Carousel of Time - An Alternative Bucky Barnes Story

Chapter 4. Summer Heat and Letters

France July/August 1944

After Bucky returned to the base the morning after London he received some ribbing from his fellow Commandos for obviously spending the night with the fair Mrs. Horn. Not one of the men ever asked him for details because they knew he wasn't the type of man to talk about his conquests. But they all saw the change in him and each knew without a doubt that he found the one who he would marry. They all liked her. She was easy on the eyes but she had shown an easy adaptability to life in an all male camp without losing her femininity and decorum. They watched with amusement Bucky's attempts at wooing her and her attempts at staving him off. When it seemed she won the battle by revealing her marriage they felt bad for Bucky, and worse when she received word of the death of her husband and son. It wasn't particularly shocking to them that she would agree to a night with Bucky less than two weeks later. After all, it was war time and with another on the way she had to fend for herself as best she could. When Cap arrived at the camp and told Bucky of meeting her again and believing they had a true and long lasting love it only confirmed to them that their young sniper had found himself the real deal. A beautiful woman to spend the rest of his life with. Both men had vowed to make sure the other would return home.

When Dum Dum was alone Bucky sat near him and looked appraisingly at the big man.

"How could you tell that she had suffered?" he asked.

"She said she lost her parents in an accident and that it happened on the worst day of her life," replied Dugan. "I could only imagine what she referred to. She covered her hair up because of the stories people tell about redheads. I know a lot about that."

Bucky nodded. "She was raped," he said quietly, to Dugan's look of disgust. "I'm guessing that was her worst day, until she lost her husband and son. I love her Tim, more than any other woman I've ever known."

"Then you do right by her," said Dugan. "She's a lady and you better treat her like one, even while you're here and she's there. Honour her."

"You sound like my Dad," said Bucky with a small laugh. "I'm not the same man I was before I met her. I fully intend to be faithful and if it looks like I might stray you have my permission to kick my ass."

Dugan nodded, accepting that request. They spent the rest of the day preparing for their next mission. A day later they were back in France. The fighting was slow but progress was made every day. They had a small respite in a damaged church and watched with interest as Bucky wrote Kate a letter. He had written other girls flowery letters before and received many in return but there was something different about him as he wrote to this woman. He thought over his words carefully and wrote just as carefully. They noticed he would go off to relieve himself but take a bit longer to do that which only used to take a minute or two. They had all done it themselves, Bucky just seemed to do it more now and it was further proof of his commitment to Kate. As was the fact he didn't even look at the French women anymore.

Morita broke his finger when a brick fell onto his hand from a wall that had blocked a grenade from hitting him. They joked he couldn't pick his nose anymore. He responded that he was more worried about not being able to wipe his ass. They all laughed but Bucky just smiled and continued to write his letter. When he finally finished it he sought out his former rival Howard Stark who was working on some project nearby. Apparently Kate moved back to New York to live in Stark's apartment and Bucky wanted the address. Even more puzzling was that Stark gave it to him without hesitation. Maybe he wasn't such an asshole after all.

Bucky finally received a reply from his mother. She said they would reserve judgment on Mrs. Horn until after they met. When Bucky told them that those men with mother-in-laws were concerned it signalled trouble for the couple. It bordered on hostile in their opinion but Cap said to let it go. Bucky wrote another letter to Kate and put a sprig of lavender in that he picked from a farm they passed. They came under attack shortly after that and had to leave in a hurry. He finished his letter and posted it at an outpost a day later. They had a few days in a small town a few days later and he finally received her first letter. She sent a picture and a lock of her hair tied with a ribbon. He took the picture with him to the "latrine" but they all knew it helped just as their pictures of their wives and sweethearts helped them. That lock of her hair, though, was something else. They all saw him smell it or brush it across his face and were envious he had such a treasure.