As she woke, Emily kept her eyes firmly closed, wishing that she could fall back asleep rather than face what the day had to bring. Outside of her hotel window, she could hear the sounds of the city moving, unaware that - after a month of fruitless searching - Captain Steven Rogers would be declared missing in action in a few short hours.

Peggy had been the first to find her after she'd gotten back from the mission, and the last one to speak to Steve. She'd relayed his final words to her - "Tell Emily that I love her and I'll see her" - which had been cut off when the radio went out.

Colonel Phillips had clasped her hand and said that Steve was the best soldier he'd ever seen, and that he was sorry to have lost him. The Commandos, unable to hold back their tears, had invited her out for a night of drinking to celebrate both Steve and Bucky's lives but she'd begged off.

Howard… Howard had done what he did best: he'd tried to solve the problem. Within days of the crash, he'd spent a small fortune to hire out boats and was combing the ocean floor. He'd promised her that he would bring Steve home to her.

Emily didn't have the heart to tell him that it would be a Russian oil company that would find him in a few decades.

He hadn't been there to see her off, but Peggy and the Commandos had escorted her to the airfield after she'd said her farewells to the rest her friends in London. The Office of War Information had summoned her to DC to meet First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who would express her condolences in person while cameras snapped their picture - the newspapers would have pictures of the grieving widow to run along with pictures of Steve and their wedding only five months earlier.

In little over a month any mention of Steve would be knocked out of the national news with the death of America's political giant, President Roosevelt, then VE and VJ Day. History would forget him as the country turned away from all memories of the war and chose to focus on a return to normalcy.

Emily began to repeat her internal mantra: sixty-seven years until they find him, three days until he wakes up, thirty minutes to meet him, a few months to fall in love, and one year until he tries to propose. Letting out a sigh, Em rolled onto her side and moved to grip the pillow, only to feel a bolt of pain shoot through her body.

Gasping, she pressed her eyes closed tightly and clenched, unwilling to move another muscle until the spasm passed. Her blood was rushing in her ears and she felt the world spinning as she lay there. Trying to ground herself, she dug her fingers into the sheets and felt something pricking her fingers and sifting through her hand. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw sky and trees above her. Frowning, she sat up and swallowed hard against the wave of nausea before reaching up to wipe a hand over her face but paused when she saw the dirt on it and under her fingernails. When she moved to brush it off, she noticed that she wasn't wearing the nighty that she'd gone to bed in but was instead dressed in a pair of black sweat pants and a thin, baggy undershirt with no bra. Something black was strapped to her ankle, and when she bent to run her finger over it, hissing at the pull of her muscles, she could feel the rough texture of velcro.

"What the fuck?" she muttered, looking around again. She was just about to push herself to stand when she heard someone speak.

" - the fuck is going on, I mean seriously. What the hell was he fucking thinking doing that? It's not like I wasn't going to find out - it's all over Snapchat!"

Emily felt her heart in the throat and blinked back the tears that suddenly flooded her eyes. Quickly, she pushed herself to her feet, nearly falling as her center of balance shifted, and hurried towards the voice.

"It's over this time. I swear to fucking Christ, I'm done! I shouldn't have taken him back the first time and - "

The woman rounded the corner of the path and her eyes widened when they landed on Em before casting them to the ground. Emily nearly sobbed when she saw what she was wearing - a pair of jeans with holes in the knees and a shirt with Steve's shield on it. "Ex -" Emily cleared her throat and took a tentative step closer. "Excuse me, can you help me?"

"Uh…" the girl said, "hang on Jess." She pulled one earbud out and looked at her cautiously, eyes pausing on the leaves in her hair, before crossing her arms over her chest. "Are you okay?"

"Where...where are we?"

"Erm… Central Park, off of 86th. Do you need me to call the police or something, lady?"

"No, I just… I need to call a friend. Could I - would it be okay for me to use your phone?" The girl looked nervous and held up a finger to her before putting the earbud back in and walking away. Em could hear her telling her friend where they were, and to call her back in five minutes if she didn't hear from her and then to call the cops.

Emily thanked her when she handed over the phone, and tried not to be annoyed when she stood close to her - someone running off with a phone wasn't unheard of in the Park, after all. The phone felt so light in her hand, and it took her a moment to remember how to use it. Squinting, she pulled up a search engine and typed in Stark Tower before initiating the call.

On the third ring, someone answered. "Stark Tower, how may I direct your call?"

"This is Dr. Emily Harthorn. I need to be connected to extension 4357 please."

"That extension requires an access code."

"Hang on," Em said, pulling the phone away from her ear and clicking a button to bring up the keypad. She squinted at it for a long moment before putting the phone back to her ear. "Access code is 527847."

"One moment please while I'll connect the call."

She pinched the bridge of her nose against a sob when the line connected and a familiar British voice spoke. "Please state your emergency."

"JARVIS," her voice cracked. "It's Emily. I need to speak to Steve."

"Dr. Harthorn - " She felt her heart clench at hearing him address her as 'doctor' - "Captain Rogers is currently unavailable. Pl - "

"What do you mean unavailable?"

"Please stay where you are, Dr. Harthorn, I'm sending your coordinates to Mr. Stark. Are you alright?"

"I'm… okay. Where's Steve?"

"He is...currently engaged in Washington DC. Have you made contact with - "

"DC? How long…" Em glanced at the girl, who was clearly straining to hear what the conversation was while attempting nonchalance.

JARVIS was quiet for a long moment before clearing his non-existent throat. "Dr. Harthorn, it is urgent that you tell me if you've made contact with anyone other than Stark Tower."

"No," she frowned. "No, I just woke up and called. Why? What's going on?"

"A threat has been made against you. It is urgent that you return to the Tower as soon as possible. Sir is enroute - "

"A threat? Against me?" The girl turned and stared, her mouth hanging open. "JARVIS, what threat? What happened? How long have I - ?"

Emily shriek and turned at the loud 'boom' behind her as the girl yelled, "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"Emily," Thor said, dropping Mjolnir as he stood from a crouch. "Are you well?"

"I…Thor?"

"Holy shit," the girl whispered, looking between the two of them. Thor strode towards her and lifted a hand as though to touch her but stopped and frowned. Emily lowered the phone and hesitantly reached out a hand, which he clasped tightly.

"Am I… am I really back?"

"Aye," he said, smiling slight. "You've returned." Em coughed a laugh before throwing herself at him, burying her face in his chest; she had an errant thought that she was happy he'd forgone the armor for a t-shirt and hoodie as she started to sob. He hesitated only a moment before holding her tightly.

"Harthorn...?" Tony asked as he landed.

She felt Thor wrap an arm around her while reaching out with the other. There was a whooshing sound and she felt the air disturbance before Thor said, "There will be time for talk at the Tower."

"My phone!"

Emily barely had time to drop it before Thor launched them into the sky.

OOO

When she came to the second time, Em kept her eyes shut for as long as possible to hold onto the dream that she was back. As she lay there, she heard someone's even breathing beside her and she debated for a moment before opening her eyes.

The bedside table was cluttered with papers, pens, a book, and an empty water glass. The walls were a muted grey with a few framed picture and pieces of Steve's artwork that he'd begrudging let her hang scattered around. The doors leading to the bathroom and closets were open, and she knew that - with a word - the wall she had her back to would shift from grey to a stunning view of the city.

Carefully, she rolled over, biting her lip against the twinge of pain that skated up her spine, and looked at her bed partner.

He was lying on his back with one hand on his chest and the other reached out for her. His hair was tousled and a few days of stubble decorated his cheeks, dark against his pale skin. There were deep bruises under his eyes, and a white bandage was taped to his neck. Another piece of tape secured an IV line to the back of his hand. When she lifted a hand to touch him, she noticed that she also had an IV. When she turned back to him, she nearly jumped when she saw him looking at her.

"You're awake."

"Carter?"

He gave her a tired smile as he rolled onto his side to face her. "Hello, love."

She pushed down the urge to cry and shifted closer, lifting her hand slowly before reaching out and gently to stroking his cheek. "This is real?"

He caught her hand a pressed a kiss to her palm before nodding. "Very real. Are you alright? Thor said you fainted mid-flight. I didn't know if it was because your fear of heights or - "

"Where's Steve?"

Carter sighed and ran a hand down his face. "He's in DC. Asked me to be here because he couldn't."

"Why couldn't he be here? How long have I…" she frowned.

"How… how long was it for you?" He asked, reaching over to gently tug at a strand of her hair.

"Almost two years."

His eyes widened and his mouth fell open before he let out a low groan. "Oh, Emily. Love…"

"How long?"

After a moment, Carter said, "Four day."

"Four..." Emily said, rolling onto her back and putting her hand over her eyes. Carter saw a fine tremor run through her and reached out, only for her to let out a hysterical laugh. "Four days?! I went through half of a god damn fucking war in four days?"

"Well, to be fair, they've been a hell of a four days," he said wearily, watching the tears rolling down her cheeks as she laughed.

"I-is that wh-why Steve's still in DC? Mopping up the Arlington thing?"

"Partly."

Em hiccuped and sobered, sitting up quickly. She swayed for a moment before steadying and turned to face him. "Oh god, Carter! Why… why aren't you in the hospital?! You shouldn't be - "

"I'm alright, Em, I promise. Nothing a good rest can't cure," he said, his expression pinched.

"What is it? What hurts?"

"It's nothing… it's just been a hell of a few days, and it's not over yet. There are…" Carter started. "There are things I need to tell you, but for right now I need to make sure you're okay."

"What things?" Emily demanded. "Carter, what's going on?"

"Let's grab a shower and have someone look you over before I get into it."

"Carter."

"You've been through a lot and - "

"Tell me."

"I need to make sure you're alright."

"I need you to stop patronizing me and tell me what the fuck is going on!" she snapped. Carter sighed and sat up as well, running a hand across his face.

"Let's get some coffee, at least."

"Carter!"

"Emily, please," he said, turning to face her. "Please, just… coffee, and I'll tell you everything." Scowling, Em stood and grabbed her IV stand for support when the world became a little fuzzy in the corner of her vision.

"I don't really need this," she muttered while tugging it along with her to the kitchen. He apparently heard her and chuckled, bringing his stand along as well.

"It was you getting the bag and resting in here, or you getting the bag and being in Stark's medical wing. Figured you might like the comfort of your own bed, but the fluids were non-negotiable."

"Whatever."

The coffee pot was already brewing. "Thanks JARVIS," Carter said as he made his way to the kitchen, retrieving two mugs, sugar, and creamer.

"You're welcome, Agent Falsworth." Emily jumped slightly at the disembodied voice before looking up at the ceiling. "Welcome back, Dr. Harthorn."

"Thanks," she replied. "And thanks for getting Thor and Tony to me."

"Of course. I've alerted Mr. Stark, Doctor Foster, and the medial team that you are awake. They'll be up sho -"

"No. Don't send anyone up here right now - Carter and I need to talk."

"Lock down for now," Carter agreed before handing her a mug and motioning towards the living room. She took a sip and grimaced slightly at the overly sweet taste while settling on the couch. He sat on the other end and turned to face her, running a hand through his hair. When she raised an eyebrow, he sighed. "Fury's dead."

"What?"

"He was killed in Steve's apartment. Sharon said they shot him through the wall from the building next door. Steve followed, lost the shooter."

"Is he alright?"

"He made it out, but SHIELD put a capture or kill order on him."

"WHAT?!" she demanded, her heart in her throat.

"Said he was obstructing the investigation or had some part in it."

"That's…"

"Insane. He and Romanoff went off the grid until yesterday when they popped up during a shoot out in the streets. SHIELD took them into custody and we haven't heard anything since."

Emily let out a shaky breath, her mouth slightly open. "Nothing?"

"Tony's been trying to track everything through his backdoor hacking, but so far… I don't know what's going on, Emily, but this isn't the SHIELD that I know. Something big is going on - I can feel it," Carter said before running a hand over his face. He was quiet for a long moment, silently debating himself while watching her absorb the news, before sighing. "Which is why I think that they're the ones who are going after you."

"Me? You think I was the target at Arlington?"

"No," he waved off the suggestion. "Your office was tossed -"

"What?!"

"And they put a knife through your picture and book. Easiest way to distract someone is to go after a loved one - Steve needed to be out of DC, so they went after you."

"Wait, I just…" Em groaned, putting her head in one hand and balancing her coffee on her knee. After taking a few deep breaths and trying to process everything, she looked up at him. "Ok, let me get this straight. I've been gone for almost two years - which was only four days for you - during which time Steve has been on the run in DC because he's a suspect in Nick Fury's murder, and you think that there's something going on in SHIELD and that sent they someone to my office in an attempt intimidate me into calling Steve back from DC so they can continue uninterrupted?"

"Yes."

"But that doesn't make sense - why would they draw Steve to DC to begin with? Why destroy his grave in Arlington?"

"I don't…" Carter huffed. "Maybe they needed him out of the way? And him dying on a mission would be less suspicious than him dying off duty? But when that failed, they went after him at his apartment and Fury was collateral damage?"

"Hang on - did...was Fury… was he killed before or after my office?"

Carter closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Around the same time, I think. It was the night you disappeared." He frowned before snapping his fingers and nodding. "Yes, right. Tony was working on getting you back when ESU called you about the break in. Steve found out later that you were gone and went to his apartment to get his things, and that's when Fury was shot."

"So that wouldn't make sense - why would they send someone to kill Steve when they were trying to get him to come back to New York to protect me? Which means -"

"Fury was the target," he finished. Carter jumped to his feet and put his coffee on the table before starting to pace. When the IV line stopped him, grunted before pulling it out - Em quickly looked away - before continuing. "They wanted Steve and Fury out of the way… but why Steve and not Barton and Romanoff?"

"Wasn't…" Em frowned, thinking back to that night that was so long ago for her but only a handful for Carter. "Didn't Nat just get back? And… Clint's overseas?"

Carter spun to face her. "You're sure about that?"

"I think so - I remember Steve telling me that he was confused about the sniper report, and that he'd sent it to Clint because it didn't make any sense. And Nat was with me that night but I thought she'd been out on a mission too."

"Did she say anything about it?"

"We don't talk about her work."

"Hmmm," he nodded before continuing his pacing. "Overseas missions usually mean downtime after, but she went out with Steve and the STRIKE team."

"How do - "

"For a bunch of spies, there is a lot of gossip. The DC office was running a bet on if they were sleeping together until they found out about you when everything went down in Flint." Em raised an eyebrow before taking a sip of coffee, remembering that terrifying flight to Michigan where Steve has nearly been killed in an ambush.

"Pardon the interruption," JARVIS said. "But I believe that there is something that you will want to see on the news. If I may…"

They looked at the television when it turned on. " - joining us, there appears to be something going on at the Triskelion, which is SHIELD's headquarters. Just a few minutes ago, they launched three helicarriers over the Potomac which was - to our knowledge - unscheduled," the new anchor said before pressing a hand to his ear. "As we reported yesterday, SHIELD very publicly arrested three individuals - including Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow of the Avengers - after a shootout in the downtown area. The identity of these two individuals," zoomed in images of Steve and a black man appeared on the screen, "have not been released, but some believe that the man on the left is Captain America, who is currently listed as a fugitive."

"Merde," Emily whispered.

"It seems like we've lost that camera. We're working to get patched in with our local affiliate, so please stand by."

"Find another channel," Carter snapped as he got to his feet and grabbed his phone. The television flickered before another news anchor appeared.

"Wh-what's… we're just getting word that the helicarriers are firing at one another. Joe, do we have confirmation of that?" she asked, pressing a hand to her ear. "We are urging all viewers who are in the vicinity of the Triskelion to evacuate the area. We are getting unconfirmed reports that there is an attack going on within the Triskelion that may be linked to domestic terrorism. It's unclear as to who is responsible at this time. Oh god, they're going to crash!"

Two of the helicarriers collided and slammed into the river.

Carter paced the living room, trying to get a call to go through and talking to himself but Emily couldn't hear him or the TV. Instead, her eyes were locked on the last helicarrier as is drifted closer and closer to the building.

"Please don't be on there," she whispered. "Please, please, please be on the ground."

It collided.

A helicopter appeared, and Em felt a rush of hope even as the building started to crumble. Slowly, she stood and walked closer to the image, inhaling sharply when one of the engines blew as the helicarrier drifted back over the river.

Something shattered, raining more debris down. "STOP!" Emily yelled. "Freeze that and blow it up, JARVIS."

The coffee mug fell from her hand and shattered.

OOO

"I'm sorry," Steve thought just before he hit the water and everything went black.

Author's Note: What?! An update 1.5 months? Unheard of! I've had a lot easier a time writing Act III of this story than anything else.

Steve's not in chapter a lot, but I got to reveal a lot of back planning! I hope that this made sense – I tried to get the timelines to all work together. Just a few notes – the extension Emily used spells out HELP, and the access code is JARVIS. The reference to the Flint mission was in Starry Eyed Again.

Thank you for all your patience with this story. I'm hoping that the writer's block has disappeared since we're heading into angst territory, which is what I LOVE writing. Against, thank you for reading and let me know what you think!