Chapter 15. Cause and Effect

December 1944

The file sat on Steven Grant's desk, the final page with the words, Daniel Jordan Sousa, date of death 07-22-1955, staring at him. What was he going to do? He had promised to give the man his SHIELD file from the future, letting him be in control of his own destiny, just as he had told the man he was sending him back to the 28th Infantry Regiment, his old unit. Yet, something in Grant's conscience didn't want to do that, didn't want to send the man to a situation where he would lose his leg. Even though Sousa survived the wound that took his leg, and rarely let it affect his work after, it always marked him as being "less than," and Grant knew how that felt having grown up feeling that every day until the moment he stepped out of the chamber in the lab in Brooklyn.

In for a penny, in for a pound. That was the saying. In the 21st century they said it a different way. Going all in. But this was a man whose future was known, a man who made a difference. If Grant interfered with it, even to keep the man whole, was he jeopardizing the good work that Sousa would do? If he got rid of HYDRA the way he planned, then Sousa's future was already different. SHIELD would be a different entity than it was in his time. It would be cleaner, intact, not rotten from the inside out because he wouldn't let it happen. Corporal Rose had also brought up a valid point. Their association was to keep things balanced, kintalo. For every single thing that they changed in this timeline, something in this one had to change in the opposite way, or stay the same, to balance it out. His biggest fear was that if he kept Sousa with the Phantom Patrol, then he might not be able to prevent Bucky's fall, and that had been one of his primary goals right from the start. He closed Sousa's file, staring at the Manila folder.

The knock on his door jamb interrupted his thoughts and he looked up to see Sousa waiting. Gesturing to the chair he invited the Lieutenant in. The younger man's eyes noticed the folder and his eyes grew big as he sat.

"Is that it?" he said. "Information from my future?"

"Yeah, it is," replied Grant. "Still debating about whether to give it to you, even though I said I would. We've had a good run of successes, but I worry that our luck will run out. If I give you this, it might be tempting fate to reassert itself. You're too good of a man for that. So, it's your decision whether you want to take the file or leave it. I'm not going to make that choice. It's also your choice whether to stay with us or go back to the 28th."

Sousa nodded and sat back in the chair, his eyes still on the file. He took several deep breaths as he contemplated his decision.

"I'll go back to the 28th," he said. "I'll take the file with me. I know a little about messing with the natural order of things. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree and took some literature courses. Interfering with fate is a common literary theme and it usually comes with a cost. What you've done already has made a difference for so many people. What you want to accomplish in the future is important and I don't want to be an impediment to that. Like you said before, at some point in the future we'll meet again and we'll either have a drink together or I'll punch you. I accept whatever is to come for me and will hold no grudge against you if things don't go my way."

He stood up, drawing himself up to his full height, then saluted Grant, who returned the salute. Next, he offered his hand to the superior officer, and the two men shook hands. Reaching for the folder, Sousa picked it up and tucked it under his arm.

"It's been a privilege, Steven," he said. "You are a superior officer and a true gentleman."

"The privilege was mine, Daniel," replied Grant. "Your travel orders are at the secretary's desk. Good luck."

It was done, the decision made, and Daniel Sousa's life would either follow the same trajectory it did before, or it wouldn't. Either way, it was his life to live, the decisions would be his. It felt like a big weight was lifted from Steven's shoulders and he sat back, tossing his pen on the other paperwork that lay on his desk. There was nothing there that couldn't wait for a short time. Standing up, the special agent took his overcoat from the coat rack and put it on, stepping out into the blustery winter day at the base. Checking his watch, he headed towards the infirmary, but Eva wasn't there, having gone over to the lab. He walked over there, dodging a couple of snowballs that missed their original targets.

"Sorry sir!"

A young soldier apologized for almost hitting him, and for a moment Grant thought it was Peter Parker, doing a double take then breathing again when he saw it wasn't the young Avenger.

"No problem," he answered, as he stopped. "What's your name, soldier? You're new here?"

"Fitzpatrick, sir," he replied, approaching. "William Fitzpatrick, Private. Just arrived yesterday but couldn't resist the snow. Reminded me of home."

"Where's that, Fitzpatrick?" asked Grant, still feeling like he knew this young soldier.

"Queens. You're from Brooklyn, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I guess enough of my accent comes out from time to time." Grant smiled. "You remind me of another young man I knew from Queens."

"Yeah? What's his name? Maybe I know him."

"Parker, Peter Parker," said the older man. "He'd be in college now. What unit are you with?" The young man showed him his shoulder patch. "101st Airborne. Tough unit."

"It was hard but I'm ready to get my hands dirty," smiled the young man. "Have you seen much action?"

"A fair share," admitted Grant. "I'm with the Phantom Patrol, so I go where the larger units don't."

The young man's eyes grew large. "Wow! I've heard a little about your unit, even though we're told not to talk about you. Loose lips and all that. You're legends, along with the Howling Commandos."

"I guess," he replied, blushing a little. "Well, Fitzpatrick. I'm looking for someone and I better get back on the hunt. When you get over to Europe, do me a favour. It's okay to be afraid but trust your squad to watch your six, like you watch theirs. Keep your head down and your wits about you. If you can do that you'll come out of this okay."

"Yes sir, thank you sir," said the young man. He leaned forward. "If you're not in uniform, am I supposed to salute you?"

Grant grinned as the similarities with Parker were so evident. This Fitzpatrick had to be Peter's grandfather, maybe even his great grandfather. He just had to be.

"No, I don't wear a uniform even though I have a rank," he said. "Officially, I'm a Major, but I go by Special Agent Grant. I will shake your hand, though."

Fitzpatrick stuck his out there and the two men shook hands. With a wave, Grant kept on towards the lab while the young man, barely out of high school, watched him leave. The other soldier in the snowball fight came up to him and watched Grant.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"A legend," said Fitzpatrick. "I just shook hands with Captain America's older brother."

Grant almost stopped dead in his tracks as he heard that comment just before he entered the lab. As rumours went there were worse things that could be said about him. With a grin he entered the lab, stopping when he saw Eva as she and Dr. Erskine were both looking at a vial of blue serum. They heard him come in and both of them greeted him with a smile.

"Steven," smiled Dr. Erskine. "What good timing. I think we've done it." He held up the vial. "The first one. More will be ready within weeks, but this one vial appears to match the formula that worked on young Steve."

"That's great news," he said. "You have a secure place to store it?"

"Yes, very secure," answered the older doctor. "Only you know about it, other than us. I will inform General Phillips when he returns to the base, as well as Captain Rogers. Once we get the other vials synthesized, we can test the four pilots if they agree. If it boosts their powers, then we can offer it to Corporal Bradley and Sergeant Barnes to stabilize their transformation."

"We wanted a serum that works without the radiation," said Eva. "It is easier on the body and less frightening a process."

"Probably a good idea," he agreed. "Dr. Erskine, may I have a private moment with Dr. Waslewski?"

The older man smiled as he saw the way the two looked at each other. It was well known they were involved but it had been kept very private and low key since June, when it began.

"Ja, of course," he said. "I'm going to put this in the vault."

They watched him go to the vault that was attached to the lab, dialing the combination on two separate dials then pulling on the handle, opening it. The vault, built with the input of expert safecracker Private Benjamin Rumlow was almost guaranteed 100% secure. Almost, because Rumlow said guys like him were always looking for ways to crack safes like this. As Erskine disappeared inside the couple kissed and hugged.

"Everything alright?" she asked.

"Lt. Sousa is going back to the 28th," said Grant. "He took the file with him. I didn't touch it, made it his decision. Whatever happens to him now is supposed to happen."

"That's good," she said. "I hope he comes through it okay. Howard Stark is supposed to be arriving soon. We received word this morning." Grant made a face. "You don't like him?"

"I'm biased against him," he explained. "In my time, and still in this time, he's preoccupied with hitting on women, making a dollar, and coming up with incredible inventions. I was friends with his son in the future and Howard wasn't the best father. From what I hear his own father was quite the bastard. Sorry, language. Tony was much like him in many ways but softened when he had his own daughter."

"So, I should be on my guard, is that what you're saying?" She smiled as he put his arms around her.

"You're much too old for him," grinned Steve, cringing when she hit him lightly on the arm. "Not for me. For me, you're perfect."

"There you are," said a voice and they both turned to see Howlett entering the lab. "Just got word from the partisans. They located that lab in Croatia. It's near Zagreb and they're using Romani as test subjects. Should I call our squad together?"

"Yes," answered Grant. "I'll be right there." He looked apologetically at Eva. "Sorry, about this evening."

"Never apologize for doing what is right," she said. "Good luck, darling."

"I'll see you soon, sweetheart," he replied, kissing her firmly, before running out of the lab.

They didn't see each other for another two weeks, as the lab was so well hidden and heavily guarded that it took them forever to hike in and infiltrate it. After freeing the prisoners being used as test subjects, they placed the demolition charges and buried the lab under the side of the mountain it was built into. When the Phantom Patrol returned on December 23rd so had the Howling Commandos from their extended mission.

Christmas was quite the raucous affair, full of laughter, music and dancing. Stark, who didn't make a pass at Dr. Waslewski, came and went, pleased that the serum had been successfully synthesized. After hanging out for Christmas dinner he flew back to New York. There was a dance after Christmas in the nearby town that many of the unattached men went to. Although Bucky went, he only danced a few times with several different women, returning back to the base after as he was still affected by the death of Vera Boswick. He had become friends with Lt. Hay, but her fiancé had leave so she went to London to be with him. A package was on his bunk when he walked in the barracks.

"They were late in being delivered," said Howlett, sitting on his bed, playing cards with Dum Dum and Bradley while they ate cookies. "Dugan's wife sent a whole bunch of baking."

"And pictures of the kids," said the big man. "My daughter Bridget is a real beauty. Dark haired and green eyed like her mam. I'm going to have beat off the boys when she gets older."

"It's from my family," said Bucky, picking up the package and pulling his pen knife out to cut the string.

He cut through the sticky tape under the brown paper and opened the box, taking a tin out and opening it to reveal clumps of cake that had fallen apart in transport. He still picked up a piece and tasted it, nodding his head at the flavour. There were cookies, fudge, and small popcorn balls with colored bits of dried fruit in them. Bucky grimaced as they were rock hard. It was the thought that counted. There were also half a dozen pairs of socks, clean underwear, several pairs of winter gloves, and handkerchiefs. At the bottom was a photograph of his parents and his sister, then a Christmas card with a letter in it. He looked at the card, smiling at the scene then opened the letter and began to read it. The other soldiers watched as he read, seeing the play of emotions over the younger man's face.

"Everything okay?" asked Bradley.

"Yeah," smiled Bucky. "One of my old girlfriends, Connie, got married, to a guy who was 4F, bad eyesight and asthma. Other than that, it's a list of who's MIA, who's KIA, and who's expecting a baby, even though their husband is over here." He sighed. "Life goes on over there and I miss it. I feel like my whole life is on hold because of this war."

"You gotta have a plan, Bucky," said Dum Dum. "You're young enough to go to school on the GI Bill when you get back. With all the extra training and advanced math and physics you took to become a sniper you could handle college easily."

"I suppose," said Bucky. "I wanted to go to college before the war but didn't have the dough. Part of me wants to open a garage as I like working on motors. Kept old Betsy running, didn't I?"

The other three men smiled. Bucky's work on the beat-up motorcycle was a source of discussion with a lot of them. The motor pool wanted to use her for parts, but Bucky wouldn't give her up, saying he could keep her going. It took Special Agent Grant's intervention to keep their motor pool sergeant at bay as he wanted to repossess the old motorcycle. Apparently, he was getting heat from the officer at HQ in charge of the motor pools at the nearby bases.

"Excuse me, Sergeant Howlett?" All four men looked at the private in the barracks doorway. "Is Special Agent Grant around?"

"He's out for the evening," said Howlett.

"There's a message for him, marked Urgent but not Secret," said the young private who worked in the communications hut. "They're waiting for an answer."

Bucky looked at Howlett. Now that Sousa was gone, he was next in the chain of command for the Phantom Patrol.

"Give it to me," said the older Sergeant, extending his hand. The private gave him the slip of paper and waited. Opening it he read the note, his face grim. "Lt. Sousa is MIA. The siege on the 101st Airborne was just broken but the 28th Infantry is scattered, and they don't where he is." He looked at the private. "Acknowledge receipt and tell them a reply will come as soon as possible."

He got up and reached into his locker for more clothing.

"Where are you going?" asked Bucky.

"Grant and Dr. Waslewski went to the Cotswolds," said Howlett. "I have a phone number, but I'll have to use a public phone off the base, so I don't go through the base exchange. He ... doesn't want any gossip going around about her."

"Wait," said Bucky. "I know one of the operators. If she's on duty I can keep her occupied while you make your call. What's the number?"

Howlett gave it to him, and Bucky headed over to the switchboard office with Dum Dum while Bradley stayed behind. When Bucky looked inside in the small room, he saw it was the woman he knew. Signalling Dum Dum, he stepped inside the office and loudly entered.

"You are on duty!" he exclaimed as he stood next to the switchboard where Private May Dyson was on duty. "Damn, here I thought I would just confirm you were free and ask if you wanted to go for a drink."

"Bucky," said May, taking her headset off. "I haven't seen you in a long time. How are you doing?" The sound of a ring interrupted them, and she put her headset on. "Number please." She repeated it to the caller. "Hold on and I'll connect you to the local exchange." She waited for it to be picked up then connected the two lines and took her headset off, looking up at the handsome Sergeant, glad to see he was getting back into circulation. "Now where were we?"

He sat on the edge of the desk, close enough for her to feel like all of his attention was on her. Lazily, he picked up her hand, stroking the fingers gently.

"Well, I was hoping to have a Christmas drink with you," he said. "What time are you off duty?"

"Not until morning," she said, slowly pulling her hand out of his. "Then I'm on leave. Some of us are going to London. You're on leave, aren't you? The Howling Commandos only got back the other day."

"I'd love to spend a few days in London with you but we're training for another mission all this coming week until the New Year," he said, trying to inject a level of disappointment into his voice. "Maybe we can arrange something for after that mission. Sorry, doll."

She pouted then smiled when Dum Dum appeared.

"Sarge, that intelligence came in on the next mission," he said, nodding at the young woman before placing his attention back on Bucky. "Private Dyson. Sergeant Howlett figured you'd want to go over it with him."

"Duty calls," said Bucky, picking her hand up again and kissing the knuckle. "Have a great time in London, May. Good hunting. Maybe you'll find a rich baron looking for a cute wife."

She laughed then picked up her headset, hoping to listen in on the rest of the conversation on the last call she connected. Recognizing it as a Cotswold exchange, she knew several officers liked to take their girlfriends to swanky little hotels there, out of reach of their jobs and their wives. Unfortunately, whoever placed the call had already disconnected and she pulled the plugs out. Maybe next time she wouldn't be interrupted.

It was several days later, after Grant returned, that he received an update from a captain in the 101st Airborne that they went looking for survivors near Bastogne in an area that had been held by the enemy. They found Lt. Sousa, with a severe leg injury that required surgery along with an injured Sgt. Stephens, shot several times. Both men were expected to live, although Sousa's injury was enough to ship him home. He would keep his leg.

January 1945

On New Year's Day they received word from the Resistance in Austria that a HYDRA train, known to be used in transporting Dr. Arnim Zola and equipment between bases had been seen speeding from a base in Austria towards the Balkans, presumably to pick up the doctor to return him. As they set up a zip line over the most accessible part of the route the Howling Commandos were airlifted to the closest drop point near that spot. Three of them would take the zip line down to the travelling train during a very narrow 10 second window when it was passing by. There wasn't time for any others to take the trip. Cap, Jones, and Falsworth were chosen for the mission. The rest of the squad, once the three were safely on the train, would be transported to a rendezvous point further along the line.

Cap went first, followed immediately by Jones. Falsworth grasped the handle on the pulley and just as he jumped lost his grip, causing him to fall at the precipice they were on, desperately hanging on to the rocky edge. Before anyone could say anything, Bucky leaped for the handle of the pulley before it moved any further away from them, rocketing down the zip line, landing on the train just before the end of the last car. As the others helped Falsworth climb back up to safety Morita turned the radio to an emergency frequency and sent a coded message that three of the Commandos had made it onto the train, Dancing Monkey, Black Beauty, and Blue Boxer. A message was received immediately by him asking for confirmation and he sent it, knowing that Bucky was never supposed to be on the train. They packed up the radio and hiked down to where the partisans had a truck to begin the journey towards a bridge where they would rendezvous with the hijacked train.

As Bucky landed on the last train car, he released the handle and stepped quickly onto the moving train. Catching up to the other two he knew that Steve would be angry, but he also knew there was no one else that could have reacted as quickly as he could. As Steve turned around and saw him, he yelled at his friend.

"Where's Falsworth?"

"Lost his grip," Bucky yelled back. "I just made it in time." Steve glared at him. "I know, I know but what else could I do? You need three for this."

"You stay with me," demanded Steve. "No going off on your own!"

Bucky shrugged, knowing what could happen but not wanting to think of it. As Gabe continued on top towards the front of the train Steve and Bucky got inside at the nearest door. They entered the dark interior of the steel walled car and began walking towards the cab of the train, both of them alert to the sounds of anyone approaching from from in front or behind them. A sound from behind made Bucky hesitate while Steve was still advancing. Suddenly, a barrier closed between them, separating them from each other. HYDRA soldiers appeared from the end of each car, opening fire on the two soldiers. Bucky took cover from the two firing on him while Steve advanced on the enemy soldier in his car, deflecting the blue pulses firing from the enemy's gun with his shield before knocking the man down. Using the HYDRA weapon to blow a hole in the end of his car he ran back to get the door open in order to help Bucky who was still taking fire from one of the enemy soldiers. Seeing that his friend was out of bullets Steve opened the door, tossed Bucky his pistol and jumped in, drawing the enemy into a position where Bucky could fire on him.

"That was close," said Bucky.

"You think?"

Steve patted his friend on the shoulder then began moving towards the opening again. Suddenly, the man that Steve had knocked down in the other car appeared in the doorway, charging his weapon up. Pushing Bucky aside, Steve took the force of the pulse on his shield, deflecting it into the side of the car where it blew a hole through the metal like it was paper. Bucky picked up the shield as Steve lay dazed on the other side of the car. Firing at the enemy soldier while holding the shield for protection, Bucky emptied the chamber then was hit by another blue pulse which knocked him out the hole in the side of the train.

"Bucky!" Steve screamed, then in a fury ran at the HYDRA soldier while throwing the shield at him, knocking him out.

Getting back to the hole he looked out, remembering what Steven Grant told him of how his Bucky held on to a handle on the panel that was still attached to the outside of the train. But when he looked Bucky wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere. The handle was still on the side of the car, intact.

"FUCK!"

He screamed it over and over, blaming himself. Then he was filled with a fury that he had never felt before and picked up his shield. Advancing towards the front of the train he beat down any enemy soldier that appeared in his path, not caring if they lived or died. They were just obstacles in his way towards the cab, to where the man who had hurt his friend was. Zola would pay.

By the time he entered the cab, Gabe had the train's engineer and Dr. Zola under guard. Without hesitating Steve walked over and hit the diminutive doctor. Standing over him as Zola bled on the floor of the cab from a cut on his head, Steve was tempted to finish the job.

"Where's Sarge?" asked Gabe. "Cap? Where's Sarge?"

"Gone," was the reply. He looked at the engineer. "Stop the train at the next bridge crossing or so help me God, I will splatter your brains over the inside of this cab." Zola started to say something, and Steve picked the man up by his collar. "Shut your fucking mouth, you HYDRA worm."

Five minutes later the engineer slowed the train down then stopped it where the bridge passed over a road. They waited for a signal from the Commandos then ordered the engineer and Zola out of the cab. When they got to the truck, the others looked fearfully at their Captain.

"Send the signal that we have Zola and an engineer. Tell them Blue Boxer fell. It's up to the Patrol now."

At an American held airfield near Rome, Italy, Steven Grant waited at the communications hut for the next coded message. Even though he had ordered Bucky to stay off the train, making sure that Steve Rogers knew what could happen if his friend boarded, he had feared this day. The Ancient One had said that his early arrival would change things and he had worried that it meant Bucky would still fall, despite all of his efforts. Convincing General Phillips that it would be prudent to be on standby in Italy he and his squad had flown there as soon as the Howling Commandos were on their way to Austria. When it turned out that his fears were realized by the decoded message saying Blue Boxer fell, it felt like all of the air had been sucked out of the room, just by what was written on that slip of paper. He stepped out to where Howlett was waiting in a Jeep.

"Airfield," he said tersely. "We have an air drop into a narrow chasm in Austria. Two days is all we have to get to him. If we don't find him in that time HYDRA will find him and they will take him to finish the job."

The Sergeant said nothing, just drove as quickly as he could to where their aircraft was. The rest of the squad was waiting for him, having spent the time loading supplies onto the aircraft. When the Jeep got close, they began entering the aircraft, not waiting for the order. The pilots, Murphy and Costello, had the engines started within seconds. As soon as the door was closed, they began taxiing to the runway and then took off for the planned four-hour flight, to be followed by a parachute drop into enemy held territory, then letting the aircraft crash as both pilots were jumping as well to boost their contingent.

During the flight little was said while Grant and Howlett pinpointed their drop target. An hour away from the drop everyone was told to gear up. Grant spared no detail as he told them where they were going and what they were doing. They could expect to fight their way in to where Sergeant Barnes fell and to fight their way out towards Italy, to an enemy airfield near Trieste where they would steal an airplane and fly to Rome. It would take four days if all went well, longer if it didn't. After he briefed them, Grant felt inside his combat gear for the small box he had in an inside pocket. It was the single vial of serum. Although he knew that Bucky would likely survive the fall, he also knew the HYDRA serum was imperfect. There was no telling if he actually would survive the journey to safety, especially now that this timeline had changed. The vial would buy him time until they could get him to Rome. When the pilots found the landmarks ahead where it was believed Bucky had fallen Grant tapped their shoulders. He took over the controls while they got their parachutes on. The order was given for the squad to drop, then Howlett came for him, helping him tie off the controls. Both men made their way to the back of the airplane and jumped out the back door into mountains. Minutes later, the aircraft was destroyed as it crashed into the rocky face of a mountain in the Alps.