Hello friends! I am back with another update. I'll be trying to update a little faster now since we're getting to the good stuff in just a few chapters.

Speaking of the good stuff! With the super great reaction that I've been getting chapter 11 because of the fluff, I feel kinda bad for making this such an unbelievably slow burn. I wrote a little exert that I'm excited about, only it won't fit in until much, much later into the story. So, in a means to make it up to you, I have made the prologue put into the first chapter just to include a future look at events that will transpire between Bucky and Lucy! I have been feeling as if going straight into such a dark prologue with pretty depressing themes for the remainder of the story was a little too strong, and this is my way of attempting to make it lighter so first-time readers know it won't be so completely hopeless in later chapters.

So check it out if you want to read some more very saucy, as well as moderately fluffy moments between Lucy and Bucky. :))


Chapter XIII

Italy, 1943.

It was decided. Bucky absolutely hated Lucy Heinrich. He hated her more than he had ever hated anyone. Something about her rubbed him completely wrong, and he hated her stuck-up, superior attitude. He had only known her for half a day, but that he was sure of.

And as he followed her with a flashlight into the dark cavern of tunnels underneath the church, he thought of how he wanted nothing more than to just leave her there on her own. He could have just left her to fend for herself, abandoning her completely. But he had orders directly from the Colonel of the S.S.R. to do whatever Dr. Heinrich wanted. And why they were in some dingy caves under an old building, he wasn't quite sure. All he was sure of though, was that what they were doing was an absolute complete and utter waste of time.

She looked at a map, shining her light onto it and squinting, trying to see better, Bucky found himself glaring at her. She was immersed into it, and he was sure if he were to leave she wouldn't even notice. A voice in the back of his head (sounding suspiciously like Steve) scolded him and told him to be the bigger man, and forgive her for the insensitive comment she made earlier. But every time he thought of it, anger rose in his stomach.

He looked at her and watched as her mouth moved as she read the map, reading silently to herself. She was undeniably beautiful, that much was sure. But the fact she was clearly the worst person he had ever met kind of ruined it for him. Any other time, he would have found himself likely fawning over her, trying to charm her. She, after all, reminded him of someone, although he couldn't quite remember who. She was unlike the women he would have flirted with back at home. She had messy, long, brown hair, which wasn't pinned in any organized fashion. Instead, it was just thrown up into whatever she placed it in. She didn't wear a stitch of makeup, but was a natural beauty regardless; although perhaps a little tired looking.

"Could you please come over here and shine a little more light on this?" She asked him, clearly unable to see what was on the map. She ripped him from his thoughts, and he was suddenly pulled back to reality. The reality being that he couldn't stand to be within five feet of her without wanting to gag.

Bucky sighed and sauntered over, the evidence of his unwillingness all in his expression. She frowned at him and shot back quickly, "Try not to act so enthused." She hated when people were tasked with a project and then threw a fit when they didn't want to be there. She had experienced that often while in Egypt, and many of the soldiers would rather have been doing other things than helping her with her assignments.

"How can I act enthused when this is literally the last place I would rather be?" He shot back quickly. He was well aware he was being rude, but after their debacle earlier he didn't care.

"Okay, listen." She huffed and put the map down, clearly getting frustrated, "I don't care if you're miserable. I really, really don't. But do not try to undermine me, and don't ever question my orders. Now, do as I say and please shine the light on the map." She had just about enough of his bad attitude. She getting sick of him constantly fighting her on matters.

"Ma'am yes Ma'am," he mocked again and put his flashlight back up so she could hold the map. Lucy ignored his tone and sighed and she looked at what the paper revealed. It looked like gibberish to him, but she clearly understood it.

"That's not English," He noted, and Lucy wanted to point out what a brilliant detective he was for recognizing that. Instead, she kept her mouth shut. Bickering wouldn't help them, and she only had a few more hours of recording the church before they had to move on. She had to get everything done as quickly as she possibly could. Otherwise, it could be destroyed even further and the records would be lost.

"It's Latin." She replied back, looking at closely.

"Did you learn how to read that while you were in Germany?" He scowled, wondering if beyond learning to read dead languages while she was there she also learned how to impersonate an American and infiltrate their ranks.

She realized he didn't like the fact she was obviously German, and he didn't trust her for it. She always had a hard time when people found out her last name and was often treated differently for it. Not many men were willing to help her due to it, and it was constantly proving to cause her pain. Yet again, it was another reason to hate her father.

Lucy placed the map down again and turned to him, flashing her light in his direction and momentarily blinding him, "So, that's why you won't respect me? Because I'm German?" It was the typical reason as to why many disliked her, and she didn't think that this time would be any different.

"Partially." He replied back shortly, "I also just don't respect you for the sake of not respecting you." His smug expression made her want to slap him. Lucy ignored the urge to do so and suppressed the feeling. She was positive she had never met a man that irritated her more than Sergeant Barnes did.

She huffed and turned her light back in her map, "I've lived in the United States since I was three. I don't even remember Germany, and I'm an American citizen. Trust me, if you think I'm a spy I have no loyalty to them." People always thought she was a spy, but she couldn't blame them necessarily. She was sure she would be suspicious of a German as well if she were in someone else's shoes.

"Oh, that's not what I'm worried about. I don't think you're crafty enough to be a spy." He scoffed. He had never been that rude to a woman his entire life, but he hated her probably more than he hated anyone else.

"Well, that's moderately insulting. I'll have you know I was very crafty in Egypt. I could have been a spy. After all, I speak the language."

"So do I. And so do a bunch of guys here. It's not that big of an accomplishment."

It was now her time to scoff, she rose an eyebrow and looked at him, "You speak German?" She couldn't imagine him taking the time to learn another language, given his obvious stupidity and ignorance.

"Ja, überrascht?" Yeah, surprised?

"Überrascht, dass du genug Gehirnzelldifferenzierung hast" Surprised you have enough brain cells, she shot back.

"See! That's why I don't like you or respect you. It's not because you're German, but because you walk around here all high and mighty with a superior attitude. You don't give two shits about all the guys doing the heavy lifting. Guys who are literally dying so you can do your goddamn pointless job. And you act as if that doesn't even matter! As if we owe you something instead!"

"I do not have a superior attitude!" She snarled, her blood pressure rising and wondering who the hell this guy thought he was.

"Oh, trust me, doll. You definitely do."

"It's Doctor," She murmured again, grimacing at the pet name he gave her.

He scoffed and then laughed, "There it is again! The superior attitude! You come in as this fancy, educated broad, and start giving us orders. I don't think so. That's not how it's gonna go for us."

"It's not a superiority complex to want respect, Sergeant!" Her tone was icy and harsh.

"You want my respect, then you better earn it, princess. But so far you aren't doing so hot in that area."

"So, it's not because I'm German, apparently. Is it because I'm a woman then?" She asked him, "Because, like it or not, we have to work together. And those are two things that won't be changing anytime soon."

Bucky was shocked she would ask. If he was being honest, he never once thought the reason he didn't respect her had something to do with what gender she was. It had to do with the fact that she was an awful goddamn person.

"It's not that," He scoffed.

Lucy only huffed and then said, "Fine, I give up. But just so you know, respect is a two-way street. And you're not doing so hot in that area either." She mimicked him, repeating what he said. Her eyes squinting as she glared at him and neither of them wanted to break away from the angry stare first.

Eventually, She turned her attention back to the map and then began walking down the dark cavern. The eerie sound of water droplets dripping from the ceiling and hitting the rocky ground echoed in the darkness.

Lucy continued walking on fearlessly, not even worried in the slightest of what laid ahead. Bucky at least admired her for her dedication, and he followed her quickly as she walked on. He was positive the cave wasn't safe and could tumble down on them at any minute. She didn't seem to care though, and he thought of how stubborn she was and how annoyingly into her job she seemed to be.

"So where did you learn how to read that shit?" He asked her, gesturing to the map. He was genuinely curious about how she came about learning a dead language.

"My fiancé was a doctor of Greco-Roman history. He taught me how to read Latin shortly after we met."

"So you speak English and German, you read Latin, is that it?"

"And French and Russian, and I picked up a little Arabic back in Egypt." She replied back quickly and then flashed her light to an area of the ceiling which had rough markings on it. She looked at the man-made markings in wonder and quickly took out her camera to take a picture and the jotted some notes down in a field book.

Although she was clearly intelligent, Bucky still was under the opinion that she thought she was smarter than she actually was. He wasn't asking her these questions to get to know her better, but he was suspicious of her role and what exactly she was doing in the army.

"So, how does a fancy, educated, multiple language-speaking broad end up working to the American army?" He asked her. Although he didn't suspect as a spy, he couldn't 100% rule it out. Especially since she was clearly awful, and he didn't doubt she had ulterior motives.

"I got recruited. A Captain and Lieutenant came to the university I taught at and asked for my help. Said I was the best in my field and twenty-four later I was shipped out to Egypt."

"You teach at a university?" Okay, so maybe she was pretty smart. Bucky had never heard a woman being a professor before or being considered the best in her field. She was impressive, but that didn't make her any more appealing to him.

"University of Chicago," She seemed mildly distracted, as she studied the ceiling markings, trying to figure out what they were. She took her camera and snapped another picture, the white flash of it momentarily blinding him.

"How was Egypt?" He asked her, "I haven't heard much news regarding it. A lot of the operations are kept secret and we don't always get the Sunday papers."

"It was hot," Was all she said back, still distracted, "And there were lots of snakes. I don't know though, it's nice to not have people shooting at me over here." She didn't even look at him as they made conversation.

"You were in the action over there?" He frowned, still confused exactly what the hell she was doing for the army. Her role confused him, and he thought all she did was academics. Apparently, though, she was more involved than he previously thought.

"I wasn't supposed to be. But ummm, I found myself in some sticky situations while trying to procure some of the artifacts. Nazi's typically don't like it when you steal from them." She was surprised they were actually being civil. They were almost able to have a conversation, and Lucy thought perhaps he wasn't as bad as she originally thought.

"Jesus, I really am having a hard time understanding your role in all this," Bucky admitted, confused. Scratching the back of his neck, he watched as she moved forward.

"It's not that complicated." She huffed and then continued moving forward. "I'm just securing art and artifacts and keeping them out of the wrong hands."

It seemed like a slight waste of resources to Bucky, although he would never admit that to her in the fear of being yelled at. She took off in a hurry, suddenly making a breakthrough with the map. He huffed with frustration as she moved like a bat out of hell.

"Would you hold up for a second?!" He was intended to guard her, that's all he knew. Dugan was originally supposed to be keeping watch on her, making sure she was alright as she did her job and wasn't attacked by any lone German soldiers hiding out in the cave. But he passed it off to Bucky after he got other orders, smirking at him with a shit-eating grin as he told him good luck. "I can't necessarily guard you if you're off running around somewhere."

"I don't need you to guard me, I need you to be quiet. And in case you haven't noticed, we're short on time. So, keep up Sergent!" She shot back, and then whipped her pistol out of her holster "Plus, I have this!" She waved it around and Bucky quickly grabbed it in her hand, not trusting her while she was pointing it at him.

"Easy, doll!" He cringed at her carelessness with her weapon. "You can't just wave that thing around! Do you even know how to fire it?"

She hated his condescending tone, the way he spoke her made her feel not only incapable but also inferior and small. Lucy hated feeling like that, and just at the moment she thought they could possibly work together he had to open his big, stupid mouth.

"I don't need you to protect me!" She scowled, raising her voice and clearly offended. "I'm fully capable of doing that on my own! I've been doing it my entire life—,"

Bucky scoffed, "Oh, your entire life? Your entire life where you clearly had everything catered to your every need? You're not fooling anyone, sweetheart! Just by looking at you, everyone here can tell you come from money and have lived a very privileged and cushy life."

"Don't pretend you know anything about me!" She was absolutely disgusted at his accusations. He didn't know a single thing about what she had gone through, but there he was making predictions and pretending he knew what it was like for her.

"I know you think you're better than everyone else here! I know you walk around like the world owes you something. And that you don't give two shits about the rest of us as long as you get to do your job and get credit for it at the end of the day!" He knew that soldiers were rarely mentioned in the textbooks and given credit. But broads like her who come from fancy backgrounds and manipulate the high government officials always did.

"Like I said, you know nothing about me." She only replied quietly and then took her pistol back, she licked her lips, "And I can take care of myself." Lucy insisted harshly one more time.

"Well, you're not killing any Nazi's with that thing on safety." Bucky pointed out to her and she scowled before fixing it.

"I don't need your help." She only snapped back, quickly plugging the gun in his holster. "In fact, why don't I spare you, and send you off so I can do this on my own!"

"As much as I'd love nothing more, I have orders."

"I wouldn't count on you to save me," She only shook her head and kept walking, he followed hot on her tail.

"Great observation. Usually, I wouldn't. But like I said, I have orders." He was aware that it was a dick move to say that. And if it really came down to it, of course, he would save her. He was just being rude to her because she was being rude back.

"Great!" She turned back around to face him, her cheeks red from anger, "And just so you know, if the roles are ever reversed don't count on me ever saving you either."

"Great!" His eyes squinted as he replied back, mimicking her snobbish tone. "Though I doubt there's a world where that will ever happen, given the fact you don't even know how to turn your gun off safety."

She only rolled her eyes in annoyance and then frustratedly breathed out and tried not to scream at him. Instead, she turned to him and then said, "I want you to leave."

"Can't do that, I'm guarding you." He quipped back stubbornly.

"I don't care. At this point, I'd rather be run down or have this entire cave fall in on me than spend another second with your condescending and patronizing attitude and blatant hostility. Go back, get someone else."

"Both you and I know that's not happening, sweetheart." He only said back and then smirked, knowing it drove her crazy to be called a pet name. "You're stuck with me."

As she walked forward, her shoulder knocked harshly into his as he didn't move out of the way. It was an act of open aggression on her behalf, and all she could say through gritted teeth was "Then shut the fuck up and stay the hell out of my way. Or I will make sure you are not only written up, but I will personally talk to Colonel Phillips about how your attitude is hindering my ability to complete my mission, and I will have you transferred from this location in a quick second. Don't test me, Barnes."

She meant business this time, that much was clear to Bucky. He only pursed his lips and wanted to say something back, but he noticed something in her eyes that made him stop. For one, he had no doubt she was serious. And two, he noticed how her eyes once again held something familiar. It also held anger, fear, and sadness, which all three Bucky was no stranger to.

He didn't like her, but he realized she was likely the same age as him, just trying to do her mission and stay alive in the process. He only nodded, suddenly slightly ashamed of the way he was being so horrible to her. He still believed she deserved it. But as she said, like it or not they had to work together.

"Understood," He swallowed his pride, along with a lump in his throat. The words coming out of his mouth tasted like poison, and although he didn't like saying it, he knew he needed to in order to appease her.

Lucy began walking forward again, deeper down the cavern until she stopped once more. She looked at him and spoke. "Oh, and Barnes? Don't ever talk to me like that again. Or I swear to God, you'll be sorry."

Something in her expression told him she meant it.


When Lucy returned back to base. She wanted to cry. Not only did she miss Daniel, but she hated Italy, she hated what she was doing there, she hated her job, and she hated James Barnes.

The fact that she needed a goddamn drink, was the only thing went through her mind as she walked to the mess quarters where she could finally scrounge up some coffee and something warm to eat. Unfortunately, she had to settle on something other than vodka. She wondered how the hell she would make it through the next few months sober while having to deal with the bullshit she's put up within the last few days.

As she arrived, the cook smiled at her and it was the first time that day where she genuinely didn't feel hated or attacked somehow.

She saw Charles, Roger Green, and a few other guys sitting at one large wooden table. Charles looked up to her and waved for her to go over but Lucy needed a moment to be by herself. She was worried that if she was around people they would see the tears welling in her eyes.

Slumping down on a table alone, Lucy inhaled deeply and put her palm to her forehead as she tried to resist the urge to scream as she looked down at her tin coffee cup. Her heart pounded in her chest and she realized that despite never feeling a sense of welcome in anything she perused, this was by far the worst.

When she had first begun living with the Lee's, she had much to learn. She had been used to living a life where there were no rules and nothing was expected of her. She had to unlearn it all, and suddenly be groomed into a well-respected woman, and undergo constant lessons on how to present herself. People at their charity auctions and galas and events knew she didn't belong, and too often she heard whispering and laughing from them as they gossiped about her and her sisters.

In university, she was often met with resentful stares from her male peers. They constantly undermined her and treated her as though she didn't know anything. She was overlooked by male professors and when she raised her hand in the lectures to answer a question; a man always ended up being picked instead.

If she answered something wrong in the off chance time where she was called on to answer a question, she was criticized and told she didn't belong there.

When she became a professor, she was met with animosity from her coworkers. There was a noticeable boys club present. She and the three other female professors were rarely invited to meetings and were often left out on facility decision making processes. They were treated as jokes, and not taken seriously. They believed they were less capable of teaching due to their gender, and the only reason they were hired wasn't that they were the best, but because there was a push for more diversity with the advancing times.

The only time Lucy has ever felt as though she belonged and was good enough for someone was when Captain Woodward and Lieutenant Beaty showed up and asked for her help. That was the one time Lucy knew for certain that she was considered first for a position, and didn't come second place to a man.

But there in Italy, it was more of the same treatment she received everywhere else. She was sick of it, and was tired of being disregarded everywhere she went due to her femininity. She knew deep down that if she had been born a man, no one would have ever questioned her right to be there, or her authority without cause.

As much as she wanted to cry at that moment though, she choked it down. She couldn't appear weak in front of all these people and give them more of a reason to prove why she didn't belong and why women weren't capable of a job she had been given.

Blinking a few tears back, she ended up looking up as someone slid into the seat in front of her, startling her slightly.

Agent Carter, with her soft brown eyes, sat there and asked gently, "Is this seat taken?" She was just being polite, obviously. Clearly, Lucy had the table to herself.

Lucy cleared her throat, "No, by all means," She said to woman opposite to her as she got comfy.

Agent Carter gave her a small smile and then said, "I hope you don't mind me intruding. You look like you want to be alone, but also like you need a friend."

Lucy chuckled and then blinked back again more tears, thankful for the woman's kindness, "Yeah, I do. Thank you, it's been a tough day."

"I know what you mean. I'm having a similar day as well." The Agent sighed, her accent made everything sound so proper. And the fact she was dressed in her uniform in pristine condition, and her hair and makeup seeming perfect despite the fact there was a slight drizzle of rain made Lucy think that she wasn't human. "It's not easy for us girls, is it?"

Breathing out a shaky breath, Lucy couldn't help but chuckle before saying "No, it isn't."

The woman's crimson lips only rose up as she offered a small smile before raising a tin cup of coffee to them, "It's why we have to stick together." Lucy's heart suddenly filled with warmth, and she was touched by her kindness.

They had briefly only met while she was in the tactical tent of the S.S.R Division. They hadn't said much, only had a brief introduction, but there was a mutual respect there between the two of them. They had both known what it was like to be a woman of success in a man's world, and what it cost to earn respect.

Lucy never thought she and the woman would converse again though, but yet there she was, possibly making friends with her.

"I'm Peggy," She said with a smile, and then offered her hand for Lucy to shake.

"Lucy," She smiled back, warmth spreading through her as she realized that maybe she wasn't as alone as she had thought. She had Charles, her tentmate Elsa (despite not really seeing her for the last two days) and now Peggy.

"There, that's a little bit better than Agent Carter and Lieutenant Heinrich, don't you think? Or, do you prefer Doctor?" She asked curiously.

"Honestly," Lucy sighed and then took a sip of her coffee, which was slightly watered down and not as hot as she liked from the slight drizzle of rain. "I don't care anymore. Neither title seems to matter here, anyway." She huffed in an annoyed manner.

"No," Agent Carter sighed also and looked around, "Men don't have much of an appreciation for accomplished women here, do they?"

"No, they do not." Lucy only emphasized and the two of their eyes met and they both ended up laughing for some unknown reason.

"I mean honestly!" Peggy exclaimed through her light giggle, "They see a woman of authority and you'd just think they'd combust!"

"I had one Sergent question my authority so hard today, I thought he would just lose it on me! Really, I had no idea if it was being of my family background or if I was a woman but I don't care. And they think we're too emotional!"

Peggy only scoffed and rolled her eyes, "As if. Have you ever seen anyone give as many tantrums as a grown man? Pathetic."

"I guarantee if we were in charge there wouldn't be a war at all in the first place."

"Of course not! Women have more sense than that! But men have egos, and power complexes." She said as she looked out at the men that surrounded them. Lucy did the same and they both felt bad for speaking ill. "They're not all so awful," Peggy explained, ending their joking. "There are a few with some admirable traits, I suppose. One or two at least comes to mind."

"No, you're right." Lucy nodded, "But there are a few who's neck I would like to wring."

"Oh, well we all have those." Peggy smiled, "I know for a fact that I have more than a few I'd like to do that to."

"Mind if I sit here?" Another feminine voice came into the mix, and Lucy looked up to see a smiling Elsa Hardy.

"Of course not! Elsa, this is Peggy. Peggy, this is my tentmate, Elsa." Elsa still looked beautiful despite her knotted hair, dirty face, and obviously exhausted nature. The woman looked like she hadn't slept in days, but there she was putting on a smile regardless.

The two ladies shook hands and Peggy expressed how it was a pleasure to meet her. "What are we gossiping about?" Elsa smirked.

"Nothing much, only mentioning our for certain men with less than admirable complexes," Peggy explained.

"Ugh, you can say that again!" Elsa rolled her eyes and shoveled some food in her mouth, "A bunch of jackasses, the lot of them let me tell you. But I love them regardless," She groaned in annoyance at her own voice.

"Can't live with them and can't live without them." Lucy agreed, knowing that despite her destain for the men she had worked with and the ones who treated her with a lack of respect, not all of them were like that. Daniel never was, and neither was Mr. Lee. She also had one professor who believed in her during her time in university. He wanted nothing more than for her to succeed and show them all what she was capable of.

"What about you, Peggy? You got a fella?" Elsa asked her, clearly a little dazed by boys. Lucy figured it had something to do with being engaged and happy. Neither she nor Peggy could relate to the bliss that she had.

"No, not at the moment," Peggy admitted, "There's… there's someone, but I don't know." She looked lost in her thoughts, but as she spoke Lucy could see a faint light of happiness in her eyes, and her mouth twitched into a small grin. "He's not like the rest of them, that's for sure." She looked lost in herself as she spoke at that moment, and Lucy couldn't help but feel envious. She would give anything to be in either Peggy or Elsa's situation and just have Daniel back. Although they had their differences and fought often, she still loved him more than anything. And now that he was gone, Lucy found that her heart ached for him.

"That's sweet," Elsa smiled before taking a large gulp of coffee. Clearly, she was desperate for the caffeine to keep her awake, "You should tell him how you feel."

"Perhaps. It's not an ideal time, though." Peggy argued and then shrugged the idea off, thinking it was preposterous. She blushed a little as a light colour of pink graced her cheeks.

"You should definitely tell him! Before it's too late. It might not be an ideal time but when is it ever?" The three of them were an odd group of ladies, Lucy realIzed. She was the cynical serious one who didn't put up with bullshit. Peggy was the calm and collected one, who thought more about being rational and logical than anything else. Elsa was the hopeful, lighthearted one with a positive outlook on life. They were odd, Lucy realIzed. As the conversation carried out and morphed into something less serious she watched as both Peggy and Elsa laughed.

She didn't have to be welcomed by a lot of people to feel less lonely and scared. Only a few would do, and at that moment she was positive she had found them.


Thank you so much for reading. I'm so glad I've finally had the chance to really put Peggy more into the story, as well as highlight Lucy's female friendships.

Make sure you remember to go back to the first chapter and read my lil prologue section I snuck in there! ;)

Leave me a review with your thoughts, and don't forget to follow and favorite.

Amelia