In the clamour of the cafeteria in the evening, Jane once again chose the table furthest from the other people, although this time there were many more people present. An audible hush fell over the cafeteria every time Jane walked anywhere. She sat down with her back towards the room, glancing down and to her left without turning her head. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and proceeded to unroll her utensils from the napkin they were wrapped in.

For a moment, she stared, frozen, at the food in front of her.

"Everything okay?" Asked Steve.

"Yes," she jolted from her reverie. "I was just wondering how your food occasions worked." She admitted.

The corner of Steve's mouth wanted to twitch into a smile.

"Well, these days there seems to be a whole lot of different ideas about it, but I like three square meals a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner." He answered her question.

"Did I miss lunch?" She asked.

"Yeah, you were out for the count." Answered Steve.

She continued to look at him as if he'd not answered her.

"Meaning that you were sleeping." Explained Steve, understanding her lack of reference.

She nodded silently as she began to eat. This time around, she was satisfied with a lot less. Steve, however, went back for a second helping.

"How many people are alive right now?" She asked as he ate.

"On earth?" asked Steve.

"Yes." She replied.

"Around nine billion last time I checked."

Her eyebrows shot into her hair. She leaned forward to whisper the answer back to him, disbelief etched on her face. "Nine billion?"

"More or less."

She sat back in her chair, bringing a loose fist to her mouth as she tried to absorb what he'd just said. Her elbow rested on her other arm, which was clasped around her waist.

After a long moment, she turned her eyes to Steve, her fist opening and moving down to hold her shoulder.

"I must get used this." She said softly, more to herself.

Steve remembered how it had been when he was getting used to the world of the future. A deep pang of empathy flooded his heart for her. She was much more out her depth that he had been.

"Perhaps it is a blessing that I do not remember my life." Her eyes were glazing.

"Hey," said Steve gently, pushing away his half-eaten plate of food and leaning forward. "I know you feel lost right now, but I'm here to help. Let's just take it one day at a time."

Her eyes refocused on his. His sincerity made her feel more at ease. She nodded as her hands dropped to her lap. Looking down at them, she asked:

"Why are you being so kind to me?" Only her eyes looked up at him.

Steve was still not used to how piercing her gaze was. "Let's just say, I've been in a similar situation."

"You have?" She asked eagerly as hope sprang in her chest, she raised her head to match her gaze and leaned towards him.

Steve didn't find talking about his time coming to terms with losing almost seven decades easy. In fact, he hadn't really spoken about it with anyone. He'd made the odd joke on occasion, but he'd never really talked about it. The only other person who could remotely relate to his situation was frozen himself now. Bucky.

Steve was saved by a doctor from the lab who'd spotted them in the cafeteria via one of the security cameras.

"Good evening, might I remind you that Jane is due for a check-in as per the terms agreed with the king?"

"We'll be right there." Answered Steve.

Jane felt a pang of disappointment at the interruption.

Shuri was waiting for them, her clipboard clutched to her chest, looking like she was going to explode with excitement when she saw how much Jane had changed since that morning.

Jane very reluctantly entered the lab, honouring the bargain that she had agreed to.

Steve waited outside.

Her blood was drawn, a sample of her hair taken, her eyes, ears and throat examined and a reflex test done.

Shuri talked as she worked.

"I don't know if Steve has told you, but we've prepared a room for you next to his. We're taking you into the city tomorrow to get you some clothes and other things you need."

Jane's eyes shone with excitement and curiosity.

"We've prepared this bracelet for you, it contains a tracking device. It will tell us where you are if we get separated and you get lost." Shuri explained as she secured the Vibranium bracelet around Jane's right wrist.

Jane examined the bracelet, twisting her arm to see it from all angles.

"It's waterproof, so you don't have to remove it when you take a shower. In fact, it would be great if you didn't remove it at all."

Jane found that a little suspicious, but thought it a small price to pay to leave the Design Institute.

Once they'd done everything they needed, Jane walked up the spiral ramp and out of the Lab and found Steve leaning against the glass wall to her right. Their eyes met at the same moment. Steve immediately noticed the bracelet on her arm.

"What's that?" He asked.

"Shuri says it's a tracking device."

His face fell a little. He didn't like it, but for the time being, he couldn't deny it was the best way to make sure Jane was safe.

"I do not like it either," said Jane, reading his mind, "but it is a small price to pay for the illusion of freedom."

Steve couldn't help but smile at how well she read him.

"Come on, I have the keys to your room." He said, still grinning.

Her room was next to his, an exact mirror image. Her bed was against the same wall his was on the other side. A pair of scrubs had been left on her bed to sleep in.

She turned to face him when she was at the foot of the bed.

"Thank you, Steve." She said.

"What for?"

"Everything."

Steve went to see Shuri to go over the route for the following day. She was busy examining something under a microscope when he arrived.

"Good evening, Captain Rogers." She greeted him.

"Ma'am." He nodded. "I thought we might review the route for tomorrow, but if now is not a good time, I can come back later." He said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder.

"Now is perfect," she said. "I want to show you something first though."

Steve walked around the table to where Shuri was bent over the microscope.

"Here, have a look at the tissue sample we took from Jane the night we found her."

Steve looked at the slide she put under the lens through the microscope. He could see healthy and alive looking cells.

"Now look at the sample we took today." She said, changing the slide.

Steve couldn't see any difference between the two.

"What am I lookin' for?"

"The cells we took that first night should still be as dehydrated and emaciated as they were when we took the sample. Here."

She tapped the table and pulled up a file containing her notes that stated the cells to appear dehydrated and damaged.

"These cells have made as much progress as the cells in her body."

Steve frowned "what does that mean?"

"I'm not sure, but based on what we've seen these last few days, she is definitely an enhanced individual. Who knows what she's capable of?" Shuri sounded both excited and concerned.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." Replied Steve.

Shuri raised her eyebrows and nodded her head to the side as she begun returning the samples to their storage containers.

"I wish we could just order everything she needed." Sighed Shuri.

"I'm not disagreeing with you, but we have to do what we can to help her remember. I don't know if taking her out is even the right thing for that. One thing I do know for sure is that it will help her feel less like a prisoner and that, for now, is good enough for me. I'll make sure nothing happens to her, " said Steve.

Shuri didn't answer. She knew to argue with Steve over this was a waste of time, so she pulled up a map on the screen table.

They spent the next hour planning the route for the following day and parted, exhausted, to their quarters for some much-needed rest.