Bring Her Home

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Steve took over the plane's controls. On a screen he read 'Ziel New York City' and tried the radio which was picked up by the HYDRA control tower occupied by Peggy, Colonel Phillips and Morita.

(Target New York City)

"Come in," Steve said. "This is Captain Rogers. Do you read me? I have Sergeant Barnes with me."

"Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes, what are your..." Morita was cut off as Peggy took his place.

"Steve, is that you?" Peggy asked. "Are you and Bucky all right?"

"Peggy! Schmidt's dead."

"What about the plane?"

"That's a little bit tougher to explain."

"Give me your coordinates, I'll find you and Bucky a safe landing site."

"There's not going to be a safe landing. But I can try and force it down."

"I'll get Howard on the line, he'll know what to do."

"There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's headed for New York. I gotta put her in the water."

"Please, don't do this. We have time. We can work it out."

"Right now Bucky and I are in the middle of nowhere. If we wait any longer, a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy, this is my choice. Bucky's okay with this choice." He forced the plane toward the water. "Peggy?"

"I'm here."

"I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance."

Peggy, with tears in her eyes, said, "All right. A week, next Saturday, at the Stork Club."

"You got it."

"Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood?"

"You know, I still don't know how to dance."

"I'll show you how. Just be there."

"We'll have the band play somethin' slow. I'd hate to step on your..." The line went static and Peggy began crying.

"Steve? Steve? Steve? Bucky?"

Bucky fought tears of his own. At least he'd be joining Flora in the grave.

Steve glanced at his friend. "Buck? What are you thinking?"

"That you're crazy."

"No, you're lying. You're thinking about her, aren't you?"

"So what if I am? We know what's coming and I can finally be with her again."

"I wish it didn't have to be this way."

"I don't mind it ending like this."

As the two felt the chill of the icy water, Bucky smiled softly as an image of a laughing Flora crossed his mind. How fitting that shortly before inevitable death, he saw the girl he adored happy once again.

May 8, 1945

The world celebrated the victory over Nazi Germany. The Howling Commandos were in a bar looking solemn.

Falsworth said, "To the Captain and the Sergeant." The group drank.

ARCTIC SEA - SHIP

Howard was on his search for the Valkyrie. They found the Tesseract.

"Sir?" Howard's engineer called. Howard stepped to him and watched on a screen as a submarine grabbed the cube.

Howard said to the captain, "Take us to the next grid point."

"But there's not a trace of the wreckage. And the energy signature stops here."

"Just keep looking."

---

Peggy was handed a file about Steve. She pulled out the photo of the man she'd fallen in love with and looked at it sadly.