Bucky smiled a bit before exhaling and looking down upon his boots, and Steve squeezed his shoulder again, "Hey, tell you what, I'll argue with Phillips in his office once we get this mission over with, and you will see Audrey, and stay with her for the birth, as I think she would want to be inside your home, with Peggy helping out for the delivery. No way she would want you to be separated in that hospital like her best friend and soon sister-in-law, Peggy, and I have a feeling that in Mexico, it is more of home births than the hospital, anyway, in situations and such.".
"You'd do that? But what about the next planned missions?", Bucky looked at him in surprise, and Steve smiled, "I still got the Howling Commandos in the tents behind us, and they will watch my back as much as I'd watch yours and theirs. Does that make you feel better?".
Bucky exhaled, "Yeah, it does...but I sure wish I know what it means behind that weird feeling...", and Steve nodded, "Me too...Why don't you go take some shuteye while I guard for a while?".
"Alright, brother. You better get one of the others for the early morning shift after you finish your shift. You may sleep less, technically, than us normal humans, but Peggy will kill me if you ain't at your best.", Bucky smirked, and Steve chuckled, "You got it, brother.".
And so, the mission, with preparation and excellent execution, was open and closed within five days, and the next day, the Howling Commandos took up a secret French train across France, to the closest Allied airport near the shore of France before the Channel, with the weird feeling becoming stronger and stronger into a bad feeling, almost alarming, and so, Steve and Bucky almost got stuck, unable to cross the Channel fully when the strike came the next day, in a hour where people was walking and getting to work in London, just after breakfast time, witnessing the horror of the borrowed Tesseract energy powered bombs first-hand from the underwater secret bomber subs of Hydra, hiding among the patrolling ships of England, not seeing them coming until it was too late, even for the air siren struggling to alert everyone to take cover and hide in bomb shelters on the mainland.
Allied Command was caught completely off guard by the attack; sure, V1 and V2 launches they were still expecting, but nothing like this when the detonations came.
With the Tesseract energy borrowed into the bombs, when they detonated, it was like a mix of block demolition, earthquakes, potholes, and frying all the electrical equipment in a mile radius, and it was a lot of bombs as it was three subs altogether.
"How do we get over there, Steve?! The non-fighter planes on our side are grounded! They're killing anything including people in sight! Gods, our gals and the kids and Phillips...We have to get over there! I can't lose them! I can't lose Audrey and my daughter!", Bucky came into a panic as he and Steve can see the smoke, the sounds, even from over the Channel.
Steve shouted, "Fucking shut up for a minute, please, Bucky! You damn know our gals, they're smart! They will bunker down to the nearest bomb shelter, either behind our apartment homes, or near the mess hall, alright?! Let me think, damn it! We can't fly, we can't swim the Channel...", before noticing the army yachts, and narrowed his eyes, "We will borrow one of the yachts, and Phillips will understand either way!", as the rest of the Howling Commandos was some distance away, standing in horror to see England at attack, their hearts paining at Bucky's angst and shocked at Steve's cursing as he wasn't usually for cursing.
"Come on, come on!", Steve shouted as he and Bucky got on the yacht, with the other Howling Commandos jumping after them, to join them. "Pray this thing moves fast...", he said as the yacht moved almost instantly as soon as Steve hit the gear.
Bucky checked their weapons, and rations on their belts and such, praying, "Lord, Great Kings, please keep our family safe.", grateful that they didn't have heavy backpacks or such to slow the yacht down.
It would be still some time to avoid the patrols and such to make it fully to the mainland, and of course, there's getting through the streets and such to the base, hopefully saving some people on the way, civilian or army.
Meanwhile, some minutes before the first bomb hit the mainland, Peggy shook her head in amusement to see Brookyln finishing up her cookie while breastfeeding Asher, "You need a bath, young lady. You made a mess of yourself with the oatmeal and your cookie.".
Audrey laughed, stroking her baby bump warmly, "Well, my cooking got better these days, though I think your cooking is a level better, yet I have to say that Steve and Bucky are far better than us. Is Ash full yet?".
"No, still hungry, he's sure enjoying his alone time now that Brooke is practically weaned off, and not sharing anymore.", Peggy chuckled, and Brookyln smiled, "Oatmeal yummy! Me messy. Can me have bubbles, peas?".
Peggy looked hesitant as Audrey replied, "I can watch over her. I need a bath anyway and the non-slip mat is there for safety.", and Peggy nodded, "Okay.", with a smile.
Audrey got up from her chair carefully with a grunt, "You are getting heavy, baby girl.", before glancing at Brookyln in her child-sized booster seat, "Shall we?", with a smile, and Brookyln smiled widely, getting off and taking Audrey's hand as they headed for the bathroom.
They took off their clothes, smiling as Audrey taught Brookyln how to turn on the faucet and knobs, testing the temperature, "Water nice warm, Auntie!", and Audrey smiled, "Good girl.", as she got in, sighing contentedly as Brookyln climbed in after her.
"That feels nice...", Audrey murmured, feeling an eager kick, and Brookyln giggled, "Cousin wants bubbles too!", grabbing the bottle for bubbles, as Audrey chuckled, seeing her splash and enjoy the bubbles, feeling her baby girl kicking, "You really like to have some fun, huh, darling?".
Brookyln giggled, "Cousin likes water like me!", and Audrey smiled, "Indeed. I'm starting to think that Marina is the right name for you, baby girl.". Brookyln asked, "Wanna shampoo, Auntie?".
"Sure, Brooke. Be careful.", Audrey nodded, and Brookyln nodded, swimming to the corner of the tub, standing up to reach, when Audrey got a bad feeling, an alarming feeling, and she cried out, "Brooke, stay away from there!", when suddenly, the apartment house shook, and Brookyln screamed, as the bottles fell, the walls shook, and she ran through the water, "Auntie! I want mumma!", hugging Audrey as she instinctively ducked and covered herself and Brookyln, with her crystal forming a thin protective shield over them.
"What was that?!", Audrey shouted out. "Might have been one of the German rockets!", Peggy screamed out from another room. "That was probably one of the closest to us that they've been!".
The shaking and distant explosion continued for a minute before it was gone, and Audrey checked over Brookyln who is whimpering, "Scary!", as she nodded, "I know, Brooke. Come on, we gotta get out of here, get your mum and Ash.", as the shield of her crystal shimmered, dimming down yet on alert.
Brookyln was crying yet nodding as she shivered, climbing out of the tub, wet and soaked, with Audrey getting out, rubbing her baby bump that is full of scared and active kicks, gritting her teeth, "I know, baby girl, it's okay, it's okay.", as she quickly grabbed a robe, covering herself, and then helped Brooklyn take upon her oversized shirt as a makeshift dress, hearing Peggy call out, "I'm coming!", with Asher crying.
Then suddenly, another bomb came, closer this time, shaking the house more viciously, as Brookyln screamed, as Audrey grabbed her, the shaking causing her to fall, instinctively landing on her back into the carpet rug, with the shield covering them again, the dust and such flying, as she barely saw Peggy holding into Asher as her own shield of her crystal was covering them as well as they clutched into a doorway across the hall.
It lasted again for another minute before it stopped, and Peggy called out, "Brooke!", getting up, reaching for her as Audrey panted, gritting her teeth as she shakily got up, with Brookyln crying, "Mumma!", climbing and hugging her mummy by the neck, shivering, "Where we go, mumma? Me scared!", as Asher is held into Peggy's other arm, crying and whimpering.
Peggy replied, "Out back to the bomb shelter, sweetheart. Audrey, are you okay?!", and Audrey glanced at her, "I'm fine! Let's get out of this place before it gets more wrecked!", almost sprinting, ignoring the pains of her back, trying not to panic, but the sudden stress and the trauma of the bombs attacking is causing her body to start into labor.
Of course, with so much adrenaline and fear pumping through her, she wasn't noticing at that moment as they got outside. "Can you see where they're coming from?", Audrey asked.
Peggy shook her head, "I don't see any bombers in the air!", with a frown, as they were heading for the bomb shelter, "It must be long distance bomber planes or something, unless it's the U-boats, but they couldn't be able to get anything into the mainland until underground!", before widening her eyes as they felt the bad feeling again, "Get down!".
In the middle of the yard, they ducked behind one of the hedge bushes, protecting Brooke and Ash as they screamed and cried in terror, their shields protecting them as two bombs came out of nowhere, with one close enough to shatter and destroy the block of army houses, and another on the border between the base gates and the city, with distant other bombs into the rest of London and the nearby countryside.
Both of the Rogers and the Barnes apartment houses are demolished, dust and everything flying, and it lasted once more for a minute before Audrey shouted, "Peggy?!", coughing and frowning, her heart pounding as she gritted in pain from her active and scared baby's kicks and such.
"I'm okay!", Peggy shouted, as she got out from the hedge, and saw Audrey getting up, "Let's go!", and Peggy nodded, "Right!", knowing now with the pattern that the bombs hit every few minutes with less or more of the bombs' location aim, as they made it across the other half of the yard, avoiding debris and such, helping themselves and the children into the bomb shelter, and locked the door.
Brookyln cried in terror, "Mumma! We not like this!", taking a blanket to muffle the sounds and cover herself, clutching into Peggy's lap, as the shaking was still heard and felt, and everything as Peggy replied, "I know, I know.", kissing her on the forehead as she went to make a blanket nest to rest Asher, kissing him on the forehead, shushing the crying and whimpering baby, "It's okay, it's okay, you're safe now.", as their adrenaline is slowing down, and then heard Audrey cry out in pain, barely noticing that their crystals are streaming protective shield energy into the entire bomb shelter, making it even more bomb proof, but not completely from the shaking and such as it only could do so much.
"Audrey!", Peggy shouted. "Are you hit?", she worried. "No... I don't... I don't think so...", Audrey told her.
"Has to be the rockets... has to be... must have finally started launching them from U-boats or something.", Peggy said as there was a brief pause in the blasts. "They must be in the Thames itself with how accurate the spread is too..."
"Peggy...", Audrey muttered. "What?", Peggy said. "I... I think I might be in labor...", Audrey told her as Peggy's eyes widened.
Peggy replied, "Crap. Okay, hold on. Brooklyn, watch over your brother.", resting the nest of blankets of Asher into the bunkbed, next to Brookyln, and she nodded, "Okay, mumma...", looking scared yet trying to be brave, cuddling on the pillow, reluctantly leaving Peggy's lap.
Peggy got up from the bunkbed to the other bed, helping Audrey as she groaned and cried in pain, "It hurts!", laying back, cursing in Spanish, and Peggy replied, "I know, I know, it's going to be alright, Audrey. Try to take deep breaths as I take a look, okay?".
Audrey nodded, taking deep breaths, tears in her eyes as she was fearing that she's losing her daughter, and Peggy opened Audrey's legs, looking, "You're already a bit past halfway dilated, Audrey. The water bag isn't broken from the looks of it, but better check the womb.".
"Please, Peggy, I can't...I can't lose her!", Audrey sobbed, and Peggy frowned, "I'll check on her, Audrey...", not wanting Audrey to suffer similarly to her when she lost Asher the first time, and she went to use her crystal, breathing warm air and scanning the baby bump.
Peggy looked closely at the baby in her mind's picture, and widened her eyes, "Crap, her heart's all going over the place, one of her feet looks like it's hurt and wrapped around the cord, and the placenta is almost ripped off, and she is sideways. Audrey, you must calm down your heart, and I have to find a way to pop the water bag as if I can't, she...", biting her lip.
"Please... God, no...", Audrey whispered as she was practically on the verge of just getting a heart attack herself from the news. "Audrey, I promise you; your child will live... I'll be damned before I fail on you there.", Peggy declared fiercely and determinedly.
Audrey heard the complete determination in Peggy's voice, and spoke quietly, "Okay...", trying her best to calm her heart, taking deep breaths, tears in her eyes, "I want Bucky...", as she gritted her teeth at the contractions that is split between the sounds of the blasts, instinctively covering her baby bump with her hands, lasting for several minutes.
Peggy replied as she put her crystal back on, "Me too. I hope he and Steve are okay...Gods, London must be in chaos everywhere...", as the shaking is imminent, with the faint sounds of Brookyln trying to distract her whimpering brother.
"How...how can we break the water bag if I'm a bit over halfway dilated? I...Saint Maria, I can't push when I am not fully dilated...", Audrey asked in concern and worry, trying to keep calm.
Peggy frowned, "Let's try some paces around the room to progress the dilation, and perhaps, if you are close to 3/4 dilation, it would be easier for me to pop the water bag without having to use a makeshift forceps...or it would just pop the natural way.".
"But if I walk around, would that risk my baby more?", Audrey frowned in worry, and Peggy shook her head, "Not if we don't pace too fast, and perhaps the steady pace would help her easier to get into headfirst from her sideways position...We must do everything to get your daughter out faster with the situation she is in. So, you think you can do that, Audrey?".
"Do I have much of a choice?", Audrey asked. "Either we try something or she's probably for sure not going to make it...", Audrey took a deep breath. "Let's take this one step at a time, alright?", Peggy said as she took Audrey's hand.
Audrey nodded, taking Peggy's hand, taking a deep breath as she cried lightly in pain from another contraction, getting up from the bed, trying not to be loud to scare Brooklyn and Asher, and began to pace steadily.
Indeed, the bombs kept coming everywhere around London, and it was a horror of fire, shambles, dying people, and such as Steve, Bucky, and the other Howling Commandos made it into the mainland, with Steve ordering, "Go find injured people, and get them to the nearest bomb shelters, and if you see soldiers, assist them, go!".
The others saluted him, and Steve nodded at Bucky, "Come on, Bucky! We have to try saving people on the way, and hopefully, the major bomb shelters at the base aren't too much filled to help the civilians, with the house bomb shelters able to let in some people in, including ours.", as they went for one of the less debris-covered roads that led to the base.
Bucky exhaled, "I hope our family is in one of the major ones if not at our home bomb shelter.", praying that Audrey, his daughter and the others are alive, as London looks horrible and devastating.
It took two hours as it was chaos everywhere, with Steve and Bucky saving people, bringing them to their own home bomb shelters or the underground tube bomb shelters, finding food and water to injured people who knows their own way to the shelters, and clearing debris off stranded people who got stuck in the demolished blocks and such, and before they knew it, covered in dust and sweat and such, they made it to the base, with several soldiers fleeing the base on Phillips' orders to save more people, and they went to check the major four bomb shelters, including the one near mess hall.
They saw Phillips, "Sir! Have you seen the girls?!", and Phillips looked at them, "Boys, am I damn glad to see you! No, I haven't seen Carter or Ramirez! I think they selected to have breakfast at home! You look like you've been through hell, boys! Be careful, as it wasn't damn the U-boats, those bombs are nastier than anything we'd ever seen around here!".
