Entering the main tower, Steve Rogers headed towards the elevator with speed that belied the exhaustive mission he'd just returned from. As the door opened, he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Spangles! Where you off to so quick? The rest of us are going to the lounge for a nightcap/rehash session. Come on." Tony Stark clapped a hand on Steve's shoulder but Steve shrugged him off.
"Sorry Stark, my vacation officially started when we hit the tower. I've got a flight in an hour." He smiled slightly as Tony's eyes narrowed.
"I've told you before. No more commercial flights. That Delta flight was over an hour late because you stopped and posed for pictures and signed autographs with every single person on that plane. I'll let you take the jet but you gotta tell me where you're going. This is the 3rd trip in 6 months. If you don't, I'll just follow you and find out the hard way." Tony grinned, cocksure.
Steve entered the elevator. "Where to sir?" Jarvis' voice asked.
"My apartment."
"Jarvis, take us both to the lounge."
They both turned to face the other. "Tony, I'm not going to the lounge. I told you, my vacation has started and I'm already late." Steve was starting to get annoyed. Tony just liked to push himself into things that were none of his business.
"I told you, take the damn jet. You'll get there in half the time a normal flight takes… all you gotta do is tell me where you're going." Tony said, sure that if the good Captain took his offer it was because of a girl.
Steve glanced at his watch and mentally calculated how much time he had left before the flight left. He sighed. If he had any hope to get where he wanted by dinnertime, Tony's offer was his best bet.
"Kansas."
Tony's face split into a shit eating grin. "Kansas, eh? Land of wheat and Oz. Did you meet Dorothy out there? Or maybe you're more the tin-man type."
"Shut up, Stark." Steve turned back to face the doors as the elevator finally began to move upwards.
"Oooh! I was right! You did meet Dorothy! Tell me, does she wear the gingham dress in bed or is that just for special occasions?"
Steve flushed red, relieved when the doors opened to his own apartment rather than the lounge. He left the tiny enclosure as fast as he could, heading for his bedroom to pack, listening to Tony's fading lewd suggestions.
"Sir, Mr. Stark would like me to tell you that the quinjet is ready for departure on the roof and to pack condoms if you don't want Munchkins in your future." Jarvis' cool voice said overhead. Steve rolled his eyes.
"Tell Tony I'll be back in a week. If anything comes up, Natasha will know how to reach me." Steve finished placing his clothes into a clean duffel bag and headed back to the elevator, this time heading to the roof.
"Understood, sir."
Stepping out on to the roof, Steve crossed quickly to the waiting quinjet, not surprised to see Natasha in the pilot's seat.
"I didn't trust Tony not to bribe the pilots for the exact location you've been dropped at." The red-haired assassin spoke as Steve sat down and buckled himself in.
"Thanks, Nat." She shot him a smile. Natasha had been the one who'd retrieved him from his extended leave after Shield fell and he still smiled when he remembered how he'd ended up in the middle of the US in Kansas.
Steve sat at the far end of the counter, placing a good distance between him and the other patrons of the small throwback diner, reading the early bird dinner specials in the menu.
A tall, blond waitress bustled along the back of the counter and came to stand in front of him, pen at the ready.
"What can I get for ya today, hon? The special's meatloaf surprise and tuna tartar but between you and me, the tartar is more like tar." The waitress whispered the last part conspiratorially to him and winked.
Steve smiled slightly. "Just a burger and fries with a Coke please."
"Okay, what kind of Coke do you want? We've got Pepsi and Dr. Pepper." Steve was confused.
"Just a Coke. As in Coca-Cola. Do you not have that?" When the waitress shook her head, he chose a glass of milk instead. Judging by her raised eyebrow when he changed his order, he guessed not many people ordered milk with their meal anymore.
He took a small road map out of his inner jacket pocket and spread it out in front of him.
In the months after Shield had fallen, Steve had searched high and low for Bucky but hadn't had any luck other than the occasional surveillance photo that would surface all across the world each time in a different place.
Finally Natasha and Sam had convinced him to take some time off and go on a leave of absence to see some of the world.
Steve had finally decided to drive across the country on his motorcycle. He was 4 days into what was turning into a leisurely trip. He drove along scenic byways routes and stopped frequently in small towns and larger ones to see the sights and attractions that the other members of the Avengers had told him he had to see if he was going cross country.
Looking at his map, he glanced at the routes available to him from his current position. He was in the middle of Kansas and Highway 14 just outside would take him as far north as Nebraska. He knew he could've taken a more direct route to see Mount Rushmore and the Badlands but he'd liked the calm sloping plains of Kansas and so he'd gone further west than he'd anticipated.
Thanking his waitress as she brought his food and drink, he folded the map and put it back in his pocket.
As Steve ate, he heard loud voices coming from outside. He was finishing as he turned around and found a man and woman arguing by a pickup truck in the parking lot. Standing, he set $20 down by his plate to pay for his meal and walked out.
"John! It's none of your damn business where I was yesterday! We're divorced, remember? You need to get a life and one that's not mine!"
The first thing that Steve realized was that the brunette woman was thoroughly ticked off. Her olive skin was flushed and her brown eyes flashed as she pushed past the man to try and enter the diner. The male half of the argument turned and grabbed the woman's arm as she tried to stalk away.
"Jules! You can't just walk away! We're having a conversation!" The blond haired man didn't let go as he spun the woman to face him.
The woman's hand whipped out and cracked across his face with enough force to have Steve flinching in mild sympathy for the ache it was sure to produce in her hand.
"It's not a conversation when you follow me, FROM MY HOUSE, to wherever I need to be and badger me into talking to you or taking you back! LET. ME. GO!" The woman's voice rose to a shout and Steve felt the oddest sensation as the ground trembled under his feet.
"Sir, I'd advise you to let the lady go before I help you with that." Steve stepped up behind the woman to stare down the man who slowly let her arm go and turned to get into his truck.
"We will talk again Jules. You have to see reason." He climbed into the pickup's cab and threw it in reverse and spun out of the gravel lot.
The woman turned to face Steve, eyes still flashing with temper. "I didn't need your help. I had it handled, thank you very much."
The jolt that Steve felt as their eyes met shook him to the core. The conviction that she was someone he was supposed to know settled firmly in his mind and before he could question it, he began to scrutinize the still very angry woman before him.
She was tall but still short enough that she had to look up into his face and her oval face looked like it would be quite pretty if it weren't contorted into a look of righteous anger. Her brown eyes had flecks of gold around the irises and the dark brown hair fell to her shoulders in a tumble of waves. Staring at her face, he realized she was still glaring at him. Steve cleared his throat.
"I was just trying to help ma'am. I apologize but I don't like seeing dames, er, ladies manhandled." Steve could feel a flush creeping up his neck as he took a step back. He didn't think she'd hit him but working around Natasha had had him rethink his positions on dames with tempers and he wasn't so sure anymore.
The woman's expression changed from one of anger to one of skeptical thoughtfulness.
Running a hand through her hair, she sighed. "You're right. I'm the one who should be sorry. John, that's that scumbag I was yelling at, just gets under my skin and I lost my temper."
She extended her right hand. "I'm Julie Post. Thank you for giving him more incentive to leave."
Steve took it and shook it. "Steve Rogers. Pleasure to meet you ma'am."
"Well Steve, what brings you to our tiny neck of the woods? You don't look like a semi-truck driver, which is pretty much all we get these days." Julie smiled and crossed her arms, leaning back slightly.
"On a cross country trip to see all the sights to see I suppose. Heading up to South Dakota from here I think. I've been told the Badlands are a must see as well as Mount Rushmore." He smiled back and glanced at his motorcycle. "I've been going on my bike. No semi-trucks for me."
Julie gave his bike an envious appraisal. "I wish I had enough guts for one of those. I'll stick to my pick up though." She pointed towards her rust-red pickup truck hitched to an open top horse trailer that stood parked further away on the gravel. Two horses were in the trailer, ears pricked forward, listening to Julie talk.
"I'm just here to pick an early dinner up and then I've got some cattle to move. It was nice meeting you Steve, regardless of the circumstances. Hope you enjoy your trip!"
She gave a small wave and headed into the diner to pay Marguerite and pick her food up.
The blond waitress leaned over the counter. "So Jules, who's that tall drink of water that sent John packing?"
"Excuse me? Did you not see me haul off and slap John? Does that not count for anything?" Jules huffed as she pulled her wallet out and paid.
"Well yeah but I know how John is. He would've kept going for awhile if Mr. Tall and Blond hadn't given him the Eye."
"Whatever Mags. Did it cause as huge of a scene as I think it did?" Julie flushed with embarrassment.
"Yeah, but I think the whole town is used to John being an idiot. They'll be talking about that slap though. I heard it through the window!" Marguerite smiled at her friend. "You've got one hell of an arm!"
Julie laughed and grabbed the sack of food Marguerite set on the counter. "Mom and I appreciate you getting this ready so quick Mags. We're slated to move some cattle around before dark and need the fuel. I've already got Bean and Dynamite in the trailer saddled and ready to go."
Marguerite glanced behind Julie to the trailer and suppressed a smirk. "You may have more than cattle to move today." She nodded her head out towards the lot.
Julie turned to see Steve standing close to the trailer, petting and scratching hard to reach places on her two horses.
"Oh please. Anyways, I gotta go Mags! I'll call you later! Bye!" Julie headed back out to her truck with the sack of food.
As she approached, she could hear Steve speaking softly to the horses. The horses heard her return and perked up, swiveling to see what she was bringing for them.
"Sorry, ma'am. I hope you don't mind I was just getting to know your horses here." Steve seemed like he was waiting for something but she smiled.
"Oh, not a problem. These two gentlemen here have been the best of companions over the years. They're big softies who love attention."
She put the food in the cab of the truck and saw her phone ringing silently.
**Mom Calling…**
"Hey Mama, what's up?"
"Jules, honey, someone just stopped by to say the west pasture gate is open and the cattle are all over the highway. I'm going to need your help!"
"I'm coming Mama; I've got the horses already saddled and ready to go. I'll be there in 10!"
"Sorry, I've gotta run. Somebody left a gate open and we've got livestock all over the highway. I gotta go help my mom," Julie said, turning to Steve.
"Need some help?" Steve automatically offered, wanting to do something to prolong their time together.
Julie ran her eyes over his figure appraisingly. "Actually yes, if you have time before you have to get on the road. An extra set of hands is always helpful. You can follow me. It's only a few miles down the road."
"I'll be right behind you." Steve asked as he strode towards his bike. After all, surely cows would be easier to take on than aliens and Hydra, right?