Thursday

When morning came, Pietro swiped some bagels from the lobby of a nearby hotel and brought them back to the run down house for the girls to eat. They sat on the floor in silence until Pietro finally decided to harass Katiana about her foolish decision to meet with Captain America. "How do you know he won't try to kill you? I'd feel better if I came with you."

"I'll be fine Pietro." Katiana slurred as she chewed through her stale bagel, "He is infatuated with the woman he thinks I am. He won't hurt me. It is him who should be worried about me."

"I still don't like it. You tried to kill him and he asks you on a date?"

"It isn't a date." Katiana argued, looking to Wanda for help, but she offered none. "What if Captain America knows who I am? He knows things nobody else knows about me, he could help me figure out my past."

"But you hate Captain America, and the Avengers." Pietro whined, looking to his sister for back up, but, as with Katiana, she offered none. "How could you change your mind so fast?"

"Because he claims that she loves him." Wanda's eyes glowed red as she finally spoke and Katiana blushed under her stare, "She wants to understand if it's true. She thinks Strucker lied to her."

"How I once felt about him is inconsequential, because I don't remember him, let alone love him now. What's important is whether or not Strucker used my amnesia to puppet me. I need to know if everything he said was a lie-"

"Even if it was, does it matter? Strucker is gone. We are your family now, right?" Pietro argued and Katiana reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Yes." Katiana promised quietly, "No matter what Captain America says to sway my mind and emotions, you are my family. Plus," she added with a shrug as she took her last bite, "Once I get the information I need out of him, I'm going to kill him."

Steve pulled a red cotton shirt over his head, carful not to mess up his freshly washed and coiffed hair. He looked in the mirror, studying his appearance to make sure he looked his best. He'd shaved and showered before the sun even rose, unable to sleep knowing he'd be in Kayla's company again.

He'd purchased a bottle of champagne and various fruits and cheeses, hoping to keep her as long as possible without needing to leave for food. Steve sat his shield against the wall by his bed, ready to grab, but away from the small table and chairs where he planned to sit with her. He didn't want her to feel nervous or threatened. He also didn't want to give her any additional weapons to the gun and knives she'd inevitably have on her person.

When Steve had touched base with the team the night prior, Natasha had warned him that Kayla might try to kill him again, and to not let his guard down. He was dealing with his lover's body, but not her mind. Natasha suggested Steve play into that carefully, but it didn't sit right with the soldier. He didn't want to touch her in any way, shape, or form until she knew who she was again.

Tony had teased that he wouldn't be able to help himself. Steve hated that he was probably right.

Steve had time before he was supposed to meet her, but he didn't want to wait. He considered perusing the market to kill the next two hours, or even sitting in the lounge with a Bloody Mary until he had to go to the lamppost.

He had replayed their conversation throughout the night, remembering the way she looked in the lamplight with her dark hair, shrouded in cigarette smoke. His Kay would have a heart attack if she realized she became a smoker, and someday Steve hoped he could tease her about how sexy she looked with the cigarette between her plump, pursed lips. Her jeans had been tight, and her round ass proved to Steve she had been well fed over the past year. If her muscular calves her any indication of what was hidden beneath her dark wool jacket, she'd been working out too, most likely trained by Hydra judging by her combat with him at the base.

Knowing she not only knew how to fire a gun, but carried one around with her, broke Steve's heart. She was cautious, and ready to defend herself. Steve wanted to assure her she'd never need to defend herself again. He'd protect her until his dying day.

He looked to the clock next to his hotel bed, seeing it was only 9:10. It was three in the morning in Manhattan. He had no one awake to hype him up or talk him down or whatever he needed because he was just too anxious. Steve had done every mediocre task he could come up with. It was time to get out of this hotel and clear his head.

Steve found the April weather in Sokovia decent. The morning was cool, but not nearly as cold as last night, and no snow to be found like in the mountains. He wore his leather jacket and a baseball cap, keeping his head down as he wandered the streets toward the poorer area of the city.

The protests had settled, and Steve now knew it was because Strucker had slaughtered many of the protestors by promising them power in return for volunteering for his experiments. Only the Maximoffs had survived, and thrived because of Strucker's work with the scepter. As devastated as Steve was that Hydra suppressed Kayla's memories, he was thankful they hadn't used her as a guinea pig for the scepter. He could always woo her again, but he couldn't resurrect her from the dead.

Steve walked by an old basketball court outside a crumbling building with large windows, looking up when he saw graffiti of his own face. He looked around, then climbed the fence into the court, getting a closer look. It was the Captain America from his old comics with red eyes and the word "Fasista" written across his mouth.

He lowered his head, feeling the weight of what terrible things the Sokovians thought about him and his team. What Kayla was told to believe. They thought of the Avengers as monsters and destroyers. Fire from the Hydra base hadn't hit the city before the Avengers arrived. It was their presence in Novi Grad that put people in danger earlier in the week.

"We agreed on eleven. It's nine-fifty five." Katiana's voice called from the other side of the fence.

Steve looked over his shoulder to see her clinging to the metal of the fence while the Maximoff girl fiddled with the lock with her mind. It popped open and Katiana discarded the padlock, pulling open the gate and swinging around it, holding onto the edge like a poll as her long hair fell over her shoulder.

Steve swallowed when he saw her, dressed in a loose black dress with thigh high boots, and her black hair flowing freely over her bare arms. "I was just going for a walk." Steve looked back at the graffiti and sighed, "Getting to know the city."

"I wouldn't get too comfortable, the city doesn't like you very much." Wanda Maximoff growled as she stood behind Katiana with a scowl. Steve noticed it was just the two girls moments before he felt something punch him in the stomach before speeding away.

Steve doubled over, as he grabbed his gut, wincing as Katiana gasped, "Pietro!"

The man came to a stop next to Katiana as she released the fence and took a few steps toward Steve, who straightened up to face the man who'd punched him. Katiana turned over her shoulder and snapped, "There is no need for that."

"I just want to warn him of what awaits him if he hurts you. If you so much as make her frown-"

"You'll what? Run away? I can take you in a real fight." Steve surged forward a few steps and Katiana raised her finger to him threateningly before turning back to the Maximoffs.

"Go home. I'll be there later."

Wanda glared at her brother before addressing Katiana, "Be safe. If you aren't home by dinner, we'll come find you."

Katiana nodded and the twins walked away, leaving Steve and Katiana alone. Steve ran his hands over his torso, his jaw hard as he thought about how much he wanted to kick that kid's ass.

"You shouldn't be walking around Novi Grad alone. It isn't safe." Katiana told Steve gently, and he smiled a little, flattered that she was worried about him. She seemed to catch his thoughts and cleared her throat, "Lucky for you, you look nothing like your picture." She nodded toward the graffiti, then turned to leave the yard. After taking a few steps, she looked back to see Steve staring at the wall again, "If you want I can give your compliments to the artist. I'm sure he'd make updates to it with your blood."

Steve snapped his head toward her at that, finding her leaning her head against the metal fence expectedly. Stark was right, he wanted to put his hands on her so damn badly. "No. I think I'm alright. How about we head back to my hotel?"

"Or we could go to the stores. I'm sure you have money. You can buy me something pretty." Katiana slurred as she walked along the opposite side of the fence, walking in the direction of Steve's hotel. He swallowed, seeing her slink away and knowing she was manipulating him, and it was working.

"If I buy you something pretty, will you let me take you back to my hotel so we can talk in private?"

"Yes." She answered simply, tossing her heavy hair over her shoulder. It made her skin appear even more pale, almost making her look like a vampire with her dark clothes and makeup. Steve felt like he'd fallen into a different reality, but he'd do whatever it took to make this right.

He nodded, his Adam's Apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed his nerves, "Lead the way."

Katiana did as she was told, leading Steve to the nicest part of Novi Grad near where he was staying. He smirked as she walked by a boutique, looking at him to see if he'd take her in, and he just nodded, more than happy to play whatever game she wanted.

"I've never been in here. I can't afford anything. Strucker paid me in food and a place to live, maybe a bit here or there when I'd leave the base with one of the men."

She watched Steve's face, testing him to see what his reaction would be, but he kept his expression neutral despite the fire that burned in his chest. The idea of his girl sleeping her way through Hydra destroyed him, but he wasn't about to ask for details now.

Katiana seemed disappointed in his lack of reaction, but she didn't say anything, just walked through the fancy boutique and studied everything. A saleswoman saw her and began to approach, then frowned at her disheveled appearance and stormed away. Steve noticed how Katiana stiffened, but she didn't mention that either. She plucked a bright yellow dress from the wrack and held it up to her chest as she turned to face Steve, "Would your Kayla wear something like this?"

He shook his head and grinned, "No. She said yellow didn't look good with her blonde hair. She preferred blues, reds, and purples. Things that made her features pop, but she'd never match her eyes. It was the weirdest thing."

Katiana twisted her lips thoughtfully, looking down at the blue ring she'd picked instead of the green like Wanda has suggested. "Well," Katiana breathed in, "What would you pick for me? Or for her, if you had to choose?"

Steve tilted his head and his hair fell to the side a little. Katiana pushed back the instinct to brush it back as she turned back to the rack. She heard the rattling of plastic hangers and turned to see Steve holding out a deep blue dress with a corset middle that flared out at the hips. "This. It was her favorite shade of blue. Kayla would have picked it because it was bold and made her boobs look nice."

Katiana laughed and took the hanger, flipping over the tag to see it was her size. A coincidence. He could probably guess. Perhaps Captain America frequented the American malls with his girlfriend. "Would you buy this for me?"

"If you'd like it, yes." Steve said without hesitation and Katiana scurried past him to the jewelry counter.

When she arrived holding the dress, the woman behind the counter scoffed, "Perhaps you should head back to your side of town." The woman sneered in her thick Sokovian accent, "The cheap jewelry in the market suits you better."

Katiana twisted her blue ring that Wanda had bought around her finger, setting the dress down across the glass and turning to Steve. She tried to laugh it off as a joke, but she wasn't as convincing as she'd hoped, "Alright. We can go to your hotel now. I just wanted to see how far I could push you."

Steve looked from Katiana to the saleswoman behind the glass counter, seeing the stark difference between their appearances. He walked past Katiana and pulled out his wallet, keeping his eyes down, "Do you take American Visa?"

The saleswoman raised her dark brow when she heard Steve's American accent, looking from him to the girl suspiciously, "Yes."

"Then we'll take the dress. We'll go to a different store for jewelry. Somewhere a little more upscale."

Katiana swallowed, unprepared for Captain America to actually buy her things. She'd wanted to taunt him, tease his devotion, but he didn't seem phased by it. He didn't care that Katiana didn't know him, he treated her like his Kayla anyway.

Steve paid the woman and grabbed the bag, handing it to Katiana as he pushed open the door for her. She stared down at the blue dress, not saying anything until Steve finally asked, "Is there anywhere else you want to go? Do you want shoes, or jewelry to go with your dress?"

He spoke so easily Katiana wondered if he'd forgotten she wasn't the woman he was looking for. He's sounded like he'd fallen into an old habit, comfortable and robotic, but far from unhappy.

"Um, no. This is fine. Thank you." She lifted her head to look at Captain America, studying his strong jaw and pretty blue eyes. She wanted to feel how strong his chest was, because she could see his muscles pull against the fabric of his shirt. If she was his Kayla, she'd probably felt and seen every inch of him. Katiana shook her head rapidly, asking quickly, "Why did you buy me the dress?"

"You said you wanted me to buy you something pretty." Steve answered simply, as if it was the simplest request he'd ever received. He met her gaze and added, "Selfishly, buying you that dress made me feel better. I've missed buying you things. Spoiling you. Making you happy."

"We don't know each other. I'm not your Kayla." Katiana said slowly, seeing clearly that Steve didn't understand, "Maybe I once was, but I'm not anymore."

Steve's shoulders slumped and Katiana hated how bad she felt. What she'd said was true though, and Steve seemed to know it too. "I know." He murmured as he looked as the ground, his hands shoved in his pockets as he closed himself off, "But I remember her, and I see you, and even if you aren't my girl anymore, I still want to make you happy." Katiana considered this for a moment as Steve asked, "Does the dress make you happy?"

"Yes." She said quickly without a second thought. "Thank you."

They stopped outside a nice hotel that Katiana felt uncomfortable going inside, "This is where you're staying?"

"I'm well funded." Steve answered, daring to take her hand and lead her through the automatic doors.

Katiana looked down at their entwined hands, realizing how familiar it felt. She couldn't remember holding Captain America's hand, but instinctively her body molded to his, like it was an old glove that still fit perfectly.

He led her to the elevator and took her up to his room, never letting go of her hand but not trying to get any closer. They stood hand in hand, a good two feet apart, as they rode the elevator up.

"I don't remember ever being in an elevator." Katiana admitted and Steve looked down at her sadly. "I know what they are, but I don't remember being in one. That's weird, right?"

"I know why you don't remember your past Kay-ah-tiana." Steve stumbled before she could chastise him. "I can explain inside."

"Okay." She said softly as the doors opened and she looked to the side, seeing them high up with a view of the city and the mountains behind it. "It's beautiful."

"Second only to you." Steve murmured and he looked away when Katiana turned to him.

If he was trying to woo her, he was doing a terribly good job at it, and she had to put a stop to it as soon as possible.

When he stopped at a door, she pulled her hand out of his and clamped her hands together behind her back so he couldn't hold her again. Katiana studied his stance, but he seemed content to give her space. He opened the door and gestured for her to go in first, so she did, finding the bed made by him and Captain America's shield resting near the far wall.

She looked around at the room, never having been anywhere so fancy, that she could remember at least. Katiana touched the comforter of the single queen bed, then sat down tentatively onto the hard mattress. "So."

"So?" Steve questioned back, leaning against the dresser holding a small television, "Are you hungry? I got food. And champagne."

"Champagne? Are we celebrating something?" Katiana snorted as Steve lifted the bottle from the bucket of ice. "Steve?"

He froze when she said his name, looking her dead in the eye before slowly lowering the champagne back into the ice. He could see resignation in her expression, and he remembered she didn't actually want to be here.

"Sorry. Maybe later. You just said cigarettes are easier to steal than alcohol." Steve admitted, picking up an apple and taking a bite out of it. He watched as she stared at him, looking up and down his body with mild interest. He wiggled his way out of his leather jacket, never taking his eyes off of Katiana as she ran her gaze up his arms now that they were visible. "Are you thinking about the serum?"

"Yes." Katiana lied, leaning farther back into the mattress, "It's impressive."

"The serum or me?" Steve dared and she flushed as her jaw slackened, "Sorry. That was too forward."

Katiana smiled a little and Steve took another bite of his apple, praying she was done studying him and wouldn't notice how his pants were getting tighter.

"I didn't expect you to be forward. That's why I said yes to meeting you. I like it." Katiana purred, leaning back on her elbow and looking up at Steve, "Did Kayla like when you were forward?"

"Yes." Steve gasped, feeling his stomach churn as she shifted her legs on the bed, "I wasn't forward when we met. She brought it out of me."

"So she was forward." Katiana curled bent one knee under the other, as she tapped her fingernails against her scalp, "Was she gentle?"

"When it suited her." Steve took a step forward, placing his hands on his hips before clenching them, trying to figure out what to do as she teased him. They had to talk, and not like this. "Do you want to see her?"

Katiana shrugged, pushing herself up so she was leaning on her palm, her black dress dangling around her pale, soft skin. "When you held my hand, it felt familiar."

Steve closed the gap between them, sitting on the bed. She laid down across his lap, looking up at his face as her hair splayed across his thighs. He tentatively reached down and cupped her cheek as she rested her hands on her stomach, slowly moving them down to the hem of her dress, "Steve?" She whispered seductively, green eyes glistening as his fingers stroked her neck.

"Yeah?" He answered, leaning down a little to get closer.

"You are so gullible."

She reached for her gun, but Steve was faster, grabbing her right wrist beneath her skirt and producing her hand already holding the gun. He easily plucked the weapon from her hand and sat it behind him as she flew up and tried to reach her weapon.

Steve just chuckled and stood, grabbing one hand and then the other and holding both of her wrists in one of his hands as he flipped open a compartment on his utility belt sitting on the dresser to pull out a pair of handcuffs. He sat her down at the table and handcuffed her through the rungs on the chair back, trapping her as she hissed up at him, "You planned on this!"

"Yeah, I also planned on you trying to kill me." Steve replied as he picked up her little gun and emptied the bullets before snapping the weapon in half and tossing it into his duffel bag. "I knew you wouldn't be so easily convinced."

"Strucker always said you were the worst of them all. That you could rally people behind you to support the destruction and chaos!"

"I mean, yeah. I'm Captain America, I inspire my team and the public, but we don't cause destruction and chaos, we fight potential threats. Like aliens and Hydra, who started as a Nazi science division, did you know that?" Steve barked and Katiana narrowed her eyes before shaking her head, "Strucker filled your head with lies, because you were Kayla Ellis, the American President's only daughter, brilliant chemist, and Captain America's girlfriend!"

Katiana turned her head away as Steve pulled out his cell phone and unlocked it, shoving it in her face, "Look. Does she look familiar?"

Katiana looked at the photo he showed her. It was him in a black suit with a red tie, and a woman with wavy blonde hair just past her jawline in a blue dress the same color as the one Steve had bought for her today. Katiana recognized her own face, and the same color hair that she'd had when Strucker found her. Unless she had a twin, this was her.

"That's you. Look at us. Look at what we were, don't you understand why I want to get that back?" Steve asked as he knelt in front of her. Opening more photos of them together, "You are Kayla Ellis. Baron von Strucker put a chip in your head to suppress your memories. I can show you!" Steve leapt to his feet and grabbed a tablet on the nightstand, typing feverishly before shoving it in Katiana's face for her to read. "This is what they did to you."

Her eyes scanned the page from the Hydra file as her expression dropped. Finally she averted her eyes to stare at the ground, not saying a word.

Steve tossed the tablet on the bed and knelt before her again, closer this time so her knees pressed against his chest as he grabbed her shoulders, "Katiana Malani isn't a real person. They made her up and fed you a fake backstory. They told you the Avengers are bad and that I was the worst one, and you know why they told you that?" Steve rubbed his thumbs along her shoulder blades but she didn't look at him, "They told you that because they knew it would kill me to have you hate me. And it does. It breaks my heart and I-I-"

Katiana finally turned to Steve when his voice broke, unable to convey his devastation with words. He laid his head in her lap and sobbed, causing her to stiffen uncomfortably but he was too distraught to notice. What he said made sense, and as much as Katiana wanted to kill him, seeing him weep against the fabric of her dirty dress convinced her that this misery was worse than being shot or stabbed. He really loved her, and she didn't remember him.

Katiana rolled her eyes and groaned, "Please stop crying. You are soaking my dress." Steve lifted his gaze to look up at her and she sighed, "Plus, I don't like to see you cry."

"I love you so much." Steve whimpered and she groaned louder, "What?" Steve asked sadly, seeing no remorse in the woman's frustrated expression.

"I get it. I'm that girl. I'm the one you love, but I don't know you. I don't love you. But I want to know who I am, and maybe you can jog my memories about why I put up with your blubbering ass." Katiana stuck her nose in the air defiantly as Steve wiped away snot onto his arm. Katiana grimace in disgust, "Pull yourself together, you're Captain America for God's sake!"

Steve wiped his eyes and fell back onto his ass, smiling through the remnants of his tears, "I'm sorry, I've just waited so long to see you again. I messed up, but I'm gonna make this right, I promise. I'll show you who you are."

"First can you uncuff me? You already broke my gun."

Steve stood and pulled a key from his pocket, but before he set her free, he raised his brow, "How do I know you don't have any more weapons?"

Katiana shrugged as she grinned devilishly up at Steve, "I don't know, might just have to strip search me."

"Don't tempt me, I've spent the past year dreaming about getting my hands on you again," Steve's voice rumbled quietly and Katiana felt a shiver run up her spine. Steve finally wrapped his arms around her, fiddling with the lock as she breathed onto his neck.

"Did we ever fuck?" Her husky voice caused the hairs on Steve's neck to stand up as he finally clicked open the cuffs. He pulled them away and she massaged her wrists, staring up at him as he hovered over her.

"Yes." He answered deeply, wanting to rip off her dress and fuck her right there in the chair. "A lot."

"Did I enjoy it?" She asked again, standing slowly, but Steve pressed his hands to her hips, not ready to trust her yet. Katiana looked down at his massive hands on her body, then up to his eyes, "Put me on the bed."

Steve snorted, gently swinging her around and tossing her on the bed before climbing over her and grabbing both of her hand with one of his. He ran his hand down her side and wasn't surprised when she pouted as he reached her legs, "I'd rather you not stab me again." Steve pulled up the skirt of her dress, revealing a holster on each of her thighs. The left one was empty, having been ridden of the gun it held earlier, but two different daggers were stored against the flesh of her right leg. He unstrapped the thigh holster and discarded it, placing his hand on her stomach to make sure she had nothing else to hide. She pursed her lips and he pulled her dress up further, revealing a belt around her stomach, "Really? Are you going to choke me to death?"

"I wanted to be prepared. I didn't know what to expect." Katiana mumbled as Steve fiddled with the belt and pulled it from around her before tossing it to the side with her knives, "You know, I could think of some other uses for that belt..." Katiana teased as Steve pulled her dress down and released her hands.

"Humph." Steve grunted, rocking back onto his knees to sit over Katiana, "I'm sure you can, but to answer your earlier question, you love having sex with me." Steve smirked and rubbed his large hand up the side of her thigh, causing her body to shake a little at his touch before he pulled away, "Why would I want to make love to you when you've already tried to kill me twice before noon?"

Katiana huffed, looking to the wall with pouty lips, "Fair point."