Categories > Movies > Marvel Cinematic Universe > Saving Grace
Chapter II
1 reviewSteve Rogers has a little sister, Norma Grace Rogers, who became an Army nurse during the war. Captured in Italy, Grace is taken by HYDRA, unbeknownst to Steve and Bucky. They find her frozen in a ...
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Brooklyn, December 8, 1941.
Bucky strolled down the sidewalk to the Rogers' apartment building. Seeing a person in a familiar navy blue wool coat sitting on the front steps of the building, a teasing grin spread out on his face. "Why the long face, babydoll?"
He had always called tiny Norma Grace Rogers "babydoll". He remembered when she was born. She had come six weeks early, and Sarah Rogers had barely survived the ordeal. The little bundle of pink had been so small, his young mind thought the baby looked more like a babydoll than a person, all yellow curls and green-blue eyes, so that's what he called her. It took Bucky nearly a year to call his best friend's sister by her name, and somehow the moniker stuck so that eighteen years later, he still called her by the nickname that Steve would have punched any other fellow for using in reference to Grace.
"Steve went to the enlistment office this morning, too." Grace answered his question heavily.
"Too? What makes you think that I went to enlist this morning?" he cocked his head, stalling.
"Because that's where you just came from," she sighed. "If you were coming from your house, you would be coming from the opposite direction, and we all know what happened yesterday." She looked up at Bucky. "You make it in?"
"Yep,"
She nodded with a small smile. "I knew you would. I'm proud of you, Buck." She stood and hugged her childhood friend, now familiar tingling spread down her spine as his arms circled her shoulders. Grace pulled away quickly to look up into his blue-gray eyes, tipping her head back because of their height difference. Her stomach performed a little flip-floppy dance as their eyes met, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. Grace's feelings for her brother's best friend had gone beyond friendship for at least a year now, but she knew she did not have a chance with Bucky. She was his pal's sister; he practically saw her as his own little sister. She was also five years younger, and he usually dated girls within a year or so of his own age.
"What about the punk?" Bucky asked.
"You know, 'The Punk' has a name."
"You're right; my mistake." Bucky raised his hands in a surrender gesture. "What about Stevie?"
"Jerk," Grace rolled her eyes, then grew sober. "He didn't make it. Got 4F-ed."
"Wow, I'll bet he's disappointed," Bucky sighed.
"Yeah, that's an understatement, considering they took me." Grace answered, not looking him in the eye.
Bucky shrugged "I guess it's understa—wait, what?" His eyes widened.
"They took me," Grace repeated, raising her eyes to meet his. "The Army Nurse Corps. I start training next week."
"Oh gosh, Grace," Bucky gasped. "What were you thinking? What were they thinking?" he gripped her elbows, making her face him.
"What are you talking about?" Grace asked confused. "I was thinking the same as you boys. I'm young and able. I can help."
"You're tiny! I know you're strong for your size and all, but you'll be squashed like a bug if you're sent to the front!"
"So it's 'understandable' when Steve tries to join up, but I get in, and it's 'you'll be squashed'?" she retorted. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we aren't that different, Steve and I."
"Well, you never been as sick as he has," Bucky, replied. "but the big difference is this: He's a twenty-two-year-old fella. You're a eighteen-year-old girl barely outta high school."
"So, because I'm girl, I can't give myself to my country?" Fire sparked in her brilliant blue eyes, something Bucky had rarely seen.
"No, babydoll," Bucky tried soothed her quickly ruffling feathers. "I just mean, there will plenty of ways for girls like you to help here at home. Volunteer stuff, you know?"
"What if I don't want to do volunteer work? There are lots of mothers who can do that sort of thing, but can't go overseas as nurses, Buck. I can."
"Wait, you want to get sent over there?" he asked, alarmed. The little girl in front of him did not even come level with his shoulders. At first glance, many confused Grace for a thirteen or fourteen-year-old-girl. Only her clothes, and the way she pinned up her hair distinguished her from kids still in school. Grace was strong, though. She worked at a dressmaker's shop, and often had to heft whole bolts of cloth that were bigger than she was.
The longer Bucky looked Grace over, the more he realized that the blue-green-eyed, frizzy-yellow-haired little girl that grew up hanging from his and Steve's coat-tails was being replaced by a determined, independent, young woman with sky blue eyes and golden curls.
"Yes, if I'm good enough to be sent over," She finally answered.
"Grace, guys like me and Steve, we join up to keep girls like you safe. Out of harm's way," Bucky sighed. He could sense that arguing with Grace would get him nothing. "Just forgive me if I pray you don't get sent over."
"Buck—"
"Babydoll, if you get sent overseas too, who will send me amazing oatmeal raisin cookies?" Bucky pouted, effectively changing the subject. "You know Mom and Rebecca's can't hold a candle to yours, and I shudder to think what I'd get if Steve tried to make them."
"You'll just have to make do without, Soldier." She smiled up at him.
"Bucky!" Steve's voice rang out behind them. "Did you go yet?" Steve dashed down the steps to greet his best friend.
"Yeah, I went early this morning to avoid long lines. Still had to wait forever just to get in the door."
"And?"
"They took me. I head out for bootcamp in two weeks."
Steve smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. "That's great, Buck."
"At least they gave you more time than they gave me." Grace said.
Steve sighed. "Gracie already tell you?"
"That she's decided to go play nurse with the big girls?" Bucky grinned. "Yeah, she did. Since Little Miss Nightingale here starts training on Monday, whadaya say to going out this week-end? Celebrate best nurse the Army will ever see." Bucky slung arm around each Rogers' shoulders.
"I don't know about that," Grace blushed.
"Well, you did have a lot of practice on me," Steve grinned at his sister.
"And me," Bucky added. "Remember that year we all got influenza so bad, and Grace here was the only one to not catch it?"
"Boy, did I feel like Florence Nightingale that January," Grace replied, as memories flashed through her mind. "I'm pretty sure the shovelers kept the sidewalks clear just for me, what with all the trips I made back and forth between the apartment and your folk's house."
"Babydoll, I'm pretty your walking is what kept the sidewalks clear, not the shovelers." Bucky ducked his head slightly. "If we hadn't been so sick, I'd have insisted you stayed home. That was a very cold winter." He added quietly
"I was fine, Bucky." Grace reached up and placed her hand over his hand that was on her shoulder. "Gave me an opportunity to get away from Steve for a while." She added with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Hey!"
"What?"
"Don't make me act an adult and separate you two, kiddos," Bucky laughed at the siblings.
"Uh, Buck, you're already standing between us," Steve pointed out.
"You know what I mean, Punk."
"Jerk."
"Boys! Behave or I won't let Bucky stay for dinner," Grace threatened, crossing her arms on her chest.
"What's on menu?" Bucky asked, trying to act nonchalant. "If I'm going to be threatened, I'd like to know what I'm being threatened with."
"Stew and rolls," Steve answered.
"Homemade rolls." Grace added sweetly.
Bucky's gulped slightly as he pretended to fix his tie and straighten his jacket. "I think we'd better straighten our act up, Steve." He said, to which Steve rolled his eyes. Grace's beef and vegetable stew was amazing, and her yeast rolls were even better. Apparently, her rolls were Bucky's comfort food (besides the oatmeal raisin cookies). Whenever he was ill, the only thing he ever asked her to bring him was a batch of rolls.
"I thought you might say that," Grace replied in the same sweet voice. "So, after lunch, you fellas will help me chop vegetables, right? You know that I like to let it all simmer for several hours."
Bucky made a great show of bowing with a flourish to Grace. "At your service, my lady."
Grace quirked an eyebrow at his antics. "Good choice."
Bucky strolled down the sidewalk to the Rogers' apartment building. Seeing a person in a familiar navy blue wool coat sitting on the front steps of the building, a teasing grin spread out on his face. "Why the long face, babydoll?"
He had always called tiny Norma Grace Rogers "babydoll". He remembered when she was born. She had come six weeks early, and Sarah Rogers had barely survived the ordeal. The little bundle of pink had been so small, his young mind thought the baby looked more like a babydoll than a person, all yellow curls and green-blue eyes, so that's what he called her. It took Bucky nearly a year to call his best friend's sister by her name, and somehow the moniker stuck so that eighteen years later, he still called her by the nickname that Steve would have punched any other fellow for using in reference to Grace.
"Steve went to the enlistment office this morning, too." Grace answered his question heavily.
"Too? What makes you think that I went to enlist this morning?" he cocked his head, stalling.
"Because that's where you just came from," she sighed. "If you were coming from your house, you would be coming from the opposite direction, and we all know what happened yesterday." She looked up at Bucky. "You make it in?"
"Yep,"
She nodded with a small smile. "I knew you would. I'm proud of you, Buck." She stood and hugged her childhood friend, now familiar tingling spread down her spine as his arms circled her shoulders. Grace pulled away quickly to look up into his blue-gray eyes, tipping her head back because of their height difference. Her stomach performed a little flip-floppy dance as their eyes met, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. Grace's feelings for her brother's best friend had gone beyond friendship for at least a year now, but she knew she did not have a chance with Bucky. She was his pal's sister; he practically saw her as his own little sister. She was also five years younger, and he usually dated girls within a year or so of his own age.
"What about the punk?" Bucky asked.
"You know, 'The Punk' has a name."
"You're right; my mistake." Bucky raised his hands in a surrender gesture. "What about Stevie?"
"Jerk," Grace rolled her eyes, then grew sober. "He didn't make it. Got 4F-ed."
"Wow, I'll bet he's disappointed," Bucky sighed.
"Yeah, that's an understatement, considering they took me." Grace answered, not looking him in the eye.
Bucky shrugged "I guess it's understa—wait, what?" His eyes widened.
"They took me," Grace repeated, raising her eyes to meet his. "The Army Nurse Corps. I start training next week."
"Oh gosh, Grace," Bucky gasped. "What were you thinking? What were they thinking?" he gripped her elbows, making her face him.
"What are you talking about?" Grace asked confused. "I was thinking the same as you boys. I'm young and able. I can help."
"You're tiny! I know you're strong for your size and all, but you'll be squashed like a bug if you're sent to the front!"
"So it's 'understandable' when Steve tries to join up, but I get in, and it's 'you'll be squashed'?" she retorted. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we aren't that different, Steve and I."
"Well, you never been as sick as he has," Bucky, replied. "but the big difference is this: He's a twenty-two-year-old fella. You're a eighteen-year-old girl barely outta high school."
"So, because I'm girl, I can't give myself to my country?" Fire sparked in her brilliant blue eyes, something Bucky had rarely seen.
"No, babydoll," Bucky tried soothed her quickly ruffling feathers. "I just mean, there will plenty of ways for girls like you to help here at home. Volunteer stuff, you know?"
"What if I don't want to do volunteer work? There are lots of mothers who can do that sort of thing, but can't go overseas as nurses, Buck. I can."
"Wait, you want to get sent over there?" he asked, alarmed. The little girl in front of him did not even come level with his shoulders. At first glance, many confused Grace for a thirteen or fourteen-year-old-girl. Only her clothes, and the way she pinned up her hair distinguished her from kids still in school. Grace was strong, though. She worked at a dressmaker's shop, and often had to heft whole bolts of cloth that were bigger than she was.
The longer Bucky looked Grace over, the more he realized that the blue-green-eyed, frizzy-yellow-haired little girl that grew up hanging from his and Steve's coat-tails was being replaced by a determined, independent, young woman with sky blue eyes and golden curls.
"Yes, if I'm good enough to be sent over," She finally answered.
"Grace, guys like me and Steve, we join up to keep girls like you safe. Out of harm's way," Bucky sighed. He could sense that arguing with Grace would get him nothing. "Just forgive me if I pray you don't get sent over."
"Buck—"
"Babydoll, if you get sent overseas too, who will send me amazing oatmeal raisin cookies?" Bucky pouted, effectively changing the subject. "You know Mom and Rebecca's can't hold a candle to yours, and I shudder to think what I'd get if Steve tried to make them."
"You'll just have to make do without, Soldier." She smiled up at him.
"Bucky!" Steve's voice rang out behind them. "Did you go yet?" Steve dashed down the steps to greet his best friend.
"Yeah, I went early this morning to avoid long lines. Still had to wait forever just to get in the door."
"And?"
"They took me. I head out for bootcamp in two weeks."
Steve smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. "That's great, Buck."
"At least they gave you more time than they gave me." Grace said.
Steve sighed. "Gracie already tell you?"
"That she's decided to go play nurse with the big girls?" Bucky grinned. "Yeah, she did. Since Little Miss Nightingale here starts training on Monday, whadaya say to going out this week-end? Celebrate best nurse the Army will ever see." Bucky slung arm around each Rogers' shoulders.
"I don't know about that," Grace blushed.
"Well, you did have a lot of practice on me," Steve grinned at his sister.
"And me," Bucky added. "Remember that year we all got influenza so bad, and Grace here was the only one to not catch it?"
"Boy, did I feel like Florence Nightingale that January," Grace replied, as memories flashed through her mind. "I'm pretty sure the shovelers kept the sidewalks clear just for me, what with all the trips I made back and forth between the apartment and your folk's house."
"Babydoll, I'm pretty your walking is what kept the sidewalks clear, not the shovelers." Bucky ducked his head slightly. "If we hadn't been so sick, I'd have insisted you stayed home. That was a very cold winter." He added quietly
"I was fine, Bucky." Grace reached up and placed her hand over his hand that was on her shoulder. "Gave me an opportunity to get away from Steve for a while." She added with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Hey!"
"What?"
"Don't make me act an adult and separate you two, kiddos," Bucky laughed at the siblings.
"Uh, Buck, you're already standing between us," Steve pointed out.
"You know what I mean, Punk."
"Jerk."
"Boys! Behave or I won't let Bucky stay for dinner," Grace threatened, crossing her arms on her chest.
"What's on menu?" Bucky asked, trying to act nonchalant. "If I'm going to be threatened, I'd like to know what I'm being threatened with."
"Stew and rolls," Steve answered.
"Homemade rolls." Grace added sweetly.
Bucky's gulped slightly as he pretended to fix his tie and straighten his jacket. "I think we'd better straighten our act up, Steve." He said, to which Steve rolled his eyes. Grace's beef and vegetable stew was amazing, and her yeast rolls were even better. Apparently, her rolls were Bucky's comfort food (besides the oatmeal raisin cookies). Whenever he was ill, the only thing he ever asked her to bring him was a batch of rolls.
"I thought you might say that," Grace replied in the same sweet voice. "So, after lunch, you fellas will help me chop vegetables, right? You know that I like to let it all simmer for several hours."
Bucky made a great show of bowing with a flourish to Grace. "At your service, my lady."
Grace quirked an eyebrow at his antics. "Good choice."
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