Roger's little sister

Uniforms, kisses and sweaty men

To say the boys weren't to happy about me going into the military is an understatement. I'm not angry with them though. I was upset at them for the same reasons. That night after Steve's gone to bed Bucky and I stay up sitting on the steps to the apartment. 

"Here I was thinking the thing I was most worried about was if I could really do this, now all I can worry about is you." Bucky says his words cutting through the silence like a knife. 

"I'll be fine Bucky." I whisper, unsure myself "This way I can help, maybe I'll even see you." Bucky doesn't answer me and I know why. What is there to say? He's worried, he doesn't want me in danger, but it's too bad because for the same reason I don't want him to go. And for the same reasons I have he's going anyway. 

Bucky stands and straightens his uniform out. 

"Good night Sarah." He says attempting his best smile and turning to walk home. 

"James Buchanan Barnes don't you dare turn your back on me." I say. He stops walking and swivels around as fast as he can. I'm standing now. 

"Don't leave me." I whisper ringing my hands he slowly walks back cupping my cheek in his hand. 

"As long as you don't leave me." He says. His eyes piercing and suddenly we're not talking about being alone tonight, rather being away from each other forever. 

"Never." I whisper looking back up at him, and suddenly, but gently he brings his lips to mine. We break apart slowly, but Bucky still holds me close to him. 

"I'll come back James"I whisper

"You better" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning Steve and I are escorted to army barracks in New Jersey. By lunch we're lined up a man with the last name Hodge keeps giving me dirty looks, but I ignore him. Steve on the other hand silently glares. Soon a woman with brown hair walks over. 

"Recruits attention!" She calls and we all stand just a little straighter. "Gentlemen, and lady" she says giving me a warm smile as she passes "I'm agent Carter I supervise all operations for this division." She tells us continuing to walk back and forth in front of us. A man stands behind her, a large box in his arms.

Suddenly Hodge speaks up "What's with the accent Queen Victoria. I thought I was signing up for the US army." He says, this time I do glare at him. She stops walking and turns slowly, menacingly toward him. 

"What's your name soldier?" she asks

"Gilmore Hodge, your majesty."

"Step forward Hodge" she says calmly. He glances back at him friend smiling, but nonetheless steps forward. "Put your right foot forward." 

"mmm we gonna wrassle? Because I have a few moves I know you'll like." He says as she hands her clipboard to me. Her fist pulls back and slams right back into his face, causing him to stumble back and fall onto his ass. I stifle a laugh as she looks satisfied. 

"Agent Carter." A man says from behind her

"Colonel Phillips." she says addressing him

"I see your breaking in the new recruits. That's good!" He walks over to Hodge giving him an annoyed, disapproving look "Get your ass up out of that dirt, and stand at attention until someone comes and tells you what to do." Hodge picks himself up out of the dirt and sniffs in, his back now as straight as a stick.

"Yes sir!"

"General Patton has said that wars are fought with weapons, but won with men. We're going to win this war because we have the best men." He says eying Steve"and because they're going to get better, much, much better." then his eyes fall on me "best men and women" he adds as an afterthought.

"Our goal is to create the best army, but every army starts with one man." He tells us as we climb the rope ladder. My foot gets caught, but I grab the rope with my other hand gritting my teeth and pulling myself up. I give a look at Steve and he nods letting me know he's fine and to just go. I do so hesitantly bypassing Hodge and most of the other men. I may be a woman, but I'm smaller and much more agile. When I get to the top I go half way down then jump the rest of the way. 

The next thing they have us do is army crawl through the mud holding rifles. "At the end of this week, we will choose that man. He will be the first in a new breed of super soldiers." I'm right in front of Steve as we crawl. Hodge looks back at us and smirks. He hits the post over and over knocking the barbs onto Steve's head and the back of my legs. I crawl forward as fast as I can, my rifle still clean and I smack the post in front of Hodge, at first it does nothing and then his side falls. I give him a smirk, crawling back for my brother and helping him out of the mud. By the time I get him out his gun is dirty. I hand him my clean one, and I take his. I nod and continue to the end. 

"and they will personally escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of hell"

"Pick up the pace ladies! Go go go! Move!" Our instructor yells as we run up to a flag pole and a car. A checkpoint? The men are in front of us, sweating their asses off as I run next to a panting Steve.

"The flag is the halfway point, the first man to bring me that flag gets to ride the rest of the way back with Agent Carter!" He says, the others run up to it attempting to climb the pole. I look at Steve, who looks like he's thought of something. 

"Alright fall in!" the instructor yells after several of them almost get it. I wait for Steve to move but instead of falling into line he walks over to the pole and pulls a pin causing the pole to fall. That's my Steve! He walks over and picks the flag up, at the last second he turns towards me realization dawning on him. I'll have to run the rest of the way without him. I smile and nod telling him I'll be fine. He smiles back and hands the flag to the instructor. 

"Thank you sir." he tells him slightly out of breath and hops into the back and they drive off. Steve looking back. I fall into the line and Hodge glares at me. We continue running, my legs are burning by the time we get to a water basin. 

"Alright men go get some!" The instructor yells and the men give a whoop pulling off their shirts and pouring water over their heads. Before they can drink any like cattle I've slipped my way through the sweaty, smelly men and using my head band Bucky gave me I flatten it out scooping the cold water up and taking a sip like it's in a cup. The other men, look down at me some of them are smiling, Hodge and a couple of his friends are glaring. The boys take their shirts out of the sirt and copy me. They fold it and scoop water into them taking a sip. Some of it goes right through the shirt but they seem to get some good sips. I try not to but I smile, most of them look back at me as they pull their shirts back on smiling.  My cold headband runs water down my face and shirt as we run. The mens shirts are soaked through, most likely cooling them off. All of them except Hodge who refused to try anything I did. 

Several of the men begin a conversation with me quietly as we run, and by the time I get back to the barracks I can feel some of the men beginning to respect me. I grin as one of the men, Anders ruffles my hair. 

As soon as I spot Steve I run over and throw my arm around him, leading him back to our barrack. Steve and I stay in the same sleeping barack, partially because they weren't going to make a whole new one for one person and because Dr. Erskine told me that with my brother right there next to me they weren't likely to try anything. As I lay down to sleep that night the only thing on my mind is James, as he has been almost every night for seven years.