Chapter 27 - Rachel Stark

Steve takes off from the car park, tearing down the street. We drive around the National Mall first, looking over at all of the monuments. I tell him to pull into a parking spot on the side of a street and he obliges. 

"Let's go," I say, waving him off the bike. 

"Where are we going?" he asks, turning off the bike. I smile over at him. 

"It's a surprise, but I think you'll like it." We walk down the sidewalk side by side as people pass us. We make our way to the Washington Monument, taking a moment so that Steve can take it all in. I snap some pictures, looking over at him as he looks at it in shock. "You can go to the top you know," I say, making my way back over to him. He looks at me in surprise. 

"Is that what we are doing?" I shake my head quickly. 

"It may surprise you, but heights aren't really my thing," I say with a shrug of my shoulders. I point past the monument. "Your surprise is over there." His gaze follows my arm. We make our way down the path, over to the World War II monument. "This is a commemorative site for those who fought in the second world war," I say, searching his face for any emotion. He looks stunned, moved by the gesture. He looks at me with a small smile. 

"This is... something special," he says, his gaze sweeping over the space. After a few minutes of touring the monument, we make our way back to the bike. We ride around the city again, looking at all of the buildings. 

As we turn down a street, I spot a sign. 

"Steve, that's you," I say, removing one of my arms from his midsection slowly, pointing to the banner. He parks the bike again, grabbing two ball caps from one of the bike's saddlebags, handing one to me as we make our way to the steps of the Air and Space Smithsonian. I begin to walk up, heading inside when I notice Steve isn't behind me. I look back, seeing him still standing at the bottom of the steps. I make my way back over to him, confusion taking hold of my mind. I stop on the last step in front of him, scanning his face.

"All I wanted to do was serve," he says, his eyes still glued to the banner. I place my hand gently on his shoulder. "I never wanted all of this." I slide my hand from his shoulder and down his arm, placing my hand into his. 

"We don't have to go in..." 

"No, let's go," he says, squeezing my hand. I drop his hand, feeling the heat come into my cheeks. I link my arm through his, trying to step out of his eye line. We make our way up the steps and through security. As we walk to the escalators, Steve's eyes roam the main floor. 

"Kind of ironic, don't you think?" he asks, smirking over to me. I look up at him in confusion, his joke going over my head for a second. My eyes widen in recognition, my cheeks turning red as Steve chuckles. We follow the signs upstairs and make our way into the exhibit. A light voiceover is playing in different sections of the room. 

A symbol to the nation. A hero of the world. The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery, and sacrifice.

We make our way over to the first wall entitled "Project Rebirth". I watch as a small version of the man I know transforms, the graphic flipping between the two sizes. 

Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique to the annals of American warfare. One that would transform him into the world's first Super-Soldier.

He looks over to me and raises an eyebrow and scoffs a little. I shoot him a confused look. He pulls me closer to him so that he can keep a low profile. 

"Did they have to show me that small?" his breath fans over my ear, causing me to shiver. I smirk over to him, lightly pushing his arm. 

"If you are going to complain the whole time, we can go you know," I say, laughing. He smiles over at me, shaking his head. We continue through the exhibit, making our way to the next area. It displays his old bike, painted in a very retro shade of army green. To the average viewer, it wouldn't look much different from a bike today, but I can see all of the places where weapons had been attached and taken off. 

"You really had all the toys, huh?" I ask, my eyes pinned to the bike. 

"Yeah," he says simply as he watches the war footage playing behind it. I break my trance, filing my ideas away, and nudge him in the side. 

"I would've already made you a new one if I knew you were so attached," I say, walking out of the area. 

"Why do you think I bought a bike?" I tilt my head to the side, making a face that says touché.

The next area features those who fought beside him.

Battle-tested, Captain America and his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes, taking down HYDRA, the Nazi-rogue Science Division.

Steve moves faster through this area, avoiding some of the more detailed displays. I take a quick scan of the display, wanting to learn more. I look around as I walk towards him. My eyes land on the wall in front of him and my heart sinks. 

Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country.

I read the wall, learning about Bucky. 

"You okay?" I ask as I finish up reading the description. His eyes rest on the picture of Bucky. I put my hand on his shoulder and his attention snaps back to reality. 

"Let's go to the next exhibit," I say and he nods. I lead him into the next area which is just a small screening room. I take a seat on one of the benches in the back corner and pat the section of the bench next to me. He sits down and clears his throat. The words 'SSR Footage' flashes across the screen as the film starts.

"That was a difficult winter," the speaker says. The face of my godmother appears on the screen, causing a smile to break out over my face. Peggy looks very young here. I've missed seeing her like this: in control, powerful.  The text at the bottom of the screen reads: 

'Agent Peggy Carter, SSR New York, 1953' 

"A blizzard had trapped half of our platoon behind the German line. Steve, I mean, Captain Rogers... he fought his way through a HYDRA blockade that had pinned our allies down for months. He saved over 1,000 men..." I looked over to Steve whose attention was down, looking at a compass. On the inside, a picture of Peggy was stuck. I feel something turn in the pit of my stomach, I am not sure what it is but it makes me feel sick. I turn my attention back to the screen. 

"Including the man who would... who would become my husband, as it turned out. Even after he died, Steve was still changing my life."

The lights come up, I look at Steve with a small smile on my face. I see a tear that is threatening to escape his eye. I watch as he blinks and it runs down his face. I quickly take my thumb and sweep it away. He looks at me and I place my hands back in my lap. 

"Steve, this is upsetting you. I think you should go see her." I say in a hushed tone, the crowd filtering out of the screening area. 

"I don't even know if she's alive," he says, putting the compass back into his pocket. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, looking down to the ground. Steve takes notice of my discomfort.

"What is it?"

"She's at a facility here in D.C. Her kids moved her here a few months ago." Steve looks from the floor, his eyes meeting mine. I feel my heart begin to shatter. "They told me last week." He slowly stands, reaching his hand out to help me up. 

"Let's go."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hello! May I help you?" the woman at the front desk says.

"Hi, we are here to see Margaret Carter," Steve says. The woman types a few things in. 

"What is your relation to her?" 

"She's my godmother," I say. The woman types some more, eventually handing me a clipboard. 

"Sure," she says, taking the clipboard back after I've signed it. She hands me two passes. "Keep those on for the duration of your visit. Room 420. Have a nice day," she finishes with a smile. We make our way down the hall slowly, stopping once we reach her room. I turn towards Steve. 

"Should I go in first?" I ask. "Since she knows I'm alive," I say with a slight smile. He nods. I reach for the handle but stop halfway. "Before you go in, you should know something."

"What is it?" he asks, his eyes already racing with emotion. I take a deep breath, beginning to brace myself. 

"Peggy was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a few years ago," I start to tear up, not being ready to go in. "It's been really hard. I've only been able to visit her a few times, and it seems to be getting worse. Just... be prepared. She may not remember either of us." I quickly clear my throat and collect myself. "It'll be fine," I say more to myself than to Steve. I turn my back to him and reach for the door handle again, turning it and pushing the door open. 

"Peg?" I say. "Peggy?"

"Hello? who's there?"

"It's me, Rachel Stark." I push the door closed and walk towards her, the light coming from the window shines onto my face. 

"Oh my, it IS you! My, look how you've grown! How are you, my dear? It's been so long," she says with a smile. I walk over to the far side of the bed, turning my back to the sunshine and dropping into a chair. I smile over to her and take her hand, which she gladly accepts with both of hers. 

"I've been doing well. I work for S.H.I.E.L.D. now," She widens her eyes at that. "I've gotten to work with some great people. You'd be proud of it, Peg. S.H.I.E.L.D. is flourishing."

"How's your brother?" she asks, her eyes lighting up. My stomach flips in happiness, she is having a really good day today. 

"He's well. You know Tony, cocky as ever, but I think he is starting to settle down. He's found himself a girl. Her name is Pepper Potts. She's wonderful and really good for him," I say.

"Have you found anyone?" Peggy asks, raising her eyebrows. I smirk over to her, squinting my eyes playfully.

"I think I might have," I say, my mind wandering to Steve outside. A real smile emerges on my face and I feel it reach my eyes. Peggy gasps.

"Spill!" Peggy says. "Just like old times." she finishes with a smile.

"Well, he is really sweet and cares a lot for me. He is a little protective of me but I like it. I like him a lot. But I've recently had an encounter with David that almost cost me my life. And I don't want to get him mixed in with it all."

"What is his name?" she asks, her excitement faltering with the mention of David but rebounding quickly.

"Well, he is actually here. Don't tell him anything I just told you, okay?" I say with a chuckle.

"Bring him in! I am dying of curiosity!" she exclaims.

"Okay... if you say so." I mumble the last part. I walk to the door and open it. I look out to see Steve leaning against the wall next to the door. The sound snaps his attention to me. I give him a small, sweet smile and wave him in.

"Alright, here he is," I say and step out of the doorway, letting Steve pass through. Her jaw drops.

"St...Steve?" she says. She starts to tear up. "Is it really you?"

"Hey Peg," he says with a sad smile on his face. He makes his way over to where I was sitting and takes my chair. I pull another one up to her bed on the other side and watch them catch up. I don't listen, I just watch as the two of them talk. 

"You should be proud of yourself, Peggy," Steve says.

"Mmm. I have lived a life. My only regret is that you didn't get to live yours." she says to Steve. "What is it?"

"For as long as I can remember, I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I'm not quite sure what that is anymore. And I thought I could throw myself back in, and follow orders. Serve." Steve says. Peggy chuckles.

"You're always so dramatic. Look at me, Steve. You saved the world. We rather... mucked it up." Peggy tells Steve sternly.

"You didn't. Knowing you helped found S.H.I.E.L.D. is half the reason why we stay," he says pointing at me. Then her eyes flicker between Steve and I.

"The world has changed, and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over." As she is finishing, she goes into an enormous coughing fit. I jump up to get her some water. When I turn around with a glass in hand, I take a deep breath in, preparing myself. I turn around to see her eyes flicker from me to Steve.

"Rachel? Steve?" she asks.

"Yeah?" Steve asks, not knowing what I do. I bring the water to her, walking past Steve, and place it on her night table. 

"Steve... You're alive! And Rachel, you've gotten so big! You came back! It's been so long! So long." she exclaims as she starts to cry. I send her a small smile, already missing her. Steve is the first one to talk. 

"Well, I couldn't leave my best girl. Not when she owes me a dance." Steve says with a sad smile on his face. I walk up behind him and rub my hands down his arms as he holds her hand. We stay for a little while longer, then we leave.

Steve misses the turn we need to take in order to get home. I furrow my brows in confusion, but all is answered a few moments later when we pull into the Veterans Affairs building. I get off my bike and send Steve a quizzical look. 

"Visiting a friend," he says simply. We walk inside, meandering down a few halls until we hear voices. We approach a meeting being led by a man at a podium at the front of the room. I lean against the wall and Steve stands behind me as we listen to the end of the session. The group filters out through the doors leaving only a few people behind. After a while, a man walks up to Steve and I. 

"Look who it is, the running man. And his lady?" he says, pointing over to me. I raise my eyebrows with a smile, turning to face Steve. 

"No, no. Sam, this is Rachel. Rachel, Sam." The two of us exchange greetings, shaking hands and introducing ourselves with a few 'hi's. Steve starts to talk again.

"Caught the last few minutes. It's pretty intense." Steve admits, gazing over the empty room.

"Yeah brother, we all got the same problems. Guilt, regret."

"You lose someone?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

"My wingman, Riley. Flying a night mission. Standard PJ rescue Op. Nothing we hadn't done 1,000 times before. Until an RPG knocked Riley's dumb ass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. It's like I was just up there to watch."

"I'm so sorry Sam," I say, my expression softening.

"After that, I had a really hard time finding a reason to be over there, you know?"

"But you're happy now, back in the world?" Steve asks, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"The number of people giving me orders is down to about zero. So hell yeah. Are you thinking about getting out?" Sam asks.

"No. I don't know. To be honest, I don't know what we would do with ourselves if we did." Steve says. He looks over to me and I shrug. I am not looking to get out any time soon, so I haven't really thought about what I would do after. 

"Ultimate fighting?" We chuckle. "Just an idea, off the top of my head. Seriously, you guys could do whatever you want to do. What makes you guys happy?" Sam asks.

"I don't know," I say. Steve looks like he is going to say something, but bites his tongue at the last second, not revealing what he was thinking. 

We eventually said our goodbyes to Sam and went out to eat. Once we were seated and had ordered, Steve started the conversation.

"Why didn't you tell me about Peggy?" he questions in a serious tone. I look up from my drink, feeling a mixture of anger and guilt fill my body. Externally, I keep my cool. 

"You told me in the car that you had moved on. I was going to tell you then, but the conversation moved on," I cooly state, trying not to let my anger overrun me. 

"I had a right to know, you know," he says quietly as the waiter places our orders in front of us. There is a long pause as I think about how to respond. I sigh, knowing he is right. 

"You're right, I'm sorry." I sent him a sympathetic look. "I should've let you know when I found out." He relaxes his shoulders and starts to eat. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We head back to the building on the bike, letting the issue of Peggy's situation drop. We took the stairs up to the apartment when we got back, running into our neighbor as we reached the top of the stairs. She's on a call when we see her, but she quickly ends it. 

"My aunt, she's kind of an insomniac," she says, gesturing with her phone. 

"Yeah," I say with a smile.

"Hey, if you want... if you want, you're welcome to use my machine. Might be cheaper than the one in the basement." Steve says smiling. I look up at him, raising one eyebrow. He doesn't notice my gaze though, his eyes fixed on the woman across the hall. When I look back at her, she is looking at me with an off expression.

"Oh yeah? What's it cost?" she asks, turning her attention towards Steve again. I get that feeling that I had in the Smithsonian. The deep feeling in the pit of my stomach. I have a bad feeling about this.

"A cup of coffee?" Steve asks, with his really attractive flirty smile that, might I add, makes him look really hot.

"Thank you but, I already have a load in downstairs, and you really don't want MY clothes in YOUR machine. I have just finished a rotation in the infectious disease ward," her voice trailing off to a whisper at the end of her statement.

"Well, I'll keep my distance," Steve says with a polite smile and his hands in the air.

"Hopefully, not too far." she shoots back, smiling over her shoulder to Steve as she walks away. She pauses just before she takes the stairs down. "Oh, and I think you left your stereo on Steve." 

Once she is out of earshot, I turn to Steve.

"If I knew you were going to be flirting, I would've just gone inside," I smirk over to him and he looks confused. I let it slip. "Someone is very jealous," I say, pointing down the hall.

"Who?" Steve asks, fiddling with the keys.

"Alright, well, apparently YOU left your stereo, Steve," I say while batting my eyes and throwing my hair flirtatiously. He chuckles but stops suddenly. I can tell that he hears something, so I listen. I turn my head worriedly to Steve who shares my expression. 

"When we get in, you need to stay behind me okay?" I nod my head and follow him inside. We quietly turn the corner as he grabs his shield. He puts his arm on my side, keeping me behind him. We get to the light switch and turn it on.

"Fury?"