Disclaimer: the only characters I own and Cathrine, Rose, Sandra, and Cathrine's brother, who you'll know later on in the story. All other characters you know belong to none other than the man, the myth, the legend; Stan Lee. Enjoy!

Brooklyn, 1942

"I heard that it's getting worse on the front." Rose said, a grim look on her face. "Have you heard anything from Johnny since he was shipped out?"

"He sent me a letter 2 months ago," Cathrine replied. "But other than that, nothing."

"Do you know if he's okay?" Sandra asked, her face mirroring Rose's.

"Twin sense, remember?" Cathrine joked, green eyes full of humor. "I'm pretty sure I'd know if he was hurt or killed."

This seemed to put the two at ease, but only slightly. Cathrine turned to Rose. "What about you and Peter? Are you two a thing yet?" She teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

Rose immediately went cherry red, but she didn't miss the small, bashful smile on her face. "Yeah." She said quietly. Cathrine and Sandra gasped.

"Oohh! Do tell!" Cathrine exclaimed.

"He was walking me back home about two days before he left." Rose gushed. "When we got back to my place, he got super shy. Just as he was about leave, he grabbed my hips and kissed me." Cathrine and Sandra squealed. At that moment, the bell rang, signaling that someone else just entered the diner.

"I got it. We are finishing this conversation later." Cathrine said sternly. Grabbing her notepad and pen, she rounded the counter and made her way to the booth to take the next orders. "Welcome to the Olive Groove. What can I get you?" She greeted, without looking up and enthusiasm.

"Well nice to see you too Cathrine." Someone snorted. Her head shot up. She knew that voice.

"Bucky!"she exclaimed, reaching out to hug him. He gladly returned the hug, laughing as he did. When they pulled away, Cathrine looked at the smaller figure next to him. She also noticed his bruised up face.

"Steve, what did you do?" She asked pointedly, going to give him a hug.

"I got into a fight." He shrugged.

"Well I can see that!" She laughed. "I'll get you guys something, hang on."

She walked back to kitchen and started to pour two cups of coffee when Sandra came over with a different order in hand.

"So, who was it?" Sandra asked, preparing the order she received.

"Bucky and Steve." Cathrine answered.

Sandra let out a dreamy sigh. "You're so lucky to be friends with Bucky." Cathrine made a gagging sound, causing Sandra to playfully swat at her. "He's such a dreamboat."

"Not really." Cathrine laughed. When her friend shot her a 'you're crazy' look, she added, "I've been friends with both Steve and Bucky since kindergarten. I see them as my older brothers."

Sandra let out a huff. Chuckling, Cathrine left to look for a clean rag. When she found what she was looking for, she ran it under cold water. Squeezing out the excess water out, she put it over her shoulder and went back to grab the mugs.

"Scoot over." She told Steve as she plopped down next to him, handing him the cloth. "So, you want to tell me what happened exactly?"

"Another bully." Steve replied, putting the cloth against his eye. Knowing she wasn't gonna get any more out of him, she turned to Bucky.

"Anything new?"

Bucky sighed. "I'm shipping out tomorrow morning to the front."

"Let me see the papers." Cathrine rolled her eyes and held her hand out. He took the papers out of his coat pocket and handed them to her. "Sergeant James Barnes," She read aloud. "Of the 107th , tell my brother to write back to me soon."

"Hey sweetheart," a man called. He was a stout man with a pudgy face and had glasses folded on his shirt. "If you're done with your beauty sleep, I want my check now."

"Hang on." Cathrine replied. But he wasn't having any of that.

"I said now, darling." He said with narrow eyes. Rolling her eyes, she got up and started over to his table. When she got there, she all but slammed it on the table.

"Next time with a little less attitude." He said as he filled it out, slapping her rear as she walked back. It took all her willpower not to spin around and break his nose.

"Is he a regular here?" Bucky growled, fists clenched tight.

"Yes, but a regular what I can't say. At least not on my shift." She muttered. A series of loud crashes echoed through the diner, the sound of shattering glass right after. Cathrine's head spun around. All of the shelves on the back-wall completely fell off, their shattered contents on the floor. The mugs, glasses(cups) and even the glass on the jukebox were nothing but fragments. As she looked around at the mess she unintentionally created, she saw the man's spectacles had also shattered. If the situation wasn't so serious, she might have laughed at the look on his face.

"You guys okay back there?" She called anxiously to her friends behind the counter.

She let out a sigh of relief when Rose yelled back, "Yeah, we're fine."

Cathrine quickly got up to help Rose and Sandra clean up the glass with trembling hands.

"What," Rose swallowed. "what the hell was that?" Cathrine and Sandra just shrugged. Once the glass was all cleaned up and in the trash, Cathrine walked back over to Steve and Bucky.

"Is it getting worse?" Steve asked, lowering his voice.

"It's definitely getting stronger." Cathrine admitted. Both of her friends frowned. She quickly added, "but I can control it for the most part. It's about keeping my emotions in check. I've gotten pretty good at it."

This lightened the mood a bit. "That's good to hear. Have you heard from Johnny recently?" Bucky asked, trying to change the subject.

"My half-brained brother hasn't written to me in 2 months." She deadpanned. "Make sure you tell him to write to me when you get over there."

"Yes ma'm." Bucky joked, giving a mock salute. Both Steve and Cathrine snorted. "Since this is my last night here, we are all going out."

"Where are we going?" Cathrine asked.

He pulled out a newspaper and handed it to her. The front page was titled World Exposition of Tomorrow 1943.

"A Stark convention?" She smirked. Then she remembered something. "Speaking of last night, I was going through stuff, and found something."

"What'd you find?" Steve asked with a small smile.

"Remember that old photo album that had the pictures of us all, starting from when we met?" Cathrine retorted, laughing.

"You still have that!" Steve laughed while Bucky clutched his sides.

"Everything until graduation!" She cackled, tears in her eyes.

"I thought you got rid of that!" Bucky was finally able to speak.

"Pftt! You thought wrong!" She teased. Glancing at her watch, she noticed that her shift was almost over. "My shifts almost over. When are we leaving?"


Later that night

Cathrine didn't exactly dress up for anything fancy. Her long chocolate locks were tied back in a high ponytail. The only makeup she wore was a little bit of mascara and eye shadow (that made her sea green eyes really pop) and cherry red lipstick. Around her neck was the silver locket her brother gave her for their 12th birthday. It had a circular shape and had my sister, my best friend engraved on the top. Inside, there was a picture of her and her Johnny that had been taken the day before he left. To top off the look, she wore a simple navy-blue dress with a pair of black heels.

As she waited for her friends to show up, she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to what happened at the diner a few hours before. She couldn't believe that her control slipped that much and that the effect had been that serious. That was only small piece of her power, and that alone had been bad. If a small piece could be that bad, it terrified her to no end what she was truly capable of.

Cathrine was so lost in thought that she didn't see Bucky and Steve sneak up behind her. "Cathrine!" They both yelled, making her jump.

"God dammit!" She exclaimed, putting her hand over her heart. The boys howled with laughter. Cathrine glared at them, but eventually she cracked a smile. Before long, she joined in on their laughter. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" She said, swatting at them both.

"No promises!" They both teased. Rolling her eyes playfully, she threw an arm around each of their shoulders.

"You guys are both jerks." She mock-pouted.

"You still love us." Steve smirked. Cathrine stuck her tongue out at him in response.

"So what were you thinking about?" Bucky asked, still smirking.

"Nothing." She answered.

"Cathrine, we called you five times and you didn't hear us." He explained, raising a brow. "It didn't seem like nothing."

Cathrine sighed. There was no point trying to hide it. They could always tell when something was bothering her, no matter how big or small. "The diner earlier." She said.

"All of it." Steve chimed in.

"What could've happened, what did happen." And how that was just a small extent of what I'm really capable of. She added in her head.

"Nobody got hurt." Steve reassured. This helped, but only a little.

"Cathrine," Bucky started, "you can't beat yourself up about this. Yes, your control of it did slip," Cathrine cringed slightly. "But like Steve said, nobody got hurt, so again I say, don't beat yourself up about it."

That helped her a lot. "Thanks guys. I needed that." She smiled.

"What would you do without us?" Steve teased. Cathrine shoved him lightly.

"You both couldn't find your way out of a paper bag without me." She teased.

"Hey!" They both said in unison, mocking offense. Cathrine just laughed.

"But in all seriousness, my life would nowhere be as interesting or entertaining without you two in it." She added. "So, what were you two talking about before you decided to try and give me a heart attack?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "He said it's a double date."

"You're about to be the last eligible man in New York," Bucky pointed out. "Even though there's three and a half million women here."

"Well I'd settle for just one." Steve replied.

"Good thing I took care of that." He said, waving at someone. Both Cathrine and Steve looked to who he was waving at. There were two girls, one with blonde hair and one with medium brown.

"Hey Bucky!" The brunette yelled, waving back. Cathrine sighed. This was typical.

"Seriously Casanova?" She asked, swatting at his head. He dodged.

"It's my last night before I'm being deployed to the front lines." He explained defensively. "What'd you expect?"

"I thought it would just be the three of us like old times." She said.

"We can do that later back at the apartment."

"So," Steve broke in, "what'd you tell her about me?"

"Only the good stuff." Bucky replied.

"Meaning she knows, or should know, that you have a heart of gold." Cathrine added with a smile. They caught up with the two a few minutes later.

"Cathrine, Steve," Bucky introduced, "this is Beth," he motioned towards the brunette, "and Sheryl." He motioned to the blonde.

"I'm Cathrine Pierceson." Cathrine smiled as she extended her hand. Both girls shot her a look, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. Cathrine mentally rolled her eyes. She knew they were only here for chance with Bucky. After a moment's hesitation, they both shook her hand.

"Steve Rogers." Steve said, holding his hand out. The girls both had a look of disgust flash through their eyes, and Cathrine narrowed hers. Reluctantly, they shook his hand.

This is gonna be a long evening. She thought as she followed them through the crowd.


"Ladies and gentlemen," a woman's voice said over the microphone. She had olive skin and curly coco colored hair. She, like the other girls on the stage, wore an outfit theme like a magician, but a little more scandalous. Beth grabbed Bucky's arm and dragged him towards the front row excitedly. "presenting Howard Stark!"

The crowd cheered loudly as the man himself walked onto the stage. He looked like he was in his early to mid-twenties. He had short dark hair and dark brown eyes. He was certainly attractive and she could see why most women thought he was a catch.

Howard pressed a kiss to the woman's mouth. He pulled out a wipe from his jacket and wiped his mouth before taking the mic. "What if I told you," he began, looking directly at the crowd. His eyes met Cathrine's for a moment before turning back to the others. "that in a few short years, your car will never touch the ground?" The crowd murmured with disbelief and doubt as he reached what looked like a control station. "With Stark technology, you'll be able to do just that."

He flicked a switch, and the lights came on behind him, revealing a simple red car. The other girls on stage made their way over and removed the tires. A strange looking piece of machinery replaced the tires. Cathrine shoved Bucky out of the way to get a better look. He chuckled at her enthusiasm. Science and engineering always seemed to excite her.

As Howard pulled a lever down, the machines whirred to life. Cathrine watched with wide eyes as the car levitated off the ground.

"Holy cow." Bucky murmured in amazement, his expression mirroring that of everyone else. Cathrine just nodded. She turned to see Steve's reaction, but he wasn't there. Glancing around, she saw a drafting building not too far off and sighed.

Of course he would. She thought, a ghost of a smile on her lips. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of sparks flying and metal crashing. She spun around to see the lights on the stage go out and the vehicle back on the ground.

"I did say a few short years." He joked.

"Hey, why don't we take these girls dancing." Bucky started as he turned around to face Steve, but his voice faltered when he saw that the punk wasn't there. He sighed. "Where did he go?"

"I have a pretty good guess." Cathrine chuckled and pointed to the drafting center. Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why am I not surprised?" He muttered.

She laughed. "Come on. Let's make sure the punk doesn't get in too much trouble."


They found Steve exactly where they thought they would. He was standing in front of what Cathrine would describe as an army thing where you could see your face on a soldiers body. At least if you were tall enough.

"You know you're missing the point of a double date. We're taking the girls dancing." Bucky stated as he threw an arm around Steve.

"First off, you know I'm terrible at dancing," she said to Bucky before turning to her shorter friend, "and second, please tell me you're not trying it again."

"Well, it's a fair." Steve replied. "I thought I might try my luck."

"As who, Steve from Ohio?" She scoffed.

"They'll catch you, or worse they'll take you." Bucky added.

"Look, I know you both don't think I can do this,"

"Steve," Cathrine tried, only to be cut off by Bucky.

"This isn't a back-alley Steve. This is war." He argued. As they continued to argue, Cathrine noticed a figure watching with interest behind them. He was an older man with grey hair and glasses. He had files tucked under his arm, and she didn't think that they were just army drafts. Judging by the way he carried himself and the security guard stationed around the room, she figured that this guy was important.

"Bucky," Steve said, pulling Cathrine out of her thoughts. "There are men laying down their lives. I've got no right to do any less than them."

"Because you have nothing to prove." Bucky said. Steve was silent.

"Hey serg!" Beth called, totally ruining the moment. "Are we going dancing?"

"Yes, we are." Bucky called back. Then he turned back toward Steve and Cathrine. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back." He warned.

"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you." He joked. Cathrine let out a very unladylike snort.

Bucky sighed and walked back over to Steve. "You're a punk." He said as the boys hugged.

"Jerk." Steve retorted. Cathrine chuckled. Brothers to the end she thought. Bucky turned to her.

"Don't let him do anything stupid." He told her.

"Like shorty over here said," she smirked, motioning to her shorter friend, who stuck his tongue out at her. "you're taking all the stupid with you."

"You're mean." He said as he embraced her.

"And you still love me." She quipped, returning the embrace. "I'll catch up with you in minute Buck."

He nodded and turned to leave. "Don't win the war til I get there." Steve called out. Cathrine chuckled as Bucky turned around to give a sloppy salute.

Cathrine turned back to Steve with a small smile on her face. "You really do have a heart of gold." She told him as she squeezed his shoulder lightly. "See ya later shrimp."

"Jerk." He replied, sticking his tongue out at her again.

Cathrine giggled as she jogged to catch up with Bucky at the dancing hall. She thought she heard a jazz song playing over the sound of the fireworks above. She found him dancing with Beth and Sheryll was on the side. She literally looked like she was glaring daggers at her friend. Instead of going to stand with Sheryll, Cathrine went to get a drink.

When she sat down, the bartender gave her a Manhattan cocktail. She shot him a confused look.

"I didn't order anything." She stated. The bartender just shrugged.

"But I did." A mans voice came from behind her. Cathrine arched a brow. He held out his hand and introduced himself. "Howard Stark. And you are?"


AU: OooOoOhhHhh! I wonder what's going on with Cathrine. And what is Howard up too?

I'm backkk! Sorry it took so long to upload. It took a longgggg time to write. Infinity War comes out this Friday, and to say I'm excited is the understatement of the century.

About the two girls, I couldn't find their actual names, so I went with Sheryll and Beth. I also looked up popular drinks in the 40s and Mannhattan cocktail was one of the first thing that showed up.

As always, read and review and tell me what you thought.