"No!"

Neither Evangeline nor Steve had heard the truck racing behind them until it slammed into the Hydra soldier behind her. Neither one of them had ever seen a body fly so far until that day as the man screamed through the atmosphere, then rag-dolled across the ground nearly a hundred yards from where they stood, his bones crunching with each bounce. So much for Evangeline's idea of taking him prisoner.

Before the truck came to a full stop, Bucky jumped down from the passenger's seat and ran for the woman on her knees. He could see the bullet holes in her back and a wave of horror filled a pit in his stomach, constricting his lungs in his chest and his mind go numb to the environment around him.

No. This wasn't happening. There was no possible way in hell this was happening, Bucky wouldn't allow it. Not today, not before she'd fully returned to his life, to his side. He slid on his knees before catching her weak frame in his arms with Steve kneeling down on her opposite side.

"Angie-" Bucky gasped out as he cradled her close to his chest, his eyes wide with fright. She was just as beautiful as the day she left, her blonde hair falling in loose ringlets down her torso and her eyes shining brightly. Before he could continue, she began to shake in his embrace, her body convulsing in a way that seemed too familiar as she moved her hands to cover her face. "Angie?" It was then that he saw the enormous open-mouthed smile.

She was laughing.

"I'm okay," She wheezed through her tears. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just an adrenaline rush." She assured him and gently lifted her hand to his cheek like she always did. And just like every other time before, he nuzzled into her touch, though his smile was one of caution, as if he was still doubting her words.

"Oh, the things you do to get my attention," He chuckled with a sigh and lovingly pressed his forehead against her own. "It's good to have you back, Angie." His words were the tip of the iceberg on that subject; it wasn't good to have her back, it was great.

"Yeah," Steve cleared his throat awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck as the other two realized he was actually still there. "Thought that throw might've knocked something loose out of you. What you did was insane."

"What?" Bucky's eyebrows furrowed in concerned as he sat up and looked at his friend. "What'd she do? What'd I miss?" Steve and Angie exchanged knowing glances and the captain smirked, closing his eyes and shaking his head as the man and woman let out a chuckle. If this was the true beginning of the trio's adventures at war, if being thrown from a motorcycle and getting shot had Bucky this worried, then there was no telling how much stress he'd be under for the rest of the fight with Germany. Gravity and bullets were hardly something to fuss over when worse things were happening every day.

"This isn't helping," Bucky let out a slight huff, which only caused the two to burst into an even bigger fit of laughter.

**********

The ride back wouldn't have been very long if the trio had taken Henry's offer for a lift like the rest of the soldiers, but Buck, Steve, and Angie knew that the time alone was something they all needed. Plus Colonel Phillips was likely going to blow a gasket when he'd get the news of Angie's return, so an extra hour or two for him to cool down before their arrival seemed sufficient. 

"I still can't believe you can literally absorb bullets," Bucky chuckled as he and Angie walked hand in hand, while Steve stood on the opposite side of the woman, locking arms with Evangeline. If they'd been in New York and dressed in their normal attire, the three would've looked nothing different than they had before fighting in the war. Hand in hand, arm in arm- it would've been like any other Saturday night.

"You guys should've been there when we first found out," Angie replied happily. "Scared us half to death. Thought I was gonna leave a canyon where we were supposed to be." Hearing that their friend had been shot when Steve and Bucky weren't there to help sent a shiver of anxiety through their bones. Though they let out little laughs in unison with Angie, the men caught each other's eye and knew the two were on the same page on that subject. Evangeline Harris would not be taking anymore bullets, not under their watch now.

Steve couldn't explain how he felt after spending the hour-long walk with Evangeline again. After weeks upon weeks of fighting Nazis, of wondering how she was doing and what Howard Stark and his scientists might be doing to her, it was enough to drive any guy insane. Now that she was here with them again, and this time to stay, it was like having a glass of water after trudging through the desert on a hot day. She was the clarity of waking up after a nightmare, a hot meal after weeks of starvation, arriving on dry land after months at sea. 

Evangeline Harris was all Steve Rogers needed to mend his tattered, war-torn soul.

They were so close together, their arms locked, sides touching, so near that he could feel the sensation of her heart beating in her chest. Maybe that was due to his heighten senses as a super-human, the fact that he wasn't a complete shrimp anymore with actual body mass.

His happiness was cut short towards the end of their walk. They had half a mile left to go when Bucky stopped in his tracks and asked if Steve could give him and Evangeline a moment alone. It shouldn't have hurt, considering the kind of relationship his two best friends had now, but it still left a sting in the third wheel's heart. Especially when he knew that if he'd only spoken up sooner about his emotions, it very well could've been him and Evangeline as a couple instead.

So, like any good friend would, he nodded in understanding, said he'd catch them once they'd returned to camp, and began the final trek on his own.

**********

They watched Steve as he disappeared down the road. Something was wrong, Evangeline could tell. It was second nature to her to know when something was the matter with her boys. From the way he spoke to the way he smiled, it wasn't hard for the woman to tell that it was all a facade.

"Has he been okay?" She asked Bucky as the couple continued to stare at the figure getting smaller and smaller with each step he took in the distance. "Is he usually like this? I figured he'd be a little more excited about me coming back..." Despite their concerns for their comrade, Bucky squeezed Angie's hand before wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a much-overdue hug. She didn't hesitate to reciprocate by locking her arms around his middle.

"It's not you, sweetheart," Buck assured her, kissing the top of her head. He had his suspicions as to what caused Steve's sudden mood swings, but that was an issue for another day. She sighed against his chest and buried her face in the fabric of his uniform. For the first time in weeks, Bucky and Angie felt like they were in the right place, like they were somewhere familiar that could only come with being with each other. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," She muttered against his chest. It was in that moment that she felt Bucky's gentle touch against her face, his hand slowly lifting her chin up and leaning his head down for their lips to make contact. It was sweet, yet longing as their mouths moved against each other, as the duo disappeared from this world and entered one of their own.

For the first time in weeks, the two felt as if they'd found their safe haven. For the first time since their deployment, Angie and Bucky felt as if they were home.