyone's fine, well, except you."

"I'm fine. What about Kitty and Peggy, are they okay?"

"Steve, calm down. You're elevating your heart rate."

"Are they okay?" Steve asked again, this time more urgently.

Bucky could see his sweat on his skin, his pupils were dilating and he was going into shock. "They're fine."

Steve let out a sigh of relief and relaxed back, letting go of his friends arm. "Good..." His voice trailed off and he closed his eyes. His chest was heaving from the pain.

Bucky stood there watching as his best friend was taken away. He could hear the sound of running feet; he turned around just in time to see Kitty and Peggy skidding to a halt in front of him.

"What happened?" Peggy demanded.

"Agent Carter, I assure you..."

"What happened? Speak up soldier!" she continued, undetered.

"He was shot by Schmitt," he answered reluctantly.

"I need more than that."

"I don't know what happened, ma'am. He emerged from the factory and practically collapsed in my arms. All I can tell was that it was probably a close range with the amount of blood he lost."

"Oh god..." Kitty breathed. Both of her companions looked at her.

"Are you okay?" Peggy's eyes were full of concern.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

"Kitty... Kitty..." Bucky caught her as she fell forward. He looked at Peggy for a little help, he wasn't sure what to do; a First Class Private just fainted on him.

"Let's get her inside." Peggy just looked at the pale faced woman.

Bucky picked her up in his arms, following the Agent to her office.

"Scalpel," the doctor ordered. The cool metal instrument slipped into his hand. Pressing it to Steve's blood covered skin, he slowly dragged the blade down, cutting deeper. Opening the bullet hole even more, allowing better access to the small object that had made itself quite at home under the captain's rib cage. The silver butt of the bullet shone brightly in the light. The doctor reached for the tweezers, then reached into the wound to grip the bullet. Twisting and pulling back. Blood oozed out from around it.

Steve groaned and his body shifted.

"The anesthetic is wearing off, nurse," the doctor called. "He's coming to. He needs more anesthetic; we're nowhere near done."

The nurse moved quickly, placing the mask back over Steve's face and opening the value to the tank. Within moments his body relaxed again and he was out cold.

The doctor pulled the first bullet free from his body and moved to the second. Repeated the same steps. "Nurse sew him up and take him to recovery." The nurse took the needle and surgical thread. "I'm going to get in contact with Colonel Phillips."

"Kitty… Kitty…" Peggy spoke softly as the young private opened her . The cold pack pressed to her head. Bucky leaned over the agent looking concerned. Kitty lay on the floor of Peggy's office. The young private blinked slowly, her eyes focusing.

"What happened?"

"You fainted," Peggy answered, helping her sit up.

Within moments the reality hit again, "Steve." She quickly got to her feet, but almost collapsed again. She probably would have if Bucky hadn't been there.

"Whoa there, let's get you a little more balanced before you run off to see lover boy." Bucky smiled, helping her back in a chair.

Lover boy… she thought, Oh good god, he knows how does he know did she tell him. She looked urgently at Peggy.

"Agent Carter didn't tell me anything. I figured it out myself. I've known Steve long enough and been around enough dames to know when they're sweet on him," he explained.

"Oh," was all Kitty could say as she looked down. Steve's going to find out for sure now.

"Kitty..." He knelt down in front of her. "He was worried about you, he didn't think you were safe when paramedics were trying to get him on a stretcher."

"Is he alright?" she asked quietly.

Bucky laughed. "He's Captain America; he'll be fine."

"Do you think you're okay now?" Peggy asked. Kitty nodded, standing up and looking around at the other two. "We were waiting for you to come to before we went to see how surgery went. We both figured you would want to see him."

She couldn't help but be worried about what she would see when she walked into the hospital room. She remembered going to visit her brother's friends in the hospitals back home. Seeing all the broken men upset her, made her realize what this world was coming too.

The smell of the hospital tickled her nose as she sat in the waiting room, her fingers tapping impatiently.

"He's going to be okay, Kitty. Steve's taken a bullet before." Peggy rubbed her back. The sound of army boots on the tile floor made them glance up, but it wasn't Bucky, just one of the other Corporals.

"I know but still I don't want him to die."

"Maybe now is a good a time as ever for you to tell him how you feel." Peggy smiled at her.

Kitty sighed. "I'm never going to tell him; it's easier if he doesn't know. I don't need the rejection."

Just then Bucky came back into the waiting room. Peggy stood up and met him half way. "How is he?"

"He wants to see Kitty." Bucky smiled at the small blonde.

"Oh…" Kitty stood up slowly, looking between them.

"Tell him…" Peggy urged. Kitty shook her head no as she felt Bucky's hand on her back.

"Come on, I'll show you to his room." He smiled again, leading her away from Peggy.

As they walked down the hall Kitty felt the bitter memories closing in around her. All the hours she had spent in the hospitals back home reading to the soldiers who had come home, spending hours talking hours talking with them when no one had cared to come visit them. Volunteering as a candy stripper had brought her and her Sergeant together. He had been sent back home to recover from his injuries, and she had been sent to cheer him up. Once he was out of the hospital he treated her like a real lady. She would have never imagined the monster that had hidden inside until it came out only after they had moved in together. She shivered at the memory of the two years spent controlled and manipulated. She hoped she would never have to see that man again in her life.

They stopped outside room 218. "I've got to warn you, he's not in the best shape of his life."

"I've probably seen worse," she answered, turning the door handle slowly. Gathering her courage, she pushed open the door and stepped in.

"I'll be in the waiting room," Bucky murmured.

She nodded before closing the door. She turned, her eyes falling on Steve. He was propped up in bed, wearing his tight SSR shirt. She could see a small bruise on his jaw, most likely from his meeting with Red Skull. He smiled at her.

"Hello, Steve..." She spoke quietly as she pulled out the wooden chair that sat in the corner. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore but what else can you expect?" He smiled.

Kitty didn't like that he was acting so nonchalant about being shot at close range. How can he be so… so… I don't know. Doesn't he realize that there are people who worry about him, who care about him. "I was worried about you," She replied softly, glancing shyly away from him.

"Oh…" He looked guilty. "I'm sorry."

She reached out and touched his hand. "Please don't be sorry, you were just doing your duty." She stared up into his eyes. She was mesmerized by them as he looked back at her.

"Kitty..." He looked down at her hand over his. "Please, I don't need someone else worrying about me. Especially not you, you have enough to worry about. All I want to do is protect my country, protect the people I love and care about." He turned his hand over in hers and intertwined their fingers.

She looked down and at seeing their gently interlaced fingers she withdrew, pulling her hand back from his. "Captain Rogers, is there anything you need me to do while you recover?" she asked. It wasn't right for her to allow her feelings to get the best of her or even to think about the Captain and her. She knew that was against the rules. She doubted Colonel Phillips would turn a blind eye to them like he had to Rogers and Peggy.

"Kitty… Please, why won't you open up to me?" he asked.

"I told you earlier, Captain," she whispered. "If you keep your feelings to yourself, then everything will be okay."

"Kitty, I just want to get to know you."

"Why? Why do you want to get to know me?" she asked, a little harsher than she meant to.

"Because…" He knew it wasn't a good enough answer but he wasn't going to blurt out that it was because he had feelings for her. "Because I know what you're going through and I know I can trust you. I want to have a relationship that goes farther than just working together."

"Oh…" she answered softly, looking away. What does he mean by that, a relationship that goes farther than just working together? She was ashamed of being so short with him.

"I know you don't think people care about you but there are people who do and I'm one of them. I want you to open up just a bit so I know how you feel. So I can help," he pleaded. Reaching up, he touched her cheek, brushing his thumb over the scar by her eyebrow. It was almost as if he was asking her to tell him about the hell that was her life before she joined the army.

"Steve…" she whispered, moving to sit on the side of his bed.

His hand came to rest on her outer thigh, and he blushed as he realized where his hand was.

"His name was Sgt. Andrew Cavalier," she started off slowly, drawing a deep breath trying to dull the tightness in her chest that was building. "He had been sent home when the war broke; I was a candy stripper at the hospital he was in. That's how we met. I thought I was in love on our first date." Kitty scoffed to herself. "I was one of those girls who grew up with fairy tales and love at first sight, but now I find it all hard to stomach. He was a sweet and romantic man, until… until I moved in with him. That's when it all started. I should've expected it, the relationship was just too good to be true. He was the one who gave me this scar, as well as a few others, it took almost a year to get the gumption to leave," she finished.

"Why did you stay so long? Why did you stay there and take it?"

"I left a few times but he always found me or I always came back. Finally I enlisted. He hasn't found me yet and I hope he never does."

"But Pricilla, why does she torment you so?"

"We were working in the same dress shop together before. I've been at her mercy for longer than the time I've been here," she answered. "There is nothing I can do anymore. It just seems everywhere I go the only people I attract are people who want to make my life a living hell."

Steve sighed, studying the broken woman in front of him. He didn't know what to do, what to tell her; she suffered in a completely different way from how he had when he was little Steve. All she wanted was safety, the ability to go one day without fighting. He leaned forward, removing his hand from her hip, reaching up, cupping her face and forcing her to look into his eyes. He could see she was struggling to fight back tears, but she didn't want him to see her cry. "Kitty," he started, leaning in close. He felt the sudden urge to kiss her. Her plump lower lips quivered weakly as she stared up into his eyes. "Kitty, would you…"

The door opened, a nurse walked in. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but visiting hours are over."

"Alright, sorry. I didn't think it was that late in the day…" Kitty replied, getting up. She pulled back, Steve's hand slipping from her cheek. "Good night, Captain." She smiled shyly at him before turning and leaving the room.

Steve gazed longingly after her. He had just finally gotten the confidence to ask her to go for coffee off base when they had been interrupted.

Kitty hurried down the hall towards the waiting room to find Peggy still waiting for her. "What happened?"

Kitty bit her lip. "I'll tell you once we're out of earshot," Kitty replied.