Thank you guys so much for the reviews and follows and favorites on the first chapter! I'm glad you seem to be enjoying it! Once again, please leave a review if you are enjoying the chapter!


Chapter Two: Contracts and Promises

He'd been assigned two agents by his side at all times after the spectacle he'd pulled that morning. Steve had floated in and out of his thoughts all day, barely even registering the poking and prodding he'd been subjected to down in medical.

He was still getting used to the fact that he wasn't fainting when the doctors drew blood anymore.

The lighting was too bright, with a weird name that Steve wasn't quite sure how to spell or pronounce. The agent who'd told him said it too fast.

His foot bounced up and down as he waited near the exit to the insurance building, which he now began to realize was a cover for the agency he'd woken up in. The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. Steve smirked when he'd realized what it spelled.

His heart tugged as a pair of brown eyes and curled hair entered his vision, and for a moment he seized.

What if she wasn't here?

What if Steve was the only one left?

The sound of a door slamming shook him out of his thoughts and the woman who'd greeted him that morning walked out with a coat slung over her arm and a large grey bag over her shoulder.

She avoided his gaze and Steve creased his eyebrows. The door opened again a moment later and the black man-Director Fury, Steve recalled-was by her side.

"Captain Rogers," He spoke with a certain reverence. Steve stood up, the feel of his new shoes still uncomfortable with each step he took. "We understand this has been a difficult transition, so to make it easier, Agent Thompson will be escorting you to a secluded location where you can rest and recuperate until you are ready to rejoin us."

Thompson…

Steve lifted his brow at the man in charge before shifting his gaze to the woman at his side. She was dressed in the same modern fashion he'd seen her in earlier, and she gnawed on her lip, refusing to look at him again.

"You want me to go with someone I don't know to a secluded place where no one can find me?"

The newly revealed Agent Thompson shot a raised eyebrow at Director Fury, her lips twisting to the side as she met Fury's gaze.

A spark of laughter slid up Steve's throat and nearly escaped him at the gesture.

Fury sighed and met Agent Thompson's bright gaze, turning back to Steve with a raised chin and crossed arms. "Peggy Carter is still alive."

Steve's heart dropped into his stomach. Agent Thompson froze.

"Where is she? Is she okay? What happened?"

Fury continued to stare at the unfrozen man before him, "I'll give you your answers, after you come back from the Retreat."

Anger curled up in Steve's stomach at the ultimatum. It wasn't fair. For him to dangle the last remaining comfort of Steve's life in front of him like a carrot to a burro. He wasn't a circus monkey anymore.

He'd sacrificed everything for Peggy. For the Commandos. For-

He swallowed. It was too fresh.

It hurt too much.

A wave of guilt washed over him. Rebecca probably wasn't around anymore. Neither was Erin. They'd had to go through that alone.

Some random officer had to break the news to them instead of Steve, their friend. The man they trusted.

"Captain Rogers?" A voice belonging to Agent Thompson once again pulled him out of his thoughts. Fury was gone, and so were the two agents who had accompanied him since his sprint through the city. The Agent was standing by the door, an expectant look on her face as she held it open for him.

It looked like his decision had been made for him then.

He stayed silent as they moved through the halls, passing agents in suits and agents in uniforms as Agent Thompson strode purposefully down the halls until they reached the elevator.

While she was shorter than him, her pace gave little room to check out the sights and examine the building. She was in a hurry, and apparently, she wasn't the only one.

Catching up to her would have been harder before the serum, and Steve was unused to meeting her every step.

He caught a brief moment of respite in the elevator, Agent Thompson turning to check in on him, her face unreadable. "I just have to pick up some work and then we'll be on our way."

Steve stayed silent, preferring to observe the building around him, the doors shut and immediately his throat jumped into his stomach as the silver box descended. He remembered using them at the SSR, but still Steve felt as if he was free falling, grasping tight to the railing and shutting his eyes as he waited for the elevator to drop the rest of the way, ending with him and Agent Thompson in pancake shapes on the floor.

He'd never liked elevators.

"Oh, shit!" She exclaimed, pressing another button as the elevator came to a grinding halt, a much softer expression on her face as she reached out to him, grasping his arms. Something about the curse made Steve chuckle, and he thought he caught a hint of an accent. "You've never been in an elevator have you?," Agent Thompson chuckled lightly as Steve released his grip on the bar.

"No, I have," He replied, staring around at the enclosed space, recalling how little he used them after he turned eighteen, trying to build up his leg muscles so he could enlist. The serum made that obsolete as well. "It's just...it's been a while."

Thompson nodded again, a hint of a smile on her lips, relief flooding her face. "Okay, that's good at least. I uh, my history isn't the best I'm sorry." She apologized, hitting the button again.

Steve waved away her apology and turned his attention to his companion's face. She was staring straight ahead again, her lips turned a bit more upward than they were before. He thought he caught a hint of red on her cheeks.

Steve had to wonder why she was assigned to him if she truly was as bad as history as she claimed. She tucked a stray piece of dirty blonde hair behind her ear and the ding of the elevator signaled their floor.

It was a dimly lit space with one window along the side of the building, staring out at the grass and dirt just above them. Most of the agents here were dressed in suits and ties, with file folders and expressions just like Agent Thompson's passing him by without so much as a glance.

"Get out of my chair!" He heard Thompson yell and Steve moved toward the voice, his fight response activating at the sound of her yell.

The scene he was met with amused him to say the least. Agent Thompson's arms were crossed as she stared down an olive-skinned man with his feet propped up on a desk, the tiny office leaving little room for a confrontation. "Javi, I mean it."

The man smirked and took a sip of his drink, "Make me." He had dark hair that curled around the nape of his neck, his relaxed demeanor accompanied by a blue sweater and jeans. Steve continued to wait by the door, unsure if he should enter or not.

The desk was pretty standard for an office, one edge pushed against the wall, leaving room for Thompson to walk around and sit in the chair the other agent was now leaning back in.

"I swear to god, if you messed with my files..."

"Jesus," The agent rolled his eyes as he dropped his feet to the ground, Thompson leaning over him to check her computer. "I didn't touch your files. I was just sprucing it up, you know how I get."

Agent Thompson angrily pressed a button and the computer went dark, the other agent making a face at the gesture. "Just because you're bored, it doesn't mean you can mess with my stuff."

The agent rolled his eyes again, "The stuff down here is like thirty years old, it could do with some fixing…" The man trailed off when he caught sight of Steve in the doorway, and Thompson followed his gaze.

"Captain Rogers," She straightened her posture, adjusting her jacket, now around her shoulders, "Please, allow me to introduce you to-"

"Javier," The agent stood up and offered his hand, awe entering his gaze. At once, Steve felt uncomfortable, his gut twisting at the look. He'd seen it plenty of times when he'd come back after the 107th, everyone shaking his hand and staring at him with the same glazed look Javier had right now.

Agent Thompson slapped the agent's shoulder. "Get back to work!" She chastised, and Javier grabbed what he could, quickly leaving the room but stopping at the door where Steve lingered. "It's an honor sir." He took his hand and shook it tightly, refusing to let up until Thompson intervened again.

"Jesus Christ, Javi!"

The agent broke his trance and turned back the way he was going, "Right, work."

Guilt settled into his stomach at the words. What honor did Steve have left?

"Sorry about that," Agent Thompson apologized, gathering up some papers and a portable computer and shoving it in her bag, "He tends to get excited when we have guests. Should have seen him when Agent Danvers first showed up."

"Are people always…" Steve pointed toward the man who'd just left, wondering if he should be preparing himself for more encounters.

Agent Thompson shrugged, "Upstairs, they are. Down here, you guys are more trouble than you're worth."

The playful tone of her voice eased him slightly as she shouldered her bag. He let out a small chuckle and followed her back to the elevator.


Margot hated the silence that followed as she moved to the top of the building. Usually, she didn't mind it, but this was agonizing. He was a man out of his own time and she was a girl who knew nothing about the time he'd come from.

She wasn't a historian. It'd been her least favorite subject in school, especially American history.

But now, here she was, trying to rehabilitate a living relic of those times. So she could've done with at least a question or two.

Steve-Captain Rogers's eyes were fixed on the world around him, wide and fearful, trying to decipher it all. Searching for something familiar.

"It was Agent Carter's idea," She finally spoke up, ending the silence and causing Captain Rogers to snap his head toward her.

"What?"

He was breathless, a sort of reverence found in his tone as she spoke Peggy's name. Margot smirked.

"The organization, naming it SHIELD…" She gestured to the area around her, "She turned the SSR into something that worked to understand people like you, instead of target them."

Captain Rogers let out a scoff at her words, crossing his arms over his chest, clear blue eyes staring directly into hers. "People like me?"

The door to the top floor opened and Margot gestured for him to follow, speaking as she walked, "When you disappeared hundreds of corporations tried to replicate what Erksine and Stark did. But no one came close. Agent Carter made sure of it." She resisted the urge to smile at the shock on Captain Rogers' face, "Instead, she dedicated her life to finding people who'd been affected and understanding them. You inspired her to create this Captain."

The man shifted uncomfortably on his feet, his arms still crossed as he shook his head, "I was just doing my job. Serving my country."

Margot gave him a half-smile, "So are we." She gestured to a room at the end of the hall, where Captain Rogers' file waited for them. She shut the glass door behind her, the card reader locking and turning red as she flashed her ID in front of it. Captain Rogers remained standing. He seemed so out of place, even in jeans and the plaid shirt SHIELD had provided. He was taller than she expected, although he didn't tower over her like the rest of the SHIELD agents he'd met so far. His blonde hair was still in the swoop he'd woken up with, and Margot briefly wondered if he'd wished to keep it that way.

"Please have a seat, we're just going to discuss some things before we get underway."

He didn't sit down.

"I wanna see Peggy." He confessed, jaw tightening as he spoke her name. Margot's stomach twisted. She couldn't blame him. She'd want something familiar too. But it wasn't possible yet. He was still adjusting.

He needed to get used to the world he lived in now before he could go back to the world he'd left.

So she continued with her job.

"Before we can continue to the Retreat, Director Fury needs your signature on several forms, as well as a psych assessment."

Captain Rogers didn't budge and Margot stared up at him, her face perfectly serene. "Captain, I understand this is difficult for you-"

"Do you?" His tone was sharp and angry, and if Margot wasn't used to men lashing out at her, she would have been taken aback. "Because, with all due respect, Agent Thompson, I don't think anyone knows exactly what I'm going through."

Her chest constricted and Margot tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, standing up from her position, the table the only barrier between the two of them. "You've just woken up to find everything you know gone. Your entire way of life, all of your friends and family, the people you love. It's all disappeared and you're desperate for anything familiar. Instead, all that's left are the expectations people have of you. And you would do anything to be free of them."

Captain Rogers remained stoic, but she caught the subtle widening of his blue eyes, the shuffling of his feet, the clenching of his jaw.

"Am I close, Captain?"

He took a seat.

She sat back down and opened his file, passing two pieces of paper over to him before ruffling through her bag for a pen. "As I mentioned before, Director Fury needs your signature on these forms before we can continue."

Captain Rogers scanned the form, reading through the contract first, the secondary psych assessment set aside for the time being. Margot knew the contract back to front, having written thousands of them for SHIELD agents in the past. This one was simply tweaked, replacing SHIELD with the Avengers Initiative.

Fury had been more than aggravated when he'd read it, claiming that SHIELD needed Captain Rogers as well, but Margot knew that would only do more harm than good. It took baby steps. And unfortunately, the Avengers Initiative was a baby step.

"So this ties me to SHIELD then?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her. Margot sighed and straightened her posture.

"In a way yes, but also no." She continued as a confused look crossed his face. "By signing that contract you are only beholden to missions that fall under the mantle of an Avengers Level threat. We haven't needed to use it since the 90s, but with the recent uptick in threats since Tony Stark's announcement-"

"Stark?"

Margot froze, suddenly putting the pieces together. Captain Rogers knew Howard Stark, the same way Peggy did. Of course that name would ring a bell. "Howard Stark's son," She continued, smiling softly as relief flooded Captain Rogers' face. "You'll be given files on all of your colleagues soon enough. But if you want I can schedule a visit to Stark Industries if it would help."

Captain Rogers stared out the window toward the hallway they'd just come from, agents in tactical gear passing by. She wondered what exactly was going on inside his head. Was he seeing the faces of his fellow soldiers? Or strangers he would soon have to work with?

"Captain Rogers?"

He shook himself free and turned back to the papers before him. "No, thank you. Maybe another time." Quickly taking the pen, he signed his freedom away, and Margot knew the only reason he had was because of Fury's promise of Peggy Carter's life.

"Excellent," She shoved the growing feeling of discomfort away and slid the psych assessment his way. "This is another psych assessment, just a routine thing all agents have to fill out." She explained, sensing his confusion again. She stood up and slung her purse over her shoulder, "I'll give you some privacy."

Her hand was on the door handle when he called out after her. "Agent Thompson?" He asked, causing her to turn around. Her stomach flip-flopped and she met his gaze again. "Can I wait to fill this out? I don't really...I don't know these answers yet."

Fury would tell him no. He would tell him that filing these things took time, time they didn't have.

But Captain Rogers was living in a new world. He'd just woken up not even six hours ago. And he was going to be isolated for a few months until SHIELD was positive he was fit for the job.

"Of course," She smiled, moving back to the table and collecting the papers, "I'll contact you at the end of your first week to see if anything's changed."

She stuffed the file in her bag and slid her key card through the lock, a beep signaling the opening of the door. Captain Rogers waited for her to step through first, and they continued on their way.

The airfield was windy and loud, quinjets and helicopters landing and taking off with little warning. Coulson was in charge of the Retreat Quinjet, although Margot could see the man trying to hold in his excitement at the sight of Captain America walking toward him.

"Wait here," She instructed, just a few paces away from the aircraft as she continued on her way. Captain Rogers was too much in awe of the aircrafts around him to disagree with her and Margot met up with Coulson. "I thought you were dealing with aliens in New Mexico," She smirked slightly. Coulson shook his head, "I couldn't miss this. Besides, Danvers has got that one taken care of."
Margot chuckled at the childlike behavior of the grown man, it was almost endearing. "Just try to keep your fanboying in check okay? He's still adjusting."

"Coulson's not escorting him," Maria Hill's no-nonsense voice cut through the conversation, "Although I'm sure he spent hours making sure everything was perfect for Captain Rogers' trip." The agent's lips twitched upward slightly, and Margot smirked.

"Right down to the star-spangled decorations," She teased, building off of Hill's remark. The three agents shared a small laugh as Coulson's face grew red. The light tone of the conversation didn't last long, however, Hill switching back to business mode in a hurry.

"He signed everything?"

Margot nodded, "Everything except the psych eval. I gave him until the end of his first week there."
Hill arched an eyebrow, "You know how Fury's gonna feel about that."
"Then he can take it out on me," Margot snapped back. She was tired of dealing with Fury's paranoid whims. "It would have only made the transition worse."

Hill nodded and held her hand out for the file, which Margot gladly handed over. When everything was deemed satisfactory, Hill signaled to the quinjet pilot, who moved to start the engine. "You know one of these days, you're gonna bend a rule too far Thompson," She jested, although it sounded more like a warning than anything else.

Margot shrugged, "Then it breaks." She responded, turning on her heel back toward the man out of time. "Captain!" She called, drawing the blonde man's attention her way, "Agent Hill is escorting you the rest of the way, but we're ready to go when you are."

Rogers stared up at the large jet before him, his adam's apple bobbing up and down, hands in his pockets. "You're not coming?" He asked.

Margot shook her head, smiling inwardly at the soft anxiety that accompanied his words. "No, I was only assigned to help you transition. When you come back from the retreat, I'll be right by your side again. No worries."
That didn't seem to calm him down. Biting her cheek, Margot reached into her bag and pulled out one of the burner phones SHIELD always kept for their undercover agents. Hers had been wasting away in the bottom of her desk, unused since her failed attempt in Russia. "Here," She quickly typed in her number and pressed the device into Captain Rogers' hands, his rough palms sending a shiver down her back. "Select my name and press the green button and I'll be right on the other side."

Her lips twisted upward into another half-smile, the man examining the phone with creased brows and a frown before stuffing it in his jean pocket. "Thank you, Agent Thompson." He spoke softly, shoulders tensing up.

Margot couldn't blame him. "You're welcome, Captain Rogers."

She watched his form move further and further away from her until it disappeared into the quinjet, the soft rumbling of the ground beneath her feet signaling take off.

Margot stood there and watched, shielding her eyes from the autumn sun and biting winds, wondering if the man aboard was ready for the world that awaited him.