November 3, 1943 - Italy: STEVE

Compared to the glitz and glamour of the Captain America tour that Steve had been used to, arriving in Italy to grey clouds and a large camp full of grim and weary soldiers, Steve saw now, first hand, the real impact of the war that Europe and the soldiers had suffered. It was the first tour he had done overseas and the troops were not welcoming to a man dressed as a solider who punched a fake Hitler in the face.

Thankfully, Steve had not come to Italy alone.

The show girls he worked with came as well. And they were exactly what these soldiers needed.

Why Steve was sent to this military base of out of all the bases he could have been sent to? He did not know. But he no longer fought against his orders now.

He sat in the rain now and sketched a monkey riding a unicycle. A joke. That's exactly how he felt. He was a joke to these men and he completely understood why they would think that. Steve sat around playing dress up over the last few months, making movies, signing autographs, and taking pictures with babies. These men were putting their life on the line to keep their country safe and Steve was...a joke.

That's how he felt.

"Hello, Steve." A voice said loud enough for Steve to hear over the sound of thunder and rain.

Steve looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened in surprise. Agent Carter.

"Hi." He smiled, glad to see a familiar face.

"Hi." Peggy smiled back.

"W-what are you doing here?" He asked in surprise.

Peggy set down her coat, "Officially, I am not here at all." She said as she took a seat next to him. "Quite the performance."

There was no mockery in her tone. But Steve still felt like a hack. "Yeah, uh...I had to improvise a little bit." He admitted. "Crowds I'm used to are more...uh," He sighed but continued on. "Twelve." There was no lying to Peggy Carter. Steve was sure she knew all about the shows.

"I understand you're 'Americas New Hope'?"

"Bond sales take a ten percent bump in every state I visit."

Her tone was no longer friendly now. "Is that Senator Brandt I hear?" She questioned him.

"At least he's got me doin' this. Phillip would have had me stuck in a lab." He reminded Peggy, looking over his shoulder at her again.

"And these are your only two options? A lab rat or a dancing monkey?" She raised her brow. "You were meant for more than this, you know?" Steve was ready to respond but stopped last minute, hesitating on saying how he truly felt. "What?" Peggy asked him.

He sighed, "Y'know, for the longest time I dreamed about coming overseas and being on the front lines. Serving my country. I finally get everything I wanted...and I'm wearing tights." A car honking loudly pulled Steve and Peggy away from their conversation. He watched as a man was pulled out from the back of a car on a stretcher, "They look like they've been through Hell."

And then he spotted a small figure running towards the car shouting orders like they ran the place. He knew that voice. Steve stood up and saw now that it was AJ. She was checking the man on the stretcher and then motioned for him to be taken into camp before yelling more orders to the men around her. And they listened. Steve felt so proud in that moment.

"-That's," He began to say.

"She's been treating these soldiers for some time now – they've been through hell more than most. Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. Two hundred men went up against him and less than fifty returned. Your audience contained what was left of the one-oh-seventh. The rest were killed or captured."

Steve stood looking over his shoulder to see AJ running in a different direction and then looked back at Peggy. "The one-oh-seventh?"

Peggy frowned.

Bucky.

Steve motioned for Peggy to follow him as he ran forward. "Come on!" He said, running in the direction of the tent he had watched AJ run into.

He walked in to see Colonel Phillips sitting at a table going over plans and saw that he was not alone. AJ looked up just as Steve walked in and he could see the instant relief sweep over her features.

"Colonel Phillips." Steve addressed the man.

"Well, if it isn't the Star-Spangled Man With A Plan." Phillips mocked him. "And what is your plan today?"

"I need the casualty list from Azzano." Steve demanded.

Phillips scoffed. "You don't give me orders, son."

"I just need one name. Sergeant James Barnes from the hundredth and seventh." He looked to AJ who opened her mouth only to have Phillips give her a sharp shake of his head and grabbed her wrist to stop her from saying anything. "Jay." Steve said but she looked away from him.

Phillips looked behind Steve at Peggy. "You and I are gonna have a conversation later that you won't enjoy."

"-Please tell me if he's alive, sir." Steve interrupted Phillips. "B-A-R,"

"-I can spell!" Colonel Phillips said in irritation. He then looked to AJ who gave him a pleading look. He sighed. "I have signed more of these condolences letters today than I would care to count. But that name does not sound familiar. I'm sorry."

"He's alive." AJ said and her voice was sure. Phillips looked over his shoulder at her with what Steve could only assume was a glare. But she matched him with a defiant look and then looked to Steve, proceeding to tell him more information. "-Hydra has captured many of our men as well as other countries soldiers who fight against the Nazi's."

"-That's enough out of you!" Phillips snapped. "Or I will send you back to the lab with Stark to end this little crusade of yours."

Steve looked to AJ and mouthed the word; crusade. That meant they were looking for Bucky. "-What about the others? Are you planning a rescue mission?" He asked.

AJ opened her mouth again but Phillips interrupted her. "Yeah! It's called winning the war."

"-But if you know where they are, why not at least,"

"-They're thirty miles behind the lines." Phillips said quickly, probably so that AJ couldn't get the chance to say it for him considering the look he gave her when he stood up. "Through the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. We'd lose more men than we'd save. But I don't expect you to understand that, because you're a chorus girl."

Steve narrowed his eyes at Colonel Phillips. "I think I understand just fine."

"Well then understand it somewhere else." Phillips walked forward, his back now turned on Steve. "If I read the posters correctly, you got some place to be in thirty minutes."

Steve looked AJ who made a point to move the maps a bit where Steve might be able to see them. He did. The map showed exactly where Bucky and the rest of them were being held. Steve looked away from the maps and back at AJ with a grateful smile. She returned it with a nod.

"Yes, sir." Steve agreed with Phillips. "I do."

He was going to go rescue the men. And he'd find Bucky as well. He looked to AJ and motioned for her to follow him.

She did just that.

_

AJ

"How long have you been here?" Steve asked AJ as he began to change into combat gear she had stolen for him.

"A little under a month. I got here the day they sent Bucky and the one-oh-seventh to Azzano." AJ helped him with his boots by getting down on the ground to tie them for him.

"Did you see him?" Steve asked, putting on the jacket she had given him.

AJ looked up at Steve as she finished tying his boot and then moved to stand before him. AJ shook her head, telling him that she hadn't gotten to see Bucky. She pressed her hand to her jacket pocket where she kept his note on her. "I didn't. They left a few hours before I arrived. I was supposed to be here a long time ago but had to stay back and train." AJ took in a deep breath and forced a smile. "You are speaking to Agent Frost of the SSR now."

Steve raised his brows at her. "You're an Agent now?" She nodded her head. He squinted his eyes at her, coming to a realization. "You wouldn't happen to have any idea why my first European show was scheduled here, would you?"

She licked at her lower lips, looking down at the ground before looking back up at Steve. "I may have forged some papers to get you to this base - but I will deny it if you tell anyone." Her face grew serious now. "I knew that if you came...you wouldn't sit back. And that's what I've had to do these past weeks is just sit and wait and pray that-" AJ stopped herself. Prayed that Bucky wouldn't show up on the list of casualties? That he wouldn't become just another person she lost to this damn war.

No, she knew he was alive.

"Steve, he's not dead." She said instead. "I can feel it." AJ placed her hand over her jacket pocket again, the only thing getting her through these past few weeks was the promise of that note. That Bucky would be back and they'd have dinner – that they'd find a tree here in Italy to make their own just like they had at Camp McCoy.

AJ looked to Steve who held her gaze for long moment and then smiled. "I believe he's alive too." Steve assured her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Peggy walked in on them. "What are you two planning on doing?" She asked looking at AJ and Steve. "Walk to Austria?"

"If that's what it takes." Steve said.

AJ put on a heavy coat to withstand to cold Austrian air. She hadn't thought of anything further into her plan to rescue Bucky – all she had done was get Steve to Italy. Because AJ knew that when Steve arrived and found out about Bucky that he would go try and find him. He would have the plans and she would accompany him. There was no doubt in her mind that Steve would try and fight her on that small part. But they had to do this. Not just to save Bucky, but all the other POW.

"You heard the Colonel; your friend is most likely dead."

AJ snapped her head in Peggy's direction but before she could open her mouth, Steve stopped her by placing his hand on her arm.

"You don't know that." Steve answered.

"Even so, he's devising a strategy. If he detects,"

Steve raised his voice as he interrupted her. "By the time he's done that – it'll be too late!" AJ watched as Steve marched forward and followed him to the jeep, as did Peggy. AJ got in the passenger side of the car.

"Agent Frost, you are going against the SSR's orders." Peggy reminded AJ in a stern voice.

I don't care, she wanted to say. I never wanted to be an agent. I'm just a biochemist.

"And if I stay I'll be going against everything I believe by not helping Steve. I joined the SSR to help our men defeat Hydra and that's what I plan on doing. Even if it is just me and Steve." She buckled into the seat.

"-You told me you thought I was meant for more than this." Steve said to Peggy now. "Did you mean that?"

It took a moment but Peggy answered Steve's question, "Every word."

"Then you got to let me go." Steve told her.

Peggy sighed, shaking her head. "Get out of the car, Agent Frost."

AJ shook her head. "I can't, Peg. I'm sorry. I have to do this."

"And you will. Just not in that jeep. I can help you two."

_

AJ

"I cannot believe you did not come to me first!" Howard hissed as he sat in the pilot's seat with AJ on his right as his co-pilot. "You should have come to me first – you know I'm always for breaking the rules!" He huffed.

AJ ignored him and listened to Peggy and Steve talk.

"The Hydra camp is in Krausberg, tucked between these two mountain rangers. It's a factory of some kind." Peggy told Steve and when AJ looked over her shoulder at the two of them she saw that they were going over the map.

"We should be able to drop you right onto the doorstep." Howard hollered from the cockpit.

"Just get me as close as you can." Steve replied. He then looked to Howard, Peggy, and then AJ. "You know, you three are gonna get in a lot of trouble when we land."

"And you won't?" Peggy shot back.

"Where I'm goin', if anybody yells at me – I can just shoot them."

"People shoot back, Steve." AJ reminded him.

"Undoubtedly," Peggy agreed.

"Well, let's hope it's good for something," Steve knocked on his metal shield.

"-Agent Carter, if we're not in too much of a hurry – I thought we could stop off in Lucerne for a late night fondue." Howard piped in.

The plane grew silent and AJ looked back at Steve and Peggy sitting there uncomfortably quiet.

Peggy cleared her throat and finally began to talk again. "Stark is the best civilian pilot I've ever seen. He's mad enough to brave this airspace. We're in good hands." Peggy sounded like she was trying to assure Steve.

"So are you two," Steve motioned between Peggy and Howard. "Do you..." He stopped but started up again, "Fondue?"

AJ had to look back again at Steve with an amused expression. Lord help the man. He may have those Greek God looks and pecs of steal – but he was still that little guy from Brooklyn who did not know how to talk to women.

"-This is your transponder. Activate it when you're ready and the signal will lead us straight to you." Peggy ignored Steve's question.

"Are you sure this thing works?" Steve shouted over at Howard.

"It's been tested more than you, pal." Howard said causing AJ to roll her eyes at his comment. The airplane shifted and the female scientist turned SSR Agent began to get out of the co-pilots seat. "Whoa, whoa!" Howard tried to reach for AJ but she was quick to get out of his line of reach knowing he'd have his hands full with trying not to get hit by the enemy. "Adelyn Frost! Get back up here."

She ignored him and walked over to Steve, grabbing a parachute, strapping herself in snugly. AJ could hear Peggy arguing with Steve, who did not seem to notice she was getting ready to jump too. Which was a good thing because they really didn't have time to argue about how it was not safe for AJ to accompany him.

"As soon as I'm free, you turn this thing around and get the hell out of here." Steve ordered Peggy.

"-You can't give me orders!" Peggy shouted at him.

"The Hell I can't!" Steve argued back. "I'm a Captain."

He jumped.

AJ stepped forward to do the same.

"Adelyn, stand down!" Peggy ordered her.

AJ took in a deep breath as she stood at the door now, estimating how far off she'd land from Steve if she didn't find the courage to jump soon. She strapped on her helmet and goggles.

"AJ! Do not ju-"

Peggy's words faded as AJ jumped out of the plane.

It was hands down the most reckless thing AJ had ever done in her life.

Perhaps she felt so much strength and inspiration because Steve was there – AJ didn't know. But as the bombs went off around her she didn't feel fear. The only thing she felt was her determination to find Bucky.

He's alive, she continued to tell herself.

She landed roughly, quickly moving her body so her side would get the most impact with the ground – she could keep on going with a broken rib, but if she were to hurt her ankle or legs? This whole thing would be useless.

"Jay!" She heard Steve hiss and then the sound of feet thumping against the ground in her direction. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?" He said as he helped her to her feet.

AJ pulled off her goggles over the helmet she wore. "You didn't think you were going on this little rescue mission alone, did you?" She took in a steady breath while not letting the fear of being out in the open rattle her. "Help me get this thing off," She motioned to her parachute.

Steve did as she told him but continued on to lecture her. "This is too dangerous, Jay – you, I can't believe you would - you jumped into a warzone!" He huffed.

"So did you!" AJ hissed back at him. "I'm not sitting back and waiting any longer – I'm doing this because I trust my instincts and I trust yours. Forgive me for not wanting to rely on Phillips when it comes to getting Bucky and the rest of the one-oh-seven." She shrugged the parachute off once Steve had unbuckled it all.

AJ had been going crazy the past few weeks with worry and fear and she was done being scared.

Her fear had mostly been connected with the fact that she might never see Bucky again. But the one thing she was no longer afraid of? AJ was no longer afraid of admitting to herself that she felt something for Bucky that was more than just friendship.

"I can't sit back and wait anymore, Steve. Please don't ask me to."

He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before he spoke up. "Stay behind me. Do not run off on your own. And...keep this on," He tapped her helmet. "At all times!" He ordered.

AJ smiled at Steve and raised her hand to her head to salute him only to have him roll his eyes at her. He shook his head in defeat before he jerked his head in the direction they were supposed to go.

She stayed behind him keeping her ears and eyes open to any threat and tried to keep her heart from ripping out of her chest with how rapidly it was pounding. But the fast beats of her heart wasn't because of fear. It must have been from the adrenaline of jumping out of a plane into a war zone.

All that she knew with absolutely no doubt was that she was going to find Bucky and that they'd recuse him and all of the other POW.

_

AUSTRIA: STEVE

They had made it to the factory and saw just how heavily guarded it actually was. But Steve was quick on his feet when he spotted transport cars down the road. He whispered his orders to AJ and they both ran for the truck.

Steve lifted his friend up first before tumbling in after her. Once he was inside the car, AJ had grabbed his arm tight causing him to look up to see that they were not alone in the jeep.

"Fellas."

When the men lunged forward at them Steve pushed AJ to the side and knocked the two guards out and threw them out the back of the tented jeep.

"That was too close." AJ said in a whisper as they pulled up to the gate. "They're going to check the back once we are inside, we need a plan."

"We'll improvise." Steve said with a shrug while moving AJ behind him and held up his shield to protect them both. When the tent lifted, Steve shoved the shield hard and fast at the person sending them flying backwards.

He looked back at AJ who was looking at him with wide eyes. "How hard can you hit?" She asked moving her hand to his arm to feel his muscle. "With that much weight at such a high speed," He shook his head and motioned for him to quickly follow her. AJ let go of his arm and followed after him - they could talk science after.

They ran forward and Steve hopped onto one of the tanks and bent down to pull AJ up as well. "Do you honestly plan to scale a building?" AJ shook her head at his plan. "You may be able to do that but I can't!" She reminded him. "We need to find another way in unless you plan on strapping me to your chest, Steven." He watched as she huffed in frustration.

Steve looked to AJ and a lopsided grin started to form on his lips.

"No," She knew what he was thinking. "No – I was not serious about you strapping me to your chest, Steve!"

"It's the easiest and safest way to get inside, Jay. You said you didn't want to sit back and wait. Now come on."

AJ groaned as she grabbed his hand and they ran on the small roof to get to the building where Steve strapped AJ to his chest with the bungee cords from the parachute.

"This is humiliating." AJ said while moving her arms to wrap about Steve's shoulders, she then moved her legs to wrap around his middle and Steve adjusted them both before he scaled the building. When they reached the top, AJ let her legs fall off of him but kept her arms wrapped around his neck. "I think that was more nerve-racking then jumping out of a plane." She admitted as Steve unhooked her.

"Y'know Bucky is gonna kill me for letting you come along." Steve said and moved his hand down to her hips, setting her down on the ground and her arms dropped to her sides and off his shoulders.

"Well, Bucky is not the boss of me." AJ was quick to say back. Steve chuckled and they both headed to a door that would lead them inside.

How they managed to sneak past everyone without someone noticing was beyond Steve's understanding. But they had. Now they stood in front of a bunch of weapons. Each weapon looked like it was powered by a glowing blue orb of sorts. "What the hell is this?" Steve asked AJ who leaned in closer to one of the weapon to examine it herself.

"I," She began to say only to stop when they both heard noise coming towards them. Steve pocketed the piece he was holding and AJ picked up what appeared to be an enhanced gun.

Steve felt a lot better knowing that AJ now had a weapon on her in case they ran into any trouble.

They both ran until they found where the prisoners were being held. Steve looked to AJ when he saw one guard and watched as she balled her hand into a fist and motioned for him to knock the guy out. Steve nodded and did just that.

AJ and Steve looked down at the hole where soldiers were being kept.

A man with dark skin looked up at them, "Who are you supposed to be?" He asked Steve.

"I'm..." He looked at AJ and shrugged before looking back down at the man. "Captain America."

"I beg your pardon?" A British prisoner asked as Steve and AJ made their way down to down to them after swiping the keys from the unconscious guard.

Once the cells were unlocked and each prisoner began to poor out, one of the men looked to another soldier who had come out of the cell with him. "-What, are we taking everybody?" He asked and looked directly at an Asian solider.

The man narrowed his eyes in a glare. "I'm from Frezno, Ace."

"Now is not the time, boys." AJ stepped between them to stop a fight from breaking out.

"Is anybody else here?" Steve asked moving forward and then watched as the taller man with a mustache looked down AJ oddly, as if he were examining her. "-I'm looking for a Sergeant Barnes."

"Ho-ly shit." The mustached man said while pointing to AJ. "You!"

"Me?" AJ said back in confusion but the British soldier had begun to speak.

"-There's an isolation ward in the factory but no one's ever come back from it." The Brit told them pulling Steve and AJ's attention away from the mustached man.

Steve moved his arm to AJ's shoulder guiding her through the men and began to speak to all the POW. "All right. There tree line is northwest, eighty yards past the gate. Get out fast and give 'em Hell. We'll meet you guys in the clearing with anybody else we find."

"-Wait," The dark-skinned man said causing AJ and Steve to turn and face him. "Do you two know what you're doing?" He asked, his eyes falling back and forth between both of them.

"Yeah," Steve answered. "I've knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times."

_

AJ

The gun AJ had picked up was more powerful than any gun she had ever used in her entire life. It wasn't possible for a gun to be that strong! The blue light that fueled the weapon was nowhere near the technology she had been working with Howard on. Too ahead of their own time! These weapons were impossible.

And they sure had a kickback.

But after the first few shots fired she was able to get used to it. Now easily adjusting the gun so it wouldn't knock her back as roughly as it did with the first few shots she took.

Hydras weapons were too sophisticated. And unless the military was able to get their hands on these weapons to study them – they were all sitting ducks.

The gun didn't use a bullet, instead a blue light would shoot out of the barrel and the person evaporated.

They turned to dust.

AJ stopped running and grabbed at Steve's arm when she saw a short man run out of a room. The man looked back at them but in the poorly lit area AJ could not figure out who he was. Steve began to run after him only to stop at the room the man had been in and AJ followed closely behind.

That's when they both heard the muffled mumbling.

"Sergeant. 32557."

AJ felt her breath catch in her throat when she saw a man strapped down to a table.

Not just any man though.

"Bucky, oh my god." Steve moved forward quickly and AJ stood back in complete shock while watching Steve unstrap Bucky.

"Is that," She heard Bucky mumbling.

"It's me," Steve pulled Bucky up, "It's Steve."

"Steve?"

"Come on."

"Steve."

They were both standing now and Bucky's hands moved to hold onto Steve's shoulders. Steve sighed in relief. "I thought you were dead," He said in a whisper but AJ heard it.

"I thought you were smaller." Bucky replied causing AJ to let out a huff of a laugh. Of course Bucky was able to break out of her state of shock. His eyes drifted over to where she was standing and she listened to him give into a little gasp. "...'Jay?" He breathed out.

Gunfire stopped AJ from saying anything back to Bucky and when she looked back over to him, Steve had already began to move while holding Bucky up so he could stand. "Come on." He told AJ who moved herself to Bucky's other side and moved his arm around her shoulder. She was sure that the height difference between her and Steve didn't exactly help Bucky in moving any faster. But a part of her felt like she needed to be holding onto Bucky so that he wouldn't disappear.

"What happened to you?" Bucky asked while looking up at Steve.

"I joined the Army."

Steve had let go of Bucky and stayed a few steps ahead of them, leaving it on AJ to keep supporting Bucky up. He kept his arm wrapped around her shoulder but she could tell that he was trying his best to stand up on his own. "Hey, easy," AJ told him when he kept looking down at her as if she weren't real or to prove that he wasn't perhaps only dreaming that she was there. And the fact that Steve was very different from the way Bucky left him probably didn't help Bucky in believing that this was all real and not a dream. "Eyes forward." AJ instructed Bucky.

"Did it hurt?" Bucky asked Steve.

They had explained Project Rebirth as best as they could with Bucky so in and out of it, but AJ figured he understood the gist of it.

"A little." Steve answered.

Understatement.

"Is it permanent?" Bucky asked next.

"So far." Steve replied.

"It's permanent." AJ answered correctly. Bucky stopped moving and looked down at her. "We got to keep moving, Buck." She told him while tugging at his shirt to try and get him moving again.

But he moved his hand to her face, "I'm dreaming."

AJ sighed, knowing that they did not have time for this. "No." She moved her hand on top of his while his thumb stroked her cheek. "You're not."

He nodded, smiling a bit. "No, I am. I've had this dream before,"

"You dreamt that Steve was a super soldier and rescued you?" She couldn't help but smile up at Bucky in amusement.

Bucky shook his head and moved his other hand so that his fingers were running through AJ's hair. He closed his eyes as he moved forward and pressed his forehead down to hers. "No." He told her. "That'd I'd get to see you one last time."

"Jay, we gotta go," Steve said in a rushed tone.

"It's a dream," Bucky whispered. "But at least I'm with you in the end."

She took in a shaky breath, hands trembling as they gripped onto Bucky's shirt.

"Adelyn!" Steve said in a stern voice, pleading with her to do something to snap Bucky out of it.

AJ let go of Bucky's shirt and winced before she took a step back and slapped Bucky hard in the face.

"Ow!" He stumbled back and held onto his cheek. "Dammit, Frosty!"

"Oh, God, I'm sorry," AJ apologized as she moved forward and brought her hands to his face. "I just had to prove to you that you're not dreaming." He frowned and AJ grabbed at his hand, intertwining their fingers together and pulled him forward so they could follow after Steve. "Come on. We got to go!"

There had been a moment before Steve had said her name that AJ felt the urge to move forward and kiss Bucky... and she almost had.

But she had stopped herself knowing that they could not waste anymore time.

And Adelyn Frost knew that if she kissed James Buchanan Barnes in that moment she would not want to stop – and that they'd all end up dying because of that.

_

STEVE

"Captain America!"

Steve moved his hand behind him to stop AJ and Bucky from getting any closer when he saw it was Johann Schmidt saying his name.

"How exciting! I'm a great fan of your films!" He taunted Steve who moved forward while signaling for Bucky and AJ to stay behind. "So, Dr. Erskine managed it after all. Not exactly an improvement, but still impressive." He said as he walked closer to Steve.

Anger overtook Steve and his hand balled up into a fist and went straight for Johann's nose. "You've got no idea." Steve replied.

Schmidt stumbled backwards but picked himself back up, walking towards Steve again. "Haven't I?" He punched at Steve who quickly held up his shield, protecting himself. The shield had a fist indent in it now. When Steve reached for his gun Schmidt punched him again sending him falling backward and his gun fell off the side of out the catwalk.

When Johann stepped forward, Steve kicked him with both of his legs as hard as he could sending the mad man hurling backwards. He pushed himself up but the catwalk began to retract, separating Steve from Schmidt

"No matter what lies Erskine told you, you see I was his greatest success!" Johann yelled as he began to peel off his face, revealing a red skull.

"You don't have one of those, do you?" Bucky mumbled, looking at Johann's skinless face.

"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." He threw his face into the explosion underneath them. "Unlike you, I embrace it proudly. Without fear!" He headed over to the door that would lead them to an escape.

"Then how come you're running?" Steve asked him as he escaped. Something underneath them exploded and Steve turned around to face AJ and Bucky, "Come on, let's go!" He told them.

But AJ stood there frozen looking at where Schmidt and Zola had just been standing.

"Jay," Steve stood in front of her, blocking her view causing her to look up at him after he broke the trance she had been under. "We need to go." The woman nodded but didn't move. Steve looked down at her hand to grab so that he could lead her in a different direction but found that Bucky was already holding it. He looked to Bucky quickly nodded, understanding what Steve was asking for.

"Frosty." He called her by her nickname and AJ looked up at Bucky. "Come on. We need to get you out of here."

Her eyes then widened, almost as if she was angry. "Me?" She said back to him. "We need to get you out of here!" She shot back and moved forward and drug Bucky along with her.

If they weren't in a life or death situation, Steve might actually find that humorous.

_

AJ

They stopped at a gantry. The only thing keeping them from freedom.

AJ turned back to Steve and shook her head at him. "Do not even think of strapping me to you again." She said before taking his hand so he could help her over the railing.

"Easy," Steve told her.

AJ took in a deep breath, looking back at Steve who nodded to her in reassurance. She then looked to Bucky. "I'm right behind you." Bucky told her with a soft smile.

She was scared. Not for her own safety. But for Bucky's.

Bucky was still so weak that he could barely walk without needing her to support him.

"I'll be fine." Bucky told her, clearly reading her facial expression when she looked at him. "Go. You can do this."

She closed her eyes and took in another deep breath before she turned around. Her eyes were now open as she began to walk across the gantry. AJ refused to even humor herself with the idea of looking down at the explosions erupting underneath her. She just kept walking forward.

When she made it across, AJ looked back at Steve and Bucky who were both breathing out in relief once she was back on the catwalk.

"Come on!" She shouted to them.

Steve helped Bucky up and AJ watched while holding her breath as Bucky began to walk across the gantry. When he was at the middle the gantry began to break and AJ moved her hand over her mouth in fear. I did not come all this way just to watch him die, she thought while moving herself forward a bit to hold out her hand.

"Bucky, jump!" She yelled. He looked at her before taking in a deep breath and ran forward, jumping just as the gantry began to collapse and grabbed at AJ's hand. He ended up pulling her down a bit causing her other hand to grip the railing for support, but Bucky was able to pull himself up with her help by swinging his legs over the railing so that he was finally by AJ's side.

Bucky and AJ both stood there looking to Steve who was trapped on the other side with no way to escape.

"We need something..." AJ whispered while looking around for anything that could get Steve to them. She was breathing hard, absolutely terrified of the idea of losing Steve.

"There's go to be a rope or something!" AJ heard Bucky yell to Steve.

"Just go!" Steve yelled at them.

"No!" They both shouted together.

"Not without you!" Bucky damn near screamed. Bucky then looked back at AJ and began to push her towards the door. "Go." He told her. "Get out!"

"No!" She argued, standing her ground.

"Adelyn – leave, now!" He ordered.

"I am not leaving you two!" She yelled and shoved against his chest. "I'm not leaving!" She said again. "Okay, we're in this together."

Bucky nodded his head and pulled her into his arms, whispering softly against her hair; "'Till the end of the line."

They both looked back at the sound of metal being destroyed and saw Steve bending the bar that held him back. He looked at them one last time before he jumped.

The explosion underneath them seemed to engulf Steve and left AJ and Bucky blind to see if he had made it as they clung to the eachother.

_

November 4th, 1943 - Italy: BUCKY

When they made their back to camp, Steve, Bucky, and AJ led the way. Bucky kept looking over to AJ with a little smile still in awe that she was here - that she was real and that she and Steve had saved him.

Dugan grabbed his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. "You got a hell of a girl there," He smirked when Bucky looked over his shoulder.

Bucky grinned and looked back over at AJ whose cheeks had flushed red upon hearing what Dugan had said. She kept her eyes straight ahead but Bucky could see her gently biting down on her lower lip.

Once they were back at camp the soldiers cheered as they watched watched all of the POW and Steve walk forward. Once they were at the tents, Bucky spotted one of the Colonels walking towards them, his face did not read happy.

Steve stopped in front of the Colonel and saluted him. "Some of these men need medical attention." He told him. Steve waited a moment before saying, "I'd like to surrender myself for disciplinary action."

Bucky watched as AJ stepped forward too, "And I, as well." She made her voice strong.

The Colonel narrowed his eyes at AJ and then looked to Steve. "That won't be necessary." He then looked down at AJ. "For either of you."

"Yes, sir." Steve said softly.

The man turned around and faced a woman saying something to her causing her to smile. The woman with brown hair walked up to Steve. "You're late."

Bucky saw Steve smile as he pulled something out of his bag that looked like a broken radio. "I couldn't call my ride."

The woman gave Steve a look that Bucky had never seen a woman give his friend. He grinned and then shouted, "Hey! Let's hear it for Captain America!"

Everyone around them began to cheer and shout for Steve, or, for Captain America.

It wasn't a dream.

This was real.

Steve was a hero.

Bucky turned to look for AJ but couldn't find her. He frowned and left the crowd of soldiers to go look for her. When he found her, she was with Howard Stark near the lab. Bucky knew that he'd find her there since he knew that's where AJ always felt the most comfortable. Bucky walked forward and watched as AJ handed over a gun to Howard.

"It's unlike anything I've ever seen. These weapons shouldn't even be impossible! You shoot it at a person and they disintegrate!"

"Disintegrate?" Howard said, now looking at the weapon.

"Disintegrate!" AJ said back.

Bucky chuckled causing the two to look over at him. AJ ducked her head a bit when she saw him but he could see that she was smiling.

"I'll give you two a moment." Howard said with a smile as he nudged AJ before walking over to Bucky and clapping his shoulder. "Good to see you back, kid."

Bucky waited until Howard was gone to take a few steps closer to AJ. "Even though you have that big, beautiful, brilliant brain...coming with Steve on a rescue mission was pretty stupid, Jay." AJ had rolled her eyes at that looking up at him now as he stood right in front of her. He watched as she took in a quick breath, not expecting him to be standing so close. "Thank you." He smiled.

AJ smiled shrugging a little. "Well, you owed me dinner." She said as she pulled out a piece of paper from her chest pocket and showed it to him. "Or have you forgotten?" She teased.

He had to take in a breath after that, absolutely stunned that AJ would have even kept the note after how long he had been gone. "Frosty," He grinned down at her. "I owe you a lifetime of dinners."

She closed her eyes as she smiled. "I'll settle with just one." AJ told him when she had opened her eyes again. "For now." She winked and then motioned for him to follow her. "We need to run some test on you to make sure you're okay after that son of a bitch Zola experimented on you,"

He smiled while following after her and listening to her rattle out a bunch of medical terms and other things he had no idea about but happily followed her. Once he was at her side, Bucky couldn't help but keep looking down at her every so often in admiration and felt his whole body warm just being near her.

All those months ago when Gabe had said that Bucky was a 'kid in love', he hadn't denied or corrected the man. Sure, he was smitten with AJ and cared for her a great deal. But love? Perhaps... but he hadn't known back then.

Now?

If Bucky was sure of only one thing it was that he was in love with Adelyn Juliet Frost.

And nothing would ever change that.