Author's Notes-

zikashigaku- Brooklyn is really struggling to come back to the real world. As a SHIELD agent, she's not used to sharing her secrets, and that's something she'll struggle with for the rest of the story. She really loves Steve, but she doesn't know how to be a real person, because so much of her is wrapped up in the past twelve years she's worked for SHIELD.

"Steve!"

Steve looked over his shoulder and laughed as he lapped Brooklyn again, sprinting around the National Mall casually. As he approached another runner, he called out, "On your left!"

When he came back around to Brooklyn, she had stopped running and found a spot on the grass to lay out her yoga mat, "You giving up?"

"Yes!" She wheezed back, waving Steve on, "Keep going though, that way you can reach my level of exhaustion…"

The super soldier was already halfway to the other runner when her voice faded away, drawing his brows to focus on his run. The faster he finished, the faster he could join Brooklyn.

"On your left!" Steve said as he passed the man in the grey sweater again. Three more laps and he could call it a morning.

Steve had spent the last two weeks of February being frustrated over Brooklyn's deception, but by March he was tired of being angry and told her he forgave her. The last four weeks she'd been the happiest he'd seen her since she returned. She doted on him whenever they were together, going out with him on dates and day trips to nearby cities.

She'd apologized profusely for not telling Steve about the problems he'd caused. Brooklyn assured him that she wasn't angry and that she didn't blame Steve, even if he blamed himself. She told him they should move on because life was too short to be angry. They were taking things slow, but he'd given her his mother's ring as a promise ring. She didn't take that promise lightly.

If that past four weeks had been any indication, Steve planned to swap it out for a real engagement ring any day now.

"On your left!"

"Come on!" The man yelled as Steve passed again, too focused on finishing his last few laps to respond. After another lap though, Steve realized the man he'd been passing was resting at the base of a tree near Brooklyn, so he decided to check on him.

As Steve slowed to a stop in front of the man, he panted lightly, causing Brooklyn to smirk up at him from her downward dog position nearby, "Need a medic?"

The man laughed up at Steve, "I need a new set of lungs." He tried to catch his breath, looking over to Brooklyn before turning back to Steve, "Dude. You just ran like thirteen miles in thirty minutes!"

"I guess I got a late start." Steve responded casually and Brooklyn snorted in response, "What?"

"I didn't say anything." Brooklyn hummed as she shifted onto her stomach, pushing up on her hands to arch her back.

Steve noticed the stranger's sweater and asked, "What unit you with?"

"58. Pararescue. But now I'm working down at the VA."

He reached his hand up to Steve and he helped the man up as he grunted, "Sam Wilson."

"Steve Rogers."

"Yeah, I kinda put that together." Sam said as he gave Steve a good once over before gesturing towards Brooklyn, "Plus, she told me not to feel bad about not being able to keep up with you."

Steve turned to his girlfriend and she winked at him before shifting onto her butt to lean forward and flatten her torso against her legs while Steve continued his conversation.

"Must have freaked you out- coming home after the whole defrosting thing." Sam said gently and Steve stiffened a little, looking over at Brooklyn to see her closing her eyes as she spread her legs and lowered herself all the way to the grass, clearly not ready to leave.

"It takes some getting used to." Steve replied, taking a step away from Sam to leave. He noticed the way Brooklyn popped open her left eye to look up at him, raising her brow curiously as if to ask where he thought he was going while she was still doing her yoga.

"It's your bed, right?"

Steve's head snapped towards Sam at the same time as Brooklyn's, and the former soldier reiterated, "Your bed, it's too soft." He smiled down at the woman before adding, "It's better with company, but…"

"It's like lying on a marshmallow. Like I'm gonna sink right to the floor." Steve said and looked to Brooklyn to see her sitting up and stretching her arms behind her back, laser focused on Steve's conversation. "Sometimes when she's not around I sleep on the floor because it's more comfortable."

Steve studied the man for a moment, deciding not to try and run away, "How long?"

"Two tours." Sam answered. Steve figured he already knew all about Captain America's time in the military. After a long pause, Sam said, "You must miss the good old days, huh?"

Steve smiled and extended his hand for Brooklyn to take, "Things aren't so bad. We used to boil everything, and the internet is so helpful! I have all the information I could ever need at my fingertips." Steve smiled down at his girl proudly before facing Sam, "Plus, I have somebody who takes care of me. Back in my day, I would have never found someone like her."

"High praise." Sam told Brooklyn, clearly impressed, "You must be pretty special."

"He likes me for some reason." Brooklyn teased, her smile radiating though the park as Steve's phone beeped. He pulled it from his pocket and read the message while Brooklyn hopped to her feet to lean over his shoulder, "Getting called in?"

"Yeah." Steve grumbled before pulling her in for a chaste kiss. He turned to Sam with a smug grin as he held out his hand to shake, "Alright Sam, duty calls. Thanks for the run. If that's what you want to call running."

"Steve!" Brooklyn yelped and Sam chuckled, "That's how it is?"

"That's how it is." Steve replied, winking at Brooklyn as she shook her head. "See you later, Sweetheart."

"Hopefully not too late." She responded as Natasha's sleek black car pulled up to the curb.

Natasha rolled down her window and called out to them, "Any of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil."

"That's hilarious." Steve deadpanned as he climbed into the car, but not before Brooklyn, never to be outdone, called after them. "Only if you bring him back in one piece. Gonna bone him later."

"Oh shit!" Sam laughed loudly from behind Brooklyn, who placed her hands firmly on the waist of her yoga pants while she gazed at Steve and Natasha smugly. Steve knew his face was turning seven shades of red, but thankfully, neither of the women pointed it out.

As Natasha expertly weaved through the capitol's traffic, Steve stared out the window, thinking about his encounter with Sam Wilson.

"I see things are still going well with Hayes." Natasha said without an ounce of emotion. She turned to Steve and offered a tiny smile, then added, "She's practically glowing. Remember when you didn't believe she was in love with you?"

"I do. I'm glad I was wrong." Steve admitted as he watched Natasha drive. "We've had some hard times, but I think we're heading in the right direction."

"Fury isn't sending her out on missions anymore. She was really butt hurt about it at first, but recently she's been more than happy to help train the new recruits. I don't know, Rogers, I think you might have tamed Brooklyn Hayes."

Steve smiled at that, hoping she was settling down because she was happy with him. "So, what's this mission we're being sent on?"

"You'll know when we get there. Gotta go suit up and we'll be on our way, us and STRIKE." Natasha replied as she pulled into the security lane for the Triskellion. She rolled down her window and showed her badge, but Steve just waved. They let them in.

"Think we'll be gone long?"

"Why, you got a hot date, Rogers?" Natasha teased, driving towards the parking garage, "Aside from boning your girlfriend?"

"Please don't call it that."

"It was funny. Boning. Fossil. I get it. Even the one-piece bit was good because fossils are made up of a bunch of pieces."

"Natasha." Steve warned as she whipped into a parking spot, turning off her car and climbing out. Steve grunted as he carefully exited the tiny car, noticing that Natasha was waiting for him, "Let's go. Sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back. I have business to attend to."

"Well, this is awkward."

Steve looked up from where he'd pummeled Batroc into the ground to see Natasha leaned over a computer typing away. She gave him a coy smile, then went back to the screen.

"What are you doing?" Steve asked, "Rumlow needed your help, what the hell are you doing here?" Steve looked over her shoulder and scowled, "You're saving SHIELD intel."

"Whatever I can get my hands on."

"Our mission was to save hostages."

"No, that's your mission, and you've done it beautifully." Natasha answered as she pulled out a flash drive and stored it in her catsuit. She began to leave, but Steve grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"You jeopardize this whole operation."

"I think that's overstating things. You know that sometimes we can't tell you everything, Rogers, because of how you'll react."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve growled before realizing Batroc had gotten up and thrown a grenade towards them. He grabbed onto Natasha and leaped onto the desk as she shot out the glass window seconds before the grenade went off.

Steve rolled himself onto his ass and rested against the wall of the window they'd jumped through, catching his breath as Natasha swore under her breath. As Steve panted, closing his eyes to try and convince himself not to take out his frustrations on Romanoff. It wasn't her fault that she had a different mission. It wasn't her fault that he was left out of the loop.

He just hated that she'd insinuated that SHIELD kept information from him because of his emotions, and he hated that they were right. He couldn't live in the grey like Nat and Brooklyn.

"That one was on me." Natasha admitted as she lulled her head to look at Steve.

"You're damn right." Steve grunted as he stood and stormed away to make sure the hostages were safe. When he reached the door though, he whipped around as smoke billowed around him, "What did you mean? When you said that you couldn't tell me everything?"

Natasha swayed a little, blinking to get her wits about her as she coughed through the smoke, "Don't worry about it."

"Who doesn't tell me things?" Steve snapped and grabbed Natasha's arm, "I can't trust you as my teammate if you hide things from me."

"You trust Hayes and you know damn well she hides things from you. At least she used to." Natasha pursed her lips, and Steve understood there was more to the story than she was willing to let on, "Fury gave me a job. I did mine. You did yours. Let's go home."

Steve's nostrils flared as she passed, and he glared at her with steely eyes as she met up with Rumlow outside of the smoldering room. He didn't know who he was more eager to speak with, Fury or Brooklyn.

They saved him the trouble of choosing by being in the same place when he arrived back at the Triskellion. As Steve stormed into Fury's office, Brooklyn stood and strode towards him, but when she reached him, he grabbed her arms and addressed Fury, "You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?"

"Steve!" Brooklyn cried out, but he just held her shoulders tightly, keeping her against him while he waited for Director Fury to explain himself. Natasha had insinuated that Brooklyn was keeping secrets, but Steve knew that Fury was.

"I didn't lie. Agent Romanoff had a different mission than you." Fury looked to Brooklyn for backup, but she made the smart decision and kept her mouth shut, instead keeping her hands locked against the star on Steve's chest. Fury sighed, "Look, I didn't want you to do anything you weren't comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything." He chuckled, "I'm starting to think I should have sent Hayes with you instead, then maybe she could explain my intentions in a way you understand."

Steve looked down at Brooklyn and she ducked her head, clearly not wanting to be drawn into this. "I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their own."

"It's called compartmentalization." Fury answered, standing to lean over his desk, "You think I don't know that you and Agent Hayes discuss your missions at the end of the night? I do what I do to keep people safe, Captain. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody has them all."

Steve steeled his jaw, releasing Brooklyn to place his hands on his hips, "Except you."

Fury sighed and turned to Brooklyn as he walked around his desk, "You're wrong about me. I do share. Ask Agent Hayes." Fury gestured to the woman as he passed them, "I'm nice like that."

Steve followed Fury with Brooklyn close behind as they entered the elevator.

"Insight Bay." Fury said as the doors closed.

"Captain Rogers and Agent Hayes do not have clearance for Project Insight."

"Then drop Agent Hayes off at the training level. Override Captain Rogers' access. Fury, Nicholas J." Fury answered, and Steve turned to him with a raised brow. "I expect Agent Hayes to have no idea what I'm about to show you come tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir." Brooklyn answered stoically as the doors opened to the gym. She shot Steve a nervous glance, then turned away before the doors could slide closed.

Steve met Brooklyn in the gym an hour later with his jaw so tight it could have snapped off. She looked up and pushed her blonde hair away from her face as she panted, "Honey?"

"Let's go." He snapped and she straightened up quickly, turning to Jasmine with a quizzical look, but she didn't ask Steve what had happened, and he was glad. He wasn't ready to talk about what he'd seen.

Brooklyn was clearly surprised when Steve led her to the women's locker room and spanked her ass to urge her forward, because she whipped around and gasped, but he just deadpanned, "Get changed. I need to get out of here."

"Okay?"

"Please," Steve softened, "just appease me this time. I can't explain."

"Because Fury told you not to." Brooklyn huffed, and Steve's expression dropped even more, but Brooklyn sighed, "I understand, Darling."

"Just change please." Steve murmured to urge his girlfriend into the locker room. He just needed to get away from SHIELD for a while to get his mind off of Project Insight. Steve wasn't sure how he felt about Fury's ideas about stopping threats before they happened. The idea was nice, but that went against everything Steve had fought and died for, so people could be free.

When Brooklyn appeared, Steve felt his tension fall away. She wore a long blue dress that was belted at her middle, showing off her hourglass figure and banishing any anger within Steve. "You look beautiful, Sweetheart."

"Thanks, Honey." She blushed and pushed her hair behind her ear, "I thought maybe we could get dinner somewhere? I mean, I packed this before I realized your mission would go to shit."

"It was fine. I just don't like having information withheld from me."

"I understand." Brooklyn grabbed Steve's hand and squeezed it as she sidled up close, "I'm sorry that I've had to keep secrets from you. I'm sorry that I haven't always been honest with you, but just know that everything I do is to protect you. And Fury is doing the same."

"Still don't like it." Steve spat and Brooklyn chuckled, knowing him well enough to realize he wasn't mad at her.

"You don't have to." She replied, giving his arm a tug, "So, dinner?"

Steve bopped his head back and forth for a minute before pulling Brooklyn into his arms for a hug, "I was thinking, maybe, if you were up for it… going to see an old friend?"

Brooklyn's face flushed and she tightened her grip on Steve, "You sure?"

"Positive." Steve replied as he leaned down to kiss her. "I want my best girls to meet."

She nodded, but her expression showed she wasn't so confident. "Okay."

Steve had visited the nursing home a handful of times over the past year. Some days, she'd remember that he was alive, and she'd ask about that pretty girl Steve was seeing. Other days, Peggy would look at Steve like a ghost, not believing that he stood before her.

Since Brooklyn had returned, Steve hadn't visited, even when she was out of town. He'd been focusing all of his time and energy into making his relationship work, and he knew that Peggy Carter made Brooklyn anxious. The idea of her made Brooklyn feel inadequate, and Steve actively tried not to bring up his old flame. Today though, he needed Peggy's guidance about SHIELD, and her blessing to move forward with Brooklyn Hayes.

He led Brooklyn to Peggy's room and knocked lightly, peeking his head in as his girlfriend hid behind him. "Peggy?"

The woman in the bed lifted her head lightly and turned to the door, her features brightening at the sight of him. She remembered him today. "Steve. You're late."

"Sorry, Peg." Steve grinned through his apology as he took a few more steps into the room, holding Brooklyn's hand lightly as she squeezed the life out of his, "I brought somebody with me."

Peggy smiled weakly when Brooklyn appeared, giving a nod of approval, "She's back."

"It's an honor to meet you, Agent Carter." Brooklyn said as she approached, lowering her head in a respectful greeting that made Steve laugh and Peggy shake her head.

"Peggy. Call me Peggy." She said as she lightly motioned towards the chair beside her, "Take a seat."

Steve sat and Brooklyn stood behind him, resting her hands on his shoulders as he rested his hand on Peggy's bed. "You should be proud of yourself, Peggy."

Her expression wasn't as happy as Steve's as she looked over at her photos, "I have lived a life. My only regret is that you didn't get to live yours." She shifted her gaze up to look at Brooklyn, "I hope you're taking good care of him. He's a handful."

"Yes…" Brooklyn tried to hide her grin as Steve looked up to her, "He is. I love him though."

Steve's heart clenched at her words, and he shifted to look up at her easier, trying to gauge her expression. Brooklyn laughed at him and tilted her head to get a better look, "What is it? Is that a surprise to you?"

"No. It's just…" Steve turned to Peggy and the old woman smiled, looking between Steve and Brooklyn. "I love you, too."

"Steve, be a dear and go refill my water please. I'd like to speak with Agent Hayes alone."

Brooklyn's eyes widened as Steve stood, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze, "She won't bite."

"I-yeah." Brooklyn sat down in Steve's chair as he grabbed Peggy's empty glass and went to the nurse's station to ask where he could refill it.

When he returned, he saw Brooklyn stand to offer her chair to Steve, "I'll give you two a few minutes alone. I'll wait for you outside."

"Oh. Okay." Steve said as he looked between the two women while Brooklyn scurried out. She closed the door behind her, and when Steve turned to Peggy, the old woman was smirking, "What did you say?"

"I told her if she hurt you, I'd kill her myself." Peggy chuckled as Steve plopped down in the chair beside her, setting her water on the table. "She seems nice. Nervous. It's an odd trait for an agent of SHIELD."

"You're a lot to live up to." Steve replied as he leaned his arm on her bed, clearing his throat, "Do you like her?"

"I do. She loves you very much. She's guarded though." Peggy said as she leaned her head farther back into the pillows, "Did you come to get my opinion of her, or did you have something else on your mind?"

Steve considered this for a moment, needing Peggy to set him straight, as she always did. "For as long as I can remember, I just wanted to do what's right. I guess I'm not so sure what that is anymore. It's just not the same."

"You're always so dramatic." Peggy told Steve and he ducked his head to look up at her with a small smile. "The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over-"

She began to cough, and Brooklyn burst into the room as Steve offered Peggy her glass of water. She drank it slowly and he put it down, grabbing her hands and looking up to Brooklyn worriedly as she looked over her shoulder to call for a nurse.

When Peggy opened her eyes back up, she looked at Steve in shock and he knew she'd forgotten him, "Steve?"

His heart broke as he forced a weak smile, "Yeah."

"You're alive… you came back. It's been so long." She sobbed and Steve looked at Brooklyn, seeing her quivering by the doorframe as two of the nurses ran in past her.

Steve sighed, "Well, I couldn't leave my best girl, not when she owes me a dance."

"How about you head out for the evening? You can come back another time?" One of the nurses suggested as Peggy kept her tight grip on Steve's hand, blubbering his name as she cried in confusion.

Steve looked from Peggy to the nurse, then over to Brooklyn to see her nod weakly towards the door. "Yeah. I'll do that." He carefully pulled his hand away from Peggy's and kissed her knuckles, "I won't stay away so long this time. I promise."

Steve…" Peggy cried, but Steve forced himself to keep moving because if he didn't leave, he never would, and Peggy was right: they couldn't go back.