Peggy hugged Bebinn and Preston, thanking them, and will let one of them know when she and Bucky is ready on the weekend for the visit, and left, sprinting on to the train with her luggage, thanking Abraham for the thousandth time that she's faster and stronger than before, seeing Bucky with two tickets for her and him.
Indeed, under two hours, they made it to London, and Bucky headed to the base to find Phillips while Peggy was greeted by agents who knew Stimson, escorting her to the Prime Minister's place, and indeed, after talking a bit and signing the papers, Churchill was more than impressed and pleased to see that Britain truly got a super soldier, thanking Peggy, and then finally, at midnight, she arrived into the base, thanking her escorts, and headed down to the SSR headquarters below base to hand the official completed papers to Phillips in his office where Bucky was updating him on the details of Peggy's training and all, preparing him to see the new Peggy Rogers.
"How much longer?", Phillips asked as he checked his watch, getting a bit irate. "Doesn't take that long to get from Number 10 Downing to here.", glancing at Bucky.
"Might have been held up in traffic.", Bucky joked. "But I'm telling you, it's quite the change still, similar to Steve's though maybe not as drastic.".
"Yeah, I can imagine a bit, but she was in better shape that Steve was originally.", Phillips replied with a chuckle. Bucky smiled, "Indeed, and she ain't helpless in either form, she will just have a way better advantage this time.", and a knock came, and Phillips called out, "Come in, if it's you, Carter!".
Peggy opened the door, and closed it after her, locking it, walking in, smiling at Phillips as she saluted, standing at cue, "Evening, sir. Official papers for me to be Captain Britain, General.", taking out the envelope that Churchill now wax stamped over with the British Isles insignia next to the American wax stamp on the back of the envelope, handing it to him.
"Quite the upgrade, Carter...", Phillips smirked as she nodded. "Certainly feel much better than before, not that I wasn't feeling great, but just kinda feeling a bit more supercharged, you know?".
Phillips chuckled, "I can easily believe that.", as he dutifully used a letter opener to open the envelope, and take out the papers, "And your family? Are they safe and far from the war?", as the two attacks on London was too close for comfort, and he admittedly had worried about the family.
"Yes, they are, in my cottage in America. It pains me to be away from Asher especially as he's still so young compared to Brooke, but luckily, there's plenty of formula and dated bottles of fresh milk for him, with the help of Audrey and my grandparents.", Peggy replied.
Phillips looked relieved, "That's good, very safe for them.", as he then read the papers thoroughly, and then smiled, "Everything looks to be checked out. Welcome to the frontlines, Captain Carter. And let me worry about the idiots below my rank.", with a then grin.
"Don't think I can't handle themselves, sir.", Peggy chuckled. "I don't think any of them would want to get into a fight with me.", with a smirk. "Not if they wish to spare the humiliation.", Bucky added as Phillips nodded.
"Right... well, you two have been on some long trips so I'll give you about 36 hours to rest up before you'll be heading to Germany. We've got the Nazis on their final ropes but that doesn't mean it's over yet... still got a lot of the country to swoop in and occupy to send the message home to any of them still willing to fight. Not to mention anything that HYDRA's got left.", Phillips said.
"Any idea where they are now? I have to assume they've basically been retreated to a few final redoubts and bases.", Peggy asked.
Phillips replied, "Rumors say that one of them is Schmidt's base, and it's one of the most secure places now, along with a few final safehouses and one other base, through that one is said to be a repossessed former Nazi base with a mine prison camp.", with a nod.
"No matter where they run, we'll hunt them down and put it an end to it all. They like to think the whole Hydra myth of chopping off heads... but eventually, they start running out of necks.", Bucky gave a smug chuckle as he crossed his arms.
Peggy grinned, "Agreed. The question is this, do we go after Hydra first or the last of the Nazis?", and Bucky blinked, "Good question...And Phillips told me that the Howling Commandos are in Germany, still attached to the hips like a pack these days.".
"Last I heard of them was that they are assisting the French in Colmar, near Switzerland. And that's a very good question. Perhaps do a sweep from where you start, and if you encounter the Howling Commandos on the way, they can join you.", Phillips said.
Peggy blinked and replied, "That's actually not far from the Black Forest and the Alps...Perhaps start from Remagen in a sweep south to Colmar, and then east into the Black Forest as that would be more difficult then, hence building up my experience there.".
Bucky smiled, "Thinking like Steve there, Peggy.", and Peggy gave him a warm, small smile, inwardly hoping that with her and Bucky into the fighting now, it should be a bit easier to get into German lines to break into spots here and there.
"Either way, the dam's pretty much already busted with the Remagen bridgehead. Pretty much all the armies are preparing cross Rhine operations. I know Montgomery's got the British 1st and US 9th ready in an elaborate operation north of the Ruhr Valley, Patton's 3rd getting all the pontoon bridges he can so he can get all his armor divisions across in less than a few days further south of Remagen once his infantry takes the other side...", Phillips said. "Once we really start crossing in force north of the Black Forest bridgehead; we'll be doing our own blitzkrieg against the Germans and overwhelm much of what's left. Don't know where HYDRA could really hide with that being the case.".
"What about that Alpine Redoubt? Perhaps the Alps, Austria?", Peggy pointed out.
"Don't tell me you're buying that.", Phillips shook his head. "Look, Eisenhower and a lot of the other top brass think the Germans are willing to fall back to hold in the Austrian mountains and Bavarian hills, but I don't think so. Hitler's made Berlin the center of practically everything; if it falls, that'll be it, especially if he stays with, I think he will. He probably wants to be like Napoleon or something, leading the armies when they're at the very gates of the capitol.".
"Didn't work out truly well for him.", Peggy remembered. "Sure, he gave the Sixth Coalition quite a bloody nose wherever he showed up on the roads to Paris, but he had too few men left, and the Russians, Austrians and Prussians were just too many and eventually outflanked him. While I doubt there's anyone willing to sell out Berlin and practically the whole country while Hitler is still breathing, the situation is much the same: can't stop the rolling tide now, only just delay the inevitable."
Bucky summarized, "Barely managing to not drown in the deep end of the pool while keeping afloat.", and Peggy nodded, "Yep. You really got used to my way of idioms, didn't you?", with a grin at Bucky.
Bucky chuckled, "Having a fourth sister in you really keeps things interesting, Peggy. So, anyway, we'll clobber some Nazi heads, and slice off Hydra necks, you can believe it, General.".
Phillips chuckled, "Indeed. I'll arrange the plane and the flight route. You two take some sleep and some food for the next 36 hours, and I'll see you off by then. Clear?".
Bucky and Peggy saluted, "Sir, yes, sir!", and Phillips smiled, "Good. And Carter, I really pray your gut instinct is right about Rogers surviving...Stimson told me..That boy is damn stubborn to a fault, and if he's out there, he'll be stubborn to come back.".
Peggy gave him a small, thankful smile, "Thank you, General...That means a lot, and we hope too...", with a nod, and Phillips nodded, "Dismissed.".
The pair left the office, heading for the barracks up top, as Phillps raised a coffee cup, "Your wife is really a lot like you, Rogers...I imagine she'll do great things.", with a smile before sipping.
Indeed, the next 36 hours were spent to the best with plenty of food, training, and plenty of sleep as it might be a while before they have 8 hours of sleep again, perhaps on the secret weekend portal visits, and Phillips was even a bit more impressed when he saw the new shield on Peggy's arm, outfitted and all before he sent them off personally with a plane he arranged at night to stay undetected and high.
The duo arrived near the Ruhr Valley near Colmar, happily finding the Howling Commandos who was amazed to see the wife of Steve Rogers stronger and more tough than ever, especially when they got to see her in action, almost mixing between a strategy of fighting and shooting and using her shield from both her husband and Bucky's techniques, and indeed, it took time and missions, almost lasting one month and half, while in secret weekends, the duo happily visited the family in the cottage with careful sweeps of camp and all with the tracker call to Bebinn.
Meanwhile, Bebinn and Preston indeed happily went to have their honeymoon, often having dates and such in several states across America, exploring and camping out in Ireland, and housesitting in the Carter house often, with the warning alarm runes Bebinn put at the first day of their honeymoon, sometimes telling a neighbor, occasionally chasing off a vermin pest like a rat or a raccoon and such, until one day, it all changed with Steve.
Preston smiled with a grin, "Can't believe you cheated there.", as he grabbed Bebinn, kissing her neck, tickling her who squealed with a giggle in their game while swimming in a warded, deep stream in the Rockies, having slept in one of the Whitmore rental cabins, tricking the manager that they were friends of Mr. Whitmore, giving them freedom in their honeymoon, "Well, you have to admit that playing Marco Polo is actually more fun this way...", with a wry smile as she teased his navel with her finger, brushing against his swim shorts, awed that using the idea of the modern swimsuit from the future for her is more mischievous than the modest current swimsuit.
"I certainly have been enjoying how much freer you've been as of late...", Preston chuckled as she blushed, "Maybe it's because I feel more liberated... not tethered to the darkness like I had been before; nor overwhelmed almost with my role as Sorcerer Supreme...".
Preston smiled, nuzzling his nose into her wet hair, "And you sleep so much better too, no more nightmares, my special wife, and of course, carefully using the Time Stone occasionally without temptation...".
Bebinn kissed him on the lips, "Oh, believe me, I was tempted there to check our life, but for once, I just want to be normal, to be pleasantly surprised, to enjoy life with you, Mo Seanchaí.".
"Indeed, Mo Ghrá...", Preston whispered as he caressed her, enjoying her future modern swimsuit as it isn't modest at all, taking his Gaelic to practice, as his words right there meant 'My love'.
Bebinn shivered, her eyes bright, smiling, "Looks like you truly are getting better at pronouncing my native language, Preston, good thing we took to camp out in Ireland occasionally...I think that deserves a reward...", before her hand ducked under his swim shorts through the water, teasing his balls.
Preston groaned in pleasure, "Bebinn...Please...", and Bebinn whispered with a purr, "I'm waiting for you, my special husband...", and he smiled, ducking his hand under her bikini, teasing her bundle of nerves.
She moaned in pleasure, "Oh, yes, Preston...", as they started to give pleasure to each other, as they held each other a bit closer, finding a spot to find leverage, beginning to be in the mood when an alarm sounded out from the pile of their clothes.
"Oh, what now...?", Preston sighed. "What exactly is that's going off?", he asked her. Bebinn blinked, "That's the warning alarm at the Carter house. Must be another neighbor again asking for flour or something...", with a huff as she was getting eager into the mood.
Preston groaned lightly, "Again? We really need to put up a sign or something!", as he reluctantly left Bebinn's wonderful ministrations on him, his hand leaving her as well, noticing that he is half-hard with a huff, and got out of the stream spot, using magic to dry himself as he redressed, with Bebinn following him afterwards, doing the same.
"I'll do that, and besides, you have to admit if we get the neighbor out quickly, we got more comfortable surroundings in our guest bedroom...", Bebinn smirked, wiggling her hips, and Preston whistled, "You just got my hopes up again, wife...", with a grin as Bebinn blushed, smiling as she then went to use her sling ring to portal into one of the hallways in the Carter house.
She and Preston stepped through, with Bebinn feeling a bit off as she closed the portal but ignored it as she and Preston heard eating and clanking noises in the kitchen, realizing that it's a robber. Preston narrowed his eyes, glancing at Bebinn as she quietly opened a closet, pulling out two cricket bats, knowing that they will have to appear normal in a way to the robber like they were in the bedroom or something.
Bebinn whispered into Preston's ear, "I'll take the door from the dining room, you take the door from the hallway, and we will cover, causing him to run away through the back door he apparently might have broken through, if he didn't break through the front door.", handing him the first cricket bat.
"Right.", Preston nodded as the two of them moved into position. Preston took a glance before he saw the intruder; his heart at least wasn't as fearful now as he realized that it was just some very disheveled man who was just helping himself to some of the food. He honestly looked like he had been through a lot, with his clothes practically being a mess of grabbing whatever could fit, it seemed.
"God... how I've missed some of this...", the man said; his voice sounded off as the man was helping himself to practically all of the cheese that was in the home.
Preston flickered his eye over at the other door into the dining room, and saw Bebinn's glance, and she nodded quickly, and Preston then took a deep breath, and held up his cricket bat in the air, not too high to be a threat, but not too low to be underestimated, and walked in, "You may be hungry, but breaking in is against the law!", with Bebinn coming in, looking fierce.
The man tensed and then turned around in a whirl, grabbing something from the counter Preston couldn't see, and covered his side with a shield, an all too familiar shield that clenched Preston's heart as he immediately recognized it, "Please, I didn't break in! This house belongs to my wife's family, the Carters, and I didn't know that you were taking care of the house for them!".
Preston looked over the face that's full of scruff, his beloved blonde hair filthy and greasy, almost looking like brown, looking tired and anxious, and the eyes, that true blue color still shining of life...
"S-Steve?", Preston choked out, dropping his cricket bat in shock and hope, barely noticing Bebinn's look of confusion and surprise and concern. Steve raised an eyebrow before giving a nod, "Y-yeah... um..."
"Preston.", Preston responded with a widening, relieved smile. "It's me... just... looking more youthful these days...", he chuckled as Steve took a huge breath.
"Oh, my God... I'm so glad for a familiar face...", Steve nearly dropped to the floor as he honestly was practically shot with his nerves after spending so much time running on instincts and survival...
Preston walked closer as Steve lowered his shield, practically shaking, and Preston rested his hand on Steve's shoulder, "I'm so relieved that you're alive...I mean, I know Peggy told us what happened in some details, and with Kida's affirmation about sensing the Atlantean energy through the compass, but I was still worried about you...".
Steve looked at him in confusion, "The compass?", and Preston nodded, "Bucky found it in the debris after everything with the Valkyrie, and Peggy now has it with her while on her missions and all.".
"Wait, wait, where are my kids?! Are they okay?!", Steve widened his eyes in worry and fear, and Bebinn came closer, "They're safe back in America with Audrey and Harrison and Amanda, occasionally visiting Atlantis while Peggy and Bucky secretly visits every weekend, thanks to us.", resting her cricket bat down, seeing her husband looking even more full of life, relieved and awed.