DISCLAIMER: I do not own Marvel, ABC, Disney or the Avengers. But I do own Sera :)
A/N: And this is the second chapter. Enjoy :)
Fury charged me with babysitting duty, much like he had with Coulson almost two years ago with my father. Taking him back to base, I was in charge of overseeing his medical examination. He looked lost as they checked him over. Studying his face, I noticed tears gathering in his eyes but he blinked them back. Moving forward, I casually held out my hand.
"We won, by the way." I said, to which he nodded solemnly.
"We got off on the wrong foot. My name is Seraphina Stark," I said before mentally sticking my foot in my mouth.
"Steve Rogers," He said, shaking my hand. He seemed to be wondering how I was related to the Howard Stark he knew.
"Howard was my grandfather. I only found out I was a Stark two years ago." I said, sitting in the chair across from him. I had changed into a pair of crop yoga pants and a loose fitting black shirt. I was the only woman at SHIELD who didn't have to wear a stupid jumpsuit, and I loved the freedom to wear whatever I wanted to work.
"He had children," He said, but forming it like a question.
"Yes, one. My father, Tony." I said, to which he asked, "Is Howard still alive?"
"Sadly, no. He died almost a year before I was born. Car crash," I said, answering his next obvious question.
"Oh," He said, letting that sink in.
"What year?" He asked, a little awkwardly.
"The crash was 1991." I said, doing the math. He looked to be as well, looking at me quickly.
"Hmm," He said, as he looked at his hands.
"You've got his eyes," He said, noticing my brown eyes.
"Oh, thank you." I said, thinking about the brown I had grown up hating. I knew it was my father's because my mother had green eyes, as did any of her family.
"So, what's next?" He said as the doctor let us go.
"We are going to set you up in an apartment here in New York. We simply want you to acclimate to the times. It doesn't have to be overnight, and it's going to be hard. We go at your pace."
"WE, meaning SHIELD?" He asked, still not trustworthy of the agency that tricked him.
"No. SHIELD will be waiting when you're ready. This is just you and I. Don't think of yourself as my assignment, because I don't. I genuinely want to help you Captain Rogers."
"Call me Steve please." He said as we walked out of the medical room.
"Then you have to call me Sera," I said, a small smile on my lips.
"Sera," He said, a shy smile on his face.
"I picked you out a nice apartment, in Brooklyn. I tried to get the apartment you had before you joined the Army, and found out it had been updated quite a bit. And by updated, I mean they did a complete overhaul. I wasn't sure if you wanted something that seemed familiar, and then I realized that even if the kitchen and plumbing had changed, the location still meant a lot to you." I said, trying very hard not to ramble.
"You got my old apartment?" He said, sounding floored.
"I know it's where you grew up, so I thought that it would be the easiest place to start." Noticing how wet his eyes got.
"I don't even know you, and yet you know enough about me to know how much I would love my old apartment."
"I also brought all your stuff out of my grandfather's storage. He kept everything perfect for you, just in case they found you alive." I said, setting my jaw and looking ahead.
"Son of a gun," he said lowly.
"And there is a gym about a block from said apartment, it's been for sale for awhile, so I got it for you, knowing how much you liked to pick fights. Thought you needed somewhere to blow off steam." I said as I directed him toward my car.
"I can't accept all of this." He said, sounding dejected.
"You can and you will. Everything is paid for and is in your name." I said, getting in. It was only two more moments before he got in the car and sighed.
"Thank you," he said, looking at me sincerely. Turning the car on and starting my way to the Brooklyn Bridge, I smiled.
"No need. My father's money has to be put to something useful rather than his armor." I said, instantly regretting what I said.
"Armor?" He asked, confused.
"Let's get you settled before I start explaining how messed up the world has gotten."
"Great," He said sarcastically.
"You know, we don't need to talk. You can punch something; I can work on my ongoing projects. I can just be in the room." I said, noting how he was obviously not coping well.
"Let's just see how I feel." He said, as the bridge came into view.
It was two months later that Steve was openly talking about his life before the war. He told me everything about his best friend, and the love interest he had in Peggy Carter. He wanted to know if his team was still alive, and I was reluctant to tell him. The only members that were deceased were James Falsworth and Jim Morita but Steve was worried about contacting his old team. Peggy was still alive, but with just getting used to a new world, I could tell he wouldn't want to see how she had lived a whole life while he was frozen.
"Steve?" I had called out while entering the gym with Chinese food. Steve ate enough for five men, which scared me sometimes. So needless to say, he took one look at the food in my arms and stopped punching.
"I thought we'd try something different today. We've done healthy food for a while, and I have yet to even introduce you to present day McDonalds. Even with your metabolism, it probably isn't good for a super soldier." I said, setting it down on the bench beside him.
"I called Dugan today." He said, unwrapping his hands.
"Oh." I said, a small smile on my face at his progress.
"Sera, it felt so good to hear his voice." He said, a pained smile on his face.
"Tell me what you're feeling," I asked gently.
"Didn't think I'd ever survive that crash. I'm still in shock I guess." Steve said, sitting down and taking a drink from his water bottle.
"Well that's to be expected." I said, smiling sadly.
"But I feel okay. Even if I thought I was going to die when I crashed, there was a reason I didn't. I don't want to say that I like it here, because I would rather be back in 1945. But I don't feel as lost, knowing that I'm eventually going to figure out why I wasn't meant to die."
"Interesting thought process," I said, handing him the plate I had prepared for him while he talked.
"I'm so disappointed that I missed my date with Peggy though," He said, a sad look crossing his face.
"Hey," I said, touching his knee, "It's human to feel like that. Those feelings are natural with grief. And that's what you're doing. You are grieving for a life you could have had with Peggy. Don't keep that bottled up, and don't try to stop yourself from feeling that. But do not ever feel guilty. Especially for putting that plane in the water. You saved thousands of people, and you sacrificed yourself for them." I said, making him look up at me.
"Do not ever feel guilty." I said, giving him a hard look.
"I let her down though."
"You were the hero she knew you to be. You did the heroic thing, and she can't fault you for that." I said, smiling at him. He gave a little smile in reply before digging into his food.
Almost two months after his confession, we went on a walk through Central Park. And of course my father had to call, wondering where I was because I hadn't checked in last week.
"I'm not dead, injured or being held captive. I'm on an…" I looked at Steve as struggled to find a word for what I was doing with him.
"I'm helping someone," I said, to which my father said, "Well you can bring whoever it is to dinner tonight."
"Dad, remember when I said the assignment was hush hush?" I said, in a sickly sweet tone.
"Too late, I can see you with the blonde." He said as I realized that he was flying not 100 feet above us. Sighing, I dramatically pressed the end call button. To which he called right back saying, "I know who he is. Bring him by for dinner anyways. The Tower is almost finished."
"How do you feel about meeting my father tonight?" I asked softly. Steve looked like he was thinking about it, before nodding slowly.
"Great. See you both there at 7," I heard my father say on the other side of the phone.
"Next week, I'm going back to Malibu to have a week of peace," I said, to which my father chuckled.
"Not ever gonna happen princess." He said, flying off and ending the call.
"So that's what you meant by suit." Steve said, looking surprised.
"He calls it a high tech prosthetic. I helped him design the one he's finishing up right now. He had one that shrunk down to the size of a small suitcase, and it gave me the idea that… I'm boring you." I said, noting Steve's far off look.
"No, not bored. I just don't quite understand what you're saying." He said, a small smile on his face.
"So, Fury wants me on base in a few days to oversee a new project. I shouldn't be more than a week, tops." I said noticing the way he shrunk slightly.
"I guess I'm not cleared for whatever it is." He said, kicking a pebble in front of him.
"It won't be nearly as fun without you there." I said, walking backwards to smile at him. He smiled in return, bumping my shoulder slightly.
"Come on, we can still see the Red pandas before we head back to my place." I said, grabbing his hand and tugging him along to the Zoo.
My father simply stared at Steve the entire night. He didn't talk, just wondered how this could be happening. We were about halfway through dinner when I realized he was going to sit there, not talking, all night.
"Dad," I said in a clear warning.
"Sorry, I was just wondering how he didn't fossilize." My Dad said, to which I kicked his shin under the table.
"So Steve, how do you like the future?" My Dad said, to which I face palmed.
"It's interesting. A lot more complicated than I remember." He said, giving me a small glance.
"So, what are your intentions with my daughter?" He said, half serious. I slammed my hands down on the table saying, "That's enough."
Grabbing him by the ear, I dragged him towards the hallway, all while he whined like a child.
"What is wrong with you? He's my friend, I've been trying to help him. He has gone through enough, without you giving him the Third degree about nothing." I whisper yelled.
"I'm sorry. I just kinda hate that my Dad liked a frozen man, more than me." He pouted.
"Grow up Dad," I said, my upper lip quivering into a snarl.
"Fine, but I don't have to like it." He said, rolling his eyes.
"Who's the more mature one here?" I asked, pointing between the two of us.
A/N: Thanks for reading :) I do enjoy feedback.