Another Caphill one - no I'm not sorry - this can be read seperatly from "I don't want to run anymore" but it works fine with it together.

I know it doesn't quite fit the movie timeline but well I don't care ;)

Disclaimer: Not owning anything but the idea

Steve looked at the sky seeing Thor disappear to who knows where.
"We can go home." Peggys voice still haunted his thoughts.

Home.
Brooklyn, New York.
That had been home.
He had known every corner, every street and all the people living in his house.

1945.
That had been home.
He had fought HYDRA and Red Skull and he thought them defeated.

World War II.
That had been home.
Him defeating and saving his people.

Peggy, Bucky and all his friends.
That had been home.
Him being in love thinking about settling down and having a family.

But all of this is gone.

Peggy was slowly forgetting everything.
Her life.
What she had accomplished.
Who she had been.
And he had to accept the fact that she was dying.

Bucky the one he thought dead was alive.
Being a thug for the organization he thought gone.
Now he was hiding somewhere trying to get away from the world he helped to create.
But Steve hadn't give up on him.
He would find him.

2015 was certainly not 1945.
So many things had changed.
Everyone owned a car.
Women had equal rights to man.
And he had missed out on all of this development still not understanding half of it.

World War II was over.
"They say we won but they didn't say what we lost." He likes to say.
He learned about Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima.
The price the world paid at the end.
It certainly had changed the world but he wasn't sure if it had been for the better.
Not that he wanted the old things back but he missed some of the things that had been the normal.

He had reached the Quinjet.
He put his shield on its usual place and checked his locker space for some normal clothes.
He changed and hung his uniform in his locker.
He looked at it for a long moment before locking it up.

Now he stood inside the Quinjet being Steve Rogers who didn't know what to do next.
He thought about contacting Sam and to ask him about any new leads on Bucky.
Or Maria just to make sure that she was alright.
But then all he had was a smartphone and he knew that he would be traceable for Ultron if he used it.
Letting out a heavy sigh he left the jet and headed back to the farm.
Maybe Clint and his wife had a landline he could use.

"Of course, come I show you the one which is more private. And don't worry I'll make sure none of them is going to listen in." She said with an understanding smile as she led him upstairs.
"Thank you." Laura nodded and left him alone.
His fingers lingered uncertain on the phone before he finally picked it up and dialed the number.
This was nothing special.
He was just making sure that all of his team members were fine.
That did include Maria.
He knew that Sam and Rhodey were save.
But Maria was still at the Tower.

"Hill." Steve sighed relieved as she finally picked up.
"Hey, it's me. Steve."
"Steve, I guess you found a place to lay low?" He heard her relax a little.
"Yeah something unexpected but safe, I hope." Steve paused uncertain what to say next.
He looked around the room he was standing in.
Probably the guestroom.
"How is the team, really?" Maria asked, emphasizing the last word.
"I don't know. Nobody is talking about it. But we got it bad."
"Tell me about yours." She wasn't demanding him to do it. Neither was there the professional tone in her voice.
"I" He paused sitting down trying to make sense of the things he had seen.
"I had been back at the 40s after World War II. A victory party. People were laughing, dancing. Peggy showed up. Saying that the war was over and we could go home. And then I thought about it and everyone in the room was gone." Steve wasn't sure if it was him who released a heavy sigh or her.
"I know that it's not real. But."
"Steve, honestly I'm not good at being a comforter, gosh ask Phil about it, nor do I know what you have been through. But you need to focus. I guess it felt so real and then all shattered. I know how it feels to have no home. Home was always something like a fairy tale. All those places I lived in where a place to live. But nothing special. But there is this saying "home is where your heart is"." Her voice trailed off.
"Home is where your heart is." He repeated softly letting the word roll over his tongue.
"And maybe you need to let go." Marias voice was serious again and he knew what was coming next.
"Ria."
"The real let go." She didn't let him finish.
They had this kind of talk before and she was slowly but surely getting tired of it.
"Not just accepting the fact that this time is different and all of the people you've known are gone. Make them your memories you look at, when life is tough or I don't know. But you have to move on. Otherwise we'll lose you. The team, the people counting on you, your friends, me. Because we don't want to be second to people who are dead." Marias voice was barely a whisper and he knew that he had hurt her.
And that she was right.
But it was hard to let go.
Harder than he thought it would be.
"I can't do it alone." Steve realized running his hand through his hair.
"You're not alone. You got friends, the team. People you trust. Talk to them. Well maybe not to Stark or Thor. But you know what I mean."
He closed his eyes thinking of the people downstairs.
He trusted them with his life.
They didn't always share the same opinion in one or two or many things but he knew they had his back.
"I wish you could be here." Steve was surprised by the honesty in his voice.

"Cap get your butt down here. Tony wants to challenge you in who can create the bigger wood pile. Or as I would call it take him out here he is annoying the heck out of everyone." Natasha yelled from downstairs.
"Hey redhead I heard that." He heard Tony yell.

"No. I wish we could be somewhere else. Where none of this is happening. But now go and make sure Stark has to work hard to even make it hard for you." He heard her giggle lightly and his heart melt a bit.
"I'll do my very best."
"Steve. Stay safe okay?" Maria asked after a brief moment of silence.
"Yes. Yeah, I'm coming back home." Steve promised more to her than to himself.
"Home?" He smiled at her obvious confusion.
"Home is where your heart is." He replied softly before ending the call.