Author's Note: I realize that I'm a month early on the timeline according to Captain America: The First Avenger storyline where the rescue takes places in November. Apart from that - thank you for the follows and reading along!

I'm going to try something new by associating a chapter with a song. Let me know what you think!

Here's a very long chapter for you. Hope you enjoy!

Kiara

Cette Chanson Est Pour Vous (Life Is A Song) - Jean Sablon

October 5 1943

The screaming stopped again around sunset, becoming routine each day they experimented on Bucky. Christiane turned herself in again, hearing his screams. Her fists were balled up, reading to fight as anger ran through her, promising herself to take down Zola for what he did to them.

Dugan looked out through the bars of the cage, an incoming guard walking over as he knocked the hat from his head.

"You know, Fritz, one of these days, I'm gonna have a stick of my own." he muttered, glaring at the guard before his eyes looked to Christiane's, equally glaring at the guard from the edge of her cage.

5 miles from the front

Steve sat after what he could only put to words was a disastrous performance as his role as Captain America. He sat sketching, trying to take his mind over the worthlessness he felt in what he was doing. He felt like a puppet, a show monkey taking orders for the enjoyment of others rather than what he had always believed in.

He shifted himself from the oncoming rain, turning the ground around them into a muddy mess.

Peggy and Anya had been working for the last few days, liaison for Philips and taking turns in the night shift patrolling base. Since Christiane's disappearance, Anya had kept to herself, trying to busy her mind with work to halt the guilt from consuming her. She felt she had a responsibility, bringing Christiane into the SSR and putting her life in danger. She took a sip of hot water, trying to ease herself from the cold of the rain. As she walked to put her canister back, her eyes moved to a tall blond man behind a few boxes at the other end sketching, Peggy walking towards him.

Her eyes flew wide, realizing who it could be.

"Hello, Steve." Peggy silently walked by to his side.

"Hi," he looked up surprised.

"Hi," she smiled back politely.

"Steve?" Anya came beside, her face in shock as she went to hug him tightly before pulling back.

"What are you doin' here?" he asked the both of them.

"Officially, we're not here at all." Anya huffed out, taking a seat on a box beside him.

"That was quite a performance." Peggy sat beside, taking her hands together to keep them warm, a small smile of amusement on her face.

Steve scratched his head, hesitating with words to put together, "Yeah. Uh…I had to improvise a little bit. Crowds I'm used to are usually more uh…"

"I understand you're "America's New Hope"?" Peggy continued, her eyes focused on his.

"Bond sales take a ten percent bump in every state I visit." Steve recited.

"Is that Senator Brandt I hear?" Anya put her head under a hand, looking at Steve in a sisterly mentoring way.

Steve shrugged, "At least he's got me doin' this. Phillips would have had me stuck in lab."

"And these are your only two options? A lab rat or a dancing monkey? You were meant for more than this, you know?" Peggy pursued, leaning in closer to him as she made him look at her.

Steve opened his mouth, hesitating to find words again.

"What?" Anya pushed on, her eyes darting to Peggy. An unsaid connection between the two trying to get it out of Steve.

"You know for the longest time I dreamed about coming overseas and being on the front lines. Serving my country. I finally get everything I wanted, and I'm wearing tights." He shook his head, looking down at himself before turning startled to the sound of honking as an ambulance arrived, medics and nurses running to unload wounded soldiers.

Steve sighed, "They look like they've been through hell."

Peggy thought of a way to tell Steve, that these men were of the 107th, that Christiane had gone looking for them, that he might have lost two of his best friends. She took a deep breath, choosing to be straight forward with him. Her eyes darted to Anya's set on hers as she took a subtle nod, her eyes as confirmation.
"These men more than most. Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. Two hundred men went up against him and less than fifty returned. Your audience contained what was left of the one-oh-seventh. The rest were killed or captured. Christiane went out to look for them five days ago but didn't come back."

Steve looked up in shock, suddenly standing as he looked around, his lips whispering to himself, "Chrissy, Bucky."

"Steve," Anya stood beside him, her arms out to steady him.

"Come on!" He started running to the strategics tent, where Colonel Phillips sat at a desk, papers in front of him. "Colonel Phillips."

The Colonel looked up, his reaction muteless, "Well, if it isn't the Star-Spangled Man With A Plan. And what is your plan today?"

"I need the casualty list from Azzano for the 107th." Steve stood straightly, trying to show authority and determination.

"You don't get to give me orders, son." Phillips pointed to him.

"I just need two names. Sergeant James Barnes from the hundred and seventh and Agent Christiane Bougourd."

Phillips pointed to Anya and Peggy, a look of disapproval on his face, "You and I are gonna have a conversation later that you won't enjoy."

"Please tell me if they're alive, sir. B-A-R…" Steve continued.

"I can spell. I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count. But Barnes name does sound familiar. I'm sorry." He set down his pen down, taking a stern look to Steve.

"What about the others? Anya's sister? Are you planning a rescue mission?" he followed the Colonel as he stood to stand by a map marked with pointers.

"Yeah! It's called winning the war.," replied Phillips, barely taking a look at Steve now.

"But if you know where they are, why not at least…?" he followed him around the table.

"They're thirty miles behind the lines. Through the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. We'd lose more men than we'd save. But I don't expect you to understand that, because you're a chorus girl." He snapped back.

"I think I understand just fine." Steve halted, thinking of another plan.

"Well then understand it somewhere else. If I read the posters correctly, you got some place to be in thirty minutes." As Phillips waved his hand, walking in the direction of a connecting tent, leaving Steve, Peggy and Anya. Steve took a closer look to the map, finding where the men were.

"Yes, sir. I do."

Anya watched Steve as he stared down at the map, Peggy's face alarmed as she tried to follow Phillips before he turned around to stop her, "If you have something to say, right now is the perfect time to keep it to yourself." As he exited the tent to another strategics tent.

Steve suddenly turned, charging out of the tent back to where they came from as he started to change, packing things into a backpack.

Anya and Peggy pursued him, trying to keep eye contact, "What do you plan to do? Walk to Austria?"

Steve looked to the two, "If that's what it takes."

Peggy shook her head, trying look at what he was packing, "You heard the Colonel, your friend and Christiane is most likely dead."

"You don't know that," he shot back, turning to Anya as she stood watching the two of them. "Anya, you've got to believe she's still alive, right?"

Anya stood there, watching the words come out of his mouth before she realized she was nodding, saying yes and grabbing a pack herself as she started putting things in. She stood by in silence too long, too shocked and scared of losing her only family left. She had to do something.

Peggy looked at the two, trying to find the best possible solution, "Even so, he's devising a strategy. If he detects…"

Steve cut in, eyes full of determination and pain, "By the time he's done that, it could be too late." As he slung the pack over his shoulder, Anya following him as she put a gun over her other shoulder.

"You told me you thought I was meant for more than this. Did you mean that?" Steve turned to Peggy as Anya started the engine.

"Every word." She looked back at him, her eyes set.

"Then you gotta let me go." He jumped into the jeep, Anya starting to put it into gear.

"I can do more than that," Peggy jumped in looking to Anya, "I know you're going with him, which is why I'm staying behind."

Anya nodded, driving the jeep forward, "Someone's got to deal with Phillips."

Peggy chuckled, "You were never the diplomatic one. Get Stark, he'll know what to do."

"That's why I have you," Anya smirked, driving faster as Steve looked between the two women confused.

Peggy shouted over the noise of the rotors, as they flew into Austria in the darkness.

"The Hydra camp is in Krausberg, tucked between these two mountain ranges. It's a factory of some kind."

Howard shouted from the cockpit, "We should be able to drop you right on the doorstep."

"Just get us as close as you can!" Steve shouted as Anya buckled him into a parachute. "You know, you two are gonna be in a lot of trouble at the lab."

"And you two won't?" She smiled, looking to Anya as she smiled back silently.

"Where we're goin', if anybody yells at us we can just shoot 'em." Steve shouted back, looking back at Anya uncomfortably as she yanked the belt tighter.

"They will undoubtedly shoot back." Anya shouted back to him.

"Well, let's hope it's good for somethin'." He knocked on his shield, Anya taking a seat on the plane as she checked how many cases of bullets she had and a baton strapped to her leg.

"Agent Carter, if we're not in too much of a hurry I thought we could stop off in Lucerne for a late night fondue." Howard chimed over, looking cheerily.

Peggy looked awkwardly to Anya first then to Steve as he put his helmet on.

Anya turned her eyes squinting to Howard, quickly making him wide-eyed and turning back to the consoles of the cockpit.

Anya rolled her eyes, "Stark is the best civilian pilot I've ever seen. He's mad enough to brave this airspace, we're lucky to have him."

"So are you two…? Do you…? Fondue?" His eyes still set on Peggy.

Peggy ignored him, taking out a device from a bag, "This is your transponder. Activate it when you're both ready and the signal will lead us straight to you."

"Are you sure this thing works?" he looked questioningly to her and Anya.

"It's been tested more than you." Anya chuckled just as the plane took a swerve. Fires coming from below as their plane was being attacked.

Steve immediately went for the door, sliding it open as Anya tried to pull him by his jacket only to miss him by a grasp.

"Get back here! We're taking you all the way in." Peggy shouted at him.

"As soon as I'm free, you turn this thing around and get the hell outta here!" He shouted against the howling wind.

"You can't give me orders!" Peggy shouted back at him, watching him ready himself to jump.

He turned around, smiling to her before jumping, "The hell I can! I'm a Captain!"

Anya looked at him go before she looked to Peggy, "Good luck, go get our girl," she smiled to Anya as she smiled back, jumping out and following Steve.

They landed in the forest, quickly taking cover in the shadows, Steve quickly running into trucks driving past.

"Steve!" Anya hissed after him as he jumped up into one, Anya following suite behind him.

The two of them landed inside, two Hydra guards looking at them.

"Merde," she muttered.

"Fellas", Steve looked between the two.

Anya and Steve launched themselves on the guards, Steve punching and throwing him against the roof of the truck, while Anya threw him down the the floor, making sure the guard's head landed first onto the floor before Steve threw them both out.

"This is your plan?" Anya hissed at him as they were crouched inside, the trucks pulling in to their docking bays, the flap on the truck suddenly lifting to reveal another Hydra guard. Steve's shield hide the both of them as he threw it face-first into the guard, sending him flying.

"You've got a better plan?" Steve shrugged, taking Anya's hand as they jumped out, silently running into the factory, taking cover behind tanks before climbing up a roof into the factory.

They turned onto a hallway, a single door at the end of it, tapping on it as a guard approached.
Steve gave her a nod, "Ready?"

"Give em' hell." Anya nodded back, a hand at her baton ready, slamming the door between the guard's face as Steve punched him.

The two dashed inside, hiding behind cargo as Steve brought out his pistol, Anya in the lead with her baton at ready, her footsteps cat-like before they turned to find a machine emitting a blue glow.

"What is it?" Steve whispered.

Anya picked up a small device beside it, tucking one into her pocket and handing Steve another one, "Some sort of explosive probably."

She turned, continuing taking the lead as Steve followed.

The continued up a ramp leading to a room with caged holes, looking down on a lower ground, cells filled with men.

Anya took a look down, her eyes back up to the guard walking with his back as she ran full-force - her knee up to kick him in the abdomen, her arms yanking the man forwards as Steve came around and threw him down. Anya was already searching the man for more weapons, the men in the cell standing up looking at the man and woman.

Dugan and the men turned suddenly to the sound of a thud as a man and woman stood, above their cage from the platform.

Jones scowled, looking up, "Who are you supposed to be?"

"I'm… Captain America," the man replied.

Falsworth stood up, looking equally confused, "I beg your pardon?"

"Just listen, won't you?" Anya spoke as she moved down the platform, climbing down opening the cages as prisoners started pouring out.

"Where's Christiane Bougourd?" Steve asked as he jumped down, unlocking the cage below him.

"Steve?" Christiane looked up to a tall blond man jumping down, turning to look at her as he rushed to open her cage.

She jumped to him, hugging him tightly. "How are you here?"

"I'll tell you later." He pulled away, turning her to look at Anya as she arrived with more prisoners.

"Christiane Gérard Bougourd, if you ever run off like…" Anya stood looking at Christiane only to be engulfed in a hug, the two sisters holding each other.

Steve smiled at the sight, turning his attention back to the men, "Is there anybody else? I'm looking for a Sergeant James Barnes."

Falsworth spoke, "There's an isolation ward in the factory but no one's ever come back from it except for her," his look pointing to Christiane as Anya shot him a glare, coming to stand by Steve.

"All right. The tree line is northwest, 80 yards past the gate. Get out fast and give 'em hell. I'll meet you guys in the clearing with anybody else I find. Anya, Chrissy, get them out." Steve ordered them before starting to run towards the end.

"Wait! You know what you're doin'?" Jones looked to Christiane then to Steve.

Steve shrugged, "Yeah. I've knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times."

Dugan nodded to him. As he stood beside Christiane, slapping her on the back, "After you, Hugo," he smiled as Christiane and Anya took lead.

Anya and Christiane ran together in front, taking down the first guard as Anya locked him down, Christiane taking Anya's baton and swinging to his head as he flopped to the ground.

The men around ran forwards, taking down the first line of guards as Dernier and Morita took up Hydra-guns, Dugan, Jones and Falsworth seizing a tank while Christiane and Anya jumped in.

As they fought their way out of camp, they found themselves in a clearing, no more Hydra guards following them.
Falsworth turned to the two sisters, coming down from the hatch where they had been aiming and shooting.

"What now?" he looked to them in confusion. "Sisters?"

Anya smiled, walking past him as she went to take seat beside Jones in the driving seat. "How'd you know?"

"Hey!" A voice came from outside as Christiane looked out, seeing more men being led by Bucky and Steve.

"Bucky!" she shouted, climbing out and sliding down the tank as she sprinted towards him. She felt each land of her footstep ache through her body, her breath short as she ran as fast as she could to him, her arms already outreached to grab him to her.

Bucky saw his girl climbing down a tank, running full force at him and jumping towards him into a hug.

"You're alive," he breathed, smiling into her hair.

"You too," she smiled back, Bucky taking her face into his hands as he kissed her deeply.

Anya slid down the tank, coming beside Steve as she hugged him, an arm rested on his shoulders as they leaned against the tank.
"You know, you and me make a good team," she chuckled.

"I'll take you up on that," he turned to her smiling, hugging her again.

Philips paced around his tent, holding out a letter as he read it out.

"Senator Brandt, I regret to report that Captain Steven G. Rogers went missing behind enemy lines on the third. Aerial reconnaissance has proven unfruitful. As a result, I must declare Captain Rogers killed in action. Period."

Peggy stood at her spot, her eyes watching Phillips every move, "The last surveillance flight is back. No sign of activity."

"Go get a cup of coffee, Corporal." Phillips stopped by a soldier sitting at a table with a typewriter.

"Yes, sir." He nodded before taking his leave.

Phillips turned back to Peggy, "I can't touch Stark. He's rich and he's the Army's number one weapons contractor. You and the Bougourd sisters are neither one."

"With respect, sir, I don't regret my actions. And I don't think Captain Rogers did either." Peggy looked him back sternly.

"What makes you think I give a damn about your opinions. I took a chance with you, Agent Carter and your friends. And now America's golden boy and a lot of other good men are dead, cause you had a crush." He shouted back.

"It wasn't that. I had faith."

"Well, I hope that's a big comfort to you when they shut this division down." He spat back at her, Peggy standing her ground in front of him. Around them, footsteps runnings and shouting took over the silence. "What the hell's going on out there?" Phillips pushed out the tent's flap, watching a crowd follow to the edge of the forest as Peggy walked past him, joining the crowd.

"Look who it is!" A man shouted from the crowd.

Steve saluted to Phillips, "Some of these men need medical attention."

Another man pushed forwards a medic to the men, "Medic, we got wounded."

"Right over here."

Steve continued, standing straight like his training days, "I'd like to surrender myself for disciplinary action."

"That won't be necessary," he replied back quickly.

"Yes, sir." Steve replied back, his eyes set.

Phillips turned around, walking away as he passed Peggy and Anya, "Faith, huh?"

Peggy walked up to Steve, her face in amusement, "You're late."

He pulled out the broken transponder, "Couldn't call my ride."

Bucky pulled Christiane closer to his side, shouting at the top of his lungs as he looked to Steve, "Hey! Let's hear it for Captain America!"

The crowd around them cheered as Peggy stood by Steve, looking up to him. Anya looked to her best friend knowing the look in her eyes, smiling as Bucky came around with Christiane, hugging the two sisters tightly.

Steve dragged Bucky to the medics, getting him checked out as Anya watched Christiane wolf down stew and biscuits, rarely taking any time to talk to a watching Peggy and Anya.

"You know I'll never forgive you for running off like that, playing hero," Peggy looked to her sternly.

"She gets it from me," Anya chuckled, the two sisters looking at each other with amusement.

"Oh don't encourage her, Anya!" Peggy elbowed Anya.

"Ow!" Anya grabbed her side, glancing at Peggy who was trying to keep herself together from bursting into laughter, standing up.
"I've got to get back to some maps Phillips wants me to look over, I'll see you two later?"

The sisters nodded, waving to her as she turned, walking across the mess hall.

Christiane looked back up from her meal, taking a look to the Anya before she stopped, placing her spoon down.

"I need to tell you something."

"What is it? Qu'est ce qui se passe?" Anya stopped, leaning in closer across the table.

"The scientist tested me on the Tesseract, it took me to Asgard. I saw Loki," her voice quiet as she searched her sister's eyes.

"How, how is that possible?," she furrowed her eyebrows, shaking her head gently, looking back up to Christiane, "What happened? The force of the Tesseract it…"

She rolled up her jacket's sleeve, holding the bracelet, "This, the bracelet, Heimdall said it protected me."

Anya stood, walking to Christiane's side.
"The Tesseract," she repeated on her lips, trying to remember. "I read it in the library with Loki, about something called Infinity Stones stored in different mediums created by Cosmic Entities. Vili brought the Tesseract to Earth to hide. I read that it has great powers to travel through space and time, opening portals and dimensions."

"Maybe that's why," Christiane thought, looking back up to her sister as she got up, taking her crockery to wash, "It brought me there. It showed me images, of myself." She scrubbed at her bowl, drying with a tea towel before taking her sister's arm through hers, walking into the darkness of the camp.

"Images of yourself?" Anya looked to her sister, puzzled.

"I had short blond hair, looking into a mirror; then I was walking through the house in the Alps," she hesitated, deciding whether to tell her sister of the last two images of fighting a masked man and alone in a barren land.

"Do you think it was the future?" Anya glanced wide eyed, the two moving to the side as a group of men jogged beside them.

"Heimdall said it was the future."

Anya looked down to her feet, the two taking a corner into a group of tents to strategics, "Queen Frigga once talked to me about fate."

"What did she say?" Christiane asked, her voice soft against the low hiss of the oil lamps and the quiet creaks of the forest.

Anya held her sister by her arms, eyes full of love and concern, "That the AllFathers would protect us, that the bracelet would guide the way for us." She looked at her wrist, looking at her own rune bracelet.

"I really hope so," Christiane looked down, gingerly taking up her wrist, playing around with her bracelet.

"Ladies," Peggy walked up to them, startling the two as they turned to look to her, "You're needed inside. There's a nearby village that I reckon we could push the border to gain territory for the next regiment coming through."

Steve and Bucky followed behind Peggy, turning around as all five walked through the flaps of the tent, a map spread with markers all over.

Dugan looked up, tipping his hat off to Christiane, "Hugo," he smiled.

"You're looking better," Christiane smiled back, looking around the room to the other men she recognized from the same holding as Dugan back in the Hydra base.

"Alright!" Peggy clapped her hands together, everyone gathering around the map, "You're all here because Captain Rogers insisted on you all being the best team possible for this mission. There may be combat. If any of you feel you cannot do this mission, then you can sit this one out. We leave in the morning. You'll find on the table over there weapons to take with you."

Everyone moved to the table, Steve taking up his shield rested against the wall, Bucky and Peggy taking up a sniper rifle, Anya taking a few knives, a baton and a pistol while Christiane took a pistol and a baton.

"Whatever happens, you stay with me," Bucky whispered to her, both of them watching Jones, Falsworth, Dugan, Morita, Dernier, Juniper, Pinkerton and Sawyer marvel at the weapons, arguing with another like boys in what to get.

She nodded, quickly kissing his cheek, the men suddenly turning their eyes as they hollered to them.

Bucky leaned down smiling, a whisper against her ear, "Ignore them."

The team were gathered by the edge of the forest, heading to a nearby village in the valley. It was the only village by miles around the area.

The sky shone a dark lapis blue, the morning star still hiding at the horizon. The first signs of autumn indicated in the chilled air, the team wrapped up in layers as they started their trek up the hill, arms in hand.

Bucky stood by Christiane, almost as if guarding her protectively with a pout on his face as Christiane was still trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes, yawning every so often. Anya looked at the two of them over her shoulder, leading the front with Peggy on one side and Steve on another.

She turned back, smiling to herself.

"What're you smiling about?" Peggy smirked, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"The two behind," Anya shrugged.

"Your sister and future brother-in-law you mean?" Steve chuckled softly, looking at the two women out of the corner of his eyes.

"You're making me feel old, Rogers." Anya scrunched up her nose, scratching her wrist as the sleeves pulled up, revealing the bracelet on her hand.

Steve looked down, furrowing his eyebrows as it took him a moment to realize the rune.
"It's the same rune," he pulled open a pocket on his trousers, pulling out the rune coin with a string through the hole in the middle.

Anya looked up, "I remember Christiane giving you and Bucky that." Her eyes moving back to the forest.

His eyes flew wide suddenly, opening another pocket to pull out the same rune coin on a necklace, "Bucky left this behind back in Brooklyn when he went to war."

Anya shook her head, fingers on her temples as she laughed quietly, "Wait till Christiane finds that out," she looked around again to see Steve hand the necklace to Bucky as he smiled taking it, Steve walking back alongside Anya and Peggy.

No sooner than a few seconds, they could hear Christiane's voice whispering sharply at Bucky, "You didn't bring it with you?" She tiptoed trying to get the necklace over his head.

"I didn't want to lose it!" Bucky whispered back.

"It's supposed to protect you!" Christiane shot back.

"You didn't bring the engagement ring," he muttered.

"Into the middle of a war zone!"

"You have a point there," he mumbled.

Christiane groaned, throwing her head against Bucky's side as he wrapped an arm around her, chuckling softly.

They walked for a few more hours, the sun setting casting orange light and shadows, navigating downhill into the valley, taking the dirt road in the forest to the village, a bullet narrowly missing Dernier cursing in French as he ducked to the ground.

"Take cover!" Peggy shouted, grabbing Anya's arm as they ducked behind a tree.

Bucky pulled Christiane to the floor, the two of them scrambling through the leaves, hiding behind a tree trunk.

"How far's the village?" Pinkerton shouted over the bullet fire, turning around quickly to take out two out of the seven men shooting at them.

"A mile!" Steve shouted, taking up his shield as he stood, making a run towards a small group of men coming to them, knocking out two men in one swing.

Anya looked back around, "Four down, three to go," she breathed, trying to take a shot with her pistol.

Bucky looked to find Christiane suddenly up, running quickly through the trees around the fight, "Christiane! Get back here!"

Christiane jumped through the tree-line, kicking a man at full force as she knocked out his gun, allowing Dugan and Jones to advance on the two other men.

The man pulled out a knife, swinging it at her as she readied herself, ducking out and then grabbing his wrist, twisting his arm and rotating his body to fall to the ground as she took out her baton, swinging it at him, the soldier falling limp.

Bucky saw another soldier came behind her, choking her from behind as she lifted herself up, using her weight to pull him over her and have Steve hit down on him with his shield.

"Come on! There's more in the village!" Peggy shouted, as they started running down the dirt path into the cobblestoned village.

Bucky ran beside Christiane, "I told you to stay with me!" A man suddenly jumping out at Bucky as he swung around, Christiane using her palm up into his chin, turning around to kick him down.

Christiane pulled Bucky by her side, the rest of the team advancing into the village square - baton in hand while Bucky had his rifle at ready.
"Take cover!" Morita shouted as he threw a grenade, turning the corner and running to the square as he hid behind the tank, Bucky realizing wide-eyed as he pulled Christiane by her hand, sprinting to take cover with Morita. The explosion taking out half of their enemy.

"You could have told us you brought those along," Bucky huffed out, turning back around to the square as he fired out the sniper, barely registering Christiane running to Peggy, Anya, Steve and Dugan darting across the square as they went head to head with a group of men.

Bucky reloaded his rifle, his eye on any firing enemies before Pinkerton stood up waving his hand to indicate there was no more firing artillery, running to join the fight.

Bucky threw down the rifle, running to Christiane's side as he knocked out a man who had Christiane in a choke as she was ready to elbow him in the eye behind.

The two backed up against each other, facing their opponent as they fought hand to hand, hitting their opponents until Morita rolled up behind them in the tank, shouting from the hatch.
"Surrender now!"

The men stopped wide eyed, backing away as their sergeant pulled out a white handkerchief, running to their vehicles, driving out.

Dugan looked up at Morita, laughing, "You could have invited us to the party!"

The last enemy vehicle left, silence fell around them as the few remaining villagers started opening their doors and windows - a small crowd gathering in the square.

"Grazie, grazie mille (Thank you, thank you very much)" an old man came up to Anya and Peggy, taking their hands into his.

An old woman took Anya into a hug as Christiane gathered round with Bucky and the rest of the team.
"Resta, le nostre case sono aperte a tutti voi. (Stay, our homes are open to you all)" she smiled, kissing Anya's hand.

Anya turned around, "She insists we stay in the village," she smiled.

"Per favore, facci cucinare per te, festeggiamo (Please let us cook for you, let us celebrate)" a man came round to her, smiling to Steve and Peggy.

"Grazie (Thank you)" Peggy replied, letting the man pull her and Steve in the direction of what looked like a boarded up tavern.

The old man shouted to a group of men and women, all of them running to their apartments surrounding the square, returning with whatever food they had to share as night descended, the air chilled as grey clouds started to loom over.

Candles were lit outside, tables brought out as Christiane looked up to the oncoming clouds, a small smile on her face, "Snow's coming," she whispered.

Bucky shook his head, smiling to her as he handed her a piece of bread, an arm around her waist as he pulled her close.

By the time night fell, the temperature had dropped to almost freezing, a fire burning from a metal drum as the villagers and the team sat round, Dernier on the piano from the restaurant singing at the top of his tipsy voice in French. There was wine, champagne, bread, meat and cheese as the villagers danced together onto the square. Anya danced round with Steve for a round of 'Sur le pont d'Avignon', giggling for what she felt like was the first time she felt carefree.

Bucky and Christiane had at one point started dancing, Jacques playing a slow mellow tune, Cette Chanson Est Pour Vous (Life Is A Song) by Jean Sablon, his voice harmonious against the contrast of the crackle of the fire, the quiet chatter and laughters, the wind howling gently. Old men and women danced together around them, gentle smiles on their faces.

L'existence, je suppose,

Souvent n'est qu'une chanson

Que nous chantons de mille façons

Couplet joyeux et couplet morose

Si vraiment notre destin

N'est qu'un refrain

Christiane pulled herself closer to him, resting her cheek onto his shoulders as she took in a deep shaky breath, letting it out, watching the mist against her breath.

"What is it?" Bucky whispered.

"This war," she looked to the team sitting by, laid back for once as they sat laughing and talking to each other, the dark circles under their eyes cast greater like shadows from the wear of the war. "It takes so much from us." She looked back up to him, his blue cerulean eyes bright against the night. Her voice came out like a whisper, almost a sigh, "It took so much from you and me."

"What happened back in the Hydra base," Bucky whispered back, his eyes focused on hers, "The experiments."

Christiane shook her head, her eyes closed tightly as she tried to forget the sounds of the screaming and torture, "He did something to us," she breathed out shakily, fear in her eyes.

Cette chanson est pour vous, Madame,

A l'unisson nous la redirons

Elle sera plus fervente qu'un poème

A chaque vers, nous écrirons "Je t'aime"

Je veux y voir une ardente gamme

Des mots d'espoir redits chaque soir

Tendre frisson, bonheur d'aimer

C'est notre programme

Car la vie, Madame, n'est qu'une chanson.

Bucky rested his forehead against hers, his hands up to hold her head gently, fingers intertwined through her hair, "I promise, with my life," he breathed, "I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you Christiane." His voice shook, trying to hide the guilt in his eyes.

"Bucky?" Christiane held his face gently, before pulling him in closely to her, closing her eyes briefly as they continued to sway. "Whatever happens, we will always come back to each other."

He nodded against her hair, kissing her softly on her head.

Cette chanson est pour vous, Madame,

A l'unisson nous la redirons

Tendre frisson, bonheur d'aimer

C'est notre programme

Car la vie, Madame, n'est qu'une chanson

Christiane looked up, the prickle of ice biting her skin as the first light snowflakes danced around them through the wind, smiling up to the night.

Bucky chuckled, holding her by her waist in his arms closely as they both looked up to the sky.

"Whatever our life will be," Bucky whispered. "God, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Christiane. I want to grow old with you, to watch the sun rise and set together, snow falling and seasons change like our grey hairs, have a family together," he chuckled to himself as Christiane laughed with him.

He looked back down, searching her eyes before looking to the team, starting to get up to retire to a room given to each person in the hotel above the tavern.

"I want us to wake up in the morning, next to each together. Tell you I love you every day, every moment I can."

She whispered back, pulling him towards the team saying goodnight to each other, "The life we'll have together."

They walked up the stairs to the top floor, the owner of the hotel tavern giving the couple the biggest room at the top. Falsworth and Dugan were still singing from their hallways below, Dernier trying to sing over their voices in French.

Bucky held Christiane's hand, leading her up the stairs, looking around every so often to look at her till they reached the top. He fumbled with the key, turning ti quietly against the faint singing, the locks clicking into place as the door opened. "You take the bed," he looked into the room.

Christiane turned around, closing the door before turning back around, Bucky standing closely her. Their lips inches apart.

It was the first time since Brooklyn they had the space, yet alone the time to be this close to each other. Christiane's breath hitched, her eyes quickly looking to his lips as she gulped, looking down to her feet.

Bucky lifted her chin, searching her eyes as he started to lean in slowly, his fingers feeling electric over her skin.

It was a goodnight kiss, soft and slow but yet something felt different.

His hands rested by her cheeks, taking her to him as her arms rested around his neck. It became harder, the kiss deepening, becoming more passionate. She felt her hands explore, going to his chest as his moved to her hips, gently holding her. She felt him push her against the door, his breathing heavy against her lips just as hard as her breathing as they pulled away to look to each other. Words unspoken, before lips met again, his lips trailing down her jawline before turning to her neck in open kisses. Her hands went to his coat, unbuttoning as he shrugged it off him, his hands going to help her from her coat, taking it in his hands and throwing it across the room. Christiane felt Bucky against her front, her hands moving to the hem of his shirt going up under, her fingers trailing his warm skin against the cool of her hands from the icy winds and snow.

He inhaled sharply, pulling back suddenly, Christiane surprised from the loss of contact between them. He looked to her, her lips swollen as he looked to her eyes, the green dark against the single oil lamp like jade.

"Christiane…" his voice was low, looking her in the eye as he took her hands in his beside him. "If we keep going like this…"

"I know," she whispered, her heart thumping in her chest like it was trying to escape.

"There's no going back. Are you sure?" He still looked back, waiting for her reply.

She nodded, "I want this, Bucky" she whispered, feeling Bucky's hands take hers to his cheek as he kissed it softly. He pulled over his shirt, standing in front of her, chest heaving breathless. His hands moved to her blouse, undoing the buttons whilst his eyes never left hers - all the devotion and love to her.

He kissed her softly, lips brushing against each other - the quietness of the night, snowflakes silently gathering at their windowsills.