"So that's our next course of action," Steve concluded, turning back to the team. "We've got to get Zola before we get to Schmidt."
Weeks had passed since Queenie's injury - and subsequent engagement. During that time, Bucky and Queenie had told the team the news, which was as highly celebrated by Jim and Dugan as Bucky had predicted. In the end, they decided to ask Peggy's opinion about whether they should tell Colonel Phillips. Peggy (very happy to congratulate them) recommended that they wait until Schmidt's main headquarters had been taken down. The rest of the HYDRA bases had been taken down, but they knew Schmidt worked in the biggest one somewhere in the Alps. Dr. Arnim Zola would be key to finding it, hence their newest mission to locate and capture him. After these last two tasks were completed, Peggy suggested, Queenie could resign from the team and the two could get married.
"There's been chatter that he'll be on a train sometime very soon, in the next day or so," Gabe informed them.
"So where would be the best place to catch the train?" Queenie asked, glancing down at the map on the table. "Don't suppose he's also told which line he's getting on, too?"
"Well, let's follow this through. We know that Zola uses his Schenllzug EB912, the train he invented," Bucky mused, looking at Steve. "But there's all kinds of track."
"Since we cracked HYDRA's encryption codes, we can listen in," Gabe continued the line of reasoning. "That's how we know he's moving somewhere. We also know that Schmidt has his main base somewhere in the Alps. My guess is that Zola is traveling away from it, to do his master's bidding."
"We know he's got tracks along the Danube," Dugan spoke up. "Wouldn't it make sense then that those would be the ones he'd use?"
"I think it does," Steve answered. "Gabe?"
"Yeah. With these other intelligence reports, I'd say he's traveling through the Central Eastern Alps along that river."
"So then where should we lay our trap?" Queenie asked, processing this information while leaning over the map.
"I think here. We can set up a zipline, and land right on the train." Gabe finished, pointing out a place to the team, while Steve looked to Queenie.
"Queens, we also know of an old, abandoned train depot along that line. I think that would be a great place to put you and the extraction point. So we'll board the train, bring it to a stop by you, and if we need medical attention, you're there, and if not, then we're all ready to go. Sound good?"
"Sure thing." Queenie nodded briskly. "Who will be boarding?"
"We should only need three of us. So I'll go, Gabe, and Buck. Zola will have minimal guards - he hates having them around," Steve replied. "So now that that's settled, let's pack up and move out. I want that camp set up as soon as possible, since we don't know whether the train is tomorrow or the day after. Stark is standing by to pick us up. Dismissed."
As the team turned back to pack up their gear before filing out of the room, Bucky caught Queenie's elbow and pulled her into an alcove.
"Bucky," Queenie groaned good naturedly, looking around even though they were alone now. "We have work to do, darling."
"I know but I wanted to tell you something," Bucky answered, giving her an inside-melting grin. His hands went to span her waist yet she put hers against his chest, ready to push off. He was too distracting! They both had work to do, and she had to pack her kit. She still hadn't replenished her morphine and bandage supply.
"What did you want to say?" she asked, resolutely promising herself that she would not be distracted.
"I love you."
Queenie groaned again, as she lost the battle of wills. Huffing a half sigh-half laugh, she gripped his collar and tugged, bringing his mouth to hers. She felt the growl low in his chest before she pushed away and left the alcove. His hand shot out to grab her but she twisted away.
"Cruel woman," he ground out, his hand now braced against the wall where she had been. "Tormenter."
"I've been called worse," Queenie answered sweetly, slinging her med kit across her back. "While I had sharper implements in my hands, no less. You really can't scare me, baby. I'm a fortress."
"No fortress is… impregnable," Bucky countered, stalking toward her like a great cat about to pounce. Queenie's eyebrows shot up, before she doubled over and howled. The melodrama of it all!
"Oh my gosh, you did not just say that, Bucky Barnes!" she gasped in between bursts of laughter. "You think you're so funny."
"Well, you are laughing, sweetheart," he said, standing up straight and sticking his hands in his pockets with a self-satisfied smile.
"Yeah, because I never thought I'd see the great James Buchanan Barnes making worse jokes than Shakespeare," Queenie shot back, picking up her other bag. A hand descended onto hers, taking the bag from her.
"Let me take your bags, baby," Bucky said suavely, winking at her. Queenie rolled her eyes and folded her arms.
"Yeah, I give this attitude two weeks after the honeymoon. Then we'll see who's 'baby'-ing whom."
"I'll take that bet, Mrs. Barnes," Bucky replied immediately, with no small sense of triumph. It was his trump card and they both knew it. But Queenie's eyes went wide. They were in public!
"Bucky!" Queenie clapped a hand over his mouth and glanced around anxiously. "No one knows that we got married this morning, you know!"
Bucky kissed her palm and she snatched her hand away, squinting suspiciously at him. He merely winked at her, with his signature smirk beginning to grow.
"No one heard, angel. Come on, let's get out of here."
Queenie pursed her lips in amusement. His arrogant smirk and self-satisfaction were incorrigible! She had to take him down a notch. As his wife, it was her duty to keep him grounded, after all. How could she win this little battle of wits of theirs?
"Okay, but," Queenie shot a look around the hallway as they made their way to the plane. It was clear of personnel and she cocked a half grin at Bucky. "It's my first night as a married woman, Mr. Barnes, and I expect certain treatments. Camping on the side of a mountain wasn't what I had in mind."
She bit her lip to hold back a chuckle as she watched Bucky swallow hard. His eyes flooded with an emotion that Queenie had to fight hard against herself to not to shudder at the sight. She bit her lip again in anticipation.
"What have I said about that habit, Ethel Grace?" he finally managed, his voice husky. It sent a thrill through her very bones.
"Oh, dearie me, I can't recall. What did you say about this habit, James Buchanan?" Queenie replied innocently as they reached the rest of the team. But it was her turn to swallow hard as Bucky gave her a look that the others couldn't see.
"I'll remind you tonight, then." Bucky winked at her before jogging up to the captain. "Hey Steve!"
Queenie watched after him as she joined the others in boarding the aircraft, heart full and overflowing.
'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'
"So, Queens. What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" Dugan asked, leaning back. They were gathered around a tiny fire, eating their dinner rations in the Alps. Queenie raised an eyebrow at him.
"Careful, Dugan. I have a man who might not take kindly to such talk. And besides, is that any way to talk to a lady?"
"Lady? Where?" Dugan teased, looking around in mock excitement.
"Now it's my turn to warn you, Dum Dum," Bucky broke in mildly, gazing at Queenie with dark eyes from across the fire.
"Warn me about what? Your right hook?" Dugan grinned at his teammate.
"Nah, I'm warning you about hers," Bucky rejoined easily, eyes still fastened on Queenie.
"I'm a nurse, darling," Queenie fluttered her eyelashes at Dugan. "So that means I know how to cause pain without leaving a mark. And even if I do, I know how to get rid of it."
The team laughed as finally Dugan shrugged and admitted defeat with a smile. Steve leaned forward, mischief in every line of his posture.
"So, when were you two planning on giving the big reveal?" he asked Queenie. Queenie rolled her eyes.
"Whenever it was most convenient for him, I suppose. He thinks I have to cater to his every whim now," she answered.
"Hey! No, I don't!" Bucky protested, but he was ignored.
"Well, you don't. If anything, he has to cater to yours," Steve said sagely, nodding respectfully to her.
"I always have," Bucky continued defensively, but again was not heeded by his wife and best friend.
"Perhaps then, the two of us could tell the others?" Queenie suggested to Steve, who grinned, an imitation of the Cheshire Cat.
"Tell us what?" Dugan asked, looking back and forth.
"That they've gone and gotten married anyway," Jim told him. "As if we couldn't tell."
"Je ne pourrais pas dire," {I couldn't tell} Jacques whispered to Gabe, who shrugged.
"Holy- You mean you two actually went and tied the knot?" Dugan exclaimed, before laughing uproariously.
"Yes, and we have one of the witnesses here," Queenie nodded to Steve with a smile. "Bucky couldn't get married without his best friend there."
"Neither could you, angel," Bucky reminded her. Queenie gave a self deprecating half smile.
"Yes, but that was mostly out of self-preservation. Majorie would have murdered me if I hadn't had her there!" Queenie laughed. Bucky nodded mock severely.
"And we couldn't have that, angel," he answered and Queenie flushed at the look in his eyes.
"So, wait, when did this happen? And tell us everything!" Dugan leaned forward, reaching to clap Bucky on the knee.
"It wasn't very big. We just went down to the church and said 'I do'," Bucky shrugged.
"It required more than that, Mr. Barnes," Queenie admonished sternly before turning with a flourish to Dugan. "So apparently, the day after he proposed to me, he wrote to his mother and asked her for a marriage license. She got one from the courthouse and sent it back to him. Now this took weeks, of course. During that time we had agreed to do like Peggy suggested - wait to get married. But then this man starts asking me, do we really want to wait? Who knows how long this war will last? And this is war! We may not come back!" Queenie peppered her imitation of Bucky with dramatic gestures, making the fellas laugh and Bucky protest. "I was slowly coming to see his side of it, and so I said, let's compromise. If you get a license before our mission, we'll do it. And lo and behold! Yesterday morning he pulled out the license from his mother, so we made arrangements. And earlier this morning, we got married. See?" Queenie held out her left hand, where a shining gold band rested on her fourth finger. "So you may call me Mrs. Barnes, now," she finished proudly. The team admired her ring on various levels - Jacques offered his congratulations in French while Dugan exclaimed in colorful words his delight, Jim and Gabe smiled at the two, James kissed her cheek and clapped Bucky's shoulder, and Steve grinned like a little boy who'd just been given candy.
"So that's why that tent is set up over there," Jim commented nonchalantly. He gestured to a tent some ways from the rest of the camp. "So that the rest of us can get some sleep."
Dugan laughed heartily and Queenie flushed bright pink, thankful that the fire hid most of her blush.
"Well, on that note, I think it's high time my wife and I took our leave of you," Bucky practically crowed, eyes shining, standing and looking down on her. "Angel?"
He went to her side and held his hand out to her. Queenie couldn't wipe the stupid grin off her face, so she didn't, and took his hand. The others were shouting indiscernible things, but Queenie only had eyes and ears for Bucky, he filled her senses so. The others probably weren't making suggestions that Bucky hadn't already made himself, anyway, she thought, and fully gave herself over to her adoring husband. He helped her stand up away from the fire before scooping her up like the bride she was and carrying her to their tent. As the whoops behind them got louder, Queenie clasped her arms around Bucky's neck and gazed at him with all the love in her heart.
"Now this is a sight I could spend the rest of my life looking at and never get tired of seeing," Bucky whispered, giving her a look of his own that spoke volumes. They ducked into the tent and the rest of the world faded away as Bucky set her down so gently, his eyes never once leaving hers.
"Mrs. Barnes?"
Queenie bit her lip. She'd never grow tired of hearing him call her that!
"Yes, Mr. Barnes?"
"I love you."
"Oh, Bucky, I love you, too!"