With lingering gazes out of sight along with a smile or two, the couple were distracted of their daydreams from last night during the plane ride, while Audrey distracted herself by taking notes of how the plane performed after she did the check-over last night, and so, within a few hours, in perhaps around 10 o'clock, the plane landed in Toulouse, in the base which Steve was glad, happy to know that he can hang around in the planned two weeks between missions with his brother to play games and such since Bucky is stationed here for his rest/leave time between missions with the Rangers, or with Steve.
General Phillips glanced at Steve, "Your next mission will be acknowledged tomorrow. You have today to acclimate to the base schedule and all like the others.", as the plane unloaded, and Steve nodded, "Yes, sir. I'll get back into training today, sir. Can't afford to be rusty, sir.".
"Very good, Rogers. Dismissed. Carter, you take Ramirez to the mechanic in charge of this base, and then get back to me on inquiring up reports about the news from the front lines and such.", Phillips ordered.
Peggy nodded, "Yes, of course, General.", and so, it went on as a usual day, with Audrey managing to impress some mechanics yet making other mechanics jealous, taking up some orders from the boss mechanic of the new base on some damaged Jeeps and a couple of bikes, including Steve's wicked upgraded Harley bike that he stole from a Hydra patrol who happened to have stolen it from someone in up north of France.
Bucky, on a break from training and catching up with Steve including learning the devastating news of Peggy's miscarriage, and some innuendos of them moving on by trying again last night, headed into one of the hangers, to the bike section, seeing someone fiddling under Steve's beloved bike, not knowing that it's a nearly grown woman, assuming that it's a rookie mechanic, not one of the familiar mechanics he knows here.
Bucky walked in as he glanced around, not really seeing anyone else around, especially Steve before he walked over to the bike and mechanic. "Hey, buddy...", Bucky gave him a small nudge with his foot against the mechanic's leg to get their attention, "I'm looking for a Captain Rogers, you seen him around anywhere? Follow up question, he gives you permission to work on his bike there?".
"First of all, last I saw Captain Rogers, he said that he's heading off to the jogging field. And secondly, he is totally fine with me working on his bike as he absolutely trusts me. So, back off, and I ain't your buddy. You're distracting me from bolting this bike up to standards.", a muffled voice replied.
Bucky said, "No way he gave you permission, rookie! Only me and him gets to work on his bike!", with a huff, and the muffled voice snapped, "You broke my focus! Now I have to adjust the tune-up again!".
"You sure you're a mechanic, rookie? Because it doesn't sound like it.", Bucky replied, and the muffled voice shouted, "Because you're breaking my focus, and I ain't a rookie!", moving from her creeper cart under the motorcycle, "And I'm one of the best damn mechanics! Sexist bastards like you won't take a hint!", revealing herself, armed with a wrench and looking filthy while glaring at Bucky.
Bucky was stunned when he saw the woman; she barely looked older than a high schooler and yet he could easily tell that she had quite a fire in her eyes and had lived through quite a lot with such a young age.
"How... how did you get here?", Bucky asked as she raised an eyebrow before something clicked with her, "Wait, did you say only you and Rogers works on this bike? You aren't Bucky Barnes, are you?".
Bucky nodded, "One and the same...If you know Steve, and you know me as he told you...Are...are you Audrey Ramirez?", as Steve often had recounted about his and Peggy's favorite mechanic and beloved friend from the Atlantis expedition, and yep, he can see her crystal necklace, as he knew that nobody else, from anyone even allied on their side or the enemies aren't able to see the crystal necklaces unless told about the Atlantis expedition which is almost never, and only he was allowed into the secret after he was saved by Jacques, of course, after seeing what he did in healing him.
Audrey smirked, "Yep. Ain't what you expected, hmm? So, you're the brother of Steve, and the stubborn Ranger that got healed up by Jacques. Huh, you ain't what I imagined in my head.", as she walked to one of the toolboxes, searching amongst the tools.
"I could say the same for you; well, maybe not as much. Steve was pretty accurate when he talked about you. A fiery teenage Latina that could pretty much fix anything that needed a motor.", Bucky chuckled as she rolled her eyes when she reached her tools.
Audrey replied, "That's accurate, alright, but no sweet-talking me up, Barnes. You're also a smooth-talking, bragging, and cocky womanizer.", with a scoff, glad that Peggy told her of the flaws about Bucky, and even if he's surprisingly handsome and fit, she ain't giving him an inch!
"Oh, is that what Steve has been telling you about me?", Bucky smirked as he shook his head. Way to be a team player there, Steve. Bucky thought as he followed her around the hanger.
Audrey glanced over, "Nope, Peggy did.", and Bucky widened his eyes. Audrey smirked, and then replied, "No wonder why you are cocky. I don't even see how you can fix this bike better than me.".
Bucky scowled, "Hey! I've been working on this bike for months between me and Steve, and I can do it better than you!", and Audrey raised an eyebrow, "Oh, really? How could you be sure of that if you've been chasing any women every chance you get a night off?".
"You don't even know me!", Bucky proclaimed, and Audrey replied, "I know you enough thanks to Steve and Peggy. And do you want to know what I think? I think you're afraid of losing to a woman, or even a teenage mechanic.", with a smirk.
Bucky bit his lip as he was practically fuming by hearing her say that. It wasn't fully true, was it? He then shook that thought of his mind as he decided to think of something else. "So how exactly do we prove that then?", he asked as she laughed.
"Oh, no, you do not want to get into any sort of fixing contest with me; last thing Steve would want me to do is shatter your pride and practically mess you up in the head. I doubt he'd forgive me if I ended up somehow causing you to get killed out in the field there because I whooped you so bad.", Audrey said.
"I ain't going to be killed like a fool in the field, Ramirez, I ain't dumb, and I can keep my cool, but can you if you lose?", Bucky smirked, and Audrey narrowed her eyes, "I can keep my cool, Barnes! Hmm...", before grinning, "I know sometime a base has an army junkyard. If we find something, fix it up, and get it ready, we can then race in three days' time. But it can't be opposites, like a Jeep to a motorcycle, as that's not fair on all angles.".
Bucky raised an eyebrow, "I can get behind that...And if we win or lose?", and Audrey smirked, "Three choices of suggestions from the audience for our public losses, but if I win, you personally have to stop being a womanizer for a month, both on the base and in the field, that is, if you aren't afraid?".
Bucky shook his head as he smirked. "Not in the slightest.", he told her as she chuckled. Oh, what a fool he was getting into this sort of thing with her. She easily would beat him by a country mile.
Bucky then replied, "And if I win, you personally have to be feminine, and that means wearing dresses, when you come to party for any army victories over missions and such for a month, and it's by my mandatory rule. No overalls and being a tomboy, unless you're afraid too?", with a grin.
Audrey widened her eyes in shock, and Bucky chuckled, glad that along with Steve telling him that she is a feisty teenage Latina, he told Bucky that she's stubborn to stay as a tomboy, and Audrey narrowed her eyes at him before nodding and shot out her hand, "I ain't afraid! Deal?".
Bucky chuckled as he felt confident with things, while Audrey felt the same. Neither of them truly had any idea what they were fully agreeing with there. "So...", Bucky finally said. "I guess I should say this since we've met... but I'm pretty jealous that I missed out on that adventure you went with Steve and Peggy...".
Audrey blinked for a second before nodding, "Oh yeah... to be honest, I nearly didn't come along myself; it should've been my old man considering he was with much of the team that was in Iceland in the first place.".
Bucky raised an eyebrow, "Oh, so he retired?", and Audrey replied, "Basically from expeditions, yes, but not retired yet to keep working in the shop. And before you ask, he ended up with me and my sister, since he originally wanted boys, one to run his shop and one to be wrestling champion.", with a fond smile.
"He changed his mind, huh?", Bucky chuckled, and Audrey grinned, "He's proud of me and my sister, as we got him wrapped around our fingers and all.".
Bucky nodded, "Fair...And your sister?", and Audrey smirked, "First-time champion, and now going for the title a second time. Last I heard was that she won six games so far.".
"Whoa...", Bucky was stunned to hear that. Audrey chuckled, "And that's just my close immediate family. If you ever get the chance to visit Mexico, I'd be glad to show you around, though of course, you'd need to practice speaking the Mexican-Spanish language.".
Bucky nodded, "Fair.", before hearing a bell ring out, and glanced at Audrey, "I better get back to training, and you probably want to finish touching up Steve's bike since I technically caused you to lose focus.".
Audrey nodded, "Yep. See you after the day's up. You better know where the base junkyard is.", and Bucky grinned, "Don't worry, I will help you out. Probably by tonight after dinner or whatever, the base will know of our deal, our race sooner or later.".
"Good.", Audrey smiled before she headed back to resume her fixing on Steve's bike, and Bucky left the hanger, muttering, "Fiery, indeed.", smiling to himself, as he's confident he will win the race, to win his side of the deal.
And so, to Bucky's words, by several hours of night or by the next day, everybody knew of the deal, of the race, by mouth, gossip, and rumors, including Steve and Peggy, and Phillips didn't give a hoot about it as long as the race doesn't hurt anyone on the planned track, or cause damage to anything of the base.
The planned track was in the middle of neutral ground between the inner base, and the patrol gates, in a circle much like the racetracks in America and such. In the army junkyard, to be fair, the duo found four-wheeled vehicles, and took up small teams to follow orders on fixing up the vehicles, ones who supported Audrey, and ones who supported Bucky, from the whole mechanic squadron, for the three days.
"Are you really sure you want to go through with this, Bucky?", Steve asked; giving Bucky a hand since their respective groups were still on downtime and not given any assignments.
The recent order was given, so the base was to be kept on standby if the Allies were unable to break the Tunisia perimeter that the Axis forces found themselves entrapped in. Rumors were that a large-scale invasion of some part of Europe through the Mediterranean was in the works once the Axis were cleared from North Africa.
Churchill was adamant with the Americans that the next steppingstone against the Nazis was through it's 'soft underbelly', referring to the Italians; or perhaps the Balkans to free the Greeks and Yugoslavs.
"What, you think I'll lose?", Bucky asked as he was fixing something up as Steve nodded, "Truthfully? Yeah. Audrey's practically the greatest mind in the world when it comes to fixing and improving any sort of engine block.".
Bucky looked at him in stunned surprise, "And I thought you were on my side, Stevie-o! We're brothers and we grew up in the same neighborhood, come on!", and Steve replied, "I am, but I ain't joining into the suggestions for your public loss. You would have kept to the deal part of being personal, not public like this.".
He snorted, "Steve, you know I ain't going out like a coward, and I may be a better sharpshooter more often, but I'm still a mechanic of sorts, even if I'm not a professional. Hell, I worked on your bike for months, and I'm excellent with Jeeps. And you should have heard her! She...she's so infuriating! She said that I'm afraid! I ain't losing to her if I can help it!".
Steve raised an eyebrow with a smirk, "Is that right? If I don't know any better, I'd think you're jealous of her for not being into you, deflecting your charms like oil off a mirror.".
"Yeah; well...", Bucky glanced away as he bit his lip. "Come on, Bucky, what are you thinking?", Steve asked as Bucky chuckled.
"Was thinking that the only reason why my charms aren't working is because she's like your old buddies that stuck around back underground.", he insinuated as Steve raised an eyebrow. He was quick to figure out that Bucky meant Thaddeus and Abraham; though if it was referring to Audrey, he was meaning that she was only interested in girls.
"Oh.", Steve simply said for a moment. "Well, I don't know about that; Audrey, in the time I've known her, really hasn't said much in terms of the idea regarding romance with either guys or girls.", he admitted.
Bucky replied, "Probably because she was more focused on helping you guys and working with her father. But now she only has to worry about being a mechanic for the base, which is totally normal for her standards, yet she is going to worry about being a gal when I win the race.", with a smirk, "She will be too distracted by it, and she won't see me coming for a mile when I work my charms on her once again. After all, a dame in a dress is prone to blush and get flustered than a dame in overalls and being a tomboy.".
"I still say you're signing your own death warrant, Bucky.", Steve told him as Bucky clearly wasn't hearing it. "Even with my help, you'll still probably lose soundly. Though it's not too late to maybe call things off; I could convince her to let you off easy.".
Bucky replied, "Let me off easy? Ha! I ain't backing out on our deal, and I can take anything! Now, hand me that wrench. After all, couldn't finish this beauty without a test drive and such before we race at noon.".
Steve sighed, shaking his head, and went to hand over Bucky the wrench, hoping that Peggy has better luck than him at convincing Audrey. Honestly, it was like wrangling two stubborn mustangs, not that he had any idea of the real thing, but he can imagine easily enough.
"Just trust me, Steve, I've got this...", Bucky said as Steve sighed. That's what he was afraid of. "You really think you'll easily beat him?", Peggy asked as she watched Audrey working on the motor, she was keeping back as Audrey wanted to do everything herself.
Audrey replied, "Piece of cake, Peggy. I've been in Papi's workshop ever since I was able to walk from one side of the shop to the other. I'll easily outrun him by a mile before he would even think about trying to do his smooth-talking moves on me again. Honestly, he's so...so insufferable!", with a scoff.
Over the past three days, there had been trash talk between them from peer pressure or even by themselves alone, even though there have been moments of normal conversation, but rarely.
Peggy sighed, "I'll be glad when the entertainment's over in the mess hall...Honestly, people has been betting all over the place...Through Phillips was right...If it keeps them occupied from being bored, it's something...".
"Plus taking the nerves off if the Luftwaffe decides to try and make a raid again; guess we're lucky they're more focused on the frontlines and that the Allied air forces are sweeping them from the skies around North Africa.", Audrey said.
"Yeah; more of a hornet's nest in Germany; I feel awful for all those men and boys that fly the bomber raids on Germany without any fighters able to escort them.", Peggy sighed. "Anyway, you're that confident about this whole bet?".