Good Evening and Happy New Year to all my lovely readers! I've got some exciting news; I am 2 chapters away from finishing Part One of this story! While this doesn't seem like a big deal to you guys, it'll be the first time I've finished a project within a decent amount of time (about 2 months, but I've been plotting all four parts since last summer). So anyway, I'll probably get all of Part One: About a Girl completely published by the end of January.

Thank you to all of the new Follows and Favorites from thatssoannie, Elizabetch, and downcameablackbird. An extra special triple axel thank you to my first two reviewers, Ryvr and Guest! Thank you and I appreciate hearing your thoughts!

Onto chapter four!


Eliza Stark sat watching the grey sky pour down a late spring rain on her fellow New Yorkers from the safety of a warm coffee shop.

A neatly-dressed couple dashed across the street, the man shielding his partner with his jacket. Eliza smiled at his chivalry before returning to the pile of books and glowing laptop in front of her. The powerpoint wasn't going to assemble itself.

"More coffee for you, Miss Stark?" a gangly college hipster asked, pointing to her empty mug with a carafe.

"Yes, thanks," She said absentmindedly. For some reason focus eluded her today, but she wanted to write, to continue with her second novel instead of the powerpoint for the years 2000 to the present day she'd been attempting all morning. That would make my publisher's day, she thought bitterly as she stirred some cream into her coffee.

"More for you, Mister Agyeman?" the kid asked Ray, her bodyguard, who was sitting across from her reading a newspaper.

The large man let out a deep laugh, "No thanks, kid. If I have anymore I'm likely to vibrate right outta my seat!"

So far, it was an average day in the life of Eliza Stark. Since she hadn't had one of those in a while, it was quite a nice experience.

"Excuse me?" a small voice asked from in front of them. Eliza turned her head and saw a girl, about fourteen, standing nervously in front of her. A pair of girls around the same age were giggling at a table not too far behind her. Ray stayed relaxed, but the girl still seemed nervous as Ray watched her from behind the paper. Eliza could understand, Ray was rather intimidating.

"Yes?" Eliza asked with a smile.

"A-are you Eliza Stark? The one who wrote Cannon Falls?" The girl asked, producing a copy of the book from the messenger bag at her side.

"I am indeed. Would you like me to sign your copy?" Eliza was no stranger to being approached by fans. While her older brother loved media attention, she kept out of the spotlight. The paparazzi had lost interest in her when they realized she opted out of parties.

However, that didn't stop the occasional fan from recognizing her and asking for an autograph. In truth, Eliza didn't mind at all. She wasn't one who thrived off of media attention like her brother did, but she did appreciate recognition of her genius.

The girl nodded enthusiastically. Eliza took out her pen and grabbed the girl's copy, listening to her go on and on about how it was her favorite book and she loved the characters and whatnot.

The girl revealed her name was Cecilia and she wanted to be a nurse, just like the main female character and how much she admired Captain Cannon, the cavalier super soldier protagonist.

'To Cecilia, enjoy your coffee! – Eliza Stark' she wrote quickly, giving the book back to the girl with a wide smile and a genuine thank-you.

Cecilia opened her book and read the inscription, giggling like mad.

"It was nice to meet you, Cecilia." Eliza said, dismissing the girl politely.

But Cecilia wasn't done. She stood there awkwardly, shifting her feet, "Um…There's one more thing."

"And that is…?" Eliza asked, aware of how red Sharon's cheeks had gotten.

"CanIhaveyourbrother'sphonenumber?" the girl blurted, and her companions at the table not too far away couldn't manage to stifle their giggles. Ray also let out a large, loud laugh that filled the restaurant.

Eliza smirked at their youthful silliness; "My dear, you and your friends are about fifteen years too young for Tony. But I'll tell him you said hi."

Sharon let out a large breath, clearly relieved at Eliza's answer, "Thanks, Miss Stark."

"Anytime."

Out of the corner of her eye, Eliza watched the girl go back to her friends and the three of them vacate the coffee shop. Going back to her laptop, she was a little thankful for the intrusion. Perhaps it would help her focus a bit better.

"Cute kid," Ray commented and Eliza hummed her agreement.

Five minutes later, she'd abandoned all hope of focusing. Ray went back to his paper. Opening her financial accounts, she figured trading some stocks around would help distract her. An email notification popped up and her friend Namir had sent her a cat video; she happily shared it with Ray who had a secret soft spot for animals. She chuckled at her bodyguard's reaction and took a sip of coffee as her phone buzzed in her pocket. Her brother's face flashed on the screen and she answered.

"Speak of the devil." She greeted.

"Hello to you too, little sister. How's the scribbling going?" he asked in a teasing tone and she rolled her eyes. Tony had never liked that she applied her Stark Smarts to the humanities, eschewing the twin pillars of the family business, Science and Technology.

"It's great. You should join me!" she mocked.

"Yeah, right, cuz I need more shit written about me. Anyway, I'm having a little fundraising shindig for the reconstruction effort tonight, I was wondering if you wanted to come."

Eliza leaned back in her chair. "Oh you were, were you?"

"Okay, it was Pepper's idea to invite you. But notice how I'm the one who actually called you. Very big brother-ly of me, huh?"

"Sure, uh-huh," she said sardonically. "Would I have to bring a date? Cuz I don't think I can find one this late."

"Oh please, open the phone book and pick a random guy; I'm sure he'd be thrilled to escort you," Tony explained simply. "But no, you can stag this one if you want."

"Where and what time?" she asked.

"Seven o'clock at the tower. Party deck."

"What's the attire?"

"Look pretty. Wear clothes. Maybe something slutty if you wanna get laid."

"Not helpful."

Jarvis interrupted, "Black tie, Miss Stark. And since this is a gala, I would suggest you leave the jeans and ratty sweatshirts at home."

"So my t-shirt with the rhinestone penis on it is a no-no?" She teased the AI. She could hear Tony laughing in the background. Ray quirked an eyebrow from across the table and smiled to himself.

"That shirt is always inadvisable, Miss Stark." The stuffy British accent said and she laughed.

"Shall I meet you there?" she asked Tony.

"I'll have Happy pick you up outside your place. Six-thirty. See you tonight!" Tony said, ending the call. Eliza rolled her eyes and reached for her coffee, taking a long pull before reaching down into her open messenger bag. It had been too long since she'd been to a party, much less a gala.

She told Ray of the plan and he responded with, "Sounds like fun. I'll probably go visit Damon then. He got on the honor roll at school, and I've been meaning to take him out to celebrate."

"Want me to make a phone call? I could get you in pretty much anywhere," Eliza offered, knowing how much pride Ray took in his son's academic achievements.

Ray smiled his gargantuan smile, "I think we're gonna go to his favorite deli in Harlem, but thank you for the offer."

"Miss Stark," a deep voice said from much too close a proximity for Eliza's comfort. Ray was immediately on his feet and placing himself in between Eliza and the voice.

She looked up and a tall man with a black trench coat and eye patch stood above her, his one good eye staring her down around Ray's shoulder. Eliza sat upright again and nodded.

"It's...okay, Ray," she said and Ray stepped down, but kept a hand lurking next to the taser he had hidden in his suit jacket.

"Who's asking?" she asked of the man as he presumptuously took the seat between her and Ray.

"My name is Nick Fury. I work for – "

"Oh, I know who you are, Mr. Fury," While she didn't know the face, she knew the name. "My brother told me about you. What brings you to the Lower West Side?" she queried.

"Straight to the point, then," he said. Ray tensed as the other man extracted a folder from inside his leather jacket and passed it to her. "We've been keeping a close eye on you since the battle. Security reasons, you know."

Eliza bristled as she took the folder and opened it, her eyebrows shooting up to her hairline when she saw the pictures of her and Steve walking to her house. Pictures following her and Ray on her errands about town. Perhaps the most damning were several photos of Steve arriving and departing her house, both of the subjects looking more starry-eyed with each photo.

"Are you for real?" She hissed, ire rising in her chest. How dare they spy on her? She lowered her voice to make sure she wasn't overheard, "What, exactly, gives you the right to spy on me at my own house?"

"As shocking as it is, we tend to keep an eye on any possible threats to our...assets," Fury explained calmly, his good eye laser-focused and empty.

"Threats? To an asset? The hell could you possibly mean by that?"

"I think it's pretty damn clear what I mean," Fury growled, tapping the photos that she had now placed flat on the table.

"I still don't follow." That wasn't true. Eliza was exceptionally perceptive, and knew exactly what he meant. But she wanted to hear him say it.

"We have reason to believe you are romantically involved with Captain Rogers," he said, keeping his voice low, "Which could prove traumatic for him in this new time period. He's still adjusting to a lot of things, Miss Stark, we don't need him becoming compromised."

It was all she could do to keep from laughing, "You…think I'll compromise him? Break his heart and make him useless to you?"

"Yes."

"Well then I hate to disappoint you, Director, but Steve and I are just friends. In fact, I've been helping him adjust to this new time period, catching him up on the events of the last sixty years which, incidentally, SHIELD didn't do, so I offered to pick up the slack!" She was more than a little pissed at the secret organization because of their dealings with Tony, and now their director was calling her a whore? She couldn't let that fly. "And yes, we've become friends during these sessions but we are not dating or sleeping together or whatever else you think we're doing."

If Fury thought she was lying to him, he didn't give anything away on his face. "You sure you're just friends?" He asked, stressing the last two words.

"Yes," Eliza confirmed, "Just friends."

The man rose to his feet and collected the file from the table and eyeing her down, "Make sure it stays that way. I wouldn't be pleased to hear otherwise, you understand?"

Eliza nodded, not enjoying the cryptic warning he'd just issued.

And with that, he was gone just as quickly as he'd arrived. If not for the lump in her throat and a tense bodyguard, she wouldn't have known he had been there at all. Not wanting to luxuriate in the coffee shop any longer, she packed up her things quickly, but not so quick as to raise suspicion, and left a too-generous tip under her coffee mug before quitting the establishment, Ray following right behind her.


For the rest of the afternoon, Eliza prepared herself for Tony's gala. She showered, made sure her little black dress wasn't wrinkled, and went digging in her closet for her favorite pair of Louboutins.

As much as she tried to push the confrontation with Fury out of her mind, she couldn't help the questions from forming - a new one every few seconds.

Why was he so invested in Steve's personal life? Did he think she was actually a danger to a super soldier? Why had he approached her now, after nearly three weeks, instead of talking directly to Steve and telling him not to get attached? Had he approached her because Steve had ignored the warning? And did that mean - ?

Her doorbell rang as she was putting the finishing touches on her makeup. Ray answered the door and she could hear Happy's voice from three floors up. As an afterthought, she spritzed some perfume she'd bought for herself on her last trip to Paris.

She glanced in the mirror one last time, deemed herself perfect, and descended the stairs. Happy escorted her out to the waiting towncar and she could tell that he was trying not to stare. Oh yeah, she looked damn good tonight.

The party was in full swing by the time she arrived and of course Tony was nowhere to be found. She wondered briefly if he was pulling a Jay Gatsby, but caught a glimpse of him and Pepper from across the room. He raised his champagne glass at her, but made no move toward her.

"Gin and tonic, please," she ordered from the bartender. Leaning against the bar, she suddenly remembered why she opted out of these types of thing. Looking around confirmed that she knew no one there. She did catch sight of a curly-haired scientist in the far corner and, accepting her drink from the bartender, walked over to him.

"Dr. Banner, right?" she asked as she approached. The man blinked at her in surprise, but recognition flashed across his face.

"Uh-yeah, yeah, that's me. You're Tony's sister, Eliza?"

"Indeed I am. Tony's mentioned how instrumental some of your research will be to our future endeavors so I thought I'd come over and say hi," she explained. In reality, Tony had gone on and on about how amazing the doctor's work was and all the possibilities it brought up until it made Eliza scream that he should just propose to Banner already, so it wasn't exactly a lie on her part.

The doctor nodded, pointing at her with his drink-holding hand, "Yeah, he's mentioned you too. So how'd he drag you to this thing?"

"He didn't have to drag me. Getting all dolled up like this reminds me how much I hate these things, and I was due for a reminder."

"Not a party person?"

"Not really," she said, catching sight of a familiar redhead stalking toward them. The woman's green gaze focused on the doctor.

"Miss Stark, Doctor Banner," she greeted in her silky, unaccented voice.

"Zdravstvuite, Natasha," Eliza greeted coldly, flicking her eyes over the rest of the party. Of the Avengers she wasn't related to, she'd known Natasha the longest. However, their acquaintance got off to a rocky start when the Black Widow posed as Tony's assistant a few years back to keep tabs on him for Fury. Her presence raised Eliza's hackles, so she didn't stick around past the pleasantries before excusing herself to get another drink. A twelve piece band had set up in the far corner and started playing an upbeat jazz tune.

A bunch of A-listers and their dates started dancing, and Eliza noticed a silent auction set up in the far corner. It was all big ticket items, including a yacht, a week on Tony's private island in the Caribbean, and a home-sized arc reactor - including personal set up by the man himself. Eliza bid on a signed replica of Prince's Purple Rain motorcycle. She doubted the thing ran, but if she could get it up and running it would sell for triple what her bid was.

"Shoulda known I'd find you by the motorcycle," a familiar voice said from behind her and she turned, coming face to face with Steve. His black suit fit him perfectly, but it seemed that he was feeling a little out of place. Not surprising, and incredibly endearing.

"Steve! I didn't know you were going to be here," she said, hugging him briefly and trying to control the smile on her face.

"Likewise," he admitted, "You look incredible tonight."

She thanked him and brushed his lapels, "You too. Who knew you'd look just as good in a regular suit as you do in the spangly one?"

Steve chuckled, "Your brother, apparently. This just showed up at my door this afternoon and Jarvis told me to put it on."

"Oh right! You live here now," she pointed out. That was why they had foregone their lesson that day and the previous one - so Steve could move his stuff and settle into the apartment Tony had for him in the Avengers Tower. Apparently, he'd remade a bunch of floors into apartments for the team, but so far only Steve and Bruce had moved in. "How's that going?"

"It's good. Nice to have my own space, you know?"

"Yeah, definitely. Do you want to go out on the terrace? It's kind of stuffy in here," she suggested, motioning to the doors.

"Sure," Steve said, offering her his arm. Eliza took it and fell in step beside him, biting her lower lip to keep the goofy smile at bay. She was a little giddy - a gorgeous man at her side, two gin and tonics in her system, and the beauty of the lights in the city. They stood by the railing and enjoyed the view in silence for a bit as other couples milled about.

"I really enjoy this," she said, still looking out on the city.

Steve turned to her, "Enjoy what?"

Eliza opened her mouth to speak, but Fury's warning flashed in her mind. She was going to say that she liked being comfortable enough with Steve so she didn't have to talk - they could just enjoy each other's company.

"Uh-the view!" she covered, not missing the flicker of disappointment on his face. "Tony picked a good spot for the tower. What are you drinking? I'll get you another." The words tumbled out of her mouth quickly, and she hoped he didn't sense what she was desperately trying to hide.

She liked him. Romantically. Just like Fury thought she did. And if there was one person whose crosshairs she didn't want to be in, it was Nick Fury's.

"Old fashioned," Steve said, passing her the glass. She didn't pause to make a joke about how an old-fashioned man was drinking an old fashioned before heading to the bar.

As she walked away, Steve grabbed her elbow. "Is everything okay? You seem a little edgy."

Eliza smiled, knowing how fake it must've looked, "Yeah, I'm fine. I wish I was at home in my pajamas right now, but otherwise I'm fine."

"Do you wanna go back inside? We could, I don't know...we could dance? If you'd like," he asked bashfully, dropping her arm and shoving his hands in his pants pockets.

"Dance?"


Steve had no idea what possessed him to ask Eliza to dance. Something in the way her dreamy demeanor had changed so quickly, how he'd seen her jerkily reach for the glass in his hand, and he had wanted to help her relax.

"Dance?" she asked, large hazel eyes looking at him for clarification as she tilted her head a bit.

He didn't answer; he reached down, grabbed her hand, and led her gently inside. The band played a slow song with a melody he didn't recognize - but that was nothing new. When his feet his the dance floor he turned to Eliza. She still looked a little confused, but she complied and put a hand on his shoulder.

He started swaying and only then did he remember that he had never danced before in his life. Well, not with a partner, anyway. A red flush crept its way into his cheeks and he leaned down to whisper in Eliza's ear.

"I've never done this before," he admitted. Her face turned toward his and they were inches apart.

"From my understanding we just sway in a circle until the music stops."

Her hazel eyes twinkled in the light, the laughter returning there and making something in Steve's chest stutter. She did look amazing tonight; her black dress fit every curve and her hair was curled at the ends, adding to her dreamy appearance. They continued swaying to the music and Eliza hummed along.

"You know this song?"

She hummed her affirmation, "It's one of my favorites. I'll play it for you next time you're over."

He was caught up in the moment, actually enjoying himself in this new time period. That only ever seemed to happen when Eliza was around. Their sessions had proven invaluable to him in more ways than one, and he could say without a doubt that without them he would've sunk into the depths of his despair.

He let himself relax, focus on guiding Eliza in a small circle. Quite unexpectedly, she leaned her head against his shoulder and Steve felt a shock go through him.

"I'm gonna have to rain check,"

"I had a date…"

He shouldn't be here. Not in this time period, not in this place, not dancing. His broken promise ricocheted around the room, taunting him, poking at the deepest parts of his melancholy and unleashing them.

Peggy's brown eyes, her dark victory curls, that red dress. A question, a kiss, a photo in a compass.

Steve stepped back from Eliza - the room suddenly feeling very small. Lack of oxygen. He had to get out. She caught herself and looked at him, concern etched between her knitted brows.

"Steve? You okay?"

"I...I gotta go. Sorry," he excused, his heart pounding in his chest and palms sweating like mad. He didn't stop until he got to his room, twelve floors down.

Eliza could only stand there and wonder why as she watched his broad shoulders cut through the crowd to the elevator.


The sooner you review, the sooner you get another chapter!

XOXO, Meghan