Chapter Nine
James walks back into the apartment to be greeted by Griffin with an annoyed look. "What?" James chuckles walking pass him over to the kitchen. Griffin quickly follows James with something to say. James glances over at Griffin noticing his antsiness, "What is it?"
"I thought you didn't want to go out." Griffin finally says with a disappointed look. James shrugs knowing that probably was rude of him for going out without him, but he probably wouldn't have been able to meet Cecile if he didn't.
"I did, but I felt bored while you slept. So I went out for a bit." James explains hiding the fact he ran into Cecile. Griff nods his head understanding how it could be boring. "Where's my brother?" James asks scanning around the apartment.
"Oh, yeah, he went to the store down the block to get stuff for dinner." He answers with a snap of his fingers. James opens the cabinets to see if there were anything to snack on. He shakes a box of crackers hoping they have something in them. He sighs deeply when he is deeply disappointed by the lack of food in the apartment.
"Alright, so tomorrow do you want to go to the museums?" James asks while sitting down next to Griff empty handed.
Griff looks up from his phone with the roll of his eyes, "Why the museum? Why not something different like...the club?" James slumps down in the couch disliking the thought of being trapped in a crowded place with smelly drunk people.
"Okay, what if we go to the museum and at night go to the club? I mean, you can't really go to the club during the day." James suggests hoping he will be willing to compromise.
Griff shrugs his shoulders caving into going to the museum, "What museum are we gonna go to?" James sits up excitedly that Griffin is willing to go to the museum.
"The Museum of American of Natural History." James answers while he stares at his phone intently. His eyes scan the AD with a knot in his chest, America's Finest Hero: Captain America! Come and see the limited time exhibit!
James' eyes snap forward when the door squeaks open revealing Francis walking in with three medium pizzas. "I know I said I was going to buy food to cook tonight, but then I passed up Mario's pizza parlor, and well I couldn't resist." Francis laughs while kicking the door behind him shut. Griffin jumps off of the couch racing over to the kitchen as if his life depended on being there.
"Alright, tell me you got a three cheese pizza as one." Griff pleads while sitting at the breakfast bar. Francis nods his head yes while putting the boxes on the counter.
James takes in a deep breath before swallowing his sudden anger and anxiety. James runs his fingers through pushing his hair out of his eyes while he walks over to the kitchen to eat the delicious smelling pizza. "Do you need a hair cut?" Francis asks looking over at James noticing his hair getting long.
James sits down next to Griffin with a huff, "I probably do." James takes a bite of hot cheesy pizza pleased.
"Don't be startled." A voice echoes from across the room causing Clint to turn towards the voice. His eyes fall slowly on the ghostly face standing in front of him. Clint reaches for the call button with his hands trembling slightly. "Please, don't." The voice pleads while swiftly moving over to grab the remote away from him.
"What do you want?" Clint inquiries unable to fully articulate his words.
"I came to see you..." The voice answers softly still hiding in the shadows.
Clint squints to see if there is more than one person over in the dark corner. "Is she with you?" He croaks with his eyes shifting downwardly.
"No." The voice answers hoarse, "It's just me, and leaving as soon as I'm done here. I know you have many questions, but I can't answer them all right now. But I have one request, and she won't be happy with it, but it's for the best."
Client shallows his sudden anger, "What?"
"Don't tell him yet. It's not time especially with how things are. Knowing if he is anything like me he will come after us." Client snaps his eyes forward at the unreasonable request.
"Are you asking me to lie to my son?" He snaps feeling defensive over James.
"Y-yes... Just until I can tell my son the truth..." Steve stutters having Clint's words pierce him.
"When will that be?" Clint implores his teeth clenching with fury. He struggles to sit up to face Steve properly. "Tomorrow? Next Week? The week after? The week after that? A month from now? Two, three, four, five; a year? No, you're not going to tell him, are you?"
Steve looks down at the white tiles with tears involuntarily burning his eyes. "I know I seem like a coward to you. But if you were put in my position you would've done the same." He hisses unable to control the anger rising in him, "I wanted to see my son every damn day, but I knew what they would do to him. I sacrificed for him, and if that's cowardly or selfish then so be it. But I gave him the best chance. The day I got shot was the day I knew it was all over." Steve scans the floor breathing heavy with mix emotions unable to hide his tears he turns to walk out of the room.
"I won't tell him." Steve turns back feeling slightly hopeful, "Not because I agree with you... But because you prove to me that it needs to come from you. Not just you, but Nat too."
"Thank you..." Steve whispers relieved before turning to leave. Steve leaves with his thought heavy about James, and when the time would come to come clean to him.
James and Griffin walk down the sidewalk in Manhattan leading to the museum. "You know the pizza we had yesterday did not settle right with me," Griff informs while clutching his stomach overly dramatic. James glances over Griff unimpressed by his overly done everything.
"Can I just you, why?" James turns back looking in front of him while they walk up the massive stairs leading up to the museum. They slowly push past people to get to the doors easier.
"Because...nothing..." Griffin answers truthfully not having explanations for his over dramatics. They pay for their ticket, and head into the museum with actual awe for the numerous exhibits they can go to. "Where to start?' Griff asks while staring up at the ceiling above them.
"Egypt," James answers quickly while heading towards the entry. Griffin follows in tow gazing at all the artifacts on the walls and in glass boxes.
"Isn't this where mummies are? Like the classic movie The Mummy." Griffin walks over to James who is staring at an ancient spearhead.
"Which one? The god awful one with Tom Cruise, or the one made in the 90's with Brendan Fraser?" James asks looking up from reading the plaque.
"Brendan Fraser, of course."
"Then yes, those type mummies will be here." James moves towards the next glass containing some beautifully preserved jewelry.
"Will they come alive like in the movie Night at the Museum?" Griffin asks admiring some more jewelry on the right of James.
"What?"
"You know? The tablet and all the exhibits come alive, this is the museum in the first movie." Griff explains facing James now.
"Why do you keep mentioning movies? Why can't you just enjoy history in it's preserved state?" James asked annoyed and confused.
"I'm connecting. I'm not like you, I can't just walk around places like this, and be interested and intrigued. I have to connect, and one of those ways is through movies." Griffin explains while they walk into the mummy exhibit. They scan the room before heading out the Egyptian exhibit feeling slightly bored.
"It might be because of all those field trips we had taken as kids, but I was not thrilled by that experience," James answers truthfully while slipping his hands into his pockets. Griff nods his head in agreement while they walk further down the open hallway filled with other tiny exhibits. Griff stops when he notices a big red, white, and blue flashing sign to his right.
"James, is that?" He asks while pointing over to the sign with the words "Captain America" on them. James turns towards that direction with his heart sinking in his chest.
"Yeah," James walks towards the exhibit feeling his shoulders become heavy. James and Griffin walk in the exhibit that starts in Brooklyn, NY July 4, 1918. James stops at the picture of his father as a baby with his birth date right under it. He reaches out to touch the glass photo his fingers slide on the cool glass. "That's him...That's my father..." James whispers vaguely remembering ever seeing his father's baby photos. James blinks away his rising tears while he turns away from the photo to head deeper into the exhibit.
His eyes scan the wax robotic figures replicating his father as a young boy, "Hello my name is Steven Grant Rogers!" The robot exclaims cheery while moving slightly forward, "When I was a young boy living in Brooklyn..." The young Steve Roger's voice became muddled as James thinks back on the true story his father told him about his childhood.
"They're not telling the story right..." James whispers remorseful.
Griffin turns towards James surprised to hear him speak, "What do you mean?" James breathes in heavily before continuing down the childhood of Captain America.
"They make it seem so perfect, but the truth was it was awful. His father died in world war 1, and his mother died of tuberculosis... He was just a teenager when she died, and they were dirt poor." James stops to stare at the scrawny twenty-one-year-old Steve signing up for the army. "I guess one thing they got right, is why he was rejected from the Army... If it wasn't for the scientist who noticed him, he wouldn't have become who we all know today..."
James and Griffin watch in silence as they play the actual footage of his father's transformation. "God...that looks painful..." Griff comments watching the video roll. James's mouth falls agape when he sees Steve come out transformed. He waits anxiously to hear his father speak as the people surrounding him help him out of the pod he was in. "Holy shit..." Griff mutters under his breath shocked.
"I know." James agrees amazed by how much different his father looked.
They move down the timeline feeling not a sense of pride, but a sense of deep grief. They stop at the end starring up at the last photo taken of Steve Roger before he passed. James stares at the wax robot in front of him dressed in his uniform. "Do you have any questions? If so go on ahead, and ask and I will answer them!" The patriotic voice says only mimicking his father. James feels his knees buckle at the sound of his father's voice causing him to sit down on the bench beside him.
"What's wrong?" Griffin asks now sitting down next to James. James nods his head while his thoughts drift back...
"Goodbye, James." James watched his father bend down to his level meeting him eye to eye. His arms wrapped around James's small shoulders engulfing him, he buried his head into his father's chest unable to control the tears now streaming down his cheeks.
"Please, don't go..." He pleaded muffled by his father's soft cotton t-shirt. He breathed deeply in the sweet smell of his father's cologne trying to savor the moment he has with him.
Steve pulled away from him allowing him to face his father and look into his clear blue eyes, "I have to go..." He stroked his thumb across his son's rosy cheek whipping away the stray tears, "I'm going to come back, I promise."
James' chest grew tight as his father stood up to kiss his mother goodbye. He watched anxiously as his father walked out the door, 'You will come back, you always do..." James thought to himself full of hope as the door creaked shut.
James blinks the sweet and painful memory away as he returns to reality. "If I could ask him one thing, it would be why did he leave..." He stares in the distant listening intently to the animatronic voice behind him answering the questions of the curious crowds.
"Would you like to be alone?" Griff asks knowing this must be difficult for James.
James looks up at Griffin surprised he was sitting there, "It doesn't matter." James answers truthfully wishing he could get rid of the sudden grief he felt.
"Well I'm going to go get some drinks for us," Griffin informs before standing up to leave James to himself.
Once Griffin left James scans the crowded room suddenly remembering he is a wanted man. He watches as people laugh and read intently, he was amazed at how many people actually were interested in his father. He guessed being that he was Captain America's son he didn't view him as a hero like they did. His eyes stop scanning when he notices someone across from him discretely looking at him from the book they were reading. He looks away hoping they would do the same, but to no avail, they were still staring at him. James sighs before standing up to confront the person.
"Excuse me, I notice you were looking at me, and I wanted to know why?" James states bluntly when he finally approaches them.
The lady looks downwardly desperately trying to hide her rising smirk, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out, it's just you look familiar." James looks away suddenly feeling stupid for being so paranoid.
"I get that a lot, I must have that kind of face." James lies with sweet charm.
The lady puts down her book with a little sigh, "Are you sure we haven't before? You really remind me of an old friend, maybe it's the hair or the way you act, but you remind me of him." James' smile fades slowly at her statement.
"Him?" He asks shifting slightly. She looks at him with a nod affirming his suspicions. "What do you want?"
"Do you remember me?" The blonde lady asks with a pleasant smile. James sits down next to her not sure how to respond.
"Did they put you up to this?" He whispers while scanning the room. "Sharon?" She looks at him genuinely surprised.
"They all did, they want me to protect you because of circumstances," Sharon answers truthfully.
"I don't need protection, I can handle myself," James assured her while leaning back into the bench.
Sharon bites her inner lip stifling a chuckle, "I'm sure you can, James. You are truly like him, you're both stubborn."
"My mom always said that..." James mutters trying not to smile.
"There's nothing wrong with that..." Sharon encourages, "If you ever need anything just call me, and I'll be there." Sharon slips him a piece of paper with her number on before she stands to leave.
"Thank you." James hollers out to her gesturing to the paper. James's smile fades when he realizes his plan to discover the truth will be compromised with people like her involved.
"Alright, so! I got two Cokes that are bottled...apparently, yoou can't bring cups into the museum, but you can bring bottles into here. It doesn't make sense." Griffin hollers out to James holding up two bottles, "Wait, weren't you over there?"
"I was... It just got too crowded so I moved." James takes the bottle from Griffin with a thankful smile. "Anyway, I'm done with the museum for today." He adds standing up feeling accomplished in why he came.
"Okay, good. Cause, to be honest, I was just here to get out, but now I'm ready to go to the club!" Griffin exclaims drawing attention towards them. James stops one last time to admire the photo of his father before they left.
"Do I look like him?" James asks looking back at his reflection in the glass which held his father. Griffin looks at the photo and then at James comparing the two faces.
"You two are definitely similar..." He notes walking with James down the hall out of the exhibit.
James sighs heavily knowing he has to truly mask his identity. James watches his feet as he walks along the shiny tile flooring, "I need to mask my identity, and I need to know how." He whispers intently lost in sudden thought. Griff looks over at James taken back
Griff looks over at James taken back, "Why?" James hangs his head low knowing he isn't just hiding from HYDRA, but from everyone.
"I have to find out the truth, and the only way I can do that without interference is by masking who I am. Everyone knows what I look like or I look like, so I need to disguise myself." He turns towards Griff with his eyes sparked with purpose.
"All we need to do is dye your hair a different color. Sure you would have the same color eyes as your father, but with a much darker hair you wouldn't look like him from afar." He points out while they head out the door and out onto to the sidewalk. James nods his head in agreement knowing he's right.
"Can't dye it red, I'll end up looking like my mom," James adds while walking further in the midst of a crowd's people. "I'll text Francis about our idea, and see if he knows anybody who can professionally dye my hair." They hail a taxi before heading back home with James's thoughts heavy on his father and about dying his hair.
Steve stares out the window watching people go by the small cafe with joy written in the air. He studies each individual as they laugh and cheer it was amazing to see people still living happily in a world filled with too many secrets. He sighs downwardly as he stirs his coffee if only the people dancing with the joy of life if they really knew what was lying underneath the man who hides behind a navy blue baseball cap. Steve watches the caramel colored liquid dance with the waves of his spoon as he ponders on his son. He had come to realize that he did not know his son at all, all he knew was what people had told him. It bothered him greatly that the only thing he knew was that his son was the captain of the soccer team, and he was merit-scholar. He was impressed to learn that his son was trained in martial arts but never acted upon them unless truly threaten.
He smiles to himself relieved his words had made an impact on his son. He sighs heavily allowing his mind to wander back to when they were a happy family, and not torn apart. If only he had never gone on that mission he would have never had "died" none of this would have happened. He couldn't help but blame himself for the trouble and trauma he had brought to his son's life. He didn't understand why he couldn't face his son with the truth. Maybe it was because he was afraid it would taint the image he left imprinted in his son's mind or ashamed of his decision to leave him with a new family. But it didn't matter what caused him to keep it a secret all he knew he was ridden with guilt and knew his son suffered from depression and loneliness. He emphasized knowing how it feels to be a man out of place. He never wished harm on his son; all he wanted was peace and security for him. But his enemies would never allow such luxury.
Stever closed his eyes feeling overwhelmed with grief wishing he could turn back time. He allowed the chirping of the birds to fill his ears as people spoke softly around him. It put him at ease...it made him forget his troubles...
"Dad, you should have seen it! The kid was huge!" James explained trailing behind Steve as they walk back to the truck.
Steve glanced back at his son who is rambling on, "When did this happen?" Steve asked popping open the hood to replace the old spark plug with new ones.
James plopped down next to him as he thinks back when and where this all happened, "Um, yesterday around 11...maybe? I know we were at recess. But Dad! This kid was a six grader bullying on a third grader in my class, and well I wasn't going to put up with that. So I decided to take things into my own hands, and well that's why I got written up."
Steve genuinely smiled at his son's pride for standing up for the weak, but he knew his son need to understand you only fight when it's absolutely necessary. "Does your mother know about this?" He inquires knowing she probably doesn't.
"Well, actually..." James shyly turned away from his dad before completely answering him, "No...But! I thought you could talk to her, and make her understand the dire situation we were all in."
Steve chuckled unable to not be entertained by his son's reasoning, "I want you to understand something," Steve bend down to be eye level with his son hoping he would be able to understand what he is saying, "The only time it is necessary to fight is in self-defense, or in protection of someone else. I agree what you did yesterday was okay, but you must understand that you can't go picking fights. I believe that you will do the right thing, and always fight against injustices, but remember sometimes words are just as strong as a punch sometimes even stronger. Not everything can be won through a brawl but must be settled through discussion. Remember that, okay?"
James nodded his head understandingly, "Like you, daddy?" Steve smile widened knowing how much his son admired him.
"Yes, just like me." He affirmed feeling a joy knowing how he and his son loved each other.
Steve opens his eyes feeling his heart grow heavy now knowing the proper decision. He sighs heavy while taking a sip of his coffee knowing that things were about to change whether it was for the best or for the worst every lie would be torn down one way or another. He knew it will be best for it to come from them rather than someone else, but he's afraid that with the things are going that they may place James in harm. But it didn't matter he was already in harm, and the time was drawing near for the truth come out.
Author Notes: Hey guys! I'm sorry it took me a little longer to update this chapter. But I finally got it finished! Thank you for all the reviews, and I hope you all like this chapter!
-C.R. :)