Chapter 13

The next day Jo exited her room still pulling her cardigan around her properly. Humming away to herself she headed towards Steve's and Bucky's room. Once she reached it she knocked on the door. Bucky opened the door seconds later after looking her up and down he moved aside to let her in. She'd hardly stepped inside the room when Steve came out the bathroom buttoning up his shirt. When he laid eyes on her his face lit up. Smiling back Jo walked over to him hopping onto her toes and snaking her arms around his neck. The pair kissed before pulling away.

"Morning," Jo smiled.

"Morning," Steve smiled back before kissing her again.

"Morning to you too Jo, how am I? Yeah I'm good!" Bucky muttered sarcastically. Jo looked over her shoulder to glare at Bucky who held up his hands in the universal sign of surrender. With a roll of her eyes she unwrapped her arms from around Steve's neck. Moving to stand beside Steve she leant against his arm.

"Are you boys ready for breakfast?" she asked. Bucky muttered something like a not yet. Steve just gave a soft laugh before shaking his head. He looked down to Jo who was looking up at him waiting for an answer.

"I'll be ready in a couple of minutes just take a seat," Steve kissed her forehead. Jo nodded before sitting down on his bed crossing her legs. Lazily she looked around the room allowing her foot to swing back and forth slowly. True to his word a couple of minutes later Steve walked over to her before holding out his hand. Jo took it and allowed him to pull her up.

"Bucky said to go ahead, he'll catch up with us," Steve told her. Jo nodded and together they headed down to the dining hall.

After breakfast Steve and Jo headed out into the hills surrounding the hotel. Once they were far enough into one of the hills they picked a spot and sat down. Jo sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I don't think I want to go back… ever…" Jo sighed, "Everything just seems so perfect here… it's like the war isn't happening. I wish we could just stay here and live in peace."

"Why don't we?" Steve sighed. Jo laughed softly. They both knew that wasn't true.

"You don't mean that. Staying here would be like surrendering. You can't surrender. You don't know how," Jo looked up at him, "And that's one of the things I love most about you. As much as I want to stay here I know we can't… we have a duty to fulfil." Steve smiled softly before hugging her tighter. Slowly he stroked her hair as she nestled further into him.

"You're right, I can't surrender and neither can you," Steve whispered. Jo smiled faintly before looking towards the mountains in front of them.

"So what now?" Jo asked. Steve sat in silence not wanting to say what they both knew they'd have to say.

"We plan the next attack on Hydra."

Five days later, somewhere in Czechoslovakia

With the next base in sight they all moved into their positions. As usual they waited for Steve's orders before striking. Just like the last base Jo snuck in first though this time she was closely followed by Falsworth. To their left, as they had seen the other day after doing surveillance, was a trap door leading into the basement. Unlike the last base this one was heavily guarded. Turning over her shoulder Jo motioned for Falsworth to take out as many guards as he could. With the message carried out the two lunged from their hiding place and took down guard after guard soundlessly without being spotted. Ten minutes later ten guards surrounding the basement doors were dead and their body hidden. Both Falsworth and Jo moved over to the doors. Falsworth lifted one door open whilst Jo took out a bomb from her rucksack and down the stairs before repeating with another bomb. As soon as the second bomb was inside Falsworth shut the door before they both ran away from the door. They both ducked down as the explosions shook the ground. Behind them the building on top of the building collapsed into the ground whilst explosions continued to happen. As soon as the explosions started Falsworth covered Jo with his body stopping any debris that may reach them from hitting her so they'd hit him instead. Jo crouched underneath him glaring at him very annoyed.

Once the explosions stopped Falsworth got up before holding out his hand for Jo to take. Hesitantly Jo took it allowing him to help her up. Once she was on her feet she turned to Falsworth eyebrows knitted together.

"What was that for?" she hissed. Falsworth gave a short laugh before getting out his gun. That laugh made Jo even more annoyed. What was so funny about protecting her? Surely all the men knew by now that she could protect herself just fine. Jo continued to glare at him until he gave her an answer. Seeing this Falsworth laughed again.

"It's not that we don't know that you can protect yourself, trust me we all know, it's the Captain were scared of. We reckon if you get injured in anyway and one of us is with you he'll come after us personally and give us a good beating. So we don't want to find out what would happen to us if you die and we're with you," Falsworth laughed, "As we see it protecting you is our only option." Jo cocked an eyebrow at him before picking her gun out of its holster and holding it up.

"That's sweet but don't. I would want all of you to miss out on the fun," she winked before rushing out of their hiding place and shooting the closet Hydra Agent.

Around an hour later all the Hydra Agents were either shot or had taken cyanide. Jo walked through the rubble of the ruined base looking for anyone alive or anything that could be useful to them. Not far to her left she could Steve walking over the rubble too. Smiling softly she place her gun back in its holster thinking that no one would attack them now. Seconds later there was a shot that made them both jump which was followed by a scream of pain. Jo looked to one of the few standing walls of the base, which happened to be right behind Steve, to see a Hydra sniper fall from the top. Steve looked at the sniper in shock before saluting up to the hill behind them where Bucky was place. Jo looked to where Bucky was and gave a small wave. It was then she saw a flash of metal in one of the trees close to Bucky. Knowing that all of their men were in the base, with the exception of Bucky, Jo ran over to the fallen sniper, picking up his rifle and looking through the scope to where she saw the flash. When she did she saw another Hydra sniper. Quickly she lined up the shot before pulling the trigger. Another scream of pain came from another sniper. Jo dumped the rifle before waving to Bucky.

When the whole team were together they walked back through the ruined base. They were walking towards the gate when a motorbike shot past them from behind which was followed by another then a truck. The whole team stopped walking and watched as the American soldier got off the bike and saluted at Steve. Steve quickly saluted back before listening to the man's message.

"Captain, Colonel Phillips has ordered me to give you and your team a ride back to our nearby base," the solider barked, "If you would all step into the truck then we can start our journey back." Steve nodding before ordering them all into the back if the truck. All the men started to file into it until it was just Bucky, Steve and Jo left on the ground. With one last look round the base Bucky climbed in before Steve climbed up and held out his hand to help Jo. Jo scowled at his hand she could get into the truck just fine by herself but she knew if she didn't take it she'd offended him. So as not to offend him Jo took his hand and with his help climbed up into the truck.

They reached the makeshift base about half an hour later. Steve had gone to talk to Colonel Phillips about the mission, Bucky had gone god knows where, the men had gone to do some training, Peggy (who was at the base as well as Howard) was also with Colonel Phillips and Steve and Howard was working on some new weapon so that mean t Jo was by herself. Howard had told her she could wait in his quarters until he had finished work which he should be any minute now. So when a nock came on the door she immediately assumed it was Howard. Sighing in relief she went to the door and opened it only to see a solider. The solider saluted to her before holding out a letter. Jo looked down at it sceptically.

"Agent Heaton this was delivered for you from London yesterday afternoon," the soldier told her. Jo took it from him only to see the scrawled writing she recognised as Annie's.

"Thank you, you may go now," she said not looking away from the letter. Slowly she closed the door before standing in the room. Quickly she flipped it over and sliced the letter open. From the envelope she pulled out a neatly folded letter that read,

Dear Josephine,

I don't know when this letter will reach you or if it ever will but I had to try as this is such a pressing matter that you need to know of immediately. I should have written to you earlier but I didn't think what has happened would ever happen and I apologise for it I do hope you can forgive me. Maybe if I had written to you earlier you would have come home and I wouldn't be writing this one. It is with great displeasure that I write to you to say for the past three weeks your Mother's health has deteriorated greatly. I regret to inform you that on Sunday night this week when I sat by her bedside your Mother passed away… Her last words were that she can't wait for her darling Josephine to return home from the continent.

I do hope this letter reaches you and if it ever does I beg you to return home so we may burry your Mother. Please Jo I beg of you to return home.

I am so sorry for your loss. Please return home,

Your friend, Annie.

Jo stared at the letter in shock. Her hands started to shake as she read it over again to make sure she'd read it right. Jo let out a scream before collapsing to the ground in tears. No! Her Mother can't be dead! NO! Seconds after her scream Howard came running into the room.

"JO!" he cried collapsing down to the ground. Jo continued to scream as if she'd been shot ten times over. Howard tried to shake her out of it but it wasn't working and by now they'd attracted an audience.

"Go get Captain Rogers! I want him here now!" Howard barked at one of the soldiers who'd gathered by the door.

"But he's still in a meeting with-" a soldier started but Howard cut him off.

"I don't give a shit! Get him here now!" Howards barked. The soldier quickly turned and fled from the scene. With the soldier gone Howard got up and slammed the door closed before returning to Jo. Unable to see the letter she was clutching to her chest like her life depended on it Howard still tried to get her to stop screaming. Minutes later the door flew open with Steve and Peggy charging inside. Peggy quickly closed the door whilst Steve ran over to Jo. Quickly he knelt down in front of her and placed his hands on her face. Howard moved away from the two and went to stand by Peggy who was watching nervously.

"Jo. Jo. Look at me. Come on Jo I need you to look at me. Jo please. I'm here whatever it is I can help. Please baby I need you to look at me," Steve pleaded desperately. Jo stopped screaming but the tears continued to thunder down her cheeks.

"She- she's g-gone Steve! She's gone!" Jo cried.

"Who's gone?" he asked the worry clear in his voice.

"My Mother. My Mother is dead and I didn't even get to say goodbye or that I love her. She's dead and I wasn't even in the fucking country!" Jo cried. Steve sighed. He knew what that felt like. He'd lost both of his parents from a young age and it was horrible. Steve pulled her into a hug before kissing what he could of her face. That night Howard gave Jo his room and he took what was meant to be Steve's. As expected Steve wouldn't leave her side for anyone or anything so no one even tried. Bucky paid a visit to them with food which Jo hardly touched. That night Jo cried herself to sleep in Steve's arm with the knowledge that she never said one final goodbye to the woman who raised her, to her role model and to her Mother.