Summary: Annette escaped the camp, but where to go. Hurt, tired and being followed by the Hydra forces that imprisoned her, she's forced to make a literal leap of faith in the rapids to evade further imprisonment, torture, and experimentation. What happens when she is pulled from the banks of the latest SSR camp and nursed back to health by none other than The Howling Commandos, and peeks the interest of two friends?

Rated M for eventual mutual threesome involvement. Don't like, don't read it. Only positive and constructive criticism will be acknowledged. Also looking for Beta Readers.

I wish I did own the rights to Captain America (drools), but I don't sadly. However, I do own Annette.

On with the story.

Author's Note: Would like to thank every one for the kind reviews so far, still would like to hear your ideas as to what you would like to see happening in the story. Don't be afraid to leave a mention in a review or PM me. Also, still looking for Beta readers. This chapter is definitely one of my longest ones, this is because I wanted to go in depth about the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands during this time, especially in Guernsey. All dates, events, and places are real and can easily be found online on Wikipedia. Happy Reading.

Chapter 4: Just a memory

June 1940 – St. Pierre du Bois, Guernsey

Annette walked into the kitchenette of her family home with the week's grocery shopping in her basket. The thatch cottage that she and her father, Winfried, lived in was small, but it had all the comforts they could ever need. As she stored away her goods, she could hear her elder listening to the wireless in the living room. He seemed to be doing an awful lot of that lately. With a sigh, she filled the kettle and lit the stove ready to make some tea.

"Netty! Come quickly child!" She stopped what she was doing and walked to her father with haste. He sat in his tweed armchair, ashen faced. Annette knew that this wasn't good news.

"What is it Pappa?" Winfried, swiveled in his chair as he turned to look at his only child. Worry, fear and dread etched into his creased brow. She placed herself on the floor by her father's feet and took his hands, rubbing them in a calming manner with a small smile.

"My dear, the British have fallen in Saumur. The French President has announced full surrender of France, the Nazi occupation has begun. The British government has declared that the Channel Islands are to be demilitarized with all military and government personnel evacuated. It's not looking good for us islanders I'm afraid Blutenblatt." Netty knew her father was telling the truth, in all her eighteen years, she knew for him to never lie to her. The Battle for France was over, the occupation of their island home was imminent. What would her mama have done with the news? What would she have done? The shrill of the kettle reminded her of the answer...make a cup of tea.

Netty and Winfried entered the kitchenette in silence, she made the pot of tea without so much as a word. 'What could there be possibly left to say anyway?' She thought miserably. Placing her father's tea cup on the table, she took her place sitting next to him nursing her cup. "What happens now Pappa? Where do we go from here?" He was in deep thought as he drank his tea, possibly thinking of the next step for Guernsey. They were miles from St. Peter's Port, even if they were to leave now the Bailiff would probably have no idea what to do until they heard from the other Island Bailiffs about what the government want them to do. With a heavy sigh and placing his tea cup and saucer by the basin, he looked to his daughter with a calming smile.

"Well, my little Netty. There is no sense in falling into hysteria." Winfried began to fill his pipe with his tobacco. He then sat back down at the table nibbling on the end of his pipe winking at his daughter. "We shall sleep on it until the morning. Then we shall go into St. Peter's on the morning bus. The big towns and harbor towns always get the news before us country folk. If there is any news, good or bad, it'll get to them first."

She could only nod her head in agreement. 'Trust my pappa to know what to do.' Giving her father a small peck on the cheek, she bid him good night and went to her room. The near future was going to be very interesting indeed.

They arrived in the harbor town of St. Peter's Port early the next afternoon. It seemed as though the whole island was trying to leave for the mainland. The islanders were in a complete panic, children were crying as their tearful mothers waved them off on the boats. The Bailiff and his staff sitting at makeshift tables on the quayside taking note of the passengers and helping fill out paperwork for the refugees. Winfried and his daughter made their way over to them to discuss the evacuation process. Pierre, the Bailiff of Guernsey, made eye contact with them and brought them to one side to speak in private. He couldn't look his friend of twenty years in the eye.

"I am so sorry Winfried, but the fleet won't let you board for the mainland."

"What?" Netty couldn't believe it. The British government was denying her father safe passage. "Why Pierre? He has been on English soil since the end of the last war, my mother, his wife was English. Good gods! He even took my mother's last name just to be with her." The elderly man sighed in both frustration and grief for his friends.

"I don't like this anymore than you do ma chere, but the British have decreed that anyone of German origin is not permitted to travel to the mainland for fear of sabotage and espionage. Anyone found trying to enter are ordered to be detained by the MPs." Her body began to betray her as a single tear graced her cheek. The Bailiff brought her into an embrace as a means to comfort her.

"Then I shall stay with him, and see the occupation through."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" The young brunette jumped at her father's outburst. Winfried had gone pale and was visibly shaking with unkept rage at the thought of his only child being trapped on the island. "Mein kind, I'm old and have lived my life, I've seen you grow from the tiny babe your mother blessed me with into the most beautiful young woman that you are now. This war is coming, and it is something I would never wish for you to witness. Please Netty, get on the ship."

The stubborn young woman shook her head smiling at her father, the gods and all their wrath and fury couldn't stop her from being with her only family left that mattered to her. She was going to stick with it, till the allies came, or till the war was at an end.

"No Pappa, we are family, and we are a team that has always stuck together. I'm not going anywhere without you whether you like it or not." The elderly man just sighed deeply looking to the sky with an exasperated expression. When he looked down to her again, he didn't see his daughter anymore, he saw his beloved Francesca incarnate. With a hand on her cheek, eyes sparkling, he smiled.

"You have your mother's spirit, perhaps too much of it!"

"And I have your stubbornness apparently." Netty shot back grinning at Winfried as they bid their farewells to Pierre, walking into the main square.

"The gods must be testing me." The poor man grumbled in defeat. Netty just laughed. She was no fool though, she knew hardships were on their way. Nothing prepared her for the upcoming months.

September 1940

"Pappa? Why do you have a summons from the Commandant?"

It had been three months into the Nazi occupation, so far peacefully without incident. Then came the enforcement of the Third Reich, Jews who had registered willingly began to be placed under house arrest, forced to close their businesses and treated with utter contempt by the occupying soldiers. Some protested, they were deported to the detention camps on the continent. Then the letters and newspaper propaganda started, soon after, all islanders were ordered to surrender their radios and were forbidden to listen to the BBC. The few people she knew in St. Pierre du Bois who received summons from the Commandant, never came back.

"It is nothing mein Blutenblatt. It is probably a problem with our ration book paperwork, after all it has not arrived yet." She left it at that begrudgingly. She knew that their ration booked hadn't arrived yet, and that that may well be why they were being asked to be seen. Worry still plagued her thoughts though and her instincts told her something wasn't right.

That following morning they rode in silence on the bus to 's Port. It seemed as though all the joy and cheer of everyone on the vehicle was sucked out and replaced with tension and uncertainty. It made for an uncomfortable trip. Upon arriving, they approached a German officer enquiring where to find the Commandant and were promptly guided to town hall. There, they sat and they waited to be seen. Netty hadn't realized that she had been shaking until she felt her father's leathery hand take hers and hold her gently. "Everything will be fine my darling." She simply nodded her head, fearing that if she spoke she would be ill. Taking a few deep breaths, she looked to her father and smiled.

"Zee Commandant vill see you now." Came the harsh voice of a man in a suit. Father and daughter walked hand in hand into the room and the officer shut the door behind them with an ominous thud.

Annette's POV

Netty woke with a gasp and covered in a slight sheen of perspiration. Shaken and disorientated from her dream as she looked around her new surroundings. She'd almost forgotten that she was finally safe with the group of men who had found her in the river earlier that day. Still feeling sore from her torturous day, she tried to lower herself back down quietly so as not to disturb her guardians who were sleeping around her like a barrier. A hushed voice called out to her as she hissed in pain.

"Netty?" The petite girl winced, hopes of not waking any of them dashed as she turned and looked into the concerned and tired face of Bucky. He sat up a bit to look at her properly. "You okay Doll?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake anyone." Netty sighed frustratedly looking at her hands. " I can't even lie back down without hurting myself." Tears started to prick at her eyes as she fought not to let them fall. Bucky leaned over and reached a hand out to her to help her settle into his front again.

"Hey, none of that now." He wiped her face of her sweat and tears and began soothing her by rubbing her back gently mindful of her injuries. "Sometimes it's alright to cry, especially after what you've been through today. I won't tell on you." He gave her a smirk and a wink which made her smile slightly as her eyes became heavy again. Letting out a small yawn, she began to snuggle into the sergeant's chest.

"Did you have a nightmare?" He asked her softly as she slowly started to drift off. She shook her head slightly.

"Just a memory." Then she was asleep again.

Translations - Blutenblatt - Flower petal – German

Mein kind – My child – German

Ma Chere – My dear - French