Gone to War (A Bucky Barnes FanFiction)

Chapter Twenty-Two

|| November 11th, 1943. Allied USA Headquarters, London ||

Ophelia stood next to Peggy as she explained the situation at hand to the officers. She was tired of telling her time at the Hydra base. It was just a story to everyone else but it was real for Ophelia. She felt as though she was reliving it each time she told it. Once her briefing was over, Ophelia waited nearby while Steve got briefed, Peggy was with him the whole time. Ophelia sat alone as phones rang and people rushed around making very important plans that could end this war. She shifted in her heels that were not her own. Peggy Carter offered her close to Ophelia, a dress shirt and skirt with some heels. Ophelia forgot the feeling of being a woman, she had fallen in love with just an undershirt, pants and boots.

Colonel Phillips came from one of the doorways and saw Ophelia waiting for their meeting to be done. "Miss Rowland." He spoke causing Ophelia to stand up.

"Sir?" Ophelia folded her hands, standing tall in front of the older Colonel.

"I've spoken with Agent Carter," he cleared his throat as Peggy came from behind him. "I've decided to let you on our team. I've already cleared it through to my superiors and they all agree that you could be an asset to our team."

"Colonel Phillips," she gasped out, "I would be honoured."

Phillips looked at Peggy who was smiling at Ophelia, he rolled his eyes at the two women. "Agent Carter is your mentor, you will listen to her orders. Just stay out of my hair." He started to walk away, but he turned back for a moment, looking over his shoulders, "Welcome Agent Rowland."

Ophelia beamed as she turned back to Peggy, "Thank you Peggy." She whispered.

"Think of it like a birthday gift." Peggy Carter smiled.

"Oh god," Ophelia rolled her eyes, "don't remind me that I'm getting old." Ophelia smirked.

"Welcome Agent Rowland." Agent Carter said placing her hand on Ophelia's shoulder.

Their attention was turned to Steve, once he walked out of the briefing room where Peggy and Phillips had come from. He sighed and saw Ophelia, a smile crept across his face.

"How'd it go?" Steve asked Ophelia, who just shrugged.

"Good, told them all I knew, everything I heard. Although, it wasn't much. And you?"

Steve shrugged, "Gave what I could." He paused thinking, "That map when we found Bucky," Steve said, "did you see it?"

Ophelia remembered back to when they found him. Her mind was fuzzy and not all there but she did recall the map, seeing writings and little bases to represent the other Hydra factories around enemy lines. "I did, I tried my best to mark it on the map for them, but that was all I could do."

"I talked with Buck last night, he said they moved some of the bombs and machinery to another secret location." Steve shook his head. His briefing was over just as Ophelia finished with another group of men. She was tired of explaining the horrors and events she had endured.

"Hey, Cap!" A young man, with dark hair and a young fresh face, walked up to the three. He held out some papers, "Possible Hydra bases." He caught the eye of Ophelia and turned to her, forgetting about Steve and the maps. "You must be Ophelia Rowland, Howard Stark." Howard took her hand and kissed it, which she just smiled awkwardly at. "I've heard so much about you, very impressive to have dressed as a man to get to the war."

"Well I did what I had too." Ophelia said smiling to him.

"Schmidt is planning something very big." Peggy said softly, "We have to stop him before he can finish those plans."