A/N: When I talk about SHIELD's New York Headquarters, where Leslie works, I'm talking about the building that Steve escaped from at the tail end of Captain America: The First Avenger. We didn't really see much of it, so I am reimagining it. Also, from my view, SHIELD was fairly anonymous until the Chitauri attack. The great edifice of the Triskellion was built after. The other facilities we saw in AoS, like the Hub and the Fridge, were covert operations.

Flying High

Waking cheerfully for the first time in 2012, Steve fixed a hearty breakfast for himself, then fixed a lighter meal when Leslie finally emerged from her room bleary-eyed and yawning.

"It's only 7," she complained mildly.

"I let you sleep in," Steve teased.

Leslie chuckled and ate her orange scone without further complaint.

On their way to the much-anticipated helicopter ride, Leslie ordered Steve to find the headquarters building. He found it easily, despite the traumatic circumstances of his last visit.

"I was always good at finding my way, even before the serum," he explained.

When they entered the anonymous building, Steve realized the entry was set up to look like an office building with many tenants. A stranger wandering in by accident wouldn't realize the building belonged to a single entity.

SHIELD Security was just one name on the directory. Steve also saw a health care company (the infirmary), legal services (the agents) and, Steve smiled, Reynolds Document Storage.

"Is that you?" he asked.

Leslie ducked her head shyly. "They needed a name for the board. It's just because I've been here so long." She didn't let Steve make another comment. "We're going to C&S Air Courier."

"Is that named for someone, too?" Steve said, nodding at the C&S logo.

Leslie regarded him, then judged it would be OK.

"It's for two of SHIELD's founders: Carter and Stark."

Steve missed a step, then caught himself. "That's nice they're not forgotten," he said, in a voice clotted with emotion.

The description of C&S on the directory included medical transport and "flightseeing."

"Flightseeing?" Steve smiled. He understood the word and thought it was clever.

"It gives SHIELD a cover for transporting agents and equipment," Leslie said.

Leslie led Steve through the security screening — something that wasn't at all strange in modern New York. They passed a blocked off area where something was under repair. Leslie didn't tell him it was from damage caused by his great escape, but Steve recognized the area. He was a little embarrassed, but not much. He'd thought he was a POW and it was his duty to escape.

They went up the elevator to the air courier, which was, naturally, on the top floor.

The sleek black helicopter stood on the roof, blades turning lazily. Vertically challenged Leslie didn't need to duck to approach the helicopter, but she did and Steve followed her lead. (He needed to duck.)

The pilot stepped down from the aircraft, removed a helmet that had cords trailing back into the cockpit, then turned around to greet her passengers. Steve realized it was Maria Hill.

He smiled, happy to see a familiar face.

Maria blinked. Leslie hid a grin, knowing that was the equivalent of another woman gasping and staggering backward.

Steve's rare happy smile could knock your socks off.

"Wow," Maria said. "You look much happier than that sad sack I met a couple of years ago."

Steve looked abashed. His grin damped down but did not extinguish.

Maria was sorry to see it. "Leslie's been good for you," she said gently.

"Leslie has taught me a lot," Steve agreed. "I still feel lost sometimes, but I'm getting better. And I had a good night last night. I dreamed about flying and I saw all my friends below, but I wasn't sad. They all yelled 'fly, Steve, fly!'"

Maria wiped eyes that were surprisingly damp.

"I'm sure that's what your friends would want," Leslie said quietly. "They would want you to be happy."

Steve's smile had gone watery.

"None of that!" Maria said firmly. "We're going flying! There's no crying in flying!"

Steve didn't get the reference, but the comment made his 100-watt smile return.

"Let's fly!" he said.

Maria settled them in their seats, Steve in the copilot's seat and Leslie behind Maria where she could keep an eye on Steve. The passengers put on headphones so they could talk without shouting over the sound of the engines.

Maria spoke into the radio and got permission to take off.

"I filed a flightseeing flight plan," she told her guests, as the helicopter lifted off. "We should be able to see all the landmarks without getting in the way of commercial or police traffic."

"Stay out of the way of those car chases," Leslie joked.

Steve tried to figure out how a car chase could affect air traffic. "Are flying cars a problem?" he asked, craning his neck to look for them. "Howard built one, but it didn't work. Howard Stark, I mean," he said, in case they didn't realize.

Maria and Leslie would hve exchanged a glance, if Leslie hadn't been behind the pilot.

"So, no flying cars?" Steve deduced. He was a little disappointed. He and Bucky and Howard had talked about flying cars a lot. That had been their vision of the future.

"No flying cars," Leslie agreed.

"It's just as well," Maria commented with a chuckled. ":Considering how badly people drive on the ground."

"If the cars don't fly, then how would a car chase impact our flight?" Steve asked.

Leslie explained about police helicopters and news helicopters converging on any sort of police activity.

"So we would need to stay out of the way." Maria paused. "I'm getting a message right now."

Into her microphone, she confirmed a message, then turned to a new heading. Steve's sharp eyes saw a red and white helocpter arrowing across the sky, its course intersecting with the SHIELD helicopter's original course.

"Life flight?" Leslie asked.

"Transplant," Maria answered. "There's a donated heart onboard and the clock is ticking."

"A donated heart?" Steve questioned in surprise.

"Remember what we learned about joint replacements?" Leslie asked, getting a nod. "Doctors now can replace damaged internal organs, too. They will use this heart in a transplant to replace a damaged heart."

"Then ... is this an artificial heart?" Steve asked hesitantly, recalling the information about artificial joints.

"No." It was Leslie's turn to hesitate. "This will be the heart of someone who died in an accident. The brain was dead but the heart and other organs can be kept alive for a time. Not for long, which is why the clock is ticking."

"Doctors just take the organs they need?" Steve sounded dubious.

"The donors are volunteers," Leslie corrected. "They leave instructions that, if something happens, their organs can be harvested. Or their families make that decision after the donor's accident."

"That's so …"

Maria wondered if he would think it was macabre, like something out of "Frankenstein."

"… so brave," Steve marveled. "So selfless. In their hour of grief, they think about saving someone else's life."

"I've read articles where the families say that this way a piece of their loved one goes on," Maria said so quietly, Steve wouldn't have been able to hear except for the headphones.

Leslie explained that there are living organ donors, too. People can spare one of their two kidneys or a piece of a lung.

Steve marveled at the concept. Now this was something he might have expected from the future.

A/N: So I have more planned for this tourist flight, but I haven't been able to get much done lately. My mother was in and out of the hospital starting May 5 and she passed away May 28, so even when I have time to write, I don't have the inclination. Eventually I'll get back to it, but for now, just keep checking on Saturdays. Thanks for all your kind reviews.