Me again! Just to say thank you once again for the reviews, follows and favourites! Not much to say regarding this chapter except that it is the precursor to an emotional one! Without further adieu, here's the next chapter.

June 1st, 1941. Brooklyn, New York

It was the coughing that woke her up. It started soft and quiet, until eventually it filtered into Beth's dream. Eyes flickering open, she let out a deep sigh and rolled in the bed to wake Steve and give him his medication, only to find his bed empty, the covers thrown aside. Frowning, she stood and walked into the hall, throwing on her dressing gown as she followed the coughing, expecting to find Steve in the kitchen to get a drink as he usually did when his asthma was bad. It wasn't until she found herself standing in the doorway of her mother's bedroom, watching as Steve pressed a cold compress to Sarah Roger's grey, clammy skin, that she realised something was very, very wrong. Sensing her behind him, Steve turned to face her, a grim worry in his face that had her stepping forward to grasp her mother's hand. She'd been sick with a chest infection for two weeks, but the past few days she had been getting better. Beth wanted to ignore the feeling of dread in her stomach, but found that the more she tried to push it away, the more violently it came back.

"She was okay earlier." She murmured, watching Sarah's expression change to one of pain even as she slept.

"I know. I heard her start coughing again about two hours ago. I was still up finishing one of my drawings when it started"

Beth frowned, and he knew she wanted to say something about not waking her up, but instead, she pursed her lips and pressed a hand to their mother's head.

"She's red hot." She said, voice trembling as she pulled her hand away.

"I know. I've been trying to cool her for a while but it isn't working."

Steve's voice sounded helpless and tears threatened to push through Beth's eyelids, but she forced them back. She thought back to the many times she and her mother had nursed a sick Steve, but even then she couldn't remember a time he had such a high temperature. Knowing it wouldn't be long before it killed her, Beth wracked her mind for any ideas, until she suddenly had a flicker of a memory from when she was very small.

"Steve, I need you to run the bath. Don't let the water get too hot. It needs to be as lukewarm as possible."

She could have sang when Steve left to do as told without any questions, but she turned to face her mother once more, eyes shining with fear and worry. Sarah Rogers was never sick. She was the rock in the family. When Steve returned, she instructed him to help pick Sarah up off the bed and though it was a struggle, the pair successfully carried her through to the bathroom and lay her down in the cool water. Within seconds, Sarah began shivering violently, and Beth had to hold Steve back to stop him from pulling her out.

"Don't. Shivering means the fever is breaking."

Nodding, Steve stepped back, but she could see he was more like a caged animal, ready to spring to action at a second's notice. It took a few more moments, but Sarah suddenly took in a large gasp of air, her eyes flying open. Beth gave a deep sigh of relief, crouching down to help Sarah sit up.

"Why am I in the bath?" she asked, teeth chattering.

"You had a fever mom and we couldn't get it down quickly enough."

Despite the shivering and the fact she felt more sick than she'd ever been in her life, Sarah smiled proudly at her daughter and reached up to cup her cheek.

"Thank you sweetheart. You too Steve." She said as her son crouched down next to Beth.

He gave her a tiny smile, his eyes still shining, and between them, the siblings managed to pull her back out of the water and into her room. Steve held Sarah steady whilst Beth dressed her in a dry nightdress and the pair carefully laid her back in her bed. She fell into a sleep seconds later, but within minutes, the coughing returned. Steve watched Beth as she sat on the bed and reached to touch her shoulder.

"Go back to bed. I'll keep an eye on her."

The only response he got was a shake of the younger woman's head, her eyes turning to rock hard determination. Sighing, Steve went into the kitchen and carried two dining chairs into the room with him. He placed them either side of the bed before settling in to his own with a heavy sigh. He knew it was going to be a long night.

When Bucky arrived at the Rogers house the next morning, he raised a surprised eyebrow to see the milk and paper sitting on the doorstep. He checked his watch again, making sure he had the time right. 9am, the time he usually arrived to walk Beth to work. Reaching the door, he was even more surprised to find it locked. He wasted no time in letting himself in with the spare key they kept under a brick by the front door and moved through the apartment until he found the family in Sarah's room. He immediately knew something was wrong when he saw the three of them still sleeping, Steve with his head dropped on his chest, one hand holding Sarah's left hand whilst Beth lay with her head resting on the bed, her hand grasping Sarah's other hand. Sarah herself was sleeping, but with each inhale, her chest rattled. Frowning, Bucky made his way back to the front door, bringing in the milk and paper before he then turned to the phone and called for the doctor. He was just placing the receiver back on the stand when a dishevelled Steve walked into the room, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Hey, It thought I hear your voice," The younger man greeted. "Who were you talking with?"

"I called for a doctor to come and see your mom. Don't worry, I'll pay for it." He said when he saw the panic on Steve's face, knowing the other man could never afford the visit.

Breathing a soft sigh of thanks, he threw his arms briefly round his friend.

"Thank you Buck"

Bucky clapped him on the back before instructing him to have a shower and go to bed. As soon as Steve had left the room, the older man picked up the phone once more to inform his and Beth's workplace that they wouldn't be in and to do the same for Steve's school. When Steve didn't return, Bucky looked in to the room he shared with Beth to see Steve already passed out. He chuckled before moving to Sarah's room. Beth hadn't moved and after ensuring she was in a deep enough sleep, Bucky slipped one arm under her legs, the other across her back and lifted her into his arms, carrying her to her room to place her gently on the bed. He gazed softly at her as she snuggled into her pillow and placed a blanket over her before waiting for the doctor.

The doctor arrived two hours later and the door knocking woke both siblings. As Steve stumbled out of bed, Beth gazed confusedly round the room, wandering how she had made it to her bed when she was in her mom's room last she checked. Remembering her mom, she also flew out of bed, to collide with Bucky as she left her room. He steadied her and gave her a small smile.

"You really need to stop doing that Bethie or I'll start thinking you do it on purpose." He joked, hoping to ease her spirit.

It worked and she gave him a playful punch to the shoulder, a grin on her face.

"The only thing that'll think that is your big ego."

Bucky snorted in amusement and pulled her into a hug as he had done with Steve earlier that day. She returned it, tears burning in her eyes once more. When he let go, she kissed his cheek before moving towards Sarah's room to await the doctor's diagnosis.