[WWII AU] a brand new day

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky wakes in the predawn darkness, long before reveille would normally be called. He spends a few minutes reviewing the mission in his head before he rolls from his cot; there's no room to think about anything else. He meets Steve and the rest of the Howling Commandos at five-fifteen. As planned, they're on the move before the hour has passed.

It's a long day, a hard day, but in the end a successful day, for the most part. The hidden facility carved into the hillside is no more when they leave, HYDRA's agents defeated, their stockpiles destroyed. But there's still no sign of Schmidt, nor of Zola, and that remains incredibly frustrating.

Still, there's reason to celebrate today's win, and the squad's more or less exuberant on their return, some fourteen or so hours later. Steve disappears into the command tent to debrief with Colonel Phillips; Bucky'll catch up with him afterward, as usual. He spends a few minutes trading quips with the others before disappearing to weapons storage to see to his own rifle - also as usual. Something about taking care of it helps him feel like he's cleaning the blood off his own hands.

After that, he finds he's too restless to settle yet, and figures it's not the best idea for him to be around others until he sorts himself out. Bucky wanders along the edge of camp in the dark, then veers from the path and off into the field where he'd spent some time watching the stars only a couple of days ago.

It should be peaceful there, more or less.

Comments

[from_the_outside]

"One of the Resistance members has a connection to the deliveries which arrive at the facility," Aunt Peggy tells her, as they both look over the intel reports from the cell.

Sharon shakes her head. "But the delivery drivers don't go inside, do they? And they must all be men."

"The drivers don't," Aunt Peggy agrees, "but once a month a supervisor tours the facility to ascertain needs for the upcoming month."

"And the supervisor brings a secretary," Sharon realizes. "We replace the usual girl with me, and I get a full tour and a way out."

[nerves_of_ice]

Eventually, they get as far as they can for today - next steps involve confirming some of the mission logistics with the operations teams, which means it's time to talk to the squad and make sure of any special requisitions. Bucky leaves the command tent with Steve, walking on his left as they make their way across camp.

"It's a good plan," he murmurs. "All of it. You're a good leader, Cap."

Steve slants a look at him, and his small, rueful smile's almost shy. "Think so?"

"I know so," Bucky assures him.

[from_the_outside]

They stay cloistered for the rest of the afternoon, working out a message to the underground and the rest of their plan, including a list of everything they'll need to sell Sharon's cover as a girl from the same agency who supplied the current assistant: papers, clothing, coaching in the regional accent, all of it.

"You may be with the company for a day or two ahead of the delivery in order to make your cover more convincing," Aunt Peggy tells her, and Sharon nods.

"That's fine. We don't want to ring any alarm bells."

By the time they've finished for the day, it's well into the supper hour, and Aunt Peggy smiles at her. "How about dinner, just the two of us?"

Sharon can't help how bright and happy her smile is back. "That sounds perfect, Aunt Peggy."

[nerves_of_ice]

The runners from command pull the rest of the guys in, and by the time Bucky and Steve get back to Steve's "office" the others are waiting, elbowing each other and joking around as usual. They settle down fast when Steve steps up, though - also as usual - and listen intently, each offering their own thoughts and suggestions.

Once they've gotten as far as they can for the night, Steve sorts out who's on R&R when before the mission so that they all go in as sharp as possible, and then they wander over to the mess together.

[from_the_outside]

If nothing else comes from this whole strange adventure, Sharon will always be grateful for the chance it's given her to spend so much time with Aunt Peggy, to get to know her aunt and best friend and role model as the woman she'd been long before Sharon was even born. Their conversation moves from work to life, and before Sharon knows it, the evening has moved well past supper time and towards night.

"Want to come to the pub with me tonight?" she asks, but she isn't surprised when Aunt Peggy shakes her head.

"Not tonight, dear," she tells her niece, and smiles, slight. "But go enjoy yourself."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Think Agent Carter'll be joining us?" Gabe asks, craning his neck toward the door as they settle down at their usual table. "The second, I mean."

"She's probably still with the first Agent Carter," Steve tells him, amused.

Dugan looks at Bucky. "Was she okay, earlier?" He nods, and the other man relaxes a little. "Good. That's good. Shame about that outfit, though." Falsworth, beside him, lets out a slow, appreciative breath as he nods.

"What happened?" Dernier wants to know. "Private Sellers spilled some coffee on her at lunch," Bucky explains. "She had to leave early, go change clothes. But she said she'd see everyone tonight at the pub."

It doesn't surprise him at all that every one of the Howling Commandos decides to swing by the pub that evening.

[from_the_outside]

"You know," Aunt Peggy tells her, "if you're going to be going out in the evenings, we ought to find you something a little more appropriate than this uniform."

Sharon laughs. "Maybe when we get my clothes for the cover, we can order me a dress," she says, amused. "Until then, this will do."

Peggy squeezes her hand and bids her goodnight, and Sharon makes her way back to her quarters, her mind full of the upcoming mission. Her slacks have dried, but the coffee stains will take some getting out; she spends some time sponging them and the shirt with water and the white vinegar before brushing out her hair, reapplying her lipstick, and heading back out into the night, aiming her steps toward the pub.

[nerves_of_ice]

He's talking quietly with Steve over a beer when Jim Morita sits up straighter, then raises his hand and waves at someone. Before anyone else can react, Dugan gets to his feet and goes to the door to meet the new arrival.

"Agent Carter," he booms, with a wide, cheerful grin. "Great to see you. Want to join us?"

[from_the_outside]

"Corporal."

She takes the arm he offers her and smiles up at him. "I'd love to. Haven't missed anything big, have I?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Not at all," Dugan promises. "The evening's just getting started." He escorts her back to the table where there's a chair between Gabe and Jim, and another between Bucky and Dernier.

[from_the_outside]

"Agent Carter! Viens ici!" Dernier begins, but Jim Morita beats him to the punch by standing and pulling out the chair for her between him and Gabe.

"Agent Carter," he says, grinning. "Glad you could join us."

"Wouldn't have missed it, Private," she tells him, sitting down. Gabe's already gone to get her a glass of beer by the time Dum Dum takes his seat once more. "Nice to see you all out and about."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Good to see you again as well," Falsworth tells her. "And we'll do our best not to spill any of our drinks on you, eh?"

Bucky coughs and takes a sip of his beer to hide his expression.

[from_the_outside]

"I'd appreciate that," Sharon says, dry, and smiles at Gabe as he returns with a beer for her.

"It would be a tragic waste of alcohol."

[nerves_of_ice]

Gabe grins back at her and sets her glass down with a thump. "Can't have that," he agrees.

"I hope that outfit of yours wasn't damaged," Dugan says, frowning in concern. "It'd be a real shame."

"Especially since it was new," Bucky says, dryly.

[from_the_outside]

"I should be able to salvage it," she tells them, lifting her new drink for a sip.

"But hopefully it doesn't keep happening. I hate doing laundry."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky takes a deep swallow of his beer and carefully doesn't say anything. Dernier leans forward over the table.

"We heard from Cap that you're coming with us on the next mission," he breathes, so it won't carry. His glance is afire with bright interest.

[from_the_outside]

She leans onto the table herself, and Jim and Gabe follow, alight with curiosity. "Your intel is very good," she murmurs, then quirks a smile.

"Yes, I am. Though not with you, exactly."

[nerves_of_ice]

Dernier nods, visibly satisfied and delighted at once. The others trade grins, then Dugan raises his glass over the table. "Here's to future success," he offers, and Bucky leans forward to clink his glass against the other man's.

"Hear, hear," he says, as Steve leans in too.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon lifts her own glass and clinks it against the others' as the cheers goes around the table, then sips at her beer again.

"So what are you doing?" Gabe asks her. "If you can tell us."

Sharon looks at Steve, eyebrows raised. "I think that's up to the Captain, here."

[nerves_of_ice]

Steve glances around, clearly assessing the chances of them being overheard, and reluctantly shakes his head.

"Not here," he says. "Later. Tomorrow maybe, after the assessment."

[from_the_outside]

"Assessment?" Gabe asks, frowning, and Sharon shakes her head at him.

"Nothing to worry about," she promises. She'll have to find Diaz tomorrow, she thinks; she can't give Steve a full assessment of her capabilities wearing a uniform with a skirt.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Who's worried?" Bucky teases. "We've got every confidence in you, Agent Carter."

[from_the_outside]

"Glad to hear it, Sergeant."

She flicks a quarter-smile at him over her glass, then sips at her drink again. "Anyone else do anything interesting today?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Not especially," Gabe says, "but I heard --"

Soldiers gossip worse than women are supposed to, Bucky thinks, but that doesn't stop him from angling his head so he can hear the yarn Gabe's spinning about one of the other squads and something about trying to catch fish barehanded.

"You're not serious," Falsworth protests. "Tickle the fish?"

[from_the_outside]

"I've heard that," Sharon protests. "It's a real thing!"

Falsworth launches into an opinionated lecture about how silly it sounds, and Dugan steps in with his own brand of fishing expertise, while Sharon laughs and tries to convince them both that trout tickling is, in fact, a real strategy.

She realizes once she's about halfway down her glass for the third time that the guys are topping her off, and tries to slow down her intake. "Are there even any fish around here to catch?"