Timeless (On Hold)

4: Draft Notice

(Brooklyn, March 1942)

Annalise sat in her and Bucky's room as she waited for her boyfriend to return home from his meetings. Annalise would've been out too but Mrs Donovan canceled their tutoring sessions after the youngest of the Donovan kids got sick with Pneumonia the other day. Annalise offered to help take care of them but Mrs Donovan didn't want to risk Annalise also getting sick. So instead of tutoring the 5 Donovan girls, she was working on finalizing her most recent investigation.

"Doll!" She heard Bucky say as he walked in.

"In here!" She replied, not looking up from her files.

She heard the bedroom door open as Bucky said "There she is. My beautiful detective girlfriend."

"Investigative Journalist" is a more appropriate term, James. "

"What did I do to have you calling me James, doll?"

"Nothing. I just like scaring you." she said as she got up, putting away the files in the process.

"So what's up with this guy you're investigating again?"

"Edward Penmark has been trying to profit from the war. Selling faulty products and jacking up the price by over 80% . Then say that the proceeds will go back into helping the war effort when in actuality he's selling the products overseas to the enemies for half the price he is for the U.S then pocketing the difference. And these products are necessities. Clothing, food, toilet paper, stuff like that. " Annalise explained

"So instead of being super patriotic, He's just a super Nazi."

"Exactly. Hell, he was seen just a few days ago having dinner with Johan Shmidt. The head of the Nazi Science division."

"How did you find all this stuff out anyway?"

"I have my ways." She said walking out into the living room with bucky close behind

"You know you would be a great spy. You fight better than all those boys on the battlefield."

"Like they would ever let a woman be a spy."

"Who knows?"

"Yeah you can keep believing in the impossible,barnes."

"Well I'm kinda living it. I mean Annalise Rogers, notorious for shutting down men trying to win her affection, is my girlfriend."

"Yeah and I kept Bucky Barnes, Brooklyn's favorite heartbreaker, in a relationship for 5 years. I mean it's gotta be a record."

"I guess we both found our right person." Bucky said, pulling her close to him.

"I guess we did." Annalise said before kissing him.

They pulled away when they heard their mail get dropped off through the slot.

Annalise pulled away and walked to pick up the mail. When she saw the top envelope her heart broke.

Bucky must've noticed because he asked "What's wrong doll?"

She handed him the letter and he saw that it was addressed to him from the United states army with the word Important stamped in red ink.

"Ok this doesn't necessarily mean anything." Bucky said, trying to reassure his girlfriend

"What else could it mean, Buck?"

"I don't know but it can't be it."

"Open it then. If you don't think it's a draft notice, open it."

Bucky slowly opened the letter and read it out loud.

"This is an official notice by the United States military that Mr James Buchanan Barnes has been drafted into the United States army in the fight against Nazi Germany and Its Allies. Your service is mandatory. Go to the nearest recruitment office as soon as possible to receive your training information."

Annalise's heart broke.

"This can't be happening." She said

Bucky sat next to her on the couch and held her.

"It will be ok , Doll."

"How can you say that? You shouldn't be out there."

.

"Who else is there then?"

"Me. The people who know war like they know their name."

"Let me get in your head then. Share your scars with me."

"You were never meant to live this life. "

"I'll be ok as long as I live it with you."