Eenie Meanie Miney Mo....

Introduction Part 2

The plane landed in Italy where the 107th was stationed. Elizabeth hopped of the plane right when it landed to salute her friend Agent Peggy Carter, an agent from England. After a formal greeting, the two hugged. Peggy looked Elizabeth up and down at her strange state.

                “Meet Steve?” Peggy smiled.

                “Oh, yeah, I did! But I made myself at home and my things got left behind,” Elizabeth laughed.

                “Well, yes. My new station is back in England and I’ll be there for about a week- back in time for Steve’s show here,” Peggy hugged Elizabeth before hopping on the plane, towed away by Howard. Elizabeth was left standing barefoot on the outskirts of the camp. Elizabeth heard Colonel Phillips calling out to her as he walked across the camp. He reached her quickly and handed her heeled combat boots and her uniform jacket, topped with her hat. She quickly dolled herself up before accompanying the Colonel to the line of recruits she was now in charge of. The boys, men, stood in a line but were talking and goofing off. Elizabeth approached.

                “Attention!” she yelled. Her face remained soft while her voice kept its edge. The men quickly stopped and faced her quietly.

                “I am Special Agent Jay. I’m taking over for Agent Carter. A few rules with me, so listen up,” Elizabeth’s face grew to a stern expression. One man looked her right in the eye before speaking. Carter had said this group was trouble.

                “I’ll do anything you ask me to, no questions asked,” he winked. He was too handsome for his own good- dark hair, light eyes, fair skin, and a jawline that was chiseled out of marble so it seemed. Elizabeth got up in his face.

                “Recite your credentials,” Elizabeth demanded.

                “Sargent James Buchanan Barnes of the 107th,” the man gave her a small smirk.

                “Don’t you EVER talk out of line again, Mr. Barnes.”

                “Yes ma’am.”

                Elizabeth stepped back and looked over her assignments. She was pretty pleased with what she saw but while Peggy made them physically strong, it was up to Elizabeth to help prepare the boys for torture- mental and physical. Telling this to the boys earned her some brownie points for being scary.

                “It’s late and you’re probably all tired- go to bed and be ready by 5am for training. I’ll be in my tent if you need anything,” Elizabeth headed off to eat by herself. James was intrigued that the war had so many females working for it, out on the field. He also knew he got off on the wrong foot with this girl- she was special and different.

                He ate with the other guys that night, like always, but kept an eye on Special Agent Jay’s tent. The tent had a light glow around it, where shadows could be seen of her alone. A guy in the 107th hit his arm.

                “Bucky! You eyeing our new officer? For shame,” a guy laughed. James, growing up with the name Bucky, smiled and shook his head.

                “I don’t know- I kinda got off on the wrong foot with her.”

                “Go talk to her. I dare you,” another guy teased. Bucky ate more of his crappy food.

                “Oh yeah? What do I get out of it?”

                “Well, if you talk right, you get sex,” the men cackled.

                “I don’t know, she’s pretty strict.”

                “Are you scared?” they taunted. Bucky slammed his bowl down on the ground. He stood quickly, getting a whoop out of the other guys. Bucky laced up his boots and marched confidently to Elizabeth’s tent. As he got closer, he grew scared. Elizabeth could hear him outside- she ripped the tent flap open harshly.

                “Oh. Sargent Barnes.”

                “Yes ma’am,” Bucky saluted her.

                “Stop that. Come on in,” Elizabeth invited Bucky in. Elizabeth sat behind her desk, eating her crap food too. Bucky sat quietly across from her and watched her. She looked up and raised her eyebrows in a judgmental manner. Bucky panicked internally.

                “Why are you here, James?” Elizabeth asked. Her hair fell in limp curls around her shoulders, her clothes had changed to something more casual, and her demeanor was changed. She was still official but looked like a housewife.

                “I just wanted to apologize for earlier, ma’am,” Bucky sat up. Elizabeth smiled and giggled.

                “I thought it was hot,” she admitted. Bucky sat back, obviously confused. Elizabeth slammed a big bottle of liquor on her desk, making it click for Bucky. He played with his dog tags as Elizabeth came around to the front of her desk. She sat on it, placing herself right in front of him. He scanned her body as she offered the drink to him. He took a small swig and handed it back.

                “For the next hour, I’m Beth,” Elizabeth moved onto Buck’s lap. His heart slammed in his ears, head, chest, arms, and between his legs. He bit his lip and closed his eyes. Beth’s lips pressed to his jaw and moved to his neck so gently it tickled.

                “Something’s wrong here,” Bucky held her at arm’s length. She tried to maintain her seductive façade, but Bucky saw the crack in it. He picked at it like peeling paint on her face, running his thumb through the tears on her face. She got up and sat back in her seat while Bucky studied her. He saw fear, loneliness, and terrible experiences glaze over her big brown eyes.

                “That was very unprofessional of me,” Elizabeth said flatly. Bucky nodded.

                “Yeah. It kinda was, Beth,” Bucky stood with a small smile. He knelt in front of her. She ran her hands through her hair, pulling at it hard. Bucky took the bottle away from her.

                “Steve was an emotional mess. Tell me what’s wrong,” he begged, using the beautiful eyes to his advantage.

                “You have to be up early.”

                “Yes I do, ma’am.”

        “So go to bed. I’m fine,” Elizabeth ushered him out of her tent. She went and sat on her cot, unsure of what to do. She just got herself involved with a soldier under her command, and a preforming super soldier.