I was falling, feeling my body flipping several times by the unrestrained force of sheer gravity. It wasn't until I felt my armor being hindered by the force of collision that I realized I had landed within the confines of my own little crater.

I rolled onto my back, feeling the immediate surges of pain throughout every angle of my body, making it almost impossible to breathe. At first all I could make out was darkness, which meant that either it was night in this world, wherever it was, or I was falling in and out of consciousness.

I finally gathered the will and strength to sit up, realizing at once, through the muddled images of my surroundings, that my vision was impaired.

"Ma'am!"

I moaned at the burning sting on my left knee and calf, as I climbed to my feet, finally meeting gazes with the human whom had spoken to me, and who had probably seen my landing. His small hands were clinging uselessly to my arms, in his efforts, perhaps, to assist me. My sight cleared, along with my head, and my other senses soon followed. I looked down to the small man before me. His hair was blond, and eyes the most vivid blue I'd ever seen.

"Ma'am, are you all right?" he said, his voice of the smoothest tenor I'd ever heard.

"I'm well, thank you, little boy. Could I speak to your guardians? Quadrant leader, perhaps?"

"What?" The boy's expression was a cross between horror and humiliation. "I'm not--I--I'm a man. Agrown man."

Well, he certainly did sound like a man. But...He was so tiny. My knowledge of Man's World was limited, learned only through the island archives. But I don't ever remember reading about the Blue Planet's inhabitants being so small at a seemingly fully matured state. I used the scanner on my arm to detect his biological algorithms, and found he was indeed telling me the truth.

"My sincerest apologies--"

"You--did you just--fall from the sky?" he cut in.

I looked about me, seeing nothing but grating walls at all corners except for the space that lied just behind the small man. Holy Zeus, I'd found myself in an alleyway. Luck. Sheer luck. I glanced at the sky.

"I suppose I did."

Fortunately, no one but this lone human had seen my descent. I looked to the man in front of me, surprised by the genuine look of concern on his face, hidden beneath stark confusion.

"Ma'am, could I help you in any way? Are you sure you're--"

Without hesitation, I grabbed the lapels of his worn brown coat and pulled him to me, gently slamming my mouth against his. And in that short instant, I knew everything about him that I needed to know. I swiftly pulled away, smiling at the newfound knowledge. His mind was the brightest and rawest I'd ever tapped into.

"You are Steve Rogers, yes?" I said, watching as he stared at me with his mouth still very much opened, and body swaying to the left, threatening to tip over.

As I studied him, it was strange to see the young man's face now colored through by such a pronounced shade of scarlet.

"I am Alectrona of Rhodes, Goddess of the sun. It was a pleasure meeting you, Sir Rogers, but I must be off." As I turned to leave, I saw a glimpse of his arm shooting out to stop me.

"Wait--I--"

As terrible as I felt, I did not. I had a job to do, and the sooner I'd done it, the sooner this man and his people were safe in their own world again. So within a burst of light I was sure to control, so as not to blind the poor man, I was off, back into the night that had so crudely discharged of me earlier. One little trajectory mistake, and I was almost killed for it.

AAAAA

I followed the train's path through a tunnel that led into complete darkness, until a power surge from my body illuminated the rest of the way. I swiftly ducked behind an oncoming moutain to dodge the racing blasts from the gaurds' weapons. It was then that I heard an explosion, and returned from my mountainous shield to the train.

"Bucky! Hang on!"

My head snapped instantly towards the sound, where I saw two men clinging to the train loading rails for dear life.

"Grab my hand!" Cried one of them, a man clad in red, white, and blue.

But to mine and his obvious horror, the railing gave way, and the second man went plummeting for the low earth. The next moment, I was diving for him, arms outreached until I had a firm hold around his back, then I heaved us up at a slow angle, aiming back for the train. The man looked at me, eyes wide in brazen horror.

"An angel? Oh shit, am I dead?" His shock didn't waiver as I flew us back onto the train, past his panting friend, who had been trying to save him. "I guess this ain't so bad. Being hauled around in the arms of a beautiful woman."

I looked back at the man I'd rescued in time to see him oogling my breasts. With that, I dropped him onto the floor with a satisfying THUNK, ignoring his pained hisses.

I turned my gaze instead to his friend, who had been standing like a wall by the imploded doorway we had climbed through, staring openly and unabashedly at me, with a look of aghast familiarity flat on his face.

I didn't understand it until I roved my own gaze thoroughly across his features, which reminded me at once of the first human I'd interacted with, all those months ago.

"It's you!" I didn't realize until much later on that we had exclaimed this at the same time.

AAAAA

We, the captain, his best friend, Mr.

Barnes, and the Howling Commandos, among many others, stopped at a civilian pub outside the base. Business was flowing thickly through the establishment, despite the rugged times they were all under. I found myself outside on a bench, watching young couples dancing by the harmonious tune of the piano by the bar. It was there where a red gloved hand held out a simmering cup to my face.

"What is this?" I asked, taking the curious drink from Steve's hand.

"It's black coffee. Melittla's finest," he said.

"Who is Melitta? Is she a friend of yours?"

"Oh, no--"

"I'd like to meet her. If she associates herself with you, she, too, must be very kind."

"I--well, thanks. But it's actually just the name of the brand." Steve watched me take meager sips of the horribly bitter substance for a minute or two, and then cleared his throat.

"Your, uh, your accent--where are you from, again?"

I took another sip of the immensely acidic liquid, feeling a sort of displaced high running through me. "I am from Rhodes, an island named after my mother, Rhodos."

"I see..." Steve gave me a penetrating, contemplative look, his brows tuckered with indecision. "Are you telling me the truth?"

I stopped short with the cup placed upon my parted lips, and looked at him from above the rim. "What reason would I have to lie to you?"

"We're in the midst of war," he said simply, as if that were somehow the only response that would eradicate any doubts. Seeing the daunting look on my face, he pressed, "It's a time where trusting too easily tends to lead to a pretty bad outcome."

At my solemn nod, he pressed on.

"Why are you here?"

I hesitated, and I knew he noticed. "I'm a warrior of Rhodes, and we receive frequent intergalactic transmissions from our ally planets whenever they're in need of warfare assistance. Earth reached out to us."

"Who specifically?"

I shrugged, staring down at the drink. "Your goverment, of course."

"And you're all the island sent?"

"No..." this was the part I was dreading of reaching. "After the First World War, Rhodes encouraged Earth's leaders to reconcile immdeate differences, so that your world would never know pain like that again. We are a peaceful people, and encourage alternate maneuvers to settle worldly disputes. Earth swore to us that times of change were imminent, but now, here we are. Rhodes did not want to interfere the second time, to lose more of our people over your world's 'petty affairs--' "

"It's not like that," Steve intervened, looking frustrated, angry even. "It was never like that. In these instances, as terrible as it is, war was necessary."

"I know," I said quietly, my fingers clicking against the cup I still held. "I tried reasoning with my father, but nothing came of it. He wouldn't sent his troops into battle, so I sent myself."

"I can only imagine how he's taking the news," said Steve, tone laced in bitterness.

I huffed in fragmented amusement.

"Thank you."

I looked over at him, brows raised inquisitvely.

"Thank you for coming to help us. And for saving Bucky. He and I...We go way back."

I nodded, holding his gaze with my own. "So then you believe me?"

A second, and then, "I believe you."

I blinked. "Just like that?"

"You rescued one of our own. That's all I need to know."

I rolled my eyes. "You mean the grating pervert?"

"This war's just got us all on edge...In more ways than one. Sorry about him."

"Its no trouble." I snorted gratefully, and went to take a sip of this "coffee," as he called it. "This is terrible..." I took another sip, longer this time. "Yes, definitely not good." Another sip, my face screwing up horribly. "Great ZEUS, that's bad."

"You don't have to drink it." Steve's concealed amusment was still apparent, as he reached for the cup, but I took a step back to keep it from his reach.

"No, no, I think I've gotten used to it. It's grown on me, like algae."

"I think you've been spending more time with the 'grating pervert' than what's healthy.

I laughed, turning my attention back onto the couples.

"You have dancing on Earth, too?"

"Are you kidding? We invented dancing on Earth."

I watched the couples swaying gently to the music, and turned to Steve. "Could we..." I moved my hand towards the small clearing in a vague gesture.

Steve looked on in disbelief when I'd made my intentions clear and took his hand. The next moment, with his face set, he led me into the small crowd, and placed a large hand at my hip, the other grasping gently onto my smaller fingers. I watched the few couples in my efforts to mimic their movements, but turned back to Steve when I felt him placing my free hand upon his shoulder.

"Just relax," he instructed gently, "follow the music."

We circled in soft strokes across the ground, eyes pinned onto each other, as I stepped closer to him, absorbing his glorious warmth.

"I was thinking," I began, regretfully breaking the calming silence between us, "of giving myself a sort of code name? In case I'm ever needed here again. That way I won't attract civilian attention--"

"Allison," Steve blurted to my utter bewilderence. His chuckle was pitchy, nervous. "I've been thinking about it myself. I think it's a good fit."

Allison. I was in awe. Even the names here were beautiful.

"Earth is filled with truly amazing things, too." I felt at peace, and completely whole.

"Well, if you like it here this much, maybe you should consider staying?" I watched as he ducked his head at the suggestion, avoiding my eyes.

"With you?" I asked, struggling to keep composed.

Steve's anxious look dissipated into that same contemplative stare, as his fingers tightened pleasantly across my waist. "I mean...I don't really have a place of my own, yet. But...when I do settle down, you know, after the war's over. Would you--would youwant to be with me?"

I could barely contain myself. "As in, be your mate?"

That same lovely shade of scarlet swarmed once again onto the tan of his cheeks. "If you wanted to be--"

"Yes! Yes, I would like that very much!"

My own head dropped to the floor.

I was embarrassed that I'd failed to keep my cool, but Steve only appeared to be thrilled with my enthusiasm. I expected him to be questioning, but all he did was smile, soft and doting, before leaning his head in and pressing his soft lips to mine, making my blood race and heart to hammer away in a gleeful symphony. It was, as I remember it to be, our second kiss.

"So..." I began, once we broke apart. "How did you get so...big anyway?"

AAAAA

"You can't," I whispered into the microphone, my voice strangled with a sob I fought hard to keep at bay. "You can't leave me. You told me that after the war, we'd be together--"

"And we will be, Allison." Steve's own voice was strained through the crackle of the microphone. "Just name a time and a place, and I'll be there to meet you."

Lies. What beautiful lies, heavy and foolhardy, my love was giving me.

"Just--just hang on," I begged, the wind cutting through my face as I rushed to his coordinates on the tech in my arm, "I'll be there soon, my love. Just hang on!"

"Name a place, Allison."

I found myself practically choking on my next words. "The alley in Brooklyn where we first met," I struggled to take in a breath. "Meet me there at sundown with a serving of that awful Melittla's drink." I felt the dry winds pierce through my newly dampened cheeks. "And don't you dare be late, Steve Rogers."

There was a pause where I could feel Steve taking in a breath of his own. "I wouldn't dream of--"

There was only static, momentary silence, and then, my own agonized sobs.

AAAAA

"At ease, Soldier."

From within the building crowd, Steve turned to look at the bald man in the black ensemble, sporting a strange eye-patch. The man's expression was set, placid, and gave Steve no indication that he intended harm. The man approached Steve, his strides intentionally slow, as if the captain were a wounded animal on the cusp of an emotional breakdown. And if he were to be completely honest with himself, it wasn't far off from the truth.

The man stopped just paces away, guarded eyes bearing meaningfully into Steve's own. "Look, I'm sorry about that little show back there, but...We thought it best to break it to you slowly."

Steve could feel his patience wearing thinner with every passing second. "Break what?"

"You've been asleep, Cap. For almost seventy years."

Horror struck him as suddenly and as resoundingly as lightening. The strange, advanced tech, improved automobiles, and peculiar feats of fashion now adorned on the bodies that had stopped to watch the confrontation--it all made sense. Nothing was out of place here but him.

"You going to be okay?" asked the black clad man with the eye-patch.

"Yeah...yeah, just..." Steve stared into the oddly colored screens and flashing images of what he was certain now was Times Square, as he allowed himself to drown in the encompassing truth: everyone he had ever known and loved were bounded within their final years, or gone altogether. Including..."I had a date," he said, shoulders sinking with the heart-rendering realization that his time in the ice had stolen more than a few cherished memories. He'd also lost his heart.

AAAAA

YouTube was a curious thing. All matters of Man's World struck her as odd. But Alectrona couldn't deny how useful such technology was to mankind, and even to an outsider, like herself. When Agent Hill had first gifted her with her own "i-phone" it had taken her a good few days to set the functions straight.

One would think her time spent on earth would have helped familiarize her with the strange tech. But her times spent on Man's World were limited, each visit spent with Peggy or her nephew, Tony. But overall, the beautiful Blue Planet had become too much of a reminder of ancient pain she tried so desperately to bury, but had been unsuccessful.

Agent Coulson had once suggested she watch "cat videos" on this YouTube to take her mind off her troubles. It was there, on one of many live feeds, that all the air in her lungs left her in one feral swoop. Standing rigidly within Times Square, frumpishly dressed, and looking more out of place than a child who had lost his mother in the grocery store, was him. It was him.Alectrona couldn't feel it when her legs gave out from under her, prompting her to collide with the carpeted floor of her pre-rented apartment.

This wasn't possible. It couldn't be.

And she still couldn't believe it, even after the phone call from Agent Hill reporting on what she already knew, and informing her of the visit she was sure to receive that day. But Alectrona was still wandering about the sizable apartment like a living zombie, still in disbelief, even up to the very moment when a feral knock practically broke down her door.

With steps light and slow, she approached the front entrance to her temporary home, and stood before it with a stuttering heart. Then, with a flourish, she yanked it open, coming face to face with the man she had remained hopelessly in love with for almost seventy years.

There he was, as alive and well as he had been, the last time she had seen him, hours before the dead static of a microphone cut her world to pieces. He stretched a shaking arm to her face, the other clinging onto a fresh coffee cup, and gently took her cheek in his hand, eyes ripe in sorrowful glee.

"Allison."

And without thinking about it, without giving herself time to adjust to the idea, Alectrona finally relented, allowing herself the thrill by what she had kept from straying past her lips for so long.

"Steve..." she breathed through the palm of her quivering hand, "you're back."

Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading! :)