Schmidt then turned the weapon off, with a gob smacked, horrified, and shocked Zola staring, and Schmidt replied, "Many apologizes that you had to see that, but you very much know that Hitler has been failing in his latest power plays, but for me, well, wouldn't you say that Hydra is stronger now? After all, in mythology, when one cuts a head off, another grows.", with a growing sinister grin as he takes off his very detailed skin mask, revealing a sunken-in, skull-like face of red skin.

The three Stormtroopers saluted, echoing as one, "Hail HYDRA!". Schmidt then turned to Zola to look at him for a moment before Zola regained his nerves, "Hail HYDRA!", joining the salute with the others as Schmidt smirked. A simple message to Berlin and making sure to discard the plane would easily make those there think that the trio were lost in an aviation accident.

Schmidt just needed a little bit longer before he could finally make his moves. He looked back at his weapon and smirked; this surely would take care of Erskine's little miracle for sure.

Meanwhile, it was a tense yet thankfully smooth transition of the freed prisoners and the injured soldiers into the three Navy ships which was parked at three different ports among several miles apart for three days.

And now, Steve got the news that Phillips is granting him and Bucky two weeks of leave, and yes, he was sad that Mole told him that he will have to keep helping the French resistance, but he will notify Steve about any news of Sweet, while hoping that Steve will have news of Jacques in return, as the radio range should be good on the Channel.

As he's in a private bedroom for his status as Captain, he was finicking with his room's radio, as he and Bucky is now on one of the Navy ships that's bound for the Navy port not far from London, and soon, he heard Jacques's voice, "This is Levithan, calling for Yankee, over. Code 43.", and he widened his eyes as he reworked the dials and such, "Levithan, this is Yankee, over. Are you secure?".

"Good to hear you, Yankee! Yep, intact and perfectly healthy, no bullet wounds anywhere. Somewhere in the seas near you and had scrapped off the red marks and the hacking stuff, so I'm secure in my transportation just before I traveled through occupied rivers and such, to be safe. Transportation was faster than I thought but I would need to load up on food and fresh water.", Jacques's voice chuckled as he reported.

"It's good to hear your voice...", Steve said. "Was a bit worried that thing wasn't going to work right, and you'd have to dump it on a riverbed and walk back to the coast...".

"No, not an issue. Whatever they were doing with this thing... it's practically years of development and refinement ahead of any other mini sub in the world; aside from perhaps Whitmore's... and even then, this thing surpasses them.", Jacques said.

Steve whistled, "Well, our gain, their loss. Did you take some sleep at least?", and Jacques replied, "Had to drive all those afternoons and nights, but managed to hide the sub in forests when I could while I caught sleep in the mornings. Will have to configure my sleep again when I get back home to the family, otherwise I'm good, but please tell me that I'm not late for your rendezvous, Yankee.".

"Nope, you ain't late, Levithan. I'm on the Channel, navy personnel, will be in England by an hour, and got two weeks of vacation with Butch. I'll give you the coordinates by code as my girl wanted to do it on the beach which is gratefully not far from her hometown with all the fresh air. Sure, I don't know how deep the snow will be and all, if we need to change our plans there, but otherwise, we can help you out with the food and fresh water. After all, the sea is bigger and longer than the rivers.", Steve replied.

"Got it, looking forward to doing this all again with you... at least this time won't feel as rushed in a way unlike last time.", Jacques said as Steve chuckled. "Yeah, got the feeling that the in-laws spent most of their free time planning this whole thing out.", Steve replied back.

Indeed, in Peggy's hometown, Whitland, in her parents' house, Peggy yelped in surprise, "Ow!", and Amanda replied, "Maggie, you're daydreaming again, and you're twitching around. Hold still.", as she was fitting and detailing Peggy's wedding gown.

"Sorry, Mum...I'm so anxious to see Steve again. I am glad that Phillips gave me a head start on my vacation when we got news that the mission went well a few days ago, and now today, Steve's gonna be in London, soon giving the full report or already leaving London by now on train!", Peggy sighed, "I can't believe we've been apart for five weeks this time...It feels like forever...Was this the same for you and Daddy?".

"Sort of... though we had much long times away considering he was in Flanders for many months...", Amanda told her. She was lucky that Harrison was at least assigned to staff officers during the last war, so he mostly was able to stay away from the front lines.

Peggy nodded, "Absence makes the heart even fonder, huh?", and Amanda chuckled, "Oh, it's strangely anxious yet having so much hope all the same. It's nice to have alone time by yourself, doing grocery shopping, working at your job, and such, but when you come home and he's there...It's worth everything, darling, and I'm sure it's the same for Steve. He does all this fighting for you, for all of us, for his homeland and comrades, helping the resistance fill up on food and all, and sketching when he has free time between preparing plans and such, yet when he comes home and sees you...Should I say more?".

"You're right, Mum...I guess since the town is sure to be gossiping around, I better hold back until the wedding night, huh? I mean, with them thinking that I got engaged, having both a promise ring and an engagement ring in their blind side, since they hadn't seen me for years...", Peggy blushed with a sheepish smile, gazing at her first wedding ring cojoined with her second engagement/wedding ring.

Amanda raised an eyebrow, "That's up to you, darling, but five weeks without a single moment to be together, that must be agonizing for you both...You know that the rental cottage on the edge of town is yours for two weeks, and you're both adults...Sure, perhaps Steve would want to stay a gentleman for your sake, which would be rather sweet of him, but you've been already married once. Making love even before your redo wedding wouldn't hurt you or him, would it?".

"No, it wouldn't...But I'll still ask him as we need to be on the same wavelength without any misunderstanding.", Peggy nodded softly, and Amanda smiled, "And that's why you're my daughter. Always finding logic like your father. Now, it won't be much longer before I fix this hem, and then the fitting is over for now, since we still need to set up the altar and a few chairs on the beach, with hopefully good weather, since we're almost to Christmas, and of course, getting the priest from the local church which is not far off by a couple of days, and then the wedding day...".

Peggy whispered in awe, "I still can't believe that we're so lucky to get married on Christmas when I thought we couldn't, with the whole missions' timing and random planning by you guys which I really appreciate, Mum. I'm sorry that we couldn't have many people at the wedding, but you know I'm not one for insanely big weddings when I am half known by the town...I just wish...", sighing deeply, missing Michael...She would easily imagine Michael playing jokes and games with Steve and Bucky and Harrison on Steve's bachelor night.

"I know...", Amanda sighed as well. "I miss him too... but at least he made sure that so many other boys managed to make it back home... we might not even be having this moment if not for him and others that lost their lives at Dunkirk.".

"Yeah; get the feeling we might be under the jackboot of Hitler if we didn't have the Miricale at Dunkirk.", Peggy admitted. If the British Expeditionary Force had been completely crushed in France back in May of 1940; it would've been very doubtful that Churchill could've had the support to continue the war and that peace would've had to be made with the Germans... if they didn't just outright decide to try and invade the islands.

It might have been slightly easier with a missing 300,000 professional soldiers in POW camps rather than having managed to just escape back home like it had happened.

Amanda nodded, "You sound like your father...", with a chuckle, and Peggy smiled, "Can you blame me? Sorry that I am not the lady you probably wanted...".

"Are you kidding me? Margaret, we're so proud of you, and honestly, I should have noticed that climbing trees and doing boy things with your brother brought that light out in your eyes, not boarding school...And now, seeing you working with the army as a liaison between the USSR and such, seeing that you can take care of yourself just fine, and with Steve, that light came back again, and I don't regret nothing. Honestly, the most lady-like thing I would ever be happy with is seeing you getting properly married in an English wedding ceremony, and my wish is coming true, and I wouldn't have done it any better.", Amanda smiled, squeezing her hand.

"Thanks, Mum...I knew you were doing all of those things out of love and providing me a life that you never had in society times. I'd always appreciate everything you and Daddy gave me, and honestly, if it wasn't for you and Daddy, I doubt I would even come close to being a liaison or anything. I love you.", Peggy smiled, and Amanda nodded with a tearful smile, "I love you, my darling daughter.", before getting back to fitting the hem, and Peggy stood still, determined not to twitch.

After a hour of fitting, the gown is perfectly done, and so, they went to have lunch together as mother and daughter, and then went to work on the veil, and then later, as they were having tea time, Harrison came in, smiling widely and such, "Got a call off a phone tab at a train station back west, Steve's coming to town in a hour, along with Bucky and Colonel Phillips. I left the car running as it's chilly out there. Should I even ask?", chuckling as he saw his daughter's eyes widen with an overjoyed and anxious look, all but jumping up from her chair.

"No.", Peggy shook her head. "No, not at all... I'm just glad he made it here safe and sound...", relieved to hear the news, excited and anxious to see her beloved.

"Certainly must have been a good job with whatever it is they did to Jerry if he's getting quite a bit of time off... wish the same could be said for all our boys...", Harrison admitted. "I know... I would've loved having you back for Christmas during the last fight, Harrison.", Amanda said.

Harrison smiled with a tender kiss to her forehead, "I know. But let's have our daughter reunite with her husband, eh? Get your coats, girls! I ain't having the car wait too long.", and Peggy smiled happily as she ran to get her layered coat.

Amanda chuckled as she stood up, "I don't think I ever had seen her this excited, Harrison.", and Harrison smiled, "First time for everything. Let's go before our daughter leaves us in the dust.", with a laugh. And so, the ladies got bundled up, and rode in Harrison's car as he drove onwards through some of the countryside, and then the town, to the train station.

It was definitely chilly, but Peggy kept warm as she paced nervously, watching the train clock and such, with Amanda and Harrison sitting on the bench, keeping warm as they were side by side.

Finally, after waiting 30 minutes, the train approached the station, and as Whitland was a small town, it wasn't much of a crowd on the platform, waiting and watching and reuniting with people as they came off the train, with Peggy searching before she saw the familiar face of her beloved, tall and dressed in army civvies as he came off with Bucky and Colonel Phillips not far behind him, "Steve!".

It was only a moment before the two of them wrapped their arms around each other tight. They didn't want to break it up as they stood there. "I missed you so much...", Peggy whispered. "I did too.", Steve told her. "I always hate it when I have to sleep and not having you in my arms...".

"I worry too much about you... that I fear you might not be coming back...", Peggy told him. "Hey, I'm here, I'm here...", Steve told her as she chuckled.

Peggy spoke softly, "I know...", before moving slightly to look up at him, and he caressed her cheek, and whispered, "I love you, Peggy.".

"I love you too, Steve.", Peggy whispered as she sighed, leaning her cheek deeper into his hand, and he leaned in to kiss her on the lips tenderly and lovingly and passionately for 30 seconds before they pulled back, knowing public limits around them.

Steve smiled softly, "Come on, lead the way, I ain't going to have eyes staring at us forever.", and Peggy giggled, smiling as she nodded, taking his hand as she took him to her parents who is already talking with Phillips and Bucky like old friends.

Harrison replied, "It's gonna be snug in the car with the rest of you three, but we'll manage. Glad that you boys are invited for this young man's wedding to be wed to our daughter.", saying it as they are still in public, watching his words around the train station.

Phillips replied, "I am not going to miss out on my friend's wedding if I can help it.", with a smile, "Let's head out for some warm shelter. I can feel the chill against my bones.", glad that he selected army civvies like Steve and Bucky, wearing thick clothes.

Everybody nodded, and so, the group piled into Harrison's car, driving off, and soon, away from gossipers and such, Harrison glanced at the rearview mirror, "You want me to drive to the rental cottage, daughter?".

"If it's not too much trouble, father...", Peggy teased. "Hopefully, it won't be too far though, we haven't got too much left in petrol rations for now.", with a nod. "Alright then, I won't take the scenic route then...", Harrison chuckled.

Peggy rolled her eyes, and Steve laughed warmly, soaking in every little action she does as he holds her close as much as he could in the backseat, with Bucky on the other side of the backseat, next to him.

Steve then replied, "We'll invite them over for breakfast, okay, Peggy? It has been ages since I had a homemade dinner with you.", and Peggy smiled warmly, "Indeed, and good thing that I know the house's phone number, so connecting from the rental cottage wouldn't be difficult, so there wouldn't be any surprises if I can help it.", with a nod.

Harrison chuckled, "Fair enough. Good thing we got guest rooms for you two, Bucky and Colonel. No need to waste your money on an inn.", and Bucky replied, "And we appreciate it, Harrison. Speaking of which, are you still set on Telpyn Beach for the wedding?".

Amanda replied, "It's chilly, I suppose, but we haven't had much snow lately, so it should be fine on Telpyn Beach, since it's south of us, so perhaps the sun will be strong on Christmas. Why do you ask?".

Bucky glanced at Steve who nodded, as he is too distracted by cuddling with Peggy as much as he could in public while in the car, and Bucky replied, "We're having a friend who needs safety and food to fill up his reserves as he's in hiding. He's trying to return home to America, and let's say that his mode of transportation is a secret, so I'm rather hoping that I'd pick him up in time at the shore as he doesn't want to miss out on Steve and Peggy's redo wedding as he's a friend of theirs and mine back in America.", changing the notion of Atlantis to America for safety reasons.

"Ah...", Harrison said. "I see...", with a glance at the road. "If it's not too much trouble.", Steve said, "What he's doing is important, but as we said... top secret and it would basically be killing two birds with one stone. The normal ways of acquiring his supplies would be risky with security but with us... well, we would have a very narrow list of suspects if someone talked, if you understand.".

Harrison nodded, "Well, you're very welcome to bring food from both of the storage pantries in the rental cottage and my house but be careful of the amount of food. After all, this is winter, and the rest of us including your wife would need to pull through winter if she's visiting us a weekend or two between work next year.".