Hello everyone! I'm sorry it's been so long, but here you go! Chapter four, and I do hope that you all like it. I went over it quite a few times and I think it's all set and ready to go for my wonderful readers.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Again, there will be references to military terms and information in this chapter, so it there's anything that is incorrect, please just send me a message to let me know and I will fix it to the best of my abilities. ALSO, just a heads up, there will be sensitive topics in this chapter as well. The subject of racism and PTDS will be brought up, and there will be potential trigger words as well. So if there is anyone who is uncomfortable with such topics, please hold off on reading this chapter and move to the next one once it is posted, or skip over those parts of the chapters.

Other than that, I hope that you all will enjoy this chapter, I will get the next one posted as soon as I can. :)

Disclaimer: All things that are in, associated with, or based off of Marvel or the MCU in any way are NOT mine!

Chapter Four: Kings and Poster Boys

EviePOV

July 30th, 1953

Queens, New York

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have now arrived at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York. Please wait until the plane has come to a complete stop before removing your seat belts, our stewards will assist you with any luggage..."

Evie smiled to herself as she placed her book back inside her carry-on bag, relieved that they had finally arrived. After tying up her bag, she turned to look at the man who had dozed off next to her, his head resting against the window while the sling supporting his arm was resting in his lap, on top of a pillow that Evie had offered when the plane took off from Washington D.C. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a little shake, speaking low so as not to startle him.

"Will, we're home. It's time to get up."

Will stirred a bit at the sound of her voice, his eyes slowly fluttering open until they landed on her. He nodded to show he acknowledged her words and straightened up in his seat, stretching and grunting quietly. Once he was fully awake, he looked out of the window to see that the plane was now stopped outside of the airport and in an instant, Evie could see his tired, groggy expression melt away into a mixture of excitement and anxiety.

"We're home," he whispered, almost as though he couldn't quite believe it himself. "We're actually home."

"Yes. Now let's get going-your family is waiting for you," Evie said. Will could only nod as the two of them undid their seat belts and stood up, ready to grab their luggage and get going after hours of sitting. It took a little while, since everyone was leaving their seats and filing up to get off the plane at the same time, but once they had walked through the jet bridge and into the actual airport, it became much easier. Evie could tell she and Will were getting some curious stares since they were both still in their uniforms, but they were so eager to catch the first flights available they didn't really have the time to get changed into civilian clothes. She knew her skirt and blazer was wrinkled but at the moment she couldn't care less. She was just was anxious to see her family as Will was, and she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as she led them through the airport, insisting on carrying his luggage since he was injured. They carefully made their way through the crowds until coming upon the escalator that would take them down to the main lobby. As they were descending, Evie's eyes scanned the room until they landed on a group of people waiting by the guest services booth. A wide smile came across her face as she saw Howard standing there with Jarvis and Ana, along with Mr. and Mrs. Prescott, and Peggy was there as well, balancing a two-year-old boy on her hip. Will's eyes quickly turned glossy-looking and his body language screamed how much he longed to dash over towards his waiting family. It has been way too long since he has seen Peggy and today he was finally meeting his son for the first time. Seeing his desperation made Evie's heart clench and the very second they reached the ground floor, she quietly urged him to go. Will needed no further encouragement as he hastily moved forward, zig-zagging his way through the crowd until he met Peggy halfway, immediately scooping her into his embrace and crushing her against his chest.

The reunion was enough to make Evie tear up, and seeing her dear friends together again after so long was truly heartwarming. For a while all they could focus on was each other and Will peppered his wife's face with kisses until planting a firm and passionate one on her lips. Then, he turned his attention to his son, and Evie nearly cried when Will gently cupped little Michael's face in his hand, seeming too overwhelmed to say anything, tears falling down his cheeks. Not wanting to intrude on their intimate moment any longer, Evie averted her eyes as she came forward, quickly being greeted by Howard as the man drew her in for a hug.

"Welcome home, Evie," he whispered.

"Good to be home," Evie whispered back, returning his hug fiercely.

"Are you all right?" Howard asked, giving her a serious look as he pulled away.

"I'm fine, Howard," Evie reassured him. "Really."

"Are you sure? I know it hasn't been long since-"

"I'm fine," Evie repeated, stopping him short before he could say anything further. There was no way they were going to bring that up, not here and not now. Howard stared at her for a minute before he nodded and then stepped aside so Evie could greet Jarvis and Ana, giving them both warm embraces and feeling incredibly happy to be with them all again. After a few more minute of Peggy and Will being wrapped up in their own little bubble, the former came over and crushed Evie in a tight hug, whispering in her ear.

"Thank you for bringing him home to me. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Evie said.

When all of the hugs and kisses were passed around, they all left the airport together and decided to go their separate ways outside. Evie knew that Will wanted to spend time with Peggy, Michael, and his parents, so she accepted Howard's offer to come over for dinner with Jarvis and Ana after she freshened up and rested at home for a little bit first. The drive back to Long Island took a while due to traffic, but it was a nice ride altogether. Howard caught her up with what's been happening lately at Stark Industries, keeping the topic of conversation away from the recently-ended war, to Evie's gratitude. By the time they arrived at the apartment complex, Evie was feeling tired and she was dragging her feet as she climbed out of the car and up the front steps. Howard wasn't able to fully hide his concern for her as he confirmed their plans, and after she insisted that she was okay, him, Jarvis and Ana drove off, leaving Evie alone. Sighing to herself she made her way inside and used the elevator to go to the upper floors. Before she knew it, she was inside her apartment, which looked untouched since the day she left for Korea. Jarvis had been kind enough to drop by every now and then to tidy up and make sure nothing became dusty while Evie was away, and she smiled at the vase full of fresh flowers sitting on her kitchen table. She dropped her luggage down in the living room and then slowly started walking towards the bathroom, intending on getting a warm shower before doing anything else.

The hot water poured over her drained body as she stood under the faucet, her eyes closed as she rinsed off, making sure to get her hair nice and wet. The steam rose up in thick clouds above her head and while it felt very soothing, after a few minutes Evie had to take a couple steps backwards so she wasn't directly underneath the water. Watching it drizzle out onto the floor of the tub, Evie's hands immediately started to shake and she felt her breath coming out in short, sharp gasps as she stood there. Her heart began pounding and she could feel her eyes begin to burn as her mind drifted back.

"Help me. Please help me!"

"Let her go! She doesn't have anything to do with this!"

"...five...four..."

"I swear to you, I don't know where they are!"

"Three...two..."

"Help me!"

"Please, no-"

"One."

BANG!

Evie's memories were quickly coming back in flashes through her mind. The bombs, the fires, the gunfire that still pierced her ears, and the icy water they nearly drowned her with. Worst of all, she couldn't get their faces out of her head. She could see them all, pleading with her, begging her to help them, but she could do nothing, except watch helplessly as they burned.

"Evie?" a sudden voice called out. The voice was familiar, but Evie really couldn't place it in her mind because she was still trapped on the field, dirt and stone flying around her as the bombs tore up the surrounding buildings. Could it be Travis? Or Rollins? The last she saw of them, they were taking refuge behind the barn. Did they need help? Is that why they were calling to her? Evie stared around frantically, trying to find a way to reach them through the smoke, but just then, someone rushed towards her and started shaking her shoulders, screaming.

"Evie!" they shouted. "Evie come on, stay with me! Look at me!"

With one forceful shake, Evie was quickly drawn out of the battle and her bathroom came back into focus. Heavy, heaving sobs made their way past her lips and she realized she was suddenly backed up against one end of the tub, sitting on the floor and shaking as the water from the shower kept raining down on her. She was cradling her hand to her chest, her knuckles bleeding and her hand definitely feeling fractured, at least. Looking up, Evie saw a dent in the tiled wall, with pieces cracked and shattered. She moved her attention to the person who was bent down in front of her, with honey blonde curls brushing against her shoulders and her blue eyes filled with worry.

"Evie, breathe," Ana instructed calmly. "I need you to breathe and calm yourself, okay? You're not back there, you're home, safe and sound. Breathe in, hold it, and breathe out."

Evie struggled to draw in a breath and she could feel panic threatening to spill over, her body still shaking. Ana remained calm and patient with her, holding Evie's hands and breathing in with her. It took a couple tries but Evie was finally able to take a deep, lingering breath and then exhale shakily after holding it for a few seconds. The two women stayed in that position for what seemed like forever until Evie was able to steady her breathing again, and her body stopped quivering. However, the tears didn't cease-if anything they doubled in size and speed as they ran down her face like little rivers, and Ana brought her in for a hug, cradling her head against her shoulder.

"It's okay, Evie, it's okay," she whispered.

"I can't," Evie cried, shutting her eyes tight and hiccupping. "I can't...I can't stop seeing their faces...so many faces, and voices..."

"It will be all right, I promise," Ana consoled her. "It may not be today, or tomorrow, or anytime soon, but it will be all right. You're safe."

Evie only sniffed as Ana rocked her back and forth, and she stiffened slightly when she heard another voice call from outside the doorway.

"Ana?"

"Edwin, could you please find a blanket or towel?" Ana called. "Evie needs to see a doctor."

"I'll call my personal physician," Howard's voice joined in from somewhere else in the apartment. A couple minutes later, Evie heard footsteps enter the room and she peeked from over Ana's shoulder to see Jarvis slowly enter the room, his eyes closed tightly and his arm extended, holding a towel in his hands. Once Ana took it from him, he quickly rushed out of the room, closing the door behind him, saying that he would find her a suitable outfit.

"How...why did you guys..." Evie muttered as Ana started to help stand her up and dry her off.

"You accidentally left your carry-on in the car," Ana replied, looking at Evie with her kind eyes. "And we were very worried about you."

Not knowing how to reply, Evie just nodded her head, letting Ana guide her out of the tub and wrap the towel around her body. They both left the bathroom together, taking slow, easy steps and then Jarvis came forward, holding out a simple dress that he must have found in Evie's closet, while they could hear Howard speaking on the phone.

"Thank you, dear," Ana said as she took the dress into her hands.

"Jarvis?" Evie said, lifting her head to meet his eyes with her pleading, red ones.

"Yes?"

"Don't let Howard call Peggy," Evie borderline begged him, swallowing thickly. "Please."

Jarvis gazed at her for a moment before he nodded, giving his word. Evie felt bad for asking him to go against his boss, but she couldn't bear the thought of ruining Peggy and Will's first day together in so long. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself. Will deserved to be with his family and get to know his own son, not worry about her. He did enough of that back in Korea, he needs to focus on himself now. Fifteen minutes later, Evie was dressed and was being escorted back downstairs by Ana, since Howard and Jarvis already went down to start the car. It was decided that they would go to Howard's estate, where he would have his personal doctor-a former surgeon name Dr. Vex-look at Evie's hand. Howard wanted to go this route so as not to risk a stranger rising too many questions about Evie's condition, such as her healing factor. If Ana and Jarvis were confused as to why they weren't going to a hospital, they never expressed it, only wanting to make sure Evie was taken care of.

"Thank you, Ana," Evie murmured quietly as they took the elevator down to the lobby.

"No need to thank me, Evie. That's what friends are for."

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September 1st, 1953

It's been over a month and a half since my "episode," as Howard so delicately calls it, and I'm happy to say that I really feel like I'm doing better. Well, at least better than how I was before. I still have the nightmares more often than I'd like to admit, but writing all of this down is a good way to cope with everything that happened over in Korea. Sometimes I'm scared that I will never get over what had happened, but as long as I have all of my friends with me, I'm sure that one day I will be fully okay. For now, I just have to get used to being back home again, and try to live out my days as I normally do. The only thing is, that's much easier said than done, and it doesn't help the fact that Howard is unintentionally hovering. I can tell he's worried about me, and I really can't blame him. I get a call from him at least twice a day whenever I'm not at work, and if I ever need to run an errand that's not in Long island, he always offers for Jarvis to give me a ride.

I understand his heart is in the right place, but I also can't stand the feeling of being smothered. I'm trying my best to get through this at my own pace, but I think he's worried if I'm left on my own I will do something drastic. I really wish there was something I could do or say to set his mind at ease. He's actually been trying to convince me to take a small vacation, to take time off of work to relax myself, although to be honest I do feel better at work. Constantly having things to distract me has been very helpful, even if it's just fetching Howard coffee every now and then. He's actually invited me out to yet another charity event he's hosting tonight at the art museum, and I have to say I'm looking forward to it. I have never been to this museum before, and I'm curious to see all the artifacts that it has to offer. Ever since Steve, I haven't been out to see any of the fabulous art that the city has to offer, but I think this will be a fun time, especially if Peggy and will are going to be there. I really wish Ana could make it, but she and Jarvis are celebrating a belated anniversary by going away for the weekend...

Evie's pen moved along across the paper as she transferred all her thoughts into words on the pages of her journal while they were still fresh in her mind. Ever since she started writing, it's been a very calming pass time and it was good for her to write down how she felt when she couldn't always express them with words. She made it her goal to write in her journal at least once a week, and she already had six years worth of journals stowed away in her apartment, locked up in a small safe that Howard had gotten for her. There were certain things she just didn't want to fall into the wrong hands, or even overly-curious ones, and her journals were definitely a few of them. When she was finished writing, she marked her page, capped her pen and then closed the book, tucking it safely into her bag as she leaned back against the park bench, taking in a slow breath. It was a beautiful day outside, with barely any clouds, although it was humid and the sun alone made you want to duck into the nearest spot of shade. From the very moment she woke up, Evie had wanted to take advantage of the nice day and decided on taking a trip up to Central Park, making a few stops along the way. She had breakfast at the pastry shop she had first found years ago, while she was out exploring Queens for the first time, and then decided to spoil herself a little by buying a couple new books and records. After taking a nice long walk in the park, Evie had decided to sit down and write in her journal for a while, jotting down everything she could.

When she had that panic attack in her apartment, Howard had asked that she go and see a professional so she could have someone to talk to about them. He seemed to know there was some things that she didn't want to disclose to him or any of their friends, at least not now, but he was worried about her bottling up her emotions. They ended up having an argument about it, but in the end, Evie finally decided to give it a try. She began seeing a therapist once a week and writing in her journal, as well as doing the meditation practices she's learned in Kamar Taj. Evie sighed to herself, breathing in the floral scent of the flowerbed beside her before she decided it was time to head back home. She needed to start getting ready soon so she could make it to the charity event on time. Gathering her things, she made her way to the closest exit in the park and patiently waited at the bus stop. Soon enough she was riding back home and to kill some time, she pulled out one of her new books-The Old Man and the Sea-and begins to read, setting her bag down next to her on the empty seat. For a while the ride is peaceful, with more and more people hopping on, making the bus quickly become crowded, especially in the back, where all the black folks were forced to go. At one point Evie looked up from her book when the bus came to another stop, checking to make sure she didn't miss hers, when she saw a black couple and their young boy step up onto the bus. A smile came to Evie face as she saw the adorable young toddler with a toy plane in his hands, moving it up and down through the air as his mother directed him towards the back of the bus. However, the family of three paused when it was clear that there were no more seats available in the back. There was a small part of Evie that became a little concerned because the woman was obviously pregnant, with a swollen stomach stretching out from beneath her dree. She wasn't at full term yet, but it was clear she was still at a point where she shouldn't be on her feet. Without hesitation, Evie grabbed her bag and stood up.

"Excuse me?" she said, grabbing the couple's attention. "You may sit here with your son, if you'd like."

The silence that followed her words was so thick one could easily cut it with a knife, and she wasn't surprised when the couple gave her uneasy and suspecting stares. Everyone knew the rules as far as segregation on public transportation, but Evie couldn't let this woman be forced to stand in this condition.

"We thank you kindly miss, but we'll be just fine," the woman eventually replied.

"Really, I insist, you should be off your feet as much as possible," Evie said politely, glancing down at the little boy. "If anything, we can't have this handsome young man getting squished like a bug, can we?"

"Mama, I don't wanna be a bug," the boy stated in the most adorable voice ever. The woman looked to her husband for a moment, who seemed as uncertain as she was, but their conversation was interrupted by one of the other passengers, who was a tall a broad man with dark eyes and a deep scowl settled on his face.

"They are not permitted to be seated on this half of the bus, doll," he said with an unbelievable tone of authority. "They are going to have to stand up just like all the other Niggers."

The look on the husband's face darkened considerably and his eyes narrowed in his oncoming anger. He moved as though he were about to give this man a piece of his mind, but Evie purposefully stepped in front of him, blocking his path as she stared the ignorant passenger down with a sweet smile.

"Surely your mother didn't raise you to use such foul language?" she commented lightly. "Especially not in regards to an war veteran? It's not something one should hear in civilized conversation. Would it help if I stood next to them to block your view? It would give you something to drool over like a dog."

Evie could hear a couple of older women sitting nearby gasp as the man's face burned at least five shades of red from anger and embarrassment.

"You better watch who you're talking to you-"

"Is there a problem back there?" the bus driver called, glaring at them all with sharp eyes in the rearview mirror.

"No sir," Evie called. "I was just offering my seat to this woman and her son."

"There is no blacks allowed in the front half of the bus," the driver said sternly. "Those are the rules, if they don't like it, they can get off."

"Where are you getting off, sir?" Evie asked the husband, ignoring the driver for now.

"66th street," he answered gruffly.

"That's only four more stops," Evie pointed out, addressing both the driver and the rude man. "Surely an exception can be made? This woman is pregnant and should be off her feet, and these two seats here are only one row in front of the segregated sections. I'm positive that no harm will come to anyone for having them sit here for ten minutes?"

There was a brief moment of silence once more as the driver continued to glare, his distaste and irritation clear on his face.

"I really don't need this today," he grumbled. "If there is any sort of trouble I will not hesitate to call the police and have you all thrown out like scum!"

"Thank you," Evie said before turning to the woman and her son. "Please go ahead, miss."

Staring at her like she had completely lost her marbles, the woman nonetheless instructed her son to take the window seat and then sat down next to him, with her husband moving back just a little so he was still over the segregation line, but close enough to stay within arm's reach of his family. Evie made a point to spin around so she was facing the mother and child, taking extra measure to smack the stuttering passenger in the knee with her bag of books in the process.

"You shouldn't have done that," the woman said softly.

"We could have handled that on our own," the husband told Evie. "We didn't need any help."

"Don't think of it as help," Evie suggested, unfazed. "Think of it as preventing something that could have turned very ugly, ending with you in jail and your son and wife possibly hurt in the crossfire. Giving in to their arrogance just makes you look like the beasts they think you are, soldier."

"How did you know?" he asked suspiciously.

"I've been around soldiers for many, many years, it's not hard to pick up the small details," Evie replied with a smile. "The way you walk, the fact there's not so much as a wrinkle in your clothes, the way your eyes darted around the bus when you walked on, subconsciously mapping out dangers and exits, and the scars your sleeves couldn't fully cover up. Were you an airman?"

"Yes, actually," the man muttered, his posture finally starting to relax a little. "Tuskegee Airman."

"That sure is something, I heard of the great things you all accomplished during the World War," Evie praised before she held out her hand to him. "Natalie Anderson."

"Jack," he said as he accepted her hand. "Jack Fury. This is my wife Vivian, and our son, Nicholas."

"It's nice to meet you all," Evie said. "So where are you all off to today?"

"We're going to the zoo!" Nicholas piped up from his seat. "We're gonna see lions, and tigers, and bears!"

"Oh my!" Evie gasped dramatically, making her eyes go wide. "You must be very brave to go see lions, and tigers, and bears. They could gobble you right up!"

"Not these ones, silly, Mama said they'll be in cages," Nicholas laughed.

"Oh, well, that's good. Do you have a favorite animal?" Evie asked.

"Yeah, I like lions because they're really strong."

"Stronger than an elephant?"

"Uh huh, and smarter, too, that's why they're the kings of the jungle."

For the next ten minutes, Evie made conversation with Nicholas, the topic changing from the zoo, the airplanes, and baseball faster than a traffic light. She greatly enjoyed the energy and spunk he possessed, and he reminded her a lot of Michael. By the time they were reaching 66th street, Evie was a bit sad that it was time to say goodbye. She helped Vivian to her feet and was surprised when the woman smiled at her, gently patting her shoulder.

"Bless you, Miss Anderson," she muttered quietly. "You enjoy the rest of your day."

"You too, Mrs. Fury," Evie said. "Bye-bye, Nicholas."

"Bye-bye Natalie!" the little boy called, waving madly as he walked back up the isle with his mother. Mr. Fury passed by and Evie saw the corners of his mouth turn up, his eyes speaking what he could not express into words. She just nodded at him and once the bus started moving again, she took her seat back, placing her bag beside her and ignoring all the stares she knew she was getting as she stared out of the window, smiling as she watched Nicholas drag his parents over towards the entrance to the park that would lead them directly to the zoo.

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"Remind me again why I decided to come"

"Because Howard would have just kidnapped you if you refused."

"Oh, right."

Evie and Peggy shared a quiet giggle as they stood together at the bar, enjoying a drink and watching the other gusts enjoy themselves as they wandered about, talking with other businessmen and aristocrats of the world who showed up at the event. The entire bottom floor of the museum was decorated lavishly, with raffles set up for baskets as well as donated artwork. When Evie first arrived, she was greeted warmly by Howard and he walked her around for just a little while, introducing her to important members of the social society as well as top member of the board of directors for SI. He playfully told her he loved showing off his "beautiful assistant" and all Evie could do was roll her eyes in amusement at her best friend's antics for pleasing a crowd. At some point Evie caught sight of Peggy and Will, and she was eager to end her discussion with the representative of one of SI's clients, who was eyeing Evie up too much for her liking. Although, she only got to say hello to Will briefly before Howard dragged him away as his next victim, much to Evie and Peggy's amusement. When Peggy suggested grabbing a drink at the bar, Evie couldn't agree more, tired of the unwanted eyes staring at her every time she moved. Peggy had picked out a gorgeous gown for her to wear tonight, but Evie wasn't sure she liked the attention it was causing her to receive. It was a sleeveless, halter top dress with mesh flowing over smooth satin, a zipper in the back and a thin, silk sash tied in the front, all a soft, lovely lilac color. Evie didn't dress up very much so whenever she did, it made her embarrassed when she was on the end of so many stares.

"Don't worry so much Evie," Peggy said to her when she noticed Evie's look. "You're beautiful, and unfortunately most male species cannot stare subtly. Have you had a chance to take the tour?"

"Yes, everything is so interesting and unique. The paintings on the upper floors are breathtaking, there was one I fell in love with almost instantly. I never really had to chance to appreciate the arts other than music, it's a pleasant change. I'm hoping to see them again before the end of the night. How is Michael? Is he warming up more to Will?"

"Thankfully," Peggy replied with a beaming smile. "He called Will 'Daddy' for the first time just the other day."

"Really?" Evie asked excitedly. "Oh that's fantastic, I'm sure Will was happy."

"That's putting it mildly, he wouldn't put Michael down for the rest of the day," Peggy chuckled. "They've been doing all kinds of things together. Playing ball, going to the park, he even puts on puppet shows for him. I think Will's trying to make up for lost time."

"I'm sure he is. You and Michael were all he could ever think about for the past couple years," Evie admitted. "You were his drive."

"But it's really thanks to you that he's home safe," Peggy reminded. "What you went through to save him and the others...it's a debt I don't think I can ever fully repay."

"I told you, all you have to do is give me a never-ending supply of your delicious peach pie and we're even," Evie teased with a smirk. "With everything that man put me through, I deserve it. Speaking of which, I think we've tortured him enough, you should go save him from Howard."

"If I must," Peggy sighed dramatically, making Evie laugh as the woman set down her drink and then ventured off into the crowd to find her husband. Evie shook head as she took a sip of her drink, staring around at her surroundings. This charity event actually turned out very nice, even if she did feel a bit out of place with all these corporate officials and socialites mingling about with their money and status. All funds collected tonight were going towards the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, so Evie figured she could deal with all the higher-ups for a few hours. There was music and food, and so many wonderful artifacts to observe, but Evie could help but feel just a little bored with it all. Deciding that she wanted to take another tour of the artwork on the upper floors, Evie finished her drink and set it down on the counter, paying and thanking the bartender before heading over towards the marble staircase, which was lit with many bright lights. As she ascended, she suddenly heard a familiar voice speak her name.

"Miss Anderson!"

Evie turned to see George Jacobs, Howard's leading engineer, coming towards her, a cheerful look on his face. Evie smiled back at him easily-Jacobs was a friendly and funny man, and could keep up with Howard almost as good as she could, which was very impressing in itself. She also appreciated the fact that he never asked any questions in regards to why he was suddenly required to refer to her as Natalie and not Evie, as he had heard Howard call her before when they would spend time out in the arctic together. He preferred to stay oblivious, but it didn't mean he wasn't a nice man or hard to get along with. He and Howard have actually come farther with their work on the Tessaract, and are sure they can produce new, limitless energy from it. When Jacobs approached, his greeted Evie with a handshake and asked her how she was.

"Doing very well, thank you," Evie replied. "How are you?"

"Great, really great," Jacobs answered, glancing around at the party down below. "Not quite used to a getup like this though, I sort of feel out of my element here."

"I understand," Evie sympathized. "I'm not one for this kind of scene either. Everyone seems a little too...stiff."

"Well, at least the music is good," Jacobs pointed out with a shrug. "I take it you're a fan of paintings?"

"And sketches," Evie added, a fond look coming to her face as her mind drifted to a specific blonde-haired artist. "I love that they can tell a story with only lines and colors. You can have a sneak peek into the artist's mind through their work. Are you going to join in the on raffles?"

"Yes, actually, my wife loves mosaic art, I'm hoping to win the one down on the second observation table," Jacobs said, pointing it out. "As an early birthday present, among other things. Are you here with anyone?"

"Just a friend and her husband," Evie answered. "And Mr. Stark, when he's available."

"He has been traveling about tonight, hasn't he?" Jacobs chuckled. "Whenever he manages to escape one wolf, another pulls him right back. Has it been difficult, being back at work? After having to spend so much time at the MASH unit in Korea?"

"It's taken some time getting used to it again, but all in all, I'm glad to be back," Evie told him honestly, sticking with the cover story she had arranged with both Howard and Phillips. As far as everyone else was concerned, Evie did some time at school as a nurse and was recruited to join a MASH unit that just so happened to be close to where Will was stationed with his platoon. Jacobs and Evie continued talking for a few more minutes and just as Evie was going to offer for Jacobs to join her in viewing the art upstairs, he looked over towards the entrance to the ground floor below and she noticed how his expression instantly fell. A look of distaste and annoyance soon clouded his features and he gave a quiet huff, shaking his head.

"He actually showed up," he muttered. "Wonderful."

"Is something wrong?" Evie asked.

"No, not really. I just caught sight of someone I didn't expect to be here."

"Who is that?"

"He's a scientist for SHIELD," Jacobs murmured to her quietly after checking to make sure no one else was close enough to eavesdrop, pointing towards the entrance with his finger. "I ran into him a few times, he's just a snotty, self-righteous shrimp who thinks he's on top of everyone because he's a valued recruit to some sort of program. The other scientists in the program were invited too but I figured this would be beneath him. He's the short one, with the glasses in the gray suit-Arnim Zola."

The name was softly spoken, but it rang loudly in Evie's ears, giving her the sensation of being inside of a large church bell after it was struck. For a minute, her mind drew a complete blank and she toned out whatever else Jacobs was saying. Her eyes were clamped on the short, stout man with styled blonde hair, round-glasses and a smile that sent chills up and down her spine. She hadn't seen this face in eight long years, but she could never forget it. It was as though a barrier had been struck down and Evie could feel many emotions and memories cut into the front of her mind. In that instant she could once again see the penetrating gaze of Red Skull, hear the smugness in the Swedish man's voice as he casually spoke of the wonderful goals set forth by HYDRA, and she could feel the terror and anguish as she watched Bucky's body disappear into the mountains. There was confusion, shock, horror and bewilderment all bubbling unpleasantly in her stomach, but yet through all of it, one emotion managed to emerge to the surface-rage.

Evie's grip tightened on the railing so much she could hear a small crack from under her fingers, a few tiny pieces falling to the floor. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that Jacobs was saying her name, trying to get her attention but all she could see was Zola. That cowardly rat, the evil genius behind HYDRA's weapons and Schmidt's right hand. What in god's name was he doing here?! Before she knew it, Evie's feet were moving of their own accord, taking her back down the staircase to blend back in with the crowd full of chattering people. Her eyes never left Zola as he proceeded further into the room, looking around with mildly curious eyes and he quickly waved down a waiter to take a glass of champagne from his tray. The sight made Evie's blood boil and the anger inside her grew even more to dangerous heights. That slimy scum thinks he can just waltz in here, drinking champagne as act like he's not some merciless monster, that he's somehow entitled to attend a grand event like this? This murderer deserves nothing! Evie could feel her palms begin to tingle and grow warm, and her eyes were turning silver. She had every intention of walking right up to Zola and using her powers to send him right through the wall and onto the pavement outside-

All of a sudden, Howard came out of nowhere and stepped in front of Evie, grabbing one of her wrists and completely blocking Zola from her view.

"Evie, no!" Howard said in a hushed whisper.

"Get out of my way, Howard," Evie hissed.

"You can't, not here in front of everyone-"

"I don't care!" she snapped. "Zola is here!"

Evie tried to wring her hand out of Howard's grip and nearly succeeded were it not for the fact that Will showed up at that moment as well, carefully taking Evie's shoulders so he could turn her around.

"Howard, what is going on?" Will demanded with furrowed eyebrows. "Peggy told me to come over and-"

"Help me get her away from here," Howard muttered quickly, immediately shushing Evie when she tried to protest. She went to move around them and get back to Zola but both men moved her along with slight difficulty, the two of them pressing in on her side to keep her from moving around much. Something like a growl came from Evie's throat as she strained her neck to look over Will's shoulder, catching a glimpse of Peggy speaking with Zola before they pulled her around a corner and the two fell out of sight. The only thing that was keeping her from using her full strength to get back to Zola was the fact that if she did, she would end up hurting Howard or Will by accident. Both men pulled Evie along until they came upon a door leading to a room off to the side of the party. moving fast, they ushered her in and Howard quickly locked the door behind them.

"Why did you get in my way?!" Evie exclaimed as she whipped around to face him, her silver eyes fierce.

"Because I'd really rather you not catapult a guest into the wall in front of hundreds of witnesses," Howard answered, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Guest?" Evie seethed. "A guest?! That man should be rotting away in a cell on an island in the middle of the ocean! Not strolling in here like he's the one who organized this damn event! How could he be here? Forget that, why is he here?"

"Can someone please explain to me what the hell is happening?" Will asked, looking back and forth between Evie and Howard.

"I'll tell you what's happening, there is a monster out there enjoying a glass of champagne who happens to be a war criminal and is a high-ranking member of HYDRA," Evie bit out.

"Evie, please calm down before you end up leveling out the whole building," Howard said, staring at her imploringly.

"Why is he here?" Evie repeated through gritted teeth, curling her hands into fists.

"I didn't know that he was going to be here, he originally turned down the invite-"

"I'm sorry, what?"

Howard sighed heavily, running hand through his hair and looking as though he would rather be anywhere else but there at the moment. He opened his mouth a couple times but no sound came out and he looked very unsure of what to say. A few minutes of silence passed before he finally spoke.

"SHIELD created a new program, called Operation PAPERCLIP. Many scientists, technicians, and engineers from foreign countries were brought in for employment, rather than have them go to the Soviet Union. They were proven useful for strategic value, and have been great assets to us over the years."

"What?" Evie said, uncurling her fists from shock at what Howard was telling her. "Strategic value? Howard, does SHIELD have any idea how dangerous Zola is? What he's done? They can't just simply let in a HYDRA agent to work with them, not Schmidt's head scientist!"

"Zola is a former HYDRA agent, he's working with us now," Howard tried to reason.

"That's a load of bull, and you know it!" Evie argued. "Men like Zola, they don't just change and suddenly decide to become moral."

"He agreed to this in return for citizenship and so he wouldn't spend the rest of his days in prison."

"You should have thrown him in there regardless. There's no way he could be that valuable that we simply ignore everything that he's done. SHIELD can't possibly understand-"

"We do," Howard said, and he hesitated, cursing softly before he continued. "I was one of the ones that recruited him."

There was a deafening silence after he spoke, in which Evie was frozen where she stood, her hands limp at her sides and her furious expression falling blank. Her mind was whirring as the puzzle pieces suddenly started to fit, even though a part of her didn't want to believe it.

"Recruited," she whispered, her voice almost void of emotion. "This man was the right hand to the person who murdered my family, designed and created weapons that terrorized innocent people, had every intention of torturing and experimenting on Bucky, and played a hand in his death...and you recruited him?"

"It's not like that," Howard stated with a deep frown. "Do you really think we would even consider this without proper precaution? We had him on lock down for over a year, surveillance his movements when he was let out, have our own people observe and scan his work every day, and he has proven himself useful to our cause. He's a nutcase, but he's a genius as well. He's helped us come along in so many ways, and has helped us improve our tech that could place us decades into the future."

"And coincidentally put him in fairly close proximity to me as well," Evie deadpanned. Howard's face grew angry at this and he took a breath through his nose.

"Don't even think of accusing me of that," he muttered in a hard tone. "I would never let anyone hurt you, or put you in harms way. I always made sure he was away whenever you came to headquarters, I placed every available guard around his lab or had him escorted to and from work if you were even in the same state. As far as he knows, you've disappeared off the face of the Earth and I intend to keep it that way, which means he stays alive!"

With every word he spoke, Evie was finding it harder and harder not to punch him dead square in the face. Her breathing was a bit calmer, but no less heavier, and it took all the strength she had not to scream and start destroying everything in sight. Her fury was still flaring violently and she turned away from Howard to start pacing, closing her eyes and needing to keep herself moving. How could he do this? After everything that Zola took from her, all the grief and pain he caused, Howard simply let him slide because he was smart? Because he's an asset? Why would he even consider bringing in Zola at such a high risk? Why...why didn't he...

"I'm going to ask you three questions, Stark," Evie breathed, her voice cold and refusing to look at him as she kept pacing back and forth. "Three very simple questions and so help me, if you don't answer 'yes' or 'no' I will not hesitate to send you crashing into the wall."

"Evie," Will said quietly, but she ignored him and kept talking.

"You recruited Arnim Zola to work for SHIELD even after everything you knew of his past?" she started.

"Yes," Howard replied, his voice still tight.

"He's supposedly been a cooperative accomplice, and has been working for SHIELD for several years, I assume?"

"Yes."

It was at this time that Evie stopped her pacing, her hands on her hips. Mixing in with the anger was an awful, painful feeling that was weighing down heavily upon her chest, making it a bit of a challenge to draw in breath. She could feel her eyes begin to burn and she took a moment to herself before she finally turned back to face Howard, opening her red-rimmed, wet eyes, her forceful aura dampening a little.

"And did you bother to tell me any of this?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly, thick with hurt. Howard's expression instantly fell, the angry lines in his face smoothing out and something flickered in his eyes as he sighed deeply, hanging his head a little, and averting his eyes to the floor.

"No," he whispered.

"Well then," Evie murmured after a beat of silence. "I guess the ends really justifies the means, doesn't it?"

"Evie-"

"Forgive me, Mr. Stark, but I'm suddenly not feeling so well and will have to call it an early night," Evie stated, her tone emotionless as she straightened herself up, smoothing out any wrinkles in her dress and not allowing any tears to fall. "I will show myself out. And don't worry, I'll be sure to use the back door so your precious golden boy scientist doesn't see me."

"Come on, Evie wait-"

Ignoring him completely, Evie moved around Howard and unlocked the door to the room, shutting it sharply behind her as she left. Her body seemed to move on auto-pilot, successfully merging her back into the crowds as she headed towards the back stairs that would lead her to a smaller lobby which had a glass door leading out into the vast parking lot that was settled at the end of a short driveway that led out to the city streets. Evie managed to carefully glide her way through the throng of talking, laughing people, her heart heavy and her eyes still burning. The entire room felt incredibly smaller now, with the walls closing in and the voices a bit too loud. Desperately needing to get out for some air, Evie moved quickly through the back entrance, only able to nod when the security guard bid her a good night. Once she was finally out and the cool breeze hit her face, Evie felt she was able to get some decent air in at last. She paused at the bottom of the stone steps and breathed in a shuddering breath, trying to collect her thoughts and calm her rapidly spinning mind. After a couple minutes, Evie tried blinking away the moisture in her eyes, repressing the anger and hurt that was still lingering in her chest, threatening to burst out. She had to get home, she needed to get away from here. While she was much better at controlling herself, she was still too fearful of risking things ending badly on her account. Therefore, she started walking through the parking lot and down the driveway, absentmindedly checking her clutch to make sure she had enough money to catch a cab, otherwise walking all the way back to Long Island in heels would be nothing but torture. Thankfully she found a decent amount and just as she started waving down any available cabs, she could hear the clicking of heels behind her and she really didn't need to guess who it was before she heard her call her name.

"Evie, wait!"

Peggy was hurrying down the driveway, her strides confident and strong despite her face practically screaming with worry. She came to a halt in front of Evie her eyes pleading.

"Evie, don't go yet," she said, taking hold of Evie's hands. "Please, just stay and listen-"

"Did you know?" Evie said, not really knowing why she was asking. Peggy was a co-founder of SHIELD, surely she knew of the decision to recruit Zola, if she hadn't been a part of the decision herself. Peggy didn't say anything, but the look on her face as well as the guilt in her eyes was all that Evie needed to see. She slowly removed her hands from Peggy's and turned her back to her so she could flag down a cab, finding it very difficult to keep her tears at bay. The pain in her chest only intensified and she almost cried in relief when a cab slowed down to pull up next to her along the curb.

"We just wanted to keep you safe," Peggy told her.

"That's surprising to hear, considering how much of a supporting asset he's supposedly become," Evie muttered with a light sniff. "Were you ever going to tell me? Or were you just hoping that one day we wouldn't run into each other and he wouldn't slip back into old habits? Or that I wouldn't blast SHIELD's new poster science boy into bits?"

"That's not fair, Evie."

"No," Evie countered, turning around to face Peggy with narrowed eyes and venom in her voice. "What's not fair is that neither one of you told me. I understand that I have no right to go against your authority, no matter how much I don't like it-you, Stark and Phillips are head of SHIELD, not me. But that man, he was part of an organization that took everything from me. He played a hand in murdering so many innocent people, not just Allied forces, and it was because of him that Bucky is gone! No one turns over just like that, no one! I hate him with every fiber of my being but right now the fact that two people who are supposed to be my friends never at least told me about any of this hurts more than anything he ever did."

"Evie, I'm sorry," Peggy said, and Evie could tell from her voice alone that she truly meant it. "We never meant to hurt you."

"Just leave me be, Peggy," Evie said as she opened up the door to her cab. "Please tell Mr. Stark I am on sick leave until further notice."

Without another word, Evie closed the door behind her and then the cab drove off, leaving Peggy standing by the curb and once she was settled in the leather seats, she allowed a couple tears to fall from her eyes. If the driver noticed, he didn't say anything and for that she was grateful. So many emotions were clogged up in her body she probably wouldn't have been able to get any words out anyway.

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Please leave a review, and tell me what you all think. I'll see you in the next chapter. :)