Hi there! Thank you for all your wonderful reviews on the last chapter! Here's the next one. We still have a few more filler chapters. But they are still very important for character development.

Trigger Warnings: This chapter is remarkably difficult. It's a horror from real life that Jews/others experienced while being transported. It also covers the horrible struggles women went through. Read with caution and care, and keep the victims in your thoughts. Gore is also present as well. There's also another sensitive issue that is brought up, but I don't want to *too* many specifics because then that would spoil it. I understand it is a very sensitive topic for many, so please don't feel the need to read this chapter if it's too much :) Everyone's mental well-being is more important to me than everyone following the story.


Chapter XXXIV

The days began to blur for Lucy. The cattle train was its own form of torture, picking up more people along the way until everyone was forced to stand. The body odor was unbearable, the smell of humans unable to wash for weeks nearly made her wish that her sense of smell had disappeared entirely. However, she wished the only smell was the body odor.

Human waste and urine were attempted to be collected in a single small bucket in the corner, but after so many people had filed it, it began to spill over. The more people that were thrown into the car, the bucket became less and less available. Eventually, the poor souls on the train would go into the corner the bucket once was and squat on the floor, like an animal devoid of any sense of humanity. In those few moments, they reduced to less than vermin, creatures that lived in their own filth and excrement.

Lucy tried not to think of the urine and waste that coated the bottom of her boots. Or the fact that a man, before he succumbed to sickness, coughed a mouthful of blood in her face. The red splatters coating her pale skin, streaked with mud and grime as well. She could feel her own sweat sticking to the back of her neck, her hair coated in grease and her face likely covered in grime and specks of red.

She wished the only smells were that of body odor and waste. But that wasn't all. No, a few days after she and Hilda were taken, an elderly woman had died. Her cold body was placed in the corner, and she was stripped naked, her bareness making her look like an inhuman, caved in, sad creature. Her pale, lifeless body began to smell of an old wound. Lucy struggled to breathe out of her nose it was so horrid.

The woman's clothes were of course given to those who were suffering the most. A young woman was there, who Lucy quickly realized was pregnant. She had received the coat of the woman after she had been shaking badly from the cold.

The woman had gravitated to Lucy. As did many of the other young women. It made it difficult for her, and she found herself crying while she believed everyone was asleep. Lucy didn't dare do it as the young women were awake, knowing they depended on her for strength.

Many of the girls, to her pleasant surprise, were Jews. Lucy knew enough Hebrew from Daniel that she was able to take part in some ways in the girl's prayers. For them to see a woman who was well-rounded in the Jewish faith, enlisted in the army, and well-educated seemed to give them a little bit of hope. Or at least, it kept them busy from their reality by pestering Lucy with questions.

Hilda, of course, was one of the most talkative ones. In exchange for Lucy teaching many of the inhabitants of the train German, they taught her more Hebrew and Yiddish, and a few Norwegian phrases. A Polish man also attempted to teach her a little, since it was so similar to German, but Lucy found it to be more challenging than she had previously thought.

With being the woman the others flocked to, came certain responsibilities. The pregnant woman, Riza, was in her second trimester. She grew weaker and weaker each day, and once they had been ferried across from Norway into Germany, she began to become more desperate.

As Lucy held Hilda against her at night, practically lying on top of her so she could lie down in the little bit of space there was, Riza attempted to crawl closer. Many of the others remained standing, even holding each other up as they tried to sleep. Those sitting on the floor, crammed into the smallest spaces they could manage took shifts for sleeping. Lucy never slept long though, perhaps only a few hours a night.

As the moon shone in through the cracks of the boards of the trains, Lucy could see the sunken in faces of the people around her. It had been three weeks since they had thrown her on the train, and barely any food and water had been given to them. Her lips were chapped from her lack of being able to drink, the delicate skin of them cracked and bleeding.

Her hair laid limp of her face, the small scarf she had tied into it doing very little to keep it tidy and out of the way. At least Hilda seemed to be faring better. Lucy never let her see that she always gave her more food and water compared to her. The curves Lucy once had were beginning to disappear, but Hilda still seemed healthy enough.

As Lucy stroked her dirty, tangled blonde hair one night as she slept on her chest, Riza attempted to get closer to Lucy. Dry coughing and wheezing could be heard from the trains prisoners, and Lucy's feared disease would begin to take hold. Some people, when attempting to use the bathroom, were not able to pass anything but water, and she knew that was not a good sign.

"I thought she was yours until two days ago," Riza said quietly to Lucy in the dark. Over Lucy's thoughts, she barely heard the Danish-Jewish woman with kind grey eyes. "You have quite a bond."

Lucy smiled down at the young girl, realizing if Kathleen had still been alive she would have been Hildas's age. "She saved me," Lucy whispered. In some ways, she saved her more than once. First from the river; and now while they were on the train, Lucy was sure she would have broken down if not for having had to be strong for Hilda and the other girls.

"She told me," Riza chuckled lowly, "Plucked you from a river." There was quiet for a moment between them. The only noises heard was the heavy breathing of the sleeping passengers and the odd cough. A small child's cry was heard every once in a while, and more sniffles elsewhere suggesting all the more tears. Everyone was defeated, without hope and broken.

"Do you have any children?" Riza asked Lucy, her voice cracking.

"No." Truth be told, she had never wanted one. Not with Daniel, at least. But with Bucky? Perhaps. She knew with him she would still be able to have a career. He would never place his job before hers, knowing she had worked so hard to get to where she was. She could imagine one day having a single child with him. A small smile was brought to her lips as she thought of what a good father he would be. She could never rob him of that just for the sake of her career. And he wanted one so badly, even bringing up once that when they had children, they would know their parents truly cared for one another. "No, I don't." Lucy sighed.

She thought of a warm summer day in Brooklyn, the possibility of walking in from work to see Bucky and their child asleep in his arms resting on the couch. Both of them with their mouths slightly agape, their little one drooling on his chest as they dozed peacefully without a care in the world.

"I had one other." Riza whispered, "A beautiful boy. Isak was his name. He was the love of my life." She spoke with her gaze distracted, trying to get a glimpse of the moon from the panels of the train's wooden boards. Her tone reflected a sadness unlike Lucy had ever heard, her eyes refusing to meet her own.

"Did he…?" Lucy couldn't finish the sentence, thinking of the poor, sweet soul, that had been lost. The war had taken so much innocence and so much joy.

Riza swallowed thickly, "When they came to my village, I knew I could not protect him. The young ones? They always die first. He became sick, and soon I couldn't feed him or keep him warm. One night as he slept, I watched him for hours. His breathing was so far apart I thought it had stopped completely." There was a long pause. Lucy couldn't say anything, she just listened and wondered why Riza was telling her all this. They had grown close over the last few weeks, of course, but not enough to discuss such a personal matter as a death of a child. "I took a pillow and held it to his face. He was so weak he barely squirmed." Riza let out a soft sob and Lucy reached past Hilda who snuggled closer to her and gently petted Riza's hair. She couldn't comfort her in any sort of way, not knowing the first thing about the loss of a child.

Lucy felt tears well in her eyes. A mother should never have to witness the death of her child. Only happiness, joy, and laughter. But not now, no. Not in war, which only brings tears, destruction, and torment.

"I'm scared for this child too," Riza let out a gentle sob, trying not to wake Hilda. "I don't think I can do it again. I can't watch another one of my babe's passes from my hand. And if one of those monsters did it? It would be worse." Her voice was so broken. Lucy wondered how she could even speak through her cracked tone.

Lucy swallowed thickly, knowing what Riza was going to ask, "You need me to do something?"

She only nodded wordlessly, trying to keep herself from choking up more, "Yes," She pulled an object out of her coat pocket, and once Lucy saw it her eyes widened. A long metal wire rested in Riza's hands. An object that was so small and unthreatening couldn't have possibly been so terrifying, but Lucy knew what it represented.

She shook her head quickly, terror welling in her belly, "I can't."

"You must!" Riza begged her as she ripped her hand tightly, "Please, Lucy. You must help me, you're the only one I can ask."

"I can't do what you ask of me!" Lucy hissed. She knew of course that it would be for the best. The fetus would never survive the full term, let alone outside the womb in such horrendous conditions. What Lucy was more worried about was for Riza. So many complications could happen, and Lucy didn't think she could have any more blood on her hands. Let alone the blood of the innocent.

"Please, please! Lucy, please! I'm desperate! I can't do it myself! It will die a death worse than this if I birth it!" She was fighting her so hard that her voice was shaking. She gripped Lucy's hand with a strength she didn't know such a weak, fragile woman could possess.

"I don't know the first thing about any of this! And what about infection? What if I puncture your uterus? What if you turn sepsis? Riza, I can't do this!" Lucy paled and her stomach turned at the thought of all that could go wrong. She couldn't bear to lose someone she cared about. "Please, please, don't ask me to do this!"

"I will be dead anyway if I don't do this! I will die from complications during birth! Or they will shoot me the moment they find out I'm pregnant and am useless to them! Lucy, you're my only hope. I cannot suffer the labors of birth again only to have my baby ripped away from me by those devils!" Riza's voice continued to shake, and she never let go of Lucy's hand as she begged her quietly. "Lucy, please. I am begging you, I have no other options."

Lucy took a deep breath, taking in the woman's face and seeing her fear. Her eyes had the look of an animal that was ready to put up its last fight before going to the slaughter. Tears fell down her cheeks, proving her heart broke to even ask such a thing. "Okay," Lucy nearly choked on her own words, "Once Hilda wakes up, we will do it." She knew she would need her experience with healing and medicine. "I'll need a towel, and perhaps some water. Maybe some scissors or something if anyone has them."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Riza kissed Lucy's hands, "Thank you!" She sobbed although Lucy felt as though she would be sick.

Lucy felt her throat tighten, "Don't thank me." She pleaded with her. She couldn't take it if she ended up killing Riza and knowing she had been thanking her for it hours before.

"Still," Riza put her hand on Lucy's again, a sole tear falling down her face as her as brown eyes lock on Lucy's hazel ones. A moment of silence was felt between them, a pause where only the steady breathing of sleeping beings nearby could be heard. "Thank you for allowing me to do this on my own terms."


Time was such an odd concept to Lucy. It was a funny, fickle thing that never made much sense. She wondered, did God have any concept of time? After all those millennia and eons of being alone, is that why He created man? Why, in all that was good would he do such a thing? Why would He make something capable of such destruction and evil? Of something capable of creating total annihilation of everything he made so perfectly? Of all the oceans of cold darkness, wondering worlds beneath; of the frigid mountains that burned your lungs and professed a wind so cold it felt like knives, and forests of green serenity; of all the beasts and creatures that walked and crawled and slithered that walked across the earth, why was it that man could cause such destruction?

Time was a concept made by man. To put a begin and end on the cycles of life. A minute, a day, a year? It was measurements counting up until the time you ceased to breathe.

Had she been on the train for three weeks or three months? She felt herself wondering if there was life beyond the boarded walls and the small bit of light that would open as their capturers would throw in small amounts of food and water that the passengers on the train would fight for.

Where were they going? What the hell was taking so long? What did the world look like now? Had the war consumed all beauty and good? Was it a desolate wasteland of the pictures of old she had seen of the Great War? Lucy thought of cities turning into battlefields, streets being turned into war fronts, and the homes of the innocent into an urban apocalypse. All there was death and decay. Darkness spreading and consuming the word hungrily, in a sea of white and black and red. Hate slithered into the essence of people like a disease, gripping their core and consuming them. Blood spilled across the plains, like a mother who had experienced the hard labouring pains of birth. It was a sea of red, so much red.

Red. Red… Where did all this red come from? Lucy stared at her arms and saw them covered in a dark crimson, dried into her skin and unwilling to release its stain no matter how much she scrubbed. She was raw from trying to scrub it off, and she wondered how long she had been trying to remove its ugly, horrible shade. Would it stain her skin forever? How long had it been there? Why was it such an ugly, nasty, colour or horror and fear?

Lucy came to as light shone in her face. It blinded her to the point she had to close her eyes, the brightness of it unlike anything she had ever seen.

What was this red? Was it blood? No, it couldn't have been. It wasn't her blood.

She remembered the screams of a woman, ringing in her ears. The red flowed over her hands like a flood. Like the Red Sea in Egypt that God parted, like a tsunami washing across shores, death fell on like the ash of Vesuvius. A mother's cry echoed in her ears.

She looked down at her hands again through the light, trying to remember what happened. Everything was fuzzy like it had all been a bad dream.

But as her eyes adjusted from darkness to light, Lucy looked around. They were in a station, or no— perhaps a camp? Wrong again, it was outside a fortress.

She still had red in her hands. Blood, it was definitely blood. And, Oh God, it was all over her, like she had bathed in it, cleansing herself in buckets of it. Did she wade in pools of it, trying to cleanse herself of sins? Or was there something darker behind the sinister crimson stain?

"Where are we?" Lucy croaked, her voice was hoarse like she hadn't spoken for days. She didn't recognize the people she was with, being herded out like sheep to the slaughter. A young girl held her hand tightly, she had blood on her as well but not nearly as much as Lucy. It was all wrong, she shouldn't have been covered in blood. The juxtaposition of the girl's innocence and the harshness of red clashed like two forces that were never intended to meet.

"You're alright?" The girl gasped, looking shocked at Lucy. Her eyes were familiar, gentle and kind. It was like she was from a dream where Lucy had been drowning and the girl had snatched her out of it.

Hilda.

Oh, God. What had Lucy done? Where did all this blood come from?

"W-what happened? Whose blood is this?" Lucy began to panic, looking all over herself and seeing her state. It was everywhere. Goddamn it, it was everywhere. Like she had gone to the River Nile, waded waist-deep and waited for God's plague to be sent down to turn the life-giving substance to something sinister.

"You don't remember? You're in shock, I think." Hilda whispered, looking at her again with wide eyes, trying to detect any sign of distress on Lucy's face. "You haven't spoken for two days. You just shut down."

Lucy looked at her in shock as though she was lying, "What?" She couldn't have done that. Lucy didn't shut down. She stayed strong, she fought. She had always been a fighter. Her face softened as her expression fell, "Riza?" Lucy asked in a panic.

Hilda's face grew remarkably sad, her expression softening. Her eyes went to the corner of the train car where the old woman's corpse had rested. Two more were added. An elderly man, and a young woman. The young woman was stripped bare like the others, the only difference was, she too was coated in blood.

No, Lucy thought. No, it wasn't possible. Suddenly it came back to her. Lucy has been kneeling between Riza's legs, her dress around her hips, exposing herself to her. It would have been a moment of strength in womanhood if their femininity had not been stripped from them. Childbirth was an act of Goddesses, Warriors, and Queens. Every mother was a fighter, a soldier, a survivor of hardship.

But that was taken from them too. Lucy had been lucky, being with the army she always had food rations. But the other women weren't. Their breasts began to disappear, their child-bearing hips were non-existent, their menses no longer flowing. It was taken from the lack of food, and they were reduced to no more than animals.

Riza was not giving birth. She was stopping it, and all by Lucy's hand. Blood poured from her opening and spilled only the floor and Hilda tried to stop it best she could. Lucy knew something bad had happened, that something wasn't right. Riza was screaming and gritting her teeth, sweat pouring down her face and drenching her hair.

Other women were there helping. They knew what however difficult the choice was to make it was the right one. The baby would be ripped from its mother the moment it was birthed. At least now, in an early trimester, it wasn't developed enough that they would be able to take care of it themselves. In Hebrew, English, and German, the voices of women worked together to help Riza. They prayed, all of them. Some for forgiveness, some for redemption, for mercy, and others in thanks. It was a horrible situation, but the mother and child would die if the pregnancy prevailed. Lucy knew this, and Riza knew this.

Blood pooled along the floor, soaking into the wood, coating Lucy's bare knees that knelt along with it. She had wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand, it was so coated in the blood that it too began to drip down her face.

It had been long grueling hours, and Lucy had done her best. But finally, the screaming stopped, and Riza was still. And it was like along with her, Lucy had stopped breathing too.

Tears filled Lucy's eyes as she thought of what she had done. She had killed her friend because of her incompetence and because of her inability to watch an innocent suffer. But instead, she hadn't stopped anything at all, she had only caused more pain and hurt and death.

"No," Lucy's voice cracked as she looked at Riza, at what she had done. She should have been able to save her, to be able to do anything. But she was in a hopeless position. All she had was a couple of dirty cloths and a long wire.

"You did your best. She's no longer suffering. Living through such a thing was nearly impossible and she knew that." Hilda tried to comfort Lucy as they were beginning to get lined up.

Lucy didn't even process what she was saying as tears silently fell down her face. She could hear yelling, and around her, she could tell people were being separated into groups. Some here going to one side of the platform, and others to another side. Lucy took none of it in though, only feeling the tears falling down her face as she realized she was completely and utterly defeated. How could one stay strong in a situation such as this? It was enough to even break her defiant spirit.

Lucy didn't even look up as a man's boots stopped in front of her. She heard nothing he said, as it was only ringing in her ears. What made her snap out of her trance was when fingers locked up her chin and forced her gaze up.

Recognition hit her, as she realized that she had seen the little man in front of her before. He was wearing thin wiry glasses and a white lab coat. It seemed like she had seen him once before in another lifetime, Dr. Arnin Zola.

He only chuckled as he saw her state. Filthy, covered in blood, her hair falling out of the scarf she had attempted to tie it in. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

"You!" She snarled, hate burning in her eyes. If she had the strength she would wrap her bare hands around his fat neck and squeeze until all the life drained out of his face.

"What a surprise seeing you here! Such a shame our last encounter ended so… unfortunately. I imagine one of our patrols must have picked you up. No matter, however. I'm sure Herr Schmidt will be delighted to learn you are here!"

Before Lucy could even respond, Zola gave the signal to apprehend her. Lucy began to protest, fighting to get free. Her fighting only intensified as she heard Hilda screaming her name after her.

Lucy fought with all her might, trying to get back to Hilda. She saw the young girl screaming in another woman's arms, crying. Lucy has tears of her own to match as well, reeling around to get back to the girl she promised to protect.

The more she struggled though, the harder the Hydra soldiers pulled her away. It wasn't until she felt a blow to the back of her head when everything went black and she was swallowed by a sea of it.


When Lucy came to, there was no Hilda. There was no stench of human putrefaction or other foul odor. She had room to stretch her legs, and for the first time in possibly weeks, she was alone.

Her head was pounding, and Lucy winced as she tried to sit up from the cold floor. However, her hands were bound and she struggled a bit to get up.

Looking around, Lucy was not where she expected to be. She was in a bedroom of sorts. It was tastefully decorated, abet a little gaudy. The red bedding complete with a canopy was overkill and Lucy found herself scowling.

The doors burst open and Lucy was immediately alert. Unlike before though, she wasn't scared. No, this time she was angry. These people were the reason her friend died by her hand and the reason why she was ripped apart from Hilda and Bucky.

"Good, you are awake." Zola came in with a sinister grin. "I imagine you slept well. The floor must not have been overly comfortable, but even stone flooring must be better than sleeping in one of those cattle cars like an animal, yes?"

"Where the hell am I?" She demanded. After everything that had happened in the last several weeks following her getting separated from her men, Lucy didn't particularly feel like herself. She felt weak, timid, and scared. But there was no way in hell she was going to let this little insect of a man know that.

"You have been safely placed within Herr Schmidt's quarters. He requests your presence over dinner, and he figured you would be far more comfortable tidying up in here. After all, the other option was to wash in the soldier's facilities. And I'm sure for a woman of your stature, it would have been remarkable unpleasant."

Lucy was taken back. She couldn't believe what was happening. Over the last few days, she had been positive she had died and awoken in hell. Now, apparently, her theory was confirmed.

"I'm not having dinner with him!" Lucy sneered, trying to sit up straighter even though her wrists were bound and she was still on the floor, "You can tell him he can shove his request up his a—,"

"I believe it would be in your best interest to reconsider." Zola interrupted her before Lucy could crassly suggest where he could put his request. "Lest you want your little friend getting hurt? She seemed to be quite taken with you. It would be a shame if anything happened to her."

Lucy paled but tried not to give too much away. Fear settled deep in her stomach and she once again felt as though she would be sick. "If you so much as touch one hair on her—,"

"She will not be harmed as long as you are compliant. You have my word." As if the word of a Nazi meant jack-shit to Lucy. But she didn't have any other options. So instead, she swallowed her fear and nodded, resenting she was forced to give in. "Wunderbar!" Zola exclaimed with a clap of his hands, and Lucy raised an eyebrow at his choice of German expression when he was not German at all. "The bath is in the next room. I would perhaps take some time to thoroughly clean and make myself presentable if I were you."

Lucy only smiled as he came forward with a knife, cutting her binds. She rubbed her wrists as she got up, "Go fuck yourself." She spat hatefully.

The man only chuckled and shook his head, "You have spirit, I will give you that. I wonder, however, how long it will last."

Before Lucy could come up with any type of clever retort to snap back at him, the man scurried away. He left the room, the heavy door shutting behind him and Lucy could hear a lock click. She was trapped, and despite her best efforts of looking around the following minutes after he left, there was nothing that could have been used in the room as a weapon. If worse came to worse she supposed she could use a candelabra, but that would do nothing against guns.

As she searched, Lucy found herself in the bathroom. A metal lion claw tub was in the centre and Lucy nearly collapsed upon seeing it.

She raced over, desperate for water. Collapsing to the floor and hastily turning on the tap, she stuck her whole face under the stream once it began flowing. It tasted like heaven, but the faster she drank she began to choke and she ended up coughing. She couldn't get enough of the water and continued drinking but at a much slower pace.

Once her belly was full and she felt as though she would burst, Lucy felt less hungry than she had been for the last couple days. There had been barely enough to eat and had lost quite a bit of weight. Her dress hung off her body, and Lucy was sure if she were to look in a mirror she would hardly recognize herself. Her curves she once loved so much were hardly there, causing sadness to well inside her.

As she stood up she was a little hesitant to look in the mirror. She didn't want to see herself. As she looked she nearly gasped. The blood was splattered much worse than she had thought. At least it was no longer on her face after she had held it under the tap.

It broke her heart to see that the body Bucky once held and loved was no longer there. She had never been particularly skinny except for when she was a teenager. Skinny wasn't desirable. Her body as an adult she was more comfortable with, and after seeing so many glamorous women in the picture shows and within magazines with a similar body to hers, Lucy was filled with confidence.

She hated how she looked now. Her hair was limp and greasy, only being held up by the thin scarf Hilda had put in it to keep it out of her face. Her skin looked grey, all the colour of her cheeks gone. Her eyes had no sparkle, they were lifeless.

Lucy could hardly stand to look at herself, and as she gazed more, realizing she was still coated in her friend's blood, she began to strip. She hated she was compliant with Hydra. The last thing she wanted was to have dinner with Johann Schmidt. But the thought of Hilda getting hurt drove her to obey. Although she thought it would be rather comical if she ended up arriving at dinner coated in days-old blood and smelling like a barn.

Lucy was left in only her brasserie and knickers. She felt uncomfortable standing in a well known Hydra orchestrator's bathroom with such little clothing, but there was nothing she could do about it.

As she waited for the tub to fill she folded up her clothing and gently placed her Star of David protectively within it. Lucy always carried a piece of Daniel with her by wearing it. She only wished she had something to remind her of Bucky as well. In those last few weeks, she missed him terribly. She missed his soft kisses, and his words of encouragement. She missed his tender touch and the way he always made her smile. Lucy only hoped he was alright, and the rest of her team made it back to base somehow.

Once the tub was filled Lucy stripped herself bare. She covered herself with her arms to preserve her modesty, despite the fact she was alone. Sinking into the water, Lucy groaned at the warmth that engulfed her.

Using soaps and other types of shampoos, she was able to get all the ugly evidence of what she had done off of her. Although despite the mark of it on her body no longer there, Lucy was sure she would always have the stain of it within her mind.

It took her a while to scrub all the grime off of herself. She used more soap than was needed, thinking she should use the entire bottle and leave that devious bastard with nothing. It was, after all, quite expensive. She reveled in the warmth, taking in the silence and enjoyed being alone for once.

Lucy felt wrong enjoying such a luxury. Especially since the people who had been with her on the train were likely still suffering. She wondered where she was exactly, and what exactly their purpose was for being there.

She recalled the last time she had enjoyed a bath. It seemed like so long ago that she enjoyed the safety the farmhouse brought. Lucy had a small smile on her face as she remembered how the men had washed outside with buckets of water. She had gone to the window and gazed upon the most gorgeous sight of Bucky bare-chested. It was before she had seen him completely naked, of course. But even with only his chest nude for her, Lucy felt weak.

And when he smiled at her. Oh God, she nearly swooned for the first time in her life. Lucy shut her eyes tightly as she tried not to think about it more.

She missed him so fiercely. It was ridiculous that they had barely known each other for four months and she had fallen this hard into love. But as Bucky had mentioned, sometimes you just knew. After all, his parents only went on three dates before they were engaged. In all fairness, Lucy and Bucky knew each other a little better than that. But even so, if they survived all this and found each other again, he and Lucy would have the rest of their lives to get to know one another better. All she knew for certain was that she wanted him. Every day for the rest of her life she wanted him. And dammit, if he didn't ask her to marry him she would do it herself once she saw him again.

Of course though, the matter of getting out of Hydra's base alive was tricky. This wasn't as simple as back in Norway where she could shoot her way out of things. Lucy was far more pessimistic about this one. She was afraid she would die in this place.

And now she had Hilda to worry about as well. Lucy closed her eyes as they tried to imagine she was somewhere else. The last time she had been in a bath she had so much peace. She could hear from the window the men's laughter. Bucky's stood out above everyone else's to her, causing her to smile as well.

But now there was no peace, only dread, and terror. Lucy had been scared dozens of times, but this one above all the others worried her more.

As she opened her eyes and thought to get out of the tub, the door to the bathroom suddenly opened. She was immediately shielding her body, figuring that was all she could do.

Her stomach flipped as she saw who entered the bathroom. She swallowed thickly, trying to dip into the water much more. If it were anyone else, she would have called out that she was indecent and they likely would have respected that. But this one she knew was a fat chance.

"Dr. Heinrich, I see you are settling in nicely." Johann Schmidt's mocking tone fills the room as he stalks in, not even caring she's naked in the tub. She doesn't answer, she just keeps her gaze on her harshly.

"Forgive me for the horrible transportation to get here. But as you can imagine, we were not expecting your arrival. Should I have known you were present on the train, I would have sent a car for you." He walked in like he was a predator stalking his prey. He had something in his arms, a package of sorts.

She looked forward, refusing to meet his gaze as she spoke, "I would have rather rode with them."

He smirked like the devil, a sinister look in his eyes, "Come now, Dr. Heinrich. It's only us here, you need not pretend with me." He came closer to her, enough to likely see inside the tub. Lucy's stomach flipped and a feeling deep inside her made her feel the utmost of uncomfortability and vulnerability. But she refused to show it, even though she felt as soon as he would leave she would burst out in tears. "Nonetheless, welcome to Hydra's operative base in Austria."

Austria. She was in Austria in the mountains. She worried that in such a compromising position so deeply embedded in Nazi territory, having to go past Germany itself, rescue would not be an option for her.

Lucy said nothing again, only looked forward and refused to meet his gaze. Her pride would not let her look down bashfully or cower, she would rather prove she wasn't afraid, despite the fact she was terrified.

"I come bearing gifts." He turned and placed the box in his hand on a chair in the corner of the bathroom, "I figured you would need something to wear other than the rags you arrived in." He opened the box to show Lucy a beautiful dress of golden yellow silk. It was a long-sleeved that was cuffed at the bottom, and a gentle slit up the leg with frills. It was gorgeous, of course. But Lucy would rather have stayed in the clothes she showed up in.

"Pick that out yourself, did you?" She sneered.

He only smirked, "Always so sharp of tongue. There is no need to be hostile with me, Dr. Heinrich. I only wish to help."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Yes, because Nazis are known for their helpful, caring, spirit."

He sat down in the chair in the corner, making himself comfortable as she was still nude in the bath. Her arms were still covering her chest, glued to her skin and unmoving. "Nazi? No, that's such a harsh word. You will find, Dr. Heinrich, that Hydra has very little similarities with the Nazis. Our goals are quite separate, and I assure you I am no fan of the Führer, only the income that he sends to fund my projects." He smiled at her, like a cat that ate the canary, "As an academic and a scientist yourself, I'm sure you can appreciate using whatever means necessary to reach your goals."

Lucy had a hard time believing that. She knew he was lying, knowing the Nazis and Hydra were both evil and that's all she needed to know.

She swallowed a lump in her throat and only stuck her chin higher, refusing to give him anything, "You seem to think that we have some shared traits because we come from a similar academic background, you're wrong. Everything you're doing is wrong, no matter what you tell yourself the reason behind it is."

His grin only grew, "Believe me, we are more alike than you know."

Lucy scoffed once more. She wondered if he heard the things that came out of the dastardly, filthy mouth. "I doubt that." He remained sitting, only watching her. His eyes seemed to want to gaze into her soul, to completely unhinge her. "Are you just going to make yourself at home?" She spat, feeling more unnerved by his gaze taking in her naked body with each passing second. Only she refused to let him know that.

"Am I making you uncomfortable, Doctor?" What a bastard, she thought. He knew that a pit was forming in her stomach which made her want to shy away from his gaze, but he knew her pride wouldn't allow her to show it.

"You think you're the first man to try to make me feel ashamed of my naked body?" Lucy only retorted. Clearly, for all his brilliance, Johann Schmidt knew nothing of the female experience.

His snake-like smile grew as he stood up, "I would hope that a beautiful creature such as you would never feel ashamed." He was mocking her, trying to make her feel powerless in her situation.

He stalked over the tub where Lucy was, and as much as she wished she didn't, Lucy couldn't help but try to sink lower into the water. Her hands and the small amount of soap suds were the only things preserving her decency. Lucy held her breath as he grabbed a towel and held it out for her.

Lucy tried to grasp it but he held on tightly, not allowing her to take it. She suddenly understood what was expected of her. Her stomach sunk further, and if she had been in any other situation where she could show weakness tears would have likely welled up in her eyes. Even with Bucky, the man she loved, she had been shy regarding her nudity.

Schmidt was trying to strip her of her strength and dignity. Lucy hated that, and as she gritted her teeth, she hissed "Bastard," Under her breath.

Lucy rose from the water, the droplets trailing down her skin. A chill settled over her and each instinct she had was screaming to cover herself. But she didn't, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her blush or become unhinged.

His smirk grew as she wrapped the towel around her, his hands trailing over her arms after it was snug around her body, causing a shiver to the down Lucy's spine.

"Dinner is served in an hour. There are cosmetics at the bottom of the box as well. I expect you will attempt to look your best for your little friend's sake." He dropped his hands, letting them fall to his side. Lucy felt like she could finally breathe.

He turned around without saying a word. Closing the door behind him, Lucy couldn't help but burst into sobs the moment she was alone.


Ugh, I hate sad chapters like this. But also love them because they're such a challenge. Things are looking a little grim for the moment, but things will get better. Also, I'm sorry for such heavy subject material. And for the lack of Bucky in this chapter as well, but it's too sad to just write of him brooding and mourning over Lucy. The next chapter will have him a little more light-hearted.

Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter! I need validation and to know it wasn't too out there, ya know? And follow and favourite as well for faster updates!

-A