A/N: These chapters have been a little short but I've stopped when I felt the thought was completed and I didn't want to feel like the chapters were just running on and on with no forward momentum.

Enjoy!

Chapter 14

"So you're telling me that you were gone visiting some dying relative that you hadn't known anything about until just a few weeks ago and had no idea that someone rigged your apartment to explode when you returned?" The grizzled officer known as Jameson asked again.

Zaria opened her mouth to snap at the officer but her attorney got to it first.

"That is what my client said. Now, Officer Jameson if you're just going to ask the same questions over again my client and I are going to leave as you are wasting our time." Benjamin Ford said in a cool tone.

"You expect me to believe that crap and yet the same day your apartment explodes you have spent quite a lot of money on new clothing and are staying at a very nice apartment."

"The expenditures by my client were all paid by Mr. Rogers's employer and Mr. Rogers has graciously offered his home to my client as she finds a new place to stay."

"So you have no idea who could have wanted to blow up your apartment?"

"Actually I do." Zaria answered as she looked over at her attorney. He inclined his head and indicated for her to continue; it wasn't something he deemed necessary to keep from the cops apparently.

"And who would that be?" The cop sounded bored, as if he expected some random answer that he had no intention of following up on.

"My ex-boyfriend: James Rickshaw."

"Well that's very interesting because James Rickshaw is in the hospital right now. You wouldn't know anything about that now would you?"

Zaria's about hit the floor. She knew her grandfather was quick with his retribution but not that quick. "I don't know anything about that." She answered slowly.

"Mm sure. Where were you last night?"

"Are you interrogating my client on a different matter other than the one about her apartment?" Benjamin interjected.

"Well if she has nothing to hide..."

They were baiting her just like they always did. "No, I have nothing to hide." She snapped. "I was at Steve's apartment all night long."

"Can anyone verify?"

"Yeah, Steve can."

"Anyone other than the other witness in the incident of your apartment?"

"Oh you have got to be kidding me." Zaria muttered as she glared at the cop. "The doorman. There's only one entrance at that apartment and I would have to pass right by the doorman if I wanted to enter or exit the building. I'm done here."

"Agreed." Benjamin said as he stood in a smooth motion. "If you have any further questions for either Ms. Barnes or Mr. Rogers you can contact me." He handed the officer his business card then left the building behind Zaria.

They left the precinct in Benjamin's lux car that was probably worth all her medical bills put together. This suddenly reminded her that she had not paid on them in a while.

"Can we stop by my old apartment?" She asked.

"Of course."

"Is something wrong?" Steve questioned.

"I haven't paid the medical bills since before... well for a while. I need to get my mail and I need to call them and find out about delaying the payment until I can work again."

They parked in front of her building where she ran up just as the mailman arrived.

"I'll take everything for apartment 628."

The mailman mumbled something before he pulled all the mail out for her and handed it to her.

"Thanks." She hopped back into the car and they sped off to Steve's apartment.

Ripping open the first bill she could find she read over it, paled, read over it again and scrambled to find her new cell phone.

"What is it?" Steve asked, concerned about the color draining from her cheeks.

Zaria didn't answer; instead she put the phone to her ear after dialing and waited for someone to pick up. "Hello? Yes I'm calling about my bill... Zaria Barnes... Z-A-R-I-A B-A-R-N-E-S... Yes I'll hold." Zaria tapped her foot nervously as she waited for someone to pick up.

"Yes, I'm still here." She answered quickly to the new voice on the phone. "Yes, I was calling about my bill, I saw that it was past due and I - what? Yes that's my account... No I- what? Are you sure you're looking at the right account? Yes it was for Dima Mosin... She's my grandmother... Yes that's all my information... You're sure? Okay I - Well Thank you... No I don't need anything else... Yes, thank you, goodbye."

"Is everything alright?" Steve asked, he was still concerned and he wasn't sure how he was supposed to handle the situation.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She answered. "Somebody made a mistake and I'm sure I'm going to get a letter in the mail about it soon, that's all."

"Made a mistake on what?"

"The medical bill for my grandmother's hospital was paid off. Paid in full. I didn't ask who paid for it; I didn't think they'd tell me. It's got to be a mistake."

"Director Fury might have paid them off." Steve helped.

"Mm..." Zaria commented as she noticed something, there was a car following them and had been since they had left her apartment. "Hey, Ben- Mr. Ford."

"Benjamin or Ben is fine. Whatever you prefer." He answered.

"Alright, well Ben, if you wouldn't mind letting us out. Anywhere is fine."

"We have not reached the apartment."

"I know that's fine." Zaria answered as she noticed the car make the same turn they just took. "It would be best if you at least let me out of the car."

"Are you sure about wanting me to let you out?"

"Yes, of course." Zaria answered.

"What is it?" Steve asked.

"I think I just want a walk." Zaria lied and hoped Steve wouldn't push it, at least until they were out of the car.

"It's alright Mr. Ford, I'll be with her." Steve said as he stared at Zaria for a moment longer.

"If you say so." The lawyer answered as he pulled into a covered garage parking and let his passengers out. "If I hear anything from the cops I will call you, just don't get into any more trouble than you're already in."

"We will stay out of trouble of course." Zaria answered as she waved the car away.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"We were being followed." Zaria answered as she made her way to the exit and waited. "It looks like they didn't notice we got out so they'll follow him back to his office and realize we got out, by then we will be long gone."

Steve pursed his lips. "Hey, let's go out and do something."

Zaria turned around to face him. "Go where? Do what?"

"I don't know, but we're out now and we're not too far away from Central Park. We can take a walk through there, maybe a rowboat on the lake. Or a carriage ride, or anything really." Steve shrugged slightly, wondering if she would go with him.

Zaria cocked her head to one side and stared at him. "Alright. Sure, let's go. Lead the way."

Steve smiled and gave her his arm, which she took graciously, and led the way to Central Park.

They walked through Central Park, finding a trail that seemed more secluded than the rest, and enjoyed each other's company in comfortable silence. They moved slowly, watching birds and the small animals scurry about in the branches and the ground. At a bench, they sat down and just stayed there for a long moment in silence.

"I don't..." Steve started, before stopping and sighing.

"It's fine." Zaria answered slowly. She was almost certain she knew the answer he was going to give her and she wasn't sure she really wanted to hear what he was actually saying.

"No, it's not and I don't really know how to fix it." Steve answered getting frustrated. He ran a hand through his hair causing her to have a visceral memory of doing the exact same thing early this morning; it made her shudder.

"Are you cold?" He asked as he shrugged off his leather jacket and draped it across her shoulders.

"Thank you." She wasn't really cold but the butter-soft leather was still warm from Steve's body heat and she just couldn't give it back yet.

He sighed again as he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he rested his chin on top of his clasped hands. "I don't think I'm ready to really talk about... about Peggy or anything else that happened to be in world war two, but I want you to understand something," he turned to look at her. "You are not a replacement, for anyone. My feelings for you are real and uniquely just for you. Not for any other reason."

Zaria flushed, dark red, as she was taken aback by what Steve had just told her. Suddenly she started giggling as she covered her face.

"I'm sorry; I'm not laughing at you." She gasped between giggles. "I just, I'm relieved I think."

"You... think you're relieved?" Steve questioned, confused by her statement.

"Yeah." Zaria smiled, wiping the corner of her eye as it had watered up in her laughing. "I didn't realize I was really concerned that I was just a replacement for some girl. I didn't know what you really thought about me and it was laugh or it was cry when I heard what you said."

Steve reached over and caught her face in both of his hands. He wiped the residual tears from her eyelashes as he gazed into her eyes. "I will do my best to never make you cry, all I ever want to see on your face is a smile."

Zaria blushed as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, throwing her arms around his neck. His arms encircled her waist and held her tight, and for this moment, she felt that everything was good and right.