Chapter 8

Adeline sat on the edge of the bed as she was getting her old wound and some new wounds bandaged. She faced Bucky who was getting his wounds tended to as well. The tent was in silent shock from the recent attack. She had helped drag bodies of men into a neat line just outside the medical tent, their dog tags resting on their chests so the Colonel knew who to write condolence letters to. Many of these men were hardly men, not even had a first shave, but their heads had acquainted themselves with a deadly bullet. Bucky's usually groomed hair and clean skin was bloody and dirty. The look didn't suit him.

"I'm going to go get cleaned up," Adeline said as she walked with Bucky out of the medical tent. "You would be wise to do the same."

"Yeah," Bucky nodded numbly, looking down at his bloodied clothes. "Adeline -" Adeline stopped, turning to face Bucky "- how did you do it?"

"Do what?" Adeline asked. Bucky looked around, pulling her behind a building, her back up against the wooden walls, his hands on either side of her head.

"I've seen your memos," Bucky admitted. "Living through that every day? How did you keep your head on straight?"

"You weren't supposed to read those," Adeline mumbled.

"But I did," Bucky responded, looking down at Adeline. "You can't be okay after that."

"Who said I was okay?" Adeline asked, looking into his eyes.

"God, Adeline," Bucky breathed, resting his forehead against hers. "How did we get into this mess?"

"Agent 22," a voice squeaked, causing Bucky to back up and Adeline to look toward the voice. It belonged to a small man with a nervous glint in his eyes upon seeing the two sharing an intimate moment. "There's a line for you."

"Of course," Adeline said, her voice slightly shaking. "I'll be right there." The small man nodded and quickly turned to walk away.

"I didn't know your first name was 'Agent'," Bucky said, giving Adeline a sideways glance.

"Yeah, well it has kept me alive," Adeline responded. "Go get yourself cleaned up, you stink." With that, she walked toward the communications tent. She could feel Bucky's eyes on her as she walked away, no doubt a slight smirk plastered to his face.

~*~

"I'm going back to London first thing tomorrow," Adeline told Bucky as they sat and watched the basketball game that was going on in the dirt court of the camp.

"They don't give you a break, do they?" Bucky asked as Gabe Jones made a successful shot.

"We're at war, it's not necessarily a leisurely activity," Adeline responded with a slight smile.

"James, come on, we can bring you in," Gabe said with a smile as he stood in front of the two.

"It's Bucky and besides, if I join, you'll have uneven teams," Bucky said.

"Would the lady like to play?" He asked, eyeing Adeline.

"Oh, I'm not much of a basketball player," Adeline said with a laugh.

"We've got two more players!" Gabe shouted to the others. Adeline laughed, allowing Gabe to pull her onto the court.

"The two lovers have to be on separate teams," Timothy Dugan, better known as Dum Dum Dugan, shouted. Adeline wasn't good at basketball but she was competitive. Adeline blocked Bucky's shot, the ball bouncing out of bounds.

"Better luck next time, Barnes," Adeline said.

"I thought you liked me," Bucky said in mock hurt.

"Come on, Bucky, don't let her get in your head!" Jim Mortia called, pulling Bucky away from a smirking Adeline. She got high fives from her team and the game continued, coming down to a tie.

"Next point wins!" Dum Dum Dugan shouted as he passed the ball to Adeline. She dribbled, knocking down Bucky then passing it to Gabe who made the winning shot. Adeline smiled, holding out her hand for Bucky.

"No hard feelings, right?" Adeline asked as Bucky refused to take her hand to help himself up. "Ah, come on, James." She could tell he was trying not to smile. "How about if I ..." Adeline pulled him down to meet their lips.

"Okay, but you can't expect to win everything like that," Bucky said with a smile. Adeline punched him lightly on the shoulder.

It was late and Bucky took Adeline to the open field for one last night together.

"You know, you could get out of all of this, right?" Bucky asked as Adeline nuzzled into Bucky's chest.

"Like I'm going to leave all the fighting up to the men," Adeline scoffed with a laugh.

"I'm serious Adeline," Bucky said. "You could go home and be safe. Wait for me to come home."

"Bucky, you and I both know that's not going to happen. You said yourself that you couldn't imagine me being a housewife," Adeline said, looking up at Bucky.

"I know, that's what scares me," Bucky said.

|Saturday, May 23, 1942|

The dirt roads were covered with puddles from a late night rain and the forest was misty. Adeline found it beautiful, but eerie. She found it hard to leave Bucky, a lingering feeling of dread hung in her chest and she couldn't shake it.

"You know, it would make me feel better if you were going home," Bucky said.

"I know, James," Adeline said, leaning against the Jeep. "But you know me too well."

"Unfortunately," Bucky mumbled.

"Hey, I thought you liked me," Adeline said in mock hurt, but he didn't laugh. "Come on, Buck."

"You know, I'm terrified of this war," Bucky said and Adeline's smile fell. "I don't know what's coming next, I don't know if I'll be dead or alive tomorrow. It's changing me, Adeline and I'm terrified."

"I know," Adeline said softly. Bucky sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Agent, your plane is going to be ready within the hour, I suggest we get going," a soldier informed Adeline.

"Thank you," Adeline said, nodding in the direction of the soldier before turning back to Bucky. "I guess that's my cue."

"I'll see you later," Bucky said.

"Hopefully under the right circumstances," Adeline responded.

"Hopefully," Bucky echoed. Adeline pulled him in for a soft embrace and he tightened his arms around her.

"I'll see you later, sarge," Adeline said with a soft smile.

"I'll see you around, agent," Bucky responded, smiling back.

"I hate you," Adeline laughed, pulling him in for a quick kiss.

"And I hate you," Bucky said once they pulled away. The army Jeep started and Adeline took a deep breath.

"Go, or you'll be late for your plane," Bucky urged. Adeline sighed, pulling Bucky in for another kiss before she stepped into the Jeep and she looked back, watching the camp get smaller and smaller. Adeline shifted in her seat, sitting forward.

"Barnes talks about you a lot," the driving soldier said. "He's lucky to have you."

"I'm lucky to have him," Adeline said, smiling a bit. She still couldn't shake the feeling of dread and even as she drove away, it grew.

When she arrived in London, she debriefed a small council of men.

"They aren't only a weapons development organization, but an experimentation organization," Adeline concluded.

"Very good work, Agent 22," one of the men said. "Thank you for your insights. I think the council will all agree with me, but based on your exceptional work here, I would like to assign you to a team that deals specifically with Hydra." There were nods from the other men and Adeline's heart skipped a beat as she thought of Bucky, about her getting out and going home.

"It would be an honor, sir," Adeline said, pushing the uneasy feeling away.

|Nazi Occupied Paris, France||Thursday, June 18, 1942|

Germany was getting comfortable in France. Almost overnight, dozens of Hydra bases had popped up all over norther France. Many people had simply gone missing under the occupation and Adeline knew it was for experimentation.

"You all set?" Her partner, Peter Mason asked.

"Yeah," Adeline responded, checking her weapons.

"You remember the plan, right?" He asked.

"Yes, I got it," Adeline said. "Honestly, Peter, we've been working with each other for a month and you don't trust me? This'll be the fourth Hydra facility we've broken into together."

"In this line of business you can't afford to trust anyone," Peter responded, his British accent making him sound condescending. "Even me."

"Just relax," Adeline said. "I got it." Most of their partnership was like this. Peter was always so uptight even when they weren't on missions. Of course, Adeline was careful, she always was. She didn't want to be sent home in a wooden box. They were quite the dynamic duo as they got things done efficiently and effectively. They checked their gear one more time before slipping off into the night.

"You know, I rather enjoy our late night raids," Adeline said as she returned to Peter's side after securing the compound.

"Just get the files and let's go," Peter said.

"Roger that," Adeline said, jogging off to the main office of the building. She was shuffling through the cabinets when she came across something curious. There was a folder overflowing with paperwork. She opened it and there were pictures of a man known as Captain America. Underneath the bold name was the actual name, one she recognized: Steven Rogers.

"Oh my God," Adeline breathed, holding the flashlight in her mouth so she could flip through the pictures. There was one small photo of the Steve Adeline knew and the others were of someone seemingly completely different. However, he still had the same kind eyes and messy dirty blonde hair Adeline remembered.

"This is why he hasn't been responding to Bucky's letters," Adeline mumbled. She flipped through a few more pages.

"Operation rebirth? Oh my God, Steve. If I live through this war, you are so dead," Adeline breathed, reading over the pages.

"As interesting as that file may be, I will need it back," A voice interrupted her thoughts. Adeline dropped the file, turning around and pointing her gun at the man. From what Adeline could see, eh was a German Officer, his face etched and it looked like he had seen much. He held Peter with a gun to his head.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, agent," the German Officer said. "You shoot, I shoot and we both die."

"Adeline, shoot and get out of here," Peter said.

"Shut it," Adeline demanded, still keeping her gun steadily aimed for the German's head.

"You don't want him dead, do you?" The officer asked tauntingly. Adeline was trying to calculate the risk in her mind. However, before she could make her final decision, there was a loud gunshot. Though Adeline didn't feel it right away, she knew that bullet was meant for her. She fell to the ground as the red hot pain hit her. Everything went numb as muffled gunshots fired. She felt Peter dragging her behind the desk as he collected the files she had dropped. He shot around the desk as Adeline weakly tried to stop the bleeding from her abdomen. Peter turned to Adeline. He seemed conflicted but she couldn't hear anything.

"What?" Adeline questioned in a weak voice.

"I'm sorry," he said, taking her pistol and her bag.

"Peter," Adeline tried to call, but he was already making his way out, laving Adeline behind. "Peter!" He didn't even leaver her a gun to put a bullet in her head. Adeline shakily ripped her sleeve, making a makeshift bandage. She breathed in then out as she moved onto her stomach, grabbing onto the edge of the desk with a bloody hand. Adeline had only taken a few steps before collapsing, her face only inches from the dead Officer. She rolled onto her back again, trying to keep her breathing even.

"Bucky," she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes. When she got home, she was going to marry him in a small chapel. When she got home, she was going to pick out a dress. When she got home, she was going to be okay. When she got home ...

Adeline seemed to calm down, she felt as though she was floating, she was at peace. She weakly reached for the photo of her Bucky and Steve that she always kept in her pocket. Nothing could brighten Adeline up like Bucky's smile or Steve's drawings. She pressed the photo to her lips, letting the warm tears fall down her cheeks.

"I'll wait for you," Adeline whispered before she let herself go.

~*~

Something didn't feel right. Adeline was cold and a hard metal surface supported her body. She was sore. Her whole body hurt, but felt new. The past few days were a blur. Or maybe it was weeks, or perhaps moths. Adeline didn't know. She started by moving her fingers and toes. Then she opened up her eyes only to be greeted by a blinding light which caused her to close them again. Soon there was the sound of a heavy metal door opening then slamming shut.

"I must congratulate you, Dr. Zola," a German accent sliced through the air. "Your formula has improved."

"Yes, well we can't be sure of it yet," a different man responded. Adeline identified the voice to be that of a Swiss man.

"Hans was correct about her," the German man said. "She will shape the war."

"Well, we have yet to shape her mind, the body is one thing, but the mind ... That is something I have yet to truly tamper with," the Swiss man responded. They were close to her and she knew that even if she did make a move, they were most likely stronger than her, especially in her weakened state.

"I don't want any mistakes on this one, Zola," the German man said.

"Of course," the Swiss man responded nervously as the heavy metal door slammed shut. She soon felt hands on her, checking her pulse. Her eyes shot open, grabbing the doctor's throat. She had horribly miscalculated how many people were in the room as she threw the doctor down and swung off the metal table, elbowing another doctor, making her way toward the exit. There was a loud siren going off, red lights flashing overhead. Soldiers burst in from the door, their guns pointed at Adeline.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" The Swiss man, Adeline had found to be called Zola, called over the commotion. They were at a standstill. Adeline was breathing hard and the doctors were groaning behind her.

"Agent Adams, let us help you," Zola said, hiding behind a soldier. Adeline was so concentrated on the soldiers in front of her, she didn't realize a doctor with a syringe come up behind her until it was too late. Adeline turned sharply, the empty syringe shattering on the floor. Adeline stumbled, catching herself on a table with surgical tools. She wasn't about to be a prisoner. She picked up a scalpel, bringing it to her wrist. However, before she could bring the shaking blade in contact with her skin, she fell to the floor, the scalpel clattering on the ground.

"No," Adeline slurred, trying to reach for the tool before everything went dark.

~*~

Adeline didn't know how long she had been in the Hydra compound, but she knew that she had to get out. She sat in her cell, staring at the floor, her thin shirt hanging off of her, her eyes sunken in and her figure getting thinner and thinner. There was a tray of food set down on the floor as the other untouched food tray was taken out. She didn't bother to look up at the man, she simply stared at the same grey spot of concrete on the wall of her cell. There were constantly echoes of screaming through the concrete halls, enough to make any sane person tremble. Once in a while she would see someone being dragged past her cell.

"You know, I have a wife back home. Two kids too, they're real nice. It's all thanks to my wife, you know. She knows how to raise 'em," a thin man rambled as he was forcefully escorted past Adeline's cell. She was sure that her family received a condolence letter. She only wished she was dead. Her cell door opened another time and two soldiers in all black took her by the arms. She got shower privileges once every week. She was stripped of her clothes and sprayed down with cold water from a hose. She shook, goosebumps forming on her skin while the cold water sprayed her bare back. After her shower, they cut her hair. It was getting a bit too unruly for their liking. Soon she was sat in a lab, strapped to a metal chair with strange machines all around the room.

"She hasn't eaten in seven days," the Swiss doctor fretted. A man with sharp cheekbones, thin brown hair and clad in all black, nodded, looking Adeline up and down.

"I think she just needs a bit of encouragement, yes," the German man said, walking up to Adeline as though she were a fish in a fishbowl. Adeline glared up at the haunting man.

"Prep her," he ordered, straightening up.

"But this method hasn't proven effective Herr Schmidt," Zola said, a nervous glint in his eyes.

"Try it again," Schmidt said simply, walking out. Zola let out a frustrated sigh as the man exited the room and nodded to the surrounding doctors. The straps around Adeline's arms were tightened as the metal machine lowered itself over her head. Adeline's breathing increased and her body began to shake in uncontrollable fear. An electrifying wave ran through her body, causing her muscles to tighten painfully. She let out a scream as the pain only intensified, her mind going blank. She held on tightly to the photo of her, Bucky and Steve in her mind. She didn't want to let them go. She couldn't.

It was loud in the grand dance hall. People were laughing, drinking and smoking while cameras flashed. Adeline had a smile on her face as she turned to Bucky who held out a cigarette for her.

"James, you're going to get me in trouble," Adeline said, taking the cigarette between her fingers while Bucky held a flame to the end. She breathed in, the end of the cigarette burning while smoke rose. She breathed out the smoke into his face and he chuckled.

"It's just one cigarette," Bucky said before turning to Steve. "You want one?" Steve took a cigarette from Bucky's fingers, lighting it before he began coughing.

"That's disgusting," Steve wheezed. Both Adeline and Bucky laughed before he ordered them all a round of drinks.

"I like this Bucky," Adeline complimented, taking her drink in her hands.

"Yeah, 18 year old Bucky is very generous," Steve chuckled.

"Hey, I can legally buy alcohol now, I may as well treat you guys," Bucky said, pulling his two friends into his side. That night he had to bring both Adeline and Steve back to his place. Adeline clung to Bucky as he sat Steve down on the couch while he brought Adeline to his bed. He began to walk away but Adeline gripped his hand.

"Stay," Adeline mumbled.

Adeline remembered that evening as though it were yesterday. She was 17, her and Bucky were just starting to get along again after Gertrude. That was all that kept Adeline sane in her concrete cell.

"I promise I'll wait for you and Steve," Adeline said to Bucky. There was never a response which Adeline was grateful for. For the past few months, she had resorted to talking to Bucky and Steve, recalling stories from their youth.

"Hey," A voice caught Adeline's attention.

"Hey," it said again.

"Hello?" Adeline questioned, not able to muster up the energy to look around.

"You know, I can always tell the nights when you aren't here," it was distinctly a male voice, most likely French. "Your stories. They calm me."

"Glad I could help someone in this hell," Adeline managed to respond with a weak chuckle. Her lips were chapped and it hurt to move any part of her body. She was getting significantly worse each day. Her hair had begun to fall out. She would find clumps of it on the ground or in her hand.

"All I can do to repay you now is to tell you one in return," the Frenchman said.

"I'd like that," Adeline said with a weak smile.

"Well, you see ..." The Frenchman went on to tell about his childhood in Provence, his life before the war. Adeline laughed and cried with this man as he told his stories in the most beautiful way she thought she would ever hear.