HERE! The next chapter! Sadly, this is the end...
The next morning, Steve had to wake Amelia up. They both got ready and walked out of the room, holding each other's hand as they walked.
Catching up to the other Howling Commandos at the plane, the doctor pulled Steve into one more hug. He all but melted in her arms, wrapping his arms around her and playing with the ends of her hair.
Amelia went on her tippy toes and kissed her fiancee slowly, but after a long moment she let him go. "Be safe,"
"I will." He rested his forehead against hers. "I'll be back before you know it."
"I love you."
Steve smiled, grabbing his bag. "I love you, too."
Then he loaded onto the plane, waving his beautiful woman goodbye and buckled up in his seat.
00000000000
Her first thought when the alarms came on was; I should have gone with Steve. But by the time she had finished her thought, she was being dragged away by Peggy to the nearest bunker. Now, Amelia was no stranger to being bombed or shot at, it was actually a good portion of her life... It was watching families race to get away from building and babies crying that had shocked her. Even in the bunker, it seemed they all got more nervous.
The children only know half of what was going on, only giving confused stares at their parents. But as the night dragged on, even the naive children began to cry.
"Are you alright?" Peggy took her godmother's hands in hers, squeezing them comfortingly.
Not meeting her eyes, Amelia just stared at the strangers all around her. "I've been through worse,"
Agent Carter chewed her lip, trying to think of a way to distract her godmother. But, she decided that there wasn't anything that was really worth talking about because it wouldn't distract Amelia. So, all she could hope that she can perhaps distract the locals. "Do you remember that song you used to sing to me? To help me fall asleep?"
Amelia studied her for a moment, then started to sing the blissful lullaby that her own mother sang to her once upon a time. Hearing it now? It seemed to calm Peggy's nerves already and beforeing she knew it? She was swaying to the song as well as their neighbors.
Everyone became silent as the lovely doctor sang, relaxing as the song went on.
After their day in the bunker, Amelia and Peggy had returned to base, only to receive news that the Howling Commandos would be returning shortly. It had shocked the doctor that they would return in only three days, usually they had spent more time out. But, she didn't say anything.
Instead, she decided to return to her apartment and freshen up.
She had showered and put on a yellow sundress, to help brighten up the day. Then she returned to base.
Walking around, Amelia could tell that a certain gloom has settled onto everyone. She looked around and saw a familiar redhead. "Dugan, what's wrong? Why are you home so early? Did you get Zola? Where's-"
"We lost Bucky..." Were his only words.
It was like someone had ripped her heart out... She couldn't breath. Amelia had come to love Bucky like a brother and wanted nothing but for him to live a full, happy life. She thought back to Abraham, thinking about how he was able at least live his life, but Bucky? He was still so young, knowing nothing but the army...
"W-where's Steve?" She choked out, wiping her loose tears.
Dugan met her eyes and sighed. "Saw him going to the pub, at least what's left of it."
Thanking him, Amelia ran out of the base. She was heartbroken at Bucky's death, but Steve? He must feel destroyed inside... James Buchanan Barnes was his best friend, his brother. To suddenly lose him? Is unimaginable for Steve.
Finally getting to the ruined pub, she saw walking out; looking emotionless.
"Peggy!" She called, catching up with her. "How is he?"
The agent sighed, giving up the grief she had for Steve. "He needs you..."
She didn't any more confirmation, Amelia walked inside the pub.
Steve sat there all alone, sipping his drink, trying to remain composed. He knew that Amelia was there, he just couldn't look at her... Because is he did? All that composer he had built up would crumble and he would up a crying mess, and he didn't want her to see that.
Walking right to him, she didn't say anything... Only came from behind him and hugged his shoulders, kissing his hair. She kept caressing him, making sure he knew that she was there.
Clenching his tumbler tighter, he choked out. "I-I watched him fall... I could have saved him, I could have saved him."
"Steve," Amelia voice was firm as she came around and stared him right in the eye. She cupped his face and sighed. "I wish there was something I could do, I wish I could go back in time and stop all of you from leaving... But I can't. All I can do, right now? Is hold you and tell you that Bucky loved you and he would want you to live your life."
Tears already in his eyes started to fall, but he didn't stop them. But as more feel his crying became sobs. Amelia hugged him to her stomach, rubbing his back as he grabbed at her back. They didn't say anything because there was nothing to be said...
After a few minutes, Steve straightened and wiped his tears, then looked up at Amelia with a sad smile. "Thank you."
"I love you," She replied, kissing his forehead.
He nodded, grabbing her hand and standing up. "Come on, let's go back."
Amelia studied his eyes for a moment and found that he held a new determination that wasn't there before. He was determined to get revenge for his best friend. Nodding, the doctor started walking.
000
As they got to the bunker, Amelia was met by Colonel Phillips and James. James was giving her a broad grin while Phillips was studying her with disbelief.
"What?" She raised an eyebrow, looking down at her and Steve's interlocked hands. "Is this because I'm engaged to Captain Rogers?"
The old man didn't so even a flinch of emotion, only sighed. "All right... Doctor Howlett, if you would follow me? Rogers, you'll be waiting for me to give you new orders."
Amelia gave Steve a confused look, but he only shrugged and walked towards the conference room. As they walked the Colonel explained that they have Zola in custody and already questioned him.
"So why are you telling me this?" She asked, eyebrow raised.
Phillips stopped with his hand on the door handle, looking emotionless as always. "Because your brother guarantees that you can make him pour every little secret he has locked up in the big brain of his."
Her eyebrows shot up, suprised that her brother would bring up those days in the Civil War."I don't think you'll agree to my method-"
"If it works? I don't care." He opened the door.
Amelia sighed, and walked in with a smile. The man sitting at the table was mousish and obviously suspicious of the woman in front of him.
He smiled. "Are they trying seduction, now?"
His voice was heavily accented and his comment could only make the doctor grimace. But she sat down anyway, folding her hands in her lab. "Tell me, about the research you've been doing for Schmidt, Doctor Zola." She spoke fluently in German.
This obviously suprised Zola, but he still only smile. "And what if I say no?"
"I was hoping you would say that," She grinned, tossing a piece of hair over her shoulder then glared at the man in front of her. "You see, I may not look it, but I am apart of the elite group that has been taking down Hydra bases... And I've come to know those men very well, especially Captain America."
"How does this-"
Zola was cut off by a slap to the face... When he looked back to the woman, she was still smiling. "I wasn't finished, Doctor... You see, Bucky, you know Bucky; the man that was recently killed because of Hydra? He's my fiancee's closest friend, you can probably guess you that is by now!" Then her smile faded and only rage remain. "Now, you can imagine how much I'm going to enjoy making you talk... Because every scream you make? Will never compare to the pain you have caused Steve."
The man swallow, still being stubborned. "No."
Amelia sighed, then suddenly the table was being thrown across the room; leaving nothing between the two of them. She quickly closed the space between them, grabbing him by his collar and pinned him to the wall. "You do not want to be stubborn, Doctor... It will only bring you pain and I am capable of causing you so much pain that you will wish that you were never born. I can rip apart every cell in your body, put you back together, only to I can do it again and again and again, until you tell me everything I want to know... Do you understand?"
"Yes!" He cried, nodding his head frantically. Zola was truly terrified of this woman in front of him... Never had he seen someone with such a look in their eyes. The look was murderous, angry and shockingly? Calm. Just by her eyes, Zola could see that she tortured many before him and his instinct told him that many of them didn't survive.
"Good," She dropped him, walking to the table and fixing it the way it was, then smiled. "Let's start in the beginning, please."
It took over thirty minutes to get something useful, but it took almost six hours to get the whole story. Luckily by that time, Colonel Phillips already signed off on another mission and they were ready to go. Only... Steve wanted her to stay.
It took quite a bit of convincing to let Amelia go on this mission of Steve, but after a glare and a shout? The super solider yielded under his fiancee's command. But he wasn't going to let her come with him, so she was assigned with the other Howling Commandos on the edge of the mountain; awaiting for the signal.
"I really hope this works..." Jim said, making sure that everything was in place.
Mouty looked away from the binoculars and laughed nervously. "You and me both!"
Amelia rolled her eyes, checking her gun one more time. "Hey, your not the ones riding piggy back with Dugan."
"Where's James, anyway?" The redhead looked around.
"He went with the Colonel and Peggy," Jim answered, handing out a rambling hooks to Mouty and Dugan.
The three men took aim and released the hooks, that attached to the other side nicely. The all grabbed onto their rides, while Amy stepped in front of Dugan. She was giving him a deadly glare. "If you drop me? I will kill you."
Dugan laughed and took hold of the iron bar as Amelia wrapped her legs around his waist. "No worries, I always wanted to hold ya like this! Just not on a side of a mountain."
"I'm engaged," She replied dully, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Doesn't mean I can't dream!" And he leapt off the mountain causing Amelia to gasp.
She watched the edge of the mountain become smaller and smaller as she waited for Dugan to burst through the window. In a silent moment, Amelia said a pray... A pray that she and Steve will be able to survive this.
"Get ready!" Dugan yelled and the doctor tensed for impact.
He swung forward so his feet would come in first, and as he landed; grabbing for his gun and helping Amelia to stand straight at the same time.
Then they started shooting while Steve started after Schmit.
"Steve!" Amelia called as Mouty threw him his shield. The super soldier turned, about to tell her he needed to go, but he was cut off by her lips. She kissed him fiercely and quickly, after making her point she pushed him away with a smirk. "Go get him!"
He nodded and ran after Red Skull.
Amelia turned to the other Howling Commandos and sighed. "I'll take one hallway, you take the other?"
"Sounds good to me!" Jim said, already walking past her.
Rolling her eyes, she ran down the opposite hallway; taking out as all the Hydra soldier's she saw. She did start to see the task force coming in, meaning that Peggy was onsite. Carefully, Amelia started walking towards the research area.
She couldn't pass a chance to see the original notes of Doctor Zola. But, before she could even get a glimpse at the notes, a soldier grabbed her arm. "Agent Carter wants you in the communication room."
000
"Peggy, this is my choice." Steve said firmly. "Peggy?"
It seemed forever ago that Peggy radioed for Amelia to be sent up to the communications room and she hoped that her Godmother would hurry. The agent would hate to having to tell Amelia secondhand of their conversation... "I'm here."
"Tell Amy, I'm going to need a rain check on that dance." He tried to make the situation lighter than it really was.
Peggy's bottom lip quivered as she nodded. "All right... I'll tell her to plan for a week next Saturday at the Stork Club".
"You got it." His instant reply was.
"Eight O'clock, on the dot." She let a loose tear fall, not trying to cover them up. "Don't you dare be late, she's head over heels for you! Understood?"
He was silent for a moment. "You know I still don't know how to dance?"
Peggy closed her eyes, trying to speak clearly. "She'll show you how... Just be there."
"I'll have the band play something slow." His breathes started to become a little faster as the static became louder. "I'd hate to step on her..."
"Steve? Steve?" She called, not wanting it to be true. "Steve?!"
But it was no use... Steve Rogers was gone. Peggy hung her head and cried, unable to hold back anymore. Then she thought about her Godmother and how destroyed she would be...
That's when she heard thundering footsteps coming into the room... The agent looked up and already knew it was Amelia.
She was out of breath and looking around, then her eyes found Peggy's. Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Where's Steve?"
"Amy..." Peggy choked out and shook her head.
The meaning it Amelia like a ton of bricks... She shook her head, suddenly unable to breath. She looked around the room, trying to catch her breath. "No... No! No, no, no! He can't! He promised me! No! He-" Amelia's knees buckled and she fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Peggy wiped her tears and walked to her Godmother, getting on her knees and wrapped her arms around the woman. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."
00000000000
Amelia didn't join the Howling Commandos in their mourning, in fact, Amelia took the first flight back to New York with Howard. She just needed to get away from everything, especially anything that involved the war. James didn't go back to New York with her, he went to find Victor which was somewhat a relief to Amelia...
She loved her brothers, but due to recent events? She didn't want to be near them, anyone in fact...
Howard had offered her a place where no one would bother her while she worked, a place where she could be alone.
Because the moment Steve died? Was the moment Amelia became broken.
For months she had holed herself into her lab, working on everything and anything. Even started to research more on the super soldier serum to get her mind off Steve. BUt when that didn't work, she went to college.
Biochemistry, astronomy, physics and engineering. She couldn't stop trying to get her mind off Captain America.
"Amy?" Howard knocked on the door leading into her lab.
She was reading a thick textbook, looking up in a daze. "What?"
The genius walked over to the woman and smiled. "We are going to create an agency... One that will protect people and preserver unidentified items."
"How does this pertain to me?" She raised an eyebrow.
"We need someone to be head of the medical division," He explained, taking the book in her hands and putting it down. "And you need to get out of this lab."
Amelia studied him for a long moment, thinking about his proposition. She looked around her lab and saw how full it was... Full of distractions. Finally she looked back to Howard. "This agency... What is it called?"
"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division," He smirked, running a hand through his hair. "Shield for short."
She could only laugh, they were determined to name it after the one weapon Captain America used. Amelia stood and smiled sadly at Howard. "Okay..."
Howard grinned and started telling her about all the things they wanted to do with Shield and who all was on board.
So? How do you like it? Question... Do you want to have a story that involves when Logan becomes Wolverine? I already have an idea for post Avengers or at least a love interest. What would you guys like to happen? THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL! I just need help trying to think up a plot for the next story...