Act I

"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun." -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Chapter I

"So Chattanooga Choo Choo, Won't you Choo Choo me home?" -Glenn Miller, Wartime Release, 1941

45°40°'N09°40'E

Azzano San Paulo, Italy

Fall of 1943

"Sargent Barnes?"

There are black scuff marks against the leather of his boots. If he finds a rag and some shoeshine he can swipe them clean, his mother would slap him against the head if she saw the sorry state his boots were in. He sighs, his breath frosty against the clear air. He won't see his mother till they ship him back home. That won't be for a long while though, and he isn't sure if his mother will see him in a wooden coffin or if he'll be able to see her in person.

"Barnes?"

Bucky lifts his eyes to the man beside him, Franklin Greene. Greene smiles with new lines creased into his skin with each passing day, a thin layer of dirt speckles the man's pale skin. Bucky looks to the camp before him, "any changes?"

"No, sir." Franklin coughs and pulls a cigarette out of his shirt pocket before striking a match. "Want one?"

Bucky shakes his head slowly, "I don't smoke." Greene sighs and lights the cigarette in his fingers. Bucky stares ahead at the soldiers walking past him, carrying guns or dragging equipment around. Greene is a reliable man, the kind of man Bucky should trust his life with. Except he doesn't, Bucky can only think of one man who would have his back at a time like this and he's not here. Steve is either sitting in jail for falsifying his records to enlist or he weaseled his way into the army. God knows where that left the scrawny blonde now. Bucky is the brother Steve never had and they should be fighting this war together. They should be returning home together heroes or being sent back side by side in coffins.

Franklin clears his throat, "it's getting cold, huh?"

Bucky turns back to the shorter and pudgy man beside him, with a mustache that has begun to grey. Bucky is suppose to trust his life with these men, his fellow soldiers. "No, it's colder in Brooklyn."

Greene takes a slow draw from his cigarette before smiling, "I'm from Texas, nice and warm there. Yankees can't handle that sun, that's what my mother always said."

Bucky nods, Greene has proven trustworthy and reliable so far. He is a tough guy and resilience is Franklin Greene's best quality. "When does the unit head out?"

Greene lifts his shoulders and pulls a flask from his pocket. "I haven't heard word yet, I'm just hoping the sun comes out by the time we decide to leave."

Bucky raises his brows in acknowledgement, "I'm turning in for the night."

"Pray for some sunshine...and some pretty girls!"

Bucky shakes his head at the older man sipping from his flask. "Aren't you married?"

"Just don't tell my wife." Greene laughs and his mustaches curls up with the action. "Eh, if I did something out of line, my old maid would come and shoot me before Hitler could have a chance...maybe you should just ask for some sunshine."

Bucky tips his head back to the grey clouds and chuckles, "Greene if I'm praying for anything it's going to be to get home. Let me know if you find out when we leave, will ya?"

Greene tips his chin up to Bucky, "sure thing, Jimmy."

"Bucky. Greene, I said call me Bucky." Bucky smirks and turns towards his tent, hearing the older man laugh to himself.

The cold wind cuts through the air like a knife, but that's not what makes him nearly stop cold in his tracks. As a matter of fact the wind is blowing hard enough to dry the sweat pouring down his back and dripping down his skin. Bucky's eyes are sharp as soldiers fall to his left and to his right. He loses speed as shouts echo around him.

The soldiers up ahead are yelling, he turns to the soldier beside him, some man he's never really met but has seen around camp. "What's going on?"

Bucky's fellow soldier slows his pace and stares at the mass of bodies running around them, "Nazis, up ahead. Not sure if we're surrounded or not but..." The soldier looks ahead and charges forward towards enemy fire. "We'll need to get closer to see what's going on."

Bucky's eyes widen and jaw opens as the soldier just paces ahead of him falls to the ground, blood painting his lips. The man's eyes stare ahead blankly and Bucky shuts his mouth, he has to focus. If he gets distracted he will end up like the guy he just stepped over. Bucky has seen men die in war, but he's never been having a conversation with one when it happens. Something about the intimacy of it all makes his head scramble for a coherent thought. Bucky tries not to think about the dead man's endless stare because that kind of thing weighs on a man forever.

Focus, Barnes. Focus, act now, think later.

Bucky sets his jaw and moves ahead. Bullets strike men beside him and anguishing cries of pain and the disturbing sound of screams cut short ring in his ears. Dirt flies everywhere, and Bucky blinks as his body pushes itself further into the fight. The scent of blood is thick, but he keeps his focus.

We're outgunned, outmanned, hopelessly unprepared for this attack.

Bucky hears the murmurs of retreat or surrender, his frown deepens. The Nazis aren't known for their hospitable nature, if he lives to see himself taken captive into their camps. The opposing army surrounds what's left of the 107th quickly, Bucky's gaze shifts around him.

Everything goes silent for a moment, the sound of more tanks rolling in is heard in the distance. The Nazis seem just as confused as Bucky is by the sound. Bucky watches the enemy soldiers yell to each other in rushed German, their heads whipping around to the noise from incoming tanks. Perhaps there were troops nearby coming to save the 107th, or maybe they're a surprise of additional tanks for the Nazis to have at their disposal. The tanks approach and Bucky narrows his eyes at the octopus that seems to be stamped on the side. What is that? The better question is who is that?

The guns of the tank turn to the Nazi soldiers and wipe them down to corpses in a few moments. And although Bucky can't see exactly how, it must be grotesque. The sent of burnt flesh makes his eyes water. Bucky realizes how bad things are when the guns of the tank turn from the Nazi soldiers to the 107th. Maybe he'll be heading home sooner than he thought, although Bucky didn't bargain it would be in a coffin. At least not this early into the fight.

His superior yells their surrender and soldiers begin to rest into the ground hands clasped behind their heads, weapons lowered. Bucky curses under his breath before putting his hands behind his head and sinking to his knees with the rest of his unit.

48°12'N 16°22'E

Outskirts of Vienna, Austria

Fall 1943

For a moment she focuses on the light grey marks scratched into her shoes. It's enough to distract her from vomiting. With this new found strength she focuses back on the conversation.

"I refuse." The words don't shake or bend to any emotion. They are firm, grounded. Strangely determined for a man who could not lift his cup without having a tremble in his hand. She hides behind the door to her room, tears silently streaming down her face, hoping and praying they won't ask to search the house. She knows she won't be able to run, that if they find her they won't hesitate to take her away.

They did take Mother after all.

The outline of the men speaking to her father grows as more soldiers come in, the fear crawls into her belly and stretches it's legs into her throat. It takes every last bit of strength not to retch all over the patent leather shoes her mother bought her with what little money they were able to scrape up this past winter. She swallows the bile pushing up her throat, she promised.

I will be strong, Mother. I swear it.

The men raise their arm to their superior and she squeezes her eyes shut, preparing to hear the venom slip off their tongues. "Hail HYDRA!"

Her eyes snap open, who is HYDRA? Hitler is all she has heard. They were stupid to think Hitler wouldn't chase them to Vienna. Hitler she understands, the Fuhrer is the one who caused this mess. The one who is cornering them like a cowering doe staring down the barrel of a gun. It was he, who created this.

The one who took away her mother.

Her mother would have had her hiding elsewhere. However, her father insisted she stay hidden in her room instead of hiding inside the wardrobe down the hall. It didn't make sense to her, but her father hadn't been in his normal state of mind lately. Ever since her mother was taken, her father is a different man. He is shaky and nervous, if she didn't have unwavering loyalty she would hide in the wardrobe, or someplace more sensible. Then again it would it matter, the Fuhrer would find her.

She leans closer to the edge of the door before stumbling back at the eyes that peer down on her. "She is here."

She is frozen, her feet won't move from their spot on the floor, hands shaking and pulling at the rough fabric of her dress. She used to have smooth pretty dresses, but only Aryan German girls get those. She is not Aryan. She is the daughter of a Jew and a German. She has dark hair and olive skin and dark hazel eyes. This is what happens to girls like her.

They yank her by the arm and her words fall from her lips in a whisper. "Be strong."

She murmurs those words over and over again. She looks at the man dragging her into the living room, who is leaving bruises on her arms. She watches her father's mask crack at the tears on his daughter's face. But she keeps her chin high, because God knows she would never break her promise.

"You will work on the serum, and you will make it perfect for HYDRA." The superior officer says, his German is harsh, lacking what she considers a soft roll in the language.

Her father's resolve is melting, ebbing away. Anyone can see it in those cerulean eyes that are swimming in fear, if she can see it so can the man yelling at him. "What will happen to my daughter?" Her father's voice shakes, she shuts her eyes at his tone. The man who couldn't grasp a pen without dropping it from the tremors in his fingers is crawling back out of the indifferent mask he was locked behind.

"She will be detained, until you can produce the serum. We showed mercy by allowing you to keep her when we took your wife. The girl was your payment, if you agreed to our terms and maintained your loyalty to HYDRA. Do what we ask, keep your daughter. Things have changed and my commanding officer, Schmidt, is not as nice as me. Remember that as my patience is running thin."

"B-but this...this is not what I agreed to."

The officer growls and tightens his fists, "I don't care what you agreed to, I have orders and I will follow them. I'm beginning to lose my temper, Waltz!"

Her father cowers into himself, "y-you asked me to do some research into the Americans experiments. I found Erksine and the serum and I gave you all the information I had."

The superior chuckles, "the terms changed. We have a vial, but it's not enough, we need more. You will help replicate it. Doctor Zola requested you, specifically. You will perfect it. And since you've decided to talk back...you will administer it to your daughter. Think of it as insurance, you want her to survive the experiment you will do all you can to make it perfect. Yes?"

His eyes widen and so do hers, she doesn't know what any of this means but it doesn't sound good. "It would be best to comply." He draws a gun from his holster and the cold metal presses to her warm skin. She shakes, even under the firm grasp of the soldier. The tears won't stop coming now. She focuses on crying so she won't vomit. The click of the gun being cocked vibrates in her skull. A harsh metallic sound of a bullet sliding into place begins to break her resolve. The tear stained chin she held high quickly dips down into her chest and someone yanks her hair, pulling her face to face with her father. She winces at the pain but makes no move to scream. Her mother taught her to be stronger than that.

"Cry if you must, but screams are what they feed off of."

"Of course, Mama."

The gun pushes to her temple until it hurts and she finally hears her father amidst the pulsing sound of her own heartbeat dancing with the rhythm of her sobs. "My patience is just about gone, Herr Waltz."

Her father collapses onto his knees, "fine, fine. I'll do it. I'll do whatever you want, just don't kill her. Please." He is begging now, his words slurring together in his rush to get them out.

The superior nods and the pressure leaves her temple and she convulses forward and retches all over those patent leather shoes. She coughs while her arms are roughly brought closer together behind her back, the superior rolls his eyes and slaps her across the face, "what is your name, girl?"

She swallows what bile is left in her mouth and puts all her strength into her tongue "Daniela Katarine Waltz." She lifts her chin, she will be strong. Whatever they will do to her, she will be strong.

"She seems strong enough, Herr Waltz. Perhaps she will be a good candidate after all..." Daniela's eyes widen as she stares up at the man's cold eyes before the darkness consumes her.

I just want to say to my loyal readers I am back! Updates should be coming this week for all my stories in all of the fandoms I currently write for. I also want to thank everyone for their overwhelming support while I was on a leave of absence while I worked through the loss of my father.

I was having a hard time writing without him and this story just put all that fire back into me, and I'm ready to write again and make my Dad proud, he was my editor, best friend, and endless tank of ideas. So while it might seem odd that I'm posting something new, its just to help me push through a lot of the writers block I've had since my father's death. He believed that I should write what I'm passionate about, and I am so in love with this story.

If you enjoyed this chapter, review, and let me know. I really love this story and these characters. A lot of this story is already written and most of my other fics are pretty pre-written as well. I was ready to write something I haven't really seen in this fandom and I hope you all like the unique tale I've chosen to share. Thank you my lovelies!