Saving Grace

Chapter XII

Present day, lab of Avenger Tower.

Steve stood with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched through a glass wall as Tony and Bruce worked to thaw Grace without killing her. They had been working for the last eight hours, following much of the procedures that SHIELD had used to wake Steve up, but they had almost lost her twice. However, she came back each time; Steve could not help but feel a twinge of pride. Grace had always been strong; a fighter, deep down. That was probably why she did so well at the front as a nurse. Now, he hoped they could get her fight whatever it was that HYRDA did to her.

"Any progress?" Bucky suddenly asked from beside Steve. Steve started slightly; Bucky tread very quietly now, and easily sneaked up on people, whether he meant to or not. He had been in and out of the lab level periodically over the last eight hours.

"A bit; all of the frost is gone," Steve answered. He swallowed thickly and ducked his head slightly. "We almost lost her again."

Bucky quickly turned to Steve. "Is she okay now?"

"Stark and Bruce seem to think so. There's some fight left in her, I guess."

Bucky was quiet for a moment, then spoke thoughtfully. "Then...maybe it's good you never taught her to pull her punches..."

Steve looked up at Bucky and smiled. "Yeah, maybe it is."

"I told you to do that once, didn't I?" Bucky asked. "To teach her to pull her punches..."

"Yeah," Steve nodded. "On my last birthday before she shipped out to Italy."

"She was insisting you dance with her.....the....it was the Charleston..."

"Yeah, it was." Steve's grinned widened just as the sliding doors to the lab opened.

"What's that about Charleston?" Tony asked as he strode to a work table. "I didn't think you Yankee old-timers made as far south as the Carolinas,"

"We didn't," Bucky answered.

"He was referring to the dance, Stark." Steve clarified and immediately regretted it

"The Charleston? As in the 1920's Charleston;that Charleston?" Tony looked flabbergasted. "You—Mister Star-Spangled Man with a Plan—danced the Charleston?"

"Only because Grace begged me to." Steve blushed. "and I was terrible."

"You didn't step on her toes," Bucky commented. "I remember that, and when you got tired, I took up your place."

"Not stepping on toes, I guess that was an accomplishment?" Bruce asked absently as he looked over the charts in his hand.

"For me, it was a major one," Steve answered.

Tony pointed to Bucky. "Next time, you are getting it on tape for me, Frosty. It'll get, like, a billion follows in about three seconds on Facebook or Twitter." Bucky just rolled his eyes, not fully understanding what Tony was talking about, but knowing enough to assume it would be done to annoy or embarrass Steve.

"How's she doing, Bruce?" Steve finally asked anxiously.

"Well, she's much more stable," Bruce answered, flipping through the charts. "she's not exactly out of the woods yet, but it should be much smoother sailing from here on out, Cap."

"Thanks heavens," Steve sighed in relief as he plopped into a chair.

"How much longer should it take?" Bucky asked.

"Impatient to see Miss Capsicle again, Jack Frost?"

"I just don't think it took them eight hours to thaw me, so....."