At least this time, when she woke up, she hadn't lost years. She'd only lost a few hours. The doctor told her that she'd broken a few ribs, but it was largely healed now. The pain was definitely dulled; still there, but manageable now.

She dressed slowly, sighing as she squeezed herself back into the uniform. As soon as humanly possible, she was going to demand they change it. Maybe it wasn't respectful to Coulson's memory, to change something that he'd worked on, but she couldn't continue with it. It was uncomfortable and painful, and she hated it. Hated the fabric, the zippers, the color. But, most of all, she hated how tight it was. It didn't fit, and while she had proven that she could fight in it, when she wasn't fighting, she was miserable

She'd barely had time to get her uniform back on when Stark was in her room, bugging her about going to shawarma again. All she wanted to do was sleep, but Stark was insistent, and, so, she found herself eating in a little shop not far from Stark Tower. Which meant everything around the place as a disaster. She almost didn't want to go into the restaurant, just wanted to let them repair their store, but the owners insisted. They could have as much food as they want, they were told. On the house.

"What happens now?" she asked after she'd eaten about four helpings. She was still starving, but the edge had been taken off. At least she'd stopped shaking.

"I will take Loki back to Asgard," Thor said. "He will be sentenced for his crimes."

"And the cube?"

"It will return with me. It is safest on Asgard, where it belongs."

"But," Stark started, but Steve interrupted him by saying, "That's probably smartest. With the damage the cube has had on our world… It's not something that should be here on Earth."

"But," Stark said again, but he stopped when Steve shot him a look. "Okay, fine. We'll send it to Asgard."

She nodded. "What about clean-up? Rebuilding the city?"

"SHIELD will help," Romanoff said. "And there's contractors and things. We've done it before, we'll do it again."

Steve nodded. Took another bite of her food. "And then what happens?"

"To the Avengers, you mean?"

"Yeah."

She shrugged.

Okay then.

"What do you want to do, Cap?" Barton asked. He was looking at her curiously. "You've been back, what, a month?

"Yeah. About that."

"You're not being held prisoner. You're not officially part of SHIELD. What do you want to do?"

She didn't know what to say. To cover up her confusion, she took another bite of her shawarma. Everyone was looking at her, and she could feel her face heat. She didn't like being the center of everyone's attention.

"I don't know," she finally said. "I mean, before all this, all my attention was on trying to get into the war. Between work and trying to stay well, that's all I thought about. And then, the past year, it was all about trying to take Hydra down. That was everything. And now, I don't have that."

"So, what did you want to do before all that?" Romanoff asked.

"I just… I don't know. Mostly I was focused on survival," she said honestly. "Bucky and I didn't have a lot of money, so we worked and saved."

"That's it?" Stark sounded aghast. "You didn't have any fun?"

"No, we did. We went out and did stuff, when I was well enough. He got me out on a lot of double dates. Course those dates never led to anything more for me, so there was a lot of time that I stayed at home while he went out."

"So, what did you do for fun?" Banner asked.

She shrugged and shifted uncomfortably. "Drew, mostly. Went to the movies. Listened to the ball game. Read." He looked up at Barton. "What are you going to do?"

Barton flashed a quick smile. "I'm still a part of SHIELD. If they give me time off, I'll take it. If not, I'll go off to my next mission. But I'm not the man out of time. Seriously, if you could go anywhere, where would you go?"

She closed her eyes a moment and thought. There were so many options, so many places. California and the Grand Canyon and the Gulf Coast. Places she and Bucky had talked about going when they could. Places she'd sworn she would see some day.

But she didn't want to do any of that. Not right now. The world was too big, and she wasn't ready for it.

Really, there was only one thing she really, really wanted to do.

"I'd go see Peggy," she finally said.

"Peggy Carter?" Stark asked.

"Yeah, you know her?" She looked at Stark.

He shrugged. "Yeah. She was around a lot when I was growing up. Worked with my dad. Haven't talked to her in years, though. I can track her down, if you want."

He said it casually, like it was no big deal, but Steve couldn't help the surge of hope that went through her. She'd been feeling so isolated, so cut off from everyone she knew, that the idea that she could talk to someone who knew her was almost overwhelming. In fact, her throat closed a little, and she had to clear it a few times before she could say, "I'd appreciate that. Thanks."

"No problem. It's done." Again, it was said casually, but this time he met Steve's eyes for just a second and they softened slightly. Then, he looked away and the moment was done.

"And, you, Bruce," Stark said. He kicked Banner under the table. "What are your plans for the future? Back to Calcutta?"

Banner took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Right now, I can't see past the next few hours. And in those hours, all I want to do is find a flat surface and collapse. Any ideas?"

"Well. There's a big Loki shaped hole in the middle of my penthouse, but other than that, it might be okay. Anyone else have the same boring plans?"

They all raised their hands. Despite the sleep she'd gotten when she'd passed out, Steve still felt like there was a thousand pound weight attached to her arm. She was exhausted. Now that her hunger was mostly satiated, she was ready to crawl into bed and sleep for the next seventy years.

Tony rolled his eyes. "You are all a bunch of party poopers. All right. Let's wrap this food up and hit the road. We've got a bunch of sleepy kids, and it's definitely nap time."


Steve woke, disoriented and confused. She'd been dreaming that the sky had torn open and aliens poured through. One had gotten Peggy. Steve had tried to chase it but had been knocked down. By the time she'd gotten up, Peggy had been gone. Steve had looked everywhere for her, but couldn't find her. The more she looked, the more aliens surrounded her, pinning her in, encircling her until they'd finally swallowed her up.

And to think, only part of that had been a dream.

She rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes. The events of the previous day flooded back to her. She sorted through them, reviewing the battle, remembering what she'd done and how she'd reacted. She thought about what she could have done better. Ways she could improve.

Not that she ever expected to be in a similar situation again. With any luck, there'd be no more portals, no more alien armies. Still. It didn't hurt to be prepared.

"Captain Rogers," a voice said suddenly.

She bolted upright, clutching the comforter to her chest, and looked wildly around. There was no one in the room with her. "Uh… hello?"

"Hello, Captain Rogers. Mr. Stark asked me to inform you that there is breakfast in the penthouse, and that Director Fury is on his way."

"Um… okay. And you are?"

"I am JARVIS. I am the artificial intelligence that runs Mr. Stark's household."

"Like a computer?"

"Yes."

She nodded. "And, uh, are you like a surveillance system, too? I mean, are there cameras in the room?"

"No, sir. I was, however, monitoring your vitals. The change in your breathing patterns informed me that you were awake."

Okay, that was creepy. But less creepy than there being actual video surveillance. The last thing she needed was Stark having footage of her taking off her binder and sleeping topless, which is what she'd done last night. Last night, she'd been too exhausted to care if someone walked in on her. In fact, her exact thought had been, "Fuck it, let them come."

Today, her thoughts were much less blasé and more of the paranoid variety.

"Okay, I'll be up in about fifteen minutes," she told JARVIS.

"Very good, sir."

She showered quickly and dressed. She only had the uniform, but she was absolutely not putting the top back on. Instead, she put on the pants, her binder, and the undershirt. As dressed as she was willing to get, she went upstairs.

"Morning, Cap," Stark greeted. "Wasn't sure what everyone would want to eat, so I ordered everything. From whatever was open, of course, which, to be honest, isn't much."

Steve looked at the spread of food and smiled. She was starving this morning, and there was enough food to satisfy even her. "Thanks, Mr. Stark."

"Call me Tony. We're like battle buddies now, right? Life and death and all that."

"Okay, Tony." She grabbed a plate and started filling it.

"Oh. By the by, I tracked down Peggy Carter for you. She's in a retirement home in Washington DC."

"What's a retirement home?"

He seemed taken aback for a moment, like he didn't know how to explain. "It's, well. When people get old and can't live on their own anymore, they go to a retirement home. There's doctors and nurses and round the clock care if they need anything."

She frowned. "Like a poorhouse?"

Again, he seemed at a loss for words. "No. Not at all. People of all socioeconomic levels can go to one. The one she's in is pretty upscale, actually. It probably costs a lot to stay there. Top of the line care." He handed her a slip of paper with the name Forest Hills on it and a number.

She folded the paper between her fingers before slipping it into her pocket. "Why's she there? What's wrong with her?"

"She old, for one," Tony said. "I didn't look into her records or anything, but I can easily find out if there's something else going on."

"I just…"

"I can tell what you want to know about Peggy Carter, Cap."

She turned. Fury was walking into the room.

"Why is she in a retirement home? Doesn't she have family to take care of her?"

Fury shook his head. "She does, but they can't. She's sick, Captain. Sicker than they can manage. She's in the home so she can get the care she needs and have someone watching over her to make sure she's safe."

"Safe?"

"She's got a disease called Alzheimer's. It's a form of dementia, messes with your memory. Some days you can remember your life, some days chunks of it are gone. And sometimes, it varies from moment to moment."

Her stomach sank. Peggy was so strong, so vibrant, so brilliant. To have a disease that attacked her mind… how did you fight against something like that? Something that stole away pieces of you until nothing was left?

She sat down on a stool and set her plate aside, suddenly not hungry. "So, she probably won't remember me."

"She still might. From what I understand, right now it's still in its beginning stages. She's lucid most of the time."

"Can I see her?"

"Are you ready to?"

God, was she ever. She was so tired of being the only person she knew who'd lived through the war. Who'd fought Hydra and seen the Red Skull. Who'd known Steve before she was Captain America. She wanted to talk to someone who'd been there.

"Yes," she whispered, feeling like she was fighting back tears. She was tired of being alone.

Fury nodded and gave Steve an almost smile. "Then it can be arranged. I wouldn't recommend hopping on your motorcycle and driving out there today. Give SHIELD time to let her know you're coming."

Anticipation settled in Steve's stomach. Maybe she wasn't going to see Peggy today, but soon. It was happening soon. And if Peggy didn't remember her, well… Steve would just have to remind her. That's all. And even then, at least she'd be with someone she knew. Someone she loved.

It was going to be okay.

Steve was on her third plate of food by the time the rest of the Avengers stumbled into the penthouse. It was nice being able to eat as much as she wanted; it was probably her favorite thing about being in the future. Back during the war, she'd always been hungry. Even with the ration bars Howard Stark made her, there'd always been a hollow hole in her stomach that was never filled. But now… there was food everywhere. She could eat as much as she wanted and there was still more. It was wonderful.

"So," Fury said once everyone was assembled. "The situation is this. The World Security Council isn't happy that the nuke went into space, even though they can't argue with the results. The public loves you, but the politicians aren't sure if this was all your fault or not."

"How can they say an alien invasion was our fault?" Natasha asked.

"It's more of a 'look at the damage, who's responsible' question rather than flat out blaming you. But I was thinking that it'd probably be best if, for the next few weeks, you all laid low and out of the limelight."

"So no interviews and publicity tours," Tony said.

"I know it'll be a sacrifice for you, Stark, but…"

"Well, I'll cancel the press conference then."

"What do you want us to do?" Barton asked.

"Until Loki is off Earth, I'd like you to stay around. Just in case. After that, it's up to you. You're free to do what you want."

Banner cleared his throat. "Free to do what we want. You mean, you're not keeping tabs on us?"

"No more than usual," was Fury's bland response. "But try to keep out of trouble." He looked at Thor. "You'll be leaving Earth?"

"I am ready to take Loki and the Tesseract off Earth as soon as possible," Thor confirmed. "I can use the Tesseract to open a portal that will take us back to Asgard. I only need containment for it." He reached into his armor and pulled out a piece of parchment. "My father drew this before he sent me here."

Tony took it and studied it. "I can build this, no problem."

"How long will it take?" asked Fury.

He shrugged. "Maybe a week. Just to get the materials and assemble it."

"Do it. I want that maniac off my planet as soon as possible."

Tony stood and looked at Banner. "I could use your help. Might make this go faster."

"Yeah, sure." He grabbed a bagel and stood. "Anything to get rid of Loki."

Stark grinned, grabbed a mug of coffee, and the two left.

Fury nodded and looked at the rest. "The three of you should drop by SHIELD at some point. Debrief, get checked out by medical, all that jazz. But other than that, lay low and relax. You deserve some rest. As for you," he turned his attention to Thor, "we'd like to sit down with you and lay some groundwork for the future."

"I shall come as soon as I am done eating," Thor said. He took a large bite out of an apple.

"I'll be waiting. Gentlemen. Romanoff." He turned and left.

Steve let out a long sigh and picked up her coffee. "Debriefing is my least favorite part of being in battle. Well. Losing people is my least favorite part. But debriefing is up there, too."

"Paperwork and talking," Barton said, nodding his head in agreement. "Almost makes you wish the other side won."

"On Asgard, after a battle, we have a feast and recount the glorious deeds that were performed," Thor said. "I take it that is not what a debriefing is."

"Well. We recount what we did during the battle," Romanoff said. "But it's all about keeping records and making sure we did what we were supposed to, not celebrating our glorious deeds. Sometimes there's water, but usually not food."

"Your ways are strange, indeed."

"Stick around, you'll get used to them," Steve said. "I can't imagine it's changed much in the past seventy years."

"I don't know, Cap," Barton said. "There are checklists and forms and routines that you have to go through. They hold committees to determine if you're fit to go back into active service or have to be reassigned. And there's always some antagonistic dick who's convinced that you acted like a jackass in the field and goes after you, questioning every little move."

"So, it's more formal than it used to be," she conceded. "But the idea's the same." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Bucky…" She stopped talking abruptly.

After a moment of silence, Barton said, "Bucky Barnes?"

She cleared her throat. "Yeah," she said hoarsely.

"Who's that?" asked Romanoff.

"My best friend." She cleared her throat again. "He used to wait outside for me to be done. Sometimes late into the night. He'd usually have a sandwich or something waiting for me, to tide me over until we could get a real meal." She picked up her coffee and swallowed a mouthful, forcing it past the lump in her throat. "It was one thing I could look forward to."

There was a moment of silence before Thor said, "May I ask, Captain, what you meant before? About seventy years? I know that mortals are not that long lived. If you were here seventy years ago, you would not be so young. Are you a historian of some kind?"

She laughed and rubbed her eyes again. "No. No, Thor, I, uh…. I've been frozen for the past seventy years. I'm not from this time."

"What purpose did freezing you serve?" Thor sounded aghast.

"It was an accident. No one meant for it to happen. Hell, I was sure I was dying and then, the next thing I know, I woke up here. Well, at SHIELD, but, you know. In the future."

"Captain…"

"Steve. Please, call me Steve."

"Steve, it sounds like yours is a worthy tale to tell. I would love to hear it."

"The whole thing, or just the part where I got frozen? Because I only survived because I was part of an experiment. And that goes back even further."

Thor grinned. "Please. Tell me your tale. The whole thing."

"I'd like to hear it, too," Barton said.

She turned the coffee mug around in her hands and nodded. "Well, it started when I tried to enlist in the Army. For the fifth time. See, there was a war going on, and I wanted to be a part of it, only I was too small and sickly."

"But you're the epitome of health."

"Now I am. Just let me tell the story, okay?"

Thor held up his hands, placating. "I'm sorry, Steve. Please continue. I will listen without interrupting."

"Good." She took another sip of coffee and then launched back into her story. She only left a few minor details out.