When It Rained

Chapter 41 - The Body Guard

Howard set the box onto the table before him. With the solid slam, dust rose into the air around him. Not far behind, Peggy set down her box of supplies as well.

The base they were staying at, it wasn't in bad shape. However, they still needed a little reinforcement from the States. The nurses here were running low on medical supplies and Peggy had arranged for Howard's plane to transport it. That was their cover up for their little side job that only the four of them knew about.

"You think they're okay?" Peggy looked out towards the dark trail.

The sun had already set, and they were supposed to be back already. But both of them knew that in the field, you could never predict what was going to happen. There couldn't always be a set schedule, altercations came up.

"I wouldn't worry too much." The scientists chuckled. "A super soldier and one of Brooklyn's finest? I'm not too concerned."

This made Peggy chuckle. "You really think Reaser was ready for this?"

"I think she would put her life on the line before she ever even considered risking Steve's. It's easy to see past your little face doll-" he pointed with his finger. "You don't fool me. Those doe eyes have been googling over the super soldier ever since he stepped out of that unit." Being called out on it, the woman was at a loss for words. "I can promise you not a damn thing has touched your little boyfriend, I would be more worried for the body guard."

Peggy's eyes were wide and panic filled. "I uh- I-"

"Don't have to explain. I know darlin'."

A sudden question rose from the crowd before them. They all had their backs to them blocking the road. "Hold your fire!" Someone from the front line called.

This brought both Peggy and Howard from their position before the plane to making their way through the group. "Move, what's going on?" They both called out.

The more the fought, the faster they got to the front.  But as soon as she heard the words "It's the captain!" Peggy seemed to be throwing men every which way.

Her heart pounded in her ears, the blood rushing to her cheeks. He was alive, Steve was alive.

As soon as she made it to the front however, the woman covered her mouth in horror. Steve was covered in blood, but it wasn't his own. In his arms, Finley dangled lifeless and pale. "Medic!" Steve cried before locking eyes on Peggy. The man was on the brink of tears; not because of exhaustion, but because his best friend seemed to be dying in his arms. "Someone, please!"

"MOVE!" Howard belted finally reaching the front.

Instantly, the man was at his side moving Finley's hair from her sweaty face. "Jesus Christ what happened?!"

Steve was at a loss for words. All he could do was look down at her, eyes pooling with tears. "We did it." He whispered softly. "We got them out."

Upon further observation, Howard found the wound. "She's shot." He quickly turned towards the men. "Set up a surgical room now! We need men on sight for blood donations and others ready for the rescued troops."

"Yes sir." They started going in different directions.

Sticking his two fingers into her clammy neck however,  Howard had to focus to feel the weak pulse. "Rogers. I need you to bring her with me."

Shaking his head, Steve let a tear fall. "We did it." He repeated. Nearly two miles ago, he had lost conversation with his friend. Finley spoke of the day they first met, everything they did together,  what she had planned for them. All at once though,  it had stopped. She had gone silent, completely unresponsive to Steve.

That is when the panic set it.

That is when he started to push even harder.

"We did it."

"I know Steve." Howard started direction him towards the medical tent. "But we aren't out of the woods yet."

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Bucky limped as fast as he could. It didn't matter how bad he was hurt, what those Hydra pieces of shit did to him.

His girl took a bullet for himself and the men around him, and right now she was bleeding out on the same foreign ground he was standing on. Bucky needed  to be there for whatever was going on.

They had been travelling non stop.

Eventually, they had made it. The entire camp was a dull grey setting, the sunlight barely igniting the world around him. They were greeted with open arms like hero's of war should be. However, Bucky looked for two familiar faces.

It was a chaotic crowd, he had nowhere to go. Voices, footsteps, grunts, cries, they echoed all around him. Just like always though, Steve stuck out like a sore thumb.

He was sitting outside of a tent, hands to his lips covering his shaking body. The boy looked like shit. He was covered in blood, all of which he knew wasn't his. The look on his face though, it was like he had just seen a ghost.

"Steve!" He screeched picking up his limp leg again.

The super soldier snapped his he's towards and into his friends direction. 

They were safe now, this was when they could fully reunite.

Wrapping eachother in a tight hug, Steve hurried his face into his best friends shoulder. There were no words at first, both just basking in the fact that they were alive. Steve had changed a tremendous amount since they had last seen eachother. Almost unrecognizable.

"Did it hurt?" Bucky breathed into his friends ear.

That's just the type of guy Bucky was. He was always worried about the people around him before he even gave a thought to himself. In Steve's perspective, that's why Finley was perfect for him.

"A little." He whispered back before separating.

"So what did they say about Finn?"

"She's in surgery now, Howard's with her." This caught Bucky off guard.

"Howard Stark?" Steve had mentioned it to Bucky before, but it just didn't seem real.

"Yeah. The guy has taken a liking to her. Hell do everything he can to save her."

Frustrated, Bucky sat onto the box Steve was just on and rested his elbows on his knees. "Why is she here Steve?"

The super soldier sat beside his friend. "She didn't really give me much of an option."

"How did it get approved?"

"It didn't. Agent Carter and Stark, they got us in. Took us over the drop sight on their supply run. We were in the dark after that." Not exactly having a response, Bucky shook his head thinking of whay could have been going through Finley's s head. "We thought you were dead Bucky." Steve's voice trailed off. "I mean, we hadn't heard from you in so long, your troop; we-"

"What did it do to Finley?" He cut straight to the chase.

Shaking his head, Steve sighed. "It killed her. " the words broke his heart. "She never showed it, but I could see it."

"How often did you see her?"

"Not as much as I would have liked to, but she was there for the experiment. She's skinnier Buck, Paler, slower. Hell, she was lighter."

Slamming his eyes closed, Bucky felt the guilt wash over him. "It's my fault."

"It's not." Steve denied. "And It's over now too. Finley will pull through. Jack's gonna kill us if she doesnt." They both tried smiling.

Bucky however, he completely blamed himself. "I'm gonna kill us if she doesnt."

Remaining where he was, Bucky refused medical treatment the rest of the night. It didn't matter how many generals, medics, or soldiers came up to the two- when it came down to it, they refused to move.

The three had been separated long enough; and her boys were going to be damned if they were going to let it last any longer.