A/N: I'm baaacckk! Sorry it's been so long, but I've had many upheavals over the last two years. I retired from my longtime job in part because my arthritis makes sitting at the computer all day very painful. So even fan fiction writing is difficult and I have to take it in short bursts.
When I posted the last chapter, Maria Hill was taking Steve Rogers and Leslie Reynolds on a helicopter flightseeing tour of New York. They had just pointed out the United Nations building and Steve asked, "What's the United Nations?"
Down to Earth
As it turned out, explaining the U.N. to Steve wasn't as difficult as Leslie feared.
"Oh, like the League of Nations," Steve said.
"Yes, except the United States joined this one," Leslie said. "There are probably lots of organizational differences, but we'd have to look them up to be sure."
Steve waved the idea away. "It's not like a poor kid from Brooklyn had a good idea how the League was supposed to work."
"We'll learn about it together, then," Leslie said.
The helicopter swung around and the site of the 9/11 Memorial came into view again.
"You said the 9/11 attack inspired you to join the military," Steve said to Maria.
"It was my generation's Pearl Harbor," Maria answered. "A sneak attack on our country really ramped up the patriotism."
"It was the same in my time," Steve said.
"Patriotism was considered old-fashioned when Leslie joined the Army."
"That's true. The Korean and Vietnam wars were unpopular, so veterans weren't respected. No one cared that I had served until after 9/11. Now restaurants offer me free food on Veterans Day," Leslie said dryly. "And yet the VA — the Department of Veterans Affairs — is underfunded and a lot of veterans don't get the help they deserve."
Steve snorted. "Some things never change. In 1932, out-of-work veterans from the Great War marched on Washington to get the bonuses they'd been promised. Douglas MacArthur took troops and tanks — tanks! — to drive them away. Congress finally gave them their bonuses four years later, but the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm glad MacArthur never crossed my path during the war."
The three considered the plight of their fellow veterans.
"Were people patriotic after my war?" Steve asked curiously.
"Funny how pendulum swings," Leslie said. "Servicemen returning from World War II were well respected. They could go to college on the GI Bill. A CalVet loan helped my dad buy his first house and the city of LA counted his time in the Army toward his city pension."
"Yes, your generation was much honored," Hill told Steve. "One newsman wrote a book called 'The Greatest Generation' and that's now a general term for people from your generation."
Remembering bullies and cheats he had known, Steve grimaced. "We weren't any greater than any other generation."
"You won't get any argument from me," Leslie said, only half teasing. "After the war, Blacks and women were sent back into inferior roles despite their service during the war years. And by the time I got into college, inflation was rampant and the environment was a concern, partly because of rampant consumerism," Leslie shook her head. "Plenty of mistakes made by 'the greatest generation.'"
"And the public lost respect for veterans. In just one generation?" Steve was sad to think of it.
Leslie sighed. "The U.S. got involved in two unpopular and eventually futile wars against communism in Korea and Vietnam. Communist North Korea attacked the democratic South Korea. The U.S. joined other United Nations countries to beat them back, but they were unable to 'defeat communism.' There are still two Koreas. Then there was Vietnam, which was much the same situation, but the U.N. wasn't involved. The U.S. and a couple of allies tried to support South Vietnam but ultimately were driven out of the country. The communists won that war. Civilians spat on veterans of Vietnam and World War II veterans often scorned them as losers." Leslie shook her head sadly.
"And yet you joined the army," Steve said.
"A few years later, after college, when there were no jobs to be had," Leslie pointed out. "We weren't in any wars at the time."
"Still, you volunteered to serve your country," Hill said.
Leslie shrugged. "I always was unfashionably patriotic. We were just a couple of years past the Bicentennial when everyone got a little patriotic again."
"Bicentennial? Oh, 1976. The country's 200th birthday," Steve realized.
"Your birthday was an even bigger blowout than usual in '76," Leslie teased. "Imagine if Steve had been available July 4, 1976," She said to Maria.
"Before my time," the younger woman reminded her, "But I imagine there would have been a bidding war for Captain America's services."
"New York would have won," Steve said solemnly.
"The president would have had to live with the disappointment," Leslie joked. "You could have met the queen of England in Philadelphia. My sister saw her there while she was on a school trip."
"We've met," Steve said, flooring the two women. "She was Princess Elizabeth during the war but we were introduced."
"Name dropper!" Leslie teased.
Sightseeing done, they headed back to SHIELD headquarters.
As they got out of the helicopter, Maria's phone buzzed. "Hill," she answered, though she knew full well it was Fury. She fished an earbud out of her pocket and connected it to her phone. She'd learned her lesson about super hearing. Steve could make out a buzz of a voice and could tell it was Fury, but couldn't understand the words. He politely moved to the far side of the rooftop.
Maria's eyebrows rose. "Already?" She listened. "Oh those two. Well, they always have been overachievers, but this is something special." She paused. "Creative, inventive, practical and fast," she agreed. "They will be wasted in a lab, but aren't they a little ... green for the field?" She nodded. "We'll keep looking. OK, I'll tell him."
She ended the call and put the phone in her pocket. "When you get back to the residence, Fury wants you to see Carlos. He has something for you," she told Steve.
"Thank you. Thank you for everything. The flight was amazing," Steve said with honest enthusiasm.
"I'm sorry parts of the tour were upsetting."
Steve shrugged uncomfortably. "I have to get used to it," he said with a firmness addressed to himself. He shook Hill's hand, then shook it again after they stopped in her office to get the history books she'd picked out.
"Some of these were written when the events were current events and some were written later and have the perspective of distance, but I think all of them are even-handed without strong agendas," Hill said.
Steve thanked her again and left with Leslie to return to the residence.
"Could we stop for something to eat?" Steve asked. His stomach growled loud enough to be heard over the rumble of traffic.
"I could eat," Leslie agreed. "I know just the place. We haven't tried Greek, yet, have we?"
"No, ma'am," Steve said. "What's Greek like?"
"Flatbread sandwiches with shaved meat. The Mediterranean diet is considered very healthy. Lots of fish and fresh fruits and vegetables. Olive oil and nuts. It's good for your heart. Not that you have to worry."
"Not about my heart. I just worry about my stomach," Steve joked. "It sounds good to me."
After quick meal of pita sandwiches and fruit, Steve and Leslie dropped the books in the apartment and went to find Carlos in a private workout room. He opened the door with a flourish.
The only equipment in the room was a gleaming treadmill wrapped in red ribbon and tied with a big red bow. Attached was an oversized white envelope that read: "Welcome Home."
A/N: At last I got them out of that blasted helicopter giving a tour of a city I've only visited once. I have several chapters roughed out and I'll try to keep updating, but no promises. I can't sit at the computer for very long at a time because my arthritis acts up. But I thought you could use something to cheer you up in these dark days and I could use some reviews to cheer me up. We're all in this together. Stay safe everyone.