I only own Evelyn and anything you see here that is not owned by Marvel and/or Captain America.
A lot of apologies are in order. I'm sorry, this chapter is shorter than the others but I wanted to separate the two. This is basically the end of the first Captain America movie.
Next, I am not abandoning this story. Please don't think that because of my not so frequent updates. This story just grew out of nowhere for me, and now that I am getting to where I can express more creativity with it, I am updating a little slower than I was before because everything was movie based. I am not losing interest, just doing more deeper plotting. Another reason I was hesitant with updating was the emotion of this chapter and what is to come next. Bucky 'died' and Steve will too. We know that's not the end, but it's still an emotional ride.
Thank you A. for your amazing review and no longer being a "silent reader." I'mso very glad I got to hear your voice and hopefully this note clears up a few things for you :D
A side note, I just saw Civil War and ASDFJKL! Dat airport scene doe! The feels!
Now that this note is almost the length of the story it's for...continue...
It was well past dark when Evelyn finally removed herself from her bed, Bucky's jacket wrapped tightly around her. With a heavy heart, she made her way over to the pub where Bucky had proposed to her. Due to the war, the place had been bombed and it was mostly ruins. A former shell of the place it had once been, memories wrapped inside.
Evelyn treaded carefully though the debris and made her way over to Steve, who sat alone at a table across from the blackened bar. If he saw or heard her, he didn't acknowledge her. He was focused on a glass of hard liquor, a million miles away in his thoughts and sorrows.
Evelyn numbly grabbed the long neck bottle, and downed a few mouthfuls of the bitter liquid. It burned like fire down her throat, catching her breath. To her credit, she did not cough. Slamming the bottle down, she reached to the bar, extracting a glass, and took a seat across from Steve. Her brain was starting to fog, her misery dissipating. This was exactly what she needed. She was thankful she didn't partake in alcohol often so she could succumb easy.
Evelyn poured a full cup and downed half, inebriation taking hold.
"He really loved you, you know," Steve said softly. Evelyn jumped in surprise, she had almost forgot he was there. Her hand rested over the rim of her cup, her whisky, red rimed eyes gazed into the glass. Not really seeing, just looking.
"Before every mission," Steve said, "He would always say, 'Steve, if I don't make it back, tell her I love her'".
Evelyn's heart broke all over. A few tears leaked down her cheeks. She just shot the rest of her glass and poured her another one.
"He really had for a long time too."
"Steve please stop," Evelyn pleaded softly.
"You should know Evelyn."
Evelyn slowly sipped her drink this time. Her head was swimmingly pleasantly. She focused more on that than Steve. It didn't stop the few tears from escaping. Evelyn slouched ungracefully in her seat, her head lolling to the side. She continued to play with her glass.
"He never bedded those girls because of you. It was only to make you jealous. He really just wanted your attention." Steve looked at her heartbreakingly.
"It started when we met," Steve licked his lips. "When I was getting beat up, you punched that guy in the nose."
Evelyn snorted in her glass, mid drink.
"I didn't know what I was doing, I just wanted him to stop," Evelyn admitted.
"Well when you left, Bucky, who had seen the whole thing, asked about you constantly."
"He saw you getting beat up and didn't help you? What a punk," Evelyn smiled softly.
"He was on his way," Steve defended. "But he never stopped asking about you."
"Yeah and then when I finally met him for the first time," Evelyn laughed, "the first thing he said to me was, 'are you as good in bed as you are punching men?'"
"And you turned right back around and left," Steve laughed wholeheartedly.
"Who says that to someone they just meet," Evelyn cried in good humor. They shared a good laugh together.
"He was actually embarrassed after he said it," Steve admitted. "I asked him about it and he said he panicked. He had no idea what he was going to say to you, but that probably wasn't it."
The pair of friend laughed once more in remembrance. Evelyn poured another drink for herself. She was well beyond drunk at this point.
"I was so ecstatic to hear that he had finally proposed to you though," Steve whispered. Evelyn's sadness returned full force. Her heart skipped a beat. "My two best friends, tying the knot together."
"Yeah," Evelyn said sullenly molding in with the chair, releasing a great sigh.
Steve reached down and pulled something from his pocket.
"He gave these to me before every mission," He said placing the metal chain on the table in front of Evelyn. "I never understood it. He wouldn't tell me."
Evelyn traced Bucky's name in the dog tags with the tip of her index finger. 'James Buchanan Barnes'.
"He was going to give me these instead of a ring," Evelyn murmured. "He tried to before the last mission, I didn't think he had already decided he was going to give me these all along."
"You should keep them then."
Evelyn only nodded, continuing to trace the information inscribed on the tags.
It was silent again between the friends, both basking in the memory of their fallen friend.
Another set of footsteps broke the reprieve. Steve looked over his shoulder, Evelyn didn't look away from the dog tags. Steve sniffed before reaching and pouring himself another drink.
"Dr. Erskine said that the serum wouldn't just affect my muscles, it would affect my cells."
"It creates a protective system of regeneration and healing," Evelyn mumbled.
"Which means," Steve shook his head, "I can't get drunk."
This didn't stop him from taking a huge drink anyway.
"You metabolism," Peggy said pulling up a stool between them, "burns four times faster than the average person. He though it could be one of the side effects."
"Which means it sucks to be you right now," Evelyn snidely remarked.
"Stark is rubbing off on you too much," Peggy bit out looking her Evelyn in slight disgust and pity. Evelyn shrugged, the motion making her dizzy and sway.
"It wasn't your fault," Peggy said softly to Steve.
"Did you read the report?"
"Yes," Peggy nodded once.
"Then you know that's not true," Steve said bitterly.
"You did everything you could," Peggy reassured. "Did you believe in your friend? It your fiancé?
Evelyn and Steve looked at Peggy in mixed emotion. Confusion, anger, despair, to name a few.
"Did you respect him," Peggy continued. "Stop blaming yourself. Stop wallowing in misery. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damned well must have thought you were worth it."
Peggy addressed Evelyn directly.
"And him to ask for your hand alone, you must have meant the world to him. And this is how you honor him."
Evelyn looked away in shame.
"I'm going after Schmidt," Steve declared. "I'm not going to stop until all of Hydra is dead or captured."
"You won't be alone," Evelyn whispered softly emptying her last glass. After a few beats of silence, Peggy left. It was just the friend again.
"I don't envy you right now," Steve said slightly grinning.
"Oh, and why is that?"
"You are defiantly going to feel that hangover in the morning."
It was late afternoon the next day. Evelyn's face was buried into the porcelain throne.
"Asshole Rogers," Evelyn moaned in pain, her forehead rested on her forearms. She had thrown up all of yesterday's meals, not that she had much to begin with. Dry heaving was a bitch.
Steve had walked her back to her room shortly after Peggy had left, the bottle of alcohol between them had emptied.
"I am never drinking again," Evelyn rolled on her back on the cold tiled floor, draping and arm over her eyes. Her face was fevered, her whole body covered in sweat. She was thankful she didn't turn the lights on, and found her way to the toilet. Her stomach ached and pulsed in pain from the dry heaving.
It was late evening before she crawled from her bathroom. The sunset bathed the room in a deep orange. Evelyn's eyes narrowed at the intrusion. It was too damn bright for her right now. Glancing around the room, her eyes caught a green journal lying on her bedside. Evelyn wracked her brain, trying to remember when she started it. She massaged her forehead before actually picking the journal up. Immediately she threw it down. In her drunken stupor last night, she had recreated Erskine's serum.
Evelyn locked the offending article in the stand beside her bed, and backed away. Dr. Erskine trusted her with that knowledge as a means of keeping the peace. In her drunken state, she recreated it for a means of revenge. God, she was so ashamed of herself. The good doctor would have been too. Evelyn slid down the wall opposite of the locked stand, her gaze never wavering.
Dr. Erskine would have been heartbroken to see the vengeful thoughts swimming in her head.
Howard found Evelyn simultaneously doodling in a notebook and tinkering with Steve's motorbike.
"Normal people are usually asleep at this hour," Howard startled the girl. Evelyn shrieked, dropping her pen and wrench.
"In the morning, what are you doing Evelyn?"
"I could ask you the same thing," Evelyn replied, closing the notebook, turning her full attention to the machine.
"Thinking about the HYDRA attack," Howard asked. He busied himself with nothing in particular.
"What HYDRA attack," Evelyn asked wiping her hands on a grease rag. Howard looked at her thoughtfully.
"That's right you weren't there last night."
"What's going on," Evelyn persisted taking a seat.
"You're friend Steve is going to get us all killed."
Howard saw her visibly tense.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"
Evelyn held up a hand in protest of his explanation.
"What all did I miss," Evelyn asked.
"Steve, suggested going head first into HYDRA's last Alps base. Philips liked it. Steve gets caught, H.C. breaks through the glass, and we attack."
"We?"
"Agent Carter has deemed you worthy for field work," Stark said. Evelyn paled considerably.
"I'm not in the army though," she protested.
"You kind of are. We are kind of employed with them."
"Christ Stark, I can't go out there," Evelyn cried. "I'm a lost cause."
"Hey," Howard placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. You're going to be ok. I promise. Just..." Howard sighed deeply. "Do it for Barnes."
Evelyn's muddy eyes hardened, a fire begin to burn deeply inside her. She nodded fiercely.
The lab doors busted open. Speak of the devil and she shall appear.
"Agent Archer," Peggy said, her hands on her hips. "Suit up. We have a HYDRA base to disassemble."
"Yes ma'am," Evelyn scrambled to her feet, grabbing her green journal, clutching it tightly.