Steve's POV

I was still smiling about the quick kiss on the cheek Brooke had given me when I presented her with the rose that I almost didn't notice how tense things had gotten in the room. I was watching Brooke leave the room still clutching the $20 bill that her brother had just handed her, smiling as she sauntered towards her bedroom.

Why wouldn't he think I would want to go on a date with Brooke? Look at her! She's gorgeous! I wonder if she would mind if I kissed her again tonight.

I had spent the remainder of last night thinking about that kiss with Brooke…the way she had thrown her arms around my neck…the way she had been the one to pull me closer. When I had ended the kiss, she had smiled at me, breathless. I was still beaming when I heard her call my name as I walked away, "I changed my mind….that was an A"

Damn, not an A+

I guess I couldn't really be offended or upset…that's not bad for a guy who hadn't kissed a lady in 70 years. Hearing her tell me that with a little practice she would get me there had made my heart race. Thinking about how soft her lips had been kept me awake most of the night…just lying in bed staring up at the ceiling.

All day I had been thinking of her…during my morning run and my workout at the gym, I kept replaying that kiss over and over through my head. As I was getting dressed to go out tonight, the idea of stopping and buying her a flower had popped into my head. That's what men did in my time…we courted a lady we were interested in and that's what I wanted to do with Brooke. Her eyes had lit up when I had passed the rose to her and I felt a surge of happiness flow through me.

The sound of Eden's voice snapped me out of my thoughts of Brooke, "You're still the same jerk you've always been. I don't know why I thought maybe you had grown up a little in the last year" Eden hissed at him before turning to Bucky. I saw a flash of anger in her eyes when she had turned to Bucky and once he saw how upset she was, his eyes reflected that same anger back onto Brandon. I saw Bucky and Eden whispering to each other and Bucky seemed to be calming her down.

What is going on?

Brandon was watching Bucky and Eden very closely….I saw the rage in his eyes when Bucky leaned down and kissed Eden. It almost looked like Brandon was jealous but I knew that couldn't be right. Brooke had mentioned something about Jill and Eden both having small crushes on her brother when they were growing up but I knew neither of them had ever dated Brandon, or at least that was as far as she knew….according to her, he had never reciprocated those feelings for either of them.

I wanted this night to be a good one for Brooke…whatever was going on between Eden, Bucky, and Brandon was not going to ruin this night for her. I put a smile on my face and walked over to introduce myself to Brandon, the anger left his face and he stood up to smile at me, "Brandon Donovan, nice to meet you too Steve"

I glanced up with a smile when I heard Brooke's voice as she re-entered the room, "Well everyone, let's get this show on the road"

She looked my way with a smile and winked at me. Eden and Bucky broke apart and I saw Brooke approach Eden, giggling at something with her. I could see Brandon leaving the room so I stepped over to Bucky quickly, "What's going on Buck?"

He glanced at Brandon as he left the room, a dangerous look in his eyes…a look I hadn't seen from him since right after I had found him after the incident with SHIELD, when he was still recovering from being the Winter Soldier.

He looked back at Eden and when he saw she was still talking to Brooke, he turned back to me and lowered his voice to tell me quickly about what had happened between her and Brandon. He also told me that Eden didn't want Brooke to know about it.

Damn, Brooke is going to be so mad at Brandon when she finds out. Should I warn her? I can't believe Brandon did that to Eden. She is such a great gal…he would have been a lucky man to have her in his life.

As much as I hated the fact that Brandon had hurt Eden like that, I was also glad he had. If he and Eden had managed to start a relationship, Bucky would never have met her and wouldn't be doing so well. Bucky had made leaps and bounds in his recovery the last three weeks…Dr. Peters was so impressed with his progress that he was considering allowing extra duties for him, if Bucky was interested. I had expressed my concerns and Director Fury had agreed that if Bucky chose to become more active in SHIELD, he would not be allowed to participate in anything to do with HYDRA.

"Just relax Bucky. It doesn't matter what happened between them, you know how Eden feels about you." I said to him.

"I know Steve and that's not what I'm worried about. Watch him, he keeps staring at her and trying to piss her off. It's upsetting her Steve and I'm trying really hard to not walk over there and beat the shit out of him" he said, scowling as Brandon walked back into the room.

Eden and Brooke stopped talking when he came up behind them, throwing one arm around each of them. I realized Bucky was right when I saw Brandon sneak a peek down Eden's top and then smile to himself.

I saw Bucky tense up out of the corner of my eye and realized he had seen the same thing I had…I looked at him and shook my head. I knew if he started a fight with Brandon, not only would Eden be upset, but Brooke would be as well.

Eden pulled away from Brandon and started to walk over to Bucky, taking his hand when she reached him.

"Me and Bucky might need to leave early tonight, so we're going to take my car" Eden said, looking up at Bucky as she said it.

I chipped in, "Brooke and Brandon can ride with me"

Eden glanced away from Bucky to give me a grateful smile and mouth, "Thank you"

I put my arm out to Brooke and she smiled as she looped her arm through mine, "Such a gentlemen" she said, bumping the side of her body against my own.

I grinned down at her, "Anything for my lady"

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Brooke's POV

I knew I was grinning like a big idiot when I heard Steve tell me, "Anything for my lady"

I wasn't used to being treated this way by guys…Steve was just so different from anyone I had ever met and it was just so damn refreshing. He walked me to the passenger side door and opened it for me and I couldn't help but giggle a little when I said, "Thank you"

"See you there Eden" I shouted in her direction before Steve closed my door.

Brandon got in the back seat and started buckling his seatbelt. When I looked in the rear view mirror I saw him looking out his window, watching Eden and Bucky get into her new SUV. He had a disgusted look on his face and was shaking his head angrily.

What the hell is wrong with him? I warned him! He better not try anything or so help me God…..

"What the hell was going on earlier in my living room when Bucky and Eden first got there?" I asked, turning around in my seat to face him. I saw Steve glance at me and then look in his rearview mirror at Brandon.

He looked away from the window and rolled his eyes at me, "Nothing Brooke" He glanced out the window again to see them driving off, "How long have they been dating?" he asked.

"Why do you care?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes.

"I don't care…I was just wondering. He just seems a little too over protective of her….no offense Steve, I know he is your friend" he added.

Steve nodded his head but kept driving, too polite to say anything.

"Maybe he has a reason to act that way with you around…I'm not an idiot Brandon. I caught you looking down her shirt earlier when you came up behind us. I dare you to try something Brandon. If Eden doesn't kick your ass, then Bucky surely will….and once he's done I'll have my go at you. You know how gets Eden when she's angry." I finished, turning around.

Brandon didn't say anything…he just sighed deeply and folded his arms across his chest.

Steve glanced at me with a questioning look in his eyes but I shook my head.

He laid his hand down between us, his palm face up and I happily placed my hand in his, smiling when I felt him squeeze it gently.

I sat back and thought of Eden, the best friend I had ever had. We had met in elementary school when we were 5…I had just moved there and was the new girl in school. I remember walking into the classroom and feeling so nervous because I didn't know anyone. The teacher was up front talking to my mother and I was walking around the classroom looking for a seat.

She had her arm wrapped protectively around a brown headed girl that was crying and was yelling at a boy, "You give that bracelet back to Jill right now Jimmy"

"Finder's keeper's, loser's weeper's" the little boy had yelled back, his hand on his hip as he stuck his tongue out at them.

I saw the little blonde girl make a fist and step towards the boy, punching him hard on his arm and then snatch the bracelet out of his hand with the other. I had walked over to get a better look and was standing right behind the boy…Eden's eyes had been blazing with anger. The two girls had turned their backs to him and Eden was rubbing her hand on Jill's back as she handed her the bracelet. Jimmy had reached over and snatched up some wooden blocks sitting on the shelf next to him, preparing to throw them at the two girls. I used both my hands to push him hard and he smashed into the shelf loudly causing the teacher to look over at him.

"Jimmy, please stop making a mess and take your seat" she had said crossly, pointing to a desk at the front of the room.

He had stomped off, glaring at me the entire time. Jill and Eden had both walked up to me smiling and we had been friends ever since. Jimmy had tormented Jill all through elementary school. Eden and I had once chased him down in the park when he pulled Jill's hair. Ironically, Jimmy and Jill ended up dating in high school for over a year. Apparently, he had a crush on Jill since elementary school and that was why he used to torment her so badly.

Everyone had always thought I was the strong one but they had no idea that Eden was strong too, maybe even more so than me. I remember one time she had defended me against these girls in high school who tried to spread nasty rumors about me. I had seen Eden confront those girls one day after finding me crying in the bathroom. The look in her eyes is what I remember most…her normal blue eyes had such rage in them that I almost felt bad for the girls as she tore them down with her words.

Those instances were few and far between but when they happened, Jill and I knew it was better to stay out of her way and let her calm down. Eden didn't get mad very often but when she did….whew, she was a spit fire. It was the look in her eye that always gave her away….I always did exactly what Eden said when she had that look in her eye.

I looked over and remembered the first time I had talked to Steve on the phone. He had told me what Eden said about not coming to D.C. after her accident. He seemed shocked when I told him I wasn't coming because I didn't want to incur her wrath….when Eden said something, she meant business.

I talked to Jill about Eden a lot after what happened with her and Michael. Jill said she was different; she tried explaining to me that the spark in Eden was gone. She said she had visited Eden not long after it happened, expecting her to be angry….expecting that look in her eyes…expecting to hear her tear down Michael with her words. It broke my heart when Jill had told me it was gone, there was nothing there anymore. He had ruined her.

When I had walked into my living room earlier to see Bucky glaring at Brandon, my eyes immediately went to Eden and I was taken aback when I saw her eyes lit up with fury. Yes, I was irritated that Brandon had made her mad but damn, it was good to see that fire….that raw emotion.

I felt Steve squeeze my hand again and I looked up to see him smiling at me and I couldn't help but feel like life was almost perfect.

I had a great job that I absolutely loved. I had a handsome guy who made my heart race every time I saw him. I had a best friend that seemed to finally be healing from her heart ache. Life was good!

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Unknown POV

I felt my heart race when I saw her step out of the apartment building. She looked just as beautiful as she had when I saw her a week ago at that karaoke bar. I had been sitting at the bar for over 2 hours…waiting…looking for the right one, the perfect one. When the music started, I had glanced onstage and my heart stopped.

There she was….she was the one.

The guy she was singing with kept glancing down at a girl sitting at a table near the stage so I knew they weren't together.

As I watched the pretty blonde, it was almost as if she was singing the words to me. I kept trying to catch her eye but she was looking down at another table where two guys and a red head were seated.

I was mesmerized by her voice. I knew she was singing that song for me…she had to be, we were meant to be together. When the song ended, I wrote my phone number on the back of a receipt and walked towards her. I could see a couple of guys at other tables handing her their phone numbers as she walked by but I knew none of them had a chance with her.

She's mine!

When she was less than 3 feet from me, I touched her arm gently. She turned to me, a big smile on her face, "Yes?" she had asked.

"You were amazing" I said, barely managing to get the words out. Up close, she was even more stunning.

"Thank you" she said and started to turn away from me but stopped when I thrust my hand out that held the paper with my number on it.

She smiled and took it from my hand…I knew she was happy I had stopped to give it to her…I could see it in her eyes. She desired me too, I knew it.

She walked away to join her table and I saw one of the men, a long haired guy with a metal arm, pick up the paper with my number on it and scowl at it in disgust. He balled it up and discarded it on the table and it took everything I had to not stomp over there. She suddenly threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. I closed my eyes and imagined that I was him and that it was me she was hugging instead.

I watched her the rest of the evening. She drank and sang and laughed with her friends and all I could do was stare at her in amazement. Eventually the long haired guy had escorted her out of the bar and I followed them out. I watched them walk to a nearby car that luckily enough was parked right in front of mine.

This is meant to be.

I followed the car all the way to an apartment building that was only about 10 or so blocks away. The long haired guy had carried her up the stairs and I watched as a light on the second floor turned on.

I had spent this entire week watching her….no detail went unnoticed. When she went running in the park, I watched her. When she went to have lunch with the muscled guy I recognized from the karaoke bar, I watched her. When her and the long haired guy when to buy a new car, I watched her.

Now here she is again, beautiful as ever, holding the hand of that asshole with the long hair and metal arm. He would have to be dealt with quickly. I recognized two of the other people with them …the red head and the muscled guy she had lunch with this week….I didn't recognize the third person, he was new.

The red head is nice too. She could make a nice substitute if the blonde doesn't work out.

"See you there Eden" the red head shouted before closing her door.

Eden. Her name is Eden.

I sighed in satisfaction now that I knew her name. As the two cars started to pull out of the parking lot, I put my car in gear and followed.

Eden would be mine very soon. I would know what her soft skin would feel like under me. I would see those eyes gaze into my own. I would hear that soft moan come from her mouth as I slide the knife in. I would hear that scream as I cut her open.

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Give me your thoughts guys. Trying to shake things up a bit. Thanks for reading.