As always, thank you for your reviews and love! Hope you enjoy once more! For those wandering, M+B was a medication used before penicillin became widely used, mainly for treating infections. I've thoroughly researched war time medicine as well as normal surgical techniques, so I hope I haven't made any errors!

November 4th, 1943. Army Base, Italy.

Two days. Two days since Steve left and Beth was growing more and more concerned, especially after she'd stepped out of her tent that morning to see Peggy looking at the camp gate with unhidden worry. When the agent had returned two nights previously, the whole camp heard colonel Phillips yelling at her and when Beth had sought her out, her eyes were pink, betraying the fact she'd been crying despite her smile. She'd avoided Beth since, and Beth allowed it, knowing guilt was eating the agent. Beth didn't lose hope, even when given the news that they were all being shipped back to London the following evening. She had only hours to prepare and the whole time she packed her suitcase, she prayed her boys would come back to her safe.

"Miss Rogers, a word." The colonel called, spotting Beth as she exited her tent.

She jogged over to him, heart sinking to see the look on his face.

"You're declaring him dead, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry. A base nearby was destroyed two nights ago and there's no reports of survivors."

She nodded, walking away from him stiffly. In a daze, she made her way to the medical tent and began slowly packing away the last few supplies they had left. She was so lost in her thoughts, she initially missed the stirring of the camp around her. It wasn't until she heard the sound of applause that she finally took notice. She poked her head out of the tent, immediately noticing the whole camp surrounding a small group of men. A flash of blue caught her attention and she gasped, the tray of utensils she was holding falling to the floor with a loud crash. She didn't hear it, already halfway across the base, pushing and shoving everyone out of her way. She was so close she could hear Steve's voice. She was about to call out to him when another voice shouted, grinding her to a halt, everything seeming to freeze.

"Three cheers for Captain America!"

The men around her roared, breaking her from her lull. She pushed forward once more, her vision blurred from tears, but she didn't care. She ignored the protests and complaints as she none-too-gently elbowed through the last few men and when her eyes landed on Bucky, her knees threatened to collapse.

After hearing all the cheers, Bucky and Steve shared a grin with each other, neither quite believing the situation they were in. a second later, Steve looked over Bucky's shoulder and nodded to his best friend. Bucky already knew instinctively and turned to catch Beth as she threw herself into his arms, her legs winding round his waist as he crushed her against him. She heaved great big sobs as she clung to him and not caring about the audience, he dropped to the ground so he could pull her even tighter against him.

"I knew it." she mumbled over and over again into his shoulder.

Bucky stroked her hair, oblivious to the stares and cheers from the men around them. When she finally lifted her head to face him, he took her chin in his hand and pressed his lips against hers, letting his lips relay everything he wanted to say. She returned the action, tears sliding down her cheeks as she continued embracing him. When they came apart, he pressed his forehead against her own, unable to tear his eyes from her own.

"They kept saying you were dead, but I never lost hope."

"I'm not going anywhere sweetheart."

Any other time, the term would have been sarcasm coming from Bucky, but Beth knew that this time, he meant it with all sincerity, which made her kiss him once more. A cough from above made them both look up to see Steve standing there with a look of happiness on his face. Though reluctant to let go of Bucky, the urge to embrace her brother was too strong and she jumped up, flinging her arms round her brother in a tight embrace. She parted with him much quicker, the action followed by a swift punch to the jaw. The whole camp fell abruptly silent as Steve took a step back, raising his arms in surrender. Beth stepped closer, eyes blazing.

"TWO DAYS! TWO DAYS I WAS WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU, STEVEN GRANT ROGERS!"

A pin could be heard dropping from the silence that followed. Steve slowly lowered his hands and held out the communications device that had been destroyed. Beth eyed it and gave a frustrated snort, flinging her hands up as she turned to walk away, muttering about 'Stupid men' as the soldiers around her cleared a path, eager to avoid making her angrier by getting in the way.

"Well, she's certainly a firecracker." Dum Dum spoke, his voice breaking the silence.

"Yeah. She's my sister and Bucky's gal." Steve replied, smiling fondly as she came stomping back to them a second later, only to grasp Bucky's arm and drag him to the medical tent.

"Make sure all the injured soldiers are bought back here and someone go and wake Edward and Josh please."

Dum Dum glanced over at Steve and grinned widely at the look on the younger man's face.

"Well, I sure do pity you boys." He laughed.

Steve chuckled alongside him.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't change a thing about her."

Dum Dum nodded, silently agreeing with the man he'd begun to bond with on the journey home. Something about her made him like her off the bat, and he wasn't one to ignore his gut.

"Sit and take off your shirt." Beth said to Bucky once they were inside the medical tent.

Bucky smirked, his eyes shining playfully as she began bustling about, gathering supplies.

"If you wanted me naked, you only have to ask."

Her head whipped round, a dark look on her face that had him snapping his mouth shut and pulling his shirt off without another word. When she came back to his side, her expression softened as her eyes swept over the massive bruising and numerous cuts and scrapes marring his skin.

"What did they do to you?" she asked, more to herself, but he heard.

"They tried to kill me and when beating me didn't work, they decided to experiment on me. far as I know, I'm the only one who made it out of that room alive."

She gasped, touching his shoulder tenderly. He tensed, hissing out a breath as pain flared through him from the contact and she gave an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. I need to know exactly what they did so I can patch you up."

He opened his mouth to protest, but one look at her changed his mind. He told her everything, from the beatings, to the illness and finally, everything he could remember from the lab, which, if he was being honest, wasn't much at all. She listened to his every word as she checked his vitals, storing everything in her mind so she could return the favour to this 'HYDRA' when she had the chance. Pleased that his injuries were minor, she turned her attention to his chest, frowning to hear a rattle. Feeling his skin, he was too warm and it was then she noticed his eyes had become glassy. Clearly being out in the elements for two days straight hadn't helped his illness. Gently, she pushed him so he was laying on the bed and she reached down to stroke his cheek, her hand grazing the stubble growing there.

"You need M+B treatment and some painkillers. Stay here tonight and I should be able to discharge you in the morning."

Bucky gave her a confused look as she proceeded to insert a cannula into his arm.

"Isn't it doctors that can discharge?" he asked, his voice rough as he gave in to the pain he had fought against the past couple of days.

She nodded, flashing him a grin.

"You've been gone a while. Since I last saw you, I've begun training as a surgeon. Because we're in a war and desperate for doctors, I've been granted honorary status as one and with it, I get all the privileges. Now, you need to rest and I should see to these other men. I'll see you soon."

She leaned down to place a kiss on his cheek but when she turned to leave his hand took her own. She looked back at him, seeing that though his eyes were heavy with sleep, he didn't want her to leave.

"Makin' sure you're real." He mumbled, his words slurring as sleep finally overcame him.

She brushed his hair from his head, rubbing his skin soothingly as she watched him slumber.

"I'm real, and I'm not letting you leave me again."

The corner of his mouth twitched and she smiled, planting one last kiss on his face before turning her attention to the other soldiers in the room.