smoke and mirrors.

(I hope this was an okay start?)

James had lost track of time, he had no idea what day it was or how long he had been there. He still didn’t know how it all happened, he travelled to England with the 107th unit of men and begun work as soon as they touched land. But the unit had been surrounded by the group they were fighting against, it all happened so quickly that even James didn’t have time to fight back or to get his men to safety. He was among the hundreds that Hydra had captured or killed, not many managed to escaped without harm but he was glad they had. A hessian sack covered his head so he honestly had no idea where he was taken, once inside the building he and his men were put to work making rockets.

All James wanted to do was refuse, he didn’t want to be a part of making weapons that were going to be used to kill hundreds of innocent people. But he wasn’t stupid, he wanted to survive so he kept his mouth shut and just did what he was told. That was until he fell ill and was taken to an isolation clinic where he was interrogated, he wasn’t sure how long he was inside that room but he was slowly beginning to feel better. His mind wasn’t as blurry as it was before and he could actually breathe without needing to cough, he was still tied to a cold metal table when the two men who had been shouting at him suddenly vanished from the room.

A high pitched siren echoed through the entire building, he knew the siren wasn’t a good sign but as he tried to move he found that he couldn’t. His head spun at the movement which caused him to lay back down on the table, maybe that is where his life was meant to end. Normally a thought like that would push James into taking action, but every time he tried to sit up his head would spin and his senses were all unbalanced.

That was until he watched a man rush over to him, it took James a few seconds to realise that the man was Steve. His best mate from Brooklyn was standing there, in a colourful suit and considerably larger in size. “Steve? I thought you were smaller,” James murmured as Steve helped him down from the table, even if he was uneasy on his feet he knew Steve was there supporting him. Which is the only reason why he escaped the factory before it self-destructed, James followed Steve back to camp with the remaining men of the 107th unit.

---

It had been days since Bonnie watched as Steve left the camp, she was worried about him because he was going into unfamiliar territory and he wouldn’t know what to expect. But she was kept busy like always, she had to deal with the soldiers falling ill or getting injured. She knew deep down that Steve would be fine, but he was just taking time and Bonnie couldn’t stand waiting. Of course, her father Colonel Phillips assured her that Captain America would return to camp safety once he had found the missing soldiers.

Bonnie had decided to occupy herself by watching the soldiers train, she often did on days that she wasn’t busy because even though she wasn’t allowed to join in or train for herself. She could still watch and take note of what the men were being taught, she wanted to be able to protect herself and not have to rely on a man to keep her safe. She had the Phillips stubbornness streak that was passed on through the family, it also made her more determined to do things that a man could. She was getting to the age now, that many women settled down and started having a family. Her father was trying to set her up with different men, so she would fall in love and marry.

But that meant she would need to stop working and stay at home, that didn’t sit well with Bonnie. She loved her work as a nurse, she had always wanted to help people and now she was living her dream. She didn’t want to stop that just because she was married, but she knew her father was only trying to help from the goodness in his heart.

As she was watching the men train, loud clapping and cheering soon captured her attention. She followed a crowd of soldiers towards the gate of the camp, that celebration could only mean one thing. Steve had returned, so she pushed her way through the sea of bodies until her eyes landed on Steve leading the men of the 107th until into the camp. Bonnie didn’t waste any time as she scanned each man with her eyes, looking for anyone who would need medical attention. She picked out a few men, although they all looked exhausted and she was curious as to what had happened to them. However she knew it would have been horrible, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know in case it scared her.

A frustrated sigh was pushed through her slightly parted lips when it became impossible for her to get closer to the new soldiers, the men from camp were getting in her way as they cheered Captain America on. It was a great thing that he had returned, but she still had a job to do and she wanted to help anyone that needed it.

They'd been blindsided. Hydra had them surrounded before any plan of action could be put into effect. Assisting the enemy in any way, shape, or form was the last thing that Andy wanted to be doing. She hadn't gone across the Atlantic to assist Hydra. This wasn't what she'd changed her identity for. She was smart though. She wasn't going to be one of those soldiers who mouthed off. The less she stuck out, the better. She couldn't risk having attention brought onto her. Not when she had a great deal to hide.

Each day seemed to blur into the next. She'd lost count of how many times she'd been led out of her cell with other prisoners to work on those goddamn weapons. She'd noticed Sergeant Barnes' absence. He had been amongst the group of prisoners she'd been with since arriving at the Hydra factory. She knew that he'd started looking a bit worse for wear not long after they all arrived and were put to work. It wasn't long after that when he'd been taken away, and no one had seen him since. It could have been hours ago or days or even weeks. Time just seemed to pass by differently here.

She, Falsworth, and Dugan were being led back to their cell by one of the Hydra agents. Apparently they weren't walking fast enough or something they were doing hadn't pleased the bastard because Andy was shoved forward roughly. Dugan was ready to stop and turn, but he was just shoved forward as well, and the agent was quick to knock the hat right off of Dugan's head with his club. Andy was surprised when Dugan didn't retaliate. Well, he didn't do so straight away at least. It wasn't until they reached their cell and were back behind bars that Dugan placed the hat back on his head, and looked the Hydra agent straight in the eyes and said, "You know, Fritz, one of these days I'm going to have a stick of my own."

"They're not worth it." Andy told Dugan once the Hydra agent started walking away. "They're scum, but mouthin' off isn't gonna do shit." She knew that he'd only meant to stand up for her, and she appreciated it, they're little group all seemed to have each other's backs, but it wasn't worth it. "We don't need ya disappearin' like Barnes did."

Before anything else could be said, one of the Hydra agents was taken out overhead. Andy and the others were quick to get to their feet to see what was going on. That's when a man appeared. "Who're you supposed to be?" Gabe voiced. "Captain America." Was his simple response as he began letting their group and the other prisoners out of their cells. "I'm looking for a James Barnes." He stated when one of the men asked if they were taking everyone. "Barnes was taken not long after we first got here. He was taken to the isolation clinic..." Andy started. "No one's ever come back from there..." Dugan finished for her. Cap was quick to fire off instructions for how to get out. "Get out fast and give 'em hell. I'll be there as soon as I can with anyone else I find." Falsworth stopped him before he walked off and asked if he knew what he was doing. "Yeah, I've knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times." Andy and the others all exchanged a look as he walked off. "Well, you heard him. Lets go give 'em hell." Andy smirked.

---

Steve knew that he was in over his head. He wasn't leaving this damn factory without Bucky though. He knew that this was sort of a suicide mission. He'd survived thus far though, and took it as a good sign. He knew the risk he was taking by not leaving with the others, but it was a risk he was willing to take. Bucky had been here. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd been taken away and separated from the group, and he didn't care. Until he was proven otherwise, he was going to believe that his friend was still alive.

A shrill siren began to sound throughout the factory not long after Steve had separated from the others in search of his friend. He'd managed to take out a number of Hydra agents, though something told him that he was running out of time once that siren started sounding. If he was going to find Bucky, he needed to do it fast.

After a brief run-in with Zola, Steve managed to find the isolation clinic. "Bucky!" He was relieved to find his friend, still alive, restrained on a metal slab. "Oh my God..." Steve knew that he wasn't dead. If he had waited for Phillips and the others to put whatever plan they had into action though, chances were he would have been. He mustered up a small smile at his friend's words. "Yeah, well, I thought you were dead, so I guess we're even." He said as he helped his friend up. He noticed a map on the far wall but knew that he didn't have time to study it for too long. Their time was already limited as it was. He was quick to throw his friend's arm over his shoulder and guide him out of the room. "C'mon, we don't have much time."

He answered Bucky's questions as best as he could as they made their way through the Hydra factory. After a run-in with both Schmidt and Zola, one that came very close to resulting in their going up in flames along with the factory, both men managed to get out alive, and relatively unscathed all things considered. The others from the 107th infantry seemed to have followed Steve's instructions, and before he knew it, Steve was leading the once captured men back into camp.

James was utterly exhausted, but he just moved his feet as he didn’t want to slow anyone down. All the men were exhausted and the quicker they reached Steve’s camp, the better they would feel so James continued walking beside his best friend. The journey was a long one, a good handful of miles if not more. But the thought of having a lay down at the camp and decent food, is what made James continue on.

He did glance back at the men as he wanted to know if everyone did manage to escape, he couldn’t see everyone but a weak smile did form on his face when his eyes landed on the trouble makers. Dugan, Falsworth and Gabe were leading the small group of men that had bonded on the trip over to England, “I can’t seem to get rid of ya lot,” James grinned when he saw Andy was right there among the group.

He was glad that they had all survived and escaped, that group of men were by far some of the best soldiers that James had the pleasure of meeting. They were loyal and always had each other’s backs, “Now we know why ya got taken away. Runnin’ that mouth off already, I see.” Dugan chuckled lowly as everyone seemed to make conversation among the whole group, he did ask Steve more questions as he wanted to know what happened to his friend.

James had known about Steve wanting to take the super soldier serum before he left for England, but he hadn’t known until now if Steve went through with it. He knew why his friend wanted to try the experiment, no army was allowing him in because of his health problems and body size. But James had been worried that it wouldn’t work, or that it would harm Steve more or that if it did work then it would change his friend’s mind.

But from what he was seeing, Steve was the guy that he knew growing up in Brooklyn. He heard the cheering of men before he saw the camp gate, he had never been so relieved in all his life. Once through the gate they were surrounded by other soldiers who were welcoming them back, “Let’s give it up for Captain America!” James cheered with the last piece of energy that he had left, he was so proud of the man that Steve was becoming now and all the good that he’d be able to do.

---

Bonnie had somehow managed to pull a few men aside who either looked like they were about to collapse, or who had wounds that needed tending to. She didn’t even bother trying to get to Steve, so instead she focused on the men that she could reach. One being Dugan who had a nasty bump on the back of his head, she gently applied a cold damp cloth to the bump so the swelling would reduce in time.

“Thanks, Bonnie darling.” Dugan tried not to wince when she touched the tender skin of his head, “You’re welcome. I’m glad that you’re back safely,” She smiled at him and let him rest, she continued on with her duties until she noticed one man who looked to be the worst out of the unit.

“Here, sit down.” She told James as she helped him over to a free chair, he was pale and had a bad cough on him. So she wrapped him up with a blanket and got him a mug of hot steamy tea, “He’ll be fine as long as he keeps himself warm.” She told a man who had stepped over to them, this man was shorter than most other soldiers and wasn’t as muscular. “I don’t have time, love. We need to get those bastards, before they hide.” James commented although he made no movements to get up, Bonnie simply rolled her eyes as she could be tough on her patients.

She didn’t care what work a man needed to get done, if he was her patient then he wasn’t leaving her care until she was certain that he was completely healed and ready. She was small but she could still pack a punch, “They won’t be able to hide forever. But if you don’t do as I say, then you won’t be around to find Hydra and stop them.” Bonnie spoke clearly to a defeated looking James, he grumbled something under his breath before sipping his hot tea.

Andy was just as relieved as all of the other soldiers were when the camp came into her line of sight. She didn't know how long they'd been walking, but the thought of a semi-decent meal kept her going. There hadn't been a single meal in the amount of time they'd spent captured. She wasn't surprised. All that scum carried about was having their damn weapons built. Although the food in the camp was nothing great, it was often cold and bland, she'd take just about anything she could get right now.

She knew that there were a number of men who required medical attention. The numbers weren't nearly as bad, all things considered. There was one man in particular who she instantly felt a twinge of concern the moment she spotted him back at the factory. She had the others had honestly expected the worst when Barnes was taken away from the group. They'd all sort of bonded on their trip over to England, so her concern and relief was to be expected.

She cheered along with the others when they first arrived back to camp, though when she spotted Bonnie pull Barnes aside, she was quick to slip away from the crowd of soldiers. She watched as the brunette wrapped a blanket around the soldier's shoulders and placed what she assumed was a cup of tea in his hands. She nodded wordlessly in response to her words, and eyed the sergeant briefly. He didn't look good, but she trusted Bonnie's judgement. She knew that she wouldn't allow him back onto his feet until he was in tip top shape, or at least close to it anyway.

"Just shut your trap, drink your damn tea, and listen to the lady, Barnes." She said with a slight smirk.

---

The walk back to camp was a long one, though Steve didn't mind. He was just relieved to have gotten Bucky out of there alive along with the other men of the 107th who had been captured. Truthfully, he didn't know how long they'd been walking, though time passed along a bit more easily with the conversation that flowed amongst the group. Bucky asked him a few more questions here and there as they walked, and Steve answered them, catching his friend up on everything that had happened since he'd been shipped off to England. There was a lot to catch him up on, so that helped the time pass a bit better as well.

Once the camp came into view, it was clear that they'd been spotted as people appeared from tents and started cheering. A feeling of pride welled up in Steve's chest. He knew he'd done the right thing. Maybe he'd gone against Colonel Phillips' orders, and he'd gotten Peggy and Stark to do so as well, but this reaction was more than enough to make it all worth it. Maybe he wasn't meant to be a dancing monkey or a lab rat after all.

After speaking with Peggy and Phillips for a few moments, Steve excused himself and headed over to the medical tent. He'd seen Bonnie pull a few men aside, Bucky included, once they'd all gotten into camp. He overheard what the soldier standing near his friend said, causing a slight grin to form on his face. He hadn't gotten his name, though there was one thing he knew. The kid had spunk. He was shorter and much less muscular than the others but he made up for that in his actions. He also seemed to be quite capable of putting his friend in his place, so there was a reason for Steve to like him already.

"You runnin' your mouth again, jerk?" He asked, smirking slightly, before sending a small smile Bonnie's way.

James sat there wrapped in a blanket, both hands holding the mug of tea as it was warming his skin. “I was listenin’ to her,” He murmured before taking a long sip of the strong tea, he rolled his eyes when Steve stepped over to the small group. He hated this, he hated being sick and he hated being this weak where he had to allow someone else to take care of him. But he also knew that if he didn’t let the nurse care for him, then he wasn’t going to heal and get better so he could hunt Hydra down.

“No, I was bein’ quite nice.” He commented back to his friend but he grinned when he saw the small smile that Steve sent to the pretty nurse, although he didn’t say anything in front of everyone. He’d still have to mention it to his friend later on, “This is Andy. One fine soldier he is, very quick.” He told Steve as he had seen how quick Andy was, not only in moving but he was also quick at thinking up plans or making a back-up plan for if things went wrong.

It was something that James noticed wasn’t common in most soldiers, men were getting so focused on having strength then being able to run. Run away to get more help or running past the enemy without being detected. James covered his mouth as he coughed and tried to make it seem like it was nothing, he didn’t want anyone to worry about him as he could feel himself slowly getting better. He just needed to rest as he hadn’t rested since getting captured by Hydra, and that wasn’t helping his body heal.

“I didn’t expect ya to still be with the others, I thought those bastards would have gotten sick of ya.” James smirked as he looked at Andy, he was honestly surprised that Andy hadn’t made a smart ass comment to the Hydra guards and gotten beaten for it. Although James was glad that nothing had happened to his new friends, he knew first-hand what Hydra were like and he never wanted anyone to go through what he was put through.

---

Bonnie returned the smile that Steve sent her way, “He’s beginning to listen to me.” She smiled which faltered slightly when she heard the cough coming from the soldier, “Could you help me, Steve?” She asked leading him over to where a fire was burning, a pot of hot water was over the fire. She handed a bucket to Steve before she poured some of the steaming water into the bucket, “I’m glad you came back safely. I don’t know how you went there, I would have been too scared.” She looked at Steve as she had been worried about him, she didn’t know when he would return or if he would come back.

She always tried to stay positive, but she knew that just because Steve took the super soldier serum it didn’t make him indestructible. She had Steve carry the bucket over to where James was sitting and place it down beside the sick soldier, Bonnie gently moved James so his face was hovering over the steaming water which he would inhale into his lungs.

“I’m sure that you’ll all be given some food shortly, then you need to rest.” She told mostly Andy who looked just as exhausted as James and the rest of the 107th, she hoped that they didn’t rush off instantly to find Hydra. If Hydra could capture so many soldiers at once, what else were they capable of?

"Mhm, sure." Andy could tell that Barnes didn't like being fussed over like this. She didn't really blame him if she was being completely honest. She'd be the same way if she were in his position right now. It was for the best though. He could be in a lot worse condition right now, but he still wasn't in the best, and the nurse knew what she was doing. If he followed her instructions, he'd be back in tip-top shape in no time at all.

Not long after that, none other than Captain America himself came over. She'd managed to put two and two together and realized that this was Steve, Barnes' best friend from back home in Brooklyn. She'd been slightly confused at first. All of the times the sergeant had mentioned his friend, he definitely sounded much smaller. Of course, he sounded like a bit of a spitfire too, but how he was now definitely wasn't how she'd pictured him after hearing all of Barnes' stories. It was those sorts of things that seemed to keep everyone going. Memories from back home. Friends. Family. Other loved ones. Without them, there wasn't much reason to go back.

She smirked slightly. "Was that a compliment? Well I'll be damned."

She let out a quiet laugh before speaking to Steve. "It's a pleasure. I've heard a lot about you." And she had. Barnes talked a lot about his family, his mother and younger sisters mostly, but he talked about Steve just as much as he talked about them.

"All good things, I hope." Steve's words caused another laugh to escape Andy's lips. "Nothing too insulting." She smirked, though the cheeky expression on her face faltered slightly when she heard Barnes cough. It didn't sound good at all. She knew better than to comment on it though. She watched as the nurse called Steve over to help her with something before her attention shifted back over to the worse for wear soldier seated by her.

"I'm just chock full of surprises. Part of the Andy Roberts charm." She grinned slightly, before watching as Steve set a bucket of steaming water down in front of Barnes.

"Yes, ma'am." Was her response when the nurse told her to get some rest after she got some food into her. That all sounded pretty damn amazing right about now.

---

"He doesn't give those out very often. You should consider yourself lucky." Steve smirked.

He liked this kid already. He was definitely right about him having spunk, though he didn't know how much of a kid he was. He was just going off of appearance, although he'd been much smaller than that before the serum, so maybe he wasn't nearly as young as he assumed. All joking aside though, he could tell that Bucky meant what he said about Andy. He hadn't had a chance to see him in action firsthand, but he was going to take his friend's word for it. Bucky was a good judge of character, and he'd obviously seen Andy in action quite a bit so he obviously had a lot more to go off of.

Before he could rag on his friend a bit more, something that he enjoyed and did quite frequently, Bonnie called him over. He was quick to make his way over to the petite brunette. "What d'you need me for?" He asked, ready for whatever she needed his assistance with. Though he hadn't spoken with her much when he first arrived at the camp, enough had been exchanged that he could see she was a good person. She seemed to be pretty damn good at her job. She was pretty too, and thankfully he hadn't acted like a total dope around her yet.

"You and Carter both need to have more faith in me." He sent a crooked smile her way before carrying the bucket of water back over to his friend. He knew that what he'd done was practically a suicide mission, and they all had good reason to worry, but he'd survived, and he'd been successful too. Sure, maybe what he'd done wasn't the smartest, but none of that mattered now. All he cared about was that Bucky and the rest of the men in the 107th were no longer in Hydra's grasp.

James did what the nurse wanted and leaned over the bucket, the steam filled his lungs as he breathed normally. “I wouldn’t say it was ya charm, maybe they felt sorry for ya.” He grinned in a rather childish way, this type of bickering is exactly what he did with Steve and it was something he enjoyed. It was an easy way for him to show how close he was with someone or that he appreciated them, the other person may not know that and he usually forgets to mention it.

He was glad that he had his friend back again, although Steve was slightly different it was something he could quickly get used to. He still appeared to be the same boy he grew up with, he simply just looked different now and didn’t need James to help him out with bullies.

“Food and sleep does sound good, right now.” He grinned keeping his face above the steam, but it was as if they had been overheard. A man’s voice boomed over all the other chatter, announcing that food and shelter were being given out for the 107th unit. That is all it took for James to push himself up from the chair, he carried his tea and bucket of hot water with him as it would keep the nurse off his back or so he thought.

“I will rest, but I’m starvin’,” James looked over to the nurse who gave him a small nod, and it was her nod that caused him to head over to the mess hall tent. He wanted to get some food before it all ran out, once he had something in his stomach then he would feel more comfortable about resting.

There was a small grunt that sounded in the back of James’ throat when the mess hall tent wasn’t as close as he would have liked, a few men passed him by but he was surprised with how fast he was moving. His feet were sore from the walk to this camp, but that was nothing compared to how desperately he wanted food.

“This is somethin’ I thought I’d never see again,” James told Roberts as they joined the line in the tent to get something to eat, it wouldn’t be amazing food but he was already used to the army food and it would be more than what they were given by Hydra. He thanked the soldier who handed him a tray of food before he sat down at the closest table.

---

“I do have faith in you, it’s them that I don’t trust. They captured hundreds of soldiers, they could have easily captured you as well.” Bonnie would never understand why there were people who believed in what Hydra did, why people would seek out others to hurt or even kill. She didn’t want to understand those people but it made her angry, because now good men had to put their lives on the line to protect the country they love.

She didn’t want to imagine what Hydra would have done if they had overpowered Steve, it made her uneasy thinking about it. “Now did you get hurt? Tell me if you did,” She looked at him as he didn’t seem to be hurt, but she still wanted to make sure that he wasn’t. And now that the soldiers were all heading off for some food, it was a good time for Steve to get any medical attention that he might need.

Movement in the corner of Bonnie’s eye caught her attention, turning her head she watched as the men were carrying all the guns that the 107th unit had brought with them. Obviously the guns had been taken from the Hydra base and although it was a good idea, Bonnie never liked guns even if she did know how useful they could be in the right hands. She just didn’t like the idea of how many people would die from a gunshot, she was about saving people not watching them die.

“When do you think my father will allow you to go after them?” She asked turning back so she was facing Steve, her father hadn’t wanted Steve to go into Hydra this time around and he had. For a good reason they now knew, but she knew he would want to stop Hydra as soon as they possibly could.

"You're lucky that you're on the mend, Barnes." Andy said, shooting a playful glare his way. This was how a majority of their conversations went. There was this near constant childish banter between the two of them. It was sort of the center of the friendship that had developed between them since getting shipped over to England. She was close with the others in their little ragtag group of sorts, but for some reason she'd always felt closer to Barnes. They just sort of hit it off straight away.

She'd be lying if she said that she hadn't been worried when he was separated from the rest of them in the Hydra factory. She'd made jokes about him running his mouth with Dugan, but it was all a front to cover up just how worried she'd been. She figured showing too much concern might come off as strange, a bit too motherly in a sense. She didn't want there to be anything that really set her apart from the others. She couldn't risk having any of them find out the truth. If she was found out, she'd be shipped back home that very second.

"I'll make sure he keeps to his word." She told the nurse once the announcement was made about food being served in the mess hall. She followed behind Barnes, surprised by how quickly he was moving all things considered. Truthfully, she couldn't recall ever being this eager to get food. She simply chalked it up to the lack of food she'd received in the Hydra facility.

"I don't think it's ever looked this appetizing." She said with a slight laugh as she was handed a tray. She thanked the soldier who had handed it to her, and followed Barnes over to the nearest table.

---

"It would have been worth it." Steve told her. "I needed to know if he was actually dead. And if he was, it still would have been worth it. Bucky and I have always had each others backs. I wasn't about to stop having his." He'd known what was at risk when he got Carter and Stark to take him to the Hydra base in Austria. Even if he'd been captured as well, he wouldn't have cared. The one thing on his mind at the time had been Bucky. He'd known going in there that there was a good chance that his friend was dead, and he was glad that it hadn't deterred him in the slightest.

He mustered a small smile when she started asking if he was alright. He knew that it was her job as a nurse, but he liked to think that she might be concerned about his well-being regardless of that fact. "Just a few scrapes and bruises." He told her, shrugging his shoulders as if to say it was nothing that he couldn't handle. There were others who hadn't gotten out nearly as unscathed as he had.

"I guess I should consider myself lucky."

He followed her gaze outside of the tent, and saw what had caught her attention. The men carrying the guns and other weaponry. He assumed it was everything that the unit had. After seeing what Hydra had back at their base, it was clear to him just how unmatched the two sides were. It was no surprise to him now why the majority of the unit had been captured so easily.

"I'm not sure. I saw some things back at the base. Future plans. Might give us a small advantage." He didn't know when her father was going to let them make a move. He knew there were quite a few soldiers on the mend, but they couldn't wait forever to make the next move. They'd have to do something soon enough.

“I don’t think it’s ever tasted this good either,” James stated after he had swallowed a mouthful of the food, it didn’t taste any better than what the unit had been given but because Hydra hadn’t given them anything then the food seemed so good. It wasn’t long before the table was filled with the faces that he had missed, when he had been taken away by Hydra guards.

Gabe, Dugan, Morita, Falsworth and Dernier had all gotten a tray for themselves and joined him and Roberts at the table. He was happy that no one from their little group had been left behind or was seriously injured, James trusted each man at that table with his life. They all seemed to mesh well together, which was something that James wanted coming into the 107th and he was glad that he had met these men.

“You still look like you’re dying,” Dernier spoke in his French accented voice, James knew that he must look horrible and he was glad that he couldn’t actually see himself. He didn’t want to know what he looked like right now, but he would take the French man’s word for it.

“Thanks mate, that’s just want I wanted to hear. But ya all can stop worrin’ ‘bout me, the nurse says I’m good to go.” James stretched the truth and by the faces that he was faced, it was clear to him that none of his friends believed a word that he said.

“Yeah sure, mate.” Morita snorted as he quickly brushed off what James had said, not that it bothered him as he was pretty occupied by eating his food.

---

Bonnie knew that the mission was worth it, if anything like that happened to her friends then she wouldn’t know what to do. But she did know that she would do everything that she could, although she wouldn’t be able to do into an enemy base because she would get herself killed.

“I understand that, but jumping from a plane and taking on Hydra by yourself. Another plan could have been made,” She looked at him, however she wasn’t sure if another plan would have been made. Steve obviously knew that the rescue mission needed to happen as soon as possible, which is why he went when he did without having soldiers there to help him.

It also didn’t help that her father had refused to help the captured soldiers, she looked up to Steve and how he trusted his instincts. Her heart sank when Steve mentioned that Hydra had future plans, “They do? Of course, they would.” She sighed softly as Hydra really needed to be stopped, before they hurt more innocent people but it wasn’t just that easy.

“When you do need to leave, you’ll be careful won’t you? And you’ll take some men with you, you can’t do everything on your own.” Her eyes lingered on his, she didn’t know Steve all that well but he did have a big heart and he knew right from wrong.

Bonnie cared about him and she also worried about him, the world needed him around. Which meant he couldn’t simply rush off on a mission on his own, he needed his own group of soldiers there by his side so someone would constantly have his back.

“It definitely hasn’t.” Andy agreed. The food really didn’t taste any better than it had before, and it was something that she’d learned to get used to rather quickly, but she was too damn hungry to even care about how it tasted right now. A couple of days without food would do that to a person, and Hydra hadn’t carried about their prisoners. They just wanted more hands to help piece together more of their weapons.

Not long after that, the others from their group joined Barnes and she at their table. She too was relieved to see that they’d all made it out of there and had received minor injuries. Really, the one who looked the worst right now was Barnes, but he’d be on the mend soon enough so long as he followed the nurse’s instructions. Steve seemed to know her well enough to be on a first name basis with her, and Andy had a feeling that he’d be keeping a close eye on his friend regardless of whatever acquaintanceship had formed between the nurse and him.

“What he isn’t tellin’ ya is that the nurse told him he’d be fine so long as he stayed warm and got some sleep. He ain’t good to go until she says he is.” Andy said, smirking slightly. She’d be keeping an eye on the sergeant as well. What he had was probably just a chest cold, but, out here, that could be just as deadly as mustard gas if it wasn’t treated properly.

---

Steve shrugged his shoulders in response to her words. “Sure, but by the time another plan was made, a hell of a lot of people might have been dead already.” He told her. He wasn’t trying to argue with her. He knew that he hadn’t been thinking very rationally when he’d jumped out of that plane, but he’d survived, and the men who had been captured had gotten out of their alive too. He hadn’t seen anyone else making plans to go in there to rescue those men. That was all he really cared about, rescuing them. His personal well-being was the last thing on his mind at the time.

“Like I said, I didn’t have time to really get a good look, but I saw enough, and they’ve definitely been keepin’ busy.” A slight frown tugged at the corners of his lips. He would have been more surprised if Hydra wasn’t planning something else, but it certainly would have been a breath of fresh air for a lot of people here and elsewhere if they didn’t have other plans. Something told him that wouldn’t have been any better though. People would continue to anticipate potential plans and attacks from the neo-Nazi organization whether plans of action had been made or not.

“I always am.” He told her, a small smile on his face. That was kind of a lie, he wasn’t careful. More often than not, he didn’t think very much before he acted or started running his mouth. That was how he’d gotten into trouble back home all the time before the serum. Bucky had been pulling him out of fights since they were kids.

Dugan couldn’t help himself, a deep throaty laugh sounded from him when Roberts told the group that Barnes would need to rest if he wanted to get better. “You better listen to ‘er, she’s a tough little thing.” He grinned at the sergeant, Bonnie knew her stuff and that was obvious to anyone that she helped.

“And that won’t take long, I’ll be good to go in no time.” James was still certain that it wouldn’t take him long to get better, he didn’t really have a choice because he knew that Steve would want to get back out there and find where Hydra have gone. There was no way James was going to miss out on that, he wouldn’t allow Steve to leave on that mission without him.

Steve had just saved his life, they have always had each other’s backs but it was different now. James was used to him being the one to help Steve out, but now it was more even as Steve could handle himself more now. Not that it would stop James from keeping his friend safe, it just meant that now James had someone to help him in the rare moments where he needed someone’s help.

---

“Why don’t I believe that?” Bonnie smiled as she didn’t really believe that he would be safe and careful, that was clear to her when he jumped out of a flying plane to rescue the men of the 107th unit. “You think too much about other people, to be careful.” It was something she admired in people, being a nurse she hardly ever thought about herself.

“You better hurry, before all the food is gone.” She told him although she wouldn’t complain if he stayed there with her, she enjoyed his company and talking with him. She felt comfortable when he was around, which was a nice change from having to deal with cocky soldiers every day. Steve wasn’t like that at all, and Bonnie hoped that he would never turn into someone who thought they were better than other’s.

Looking at him, Bonnie took him in. He was handsome, she could admit that. In fact it was easy to admit that he was very attractive, but that was just a bonus in her eyes. She liked him as a person, she liked how he stood up for people who couldn’t and treated everyone the same.

“Who’re ya kiddin’, Barnes? She won’t be lettin’ ya back out there ‘til she thinks your sorry ass is ready.” Andy didn’t know the nurse very well, thankfully she hadn’t suffered any injuries worth needing a medic yet, and she planned on keeping it that way, but she didn’t think Dugan was exaggerating at all. The brunette definitely seemed like a tough cookie to crack. She doubted that any charms Barnes tried to lay on her so that he could get back out on the battlefield sooner would work. And she definitely wouldn’t put it past him to try something like that.

Whenever he told stories about his time back home in Brooklyn, a number of them would revolve around different double dates he’d gone on with Steve. Apparently he’d set the blond up on quite a few of them in the hopes of finding a girl for his friend, but they were always to no avail. Hearing him talk of all these dates left the impression that he was a bit of a ladies man, and she really wouldn’t be all that surprised if her assumption was correct. She could definitely see Barnes being a bit of a smooth-talker.

---

Steve let out a soft chuckle in response to her words and shook his head. “You callin’ me liar?” He asked, punctuating his words with a raised eyebrow. He didn’t know what it was, but, for whatever reason, he wasn’t stumbling over his words around Bonnie as much as he would any other woman. Carter had called him out the day he was to undergo the procedure about possessing an inability to talk to women, and she couldn’t have been more correct in that statement. For some odd reason though, talking with Bonnie seemed to come much easier. Maybe it was a fluke, a random bout of confidence, but he wouldn’t know for sure until later on he supposed.

“And now you’re kickin’ me out. What did I ever do to you, Miss Phillips?” He teased before laughing once more. Truthfully, he wouldn’t mind sticking around to talk to her some more and keep her company, but he didn’t know when they’d be serving food in the mess hall again, and the petite brunette was right in stating that all of the food would likely be gone soon enough.

“Care to join me? I can imagine you’d be a bit hungry yourself…”

Barnes wouldn’t dare go for any girl that Steve was even slightly interested in, he had made so many double dates in the past that he has actually lost count of how many there has been. Although he himself hasn’t found the girl for him yet, he wanted to help Steve find a nice girl. All the dates ended horribly wrong for Steve, but here his friend was talking to a pretty nurse all on his own. He had thought about sweet talking the nurse so she would allow him to continue fighting, but that changed the second he noticed the smile that Steve had sent the nurse.

“That won’t take long,” James was certain that he’d be given a clean bill of health shortly, then he can join his friend in tracking down Hydra. “She’ll need to clear me, Steve can’t go out there on his own again. There’s no way that’s ever going to happen again,” His voice grew serious, he knew what Steve had risked coming into Hydra’s secret base on his own. James would have done the exact same thing if he had been in his friends shoes, but Steve’s actions showed him how much Steve was willing to risk. He couldn’t live with himself if anything happened to his best friend and he wasn’t there to help.

---

Bonnie’s smile only grew wider as she looked at the man standing in front of her, “I may be calling you a liar. But that’s something you’ll never know,” She teased him before she laughed softly and shook her head, “I’m not trying to get rid of you. You’re the best soldier here, we can’t risk you wasting away because you don’t eat.” She told him honestly, Steve was the best soldier that the army had and he was greatly needed. “That would be nice, thank you.” She smiled at Steve as she took him up on his offer to join him for something to eat, turning towards the mess hall she begun heading that way with Steve by her side.

“Have you always wanted to be in the army?” She asked him as they walked, she did want to know him better. He fascinated her, the way he changed himself and his life so he was able to help other people and protect the world from evil. Bonnie herself never thought she’d be asked to join, she thought she’d stay at a hospital but she enjoyed where she was. But she also had a dream of doing more, she knew it was silly of her but she did dream of becoming a doctor. It was silly of her because only men were allowed to become doctors.

Barnes' words didn't surprise Andy in the slightest. She had only just met Steve, but, with how frequently Barnes brought him up in conversation, it was clear how close the two men were. Whether Steve was capable of going out there on his own again didn't really matter. Barnes was going to be right there with him, and she highly doubted that anyone would be able to tell him otherwise. She admired him for that determination and loyalty he clearly possessed when it came to his friend. That was the type of soldier the US needed fighting this war. Whether his enlistment was voluntary or not didn't really matter. Barnes was a good man and an even better soldier, and she was sure that held true for Steve as well.

"Speak of the devil..." Andy said, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of her lips as she spotted Steve walk into the mess hall tent with none other than the nurse who'd been checking Barnes over earlier. She'd heard Dugan call her Bonnie a few times, and assumed that was her name. The only thing Andy really knew about her was that she was Colonel Phillips daughter, and that she was far more than just that sweet face of hers. She didn't know her very well, she hadn't needed a medic for much of anything yet, but she knew that much just from hearing what other people had to say about her.

---

"Oh, that's how it is?" Steve asked, letting out a slight chuckle as he crossed his arms over his chest. Yep, he definitely didn't know where this newfound confidence and ability to talk to women was coming from, but he was quite enjoying it, and he had a feeling that he definitely should take advantage of it while it lasted. Something told him that it was all very short-lived and he'd be back to stuttering and stumbling over his words in no time at all. He hoped it would last for the remainder of the day at least, just so he didn't make a fool out of himself in front of Bonnie. He hadn't known her very long, so he still felt as though he was making a first impression of sorts, and he wanted to make sure that it was a good one.

"I don't know about that, but thank you. That means a lot." He said with a smile. It really did mean a lot knowing that he was meant for more than selling war bonds. This was what he'd wanted to do. He'd wanted to enlist and become a real soldier. He'd wanted to fight for his country like every other able-bodied man in America, and he was finally doing just that. "No need to thank me. We can't have you passing out on the job." He told her as he started out of the tent and towards the mess hall. "I always wanted to make something of myself. Joining the army was one of the first chances I had to do so." He explained as they walked, motioning for her to step inside the mess hall before him.