October 43 (Steve Rogers x OC)

Chapter 11

Bridgette awoke to see Steve getting dressed, her husband noticing her and turning. "I didn't want to wake you..." he stated.

"What time do you leave?" She asked, noting the time was still early, before the morning's wake up call that the bunker usually had.

"I need to meet with the group, brief them and then we'll be heading out..." he looked at her. "I'm not sure how long I'll be gone for".

She nodded, "hopefully not long. You will be careful, won't you?"

He fastened the holder for his shield around him. "I'll be alright Bridge. It has to be done, we need to destroy every last base that Hydra have. It's gonna take a while, but we're gonna do it all the same".

"And I believe that you and the others can do it". She now got up and headed over, taking his hands in hers. "When you return, we'll all be her waiting to celebrate".

Steve smiled lightly and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Even though they'd been to bed with one another, he was still cautious about how much affection to give her. There were times she'd still flinch, reminders of what she'd endured with Schmidt still fresh in her mind - however Steve was prepared to try and help her through that. It was all part of the healing process for her. She trusted him, but only so much. With everything still fresh and new they were still getting to know one another. Steve liked her, she was a pretty girl - could he learn to love her? He was confident about that to - but whether she could do the same to him was another story.

"Any trouble while I'm gone, you go straight to Howard. He'll have your back, I've asked him to keep an eye on things". He told her as she now passed him his helmet that was set on the side.

"I'm sure I'll be fine".

"Also, Peggy Carter. She's another one who will help. You can trust her - I promise you that. I know you're finding it hard, especially with the female agents, but Peggy will do what she can for you".

Bridgette watched him fasten the strap of his helmet under his chin. It was the first time that she had ever seen him wearing the full suit. He looked ready to fight, a different person staring back at her.

A soldier.

"Well...Captain - I shall keep that in mind".

Gently rubbing the side of her arms, he coaxed her back to bed. "Get some more sleep - it's not even time to wake up yet - I'll see you when I come back".

Making for the door, he opened it and glanced back at her, neither of them saying anything more before he was gone, the gentle clock of the door sounding as he closed it behind him.

Bridgette stared at it for some time, now wide awake and knowing that she wouldn't be sleeping peacefully until she knew that he had come back unscathed.

**

Steve was silent during the journey that he and the commandos were making to launch their assault on the first Hydra base. Flying over enemy territory wasn't the best of plans, so they would get as close to enemy lines as possible before landing and continuing on foot. 

Dugan was currently passing around the bottle of whiskey he'd brought for 'dutch courage', Bucky going to pass it to Steve only to find his friend wasn't taking any notice, instead turning the compass in his hands over and over. With a small nudge, he looked up and realised, then taking the bottle and downing some of its contents. 

It wasn't like he could get drunk even if he wanted to. 

"You alright?" Bucky now asked quietly. 

"Yeah, just thinking". 

"About her?" 

Bucky knew enough by now to know that regardless of whether his friend had married to practically 'save' the German nurse, he was fond of her. To what extent he was unsure of, but he liked her enough so that was a plus. At least he wasn't wallowing in misery at making a mistake, even if others thought it was one. 

"A lot of things in general, whether we can pull this off, can all of us return alive, will Bridgette be ok while were gone..." 

"She endured Schmidt, I'm almost certain that she can survive working with a few jealous girls" Bucky snorted and saw his friends face. "Well they are, regardless of being seen as the enemy? She's married to you, the only man who apparently was an eligible bachelor for all the single girls - none of us had any chance. Even I'm invisible! It's tragic". He now grinned, "Stark's gonna keep an eye on her, she'll be fine". 

Steve continued to toy with the compass. "We still have a lot to learn about each other. Sometimes I wonder whether what I did was right, but every time I question myself about it I end up realising that it was. She'd still be locked away and treated like a villain otherwise". 

"Hey, that comes with time - in times like this? We don't know how long we've got left, I know some guys who got married before they left to fight just so they could say they had wives if they happened to die. Kind of like another life event to tick off the list. Kinda bad when you think about it but you think they had time properly get to know their wives? You have at least". 

Pondering on his friend's words, he didn't look at him. "It's gonna take time". 

"Sure it will, but you'll have it". Bucky clapped him on the back and then lowered his voice more so as the others couldn't hear the turn in the conversation. "So, er...have you..." 

"I can't believe you're even asking me that..." 

"I just need to know whether you've made an honest woman of her that's all, I mean she deserves some decent treatment after having to endure being Schmidt's wife, and even then she really wasn't". 

Steve nodded. "There's no documents to say she is", pausing and then mumbling. "And, er...yeah, I have..." 

Bucky chuckled. "Well, let's just get this job done quickly so you can get back to your wife and we can start planning the next attack". Taking the bottle from Steve and having a long swig. 

Steve simply chuckled, then flipping the compass open and tracing his finger across the small lock of hair that was secured in there. Bridgette had cut it off and tied some ribbon around it, giving it to him the previous evening. A sort of good luck charm so she had hoped.

Right now, Steve knew that he and his men needed all the luck that they could get.