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the-writing-bird · 6 years

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Happy Ending

I was always told growing up that I should never fall in love, my heart would always be broken. There would never be someone worth putting the time of a relationship into. It’s not like I really could in the first place, it almost seemed like my parents moved us to a different area of the country as soon as I started to settle in.

That is until we moved to Brooklyn. For reasons I would later know of Brooklyn was the place that we actually stayed at. I was fairly young when we moved in, about the beginning of my teenage years. We were in a small apartment near the center, easier access to every exit I was told.

Eventually, I was forced to go to school after the many years of homeschooling by my mother, I didn’t question it. After the first few days, I noticed that there were the same two boys who walked the same path I did. I would go talk to them but I’m not exactly the most outgoing of people, more the opposite. I was always told to hide in the shadows and not draw attention to myself.

After a few weeks of quietly walking behind them by a few feet, usually reading a book and just following their loud noises towards the school and taking the occasional glance towards their feet to be sure I was still with them. When one day I heard the words I never wanted to hear, “Are you following us?”

This one question forced me to begin to interact with these two boys. I looked up from my book to get the first look at their faces, I mean I have been following them from behind. One was fairly average looking, brown hair blue eyes, the other a little more on the scrawny side with blonde hair and blue eyes.

“In a way, yes, but it’s not like I have a choice.” I mean, I kind of have to get to school too, and this was the only route.

“What does that mean?” Man, this one with brown hair has questions on questions.

“I have to get to school somehow it’s not like I can fly or teleport.”

“Then why don’t you walk with us? It’s not like we bite.”

“I know you don’t, just didn’t want to intrude on anything.”

“You can’t intrude on anything when the past few days we’ve mainly been talking about you… okay, that sounds a little creepy…” Which was followed by a head slap from Blondie, who spoke for the first time.

“What my friend meant to say was, we’d like you to walk with us. I’m Steve,” while he held out a hand for me to shake, which I more just looked at since both my hands were full.

“And I’m James, but I prefer Bucky,” said the other one while shoving Steve’s hand down and sending a full grin towards me.

“I’m Dolores.”

And off we went on the first of many not so lonely walks to school.

It’s now been a few years since I met Steve and Bucky that one morning. It took me a good few weeks to get used to being part of the conversation rather than just occasionally listening to it, but I grew used to it, and it would probably be weird not to hear it every weekday that we went to school. And today would be the last day that we would walk this route, it was our final day of high school after all. Well, technically Steve and I’s, Bucky was a year ahead of us and graduated last year, the lucky son of a gun. Truthfully Bucky and I just wanted to skip out on going back, what all could they really do to us if Steve and I missed the last day? But with Steve being the goody two shoes he is insisted on going in, and neither Bucky or I would let him go alone.

Steve has been talking about going into the military when we graduate, and Bucky decided to join him. With both of them heading into the military, I didn't really want to be left here all by myself, I decided to join them in enlisting, much to their objections.

"Tomorrow is the start of a new chapter," I said as we were walking, kicking a stone along with me, "No more orders from teachers, just orders from Generals."

"Who are basically our teachers," and there is the ever so often smart ass reply from Bucky.

"Touche"

Steve just walked with us, chuckling at our arguments, which happened more often than it would seem, but they were all in good fun. Steve and I went through our last day of high school, while Bucky was off somewhere doing god knows what. Actually, probably off flirting with some girl. Wait, does that make me god? Nah, I don't want this mess in my hands. The final bell echoes through the school and a wave of relief and joy washes over everyone in the building. I met up with Steve and we headed out to meet Bucky at the nearby recruitment post. Yeah, Steve didn't want to waste any time enlisting.

We spotted Bucky leaning on a wall flirting his ass off to some poor girl, and me being the horrible friend that I am, decide to ruin his chances once again. I make a quick turn away from Steve so I can have a good running start, and then I begin a full-blown sprint. When I'm about ten feet away, I scream at the top of my lungs,

"STABLES," and jump onto Bucky's back, followed by tumbling over almost onto the girl, who saw me coming and moved. So I'm just laying on the ground smiling up at Bucky who had a pure look of defeat on his face as the girl speed-walked away.

"One day you will regret doing this every chance you get."

If only I knew then I would.

After I had gotten up from essentially tackling Bucky we all entered the recruitment post, Bucky, and Steve heading off for their evaluations, while I went to talk to some of my friends who were posted here for the day. So, I should explain this, I'm learning from Agent Carter, and I would be lying if I said we haven't become close. I was recruited for a new experiment, which I'm not allowed to talk about. I haven't been able to help that much, but hopefully, it'll pick up.

About an hour has passed so I figured I would see if the boys were done. Waving bye to my friends I head outside to see a slightly angry Steve talking to a Bucky who was holding some papers. I cautiously walked up to the two and just kinda stood next to them, thinking about the new fighting skills Peggy had started to teach me when I catch my name, "You agree with me right, Dolores?"

"Huh?" I look back at the guys to see each agitated and looking at me, "Sorry I wasn't paying attention."

"Steve shouldn't go try to enlist someplace else under a different name just so he can get in, right?"

"Well..." I know there is no way in hell I can stop either of them from doing what ever they want to do, so time to play both sides, "Steve shouldn't go do that, it is kinda wrong," there is a happy face on Bucky and a more enraged Steve, "but I can't stop Steve from doing what he wants," and there goes Bucky's smile and Steve perks up a bit, "So unless you two are going to figure this out fast, I'm just going to go home."

And then, they just looked at each other and said at the same time, "We'll talk about this later."

...

Totally not creepy at all... whatever, "Okay then... how about we go get some ice cream or something, yeah?" Both boys looked at me smiled, nodded, and started towards the parlor we usually went to... okay if they don't stop acting like Siamese twins I'm leaving.

It's been a couple weeks since Bucky enlisted, and Steve won't give up on trying to enlist. Bucky has tried to talk his version of sense to him, while I just kinda watched and decided to let Steve do what he wanted, I can't control him or his actions. The Stark Expo is tonight, and I was thinking of going to it, but I don't really want to go alone, so I'll have to find a time to ask the boys if one will go with me, maybe guilt them into it by saying I'll need someone to keep the flirts away.

I was walking down a street towards my apartment after having a session with Peggy when I heard a couple of grunts and whacks from an alley, and me being too curious for my own good, decided to go see what was happening in there. And I was ready to throw a couple of punches myself when a bully that I've seen beat up on Steve a couple times went running out past me, away from a broken Steve and perfectly fine Bucky.

"What in the world were you two up to this time," I considered screeching but decided to say almost calmly, don't want any unwanted attention, or scare two of my three friends off.

"Steve here decided to pick another fight with another bully twice his size, I just came to help when I saw him," Okay, so it wasn't unwarranted, good, I don't have to pummel one of them for being an idiot and starting a fight in an alleyway... actually Steve did start a fight... okay let me rephrase that, I don't have to pummel one of them for abnormally starting a fight in an alleyway, there that's better.

"Alright, I'll take it. Now Steve let's get you to my place and clean up those cuts, Buck you can tag along, I don't care," then off I went down the alley back towards the street, hoping the boys would follow me, and they did, with smiles on their faces.

We arrived at my apartment, me immediately going to get the first aid kit to patch up Steve a bit, leaving the boys in the small living room looking around, because I haven't exactly ever had them over to my apartment before. I never really had a chance with all the training I've been doing with Peggy.

"Sit," I directed with a finger going from Steve to a chair at the small dining table, and Steve followed. I started cleaning Steve up and subconsciously blocked out what the two were talking about, just keeping myself focused on getting Stevie here patched up.

"DOLORES!" That scream could break my concentration though.

"Huh?" I looked up with wide eyes and a confused face, earning a chuckle from each of the boys.

"Do you want to go to the Stark Expo?" Well... that was a little unexpected coming from Bucky, I would have figured he found some poor girl and didn't want me within the state.

"Of course, I was trying to think of a way to ask if you guys wanted to go anyway," and with that, I was finished cleaning up Steve as much as I could, I mean I wasn't exactly medically trained.

"Perfect, should we be here around, say, seven to pick you up?" Well that won't work, I'm supposed to go meet someone, that no one will tell me about, around five, and I don't know how long it will take, I don't want them to know about the whole "agent" thing yet, they would both be pretty angry.

"How about I meet you there? I have something happening just before that, and I don't want you guys to miss out because of me," nice save me, thank you me.

But I missed the slight drop in both of their smiles while they said it was fine.

*whistles a little bit*

I'm off to see someone, who can do certain stuff, da da da-da da da-da da da da da da-da. I'm not lying, I'm off to see a mysterious person who is important, I was just told to go to an antique store and say that the weather is lovely but I always carry an umbrella, but I didn't need an umbrella. Whatever, I don't get to choose the code words.

I get there and say the code phrase, and this old lady just makes a door appear, which isn't weird or creepy at all. But it's kinda my job now to go through this mysterious door and see what's behind it. I start down the stairs to discover a lab, with plenty of people in it. I make my way towards the middle and just kind of stand there, whoever wanted me would hopefully know what I look like or can tell by my complete confusion and lack of working.

"Dolores Caines?" I turn to meet a man with a dark beard and graying hair, which is a bit of a sight.

"Yeah, that's me, who are you?"

"I'm Dr. Erskine, I wanted to ask you if I could run a few tests."

*Time Skip brought to you by the hunky men of Marvel ;)*

Now, I'm off to see the boys, who are absolutely crazy, da da da-da da da-da da da da da da-da. Knowing them with it being around ten at night they either think I'm not going or dead. We shall see when I sneak up on them in the crowds.

I arrive and begin searching the large crowds looking for either of the idiots that I call my friends after I get myself some cotton candy, because cotton candy. It takes me a good half hour to discover a Bucky with some ladies attached to his arms, which isn't a surprise. Now for me to decide how to scare them off... I can't do the catapult, not enough space to land... I don't want to stick my cotton candy to his head, that would be a waste of good food... and then it hits me.

I begin to walk towards them, slowly putting on an angry face and stomping my feet, and trying to hide the growing smile on my face from what I'm about to do to my poor friend. I walk right up behind Buck and begin my screaming.

"JAMES BUCHANAN BARNES, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" And there is that look of horror, regret, anger, and confusion that I love.

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO MEET ME HOURS AGO FOR OUR TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY DATE, AND YOU NEVER SHOWED UP!" And cue the girls looking at each other and running away. As soon as they were defiantly out of sight and never coming back I let my frown slowly turn upside down, especially when Buck turns around to confront the girls only to see no one there. He turns back around with a look of just anger and... I think happiness? But before I could finish my thought I catch his sentence and start running.

"You'll pay this time Ms. Tickle-ish."

Buck chases me for a good half hour before he is winded, hunched over the side of a bench. making my way back towards him at a light jog, smirking without a hint of tiredness in me.

"Done already Barnes? I thought you were a soldier." And cue the glare that I seem to see more often than not.

"Or I'm faking you out." And there's the cue for my eye roll. "Keep doing that and maybe you'll find your brain."

"Then I should keep torturing you, you can roll your eyes and find yours too. Wait, where did little Stevie go? Or been."

"He said he was going to the bathroom about half an hour before you ruined my chances with those pretty girls." Is that the sound of sadness I hear in Buck's voice? I think it is.

"Is Stables sad he lost another two girls? Because I'm pretty sure there are at least another twenty here ready to get in a line for me to scare away."

"Is there going to be one girl I'll ever meet who you won't scare away?"

"We both know that every girl you try to get with will be scared away by the face of Dolores Caines."

"Damnit." Smirking at my small victory I begin looking from my spot for Steve, let Buck here get another few minutes of heavy breathing in before a search for Steve begins.

And then I saw it, a sign advertising a recruitment post at the expo.

"I know where Steve is, let's go before he does something stupid and gets arrested, but it's Steve, so we're probably too late."

As quickly as I could I went over to the recruitment post, hoping I'm not too late to stop Steve from getting into trouble with the law. As I was approaching I saw Steve walk out really giddy, well looks like there isn't any trouble with the law at least, but I'm still going to give him a stern talking to.

"How many cities have you used now? Ten? Twenty? Thirty? You'll be lucky if they don't catch on." While I did have the motherly glare happening, I stopped myself from shaking my pointer finger as well.

"Except this time I was excepted into the military, mother." Wow, a smirk, this is new from fairly quiet Steve.

"If I'm going to be called your mother, then I'm going to do so much more to you when we get home." And then just behind Steve I see Dr. Erskine leaving the recruitment station, oh no, oh no no no no no, this will not be happening anytime soon, not under my watch at least, "hold on, I just saw a friend that I need to go have a word with, I'll see you guys at the entrance, it's getting kinda late." And without giving them a second to respond I sprint off trying to catch up to Erskine, there is no way I'm letting Stevie get dragged into this.

*Time skip brought to you by Moreos, and for the one guy against it, OreosTM*

Alright, so it is going to happen on my watch, in two weeks I'll be secretly going with Steve to evaluate all the recruits for the project. But first Steve and I need to send Buck off on his train. Well, if things go how I want them to go, Steve will be here seeing the return of Bucky, rather than with Bucky, though knowing what I do about Erskine, that won't happen.

"I guess this is good-bye." Oh, you are not getting off that easy Bucky, not on my watch.

"Don't you dare say goodbye, that implies permanent, it is a see you in a couple months or years." Yeah, I don't have a lot of confidence in this war ending anytime soon.

"Okay, I'll see you in a couple months or years, mother." Okay, I honestly should have seen that one coming, I kinda put that one on myself.

"I'll be at the courthouse legally adopting the both of you then, heaven knows you can't take care of yourselves. I did literally make you both breakfast this morning, and you Mr. Leaving Us couldn't iron your own shirt," Crossing my arms halfway through and giving a slight glare to the both of them, mostly to Buck, "I don't know how you plan to live without me."

"Who said I was?" If he doesn't wipe that flirty smirk off his face, so help me god I will wipe it off for him.

"You, who signed up for the war?"

"Now as much as I enjoy your old married couple fights, by the looks of it, Buck here needs to get going or he'll miss the train." Thank you, Steve, for stopping us from going until dark.

"Alright, you got to get going or they'll think you were trying to duck out on them, now I get a hug," I said while walking forward spreading my arms.

"Before we all leave each other, I do want to say one more thing to you in private before I head off Doll (A/N: I know, my name picking is great)," I hate that nickname, "but I'll give Steve here one so he can get going." And cue the bro-hug, one of the most awkward things in this world.

"I'll see you at the entrance Dolores." Thank you, Steve, for not using that horrid nickname, giving Steve a little wave I turned back to Buck who looked really nervous for some reason.

"Alright, I'm just going to get this over and done with, you can't say a word until the end, okay? This is hard enough as it is," Buck took a deep breath, "Dolores, I really like you as more than a friend, almost to the point where I may even call it love, you are just so amazing, your sarcastic comments and how you aren't afraid to be yourself, every day since we first met I've fallen a bit more in love with you, and I know this is sudden and at a horrible time, but if I don't make it back I wanted you to know that I care about you so much, and if I do come back will you at least go on a date with me?"

I just stared at Buck in shock, one of my best friends loves me, in a romantic way? What? I figured I was doomed for crazy cat lady, but here is Bucky, surprising me with this. "Uhhhhh," what are you supposed to say?

"Is that really all the ever talking Dolores Caines has to say?" Yes, yes it is.

"How else should I respond? I don't know if I feel the same way, how I should even react to this information, or if I even want to yes or not," on my own behalf, he did drop a bomb on me, I mean, he was with TWO girls at the Stark Expo.

"How about this, you think about it, and if I come back you tell me your answer?"

"That I can mentally handle, now it's hug time because I think you now have five minutes to get on that train," with a smile I walk forward and give Bucky a hug, but it doesn't exactly feel the same as it has in the past, I can't put a finger on how, but it just doesn't. When I pull away I give Buck a closed mouth smile and give him a small shove towards the train, "Alright, time to go, don't forget about us back here."

"How could I with what I just said to you?" Buck said walking backward with a smirk.

"Stevie is here too!" He better not forget about Steve, or I will never let him live it down, or maybe even just live.

With a laugh, he got on the train, and I walked to the entrance, spotting Steve trying to look all cool leaning against a wall right by where I left.

"So what did Bucky have to say to you?" Oh if only I could tell you, Steve, if only I could, but it's something I want to handle alone, Steve has his own problems to face soon.

"Just that he'll miss our banter sessions," hopefully that'll keep him satisfied.

"That's understandable." Wait... does Steve know how Bucky feels about me?

Now the time has come for Steve to go to his training, and me to sneak to the back of the train since I'm going as well, and Stevie doesn't need to know about that. We were on the same platform that Bucky left, "Deja vu, huh?"

"For you maybe, but last time I was facing that way," Stevie chuckled while jabbing a thumb behind him, "And this time I know that I'm the one who is going to leave rather than my friend."

"Well, smartie pants, for me it feels the same, saying goodbye to one of my only friends for them to go fight in a war where they might die, and my last words to them would be a gosh darn train platform."

"I can promise you that I will try my best to not die, thank you for your faith in Bucky and me," thank god I'm going with you Steve, wait he doesn't know that, now to act it up a bit to sell it.

"Doesn't mean I won't worry about you two," okay, now for some tears, dead puppies, dead puppies, oh god that is horrible, dead puppies, okay now I'm tearing up. "Okay, you need to get going, don't want you to be late," or I want to make it onto the train, "give me a hug and get going," opening my arms wide.

"It will be an early death for me if I say no," both of us chuckling, "And don't worry too much about Buck and me, we will be coming back."

"You better, or I will find you two and kill you both myself."

"Now we can't have that happening now, can we? You enjoy yourself here, perfectly safe and sound." And with that Steve started to walk towards the train, while I stood on the platform waiting for him to be far enough away that I could get lost in the crowd and get onto my car.

*Time skip brought to you by Peggy Carter's fists of steel*

"Recruits, attention! Gentlemen, I'm Agent Carter, and this is my student Agent Caines. I supervise all operations for this division," time for Steve to find out that I am here, yay! He totally won't be angry that I'm here rather than back home in Brooklyn "safe" and "sound," he really should have seen something like this coming.

"What's with the accent, Queen Victoria? Thought I was signing up for the U.S. Army," this won't end well, for the soldier, for the rest of us this will be great.

"What's your name, soldier?"

"Gilmore Hodge, your Majesty," and he definitely crossed the line there. Peggy is someone who demands and deserves respect, that's for sure.

"Step forward, Hodge. Caines, stand in front of him." Oh, so that's where this will be going. Figured Peggy may take the privilege herself, but I guess not.

"Put your right foot forward."

"Mmm... Are you going to let us wrassle? Cause I got a few moves I know you'll like." With my eyes glanced to the side I see Peggy give me a slight nod. And then I decked Hodge in the face, and the force caused him to topple to the ground. That was kinda fun, I don't really get to do that often. As I returned to Peggy's side I saw the look on Steve's face, and it would be an understatement if I said he was surprised, his eyes were about to exit his skull.

Yeah, the old Dolores is gone, she's gotten a little tougher.

*Le Timeskip brought to you by Marvel being a tease*

"Wait, are you saying Steve is the one who managed to get the flag? I bet the other guys were ready to beat the pulp out of him."

"Oh yeah, he just walked up and pulled the pin, everyone was in shock and he just strolled up to the car and hoped in like it was nothing," Peggy stated while taking a sip of her drink, "it was amazing."

"Sounds like Steve, breaking all expectations you would have of him."

*Another time skip brought to you by the lazy writer*

I was standing back as I watched Peggy drill the recruits by some of the cars, "Faster, ladies! Come on. My grandmother has more life in her, God rest her soul. Move it!" Wow, Peggy is really laying it on them today, she must have had a really rough night. Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine walked up on the other side of the car, just within my hearing range.

"You're not really thinking about picking Rogers, are you?" I hope he picks Steve, he is basically the perfect candidate for this.

"I am more than just thinking about it. He is the clear choice." Reason number one of why I love Erskine, we think the same.

"When you brought a ninety pounds asthmatic onto my army base, I let it slide. I thought, what the hell? Maybe he'll be useful to you, like a gerbil. I never thought you'd pick him." Wow, got a heart in there Phillips? Because I'm thinking the answer is no. "You stick a needle in that kid's arm and it's gonna go right through him. Look at that. He's making me cry."

"I am looking for qualities beyond the physical." Like a heart, which Steve isn't lacking, I would know from the number of times he chooses to be a hero... it doesn't always make me happy.

"Do you know how long it took to set up this project?" No, Erskine, the guy who made the damn thing, believes this all started yesterday.

"Yeah, I know."

"All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator What's-His-Name's committees?" Oh, how I wish I could have seen that it would have made my life.

"Brandt. Yes, I know. I am well aware of your efforts." 'Efforts'

"Then throw me a bone. Hodge passed every test we gave him. He's big, he's fast, he obeys orders. He's a soldier." Meaning a weapon in your eyes.

"He's a bully." Just like every other buff guy in this damn world. (A/N: Sorry, felt right, not all buff guys are arseholes.)

"You don't win wars with niceness, doctor. You win war with guts. Grenade!" Sh*t, okay, cover, cover, car, behind it, oh dear gosh, why, why this? Someone will die from his need to prove he's right. After waiting a few seconds and nothing happens I peak over.

"Get away! Get back!" There's the Steve I know, one who is willing to do anything to keep people safe.

*Y'all know what this means by now*

Today is the day, the day that Steve is going to change forever. I came separately from Peggy and Steve, Dr. Erskine wanted to ask me a couple of questions before the procedure. I was going to help with the procedure since I helped Stark and Erskine with it a bit. I was focusing on completing a few more settings when I heard the door open and Erskine welcome someone in. It must be little Steve-o, well... soon to be big Steve-o. I'm drowning out all the conversations that were happening around me so I could finish up the last adjustments. I finished just as Steve was entering the pod.

"Comfortable?" Erskine... it's a giant metal tube... how could it be comfortable?

"It's a little big." It won't be big for that much longer if this all goes according to plan. "You save me any of that schnapps?" Woah, hold up, schnapps?

"Woah, Woah, schnapps? You do not need any alcohol in your system mister." I will go momma bird on your butt, Steve.

"Don't worry Dolores, I didn't take any. Erskine actually took my pour." Good, who knows what alcohol would have done.

"He better have. Now I'm going to get some of it." Erskine began his schpiel on what was going to happen during the experiment while Stark and I began to get our positions ready. Erskine signals to begin the procedure and Stark and I begin. The percentage slowly rises and Steve's vitals are looking okay. Then Stark hit seventy percent and all hell broke loose. Steve begins screaming probing Erskine, Peggy, and myself to push for the whole thing to be shut down. Then we all heard a distant scream telling us not to... and it was coming from the pod.

"No! Don't! I can do this!" So Stark kept raising the percentage, and when it hit one hundred everything overloaded. Slowly the pod opens revealing Steve... and when I said he was going to be big Steve-o soon I wasn't wrong, he used to be barely taller than me and now I'm at his shoulder, maybe. Then of course just as I was about to go talk to Steve a bomb goes off... sometimes this job sucks. Oh look, and there goes the guy that came with Senator Brandt with the last vial of serum. Again, sometimes, I hate my job. Just as I was about to run after him the son of a female dog shot Erskine... I hope he dies a painful death. Steve and I kneel down next to him, and he points towards Steve's heart, then collapses. Steve gets his frustrated look and goes running out the door.

"He's gone... right?" Erskine will be the death of me.

"Really? You faked your death?"

"Kind of, I am probably going to die soon, but I wanted to tell you, remember what you are, and don't forget it, keep the world in check." And with that Erskine drew his last breath, dying for real this time, while I sat there thinking about what he said.

*I know, I'm skipping around a lot, but Y'all should know what's generally happening*

Steve's become a dancing monkey, nothing like what Erskine wanted him to be. So it's not surprising when he feels disheartened when he's practically booed off the stage. The guys weren't exactly easy on him, I mean I saw it and they were ruthless. Knowing that Steve would enter a self-deprecating state I set off to find him, finding him sitting on a bench doodling a circus monkey, not far off what he practically is right now.

"Not bad, would be better if it were in a more natural habitat."

And a startled Steve jumps to face me a bit more, "Dolores? How did you get here?"

"What? Can't I come check on one of my only friends? So how is it being the poster boy of America?"

"Well, it generally goes better than that. Bond sales take a ten percent bump in every state I visit."

"That doesn't sound like the Steve I know, I didn't hear a thing about the war it's self." That earned me a chuckle, nothing like a sad almost pitty sounding chuckle. "For as long as this war has been going on I had to sit there and listen to you talk about going to fight for your country, now it may not be the way you thought you would be doing it, but you're here, and you never know what may come from it." Just as I finished my sentence two of the showgirls walked past us talking to each other.

"Isn't it sad that's all that's left of the one-oh-seventh? I don't know how their families can handle this."

"I know, I would never let any of my family come out here."

Steve and I just looked at each other, we were both thinking the same thing, "Bucky."

Steve and I both go barging into Colonel Phillips' tent, because who cares about respect? Colonel Phillips was writing letters while Peggy was not that far away talking to another soldier. Before I could get a word out Steve began talking.

"Colonel Phillips."

"Well, if it isn't the Star-Spangled Man With A Plan and the intern. What is your plan today?" Gee, thanks.

"I need the casualty list from Azzano." Peggy glanced over with a slightly confused face, slightly directed more towards me than anything.

"You don't get to give me orders, son." I'm getting just a little impatient here.

"Look, we just want to know if Sergeant James Barnes is alive, okay? Are we horrible people for that?" That earned me an angry look from Phillips and a small smirk from Peggy, she liked to see women stand up for themselves.

Phillips turned towards Peggy, "You better have a conversation with her or I will and neither of you will enjoy that."

"Please tell me if he's alive, sir. B-A-R-"

"I can spell. I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count. But the name does sound familiar. I'm sorry." As soon as I heard that my heart gained a couple pounds and dropped to my feet. I didn't know what to think, what are you supposed to do when you find out one of your only friends may be dead, it's definitely not jumping for joy.

"What about the others? Are you planning a rescue mission?"

"Yeah! It's called winning the war." Because that has been such a great plan for the past, hm, I don't know, couple years?

"But if you know where they are, why not at least...?"

"They're thirty miles behind the lines. Through the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. We'd lose more men than we'd save. But I don't expect you to understand that, because you're a chorus girl." Well, that one hurt more than one of us in more than one way.

"I think I understand just fine."

"Well then understand it somewhere else. If I read the posters correctly, you got some place to be in thirty minutes." Who put a stick up this guy's butt?

"Yes, sir. I do." Okay, hold on, is this really happening? Steve, Mr. 'I can do this all day' is backing down? Who is this and where's the real Steve? As Steve began walking out Peggy and I glanced at each other and followed him out to his tent where he started shoving clothes in a bag.

"What are you planning on doing? Walking there?"

"If I have to." I almost facepalmed.

"You heard the Colonel, your friend is most likely dead." Thank you, Peggy, for reminding me.

"You don't know that." And there is optimistic Steve.

"Even so, he's devising a strategy. If he detects..."

"By the time he's done that, it could be too late! I have to do something to help one of my closest friends..." Steve finished off much less fierce than when he started. "You gotta let me go."

Peggy looked a little conflicted for a second before she began speaking again, "I can do more than that, just let me make a few calls," then she left the tent and I began following her to start gathering a few things for myself, no way in hell I'll let Steve go alone.

"Hold on a second there, you are not coming with, you are staying right here in this camp." Wait, time out, not happening.

"No, I'm not staying here. Bucky is my friend too, if you think that I'm going to stay here counting the seconds thinking about how they might drag your body back here beyond repair or even worse dead, you are out of your mind."

"I'm not bringing you out there to die! Just let me go get Bucky and come back. I promise you I'll be in one whole functioning piece."

"You should know that I'm fully capable of holding my own in a fight! I'm going to help you whether you like it or not!"

"I will not let you come!"

"Why?!"

"Because I love you too much to let you die like that!"

What? I just stared at Steve blankly for a while as he turned his face towards the ground and drug his hand over it.

With a big sigh, he began again, "Well, guess it's out. I, Steve Rogers, have fallen in love with you Dolores Caines. I've grown to rely on your personality to help me through my days, even the ones where I couldn't physically see you I hear your witty sarcastic comments in the back of my mind. And every time I think about my future I can't see much without you by my side. I've fallen in love with you, almost helplessly."

How am I supposed to respond to this? It wasn't exactly all that long ago that Bucky confused his love to me, and now Steve is too. "I-I don't know what to say, Steve-"

"It's fine, you don't have to say anything, just let me go do this without having the constant fear of you dying in the back of my mind, I promise that I will return alive with Bucky, just stay here." Steve started up gathering his stuff again.

"A-Alright." And with that, I walked out of the tent.

After leaving Steve I walked to my tent and began to pack up everything. If Steve came back with a Bucky I don't know what I would do, looking at my two best friends who have admitted their love for me and acting like everything was normal? I wouldn't be able to do that, so I'm quitting and going home. It's not ideal but I need to get away for a while and think about the mess my life has become.

*Okay, so rest of CAFA goes the same just no Steve Peggy kissy, and we are now going past Avengers and into Winter Soldier 😈 and into Steve's POV*

"This is SHIELD."

"Maybe where it started." Natasha and Steve walked into a room with portraits on the wall.

"Why is Dolly in here? She wouldn't have been alive." Hearing Natasha's confused voice Steve turned his attention towards where she was looking to see a portrait of his Dolores up next to Peggy, Howard, and Phillips.

"That's Dolores Caines actually, I knew her."

"No, I know my best friend, and that is her. We can talk about it later Steve, but let's focus on this right now." And with that they both continued their search, later coming around in a few months.

*Alright, cool, so now to 'modern day' where we get the kicker*

With a sigh Steve and Bucky plop onto a couch after a long workout, Natasha walking up to them. "You old men might have another friend, had to dig a lot to find this, probably one of the most classified folders SHEILD has." And with that, she dropped the folder onto the coffee table with TOP SECRET written across the front in bright red. She left to let the two have some space for the world rocking folder they were going to open.

Steve and Bucky looked at each other, Steve making a move to open the folder, and when he did the first page was all the typical information that SHEILD would have; name, date of birth, height, weight, etc., except one this stuck out to Steve and Bucky, status read active.

"How could Dolores be active? Surely she would be dead or close to it by now?" With even more confusion Bucky flipped the page to show a stack of pictures, the one on top being of the three of them back in the 40s; pre-serum, pre-enlistment, pre-confessions, and they all looked happy. Flicking to the next one showed a Dolores who looked exactly the same but instead she was at the opening of NASA, at least ten years after the first picture. Steve and Bucky kept going from picture to picture, the 1960s: Dolores is walking next to Martin Luther King Jr. in the Selma March, the 1970s: Dolores with Bill Gates and Paul Allen at MITS demonstrating their interpreter, 1980s: Dolores at the Miracle on Ice cheering after the winning goal, 1990s: Dolores fleeing Columbine High School, 2000s: Dolores helping people near the World Trade Center on 9/11, all of them showing the same Dolores that they knew back in the 40s. Coming onto the final picture they see it was from just before Steve came out of the ice. It had a smiling Natasha and laughing Dolores next to each other.

Both men look at each other, and flip back to the first page, seeing just what they were hoping for, a last known address.

They both immediately stand up and walk towards their rooms, they were going to see Dolores for the first time since the 1940s tomorrow.

*Transfering to Dolores POV*

Another day, another mental crisis. It didn't help that Nat sent me a text saying that Steve and Bucky know that I'm still alive. I left before Steve woke up for a reason, I still can't face it, and now both of them will be trying to find me. It's two a.m. but I can't focus on anything other than how soon it will be before Steve and Bucky find me and I have to confront that issue again. All I have been doing is pretending that nothing had happened, but it's only come back to haunt me again.

When it's seven in the morning I finally decide to get started with the day. Stumbling out to get some coffee in my system, I was lacking in the energy department from the restless night. Soon after I turned on the coffee maker I heard a knock on my door.

Making my way over to the door I open it without checking, there lies my first mistake, standing behind it was Steve Rodgers and Bucky Barnes. I could feel my eyes widen to double the size and my first response was to slam the door, but one of them managed to get their foot in to keep it open a bit, so I went to the next logical solution, shove with all my might. After struggling for a few minutes I was finally able to get the door shut and locked. Sliding on my back down the door I began to go into another mental breakdown, they are literally outside of my door.

Soon knocks came on the door, "Dolores! Please, we know you are in there! We just want to catch up! Please let us in!" Sure, Steve, I'll just let the issue that I've been avoiding for the last 70 years walk into my apartment. They both kept knocking on my door and asking me to let them in for another thirty minutes. That's when it went quiet, they probably gave up. And then subconsciously my body just stood up and opened the door, and two bodies came tumbling backward into my apartment, Bucky and Steve were laying on their backs looking up at me.

"I don't know why I just did that, but I suggest you two get in here before I close the door again."

Within a second they were both on their feet inside my apartment... this will go well... not.

With a sigh I closed the door and turned around, Steve and Bucky were just looking around at my small apartment. "Alright, I need some coffee, do either of you want anything?" I got two head shakes as an answer. "So no words then?"

"It's just a shock that you're still alive, it's just you should be close to dead or already dead by now."

"Yeah, I'll explain that when I've had some coffee." So I went to reheat my now thirty-minute old coffee and went back to the living room to find both guys looking at all the pictures I had around the room. I scared them both a bit when I started talking, "They all span across the last 70 years, all the way back to the 40s till now."

"Yeah, we got to see a few before we came over, so care to explain how you're still so young?"

"If you agree to explain that metal arm there Buck, I know why Stevie here is huge and how you are both still alive, but the arm is news to me."

"Deal"

"Alright, let's sit down for this then." With a plop, I set myself in my favorite armchair while Steve took the other one and Bucky situated himself on the couch. Taking a final sip of my coffee I began, "So while Steve here got his powers from Erskine back in the day, Erskine said that the first test subject was Johann Shmidt and Steve was the next attempt, yeah?" Both nodded their heads, "Well that's where the main lie lies." I couldn't help myself, I just had to chuckle a bit at that. "Sorry, lie lies. Anyway, there was another person who was experimented on between Shmidt and Steve, and that person would be me. Erskine wanted to get another trial run in before the main event to be sure everything would work the way he wanted it too. I was asked to do it and I agreed, and I came out fine, but with some new enhancements.

"The main one was my cells started regenerating differently, they kept coming back exactly the same, meaning no aging. (A/N: No idea if this is true, don't trust my google science) I can still die from things like explosions and stab wounds, but I can't die of old age, which was a pain in the butt during the Civil Rights Movement, couldn't walk ten feet without finding some violent person with a weapon in the south. I also did get all the things Steve here got, they just didn't show themselves. So Erskine made some changes to the formula, fixed the anti-aging thing since he was unsure of who would receive it and had the recipient bulk up a bit more, Brandt would be more impressed and what not for more funding. And that's the jist of how I'm still here kickin'." I kept my eyes down the whole time, and when I finished I took another swig of my coffee. "Alright, Stables, story-time about the arm, go."

A slightly confused Bucky slowly started his story of the arm, "Uh, back in the 40s Steve and I were trying to get Zola when I fell out of the train into a ravine and my arm was torn off in the fall, that's when HYDRA found me and made me a puppet, adding a robotic arm."

"Huh, not as exciting as I expected, figured one lady would have been in that story." I chuckled as I took another sip of my coffee, god this is so awkward. With a sigh, I started up again, "Okay, look, I know it's weird, someone who wasn't frozen from the 40s is still here, but it's still me. I know I can talk a lot but I'm not holding the whole conversation on my own. If that's how it's going to be, please just leave."

"Then how about you explain why you left when you did without a trace? Cause I'm not sure why you did." Well, Steve seems a little pissy about that.

"Well, you said you loved me right before you left to save Bucky, and Bucky said he loved me right before he went off to war. Both of my friends had said they loved me, what else would you expect me to do?" They both looked at each other surprised, almost like they didn't know that the other loved me. "And don't think my life was always great after that, you both saying those words was just constantly in the back of my mind playing it's self over, and over, and over. I was left with no hope, or love, or glory. Happy endings gone forever more. I've just been living the rest of my life."

"You could have talked to us, we could have figured out something, you didn't have to leave Doll." I honestly slightly flinched at that nickname, I hadn't heard it in a long time.

"Yeah, bring up how I couldn't pick between the two of you and watch you both slowly grow to hate each other, no thanks. Look, I think that's enough for one day, I have some work I still need to do." They both slowly get up after I do and follow me to the door. "I guess I wish you well."

Just before Bucky walked off with Steve he turned around, "Can we pretend that nothin' ever went wrong?"

With I sigh I responded, "I don't think so Buck, too much just went wrong." And with that, I closed the door.

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And there is my fanfic based on Happy Ending by MIKA!

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