Diana was at the library when she received Steve's text message asking her to meet him at The Stark Tower Complex.

Can you get here?

Of course, D

Slamming her books closed she raced through the city to get there as fast as she could, her satchel sliding off her shoulder as she hurried through the foyer of the building and slamming her hand against the elevator button.

"Come on!" Looking back down at her phone and reading his message she knew this was different somehow, he'd been on countless missions before and he'd only ever rung her to say he'd be away for a while. He'd never asked her to meet him to say goodbye.

The elevator pinging and the doors opening broke Diana from her thoughts, it was summer again which meant as Diana ran down the hallway her long linen dress fluttered around her legs and her hair, tied in a silk scarf bounced and curled round her jawline.

"Diana!" His voice shouting out to her from behind made her come to a screeching halt, her shoes skidding on the polished floor.

"Steve?" she whispered breathlessly. Hurrying towards one another she asked what was wrong.

"I have a job," he told her.

"Alright?" she smiled nervously at him.

"This one's different D, I'm going to be gone for a while and, it's dangerous…" she could see he was struggling, taking both his hands in hers she made him look her in the eye.

"I'll say what I always say to you before you go away. Be safe, come back, I'll miss you." Diana smiled even though she wanted to cry, knowing that this really was different to all the rest. Steve played with the strap of her satchel, his hands picking at the makeshift knot where Diana had mended it.

"You need a new bag," he told her, laughing sadly.

"So buy me one, as a Christmas present?" she suggested.

"D! Diana I don't know how to say this…?" he'd cupped her face with the palms of his hands and she knew he was fighting with himself.

"What's wrong?" she asked, placing her own hands over his.

"I don't have a choice!" he whispered.

"What?"

"I don't have a choice anymore," he told her quietly, his forehead coming to rest on hers. And that's when she realised what he meant, from all that time ago.

The fortune cookie.

"Then I guess you can't take a chance?" Diana replied sadly, remembering the fortune and her words reverberated around Steve's head like a bullet ricocheting around a room.

Diana watched his face, the thoughts, feelings and struggles evident to her and all of them playing out on his heavy brow.

"That's not to say you won't have the chance again, perhaps in the future?" Steve stared at her, his lips pressing against hers briefly. "Come back to me."

"Goodbye Diana."

"Be safe Steve Rogers, come back, I'll miss you."


Six Months Later

It was only November and Diana had already noticed the Christmas decorations going up around the city, weaving in and out of the crowds she pulled her hat lower and her scarf tighter. She was coming to the end of a long research project and this one had taken it out of her. She'd been contacted not long after Steve had left; a blessing in disguise Diana had thought at the time, welcoming the distraction.

It had been for a man in his late seventies who had never known who his family were; turned out they'd suffered horrific persecution and a string of terrible events had led many of his ancestors to a untimely death. She had spent hours sitting with the man, showing him what she'd found and they had both cried when she finally had told him that they had given him up for adoption, wanting nothing more for him to have a good life, which he had.

Now that it was over, Diana just wanted to get home as soon as possible so skipped out into the road, not seeing the taxi coming towards her.


It was the strange sounds and the smell of antiseptic that woke Diana up, peeling her eyes open she looked around the stark white room. Her head was killing her and peering down at her sore wrist she noticed it was bandaged up.

"You're awake!" Diana watched the Nurse walk up to her bed and pick up her chart, giving her a wide smile.

"What happened?" Diana asked, her memory hazy.

"You took on a city cab honey! You lost!" the deep belly laugh of the Nurse made Diana laugh herself, which she quickly regretted when her ribs screamed out in protest.

"Now take it easy, you sprained your wrist and you've got a couple of broken ribs but on the whole you're very lucky honey!" The Nurse set her chart back down and told her she could be discharged as soon as the Doctor signed off her chart. "You'll have to come back to get the stiches out of your forehead but apart from that you're good to go." Diana's hand went up to just above her eye where she felt the large bandage stuck to her head.

"Oh! We couldn't find a next of kin or a contact in case of an emergency, you should really put somebody down. A neighbour perhaps?"

"Captain America?" Diana muttered absentmindedly.

"Oh you and me too honey!" the Nurse laughed as she left.


Watering the last plant in Steve's apartment Diana placed the small watering can back under the sink and had one last look round, making sure everything was in its place. He hadn't asked her to 'housesit' but Diana felt it would be something she would appreciate herself so did it for Steve without a second thought. She'd also decorated a small, real Christmas tree and put it in the corner, the idea of anybody coming home to not even a sprinkle of festive glitter inexcusable to her.

Her brisk walk back through the city and the park was hampered by her still recovering ribs which made it difficult for her to take full breaths in the cold air. It had been a couple of weeks since her accident and she'd had her stiches removed from her head but it still hurt like hell if she twisted or bent the wrong way. Putting the key in her lock wearily and opening her door she dropped her bag and left it where it fell.


Later that evening and Diana was sat on her settee, pyjamas on and blanket covering her legs. The large glass of red wine beside her was doing wonders for her headache. When her phone buzzed she knew who it was before she even looked. Still, she found herself hesitating before answering the call.

"Hello?" she answered wearily.

"How did you know I'd be home before Christmas?" she heard Steve ask and laughed in response, albeit through an undeniable sob.

"I didn't!" she answered, mustering all the strength she had not to cry.

"You just decorated a tree in my apartment on the off chance huh?" Steve asked bemused as he starred at the twinkling lights making his apartment glitter in pinks, whites and golds.

"I guess I did," Diana answered. "I also kept your plants alive, which are in better condition now than before you left by the way." She heard him chuckle lightly. "So, I know I can't ask you any particulars but at least tell me you won." She asked him, remembering how easy it was to fall back into everyday life with him. That was the most scariest part of it all.

"Yes, we won." He answered her.

"And everybody else, they're okay?" she asked.

"Yes, they are." He paused before going on, "I was away a long time," he stated sadly. Diana didn't know what to say, watching her hand tremble ever so slightly in her lap she forced herself to respond.

"You're here now," she whispered.

"Thank you D, you didn't need to do all this."

"That's what friends are for," the words were out before she had a chance to think about what she was saying. She had to clamp a hand over her mouth to swallow the sob that erupted.

Steve wasn't sure but he thought he could hear Diana cry.

"Thank you again Diana, good night." He heard her reply, her voice quiet and strained. Hanging up he stared down at his phone, he didn't know what to do.


They spoke a few times on the phone in the days that followed and eventually went for dinner. The tension quickly eased between the pair, neither of them wanting their time together to feel bittersweet or sad. Plus, on the rare occasions they did have free time neither of them had the character or inclination to wallow in self-pity.

One morning he'd invited her to go for a run, something they'd never done together. Standing in the park his eyes focussed on a figure in the distance, squinting he cursed under his breath, not quite believing what he saw. Diana was walking towards him with what looked like a thousand layers on.

"What are you wearing?" Steve asked laughing, the bobble hat she was sporting tipping him over the edge.

"Are you judging me Steve Rogers?" Diana asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Not all of us can look great in a paper bag and have access to super-secret military equipment!" Her compliment didn't go unnoticed by Steve.

"I'm wearing a T-shirt D?" he told her, pinching the fabric of his top.

"Yeah well, who knows what else it can do?" Diana dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

"I think you're going to get too warm with that hat on?" He said as he tried to pull it from her head but Diana pulled back, both her hands coming up to the thing and keeping it well and truly in place.

"No!" she all but shouted at him.

"Okay?" Steve replied, creasing his brow at her.

"Well, then I'd have hat hair and well, you've seen my head." She was losing it she knew it. "Hair! My, head of, hair." Rolling her eyes Diana turned away from him and began to stretch out her legs all the while Steve finding her even more endearing than before.


Diana was hotter than hell! It was bitterly cold but after running what felt like a marathon she wanted nothing more than to rip off her bobble hat and the numerous sweaters and hoodies she was sporting. They'd come to a stop, Steve not even breaking a sweat while Diana keeled over on the grass embankment and wheezed like a ninety year old woman!

"I hate you so much!" she shouted from the ground.

"You're doing great!" Steve encouraged her, laughing at her collapsed figure on the ground.

"At being terrible?! I agree!" Still lying on the ground Steve offered her a hand and Diana let him lug her up, not really putting in any real effort to support her own weight. "Whoa…" Diana immediately felt dizzy.

"You okay?"

"I feel faint; I think I stood up too quick?" Not being able to see properly Diana felt two strong hands grip the top of her arms and hold her up.

"Here, sit back down." Diana did as she was told, not really having much choice. Steve saw that she'd lost all the colour from her face and the way she was letting him manhandle her told him she was very close to passing out. "Put your head between your legs," Diana felt too sick to argue. "I did say you had too many layers on," Steve told her with a gentle laugh, whipping off her bobble hat and pulling the hoodie up and over her head. Kneeling in front of her he waited for the blood to flow back into her head. "How ya feeling?" he asked her after a moment.

"Better," she told him, slowly lifting her head up and giving him a weak smile.

She was mortified.

"Good," he said as he wiped the hair out of her face and off of her forehead. Straightaway his fingers traced the scar across her forehead and Diana just watched him silently. "Where did this come from?" he asked quietly with a mixture of emotions Diana couldn't begin to fathom.

"I was in an accident," she told him slowly.

"An accident?" he repeated his eyes boring into hers.

"I was hit by a car." Seeing his eyes crease with pain broke Diana's heart. "I'm alright now," she reassured him taking his hand that was still tracing the silvery line just below her hairline and catching it in hers.

"When I was away?" he asked and Diana nodded.

"I'm alright Steve, just a couple of broken ribs! I wasn't paying attention…"

"Why didn't you tell me?" he interrupted her and Diana struggled for the right words. They both stood back up, facing one another as Steve played with the wool bobble on her hat.

"I didn't want to worry you," she started but when she saw that her explanation angered him she stopped talking. "There was nothing you could do, you were… away. Steve, really I'm fine."

"That doesn't look like fine D!" Steve answered back.

"It isn't but it happened, we're there for one another when we can be. That's all anybody can do." She pulled her hat from his hands and pulled it back on.

"I can do more," he told her in his typical style.

"I know you can but you already do. You do enough Steve." Diana lifted his chin up with her forefinger, making him look at her in the eye. "Now, if you don't mind I'd like to go home, nearly passing out in front of you has been embarrassing enough, I'd prefer it if you didn't see me throw up as well." Despite himself Steve laughed.

"Alright, but D, promise me you won't keep anything from me again." Diana stole her hoodie back from him and hooked her arm through his.

"I promise," she said as they made their way back. She told him about all the different families that had lived in the buildings surrounding the park and he told her what it had looked like all those years ago. "I'm never running with you again by the way," she told him flippantly.

"Why not?!" Steve was genuinely disappointed.

"You really have to ask me that?!" Diana laughed. "I'm picking the activity next time and it will be quiet and sedate and involve as little movement as possible. Or I tell you what, look through that list of yours and let me know what I can help you out with, deal?"

"Deal."


A few weeks later and Diana found herself stood in the foyer of The Stark Tower Complex, winter coat pulled ridiculously tight and woolly hat and scarf covering most of her face. She'd text Steve earlier in the day to ask if he was free for lunch. As Steve stepped out of the elevator and spotted Diana he barked with laughter.

"Why did you insist on coming here? It's a blizzard outside!"

"I had to go to the library anyway," she told him quickly, moving from one foot to the other to get some feeling back in her toes.

"You look like you're about to embark on an expedition to the North Pole!" he said still laughing.

"When you're quite finished," Diana stated sternly. When she knew she had his attention she opened her satchel and pulled out a Blu-Ray. "This is for you," she told him as he looked over the cover.

"Doctor No?"

"Umhum, you need to start somewhere, might as well be at the beginning and with the best." Diana smiled at him. "When you have the time feel free to bring it to my place with a large takeaway bag of Chinese food alright?" she gave him a wink as she spoke.

"Alright," Steve agreed, the corners of his mouth twitching in a smirk.

"Right, I need to go track down a seventeen ninety census!" Giving him an excited wave she started back to the front door.

"Good luck!" Steve shouted after her.

"I don't need luck! I need a bloody miracle!" she shouted back.

"Hey! I thought we were having lunch?!" Diana stopped and dug into her satchel again, pulling out a wax paper package she tossed it in the the air towards him.

"Your favourite!" she shouted at him across the foyer before pushing against the large glass doors and instantly slipping on the ice outside. Giving Steve a gloved thumbs up through the window Diana pushed forward.


Three Months later

"Initial recon is not telling us anything!" Natasha shouted to the rest of the team as she rapidly analysed the data flashing in front of her.

"What are they targeting?" Stark asked coming to her side.

"The centre of the city," Steve looked over their shoulders and stared at the screen depicting the locations of the blasts, they were all within a five block radius. His focus landed on the large building in the centre of the map, the library. The team were debating around him, voices flowed in and out of his consciousness. Pulling himself to one side Steve pulled his phone from his pocket and rang Diana, hearing it ringing out did nothing to abate his increasing concern.

"Rogers!" Turning he saw that Stark and Natasha were looking at him expectantly.

"Let's go!"


Diana was hiding under one of the many large wooden desks within the library's research archives, opposite her one of the Librarians who had been trapped like her, was doing the same. Staring at one another in horror Diana felt the panic beginning to rise in her chest. She'd been sat carrying out her inquiries into the Foster family when the first blast had sounded out, the sound of panicked screams made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. An eerie quiet settled upon the room quickly, people still unsure as to what had actually happened, or was happening. A moment later, the foundations of the building had all but quaked from the ground. Seeing a group of young school children cowering in a corner Diana knew that if another blast hit the main building they wouldn't make it.

"Is there a basement here?!" she shouted over to the librarian. "Something underground?"

"Yes!" The librarian shouted back, realising what Diana was implying. "We can get to it from that doorway," pointing to a large double door on the opposite side of the room Diana nodded to the man and then turned her attention back to the children.

"I'll get them, you make sure the path is clear. Can you get them to a safe place?" When she saw him nod again and then start to scramble towards the door she headed towards the school children. Gaining their attention Diana soothed their fears by cooing and smiling warmly at them. "Hey, hi there guys. Listen to me! We're going down to the basement, we'll be safe there but you have to do as you're told and follow me! Is that clear!" the dusty faces of the children stared back up at her in shocked silence. "Each one of you take another's hand and then follow me closely. You'll be fine." Diana watched as they all did as she asked and then turning back to the door saw that the Librarian was waving them over.

Staring up at the already damaged roof Diana set off, constantly looking back to make sure the children were all there. "Quickly! Quickly! That's it, you're doing great. Keep following me!" Stopping at the door she told the Librarian to go with them whilst she made sure they all followed. There was a rumble overhead and the last remaining children couldn't help but cry out. "It's alright, come on, nearly there." When the last one filed passed her Diana had another look around, she didn't know if there was anybody else there?!

Seeing her satchel and the census she'd been carrying out research from lying on the floor under the table, her heart broke. All those books destroyed?

Diana didn't think through what she did next, she just did it. With hindsight it was reckless and idiotic but there you have it! Making a dash towards the desk Diana skidded on the floor and clambered under the table, grabbing her satchel and the census in her arms and hugging them to her chest. She was covered in dust and debris from above and her knees hurt like hell from where she'd just dropped on them heavily when the first explosion had sounded out. It was quiet outside and she wondered if whatever had been going on had come to an end? Slowly pulling herself up she looked around herself, still not seeing anybody.

"Is anybody hurt?" she shouted out. She thought about going to get the children but decided she needed to check that it was safe first. Tentatively walking toward the foyer she could hear her shoes tap against the marble floor, bits of brick and mortar littered her way. The blast of smoke and fire that burst out in front of her knocked her off her feet and took her skidding across the floor.

The world had gone dark and her ears were furiously ringing but Diana just lay there, not quite believing what had just happened, had happened?! More than that though, she was thinking, which meant she was alive and not in pain?! Woozily sitting herself up, actually laughing out loud when she realised she was still a hold of her satchel and the census, Diana stared at the gaping hole in front of her that now acted as the foyer and main entrance to the library. Seeing the bright sky outside and hearing the sound of sirens going off brought her out of her reverie, putting her stuff down and clumsily running outside she looked up and down the street and seeing that there was a fire engine and police car making their way towards her she ran back in.

"Come on!" she shouted, running through the door to the basement and shouting all the way down the stairs for the school children and Librarian to come out and follow her. "It's okay, we need to get you out of here!" Seeing that they were all safe in one of the basement offices Diana led them all out and towards the growing number of Firefighters and Police Officers.

"What happened?" the Librarian asked her, taking in the carnage that surrounded them.

"I have no idea?!" Diana answered feeling a sense of shock settle in.

"Thank you so much!" the Librarian told her as Paramedics began taking charge of the school children.

"I'm just glad we all got out," Diana answered. "Do you know if there was anybody else in there?" she asked, still concerned.

"Not in the research offices, I'm not sure about the rest?" he said. Diana nodded at him and told him to get himself checked out, suddenly realising she'd left her bag in there.

The cold December air and sleet plastered itself to the muck covering Diana's clothes and face, shivering she wondered whether or not she'd be able to find her coat. Making her way back inside (having to sneak by the Police Officers who were stood in front of the main entrance) Diana found her satchel and the census immediately and then went to look for her coat. Seeing it just by the chair she'd been sat on and under a pile of rubble she started shifting books and broken stone, it was a nice coat and she didn't want to lose it.


The masked group had been apprehended and Steve had left the rest of the team without a word, bounding towards the library he didn't even stop when one of the Police Officers shouted out to him. Seeing a man with a library staff lanyard round his neck standing close by Steve abruptly changed direction and ran towards him.

"Was there a young woman in the library? Brunette, brown eyes?" he asked panicked. The man looked at him blankly and Steve wasn't sure whether it was because he didn't know or because he couldn't believe who was stood in front of him. "Sir? Please, was there a young…"

"Yes!" he interrupted. "Yes there was, she got a group of school children into the basement for cover! She pulled us out but I don't know where she's gone? I'm sorry Captain…" Steve's optimism improved but he still wasn't sure whether or not they were talking about the same woman.

"Thank you," he replied quickly before setting off.

"If you find her thank her again for me!" the Librarian shouted after him. Bounding up the steps Steve ran through the rubble and into the main research hall, seeing large bookshelves toppled over and rubble everywhere filled him with apprehension.

"Diana!" he shouted out and waited, praying for a response. "Diana!" he shouted again.

"Oww!" Hearing a bang to his left his focus quickly travelled to an overturned desk where the sound had emanated from. He watched as Diana emerged, rubbing her head and carrying her coat, satchel and a large dusty book.

"Diana?" running over he grasped her elbows in his hands, not knowing if she was injured.

"Steve?" she looked at him confused. "What are you doing here?" Steve guided her to one of the few chairs that were still upright.

"Are you alright?" he asked trying to ignore his heart pounding in his chest and the feeling in his gut telling him to take hold of her and never let go.

"I'm alright, I'm alright." She repeated, nodding frantically at him. "Is everybody safe? What happened?" he could tell her adrenaline was wearing off; he took hold of her hands that had begun to shake.

"Everybody's safe Diana," he reassured her. Watching the tears prickle her eyes and then drop by drop pool over to leave flushed pink lines down her dirty cheeks he nearly lost his footing when Diana threw herself forward and encircled his neck with her arms.

"I was so scared," she told him.

"I know D but your quick thinking saved those children's lives." He was so insurmountably proud of her.

"You came here for me?" she asked him, her breath hot on his neck.

"Yes," he whispered back.

"Thank you," pulling back she gave him a tired smile. "Are you alright?" Diana asked him, suddenly concerned and Steve couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm fine!"

"You shouldn't have come here! You shouldn't have worried about me, don't you need to be somewhere else…" Steve interrupted her.

"I don't need to be anywhere else, do you understand?" he told her pointedly.

"Can we get out of here?"

"Sure," lifting her up from the chair he all but carried her out, happy that she was in his arms, safe and in one piece.


Steve had insisted that Diana go to the hospital but she had resisted, telling him all she needed was a long hot shower! That's how he found himself in his apartment, staring at the small Christmas tree in the corner that Diana had decorated and listening to the water run in his bathroom. His mind kept going back to that moment when he'd seen the locations of the attacks, the Library being at the centre of it all. He thought about how he'd thought of nothing but her. The bathroom door creaking open caught his attention and he stared as Diana slowly stepped out, hair wrapped in a towel and sporting an old pair of his pyjama bottoms, the tie string at the waist comically high and tight and the white t-shirt swamping her petite frame. He noticed she was sporting a few scrapes and bruises to her cheeks, previously covered by the dirt and dust. Still though, those eyes like melted chocolate? He found himself drowning.

"The bathrooms free," she told him with a small smile.

"Thanks, I won't be a minute." Walking by her his fingers brushed against hers, the fleeting connection between them feeling like electricity. When he stepped out the bathroom himself a while later he saw that Diana was sat on his couch, legs curled under her and her head resting in her hand at an uncomfortable angle. Her eyes were shut and her lips were parted ever so slightly. Steve walked over and slowly took a seat next to her, taking in her appearance whilst she slept. When her eyelids sleepily opened and they were staring at one another there was only thing he wanted to do. When he inched forward but faulted Diana smiled at him, encouraging him to carry on. And when Diana Ricco and Steve Rogers kissed, well, it was the most perfect thing in the world.


Christmas Eve

"I can't believe you took the last spring roll?!" Diana laughed, crossing her arms and trying to look decidedly annoyed.

"I asked you!" Steve held his hands up in surrender.

"You never did Steve Rogers!" Pointing her finger at him Diana giggled, picking up a prawn cracker and throwing it at him.

"Oh I nearly forgot," crouching under the table Steve pulled out a large, festively wrapped box and handed it to a very surprised Diana. "Merry Christmas," he said as he watched her stare down at the present.

"You didnt bring this with you?" she asked.

"I stashed it here earlier," he confessed.

"I thought we were giving each other our gifts tomorrow?" she questioned.

"I couldn't wait, open it." he told her excitedly. Diana didn't need to be told twice, pulling off the lid she quickly pulled back the tissue paper.

"Oh Steve…" Diana pulled the brown leather satchel from the box and ran her hands over the buckles. "It's beautiful," pushing her chair out she rounded the table and planted a huge kiss on him, holding his cheeks with her hands and whispering thank you over and over again.

"I'm glad you like it," Steve said blushing. Sitting back down Diana picked up a fortune cookie and tossed it at Steve before picking up her own. Without a word the pair opened them up quickly, silently reading their little paper fates.

Steve stared down at his paper.

The past belongs to the past, now the time is right for a new beginning.

Diana stared down at her paper but scrunched it up in her fist.

"You're not reading yours?" he asked.

"No, I don't need to." She told him, knowing that her first fortune was the only one she ever needed to know.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked her and she nodded, letting the paper fall to the table and letting him take her hand in his.