Chapter V
"There I go, leading with my heart again
And There I go, acting not so smart again"
-There I Go, Vaughn Monroe, 1940
4741′11″N, 154′31″E
Austrian Alps
October 1943
"If you were trapped in a cell..."
"We're already trapped in a cell, Daniela."
Daniela rolls her eyes at him, "would you prefer to be trapped with arachnids or with snakes?"
The American has been growing on her, he makes jokes she doesn't always understand and he can get annoying at times; but he's made an impression. After they decided to be friends, she finds he is much easier to talk to than she anticipated, even with his flirtatious overtones.
Bucky scratches his head, "arachnids? Like spiders?"
"Yes," Daniela nods, "the word..." She flutters her fingers in the air, "slipped from me."
"Spiders," he tosses his dog tags to Daniela. "I like the little guys, they were everywhere in our apartment. Grew to love 'em."
She can't understand why he likes the cursed things. She smiles as she catches the metal chain in her hands, "your turn."
"Okay, how old are you?"
Daniela rolls her eyes, its a waste of a question in her eyes. Age matters little with their current state of affairs, "twenty-one." She tosses the tags back, "if you aren't afraid of spiders, are you afraid of some other insect?"
"No." Bucky laughs, "why do you ask so many questions about bugs? What is this, the sixth one?" He balls up the chain and tags before throwing them back to her.
"I was curious. What is your favorite food?"
Bucky groans, "you skipped my turn."
"I did no such thing, American." Daniela passes the dog tags back to Bucky. Zola has yet to come for them today, the change in schedule makes her uneasy. It was Daniela's idea to play a game, anything to take her mind off the unease settling in her gut. Besides, Bucky was usually good for distracting her with some wild story about a carnival or some adventure with his best friend in America. "But out of the kindness of my heart, I will allow you to ask a new question."
The door to their cell slides open, Bucky frowns, "rain check, doll."
Zola leans forward and smiles, "Waltz, Barnes, I apologize for the wait. There was much to prepare, today is so very exciting!"
"Those aren't the words I'd use..." Bucky stands tall and offers a hand to Daniela, she swats it away and pulls herself up. "What's so exciting?"
"Ah," Zola smiles, "you will see."
Daniela walks into the lab and stares at the stooped shoulders of her father leaning over a table, his hands shaking just slightly. His eyes meet hers and she sees his lips tremble the slightest, Daniela averts her eyes before climbing onto the table. Bucky follows suit and Zola pulls a large needle from behind him, Daniela looks to Bucky and raises her chin. The last thing she remembers is the warmth in his blue eyes.
The air is stale, a mixture of sweat and dirt making the dank cell even more unbearable. Bucky lays shoulder to shoulder with the small woman, staring at the endless darkness outside the window. "What do you think they're doing to us?"
"Gee, you sure know how to start up a conversation." Bucky turns his head and winces at the pinch in his neck, "I don't know."
Daniela sighs, "I want to know. Nothing has changed, at least I don't think so."
"Sorry, doll. I don't have an answer for you." Bucky looks to the figure beside him, he can't see much of her, it's almost pitch black in here. "Maybe ask your father?"
Bucky feels her stiffen, her shoulders squaring and brushing against his arm. "I know I said I'd try and get some information from him..."
"It can't be easy..." Bucky chews at his lip, "knowing your father is why you're stuck here."
It stays quiet for a while, just the sound of wind howling outside and the distant echo of boots crunching on stone and orders being given. Bucky's mind wanders to Steve again, where he's at, if everyone back home knows he's gone missing. Maybe they just think he's dead, the sad eyes of his mother flash before melting into the hurt blue eyes of the man Bucky calls his brother. Memories flash of the last time Bucky saw Steve so sad, it was after his mother's funeral, it had been a long day for both of them. Sarah was a good woman, he wouldn't ever be able to forget the lost look on Steve's face that day.
"We never finished the game." Daniela's voice is a whisper.
"Hm?"
"The game," she sits up and Bucky watches her figure press against the wall, he feels the edge of her shoes against his knee. "We never finished it."
"To be honest, Daniela, I'm kind of in another place right now. You know, in my head." Bucky shuts his eyes and tries to force Steve's face out along with his mother and his sister. "We gotta get out of here."
"I am aware, American." Her tone is a bit cold, but Bucky is too tired and sore to question it. Daniela has gotten under his skin the past few days, she's clever and perceptive, but she's also got a stubborn streak to rival Steve's. Bucky can't seem to figure her out, sometimes she opens up and talks, other times, he can't get her to say more than a few words.
The wind changes into a loud roar and a breeze crawls into the cell, Bucky sighs at the feeling. "Why are you here? I know it has to do with your father, but why?"
"Didn't I say no questions about my past."
Bucky rolls his eyes, "look, princess, we agreed to be friends, right? I told you why I was in here."
She kicks his knee with the tip of her shoe, "I'll tell you when I'm ready. It is not a story I want to share often...you've been nothing but kind to me. You have cared for me when I was ill, and you have stood up for me when I could not. You so far, have proven loyal. I promise, I will tell you when I am ready."
Bucky frowns but nods, "I understand." He nudges her shoe with his hand and paints on a smile, "you like baseball?"
"Please not this again...You Americans and your beloved baseball." Daniela scoffs, "I'm not too sure how the game is played. My father isn't one for sport, the kids in my neighborhood never played either."
Bucky shakes his head, "you don't have baseball in your life, that explains so much. I see why you're such a downer half the time. Alright let's start with the basics, you need nine players on each team."
"Nine, that's an odd number to choose for a game." He can vaguely see her tilt her head to the side, "I can't imagine finding enough people around just to play the game."
Bucky laughs, "well the numbers fluctuate when your playing with the kids in the alley. But the standard number is nine. When I have my own team it will be nine."
"You want to have a team? You must take it seriously to make that your occupation."
"No, I mean when I have kids, Daniela." Bucky turns to face her, "I'm going to have a baseball teams worth of boys, a house with a yard so we can play. And Steve is supposed to have nine too, so we can play a real baseball game together. Barnes versus Rogers. I'll win of course."
Daniela smiles to herself, "that sounds nice."
"What about you? What do you want after this war is over?"
It's quiet again, Bucky wonders if he's crossed some line by asking. Daniela takes a slow breath, "I don't know, Bucky."
"Come on, you gotta have something you want after the war?"
"I have no home," Daniela leans forward and rests her chin on her knees, Bucky can vaguely see the lines of her face. "I have no family...Now that I think of managing to escape, it's becoming clear that I have nowhere to go upon gaining freedom."
Bucky opens his mouth and shuts it, he isn't really sure where she's supposed to go either. When he escapes, they will try and meet up with other soldiers and continue to fight in this God-forsaken war. A small voice in the back of his head says to bring her with him, but he knows that's a stupid idea. A woman can't just bunk with an infantry of men and follow them into the front lines. "I'd say you should come with us, but I don't think it's advisable for a woman to go around following us into combat." Bucky hears a scoff from Daniela and flinches, quickly spurting words out his mouth,"I'm not saying you're not capable of it. Women help with the war effort all the time. It's just not something a traditional woman does."
"Who said I was a traditional woman?" Daniela nudges Bucky's knee again. "I do not want charity, I earn my place. I will prove to you that a woman is more than capable of being in combat..." She stands up and Bucky can see the outline of her hand in front of his face, "as a matter of fact, you will resume my fighting lessons now...I will fight."
"Now wait just one second," memories of a blonde kid who refused to accept anything less than fighting flicker in his mind. Bucky stares at her hand before taking a slow breath and accepting her help up. Why is it I always end up with the stubborn ones? "Okay, you got me. Between you and Steve, I'm gonna go gray before I'm thirty. You two just refuse to back down, huh?"
Daniela laughs quietly, "this Steve sounds like someone I'd like to meet."
"Oh you two would get along great." Bucky squints into the dark and focuses on the outline of the woman in front of him. "Alright, let's go through those punches again. Don't put too much into it, we're both still weak from Zola, got it, princess?"
Daniela raises her fist, "call me that again, and see what happens."
Bucky smirks, "try me, Princess."
"Father?" Daniela glances at the door and watches Zola walk out the room with a guard standing just outside the door. Her father looks up, his skin pale and slick with sweat.
He reaches out to touch her hand, "I...I am sorry."
"I do not have much time, Zola will return soon." She shifts her gaze to Bucky who lays unconscious on a table beside her. Bucky's screams kept her awake through Zola's treatments, his cries will haunt her forever. "You need to tell me what Zola is doing to us."
"I cannot." He shifts his glance and lowers his shaky voice, "it's too dangerous. It is best if you know nothing of what is happening to you."
"Father...please." She flexes her fingers in the grasp of her father and frowns, "for all you've put me through, I deserve to at least understand."
"There is nothing I can do," the lines of his face crease, "I am trying to protect you.''
Daniela snorts and rolls her eyes, "you've done an excellent job." The American's sarcasm has bled into her own sense of humor and she can see the hurt in her father's eyes at her comment. "Then do me one favor, father. Since, you refuse to answer my questions."
"I cannot make any promises."
Daniela looks back at the door and forces her eyes to the man who is supposed to be her protector, who is supposed to do anything for her. Her voice lowers to something barely above a whisper, "will you escort me to the latrine, please?"
His brow furrows and footsteps echo outside the door, Daniela watches him shrink back to his desk as Zola marches inside. "Ah, Waltz, you've managed to stay awake through this procedure. You are a strong specimen."
"I need the latrine." Her voice is steady, she flicks her gaze to her father.
Zola nods, "guard!"
"May my father come, too?" She swallows her nerves down and shuts her eyes for a moment.
"No," Zola pats her shoulder, "we can't have you trying to run off, can we?" Zola looks up to the guard walking towards her, "latrine for the patient."
The guard yanks Daniela from the restrains and shoves her to the door and into the hall, Daniela barely keeps her mouth shut as she curses her father for his twisted sense of loyalty and protection.
"He will not tell me anything, Zola won't allow him to take me anywhere. I am sorry I do not have more information, Bucky."
Bucky shrugs and shovels some mush into his mouth, "don't worry about it, doll. You're getting the hang of defending yourself. It's only been a week or two, but you show promise. You could probably stand your own in an alley back home."
"Perhaps," Daniela grimaces at the food in front of her. "The notes have stopped in the latrines, I checked today during our time with Zola. I haven't seen one in a few days, I do not know what the delay is. I doubt they've been discovered, I am sorry today is not full of good news."
Bucky frowns and looks to the setting sun outside their window, "let's not worry about that right now...Why don't we finish your game?"
Daniela nods slowly and takes a bite of her food, "it was your turn I believe."
"Hm," Bucky stretches and sighs at the pop from his spine, "tell me why you hate being called Princess?"
Hazel eyes roll back and she scowls, "because I am no princess."
"Who told you that?"
Daniela gestures to the dirty cotton shorts and stained top she's wearing, "do I look like a princess to you? I've no nice dresses, no money, and I am hated by most of my countrymen."
"Okay, that's fair." Bucky frowns and stuffs his face with another spoonful of dinner. "Your turn."
"Why do you insist upon calling me Princess?"
Bucky grins and winks at Daniela, "because every girl I've ever spoken to gets a nickname. It usually wins 'em over. Now, you got Princess because you're one of the most irritating, demanding, stubborn-"
"Oh, so you're insulting me?" She lifts her brow and looks at him with a smirk of her own.
"Not exactly," Bucky laughs under his breath. "You're irritating and demanding and stubborn, but you're also strong, confident, and determined...You're going to get out of here and wherever you decide to go, you will succeed."
"And if I choose to fight?" Her voice is cold again, a sharp edge to it that Bucky thinks could be a sign of a darker nature lurking beneath the surface of those hazel eyes.
"You will succeed at that, too." Bucky tightens his grip on his spoon, knuckles flushing white. "You're really going to fight, aren't you?"
Daniela nods, "I will end HYDRA. Even if it kills me. They've stolen too much from me."
"I see." Bucky stares at her for a long time, memorizing the determination etched onto her face. "Look, you're one of my friends, Daniela. So I'm going to help you escape, and if you choose to fight, I'll support that too."
"Thank you...can I confess something to you, James?"
Bucky looks up, surprise written on his features. She's never called him James before. "Sure, Daniela."
"I think I've come to know you, better than anyone else in my life. I know we've only really known each other a few weeks, but in that time I've grown to know you well. Would you be offended if I...considered you my...closest, or perhaps even," her voice drops to a whisper. "Best friend?"
"I am deeply offended by that." Bucky breaks into a grin at Daniela's confused brows, "I'm not offended at all, Daniela. Now, Steve is my best friend, but there's no rule that I can't have two. We have a bond forged from captivity, that kind of thing makes brothers out of soldiers."
Daniela laughs, "so I'm your brother?"
"No," Bucky snickers at Daniela's confusion. "I'm saying we have a real friendship here, based on sharin' beatings from guards."
"You are not the worst person to share a cell with. Thank you, for your friendship."
"That's what I'm here for, doll. A daily dose of sarcastic humor and the occasional funny story."
"Yes, I am still getting used to this sarcasm you have. I have picked some of it up, though."
"You're joking." Bucky keeps his face neutral.
Daniela pokes him in the ribs lightly, "was that sarcasm?"
"Yes, Daniela, it was."
