I took some direct quotes from the film using the script, so not all the dialogue is mine, all rights and dialogue between Captain America and Schmidt is owned by Marvel.


CHAPTER VII

"There'll be a change in the weather; And a change in the sea, From now on there'll be a change in me; My walk will be diff'rent, my talk and my name -Nothin' about me gonna be the same."

-"There'll Be Some Changes Made", Marilyn Duke, 1941


4741′11″N, 154′31″E

Austrian Alps

November 1943

"Does she know how to use a gun?"

"Do you?" Full lips quirk up into an amused grin, soft hazel eyes spark with mischief. The sight makes Bucky grin, he keeps his eyes on her as they follow Steve along the maze of corridors in the HYDRA base.

Steve looks back, eyes shifting between Daniela and Bucky, "she chooses now to crack jokes?"

"She has a name and she can speak for herself." Daniela sets her lips into a teasing smirk and charges beside to Steve. "Or have you already forgotten my name, Rogers?" Bucky fights off another smile at the way she looks up to Steve with her chin jutting out and her eyes narrowed.

Pink blossoms along Steve's cheeks, "n-no." He averts his eyes and Bucky swallows a laugh. "You didn't answer the question, ma'am. Can you use a gun?"

"I have an idea of how it works." Daniela turns to Bucky and chews at her lip, "Will I need one right now?"

Bucky picks up speed and squeezes in between her and the wall, "just trust Steve and me to get us outta here, you're not ready for combat..."

"Yet," Daniela interjects.

"Yeah, not ready for combat, yet." Bucky shrugs at the questioning glance Steve sends him. "Like I was sayin', just follow us, we'll get you out safe."

"I do not need you to protect me, American..." Daniela tightens her fists, "do I need a gun?"

Steve's hand ghosts over the pistol in his holster and clears his throat, "we shouldn't need one for you right now. Our top priority is meeting with the soldiers in the clearing past the gates. The less combat the bettter, I came in here alone and most of the men aren't well enough for intense battle."

Based on the annoyed frown on her face, Bucky knows Daniela is not happy. "Look, princess, once we're off this base I'll teach you how to shoot. Promise.''

Steve leads them down the hall to a series of catwalks suspended high above the work floor. Fire plumes below, the walkway shakes as they climb up a set of stairs and come to a bridge leading towards the elevator.

"Zola," Daniela narrows her eyes at the plump man scurrying to the elevator doors. Bucky grips the railing as another explosion below shakes the building, Daniela grips his arm and looks back, "Schmidt is here also. We must be careful, Bucky. He is dangerous."

"Who is he?" Bucky's lips tilt down, maybe Steve should give them a knife or something. "He's on the walkway, we're far enough away that I think we're safe. Steve?" Bucky turns to see Steve already standing at the foot of the catwalk facing down this man, Schmidt.

Schmidt smiles and stares at Steve. "Captain America! How exciting! I'm a great fan of your films. So Dr. Erskine managed it after all. Not exactly an improvement, but still impressive."

Steve walks onto the bridge and punches Schmidt in the face, "you've got no idea."

Schmidt punches Steve's shield and knocks what appears to be a gun into the flames below. Bucky's focus shifts to Zola who pulls a lever and the gantry retreats to the platform connected to the elevator. Daniela elbows Bucky then motions towards the stairs, "the bridge is gone, we will need to find another means of escape."

Schmidt's voice booms across the building, Bucky turns his attention from the woman beside him, ''no matter what lies Erskine told you, you see I was his greatest success!" Schmidt grabs his neck and the man's pale skin peels off. Schmidt tosses it away revealing ugly vermillion flesh.

Schmidt gives a terrifying grin, "you are deluded, Captain. You pretend to be a simple soldier, but in reality, you are just afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind. Unlike you, I embrace it proudly. Without fear!"

Daniela pulls on Bucky's elbow, "we should go, get Rogers." Bucky hasn't really seen Daniela as terrified as she looks now, her eyes shift between him and Schmidt.

Flames rumble in front of the railing they're standing on, heavy footsteps force Bucky to turn and push Daniela behind him. He releases a breath seeing Steve's frowning face, Steve turns and pushes Bucky to the staircase, "let's go."

The building shakes as another explosion erupts below, the group comes to a wide gantry bridging them to the exit of the building. Steve pushes Bucky and Daniela ahead, "one at a time."

Bucky offers his hand for Daniela to step up and climb across the gantry. "Go first, I'll be right behind you." Daniela steps up and crawls across quickly. Bucky steps onto the gantry and listens to the groan of metal behind him. Better make this fast, Steve's still gotta get through.

Bucky looks down, the distance between himself and the ground makes his stomach lurch. He swallows the bile in his throat and looks ahead to the woman who is standing safely on the other side of the building. Bucky hears the gantry buckle and moves faster and jumps onto the platform beside Daniela. The gantry collapses, Bucky looks at Steve standing alone on the other side. "Gotta be a rope or something!"

"Just go! Get out of here!" Steve's voice barely cuts through the grinding sound of metal below them.

"No! Not without you!" Bucky turns to Daniela, "get outta here. I can't leave him."

"I am not going."

Bucky narrows his eyes, "Daniela..."

"Do not argue with me-" Daniela's words die on her lips as Steve stumbles onto the platform, waves of fire blowing behind him.

Bucky's jaw falls open, "Steve! How-"

"I jumped." Steve shrugs with a small smile.

Daniela runs to the door, "come, before this place crumbles." She swings open the door to the outside world, a cold breeze of fresh air makes Bucky smile. It's been such a long time since he's been outside, Daniela grasps her shoulders, "it is cold."

Steve takes his jacket off and hands it to Daniela, "here, ma'am."

"Thank you, but if you ever call me ma'am again, I will hurt you..." Daniela rolls her eyes, Bucky barely keeps himself from ruffling her hair just to see how irritated she can get. He shakes the thought away.

Daniela looks up at the sky and down at the plumes of smoke wafting up from the base, "lead the way, Rogers."


Cool blue eyes roll as two men yell at each other and kick rocks into his path. A few men sit together laughing in their own languages and cast Bucky a weary look as he moves past. Bucky was expecting this kind of immaturity and pettiness, Bucky frowns as he stuffs his hands into his pockets and drops his eyes to the frosted dirt brushing up over the tips of his boots.

Bucky was prepared for the change in unity between the men the moment they left the HYDRA base.

It had started with soldiers searching out their fellow countrymen, then separating themselves from any foreigners they deemed unworthy of their attention. It didn't take long for them to cast dirty looks or mumble something that would start a fight. The only person who seemed accepted despite their nation of origin was Daniela.

That was an entirely different problem.

Bucky's thoughts turn to the warm eyes and bright smile of Daniela, his frown deepens. He hadn't prepared for having a woman among the group. Bucky keeps a close eye on her, while Steve leads them back to camp, Bucky knows it's up to him to keep Daniela Waltz out of harm's way.

Many of the men are civil, some polite, and a handful are down-right friendly. However, there are a few men who watch Daniela out of the corner of their eye. Irritation boils in Bucky, his jaw tightens at the thought of the way they look at her. Some of these men hadn't seen, let alone felt, a living, breathing woman in a very long time. While most are able to control themselves, Bucky worries that some can not. His fists clench at the memory of her sobs after the guard attacked her, he will not allow that to happen again.

Bucky comes to the familiar forms of his friends, Steve passes him a canteen with a grin. Bucky takes a slow breath, "you guys having a party without me?"

Daniela shrugs, "well, it is more fun that way." She smiles and Bucky can count the freckles dotting her nose.

"Oh, how you wound me." Bucky clasps a hand over his heart, "ready to go, Princess?"

Daniela stands and grabs the gun resting beside her, "yes." She turns her attention to Steve, "would you like to accompany us, Rogers?"

Steve's smile almost breaks his face in two, "sure thing!" Steve nearly knocks over the supplies in standing tall. "So what are we doing?"

"Today, Daniela learns how to sharp-shoot." Bucky turns towards the open woods, "you'll be a natural, Princess. I'm sure of it."

Daniela marches ahead, leaving Bucky and Steve a few steps behind her, she turns and casts her hazel eyes at them. "Well, let's go! You two move slower than my grandmother!"

The wind isn't as strong today, although the cold is beginning to stretch its fingers over them, each morning frost paints most the surrounding woods. Daniela shivers and tugs at the jacket on her shoulders. "As a warning, Rogers, I have only shot a revolver."

Bucky grins, "and you're good at that, you'll be good at this trust me."

Daniela squares her shoulders, "let us begin."

Bucky ruffles her hair and smiles at the annoyed huff from Daniela, as he unfolds his instructions. Bucky smirks and Steve grins as the sun climbs higher and stretches some warmth to the ground and the woman beside them continues to keep an irritated glare on her face.


"If we practice every day, you should be a pretty good shot. You're already not too bad, let's just keep focusing and challenging you." Bucky chews at some of the stale crackers they stole from HYDRA. "I can't wait for some real food. Some good pizza. Hot cheese on a good crust, the smell of meat steaming in the air...ah, how I long for pizza!"

"Ugh, not the pizza again." Daniela rolls her eyes, "I am tired of hearing of your pizza. It's annoying, you spent half the nights being that cell talking of it." Memories bubble up of Bucky mumbling in his sleep about food, or worse yet, keeping her awake with the childish dreams of his dinner.

"Alright, I'll leave it alone. You would love it if you tried it...do I annoy you?" The teasing smirk on Bucky's lips is not lost on her.

"Constantly." She glares at Bucky as he stretches, his knee taps her plate sending a few crackers into the fire. "Have you no manners?"

"Okay, that was a legitimate accident."

Daniela scoffs and eats the rest of the food on her plate before another disaster befalls her meal. Bucky sets a few of his crackers onto her plate, she smirks, "at least you return my losses. Perhaps you have some manners."

They eat in silence until Daniela cleans up the mess around them and sets their things neatly beside her. Bucky shifts to rest his back against the tree behind him and ruffles her hair, "thanks, doll."

"I hate when you do that, Bucky." Daniela's voice is a hiss and her eyes glow with irritation. She sees the spark of defiance flash in Bucky's eyes and it makes annoyance rumble in her gut.

Bucky smiles, "my apologies, your highness."

"Do not push me, American."

"Hm," Bucky stuffs another cracker into his mouth, "or what?"

Daniela narrows her eyes and elbows Bucky, knocking a few crackers to the ground, "do you enjoy frustrating me?"

"It brings me endless delight." Bucky chuckles at the glare on her face and sets another branch into the fire burning in front of them. Daniela slides closer to the fire and shares a few looks with Bucky before a small smile breaks onto her face. It doesn't take long for them both to laugh to themselves.

Steve sits down beside them and scratches behind his ear, "you know, I'm starting to feel a little left out."

Bucky raises his brows, "come on bud, you're Captain America. You're not being left out of anything."

Steve points his finger to Daniela and Bucky, "this thing you two have. I don't know what it is, but I'm feeling very left out of it...Unless..."

"We're just friends." Bucky's words rush out.

"We are only friends." Daniela's own words run over Bucky's.

Bucky nudges Steve, "are you jealous that you aren't my only best friend Captain?"

Steve scoffs but looks away, Daniela giggles and pokes Steve's shoulder, "come now Rogers, I am no threat. Perhaps the three of us can become close too, we can be like the three musketeers, yes?"

Steve smiles a little, "that...doesn't sound bad. But Daniela is a mouthful."

"If you also call me 'Princess', I will hurt you." Daniela raises her brows and crosses her arms. "Call me whatever you wish, just not Princess. It's bad enough that Bucky insists on the ridiculous name."

"Daniela...Ella?" Steve offers an innocent smile.

Daniela shakes her head, "no. Ella? That is just...no."

Bucky chuckles beneath his breath, "good luck with this one."

"Okay, no Ella...hm, what about Waltz?"

"My father is Waltz, I am not my father. No."

Steve groans, "okay, no Ella, no Waltz...you're not making this easy, Daniela..." Steve sits and murmurs to himself and buries his head in his hands.

Bucky elbows Daniela, "look, you broke him!"

"I've got it! How about Danny?" Steve stares at Daniela with a nervous smile and drums his fingers on his knees.

Daniela nods slowly, "I like it. Danny, it is...I now bid you good night."

Steve and Bucky share a glance before breaking into the conversation. Daniela walks to the far edge of their small area and lays her head on the rough bark of a fallen tree. She shuts her eyes and lets the chatter and cackling fires around her fade out as sleep begins to set upon her limbs.

Rustling leaves make her eyes slip open and she sees the familiar form of Bucky settling beside her. "Can't just let you sleep that far like this."

"I can protect myself."

"Didn't say you can't." Bucky rests his head on the log, "go to sleep, Princess."

Daniela just shuts her eyes and lets sleep take hold of her.


Daniela doesn't sleep well, memories of her mother haunt her more than HYDRA poking and prodding her. Her mother had hair like coal and eyes a warm milky brown and skin that had been kissed by the sun. She was beautiful and strong. Daniela's mother was the bravest woman in Germany to her. Tonight, Daniela feels like she can't breathe.

Glass breaks, doors are broken down, fear pounds against her heart. The muffled sound of her father begging for leniency, the curses of her mother upon the men tearing her away, tears threaten to fall. They tell her father they will never see her mother again. She is as good as dead, he should be glad he is useful to Schmidt or they'd take him and Daniela too. Warm tears slip out the corner of her eyes, but she wills herself to stay quiet. They approach her hiding spot, she bites her tongue holding back a scream, the soldiers pry open the door of the wardrobe and Daniela shuts her eyes, ready to be taken away. A strong voice cuts through the soldier's harsh conversation. She blinks and through the crack of the wardrobe sees Bucky, standing between her and the soldiers. The soldier's smirk and draw their guns, she covers her mouth and cries as Bucky collapses riddled with bullets, blood splatters against the wardrobe. The warm drops speckling her skin, she nearly gags. The soldier steps over him and grasp the knob of the wardrobe...

Daniela sits up, surrounded by the cool winter air despite being hot and sticky from the sweat of her nightmare. This dream was odd. She usually is always screaming for her mother, begging her to hide with her. Other times, her mother hides with her and they both were dragged out by their hair, sometimes her mother says no and she watches through the crack of the wardrobe her mother being pulled away forever.

Never has Bucky been part of the visions that terrorize her at night.

Daniela takes slow labored breaths and looks at the pile of soldiers scattered around sleeping comfortably. The remnants of the nightmare stir worry that Bucky is gone, her heartbeat quickens as she finds Steve a few paces away sleeping soundly with his shield as his pillow.

Where is Bucky? "Daniela? Daniela?" A calloused hand rests on her cheek, "Daniela? Princess?"

Daniela turns to see Bucky beside her, she blinks her bleary eyes. , "y-yes?"

Bucky's figure looms across from her, "hey..." His voice is soft and hushed, "you with me?"

She takes slow steady breaths, Daniela presses a hand to her chest. "Mhm..."

"Yeah, you were kicking in your sleep...It's late, get some rest we have a long day of walking tomorrow. Was it a nightmare?"

"I-I just couldn't sleep..." Her voice is hoarse from tears, "get your rest Bucky. I will be fine."

Bucky shakes his head and scoots closer to her, sets his arm over her shoulders and pulls her closer to him, "wanna talk about it?"

She quickly shakes her head, "I don't think so." Daniela hesitates before deciding to lean her head against his shoulder, "I can't." Bucky's body collapsing covered in blood flashes in her mind, she shudders at the image.

Bucky nods, "then let's try to get some sleep, Princess."

Instead of rolling her eyes at the nickname she forces a smile and tries to pull herself from his grasp as Bucky pulls Daniela to his chest instead. "You're safe, okay? I'm here...are you gonna try to sleep?"

"Yes." Her heart pounds at the flashes of her nightmare poke into her consciousness.

Bucky squeezes her once before letting her go and laying on his side, his face across from hers. "Get some rest, I'll wake you again if I have to."

"Thank you, James."

Bucky chuckles, "no problem, I figured that's what a prince is supposed to do for his damsel in distress."

Daniela nods as her eyes flutter shut.

"Goodnight, Princess." Bucky scoots closer to her, his warm breath brushes her cheek and heat wafts off of him. She can't seem to get back to sleep for the night.