I stand in the smithsonian at the Captain America exhibit looking at my little section of information. I've been in Washington a week and still haven't talked to Steve. The farthest I've gotten to talking to him is standing outside his apartment, but I quickly chickened out seconds later.

I don't know how to tell him his best friend is alive, but doesn't really remember anything.

A video of me from the forties pops up onto the screen. I'm standing in front of the 107th, signaling that I'm the captain. Stephen stands on my left and my dad stands on my right. This was before he was dead. "Captain Evans is one of the only women to fight on the battlefield in World War Two. She grew up in army bases, raised by her dad, so it wasn't a surprise when she became a soldier. Evans and her Lieutenant, James Barnes, or as he is referred to as 'Bucky,' were inseparable on the battlefield and in army bases. Barnes is seen as Evans's 'lover.' In 1944, Captain Evans was captured and experimented on by Hydra. After being rescued by Captain America, Avery Evans got recruited by the Howling Commandos. She fought beside her 'two favorite men in the world' James Barnes and Steve Rogers."

"After an unfortunate plane crash, Avery Evans was thought to be dead, until SHIELD discovered years later that she was still alive, brainwashed, memory wiped, and turned into a powerful weapon by Hydra. In 1993, Hydra stuck Soldier Evans in cyro-freeze. SHIELD rescued the frozen soldier in 1999 and waited thirteen years for her to thaw out. The fateful day came in 2012 and Avery Evans joined the Avengers as Aftermath."

Wow, just tell my whole life story to the world why don't you?

"Oh my gosh, it's Aftermath! Can I get your autograph?" a familiar voice exclaims from behind me. I whip my head around, ready to yell at the person who announced to the world that I'm here, just to see Steve Rogers. He's wearing an extremely fitting gray Under Armour shirt and black jogging pants.

"Oh, it's just you," I sigh in relief. Luckily, nobody paid any attention to the younger man.

Steve gasps and places a hand over his heart, feigning hurt. "Just me? I am offended! I'm a 'just you' to you?"

I roll my eyes and punch him softly in the shoulder. "I came here to see you."

"What? To the smithsonian?" He asks, gesturing to the place we're in. "I'm not that old. I'm only ninety six. You now, you're ninety seven. You're getting on up in age, aren't you?"

I snort from laughter as he smiles in accomplishment. "Yes, because I'm so much older than you."

Steve's smile widens as he lets out a laugh. "I was just about to head out on my run. Wanna join?"

I smile at the super soldier and nod. "Sure."

He takes my hand and pulls me out of the smithsonian. Taking one last look back, I notice a man with long hair standing in the shadows. My eyes widen when I notice his left bionic metal arm. As soon as he's there, he's gone and I'm left with just a memory. I turn back around to face Steve's back, focusing my attention on his hand that's holding mine while forcing myself that I'm just hallucinating; that Bucky wasn't really there.

()()()

"On your right," I say for the millionth time as I pass the man again. Steve and I started messing with this guy when we first saw him. Every time we passed him, I would say, "On your right" and Steve would say, "On your left."

It's becoming quite the ritual. "On your left," Steve teases the slow jogger from his spot a few steps behind me. The man groans at us as we laugh and continue jogging ahead.

We make another lap and find ourselves approaching our fellow jogger. I nod to Steve and speed up to pass the man.

"On your right," I state as pass by him while trying not to laugh.

Instead of slowing down to wait for Steve, I make a whole other lap and find myself coming up behind the jogger yet again.

"Don't say it! Don't you dare say it!" The man exclaims as he notices me approaching him.

I let out a giggle as I finally reach him. "On your right!"

"Come on!" He yells, but I'm long gone. I notice Steve whizz past the jogger, tell him "On your left," and runs off. I laugh silently to myself as the man frantically tries to catch up.

I stop at a nearby park and plop myself down by a tree to wait for the other two men.

A few seconds pass before Steve comes barreling into the park. He looks over at me and gives me a puzzled look, "How did you beat me?"

I shrug carelessly. "Don't act so surprised and offended. Guess I'm just better than you, Cap. Jealous?"

He rolls his eyes at me playfully and walks over to me. He holds his hand out to me as he states, "C'mon, we're gonna make a dramatic entrance."

I let out a laugh and place my hand in his to let him pull me onto my feet.

We hide behind a tree and wait for the mysterious jogger to arrive. Once he does, he exhaustingly falls down against a tree.

I smirk slightly as I walk out from behind the tree. "Need a medic?" Steve comes to stand beside me as well.

The exhausted man lets out a laugh. "I need a new set of lungs. You two just ran like thirteen miles in thirty minutes."

"I guess I got a late start," Steve comments.

I snort slightly. "I was just keeping at pace with grandpa over here. I can run way faster than that," I brag with a playful hair flip.

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves. You should take another lap," he pauses for a moment before retorting sarcastically, "Did you take it? I'm assuming you both just took it."

I laugh at the man once again as Steve speaks, "What unit are you in?"

"Fifty-eighth, Pararescue. But now I'm working down at the VA. Sam Wilson," Sam responds before Steve helps him up.

"Steve Rogers."

"I'm Avery Evans," I state, internally wincing at my own name. It could ignite nightmares into a child. So much corruption and evil in one name.

"I kind of put that together," Sam states with the motion of his hand and turns to Steve. "Must've freaked you out coming home after the whole defrosting thing."

He then looks over at me. "And with you, I'm sure this is extremely hard considering your past with Hydra and memory loss...I'm sorry, sometimes words just slip out of my mouth."

I laugh slightly at his nervousness. "It's all good, Sam."

"It takes some time getting used to," Steve responds to his question from earlier as we both turn to leave. "It's good to meet you, Sam."

Before Steve and I can go anywhere, Sam responds, "It's your bed, right?"

"What?" I ask in confusion as I turn to face him.

"Your bed, it's too soft," Sam pauses before continuing, "When I was over there, I slept on the ground and used rocks for pillows, like a caveman. Now I'm home, lying in my bed and it's like..."

Steve speaks up before he can finish, "Lying on a marshmallow. I feel like I'm gonna sink right in the floor."

Sam smiles and nods knowingly as I slip off into my own world thinking about Hydra.

I never had a bed. It was always uncomfortable examination tables and the cold, hard floor. Even back in my days in the army, I slept on a cot which isn't even an actual bed. It's basically just a sheet strapped to metal.

I sigh deeply as Bucky Barnes comes back into my mind. In all honesty, he never left, but I've been slightly distracted and haven't thought about him as much.

I can't believe I let him slip through my fingers. I broke my promise. I told him he'd never go back. Never ever again. I failed him. If I had've just taken him somewhere safe and left him there, he wouldn't be wherever he is right now.

Steve waves his hands in front of my face, snapping me back into the present. "You okay?" he asks with his eyebrows knit in concern.

I nod in response and he senses that I don't want to talk about it, so he turns back to Sam. "I'll keep it in mind."

As if on cue, a familiar black sports car pulls up on the curb. I smirk slightly, knowing that it's Natasha.

My assumption is correct as she rolls down the window of the car and leans over the console. "Hey guys, anyone of you know where the smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up two fossils."

I roll my eyes as I make my way to the passenger seat of the car. "Ha ha. Very funny, Nat."

She smirks at me as Steve walks up behind me. "Hey, I have to sit up here."

I hop in the passenger seat and send Steve a look before retorting, "Get in the backseat, Steven, unless you want to be electrocuted."

Steve groans and gets in the backseat like the obedient little puppy he is. He pops his head through the seat and gives me a look, "Happy now?"

I nod my head and slip on the sunglasses that Nat holds out to me. "Very."

"How you doin'?" Sam asks Natasha.

Natasha sends him a smirk, "Hey." I laugh at the two's exchange as Steve focuses his attention on Sam.

"You can't run everywhere," he states as he motions to the car.

Sam shakes his head in agreement. "No, you can't."

With that, Nat slams on the gas pedal and speeds away.