Timeless

08

"Are you all right?" Bucky asked.

Mattie began nodding, then shook her head. "No. I'm not all right."

Bucky turned her chair, so she was facing him. "Mattie Watson, I promise you now that I will always save you." He took her hands and kissed the back of them. "I love you, doll. Be my girl?"

Mattie nodded. "I'll be your girl. Took you long enough to ask."

Steve watched his friends for a moment, then joined them as people sang There's a Tavern in Town.

"See, I told you," Bucky said. "They're all idiots."

"How about you two?" Steve asked. "You both ready to follow Captain America into the jaws of death?"

"Hell, no. That little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb not to run away from a fight. I'm following him, and I'm guessing Mattie is gonna say a similar thing. But you're keeping the outfit, right?"

"You know what? It's kind of growing on me. Mattie?"

Mattie nodded. "Like he said, the little guy from Brooklyn, I'm following him. As for the outfit, it could be much worse."

The singing in the bar ceased as Peggy, in a tight-fitting, deep-red dress, walked in. "Captain."

"Agent Carter," Steve said.

"Ma'am," Bucky and Mattie greeted.

"Howard has some equipment for you to try," Peggy told Steve. "Tomorrow morning?"

"Sounds good," Steve replied.

"I see your top squad is prepping for duty."

"You don't like music?" Bucky asked.

"I do, actually," Peggy answered. "I might even, when all this is over, go dancing."

"Then what are we waiting for?" He glanced guiltly at Mattie only to see an amused smirk on her face. She had a feeling he would be true to her, so the idea of him dancing with someone else didn't bother her much.

"The right partner. Dance with your girl." She smiled at Mattie, almost ordering her to dance with Bucky. "0800, Captain."

"Yes, ma'am," Steve said. "I'll be there."

Bucky, referring to the rejection he got from Peggy about going dancing, said, "I'm invisible. I'm... I'm turning into you. It's like some horrible dream."

"Don't take it so hard. Like she said, dance with Mattie."

Bucky offered his hand and Mattie accepted his offer.

As the two danced, Bucky said, "Mattie, whatever happens... I could never forget you, doll."

Mattie nodded. "Nor I you. What do you think the future holds in store for us?"

Bucky thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "I always imagine a white picket fence, a warm and welcoming home, hopefully a kid or two."

"That's a beautiful dream."

"It doesn't have to be."

"Well, as soon as this war ends, and I suspect that will happen soon, let's say our vows and start our life together."

"Are you already proposing? I thought that was my job."

"No, I'm not. I'm just saying, there might be a happy future for us when the war is over."

Bucky kissed Mattie's forehead. "I hope there is."

---

The next morning, Steve entered a base and noticed a blonde woman. "Excuse me. I'm looking for Mr. Stark."

"He's in with for Colonel Phillips," the woman, Lorraine, replied absentmindedly turning to look at Steve. She smiled. "Of course, you're welcome to wait." She held up a newspaper which showed the article about Steve saving the little boy. "I read about what you did."

Steve leaned against a table awkwardly. "Oh, the... Yeah. Well, that's, you know. Just doing what needed to be done."

Lorraine stood. "Sounded like more than that. You saved nearly 400 men."

"Really, it's not a big deal." He clasped his hands, resting them in front of him.

Lorraine walked towards him. "Tell that to their wives."

"I don't think they were married."

She smirked. "You're a hero."

"Well, that depends on the definition, really." He glanced away nervously.

"The women of America, they owe you their thanks. And seeing as they're not here..." She pulled him behind a bookcase and started kissing him.

"Captain!" Peggy called.

"We're ready for you, if you're not otherwise occupied," Peggy said.

"Agent Carter, wait," Steve said, looking at Peggy. "What about you and Stark? Have you two been fondue-ing?"

"You still don't know a bloody thing about women."

"Fondue is just cheese and bread, my friend," Howard told him.

"Really? I didn't think..."

"Nor should you, pal. The moment you think you know what's going on in a woman's head is the moment your goose is well and truly cooked. Me, I concentrate on work, which at the moment you and your men do not get killed."

Howard held up a shield. "Carbon polymer. Should withstand your average German bayonet. Although, HYDRA's not going to attack you with a pocket knife." He gestured to Steve's shield. "I hear you're kind of attached."

"It's handier than you might think," Steve said.

"I took the liberty of coming up with some options." He lifted one up. "This one's fun. She's been fitted with electrical relays that allow you to..."

Steve noticed a circular shield and picked it up. "What about this one?"

"No, no, that's just a prototype."

"What's it made of?"

"Vibranium. It's stronger than steel and a third of the weight. It's completely vibration absorbent."

"How come it's not standard issue?"

"That's the rarest metal on Earth. What you're holding there, that's all we've got."

Peggy walked up and asked, "You quite finished, Mr. Stark? I'm sure the Captain has some unfinished business."

Steve held up the shield. "What do you think?"

Peggy, still jealous with what had happened between Steve and Lorraine, picked up a gun and shot the shield. Steve held it up for fear the angry agent would shoot him.

"Yes," Peggy said. "I think it works."

Steve lowered the shield and stared at her with wide eyes.

Peggy walked away.

Steve moved closer to Howard and handed him a paper. "I had some ideas about the uniform."

Howard took the paper. "Whatever you want, pal."