Chapter 5: Rumors

Anna was up half the night helping Corporal Sanders, and still she was awake before James the next morning. The sun had barely risen when she jostled him awake. It would be best if he leaved before any of the nurses, or worse Dr. King, came in. Even with him claiming a sprained ankle, it wasn't really an injury that warranted a night in the medical tent.

"Will I see you at breakfast?" Bucky asked once he'd risen from his cot.

"Only in passing. After I change my uniform I'll probably just grab something quick on my way back here." Last night had been a quiet night. Normally they had more soldiers in the medic tent than Anna knew what to do with. If she wanted to make sure another soldier didn't get left to die because Dr. King claimed he was a lost cause, she needed to be in the medic tent when his shift started.

"Oh come on Ace. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," Bucky challenged, turning to face Anna, forcing her to stop mid push as she tried to get him out of the tent. For someone so little, she was stronger than Bucky expected.

"Don't forget to limp a little when you leave," Anna retorted, trying to hide her smile.

"Yes Ma'am," Bucky saluted, his smile messing with the serious response. With an exaggerated limp for Anna's benefit, he exited through the flap of the tent.

Turning to fold up the blankets on the cot James slept on, Anna noticed his cap resting on the ground beside it. Picking it up and dusting it off, Anna chased after James. He'd already made it past the first few tents by the time she reached him.

"James, you forgot this," Anna called out as quietly as possible so as not to disturb any of the camps residents still trying to sleep.

"Thanks Ace," James responded, taking the hat from her and placing it on his head. Crooked, as per usual. He rebelled against the military dress code as much as he could get away with. "But I was gonna use it as an excuse to see you later."

"You'll have to be more creative than that next time," Anna quipped before continuing past him and on to her own tent. Bucky watched her leave in stunned silence. Did Anna just flirt with him?

…

Helen had already left their tent when Anna slipped in, probably already at breakfast before heading to the medic tent. Splashing water on her face to wake herself up, Anna changed into a new uniform. Hanging the one she'd slept in, she made a mental note to try and steam out the wrinkles later. She was down to three after her minor surgery on Corporal Sanders yesterday.

Feeling rejuvenated, Anna considered staying at breakfast a little to chat with James and some of the other men in his platoon. Until a soldier bumped into her halfway to the cook's tent. A smug smirk crept over his face as he looked down at her.

"Morning Anna," he greeted, causing Anna to pause. She didn't remember the soldier, but the insignia on his uniform indicated he was a Corporal.

"Do I know you, Corporal?" Anna asked, stiffening when the soldier stepped closer.

"Dean Fitch," the soldier introduced, his voice dropping to a whisper as he continued, sending a chill down Anna's spine. "I heard 'James' got to spend the night in the medical tent with you. I was just wondering when I can have a go."

Anna reacted before she could really process what she was doing. Her hand whipped up, slapping Corporal Fitch across his cheek. The loud smack and the tingling of Anna's palm had satisfaction seeping in. Leaving a trace of her assault in the form of an angry red mark on Fitch's left cheek didn't hurt either. He deserved more than a slap for his degrading comment. Remembering his words had Anna's satisfaction fading. Anger took its place, buzzing through her body like her hand from the contact.

"Just because you're in the middle of war doesn't give you the right to degrade me, the nurses, or any other woman. We are risking our lives same as you, but we don't get a gun and armor for it. If you harass me again, or any of the nurses, I will be reporting you to your superior officer," Anna spat out, her jaw aching from how hard she clenched it.

"Is it really degrading if it's true?" Fitch countered once he recovered from the doctor's strike.

"Do you normally act on information from a faulty source? What a fine soldier you must be," Anna quipped, crossing her arms in an attempt to stop herself from slapping Fitch again.

"Dr. King seems like a reliable source to me," Fitch shrugged, smirking in satisfaction when he noticed he'd knocked the doctor off her game before walking away. He would never admit it, but his cheek still stung from the doctor's slap. He didn't want to stick around and risk another one.

Skipping breakfast altogether, certain she wouldn't be able to stomach food at the moment, Anna stormed her way into the medic tent. The man she looked for sat at the tiny desk in the corner where they kept their observational notes they kept on patients.

"Good morning, Stark. Sleep well," Dr. King greeted, a teasing note to his voice. He knew exactly what he'd done and he was taunting her about it.

"I stayed the night here, with patients. But you already knew that, didn't you," Anna retorted, trying to keep her voice calm. Corporal Sanders still slept in his cot. She didn't want to wake him with an argument, he needed his rest.

"I am aware that Sergeant Barnes stayed the night in the medic tent with you," Dr. King answered, glancing down at the notes on the table. "Do I need to remind you only medical personnel and patients are allowed to spend the night in here?"

"James hurt his ankle. He was a patient," Anna defended, cursing herself for using James' first name. It had Dr. King's eyebrows rising and his smile widening.

"Do you call all the soldier's by their first name, or only the ones you sleep with?" Dr. King inquired, making Anna grip the sides of her skirt. She couldn't go around slapping everyone who pissed her off. At least not people she worked with on a daily basis.

"That's nothing but a lie and you know it," Anna spat out, forgetting to keep her voice down. Rustling blankets from behind her told her she'd woken Corporal Sanders. "Why did you tell Corporal Fitch that lie?"

"Because he has a big mouth," Dr. King commented, moving around the desk until he stood before Anna. "Next time you try to undermine my authority, remember this: I can ruin your reputation anytime I want."

After that he was gone, off to breakfast with a satisfied skip in his step. He left Anna to stew silently at his words. Apparently his ego was bigger than Anna had thought. Now she was on his hit list because she'd wounded it.

It took all her self-restraint not to follow Dr. King and continue their fight. Instead she started some deep breathing exercises to calm herself. She'd worked so hard to fight back against the men who saw her as incapable. Now after one night where nothing even happened, it was all gone. According to Dr. King, Corporal Fitch wasn't one to keep a secret, even if it was a lie. The lie would circulate through the whole camp eventually. Hopefully Anna's interaction with Fitch would postpone the rumor rather than enflame it.

…

Anna never came to breakfast. Bucky kept his eye out for her, planning on convincing her to sit for a little while as she ate. He knew he hadn't missed her. He'd gotten to breakfast early and there were only so many women at camp.

"I think I'm going to head out," James commented to the group, still glancing around for Anna.

"Tell Anna we say hi," McKenzie smiled widely as Bucky rose from his seat. Bucky didn't try to refute that he was going to see Anna. The boys wouldn't believe him anyways.

Grabbing an extra bowl of what he supposed was grits, Bucky headed towards the medic tent. It was possible Anna had just gotten busy with patients. If so, she'd need food to keep her energy up. It was also an excuse to see her. She had said to get more creative. Bucky wasn't sure if breakfast counted as more creative, but it was better than faking another injury.

"I've brought sustenance," Bucky announced as he slipped through the flap of the tent and found Anna setting up a transfusion for Corporal Sanders. A nurse stood beside her, holding a tray with bandages in case Anna needed them. "I thought you could use food, and maybe some company."

"I'll have to pass. I'm busy at the moment, Sergeant Barnes," Anna replied without even glancing in his direction. She'd finished setting up the transfusion, and still she avoided eye contact. Bucky's back stiffened at the return to formalities.

"What's wrong?" Bucky asked as he watched her bustle around the tent, not doing much of anything other than straightening blankets and instruments.

"Nothing, I'm just not hungry at the moment," Anna responded, rearranging the notes on the desk and placing them in the small drawer. Anything to seem busy so James would leave. If the rumors had already started, it would only spur them on if she was with James. Again.

"No, something's up. Why are you back to Sergeant Barnes?" At that point, the nurse excused herself from the tent. He hadn't wanted to kick her out, but perhaps a private conversation would allow Anna to tell him the truth.

"It was a mistake," Anna sighed, finally glancing up at him once they had the tent to themselves. Well, other than Corporal Sanders. "Apparently word has made its way around camp about you staying the night in the medic tent and me calling you James. They think that we…they think something inappropriate happened and now my reputation could be on the line. Corporal Fitch isn't known as someone who keeps his mouth shut."

"Fitch," Bucky muttered, his face darkening as he remembered the soldier's comments to his men about Anna when they'd first returned to camp. "What did he do?"

"Nothing. He just made an inappropriate proposition," Anna reassured James, noticing the change in his expression.

"I'll deck him," Bucky spat out, ready to turn on his heel and find the soldier. He knew he'd said Anna could take care of herself, but that didn't mean he would stand by at let Fitch get away with speaking to Anna like he'd spoken about her to the other soldiers.

"Don't," Anna urged, stepping around the desk. "I already slapped him for it and threatened to go to his superior officer should he try anything again. You 'decking' him will only make the rumors worse. Besides, he's not the only one spreading rumors. I've made an enemy out of Dr. King as well."

"I'm sorry Ace. I'll make sure everyone knows nothing happened. I was in for a sprained ankle, remember. I'll have Adams and McKenzie back me up." Bucky just wanted to make everything right and return her good reputation. Even if it meant never hearing her say his name again. He could live with her referring to him as Sergeant Barnes.

"Thank you," Anna murmured, fidgeting with her skirt before pressing on with a suggestion she didn't really want, but was for the best. "We probably shouldn't spend so much time together."

"Won't avoiding one another make the rumors seem true?" Bucky countered, a frown forming at the thought of not seeing Anna except in passing. "We're friends, Ace. Women and men can be friends."

Not when they look like you, Anna mused to herself as she took in James in his uniform.

"Can I ask a potentially dangerous question?" Bucky asked as he studied Anna. "Why do you care so much what other people think?"

"I'm a women in a male dominated career. Maybe it's my ego, but I'd prefer if people didn't think I slept to where I am today," Anna retorted with a wry smile.

"Believe me, Ace. Anyone treated by you couldn't possible think that. You're smarter than most male doctors I've seen, and twice as passionate." To think anyone would presume Anna hadn't earned her place as a doctor had Bucky's fingers twitching in frustration.

"I agree," Corporal Sanders murmured from his cot, causing both James and Anna to turn their attention on him. Anna hadn't realized he was awake. "I will back up Sergeant Barnes when it comes to what happened last night."

"I'll fix this, I promise," Bucky insisted before setting down the bowl he'd brought her and leaving to find his men.

…

"The bastard," Adams muttered, shaking his head from his cot as Bucky recounted what Anna had told him.

"I already promised Anna I wouldn't go after Fitch," Bucky sighed as he took a seat beside McKenzie on the cot across from Adams.

"I'll take care of him," McKenzie chimed in. "My cousin's a nurse. This isn't the first time he's harassed a woman in the medical field. I'd love to pay him back for that."

"I'll help clear the air, let people know why you were really in the medic tent," Adams added, immediately on board. Anna was a friend, a good doctor, and a decent person. She didn't deserve to be slandered.

"I'll take care of the doctor," Bucky muttered. He had a special kind of anger for the doctor. Fitch was a bonehead, but the doctor was educated. Bucky expected more class from a guy with a fancy college degree. Apparently manners were optional when you grew up with a silver spoon in your mouth.

Bucky found Dr. King smoking on the edge of the camp. Making sure no one was around, Bucky plucked the cigarette from his mouth before flicking it to the ground and stomping it into the dirt with his boots. He had the doctor's attention.

"What the hell," Dr. King exclaimed, breathing out the last remnants of smoke from his lungs.

"I'm going to make this very clear," Bucky muttered, grabbing hold of the doctor's shirt. "You're going to negate any claims you've made about Anna and me. Then you're going to be nothing but professional to, about, and around her."

"And why would I agree to that?" Dr. King retorted, his voice shaking, giving away his fear. He was a doctor, not a soldier. He certainly wouldn't fare well in an altercation with a Sergeant.

"Because it's war," Bucky gritted out with a tight smile. "And accidents do happen. It'd be shame if you got mixed up in friendly fire."

"You wouldn't shoot me, I'm a doctor," Dr. King countered, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

"See, one of these days your holier than thou attitude is going to get you in trouble. You're not indispensable," Bucky quipped, his smile growing as he pulled the doctor closer. "And I'm not the only soldier that might misfire."

Releasing his hold on the doctor, Bucky stalked away, leaving King to think over what he'd said. Judging by the way the man's knees were shaking, Bucky didn't think he'd be causing Anna anymore trouble. At least none that would ruin her reputation.

…

"You can go to lunch, Dr. Stark. I'll watch over the patient," Dr. King announced as he entered the medic tent. He never referred to her as doctor. Glancing up from her notes in surprise, Anna noticed a sheen of sweat covering his brow as his eyes darted around the tent.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Anna asked, shuffling her notes together. Despite her personal feelings towards the man, she was a doctor first. He didn't look well.

"I'm fine. Take a break, you deserve it." There was definitely something wrong with him. He'd been nothing but hostile towards her since she first stepped foot in the medic tent. He'd practically threatened her earlier that morning when he'd left the tent. Now he was being cordial.

"Alright. Send a nurse if you need help," Anna responded, slipping her notes into the desk. His sudden change in their interactions might confuse her, but she wasn't going to question it lest he revert back to his self-centered, egotistical self.

Dr. King kept a wide berth as Anna left the tent, purposely avoiding any accidental contact. It had her mind spinning at how weird he acted. Making her way towards the center of camp, where she could hear the murmur of soldiers already eating, Anna's nerves distracted her from any thoughts of her colleague. She hadn't left the medic tent since her interaction with Fitch. In truth, she'd been hiding out to avoid the stares from the rumors she was sure had spread like fire during a drought. Wiping her sweaty palms along her skirt, Anna kept her head high as she neared the congregation of soldiers.

Joining the end of the line for food, Anna felt her breath catch as several soldier's turned their head in her direction. When their gazes didn't linger, Anna felt her lungs loosening in relief. Perhaps word hadn't spread among the men. It was hard to believe, seeing as the soldier's gossiped worse than girls in high school, but conversations didn't halt as she passed by groups. No one stopped to stare at her, or made any rude remarks.

Spotting James, Private Adams and Corporal McKenzie sitting with a few other men she recognized, Anna made a rash decision. To hell if there were rumors. She'd never paid them any mind in high school or college, why should she now? Besides, it seemed the rumor mill either hadn't heard Fitch's gossip yet, or didn't care about it. She wouldn't let fear of being judged dictate who she interacted with.

"Ace, what a nice surprise," Bucky announced, sliding down the log he sat on to make room for Anna.

"I was granted a reprieve from my duties by Dr. King," Anna responded, smoothing out her skirt after taking her seat.

"How nice of him," Bucky responded, unable to hide his small, satisfied smile. Apparently the doctor had headed his warning.

"What did you do?" Anna asked, suspicious when she noticed the impish smile James wore. Dr. King's state of unease would make more sense if there was an outside source for it.

"We just had a little chat about how to treat women," James answered cryptically. Anna felt it was more than a chat, based on how nervous Dr. King had been when he'd returned to the tent. But perhaps the doctor needed more than a talking to in order to convince him to change. She knew she should be angry at James for interfering on her behalf, but she wasn't. If it meant working with Dr. King would be more bearable, she could look past how the change had been instigated.

"Thank you, James," Anna responded sincerely, making eye contact so he'd see her appreciation. His smile widened at her words.

"You're back to my first name?" Bucky asked, not bothering to worry about how happy hearing her call him by his first name made him.

"Someone reminded me how insignificant others opinions are. Who cares how others view my success? The people who matter know the truth," Anna shrugged, looking down at her plate and shoveling in a spoonful of canned meat.

"The people who don't-matter don't know the truth too," Corporal McKenzie chimed in with a chuckle. "Fitch and I had an altercation. He ended up agreeing to keep his trap shut."

Anna's eyes shot up at McKenzie's statement. Reflexively glancing around the camp, Anna found Fitch sitting several groups over; the start of a dark bruise colored the underside of his left eye. Judging by the way he held his left arm, his eye wasn't the only part of him McKenzie had bruised. Knowing Corporal McKenzie had cared enough to verbally and physically defend her had Anna fighting back tears.

"Thanks, all of you," Anna murmured, glancing around their small group until her eyes met James'.

"You're one of us, Ace. Anyone who messes with you, messes with us," Bucky insisted, knocking his shoulder against Anna's, lingering the contact a little.

A/N: This is actually going up on schedule. Yay! Hopefully I continue the trend. I hope you all enjoyed this installment. This story is starting out slower, but I'm having fun with the change of pace. Thank you all for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing!

Now onto guest review responses:

Amrawo: I'm responding here since your private messaging is disabled. Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you love the story line so far and I hope you enjoyed this update!

Jo: I'm glad you're still loving both of my stories. Thanks for your continued reviews and support! :)

To the guest who still adores this story: Yay! I know this story isn't as action packed, yet. It's good to know it's still holding your attention.

Pam: Hello again :) thanks for following me on Instagram. It's nice to connect with readers outside of just fanfiction. I adore your photographs! I'm happy you are enjoying this story (as much?) as Relentless. I agree, James as a flirty soldier just touches another piece of my heart. He's been fun to write this way. Thank you for your kind words and amazing reviews. They really do help me push through any writer's block and finish each chapter.

Geneva: When I started this story I honestly didn't expect the readers of my other fanfic Relentless to enjoy this as much. I just figured they all loved the dark, troubled, Winter Soldier version of James (nothing wrong with that). It's nice to find that you and others like how I write this version of Anna and Bucky. I think writing Anna being jealous would be hilarious. And I'm glad you love her sass. I love writing her little sassy interactions.

Rach

xoxo