Audrey took a deep breath, "That's a sigh of relief to hear...", looking so relieved to see that Bucky is looking like he can sleep peacefully again without circles under his eyes.

"Yeah... one less thing on my chest... Phillips says we get a few days before we're needed back on the front. War's reaching its end; got the Germans boxed in the west and the east. It's going to be over soon, but the Nazis won't give up until the end probably... not to mention HYDRA's still a threat.", Bucky said.

Steve nodded, "Couldn't agree any more than that, Bucky, and we will do our best to get this war done sooner than later...Hopefully, with the winter, they will be slower in a way before they get motivated, thanks to the spring thaw later on.".

Peggy kissed his cheek, "And we will have peace again...", with a smile, as Bucky went to kiss Audrey warmly, stroking her baby bump, and Audrey smiled wryly, looking at Bucky with a glint of horny desire, "Let's celebrate your few days off, Bucky, and I know how...", squeezing his ass playfully.

Bucky chuckled, "Of course, mi amor...Excuse us, but we better get back to our place.", with a nod at the others, and they left the Rogers apartment home, and Peggy chuckled, smirking at Steve, "She's going to make him forget this, that's for sure.".

Steve laughed warmly, "She taught him well...It's so much easier now to believe that my own brother is practically in love and settled pretty good, taking responsibility and such so seriously...Audrey's right, through...", kissing his wife on the lips passionately and lovingly.

Peggy whispered huskily, "You help me settle those kids down for the night with plenty of games and such, and don't worry, I'm on the tea.", trailing a finger on his neck, and Steve smiled widely, "Yes, ma'am.".

And so, the weekend was spent in both family time and lovemaking time before the boys got sent out to the front, determined to make it back to the base on weekends whether possible, especially with Audrey's pregnancy steadily in progression.

Meanwhile, it took a week inauspiciously for Hydra spies to pass on the message about Zola's death, and so, deep in the mountains of Germany, at Schmidt's base, the last Hydra spy of the chain made it to Schmidt's office, where the Red Skull is looking over the reports that is sent up from the lower basements and the base of the mountain about Valkyrie and such.

Things were very dire now; with Germany on its last legs, Schmidt, more or less, couldn't have been touched after a group of Wehrmacht generals tried to assassinate Hitler and take over the government the previous summer, hence Hitler had to spend more time cleaning house and appointing more commanders that were loyal to him completely.

And then there was the huge manpower shortages as the Reich had to appoint young boys and old men into Volksturm home guard units just to try to plug the lines while anyone that was still of proper fighting ages were needing on the fronts everywhere. Which meant that no time could truly be made to march in and put a stop to the Red Skull and HYDRA; leaving Schmidt to continue to his own devices.

Schmidt raised an eye ridge as he heard the footsteps, hearing the familiar chant of his army, "Hail Hydra!", and he looked up to see a man in uniform, with the secret insignia of spy on his uniform.

"Sir, came with a message, sir!", the man replied, and Schmidt spoke in interest, "Report.", and the man reported, "Arnim Zola is dead, sir. Said to be hung and then burned into ashes. Too tight to spy properly, but comrades said that it was done in England, somewhere in London after a rumor of a secret trial.".

"A bit of a surprise; I was somewhat sure they would've at least let him live... probably Erskine's prideful experiment convinced them to do it.", Schmidt said. "No matter; his work laid the ground that HYDRA will march forward on.".

"And you say that it was done in London?", Schmidt then asked, and the man nodded, "Yes, sir.", and Schmidt replied, "Dismissed, and close the door after you, and lock it if you want to please me.".

The man saluted, "Hail Hydra!", and then left the office, closing the door, locking it, and Schmidt glanced at his map, "Hmm, you really seem to be attached to England for some reason, Captain America...", and then glanced at the paperwork of the Valkyrie, "Perhaps a small test run...Time to ask Zola's replacement, then.", pressing a button for calling the new head of the project, since he has a secret elevator in his office.

Schmidt knew the man wasn't as brilliant as Zola; only man that Schmidt might consider was Erskine if in slightly different fields at least, but even Schmidt himself wasn't in a picking situation with just who he could get so he had to make do. The man at the very least was still brilliant enough to keep things going, if not at a bit of a slower pace.

After two minutes of glancing upon the paperwork and waiting for the elevator to come up, Schmidt heard the faint ding of the elevator, revealing to be hidden in a wall of his office library, and opening up to let the new head of the project into the office, Nikhol Sinclair, the middle youngest brother of five brothers to Helga Sinclair.

Schmidt respectfully admired Helga Sinclair's spy skills and ruthless personality, and honored her wishes to leave her family alone until they chose a side in the war on Europe personally, and granted, two of them didn't become soldiers and lived in the USA as a judge and martial arts instructor, and the fourth youngest became a codebreaker for Japan as he is living there, and the fifth one is drafted into the Volkstrum units before Hydra caught him in their tentacles. But the third one whom is Nikhol, he studied sciences and such, and before Helga went on the Atlantis expedition, she told Schmidt that Nikhol is loyal to Helga, and if Helga is and was loyal to Hydra, Nikhol will follow into her footsteps, morals or not.

"Report.", Schmidt said as Nikhol saluted. "Per your instruction, we have redoubled our efforts with Valkyrie, and I can report that we've reached the final stage of operations. A few test flights and it'll be ready to carry out Operation Ragnarök.", he told him.

"How long?", Schmidt stared at him as Nikhol took a deep breath, "A week at the earliest if you wish us to risk excluding a few extensive tests.".

Schmidt nodded thoughtfully, "I see...Have you heard anything about the Luftwaffe per letters of your brother?", and Nikhol replied, "Not much, but that they are stuck between Hitler's orders in cleaning up house and the rumors of Nazis people getting shot in the Jewish camps that the Allies has been finding here and there.".

"Interesting...It seems that Hitler is getting desperate...Perhaps it's time to manipulate the rumors I've been hearing about Captain America and his comrades in the Allied front taking Nazis heads and such to England for trials and hanging, to Hitler's ears. After the extensive tests, perhaps doing some deadly avalanches and such to not make anyone too much suspicious, you must ask your people to work with some of my army to put one bomber as the first maiden run, the bomber destined for London, and mask it along with the Luftwaffe bombers, but keep to two bombs of the wonderfully given energy from the Tesseract, to take the south and the north, as we will still need to keep the rest for Operation Ragnarök, so the bomber needs to turn back once the job is done. It has been a long time since they've raided England, haven't they?", Schmidt thoughtfully and dangerously smirked in a sharp look of ordering Nikhol.

"Well... yes... but...", Nikhol bit his lip. "What?", Schmidt clearly wasn't in the mood for whatever Nikhol was about to say.

"The Vengeance rockets have been shaking the British with their devastation, even as we lose more and more places to launch them from... but the Allies have practically tripled the air coverage... the Valkyrie would have every Allied fighter swarming it before it would even reach London, much less the Channel. Not to mention the intensifying bomber raids that are practically now around the clock and proper fighter escort. And then there's the Luftwaffe; despite the propaganda, there's almost nothing left. Most it now lies in ruins; there isn't enough to shield to shield the craft.", Nikhol admitted as Schmidt glanced away for a moment.

"What about the route to New York?", Schmidt asked as Nikhol suddenly looked a bit more confident.

Nikhol replied, "New York can be hit without too much problem, since the Navy has been focused on devastating the remaining few U-boats, while patrolling the east coast here and there, and some of the Navy are in the seas around Japan and the Pacific, patrolling Hawaii and the west coast. With the size of the city, my people, after the test runs, figures that four small-sized bombs or two big sized bombs could be used from the coast to the essential borders of the city.".

Schmidt nodded, "That would work well enough. And for the rest of the route? Paris, Rome, etc.?", and Nikhol replied, "On the plans for the underwater bomber subs of the underwater quadrant of the Valkyrie, sir. If executed at the same time, they will be overwhelmed, and Hydra will march on, to take the rest of the European nations, and then to the east of Asia and the south of Africa, with the Valkyrie to be the terror of the Americas, sir.".

"And the earliest you can do is a week, two weeks at the latest for the flight of the Valkyrie?", Schmidt asked, looking intrigued yet impatient, and Nikhol gulped, taking a deep breath, trying to think before speaking, "If we can't attack by air to London, we can attack from the underwater bomber subs, with the orders rearranged, and if we camouflage by one of the U-boats, they couldn't see it coming. If I may, why London so badly?", trying to please Schmidt as he can recognize the familiar temper coming.

Schmidt now looked pleased, raising an eye ridge, "Hmm, now that's an interesting plan, and if you must know, my previous right hand, Arnim Zola met his death there by hanging, and then into ashes with no fanfare, and the winning side was preceded by Captain America, whom, I am sure of, had led your sister to her death, a death she doesn't deserve, am I wrong, Dr. Sinclair?".

"No...", Nikhol growled. "She didn't... and if he was the man who personally was responsible for her death...", as his fist tightened as Schmidt chuckled, "I have little doubt that he was probably the one responsible for her end even if I don't know the details. All I know is that the expedition that was sent to recover her and her American turncoat was all lost somewhere in the Atlantic.".

Nikhol narrowed his eyes, and replied, "I will get my people on double shifts for the Valkyrie, and having test runs every night on a mountain or a village that people doesn't notice much if we must, she will be ready by two weeks or less, while in the name of Hydra, with your guidance and your orders, sir, this week, it shall be the first overseas victory over London with the underwater bomber attack, so they won't have time to recover or fight back against the Valkyrie and her guards on her maiden route to New York City.".

"Good. I don't think I need to warn you what the penalty for failure would be...", Schmidt grimly threatened as Nikhol froze up a bit hearing that.

Nikhol slightly paled, knowing that he would wish for death than torture which is the penalty for failure. It's like two chances Schmidt would ever give, but that's it; the first chance if failed, torture, the second chance if failed, reputation humiliation and death.

Yet he came this far, and he cannot honor his sister's sacrifice and work if he failed, and took a deep breath, "No, sir. I completely understand, crystal as clear.".

Schmidt smiled approvingly, "Excellent. Now you are dismissed.", and Nikhol saluted, "Hail Hydra!", before heading back to the elevator, to go back down and get his people on the job immediately while arranging the orders for the attack on London.

Schmidt walked to his map, a deviously dangerous smile on his face, "Now my plans will soon be reality, and you, Captain America, will not stop me when you lose what's precious to you in dear London, and of course, New York City.", and then manic laughter began echoing in the office, sending chills to the Hydra guards who heard it faintly through the walls, yet ignored it as it's normal.

Elsewhere, on a mission, at a crude camp for the Howling Commandos, Bucky and Steve shivered despite facing the campfire that is roasting warm on them, with the trees cutting off the winter wind, and Bucky glanced at Steve, "Please tell me that you have a weird feeling just now...".

"Yeah... I do...", Steve sighed. "Something does just feel... really off...", he admitted. "I can't put my finger on it...", with a frown.

"Think we have company?", Bucky asked as he pulled his weapon a bit closer. Steve shook his head as he grasped his crystal, "No, something else...But I can't tell if it's dangerous or good.".

"I... I don't think it's good.", Bucky admitted. "Which that actually scares me... wish these damn things would be a bit more obvious with things, you know?".

Steve squeezed his shoulder, "I know...But it doesn't feel like really urgent, but something...", and Bucky widened his eyes, "But it's too early for the baby!", biting his lip, trying to listen to his crystal, the fear of losing his daughter piercing his heart for the hospital technology isn't even anywhere to the Atlantean technology at all.

"I doubt it's the baby, Bucky, after all, Audrey may be a bit impulsive at times, but she is very dedicated, and the baby is her world now instead of the mechanic shop...but all the same, if something is going to happen, and it becomes really urgent as we finish the mission as best as we can for Phillips while being quick about it, we will take the fastest plane back to England, okay, Bucky?", Steve looked at him.

"Alright...", Bucky sighed. "Still, I hate not knowing anything within a few minutes...", with an anxious frown. "Maybe it is the baby, and it doesn't really matter if it's early; we know that from experience.", Steve reminded. "Considering how fast I've gotten mine...".

Bucky glanced at him, "Ours is not a Atlantean super soldier/human baby like Brooke, Steve, or even a surprise full term, small baby like Asher before he got better by gaining weight and such! This is damn different!", and Steve ducked back from his worried brother in shock, and one of the tents' occupants of the Howling Commandos replied, "Pipe down, please! I'd want some peaceful sleep without having to wake up to an ambush!", with a growl before the silence became heard with the crackling of the campfire.

"Sorry...It's just that...", Bucky exhaled, "It's one thing that Peggy is older and more mature in most people's eyes, able to have children easier while it's another thing that Audrey had just gotten to be an adult earlier last year with the help of the quick aging when the crystal was off that week, and to people's eyes, she's almost getting to be 19 years old with her birthday in April...I'm damn scared...I...I know why Audrey is dedicated to being healthy and safe, denying her most beloved love in mechanics, because I think she realizes the same thing...Seeing her changing into a beautiful mother-to-be, I love her even more, but with the due date being in late February or early March, if the timing from the occasional scans is right, it's...getting real as it's getting closer to it, as we are barely in the middle of January right now.".

"Yeah; I know...", Steve sighed. "It was almost too much for me at times with Brooke when it was so soon after the miscarriage. I kept dreading that something bad was going to happen again.".

Bucky nodded, remembering that Steve was anxious and wrung out at night when they got a breather between mission execution and such. It was such a relief that Phillips had let him return to be with Peggy then.

He gave a small smile, "At least Asher changed it all by healing Peggy fully of her heart when he returned home to you guys.", and Steve gave a small chuckle, smiling, "He did...With Brooke, it was like half full, even with me in her heart and all, and then when Asher came...Gods, even if she will be very busy with him being a newborn, it's like the light was back in her eyes, and she doesn't care about the night feedings as long as she could see the children upon her check-ups which I couldn't blame her for. Sure, the memory is there, but it's like it's becoming faint as the memories of Brooke and Asher is stronger over it.", with a nod.