Emily stepped off of the train and hurried up the station stairs, brushing past the uniformed men and emerged in Trafalgar Square. After gaining her bearings, she took off down Whitehall, stopping only to buy a newspaper with the headline 'Captain America to Receive Medal of Honor'.

Once past the bunker guards, Em hurried down the steps while taking off her hat and gloves. "Lizzie!"

The blonde woman in uniform didn't stop but waved at Emily, who hurried to catch her. "Sorry," the woman said. "Have to get these reports to Colonel Kirke."

"Have you seen Mr. Stark or Captain Rogers?"

"Is that your bloke?" Lizzie grinned, elbowing her. "That Captain is a right looker."

"You could say that. You've seen them?" she asked again.

"Map Room - just a minute ago."

"Thanks!" Em said as Lizzie ducked into a room.

Emily stepped into the Map Room, eyes sweeping over the men and women charting the movements of the Axis powers, until they lighted on Steve and Peggy Carter. As she moved towards them, Howard appeared.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be picking up a medal right now?"

"I've decided I'm officially off the press circuit," Steve said, looking at Peggy.

"Mr. Stark! Captain Rogers!" Emily called sweetly as she walked towards the group. "Agent Carter, nice to see you again."

"Likewise," Peggy nodded, a hint of a smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

"Before you say anything," Howard said, holding up his hands. "I didn't know he wasn't going."

"Right. Colonel Phillips has your medal, Captain," Emily nodded before thrusting the newspaper into Howard's chest. "Here's your paper, Mr. Stark. I'll just be catching up with your correspondence if you need me."

She turned on her heel and shed her coat as she walked, draping it over her arm and shaking the wrinkles from her periwinkle dress. She'd nearly made it to the lab before she heard Steve jogging to catch up with her. "Emily, I'm really sorry. I didn't think you were going to be there."

"A little forewarning would have been nice," she sighed. "Could have prepared me for an angry Martin and an even angrier Senator Brandt." He had the good sense to wince.

"Sorry about that. Lemme make it up to you?" he offered, looking around the hallway.

"Not sure how you're going to do tha - " Steve grabbed her around the waist and hurried her into a janitor's closet, glancing around before closing the door behind them.

"Hi," Steve said as he pushed the hair from her eyes.

"Hi," she said, unable to stop from smiling.

"Haven't really had a chance to be alone since I got back."

"Such is the misfortune of being around so many people, having so many responsibilities…"

Steve leaned down and kissed her, his hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her flush against him. Emily dropped her hat and purse as she wound her arms around his neck. When they broke apart, he held her close and rested his forehead on hers. "Missed you," he said softly.

"Missed you too. Although parachuting into enemy territory with only a flimsy shield and a pistol? Not the greatest plan."

He huffed a laugh before kissing her again. "I already got an earful from Buck about that."

"Smart man. I like him already." Steve gave a theatrical groan.

"I'm gonna regret introducing you two, aren't I?"

"When you actually get around to doing it - more than a 'This is Emily, this is Bucky'."

"How about I do that tonight? We're going to a pub… I'm going to ask some of the men to join the squad I'm leading." His kissed her softly before saying quietly, "You always said I'd get my shot."

Emily bit her lip and flushed under his adoring gaze before gripping his lapels and standing on her toes to kiss him. "I'll be there."

"Then maybe we can sneak away…" he said, his hands shifting to her lower back and even daring to cup her ass.

"I'm not sure where - aren't you sharing a room with Bucky?"

"No," Steve grinned. "One of the benefits of being an officer is having your own room."

"I'm sure we can work something out," Em smirked. "I should get to work if we have plans for tonight."

"I've got a debrief," he sighed. "See you tonight?"

"I'll be there. Oh, and be careful around Captain Phillip's assistant. Private Lorraine is kind of handsy."

Steve pulled her close for one last kiss before peeking out into the hallway and giving her the all clear.

OOO

"Sorry I'm late," Emily sighed as she caught sight of Steve. He'd moved towards her the moment she'd opened the pub door. "Howard wouldn't sit down long enough for me to get any answers."

"Doesn't matter," he smiled before leaning down to kiss her. "Just happy you're here. Come on, meet the team."

"Let me get a drink first." Steve nodded and placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her towards the bar where he tried unsuccessfully to buy her pint, before they made it to the table.

"Everyone, this is Emily Harthorn. Emily, this is my new team - Jim Morita, James Falsworth, Jaques Dernier, Gabe Jones, and 'Dum Dum' Dugan. And you know Buck," he added, clapping his friend's shoulder.

"Hello," she smiled, reaching out to shake everyone's hand. Dernier clasped her hand and pulled her slightly so he could lean over and press a kiss to the top of her hand.

"Enchanté. Tu es une belle femme. Pourquoi être avec lui quand vous pouvez être avec moi?" Gabe and James groaned as Emily chuckled.

"Enchanté et merci. J'aime le fou pour une raison quelconque," she grinned, causing the three men to erupt into laughter.

"What'd they say?" Dum Dum asked as Em sat in the chair Steve had pulled out for her.

Gabe translated, making Steve go an adorable shade of pink, as Em took a sip of beer and glanced around at the table's occupants. There was a certain thrill at being able to sit and drink with individuals she had read and spoken to Steve about, as well as meeting the younger version of some of her acquaintances.

She was most excited, however, to finally meet James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes. Emily had some anxiety over meeting the man Steve had called his brother. Other than a cursory 'hello' when the team had arrived, she hadn't had a chance to speak to him as he seemed to be pulled into more meetings than anyone - even Steve.

Bucky laughed along with the rest of the boisterous group, but Em noticed that he had a weary expression whenever his eyes darted over towards her. And when he didn't think anyone was watching he let his smile drop as he stared at the wall. Steve (and history) had told her that Bucky had undergone some form of torture by the Nazi scientists and - in her humble opinion - it was astounding that he'd even come out that night but it had always sounded like he and Steve were attached at the hip.

There were times when her Steve still talked about Bucky in present tense.

Emily allowed her thoughts to drift as the men talked around her, wiping her thumb back and forth through the condensation on her glass between sips. Someone was playing the piano, leading a drunken chorus of some song she didn't recognize. It reminded her of those nights out so long ago, when Garrett and his buddies wanted to go out for a drink to blow off some steam after a rough day of training or right after a long deployment. A ghost of a smile flit across her lips as she remembered one particular night that had ended with a bloody nose when Garrett had tried to ride the mechanical bull.

"Emily?"

She started when Steve's hand landed on her wrist. "What? Sorry."

"How'd you two meet?" Morita repeated.

"Oh," she said, looking at Steve. "Um…"

"That memorable, huh?" Dum Dum teased. The group laughed as she glanced at Steve, unsure of how much the Commandos knew about Operation: Rebirth.

"We ran into each other at the New York Expo," Em said quickly.

"When?" Bucky asked, leaning forward to look at her around Steve. "I didn't see you."

"When I went to the recruitment center," Steve said, smiling at her. "But I didn't get her name until I joined up with Brandt's war bond push."

"You went to enlist but ended up working with a Senator?" Falsworth frowned.

"It's a long story," Steve said.

"I thought you worked for Howard Stark," Gabe asked.

"I do, but I was in Senator Brandt's office before that," Emily replied.

"She was helping the SSR," Steve added. Em shot him a look, but he only shrugged and grinned. "She was making sure they knew what was going on in Congress."

"So you were a spy," Bucky stated.

"Not really. I'm going to get another drink - would anyone else like one?" she asked before downing the dregs of her beer and standing, purse in hand. The team agreed and reached for their bill folds before Em waved away their proffered cash. "This round is on me, gentlemen." When they started to protest, she placed a hand on Steve's shoulder and smiled. "Think of it as a peremptory 'thank you' for keeping him alive."

"We'll more than earn it," Dum Dum laughed, holding up his nearly empty glass.

Bucky stood as well, draining his glass and slamming it down on the table. "I'll help you." As they walked away from the table, he leaned towards her. "So you saw him...before."

"I did," Emily nodded as he eyed her speculatively. "And I was there when - "

"When it… when he volunteered to be a lab rat."

"That's one way of saying it."

"He said it didn't hurt." Emily shuttered, trying not to remember the yell he'd let out that day.

"You'll have to take his word for it."

"Also told me that your grandfather's the one that did it."

She froze. "Did he?"

"Yup," Bucky nodded. "Said you didn't want anyone to know about it but you slipped up when he…"

"When he was killed," Emily finished. "Right after that happened." She motioned toward where Steve was watching them.

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

After a long moment's pause, Bucky said, "Girls never looked at Stevie when he was...when he didn't look like that."

"Well, their loss is my gain." She tilted her head and studied the man beside her. "According to Steve, all of their eyes were on you."

"He's an idiot."

Emily chuckled as she leaned against the bar. "A loveable one at least. And now you're here to keep him on the straight and narrow."

He barked a laugh and shook his head. "That'll be the day. Steve said you were smart - went to college."

"I did." Their conversation was briefly disrupted as they ordered the drinks. When the bartender went to fill their order, Bucky turned around and leaned against the bar, arms crossed over his chest.

"When this is all over, what're you gonna do?"

"I don't know. Howard wants me to go back to California with him, but I'm going to go back to school to get my doctorate," she shrugged. "Someone has to write about what's happening out here."

"You think you'll get in? Become a lady doctor?"

She had to bite her tongue against saying 'Well I've done it once before'. "If by that you mean become a Doctor of Philosophy in History, than yes, I believe that I will."

"So you don't wanna get married?"

"What does getting married have to do with it?" Emily demanded, turning to face him.

"Well," he shrugged. "Married women don't go to school."

Em clenched her jaw as her face flushed. She fought hard against saying the many, many thoughts that were going through her mind about that sexist mentality of the time. 'Of course!'she silently fumed. 'Of course women had to put aside their own ambitions and education when they got married, because that was the proper thing to do. And they stayed home, tended to the house, waited hand and foot on their benevolent husband who - '

"We're Brooklyn bound."

Emily's angry train of thoughts stalled, and she forced herself to look straight ahead lest her expression give her away - neither man would be returning to Brooklyn at the end of the war. She glanced back to see Steve watching them with a concerned expression. When he made as if to stand, she waved her hand to stop him.

Bucky watched the exchange and shot his best friend a look before turning his attention back to Emily. "Steve says he's in love with you."

"Well it's always nice to hear that through a third party," she snapped, fiddling with the clasp of her purse.

Bucky leaned back far enough to catch her eye. "You ever think of movin' to New York for school?" he asked with a wink.

Emily let out a sigh that turned into a chuckle and let her head fall. "Not until recently."

"Pretty sure the City College Steve was going to let's dames do doctorates and stuff."

"Good to know."

"That'll be seven shillings," the bartender said as he put down a tray holding seven beers in front of them. He held out an expectant hand to Bucky, who smiled at Emily. She, in turn, retrieved her change purse, counted out the coins, and placed them in the man's palm

"Thank you," she said before nodding to Bucky. "You'll grab those, Sargent Barnes?"

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled before snapping a lazy salute.

It would rank highly amongst the best nights of her life, just sitting there and listening to the men she'd dedicated months of her life to studying joke and laugh, building the comradery that would last through the war and even long after it. She mentally made notes of what she might be able to add to her Smithsonian exhibit if she ever made it back.

Steve kept his hand on her knee under the table as he talked to his new team, and Em was regaled with the story of Steve's rescue.

Later, when they'd had snuck her into his hotel (with the assistance of Bucky serving as lookout), Steve took his time sliding off her dress before carrying her to bed.

OOO

On the fourth night of working, Em had pulled her desk against the wall, close to a corner so she would have some back support and nap without fear of falling off of her stool. With Steve and his team making their way across Europe - they'd had a glorious three weeks together before they'd shipped out - Howard was working round the clock to analyze the tech and plans they brought back, hoping to incorporate elements into the Allied weapons.

With a groan, she stood up, tossed her glasses onto the table, and stretched, clasping her hands behind her back and bending at the waist. When her shoulders and back gave a satisfying 'pop', she let out an involuntary moan.

"Careful Harthorn, you'll give a man ideas," Howard warned, glancing over at her from where he was bent over a microscope.

"If it means I can go to bed - alone -" she added quickly, "then I'm fine with you getting ideas."

"We're on the verge of a breakthrough here. I can feel it. Don't you want to be here when it happens?"

"Frankly Howard, I don't give a damn."

"'I think it's hard winning a war with words'," he chuckled before standing up. He jotted something in his notebook before throwing the pen down. "We've got a few more hours here."

"Shall we go back and forth quoting Gone with the Wind all night?" she smirked. A movie house down the road had spent a few days showing the film in hour segments, and Em had actually managed to pull Howard away from work just long enough to sit through two hours of it before he'd argued that he could just buy her the damn film projector if she really wanted to watch it.

Time outside of the bunker was a rare - by the time she got off work, the blackout orders were already in place and the guards were unwilling to let her out even to enjoy just a little fresh air. Getting Howard to go to the movies had been a last ditch effort to make sure they got their Vitamin D during their stroll to and from the theater. He'd complained about the MP that had to Colonel Phillips had ordered to shadow him to keep any potential German spies away.

"What is it your fella says?" Howard asked. "'There's a way for all of us to fight'? This is yours," he said, motioning to her paper covered desk.

"I hardly think keeping up with your paperwork counts as contributing to the war effort," Em sighed.

"You're right," Howard nodded as he plucked a screwdriver from the open toolbox and made his way towards another work station, brushing aside the assistant who was already there. He pointed the screwdriver at her before flipping it. "You're only keeping Uncle Sam involved with what we're doing here while basically running my factory, which is turning out - what, eleven planes a day -"

"Twelve."

"Twelve planes a day. Christ, Harthorn, do your part. Do you want Hitler to win?"

Emily blushed at his teasing complement. "Is this a good time to ask for a raise?"

"Ha! You barely earned your Christmas bonus."

She grimaced. It was hard to remember that 1943 was coming to a close, and she was no closer to going home than she had been 6 months before. Since that night in New York, she hadn't felt anything or seen anything to indicate that Carter and Tony were making any headway into getting her home. The fact that Bing Crosby's new hit - 'I'll Be Home for Christmas' - had been played frequently over the last month did little to make the time any easier.

Em had expected to be back home in time to spend the holiday with her family, hopefully in the new home she and Steve would have bought. Her hand drifted down to her stomach, wondering if she would have been pregnant. They hadn't really had a chance to finish that conversation… she didn't know if Steve was ready to have kids. "Right," she said softly before clearing her throat. "You realize Christmas was yesterday?

"Is that why we had the dinner?"

"Yes, Howard."

"And you bought yourself a gift? If you want that sort of thing."

"No I didn't, but I think I'll cash in on that now," Emily said while collecting her things, wanting to retreat to her bunk to silently grieve. "Goodnight Howard."

"One more thing before you leave," Howard said as he bent over a microscope.

"What?" Em huffed.

Howard reached into his pocket and held out a key to her. "Merry Christmas."

"What's this?" she asked, stepping closer. Howard, still looking through the microscope, shook it.

"What's it look like?"

"What's it for?" Emily asked, taking the proffered key.

"It's just across the river in Southbank - close enough for you to get to before the blackout starts."

"... Howard, did you buy me a house?" she asked, sagging against the table. Tears spang to her eyes.

"I bought myself a house - you're just going to live in it."

"Why?"

"Can't I do something nice for my Girl Friday?"

"Sure, but a house?"

With a sigh, Howard braced his hands on the table and looked up at her. "Miss Harthorn, say thank you and go away."

"Thank you Mr. Stark," Emily sniffled. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Just make sure you leave the basement clear - I've got plans for that. I'll get the MPs to drive us over tomorrow so I can get you settled."

Grinning, Emily leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you Howard - I mean it."

"You're giving me more ideas that your guy wouldn't like."

"Goodnight Howard."

"Goodnight."

Author's Note: Dernier says 'Why are you with him when you could be with me?' to which Em replied 'I'm in love with the fool for some reason'. I've based the location of the bunker on Churchill's War Rooms, which is on King Charles Street, just off of Whitechapel. It's a really cool place to visit if you ever get the chance. Finally, Bing Crosby's song 'I'll Be Home for Christmas' was a huge hit with the US but the BBC banned it, thinking it would lower the morale of the British troops but for the sake of fic, I'm just going to ignore that interesting fact.

Massive apologies for how long it was between updates. I had this chapter started at least 3 times before realizing that I'd mixed up the timelines and had jumped almost 2 years in history (both MCU and WWII). There's a massive chuck of writing that was jettisoned for not really advancing the plot... anyways. I've got the next chapter mentally sketched out, and I'm hoping to write quite a bit while on a cruise in the next 2 weeks. I'm not done with this story, but I'm ready to get Em out of the past, so there are going to be some big time jumps in the next few chapters. Still want to hit the highlights of history but I also want to write Em and Steve's reunion.