A series of one shot chapters about Bucky Barnes mostly told in the first person by different people. Stories will reflect different times in the life of James Buchanan Barnes. This is PG rated and any sexual content will be kept to a minimum.
Mar...
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In several sources Dum Dum Dugan and Gabriel Jones trained with other units that were captured at the same time as Bucky Barnes. For the purposes of this one-shot they are part of the 107th from boot camp and became friends with Bucky then. Military units during World War II were segregated and African American soldiers had their own, the 92nd Infantry Division. Racism was still rampant even in the northern states and I wanted to touch on issues Gabe Jones might have experienced being assigned to a Caucasian unit due to a clerical error. I like to think Bucky and Dum Dum would be supportive of him in small town Wisconsin, having had more exposure to black neighbours or friends. Most African Americans living in Wisconsin at that time were living in Milwaukee so it made sense that Eleanor's first actual encounter with a black man would also show Bucky the type of person she was. I use the term "Negro" as it would have been used in 1942.
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Franklin's Department Store, Sparta, Wisconsin, November, 1942
"Hey Beanpole!"
I stiffened when I heard those words. It was bad enough I was tall for a girl. To be reminded of it as often as I was hurt every single time. Counting to three I plastered a fake smile on my face and turned around to greet the customer.
"How can I help you, sir?" I answered, addressing a soldier with a giggling girlfriend, named Evelyn, that I recognized from my old high school standing next to him.
"My girl wants a new hat but the one she wants is on that display up there." He pointed up to a hat stand on top of a shelf. "You tall enough to grab it for her?"
"Not quite but I'll get a step stool," I replied politely.
I went into the back room and came out with the step stool that would give me another foot of height to reach the display. As I stepped up onto it I could hear Evelyn whispering into her soldier's ear and him breaking out laughing. Ignoring what I assumed to be an insult whispered about me I picked the hat off of the stand and brought it down to them, offering it to her. She took it in her hand, put it on and looked into the display mirror. Evelyn made a face, took it off and placed it on the counter.
"No, I don't like how it looks on me. Sweetie, why don't we go get a donut and coffee instead."
"Anything for you, sugar," said the soldier, lightly touching her nose with his index finger.
It was enough to make me feel ill but with the manager watching I had to try and rescue the sale.
"Would you like to try on another hat?" I asked. "We have other styles and colours available."
The soldier looked up at the selection then at Evelyn but she shook her head and turned around. Ignoring me she put her hand in the crook of his arm and pulled him away towards the lunch counter. I heard a sigh behind me and turned to see the manager, Mr. Deakins.
