Okay, you look like both of them, Susie. One thing for sure, I'm going to have to help your daddy with the teenager stuff...You are truly going to be a swell beauty.".
Susan blinked before smiling gummily, and her belly grumbled. Bucky smiled, "Is that a tumbling belly
I hear, Susie?", with a chuckle. Steve smiled, "What do you want, little princess?".
Susan thought a bit before holding up fingers; 1 on one hand, and three on the other hand. Peggy blinked in surprise, "Goodness, you're really hungry!".
Bucky glanced at her, "What does that mean?", and Peggy smiled softly, "1 is for mother's milk, 2 is for either goat's milk or apple juice in a bottle, and 3 is for pureed food.".
"She learns fast about anything?", Bucky surprisingly asked, and Steve chuckled, "Erskine figures that she has an eidetic memory like us, so yes, she learns fast. Susan, I know Bucky is comfy, but you gotta let go if you want Mummy's milk.".
Susan pouts before nodding, and Bucky passes Susan over the table, "There you go, Susie.
Don't worry, I'll stick around. I gotta give your mother some privacy out of respect.", getting up, and
Steve pats his shoulder, "I'll show you how to make pureed food. Susan, what do you want?".
Susan smiles gummily, and curls her fingers in an 'A', and Steve chuckles, "Apples puree. And what do you say?", with a smile.
Susan puts her hands in a prayer-plea, and Peggy chuckles, "Atta girl.", before nodding to the men, "
Alright, shoo. You heard her.", and with smiles, the men left the dining room, leaving Peggy to open her shirt and bra, to feed Susan.
"Crazy how much has changed with you in a year, Steve.", Bucky said. "I mean, not just the whole giant thing or powers, or even being healthy, but the fact that you have quite a woman that's completely locked heart and soul with you but a kid with her as well.".
Steve chuckled, "And I wouldn't ever change anything, Bucky... I feel so right with Peggy, and when
Susan came into the picture, it's like my whole world has shifted a tiny bit, but even better, you know?", as he and Bucky went into the kitchen.
Bucky nodded, "I hear you, bud. Peggy is a great gal, and Susan, man, my heart's even bigger to fit her in, and she is an incredible girl already...I pray that she doesn't need to learn how to shoot once she grows up...I'm already tired of this war, Steve.
I am getting real homesick of Brooklyn, and heck, I might just follow in your footsteps and find the right gal for me...", with a sigh and shrug at the end.
"I'm sure you'll find someone someday, Bucky. Might be here for all we know, a few of the GIs on leave have been quickly meeting some women they plan to take back home here or in England.", Steve chuckled.
"I know a lieutenant back in Italy who basically wants to settle down with a girl he met in a village.", Bucky smirked. "But like I said, I just want this over...".
"It hopefully will be. The armies are pushing, if we sweep around and clear out the Ruhr Valley; Germany's ability to wage war will be all but gone.", Steve reminded.
"Yeah... I heard about Market Garden with you guys... over before Christmas? I doubt it.", Bucky shook his head. "One thing the Nazis I've learned; they don't give up so easily.".
Steve nodded, "Fair point, but we Americans and our Allies, we are just as stubborn and we don't give up easily either!", with a grin as he slugged Bucky's arm gently.
Bucky chuckled, "I'll give you that.", with a smile. Steve nodded gratefully, and so Steve went to teach Bucky about making puree food, all the tricks and oddities to be on the best of Susan's temper, and more.
And so, Bucky spent almost a week with Susan, while Steve and Peggy went off to enjoy the sights, to dance, to have dates, and to basically have fun, and on the last day of Bucky's visitation break, they were visited by Erskine.
Bucky had been reading a newspaper with Steve as they were keeping their eyes on the frontline combat; especially since Bucky would be transferred back to the front.
The Canadian 1st Army had quickly broken 'Festung Niederlande' in less than two weeks and liberated much of western
Holland with Polish armor reaching Alkmaar the previous day of October 13th.
At the same time, the British 2nd had crossed the IJssel and were pushing towards the Ems River and the cities of Munster and Rheine while the
3 US armies and the one French were making fast pushes towards the Rhine. German resistance obviously was still very stiff but good progress could be reported.
The two of them put it down when Erskine came in. "Erskine.", Steve smiled as he stood up. Erskine smiled,
"Good morning, Steven. Was stuck in the lab for the week.", before glancing over, "Hello, Bucky.", before blinking in surprise as something moved in his pocket.
Bucky nodded, "Hey, doc. Did you sneak in a rabbit or something?", before Erskine shook his head, "No, rather something more important. Where's Miss Carter and Susan?".
Steve replied, "Exploring. Turns out that Susan missed being a giant baby, so they're over at Deauville, figuring that if
Susan were a giant baby, she would handle the waves just fine.", smiling lightly as in Amazonian size, Susan is in the size of 2-year-old toddler, but as in giant size, she is about 25 ft tall.
Erskine nodded, "Ah. Good, because I wouldn't want to scare Susan.", walking around to close the drapes over the few windows of the kitchen, and Steve frowned, "Is it about you know what?".
"You trust Bucky with all your heart, Steven, yes?", Erskine asked, and Steve nodded, "We're best friends and brothers to the end.". Bucky blinked in confusion, "I'll bite. What's going on?".
"Ever since I got out of the lab this morning, my little friend has been acting more peculiar and excited.
I believe the Quantonium fragment has finally found the worthy person it had been waiting for.", Erskine smiled warmly as he pulled out the brightly glowing fragment of Quantonium.