She opened her eyes when she felt solid ground under her feet again and Thor released her. The first thing she saw was a giant with an elaborate golden helmet and an enormous sword.
"Heimdall, this is the Lady Natasha. She is my friend and my adopted little sister." Thor made the introductions. "I would have you watch her as you watch all of us and if she should need aid, bring her home to me, here."
"As you command, Crown Prince." Heimdall nodded and handed Natasha three golden tokens. "Keep these with thee. Should you have need, call my name and I shall hear."
"Thank you, Heimdall," Nat said, pocketing the coins. "I hope I won't need your help but it's good to have, just in case."
"This way; we will ride across the bifrost." Thor led her out onto a literal rainbow bridge crossing a stormy void and waited. In the distance she could see vast farmlands, very elegant golden houses and buildings. In the middle of the landscape sat a huge golden palace.
Shortly, two large men rode up leading two very large horses. "Lady Natasha.." Thor indicated that she should mount up. She walked to the closer one, a bay mare from the look of things and vaulted into the saddle.
Thor was pleased at her fortitude. "You sit the horse like a princess, my lady."
"Thanks; it's been awhile but yes, I do know how to ride." Natasha smiled at the absurdity of it all and followed Thor at an easy canter so she could look around and admire the beauty that was Asgard.
At the end of the bifrost were two attendants waiting to take the horses. Nat dismounted and followed Thor into the palace itself. Heavily armed guards lined the hallways. Thor shortened his stride so that Natasha could keep up with him, chattering about the statues placed in alcoves and the weaponry displayed. At the end of a flight of stairs and down another wide open hallway, sat Odin on a golden throne with Frigga at his side.
"Father, mother..." Thor bowed deeply to them both. Natasha followed his lead and did the same. She was here to ask a favor. Being polite and honoring custom would get her further than if she remained stoic.
Thor explained Natasha's idea quickly, asking his mother for help. She took it all in, then rose and came to Natasha, taking her hands in her own.
"So, you want to travel back in time to when the man you love was...not quite himself...in order to give him...confidence? Do I have that correct, Natasha Romanoff?" Frigga asked her.
"Yes, ma'am", Natasha nodded. She was unsure how to address the tall Queen. It didn't occur to her until much later that Thor had not told his parents her last name when he introduced her.
Frigga looked pointedly at her. "Ma'am, my...er...boyfriend...needs to know that he is loved and appreciated for who he is, not what he is." Damn, this was hard. She was having to put labels on her involvement with Steve.
"If he loves a warrior such as yourself, my dear, I am certain he knows his own worth," Frigga chided her gently.
Natasha frowned. "Can I speak freely, to just you, ma'am?"
"Certainly. Thor, you and your father go see to tonight's banquet." It wasn't a request. Both men got out of there without a word. Natasha thought she might take notes. Frigga was quite impressive.
She reached into her bag and pulled out Steve's before and after pictures and showed them to Frigga. After explaining the Project Rebirth program and Dr. Erskine to the Lady of Asgard, (after all, who was she going to tell?), Natasha talked about Steve and her aggravation that no one had ever made him feel worthwhile except for his friend, Bucky Barnes and how Barnes had been lost during a mission. Steve still grieved and blamed himself for Bucky's death.
Frigga listened patiently then gave Natasha a motherly hug. "What you are asking is not without risk. We can send you back within a specific time frame but what you do there can alter the here and now."
"I am aware of the risks. I want to give Steve two things that he doesn't have now. I want him to know that the man he is, is the man he was and I'd like to try and save his best friend and the doctor who gave him his chance." Natasha said, earnestly.
"Would he approve of this course of action?" Frigga asked, gently.
"He definitely would not. He...he never puts himself first. I want to give him something no one else can give him. For his sake, not mine." Nat added quickly. This wasn't about kudos for her, this was about Steve not losing everything. Okay, and to get him past Peggy too. That was hard to admit to herself but there it was.
"You are very brave, Lady Natasha. If you are determined to follow this course of action, I will help you. I am certain though that your Captain will take you in hand once he learns of this. You will risk more than just his anger." Frigga was perceptive and direct.
Natasha paled a little, Frigga was right. Steve was from a different time frame and while he respected her and her capability, he also felt very strongly about protecting those he cared about. Sexism had nothing to do with it. He was bound to be angry with her for vanishing without an explanation particularly if he knew she were risking this for him. Clint was bound to be more than a little pissed off too. Her boyfriend and her best friend being annoyed with her at the same time was enough to make the international honey trap a little quivery in her stomach.
"He's worth it. If I can at least give him back his best friend, and maybe Dr. Erskine, it's worth it." Natasha said firmly. And maybe his first best girl...that one made her stomach hurt.
Natasha changed into what she hoped would pass for an appropriate look for 1941. It was a little daring, she was wearing pants; not exactly everyday wear for the war time woman but an acceptable look. Her hair required little styling. She'd pinned up her glorious curls into a bun. Her boots were S.H.I.E.L.D. issue, disguised to look like decades older footwear.
She slung her duffle bag over her shoulder, double checked that golden tokens which Heimdall had given her were safe; made certain the currency she'd requested was indeed period accurate; and went to find Thor and Frigga. They were waiting for her outside the palace and with them was a woman Natasha didn't know.
"Lady Natasha, this is Freya. She has the capability to weave magic pertaining to destiny; she will help you on this mission of yours." Thor said.
"Thank you all for helping me in this. I will do my best to rescue three people who mean a great deal to Steve. Please let him know that I haven't left him, Thor. Don't spill on what I'm doing exactly, just tell him I'm trying to give him the life he should have had; that he was cheated out of." Natasha admitted.
"I will tell him, but I cannot promise he will take the knowledge well." Thor gripped her shoulder gently. "Little sister...are you trying to give him an alternative to you?"
Natasha squirmed at that. "Thor, he deserves so much more than me."
The thunder god regarded her then pulled her into a hug. "I know you are wrong, Natasha. You underestimate Captain Rogers. I believe he knows exactly what he needs and what is best for him. You are best for him. What you are doing is admirable, however do not be surprised if he takes you to task for causing him worry. And he will be worried."
"Worried, pissed off and scared. Yeah, I'm pretty certain of that." Natasha agreed. "I just have to give him the options, you know?"
"Heimdall will keep close watch on you and will bring you back if your situation becomes dangerous or dire. Agreed?"
"Thor, I can handle...oh for fuck's sake, yes. Agreed." Natasha wasn't certain he'd let her go without her promise. Hopefully she'd be in and out of that time frame quickly. Then she'd have to face Steve and the music, as it were. "Please ask Dr. Banner to stand by with a trauma team here. I'm going to try to save Dr. Erskine and Bucky."
"I will. Fare thee well, Lady Natasha. We will see each other soon." Thor winked at her and strode off.
It took some explaining between Natasha and Frigga but Freya understood what she was being asked to do. "Hold firmly in your mind the image of 'where' you want to be." Freya told Natasha.
Natasha slung her duffle bag over her back, patted the golden tokens in her pocket again and thought back to the photographs she had seen in Steve's apartment. The one with him and Bucky at the Stark Expo. That's where she wanted to go. Exactly that day and that time. Freya and Frigga took her hands in theirs and began chanting. Natasha couldn't understand or remember any of the words the two of them said. They disappeared like cotton candy in her mind.
Unlike the bifrost highway that Thor had taken her to, this time the world didn't fall away. Suddenly everything felt and smelt different. She opened her eyes to find it was nighttime, stars spangled the sky. The air was fresher but had the heady aroma of popcorn and sweetness.
She looked around cautiously. In front of her was a huge banner that read "Stark Expo". A red car was on a stage and a man in a tuxedo was talking to the crowd through a mic.
"Excuse me, please," a familiar baritone voice said near her ear. She turned to find herself face to face with Steve. Rather, a smaller, more fragile version of Steve. He glanced at her and his eyes widened. "I'm sorry ma'am, I hope I didn't shove you or anything. I'm trying to catch up with my friend and his...dates."
"You didn't, please don't worry about it." Natasha managed to unscramble her thoughts and respond appropriately. She smiled brilliantly at him.
To her surprise, he gave a shy smile back and blushed. "My friend got dates for himself and me but she doesn't like me much."
It was unsettling hearing Steve's voice come out of this smaller, thinner version. She mentally shook herself and focused. "Why would she not like you? Any woman would be proud to be your date."
"Thank you," he ducked his head a bit, blushing harder, "I know you don't mean it but thank you for saying that."
In response, she hooked her arm through his, "I did mean it. I'll be your date if she's too dumb to know what's she's got."
Steve's eyes widened and his whole face brightened up. "You would? My...My name is Steve. Steve Rogers"
"I'm Natalie Rushman. And you bet I will." She noticed that he was a couple of inches taller than she was but she most certainly outweighed him but at least twenty pounds. The name she gave him was one of her aliases and the one she'd used on Tony Stark when she briefly worked for him.
There was a god-awful noise just then from the stage. The car had been levitating but the propulsion jets holding it up failed and it crashed to the ground. "Well, that sucked." Nat commented and laughed, causing Steve's eyebrows to raise.
He'd never met anyone like her. She was stunningly beautiful with red hair, green eyes and a beautiful pair of lips. Apparently she was outspoken as well with that sultry voice of hers. He could live with it. She was far more beautiful than either of the girls Bucky had on his arms.
The aforementioned Bucky turned back just then and his eye widened when he saw a beautiful woman on Steve's arm. "Hello, I'm Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes. My friends call me "Bucky" for short."
Nat looked at his proffered hand and took it in a firm handshake, "Hi, Bucky. I'm Natalie Rushman, it's nice to meet you."
Bucky gave her an up and down appraising look, "This is my last night before I ship out, Natalie. These ladies were going to come with Steve and I to go dancing. Would you like to join us?"
Nat noticed Steve looking wistfully at the Army recruitment center directly across from the Expo stage. "Um...no thanks, I was actually going to go over there and see if I can enlist."
Steve quickly said, "I'm going to go with her, Bucky. You and the girls will have more fun without me tagging along."
"Steve, wait..." Bucky's words were drowned out as Natasha dragged Steve along toward the big tent.
They made it to the top of the four stairs leading up to the platform on which the recruitment tents stood before Bucky caught up with them. "Steve, this isn't a back ally fight; this is war."
"Men are risking their lives, Buck. I got no right to not do the same." Steve's jaw set in a familiar stubborn line that Nat recognized instantly.
As the two friends were arguing, Nat spied an older, balding man with glasses, standing off to the side, listening to their conversation. She moved over to him and stuck out her hand, "Dr. Abraham Erskine?"
He looked at her with surprise then hushed her, "One moment, young woman, I want to hear this." He pointed to Steve and Bucky.
They listened to the end. "You're a punk," Bucky said with a grin on his face and pulled Steve in for a hug.
"Jerk." Steve replied and hugged his best friend back. He watched as Bucky and the two women sauntered off into the crush of the fairground crowd.
"Now, young woman, what can I do for you?" Dr. Erskine turned his attention back to Natasha.
"One second," Nat turned to Steve, "You go on in, I'll be right after you and I'll meet you here, in a bit. Okay?"
"Okay." Steve turned and glumly made his way into the tent.
"Dr. Erskine, I'm Natalie Rushman. I'm a friend of Peggy Carter's. I want to join your SSR group." There, that was straight to the point. It was a big fat lie, but it was to the point.
His eyes widened, "Have you had any experience?"
"Yes, I have. I can speak English, French, German, Russian and Italian. I'm good at code breaking and espionage." As proof, she produced her Russian and American passports – both period correct, and a letter of recommendation from her former commandant.
Erskine studied them carefully. If the woman was lying these were very, very good forgeries. He could find nothing wrong with them or her. "Very well, come inside and let's get you on my team."
"Dr. Erskine, one other thing, that young man I was with? He has a noble heart. I know you understand me when I say that." Nat, put her hand lightly on Erskine's arm.
"I did notice that, yes." Dr. Erskine agreed.
"All he needs is a chance," Natasha's eyes pleaded with him.
"So tonight, I get two new recruits, is that what you want to hear?" Dr. Erskine patted her arm fondly. "Very well, I will see what this noble young man has to say."
"Thank you, Doctor. You won't be disappointed." Nat gave him a beaming smile and took his arm to be escorted in and fill out her paperwork.
After, she had been examined, processed and given her paperwork, she pinned the SSR pins on her lapels and wriggled into the dark khaki pants and jacket they'd given her. The boots were a little big until she put on the heavy socks they'd issued her with them. She stood and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Fair enough. She looked good.
"Agent Rushman?" Dr. Erskine called to her.
"Yes, doctor?" Nat poked her head out of the changing room.
"Would you accompany me, please?"
She scooted out after him, being sure to take her bag which held her other garb and the precious gold tokens, and followed him to a curtained room. Inside was Steve, looking nervous and a bit panicked.
"So, you want to join the army and kill Nazis?" Dr. Erskine asked Steve. Steve was busy looking at Nat in uniform and her lieutenant's insignia on her epaulets.
"Er...I don't want to kill anyone. I just hate bullies. I don't care where they're from." Steve replied, still staring at Natasha.
Dr. Erskine glanced back at Natasha who was doing her best to have blank face at the moment. "Well, I have the highest recommendation that you have a noble heart. We will give you a chance if you want it."
Steve looked confused until it hit him that Erskine had said 'a chance'. "I'll take it!"
"Where are you from?" Erskine asked him as he found the rubber stamp he was looking for.
"Brooklyn." Steve said definitively. He stood taller and straighter as Erskine handed him his papers with a 1A on them. He looked at Natasha who winked and gave him a little smile.
After both received their paperwork on where to report – basic training for Steve, Agent training for Nat – she offered to buy him a drink to celebrate. They went to a restaurant close to the fairgrounds that Steve knew. He was nearly buoyant with joy. Natasha ordered two beers and two roast beef sandwiches for them. As they sat at the table waiting for their order, Steve shyly reached over and squeezed her hand.
"This has turned into a great day. Meeting you has made everything fall into place. You're a good luck charm, Natalie." He blushed again.
"I'm just so glad things have worked out for you. And I think you are getting everything on your own merit. I didn't have anything to do with it." Nat lied out her ass, but it was a good lie so it didn't count. He colored more with her praise and changed the subject.
"Where are you from, anyway?," Steve asked her.
"Not from around here," Nat sipped her beer, watching him closely. Steve's voice coming out of not-Steve's body was taking a lot of getting used to. "The good news is we'll be training at the same place so we'll get to see a lot of each other."
That surprised him, "You mean you'd still want to be friends with me?"
"Of course, Steve, how could I not? You're a great guy!" Natasha let him see the smile in her eyes. "That is if you want to. I don't want to force myself on you if you've got enough women in your life."
"Force?" Steve echoed a conversation they'd just had a few days ago in a different time period. "Agent Rushman, I would be honored to spend time with you. I just can't believe a beautiful dame...er...girl...er...woman, like yourself would want to be with someone like me."
His stumbling around was endearing. His scent was vaguely familiar too. It must be the same cologne he still had in present day. "Maybe I'm just looking for the right partner," Natasha smiled at him over her beer.
Steve was shocked, "That is what I always say! Bucky could tell you. I've always said that I wanted the right partner."
"Maybe we have a lot more in common than you think," Natasha reached over and patted his hand. Steve's blue, blue eyes were wide with adoration. He was so happy that he forgot to blush.
Their food came and they ate together, sharing little tidbits of their lives and laughing. Steve couldn't remember when he'd had a better time with anyone. Natasha was surprised at how much of the Steve she knew was housed in this smaller, much more delicate looking body. She noticed that he wasn't blushing as much with her and seemed much more relaxed and happy.
Steve only cared that a beautiful, mysterious woman had appeared out of the blue and that suddenly his life felt like it was finally taking the direction it was meant to take.