Steve kept his eyes closed a moment longer, listening to the sound of the water lap onto the sand and then be pulled back in by the inevitable current. He savored the smell of the salty air and the fragrance that floated off Mary. He could sense her still beside him, the pages of her book fluttering as she read, in the light breeze. He slowly blinked open his eyes and noticed the sun had dropped closer to the horizon than when he had closed them.

"What time is it?"

"Oh you're awake." Mary said, as she closed her book to regard him. "I dunno, about four I think. I wanted to let you sleep."

"I think that's the first time I've slept without dreaming."

"I believe it. I had to check and make sure you were still breathing a few times. You looked like a corpse there for awhile." Steve chuckled. The more time they spent together the more he saw how laid back she presented herself, compared to him. "You hungry?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts and instead of answering her, he asked his own pressing question. "Why did you do it?" he turned to her, brows furrowed, his gaze fixed intently on her.

"Uhh why did I do what?" She asked slowly. "Did I let you sleep too long?"

"No." He continued. "Why did you pursue being in the army, getting the serum and becoming a spy?"

"Oh. That." She said after a pause and her gaze went down. "Well that Cap is a loaded question." She looked at him, directly in the eye. "We can't all make noble choices like you." She swiftly stood up and stalked away, leaving an air of ice behind her. Steve watched her go and realized he may have asked her a very personal question. He did not understand women at all.

Steve eventually found Mary at one of the poolside bars, with a half drank glass of a colorful beverage.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he teased. She gave him an icy stare. "Kidding." He tried again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I was just trying to make conversation. Get to know my partner."

"Worst part. I can't even get drunk off these pretty, little drinks." She mumbled and then took in a breath, her shoulders rising and falling and cast him a sideways glance. "It's not you. I just haven't allowed myself to think about the past in a long time. Couldn't afford to." She turned to face him, their knees softly touching as they sat on bar stools.

"And it didn't exactly become my choice." She took a long pull from her drink and set it down, playing with the rim of the cup.

"Go on." Steve encouraged.

"It's a sad story, Steve. Not one I'm proud of. I joined the army as a nurse, because it's what I needed to do. I grew up on a ranch in Montana in 1922, watched my parents struggle through the 30's like everyone else. And I knew that farming couldn't be what I was meant to do. Damn near broke their hearts, but I'm a selfish person. So I got some training, moved to New York once things got crazy during and after the war. I found myself in a government hospital, taking care of soldiers that were coming back from the pacific. I was really good at what I did and slowly was given more and more clearance for different cases. Anyways, one day I went in for a check up and I sat waiting for a vitamin B boost and the guy injected me with the serum. Of course, S.H. .D. doesn't think the injection was an accident cause the guy disappeared. That was the last thing I remember, before waking up in a hospital bed. See they had refined the serum to make it easier for people to receive and because I wasn't sick- no offence; it just heightened all my abilities, as you know. We were now fighting a different kind of war with Russia. I tried to deny it at first, I didn't want the responsibility, but S.H.I.E.L.D. is very...convincing. So didn't have much choice and then a mission flopped and here I am." She spread her hands out to regard herself and watched as Steve nodded his head, taking it all in.

"So my story isn't as...honorable as yours. The war we were fighting became stupid and sneaky and bad politics. I just wanted to help people. I wanted to help people get better."

Steve moved his hand so it held one of hers, he squeezed lightly as his other hand went to her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his. Mary sucked in a breath, her lips parting, their faces so close she could see different spots of blue in his iris. Then the bartender slammed down a fresh drink for Mary, said something in Spanish and the moment shattered. Mary turned her body to face the bar, nothing of herself touching Steve. He gave a slight cough to break the silence.

"Well did you know for the first few months of my tour they had me dancing around like a monkey?"

"Ha. Yes. And then you saved a bunch of imprisoned soldiers and took down a part of a Hydra operation."

"What I'm trying to say is, the beginnings of our stories aren't grand or heroic. S.H.I.E.L.D. and the government had agendas for us both, but we're here now and we are helping people, even when it doesn't feel like it."

"I just feel like I shouldn't be here." Mary said, shaking her head.

"Yeah I felt like that for awhile after waking up." Steve watched as Mary's face clouded with indecision, she took a drink, hopped off her bar stool and stood so that her body rested between his knees. He waited as she looked into his eyes and then in one swift motion she placed her hands on his chest and pressed her lips to his. The kiss was sweet and tasted like rum from her drink. He went to put his arms around her when both their comms went off (they had agreed to keep those on their persons). They broke apart and looked at the incoming message.

"It's Fury. He has a lead to Canada." Steve looked up at Mary her eyes glistening. "Looks like we were right.." Steve wants to say more, but Mary cuts him off.

"Let's put this on hold, ok? We'll get some rest and head out first thing in the morning." She placed a second kiss to his cheek, wrapped her sweater around her body and headed back to the room. Steve let her go ahead, sensing the privacy she would need for the rest of the evening. He continued to feel turmoil in his head and heart; both for the woman in front of him and the friend from his past, he was desperately trying to find. A second message beeped in, this one encrypted for Steve only. It came in from Fury as well and read 'Concerning Intel on Mary. Will disclose when safe.