YN felt like the world had been ripped out from beneath her feet. Dropping her hand, she let him turn and walk away from her. Why hadn't Nat ever told her that Bucky had been the one to train her in the Red Room? In her defense, Nat really didn't talk much about her past.

She started slowly following in Bucky's footsteps up the stairs to grab a shower before breakfast when another thought had her stopping in her tracks. Did Steve know about this? Nat may not have told her or Steve, but surely Bucky had told his best friend. YN knew it shouldn't matter, but it was still a shock, and something she would have to discuss with Nat once they made it back to the twenty-first century – if they ever made it back.

As she stood under the warm spray of the shower, her mind kept going back to what she'd learned about Bucky and Nat, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had no reason to be upset. She'd kept a huge secret from all of her friends, so it was only fair that Nat had kept this from her. It didn't mean she was going to let the matter drop – she still wanted to know more about Nat's past in the Red Room, but she wouldn't pry if the former assassin didn't want to share.

She had been a bit skeptical of the shower off of her bedroom the night before since it was the early twentieth century, but Howard had made sure everything in his house was top of the line for the times. The water pressure was absolutely perfect, and there never seemed to be an end to the hot water supply. It was because of this that YN didn't want to leave the steamy confines of her watery oasis, but she knew Ana would have an amazing breakfast ready for them shortly and that was something she didn't want to miss.

Taking a few more minutes to let the pressure of the water soothe her aching muscles, she contemplated how she would handle this situation with Bucky. He'd seemed to think that his admission would be a deterrent for her, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that this was actually a benefit to the team. She and Nat already worked so well because they trained together and had adopted one another's style – her more so than Nat. Now they could add Bucky into the mix and the three of them would be able to read one another's movements in the heat of the battle and that was a huge disadvantage to the enemy.

Finally turning the knobs to shut off the water, she stepped onto the mat beside the tub and grabbed one of the plush, white towels from the rack. Wrapping it around herself, she walked back into the bedroom to decide which outfit she wanted to wear that day. She ended up choosing a mint green dress with red buttons from the neck down to where the hem fell just below her knees. It had a white collar and embroidered cherries over each breast which made her frown a bit. The sleeves were entirely too puffy for her taste and to add insult to injury, it had two strips of fabric for her to tie a bow in the back. The only saving grace were the pockets – not that she had anything to put in them right now – but they made her feel a little better about the silly looking getup.

She eyed the row of shoes that had magically appeared in the bottom of the armoire since she'd put the dresses away that morning. She was pretty sure someone had placed an order early that morning and had the them delivered as soon as the stores opened. Eyeing the row of shiny patent leather pumps, she pulled out the ones with the ankle straps and sat down to try them on. Surprised that they fit, and weren't as uncomfortable as they looked, she walked over to the full-length mirror in the corner. Twisting and turning, she smiled as she realized she looked pretty cute.

When she opened her bedroom door, the smell of breakfast wafting up the stairs had her mouth watering. She'd worked up more of an appetite than she'd realized as her stomach began to growl in anticipation of more of Ana's cooking. Mindful of the heels, she carefully made her way down the stairs and back toward the kitchen they'd eaten in the night before.

Just as she'd assumed, Ana was standing in front of the stove, an apron covering a dress that was almost identical in style to the one she wore. She smiled at YN over her shoulder and motioned for her to take a seat at the table in the corner. YN smiled back and started to walk toward the table, but drew up short when she spotted Bucky already sitting there.

If it weren't for the metal hand peeking out from the cuff of his shirt, she might not have recognized him at all. He'd pulled his still-wet hair into a bun at the nape of his neck, and when he turned to look at her, she could almost imagine what he would've looked like before his hair had grown out. He was wearing a button down shirt, pleated slacks with stiff creases down the center, and suspenders like Howard had been wearing the night before. Bucky had added a tie to the ensemble, which gave him a more serious air that, surprisingly enough, was a bit intimidating.

"What's with the tie?" she asked as she took a seat opposite him.

He looked down at his shirt in confusion. "What do you mean? This is style right now."

"We're sitting at the kitchen table about to eat breakfast, not at the Ritz-Carlton," she teased with a slight tilt to her lips.

"You're one to talk," he snarked right back. "When was the last time you wore a pair of high heels to breakfast?"

She looked down at her shoes abashedly. "Touché."

"Stop bickering like an old married couple," Ana scolded with a laugh as she sat down two heaping plates of food before them. "Eat your breakfast before it gets cold, and be nice."

She and Bucky shared a look once Ana had turned her back, and she was pleased to see a sparkle in his eye. She missed Nat's sarcastic wit, so it was nice to trade barbs with someone who could take a little ribbing before his morning cup of coffee. He gave her a wink and then focused his attention on the food before him.

She also began to eat, but she didn't look away as quickly as he had. Giving him a more thorough once over, she realized that he cleaned up nicely. The only thing she'd ever really seen him wear was tactical gear, and he usually had some form of assault rifle cradled in his arms, so it was hard to get a feel of who he really was. Now that she was seeing him as he once was, or at least a semblance of the man he used to be, she could begin to imagine how the women of this day and age had viewed him. With his hair slicked back, the razor sharp edges of his jaw and cheekbones were more prominent, and his steely blue eyes were almost hypnotic.

"Are you going to keep staring at me, or are you going to eat?" he asked between bites, not even bothering to look up.

She gave him a dirty look which he failed to notice since his attention never wavered from his plate. "I seem to recall you staring at me on the plane back to New York – while I was asleep, I might add."

He looked up and met her gaze, one shoulder lifting slightly in an absentminded shrug. She waited for him to respond, but he just kept eating, his eyes never leaving hers. She took a bite of her food and then pointed her fork at him. "You do realize that it's creepy to watch someone sleep, don't you?"

"You do realize it's rude to stare at someone when they're eating, don't you?" he fired right back.

The sound of someone clearing their throat drew their attention away from one another and toward the door of the kitchen where Jarvis stood looking appalled at their silly argument. She shot a quick glance in Bucky's direction and was pleased to see that he looked as guilty as she felt.

Jarvis shook his head and then straightened his back with an air of authority before he began to speak. "Mr. Stark has informed me that you will be going on an undercover mission this evening, Ms. YLN. I'm to believe that the gentleman you are supposed to make contact with frequents the dance halls, but that you don't know how to dance."

"I don't see what that has to do with anything?" Bucky said with a confused look on his face. "All she has to do is walk in, talk to Steve for a few minutes, and then walk back out. She shouldn't have to dance at all."

YN and Ana shared a look and both women shook their heads at Bucky's complete lack of understanding. She wanted to explain to Bucky that one short conversation in a crowded dance hall probably wouldn't make that much of an impression on Steve, let alone be something he would remember seventy-six years later. She held her tongue, though, since Jarvis and Ana didn't know the whole story about their reasons for seeking out Howard's help.

"That may be so," Jarvis said, oblivious to the ladies' silent conversation, "but one can always benefit from knowing how to dance." He paused for a moment to give Bucky an appraising look. "Do you dance, Sergeant Barnes?"

A look passed over Bucky's face that YN couldn't place, but she could feel the atmosphere change in an instant. She knew from conversations with Steve that Bucky used to love to go dancing, hence the reason they were certain they'd find Steve in a dance hall tonight. It must be hard for him to be constantly reminded of the man he used to be - the man HYDRA had tortured and brainwashed to the point that he couldn't even remember his own name.

"Sergeant Barnes won't be going on this mission tonight," YN said, saving Bucky from having to answer. "And anyway, I think Howard wanted to get a look at his arm this morning."

"That is an interesting prosthetic," Jarvis said as his gaze focused on the gold-lined vibranium appendage. "What kind of metal did you say that was again?"

"I didn't," Bucky said abruptly as he rose from the table and started for the door. He paused for a moment before turning back to Ana. "That was a wonderful meal, ma'am. Thank you."

YN watched him stalk away from them for the second time that morning, and she tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. This situation was more stressful for him considering the future that awaited their host, but she was really getting tired of him walking away from her like that. Deciding that she'd deal with him later, she turned to Jarvis with a smile and motioned for him to lead the way to the parlor where he'd set up the record player.

Ana turned out to be a better teacher than Jarvis, and within an hour, she'd learned the steps to at least a dozen different dances. There really wasn't much to it – basically all she had to do was let Ana swing her around the room and pay attention to which way Ana was planning to turn her. Once she'd gotten the hang of it, she realized why everyone in this era spent so much time in the dance halls. It was easy to get lost in the music and the steps weren't as precise as ballroom dancing, so it was easier to improvise and have fun.

"Looking good ladies," Howard said from the doorway as he and Bucky walked into the parlor.

YN was a bit out of breath, but she managed to give Howard a smile before reaching for a glass of water on the sideboard. Bucky looked like his mood was just as sour as it had been when he'd left the kitchen. She figured spending an hour with Howard had been hard on his nerves, but if he hadn't been such a jerk to Jarvis, she would have suggested he wait and she could have accompanied him later that morning to serve as a buffer.

"Thank you," she finally said once she'd caught her breath. "I never realized how much fun this could be."

"You up for some more?" Howard asked as he extended a hand in her direction. "It's been a while since I've led a dame around the dance floor, but I think I've still got it."

A melancholy feeling settled over YN for a moment, but it didn't hurt as much to look at Howard and see traces of Tony in him. She wasn't exactly glad that she and Bucky had been zapped back in time, but it was doing her a world of good when it came to finally getting over her infatuation with the younger Stark.

Taking Howard's hand, she let him twirl her into his arms as Jarvis reset the record player. He was an excellent dancer and YN was having a great time, but she could feel Bucky's gaze boring into her back the entire time. She tried to catch a glimpse of his face, but Howard was spinning her around too fast for her to get a good look. From what she could tell, his expression was eerily similar to the one the Soldier wore when he was on the hunt.

When the song was over, she thanked Howard, but her attention was focused on Bucky. "Did you want to try?"

The grim line of his mouth softened a bit at her question, but he gave her a curt shake of his head, turned around, and walked out of the room. A surge of anger coursed through her. His annoying habit of getting in the last word by simply leaving a room was really starting to irk her in ways she couldn't describe. If he did it to her again, she wasn't sure what she would do, but it wouldn't end well for him.

Bucky had sequestered himself in his room for the rest of the day, so YN had spent her time getting to know Ana and Jarvis a little bit better. The more she talked to them, the more she admired them. They had a love that she'd always dreamt of for herself, but had never been able to find back in the twenty-first century. Being around them gave her hope that someday she'd meet someone that looked at her the way Jarvis looked at Ana.

When dinner time had rolled around, Bucky finally joined them again, and his attitude seemed to be much improved. YN wanted to get a few digs in, but she squelched the impulse and went out of her way to be nice to him.

"When are you leaving?" Bucky asked her as he sat down at the table and began to eat.

"Jarvis is going to drive me around Brooklyn right after we finish dinner," she told him in between bites. "Any idea which dance hall Steve will be at tonight?"

Bucky tried to remember where he and Steve had spent the nights leading up to getting his orders for the 107th. "Try the Onxy Club, Three Deuces, and the Rainbow Room."

The conversation shifted to talk of the three dance halls. Jarvis had taken Ana to the Onxy Club a few times since they'd been in New York, but Howard had spent most of his nights at the Stork or Copacabana where the elite members of society patronized. The mood was light and the five of them spent the rest of dinner discussing the latest society scandals and the news from Europe.

"You know Steve better than anyone," she said once they'd finished dinner and Bucky had walked her to the foyer to wait as Jarvis brought the car around. "What do I need to say to him to get him to take me seriously?"

"Just be as honest with him as you can," Bucky told her as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "I know you've seen pictures, but I don't think you're fully prepared to see him before the serum. Trust me when I say, he'll remember a pretty dame that takes the time to talk to him. I can't tell you exactly what to say to get him to figure out that he needs to come back here and save our sorry. . ."

"I get it," she interrupted, giving him an eye roll as Jarvis came up the steps to escort her to the car. "I'll figure something out."

She and Jarvis tried the Onxy Club first, but after twenty minutes of scanning the crowd, she knew they were in the wrong place. The Rainbow Room was down the street a few blocks, so she tried that establishment next, with no luck. Three Deuces wasn't as crowded as the first two clubs, so it only took her a few minutes to spot Steve sitting in a booth by himself nursing what looked like a glass of water.

Bucky had been right about her not being prepared to see him like he was before he met Dr. Erskine. Somehow he seemed even smaller than the photographs in the Smithsonian, not to mention even frailer than she'd imagined. Her heart went out to him, and she instantly hated every woman in this club that could dare to overlook the amazing man that sat amongst them feeling lost and alone. If they only knew how wonderful he was, they'd be crawling over one another to be the first in line for a dance with him.

When her shadow fell across his drink, he looked up with a sad smile. "Did you need this table, ma'am? I can move if you'd like."

Her anger sparked and she realized too late that he thought her ire was directed at him. "Please forgive me, I'm not angry with you."

His brow furrowed and for a split second, she saw the man she would call a friend in about seventy years. She wasn't sure if it was the apology or the fact that she'd bothered to speak to him at all that had him so confused, but either way, she was ready to kill every single person in the club.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" he asked, completely confused as to why such a beautiful dame was wasting her time talking to him.

A huge smile spread across her face. "As a matter of fact, you're the only person that can help me right now. I need you to do me a fav. . ."

She stopped mid-sentence as she sensed someone walking up behind her. A familiar hand settled at the small of her back, and as she took a breath to speak, she caught a whiff of a familiar scent. Surely Bucky wasn't stupid enough to follow her here, she thought to herself as she turned her head to confront him. It was Bucky, alright, but it wasn't her Bucky. This Bucky was clean shaven, with short, slicked back hair, and a smile that could stop a woman's heart. His eyes were alight with mischief as he silently appraised her, and she found herself suddenly speechless under the full force of his charm.

"Hello, doll."

___________________

Author's Note: Thank you for reading Part 10 of this story! I hope you enjoyed it! Did you enjoy the bickering between the Reader and Bucky? His mood is getting more and more sullen the longer he spends in 1942 and the Reader has just about had enough of his moody behavior. We finally got to meet our Brooklyn, boys! What did you think of Steve? Isn't he just the sweetest. . .and the saddest!?! Things didn't go exactly as planned for her, though. She didn't really factor in an encounter with Bucky! How do you think she's going to handle this version of him?? I look forward to your comments and please consider voting if you enjoyed this part!