1943

Elise Baker wrote as fast as her fingers allowed her. The pen's sound scratching the paper echoed inside her tent. Outside she could hear the drops hitting the ground. Soon it would be muddy and the shoes would get dirty. Screams, deafening voices and the rhythmical drumming of the soldiers' boots while they were following their superior. Elise thought that something might have happened if they were ordered to run in the rain. But she understood.

Everybody was nervous those days.

The following day, the new group formed by Steve Rogers knew as the Howling Commandos were sent to a new mission to sabotage a new Hydra operation. The group was created after Rogers had freed those soldiers, who were considered MIA* by Colonel Phillips when they were captured by the Nazis. Thanks to her friend Peggy and Howard Stark, Steve saved them, creating the group. They had fought and sabotaged several operations at that moment.

Elise stopped writing and read the text one more time, comparing it to the original. When she was sure everything was correct and nothing could be misunderstood, stood up and crossed the muddy field, arriving at the Colonel's tend where he was discussing some technical aspects with Steve Rogers and his right-hand, James Barnes.

"Ah, Miss Baker" Colonel greeted her and Elise smiled politely, holding the paper. Phillips raised an eyebrow and took it, beginning to read it. "Is it the translation?"

"Yes, Colonel"

"Thank you, miss. You can leave now and get some rest. Everybody will need it" Elise nodded and turned, walking towards the tend's exit. She smiled and winked Steve before leaving, not even noticing Bucky's look, fixed on her.

She ran and closed her tend just to find Peggy Carter near her pallet, which had a thin mattress and an old blanket. Her friend was smiling but Elise, who knew her, noticed her nervousness. Peggy was playing all the time with her fingers or a lock of her hair. She opened widely her eyes as she saw Elise arriving completely soaked.

"My dear!" Peggy exclaimed, closing the tend so nobody could see them. "You'll get influenza if you don't change your clothes immediately"

Elise obeyed and changed her brown two-piece suit, the same as Peggy. She wore a shirt and trousers and sat down on the mattress, covering Peggy and herself with the blanket. Everybody there hated that weather. It was cold, rainy and foggy sometimes. Heat was something impossible to get.

"Steve was with Phillips"

"I know. I saw him and Bucky"

"Have you talked to him?" Peggy smiled slightly and Elise sighed, shaking her head.

"You should. Now that he'll leave..."

"I know" Peggy said sharply even though suddenly her expression changed. "I'm sorry, Elise. I'm just frightened. I won't be able to help them as I'm not allowed to go to the battlefield"

"We do our jobs here, Peg"

"Yeah, I'm sure they would like to send us to somewhere where we couldn't bother, being secretaries or housewives"she bit her red lips, always wearing that lipstick. "I'm not saying that's bad. Of course not! But it's not for me"

"I know" Elise grabbed her friend's shoulder and laughed. "Do you remember when we were kids and fought all the time?"

"And our mothers always wanted us to be ladies" Peggy laughed too.

They passed their time laughing and telling anecdotes they had lived and knew by heart, but that was what they needed. Rain stopped and Elise was narrating the time she had spilled her tea on her new dress and her mother almost fainted when Sergeant James Barnes entered inside the tend. Peggy and Elise stopped laughing suddenly and both looked at the man who was there waiting to be invited.

"I believe I must go" Peggy said raising an eyebrow and smirking to her friend. "Maybe Colonel Phillips need something"

"Steve was looking for you, Ma'am"

"Thanks, Sergeant Barnes" she said, leaving the tend.

Elise stood up holding the blanket around her and smiled to Bucky, who was still looking at her, seriousness painted on his face.

"May I offer you something to drink, Sergeant? I have..."She put a finger on her lips, as she was really thinking. "Water that may cause us some disease..."Bucky tried to hide a smile and turned his head, avoiding Elise's eyes. "No? I'm sorry, Sergeant. I don't have whisky like the bar where we met"

Bucky spinned his head brusquely, fixing his blue eyes on the young agent who was covering herself with a frayed blanket and smiling. He took a step and walked until he was near Elise.

"Do you remember that night?"

"That awful night?" Elise laughed and moved to her bed again, sitting on it and curled up. "Of course. I remember that rude man calling me dolland offering me a dance" Bucky ran his hand through his short brown hair, biting his bottom lip, trying not to laugh with her.

"Yeah, I wasn't a gentleman, was I?" She shook her haid, her face being a reflection of seriousness. Bucky sighed and smiled, approaching her bed and bowed down. "I'm sorry, lady Baker for my behaviour"

Elise looked at him completely shocked, not being able to discern if he was kidding or not. Several seconds passed before both roared with laughter. Bucky sat on the ground and Elise hold her stomach, feeling tears on her eyes. They continued laughing until both were crying. Elise took the blanket and tried to clean her eyes, but Bucky raised his left hand, wiping her tears away with his thumb.

"Thank you" she muttered and he nodded in silence.

Their relationship was being build slowly. Elise wasn't impressed by James Barnes. She had seen him as a man who wanted all the girls and none. And obviously, Elise Baker wouldn't be his doll or whatever. The next time they had seen each other, she was by Peggy's side when her friend was ordering the soldiers Colonel Phillips' instructions. Bucky had looked at her and winked. Elise had remained silent and cold.

It wasn't until one night they were near a fire when they held a real conversation. Steve was in his tend as Peggy was in hers and they were both alone. Bucky had asked her about her family, but she didn't say anything about that. Instead, Elise asked him about his early life and his friendship with Steve. He noticed her mistrust, but didn't say anything. He was willing to show her the real James Buchanan Barnes, even though he had to wait.

"Elise...why are you here?" Bucky said after their fits of laughter had finished.

"I don't understand" she said looking at him. Her eyes had a mixed colour between brown and green.

"I mean...sometimes you do one thing...then you change..."

"Well, um...I usually work with languages. That's why I went to the Colonel's tend. I was translating the last German message we had received so..."She shrugged, putting a lock of hair behind her ear.

"How many languages do you speak?"

"Six" Elise laughed when she saw Bucky's face. "English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and a bit of Russian"

"Wow, I mean...I can barely speak English!" they both laughed again and Bucky muttered something she couldn't hear. He fixed her eyes on her again, smiling. "Why are you here?"

"I've met Peggy for ages, so when she began to work as an agent she heard that they needed somebody who could work with languages..."

"And here you are" Bucky finished her sentences and Elise nodded. "What did your family say?"

"My mother was terrified. She told me to be a nurse if I wanted to help people, but I couldn't. My father died in the Great War when I was a child, so I don't remember him"

"I'm sorry"

"Don't be"

They kept quiet until Steve's voice was heard, calling his best friend. Bucky stood up and went to the exit of the tend. Before leaving, he turned his head and looked at Elise who was still sitting on the bed.

"May I ask you a favour, Miss Baker?"

"Elise" they both smiled and Bucky continued speaking.

"When we met you said that I had to write a lot of letters to girls but...Actually I don't" Elise frowned, unaware of what was he trying to say. Bucky blamed himself and cleaned his throat. "As long as this continues...may I write you?"

Elise felt her cheeks blushing and she laughed nervously. After a few minutes in which she hesitated, she nodded and could see his smile spread across his face, before leaving. Elise couldn't avoid laughing again and shook his head, lying on her bed.

Present

"Miss Baker?"

"Hhm? What...?" Alice woke up and looked around her. It was an almost empty room, spacious with her own living room and kitchen. She yawned and rubbed her eyes before hearing that voice again.

"Miss Baker"

"Oh!" she remembered and scratched her neck, non used to that technology. "Good...evening?, Jarvis"

"It's 19.30, Miss Baker. Miss Potts told me to wake you up when dinner was ready, but before going to the dinning room, Mr. Stark wanted to see you. He is in the lab. I could guide you, Miss"

"Thank you, JARVIS. That, um...would be useful, actually" she said smiling shyly and taking a sweatshirt. Her room was frozen and it seemed that she had forgotten to close the window. She did it and followed the voice's instruction until she reached a door.

"He's inside, Miss Baker"

"Alice, please"

She opened the door and something caught her eye, making her to bow and lay on the floor. Alice heard how an unknown object smashed the wall behind her and broke up. Her eyes scanned the large room and found a man with a red suit made of iron that she knew perfectly.

"Tony!" She shouted, disgusted and the man stopped shooting flying objects. Alice waited until several robotic arms took the armour piece by piece and she saw Tony Stark.

"Alice!"She ran into his arms and he hugged her tightly. "I barely recognise you. Where's the girl that used to play with my tools?"

"That girl disappeared some years ago, Tony" she rolled her eyes and laughed, walking with him and suddenly she screamed. "You keep it!"

The little useless robot tried to clean the mess Tony had done with no results. Alice knew sometimes it could be exasperating, but also knew that he would never get rid of it. They both walked to the living room where it could be heard the voices of the others Avengers. Tony didn't keep quiet and bombared her with questions she answered vaguely. When they arrived, everybody was sat around a large table. They all kept silence as they turned their head to stare Alice.

"Where's Capsicle?" Tony said after Alice had introduced herself.

"He was coming" Nat replied rolling her spaghetti with his fork.

Minutes later, the door opened and Steve Rogers came into the room. Before sitting between Clint and Bruce, he stopped walking, staring rudely at Alice, who looked away, feeling uncomfortable. The atmosphere filled with tension as everybody waited until one of them made a movement. Steve seemed frozen (Tony could have made a joke with this) and Alice didn't want to look at him, not being able to understand what was happening. Then, he opened his mouth.

"Elise" Steve whispered and she moved her head towards him quickly. She shook her head and suddenly, something rang a bell.

"My grandmother" Alice answered softly as she saw him sitting down, just opposite to her. Steve seemed astonished and not being able to speak. "Of course. I'm silly. You're Captain America"

"Capsicle, as his friends call him"

"Tony" Pepper warned him and he raised his hands, eating again.

Steve blushed as he understood what was happening and smiled, apologising. He began to eat and didn't say a word. Soon, the living room was full of laughs and anecdotes and Alice answered all the questions she received politely. After the dinner, she decided to get some fresh air. Outside, in the balcony, Steve was leaned on the railing, looking at the stars. Alice cleaned her throat and the man turned back, staring at her. She smiled and leaned by his side.

"I would like to apologise, Miss Baker. What happened before..."

"Don't worry. I understand" She cut him and Steve raised an eyebrow. "Did you meet her? My grandmother, Elise"

"Yes. Elise Baker" His voice was tinged with sadness and melancholy. "She was an Agent and worked with us. My team, I mean"

"The Howling Commandos" Alice said laughing softly. "She was always speaking about that"

"Good things, I hope"

"The best" She replied smiling and sighed. Steve turned his head and looked at her carefully. "What?"

"I...I...I am so sorry, Miss. It's just...the similarity is just..."

"I know. Everybody said that I looked like her daughter instead of her granddaughter"

They remained silent enjoying the views the Avengers' tower provided. Alice could see all the buildings being lighted on and wondered who lived there, imagining their stories. Steve was also lost in his own thoughts, all the memories coming to his mind as he remembered his early life during the II World War. All the things that happened there: The experiment with the serum, how he had saved his mates...everything.

"Is she alive?"

Alice shook her head.

"She died six years ago, when I was seventeen. Howard Stark took care of me and my education. Tony is like a brother to me" Alice smiled as she remembered her childhood and teenage years. "They were good friends"

"I know. Howard helped me to save my friends"

"I hope one day you tell me your stories, Mr. Rogers" she said with her voice full of amusement. "I'd like to know everything"

"Whenever you want, um..."

"Alice, please" She raised her hand and Steve took it, feeling her warmth and seeing Elise in Alice's smile.

"Alice. It'll be a pleasure"

"How's Peggy?"

"She..."Steve's smile was frozen and he sighed. "She is fine, I think. Sometimes she can't remember things and...she thinks that we're in the forties again and I came back to dance with her. "He made a pause and continued, his eyes unfocused as he was lost in his memories. "I promised her a dance"

"Elise told me. She told me plenty of things about you, Peggy, and Bucky. He died, didn't he?"

Steve didn't answer her and murmured an apologise before leaving the balcony, with a surprised Alice looking at him carefully.

The man walked looking around him. He would be mad, but he knew they were coming to get him. And he wouldn't return to that. Not again. Not after all the things he had done all those years.

Memories passed inside his brain, unconnected. He wasn't able to remember although he had tried. The only thing he had in his mind was that biography written in the museum and that blonde man.

"Bucky?"He had said.

"Who the hell is Bucky?"