Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 3 of Always. I do apologize for it taking me so long to get this next part out. I should've updated this story as soon as I had a chance to, but I had forgotten all about this story. But I am back now with a new update. I hope that this update will make up for the missing time that I've been gone. Without further ado Chapter 3. Enjoy.

Chapter 3

The Choice

Peggy and Dorothy sat in a car near a flag pole going over files that they had.

Dorothy looked over the file that she had. "I know Dr. Erskine is allowing us to help him pick out the perfect person to undergo this, but don't you think that it's a little odd that he wants us to choose? To watch these men fall all over themselves…" Dorothy questioned as she looked up at Peggy, her brows furrowed.

"I do understand, Dorothy, but our management of these men…"

"I know…" Dorothy put the folder down on her lap and rubbed her forehead a little letting out a soft breath.

"Pick up the pace, ladies! Let's go! Double time! Come on! Faster! Faster! Move! Move!"

Dorothy looked up hearing the man yell at the new squad that they had gotten. Her brows furrowed as she saw them stop in front of the flagpole.

"Squad, halt! That flag means we're only at the halfway point. First man to bring it to me gets a ride back with Agent Carter and Agent Stark. Move, move!"

"Come on! Get up there!" The soldiers said as they tried to climb.

"If that's all you got, this army's in trouble! Get up there, Hodge! Come on! Get up there! Nobody's got that flag in 17 years! Now fall back into line! Come on, fall in! Let's go! Get back into formation!"

She blinked a few times watching Steve stop at the flagpole looking at it. "Well ain't that the strangest thing…"

Peggy looked over to see what Dorothy was talking about, her brows raised in curiosity.

"Rogers! I said ``fall in!"

Suddenly Steve pulled the pin at the bottom of the poll causing it to fall over. He grabbed the flag and brought it over to Sergeant Duffy. "Thank you, sir." He then climbed into the car with Peggy and Dorothy.

Dorothy waved her hand to the driver ordering him to move the car.

The four of them drive away leaving the rest of the men to walk the rest of the way back to the site.

Dorothy let out a soft chuckle as she looked over at Steve. "Well that was mighty smart of you." She mused watching Steve's face go red. "Brains over brawn… not an everyday thing you see in a soldier."

"It was the most logical thing to do."

Dorothy let out a soft chuckle.

"She does have a point." Peggy said with a small smile.

Steve cleared his throat shyly.

CAFACAFA

Dorothy stood watching writing notes in her book as she watched Peggy do her job of trying to get these men to become soldiers.

"Faster, ladies! Come on. My grandmother has more life in her, God rest her soul. Move it!"

Dorothy looked over and saw Colonel Phillips walking with Dr. Erskine. Dorothy walked over to the two of them to talk to them about her findings.

"You're not really thinking about picking Rogers, are you?" Colonel Phillips questioned as he noticed Dorothy coming up to them.

"I am more than just thinking about it. He is the clear choice." Dr. Erskine said as he walked. "Agent Stark and Agent Carter have been watching him carefully. And he is the clear choice to them as well."

"When you brought a ninety-pound asthmatic onto my army base, I let it slide. I thought, what the hell? Maybe he'll be useful to you, like a gerbil. I never thought you'd pick him." Colonel Phillps said, shaking his head.

They came up to the group.

"Up." Peggy ordered as the men began to get up to their feet.

"You stick a needle in that kid's arm and it's gonna go right through him." Colonel Phillips said as he watched Steve struggling with the training with the other new recruits.

"Come on, girls."

Dorothy shook her head lightly as she listened to Colonel Phillips complain about Steve and his skills.

"Look at that. He's making me cry."

"I am looking for qualities beyond the physical." Dr. Erskine said as he looked over at Colonel Phillips.

"The heart counts… not strength, Colonel Phillips." Dorothy said as she took more notes ignoring the look that he gave her.

Colonel Phillips let out a breath shaking his head. "Do you know how long it took to set up this project?"

"Yeah, I know."

"All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator What's-His-Name's committees?"

"Brandt. Yes, I know. I am well aware of your efforts."

"Then throw me a bone. Hodge passed every test we gave him. He's big, he's fast, he obeys orders. He's a soldier."

Dorothy shook her head lightly.

"He's a bully." Dr. Erskine pointed out.

"Always pick on the smaller man… is that what we want America to be known as Colonel Phillips?"

"You don't win wars with niceness, doctor and Agent." Colonel Phillips picked up a grenade. "You win the war with guts." He then suddenly threw the grenade to where the new recruits were training. "Grenade!"

Dorothy's brows raised as she watched the soldiers quickly moved away from the grenade, all but one. She watched Steve jump onto it covering his body.

"Get away! Get back!"

Dorothy watched with a small smile as nothing happened.

"It was a dummy grenade. All clear. Back in formation." A man hollered out.

Steve looked up at Dr. Erskine, Colonel Phillips and Agent Stark. "Is this a test?"

Dr. Erskine looked at Colonel Phillips, confirming his point of choosing Steve.

Dorothy walked over and held her hand out to help Steve up off of the ground.

Steve took her hand and she hoisted him up to his feet as Colonel Phillips made the comment of him being skinny.

Dorothy shook her head lightly as she picked up the dummy grenade up off of the ground. She heard the footsteps of them leaving the ground. She tossed the dummy grenade up into the air before catching it easily in her hand. "You did well."

"It was a test?" Steve asked as he looked at her.

Dorothy patted Steve's shoulder lightly. "A test to prove a point. And you did exactly what Dr. Erskine and I thought you were going to do. You weren't going to run, you were going to protect your fellow man."

Steve blinked a few times looking at Dorothy with awe.

Dorothy turned on her heels and waved her hand as she began to walk. "Thank you for proving the point, Rogers." She said as she walked away from the confused man. A smile came to her lips as she walked. She was going to have to report this to her older brother. This was something that was worth talking to Howard about.

CAFACAFA

Dorothy held a phone up to her ear, one of Howard's designs. She bit her lip as Howard talked.

"Dorothy this is good news from what you're telling me." Howard said happily as a clink could be heard on the other end.

Dorothy let out a soft chuckle as she heard more clinks. "You're finishing it up aren't you?"

Howard let out a soft chuckle. "Just a few bolts. It'll be ready for the very first soldier."

Dorothy ran her hand through her hair lightly. "Of course. I'll let you get back to work, Howard."

"See you soon, little sister."

"See you soon." Dorothy hung up her phone and let out a soft breath before chuckling. She knew that whatever would happen next, it would be an adventure that she would have to prepare herself for.

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This is the end of Chapter 3 of Always. I hope that you enjoyed it. I promise that it will get better as it goes. I know it's a bit slow. But it'll get better. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I'll update soon with a new chapter. Until next time.