Gone to War (A Bucky Barnes FanFiction)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

|| April 27th, 1944. Danish Hydra Research Facility ||

Bucky and Ophelia made their way back to the groups meeting spot. Ophelia shuffled her feet as she felt tired and drained. As they reached the makeshift camp, she saw Steve and the other Commandos already there, looking pretty beat up. Ophelia stopped, Bucky next to her, she locked eyes with Steve.

"There you two are," Steve sighed, "the research base was-"

"Bombed?" Ophelia huffed, "Yeah we noticed."

"Ophelia." Bucky sighed, pulling her arm.

"Yeah," Steve glared at her for a moment, "It was filled with Hydra soldiers and-"

"Innocent people." Ophelia interrupted him.

"What are you talking about?" Steve asked putting his hands on his hips.

"That research facility was filled with innocent people from the town." She stepped forward, angry tears forming in her eyes, "They were taking people from the town, into forced labour."

"Those men were all Hydra soldiers." Steve said defending himself.

Ophelia shook her head, "No they weren't!" She got in his face, "Those were innocent people, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters! All forced into work by Hydra! The only real Hydra officers were the ones guarding them."

"Well I didn't-"

"Bother to stop and think?" Ophelia turned away and huffed, "I promised a man to bring his brother home, instead I promised his death." She started to walk away from them, "I thought we were doing good, turns out we're just as bad as Hydra." With that she turned away and walked down the hill to the valley behind the town.

Bucky watched Ophelia from the hill as she sat down in the field, her head down. "You should talk to her." Bucky told Steve as he helped pack the camp.

"Buck," Steve sighed, standing up, "I didn't know their were people in that research facility."

"I know Buddy." Bucky turned to Steve and patted his shoulder. Steve felt bad, he had blood on his hands, all because he wanted to stop Hydra. "She's been very distant lately."

The two looked towards the field where Ophelia sat, "I know." Steve sighed, "Ophelia has been through enough, we all have." Bucky nodded and put his hands in his pockets, Steve looked at his body language, turning to him fully, "What is it?"

Bucky looked at him, shocked he picked up on something, "Nothing."

"Buck..." Steve urged.

Bucky rolled his eyes and turned away from Steve, he opened his mouth to say something but shook his head. "Ophelia is..." he couldn't find the words so he sighed. Steve smiled at what Bucky was trying to say, nodding, he patted his friends back.

"You gotta tell her."

"But how?" Bucky looked at Steve.

"My god Buck," Steve gasped, "You flirt with almost any girl no problem but get tongue tied with Ophelia?" Steve chuckled as Bucky as a small blush came across his face.

"At least I can talk to women." Bucky joked, earning an elbow in the ribs from Steve. "She's just different, she's our friend." His voice became low, "I really love her Steve."

"How long?"

Bucky shrugged, "God," he took a breath in, "years. When I found out she was gone, I wanted to come home, I tried. They wouldn't let me go find her, I asked so many officers and every Colonel I came across, asking for their help. I felt like I had lost her because I was selfish and wanted to fit."

"She felt the same way." Steve put his hand on Bucky's back.

"I kissed her you know." Bucky looked out over the field, his gaze landed on Ophelia sitting in the grass. "When I first found out she was secretly in the 107th, we were talking and I was just so happy she was alive... I just kissed her."

"I know." Steve smiled, "Just tell her how you feel."

Bucky looked at Steve and thanked him, "I'll take to her, after you apologize to her." Steve nodded and left the camp, walking down to where Ophelia was sitting. Bucky stood from the top of the hill, watching as Steve walked to Ophelia in the field.

Sitting in the valley, the smell of spring was in the air. It was calm for being a war. Ophelia watched as the wind took hold of the newly grown grass, making it dance at its blows. Ophelia never released how much this team and what they were doing was going to impact her. She knew she was helping finish the war, but she never saw it at the cost of innocent people. This had been the first time innocent people had died on their hands.

Ophelia's head was buzzing and started to feel dizzy. She heard screaming and cries of pain that were only audible to her. They screamed for help, thousands of them, all in her head. Closing her eyes, she clutched herself head, her anger and sadness taking over. She felt so helpless, so worthless to the screams in her mind.

"Ophelia." Steve's voice was louder than the screaming. Her head looked up and she saw Steve sit next to her. "I'm sorry. You were right, I should have stopped and thought about what I was doing."

Ophelia shook her head, "No I'm sorry, I got caught up in my own feelings. We had no way to communicate to each other in that moment."

"If I knew," Steve's voice cracked, "I wouldn't have-"

"I know." Ophelia put her hand on his back. "I'm sorry I lashed out, I didn't mean the things I said." Steve wrapped his arm around her and the two sat there embracing each other.

"This job," Steve sighed, "it's going to come with sacrifices. Unfortunately, it's something we are going to have to deal with."

"I just wish this war was over." Ophelia looked at Steve, "I just want us to go home and have fun like we used to."

Steve looked back to the camp, Bucky up on the hill watching. "We will. Things always seem to work out in the end. I promise."

Ophelia smiled at Steve, the two leaning in and hugging. But Ophelia's smile faded once the screams came back to her. The horror of war was never ending for her, it was always there. She couldn't escape her mind.