America's Sweetheart (Steve Rogers) - 1

20

If only they'd anticipated the devastating outcome...

If things had not been personal enough when Hydra had taken Mo, then they had just upped the stakes. The mission had brought them the capture of Zola and rescue of Mo, but it had cost them Bucky...

The pain and anger that Steve was feeling had just tripled. He could have done more; he should have tried harder to catch him.

It was his fault.

Now as he sat by the bed in the hospital room where Mo was currently lying, he wondered whether being Captain America was truly worth it. If he couldn't save Bucky, and he couldn't have stopped Mo from being captured, then what was the point?

"She gonna be ok?" He asked one of the nurses who were now checking her vitals. "Did he do anything serious?"

The nurse smiled lightly. "She'll make a full recovery. Nothing concerning to report Captain. I should think if Doctor Zola had done any damage then it would show on the tests we've run."

Thank God.

She'd not been in good shape when Gabe had found her, and hadn't regained consciousness as of yet.

The nurse left him alone and told him she'd be back in an hour to check for any signs of improvement. Steve simply sat there and contemplated life itself.

He'd lost his best friend

He'd almost lost his best girl.

Bucky was right though. If he didn't say those three little words then he'd regret it.

Taking her hand, Steve pressed his lips against her knuckles. She'd suffered some bruises and a couple of cuts during the raid, and there were marks that were bruising on her arm from where Zola had obviously done something. He just didn't know what, but it clearly hadn't been successful.

"Darling..." He looked up to where Mo's eyes were now open, watching him. on seeing the pain behind his own her face changed. "What happened?" She asked in a breathy whisper.

"We lost Bucky..."

His face crumpled while her own fell on hearing the news and she sat up immediately, throwing her arms around him and burying her head in his neck. He held her closely, tighter than ever before. If he let go then she could shatter like glass before him. That was what scared him. He couldn't lose any more than he already had. 

"I love you." the words escaped his mouth easily – because now it was all so easy to tell her than it had been before.

She pulled away and looked at him in surprise. "What?"

"I love you; I should've said it earlier than this, but with everything that's happened, and Bucky told me I should and..."

"Bucky knew?" She asked, wondering who else could have possibly found out. 

Steve nodded. "He guessed. It wasn't hard for him to."

"Well then he probably would've guessed that I love you as well." She smiled tiredly.

Even after what she'd been through, she still looked beautiful to him. But he was still concerned. "Can you remember what happened? What Zola did to you?"

Her mind was a blur, only small parts showed themselves to her for a few seconds before disappearing. All she remembered was Zola's face, and that was it. Nothing else. "I...I don't know, but whatever it was he didn't do any damage. I still feel like me, no different."

"He could've killed you."

"But he didn't." She squeezed his hand. "I'm here, I'm in one piece. Did you get him?"

Steve nodded. "He's going to undergo questioning."

"Then I'm going to be there."

"No, it's better I do it."

"Steve..." She warned. "You're grieving...let me do this. He doesn't scare me, and he certainly won't try anything. It'll only show him that Hydra won't win; they've failed."

He nodded, not liking the fact that she wanted to go and chat with Zola, but she could possibly get more out of him that he ever could. "He mentioned one last base. The biggest one of them all. Schmidt is there. We just need to know where it is."

"And he will tell me." She said confidently. "Well, he will after I've finished with him."

**

"Ah Captain Carter, nice to see you up and about." Colonel Phillips said casually as Mo was shown into Zola's cell the next afternoon.

"Interesting dinner date you have here sir." She said as she saw Phillips sat at the table across from Zola eating his steak and potatoes.

Zola looked up at her. "Captain Carter...nice to see you thriving."

"What can I say? You didn't exactly do a great job of trying to do, well, whatever it was."

The German scientist chuckled. "All in good time Elizabeth, they say that patience is a virtue."

"What do you mean?" She now asked and saw his face. Walking forward she slammed her fist on the table in front of him. "What. Do. You. Mean?" She asked again slowly.

Zola glanced from her fist and then to her. "Perhaps I was mistaken...I had put you down as a strong woman Captain."

"Wanna see how strong I am?" She now clenched her fist..

"Ok Carter that's enough, our little German friend here is just trying to piss you off." Phillips dabbed his mouth with a napkin. "I was about to strike a deal here with the 'good doctor'"

Mo crossed her arms. "I wouldn't exactly call him that sir."

"He may he weedy little bastard but he's being remanded and sent to Switzerland. Him or Schmidt."

"Well I wouldn't rely on the best protection whilst in transit, the last guy you cost us was Captain Rogers best friend." Mo shot a glare at Zola. "Still, you didn't take that cute little cyanide concoction that you chaps like to slip before even giving away your dirty little secrets...so if I'm not mistaken Doctor? You would quite like to live."

"See." Phillips said with a mouthful of food as he carried on eating. "Told you she was sharp."

"So...in order for me not to shoot you right here and ruin the Colonel's dinner, you're gonna give us the location of that wonderful hydra base that Schmidt's gone to hide in, and you're gonna tell us what we expect to find there." She said now pointing a gun to him. "Then you can be on your merry way, after all, didn't you want to keep your life?" Zola now considered his options and realised he had none. Especially now the cool barrel of the gun was pressed against his temple. "Time's ticking Doctor...tick...tock..." Mo said calmly.

Zola looked up at her. "Take a seat Captain, and I will tell you and your Colonel what you want to know."

"I'm so glad we're able to come a suitable arrangement Doctor." She lowered the gun and now pulled up a chair.

Zola looked at Phillips. "If I could have a moment with your Captain?" He asked. Phillips looked to Mo who nodded and then left the room. The scientist now watched her intensely. "I can tell you care about your Captain Rogers a great deal – to come here and interrogate on his behalf."

"If he were here then he would have killed you by now." Mo stated flatly. "And my friendship with Captain Rogers is none of your concern."

Zola sat back. "Of course...after all, the way you look when you speak of him, it reveals your true feelings."

"Listen, I didn't come here to talk about relationships. I came here to get information, and before I knock you through that wall I'm going to get it."

Zola laughed. "I do not doubt for one moment of your capability Captain. You showed potential in your tests."

"I don't care about your little experiments on me and the others – you failed. It's over, now tell me where Schmidt is."

There was a moment's silence before Zola nodded. "Bring me a map, and I shall show you."