A/N: And here we go with another chapter. I know you were all doubting me, and quite rightly so, but here I am. Lol

I must confess I've lied to you though, this isn't going to be the last chapter. I've got one more I'm almost done with to wrap this puppy up. Eleven is a weird number of chapters to end on but what are you gonna do, right? Thank you one and all for your patience with me and this story and as we wrap this puppy up, I hope it all ultimately makes sense to you.

Fingers crossed…

CHAPTER TEN

"Watch out, the lid of the salt is loose."

Steve started and grimaced as this evening started over for him yet again. "Damn it," he growled, putting the salt back down on the table a little too hard.

Sandy looked at him in surprise from behind her thick glasses. "It's okay, you didn't ruin your meal."

Steve gave a short shake of his head. "I really thought I had it this time."

"Had what?"

"Stopped this night from repeating," said Steve grimly.

Sandy frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Steve took a deep breath and explained yet again what was happening to him.

Sandy sat back in her chair and looked at him seriously when he was done. "Okay," she said at last.

"You're not going to say that isn't possible?" he asked with a little surprise.

"No," she said slowly, "it feels like… it all feels so familiar, like we've done this before."

"We have done this before," said Steve tightly, "a lot." His brows knitted together. "But this is the first time you've even come close to remembering it."

"It must have something to do with that ripple effect thing," said Sandy unevenly. "When the ripples fan out they eventually run into each other, even though they've lost a lot of their energy. Maybe fragments of each of your attempts at tonight are starting to bleed into the next."

Steve immediately thought of Olivia dying, and of Happy and Tony's deaths. He didn't like the sound of that. "Jarvis."

"Yes, Captain?"

"Find me the owner of an orange corvette in New York."

"Sir?"

"Just do it." Steve knew it was a stab in the dark but if the car was registered to New York, they might have another piece of this jigsaw puzzle to work with.

"Who are you talking to?"

"Jarvis, he's a supercomputer and I've got this communicator to him embedded in me, courtesy of Tony Stark. All of the Avengers have them."

"Even the big green one?" asked Sandy, eyes going wide.

"Yes, even him."

"How did you manage that?"

"Carefully… and we kind of are on good terms with his… umm… handler, I guess you could say." Tony didn't know if Bruce would appreciate that name but it was hard to come up with a term to explain the situation between the physicist and the Hulk.

"Sir, I have the information you require."

"Go."

"Douglas Fairweather."

"Do you have an address?"

"Yes." Jarvis gave Steve an address outside of Little China.

Steve looked at Sandy intently. "Do you know that name?"

She shook her head. "No. I've never heard of him."

"He's tied up in this somehow," said Steve in agitation. "Everything seems to be focused around him. This Fairweather guy causes the explosion, one way or the other. Or at least, causes someone to die."

"I've really never heard of the man."

"What about the address, 44th and Main?" pushed Steve. "Everything seems to start from there. That's the furthest back this time jump ever goes."

"44th and Main?" Sandy repeated, looking to be thinking hard. "No, that doesn't ring a bell either. I don't think I've ever been around that part of town. What's there?"

"Jarvis, list what's on the 44th and Main," said Steve quickly. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Time was running out yet again. He needed to get as much information as he could going into the next jump.

"Pedro's Pizza Place, a shop front for lease, Carlyle's Dry Cleaners…" Jarvis went on to list all the buildings in that area.

When he was done Sandy still shook her head. "No, I've never used or head of any of those places."

"There must be some kind of link," said Steve in frustration. "Something you're meant to see or know about all this. The dreams started with you, they have to end with you."

"I'm sorry, Steve but none of that is familiar to me. I don't know Douglas Fairweather and I've never been to 44th and Main," said Sandy unhappily.

"It's okay," said Steve, not wanting to upset her, "we'll figure this out. It's just like doing a crossword and working out a difficult word. We just have to fill in enough of the other letters to give us a clue as to what that last word is."

Sandy wrinkled her nose. "I hate crosswords."

"Yeah, me too but it seems like we're not being given a choice in this one." He glanced at his watch. "Another minute to go. You ready for this?"

"Are you ever ready?" she countered unsteadily.

"No," he admitted. "I don't think dying is something you ever get used to, no matter how many times you do it." Steve rolled his eyes. "Such a weird thing to say."

"Even weirder to actually have it keep happening to you," said Sandy shakily. She frowned. "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?"

"I caused all of this. I'm putting you through this whole nightmare."

"You didn't cause this, you're just as caught up it in as I am and you've been suffering a whole lot longer with it," said Steve firmly. "You're not the bad guy in this story, Sandy, so I don't want you thinking that way."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked faintly. "You don't know me."

"Actually, I feel like I know you pretty well." Steve gave a lopsided smile. "This is about our twenty-ninth date, after all. I've gone on more dates with you than my actual girlfriend."

Sandy gave choked laugh. "That's so weird."

"That pretty much sums up my life," said Steve wryly.

"You and Olivia deserve to be really happy together," said Sandy emotionally. "Olivia is a really kind and understanding person."

"Yes, she is," said Steve without hesitation and then he gave a little frown. "Did I tell you that in one of your dreams?"

Sandy looked momentarily confused. "I don't know… I feel like… I feel like I've talked to her somehow, like I know that firsthand."

Steve was a little taken aback but there was no more time.

Sandy grabbed his hand as the clock came up to 8:08. "Don't leave me," she said urgently.

Steve knew that the closer he jumped into a time line to the actual explosion time, the more likely it was to go off at the appointed time. He put his hand over the top of hers and gave her a reassuring smile. "I won't," said Steve calmly, holding her gaze right up until that now familiar roar filled his ears, the ground shaking under their feet and then the explosion was tearing through the building and him…

#

Six jumps later Steve found himself sitting across from Sandy yet again. He let out a stifled groan and dropped his head into his hands.

Sandy made a surprised sound. "Are-are you alright, Steve?"

Steve dropped his hands away from a face lined with tension. "I can't get ahead of it," he ground out in frustration. "I can't get ahead of that stupid orange corvette no matter how hard I try."

"I'm sorry?"

"I need to be at 44th and Main before he gets in that car and drives away but my time line is never long enough," said Steve tightly. "I need to be at 44th and Main otherwise I can't find out what is happening, I can't work out what I'm meant to be stopping." He didn't have it in him to explain this all again to the yet again confused looking Sandy. Steve grimaced. "I'm sorry, Sandy, I really am. I'm trying as hard as I can to fix this. There just isn't enough time."

"To-to get to 44th and Main?" she asked hesitantly, eyeing him warily.

Steve knew he must sound like a madman and he didn't blame her for that look. "Yes. I need to get to 44th and Main in time. That's the key to this whole thing. I just feel it in my gut but this stupid time loop thing won't let me do it." He shook his head in frustration. "There must be a way. I just have to work out what it is that I'm missing, what I'm doing wrong to stop all these people being killed."

"You know," she breathed in wonder. "How do you know?"

Steve looked at her intently. "How do you think I know?"

Sandy blinked a couple of times. "You… you've done this all before," she said incredulously. "You keep repeating tonight."

"That's the first time I haven't had to tell you," said Steve approvingly. "That's the first time you've remembered by yourself."

"Is-is that good?" she asked hesitantly.

Steve was honest with the young woman. "I have no idea." He gave a little shrug. "All I know is that there is something that happens at 44th and Main that I have to be there for. I just have to work out how."

Sandy looked at the clock. "It's time."

"I know." Steve grabbed her hand. "Be brave. It'll be over quickly."

She squeezed his hand back. "I'm scared."

"Don't be. I'm here." And then the world exploded around them.

#

Sandy went to get out of the limousine but almost stumbled as she did, a roaring in her ears unbalancing her.

The older woman waiting outside the limo grabbed her arm. "Careful, dear, we don't need any accidents tonight."

Sandy looked up at the woman who'd introduced herself as Jan.

Jan smiled down at her. "Smile, honey, this is meant to be a fun night for Captain America's number one fan."

Sandy stared at her, feeling her head spin. "I-I've done this before," she rasped.

"What fallen?" Jan tutted. "Well, just try and stay upright for the publicity photos, hon, that's all I ask." She reached into the large, stylish handbag she was holding. "And one other thing, you just need to sign these wavers saying that all images and interviews from tonight remain the property of Reynolds Inc. They're the publishers of the Girlfriend magazine." Jan fished out a series of paper and a pen and shoved them at Sandy. "It's your standard contractual stuff," she said breezily. "Just have a little read and sign on the bottom, there's a good girl and in return you get a date with the hunky Captain Rogers and exclusive use of this limousine until midnight." Jan winked at her. "Not too bad of a deal, hmm? I know if I was a couple of years younger I'd be jostling for position with that man." She cocked her head. "Although technically he's much older than me, so that gets a bit confusing." Jan shook her head. "But you know what I mean." She looked at Sandy who had been signing the contract as she'd babbled on. "All done, Cassandra?"

"I prefer Sandy," she said numbly, handing back the papers and pen.

"Cassandra looks better in print." Jan took the contract and glanced down at it and then gave her an unimpressed look. "Is this some kind of young person's humor, because if it is, I just don't get it."

Sandy looked at her blankly. "What do you mean?"

Jan handed her the contract back and Sandy was shocked to see that rather than sign her name, she'd written '44th and Main' over and over again. "Oh."

"Never mind, I printed up more than one," said Jan in exasperation. "Always be prepared, that's my motto." She grabbed another copy of the contract and handed them to Sandy.

Sandy managed to sign her name this time and then Jan was whisking the papers away.

"Fabulous, that's the paperwork all done. Now, let me find out what is happening with your date. He's running late and no one runs late for a Jan Vanderling organized event. It's a matter of professional pride. I don't care if he is Captain America and gorgeous." With that Jan swept past Sandy in a jangle of bracelets and expensive perfume.

Sandy stood there for a moment, trying to work out what was going on. Something was different this time. It wasn't like her dream. What was happening to her? She slowly walked around to the other side of the limousine where the driver was still sitting behind the wheel. Sandy knocked on the window and he dutifully lowered the heavily tinted glass.

"Yes?"

"I need you to take me somewhere."

The driver blinked. "Ahh…"

"I just signed a contract which said that this limo was mine up until midnight," said Sandy. "And I want you to drive me somewhere."

"I don't think Ms. Vanderling would want me to—"

"I signed a contract," said Sandy stubbornly. She walked around and climbed into the back seat. "So, please, just drive."

"I'm not going to get fired for this, am I?" asked the driver hesitantly.

"No. I'm saving your life."

"You are?"

"Trust me. You don't want to be anywhere near here tonight."

The driver sighed. "Okay, you're the boss." He started up the car and pulled away from the curb.

#

Steve practically bolted out of the bathroom, nearly mowing Olivia down.

"I think you should wear the blue… oh!" Olivia stopped short in surprise as Steve grabbed her shoulders.

"Olivia, I don't have time to explain but you need to stay here until I come back," said Steve urgently.

"What's wrong?" she asked in confusion. "What's happened?"

"I'll explain later," said Steve quickly. "Just promise me you'll stay here and not go anywhere."

"Um… okay, I'll stay," she said uncertainly.

Steve kissed her quickly. "Thank you. I'll be back, I promise." With that he raced from the apartment and into the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors opened Steve ran out.

"I'm just saying that with Pepper away until Sunday, you're being a bigger pain in the ass than usual," said Bruce, giving Tony an annoyed look over the top of his newspaper. "Can't you just leave me in peace? Don't you have something else you could be doing now?"

"I am doing something," protested Tony. "I'm practicing my magic trick for Pepper." He looked over as Steve raced from the elevator. "Back me up, Captain Tight Pants, magic tricks is something, ri—"

Tony didn't get to finish his sentence because Steve had just kept running, determined he wasn't going to waste a moment this time round. He did a linebacker type tackle on Tony, picking him up and just kept on running. "Open the window!" he yelled at the other man, not slowing down.

"What the hell, Rogers?" exclaimed Tony in shock but his own survival instinct kicked in and he activated the large glass panels in the floor to ceiling window to slide open.

Steve didn't hesitate, he launched them both out of the window, holding on tightly to Tony as they plummeted to the ground. "Your suit," shouted Steve over the sound of the wind whistling in his ears.

Tony was already ahead of him, activating the bracelets he was wearing. "You're a manic!" he roared at Steve, even as the first bit of armor clamped itself onto Tony's body. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" More pieces of the Ironman armor attached themselves to Tony in rapid succession and Steve was forced to let him go as they tumbled to the rapidly approaching ground.

"I needed a lift," he shouted back.

"You need a padded cell," bit out Tony just as his helmet locked on and his visor went up. Tony grabbed hold of Steve just before they hit the ground and shot them back up into the air.

"Take me to 44th and Main," Steve ordered him.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't just drop you on your head right now," said Tony in irritation even as he changed direction to head where Steve had asked. "You almost killed us both."

"We've both died tonight," said Steve offhandedly. "We get over it."

"So it's finally happened. You've gone insane. I knew it was only a matter of time." Tony darted them between high rise buildings. "Frankly, I'm surprised you've held it together this long."

"You've got a malfunction in your helmet," said Steve determinedly. "I want you to drop me off and then go directly back to the Tower and get it fixed."

Tony snorted. "I don't have a fault with my helmet. Jarvis runs diagnostics on it three times a day and after every mission."

"There is a problem with a fuse," insisted Steve stubbornly. "Your visor won't shut once it goes."

"Jarvis…"

"Already running diagnostics, sir."

"Just drop and run, Tony," said Steve sharply. "I'm not taking any risks this time round."

"Won't I need to sign something at the asylum when I admit you?" asked Tony sarcastically.

"I'm not insane. I've just done this night a lot of times before."

"That's not the best argument you could have chosen to back up your 'not crazy' talk," said Tony wryly.

"Sir, I have located an issue with a fuse in your helmet. It's performing at a suboptimum level and could most likely cease to function at any moment."

There was a pause as only buildings flashed by them.

"Told you so," said Steve, unable to help the smugness in his tone.

"That proves nothing," said Tony hotly. "It was a lucky guess."

"No, it wasn't and for once, Tony, you're going to do as you're told and go directly back to the Tower."

"What is up with you tonight?" asked Tony in consternation. "You're being more bossy and obnoxious than usual and I didn't think that was possible."

"I'll explain later but right now, does this thing go any faster?"

"Hold onto that cheap haircut, el Capitano, we're about to take this up a notch." With that the thrusters on Tony's suit flared and they shot forward at an even greater speed.

Steve could only pray it would be fast enough.