Thank you for the following and favourites. Here's the next chapter from Bucky's POV just like I promised. Hopefully you all like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Captain America.:(

Trigger Warning: Graphic Violence


Chapter VI

Italy, July 1942.

The first thing Bucky noticed about Italy was the heat. It wasn't a heat he was used to, there had always been a breeze in New York off the Hudson, even sometimes the warmest days could be tolerable as long as there was some shade and a nice cold drink.

But Italy was different. It was so hot it made it difficult for Bucky to breathe, and his uniform and the pack he had to carry, as well as his weapons, made it all the more unpleasant. Hell, he didn't even know where they were at that point. All he had known was for five days they had been at a post; doing nothing but sitting on their asses and sweating in the heat.

It was the humidity that made it hard, he figured. Part of the problem with the dampness was the bugs it brought. Bucky smacked his hand against his neck, trying to kill another pesky mosquito who thought he'd make a great meal yet again.

Italy was swarming with them. And it wasn't even the issue so much that they were annoying. The other problem with them was that they brought disease. Although he knew he wouldn't have to worry about that as much as many some of the guys who were stationed in North Africa, he still couldn't imagine having to be sent home because of a damn mosquito.

As he stood in the heat, his mind drifted to a past memory. After he joined the army Bucky recalled standing in line to receive all his vaccinations. He had already gotten into the army and was ready to proceed with more physicals and get all the work done he needed before heading off. He remembered how Steve was still trying to enlist.

"You're gonna get cauuught," Bucky sang under his breath. They both stood in line, waiting to see the nurses and doctors doing the examinations.

Steve elbowed Bucky in the stomach. "Hey shut up!" Although Steve was small he hit Bucky hard enough to cause a cough to rise in his throat "I will if you keep bringing it up!"

"Punk," Bucky rubbed his stomach, frowning at the shooting pain that went through.

"Jerk." Steve shot back.

Like all the other men, they both were in white undershirts and white boxers. Bucky resisted the urge to cross his arms over his chest, feeling a little chilled from the draft of the wind.

"Hey, Steve isn't this gonna be the first time a dame's ever caught you not wearing pants?" Bucky had a shit eating grin on his face as he teased him, getting even for the elbow in the gut.

"You know what—!" Steve raised his voice and turned around to argue and a nurse nearby shushed them. "Sorry Ma'am," Steve apologized respectfully. He turned to Bucky and whispered, "Not everyone can sleep with half of Brooklyn."

Bucky chuckled, "Yeah, I guess not. But hey, someone's gotta do it! It's my heavy burden to bear."

"Uh-huh yeah, and it's gonna get you in trouble one day. Almost like how it got you in trouble last night!"

"That wasn't my fault and you know it!" Bucky defended himself, thinking back to the previous night's events. Bucky wasn't one to be the cause of fights, typically. Usually, that was Steve's job, but for the first time since maybe they were kids, Bucky was almost the instigator.

"You knew she had a boyfriend and you were still trying to sweet talk her!" Steve hissed.

"Okay! It wasn't my proudest moment, I'll admit. But it's not like I was gonna do anything, I just wanted to see if she would flirt back. And for the record, she was way too good for that guy! Man, what a clown he was." Chuckling to himself, Bucky shook his head as he reminisced.

"A clown that had half a foot on you and was about to beat the living daylights out of us!" Steve protested, wondering if he forgot just how close they had both been from getting the pulp beat out of them.

"Out of me, not out of you." Bucky corrected, knowing Steve wasn't involved in the little spat that happened.

"Hey, your fights are my fights, remember?" That had always been the case for them. Again, Bucky never started fights or was usually the cause of them. It was because of Mr. Sassy Pants not keeping his mouth shut for the majority of the time. But despite never starting them himself; Bucky sure did help to finish them. It had caused a lot of problems between him and his mother over the years. He would come home sporting another black eye or bruised knuckles as she would ring him out each and every time. They would argue about him not being careful enough, and then she would go get a bag of peas to put on wherever he was black and blue. But since he had moved out, no one had chastised him had gotten him frozen veggies. He kind of missed it, he realized. It was nice having someone care about his well being, even if it was just his mom.

Bucky sighed, "Yeah I guess you're right on the money there, pal. If I had a nickel for every time I saved your punk ass I'd be living on the Upper East Side by now."

"You'd never fit in." Steve smirked, "They're too sophisticated up there. Plus, you'd never stand a chance with any of the high socialite gals. They'd give you too hard of a time and you'd have to actually work to get their attention for once."

"That doesn't seem half bad," Bucky caught the eye of a pretty red-haired nurse who had grey eyes. She gave him a soft smile and he returned it. "You know me," He told Steve, "I'm always up for the challenge."

"The challenge? When are you ever up for the challenge? When was the last time you actually had to peruse a girl instead of her just falling right into your lap?"

"Well, last night apparently!" Bucky laughed as he said smugly.

He couldn't see Steve, due to him being in front of him, but he knew he was smirking and possibly rolling his eyes. "You're really a piece of work, you know that?"

"So I have been told." Bucky only snickered, knowing he had been called that once or twice before by people. Mostly though, he had been called that by Steve.

"The army is gonna have one hell of a time keeping you in check, let me tell you that. Let's just hope I get in this time to see it. Nothing would make me happier than seeing you have to do extra laps or clean the latrines for a week for being a smart-ass."

"I know, buddy." Bucky clapped him on the shoulder as the man in front of Steve was called up next. "Maybe lucky number four will be it?" They both went to the nurses at the station taking registration. Steve took a deep breath before walking forward, straightening his posture and trying to appear taller.

As Bucky approached the nurse, he saw how Steve tried to balance on the balls of his feet and push his chest out. Pursing his lips, he turned away from his friend and silently prayed yet again that they would fail. Of course, he would never tell Steve he actively wished he wouldn't be able to achieve his lifelong dream of fighting for his country. But Steve was so small, and Bucky knew that whoever would send him to war would be putting the nail in his coffin.

Bucky heard Steve begin to register for an examination "Rogers, Steven, Grant." He told the nurse just as the one who was taking care of Bucky asked him his.

"Barnes, James, Buchanan."

"Buchanan, is that a family name?" She asked him, looking up from her start to glance at him. "It's kinda unusual. You don't hear that one often, but it's pretty."

"Unfortunately, yeah." He sighed, "Some family member's a long time ago. My mom liked the way it sounded,"

"It's nice," She complimented him and began filling out forms. "So, Soldier. It looks like we're just doing a general check-up to make sure everything's still a go. You'll also be getting your shots for Yellow Fever and Smallpox. If you could go into the waiting room to my right, please take a seat and wait for the next nurse to call you."

Bucky murmured thanks and turned back to Steve, who looked back at him just as he himself was about to get his general inspection. Bucky gave him a look that said 'good luck,' and Steve disappeared into the other room. He knew it would be best if the officer failed him. There were other men more capable than Steve who could fight, and what he failed to recognize was that there were other jobs that were much safer that he was more suited for.

The little man wanted to be where the action was. He didn't like the idea of sitting idly after hearing that other people were laying down their lives. Even in their childhood, Steve has always wanted to be a soldier. Bucky recalled how they used to meet halfway between their crummy apartments and play in some of the construction sites and pretended they were in the trenches.

He remembered long ago wielding sticks and making gun noises as the two of them would run and duck from the other neighbourhood kids.

'We're surrounded!' Bucky would gasp as his breath fell short as they had their backs against a mound of dirt. His face was dirty and his hair messy, one of his suspenders had fallen off his shoulder.

'We gotta take those dirty bastards!' Steve would say, his eyes wide. At nine years old, the two of them knew that if one of their mother's heard that type of language they would get their mouth washed out with soap. Talking like that and being rebellious was part of what made it so fun.

Steve's face was also dirty, and so was his shirt which would definitely earn himself a scolding when he got home. 'We'll show 'em we're not afraid!' He was right. Steve Rogers wasn't afraid of anything, it seemed. Even when it came to signing up in a war where there was a very real possibility he would be killed in. 'We'll take them together!' He insisted, knowing they worked better as a team.

'On three!' Bucky agreed.

'One.' They would say together.

'Two!' In unison yet again, they held their sticks/guns to their chest and took a deep breath.

'THREE!' They yelled and dived over the mound, surprising Tommy Susa and George Caraway who was hiding behind another mound not too far off. The boys hollered and yelled, playing until the sun went down and it started to get dark. Those were the days of innocence, free from all responsibility and worry.

But playing war and actually being apart of one were two very different things. And although Bucky wouldn't want to go to war with anyone else but his most loyal teammate, he knew this was an expedition he had to do on his own.

Walking into the waiting room, Bucky sat next to a guy who was reading the paper. The front page read about the French Resistance and the controversy on their methods, but at the same time praising them for their valor.

The guy saw Bucky trying to get a glimpse of it and he clicked his tongue, "Really makes you wonder what's going on over there, huh? Citizens getting involved and whatnot. Like doctors and teachers and even the goddamn grocery clerks. Must be bad."

Buck nodded, "It's lucky for them the U.S. finally got involved"

The man agreed as another one joined them and sat on the other side of Bucky. He was larger than the both of them, with a standard army haircut and a face that already made him dislikable. "Took them damn long enough if you ask me." The first man to his left sighed. "Only had to take half the Pacific fleet getting destroyed first."

"Was gonna sign up to be in the Navy," The newcomer explained, crossing his arms, "Good thing I didn't, after Pearl Harbour went kaboom and all."

The other man frowned at the newcomer, thinking what he had said was a little insensitive. Bucky was about to open his mouth to tell him to show some respect but the other guy beat him to it, "My girl's Pops was on the Arizona..."

The other man seemed to recognize his mistake, "Sorry, that's rotten luck. Good thing we have fellas like us signing up to beat those bastards."

Bucky just widened his eyes from the uncomfortable situation while pursing his lips together and said nothing. It wasn't until Steve walked back from his own inspection, shoulders slumped down that Bucky knew they hadn't passed him again. His stomach dropped, seeing his friend so down in the dumps, but he knew it was for the best. Steve went to go retrieve his clothing, and the other guy spotted him through the doorway of the other and laughed, "Damn lucky they have fellas like us and not like that."

That was it. That did it for Bucky. He wanted nothing more than to be the shit out of this guy, but knew he had to keep his composure, "You know, I bet that kid has more balls than all of us!" Bucky defended him, the guy on his left nodding in agreement.

"Yeah! It takes heart to come up here and enlist, even knowing you'll be rejected!" He added.

The other man just chuckled and shook his head, clicking his tongue "I don't know, leave the fighting to the men I say and leave the other tasks to the boys and ladies."

Steve was a real man, more so than that Jackass. Bucky's fists clenched and he wanted to sock him right in the jaw, "My Ma always said that being a man had nothing to do with your size it had to do with how you treated people." If she was right Steve Rogers was a bigger man than all of them. The guy beside Bucky wasn't a man, a buffoon maybe, but definitely not a man.

"Daley, Harvey?" A gorgeous strawberry blonde nurse came out in her pristine white uniform. All three of their eyes turned to her and the man who had been reading the newspaper stood up and folded it. He looked at Bucky and told him good luck. Bucky has a feeling he wasn't talking about the war, but rather the guy beside him. Bucky was sure he'd need it in order to continue to deal with that guy.

As the nurse walked away, Jackass to Bucky's right did a low whistle, his eyes glued to her behind.

"Had I had known they all looked like this I would have enlisted sooner," He said, "If the ones in the field look like the ones here it might not make getting shot at quite so bad."

Bucky sighed and took the newspaper that Harvey had left behind and he began reading the front page, "Doesn't really matter to me what they look like. As long as they do a half decent job of patching me up over there I could care less."

"Yeah but I'm just saying; it's nice to get a nice view too." He said with a grin. "Especially since I'm not so great with medical stuff. My sister was sick a lot as a child and I never liked hospitals. Needles always terrified the hell out of me."

Bucky tried to give him some advice, "Just don't think too hard about it when she sticks you." He said it half paying attention to what they were talking about since he was too immersed in what he was reading.

"I'd like to stick her with something too if you know what I'm saying." He smirked at a shorter, brown-haired nurse with curves as she walked in.

"Don't let any of them hear you say that." Although Bucky was known for being able to get ladies, there had never ever been a time where he didn't respect them. Never would he have said anything so crass in his entire life, let alone to some strangers. "These broads mean serious business. I bet they could hold down a man with no problem."

"I'd like to see them try," The man chuckled as the pretty, brown-haired nurse came over holding a chart.

"Barnes, James?"

Bucky put the newspaper back down and he looked at the guy, "While you're in there I'd keep my comments to myself. Wouldn't wanna make them angry as your ass is exposed to them and they have access to a lot of pointy objects." He warned. The man paled a little, clearly not have thought that the nurses actually have to perform procedures, and could decide whether or not he was gonna be sore tomorrow.

Bucky followed the nurse into a curtained examination room. She gave him a soft smile as he stood there, "When are you expected to start your training?" She asked him.

"A week and a half, Ma'am." He answered back, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"You can sit on the examination table," She said, and then asked, "Are you nervous?" He did as she asked, the back of his thighs cold against the metal table.

"For this? Not really; I'm sure you're very good at giving out needles. You seem like a real professional."

She giggled, her laugh soft and gentle, "I meant for going to war, Soldier."

"Oh! Umm, you know I haven't really thought about it. The day after we declared war I enlisted. My dad was a soldier too, I figured I should probably follow in his footsteps and stick up for the little guys." He had been sticking up for the little guy his entire life, might as well make a career out of it.

"A lot of guys are nervous," She said as she got a light in her hand and then told him to open his eyes wide, "I think they have reason to be. The more I hear about the war in Europe the more uneasy I feel sending guys over there." She shined the light in his pupils, making them dilate and he flinched at first at the brightness. She checked both of them, and then gave him a soft smile as she said, "That's a pretty colour."

"Funny, I was gonna say the same thing about yours." He grinned. "What's your name?"

"You can call me Nurse, if you'd like." She said with a smirk.

"What's your real name, Nurse?" He asked her, his hands folded across his chest.

She grabbed a wooden stick. "Say 'Aahhh!'

Bucky opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out, 'Aahhh!" He did as she told him and she grinned. Afterward, she wrote another note on his sheet and then finally said, "It's Connie."

"I like that, it's nice." He told her, trying his best to be charming. He saw how she blushed, causing some pride to well up in him and his ego to inflate.

"I hate it, it was my grandmother's. I think it's so boring." Connie explained with a frown, her eyebrows furrowing together.

"I think it suits you, a pretty girl deserves a pretty name."

She smirked at him and then said, "Flattery won't get this over sooner. Now, stand up!"

"Who said I wanted this to be over sooner? I'm enjoying this little bit of time with you." He chuckled and stood up.

Connie grabbed two vials that contained the vaccination and also a rather intimidating, long looking needle which would have made even Bucky pale under normal circumstances if he didn't need to keep his composure while flirting. "Ha! You really are a riot, being sweet isn't going to make this hurt less." She said and then gave him a wicked smirk, "Now, elbows on the table and drop your shorts."

Bucky raised his eyebrows, "Geez, you're not gonna buy me dinner first before asking that?"

She only snorted, "Just do what I say, Soldier."

"Ma'am yes, Ma'am." He gave her a mocking salute which made her laugh, and he pulled the back of his boxers down so his bare skin was exposed to her. He caught her raising an eyebrow and she smirked down at him; the blush yet again turning her cheeks a shade of pink.

"You give all the fella's backside a once over like that?" He chuckled as he caught her looking.

Disinfecting the skin with a cold cloth she only smirked, "Only the behind's that are especially cute."

"You think it's cute?" Bucky chuckled.

"That, and it's shockingly white. Do you ever see the sun? Or are you from Canada?"

"Haha, hell no! Those Eskimos have nothing on—Ouch! Hey!" He gave out a yelp as she stuck the needle into his flesh. "Easy there, Doll! I have to sit on that later!" He joked.

"Oops!" She only giggled and then prepared him for another one. Bucky heard the man next to his examination let out a high squeal in pain, he only hoped it was the jackass who had been sitting next to him. "I'm sure you'll manage."

"I'm not sure; I might need some kind of nurse to take care of me."

"Hmm, too bad you don't know any.." She humoured him, gently swabbing his skin to disinfect it again.

"Although I do kinda know one who owes me dinner. After all, she was just ogling my butt." He replied cockily. He flinched again as she stuck him, releasing an "Ow!" from his mouth.

"You're all done. And for the record, I was not ogling." She set the record straight. Bucky stood up and rubbed the tender spot on his backside.

"I think you stuck me with that last one a little harder on purpose." He observed, feeling how it ached.

"Hmm, that's possible. Maybe next time you won't be quiet to snide?" She suggested with a flirtatious grin.

"Got anything up your sleeves to ease the pain?" He asked her.

She sighed and then turned him around again, forcing him to get back on his elbows and Bucky laughed saying "Woah Woah, okay! I was only teasing, Doll! No need to be so rough." She grabbed a bandaid, stretched his boxers again to show his skin and placed the bandage on the spot where he had gotten the shots.

"There." She said as he got back up, returning his boxers to their rightful place."Is that alright? Or do you need me to kiss it better too?"

"I mean, if you're offering than yeah that doesn't sound half bad." Bucky laughed and she huffed with an amused smile as she scribbled something on his chart.

Connie handed it back to him, "Give this to one of the nurses at registration on your way out."

"Sure thing," Bucky was about to walk out when stopped in his tracks, "So, about the whole 'you buying me dinner thing', I'm gonna let it slide. It's my treat this time."

She put her hands on her hips and looked at him in an amused fashion, "Is that so?"

"It is. As soon as I finish basics you and I are having dinner and going dancing."

Once again showing amusement in her expression she only grinned and then tried to huff in a pretense annoyed fashion, "Well... If you insist then I suppose."

"I do insist. It's a date." He beamed and then gave her another false salute before saying "Ma'am," Proving just how it's done before walking out.

He had a large grin on his face as he met Steve outside the examination building after getting dressed.

"Did you get refused?" He asked Steve, seeing his upset expression on his face and the way he looked as though he were just kicked.

"Yup," He let the 'p' pop at the end. He had his hands deep in his pockets and he then squinted at Bucky, knowing he had something to be smug about, "Did you?" He knew he probably asked one of the nurses on a date, and wanted to know if they had finally given him a no.

"Nope!" Like Steve, he held onto the 'p' at the end. His clapped his friend on the back and said reassuringly with a laugh, "Don't worry, I'll see if she's got a pretty friend for you."


All that seemed like ages ago to Bucky. He had pretty much all forgotten about Connie until that moment. After all, they had only spent the one night of the exhibition together. Later he had dropped her off at home after Steve had disappeared somewhere and they had shared a kiss on her front doorstep. She didn't ask him to come inside, which he was alright with but also slightly disappointed. He found most girls were willing to get in a little more trouble with a guy who was leaving for the war the next day. But Bucky was fine with just leaving it at that, there hadn't been a real connection between them anyway.

Leaning against one of the tanks, Bucky had a piece of grass held between his teeth, his hand on his rifle. His helmet was on, but he didn't bother putting on his pack or his military-issued jacket from his uniform. Most of the guys were wearing their olive coloured t-shirt from underneath.

Sweat was gathered on his brow, and a private by the name of Rob Lewinski sat on-top of the tank eating one of his rations. "Man, it's a good thing I didn't sign up for the army for their food," He said, shoveling his spoon in his mouth, "Tastes like shit. Really makes me miss my mom's Sunday roast, and that tasted like shit too."

Dum Dum Dugan was also present, and it was the first time Bucky had ever seen him without his classic bowler hat. But it was too hot to pretty much wear anything besides one's helmet and even Bucky felt like his head was cooking.

"Yeah, sure makes me miss the Old Lady," Dugan replied straightening up. "When she cooked you swore you died and went to heaven. My God, was she ever talented in the kitchen."

"Hopefully not the only place she was talented, am I right?" Lewinski chuckled, being a little crass.

Dugan shot him a look, "Watch your mouth, Son. That's my lady you're talking about there!" But a grin broke out on his jolly face and he then shook his head, "But yeah she wasn't half bad in the sack either." Bucky found that guys had to talk about some crassness every now and then. It kept things light, and what guy didn't mind talking about sex every now and then. Most of the guys he surrounded himself with were always tasteful; with the odd comment here and there but mostly it was always in good fun.

"I don't know about you fella's but I'd just about kill right now for a T-bone steak." Bucky sighed, thinking about when the last time he actually had one.

"Mhmm, definitely gonna be my first meal when I get back." Dugan agreed, "Nothing's better than having a steak with an ice cold beer, ready to watch a little baseball."

"That's the life," Bucky agreed, and then continued on with his food fantasy, "A steak with mashed potatoes. My mom always knew how to make the best ones. With garlic and butter and some chives. God, I miss that shit."

"Your mom seems like a decent cook, she and my lady should exchange recipes. Make the damn best 'welcome home' dinner there ever was." Dum Dum suggested. Bucky's mouth watered just thinking about it. Although he had only been in Italy for a little over two and a half weeks, the food on the ship over was brutal. Same with the food in London, and the ship going from there, and the food at basics. All around, he hadn't had a decent meal in way too long.

"She wasn't half bad, I guess." Bucky began to speak of his mom, remembering how she eventually got too busy to make dinners from the time he was eleven on, "She worked a lot, so I mostly made meals for my sisters and me."

"So you must not be so bad either?" Lewinski noted.

"Ha!" Bucky let out a laugh, "My cooking skills are limited to a few things: cereal, toast, eggs, and a real mean ham and cheese sandwich. I gotta tell you, my little sisters eventually got real sick of that stuff."

"Yeah, no that sounds like hell. I definitely wouldn't ever try to impress a broad with your cooking skills." Lewinski noted, "I think when I get back I'll take a cooking class. Ladies love a guy who can cook. Maybe I'll take one in France? Who knows?" He shrugged.

"If France is still there by the time the Kraut's are done with it. Man, what a mess they're making there." Bucky shrugged, "Lot's of it's been destroyed already. My best friend always wanted to go there. He was really into art and all that crap, said it was one of the best places in the world for that."

"Hey, that's not a bad idea! Maybe I'll take up art if Lewinski is taking up cooking. We can go there together!" Dugan smiled up at Lewinski. "Appreciate the finer things in life and turn ourselves into some respectable gents? Doesn't seem like a bad idea to me! What about you, Sarg? What would you wanna do once this is over?"

"Not a clue," Bucky shrugged. "I guess I always wanted to see the Ocean. And not like Long Island, but the real one; the Pacific. I'd like to take a nice girl down to Hawaii and go snorkeling maybe. Or go to California, Santa Monica, or something and just stand there and sit on a nice beach for once. Or, even better! Why not Australia? See the Great Reef and take a dive, maybe see a few sharks."

"Sharks? Ah, hell no, they're terrifying." Dugan protested, shaking his head.

"They're not so bad," Bucky shrugged, "I used to be really interested in marine life back in school. All the stuff about the deep seas and ocean life was interesting to me. They don't seem that aggressive unless hungry."

"I'd take a nice green plain any day over the ocean," Lewinski added, "That's what I'd like to do too. I'd like to go back to Montana and just take a ride on my ranch. Nothing beats a Montana sunset while on horseback. Really makes you wonder if whether or not there's a God after seeing a scene like that. It's like, take the most beautiful girl you know, and then visualize that feeling you got when you first saw her. That's what it feels like out there."

"Looks like we've got lots to look forward to if we survive the war," Bucky stated, throwing the grass he was chewing on to the ground and moving forward. He looked upwards on the path they were on and saw that it didn't look as though they were moving out any time soon. The 107th was apparently meant to move out and be stationed further into the countryside of Italy. Thank God for that too, Bucky thought. Never before did he think the war would be so boring. All they had done so far was patrol the surrounding woods, having large teams go out and make sure it was clear. They had been halted though for nearly five hours, just sitting in the boiling sun until one of the tanks was fixed up. It had broken down earlier that morning, and although some moved on, Bucky's infantry regiment and a few others had stayed with it.

They had a large amount with them for doing a task that seemed so mundane. At least six tanks were present, and more than enough infantrymen. And so far, they had yet to see any action.

Lewinski laughed, "If we survive? So far the only thing that's gonna kill us if boredom. I always thought serving in the military would be more exciting!" The young man laughed and Dum Dum immediately hushed him.

"Don't talk like that! Don't you know anything? It's bad luck to mention it." He criticized him. "You've got folks around here a little superstitious."

The hatch of the tank opened just in time for another soldier to hear Lewinski speaking, "Are you fucking crazy?" He asked him, and then yelled into this crew "Hey guys! Fresh meat over here is complaining about not getting any action." The guy got out and stood up on the tank near where Lewinski was sitting. Bucky didn't hear much of the conversation going in the machine, but he knew it wasn't good.

A gruff looking man had then appeared from the hatch, "Heard some knucklehead was talking shit?" He scowled, looking the three of them and wondering who was the perpetrator. The man was large, even bigger than Dum Dum, and had a rough looking face that sported a stubble.

"Yeah, this guy here." The other guy outed Lewinski, making him swallow a lump in his throat and appear nervous. He looked over at Dum Dum and Bucky for help but they only smirked.

The man only shook his head, "You bored? You wanna start getting into the fighting? Let me tell you, compared to what fresh hell we've seen this 'boredom' is a fucking paradise. You ever saw a grown man shit himself, son?"

Lewinski shook his head sporadically, eager to avoid the conversation and have it be over.

"I have. I've seen grown ass men cry for their mothers like they were little kids. I've seen my friends get burned alive in their tanks after being hit was an M6A5 rocket. Let me tell you, that smell— the smell of burning flesh and the sound of the screams—it never leaves you. I don't sleep because of all the fucked up shit I've seen. Have you seen what your insides look like?"

"No," Lewinski said, shaking his head again.

"No, Sir!" The man yelled at him and Lewiniski quickly repeated even louder, clearly a little intimidated by him.

"NO, SIR!"

"Well, you're gonna find out! And let me say, I could have gone my entire life without knowing what the hell a human body has inside of it. Don't ever, EVER let anyone hear you say again you're bored. Because when it's not boring, people are dying." He said, getting out of the tank and rejoining the other guy to go check and see what was happening with the tank at the front.

"Sheesh!" Lewinski huffed, "Who the hell pissed in his rations? That guy's intense!"

"He's right," Bucky said, looking around at the woods "We should be glad we haven't seen anything yet. I'm not looking forward to having to kill." A thought then jumped in his head "Or getting killed."

"Right, you've got the ocean to look forward to and all that," Dugan nodded, and then looked up at Lewinski, "Nice job not pissing your pants by the way! I thought you were about to, you almost shook like a leaf when he was yelling at you."

"Yeah, thanks for all the help! You both just stood there like a couple lumps on a log! Thank you for all the backup!" He criticized them, a frown on his face as he stood up on the tank and looked around, putting his hand over to shade his eyes so he could see.

"Yeah, right! As if we were gonna get involved and risk him yelling at us too!" Bucky laughed.

"He wouldn't have yelled at you, you're a Sargent too! You're the same rank!" Lewinski protested, baffled at his fellow soldier's lack of support.

"Doesn't matter! He scares the shit outta me! Would you have intervened, Dugan?"

"No Sarg, I would not have," He agreed and looked up at Lewinski and crossed his arms, "Besides," He clucked "The little shit deserved it."

"You fellas are real swell. Good to know you've got my back!" Lewinski smiled, "But whatever he says, I'm still bored. Five hours of sitting here in the sun isn't really my thing."

Bucky turned around to stretch, he looked out at the trees and saw how beautiful it could have been there under different circumstances. Rolling his shoulders and neck, he sighed, thinking it was kind of pretty. "It's really not that bad here. Before we went off I figured the landscape would kinda look like how they did back in the last war. You know, from the pictures and stuff? It's really not that bad though. What do you think it looked like thousands of years back? Like when Augustus Cesar was alive and there was the Roman Empire and all that jazz?"

Dum Dum had put a cigar in his mouth and lit it up, he mumbled, "How the hell should I know?"

Lewinski began, taking on a superior tone and showing off he was smarter than the other two. He stood up straighter as he spoke, standing proud. "Not too sure about the landscape, but I know they called Rome the marble city after Augustus was emperor. My sister taught to teach elementary school history so she's told me a thing or two. I always found—..." He stopped mid-sentence, causing Bucky to turn around and smirk.

"You gonna finish that sentence, pal? I was looking forward to hearing how much smarter you are than the—," Bucky began but was cut shot by Lewinski coughing up blood.

A large crimson circle contracted against the green of his shirt, growing larger and larger. Then the gunshots began ringing out. Bucky could hardly react, he heard someone yell "Snipers!" and "We're under attack!" The scream of men dying filled his ears, and Lewinski fell off the tank, his eyes rolling in the back of his head and blood pouring out of his mouth. Bucky could hear Dum Dum cuss and they both grabbed their weapons and put their backs against the continuous track of the tank, taking cover.

Bucky could hear the sound of bullets hitting the metal of the tank, causing a sharp ringing to develop in his left hearing. "Fuck!" Dum Dum yelled, looking over and seeing nothing in the woods where their attackers were firing, "I can't see fuck all!"

Bucky was stunned as his heart pounded in his chest. Fear struck up in him as he gazed down at Lewinski's still, lifeless form. Blood soaked the dirt under him, gathering in a dark pool, turning the earth around his body black. His brown eyes stared up at Bucky blankly, and he felt panic rising up in him. Vomit rose in Bucky's throat at the sight and he reeched the contents of his stomach onto the ground. Standing up straight after he recovered, he gripped his weapon tightly.

Damn him, Bucky thought. Lewinski just had to open his big, dumb mouth and wish for some action. Bucky wished for nothing more than for him to take back those words and be content with just sitting around on their asses.

As the brown orbs stared at him, a stream of blood trickling down his cheek in a thin trail, Bucky came to his senses. Taking a deep breath sharply and clutching his rifle close to his chest, Bucky pressed his side against the tank and moved his body enough so he could still fire while not completely exposing himself.

Seeing movement he inhaled deeply, focused as all he saw was red, and then pulled the trigger...


So, another Bucky POV integrated into the story. Let me know if I did alright, and if I stayed true to his character and if you liked me including the memories he had with Steve. I'l try to update on Sunday, but it depends on if I get a couple chapter's ahead first. I usually like having a couple on reserve so I know that I'll still have content to post once I get writer's block, since I know it'll happen at some point...

Thank you to all my lovely readers!

- Amelia

Oh, and please drop me a review letting me know if you enjoyed this chapter! Make sure you follow and favourite as well.