Chapter 6

Brooklyn, July 2011

July Fourth was one of Lucy's least favorite days since arriving in the new millennium. It had become an excuse for people to party and Captain America's birthday. At first she'd thought it had been an honest mistake. Steve Rogers was born in January and the Project Rebirth occurred in June. July had nothing to do with Captain America. Regardless, Captain America's face and shield were plastered on everything from napkins to fireworks. Television stations ran stories about the Howling Commandos and slated Captain America film marathons.

This Fourth of July, like every year, Lucy holed up in her apartment with plenty of beer and worked on the mysterious audio files. Paper now covered every flat surface of her apartment including the walls. She was close, she knew it. She just had to find the right piece of music to use as the key..

Lucy's cell phone began to ring from under a pile of paper. "Shit," she cursed, shoving the papers off the table. She didn't recognize the number, but picked up anyway.

"Stevens," she said.

"Hey boss," an overly enthusiastic voice came out of the speaker. What the hell did Janet want? It was a day off at SHIELD for all non-essential employees, and the Lost Letter Office did not qualify as essential.

"Hello Janet," Lucy said.

"So my husband and I have tickets to the Met on Friday. They're doing a production of Boris Gudonov," Janet said.

"Sounds lovely," Lucy said.

"We just found out that Alexei's mother is sick. We're flying out to Minnesota to see her tomorrow. Would you like our tickets," Janet asked.

Lucy mulled it over. She'd been meaning to get out more. She wasn't certain who she would ask to accompany her. Maybe Natasha? Was the former Russian Spy even in town? Lucy racked her brain for other women in the office that might be willing to go to an opera with her.

"Sure Janet, I'd love them. Do you want me to come get them," Lucy asked.

"No, they're at will call. Just give my name when you get there," Janet said, "thank you! I'll have the PTO request submitted before I leave as well."

"Take all the time you need Janet. Family first remember," Lucy said, "my prayers and safe travels."

"Thanks boss. Enjoy the opera," Janet said, ending the call. Lucy looked down at the phone in her hands. Guess it was time to see who was available for a Girls Night.

Lucy pressed the buttons to open her messenger app and scrolled until she found Rushman. Lucy selected the contact and began to type.

Me: Hey Nat! Are you in town this weekend?

Rushman: Will be back on Thursday. In Lativa.

Me: Would you be interested in going to the Opera? I've got two tickets for Friday.

Rushman: Maybe? Depends on how this spa day goes.

Lucy scoffed, spa day. Spies could be utterly ridiculous sometimes.

Me: Ok, let me check with Hill and 13. You alright being third string.

Rushman: Yup, ttyl.

Sighing, Lucy scrolled to Hill next.

Me: Hill, Stevens. Are you available on Friday? I have tickets to the Met and no one to go with.

Hill: Thank you, but I've got a date with a bird.

Me: Ok thank you. I hope you have plenty of suet for the bird.

Hill: Haha. Enjoy the Opera.

Third time's the charm right.

Me: Carter, are you in town this weekend?

13: Yes, why?

Me: Janet gave me her tickets to the Met on Friday. You want to go?

13: Sure. I haven't been to the opera in a while. Meet at the theater, say around 7pm?

Me: See you there.

Lucy thanked her lucky stars for Carter. She had seriously thought for a second she'd be going solo. Now she just had to find something to wear. Shopping could wait until tomorrow, today was dedicated to avoiding pictures of Steve and cracking the most infuriating code of her career.

Lucy stepped out of the Uber she'd called a block away from Lincoln Center. She was going to have fun and forget about work tonight. Maybe Carter would be up to drinks afterwards or something. She'd hate to waste such a great ensemble.

She'd found a deep green off the shoulder A-line dress that came to mid-calf that reminded her of the dresses she'd admired from the 40s. Her locket and engagement ring hung from a fine gold chain at her neck. The outfit was completed by a simple pair of gold studs, a black patent bag, and black kitten heels.

The one block walk took less time than she'd thought, and she arrived early to meet Carter. Lucy got in line for will-call and amused herself by looking at the center. After almost 2 years in New York, Lucy had never made it over to the center, and she didn't remember it from the 40s. The architecture was interesting.

"Lucy," a voice called from behind her. Lucy turned around to see Sharon in a satiny red one shoulder dress walking toward her. "Sharon," Lucy called back, waving her over.

"Thanks for the invite," Sharon said as she joined Lucy in line, "I needed a night out after the week I've had." Lucy smiled back.

"I can sympathize," she said.

"Which Opera are we seeing," Sharon asked as the line moved forward.

"Boris Gudonov. I don't know anything about it, but how many chances does one have to attend the Opera," Lucy said. Sharon nodded in understanding.

Lucy acquired their tickets and the pair headed inside. Once past the metal detectors and security, the pair headed for the bar.

"Scotch on the rocks, one rock," Lucy told the bartender. She looked back at Sharon to see if she wanted anything.

"Vodka cranberry," Sharon said to her. "And one vodka cranberry," Lucy conveyed to the barman. She paid and passed the reddish pink drink to Sharon. Lucy looked at her drink, the rock was a sad one, more of an ice chip then a cube, and had almost completely disappeared into her Scotch.

The pair proceeded to their seats on the 1st balcony level. Once seated, Lucy skimmed through the playbill trying to learn more about the production while sipping her drink. Sharon sat next to her skimming through a social feed on her phone.

As the theater darkened, Lucy turned her attention to the stage and the orchestra pit. Sharon straightened up next to her, dropping her phone back into her purse.

The quiet tap tap of the conductor's baton silenced the theater. Lucy watched the conductor lift their baton and give the orchestra a few beats of tempo before slicing the baton down to begin the music. A single obeo began to play a mournful tune which was soon joined by the strings.

"You've got to be joking," Lucy whispered to herself. Sharon's eyes remained fixed on the stage. Lucy carefully reached for her clutch and extracted a pen. She opened her playbill and began to scribble notes into the margins. Her eyes focused firmly on the stage while her hand moved furiously.

At intermission, Lucy looked over her notes to make sure she'd gotten everything down.

"You must really like opera," Sharon said looking at the playbill completely covered in handwritten notes.

"Yeah, it's a passion of mine. Though I primarily focus on the German Romantics," Lucy said. Sharon seemed to accept the explanation and took the time to head for the bathroom.

The rest of the Opera passed uneventfully. As they left the theater, Sharon seemed to stop for a moment.

"Would you like to go for a night cap? I know this great little bar around the corner" she asked.

Lucy nodded and the pair headed off into the night.


Washington D.C- 1943

Lucy's return to D.C had gone smoother than she'd anticipated. She told no one that she'd gotten married, not even Dot. The ring Steve had given her to mark their engagement hung with her mother's locket at her throat. Dot had given her the side eye about it, but she wasn't going to explain unless Dot asked her point blank. Lucy was certain Bucky had written Dot after Christmas about everything.

The Trash Bin was busier than usual. An influx of messages had swapped the three women. The different departments had taken to printing their messages on different colours of paper to distinguish and help the ladies prioritize.

It was just another day when Lucy walked in. Her mind was elsewhere, thinking about writing to Steve. She was missing his birthday and felt terrible. All she wanted now was to be back in his arms, but she had a job to do, and she would do it well.

Walking into Room B12, Lucy found Katherine and Sally already at work on blue dispatches. Blue paper indicated the Pacific Theater.

"Good Morning ladies," Lucy said, hanging her coat on the hook. Katherine and Sally nodded in recognition.

"Anywhere you want me to start," Lucy asked, taking a seat at the third table in the room. In the corner by the windows.

"A purple dispatch came in. Can you take a look," Katherine asked. Her focus never left her work. Purple paper indicated a dispatch originating in the US, likely a spy ring. Katherine normally prioritized them over everything else, but if her and Sally were working on blue Naval Command must have needed something specific.

Lucy didn't bother responding, just grabbed the pale purple sheet of paper and started with a frequency count. After what felt like hours Lucy stretched, her upper back and shoulders popped. Something was; off at the dispatch. Lucy looked back over her frequency counts. No letter beyond H was noted, and the message contained both letters and numbers. Normally the codes stuck to one or the other. Occasionally codes used both letters and numbers, but the patterns were more irregular with those. Everything about this dispatch screamed book code to her, but there weren't enough numbers for that.

"Do we have any other purple dispatches," Lucy called to Katherine and Sally. Both women were absorbed in their work.

"I think there may be one or two at at the bottom of the pile," Sally said offhandedly. Lucy moved to the fourth table in the room and began shifting through the pile of dispatches. She discovered two more purple dispatches at the bottom of the pile. She did the frequency counts to be the same as the first. Letters A-G were represented for the first 16 or so pieces of the code. The rest of the digits read like a book code.

As Lucy looked at the three items togethers, she started to wonder. The first 16 spaces of the code were like music. Could it be a book code using music? The first 16 spaces telling the decoder which piece had been used to code? It was genius if she was right, a book code with music. You didn't have to remember which edition of a book to grab. Music was for the most part universal and readily available. The decoder would just need musical scores, and who would look twice at a poor musician or scholar carrying several around.

"Is there a piano in the building," Lucy asked. Katherine and Sally looked up from their work, brows furrowing.

"I think there's one in the mess hall," Sally said quietly.

"I'll be right back, ladies. If anyone comes by while I'm gone, I'm in the mess hall," Lucy said, picking up the purple dispatches and her notes.

Lucy walked quickly, looking over her shoulder the whole way to the mess hall. It was empty and the meal lines were closed. An old upright piano sat along the one wall that held windows. Looking both ways and back at the entrance, Lucy hurried over to it. She opened the keylid and set down on the bench. Lucy placed the first dispatch on the music rest and took a deep breath. Her hands rested on the keys for a long moment. She could do this. She knew her hunch was right. Now she just had to prove it to herself. Tentatively Lucy pressed the keys that corresponded to the letters on her dispatch. It was strange playing music without rhythm, but she did her best.

She played the first dispatch several times through. The note progression was familiar, but she couldn't quite say why.

"Is there a reason you're playing Wagner in the cafeteria at three in the afternoon," a voice asked from behind her. Lucy whipped around,the dispatches floating to the ground, to identify the voice. It was Dot, standing quietly at the door.

"What did you say I was playing," Lucy asked.

"Wagner. Though it sounds strange without the rhythm," Dot said, walking to the piano, "May I?" Lucy nodded. Dot slid onto the bench next to Lucy. She took a breath and looked over the purple paper on the music rest. She began to play the 16 notes. First she plunked them out to make sure she had them. As she restarted the passage Dot added rhythm to the piece. The third time through, Dot added the second hand. The piece sounded so familiar but Lucy couldn't place it exactly. Dot finished the 16 notes and looked over at Lucy.

"See, Wagner. Ride of the Valkyrie if you wanted to be specific," Dot said. Lucy's jaw dropped.

"How did you know that," she asked. Her friend had just broken a dispatch without realizing.

"My father loves Wagner. We have records of most of his operas, and other works. He loves it so much, I learned some of the more famous passages for his birthday a few years ago," Dot explained. Lucy could have kissed Dot in that moment, but refrained.

"Dot, you are a genius! I'll see you at home ok," Lucy said, hugging her friend and rushing back to Room B12.

Katherine and Sally had not moved since she'd left.

"I have a breakthrough," Lucy announced. Sally looked up from the blue dispatch she was still working on.

"Seriously ladies, I think Commander Wegner will need to see this," Lucy said. Katherine looked up, a sour expression on her face.

"What breakthrough could possibly need Commander Wegner's input? Decode. the dispatch and put in the correct pile," Katherine asked. Lucy held up the three purple dispatches.

"It's a musical book code. The first 16 characters are musical notes, denoting the piece being used. The rest of the characters are a standard book code that references bar, beat, and part. I need the score to decode them," she said. Katherine and Sally looked up from their work dumbfounded.

"A musical book code? That is the most absurd thing I think I've ever heard. Why would anyone use such a basic code when there are machines such as Enigma," Katherine asked.

"I'm not sure. But aren't we taught that spies typically use simpler codes? They're easier to remember, easier to teach, and oftentimes people like us get so caught up in the complex codes that we overlook the simpler answers. Honestly it's not that basic. You have to know what music is being referenced from 16 notes, without rhythm or context," Lucy explained, "Now how do we get Commander Wegner in here?"

***
January 17th 1943

Dearest Husband,

It feels so strange to be writing those words in a letter to you. I'll get used to it soon enough. I am sorry I missed your birthday last week. I wanted to be there more than anything in the world and hope that my gift makes up for my absence. Sleep has been hard to come by lately. Work has been busier that any of us could have imagined and I can't seem to fall asleep without you beside me. Dot sends her love as well. She appreciated the drawing of Bucky you sent me home with. She's framed it and placed it with the other family photos she has.

We had a huge breakthrough at work this week. I wish I could tell you more, but national security comes first. Dot joined my team to help with the workload.

Are you doing alright? Are you eating enough? How did your enlistment try go? Do you miss me as much as I miss you?

I'm sorry this letter is so short, but my life has been consumed by work and I can't talk about it.

Missing you something fierce,

Love

Lucy

Commander Wegner had approved moving the piano into B12 and reassigning Dot to the team as soon as Lucy showed him the progress they'd made in breaking the purple dispatches. Getting the musical scores needed to decode messages was the stumbling point. At first, they'd try to buy the scores from a shop in the district. However, german opera scores proved hard to come by. There hadn't been much demand since the war started. Finally, Dot had suggested borrowing the National Symphony's copies. Commander Wegner had been skeptical about the request, but Naval Command approved it without comment. The Symphony too had been more than willing to hand over their Wagner catalogue for the Navy's use.

Lucy and Dot had been working around the clock to get all the purple dispatches with the musical code decrypted. They had yet to perfect the process, and were still unsure how the measure counting worked. Did it start where the musical indicator did? How did one include a code? What is the piece referenced didn't have any words?

They worked tirelessly, much to the ire of Katherine. She was furious that her office had become some kind of music hall and that one of her girls had been pulled off of the general decryption work.

Lucy sat at her table bent over a copy of the score for Die Walkyrie trying to make sense of the book code. The open pages were covered in pencil marks. She was close, she knew it. Looking down at her scratch sheet, Lucy tried to make sense of the fragments she'd decoded. It was a scattering of letters and sounds. She flipped back through the pages and referenced the dispatch one more time. She scribbled some more notes. Every set of numbers had a word or sound associated with it. Lucy rewrote the sentence again trying to make words out of the jumble. Bestätigt, Doktor in der Nähe des Soldatentests. Bestellungen anfordern appeared as she wrote. German was a good sign, and made sense since she was working with german opera. Normally at this point, she would sort the original dispatch and decoded message into the appropriate pile then pick up a new dispatch to work on. A different group was responsible for translating the messages and yet another group interpreted the messages. This set of dispatches were already far outside the ordinary, so a small breach of protocol was warranted. Lucy underlined the sentence again and left Rm B12. She headed for Commander Wegner's office in the next building. He too was still at work even though it was pitch black outside. The glow of his office lamp illuminated the outline of the door.

Lucy knocked lightly on the door. "Come in," the Commander called.

"I've got what I think is the first dispatch sir," Lucy said, handing over the purple paper and her scratch paper. The older man looked over the page. His brow furrowed and concern flashed in his eyes.

"Thank you very much Ms. Bryne. Do you know when we can expect the other two items to be decoded," he asked. Lucy thought hard, the first one had taken about a week. Hopefully each one would take less time than the one before.

"Maybe a few days. It really depends on how long Dot and I take to identify the next piece of music," Lucy said.

"Can you get it done in two days," he asked. Lucy frowned deeply.

"Only if you authorize a whole lot of overtime sir," Lucy said.

"Done. You can use my phone to call Ms. Williams. We need those other two dispatches decoded as soon as possible," Commander Wegner said.

"Understood sir," Lucy said, saluting her superior officer.

"At ease, sailor," he said with a roll of his eyes. Wegner turned his desk phone around to face Lucy. Dorothy was a bit irritated about being called in so late, but was excited that Lucy had made a breakthrough.

Lucy quickly left Commander Wegner's office and made it back to RM B12 safely. She picked up the second dispatch, headed to the piano and got to work.

It took Lucy and Daisy another three days to decode the remaining two messages. They hadn't heard back about what the messages said, but that wasn't their job. Without another purple message to work on, the two took a much-needed break and crashed. They didn't leave their apartment for several days after they'd handed in the last message.

When it came time to return to Room B12, Lucy dreaded the piles of other dispatches. She wanted another purple dispatch to entertain her, challenge her, and make the time fly.

She got to the room early, with Dot right behind her. They were doing their best to avoid Katherine now. The older woman had not appreciated their work on the purple dispatches or the need for the piano. Sally had taken everything in stride, saying it was better to have disjointed music than her own sad attempts at song. Lucy stopped short in the room's entrance. Unfamiliar people were already in the room. One was an older man in khaki and the other was a woman also in khaki, her red locks pulled into careful victory rolls.

"Who are you, and why are you in this room" Lucy asked defensively, "only assigned staff can be in here."

The pair turned around to face Lucy. "Sorry Miss, we have every right to be here," the man said. He was older than Lucy initially expected, in his 50s at least. He held his garrison hat in both hands. A colonel's insignia was visible on his shoulders and hat. The woman was likely Lucy and Dot's age, maybe a few years older.

"Sorry sir," Dot said from behind Lucy, "Commander Wegner is very strict about only having the people assigned in these rooms.

"Commander Wegner and I are old friends ma'am. He's the reason we're here. I'm Colonel Phillips, and this is Agent Carter. We represent the Army's Strategic Scientific Reserve," Colonel Phillips said.

"Never heard of you sorry," Lucy said, crossing her arms over her chest, "now are you going to leave, or are we going to have to help you leave."

Agent Carter chuckled, "We assure you that we are here on Army business, specially looking for the person or persons responsible for decoding the purple dispatches. Commander Wegner said we would find them here."

"Can we see some id," Dot asked, moving to stand next to Lucy. The pair held out identification cards to the women. Lucy took Colonel Phillip's and Dot took Agent Carter's. They examined the cards carefully. The paper was right, the pictures matched. Everything was legit.

"Apologies Colonel. Please understand, we had to be sure," Lucy said handing his id back.

"We understand ma'am. Now, who should I speak to about the purple dispatches," Colonel Phillips asked.

"That would be us,sir. Lieutenants Williams and Bryne," Dot said.

Colonel Phillips was taken aback causing Agent Carter to chuckle. The pair of women stood there waiting as he composed himself.

"Well then, I have the distinct displeasure of letting you know that effective immediately you are being transferred to the Strategic Scientific Reserve. You are to report to Brooklyn Antiques at 0700 in three days. I sincerely hope that is enough time for you to get your affairs in order," Colonel Phillips said.

"Wait what," Lucy said, taking a step back. Dot looked at her friend, also shocked.

"I think what Colonel Phillip's meant is: Welcome to the Strategic Scientific Reserve. Your security clearance has been upgraded and we look forward to explaining more about the situation in a few days. You'll be expected at Brooklyn Antiques at 0700 on Thursday. Let the shop owner know you're looking for a Napoleonic Snuff Box. If you need lodging we can arrange something," Agent Carter said.

Dot and Lucy shared a look, then turned to Colonel Phillips and Agent Carter.

"We'll be ready for duty in three days," Lucy said. The pair saluted the Colonel and smiled at Agent Carter, before turning to race out the door.

***
Back at their apartment, Dot began to pack, careening around the room like a whirling dervish. They'd alerted the leasing office that they'd been transferred without much notice. Luckily the administrator had been understanding and waived the standard two months rent for breaking the lease. With the expansion of the various DC-based government jobs, the apartment would likely be filled in a matter of hours.

Lucy stood waiting in the line for the payphone. She knew that Bucky and Steve didn't have a phone in their apartment, but maybe she could try Bucky or Steve's workplaces. Maybe the Barnes' had a phone and could get a hold of Bucky.

When the girl using the phone finished, Lucy swiftly took her place, dropped two dollars into the phone and waited to be connected to the operator.

Operator, how may I direct your call.

Yes, would you please connect me to 446 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249?

That is a long distance call at a rate of 25¢ a minute.

That's fine

One moment please

The line buzzed and crackled in Lucy's ear as the connections were made. Faint ringing began in her ear. Lucy counted four rings before the phone was picked up.

Barnes residence , a light female voice said

Hello! It's Lucy Rogers. We met over Christmas. I was wondering if Bucky or Steve was around. There is an urgent matter I need to talk about with them.

Oh hello Lucy. It's Ruth Barnes. I think Bucky is around today. Give me one second. Lucy heard the thunk of the receiver and Ruth call for Bucky on the other end. There were heavy footfalls and someone picked up the phone.

Lucy, to what do I owe the pleasure? Bucky was louder than he needed to be, as if he wasn't as used to the phone as his mother.

Dot and I are being transferred to Brooklyn in the next few days and we were wondering…

Of course you two can sleep on our sofa while you find a place

Actually, i was wondering if we could share the apartment. We can pay rent, and it might make things easier for Steve

Well get here first and we'll sort it out. I doubt the punk will throw his wife out on the street

Thanks Bucky. We'll be on our doorstep in a couple of days. Lucy started to hang up before having an idea.

Bucky….

Yes Lucy…..

Don't tell Steve. I want to see his face when we show up.

Mums the word. See you in a few days…

Two days later, Dot and Lucy stepped off the train from Washington D.C. to New York.

"Feel's just like it did six months ago doesn't it," Dot said as they walked from the train platform down to the subway tunnels.

"Feels like a lifetime ago," Lucy replied. The pair waited patiently first in line at the subway ticket counter then on the platform for their train. Lucy felt as though her heart was going to beat out of her chest. Bucky had promised to not tell Steve they were coming, but she couldn't stop fretting about Steve's reaction. Her showing up on the doorstep unannounced was one thing. Showing up with her friend in tow was something else entirely. She hoped with every fiber of her being that he would still be happy and welcoming.

The subway ride was absolute torture. The cars were absolutely packed with people, and the train Lucy and Dot were on stopped in one of the tunnels for an extended amount of time. None of it helped Lucy's nerves. Dot attempted to calm her down during the stop, but to no avail. Lucy opted instead to turn herself in the small seat to look out small windows into the pitch black.

When the pair finally exited the subway near Steve and Bucky's apartment in Brooklyn the sun had set. They walked the few blocks to the apartment in silence.

"Breathe Lucy," Dot said, "Steve will be so excited to see you." Lucy gave a small nod, not meeting her friend's eyes.

Finally, they arrived at the door to Steve and Bucky's apartment. Lucy could just faintly hear the radio on the other side.

"Are they home," Dot asked quietly. Lucy nodded, reaching up to knockly on the door. The pair listened to the murmur of voices and creaking of floor boards. The door opened slightly, the security chain still attached.

"Hello," Steve asked, peering around the door.

"Hi sweetheart. Is it too late to say Happy Birthday," Lucy asked? Steve seemed to stop breathing for a moment.

"Can we come to Steve? It's cold out here," Dot said. Her words seemed to snap Steve into action. He quickly undid the chain and opened the door wide for the women. Dot and Lucy stepped into the apartment and placed their suitcases by the door. The apartment was warm, and the smell of food caused their stomachs to grumble. Bucky was standing by the kitchen counter spooning what appeared to be beans and franks into his mouth. He nodded at the ladies, motioning with his spoon for the two to have a seat. Dot dropped onto the small sofa with a sigh of relief. Lucy stood quietly waiting for Steve to close and lock the door.

She was surprised when a pair of thin arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

"Hello wife, to what do we owe this surprise," Steve asked. His voice was lower and huskier than Lucy could remember hearing. She shivered in his arms.

"Dot and I were transferred to Brooklyn. We figured that you wouldn't mind if we stayed here until we found our own place," Lucy said. Steve's arms tightened around her waist.

"You will stay here. We can figure out the sleeping arrangements," Steve said, placing a small kiss on Lucy's shoulder. Lucy twisted in Steve's arms, until they faced each other and quickly leaned down to capture Steve's lips in a sweet kiss.

Dot looked at the pair, confused at what she was seeing. Lucy had said she and Steve were close, but this was beyond what she expected. Bucky settled onto the sofa next to her.

"Lovebirds…" he said shielding his eyes from Steve and Lucy. Dot chuckled.

"Something big must have happened while she was here for Christmas, Dot said looking over at Bucky. Bucky nodded, "That may be the understatement of the century." Dot furrowed her brow in greater confusion. She looked back at Lucy and Steve, still kissing, then over at Bucky clearing her throat. Lucy and Steve broke apart, deep blush apartment on both their cheeks.

"Will someone please explain what's going on? While I am happy to have a roof over my head for the foreseeable future, I'd really appreciate knowing that kind of living situation I'm getting into," Dot said.

Steve tried to speak. His jaw moved but no sound seemed to come out. His arms fell from around Lucy like limp noodles. Lucy smiled softly at her friend and sat on one of the cane chairs facing Dot.

"Steve and I…. We got married during my Christmas visit," Lucy said looking her friend straight in the eye.

"You did what," Dot yelled.


A/N: Finally done with another chapter. I hope everyone enjoys it.

Next chapter will take place solely in the 1940s. Here's hoping it doesn't take as long to write.