Captain Rogers was found in the ice 70 years later and Maria was part of the mission.
She had moved back to the city in the 1990's, joining the army to then be personal hand picked by S.H.I.E.L.D. At first she thought it was a trick however she had worked so hard to keep her cover and had buried all evidence of her past life. She made sure they didn't know about her history, making up a completely different life for herself. She had cut her hair, dying it from the light brown she was known for to dark brown. She got rid of the files on her past life that S.H.I.E.L.D had access to and made sure they wouldn't be able to trace it back to her.
When they found Steve in the ice they had brought him straight back to the S.H.I.E.L.D base in the middle of the city. They had scientist working around the clock on how to bring him back and unfreezing him without damaging him.
"Coulson's going to swoon when he hears about this," Natasha said, looking through the window at Steve who laid unconscious on the bed. It had been two days since they found him and it was still on the low, not many people knowing about him.
"Clint has dibs on telling him though," Maria told red head without looking up from her tablet.
"That's not fair," Nat commented.
"That's the rules of dibs my friend," Maria told her with a small smirk, looking up at Nat who pulled a face.
"How long until he wakes?" Natasha asked, glancing at the work on Maria's tablet. Maria looked over to the blonde, pushing down feelings that bubbled up to the surface.
"In five maybe six days, possibly a week," Maria said. "The scientist's have to regulate his core body temperature, making sure his body doesn't go into shock with the sudden change of environment," Maria informed her and Natasha nodded. There was a lot more science involved with the whole defrosting situation, however Maria didn't go into the facts.
"Crazy right?" Nat commented. "How someone can last for so long in the ice. Imagine how he is going to feel when waking up in a completely different world," Natasha said, placing a hand on her holster as she talked.
Maria knew the woman was weary of the soldier, as was Fury and Clint. They knew the courage and strength he had, knew that he his power could be dangerous. Yet Maria knew better.
"He'll be ok. He'll get the support he needs from S.H.I.E.L.D and his handler," Maria said, thinking about how much of a shock it will be. Times have defiantly changed, Maria being there to see it all. Natasha smirked slightly at Maria's words.
"You still pissed you're his handler?" Natasha asked.
"I'm not a child, Romanoff," Maria told her before someone in the ear comm asked for Black Widow's assistance.
"Duty calls," Natasha commented before leaving. Maria sighed, locking her tablet and glancing over at the two scientists in Steve's room. They were going to move him to a makeshift room of the hospitals in 1940's in a couple of days, when the scientists felt ready and confident that Steve was ok on his own. She hoped he was.
She moved to press the code into the lock and the door clicked open. She walked in and gestured for the scientists to leave the room, which they did. Making sure the camera's were off and no-one was in the viewing room Maria moved over to where Steve laid.
He looked the same. His long thick eyelashes brushed his slightly flushed cheeks. His blonde hair, which was swept out of his face, was still the golden colour she remembered it as. The way his lips looked as soft as when snow that had just fallen. What she would give to kiss them right now.
She took a deep breath, her hand reaching up to brush a lose strain of hair out of his face. Maria brushed the back of her index finger down the side of his face, pausing at his jaw line, a familiar memory she held close coming back to her. How he had kissed her on the jaw line, across her neck and down her chest. How he had held her close to his naked body, protecting and caring.
She placed her open palm on his chest, listening to the strong beating of his heart on the heart monitor and the feeling of it under her hand.
"Steve," she whispered, his name slipping from her lips so easily. The beeping of his heart increased, only slightly and to the untrained it would have gone missed. But Maria wasn't the untrained, she was trained, she did pick up on the slight increase.
Was it because of her?
She slowly pulled her hand away from his rising and falling chest, the beating of his heart returning to normal.
She got the alert on her phone, "Code 13," came flashing up onto the screen and then suddenly from the speakers in the corridor. She sighed, knowing this was going to happen before turning around and running towards the garage.
Fury had planned this, testing Rogers. The whole area where Steve was set up in had tiny clues to it not being real. Maria understood why Fury had done this, to see how Steve worked, how he collected information and how fast he did that and what response he would give. And in this case, Steve decided to get the hell out of there.
Agents quickly moved out of her way as she came running through, knowing she was in a rush. She got to the garage just as Fury was about to climb into the car.
"You're late," he simply said.
"Better late than never," she replied before climbing into the passengers seat.
"You knew this was going to happen," Maria commented as the garage doors opened and the black cars all rolled out.
"Rogers escaped, ran straight through the wall and into the main lobby. Of course I wouldn't know he'd do that," Fury informed. Maria let a small smirk appear on her lips if only for a second, it sure sounded like her Steve. The location of Rogers came up on the wind screen at Maria's side.
"He ran straight out and into the street apparently," she told him. "Sharp right," she then said, looking at Steve's location. Fury made the sharp right onto time square, followed by the other S.H.I.E.L.D cars. "There he is," Maria said as she spotted him slowing and looking around, face shining with shock. S.H.I.E.L.D cars then circled him, blocking his path. He could have escaped them easily, but he didn't, the agents stepping out with guns by their side.
Maria climbed slowly out of the car as Fury walked forward towards the dazed soldier.
"At ease, soldier! Look, I'm sorry about that little show back there, but we thought it best to break it to you slowly," Fury told him.
"Break what?" Steve asked, confusion spread along his face.
"You've been asleep, Cap. For almost 70 years," Fury told him and Steve fell silent with shock.
The soldier looked around at New York City, his face a mask of confusion as the buildings loomed over him. Maria understood how he was feeling, the times have changed so much since back then.
"You gunna be ok?" Fury asked the blonde.
"Yeah, I just... I had to ask someone something," Steve said and Maria swallowed hard. That someone had been her and that something had been her hand in marriage. She took a deep breath before walking forward, fear rising as she did so. She hoped he wouldn't recognize her, if he did then her cover would be blown in seconds. Fury glanced behind at her as she came to his side and then looked back at Steve.
"Captain, this is Deputy Director Hill. She will be your handler, helping you get used to the times. We will debrief you back at our base," Fury said and Steve nodded, only giving Maria a quick glance, not registering her.
"If you would like to come with us," Fury said, gesturing to the car. Steve gave a blunt nod before walking to the car and an agent rushed to open the door for him. He climbed in with Fury at the wheel and Maria in the passengers seat. They drove to the base and Steve was escorted to one of the debriefing rooms by four agents. He knew they meant well but four agents weren't going to stop him if he wanted to escape. He sat at the wide table, too much in shock to be able to comprehend where he was.
He tried to listen to the brunette who was talking, talking to him he quickly remembered. He blinked before looking up from the black glass table.
"We've set you up with a small apartment in Brooklyn, a few blocks away from my own apartment," the brunette told him.
That voice.
It was so... Familiar. He had heard it before. But where?
He then looked at her. Properly looked at her. His memories were all over the place, all of them slowly flooding back after the shock of waking up in a completely different world, yet all still blurry. She locked eyes with him, if only it be for a second, he would know them eyes anywhere. The way they shone a beautiful greyish blue, that once opened up all her secrets. Now they seemed distance and cold.
Suddenly she looked away as if that connection hadn't even happened.
"You'll have enough money to get by easily and we have employment opportunities for you for whenever you wish to get a job. It's up to you if you work with us, S.H.I.E.L.D, or get a... Normal job," Maria said, flicking through files on her tablet. Steve frowned, narrowing his eyes at her.
The way her body moved was different to Maria's and her hair was shorter and darker than the person he once knew. Her face. The perfect jaw line and her lips, so soft. The lips he had kissed. A body he once had on top and under him.
But it's not her. It could never be her. She was either old or... Dead. She just looked like Maria... She wasn't her.
"Captain Rogers," her voice rang through and he blinked a couple of times, bringing himself back to reality.
"I'm sorry," Steve said and Maria just stared blankly at him.
"Your keys... To the apartment," Maria repeated to him and Steve stood up. He took the keys from her and she managed to not allow their hands to brush.
"Thank you," Steve told her.
"They'll be someone waiting to show you to your apartment in the garage," Maria informed him before gesturing to the agent stood at the door to show him the way. Steve moved, following the agent with one last glance back at the deputy director, not to see her for two weeks.
So this is the first 21st century chapter and i hoped you all liked it. Please tell me what you thought, it always makes my day. Hopefully the next chapter will be up very soon.