February 3rd, 1945 - London, England: AJ

They had been halfway to London when Colonel Phillips radioed them telling Howard to turn the plane around and get back to base camp in Poland.

She knew.

Howard had looked over at her with remorseful eyes; they both knew.

AJ had voiced her worries to Howard, who had been trying hard to ease her nerves for the first half of the flight. He would tell AJ that Bucky Barnes was too damn stubborn to ever get taken down by Hydra. (Again.) That nothing would stop him from coming home to her.

For a while, she hadn't felt any worry. Not since saying goodbye to Bucky. She and Howard were going over their presentation when suddenly her stomach dropped and her eyes swelled with tears. The fireworks that had gone off in her stomach each time she thought of Bucky were gone. Her heart ached and her stomach only felt hollow. Time seemed to have slowed down and Howard's voice slowly became soft background noise.

The song that had played in the car when she and Howard dropped Bucky off at the docks had begun to play in her head head and a vision of Bucky's beautiful blue eyes closing left her feeling numb. Everything felt cold. There was no more warmth left in her.

She felt frozen.

That's when she knew something terrible had happened.

It was forty-five minutes later that Phillips finally radioed them and told Howard to turn the plane back around.

Howard had opened his mouth to speak but shut it and instead grabbed AJ's hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

The Howling Commandos were able to capture Arnim Zola who was then brought back to London to be questioned by Colonel Phillips.

42 Days.

Forty-two days since Bucky fell off the train and went missing.

Missing.

That's what AJ kept telling herself.

Steve had been tirelessly telling AJ that there was no way that Bucky could have survived the fall but she refused to listen.

She had gone down to where Bucky had fallen with Steve and searched every day for two weeks for any sign of Bucky.

But there wasn't anything.

Nothing.

He was just gone.

And just as she had started to lose hope on their fourteenth day of search and rescue, AJ had found his dog tags sticking out of the snow.

She started digging. AJ had dug and dug trying to find him, her hands were raw and bloody from the harsh cold from the snow but she wouldn't stop. Steve had tried to grab her but she had pushed him away and grabbed at her friends shield to dig now, shoveling deep into the snow to try and find the man she loved.

"Jay, please." Steve's voice was thick with tears just completely broken.

It wasn't until Howard and the others came that AJ finally stopped digging.

"He wouldn't want this, kid." Howard had said as he pulled her away from Steve's shield.

They went back to base and Bucky's dog tags hung around AJ's neck. She'd give them back to him when they found him.

But Steve called of search and rescue that night. "You can't do that, Steve! He's alive!" She argued with him.

"No, he's not." Steve tried to tell her while trying to be strong.

She had pushed Steve hard in the chest. "How can you give up?!" She had yelled at him as she pounded her fists against his chest. "Bucky would never give up on you!" AJ said angrily. "I will never forgive you for this!" She shouted at him before locking herself in her private quarters.

Phillips had assigned her to the London base after her outburst against Steve.

She hadn't seen him since that day.

AJ pressed Bucky's dog tags against her chest above her heart and watched from the next room with Peggy as Phillips integrated Zola.

"What is this?" Zola asked when Phillips put a tray of food in front of him.

"Steak."

Zola looked worried. "What is in it?"

"Cow." Chester replied nonchalantly. "Doctor, do you realize how difficult it is to get a hold of a prime cut like that here?"

"I don't eat meat." Zola told Phillips.

"Why not?"

"It disagrees with me."

"-How about cyanide? Does that give you the rumbly tummy too?" He mocked the scientist. Phillips turned the tray around and began to cut into the meat. "Every Hydra agent that we've tried to take alive has crunched a little pill before we can stop him. But not you. So, here's my brilliant theory."

AJ watched as Phillips took a bite of the steak.

"You wanna live."

"You're trying to intimidate me, Colonel."

Phillips shrugged. "I bought you dinner." He then passed a piece of paper over to Zola, and the man read it out loud.

"Given the variable information he has provided, and in exchange for his full cooperation, Zola is being remanded to Switzerland." Zola said in confusion.

"I sent that message to Washington this morning. Of course, it's encoded. You guys haven't broken those codes, have you? That would be awkward." Phillips drew out the word.

"Schmidt will know this is a lie." Zola said back to Chester.

"He's gonna kill you anyway, Doc. You're a liability. You know more about Schmidt than anyone. And that last guy you cost us was Captain Rogers closest friend. Someone very dear to all of us."

AJ closed her eyes and began to breathe in and out, trying and calm herself as she kept her hand pressed against the dog tags she wore. AJ felt Peggy's hand pressed to her shoulder, squeezing it lightly and was able to pull herself back together.

"-So, I wouldn't count on the very best of protection." Phillips told Zola. "There's you or Schmidt. It's just the hand you've been dealt."

It took Zola a minute before he started speaking again. "Schmidt believes he walks in the foot steps of Gods."

"Mmm."

"Only the world itself will satisfy him."

Phillips pointed his steak knife at Zola. "You do realize that's nuts, don't you?"

"But the sanity of the plan is of no consequence." Zola told Phillips.

"And why is that?"

"Because he can do it!"

"What's his target?"

"His target..." Zola began to lean forward. "Is everywhere."

AJ looked to Peggy who nodded, they needed to get word to Steve.

It would be Peggy.

That's who Steve would want with him while he was grieving.

_

STEVE

The bar where Steve had asked Bucky to fight with him against Hydra and where he had enlisted all of the Howling Commandos had been destroyed by the bombs. He sat at a table and held onto a glass full of alcohol. Steve looked over at the bar where Bucky and AJ had once sat happily.

That was destroyed too.

Everything was destroyed.

And Steve couldn't even get properly drunk to numb the pain.

Steve listened to the man on the radio speak; "Blackout is still in effect throughout the London area. Please wait for the all-clear. Your attention, please. All citizens shall remain indoors until further notice. Blackout is still in effect throughout the London area."

Steve heard footsteps and looked over his shoulder to see who was there.

Peggy.

He poured himself more of the scotch. "Dr. Erskine said that...the serum wouldn't just effect my muscles, it would effect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing. Which mean that I can't get drunk." He looked at Peggy who now stood in front of him. "Did you know that?"

"Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person." Peggy grabbed a chair and sat across the table from Steve. "He thought it could be one of the side effects."

Steve looked away from Peggy who was now only a blur through his tears.

"It wasn't your fault." She said softly and Steve knew what she was talking about.

"Did you read the reports?"

"Yes."

He huffed and shook his head a bit. "Then you know that's not true."

"You did everything you could." Peggy told him. He didn't reply to her, he only avoided her eyes. "Did you believe in your friend? Did you respect him?" Steve looked up at Peggy; yes. "Then you stop blaming yourself. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you were worth it."

Steve wiped his eyes. "Tell that to AJ." Peggy sighed at his words. "I'm going after Schmidt." He told Peggy. "And I'm not gonna stop until all of Hydra is dead or captured."

"You won't be alone." Peggy promised him.

Steve looked to Peggy and took another swig of his drink and then sniffed. "How is she?" He asked.

Peggy frowned. "Putting on a brave face." She admitted. "But she could really use her friend right about now."

Steve closed his eyes and set his drink down on the table and stood up. Peggy got up as well and followed Steve when he left the bar.

He couldn't save Bucky.

But AJ was still alive and she needed her friend.

Even if she hated him for the rest of their lives for not being able to save Bucky – he'd still be there for her.

He owed her that much.

And he owed Bucky too.

_

February 4th, 1945 - London, England: AJ

It was gone.

The tiny ember of hope that Bucky was out there alive had slowly disappeared.

There were days after the accident that AJ just knew he was alive. That he was still out there.

But each day that passed by left her feeling hopeless and alone.

She missed Bucky.

She missed the fireworks.

And she missed Steve.

AJ knew she needed to apologize to Steve. She knew that it would be what Bucky would do, and what he would want her to do.

Her friendship with Steve was important to her. Hell, she had been friends with Steve longer than her friendship with Bucky – and romance, later on. Bucky wouldn't want them to be fighting, he wouldn't want his death to be the reason her friendship with Steve ended.

AJ closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

Death.

He was gone.

And she was alone.

AJ looked over her shoulder when she felt a pair of eyes on her.

Steve.

Of course, it was Steve. AJ couldn't help but let out a little laugh at the fact that somehow Steve had shown up just when she needed him most.

She turned in her chair to face him. "I'm sorry." AJ said in a whisper.

Steve took in a shaky breath. "You don't need to apologize to me."

"I do," She disagreed as she stood up from her seat and walked over to her friend. "You didn't deserve that – I just..." She looked up at the ceiling and took in a deep breath to stop herself from crying.

"I miss him too." Steve finished for her. "And I know how much you loved him,"

"I still do." AJ told Steve. "And I always will." She swore. "And God, he would hate me for how I have been treating you." She sniffed as she laughed a little.

Steve smiled and shook his head in disagreement. "He could never hate you, Jay. He fell in love with you the very second he saw you."

She laughed at that and thought back on that day. "He was so arrogant." AJ wiped away a tear.

"Did he ever tell you about the picture?" Steve asked and AJ raised her brows while shaking her head. That made Steve grin. "It was Christmas," Steve told her. "And Bucky was over at my house – we were just sitting around after breakfast and Bucky had tried," He laughed after stressing the word, "-Now, Bucky was not the best artist but he uh," Steve chuckled, "He tried to draw you."

He did? AJ felt something that resembled the fireworks that went off in her stomach whenever Bucky would kiss her. "Really?" AJ smiled through the tears.

"Cherry red lips. Dark brown curls. Striking green eyes. Mole on the right cheek," Steve tried to imitate Bucky. "He kept saying it over and over again and without even realizing he was saying it. I took pity on him and drew your picture for him."

AJ inhaled sharply and moved forward, wrapping her arms around Steve as she buried her face against his uniform. "Thank you, Steve." She whispered as Steve hugged her back. "What's that thing you and Bucky are always saying to each other?" She asked while still holding onto Steve.

AJ felt his chest move as he breathed in deeply and then exhaled. "I'm with you till the end of the line."

"I like that saying." AJ whispered.

She heard Steve sniffle and then hold her tighter against him. "So do I."

_

March 3rd, 1945: AJ

AJ listened as everyone gathered around to hear the latest Intel they had on Hydra. She sat on Steve's left next to Peggy, the chair that Bucky had once occupied. After she and Steve had talked, they fell back into their old rhythm. They spent the past month talking about Bucky and all of the memories they had of him. Memories. That's what Steve continued to call him.

But the feeling was back again.

The hope.

The fireworks.

But AJ kept that to herself knowing that it would only upset Steve. But she felt it in her entire body that he was alive and out there waiting for them to save him. Just a faint little whisper in the back of her head that told her he was not dead.

Colonel Phillips walked over to the map in front of them. "Johann Schmidt belongs in a bug house. He thinks he's God. He's willing to blow up half the world to prove it, started with the USA."

"Schmidt's working with powers beyond our capabilities," Howard said as he walked in and took the open seat on Steve's right. "He gets across the Atlantic...he will wipe out the entire eastern sea board in an hour."

"How much time do we got?" Gabe Jones asked.

"According to my new best friend," Colonel spoke sarcastically. "-under twenty-four hours."

"Where is he now?" Jaques asked.

"Hydra's last base is here." Phillips held up a photo, pointing at the base. "In the Alps Five hundred feet below the surface."

He tossed the photo down on the table and Morita picked it up to look over it. "So, what are we supposed to do? I mean, it's not like we can just knock on the front door."

"Why not?" Steve said causing each head to turn in his direction. "That's exactly what we're gonna do."

"Steve, that is too dangerous!" AJ argued.

But he didn't listen to her.

They all geared up but AJ followed after Steve outside where his motorcycle was. He was incredibly stupid if he thought this was a good idea – he was going to get himself killed! But she knew Steve and that was why she grabbed each weapon that was no detectable that she and Howard had designed for such an occasion if God forbid, Steve or one of the Howling Commandos were to get taken. AJ tucked in each weapon to Steve's suit and then pressed her hands to hiss shoulders afterwards.

"Be smart." She told him. Steve nodded and opened his mouth to speak but AJ stopped him. "If you are going to apologize, save your breath." She told him, again, knowing him well enough to guess that was he was going to say to her. "Bucky protected you. He did his job. Now go do yours."

She walked back to the base and found Peggy and Phillips gearing up as well. "I am coming with you."

"No," Phillips told her. "That's not happening."

"I am coming, Colonel!" AJ shouted at him.

Phillips gave her a look, "You do not give the orders here, Agent Frost. I do. It is my army going in after Rogers and I choose who is coming with us."

"Adelyn, gear up." Peggy told AJ after Phillips was finished causing him to glare in her direction. "You are right, she does not give the orders here. But you are also wrong. Adelyn Frost is an Agent of the SSR and we could use all the help we can get. I am her superior and she follows my orders. Do you understand?"

Phillips breathed in and out heavily through his nose but didn't argue with Peggy as AJ quickly suited up for the mission. By the time AJ had tied up her boots, Phillips had left and it was only Peggy with her now.

"Thank you, Peggy." She said softly.

"I meant what I said, Adelyn. You are under my command." AJ nodded her head, letting Peggy know she understood. "Now," Peggy straightened her uniform. "Let's go help our boy."

AJ had expected Peggy to let her come along with the soldiers but instead she was up in the sky taking out Hydra soldiers. But when they were all taken out and Peggy had ordered her to land the plane in a field and join them, AJ didn't listen.

She kept flying.

The SSR had believed that they had taken out the last Hydra base.

But they hadn't.

There was one left in Austria.

While all of the panic and frenzy continued in the Alps - the Hydra base in Austria would be caught off guard. They would never expect that the SSR would send someone their way when most of the unit was taking out Schmidt's base. Because the SSR hadn't sent anyone out. They still didn't know about the Austrian Base and that was exactly why AJ was doing it. She would be able to infiltrate Hydra's fortress in Austria on her own terms with no one commanding her.

It was what she had to do.

It was what her gut was telling her to do. And the last time she didn't listen to her gut...the man she loved had disappeared.

_

March 8th, 1945 - Austria: AJ

"Have you heard? Captain America is missing!" The people around AJ had said to each other, some in horror, some in glee. "He is dead!"

It had been three days since it was released that Captain America was MIA.

AJ didn't have time to grieve. She needed to do this for Steve. He had died trying to put an end to Hydra and every single remaining member needed to be taken out.

Days earlier AJ had landed her plane a few miles outside across the border where Howard would be able to track later on. She had begun to leave little clues that she knew Peggy would pick up on leading her right to the Hydra fortress if anything were to go wrong.

AJ felt numb.

And cold.

It hit her that morning that Steve was dead.

And the flicker of hope she felt for Bucky had been extinguished again. Reality and reason took in and AJ now knew that there was no way he could have ever survived the fall. The fact that she believed he could have survived it for the last few months was ludicrous.

He was gone.

And all she felt was coldness.

Her entire body was cold.

AJ had made it into the fortress unscathed. Most of Hydra had already scattered across the continents by then leaving very few for AJ to take out. It felt too easy – the way she was able to just walk into the fortress undetected. She had spent a while looking around the empty fortress while eyeing each weapon that was laid out before her. It was as if it were some sort of display they had set out just for her.

AJ stopped.

Something caught her eye in the very corner of the room.

Silver.

It almost looked like vibranium.

And there was a pull she felt leading her to the object. Each of her steps were hesitant but she continued to walk forward until she was standing in front of the object. AJ moved closer to it and her hand reached over the object, fingers itching to reach further and grab it.

It wasn't a weapon. Well, it could be used as a weapon if you were to smack someone over the head with it. But this was something else and from what AJ could see...it would cause her no harm.

She was completely mesmerized by the object that she didn't hear the footsteps coming from behind her until it was too late.

"A true beauty," A man said causing AJ to pick up the object as she spun around and went to swing said object at the person behind her. But he grabbed her by the wrist stopping her from smacking him over the head. AJ watched as his eyes widened when they landed on the object she was holding and then the man quickly dropped her wrist and took a few steps away from her as the object began to open.

He grinned now as he watched her from the door. "Good." He said. "I've been hoping to work on a new subject." He slammed the door shut and AJ felt her entire body freeze, she felt her breath catch in her throat as the object dropped out of her hand and a crystal inside of it had shattered, exposing her to a mist that filled the air around her. Involuntarily, she inhaled deeply through her nose as her throat began to close up and her desperate need to be able to breathe took over. But she still couldn't breathe and her body became encased in a hard material until everything went black.

Bucky.

Cold.

The sound of something being shattered, and then her body falling limply onto the ground.

_

"What are you doing to me?" AJ croaked out, her throat burning from the lack of water. She had no idea how long she had been in this room or how long they had been pricking her with needles to take her blood. But she felt incredibly weak so AJ knew they must have taken a lot of her blood. "What's happening?" She tried to sit up but felt herself being held back by restraints.

"I have only come into contact with one woman who was able to touch the Obelisk without drying. A Chinese woman who was sent to Austria to be experimented on. You see we found the device you touched; the Obelisk, and every Hydra soldier that came into contact with died instantly. But only Jiaying was able to survive. She's in the room next to yours. I'm sure you two will become acquainted during our testing period."

AJ took in a shaky breath before asking her next question. "And what happens after the testing period?" She asked him.

He chuckled darkly. "That is when the dissecting will begin."

She swallowed hard but pushed back her fear. "And how long is the testing period?"

"A month, perhaps two. Now that I have you and Jiaying – there are many more test that can be done." He grinned down at AJ.

AJ felt a needle prick into her skin again causing her to become drowsy. "They're gonna find you." Her voice was echoing in her head. "They'll come for me."

"Sleep now, SSR Agent Frost." He said from above her, his face becoming a blur.

They'll come.

They'll find me.

_

May 7th 1945 - AUSTRIA: PEGGY

"What if she isn't there?" Morita asked as he trailed closely behind Peggy. She could hear he and Dugan whispering about the mission for the last two miles.

"The plane she hijacked was on the border of Austria – she left a trail for us. Frost is not an idiot. Unlike some people." Dugan commented.

"You are all idiots for whispering so loudly. Now fall in line." Peggy ordered. "Gabe – are you and Jacques ready?" She asked.

Up ahead in the trees Gabe answered her question. "In three, two...one." The gates into the fortress were blown in and he smiled as he looked over to Jacques. "I'm glad you weren't too trigger happy this time." He spoke in French.

The Frenchman scoffed. "It was one time!" He replied in his native language before dropping out of the tree by ropes.

Peggy walked in holding one of the guns Howard had designed for her to use for the occasion with Dugan and Morita now at her side. Their goal was to find Adelyn. But if they brought in Hydra soldiers too, it would be a bonus. But Peggy's focus was on finding Adelyn. She could not lose another person close to her. And Howard, God, the man was a wreck. Each time they raided a leftover Hydra building and did not find Adelyn, she could see Howard slowly crumble and lose hope that they'd ever get their friend back.

"I can't, Peg." Howard said when she asked him to accompany him on yet another mission.

"Howard!" Peggy had said in disbelief that he would say no to this search and rescue mission. "It's the plane she took! She's in that fortress, I know it!"

Howard shook his head and yelled at Peggy in anger. "And she's probably dead! Just like Steve. Just like Barnes, just like everyone!" He refused to come. Howard couldn't go on another search and rescue mission and not come home with Adelyn.

But Peggy managed to convince him to stay on the Austrian border where there was a secret SSR base. He had found new gadgets and toys to mess around with to keep his mind off of Adelyn. That was good. Because Howard without a purpose was absolutely useless. "She's like a kid sister to me, Peg." Howard had admitted. "I can't...I just...I can't."

Peggy understood.

But she wasn't going to give up on Adelyn.

The damn woman had never given up on finding Barnes! Peggy swore to herself that she would do the same for Adelyn. They would find her and she would be safe.

Dugan hit one of the Hydra soldiers with the butt of his gun, "I'll give them an 'A' for effort." He commented.

"Guten tag, boys!" Jim said as he let Peggy step forward. "Alright, nice and calm. No sudden moves or we'll tie a blasting cap to your," He paused and then looked to Dugan. "Hey Dugan, what's the German word for nuts."

"I don't know, Jim." He cocked his rifle. "But tie a blasting cap to them – I'll bet we hear it."

Before them stood Dr. Werner Reinhardt. The head of the Austrian Hydra fortress. He held something Peggy recognized on a piece of wood. "Put it down." She ordered him. It wasn't until Peggy raised her rifle at him saying again, "Down." That the man did as he was told. "These assets are now under the protection of the Strategic Scientific Reserve. They'll be relocated and hidden out of sight. Indefinitely – as will you."

Dugan moved around Reinhardt and cuffed him as the man said, "Cut off one head. Two more shall grow in its place."

"Then I guess we'll keep cutting them off."

Peggy motioned for Dugan and Morita to follow after her inside the fortress.

"Pack it up, boys!" Dugan shouted before he followed Peggy with Jim.

"Whatever you do, do not touch that artifact!" Peggy told the men as she pointed to the Obelisk. "Under no circumstance do you touch that!" She yelled, praying to God that she wouldn't find AJ in one of the piles of dust from the people who must have turned to stone after touching it.

Morita ran ahead with a few soldiers.

They searched each room until they were down in the lower level and found two cages with two women strung upside down, the drip, drip, drip, of their blood hitting the metal ground of the cage.

Peggy moved closer to get a better look at the women. "Adelyn!" She rushed forward seeing now that she was one of the two women. "Cut her down! Cut her down now!" She ordered Jim who had quickly grabbed out a knife from his back pocket that Howard had created that would cut through any restraint when the heat was turned on.

"No," Adelyn's voice rasped, barely over a whisper. "Get her down."

"Cut her down!" Peggy ordered Jim again. "That is an order!" She then turned to look at the soldiers that followed her in. "You two, cut that woman down and check if she's alive."

Adeyln and the woman were both stripped of their clothing, hundreds of incision marks cut down their bodies. Dugan was holding onto AJ, making sure she didn't hit the ground after Morita sawed through the restraints after the knife heated up.

"Easy, easy!" Peggy said as she began to take off her jacket while Dugan lowered AJ down on the ground. "Soldier!" She looked to the men helping the other woman. "Take off your jackets to cover her!" She then hurried over to Adelyn who let out an agonizing scream once she was set on the ground. "You're okay." Peggy whispered as she covered Adelyn with her jacket.

"No," Adelyn began to shake. "I'm not."

Peggy looked to Morita. "Get Howard on the radio now. Tell him that Adelyn is alive." Barely. She mouthed. "Tell him to get his plane here now!"

Jim ran out of the room to radio Howard.

Adelyn grabbed at Peggy's hand suddenly. "Something, something, something happened," She whispered as she shook. "I'm not," Her eyes went wide and pushed Peggy away with force. "Get back!" She yelled. "Get back!"

The room grew cold and Peggy watched as Adelyn's eyes turned white as she continued to yell for them all to get out.

Oh God.

She had touched the Obelisk.

Only a few ever survived touching the Obelisk throughout all of time. And those people that had...changed.

"Get back!" Peggy ordered. "Everybody! Get. Back!"

Dugan looked at her but followed her orders after hearing the urgency in her voice. They all ran just as a blast came from Adelyn. When Peggy looked back, the entire cage Adelyn was in had frozen over with crystals hanging from the bars.

Dugan stood next to Peggy now. "Did...Did Frost just do that?" He asked as Peggy hurried back.

"Yes." She answered as she went back over to where Adelyn was, her boots crunching as she walked across the ice to assess Adelyn's wounds.

"Appropriate." Dugan commented before he got on his knees and looked down at Adelyn.

"Her wounds are healing." Peggy said as she watched the cuts began to close up briefly. With hope in her voice, she said; "It's almost as if she's regenerating."

The woman that the soldier had grabbed began to talk in Mandarin, a language that Peggy was familiar with. "The ice heals her. But when she warms up, the wounds get worse. She doesn't have much time."

Peggy watched in horror as what the woman had said would happen to Adelyn began to happen. "We need Howard."

_

HOWARD

"AJ, Jay...can you hear me?"

He watched as she blinked up at him. "Bucky?"

Howard frowned and shook his head, pressing his hand to her cheek. "It's me, kid. It's Howard."

"Bucky," She said again in a sigh and began to smile little. "I knew. I knew you weren't dead."

Howard looked to Peggy. "It's the only option, Peg." He told her. "Or we're about to say goodbye to another person we love."

Peggy sighed and her eyes drifted over to the Cryostasis Chamber that Howard had found and worked on. "How do we even know it will work?"

"Because I worked on it – I wouldn't put her in there unless I was absolutely sure she'd be able to survive." Howard explained. "The cold is keeping her alive – until a time where we can heal her...it's the only way she is able to pull through this."

Peggy looked back down at AJ. "But for how long?"

Howard looked down at AJ too, who was squeezing onto his hand while whispering Bucky's name. "Until we have the technology to revive her."

"We're talking about preserving a human, Howard!" Peggy said in a huff.

"Do it." They both looked at the doorway to see Colonel Phillips standing in the room now. "Save her. I don't care how long it takes."

Peggy shook her head as she walked over to the man. "And what do we tell her family, Chester?" Peggy asked him. "What do we tell the people who love her?"

Phillips looked past Peggy over to where AJ was laying on a table. "We need her." He said. "Tomorrow I will release a statement pronouncing Adelyn Frost dead. Because to everyone outside of the SSR...she's gone. She has to be."

Howard waited until he got the nod of approval from Phillips before he began to set everything up. Phillips and Peggy wheeled the slab AJ was on over to Howard and they all together placed her inside of the chamber. Her pulse was weak and her eyes were starting to close as soon as she was inside.

Peggy whispered her goodbyes, as did Colonel Phillips.

Howard closed the chamber and pressed his hand against the small window where he could still see AJ. "I'll see you again, kid."

The chamber froze.

_

"How long has she been out?" A woman asked.

"Since '45" a man answered.

"Why so long?" A different man asked.

"Because Howard Stark said under no circumstances would she brought out before the technology was ready." The first male voice said again.

"Helen, are you sure it's ready?" A different female voice asked.

"Yes." a new voice said, female as well. "The Cradle should work."

"Should?" Skepticism. "You better pray it works or Howard Stark will crawl out of his grave and strike you down."

No.

No.

Grave?

Movement. Her fingers. She could feel her fingers moving.

"It's time." The first man who had spoken said.

Warmth.

Her entire body felt warm. But she surprisingly didn't feel any pain.

"It's working." One of the women said.

"Anytime now." A man said.

Her eyes opened and AJ blinked rapidly and began to take in quick shallow breaths. She looked around the area and did not recognize any of the people who were looking down at her.

"Agent Frost," A man with dark skin and an eyepatch said as he looked down at her. "Welcome back."

A woman with red hair put a cup to AJ's lips forcing her to drink. AJ choked a little but swallowed the liquid. Her body still felt weak. "This should help with regaining your strength." The red head said, "Don't ask what's in it." She smirked.

AJ didn't understand - everything around her was bright and shiny and new. She could see that her vitals were on a flat screen on the wall as a woman in a tight blue suit swiped her hand across the screen and a new page appeared.

This technology...even Hydra didn't have this.

Her eyes widened in fear and pushed herself up a little. "Hey, hey," A white male said as she moved over her, pressing her down a little. "You need to stay in there until you're completely healed."

Healed?

Reinhardt.

Peggy. Howard.

"Give her some space, you guys." The man said and stepped away from AJ. He had sandy brown hair and a face that looked like this man may have never smiled in his entire life. But she trusted him. "My name is Clint." He told her when he saw she was still looking up at him.

She nodded her head which seemed to be a mistake because her stomach began to churn and she moved forward and got sick.

The woman with red hair was quick to stifle a chuckle as the man with the eyepatch spoke quietly to a woman of Asian descent.

"It's completely normal," The woman assured her. "But I would strongly advise to keep her in the Cradle for another twenty minutes and for her to continue on drinking the smoothie." She looked from AJ to the man who was at her side, looking down at his feet. "And I'd strongly advice getting Agent Coulson a new pair of shoes."

AJ looked up at the man she had puked on. "Phil Coulson." He introduced himself. "I'm going to step out and change." He walked away.

The man with an eyepatch walked up to AJ and crouched down so he was at eye level with her. "My name is Director Fury, and I'm sure you have a lot of questions." He told her.

"Where am I?" She asked him in a small voice.

"New York."

There was a ringing and the woman with red hair brought a device to her ear and began to talk to someone. The way they all dressed – the way they talked! The question shouldn't have been where she was. Because AJ knew for damn sure that she was no longer in the year 1945.

"What year is it?" She asked.

Director Fury smiled. "2010." He told her. "And Stark was right. You did figure it out fast."

2010?

"Welcome to the future, Agent Frost."