June 23, 1943
It had only been a day after Dr. Abraham Erskine had been murdered in front of all of them. Barely even twenty-four hours before Colonel Phillips had received orders to send the SSR to London to directly fight HYDRA. Peggy Carter, Howard Stark, and Adelyn Frost were all made part of his team and were on a plane now accompanying Phillips to England.
AJ sighed as pushed her hair behind her ears and listened to Phillips speak with Carter who was angrily arguing with the man about the fact that they had left Steve to go on a morale boosting tour of the US as Captain America.
AJ hadn't argued with Phillips about Steve not being allowed to join them. Colonel Phillips was furious – he wanted an army and he only got one man. An experiment, he called Steve. Normally AJ would be quick to defend her friend but after having to literally wash the blood of Erskine off of her hands? Steve would be safe back in the states.
And that's what she needed him to be.
Safe.
Why did Phillips want AJ to accompany him with Howard and Carter? Well, that was mostly Howard's doing.
He said that he couldn't continue on with his work without his partner by his side and then pointed right at AJ, who had been down in the pit looking at the submarine the German spy had used to try and escape. AJ knew that the real reason Howard wanted her to come with him was because he wanted to keep an eye on her - but she had refused to go, instead wanting to stay behind in the States so that she could continue on with Abraham's work. But Phillips wanted her to be overseas fighting Hydra with his team.
Dr. Adelyn Frost, was now; Agent Adelyn Frost of the S.S.R.
AJ agreed to go (though she didn't really have a choice) if Philips still allowed her to work on Project Rebirth. At the mere thought of him actually having an army full of super soldiers, Phillips had agreed. AJ would be training with Agent Carter during the day so her nights could be spent working on the serum.
She looked over at Howard when he began to speak to her. "First time on a plane, AJ?" Howard asked with a smug little smile. She figured he was trying to make her mood less sour by trying to tease her.
It wasn't Howard's fault that she was upset.
It was Hydras.
And now that she was going overseas, AJ would do anything to help stop them. She just needed to pick herself up by her bootstraps and do what she needed to do.
End HYDRA.
AJ huffed out a little laugh at his attempt to tease her. "No, Stark. It's not my first time."
Though, it was her first time being on this big of an aircraft.
When she looked back over at Howard he had raised his brows in interest.
She rolled her eyes in return, knowing that he was skeptical of her response. "I got my pilots license in '40." AJ explained.
"A pilot's license by twenty-two. Very impressive, Frost."
Peggy cut in, "-For a woman, I'm sure you're about to say." She said while narrowing her eyes at Howard.
AJ had to smile at that.
"I was not!" Howard said next, mock offended.
"Of course, you weren't, Howard." AJ said to Stark but then looked at Peggy and made a face mouthing, of course he did, causing Howard to huff in irritation.
"I request to be part of a new team, Colonel." Howard shouted over at Phillips who chose to ignore him.
"What made you want to get your pilots license, Adelyn?" Peggy asked ignoring a sulking Howard who sat between herself and AJ.
AJ had to smile a little. "Because my father forbade me." Peggy grinned at AJ's answer. "When a person tells me that I cant do something; I very much enjoy proving them wrong." She spoke honestly.
"I do, as well." Peggy agreed. After a beat, Peggy asked her next question. "How long have you known Rogers?"
AJ smiled a little. "A few years."
"And how did you two meet?" Peggy inquired. She had a clear interest in him – and not as an asset. And it wasn't the first time AJ had noticed Peggy's interest in Steve. Peggy Carter didn't just enjoy the enhanced Steve Rogers – the woman had kept her eye on him the entire time in Jersey.
"I was a nurse at one of the recruiting stations in Brooklyn." AJ said and then frowned, thinking of how that wasn't just the first time she met Steve – but Bucky as well. "Steve had gone with his friend and I had noticed as he was leaving that he had dropped his cross necklace," She explained. "But it wasn't until the next year that we became friends. He came to the recruitment center again with the same friend," she smiled, "-for moral support after Bucky got drafted."
"That was awfully kind of him." Peggy smiled softly.
"Steve Rogers is a very kind and considerate man." AJ stated. It wasn't her opinion, it was fact. Anyone who met Steve knew this. "I promised Bucky I'd look after him while he was at basic and we became fast friends."
"Are you telling Carter about your solider?" Howard smirked as he looked over at AJ.
"He is not my solider." AJ corrected Howard with a glare. The young woman then looked to Colonel Phillips and asked him, "When will we be arriving? – I don't know how much longer I can sit next to Howard without wanting to throw him off the plane."
"We'll be in London soon. And if you two don't stop yammering at one another, you're both getting tossed off the plane."
AJ held in her chuckle and pressed her red stained lips together.
"Your solider," Peggy said to AJ only to have her narrow her eyes at the Brit. "Bucky," Peggy corrected herself with a small smile. "Where is he now?"
"He shipped out for London a few weeks back." AJ told Peggy.
The woman smiled, "Perhaps you'll see him."
Howard looked to AJ and grinned. "Yes, perhaps fate will intervene yet again."
"There is no such things as fate, Howard. As a man of science, you should know this." Adelyn replied in a dry tone.
"All I know is that the stars have aligned when it comes to you and your solider. The recruitment station, Camp McCoy, my exposition, and now London. Fate keeps throwing you two together; maybe you should listen to it?"
There was no such things as fate, or any higher power pulling the strings when it came to her life. Adelyn Frost was a woman is science.
Fate did not exist.
_
June 30, 1943 - Italy
Bucky missed Brooklyn.
He missed Steve.
And he missed Adelyn Frost.
He had only written to her once.
She didn't reply.
After their goodbye Bucky had hoped that maybe things could progress into...who was he kidding? Frosty was so out of his league. And she damn sure let him know that. Which was part of the reason he liked her so much.
"Uh-oh boys," Timothy "Dum-Dum" Dugan laughed, "Barnes has that look in his eyes."
His lips twisted into a lazy smirk as he rolled his eyes.
"Oh, we all know that look." Gabe Jones laughed.
"Where's that picture your pal drew for you?" Dugan chimed in again grabbing at Bucky's bag only to have him tug it back.
"Give the man a break," Gabe threw his bread rations at Dugan smacking him in the head with it. "The kid is in love – we should all be so lucky. Especially the way the world is going to Hell right now."
"Love?" Dugan barked out a laugh. "He ain't even kissed the girl yet!"
"So he says," Gabe smirked at Bucky. "What her name again, Sarge?" He asked causing most of the men in the tent to groan.
Bucky just shook his head and chuckled. He bit into his own bread while refusing to answer.
A loud whistle blew alerting all the men on base that there would be new arrivals.
"Who in the Hell are they bringing in now?" Dugan complained as he sat up in his cot.
"Some underground op – that's what I heard. The SS something." Gabe spoke up.
Bucky sat up in his cot and looked to Morita. "-Did you say the SSR?"
"Yeah, I think that's what they call themselves. They were stationed in London."
It all became a mumble to Bucky as he quickly threw his boots on and then threw on his army regulated green jacket over his white tank and damn near fell while trying to get out of the tent. He ran to where he heard all the commotion where all the nurses were currently giggling, some even crying out for Howard Stark.
If Stark was here – she had to have come with him.
Howard stepped out of the army jeep and waved to the nurses and some of the soldiers. He then held the door open for someone else to get out.
Bucky held his breath in anticipation.
But it wasn't AJ.
It was another woman, blonde hair, red lips, and blue eyes.
Not AJ.
The woman wore the SSR military uniform, though.
Bucky swallowed hard. His disappointment that AJ was not here with Howard almost felt overwhelming.
He was a fool to think that there'd be a chance AJ came to where he was stationed.
She was safe back in Brooklyn with Steve. That was a good thing.
Bucky closed his eyes and turned back around, taking the first few steps back to his tent while looking down at the ground.
But he stopped walking when he heard Stark yelling his name.
"Barnes!"
Bucky looked over his shoulder to see Howard Stark running up to where he now stood.
"Holy shit – it is you!" Howard laughed, patting his shoulder as he smiled at Bucky.
He nodded, looking past Howard. After Howard's reaction to seeing Bucky, he felt a little hope again that AJ might be with him.
"Oh, AJ is gonna be mad as hell when she finds out you're stationed here." Howard continued to laugh. Bucky looked to Howard and raised his brows up in confusion. "Long story." Howard smirked.
"Where..." Bucky looked over Howard's shoulder again but no one else had come out.
"Oh, she's still stationed in London training with Agent Carter." Howard told Bucky who visibly frowned. "Cheer up, kid! She'll be here within a month. And given that we both know Adelyn Frost is an over-achiever, I say she'll be here in less than a month." Howard smirked while slapping Bucky on his shoulder again only to throw an arm around it next. "Take me to the mess hall, kid. I feel like I haven't eaten in days!" Howard said in a laugh.
With how close Howard was, almost leaning against Bucky, he could smell the stench of alcohol on his breath. Bucky had to chuckle – the base was a dry area. No drinking allowed whatsoever. But from what Bucky could gather; Howard wasn't someone who followed the rules.
And neither was AJ.
Bucky dropped Howard off at the mess hall and headed back to his tent. Only Jones was still present when he returned, the rest of his bunk mates off somewhere else. The man sat up in his cot when Bucky came into the tent. "Someone came in and said that Howard Stark is here." Gabe laughed. "This war is getting to their heads. Why the hell would a millionaire playboy come here?"
He chuckled as he made his way over to his own cot and began to dig in his bag to pull out the picture Steve had drawn of AJ for him.
She was in Europe. And she was coming to where he was stationed.
Bucky grinned happily.
He'd see her again.
Much sooner than he thought he would.
And he was glad.
_
October 9th, 1943 - London, England
Adelyn Frost was tired of London.
Tired of the grey clouds and rain, tired of the accents around her, God, she was just tired. Peggy Carter was a hell of a sparring partner and would not let AJ leave until the new SSR recruit was just as good as her trainer. And as good a shot as Peggy, too.
Her older brothers had taught her how to shoot years ago but they had told AJ that she was a terrible shot.
She smiled thinking of how proud West would be if he could see her now. George always gave her a hard time on her marksmanship but Sam had always encouraged her.
And if they had been just trying to rile her up, AJ had always felt more comfortable doing something she excelled at. Which was Math and science.
Oh, if her brothers could only see her now.
AJ hadn't spoken to her family in months – her father downright refused to even reply to her letters after she had wrote to her parents telling them that she was overseas aiding to the men in the US Army. He believed she was there as a nurse – not becoming an international spy for the SSR.
The last letter she got was from her older brother Sam at the end August.
And she had not received any letters from Steve.
She frowned, missing her friend more than ever now. Her goodbye to him was almost cold. The both of them were still freshly wounded from losing Abraham. He had hugged her goodbye and AJ had felt so weird being held in his arms in that moment seeing as she had to stand on her tip toes just to wrap her arms around his shoulders. When she was hugging him she had whispered to Steve that she believed he was even taller than Bucky now. But her voice was detached and the tears were still fresh in her eyes.
At least she knew he was safe back home in the US.
Howard was in Italy, he had left only a few days after they had arrived in London to work with the Generals in designing new weapons to defeat HYDRA.
AJ was supposed to be in Italy by the end of July. And yet, she was still in London.
Peggy and Phillips both agreed that AJ needed more training and kept her in London until they both agreed that they felt comfortable sending her into the field. But all AJ wanted to do was get to Howard so that they could work on recreating a serum for Project Rebirth. He had worked so closely with AJ and Erskine that surely he'd have had to remember some of Abraham's calculations and formulas. Howard had been writing to her, too. In fact, his letters were the only ones she had received lately.
There were no letters from Bucky either. For all she knew they could be at home waiting for her and Bucky could be off somewhere thinking she didn't care enough to reply.
He wasn't in London.
Somehow, the moment she stepped foot onto London soil – she knew she would not find him there. Ridiculous. How absurd for her to even humor herself into believing that she knew whether or not Bucky was in the city – he could be anywhere in London! But her gut didn't listen to her.
"Pack your bags, Frost." AJ looked over her shoulder to see Peggy standing in the doorway. "We're headed to Italy."
The young woman grinned happily at Peggy's words. "Please tell me this isn't a test."
Peggy chuckled while shaking her head. "It's not a test. We leave within the hour."
AJ was quick to pack her bags and if this was the last time she saw London, she would be perfectly fine. The entire time she had been training she felt like she needed to be in Italy. That it was where she belonged for the time being. Perhaps it was because Howard was there and they were bound to have a breakthrough with Project Rebirth?
They hadn't written about it seeing as it was too risky to be sending letters back and forth about the serum when Hydra was near. They had worked on a coding system to communicate with the other, one that they believed Hydra could never crack. But the little he did write about his new projects the more restless AJ became to get to Italy so that she could help him work on it.
"You're not just a scientist anymore, Frost. You're an agent of the SSR. You were never meant to hide behind beakers and sit in a lab. You were meant for more, I know it, Howard knows it, and I believe you know it as well."
Maybe it was the accent but whenever Peggy spoke about AJ's future – a spark was lit and she started to believe every single thing Peggy was saying about her. Perhaps she was meant to be more than a scientist. But, that didn't mean it would not be her first love.
Agent Frost of the SSR was being shipped off to Italy where she knew her future was waiting for her. AJ just didn't know what that may be.
_
October 12th, 1943- Italy
"Whoa, whoa, whoa-"
Bucky looked over his shoulder to see Howard hurrying over to him.
"Where are you off to, solider?" Stark asked as Bucky made his way over to the rest of the 107th Infantry Regiment.
"Azzano," Bucky answered. "We're trying to push the Germans north." He explained to the man who had become his friend. Bucky understood why AJ had formed a friendship with him (and worked with him). Stark was a decent fella.
"No, you can't." Howard shook his head and placed his hand on Bucky's chest to stop him from moving.
Bucky laughed. "Why don't you try telling my Colonel that." He said still amused.
Howard made a face when a whistle blew. "Adelyn is arriving tonight."
Bucky felt his eyes widen a bit. "Are you jerkin' my chain? Cause' you told me that a few months ago and-"
Howard cut him off. "No, she'll be here." He looked down at his watch. "By sundown, if my math is right – which it always is."
AJ had been meant to be here in July but had been stuck in London (doing something Howard said he didn't have clearance to discuss with Bucky) and Bucky had been waiting this entire time for her to come to Italy – and of course with his damn luck, the day he was being sent out to Azzano, AJ was finally arriving.
If there was a God he was cruel and twisted.
"Barnes!" His Colonel yelled. "Fall in line!"
He huffed and ran his hands through his hair. "Pen and paper!" Bucky demanded of Howard and motioned for him to hurry. Howard pulled a little notepad and pen from his shirt pocket and gave it to Bucky who scribbled words down quickly and then gave it back to Howard. "Tell her I'll see her when I get back." Bucky grinned, feeling good for the first time in weeks.
"I will!" Howard grinned. He gave Bucky a mock salute before he turned and headed back in the direction of the lab.
Bucky fell in line with his brothers in arm and tried hard to listen to what his orders were. But all Bucky could see in that moment was her smile, the dimples she had in each cheek, those stunning green eyes, her lips painted red and the little mole on her cheek.
He was going to see her again.
Bucky would get to see the woman he was absolutely nuts over.
Nothing could damper his mood.
AJ had barely gotten out of the car when Howard began to tug at her arm and pulled her away from everyone. She looked at him in confusion and swatted his hand off of her arm,
"Fate!" Howard said with a wide grin.
"What?" AJ looked at him in confusion and moved to rest her hands on her hips.
The trip from London had been hard and AJ was tired and irritated. They had to make camp every few hours to dodge the German soldiers - not to mention Hydra who were always on their tail. And right now she just wanted to sleep - but instead, she was listening to Howard go on about fate.
Howard pulled out a notepad, flipping it open for AJ and then grabbed one hand off of her hip and forced her to hold the little notepad. She looked at him with a raised brow and when he huffed while motioning for her to read what was written, AJ finally looked down at the words.
Frosty,Dinner when I come back? We can find ourselves a new tree here.-Bucky
AJ looked up at Howard with wide eyes.
"He's been here the whole time, AJ." Howard smirked.
She couldn't fight the smile that appeared. "When did he write this?" AJ asked Howard.
"A few hours ago. You just missed each other."
"He's been here?" AJ asked again with a little laugh.
The sun was setting and the sky was growing darker.
"The entire time. He wrote to you, by the way. I told him we've been in London and not to worry over you not writing him back this time." Howard teased only to have AJ roll her eyes at his words. "It's fate, Adelyn Frost." Howard said as he walked backwards while pointing at the young woman. "Fate."
There was no such thing as fate.
Just coincidences.
But there had been an awful lot of coincidences involving Bucky in her life.
AJ smiled looking down at the notepad Bucky had written in.
And then she felt an awful chill.
Cold.
And the warm happy feeling she had felt moments earlier vanished.
Something didn't feel right.
