Hi again everyone! Apologies for the slight delay, I've been down with a bad chest infection the past week and haven't been up for anything really! Still, I amback long enough to post this before heading back to bed!

I'm overwhelmed by all the lovely reviews from the last chapter and a special thank you to Amberdeengirl187 for your awesome reviews!

On with the next, where we get to see Beth in fighting action. I hope I've done well. Beth isn't used to fighting so I hope I've made her fighting style realistic of someone who is new to this but who is determined to do well!

...

20th January 1944, Rochefort, Belgium.

Beth raised her rifle, cursing as the metal of the bracelet Howard bought her for her birthday slid up her arm. She was too scared to remove it because she knew it had to cost a fortune, but it was beginning to get in the way when she needed to focus. Cursing him for buying her something so valuable as it did it again a few moments later, she gave in and lowered her rifle to take it off and hide it in the pocket of her trousers, grateful it had a zipper to keep it safe. She smiled, returning to her position at the edge of a small cliff face and picking up her rifle once more. Through the scope, she watched as their team moved closer to the building, gunfire erupting within seconds of them vanishing from sight. Next to her, Bucky's comforting presence disappeared with a yell and she twisted round in time to see him punch a HYDRA soldier who'd come too close to comfort. Despite the fact they were far back, it seemed HYDRA had figured out their tactics and had sent a small group to take care of the pair of snipers.

"Keep shooting!" Bucky yelled over his shoulder as he fought another soldier.

Halting halfway through standing up, she dropped back down to a crouch. She kept her gaze forward, covering for the others, until something slammed into her. Her rifle dropped over the cliff edge and she barely stopped herself from following it, throwing herself to the side at the last second. The person slammed into her again and she growled, grasping the material of her attacker's jacket and using her weight to fling him over her shoulder, successfully sending him over the edge. She barely had time to recover and move away when there was a shout from Bucky as another soldier rushed her. The impact sent her to the floor with a grunt, her head hitting the ground hard. The soldier wasted no time pinning her down and she gasped as his hands wrapped round her throat. As the air was cut off from her lungs, she reached up, trying to claw at his face and hands, but he held on. Black spots began to fill her vision and she knew she had to do something soon or she was dead. Dropping her arms, she fumbled around until her hand found the zipper of her pocket. Using what little strength she had left, she grasped the bracelet, making sure the charm was pointing outwards before wrenching her arm up so the makeshift weapon connected with his skull. A sickening crunch filled the air as the charm sank into his temple and he slumped over, his hands letting go of her throat. Air rushed into her lungs and she sucked in greedy gulps, coughing from the release of pressure. Seconds later, Bucky flew over to her, roughly shoving the unconscious soldier off her and gathering her into his arms. She held on tightly, tears she wasn't even aware of leaking down her face as her breathing returned to normal.

"I thought you were a goner." Bucky confessed after letting her go.

Beth reached up to rub her throat, wincing at the tenderness of the skin.

"Me too. Remind me to kiss Howard for buying me that bracelet." She replied, still shaking from the shock.

He chuckled and kissed her head tenderly. When the rest of the group arrived a while later, they all noticed the marks on her neck and immediately bombarded the pair with questions. For three days, an argument ensued about her safety and whether she should leave the team, only for Beth to shut them all up when she found out by reminding them that without her, Jones and Morita would both be dead. Reluctantly, the men stood down and she smiled smugly before walking away to find Howard. She owed him a kiss.

19th February 1944, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia

She saw the soldier about to shoot Steve, but knew she didn't have enough time to reposition her new rifle in time to stop the inevitable. She reached out and grasped Bucky's arm, knowing he had also seen it and was unable to respond quickly enough either. Thankfully, Steve saw and his shield was slammed into the soldier's head a second before the shot rang out. Beth gave a choked sound of relief and Bucky moved his arm to take her hand and squeeze it.

"He's okay."

"I know, but even though it's been months, I still see him as that frail, sickly person."

Bucky gave one last squeeze before letting go to shoot another soldier creeping up on Jones.

"I know. I do too."

Beth gave a smile as she returned to her own rifle, taking down another two soldiers. It wasn't much longer when she spotted a second HYDRA soldier attempting to shoot Steve, only this time, she knew he hadn't noticed and she'd just shot her last bullet. She opened her mouth when the soldier dropped from the ledge, a bullet in his skull. Steve turned in surprise and looked back at Beth and Bucky to send a salute to whichever one of them fired the bullet and beside her, Beth heard the sound of Bucky expelling the empty shell to join the pile next to him.

"Thank you." She said to him as she reloaded her weapon.

"Don't mention it. He's my brother too."

Beth knew she was grinning like a mad woman as she continued firing at the enemy, but she didn't care. Every time she thought she loved Bucky as much as was possible, he would say or do something to prove her wrong. Sometime later, when Beth's arms had gone numb from holding her rifle up for so long, Steve gave the signal that someone was hurt and they needed Beth. As much as she felt guilty, she was relieved to give her arms a rest. She reached for her backpack and glanced at Bucky, whose steel focus was on the building.

"Cover me?" she asked him.

"Always." He replied, his voice deadly calm.

Beth began her descent to the others, almost tripping on a tree root as she neared the bottom of the ravine. She jogged over to Steve, keeping watch for any HYDRA soldiers. When a body suddenly dropped in front of her, she gave a surprised squeak before sending Bucky a thumbs up. As she reached Steve, her brother asked if she was okay and she chuckled.

"Do you really think I'd be anything but okay with Bucky up there watching my back?"

Steve grinned and ushered her inside, revealing a HYDRA soldier lying on the floor, blood gushing from his chest.

"We need him alive. He had documents on him that suggests he knows more."

Beth nodded and crouched next to the soldier, who looked at her with a defiance she hadn't expected. She soon realised why when she looked at his wound and saw a shard of glass had pierced his skin, entering his heart. If she left it in, he'd die in a few moments. Any attempt to remove it and he'd last seconds at most. She stood, shaking her head at Steve.

"He's beyond anything I can do. I'm sorry."

He looked downcast but still gave her a thankful smile as they walked outside to join the others. Beth heard a noise behind her and turned to see the solider drop to the ground, a bullet hole in his forehead. When Bucky ran over to them a few moments later, he was grinning and swooped in to kiss Beth.

"I love this rifle. This rifle is now and forever my lucky charm because it let me save your life twice." He gushed as he let her go.

Beth giggled and pulled him in for another kiss, showing him how much she appreciated the saves.

30th April 1944, Randers, Denmark.

Bucky was nervous. Scrap that, he was terrified. For the first time since they grouped together, he was the one at the vantage point with the Johnson rifle that was now officially his and Beth was the one on the ground, taking part in the close combat. Not being close to her was putting him on edge and it took everything not to march down there and drag her away. He was also angry with everyone. This mission had been planned for weeks, yet he'd only been informed that morning of the part of the plan involving Beth. The building could be accessed through a series of pipes and after surveillance revealed them to be too small for the men to climb through, Beth had volunteered. Steve agreed only because she'd proven herself as capable as any of them, but she'd made them promise not to tell Bucky as she knew he would have the strongest reaction. She was right; he'd all but screamed at her that morning and as she left to complete her part of the mission, he hadn't failed to notice she was on the verge of tears.

"Dam it." he growled when there was no sign of anybody five minutes after the time they were supposed to return.

He waited another five minutes before standing, the blast from the building exploding sending him back to the ground with a thump. He scrambled up once more, his heart stopping. That hadn't been part of the plan. He was about to run to the site when he heard laughter coming towards him. Less than a minute later, the team appeared and he glared darkly at them as they approached, Dum Dum ruffling a grinning Beth's hair. She herself seemed unharmed until she turned, revealing a black eye that had his teeth gritting. The smiles on their faces dropped one by one as they caught site of Bucky's expression and he flung an arm out angrily at the burning building behind him.

"Care to explain that!?" he yelled, face red with anger.

Slowly, they all looked at Dernier, who simply shrugged.

"Boom. Fun." He said after a moment.