A/N - I've made some changes in this chapter, hope y'all like it. ;-)

Christine

                        Two years of tireless and endless fighting. Although, I never got the chance to fight along with the boys. But I guess, I was an invaluable asset to the howling commandos or so Steve and Bucky tell me. Right now, we were coming back after wiping off one of Hydra's factories off the map of Europe. After taxiing the plane on the runway, we got off and headed for the mission debriefing. Steve was the one who did the debriefing and he said that we could have our evening off. Everyone looked at each other with a grin because this was a rare treat for us. After everyone dispersed, it was just the three of us and we were on the way to our quarters. Both the men walked me down to my dorm which I shared with Peggy. Bucky was still standing at the door when Steve asked, "You coming?"

"Go on, I need to talk to Chris." was his reply. Steve gave him a knowing nod and was off on his way.

He looked at me and I said, "So, what is it?" and grinned at him.

He said in a shy voice, " I want to take you on a date." and looking at my (insert shocked ) face, he added hastily, "Only if you want me to."

 "Yes. I would like it a lot." Shocking even myself and Bucky too. I guess I had been expecting him to ask, given his behavior for the last few months. I had caught him staring at me on more than a few occasions and when we were in Sicily, we hung out a lot. God, Sicily felt like a million years ago. He had never asked me out before so it was a bit strange. He wasn't expecting it and in a cheery tone said, "Alright, 8'o'clock today."

"Yeah."

"It's a date then," he was grinning like an idiot and went on his way. I could feel some blush on my cheeks too.

I went to Peggy for advice on how should I dress up for the date because honestly speaking, I did not have that much experience with fashion and dating. With the war, dating men or finding the one wasn't on the top of my priorities. After explaining my predicament to Peggy, she said, "Darling, I have been waiting for this and I am gonna make sure that when he sees you, his jaw drops."

"Let's hope."

When Peggy was pinning up my hair, a thought crossed my mind. I thought that maybe because I couldn't love Steve, I was trying to move on with Bucky. I won't be able to love Bucky the way I loved Steve. Steve was in love with Peggy. God, I was really bad when it comes to my love life.

All of a sudden, I asked, "Peggy, do you love Steve?"

After a long silence (when I thought that I shouldn't have blurted like an absolute Idiot), she said in almost a whisper, "Yes."

"I have seen the way you look at him and the way he looks at you. I have never seen him look so confident in front of another woman except for me. I should tell you that he can be a bit of an idiot at times but he will never let you go and will be there when no one else is."

"Thank you but I try to convince myself every day that I am not in love with him but I fail miserably."

"But why, do you want to convince yourself that you are not in love with him?"

"When I was in England, I lost someone in this war. I do not intend to lose anyone else. You may never know when they will be gone."

Her eyes were shining with tears and She looked so vulnerable, I just wanted to hug her and so, I did. Initially, she was surprised but wrapped her arms around me. 

Slowly breaking away from me, she spoke, "When I was younger, I did not behave like a lady or so my mama told me and I only played with my brother. I never had any female best friends."

"Firstly, you are the most ladylike lady I have ever seen with the shade of red lipstick that you pull off and kick ass," and that's when she smiled,  "Secondly, I am your girl best friend so that problem's solved. Here in the camp, you are the only person I trust to talk about 'ladies talk' and not Lorraine. "

She laughed and said, "Of course, you do."

"Remember the time when Lorraine forcibly kissed Steve and you were so furious at him that you shot at him when he was at the weapons testing with Stark?"

She laughed so hard that there were tears in her eyes and said, "I was so angry at him but coming to think of it, it is so funny now."

"His expression was like that of a kicked puppy crossed with a scared child."

"Let's just finish off your makeup and Hairdo."

"Agreed."

Pining up my hair, she said, "There you go. I am starting to think that sergeant Barnes is gonna heads over heels in love with you."

"Shut up agent Peggy Carter. It's a friendly date."

"Whatever." and wriggled her eyebrows at me.   

          I looked at Peggy's handiwork in the mirror and saw someone else entirely. An elegant lady, not Christine Brooke who was friends with boys, who liked fighting in the field instead of staying at home and waiting for her best guy or in this case guys, who could punch a bully just as hard as a man. Who ran away when- "What do you think?" Peggy asked cutting off my stream of thoughts. 

"I think it is perfect." and smiled at her.

Bucky

I was waiting outside her dorm for almost 10 minutes. I don't know if she was being fashionably late or what. I heard sounds of laughter. I was about to yawn when she came out. She had never looked so beautiful. Chris smiled at me and said, "Shut your mouth, Barnes. It's wide open." I offered my hand to her and after hesitating ever so slightly, she put her hand in mine. I could see her smiling and I was probably blushing all red. 

We went to a diner in the area where we were currently stationed. It was an old but clean place. We sat down on opposite sides of the table. She seemed very nervous and fiddling with the edge of the table. I reached out my hand to reassure her. She took it and I asked, "What happened, Chris?"

"I am nervous because I have never gone out on a date with you or Steve."

"Don't worry. It's okay if you are not that serious. I just thought that since you had been so disturbed for the past couple of days and being your best friend, I felt that I should take you on a friendly date. Hey, wanna dance?"

She smiled with relief and said, "You know that I am not that much of a dancer, right Barnes?"

"Don't worry, I will be there and guide you."

I took her hand and guided her to the dance floor. I took her hand in mine and slid my other hand around her waist. God, she looked so damn gorgeous in the dark blue dress. She sucked in a breath. I reassured her by saying, "Don't worry Brooke, I got you."

We were swaying gently to the beat when she looked at me with her big brown eyes shining with tears. Concerned, I asked, "What happened Chris? Are you okay?" 

"Let's just get out of here."

I was a bit taken aback with her response but I nodded and we went out of the diner and walked on the way back to the camp. I knew a spot on the way to camp which was concealed and had a very beautiful view. I asked her, "Can I show you something?"

She nodded and said her voice breaking, "Y- yes."

We went to the spot and we sat down on the bushes and knowing her for almost 10 years, I knew that I had to talk to her to let her get her feelings out in the open. I tenderly tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and asked gently, "What is it, doll?" She leaned on me and burst into tears. I just patted her back. She spoke in a shaky voice, "I- I can't do it anymore. I love you but just as a friend. I saw you look at me with so much love in your eyes and every single minute, I felt that I was betraying you. I couldn't lie to you anymore." She was sniffed and started sobbing again.

I was shocked but I should have seen it coming. I said, "I know. I have known you for a very long time, Chris. I wished that maybe you could fall in love with me. I hoped that we could start a life together after the war. Maybe. But I guess we would both end up just hurting each other, instead, won't we?."

She looked at me and hugged me tightly and whispered, "Yes. I love you, Buck. Just not in the way you want I guess. I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault doll." I thought that maybe being her friend and having her love me that way was better than being her lover and not having her love me back. This thought actually made me feel much better.

We were just staring at the dazzling view of the valley when Chris spoke, "You don't know anything about my past except that I am from Philly. Right?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"I thought that maybe it's time that I stopped hiding things and my past."
" Look chris, I don't really care who you are or where you are from. I only care that you are Christine Brooke, a girl whom I've known from the last 10 years and can kick ass. Nothing can ever change that." 
She laughed and said, " I know that James Buchanan Barnes. But, I think it's time. Also,you and Steve are the two people I trust with my life. I was from Philly and we were a typical family. I was the only child. My mom died when I was 5. My dad raised me along with my grandma. By the time I was 14, my grandma died of old age. Till then my dad had become a drunk and a gambler. We were knee-deep in debt. My dad, I guess wasn't my dad at all."

"Why do you say that?"

"He sold me off to a magician as an assistant for some money. He was a really cruel person. Tried to rape me and-" her whole body shuddered with sobs. Looking at the vulnerable side of her, I felt protective of her and wanted to take away all the horrors of her past and shield her. I couldn't even imagine the things she had been through. I put my arm around her and held her tightly.

I said quietly, "You needn't tell me further if you don't want to."

"No, it was eating me alive and it is time to let it out. I guess I thought I would never trust someone after that. But I started trusting you and Steve. Thought that I'll never find a home. But, you and Steve became my home. I think sometimes home is not just a place but people. But anyhow, back to my story, I am me, so being me when the magician tried to rape me, I kicked him in the crotch and the shins hard and knocked him out with a punch."

"Well, that's the Chris, I know," I said and grinned at her.

"I stuffed all my belonging in a rucksack and stole some cash from the drawer." I gave her a look of mock horror and gasped. "He never paid me so yeah, I kinda had a right to steal from him," she grinned and said, "I came to New York to start afresh. I had to live on the streets for almost a year before I found a job and a place to live in. That's when I met Patty. I was about 17."

I stared at her with a new sense of respect. I could see the steadfast and steely gaze beneath her gentle look. It was as if steel was covered with silk.
"I had never ever thought that you had lived on streets or ran away. You never fail to amaze me Christine Elizabeth Brooke."
She stared at me puzzled and asked, "How do you know my full name?"
"Once when you were drunk-"
"One time, buck. One time.", she said exasperated.
"Fine, that time you had told it to me when you and steve caught me staring at the waitress. You said that in case you are looking for baby names, my full name is Christine Elizabeth Brooke. And when I asked why you replied, you look like you are about to go and make a baby with that waitress."
At this point she was bursting with laughter. " It was so hilarious. I still remember the look on your face.", she said. Even, I started giggling with her.

 After quite some time, I said, "Let's go back to camp, we have to prepare for a mission tomorrow."

We were walking on the road when Chris said, "Also, I almost forgot but my real name isn't Christine but it is Theresa. I changed it because I thought that if the magician came looking after me, he won't be able to find me."

I was a bit confused so I asked, "What should I call you now?"

"Anything you like. I wouldn't mind honestly."

We had come to her dorm and she gave me a peck on my cheek and said, "Goodnight Bucky."

"Goodnight Chris."

She smiled at me and went inside. I was probably grinning like an idiot and I put up my hand to my cheek where she had given me a peck.

Steve

We were aboard the plane and Chris was in the cockpit. We were going over the plan once again when Chris spoke, "Alright, Gentlemen, this is your pilot and we are approaching the drop zone so gear up. And let's hope that it's an early Christmas with the little gift that you all are bringing. I'll cross my fingers for good luck."

Buck replied, "Yep, it's literally a little gift."

She grinned at us and opened up a hatch. "Give'em hell from me boys, will ya'?", she asked.

The men nodded their heads and smirked.

Bucky said in a joking tone, "Yes,  Amelia Earhart."

I grinned at her and said, "We will." and jumped. 

We landed in the mountains and made our way towards the tracks from where the train was going to pass. We were trying to confirm the tip-off which we had gotten about Arnim Zola. Morita was trying to listen on in the conversation. 

Out of nowhere, Bucky spoke, "Remember, the time the three of us went to Coney island and rode the cyclone?"

"Yeah, and I threw up?"

"Well, this isn't payback, is it?"

I grinned and said, "Now, why would I do that?"

Morita said, "The operator just permitted Zola to go ahead with full speed. Wherever he is going, they must need him bad."

I said in a serious tone, "Alright commandos, we have a 10-second window otherwise, we are bugs on a windshield."

I put on my helmet and Dugan said, "Let's go bugs."

We zipped our way down and our timing coincided perfectly with the train and I and bucky got down at a connecting point between two compartments. The doors opened and we moved inside. At least I did, but Bucky was in the previous compartment when the door slid back again. There was a heavily armed soldier with one of the advanced guns. I was deflecting his attacks with my shield.

I could hear gunshots from the previous compartment where Buck was fighting off another soldier. I hit the soldier in the face with my shield and took cover behind one of the crates when the door slid open. 

 I saw that Bucky's ammo had finished so I tossed him my gun. I looked at him and he understood what I meant. He fired at the soldier and gave me cover. I used the shield and pushed a box at him and incapacitated him. Suddenly, the man whom I had been fighting fired at me and knocked the shield out of my hands.

I took up the shield and the man fired. The ray was deflected and it hit the side of the compartment. And the shield was again knocked out of my hands. This time, Bucky took it and when the man fired the force pushed him back but the ray was deflected and disintegrated the hydra soldier. I removed my helmet and grabbed a railing and hung on the side and tried to reach out to Buck. He was hanging only with one hand and tried to grab mine.

But as it was, the railing gave away and he fell down in the gorge. I was feeling numb with the cold wind roaring in my ears and the fact that bucky was gone and he had fallen because I wasn't able to save him. My eyes teared up. 'What am I gonna tell Chris?'

The rest of the mission went by in a blur. Dugan and others had managed to capture Zola but when they saw my face and no buck, they became quiet and somber.

Buck had fallen like an angel from heaven, I thought. He was a fallen angel.