Saving Grace

Chapter V

August 4, 1942.

"You don't need to worry about a thing, Grace. I've already got everything taken care of, including dates for you and Steve." Bucky stood in the Rogers' apartment. He had arranged for himself, Grace, and Steve to all go out dancing since Grace was shipping out in two days.

"What can't Steve and I just go to together?" Grace sighed. "You know that it doesn't matter how little you tell them up front, our dates always slip away with someone else within twenty minutes."

"I can't really speak for Marjorie's friend, but I can speak for Davy Mattlock. I met him at bootcamp. He loves dancing, and so do you. You'll get along fine."

"If you say so." Grace shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I'll go get ready."

"That's the spirit." Bucky grinned while Steve just rolled his eyes. Steve was about as optimistic about these dates as Grace was, but for his sister's night, he would deal with it. Bucky had secretly arranged for a cake at the dance hall they were going to so that they could celebrate Grace's October birthday before she left. So, he went and changed into a newer shirt, a nice tie, and a suit jacket.

Thirty minutes later, Grace emerged from her room wearing her beaded black dancing dress. It had been their mother's before she died, so it was a little old-fashioned, but Steve and Bucky thought Grace looked great in it, nevertheless. The sides of her hair were held up by tortoiseshell combs that belonged to the Rogers' grandmother, the rest of her shoulder-length curls free. A thin line of winged eyeliner edged her eyelashes, and lipstick colored her lips a fashionable deep red.

Bucky looked her up and down. "Wow, lookin' ritzy there, Babydoll,"

"Well, thanks, Sarge. You boys clean up pretty well." She smiled shyly, using the her new nickname for him. She turned to Steve, who was tying his tie for the fourth time.

"I can't get it straight," he moaned. She batted his hands away and tied it for him, making sure it was straight and his collar laid flat. Taking a step back, she straightened his suit and brushed away invisible lent and wrinkles.

"Very spiffy," she grinned up at him.

"Thanks."

"We ready, kiddies?" Bucky asked. "We still have to pick up Marjorie, Nora, and Davy."

"Are we all gonna fit your car, Bucky?" Steve asked.

"Well, I figure we fellas will fit up front and the ladies can have the back."

"Still sounds a little tight, but okay," Steve shrugged.

The threesome went down and piled into the Barnes family car, boys up front, Grace in the back. First, they picked up the girls. Marjorie and Nora seemed nice enough, though a little bit air-headed. Then, the picked up Davy, who also seemed nice even though it was clear that Bucky was the only person there he knew.

At the dance hall, Bucky help Marjorie out of the car, and Steve did the same for his date, Nora, but she seemed uncomfortable with the fact that he was three inches shorter than she was. Davy seemed more concerned at first with Grace's age.

"Uh, hi, Barnes didn't tell me that you were...uh...so...young." He smiled patronizingly as he extended his hand to help her out of the car.

"I'll be nineteen in October, Mr. Mattlock," Grace replied, placing her small hand in much larger one.

"Oh...um....pardon me...." He floundered as she slid out and let him closed the door behind her. "It's just you...look...."

"Much younger than that?" she finished. "Don't worry about it. It is a common mistake." She smiled and tried to put him at ease by placing her hand in the crook of his elbow. He tried to draw her arm further through his, but found that he had to awkwardly lean over in order to do it. The three pairs made it inside and found a nice, relatively quiet corner.