Letters

Heartache

"Willow!" At the sound of her name, Willow straightened up and looked for the person calling her. "Has there been any news? At all? Even the tiniest detail?" Willow shook her head. Wallace sighed in frustration. Three months. The trail had gone cold. In fact it was nearly frozen.

The murders that Willow had been investigating with the local police had simply stopped. Either that or these men, whoever they were, were simply getting better at hiding evidence and hiding bodies. After Willow had sworn off the paper, and they had stopped running the piece, another news company picked it up. But it was all very quiet. No one really knew much about the murders and while the body count had increased dramatically in April to early May, it had also dramatically decreased from June to November until it was almost nonexistent.

The thought shouldn't have bothered Willow but it did. She asked Wallace to be able to look back into it one more time. Just one and he gave it to her. It wasn't much but it was something. Willow knew Wallace was just as interested in the ending of this story as he was. "No notes?"

"Not since the third one I received in late April." Wallace frowned and shook his head.

"Maybe there really is nothing more."

"I'm not so sure sir." Willow murmured. She had the notes displayed in front of her. She couldn't understand it. Hey had to mean something right? Why contact her specifically? Why was she a target? As it simply because she wrote for the article or something else?

"Well, it is almost the end of the month Willow and nothing has happened since he last known murder in September.. Maybe it's time to put this on the back burner." He said, touching Willow's shoulder lightly.

"It has been on the back burner sir. The next thing to that is the trash and we can't do that to those people who have been killed. What about their families, their friends. They need closure. Somebody has to give it to them." Wallace sighed as Willow spoke.

"I know and if we had more information we could but we don't." Another heavy sigh. "I know you mean well Willow but it's time to throw this story out. Let the police handle the rest of it, please." Willow grudgingly nodded her head. Steve didn't want her to look into theses murders and neither did Wallace. Maybe she should stop.. But then again, Willow was never the quitting type.

----

As Willow headed home that night, waking back to her apartment, the manager for Pleasant Grove apartments, came around the front desk to greet her. "Hello Mr. Chester. How has your day been." Mr. Chester swallowed hard and seemed nervous.

"Willow, this came for you today. I was told to give it to you right away." Mr. Chester's voice was soft and his eyes were downcast. Willow looked at the envelope. It was clearly marked as coming from the U.S Army. Willow gasped.

"No. No please." Willow stammered out, backing away from Mr. Chester.

"I'm so sorry Willow."

"No please! Don't!" Willow exclaimed. She didn't want the letter. She didn't want to look at it or touch it or even have it in this building. All of her worst nightmares had come true. Bucky was dead.

----

Eventually, Willow took the letter from the army and the rest of her mail up to her apartment. She didn't cry until she was alone. Bucky was gone and soon his body, if there was a body left would be shipped back over to the United States. Willow would have to bury one of her best friends. The thought chilled her to the bone. With shaky hands, Willow eventually opened the letter.

Dear Mrs. Willow Peterson,

I extend my most profound condolences to you on the loss of your brother..

Mrs? Brother? Bucky that sly bastard. Willow laughed and continued reading.

Buchanan James Barnes, Sergeant of the 107th who was killed in action on November 2nd 1943. News of your brothers death comes as a great shock to all who knew him and his loss will be felt greatly in his organization..

Willow stopped reading. She had read enough. She knew what had happened. Killed in action. That meant there possibly wouldn't be a body. If it couldn't be recovered, there would be nothing to bury... Willow put her head in her hands. What was she going to do?

Slowly, pretending as if she hadn't heard the worst news in all of human history, Willow began making herself something to eat for dinner. But as she cooked she realized she didn't have much of an appetite. What had Bucky's last meal been? Some slop in a can? That was no way to die. Willow wished Steve was here. If he was, he could make her feel better.

As the food lay cooling on her plate, Willow went through the rest of the mail. Most of it was junk mail but something caught her attention, an envelope with Steve's handwriting. Willow quickly tore through the envelope.

November 3rd 1943

Dear Willow,

It's colder here than I expected. Thanksgiving is approaching fast. Maybe you'll get this letter the week of Thanksgiving. Remember last year how Bucky nearly burned the turkey. You saved the day and our stomachs that Thanksgiving. Please don't spend the holiday alone. Join some of your friends...

Willow, I'm sorry for the shaky handwriting but I'm on a plane. I'm going to go rescue Bucky. He's behind enemy lines and God.. I'm not supposed to be doing this but if there's even a chance that he's alive.. There's maybe 600 good men in the Hydra camp and Bucky might be one of them. Most of his 107th were captured or killed. I'm hoping he's the latter and if he's not.. I need to save them. I need to try.

Please don't be upset with me. I'm just doing what I think has to be done. The Colonel doesn't want to go rescue them. He said it's too dangerous and they'd loose more men then they would save. I guess its strategic but.. It's downright madness to me. I'm going to try to save them. Agent Carter will send this letter out to you and God I just hope you get it before an announcement of my death or Bucky's gets there.

I love you and I'm sorry for this stupid thing I've done.

Love,
Steve Rogers

Willow's hands were shaking. Steve. What was he doing? What in gods name was he doing! There was still another sheet of paper though. Something else with the letter. Willow quickly scanned it over. It was a message from Agent Carter.

Dear Miss Willow Peterson,

I'm sorry to be writing to you under such grave circumstances. Steve has told me much about you though I am not quite sure if he has told you about me. My name is Peggy and I just want you to understand that what Steve is doing is very brave. But you must already know this.

I have helped him go out on this mission because I believe in him and I believe he can save these men. I know you believe and trust in him as well.

This will not be the last letter you receive from Steve. There will be plenty more to come. Have faith and be strong.

Regards,
Agent Peggy Carter

Willow was crying, preparing to collapse in a heap. This was too much information to bear. First the letter from the officer, then this in the mail... Breaking down into horrible sobs, Willow fell to the floor.