We had taken Arnim Zola back to our Headquarters as prisoner where Colonel Phillips planned to get information from him. I asked to be present during the interrogation, I wanted first hand information from the Doctor himself. Colonel Phillips did not want me in the room with Zola, I wasn't sure why, but he agreed to let me stand behind the two sided mirror of Zola's cell and listen in. 

I was escorted into the room that had a view into Zola's cell, the doctor stood in the almost empty room, all there was in there was a cot for a bed and a metal table with two chairs. Colonel Phillips entered with a tray and food and walked up to the table. Dr. Zola looked at him, unsure of what to do and Phillips nodded to the chair and said: "Sit down." 

Dr. Zola did so, and Phillips sat down too, setting the tray of food down in front of Zola. 

"What is this?" Dr. Zola asked. 

"Steak." Colonel Phillips replied. 

"What is in it?" Dr. Zola asked him. 

I let out a hmph, he thought that we were going to poison him. 

"Cow." Phillips answered bluntly. "Doctor, do you realize how difficult it is to get ahold of a prime cut like that out here?" 

"I don't eat meat." Dr. Zola said. 

"Why not?" Phillips asked.

"It disagrees with me." Dr. Zola answered. 

"How about cyanide? Does that give you the rumbly tummy, too?" Colonel Phillips said. When Zola didn't answer, he pulled the tray towards him and continued. "Every Hydra agent that we've tried to take alive has crunched a little pill before we can stop him. But not you." 

I thought of Fred Clemson, the HYDRA soldier who had shot and killed Dr. Erskine. He had a fake tooth filled with cyanide and before Steve could question him, he bit down on the tooth and killed himself. 

"So, here is my brilliant theory." Colonel Phillips continued. "You want to live." 

"You're trying to intimidate me, Colonel," said Dr. Zola.

"I bought you dinner," said Phillips sliding a piece of paper to Zola. 

"Given the valuable information he has provided and in exchange for his full cooperation," Dr. Zola read, "Dr. Zola is being remanded to Switzerland." 

"I sent that message to Washington this morning, of course it was encoded." Said the Colonel. "You guys haven't broken those codes, have you? That would be awkward."

"Schmidt will know this is a lie." Zola said.

"He's going to kill you anyway, Doc. You're a liability." Phillips explained. "You know more about Schmidt than anyone. And the last guy you cost is was Captain Rogers' closest friend, so I wouldn't count on the very best of protection." 

My arms crossed and clenched my jaw. Bucky's scream echoed in my head and I stared at Zola with fuming hatred. 

"It's you or Schmidt." Said Phillips. "It's just the hand you've been dealt." 

Dr. Zola paused for a moment before speaking. "Schmidt believes he walks in the footsteps of the gods. Only the world itself will satisfy him." 

"You do realize that's nuts, don't you?" The Colonel pointed out.

"The sanity of the plan is of no consequence." Said Zola. 

"And why is that?" Phillips asked.

"Because he can do it!" Zola raised his voice. 

"What's his target?" Colonel Phillips questioned. 

"His target," Dr. Zola leaned in. "Is everywhere." 

I furrowed my brow, trying to understand the context of what the Doctor said. I left the room and Peggy was in the hallway waiting for me. She looked very concerned. 

"What is it?" I asked. 

"I can't find Steve." She replied.

"Oh," I replied. The thought of him missing after losing his best friend was worrisome. 

"Do you have any idea where he might be?" She asked. "There was a blackout a few moments ago."

"He could be anywhere." I said as we made our way down the hall. "He's really upset, and I completely understand. If he is anything like me when Wes was killed, he'd feel a lot of guilt." 

"So where would he be?" Peggy asked. 

"He's mourning, guilt ridden, and he is not a good decision maker when it comes down to that." I said. 

"Where'd you learn that?" Peggy looked at me. 

"Bucky told me what he was like before the war." I stopped walking and turned to her. "Peggy, this isn't the first time he has lost someone close to him."

"When Dr. Erskine died, he wasn't just sad, he was angry-" Peggy started.

"No, not Erskine. His mom." I said. "Bucky told me that when Steve's mom died, all he wanted to do was drink, Bucky reluctantly took him to a bar and after like three beers Steve passed out." 

"That's a lot of information for Sergeant Barnes to tell someone," Peggy said. 

My eye twitched. "But do you get what I'm saying, Peggy?" I asked. 

"Yes, he's at- Oh, dear." Peggy breathed out.

~

It was dark out, and the street was almost completely destroyed by bombs that had been dropped. Peggy and I arrived at the bar where Steve had recruited the Howling Commandos. We entered the remains of the building and the faint sound of a radio came to our ears. 

"Black out is still in effect throughout the London area. Please wait for the all-clear. Your attention, please. All citizens shall remain indoors until further notice." 

There was a thud from the side room and Peggy and I went inside to find Steve sitting at a table with a glass and a bottle of wine among debris listening the radio. We stopped at the doorway and Steve glanced over, his eyes were read and puffy and the light in them had faded. He most definitely had been crying. 

"Dr. Erskine said that the serum wouldn't just affect my muscles," Steve said as he poured himself a glass, his voice had the slightest slur to it. "It would affect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing. Which means um.. I can't get drunk. Did you know that?" 

I pulled up a stool next to Steve and put my hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person." I said. 

Peggy also pulled up a chair. "He thought it could be one of the side effects." 

We sat in silence for a few moments before Peggy spoke. "It wasn't your fault." 

"Did you read the report?" Steve asked.

"Yes." Both Peggy and I answered. 

"Then you know that's not true." Steve said. 

"Steve, don't say that." I said. "You did everything that you could." He was beginning to sound like me when Wes died.  

"Did you believe in your friend?" Peggy asked. "Did you respect him? Then stop blaming yourself. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you were worth it." 

"I'm going after Schmidt." Steve said. "I'm not gonna stop until all of HYDRA is dead or captured." 

"Then, I'm going with you." I said. 

"No, you're not, Ellie." Steve looked at me.

"You aren't the only one who lost someone to HYDRA, and you are not going alone." I insisted. 

"She's right. You'll have a whole country on your side." Peggy said.

~~~~

"Johann Schmidt belongs in a bughouse." Colonel Phillips stood in front of a world map. The Commandos, Steve, Peggy, Howard Stark and I sat at a table. "He thinks he's a god, and he's willing to blow up half the world to prove it, starting with the USA." Colonel pointed to our country. 

"Schmidt's working with powers beyond our capabilities." Said Howard. "He gets across the Atlantic, he will wipe out the entire Eastern Seaboard in an hour." 

"How much time we got?" Gabriel asked. 

"According to my new best friend, under 24 hours." Phillips replied. 

"New best friend?" James asked. 

"Dr. Zola." I answered. 

"Where is Schmidt now?" James asked the Colonel. 

"HYDRA's last base is here." Phillips pointed to a photo of a mountain. "In the Alps, 500 feet below the surface." He tossed the photo over to Jim. 

"It's always mountains isn't it?" Timothy said. 

"More fun for me." I said. 

"What are we supposed to do? It's not like we can just knock on the front door." Jim stated. 

"Why not?" Steve asked. "That's exactly what we're going to do."

After the meeting, I stood staring at the world map. My eyes went back and forth between the US and Germany. 24 hours. It's a lot of hours, but a whole day, not a lot of time. I chewed on my inner lip.

"Nervous about it?" 

I jumped and turned around. Steve stood at the head of the table. 

"Well, yes." I said. 

Steve walked around the table and stood next to me, looking at the map. "I am too." He said. "I always was, during every raid. I just had the thought, what if something went wrong, but I always stuck to it, you know?"

"Yes I do, almost everyone of our raids were successful, every mission except for-" I stopped.

We stood silently for a moment. 

"Bucky would have wanted us to finish the fight." Steve said. "Like Wes wanted you to keep fighting." 

"We'll make both of them proud." I looked up at Steve. He looked back down at me, then looked back up and hummed a laugh.

"What?" I asked. 

"Bucky had danced with a lot of girls, whenever we were at a pub or anywhere where people were dancing, he'd find all the lonely girls, and dance with them." Steve crossed his arms and leaned against the table. "He'd go on dates, and try to find me some dates, but he never stuck with one girl. But, the night after we returned from the HYDRA base in Italy, after we saved all the prisoners, Bucky would not stop talking about you." 

"What?" I furrowed my brow, almost trying to keep it on the down low. We hadn't won the war yet. 

"He kept asking me 'When did you meet her? Where is she from?' I was starting to get irritated." Steve explained. "Then he'd talk about how strong of a fighter you are, and how fascinating your powers are. It became an everyday thing, and then that day he danced with you-" 

"Steve, he was just being nice-"  

"He told me," Steve cut in. 

My mouth shut and I looked at Steve. There was no lie in his eyes. "He did?" 

"Yeah. I might not know a lot about women, but I know Bucky better than anybody else. He really liked you, Ellie." 

"Hm. I guess, it's a good time to tell you." I looked down at my feet. 

"Tell me what?" Steve asked. 

"The night that everyone danced with me, I couldn't sleep, so I went into the break room, and shortly after I was in there, Bucky came in too. We talked, and when we were leaving, we, uh... We kissed in the hallway." I said. 

"You kissed Bucky?" Steve looked at me. 

"He kissed me first!" I laughed. 

"But you didn't resist." Steve pointed at me.

"No, I did not." I smiled and looked down. "We kissed more after that, and talked a lot. We were going to keep it a secret until we won the war." 

"We'll win," Steve said.

We looked at the map for a few more minutes before I spoke again. 

"I see the way you look at Peggy." 

"The what?" Steve looked at me. 

"Don't play dumb, Rogers. Come on, don't tell me that you don't fancy her." I said. 

"I respect her, Ellie." Steve replied. 

"Yes, you certainly do. And you admire her." I looked at Steve, his ears had turned pink. "I think she fancies you too." 

"Really?" Steve looked at me, a glimmer of hope was in his eyes.

"Oh, so you care?" I smiled. 

"No- yes- I um.." Steve looked away. 

"Well, if anyone is going to make the first move, it's going to have to be you, Steve." I said. "You said you are waiting for the right partner, well she's here, so dance with her, Steve. I danced with Bucky, you gotta dance with Peggy." 

"After we win the war." Steve said.

"Deal." I held out my hand and he shook it.