The Price of Freedom

07

As Chava and Bucky waited for Steve, the former asked, "Are you all right? Steve explained to me what happened."

Bucky nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Forgive me, but you don't sound all right."

Bucky brushed her comment off, not wanting to answer truthfully. "I think I'm just tired or maybe I'm reacting to whatever happened to me. But the nurse said I was fine, so I guess that's good."

"I'm glad you are."

Steve watched his friend and girlfriend for a moment, then joined them as people sang There's a Tavern in Town.

"See, I told you," Bucky said. "They're all idiots."

"How about you two?" Steve asked. "You both ready to follow Captain America into the jaws of death?"

"Hell, no. That little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb not to run away from a fight. I'm following him, and I'm guessing Chava is gonna say the same thing. But you're keeping the outfit, right?"

"You know what? It's kind of growing on me. Chava?"

Chava nodded. "Like Bucky said, I'm following the little guy from Brooklyn. As for the outfit, I rather like it."

The singing in the bar ceased as Peggy, in a tight-fitting, deep-red dress, walked in. "Captain. Miss Weiss."

"Agent Carter," Steve and Chava said as he took her hand.

"Ma'am," Bucky greeted.

"Howard has some equipment for you to try," Peggy told Steve. "Tomorrow morning?"

"Sounds good," Steve replied.

"I see your top squad is prepping for duty."

"You don't like music?" Bucky asked.

"I do, actually," Peggy answered. "I might even, when all this is over, go dancing."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"The right partner." She smiled at Chava, almost ordering her to dance with Steve. "0800, Captain, Ma'am."

"Yes, ma'am," Steve said. "Chava and I'll be there."

Bucky, referring to the rejection he got from Peggy about going dancing with him, said, "I'm invisible. I'm... I'm turning into you. It's like some horrible dream."

"Don't take it so hard. I'm sure she's got a friend."

Steve turned to Chava and said, "Chava, would you care to dance?"

A light smile crossed her face. "I'd be delighted."

"I'll try not to step on your toes."

"I'll not hold it against you if you do."

Bucky chuckled and stepped back.

---

The next morning, Steve entered a base and noticed a blonde woman. "Excuse me. I'm looking for Mr. Stark."

"He's in with for Colonel Phillips," the woman, Lorraine, replied absentmindedly turning to look at Steve. She smiled. "Of course, you're welcome to wait." She held up a newspaper which showed the article about Steve saving the little boy. "I read about what you did."

Steve leaned against a table awkwardly. "Oh, the... Yeah. Well, that's, you know. Just doing what needed to be done."

Lorraine stood. "Sounded like more than that. You saved nearly 400 men."

"Really, it's not a big deal." He clasped his hands, resting them in front of him.

Lorraine walked towards him. "Tell that to their wives."

"I don't think they were married."

She smirked. "You're a hero."

"Well, that depends on the definition, really." He really wished she'd back away. He already had a girl he cared for and didn't want her to do whatever she was going to do.

"The women of America, they owe you their thanks. And seeing as they're not here..." She pulled him behind a bookcase and started kissing him.

Steve pulled away and wiped his lips. "I'm a married man. I don't think Chava would take kindly to this."

"Captain!" Peggy and Chava called, the latter with narrowed eyes.

"We're ready for you, if you're not otherwise occupied," Chava stated snarkily.

"Agent Carter, Chava, wait," Steve said.

"All this talk of finding the right partner and I find you kissing another woman."

"Chava, that's not what you thought it was."

"Then what was it?"

"She came onto me. I told her no when she started kissing me."

Chava studied his expression and nodded. "I believe you. I'm sorry for that all."

"It's all right." He turned to Peggy. "What about you and Stark? Have you two been fondue-ing?"

"You still don't know a bloody thing about women," Peggy said. "Come on, Miss Weiss."

"Fondue is just cheese and bread, my friend," Howard told him.

"Really? I didn't think..."

"Nor should you, pal. The moment you think you know what's going on in a woman's head is the moment your goose is well and truly cooked. Me, I concentrate on work, which at the moment you and your men do not get killed."

Howard held up a shield. "Carbon polymer. Should withstand your average German bayonet. Although, HYDRA's not going to attack you with a pocket knife." He gestured to Steve's shield. "I hear you're kind of attached."

"It's handier than you might think," Steve said.

"I took the liberty of coming up with some options." He lifted one up. "This one's fun. She's been fitted with electrical relays that allow you to..."

Steve noticed a circular shield and picked it up. "What about this one?"

"No, no, that's just a prototype."

"What's it made of?"

"Vibranium. It's stronger than steel and a third of the weight. It's completely vibration absorbent."

"How come it's not standard issue?"

"That's the rarest metal on Earth. What you're holding there, that's all we've got."

Peggy and Chava walked up and the former asked, "You quite finished, Mr. Stark? I'm sure the Captain has some unfinished business."

Steve held up the shield. "What do you think?"

Chava, still irritated with what had happened between Steve and Lorraine, picked up a gun and shot the shield. Steve held it up for fear she would shoot him.

"Yes," Chava said. "I think it works."

Steve lowered the shield and stared at her with wide eyes.

As Chava walked past him, she touched his shoulder and said, "Don't let me catch you kissing another woman again."

Steve nodded. "Never again, darling." He moved closer to Howard and handed him a paper. "I had some ideas about the uniform."

Howard took the paper. "Whatever you want, pal."