A/N: Hey guys. I am ok, I am not dead, I'm still working. Unfortunately life's a bitch and has prevented me from getting this out there. There are three main reasons: 1. I am really busy. I'm involved in several school programs that take up a lot of my free time and leaves little time for writing. 2. I have a sucky immune system and every time there's a dramatic change in the climate/weather I get sick. So I'm sick often. and finally 3. This one's a one time thing. I was having some personal issues that distracted me. I just didn't feel like writing because I was dealing with these issues.

I apologize for such a long wait. I feel really bad, but life isn't fair and that's one of a writer's greatest barriers. A lot of things are preventing me from writing, but I haven't given up on this story and I will carry on until the end and possibly beyond!

I've decided not to reply to reviews because that would take a really long time and prevent this from getting out there tonight. OMG OVER 300 REVIEW! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! My last story got 49 reviews. Going from that to over 300 and still counting is absolutely amazing, thanks so much! Thank you for all your reviews, compliments, suggestions, criticism, praise, and concerns. It means so much.

If you asked me a question in a review that I didn't answer, I apologize, but leave it in another review or even a private message and I'll definitely answer it to the best of my ability.

Now I know I said you guys would meet Jacob this chapter but I just wanted to get an update out there so unfortunately he's not in here, this chapter only goes so far but I have already started to next chapter!

Warning: This chapter has more swearing than usual but it's for perfectly good reasons! I know some said that Jade swearing just isn't right but once you see why it'll make sense.

Enjoy and review my lovelies :3

Chapter 14: The Star Spangled Man Isn't So Grand

The rotary dial phone in the room rang loudly. Jade groaned slightly and slowly opened her eyes to observe her surroundings. It was still fairly early in the morning and the curtains were closed without a single crack of light peeking through. The only light in the room was the small nightlight in the bathroom which was as dim as a candle. Jade groaned again when the ringing wouldn't stop. She sat up slightly and rubbed her eyes while picking the phone up and mumbling a bleary "Ullo?"

"Good morning Miss Callaway!" There was an overly perky female voice blasting in her ear. Jade briefly wondered how anyone could be this happy so early in the morning. "This is Ella from hotel management calling for your five o'clock wakeup call!"

Jade's eyebrows furrowed as she swiped her side bangs out of her eyes. "Pardon me? No, I didn't order a wakeup call." She thought back for a minute, trying to remember if she actually did order a wakeup call, but the idea seemed preposterous due to the fact that she would never willingly wakeup at five a.m. on her day off.

"Oh, your wakeup call was scheduled by a Miss Carter who said she would be here by seven and your plane leaves at eight-thirty today!" There was a sudden urge for Jade to hit Peggy with a frying pan. It was bad enough she was taking her to see the one person she really didn't want to see, but now she was waking her up three and a half hours before their flight even left.

"Well then thank you Ella. I…appreciate…the wakeup call. It's just what I needed at five o'clock in the morning." It took a lot of strength for Jade not to lash out on the poor hotel employee and she practically slammed the phone down onto its hook. She slumped back down into her bed, being engulfed by all of the fluffy pillows.

It was now November of 1943. She had not packed her bag the night before. Being overwhelmed with all that was going on, Jade had immediately gone to sleep, trying to avoid thinking all together. Time was going by much too quickly. Now that she was up her brain started turning its gears and it was too easy to start over thinking things. Taking a shower, Jade found it almost natural to slip into her emotional thought process. (Yet it still became quite confusing, so we'll keep this as straight forward as possible.)

Jade had had one boyfriend for a mere six months in junior high school and another one for two years of high school who she had met while working at the library, a job she had had for a while but then had to leave for the time being seeing as she had joined the military. She was normal when it came to dating. There was no incredible shyness, but also no extreme confidence that let her get any guy she wanted. The only thing strange that was in her love life was the fact that Howard Stark was constantly trying to gain her affections when he wasn't busy developing the technology of the future.

Steve had started off as someone she bumped into while making a scene. Then he was a friend to talk to while at camp which quickly turned into one of her best friends. But Steve was an honest, humble, and just downright good guy. Not to mention he was attractive. But that was obvious to any female human being and maybe even to some males. They had a lot in common, not everything but the right balance to keep a decent conversation with some occasional debate to keep things interesting.

Being the only other successful super soldier, Steve understood what was going on with Jade at the moment. They even finished each other's sentences for God's sake! She should have seen these feelings coming from a mile away, but they had taken the back route and snuck up on her. It was the damn kiss. Stupid Senator had to go and ruin her thought process.

Seeing Steve was going to be extremely awkward and the thought of it made her want to hide in the hotel closet so Peggy couldn't find her, though she was a British government agent and the chances of Jade going unfound were likely to be outrageously low.

Jade turned off the steaming hot water and stepped out, drying herself off with a towel. She shivered at the sudden coldness of the main bedroom and pulled a comb out of her bag so she could (try to) defeat the knots and tangles in her wet hair that appeared jet black when wet. She managed to get it detangled and then went on to put on simple makeup while her hair air dried. Everyone these days was curling it loosely, but Jade was never into that. She liked to do different things to it. Today instead of doing loose curls, she put her now mid-back length hair into tight ringlets.

Her bag still wasn't packed, so Jade quickly put together as much as she could. But the chances of her returning to this hotel were low since after Italy it would be time for another city. So she just packed everything into her bag and pulled out a red floral print dress for the day along with some black flats and a matching, semi-wide brimmed red hat. When everything was packed and ready to go, it was only six thirty in the morning and she still had time before Peggy would come pick her up. Seeing as there wasn't much to do, she sat down at the desk and began writing to Jasper, who she had not contacted in some time.

Dear Jasper,

I'd like to apologize for not writing to you in so long. Life has been busy with this whole Red Cross thing I'm doing. Sometimes I barely get any sleep at night because it takes up so much time. I think I need to talk to you about something though. It's not the normal thing a girl talks to her brother about, but someone needs to hear about this other than my friend, who will never be as close to me as you are.

Do you remember Steve? We all went to dinner with each other before mom and I…well…you know what happened. Well anyways we were told to act like we were dating for the crowd. I wasn't happy at first, but it didn't require we do much and things weren't all that bad until we were told that we needed to kiss to keep the crowd entertained. I really didn't want to do that and neither did Steve, but we were convinced that it was for the good of the nation and went along with it.

The kiss itself was…good. I know that's not something you want your big sister telling you about, but it's true. I didn't mind it…at all. There was this spark and it just felt so right. Jasper I think I have feelings for Steve. And I'm afraid he doesn't feel anything for me other than friendship. I really need your advice in this situation. I don't know where I'm going to be next. I'm traveling to Italy for a little while and then continuing my shows. So I'll send you the next mailing address so you can reply as soon as possible.

I love you very much, Jade

Jade put her pen down, folded the letter up and placed it in an envelope, sealing it shut with a lick of the envelope. She put a stamp in the corner, addressed the letter to her brother, and tucked it into her purse for later mailing. Almost the last half hour had passed, so Jade gathered up her stuff and went down to the lobby to check out.

At exactly seven o'clock, Peggy walked into the lobby with confidence radiating off her as usual. She greeted Jade with a kind smile and someone came to take her bags while she was directed to the car waiting for them. Each step she took she was closer to Steve and she was finding it harder to breathe as well.

The plane ride took awhile. It was an overnight trip to Italy and Jade occupied herself by doing crossword puzzles and reading a book Steve had lent her. She was shaking when she first opened it. It was Steve's book after all. But after awhile she became enthralled in the literature and no longer focused on the owner of the book, only the crisp pages with thick black ink.

The plane landed on schedule and Peggy took her to their hotel. They had a spacious suite with three rooms, one extra, separated by a living area and a kitchen. There were perks to being a government agent. Or at least that's what Jade assumed. According to the United States government, she was their "property" or at least her altered DNA was and she wasn't an agent. So she didn't receive the perks of always getting a nice hotel suite. Jade got the best that was available. Usually it was something good like a large hotel room, but there were a couple times she ended up in just a plain old room with plain white sheets and those tiny closets right on top of the front entrance.

There was a regiment of soldiers scheduled to come back from a mission the next day along with regiments about to be shipped out. Captain America would be there to greet them and attempt to raise their spirits. Peggy informed the female super soldier that they'd be going over to watch and then pay a visit to the other super soldier…which was the part Jade wasn't really excited about.

When morning finally arrived, Jade took a quick shower, smeared on some light makeup, and quickly dressed in her private's uniform with the combat boots. She figured she'd blend in a little more if she wore a military uniform and not a flow-y dress with three inch heels. She shoved her Lady Liberty uniform into her bag just in case and Peggy motioned that it was time to go. The two left the hotel towards the nearest United States Army base where the men would be brought back for medical treatment and further orders.

The camp was quiet. It was five miles from the actual front. There were so few that made it back from certain regiments. Off to one side tents were set up. Some held higher ranking officers who filled out paper work or signed letters to families saying their son or brother or husband or boyfriend or nephew or (This could go on for awhile) their best friend was dead: killed in action or even MIA. Personally, Jade found KIA much better than MIA. At least when you knew they were dead you knew they were in a better place without war. If they were MIA, who knows what could be happening to them.

In the middle there was a small stage set up with soldiers, hurt and scarred, sitting in front of it. The two brunettes arrived during the usual show. They had both seen it before and it was no big deal if they missed part of the main show. It was mainly just pretty girls in short skirts fawning over the great Captain America. By the end of the show, all the girls left the stage leaving Steve up there alone. Someone brought out a microphone for him. Steve seemed extremely nervous, like more nervous than his first show but not has nervous as when he and Jade had to kiss. God how Jade wished she could just forget about that entire thing.

"How many of you are ready to help sock old Adolf on the jaw?" He asked the crowd of men with a fake smile. Nobody seemed enthused though. When the crowd remained quiet, Steve's smile dropped some. "Okay," he continued with a slight nod. "Um…I need a volunteer!" He was trying very hard to seem excited, but the men out there weren't exactly helping him.

"I already volunteered! How do you think I got here?" A seemingly upset soldier yelled up towards the stage. Steve was losing them and quickly. The audience was laughing and cheering along to the one man's statement.

"Bring back the girls!" Another shouted and the entire group broke out into cheers.

"Jade do you have your costume?" Peggy quickly asked the quiet brunette.

"Uh, yeah it's in my bag." Peggy gestured for her to go put it on. Jade cocked her head to the side, confused on what to do. Peggy waved her hand over at the stage and that little bulb lit up above Jade's head. She scurried off to find somewhere to change.

She could still hear the men outside. "I think they only know the one song, but um…let me…I'll see what I can do." Poor Steve was stuttering like a nervous wreck out there. The outfit went on easily and she already had on red lipstick. Jade just didn't bother with any of the other makeup. Once more she scurried over to Peggy so the Brit could tie her corset. Peggy was one of the people who were never gentle with a corset.

"You do that sweetheart!" Someone else shouted in response to what Steve had said.

"Nice boots Tinkerbelle!"

Peggy finished tying the corset with one last final tug and she pushed Jade off in the direction of the stage. "C'mon guys, we're all on the same team here-"

"Hey captain! Sign this!" A soldier stood up and proceeded to (Jade really didn't want to think about this, she kept her hand in front of her eyes the entire time) pull down his pants and show off his backside. Jade was about ready to vomit in the bushes. They were now throwing their lunches at him while Steve just blocked it with his shield. Jade sped up quickly when she saw the other super soldier leaving. Clambering up the steps of the stage, Steve spotted Jade with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Jade?" She responded by pushing him back onto the stage much to the dismay of the soldiers until they saw Lady Liberty was with him. There were whoops and cat calls all around. Jade was finding it hard not to just flip them off and walk off stage.

They stopped at the front of the stage. Improvisation was new to Jade but she just smiled and put her balled fists on her hips. "Hi, I'm Lady Liberty!" That only resulted in more cat calls. She wanted to say something like 'And I'd appreciate if you'd stop doing that' but she went for the friendlier approach and just smiled. "The Captain and I would like to thank you for your service. I can't think of a way to show how much America appreciates your service-"

"I can think of a few ways doll face!" Jade gritted her teeth together. Steve must have understood the meaning behind the rude man's comment because he took a protective step forward but stopped himself. Jade would be furious with him if he tried anything.

"I'm not that kind of girl soldier." She replied coolly. There were a few snickers from the other men.

"Well we can have a little fun and then see what kind of a girl you are." Jade felt her temper rising. You could practically see the puffs of steam coming out of her ears.

"Okay listen here dickhead!" She was silenced when she felt an arm snake around her waist to stop her from moving and a large hand clamp over her mouth to muffle anything that came out. The next thing she knew she was being dragged off stage by Steve while the showgirls traveled back onstage, sending disgusted looks her way.

"Now that wasn't very lady-like was it?" Steve asked her rhetorically. His tone was basically dripping annoyance. He dragged her behind the stage and let her go. The senator's assistant that helped out Steve was trying to reassure him that they'll warm up to him. Steve just ignored him and stalked off while Jade went in search of Peggy. The other brunette was nowhere to be found and she still had Jade's clothes. So she was stuck there in a sparkly corset, mask, and fishnet tights.

It seemed like the day could not get any worse. Though that seemed to be a jinx. It then began to pour. The rain was cold and felt like thousands of little needles poking into her skin. Everyone had dispersed to go find shelter, but Jade sat there in the rain. There were a couple tanks in the abandoned field so she climbed up on one and just watched the empty stage. By the time she heard footsteps approaching her, Jade was soaked down to the bone.

"What are you doing here Jade?" Steve had on a tan rain coat and was holding an umbrella above his head.

"I'm off for awhile, so I came to visit you," she replied shakily. Steve was just standing there in front of her, but it was obvious they were currently uncomfortable around each other. Steve looked down at the mud and scraped it with his foot. His bright red boots were turning into a muddy brown color.

"No Jade, I mean what are you doing out here? It's raining and it's freezing and you're just sitting there in a corsage-"

"Corset," Jade corrected him.

"What?"

"A corsage is a little flower decoration you pin on a dress or put around your wrist. I'm wearing a corset." Steve rolled his eyes some and looked up at her.

"That's not the point. The point is that you're going to get sick."

"I'm fine."

"No you're not." Steve jumped up onto the tank and opened up the hatch, his torso and head disappeared into it for a second before coming back out to reveal a standard military jacket. He handed it to her and she slipped it on quietly. Soon she was much warmer than before and Steve had even shared his umbrella, so the only things that were getting wet were the tip of her heeled boots and the occasional drip off the umbrella onto her arm. But that had left them awkwardly close to each other and every once in awhile Jade would subtly move over just a bit. "How have you…uh…been lately? I mean we just saw each other a few days ago. I know that. Of course I would know that, I was there but I wanted to know how you're feeling. I mean you've been off so not much could have happened well unless you went out and did something because that's completely reasonable right? I'm sure you-"

"Shut up before you completely humiliate yourself Brooklyn." He snapped his mouth shut at the sudden interruption and just nodded.

"So what do you want to talk about?" He asked her awkwardly. That was the thing though; Jade didn't want to talk at all.

"Maybe it's better if we just don't talk right now. It's hard to keep a conversation with you stuttering so much." He gawked at this accusation, but only laughed when he noticed her slight smirk. They didn't talk anymore and just sat in the rain until it began to pour down harder. Deciding it was time to find some better shelter, Steve jumped off the tank and helped Jade down as well. The two walked away to the empty stage and found cover underneath the awning in the back. Jade plopped down, wincing at how the wood hurt her bottom and began to tap on the wood with all ten fingers, playing on an invisible piano. Steve also sat, but a bit farther away and brought out his leather bound sketch book and started drawing in it, his concentration focused completely on the strokes of the lead against the paper.

Jade had silenced Steve not only because he was rambling, but because it was awkward talking to him. If they didn't talk, it was easier to imagine their kiss never happened. If they did talk it would get brought up eventually and Jade wasn't ready to face that. She'd be forced to reveal her feelings and then she'd have to face rejection. She wasn't ready for that. So she worked on keeping them in a comfortable silence. That way they were left to whatever thoughts were swimming in their own heads. She just hoped they could work this all out soon.