The sun had set on another day in the battle zone when the soldiers had fallen asleep in their tents and the two people in charge of leading the next mission got ready for the next day's journey. Buck was packing his things, preparing for his and Angie's trip to Azzano in the morning, when the woman stepped inside his large, white-canvas tent. Bucky didn't even need to look to see who it was; none of his men ever came to him after night fell and the lights went out. A second later, the sound of his cot groaning filled the small room and he smirked.

"All packed for tomorrow?" He asked over his shoulder before closing his pack and clipping it shut. The man turned around to see his old friend, clad in her usual blood-stained tank top, mud-colored pants and black boots, lying flat on his makeshift bed, her left hand resting beneath her head while her right arm sat loosely by her side. She nodded and closed her eyes. "You know, I was planning on sleeping there." His tone was joking, but Angie just blinked and smirked mischieviously.

"Fine," She got to her feet and gestured for the sergeant to lay down. "After you." Saying he was suspicious of her hidden motives would've been an understatement, but the fact that she was in a mischief-making mood made the man smile. It had felt like an eternity since she showed some sort of indication of her past self, of the woman he'd known before the war. Not that there was anything wrong with her now, it was just refreshing to know that the Germans hadn't completely killed her spirit. So Bucky did what she asked and made himself comfortable on top of the cot.

Before he could question her on what she was planning on doing next, Angie didn't hesitate to climb on top of the soldier, suddenly straddling his hips. Buck's eyes grew wide. An audible gasp of shock left his lips before he could stop himself and, although he knew there was no way of hiding it, he tried to breathe regularly to keep his heart beat from accelerating. Because the more blood his heart pumped, the redder his face was going to get from sheer bashfulness.

His mind jumped to the ultimate conclusion anyone's would have jumped to. After all, it was just the two of them in his tent, everyone else was asleep out side, too far to hear whatever may happen within. It wasn't Buck's fault, it was just the most logical explanation. It was instincts buried deep within himself just starting to emerge.

But Evangeline didn't continue down that path. Truly, she hadn't been going in that direction at all. She'd only straddled him to get onto the cot before sliding her legs between his own and resting her head on his chest, wrapping her left arm around around his middle and snuggling as close as she possibly could into his warm embrace.

"I figured you'd like the company tonight," She muttered sleepily into the fabric of his shirt, leaving out the fact that she was actually the one who wanted his company; her nightmares had gotten even worse to the point where she couldn't close her eyes for too long for fear of the plagues she tried to fight off in the night. "Since we probably won't be getting any real rest until after the mission."

Now realizing just how foolish he'd been to assume what he had of Angie, Bucky wasn't afraid to wrap his arms around her, hold her against his beating heart where she'd always belonged. He was selfish to think her motives were anything but pure, after all, she was a dedicated Christian and wanted to remain a virgin until she was married. Until they were married.

He could still feel the container holding the rings that old woman had given him weeks ago, safely stashed in his back pocket.

"Yeah," He agreed and pressed his lips to the top of her head, just enjoying the fact that he was lucky enough to have her in his life and thankful that she seemed a bit more like herself, even if it were only for the night. "Yeah, you're right." He ran his hand up and down her back gingerly.

"You're a lot more comfy than my cot," She laughed, despite the fact that she was half asleep already. For the first time in days, she could feel the inevitable darkness waiting for her was one of warmth instead of freezing ice. For the first time in a long while, she wasn't afraid to close her eyes and drift away. "We should do this more often..."

In all honesty, her company was as much a blessing to him as his company was a blessing to her. Bucky no longer cared about what the other men said, he didn't care they thought about his and Angie's relationship; it was none of their business, none of their concern. Their army was in the middle of a war with one of the deadliest dictators known to mankind, and if the fact that Buck was in love with Angie somehow magically distracted the other soldiers from the bigger picture, that was their own problem. If their colleagues were more worried about the relationship the best friends from Brooklyn shared, it wasn't going to be Buck or Angie's fault when they got blown up because they were too focused on the duo holding hands instead of the bullets being fired in their direction.

"Yeah," the sergeant acknowledged her words, but he knew from the slow rise and fall of her back that the woman was already fast asleep. "We should definitely do this more often." Reaching out his hand towards the lit lantern on the small wooden table beside his cot, Buck turned down the flame 'til the room was black.

**********

Steve sat alone as the rain fell down, making the ground a watery puddle of brown goo that stuck to his shoes whenever he walked. In his hands were his pencil and sketch book, the only two things from his old life that he'd brought overseas after his monumental transformation.

Though he was grateful for the changes made to himself, changes that improved his body far better than any medication ever could, Captain America began to wonder if it was all worth it. If Angie and Bucky hadn't sent themselves overseas, would he have gone through with the procedure, even though he would've been leaving his friends behind? Through some part of the butterfly effect, would they have stayed in New York if Howard Stark hadn't been working on a super-human program? The 'what if's continued to toss and turn in his mind, fighting for dominance over a brain filled with as much conflict as the fight between Hitler and the rest of the world.

"That's a nice drawing."

Steve was caught off guard by the sudden presence behind him. A quick glance over his shoulder told him that the woman who had spoken was none other than Peggy Carter, one of his superiors when he'd been training with the other soldiers months ago. She was a kind woman, but strict and deadly when she needed to be. Her short brown locks fell past her chin and her lips were as red as Evangeline's, though the lipstick was where their similarities ended. Well, the lipstick and their readiness to kick ass when the need arose.

"Oh, thank you," Steve answered somewhat bashfully and eyed his work. Originally, he hadn't had any idea what to draw that day. After weeks of performing on stages, kissing babies and taking pictures with anyone who gave money to the war effort, he just wanted some time to himself to relax and tell himself that even though he wasn't doing what he wanted, he was still supporting the fight against the bad guys.

At some point, he began to sketch out a face, not knowing who it would end up looking like. It wasn't uncommon for him to sit out along the streets of New York and draw random strangers on their way to and from work. All he needed was a quick glance at their facial features and he was off, jotting down every detail and turning the blank sheet of paper into a work of art. But this time, he drew a face he hadn't seen in months, a face he was scared to death of forgetting.

"Who is she?" Peggy asked, trying to hide the slight jealousy in her voice. Steve never noticed.

"Evangeline Harris," He sighed. "She's my best friend. Well, she and Bucky Barnes. The three of us grew up together, though that isn't very surprising since we all lived at the same orphanage as kids." Steve took a deep breath and closed his sketch book. "They were shipped overseas a few months before Captain America came into the picture, ended up joining the one-oh-seventh. Buck's a sergeant and Angie's their designated nurse."

Peggy's face went white.

"Steve, the people you performed for today were the last remaining survivors of the one-oh-seventh."